Page 34 of Eddie
“Yes.” Nearly bouncing in his seat, Shelby beamed at me. “Let’s go.”
I had a feeling his excitement was more about being tied up again and less about the cameras, but he seemed genuinely eager for both. “One question. Is there anywhere you don’t want me to put cameras?”
And his confused look was back.
“Oh, like the people who don’t want to be watched in the bathroom or something like that?” When I nodded, he shrugged. “No. You’re part of my life and have been for ages. It would seem weird to block you out of pieces of it.”
“That’s my logic too but I didn’t want to make assumptions.” I was confident when it came to predicting most of his reactions but it was good to double-check the big ones. “It’s always okay to change your mind about something too.”
Shelby looked like he wanted to shake his head but nodded anyway. “I understand and I will explain my thoughts if something changes.”
“Good.” He didn’t have to like the idea or even expect it to happen, but the reminder was important. “I will do the same.”
That got a snicker out of him. “I can’t imagine you having a problem with being able to watch me more thoroughly.”
I shrugged but his smile got wider. “You never know. I might get hit on the head like a cartoon character and have a complete change of personality.”
His face scrunched up as he reached across the table to pat my hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll hit you over the head again if it comes down to it. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
He was adorably insane…I could see why Austin had clicked with him so quickly. “Thank you, Shelby boy.”
“You’re welcome.” Doing another little happy dance in his seat, Shelby looked ready to fly out the door. “We can go now, right? We had enough of the dinner portion of the date to do…other stuff again?”
Had he been keeping a timed list or something in his head?
“Yes.” What else was important that he understand? “I liked having dinner with you and talking about random things. This was nice.”
And the beaming smile was back.
“Me too.” Still vibrating with excitement, his smile softened slightly. “This has been the best date ever so far. I’m glad you were real, Not-Henry.”
“I’m so real you’re never going to get away from me, Shelby boy.”
He sighed out another smile. “Okay, maybe I don’t mind romance when it comes from you.”
Yep, he was adorably nuts, but I liked that in a guy.
I also liked that he knew I had his phone and car bugged so I didn’t have to pretend to be confused about where we were going when I followed him home. It made conversations much easier because we’d both accepted that I controlled his GPS and I could track him no matter what.
He’d just waved as he’d climbed in his car and called out that he’d see me at home.
I wasn’t sure if that meant he thought it was our home or not, but either way I approved and watched over him carefully as he made his way back to his apartment. I made sure to send him using the streets he was most familiar with, but everything I wasgetting from his chattering to himself said he was relaxed and still excited.
“Shelby boy, I appreciate your lack of self-preservation but I really need to start watching over you just a little bit closer.” Shaking my head as I followed behind him in my own car, I let my mind wander to our time at the club and tried to pick out ways I could’ve improved it.
I had a solid list of options by the time we’d gotten to his neighborhood but I got derailed as we pulled up to a stoplight and I checked his emails.
His mother.
She randomly sent him weird articles on health food and the newest flu strain running around in other parts of the world every six months, but she never actually talked to him. They were the strangest family of introverts I’d ever seen and Shelby seemed to be the only somewhat extroverted person in the entire bunch.
I’d never seen it make anyone damned near an outcast in their family but it seemed to be part of what was influencing their bizarre behavior. He’d just ended up in an entire family of people who only wanted to talk once in a blue moon. His parents even emailed each other to touch base about chores and plans so they didn’t have to talk in person.
I still wasn’t sure how Shelby had ever been conceived, but his parents weren’t my problem since he hadn’t talked to them in nearly two years.
Shelby was my only concern and we were well on our way to finding a new family for him. It was just one with enough interesting characters to fill one of the naughty book series he liked.
Chapter 11
