Page 76 of Dreaming at Seaside
“I’ve been reading about HTML and other technical things that I’ll never have a use for, in those books we got at the bookstore.”
She loved that. “You have?”
“I have to do something to keep my mind off of you at night.” He spoke seductively quiet. “Not to mention, this way I won’t become the loser dad who is totally oblivious to Evan’s interests.”
“You’re such a good dad. Did you talk with him about the beach?”
“Not yet. I don’t want it to be obvious that you mentioned it. Besides, he’s in a very teenage mood right now. This opportunity should turn that around, though. I think you just got ten degrees hotter.”
Bella laughed. “You’re so cute.”
“Cute? Totally not what I was going for. Do I have to come over dressed as another Village People, YMCA guy?”
“You’re already a cop. Wasn’t there a cop in that group?” She narrowed her eyes and grinned, even though he couldn’t see her. “Maybe tonight we’ll play cops and robbers.”
“I’ll bring my handcuffs,” he said in a teasing voice.
“Don’t bother. I have my own.” She said it just to hear his reaction. She did have a pair of pink fuzzy handcuffs that she’d bought in Provincetown as a gag one night with the girls, but she’d never used them with a man. Come to think of it, she thought they were in her house in Connecticut and no longer at the Cape.
She was met with silence.
“Um…Caden?” She wondered if she’d crossed a line.
He cleared his throat. “Hold on. I’m trying to get an image out of my mind.”
She breathed a sigh of relief, and after they made a plan to get together later in the evening, she drove toward her next appointment revved up in more ways than one.
CADEN WAS GETTING ready to go see Bella when Evan threw the front door open and slammed it shut. He was already tired of this teenage attitude.
“Hey.” Caden shot him a look.
Evan stalked into his room and slammed that door, too. Caden had had just about enough of this behavior, regardless of if it was typical or not. He knocked on Evan’s door, and when Evan didn’t answer, he walked into the room. Evan stood at the window with his back to Caden.
“What’s going on, Evan?”
Evan slid his hands in his pockets and rounded his shoulders forward.
“Ev?” When Evan didn’t acknowledge him, he took a step closer and forced himself to tether his anger. “Evan, look at me when I’m speaking to you.” Caden didn’t like having to pull the parental look-at-me card, but he liked being ignored even less.
Evan turned with his neck bowed, eyes trained on the floor.
“What’s going on that’s got you slamming doors?” Life was so much easier when Evan’s biggest issue was fighting over a toy car in a sandbox or wanting a new cell phone. This world of him having a life that felt separate—and far too secretive—from Caden was bull.
It’s normal teenage bull, he reminded himself.
I hate this.
Evan shrugged.
“Look at me.” Evan lifted his eyes, and Caden hated the feeling of what he did next—looked for bloodshot eyes and heavy lids. He was relieved that Evan’s eyes were clear, even if brooding and angry.
“I know you’re going through a lot right now, but I won’t have you slamming doors and ignoring me. If you want to talk, I’m here. If you want to keep it to yourself, that’s fine, too, but I won’t be ignored when I ask you a question. Got it?”
“Whatever.” Evan sat in front of his computer.
Caden blew out a frustrated breath and paced the small bedroom. “No. Notwhatever, Evan. That’s not even an option as an answer.”
“Fine. I’ve got it.” He clicked something on his monitor, and a PC game emblem filled his screen.
