Page 51 of Unbroken

I tried to keep my reaction in check. Phenomenal? Either Eli was laying it on thick or I’d misjudged how he felt about his ex. Did he still have lingering feelings for Charlotte, despite everything he’d told me about their breakup? It would explain why he’d felt distant lately. I wanted to make our fake relationship feel more real now that everything had changed between us, but Eli seemed reluctant to open up to me. Maybe the real reason behind that was that he wasn’t truly ready to move on.

“She’s agreatmom,” I offered, shooting a comforting smile at Patrick. I realized that I needed to redirect the conversation, stat. Letting Samuel choose the topics of conversation was only leading us further into murky waters. “So what brings you to the Bite and Brew tonight, Mr. Carter?”

“Please, call me Samuel,” he corrected. “I’m here with that lovely couple in the booth in the corner. I’m officiating their wedding, and we’re taking care of some planning.”

“Oh, how wonderful,” I answered, craning my neck to try to see them. “I hope they’re on solid ground so they can get through whatever gauntlet you have planned for them.”

Samuel looked confused, unsure if I’d given him a compliment or an insult. “Yes, uh, premarital counseling can be challenging.”

I nodded my head as if I agreed. “True, true. Well, hopefully their relationship is up for whatever you plan to throw at them.” I tilted my head and aimed for my best innocent smile.

“Uh, right. Anyway, I should get back to them.”

“Yup, good,” Eli said, staring at his father as he bit down on a French fry. “Later.”

“Nice to see you,” he replied, oblivious to Eli’s curt dismissal. “And hey, champ?” Samuel leaned down to try to catch Patrick’s eye. “I hope we can have a special day together soon. Would you like that?”

Patrick seemed to shake where he sat and I wanted to shove Samuel as far away from him as I could.

“Yeah, I think you already know the answer to that,” Eli said. “Bye now.” He waved in an exaggerated way, to drive home the point that his father was no longer welcome at our table.

Once he was gone, Patrick seemed to come out of his shell again a little. Enough to talk, at least, even if the energy and enthusiasm from earlier was gone.

“Daddy, I don’t want to be with Grandpa,” he said in a quiet voice, fiddling with the food in front of him. “Don’t make me.”

“Oh, bud, never. If you don’t want to hang out with him, then you do not have to.”

“Promise?” He said it so quietly, it was all I could do to keep from tearing up.

Eli reached over and gave Patrick’s shoulder a squeeze. “I promise.” The pair shared a moment of connection, smiling at each other. I could tell that they’d already had a long conversation about the things Samuel had said about needing to be the best. Even though Eli had grown up in a toxic environment, it hadn’t shaped him as a father. He was a wonderfully devoted and demonstrative parent, and watching it in action made me feel warm inside.

“What?” Eli demanded.

He’d caught me watching them.

“Nothing! I was thinking about those tadpoles, that’s all. And wondering if our entrees are ever going to come. Who’s hungry?”

“Me!” Patrick yelled, raising both hands in the air.

Eli laughed and seemed to lighten a little.

“And who’s still going to have room for dessert after they clear their plates?” I asked.

“Me!” Patrick cheered when Eli said it in unison with him.

I raised my hand. “Me too.”

We laughed together, and the tension of the exchange with Eli’s father seemed to dissipate. It felt so natural to be with them, so effortless. Eli had to feel it too. There was no way to ignore the connection we had.

So why did it feel like he was putting up walls with me?

Patrick started coloring on his placemat and singing to himself, so I took the opportunity to check in with Eli.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly.

Eli’s mouth drew into a frown, and he stared at the tabletop for a minute. I could tell that the conversation with his father still had him rattled. It didn’t matter that he was a grown man with a son of his own, a small part of him would always be the boy under his father’s thumb.

“Yeah, I am.” He glanced at Patrick. “Did you see how he reacted?”

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