Page 49 of Forsaken Hearts
Easy for him to say.
Ben noticed everything. He noticed moods and routines and tiny changes most adults overlooked. There was no universe where he wasn’t going to realize Vander had suddenly become a constant presence around them.
The passenger door behind her jerked open a few minutes later.
“Mom!”
Ben climbed into the back seat in a whirlwind of backpack straps and energy before spotting Vander.
Then his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Oh no.
Ben buckled himself in, looking between them. “Why is Vander picking me up too?”
“We’re all going back to the house,” Summer said carefully.
“Together?”
Vander made a quiet sound beside her that resembled amusement. “What do you two say about stopping for some ice cream?”
She sent him a sideways look, but Ben bounced up and down in the back like popcorn in a popper.
“Yes! Ice cream! Can we please, Mom?”
“All right.” The place wasn’t far, just a small pull-off along the main road. A few vehicles were parked in front, and she pulled in beside them.
The three of them climbed out of the car and walked up to the window. Ben started to order, but Vander stopped him.
“Ladies go first. That’s the rule.”
Ben blinked up at him. “Oh. Okay. Go ahead, Mom.”
Suppressing a smile and an internal voice reminding her that her son actually needed a man to teach him these things, she stepped up to the window and ordered a twist cone. Vander looked to Ben, and her son waved a hand.
“You can go next, Vander.”
“Thank you.” He ordered a banana split for himself, which of course Ben wanted too after he heard Vander ordering one.
They found a table in a small beam of sunlight that made the day feel more like springtime. And the ice cream helped too.
Ben launched into a detailed explanation of the correct way to eat a banana split, even though Summer laughed and asked if he’d ever eaten one before. Ben said he hadn’t, and both of them laughed. Pope joined in, watching the families around them too.
Kids laughing. Parents smiling. Ordinary moments most people took for granted.
He always noticed those things, maybe because he knew not every kid got to keep the people they loved.
Ben leaned forward, scooping a huge bite into his mouth. “Are you guys dating?”
So much for easing into anything.
Summer nearly choked on air. “Ben—”
“What?” He looked genuinely confused. “Jeremiah McCauley’s mom dates now.”
Summer blinked. “What does Jeremiah McCauley know about dating?”
Ben settled back dramatically against the seat. “His mom and dad got divorced and now she’s dating a guy from the lumber mill.”
