Carter glanced over at his mother and watched her face as he asked her his question.  “Do you want to go to the cookout?”  Her nose twitched and her mouth scrunched.  He’d seen that face a lot, especially when it involved men.  He decided he would let her answer, though, because he was curious to hear what she would say.

“It’s up to you, Bub.”  And that’s exactly what he was expecting.

“Which is code for: I want to go but I don’t want to admit that I want to go.”  Carter slouched lower in the passenger seat, wrinkling his own nose when he caught the sweaty scent of his t-shirt.  “I need to shower first.”

“It’s really up to you, Carter.  We don’t need to go.”  Bailey steered the car onto their road, rolling up the windows as the wheels started to kick up dust.  “We can have a quiet night in.”

His head bobbed against the seat as he turned to give his mother a long stare.  “I see the way he looks at you, Mom, and I see the way you try not to look at him.”

Bailey’s eyes widened and she let out a nervous laugh.  “You are way too perceptive for a kid your age.”  The car rolled to a stop in front of their house and Bailey turned the key, killing the ignition.  Neither of them made a move to get out.

The silence stretched and the heat in the car increased until Carter couldn’t stand to sit there any longer.  “Mom, you don’t have to stop living because we moved here.”  Opening the door, he stepped out and poked his head back in.  “I’ll be out of the shower in ten.  You should probably call for directions.”

Bailey jumped when the door closed, snapping her out of her thoughts and spurring her into motion.  Trudging up the front steps, she sat on the porch swing and let the air cool her down.  Butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach and she wasn’t entirely sure why.  Carter was right, but Bailey wasn’t looking for a relationship, as interesting as Justin was.  Her main concern was her son and his happiness.  It felt selfish of her to want something when she had been the reason that Carter had to leave everything he knew behind.

The screen door slammed and Bailey squeaked, clutching her chest.  “You scared me.”

“Did you call Mr. Timberlake yet?  We should get going soon.”  Carter took a seat next to his mother, pushing off of the porch boards to get the swing moving.

“Are you sure you want to go?”  She asked again, not sure what she wanted his answer to be.  His response was a bored look.  “Okay, okay, I’ll give him a call.”  Nervously, she pulled the slip of paper out of her pocket and punched the number into her cell phone, having to re-dial twice because she kept making mistakes.  The conversation was short, but Bailey couldn’t help but share the smile that was evident in Justin’s voice.  A few minutes later, they were back in the car and headed toward the cook out.

“I like Mr. Timberlake, Mom.”  Carter broke the silence.  His mother turned her head and glanced at him.

“Does that mean I should stay away because you don’t want things getting weird?”  Bailey was worried about Justin being Carter’s teacher.  It wasn’t something she wanted to come back and bite any of them in the ass.

His response was accompanied by a shrug.  “I don’t really care about all of that.”  He stated, his voice as calm as ever.  “School’s almost out and I think everyone already assumes that you two are together, anyway.”  The comment surprised Bailey, but Carter continued before she could ask about it.  “I was just saying that I think he’s a good guy and I don’t think it’s a terrible thing to hang out with him.”

Bailey wished she wasn’t driving because she really wanted to stare at the person next to her and figure out what had happened to her son.  “Are you feeling okay?  Did you get too much sun today?”  She took her hand off the wheel and placed in on his forehead, feeling to see if he was running a temperature.  Carter brushed her off.

“Mom, I’m fine.”  He settled more comfortably in his seat.  There was a pause before he decided to ask his next question.  “What is it you’re afraid of, anyway?”

Bailey’s eyes widened and her hand gripped the steering wheel a little tighter.  She wasn’t quite sure where the question was coming from and she was even less sure about how to answer.  This was her twelve-year-old son and he was asking her questions that she was too afraid to ask herself.  There was something inherently wrong with that.

“I’m not afraid of anything, Bub.”  She was careful with her tone, lest she give away more than she wanted to.  “I’m just not looking to get into anything, especially with your teacher.”  She chanced a glance at her son, but his eyes were steady on the road ahead.  “Is that okay with you, boss?” 

Carter’s mouth twitched in a grin.  His shoulder’s shrugged again, but the twinkle in his eyes told Bailey he was up to something.  “No…”  He turned to face his mother.  “I was hoping to get an easy A because you were dating my English teacher.”  This time Bailey swatted his arm and gasped in shock.

“Carter Matthew!”  She scolded, chuckling slightly.  “I can’t believe you just said that.”

A few minutes later found them pulling into Justin’s mother’s driveway.  The house was beautiful; a large wrap-around porch, and immense flower beds and landscaping.  Bailey was slightly intimidated and worried, but it was too late to turn back now.  Justin was trotting down the front steps, a grin plastered on his face.

“Hey!”  He called, stopping beside Bailey’s window and leaning on the door.  “You made it.”  He opened the door for her and helped her out of the car, smiling over at Carter as the young man closed his own door.  “Hey, Carter.”

“Hey, Mr. T.”  Carter gave the older man a wave and followed the two adults toward a gate that led into the back yard. 

There was a small group of people scattered around the yard.  Bailey waved to Ms. Lynn who was setting out food.  A man she assumed was Justin’s step-father manned the grill, giving them a grin and a wave as they made their way across the lawn toward them.  Two boys played catch off to the side, and Bailey watched as Carter eyed them carefully.

“Those are my brothers.  Jonathan is fifteen, and Stephen is twelve.”  Justin spoke to Carter, introducing the boys when they were close enough.  That was all the encouragement Carter needed, joining in the game of catch as soon as the introductions were finished.  Bailey followed Justin toward the other adults, feeling the warmth of his hand on her lower back as they walked.  She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but she could help but hear her son’s words echoing in her head.

“Bailey, this is my Dad, Paul.”  Justin made the final introduction, and Bailey smiled at the older man, shaking his offered hand.

“It’s so nice to meet you, sir.” 

A hand waved away her formality.  “Please, it’s Paul.  And the pleasure is all mine, Darlin’.  I’ve heard a lot about you and your son.”  The older man grinned over at her and Justin.  Bailey’s eyes widened, but she said nothing, not sure how to respond.

“Can I help you with anything, Momma?”  Justin asked.  Lynn had just finished setting out some plates and utensils, the table set except for the meat that was grilling.

“I’m all set, but I’m sure Bailey would like something to drink.”

Justin turned toward Bailey, asking the question with his eyes.  She followed him with a nod, heading into the house where the drinks were.  Paul gave Lynn a long look that spoke volumes; his wife just smiled.  The two of them had talked quite a bit about their son’s infatuation with Bailey.  He was still denying any stronger feelings than friendship and curiosity, but Lynn and Paul knew their son well.  They knew that there was more to his interest in Bailey and Carter, and they also knew that he wasn’t ready to investigate or interpret those feelings just yet.  It said something that Bailey was here tonight, though, and they were content enough to sit back and watch what was going to happen.

“Carter and the boys seem to be getting along well.”  Paul commented, flipping the chicken on the grill.  Jonathan, Stephen and Carter were still playing catch, laughing and smiling as if they’d known each other forever.

“It’s baseball.  It must be some male language that all you boys speak.”  Lynn stated, finishing up setting the picnic table with plates and silverware.  “Carter is a good boy, though.  He’s got a good head on his shoulders.”

“Got it from his mother, I gather.”  Paul’s comment caused Lynn to shrug.

“I don’t know enough about her yet, but Justin seems to think so.”  Lynn settled into a lawn chair, taking a sip of her sweet tea.  “He’s on a mission, Paul, and I’m not entirely sure he’s ready for what might happen when he gets where he’s going.”

Paul was thoughtful for a moment, deciding on how best to answer to that comment.  “He’s a smart man, Lynn, and you did well raising him.  I’m sure he’ll do what’s best and figure things out along the way.  Quite worrying and enjoy the evening.”

She grunted slightly, “It’s not him I’m worried about.”  But nothing further could be said because Justin and Bailey had come back from the kitchen, both carrying glasses of tea.  The adults sat around while the food finished cooking, chatting idly about anything that came to mind.  Bailey found herself starting to relax as the evening progressed, enjoying the company of Justin’s parents.  They were charming and endearing, including Bailey enough to make her feel welcome without prying.  Justin helped, too, steering the conversation into directions that wouldn’t make Bailey too uncomfortable.  She was thankful for that, and she found herself happy that she’d come.

“Boys!  Food is ready.”  Lynn called once the chicken had been moved off of the grill.  The three young men came trotting over, smiling and hungry.  Conversation centered around dinner as everyone got situated and filled their plates.

The evening was pleasant and both Bailey and Carter were enjoying themselves.  Carter had originally decided to come because he knew his mother wanted to, but now he found himself laughing along with Jon and Stephen, happy he’d pushed her.  He liked Mr. Timberlake, and he liked who his mother was around him.  She smiled a lot, and she seemed a lot more relaxed than she had since the move from Boston.  It was tough to let someone else into the lives, but Mr. T seemed to truly care for the both of them and that was enough for Carter.

“I have pecan pie for dessert, so you don’t need to rush to fill up.”  Lynn eyed the boys who were all steadily shoveling food into their mouths.  At her comment, they all stopped and slowly finished chewing, taking more care with their eating.

Bailey grinned.  She liked Lynn, and she liked what she knew of Paul, too.  They seemed really good together, and she enjoyed their light banter as the meal progressed.

“I can’t thank you enough for inviting us.  This was fantastic.”  Bailey set her fork down, feeling pleasantly full. 

Lynn waved her away.  “You’re welcome anytime, darling.”  The older woman smiled softly at Bailey, “we enjoying have you two around.”

“Can we be excused?”  Jonathan spoke up, looking at the adults for permission like his Momma had taught him.  “Carter said he’d show me how to throw a fast ball.”

“It’s okay with me.” Lynn said, looking for Bailey’s approval.

“Sure, just take it easy, okay?  I don’t want you getting sick so quickly after dinner, and I don’t want any wild pitches ending up breaking anything.”

“I’ll be careful, Mom.”  Carter promised as he raced away with the other two boys.  The adults watched with matching grins, happy to see everyone having so much fun.

Lynn started to collect the dishes, but Bailey stopped her, standing up.  “You cooked, the least I can do is clean.”  She grabbed the utensils and plates, stacking them together so she could bring them inside.  Silently, Justin joined her, grabbing empty dishes and cups and following Bailey into the house.

“You don’t have to do this, you know, you’re a guest.”  He placed the dirty dishes next to the sink and leaned against the counter as he watched Bailey fill the sink with soapy water.

“I want to do this.”

Justin was quiet for a moment, grabbing a towel and drying the dishes Bailey had just cleaned.  “I’m really happy you decided to come.”  He said after a while.  He wasn’t sure what he wanted from this, but he knew being around Bailey was something he was starting to crave.

Her response was a small shrug.  “It was Carter’s idea, really.  He…he likes you.”  She felt herself blush a little, not wanting to share too much.  She wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing here, but she had enjoyed herself tonight, and she was starting to look forward to Justin’s company.

“Well, he’s a really good kid.”

The washed and dried in silence for a while longer, neither sure what to say next.  Justin didn’t want to ruin the moment by asking something stupid or too personal, and Bailey was uncertain about so much.  She was really beginning to like Justin, and that scared her.  It didn’t help that her son seemed to be pushing for the two of them to get together.  He never did things like that, and it had Bailey over thinking everything.

“Your parents are great.”  She finally said, settling for neutral territory.

Justin smiled.  “That they are.”  He put the final plate in the cupboard and hung the dish towel to dry, turning to face Bailey and give her a small grin.  Her face was flushed with the steam from the hot water, giving her skin a glow that was ethereal.  Justin felt his pace quicken at the sight of her, and he mental chastised himself for being such a male.  He couldn’t quite help himself, though, and his mouth opened before he could stop the thought.  “You look beautiful.”

Bailey stiffened, unsure of where that compliment came from.  “Thank you.”  She said shyly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.  She could feel her cheeks redden under his gaze.  She was afraid to look at him for fear of what she might see.  Clearing her throat, she took a step away from Justin so she could clear her head.  “Uhm, we should probably get going.  It is a school night, after all.”

Justin’s heart dropped a little and he felt foolish.  “Right.  I have to get the boys home, too.”

“Right.”  Awkwardly, they continued to stand there, neither moving. 

Finally, Justin decided that enough was enough and he had to do something.  Striding over to Bailey, he gently turned her to face him, cupping her chin in his hands.  He saw fear in her eyes, but it was mixed with a dozen other emotions that he couldn’t name, nor did he care to.  There was something about the way she looked, about the feeling of the warm air around them, about the way his heart raced when he thought about her…he couldn’t stop himself.  Slowly, so slowly, he lowered his mouth toward her own.  She didn’t move away, and he took it as a sign that he could continue.  Their mouths were millimeters apart when the back door came crashing open and the two adults jumped apart.  Both were flush with the embarrassment of being caught.

“I need to pee,” was Stephen’s call as he raced, unaware, past the two adults.  Carter and Jon stood in the doorway, eying their respective relatives with a wary look.  Carter knew what the color of his mother’s cheeks meant, and he smiled to himself.   

“We should probably get going, Ma.  It’s getting late.”

The words seemed to spur Bailey into action, and she bustled out of the kitchen and toward the back door.  “Right, we’ll just say our goodbyes to Miss Lynn and Paul and we can head home.”  Carter watched in amusement as his mother ignored the looks being sent her way by Mr. Timberlake. 

“You just startled her, that’s all.”  He offered the older man a reassuring pat on the back.  “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.” 

Justin cast a sidelong glance at his student.  “Yeah, and I think I embarrassed myself in the process of startling her.”

Carter just shrugged.  He waved goodbye to his teacher and trotted to catch up with his mother, giving a quick thanks to the Harless’s.  He laughed slightly as his mom hurried to get out of there, forgetting to say goodbye to Mr. Timberlake.  Sighing contentedly, Carter settled back into his seat and closed his eyes.  That almost kiss would have his mother thinking for days, and that meant she could stop thinking about the past and start worrying about other things, like dating and all that crap. 

It was a job well done, if he said so himself.