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“I’m sorry she called you. I know I was on the list to help Mom today, but she insists on calling you with everything nowyou’re the man of the house.” Her sigh was filled with frustration. “I can’t stop her.”
“It’s okay, sis. I meant nothing by it. I can handle it.”Sometimes.
“I need you to do me a huge favor,” she began without hesitation.
“You want to sue someone as well?” I deadpanned.
Her eyes widened. “What? No.”
“Then what? Is everything okay?”
“You know how Jason is your favorite nephew…”
“He’s my only nephew, sis.”
She quirked a smile. “Well, it would help if you took Jason on for a week of work experience.”
What? No. “I don’t?—”
“Neil, please.”
“—have the manpower,” I finished, and she stared at me.
“A week,” she pleaded. Her tone was desperate and determined, and she was shouldering Mom’s worries as much as me in her own way, not to mention she had a family and held down a full-time job. At least I was single, so it was easy to assume I had free time.
Even if work consumed me.
“He’s a good kid, and I need him to…” She sighed with extra drama. “He’s always in his room.”
“Teenagers live in their room.”
“He didn’t used to.”
“He turned seventeen, it’s a thing,” I reminded her.
Jason was a typical teenager—loud and opinionated about all kinds of things, but then just as quickly glued to his phone for hours. We used to be best buddies, but that was when I was the cool uncle. Then, overnight, he became moody and uncommunicative, and I waswaiting for him to get through to the other side and back to being the nephew who wanted to talk to me. I tried to connect with him at family dinners and school events. Still, I remember being seventeen, albeit without the added pressure of a phone and social media, and the last thing I wanted then was adults getting in my space.
Bessie crossed her arms and pouted. “He’s seventeen, Connor. He’s applying to colleges. This could be good for him, give him a sense of responsibility.”
“Yeah, but does he even want to do this?” I countered. “He likes computers and games,” I added, recalling what he’d told me and Connor. I waited for her to defend him, but hell, there was no defending a teenager when you got to be as old as we were. What happened when I was in my thirties meant I was worried about connecting with my town’s youth.
“He needs structure. You know how smart he is, but he lacks direction. He respects you, Neil,” she insisted, “and it would get him out of the house when I have Mom and Dad over.”
Damn it, she played the ace.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “And what am I supposed to do with him? I’ve got road repairs causing chaos, a new deputy-in-training who I’m about to lose, another deputy retiring, and three minor investigations sitting on my desk, not to mention so much paperwork after the storm I could fill this room.”
And Connor, with his kisses and his chaos.
“I want to help but…”
Bessie sighed and then leaned forward, a glint in hereye. “Remember when you switched salt for the sugar the day before Mom was baking for the church sale?”
I groaned, the memory flashing vividly in my mind. Those salty cakes were still the talk of the town, and Mom had never understood how she’d managed to mix the two things up. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would … unless you give me this for Jason,” she threatened, smirking.
I threw my hands up in mock surrender. “Fine, you win. Jason can get some experience here.”
