“Oh,” he said, falling silent while his busy thoughts churned. I knew he was doing the math. Placing my hand on the small of his back, I gently guided him toward the back porch, hoping we’d make it inside before the barrage of questions. “Is he my dad?”he asked, turning to look at me as we walked up the wooden steps to the back porch.
I swallowed, taking in the yearning in his bright eyes, and all I could think about was the look on Calum’s face when he’d realized the truth.
“Yes. He is.” I told him, forcing my lips to lift. All I managed was a hesitant smile that quickly faded when Asher spoke.
“I thought he was dead.” Regret slammed into me as I looked into the infinite pools of blue eyes—so similar to Cal’s.
“No, he’s not, and I’m sorry if I made you think that,” I managed, despite the emotion clogging my throat.
“I know you didn’t say it. It’s just…I saw how sad you got whenever I asked about my dad.” Asher replied, lifting his left shoulder in a shrug. “Nik’s dad is dead, and his mom doesn’t talk about him often, either.”
My heart clenched painfully in my chest. The fact that he’d noticed what I thought I hid so well surprised me. I thought I had years of practicing, but the older Asher got, the more intuitive he became.
“I was sad, but you have every right to ask me questions about him. I should have made that clearer.”
“Can I ask questions now?” I nodded. “Are you happy he’s back?” he asked, tilting his head, his eyes boring into mine.
“Yes, of course.” I replied carefully. It was a hard question to answer truthfully in its entirety. Motioning to the door, I straightened. “Let’s go inside and make some dinner. We’ll talk about it over tacos,” I added.
“Okay,” he nodded, his dark fringe falling into his eyes. I brushed it back and kissed his forehead before fishing my keys out of my purse, unlocking the door and pushing it open.
We stepped inside, onto the thick mat that protected the hardwood floors from snow and salt. I toed my boots off, setting them on the shelf by the door, before I walked into the kitchen to set my things down.
The main floor was an open concept with the kitchen leading into the living room, divided by a wall with a peek-through window that allowed light to spill throughout the entire main level. There was a counter beneath the peek-through window, where Asher and I ate most of our meals.
It was tiny, but it was ours. I signed the deed on this little house four years ago, using the inheritance my maternal grandmother had left for me as a down payment. It was the first home Asher and I had lived in without my parents. It was a step I’d been all too ready for.
Of course, they’d sold their house in Halifax and bought one down the street from mine, so I didn’tfullyescape them, but their close proximity came in handy on snow days and when Asher fell sick.
I took a moment, closing my eyes and breathing slowly. The scent of home was every bit as soothing as my bookstore.
I tried not to think about how it would feel to have Calum invade this safe space of mine, the way he had with the bookstore.
“Why is he gone all the time?” Asher’s inquiry caught me off guard, and I turned. He’d hung up his coat and put away his shoes, his big eyes watching me with interest.
“He’s a musician,” I replied. “He plays guitar and sings in a band, and they go on tour a lot.”
“Really?” His eyes lit up, and the sight of his excitement brought concern to my heart at the same time it brought a smile to my lips. He moved to the island and climbed on the stool, leaning over the dark countertop. “Is he famous? Is that why all those people came in?”
“Yes,” I answered, washing my hands in the sink. “They’ve played all over Canada and the United States. I think they’ve even gone to the United Kingdom.” I dried my hands on a towel before moving to the refrigerator to start taking ingredients out for dinner.
“Cool!”
“I guess it is,” I admitted with a dry chuckle, setting the ground beef, onions, and peppers down on the counter. I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Musicians do travel a lot, though. You might only get to see him every couple of months.”
“Maybe he won’t be gone so much, now that he knows about me,” he hedged with a shrug, trying to play off how much it meant to him.
I nodded, swallowing my worry. I hoped like hell Asher was right, but I knew the likelihood of Calum slowing his music career was improbable.
“Maybe,” I managed with a smile. “Wash up and grab the lettuce and tomatoes?”
“’Kay.” Asher nodded, hopping down from the stool and walking around to the sink. He was almost tall enough to reach the tap without having to stretch. Once he’d finished washing his hands, he turned the tap off and slid with socked feet past me to the refrigerator.
Condiments clanged gently when he pulled open the door. He opened the crisper to grab the lettuce and tomatoes, balancing everything in his arms and pushed the drawer closed with his foot.
Using his elbow to shut the refrigerator door, Asher carried everything to the sink and set it down inside the colander. He rinsed the lettuce and tomatoes quickly, eyes darting to me.
“Can we put on some music?” he asked. Listening to music while preparing and making dinner was kind of our thing, so his request wasn’t surprising.
