“I think so too.”
Derek continued to look for the anthill, his pace halted as he searched in the grass.
“You’ll find another one, Derek,” I said, my eyes always on my son when we were deep in the forest.
“But this one was huge.” He left the grass and returned to the path, taking the lead in his big floppy hat and long-sleeved shirt. He would run far up ahead so he would have time to examine the grass and dirt for signs of ants and spiders.
“At least he’s not afraid of bugs,” Cleo said.
“Whenever there’s a spider in the house, he insists on freeing it.”
“Aw, that’s sweet,” she said.
“Valerie hates it. But I told him spiders are the ones eating all the insects you don’t want in your house.”
“True.”
“But then he tried to save a yellow jacket one time…and that was a terrible experience.”
She chuckled. “I can imagine.”
“I got stung three times.”
“Ouch. Did he live?”
“Yep,” I said with a growl. “The motherfucker lived.”
She burst into a loud laugh, appreciating my joke.
She understood me—and I loved that about her.
“He’s aware of other things besides himself, which I think is a good thing. He understands people’s feelings really well. He can observe other’s behavior and correctly interpret it.”
I’d noticed the same thing. “He didn’t get that from me.”
She chuckled. “No, he didn’t. But it’s a good thing he has it. His social skills will be better.”
“Yeah.” I didn’t want him to be a social outcast the way I was, living in solitude on a lake without a single person around. Going against the grain always made me different, always made it difficult to get things done. I’d been called an asshole many times because of it.
“He’s basically the perfect human being.”
I was actually glad I’d fucked Valerie and spent five years in misery—because it gave me him.
“When we were in your office a few days ago, he told me you’re a lot happier now than you used to be with Valerie. How does a five-year-old notice that?”
I shook my head. “No idea.”
“I found it!” Derek moved off the path, indicating the tall pile of dirt.
“Wow, it is big.” Cleo came to his side and squatted down.
My eyes immediately went to the bottom of her ass that poked out from the hem of her shorts.
“What kind of ants are these?” she asked.
Derek continued to study them. “I don’t know, but they’re huge.”
I pulled my gaze away from her sexy cheeks and pulled out my phone. “Let’s take a picture and figure it out later.” I grabbed a twig and set it next to an ant before I snapped the shot.
“Why did you do that?” Derek asked, looking at the twig.
“So, you have perspective.” I rose to my feet and put the phone back into my pocket.
He grabbed the branch and started to poke it into the sand of the hill.
“How would you feel if someone did that to your home?” I asked. “Shoved a metal pole through your bedroom window?”
Derek put down the branch, looking guilty.
Cleo glanced up at me, her eyes soft.
Derek sat there, squatting on the ground, and just watched the ants.
I stepped into the shade, and Cleo joined me. I pulled out some water for us to drink.
She popped the cap and took a drink. “Now I know where he gets it from.”
I finished my drink and stared at her.
“Why he’s so thoughtful of other people…because you taught him to be.”
When we returned to the house, we had lunch, showered, and then Derek took a nap. He had more energy than I did, but when there was too much excitement during the day, he couldn’t keep his eyes open.
I grabbed two beers and walked onto the patio, seeing Cleo in one of the chairs, wearing jeans and a top. She didn’t notice me right away, taking in the sight of the quiet lake, the way the sun hit the surface of the water, her lips and eyes relaxed.
I moved to the chair beside her and held up the bottle.
She took it.
“This is all I have. Is that okay?”
“I like beer.” She took a drink and relaxed again, her hair down around her shoulders.
I parted my knees and rested my arms on the sides of the chair, the beer dangling from my fingers. I watched the lake for a while, listened to the pure silence, watched the leaves move in the slight breeze. The world was so quiet, so slow. Manhattan was constantly raging with activity, people practically running down the sidewalk to get to their next appointment. But here…the only way to watch the time pass was by the movement of the sun as the world rotated.
I turned to her. “How was your dinner last night?”
“Fine.” She rested her head against the wooden back of the chair, her face turned toward me. “My client hosted a charity gala for the Red Cross, so I helped set everything up and made sure the night ran smoothly.”