Page 41 of Controlled Burn
“I thought about seeing if Livy wanted to go to the Farmers’ Market. I guess that’ll depend on the weather, though.”
“That’s a good idea. Then I could tell your dad you scoped it out for him. That really would be a great place for him to sell his stuff.”
He looked thoughtful. “He seemed different the other day. Have you met the woman he’s dating?”
“I haven’t, but a few of the guys have, and they like her.”
“I don’t remember ever seeing him happy like that. Not even before he and my mom divorced.”
“Does that bother you?” I asked.
“For my dad to have a girlfriend?”
“Yeah, but more to see him happy with someone other than your mom.”
“Honestly, I don’t ever remember them being all that happy as a couple. I could be wrong. I mean, I was just a kid, but it seemed to me they fought a lot. My mom wanted my dad to stop being a firefighter and to go to work for her father, and he loved the job. My dad says they were just really young and didn’t know who they were yet when they married. My mom doesn’t talk about it at all.”
I didn’t tell him any of the things Robert had told me about his and Debbie’s marriage, but it sounded to me like Caleb was pretty spot on.
“But anyway, it doesn’t bother me at all. If he’s found someone that makes him happy, I’m thrilled.”
I handed him the remote control. “You pick us a movie while I go make us some popcorn and grab us a couple of drinks.”
“Any movie?”
“Yeah, baby boy, any movie. It doesn’t matter to me what we watch.”
I left him flipping through channels and went to the kitchen to get our snacks. When I came back, he was sitting in a chair with his feet curled up under him, but that wasn’t going to work for me.
I placed the tray with the bowl of popcorn and the drinks down on the coffee table in front of the couch and took a seat. Then I patted the couch beside me.
“Come over here, rabbit. I won’t bite. I thought you said you like to cuddle. I figured movie time was cuddle time.”
“Really?”
“Sure. Come on over.”
He hopped up and came to sit beside me. He licked his lips nervously before looking over at me. “Did you just call me a rabbit?”
I chuckled. “I did. You remind me of a rabbit sometimes. You act all shy and jumpy, but the truth is, you want to be petted.”
I leaned back against the couch and wrapped one arm around him, pulling him against me. “Now, what are we watching?”
“I narrowed it down to three, but I’m not sure which to pick.”
“Do you want me to decide?”
He nodded and handed me the remote.
“Beekeeper is one, and I keep hearing No Way Up is good. Can you imagine being stuck at the bottom of the ocean in an airplane? Yikes. Then the third is A Haunting in Venice. I’ve been meaning to watch it but haven’t gotten around to it.”
I had a feeling he’d picked the Beekeeper because he thought I would like it, and while he might like the second one, I thought the murder mystery seemed more like something he would enjoy. Plus, it was the one still on the screen. “You like mysteries?”
He nodded. “I do.”
“Okay then, A Haunting in Venice it is.” I pushed the button to start the movie.
Normally, I didn’t like it when someone talked during a movie, but watching this one with Caleb was fun. He talked his way through the mystery, guessing what might happen next and working out who he thought the killer might be. It was like having a glimpse inside his head, and it was interesting for sure.