Read Online Damen (The Marquette Family Book Two) by Tressie Lockwood - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tressie Lockwood
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playing any instruments.”
Damen wondered if had he inadvertently introduced the kid to new ideas in that direction? “Well, you’re only what, nine?” He guessed low on purpose to see the kid’s reaction.
Gideon frowned and clenched his hands into fists. “I’m eleven!”
Damen chuckled. “My mistake. I apologize.”
“Sorry.” Gideon ducked his head and shuffled his feet. “I’m kind of short for my age. Everybody in my class is always taller.”
“Hm, most likely your growth spurt hasn’t happened yet.”
Gideon rolled his eyes. “That’s what my mom keeps telling me. I think it’s just what grown-ups tell short kids to make them feel better.”
Damen laughed. “Okay, how about some science?”
“Huh?”
“How tall is your mom?”
Gideon told him, and Damen nodded.
“Okay, how about your dad?”
The boy hesitated, and Damen kicked himself. Maybe he didn’t know or had never met the man. Then Gideon got a funny look on his face. “Your height.”
“Great. I’m six feet. So, the formula goes like this—to predict a boy’s height you add five inches to his mother’s height and add that to his father’s height. The total is then divided by two. Can you come up with the number?”
“I’m uh…do you have any paper?” Gideon said.
Damen didn’t know if Gideon was too nervous to calculate in his head or unsure of the formula. He ran down the figures as he counted them in his head. “So basically, we can predict that you’ll be about six feet tall when you grow up. There’s no guarantee of course. It could go up or down by a couple inches, but you’ll probably be close to that. What do you think? Sound good?”
Gideon’s mouth fell open. “You didn’t make that up, did you?”
Damen grinned. “No. I collect a lot of useless facts up here.” He tapped the side of his head. “But in your case, it came in handy.”
“I always have a hard time in school. I can barely pass my classes, and my mom has to put me in tutoring every year. I hate it. I hate being stupid. I wish I was smart like you.”
“Easy, partner.” Damen squeezed his shoulder. “You’re not dumb.”
“Tell that to my grades.”
Damen scratched his head. He had zero idea how to make Gideon feel better about himself or how to encourage him. The height thing came easy because he had studied up on it for no other reason than it was something to do. That was a hobby of his, right up there with getting a Ph.D. in Forensics for the hell of it.
Most subjects came easily to him. Studying wasn’t something he needed to make a habit of in school. He just retained most everything, except when it came to English Lit, and he had had Heaven for that. Being a man who never had to struggle with school, how the hell could he give Gideon advice?
“Well, uh…” he began, fumbling.
“It doesn’t matter. Da— Uh…”
“It’s fine. You can call me Damen if you want.”
The boy looked taken aback. Maybe his mother was strict about respecting adults.
“Or whatever you like,” he amended quickly.
“Can I come again?”
Damen glanced toward the doors and noted the sun had gone down. “Of course you can, as often as you want, but you need to get your mother’s permission. It’s getting late. You shouldn’t be out there alone. I’ll walk you home.”
“No!”
Damen’s brows rose.
“I mean I’m not a little kid. I can get home by myself, and I live close by.”
Damen hesitated. He rubbed his jaw and then had an idea. “Okay, that’s fine. I’ll see you again, okay? Maybe we can talk some more, and heck, I’m sure I could convince Stefan to teach you a little on piano. I don’t play it.”
Gideon glanced over at the piano and back at him. “Is it all right if I play with you instead?”
“Sure, bud.”
The bright smile flashed, one Damen was starting to like. He touched the top of the kid’s head and watched as he headed out. Damen made a hand signal, and Guy came into view from wherever
Damen wondered if had he inadvertently introduced the kid to new ideas in that direction? “Well, you’re only what, nine?” He guessed low on purpose to see the kid’s reaction.
Gideon frowned and clenched his hands into fists. “I’m eleven!”
Damen chuckled. “My mistake. I apologize.”
“Sorry.” Gideon ducked his head and shuffled his feet. “I’m kind of short for my age. Everybody in my class is always taller.”
“Hm, most likely your growth spurt hasn’t happened yet.”
Gideon rolled his eyes. “That’s what my mom keeps telling me. I think it’s just what grown-ups tell short kids to make them feel better.”
Damen laughed. “Okay, how about some science?”
“Huh?”
“How tall is your mom?”
Gideon told him, and Damen nodded.
“Okay, how about your dad?”
The boy hesitated, and Damen kicked himself. Maybe he didn’t know or had never met the man. Then Gideon got a funny look on his face. “Your height.”
“Great. I’m six feet. So, the formula goes like this—to predict a boy’s height you add five inches to his mother’s height and add that to his father’s height. The total is then divided by two. Can you come up with the number?”
“I’m uh…do you have any paper?” Gideon said.
Damen didn’t know if Gideon was too nervous to calculate in his head or unsure of the formula. He ran down the figures as he counted them in his head. “So basically, we can predict that you’ll be about six feet tall when you grow up. There’s no guarantee of course. It could go up or down by a couple inches, but you’ll probably be close to that. What do you think? Sound good?”
Gideon’s mouth fell open. “You didn’t make that up, did you?”
Damen grinned. “No. I collect a lot of useless facts up here.” He tapped the side of his head. “But in your case, it came in handy.”
“I always have a hard time in school. I can barely pass my classes, and my mom has to put me in tutoring every year. I hate it. I hate being stupid. I wish I was smart like you.”
“Easy, partner.” Damen squeezed his shoulder. “You’re not dumb.”
“Tell that to my grades.”
Damen scratched his head. He had zero idea how to make Gideon feel better about himself or how to encourage him. The height thing came easy because he had studied up on it for no other reason than it was something to do. That was a hobby of his, right up there with getting a Ph.D. in Forensics for the hell of it.
Most subjects came easily to him. Studying wasn’t something he needed to make a habit of in school. He just retained most everything, except when it came to English Lit, and he had had Heaven for that. Being a man who never had to struggle with school, how the hell could he give Gideon advice?
“Well, uh…” he began, fumbling.
“It doesn’t matter. Da— Uh…”
“It’s fine. You can call me Damen if you want.”
The boy looked taken aback. Maybe his mother was strict about respecting adults.
“Or whatever you like,” he amended quickly.
“Can I come again?”
Damen glanced toward the doors and noted the sun had gone down. “Of course you can, as often as you want, but you need to get your mother’s permission. It’s getting late. You shouldn’t be out there alone. I’ll walk you home.”
“No!”
Damen’s brows rose.
“I mean I’m not a little kid. I can get home by myself, and I live close by.”
Damen hesitated. He rubbed his jaw and then had an idea. “Okay, that’s fine. I’ll see you again, okay? Maybe we can talk some more, and heck, I’m sure I could convince Stefan to teach you a little on piano. I don’t play it.”
Gideon glanced over at the piano and back at him. “Is it all right if I play with you instead?”
“Sure, bud.”
The bright smile flashed, one Damen was starting to like. He touched the top of the kid’s head and watched as he headed out. Damen made a hand signal, and Guy came into view from wherever
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