CHAPTER 11 LINCOLN

We walk into the bedroom Jonah shares with Cade, and the entire room looks like Minecraft threw up in here from the rug to the bedding to the posters on the walls. Even the lamp is one of those green creature things, and Jonah sits on the bottom bunk bed and nervously wrings his hands before he glances up at me.

"Are you dating my mom?" His voice is small when he asks, and I gotta give it to the kid. He's brave to ask.

I press my lips together and tilt my head as I put my hands on my hips. Jolene and I haven't discussed how we're going to approach this with her son, but I feel the sudden need to be honest and direct with him. "Yes."

"Why'd you tell everyone you were dating Sam?" he asks.

I sigh as I sit on the edge of the bed beside him, ducking my head as I go. It's been a few years since I've been in a bunk. "It's complicated, and I'm really, really sorry this is how you're finding out. Sam and I were never really dating. We just let people believe we were together when we were seen at events, but the truth is that your mother and I were trying to keep our relationship secret because of some family history we share."

"Family history?" he repeats. "What's that mean?"

"It means your mom's parents and my parents don't really like each other too much, and as their kids, we're expected not to like each other, too." I shrug.

"But that's not really fair," he says.

I huff out a chuckle. "I agree with you. But we can't always control the way our family members feel, and so we try to do things that will make them happy."

"Even if it makes you sad?" he asks.

I nod a little, and I feel like this kid is really damn smart for his age. "Sometimes, yeah."

He twists his lips. "Sometimes it makes me sad to go to my dad's house when I just want to stay with my mom."

My chest tightens at that, but I try not to read too much into it or else I'll see red and possibly go over to his father's house to tear him a new asshole. "See? You get it. You go anyway to make him happy."

"I go because my mom makes me," he admits.

"You don't like going over there?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "My dad isn't always the nicest, and sometimes he makes me watch my little sisters. And he asks me a million questions about my mom. He even asked me about you, too."

"He did?" I ask, alarm bells ringing a little. I wonder if Jolene knows that. "What did he ask?"

"If you ever spent the night here, things like that."

Jesus. Involving a kid is crossing so goddamn many lines. "I'm sorry he asked you that. Can I ask you a question?"

He nods.

"How'd you find out about your mom and me?"

He looks down at the ground. "Some kids were making fun of me and calling my mom names like a cheater and a homewrecker. I started crying during recess." He lets out a heavy sigh, and my heart sinks as I see the pain all over his face.

I want to wrap him up in a bubble and protect him from all of this even though he's not mine to protect.

"I'm really sorry that happened," I say, and I sling an arm around his little shoulders and give him a side squeeze. "They're wrong. Your mother is a wonderful woman, and you know that. I know that. It's not their business what we do, and all that matters is that your mom loves you and takes care of you. You can't control what other people say, but you can control your reaction to it."

He nods. "I didn't say anything because I didn't know what to say." He shrugs. "Cade was there, too, and I thought he believed it, too. That my mom was going behind his mom's back."

"Did he say anything?" I ask.

"Yeah, he stuck up for me even though neither of us knew what was going on."

Jesus. "He sounds like a really good friend."

Jonah nods. "He is."

I press my lips together. Part of me wants to tell him that I love his mother very much and I love him, too. He's one-half Jolene. How could I not love the kid?

But we're not even close to being there, so even though it feels like the right moment, I let it slide by. "Have you talked to your mom about what the other kids said?"

He shakes his head. "I was scared to talk to her about it."

"How come?"

He lifts a shoulder. "Because I didn't want her feelings to be hurt by what the kids said about her."

"You're a really, really good kid. You know that? But she's a strong lady, and she can handle it. In fact, I think she'd want to know just so she could reassure you that it doesn't matter what they say, and nothing will ever change how much she loves you."

He draws in a deep breath. "Okay. Then let's go tell her." He stands.

"Hey Jonah?" I say, and he turns toward me. I reach out and squeeze his shoulders. "You got this, little dude."

He offers a half smile and a nod, and then he marches out of the bedroom to go talk to his mom as I sit in wonder for just a beat that he trusted me enough to share that entire conversation.

It makes me feel like I can do this—like Jolene and I can do this. There's a lot out there trying to force the two of us apart, but it's feelings like these, the ones that are warm in my chest, that tell me if we just link hands, we'll be stronger together to face them all.