He was sitting at the table with a pile of grilled cheese sandwiches in front of him. “I’m sure you want the whole story.”
I shook my head. “Only if you want to tell me. From what Wyatt said, you handled everything exactly right. I’m proud of you, kiddo.”
“I’m not a kid, Mom.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sorry, I’m proud of you, young man.”
“Better,” he took a big bite of his sandwich. “Are you going to date Wyatt?”
I paused and considered how I wanted to answer. This wasn’t the first time Benji had asked, maybe he saw what was growing between us. No parent wanted to talk about their dating life with their kid, but he wasn’t exactly a baby. If something was going to happen between Wyatt and I, I’d have to talk to Benji about it eventually. “If I did, would you be okay with that?”
He nodded. “I don’t want you to be alone when I get to college.”
“Is that the only reason?”
He shrugged. “He seems like a good guy, and we get along. I think he’s a good fit for you since he is so laid-back.”
“Oh, and I’m not? Is that it?” I teased.
It was his turn to roll his eyes now. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do, kid. Thanks for the stamp of approval.”
I had given Benji a few more details about the business I was starting after Wyatt had left the other night. He had been less weirded out than I had expected. Things were falling into place, and I was cautiously optimistic that I could help Benji and maybe be happy too.
******
I arrived at the diner the next morning before the breakfast rush. I could have used a few more hours of sleep, but I hadn’t thought to ask for a different shift.
I yawned widely as I tied my apron around my waist. “Morning,” Ruth said, “get yourself a coffee before it gets busy here.”
“I’ll take you up on that.”
I poured myself a cup and drank it black.
“How’d your trade show go yesterday?”
“Great, actually. Almost got derailed when Benji called needing some help, but Wyatt went instead so I could stay.”
“Ooh, Wyatt, huh? Spending a lot of time with him these days.”
“Well, I did hire him to help me with my project…and he asked me to dinner tonight.”
I felt like jumping around in circles like a teenager and gushing about how cute he is, but I held back…barely.
“That’s exciting; you guys will have a blast. Are you excited? Nervous?”
I leaned against the counter. “I was nervous before. My life is a bit chaotic, but it works. If I am going to potentially throw myself off balance, it has to be worth it, you know? When he offered to help Benji, it was as if the concerns were lifted. Hewasn’t going to come into my life and take, take, take; he wanted to make my life easier. The fact that he and Benji have the same interests doesn’t hurt either.”
She squeezed my shoulder. “Happy for you, honey, just make sure you are picking him for you, not Benji.”
My mom-brain would never let me not consider my son, but I wasn’t only going out with Wyatt for that reason. There were a million of them. He was hot. So there was that. But he was also helpful and kind; we have a lot in common and, dammit; the man was worth risking a broken heart for.
Chapter Fourteen
Wyatt
Istood in front of my closet, trying to decide what to wear. I’d narrowed it down to jeans and a t-shirt, or a t-shirt and jeans. That was literally all I owned. That our date was combined with a trip to buy construction supplies means that casual was the name of the game.
