“That was amazing,” I complimented Beth. “Those cinnamon buns were incredible. Do you make those at the diner too?”
She laughed. “No. They take too much effort.” She beamed as she picked up her coffee. “I had to make three extra cakes on Saturday. A company ordered one of each cake for pickup on Friday, so I had to replace them. It was a great bonus. Mike told them there was a fee for a last-minute order, as well as a delivery fee, and they agreed.”
I bit back my grin. I had offered to pay that fee, hoping Beth would get a bigger cut. I put one of each cake in the lunchroom, and they had disappeared fast and everyone raved about them.
“That’s great,” was all I said. “I hope the order is worth your effort.”
“It is. Mike said they already placed an order for next week too.”
“That’s awesome.”
Lucy spoke up. “Momma, can we go to the park?”
Paige frowned. “I have to go do a few errands. Maybe we can go later.”
“Beth, you take me?” Lucy asked.
“Um…”
I clapped my hands. “Why don’t you both go? Go do your errands, go to the park. I’ll stay here with Evan. We’ll clean up the kitchen, and I’ll look at his desk.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Beth said quietly.
I squeezed her hand under the table. “That’s the rule at my parents’ place. If the women cook, men clean up. Evan and I can handle it, right?”
He nodded. “I can dry.”
“Perfect. You ladies go and do your errands. Have fun in the park. It’ll give us guys a chance to get to know each other.”
Beth worried her lip, and I leaned close. “He’ll be fine with me, Beth. Promise.”
“I know that.”
“Then go and enjoy a little girl time.” I had a feeling she didn’t get to do that very often.
She surprised me with a swift kiss to my cheek. “Thank you.”
I winked, lowering my voice even more. “You can thank me more later.”
I chuckled as she flushed then stood.
“Okay, girls, let’s head out before he changes his mind.”
They left, their voices fading away. I stood, picking up dishes.
“Not a lot of food to put away,” I commented.
Evan laughed. “You eat a lot,” he said with the honesty of a child.
“Yep, I do.”
“What kinds of things do you build?” he asked as we started dishes.
“Buildings, mostly.”
“Here in Toronto?”
“No, out of town,” I replied.
“Are you my sister’s boyfriend?” he asked abruptly, changing the subject before I had to.
“Ah, I think that’s up to your sister.”
“Do you want to be?”
“I like your sister. I’d like to take her out again.”
“So, that’s a boyfriend, right?”
“I guess so.”
He nodded, drying a pan I handed him. There was a dishwasher—old, but serviceable, so we had loaded it with the plates and cutlery, leaving only the pans to hand-wash. “There’s a girl at school I like,” he said quietly. “She doesn’t make fun of my leg or how shy I am.”
I leaned against the counter. “Are you shy because of your leg?”
He sighed, the sound long and low. It said everything he didn’t speak out loud. “That’s part of it. I’m skinny and I wear glasses. I walk funny. I get picked on a lot.”
“Are you bullied?” I asked.
“Sometimes. There is one group of boys that likes to push me around.”
“Have you told Beth?”
He pushed up his glasses and regarded me sadly. It was the gaze of someone much older than twelve. “It wouldn’t do any good. She’s tried. The guidance counselor has tried. But they’re smart. They don’t hurt me. They just say stuff. Hide my crutches. Push me around a little when no one is watching.” He shrugged. “I know it’s because I’m scrawny. I can’t fight back. I don’t wear cool clothes, have new sneakers or a cell phone.” He paused. “Or parents.” He met my eyes again, the sorrow in them spilling out. “It makes Beth sad, so I don’t say anything. I know she misses them too. And the other stuff—Beth can’t afford it, and I don’t want her to know. It would upset her. You can’t tell her.”
Something in my chest clenched. This kid needed some help. He needed a friend. Someone to talk to other than his sister. Maybe, just maybe, what he needed was me.
And that was another new thing for me. To be needed just for being Ronan.
I finished the last pan and let him dry it.
“Show me what you can do with that leg, Evan.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I may have a few things I can show you. Let’s see if we can help strengthen it.”
His expression was excited. “Really?”
I nodded. “Really.”
Chapter Eight
Beth
I should have been nervous leaving my brother alone in the house with someone I barely knew, but I wasn’t. I trusted Ronan. Paige commented on the fact that, strangely enough, she did as well. He seemed genuine. And I had seen the way Evan’s eyes lit up at being called one of the men. He wanted to help out more. He always did. Ronan had made him feel normal with a few simple words. Unknowingly, he had notched up my affection for him without even trying. Just by being himself.