Page 78 of Every Little Kiss
“So has Carolyn, and they’ve both pushed through. I bet if you remove yourself from the middle, they’d be forced to work this out too. At some point, Carolyn will have to see that she can’t force Paxton to be someone he’s not ready to be. And Paxton will get tired of eating tuna casserole because he’s too scared to say her casseroles are toxic.”
Liv’s brain said it was a logical solution, one worth experimenting with. But fear reminded her just how easy it was for Paxton to close back up. School started in just a few weeks, and she didn’t want to risk losing what they’d worked so hard to gain.
“Are you saying I should agree to let her take him to Florida for a few days?” Liv asked, her mouth going dry.
“At some point, but how about starting with a sleepover. A normal grandmother-grandson thing to do,” Avery suggested. “She’s right down the lake—let her take him for the night. What’s the worst that could happen? They don’t talk and things remain the same, or something changes in the situation and they have to address it.”
Panic soured her stomach just thinking about it. “And what if he’s having an awful time or he gets sick? It’s not like he’ll tell her, and she won’t call me.”
“She shouldn’t. It’s his first sleepover at his grandma’s—it’s supposed to be awful for both of them.” Grace laughed. “By design, trips to the grandparents’ include things such as watching morning talk shows, eating casseroles, and sleeping in a bedroom that smells like mothballs. But they also include learning cool games to impress your friends, like poker and blackjack, sneaking into the candy jar to find leftover mints from restaurants, and getting to understand a different generation.”
“And getting to know more about his father.”
Grace placed her finger to her nose. “Bingo.”
It was often difficult for her to see the difference between Paxton being uncomfortable because of his disorder and being uncomfortable like every other six-year-old. Maybe this was a simple rite of passage.
Letting him spread his wings, like she had hers.
“Look at you,” Avery said, giving her shoulders a shimmy. “You had your first sleepover and came home early, but I didn’t hear you complaining.”
Her face heated at the reminder. “It wasn’t a sleepover. It was a friendly dinner.”
“I need more friends like that,” Grace said dreamily. “I should try ordering from your Chinese place. All I ever get is fortune cookies telling me, ‘Your future is around the next corner.’ Did you know if you keep looking around corners you’ll end up in the same place you started?”
All three women looked up at what sounded like a mini Running of the Bulls stampeding through her front door. The skidding and stomping drew to a close, and Paxton slid into the kitchen.
“Mommy,” he said, vibrating with excitement, “guess what Bullseye and I just ...”
Paxton’s face went slack, and his eyes swung from Liv to Avery to Grace, and back to Liv, his little mouth hanging open with the word still right there on his tongue. The joy slid down his face, caving in and bringing his confidence with it.
It was as if he’d been doused in ice-cold water. Grace put an encouraging smile on her face, and Avery said, “Hey, Pax.”
But Paxton didn’t talk back. His lips closed and his gaze slowly began to sink toward the ground, and Liv wanted to wrap him up in her arms and tell him it was okay. But he hated it when she babied him, so she deflected the attention off him. “We’re working on the cool eye masks.”
“They are cool,” a smooth and sexy voice said. “But not as cool as this trick Paxton just taught Bullseye.”
Behind Paxton, looking larger than life, stood Ford with Bullseye at his side. He was wearing flip-flops, board shorts, and a T-shirt that clung to him. His nose was pink as if he’d been on the water, and his hair was damp, finger-combed at best, and just looking at him made her mouth go dry.
Which was the exact opposite of what was going on beneath the table. “The trick?”
“A general’s salute,” Ford said coolly, his eyes on Liv. “I came out of the lake and found Pax and Bullseye playing. And I asked him what they were playing, and Paxton said the Lone Ranger, so we came up with a cool trick so Bullseye could feel more a part of the game. And Paxton helped him out. Watch.
“Bullseye, come.” Ford pointed to the ground, and Bullseye sat in the exact spot.
“Is that how he talks during these friendly dinners?” Grace whispered.
Liv didn’t answer. She was too busy watching Ford control his world in a way that allowed for others to find their freedom. “Now, Paxton, he’s going to need you to give him the order.”
Paxton looked up at Ford, and his face fell because he was afraid that if he didn’t talk, this fun day would be over. But if he tried and couldn’t, it would be even worse. So when Paxton took on that far-off stare that always made Liv nervous, she wanted to ask if maybe Ford could show them.
But Ford knelt down in front of Paxton, a mountain of calm confidence and gentle understanding, and something inside Liv told her to hold back.
“He wants to do the trick,” Ford said right to Paxton. “But he needs you to tell him what to do.”
There was no question mark at the end, but he wasn’t ordering Paxton either. Ford was simply stating what needed to happen, then assuming Paxton could handle the task.
Paxton looked at Bullseye, and when he was about to look back at Liv and the guests, Ford did the most amazing thing. He moved with Paxton, staying in his line of sight and retaining his attention. “Do you need anything from me first?”
