Page 20 of Whispers at Seaside
“Mom says I was born reading,” Hagen answered.
“He’s always loved to read.” Mira smiled at Hagen. “I think he learned to read because he was frustrated when I had to cook dinner, do laundry, or anything else that impeded his story time. He didn’t ease into reading like most kids do. I swear he made up his mind that he wanted to read, and by the time he was five, he was readingeverything.”
“Because I’m a smart boy,” Hagen said without looking up from the pieces he and Matt were putting together.
Hagen asked dozens of questions, wanting to know why things worked and what would happen if they tried to put pieces together differently. Matt loved his inquisitive nature, and Mira was patient with him. She didn’t respond with answers that were only appropriate for little boys. She went into detail, and Matt respected that. He liked that she didn’t quash his curiosity. As a teacher, he could always tell which students had been encouraged to research and explore and which had been either stifled or handed answers their whole life.
As the afternoon progressed, Matt continually had to stop himself from reaching out to hold Mira’s hand or stroke her cheek. He wasn’t sure what she felt comfortable doing in front of Hagen, and assumed she would let him know. They’d exchanged heated glances, and when Mira got up from the table, she touched his shoulder or ran her fingers along his back, heightening his anticipation.
They had lunch on the deck, and when they came back inside, Hagen was determined to finish their project no matter how long it took.
“Mom,” Hagen said as he climbed into his chair. “You can do your work while we finish.”
“Work?” Matt asked, hoping their night out hadn’t set her back too far. “On a Sunday?”
“I have a few bookkeeping clients I work with on the side. I usually do it while Hagen does his homework or when he’s sleeping.” She lowered her voice as Hagen settled in at the table and said, “I think that’s his way of telling me you’rehisfor a little while.”
He wanted to kiss her so badly he could taste it. He shifted his eyes to Hagen, who was busy fitting two pieces of the robot together. Matt leaned in closer and whispered, “I’d rather be both of yours. And when the time’s right,justyours for a very long, very passionate while.”
Chapter Seven
LATER THAT EVENING, after an intense afternoon of robot building, they took the robot out onto the deck and tested it out. Hagen mastered the remote control in minutes, and the boxy little robot with bolts for eyes and stickers for the mouth and nose was cruising along—and stopping at each gap between the decking boards.
“Ugh!” Hagen picked up the robot for the umpteenth time, and he plopped down on the deck with a sullen face.
“This isn’t exactly the best place to use the robot, is it?” Matt crouched beside Hagen, who shook his head. “Where do you think would be a better place?”
“A road,” he answered.
“Hm. That doesn’t sound very safe, and the roads around here are gravel, so that won’t work.”
Mira was about to make a suggestion when Matt lifted his gaze and winked. She smiled, understanding that even after a long day of answering Hagen’s questions and teaching him about all things electronic, Matt was still teaching.
Hagen’s brow furrowed, and his little lips pressed together. Matt didn’t rush him like other adults might.Like I might.He waited patiently for her little boy’s very smart brain to figure it out.
“A parking lot is flat, right?” Hagen asked.
“Usually,” Matt answered.
“The pier where we get ice cream is made of the same stuff,” Hagen said, lifting his baby blues to Mira. “Cars don’t drive on the pier. Could we try that?”
Mira and Matt both smiled. Matt arched a brow, deferring to her for the answer, which she found as endearing as his patience.
“Sure. If Matt doesn’t mind.”
Matt took Hagen’s hand as he stood. “I think it’s a fine idea. We can grab dinner at Mac’s and eat while we test it out. What do you say, buddy? A celebratory dinner.”
“Yay!” Hagen cheered. “I’m starved.”
Forty minutes later, Hagen had scarfed down a hot dog from Mac’s Seafood and was guiding the robot along the pavement at the Wellfleet Pier. Matt and Mira trailed a few steps behind, eating lobster rolls while they talked. The sun was just beginning to set, threading ribbons of pink across the horizon.
“Thank you for taking so much time with Hagen today.”
Matt finished his last bite and tossed his paper plate in the trash. His hand came to rest on her lower back, warm and possessive. It was funny how much she missed his touch after just a few hours.
“He’s a great kid. I don’t know many six-year-olds, but I can’t imagine most would sit still for that long.”
“He’s got a long attention span when he’s interested. When he’s not, it’s a whole different story. But I feel guilty taking up your whole day. Don’t you need to be writing?”
