“Yeah, if you’re careful. You can fish from the shore, but if you go on the dock, you’ll need a life vest. The dock rocks a little, and I don’t want you to fall in.”
“Okay!”
“I think we should get going. It’s snack time soon,” Emil said after they’d sat in the sun for a while longer, mostly listening to Joy babble about this and that.
Makai was about to say something, but then Emil pushed his hood down, and all words lost meaning for the moment.
He’d seen beautiful people, sure. But there was something in the wild dark blond curls and sparkling blue eyes that took his breath away. Emil ducked his head and smiled shyly before quickly peering at Makai and averting his gaze again.
“Do you wanna put her back in the thing?” Joy asked, breaking the weird-as-hell moment.
“Yeah, I think it’s better so she won’t follow you two.” Makai found his words and felt oddly proud that he didn’t stutter at all.
He knelt to take the cat who was in front of Emil now, but Emil recoiled, crab-walking backward, as if Makai had thrown a punch at him. Shaken to his core, Makai froze, his hands still in the air as he knelt on the ground.
“It’s okay,” Joy said in a very calm, adult tone. “Emil is a little shy, and we don’t want to make sudden movements around him or touch him if he doesn’t wanna.”
It was obviously something she had heard many times, that had been told to her—made absolutely sure she understood what was being said and why it was important.
“Oh, okay. Sorry I moved so fast.” Makai nodded toward the cat but looked at Emil who seemed flustered, and not in a good way at all. “Do you mind if I grab her?”
“Uh… no. Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay. Anyone can have triggers.” Makai hoped he sounded as casual as he’d been aiming for. He wasn’t as good with human interaction as he would’ve liked. Not after a decade of keeping his head down and mouth shut. But he was learning. The therapist he’d seen a couple of times just before he was released, and the one he’d seen twice after had told him about what to expect out there and how to recognize his own triggers.
Emil looked at him as if he had grown a second head, and Makai chose to ignore it on the outside, at least. So, he looked like a big oaf, possibly stupid or at least tough with all the tattoos and everything. He wasn’t simple, though. He didn’t like the way Emil’s expression implied that. Probably not on purpose, but still.
He scooped up the cat and put her in the carrier. Then he looked at Joy. “If your mom lets you fish for the c—Mouse, then you’re welcome to. I’ll mostly be home, probably knocking down the old boat shed or working in the shed by the house. You just can never come here alone, okay? I can’t watch you, and you need an adult with you because of the lake and because I don’t know exactly what’s around my yard yet. Okay?”
She seemed to think for a while, then nodded seriously. “Okay.” Then she leaned down to peer into the carrier. “Bye-bye Mouse and babies!”
She grabbed Emil’s hand and tugged him away toward the narrow pathway where they’d come from.
Emil said nothing, and neither did Makai. He grabbed the carrier and started up the hill. Emil was cute, sure, but he was the kind of trouble Makai wasn’t looking for in this town.
