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“Because he said that he doesn’t always want to tell me yes and that he feels he has to.” Eli put his head down. “He said I do it on purpose. Then I heard Jenna and Dad arguing. Jenna said I’m just like you. That I purposely do things to push Dad’s buttons, but I don’t.”
She ground her teeth. “What are you asking him for that he would say no to but feels he can’t?” she asked. She wanted more information before she made a judgment.
“Last weekend I wanted to go play with Mikey. Uncle Mike had said I could and to just tell Dad that. So I did. But Jenna got mad and said she’d made plans for us and that I could entertain Carly. Dad yelled at me after and said not to say those things in front of Jenna.”
“Do you think it has more to do with your father not wanting to start a fight rather than you trying to get away with something?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Dad and Uncle Mike always do things together. Dad likes being with Uncle Mike. I didn’t think it was a big deal. Dad says all the time he doesn’t need to be with Jenna nonstop when Uncle Mike picks on him about it.”
Oh boy. This was going down a slippery slope fast. “I think there is probably more going on than you realize and maybe your father isn’t mad at you but something else.”
“Like Jenna?” Eli asked. “I don’t like when she says things about you. She doesn’t know you.”
Roni let out a sigh. “Some people say things without understanding fully. Maybe she is jealous of something? I don’t know.”
“Dad never says anything nice about you,” Eli said quietly. “I told him to stop and he got angry with me last week. Then he and Jenna started to fight and I got in trouble again.”
She was going to have to figure this out without letting Jeff know Eli told her. But she didn’t know how to do that.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “You know you can tell me anything and I’m glad you did. I’m not mad about you inviting Trent to dinner with us. It will be fun.”
“It will,” Eli said. “Because I like Trent. He’s funny and he talks to me.”
“You’ve only met him a few times,” she said.
“I know. But he barely knows me and talks to me. Jenna only talks to me when she wants me to play with Carly. Otherwise she wants me out of the room. But Trent talks to me more than he talks to you. He likes me.”
“I think he does,” she said.
Which meant this could get even messier. Even though she wanted a man her son could talk to as a father figure, if Eli was looking more for a friend, he might not want that person to be with his mother.
36
Never Easy
“I’m leaving at four today,” Trent said to Janine when he walked in the door. “You can lock up and leave too if you want.”
“Did you get another win that I don’t know about?” Janine asked.
“No,” he said. “Not yet at least.” Work was piling up faster than ever before and he was going to start interviewing next week for that accountant. “I ran into Roni in the hall. Eli is with her and he asked me to go to dinner with them.”
“Does Eli know you two are dating now?” Janine asked. “I was wondering when you’d let him know. I’m still annoyed you didn’t tell me.”
“Please,” he said, waving his hand. “You were spying on me. I knew that all along. Why would I tell you when you were having so much fun trying to figure it all out on your own?”
“Not funny, Trent,” Janine said.
“Sure, it is,” he said.
“Back to Eli.”
“No, Eli doesn’t know what is going on. I didn’t even know he’d be here today.” His phone went off in his pocket and he read the text from Roni. He’d reply in his office.
“Everything okay?” Janine asked.
“Yes. It’s Roni. Now I’m confused.”
“I’ve got kids. Boys too. What are you confused about? Maybe I can help.”
