Butch raised an eyebrow at him. “She’s smarter than I am. Why the hell wouldn’t I want her doing it?”
From the way Jasper’s head jerked, he was stunned by that comment.
“We’re not all misogynistic dicks,” I told him with a grin. “Prez’s old lady is a legal aide, and our club treasurer’s old lady did a major overhaul of our image in town when she showed up.”
“Don’t forget Mel,” Butch added, telling Jasper, “She’s a nurse. She’s the first person we call if anyone gets hurt on a run.”
“We’re just lowly blue collar workers,” Rooster called from near the car he was supposed to be working on. “The women make the world go round.”
There were a few ‘here, here’s from the other guys, not a single one of them arguing with that sentiment. It was the truth. Things were fine before they showed up, but not great. The girls made everything better.
My mind flicked to Simone. I was curious how she’d interact with the crew and the ladies. She was straight laced compared to some of the other ladies. I was curious how she’d act when loosening up.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
SIMONE
I hadn’t intended to visit Elias’s home that night. I figured I’d pull back on the tutoring once Jasper started getting the harder lessons in class. But Jasper’s words kept ringing in my head and I knew I needed to say something about it. Jasper didn’t seem like he was willing to open up to Elias yet. Someone had to give the poor man a heads up on what was going on in that kid’s head.
The lights were on when I pulled into the driveway and Elias met me at the door, a frown on his face as he cocked his head at me. “Did we have another lesson planned for tonight?”
I shook my head. “No. I was hoping I could speak to you for a moment. Jasper said something today that I think you should be made aware of.”
His frown deepened and he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. “What’s up?”
I glanced at the door, then back at him. He waved me off.
“She’s with Jasper in his room. He’s been a little clingy tonight. I’m not sure why but I’m not going to argue about it.”
“I think I know why,” I replied. My brow furrowed. “After Jasper’s confrontation with Evan, before you arrived, I tried to have a conversation with Jasper about his reaction. He was pacing and volatile, and the reaction seemed to be more than what the situation warranted.”
Part of me wondered if I was putting my nose where it didn’t belong, but the clear concern on Elias’s face changed my mind. He wanted to help. I had information that might help him bridge the gap between him and Jasper. If I wanted the family to grow together, I had to give him all the information I had.
“I think Jasper’s afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” Elias asked, confused.
“Of his family being erased. Of losing what little connection he has to them left.” I waved a hand at the house, which was nice all things considered, but it probably didn’t feel like home. Jasper made that perfectly clear when he said he didn’t belong here. “His whole world changed overnight, and not just losing his moms. He lost his home, his friends, the life he’d had for thirteen years. I think he’s afraid if he opens up to you and allows himself to feel comfortable here, he’ll be erasing what he had. He’s afraid if he accepts you, you’ll try to replace his parents.”
To his credit, Elias looked shocked, like the idea hadn’t even occurred to him. He shook his head roughly. “Hell no. I’m not here to play dad. I’m not his dad. I’m his–”
“Family,” I finished for him, raising my eyebrows. “You’re family, and when kids see him and you out and about, when they see you dropping him off, they’ll assume. It’s already happening. Evan assumed you were Jasper’s dad and was taunting him about it. I think Jasper has convinced himself that if he admits you’re family to him, he’ll have to give up the family he already had.”
Elias let out a harsh breath, his eyes darting back and forth like he was running through the thought process in his head. IfI hadn’t worked with kids for over a decade, I might not have seen it myself, but Jasper’s situation wasn’t entirely new to me. I’d never had a student who lost both parents, the few times I’d experienced this situation, it had always been one parent, or a friend, but the thought process was the same. They were afraid of moving on because they didn't want to replace the people they had with something new and forget them. I got the feeling Jasper felt the same way. At least, that’s what I’d picked up during our conversation.
After a long, quiet moment, Elias’s head bobbed slowly. “Okay. Okay, yeah, I get that. It wasn’t like we were close. I didn't even know they existed until the social worker showed up. I’d been estranged from my family since before Hannah graduated. She never reached out after she left.” He drew in a deep breath, a fierce determination overtaking his face when he looked up at me. “You’re saying if I want him to accept me, I need to show him I’m not trying to replace his moms?”
“I think it’ll help,” I offered, lifting one shoulder. “I’m not a psychologist, but in my experience, giving him the reassurance that they won’t be erased will go a long way in getting him to open up to you.”
He nodded sharply, then glanced back at the house for a second before turning to me again. “Hey, this is a big ask, but would you mind watching them? I’m pretty sure Jasper’s capable of watching Isla alone, but I’m not comfortable leaving them home alone just yet. I need to do something and it might take a few hours.”
Normally, my answer would be no. I wasn’t a babysitter, and I didn't like the idea of putting myself in that position. But I could see how much Elias cared, and how far he’d go to protect those kids. He might be a little messy and clueless at times, but he cared. If I wanted what was best for Jasper, I needed to give him a chance to prove himself.
“Sure. I can do that. You should give me your number in case there are any problems.”
The clouded expression lifted and he grinned, waggling his eyebrows like a goof. “You know, if you wanted my number, you could’ve just asked.”
I rolled my eyes, handing him my phone with a bland expression. I wasn’t going to give into his charms. No matter how adorable he was.
