He hesitates, then nods.
I don’t want him to be scared, so I hold out my hand to introduce myself. “My name’s Jen. What’s yours?”
His fingers wrap around the tips of mine. “Oliver.”
“Nice to meet you, Oliver.” I smile and shake his hand. “I like your name.”
He looks shy at my compliment before I stand to begin our search. There are exits at both ends of the exhibit, but I’m not sure which one will bring us closer to the main lobby. I decide to head in the direction Oliver pointed. Maybe we’ll run into his uncle along the way.
“So, how old are you, Oliver?” I ask as we start to walk.
“Seven.”
“Have you been to the aquarium before?”
He looks up at me. “Uncle Gunnar brings me every week.”
Impressive, I think. “You two must really like fish.”
“Yeah. The sharks are my favorite. Do you have a favorite?”
I think for a second. “I like the jellyfish. Oh! And the glow-in-the-dark seahorses.”
Oliver crinkles his nose. “The sharks should be your favorite.”
I smile. “Why?”
“They’re like the superheroes of the ocean,” he says. “There’s good guys and bad guys, but mostly good.” He looks serious when he gives me his reason.
“You’re very persuasive,” I say. “Maybe I’ll change my mind when I see the sharks.”
“You haven’t seen them?”
“Nope. This is my first time here.”
Oliver’s soft brown eyes consume his face. He can’t believe it. “You have to see them! I’ll take you after we find my uncle. I can tell you about all the sharks, even the Great White. They don’t have any Great White’s here, but I know all about them. They’re just like the one in Jaws.”
The kid knows his predators. “You’ve seen that movie? Wasn’t it scary?”
“Nah.” He shakes his head. “All the blood was fake.”
Alright, then. The music alone creeps me out.
We make it to the exhibit exit and head up the stairs to the next level of the aquarium. When we reach the top, I immediately spot two security guards having a discussion and point at them. “Let’s go ask for some help.”
Oliver walks with me over to the guards. When we get close, he grabs my hand, almost like he’s nervous. I squeeze his fingers to let him know everything will be okay.
“Hi,” I interrupt the men. “This little boy is lost. He can’t find his uncle.”
One of the guards leans down to look at Oliver. “I bet we were just talking about you. Is your name Oliver?”
“Yes,” Oliver says.
The security guard smiles and then speaks into the radio on his shoulder. “Tell Mr. Latson we’ve located his nephew.”
Wait…what?
A woman radios back. “What’s your location?”
“Abbott Oceanarium North. At the stairs.”
She responds. “He’s on his way.”
“Your uncle will be here soon,” the other security guard tells Oliver. “Can you do me a favor, though, buddy?”
Oliver steps closer to my side.
“The next time you’re anywhere with a crowd, make sure you stick by your uncle or your parents, okay? Not all people are as nice as this lady here.” The security guard looks at me. “Thank you for your help.”
“Of course,” I say.
While we wait, Oliver starts to look around. He tugs on my hand. “Those seahorses you like are over there.”
I turn around. “They sure are.”
“Can we go see them?”
I look at the security guards. “Is that okay?”
They agree since we’ll be in their line of sight. Oliver leads me over to the display and just as we get into a conversation about which color seahorse is the best, I hear a voice call out “O.”
This is crazy, I think.
Oliver lets go of my hand and takes off. He runs toward Latson, who scoops him up and holds him tight.
“I told you never to wander away from me,” Latson says against the top of his head.
“I know,” I hear Oliver say, “but I was bored at the river stuff.”
Latson closes his eyes and hugs his nephew. Tension leaves his body and relief takes its place. As I watch the two of them, my heart melts. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so sweet.
When Latson opens his eyes, his brow furrows. He sets Oliver on the ground and crouches in front of him. “You scared me, O. You have to tell me when you want to see something else. If you run off again we’re not coming back. Understand?”
Oliver looks at his shoes. “Yes.”
Latson waits for his admonishment to sink in, then holds his fist out to Oliver. “Hey,” he says.
Oliver looks up. He bumps his uncle’s fist with his own, and all seems right again.
When Latson stands, he notices me. He does a double take and smiles. “Who’s your friend?” he asks his nephew.
“That’s Jen. She helped me. I told her I would take her to see the sharks. She has to like them better than everything else.”
“She does?”
“Yes!”
“The kid is adamant when it comes to his favorite,” I say.
Latson takes Oliver’s hand and walks over to where I’m standing. “It sounds like you have a date with my nephew.”
I smile. “I guess I do.”
“How is that possible?”
“He’s passionate about sharks. Besides, who could say no to that face?”
He chuckles. “I meant, how did he find you?”
I shrug. “Coincidence?”
“She looked nice,” Oliver says. “That’s why I picked her.”
Latson tips his head and studies me. Then, he confers with Oliver. “I agree. She looks very nice. Not like a kidnapper at all.”
I roll my eyes.
Latson steps toward me and asks, “Are you here alone?”
“Yeah. I figured I should see the city. You know, before I start my new job.”
He gives me half a smile. “You’d better not be late.”
Oliver pulls on his uncle’s hand. “Can we go now?”
“Sure.” Latson looks at me. “You ready?”
“Yep. I’m ready to be scared by Jaws.”
The two of them lead the way and I follow. As I walk behind them, I can’t help but notice how similar they look. They have the same hair color, almost the same style, and they hold themselves in the same way. Their family genes are strong. An image of the kid’s room I accidentally found at the party least week flashes in my mind. They obviously spend a lot of time together.
Latson looks over his shoulder. “Are you coming?”
“Absolutely.” I catch up and ruffle Oliver’s hair. “I don’t make a habit of letting handsome men down.”
“Really?” Latson grins. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I shoot him an annoyed look. “I was referring to Oliver.”
He covers his heart with his free hand. “That hurts.”
Oliver laughs.
We make it to a set of elevator doors and stop walking. Oliver pushes the down button, and while we wait, Latson takes the opportunity to lean close to me. “Am I not handsome enough for you?” he whispers.
His breath warms my ear, and I try not to react. I refuse to swoon over his voice, his body, or his scent … which happens to be amazing. It’s crisp and woodsy, with a little citrus thrown in. What cologne is that?
Focus, Jen.
“You know you’re covered in the looks department,” I admit.
“Then what’s the problem?”
He can’t be serious. “Does the name Heidi ring a bell?”
“Yes,” Oliver pipes up. “She’s Uncle Gunnar’s friend.”
Whoops. Apparently I said that a little too loud.
“Thank you, Oliver,” I say, satisfied. “Uncle Gunnar seems to have forgotten.” It dawns on me that I now know Latson’s first name.
More people join us to wait for the elevator, and Latson moves Oliver closer to us. He leans over again and says, “Why do you keep bringing up Heidi?”
I glance at him. “Because you’re together.”
“Who told you that?”
“No one. I saw the proof at your party.”
Latson’s confusion turns into a cocky grin. “I’m not with Heidi.” He steps closer and brushes my arm with his fingertips. “Never have been, never will be.”