says, as he cuts into his chicken.
I sit straighter and take a deep breath. I can think of only one way to derail his attempts to chase Tyler off, and that’s to go public. “I have an announcement to make.”
There’s a hint of a scowl on my father’s face, probably because he knows what I’m about to say. “And what’s that?” he says.
“I’m seeing someone.”
Mom’s eyes widen. “Really?”
“Oh, my God, who is it?” Layla says. “Do I know him?”
“Sorry, you don’t know him, Layla, but I hope you’ll meet him soon. His name is Tyler Jamison.”
“That’s wonderful, honey,” Mom says. “What does he do? Where did you meet him?” She seems genuinely interested, which tells me she doesn’t know what Dad’s been up to.
“He’s a police officer, a detective actually. I met him at the marina, the night Eric was killed.”
“A homicide detective?” Mom frowns. “The name doesn’t ring a bell.” Then she glances at my dad. “Do you know him, Martin?”
My dad hesitates a moment before answering. Then, almost reluctantly, he nods. “I don’t know him well, but yes, we met once.”
“Well, I want to meet him,” Layla says as she reaches for her water and takes a sip.
“I’m sure I can arrange it,” I say, sitting back in my seat. “I really like this guy, Mom. This is different. He… means a lot to me.”
“Why don’t you bring him for dinner sometime soon?” Mom says. She turns to my dad. “Wouldn’t that be nice, honey?”
“Of course,” he says. He meets my gaze, giving away nothing.
I wait for him to say something more, but he doesn’t. He just keeps methodically cutting up his chicken.
“So, how did you do on your psych exam, Layla?” I ask my sister.
She swallows her food, and then says, “I got an A on my final, which means I’ll have an A for the semester.”
Well, that wasn’t hard. That was all it took to get my dad off Tyler’s back. Mission accomplished.
* * *
I stay a while longer as Layla catches us up on the status of her classes at UChicago. She tells us all about the guy in her sociology class she likes. Mom tells me all about the ballroom dance lessons she’s making my dad take with her. My dad listens in, responding where needed, but he doesn’t say much himself.
When everyone is finished eating, my dad rises from the table. “Ian, come join me in my office.”
“Sure, Dad.” When I stand, my mom reaches out and grabs my hand. “It’s so good to see you, honey. I’m glad everything’s going well.”
I kiss her cheek and then excuse myself to follow my dad to his office.
“Take a seat, son,” Dad says, motioning toward a chair. He sits behind his desk and leans forward in his chair, his elbows propped on the desktop. At that moment, he looks very much like the judge he is. “Well played, son.” He smiles at me, genuinely amused. “I guess Detective Jamison told you about our little talk this morning.”
“His name is Tyler, and yes, he did. That was so not cool of you to do that.”
My dad makes a face, but it’s only half apologetic. “I’m just trying to protect you, Ian. Jamison is too old for you. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be seeing him.”
“I meant what I said at the dinner table. I like him. I really like him. And I’m asking you, please, not to interfere. I’m not a kid. If I make a mistake, it’s on me. But you have to let me live my life.”
He frowns. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. But that’s part of life.”
He exhales as he runs his hand over his face. “Fine. I won’t interfere. Just promise me you’ll be careful. And I want to go on record as saying he’s too old for you.”
“You’re eight years older than Mom,” I remind him.
“Yeah, well, the age difference between you two is far greater, and I don’t like it.”
“Duly noted.” I stand. “Promise me, Dad. No interfering.”
Reluctantly, he nods. “All right, fine. Just don’t come crying to me when he breaks your heart, and he will.”
I head for the door, pausing at the last minute to turn back. “By the way, who do you have spying on me?”
My dad at least has the decency to blush. “I hired a private investigator to keep an eye on things. It’s just a safety precaution, Ian. Don’t worry about it.”
I sigh.