“But they don’t know any of that,” he pouted.
“And it doesn’t matter what they know or they don’t know. I know and you know. That’s all that matters. Caitlyn knows you are awesome.”
“Mom,” he groaned.
I dug deep. I was about to pull out my wild card. “Nash thinks you are awesome.”
He smiled. “He does?”
“Absolutely,” I told him. “He had a lot of fun hanging out with you.”
That seemed to give him a little boost. When it was his turn to tuck and roll out of the car, I barely had a chance to say goodbye. I watched him run toward the front of the building. Caitlyn was there waiting for him. When they hugged and started talking like they always did, I breathed a sigh of relief.
All was right with the world. “One bullet dodged,” I muttered.
Now I had to go to work and deal with Nash. I hoped like hell he was settled down. I couldn’t deal with another moody boy.
Chapter 44
Nash
I leaned back in my lounge chair and closed my eyes. The sun was out, and it felt good. I had about a hundred things to do but I couldn’t find the energy to do any of them. I was being lazy. It was something I rarely allowed myself to do. I should be going over files and accounts. I should be researching companies that were on the verge of bankruptcy.
I sighed and just leaned into the moment. When my phone rang, I strongly considered ignoring it. I didn’t want to let go of the tranquility I had found. But it could be something important. I blindly reached out and grabbed it off the small table.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Um, Nash?” I heard Saige say.
I sat up. “Saige?”
“Yes. Hi. Are you busy?”
“No, not at all. What’s going on?”
She hesitated. “I was wondering if you’d like to hang out with myself and Jace today?”
I was taken aback. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s been a tough week,” she said. “If you’re busy, I understand.”
“No,” I blurted out. “I’m not busy. I can be there in an hour.”
“Thank you. I’ll explain when you get here.”
“I get it. I’ll be there soon.”
I hopped out of my chair and went inside to change. I was on my way to her house in under twenty minutes. I refused to think about how excited I was to be going to her house. I was doing it as a favor. There was no reading between the lines. I was helping out a kid that was in a tough spot.
When I got to the house, Jace was out in the backyard. “Thank you for coming over on such short notice,” she said.
“What’s going on? I’m guessing this has something to do with the other day.”
She gestured for me to sit down. “It does,” she said as she sat in a recliner.
“What happened?”
“He was getting bullied for the same old shit. His best friend who happens to be a girl, defended him. She told them to leave him alone and Jace got embarrassed. Caitlyn, his friend, the daughter of my best friend, isn’t a big girl. She’s petite but yet she stood up for him. They made up, but he is still suffering at the hands of those little monsters.”
“I don’t know how you do it,” I said.
“Do what?”
“Not beat the hell out of those kids for hurting your son.”
She laughed. “Oh, trust me, only the threat of prison keeps me from doing that. I am at the end of my rope. I have talked to the teachers and the principal and I’m just so done.”
“I get it,” I told her. “How’s he doing?”
“He’s bummed. He needs a lifeline. He was so confident after the day of fishing with you. I thought for sure it would fix all of this stuff.”
“But it didn’t,” I said.
“No. I know I don’t have any right to ask you to do this. I hate that I’m asking.”
“It’s not a big deal,” I said. “I want to help him.”
“I don’t know how to do this,” she said. I heard the strain in her voice.
“Where is he?”
“In the back.”
“Grab your purse,” I said as I got up. “We’re going on a drive.”
“What? Where?”
I walked to the backyard. “Hey, Jace,” I said when I found him sitting on a small patio and coloring pictures with chalk.
“Nash!” he exclaimed.
“How are you doing?” I asked him.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you want to go for a drive?” I asked him.
“Okay.”
“Let’s go,” I told him.
“Where are we going?” Saige asked.
“You’ll see.”
“If you take us to a shooting range, I’m calling a cab,” she hissed.
I winked. “Not yet, but that is not completely off the table.”
“Oh, yes, it is.”
I pulled up in front of the old, rundown building in the Bronx. “Where are we?” Saige asked.
She didn’t immediately get out of the car. She looked around with a look of concern. The place did look really sketchy, but it was safe. Safe enough.
“Let’s go in,” I said.
We walked in the door of the old building that had been transformed into a boxing school. “What are we doing here?” Saige asked again.
“Nash!” someone shouted.
I turned to see the owner of the gym coming toward me. I held up a hand. “Ronnie,” I greeted.
“What brings you in here?” Ronnie asked.
“I’ve brought a friend that could really use some of your attention. This is Jace.”
Ronnie looked at the little boy that was cowering behind his mother. “Jace,” he said. “That is a strong name. I like it. How old are you, Jace?”
“Eight,” Jace answered.
“How do you know Nash?” he asked.
Saige stepped in front of Jace. “I’m Saige, Jace’s mom,” she said. “Nash is my boss at work.”
Ronnie grinned and nodded. “I see. What brings you three here today?”
Saige looked at me. “Yes, what brings us here today?” she asked.
“I want to get Jace in the ring,” I said.
Her eyes widened. “No. Absolutely not.”
“He’s just the right age to get started,” Ronnie said.
“Nash,” she whispered.
I looked to Jace. “Hey, do you want to learn how to box?” I asked him.
At first, he looked confused. “What?”
“We’ll put on cool gloves and we’ll pretend to fight. It will teach you some moves.”
“Can I, Mom?” he asked.
“Is it safe?” she asked me.
I nodded. “It is.”
“You can,” she said.
“Come with me,” I told him. “Let’s go get ready.”
Ronnie helped him put on gloves while giving him a little pep talk. Saige sat down in one of the folding chairs outside the ring. I helped Jace into the ring. “All right, buddy,” I told him. “You’re going to do whatever Ronnie tells you. We’re only playfighting. I’m not going to hurt you. We’re just learning how to jab and dodge.”