by myself. We’d have to look into fake worms though. I wasn’t about to touch those nasty things.
I grabbed the crackers from the cupboard and sliced some cheese. “Do you catch big fish?” Jace asked Nash.
“I have not been fishing in a really long time. I have a boat. Maybe one of these days we’ll go out and do some real fishing.”
Jace’s eyes grew wide. “You have a boat?”
“Yes, I do. When your mom says it’s okay, we’ll go for a ride.”
Jace looked at me. “Can we?”
“We’ll see,” I said.
It was going to be difficult to explain to Jace that Nash wasn’t someone that would be in his life for a long time. I was certain this was a one-off. Nash would feel better about doing whatever it was he was doing and then go back to his life. He did not want a kid around.
We finished our snack before Nash said he had to go. “Thanks for hanging out with me today,” Nash said to Jace.
Jace surprised us both when he launched himself at Nash. He threw his arms around Nash’s waist and hugged. “Thank you for showing me how to fish,” he said.
Nash looked at me with what looked like horror and confusion. He patted Jace’s head. “I had fun today,” he said. “I hope we can do it again really soon.”
“Jace, go wash up and change your clothes please,” I told him.
“Bye, Nash,” he said and waved before dashing down the hall to his bedroom.
I walked Nash to the door and stepped outside. “Thanks again for doing this,” I said.
“It wasn’t a big deal. It was fun.”
I smiled. “You had fun hanging out with a little kid who had no idea how to fish?”
“I did. It’s been a while since I just hung out without thinking about what I needed to do at work.”
“I appreciate it more than you can ever know,” I told him. “I think you made a big difference in his life.”
“I hope so,” he said. “I know what it’s like to feel like you are all alone.”
“I’ll see you Monday,” I told him. “Thanks again. For all of it. The hoodies and gear and just everything.”
He grinned. “Trust me, I can afford it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course, you can.”
I went back inside to find Jace sitting on the couch with the TV on. I sat down beside him. “Did you have fun today?” I asked.
He bobbed his head up and down. “That was so fun!” he exclaimed. “I want to go again!”
“I think I can take you, but you’ll have to put the worm on your hook all by yourself.”
“I know how,” he said confidently. “Nash showed me.”
“Good.”
“I can show you,” he offered.
“I don’t think I want to mess with a worm.”
He laughed. “It’s not bad, Mom,” he said. I could see the confidence in him. A few hours with Nash and he was already changing into a stronger boy.
“Maybe I’ll let you show me, but I think I’m going to need you to do it for me. You’re going to be much better at it.”
“Nash says he has a boat,” he said.
I nodded. “I heard him.”
“Can we go on his boat?”
“I don’t know. Nash is a busy man. He might not have time.”
“But he said,” he argued.
“We’ll have to see.”
He watched the TV for a minute before turning back to me. “I like Nash,” he stated.
“Good. He’s a nice guy.”
“Isn’t he your boss?”
I slowly nodded. “He is.”
“I thought you didn’t like your boss?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why would you think that?”
“Because you told Joss you weren’t going to work there anymore. You said you quit.”
I sighed. “I did say that, but I’m working there again and he’s okay. Sometimes, adults get angry just like you get angry with the kids at school.”
“He said he would buy me a BB gun and show me how to shoot it,” he announced.
“He did, did he?” I asked with surprise.
“Yep. He said boys shoot guns at things, but we can’t shoot at animals or people.”
“No, you definitely can’t. We’ll see about the gun. I think fishing is good for now.”
“But Mom, I’m going to be a man,” he reminded me. “I have to know how to shoot.”
“It’s not a requirement,” I said dryly. “We’ll see. I’ll talk to Nash on Monday and maybe we can find some time for you guys to hang out again.”
“I want to!” he said with a great deal of enthusiasm. “I want to go fishing again.”