Did she even want me to meet him? Maybe she’d expected me to sneak out before he woke up.
But he was important to her, which made him important to me. If I had any hope with Jamie, I’d need her son’s approval.
“Is there cereal or anything? I’m starving.” He stretched, drawing out his starvation into four long syllables.
I chuckled at his exaggerated hunger, pulling open the cupboard where Jamie and I had stored groceries.
Our groceries. The thought sent satisfaction through me.
“No cereal, but we’ve got bagels. There’s butter in the fridge. Juice too.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” He dragged himself to the fridge. “Orange juice. My favorite.”
He poured himself some juice, then fixed me with curious eyes. “So…I’m Hunter. Who the heck are you?”
Holy shit. He was a mini-Jamie, and I wanted to laugh and hug him for being so damn awesome.
“I’m Eric. I’m a friend of your mom’s. Just helping her out.”
“I didn’t know my mom had friends here. Are you friends with my dad too? Did you know her from before?”
“Actually, I just met your mom six days ago. Your dad and I aren’t friends yet, but I’ve met him.”
“Yeah, my dad and I aren’t really friends yet either. But he’s trying to help me get a dog, so I guess he’s kind of cool.” He examined me over his orange juice as we waited for his bagel to toast. “Do you like dogs?”
“Of course. Who doesn’t like dogs?”
“Exactly. This is what I keep telling my mom. I know she likes them, but she keeps saying no. She just won’t give in, even though I think she’d like to have one too.”
“She’s stubborn sometimes, I’ve noticed.”
“No, she’s like that all the time, trust me.” His eyes went wide with sincerity.
The kid was absolutely right. Jamie’s stubbornness was legendary.
“But I found her weakness.” I lowered my voice conspiratorially.
“No way. She doesn’t have a weakness.” He crossed his arms, expression skeptical. “My mom’s the strongest lady I know. She’s even stronger than some of my friends’ dads.”
“Yeah, she’s tough, that’s for sure. But I did find her soft spot. Want to know what it is?”
“Is that an actual question? It’s redundant, right?” His sarcasm was perfect—obviously he’d inherited his mother’s best traits.
“You got me.” I laughed, finding it hard to stay serious. “But if I tell you, it stays between us. If she finds out we know, we’re screwed.”
Shit, language.
I wasn’t sure what was appropriate for a nine-year-old. I’d been on my own when Caleb was this age. I’d have to watch my mouth.
“Okay, I can agree to that deal.”
“Oh, shit. You already know the secret.” Fuck, the language thing would be harder than I’d expected. I’d gotten too comfortable without responsibilities.
He looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“Making a deal,” I explained. “She can’t resist. It’s like setting up a dare or making a bet. She’ll agree to what you want if you offer something she can’t refuse. You just need to know what she wants.”
“You said you met her six days ago?” He narrowed his eyes at me.
