“Does she say funny stuff?”
Reed returns with some napkins and water. “Here.”
“Thank you. It’s not too bad actually.” I focus on the stain on my jeans which thankfully, should be fine once they dry.
Jade continues telling Henry things my mom says. Reed is soaking in their conversation with a few looks my way.
“My grandma says it’s a good thing my mom left my dad because a rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.” Jade shrugs not understanding exactly what it means.
“Your parents are divorced?” Henry asks as though we’re not sitting right across from them.
“Come on you guys, eat up.” Reed encourages them, now willing to set some rules.
The two take a bite of their meals, but I know my daughter. “Yeah.” She looks at Henry. “Yours?”
Henry looks over to Reed, not for permission, but something else. I just can’t put my finger on the way he looks at him.
“My parents died.”
Chapter Seven
Jade’s eyes find mine and I honestly have no idea what to say.
“I’m sorry, Henry.” I find my voice, wishing I had something more comforting to offer.
Reed just smiles at Henry almost proud that he said it.
“Who is he?” Jade asks, nodding toward Reed.
Thankfully, I don’t have to do it. The boyfriend of the mom is out of the question.
“He’s my big brother.”
I nod, it all clicking together now. He took custody of his sister or brother’s child. Another check mark under good guy.
“He’s old.”
“Jade!” I widen my eyes at her.
“Sorry,” she mumbles, her eyes peeking up at Reed.
“It’s okay, I suppose I am to you.” Reed takes it all in stride, balling up the wrapper of his sandwich and then laying his arm along the back of the booth behind my head.
“He’s not my actual big brother.” Henry shakes his head like she’s crazy to believe him.
I guess I’m just as naive as Jade.
Reed says nothing, letting Henry tell us everything and I admire that in him. He lets him dictate what he divulges to us.
“I don’t get it?” Jade’s eyebrows crinkle.
“I live with my grandparents, so they signed me up with a program and I got Reed, he teaches me how to be a man.”
I spit out my drink and little droplets of Diet Coke splash on the table.
“Dirty mind,” Reed whispers, blotting up my mess with a napkin.
“Oh, I want one to teach me how to be a woman,” Jade says, and I close my eyes.
“Why don’t you guys go play and if you get hungry, come back.”
The two forget the conversation they were just having and run over to the play zone.
I fall back to the booth. “I feel like I just went through therapy.”
Reed laughs but doesn’t move from his spot.
“You can slide on over to the other side.” I point, but he just smiles.
“Would that make you more comfortable?” He waits for the answer. His arm still stretched behind me, his fingers dangerously close to my skin.
“Yes.”
“One day, you’ll want me here.” With his promise, he throws away his finished containers and slides into the other side of the booth.
“You’re part of the Big Brother Foundation?” I ask just to clarify I caught on while Henry was talking.
“Yeah.”
“Admirable.” So admirable it might give him two check marks next to good guy.
He shrugs. “Well, if you knew how I started you might not think so since my intentions were purely selfish to begin with.”
I wait for him to tell me more.
He blows out a breath. “In high school, my parents wanted something good on my school applications, so I signed up for the mentor program at sixteen. At first, I felt so out of place and thought I had nothing to offer these kids. I mean, a rich kid from Winnetka who got everything they wanted? The more I did it, the more I enjoyed it. Once I turned eighteen, I decided to become a Big Brother and I’ve done it ever since.”
“Jeez, I’m kind of blown away right now.”
“Well, it shot my parents in the foot.”
“Why? You’re a lawyer. What kind of parents aren’t happy with a son becoming a lawyer?” I sip my drink.
“Victoria, Victoria, Victoria.” He shakes his head. “In my parents’ minds, I’m not a lawyer, I’m just an assistant district attorney on the government’s payroll.”
Shit, I didn’t even know that. I figured he was like Pete, a defense attorney.
Another check mark for Reed. But he is still a lawyer so that’s an X. Maybe the two cancel each other out.
“Point?”
“Families like the Warner’s don’t go into public law, we should be in the private sector making lots of money with which to rule the world.” He says it with a tone of arrogance he clearly doesn’t possess.
“Well, sorry to offend.” I use the same accent and he laughs.
“You’d fit right in.”
“Well, I didn’t know any of that. I didn’t even know you were Reed from the Warners of Winnetka.” He points, clearly enjoying the fact that I’m playing along.
“Get with it, Victoria.” He pretends to stand the collar up on his pullover, but it flops back down. “See, even my clothes rebel.”
I glance over to the play zone and watch for a minute as Jade and Henry chase one another around. “How long have you been Henry’s big brother?”
He follows my line of vision. “Two years. His grandparents raise him now. That’s why I drop him off on Mondays at school. Ned and Helen usually meet their friends for coffee Monday mornings.”
“How did his parents die?” I ask, turning to face Reed again.
It’s none of my business and if he wants to tell me to buzz off, I won’t be offended.
“Car accident.” The corner of his lips turn down.
My heart breaks for the small boy and I look over to him again. You’d never guess he’s been through so much, except for his quietness.
“Ned is kind of old school—doesn’t want Henry running and jumping in the house. I think that’s why he’s quiet. But once you get to know him, you’d be surprised.” He stares over at him with such love and affection that I can practically feel my pupils morphing into cartoon hearts.
I pinch the skin on my arm. Ouch, that damn well hurt, but at least I’m not looking at him all googly-eyed now.
“Well.” I straighten in my seat, grab my notebook and pen from my purse and lay them out in front of me.
“We’re back to business I assume.” His gaze flicks to my notebook.
“Well, that’s why we’re here.” I poise my pen over the paper.
“I wondered how long you’d let the casual conversation continue.” The smirk on his face says he’s not surprised that I’m not acting like I’m all sorts of impressed after learning all the admirable things he does for Henry and this city.
“I don’t want to hear it from Darcie, so we need to get going on this. If you don’t have any ideas, I have one.”