“Yikes.”
“Come on. Join us.”
Jackson taps his chin. “Sure. I’ll come hang out with you guys. I just need to do one thing real quick, and then I’ll be back.”
“No problem.” I point to a spot not too far past the valley oak tree. “We’ll meet you there whenever you’re ready.”
Jackson frowns as he follows my gaze but nods anyway. “Sure thing.”
Sammy and I make our way over to what’s become the little guy’s favorite picnic spot at the sanctuary. As he helps me anchor the corners of the blankets with rocks and set up the portable canopy, I have another chat, reminding him about the importance of respecting people’s physical boundaries. By the time Jackson returns, everything is set up.
“Can I help with anything?” he asks.
Before I can respond, Sammy grabs Jackson’s hand, then quickly pulls it back, remembering our chat, and says, “You can help me decide.”
Jackson frowns. “Decide what?”
“What to eat first!”
Sammy leaps over to the picnic basket, reaches his tiny arms inside, and starts hurling snacks into the air. Once they’re all out in a messy jumble on the blanket, he hops from foot to foot, giddy with excitement. “First, I’m gonna have donuts. Then chocolate chip cookies. No. Wait. I’ve changed my mind. First marshmallows. Then donuts. Then chocolate chip cookies.”
“Sounds like you don’t need any help at all,” Jackson offers with a smile, and for the first time, I see a bit of Clancy in him. It’s the eyes. Not just that they’re the same color, but they radiate with the same genuine kindness, too. With Clancy, though, there aren’t a million layers concealing it.
Then again, that’s one of the things I like most about Jackson. He’s complicated and hard to read, but I like the challenge. And I like the rewards that come with slowly figuring him out, piece by piece, even more.
Jackson glances my way. “Do you ever feed him anything healthy?”
“All he eats at home is healthy food. Isn’t that right, kiddo?”
Sammy nods seriously. “Daddy only cooks healthy food.”
“He’s four and has never had a freaking s’more until this year,” I say to Jackson. “If Wagner had his way, he’d only eat food he makes. I understand being an overprotective dad, but come on, the dude has to live a little.”
“Yeah, I have rights, too.” Sammy stomps his foot into the blanket, causing Jackson to smile sweetly at him.
“You sure do, buddy.” I ruffle his blond hair. “Now, remember our deal?”
He nods and tips his dinosaur-print nylon backpack upside down. A series of picture books tumbles out. “One book. Then one treat,” he repeats our deal as I take out a tray of veggie sticks, hummus cups, cheese cubes, and turkey and avocado roll-ups, holding it up as proof to Jackson that I don’t just overload Sammy with sugar and am capable of making responsible decisions, before placing it on the blanket.
“That’s right. Now, go sit over there while Janet and I talk, okay?”
“Okie dokie.”
Jackson waits until Sammy settles and is totally absorbed inThe Very Hungry Caterpillarbefore plonking himself down beside me and thwacking me across the chest. “Janet? Really?”
I toss a cube of cheese into my mouth and wink at him. “Anyone ever tell you you’re cute when you’re mad?”
He leans in. “Is that why you’re constantly pissing me off?”
“Nailed it.”
I wait for him to deliver the inevitable comeback in five, four, three, tw—Holy fucking shit.
I was not expecting him to take my hand in his. I stare down to where his calloused palm has enveloped my hand, a little dumbstruck, a lot happy.
“Is this okay?” Jackson rasps, a little breathlessly.
Does he actually think I’m going to say no? Granted, it wasn’t the smoothest of moves, and his grip is slowly draining all the blood from my appendage…and sending it all straight to another one.
