“Okay. Then let’s go inside. You can play for a while, and I’ll make dinner.” He turned so they were looking at each other. “You’re welcome to join us. Dinner here is often simple. I’m an okay cook, and Jameson likes kid food, so that’s what we have quite a bit.”
“Chicken nuggets?” Jameson asked, and from the look that passed over Brendan’s features, he had likely had his fill of those.
“How about something else. Okay? I have couple of steaks, and you can have some of mine. That way Lucas can have one too.”
“With French fries?”
That look happened again. “Mashed potatoes.”
“Okay,” Jameson said as they reached the back door. Brendan put him down, and Jameson ran through the house.
“Watch your step. It won’t take long before the entire first floor is Lego bombed. I swear they multiply under the sofa and behind the chairs. My mother got him a whole bunch for his birthday.”
“That’s all right.” Lucas leaned against the counter. “If I take this job, what is it you expect of me? I mean, I can keep a watch on things that happen here, but I can’t just stand around, and I don’t know anything about horses except that they eat hay.”
“Well, I can show you what needs to be done on the farm. It isn’t that difficult, and I could use the help. I’m working most of the day, and sometimes well into the night to do the records once Jameson is asleep. Mostly you’ll be here to watch out for anything amiss and make sure that these incidents don’t continue. That’s what I need most of all.”
“And if we can catch Jenn or whoever is doing this in the act….”
“All the better.”
Lucas thought for a few seconds. Taking the job here would give him a chance at something new, as well as give him the opportunity to figure out what he truly wanted next in his life. With the closing of the club, he’d been at loose ends. So maybe this could be just what he needed… at least for now.
ChapterThree
“You needto eat a few more bites,” Brendan told Jameson as he picked at his food.
“I’m full. Can I go play?” Jameson asked.
“You need to finish three more bites of your steak and three bites of potato.” It was usually like this. Jameson was in such a hurry to go play that he didn’t eat all that much, and yet he’d be hungry in an hour.
“How do you think I got so big and strong?” Lucas said to Jameson, like he was sharing a secret. “I always ate my steak and potatoes.” He winked, and Brendan turned away, pretending not to see or to laugh. Jameson, on the other hand, picked up his fork and began eating once more.
“Thank you,” he said softly as Jameson returned to his dinner.
“I need to go to my place and get my things. I don’t have all that much. But I thought I’d check things out before I left and then I’d come back in the morning. The place came furnished, such as it was, so what I have will fit in my truck.”
Brendan nodded slowly. “Sounds good. Is living light a decision you made? As you can tell, I try that sort of thing, but Jameson has other ideas. He takes after my father. Dad kept everything. It took months for Mom and me to clear out the clutter. The attic and basement were full of things my father thought he might use someday. Most of it ended up in a dumpster. But I did find some treasures.”
“Like what?” Lucas asked.
“There was a box in the basement of bridles and things. Inside were some old pieces. The leather had dried out and nearly fell apart, but the decorative pieces turned out to be silver.I reused them on a number of bridles and show pieces.” He sighed. “Jenn took most of those, claiming that I had given them to her. There was a ton of glass and ceramics. He seemed to have an eye for it. Mom took some of it. I put the rest in the cabinet over there. It adds color, and Dad would be pleased that we are using it. Mostly there was just old junk that we had to pitch.”
“Living light is kind of a necessity, I guess. The place came with the job, and I stayed there. It wasn’t mine, and it didn’t seem like a good idea to go collecting a bunch of stuff that I was going to have to lug around with me when things changed. And they always change.”
Brendan couldn’t argue with that. “Every time I think things are going to settle down into a normal routine, something blows it up, and I’m running to try to get things back on track again.”
Lucas shrugged. “Mostly I just go with it.”
“Can I play now?” He had eaten almost everything.
Brendan nodded. “Go on.” Jameson climbed down and raced into the living room. “I wish I had his energy. He goes and goes, and then suddenly he’ll fall asleep. It’s like his tank is out of gas and needs refilling. Then once he’s recharged, he’s off again.”
“I’ve never spent much time around kids. I was an only child, and my parents were older when they had me. Mom didn’t think she could have kids. There was some sort of problem, and then when she was in her late thirties, I came along. My cousins were all much older than me.” He shrugged. “I think I’ve held a few babies over the years, but that’s about all.”
“Do you ever think about having kids?” Brendan asked.
Lucas shook his head. “Not really. I couldn’t have my own without a whole bunch of hoop-jumping, so I guess it’s never been on my radar. Not that I don’t like kids or anything….” He tugged at the collar of his shirt, and Brendan lowered his gaze to his plate, pleased that Lucas was uncomfortable about something. The guy seemed to put together, and Brendan alwaysseemed to feel like he was going to come apart at any moment. The horse farm supported him and Jameson, but just barely sometimes.
