was a huge relief. Teasing his fingers through Jason's hair, he smiled down at him.
"Thank you Pastor Reed. Jason would hate to leave the friends he has made here over the years."
"We would never ask you to leave. I'm sure the transition has been hard for both of you. If either of you need anything, I hope you won't hesitate to ask."
Gloria huffed, her face red, probably more from anger than embarrassment as it should have been. Shoving her phone into her purse she turned and stomped off.
Travis watched her leave before turning to the pastor. "Thank you for that. I fear she hasn't made this easy for Jason and me. She is determined to take custody."
The pastor leaned down, face to face with Jason. "Where do you want to live, Jason?"
"With my Uncle Travis. He's a lot more fun than my grandparents. Besides, Grandpa smells funny and Grandma is never happy."
Travis gave Jason's shoulder a squeeze. Surely if a six year old could see that, everyone else could too. Still, he didn't dare get his hopes up that this case would come out in his favor.
"Well then I think that's where you should be." Pastor Reed stood. "I need to get back inside. You two are staying for the luncheon?"
"Yes. Uncle Travis made his Mexican layer dip. It's so good." Jason smiled up at Travis.
"Well then, I will have to try some. I will see you both inside." He gave a slight nod and headed inside.
Travis turned to take Jason back inside the church and stilled when he saw Evan standing at the foot of the stairs. He smiled as he wondered how long he had been there, and how much he might have seen. He could only hope he saw Gloria's outrage and it might help his case in keeping Jason.
"Evan." Jason tore his hand from Travis and ran toward him.
Travis had no choice but to follow him.
"Hey, Jas. You having fun today?" Evan bent down to greet the small boy.
Jason nodded. "We learned about Jonah and the big fish. Have you ever seen a big fish like that, Evan?"
"Only on TV. Maybe someday you'll get to go see one in person. Wouldn't that be really cool?" He grinned up at Travis.
"You would have to come with us. You got to see one, too if you haven't."
Travis froze, the thought of traveling anywhere with Evan and Jason together caused a strange twisting in his gut.
"That would be fun, wouldn't it? But right now I have to work, and you start school soon, so we can't make any plans right now. But you can always read and learn about the whales so you know all about them when you get to see one in person."
Travis stepped closer, touching Jason on the shoulder. "We can look them up on the computer when we get home if you want."
Jason glanced up at him and smiled. "That would be great Uncle Trav. You want to come out and look too, Evan?"
Evan glanced at Travis before turning his attention back to Jason. "I'm sure you and your uncle have plans together this afternoon. I will be out soon and visit okay?"
"Do we have plans, Uncle Travis?" Jason stared up at him hopeful.
Travis shook his head, laughing. "We were just going to eat dinner later, and swim. If Evan doesn't already have plans, he is more than welcome to join us."
Travis hoped it wasn't obvious how much he wanted Evan to join them. He glanced up at him, trying to gage his reaction.
"Come on, Evan. You can bring your suit and swim with me." Jason tugged on his hand.
"Let me think about it, okay? Are you going to have lunch here first?" Evan turned for the stairs.
"Yep. You can eat with us if you want." Jason started up the steps still holding Evan's hand.
"I would like that." He glanced over his shoulder at Travis and shrugged with a smile. "So what else did you learn in Sunday school?"
Travis let them talk as he followed along behind. He loved how easily Evan and Jason took to each other. Once again if it wasn't for the case pending over them everything would be perfect, but with the case, everything was up in the air.
As they entered the meeting room, Jason led them toward an empty table.
"Thank you Pastor Reed. Jason would hate to leave the friends he has made here over the years."
"We would never ask you to leave. I'm sure the transition has been hard for both of you. If either of you need anything, I hope you won't hesitate to ask."
Gloria huffed, her face red, probably more from anger than embarrassment as it should have been. Shoving her phone into her purse she turned and stomped off.
Travis watched her leave before turning to the pastor. "Thank you for that. I fear she hasn't made this easy for Jason and me. She is determined to take custody."
The pastor leaned down, face to face with Jason. "Where do you want to live, Jason?"
"With my Uncle Travis. He's a lot more fun than my grandparents. Besides, Grandpa smells funny and Grandma is never happy."
Travis gave Jason's shoulder a squeeze. Surely if a six year old could see that, everyone else could too. Still, he didn't dare get his hopes up that this case would come out in his favor.
"Well then I think that's where you should be." Pastor Reed stood. "I need to get back inside. You two are staying for the luncheon?"
"Yes. Uncle Travis made his Mexican layer dip. It's so good." Jason smiled up at Travis.
"Well then, I will have to try some. I will see you both inside." He gave a slight nod and headed inside.
Travis turned to take Jason back inside the church and stilled when he saw Evan standing at the foot of the stairs. He smiled as he wondered how long he had been there, and how much he might have seen. He could only hope he saw Gloria's outrage and it might help his case in keeping Jason.
"Evan." Jason tore his hand from Travis and ran toward him.
Travis had no choice but to follow him.
"Hey, Jas. You having fun today?" Evan bent down to greet the small boy.
Jason nodded. "We learned about Jonah and the big fish. Have you ever seen a big fish like that, Evan?"
"Only on TV. Maybe someday you'll get to go see one in person. Wouldn't that be really cool?" He grinned up at Travis.
"You would have to come with us. You got to see one, too if you haven't."
Travis froze, the thought of traveling anywhere with Evan and Jason together caused a strange twisting in his gut.
"That would be fun, wouldn't it? But right now I have to work, and you start school soon, so we can't make any plans right now. But you can always read and learn about the whales so you know all about them when you get to see one in person."
Travis stepped closer, touching Jason on the shoulder. "We can look them up on the computer when we get home if you want."
Jason glanced up at him and smiled. "That would be great Uncle Trav. You want to come out and look too, Evan?"
Evan glanced at Travis before turning his attention back to Jason. "I'm sure you and your uncle have plans together this afternoon. I will be out soon and visit okay?"
"Do we have plans, Uncle Travis?" Jason stared up at him hopeful.
Travis shook his head, laughing. "We were just going to eat dinner later, and swim. If Evan doesn't already have plans, he is more than welcome to join us."
Travis hoped it wasn't obvious how much he wanted Evan to join them. He glanced up at him, trying to gage his reaction.
"Come on, Evan. You can bring your suit and swim with me." Jason tugged on his hand.
"Let me think about it, okay? Are you going to have lunch here first?" Evan turned for the stairs.
"Yep. You can eat with us if you want." Jason started up the steps still holding Evan's hand.
"I would like that." He glanced over his shoulder at Travis and shrugged with a smile. "So what else did you learn in Sunday school?"
Travis let them talk as he followed along behind. He loved how easily Evan and Jason took to each other. Once again if it wasn't for the case pending over them everything would be perfect, but with the case, everything was up in the air.
As they entered the meeting room, Jason led them toward an empty table.
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