“No, I want to share with you. And yes, I’m upset, but with myself. It all started innocuously enough when I went to the grocery store for the steak and ran into a few members of the family.”
“Hard not to in this town.”
“That’s true enough.”
Leesa listened as Jason shared the things that he’d learned that day and the thoughts that had accompanied those revelations.
Here, if she needed it, was further proof that Jason Benedict had nothing at all in common with her ex. She doubted that loser had ever admitted being responsible for a single thing, and he sure as hell would never spend time in self-reflection and evaluation. Well, maybe if he had a brush with death he might. Leesa told her thoughts to shut the hell up and turned her attention back to where it belonged, on Jason.
As he was explaining some of his thought processes, she thought back to what she’d known of him before he’d arrived. Yes, Jason came to Lusty with what his sister had called a “huge stick” up his butt. But he hadn’t been aware of it, or of how his attitude and behavior had been received by others.
“I feel as if I’ve fucked up badly. But Phillip said that my focus, my drive, are why we’ve been successful. He gave me a perspective I don’t really feel at the moment.”
“I agree with Phillip. Your attention to detail and goal-focused drive, those are habits that all successful people share. I’d be willing to bet if you spoke to anyone in the families who’ve achieved their goals, they’d all tell you the same thing. You can’t get there without them.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. I think I need to work on believing that. But I still need to make some changes.” He looked down at his plate then met her gaze again. “I’ve been looking at the man I’ve been, especially the way I’ve treated Alice, hell, the way I treated all my family, and my attitude toward family life in general.” He shook his head, and Leesa could read the disgust in his expression. “Fuck, I’ve had a stick up my ass all this time, and I never even knew it.”
Leesa held back the laugh, because he’d just said what she’d so recently thought. To her credit, she didn’t guffaw. However, she could tell by the way Jason nearly smirked that he knew she wanted to. Time to redeem myself.
“There’s one thing about us human beings that you can count on,” Leesa said. “We have brains and free will and, if we’ve a mind to, if we really want to, we can accomplish anything we set out to do. I really believe that. And I also believe, without a single doubt, that if you want to change how you treat others, if you want to adjust your behavior, then you will. It was your mind and your determination that set your course for you all those years ago. You discovered something miraculous when you were a kid—that your own determination could guide you to success. That hasn’t changed. You just need to modify it.”
He looked over at Phillip and then back to her. As she watched, it was as if a burden had been lifted from him. His expression cleared, and the rigidity in his shoulders eased. A gentle smile replaced that thoughtful expression, and he lifted her hand to his lips.
“Thank you, Leesa. I’m very glad you’re in my corner.”
“There is absolutely no place else I’d rather be.”
“I’m going to be spending the next little while thinking about myself and what I want to do differently. And I’m going to start off with a couple of things I’ve been putting off. I’ll see where that takes me.”
“I’m here if you need me,” Leesa said.
“So am I, J. Coop.”
Jason’s grin tripped her heart. “Then I don’t see how I can possibly fail.”
The next morning, Leesa began her shift with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step. With each day that passed, she felt as if she, Jason, and Phillip were growing closer.
As she checked the breakfast grits and then began the daily soup, her thoughts were on Jason. His revelations of the night before filled her with pride. He hadn’t dwelled on the disappointment he’d felt with himself when he’d understood how he’d been. No, he’d determined to do better, and her money was on him to succeed.
The kitchen door swung open, and Carrie Benedict came in. She wore a huge grin and the standard dark slacks and white shirt that all the staff wore. She stowed her purse in her drawer and reached for her apron.
“Grandma needed a little grandson time, and the way DMC grinned when she came through the door, I’m thinking he needed a little grandma time, too.”
Carrie and her husbands Chase and Brian had named their son Donald Michael Carson, in honor of all their fathers. Carrie had taken to calling him DMC, and Leesa thought it was the cutest thing, ever.
“I read somewhere that young children do need a break from their parents, as much as parents need a break from them.” Leesa grinned. She really liked Carrie and welcomed her presence in the kitchen—even on days she wasn’t scheduled to work. Carrie only wanted to come in part time until DMC was at least two, and who could blame her for that? Leesa returned her thoughts to the conversation. “Of course, I don’t know if that has to do with human nature or if it has something to do with the general permissiveness of grandparents.”
“Oh, I don’t have an opinion there. I know he loves just about everybody he meets. Even as a newborn he was happy to be passed around.”
“Well, you certainly don’t look bummed out about this turn of events. Would I be right in saying that Mom could use
