Chapter 10
I letthe warm sun and gentle breeze calm my mixed emotions as I made my way to the store. Small waves brought the tide higher. Their constant rhythm was soothing, telling me that the world remained mostly unchanged. Just my world was a little different.
I’d finished my first ranger shift. It had been a mixture of emotions, ranging from tense to joyous. Jasmine was still working, probably relieved to have some time to herself.
The bell rang as I entered the store. Jack greeted me. “How’s it going today, Ethan? Did Jasmine take you out to see the sea lions?”
I slowed and approached the counter. I wasn’t intending to make this a social visit. All I needed was milk. “Yes. They’re closer than I expected.”
Jack closed his book. “What sort of research are you going to do?”
“I need to tag them. Then there will be a lot of monitoring and data collection. I’ll study their interactions, where they feed, the quality of the water, their movements and relationships.”
Jack’s eyes widened. “That’s a lot of info.” He reached under the counter and pulled out two beers. “Would you like one?”
“Yes, please.”
After the day I’d had, I wasn’t going to say no. So much for not making this a social call. Jasmine had swayed from approachable to antagonistic all day. I’d tried to stay calm and not do anything to annoy her. But my existence alone probably did that. I needed to remember three things—I’d be moving into my own home soon, what I was doing was for my career and the sea lions, and I’d only be here for six months.
“Let’s sit on the porch and enjoy the view.”
I followed him out and sat on a chair beside him. “So you’ll be going out most days to observe and collect data then?”
My mouth twisted. “When Jasmine has time. It appears my boat licence isn’t valid here.”
“Oh.” Jack looked down at his hands and back to the sandy beach. “That’s going to be tough. She’s been working seven days a week for three months straight. She’s exhausted.”
My grip tightened on my beer. That explained her reaction. She would have thought I was here to help, not create more work for her. Everything I did created more work. Her having to rearrange her house, her having to teach me about the job even though I was only here for a short time, and now she had to join me on my research trips.
“Did the other ranger work part-time?”
“It was a flexible arrangement. He worked more hours when Jasmine needed him and less hours when she didn’t.”
I nodded. The more hours part would be now that tourist season had started. And here I was, taking those hours away from her.
“Jasmine will make it work,” Jack assured me. “She always does.”
I rubbed my hand over my face. I hadn’t thought of Jasmine or my part-time role enough. I’d concentrated solely on how everything would affect my research. She must have thought I was a selfish ass.
Laughter carried on the wind. Bailey and Rose were playing with the kitten in the sand again. Jasmine had picked them up half an hour ago. I hadn’t added them into the equation either. I needed to lift my game.
This is exactly how my father would have behaved, thinking what he wanted was of greatest important. He’d never considered anyone else. We’d suffered repeatedly because of his selfishness. Like the time he wanted to go to a big football game with friends. He had to get the best seats, which meant we didn’t have enough money for food the next week. And somehow that was our fault because we ate too much.
“The kids would love to help you,” Jack said. “Bailey especially. He’s into everything nature. Rose... she’s happy to do anything Bailey’s doing.”
I shifted in my seat. I wasn’t so sure about that. Bailey had hardly spoken to me since I’d arrived. Rose made up for him though. Maybe he was shy. Besides that, they didn’t seem to stay still for long. Would they be able to stop and listen to instructions? Or would they just be a distraction? I was leaning towards the latter.
I looked at the children. “I’ll speak to Jasmine so we can figure out how to make it work, include the kids, if that suits her best.”
“Good plan. Tell me more about the research.”
We sat and spoke for the next hour until Jasmine collected the children on her way home. She glanced at us as she walked past, offering a wave, but nothing more. Her attention was on the children and collecting the kitten she then carried in her arms. This was her softer side. The side that wasn’t annoyed at me. I much preferred this side.
I stood up. “Best I grab the milk I came for and go. Jasmine might need my help.”
Jack smiled and held his hand out for my empty bottle. Was he smiling at the stupidity of my statement? I doubted Jasmine needed my help with anything. I wondered how long she’d been single for. She seemed to have her shit together at home and at work. That made me think it had been a while.
Even though towards the end of our marriage, Audrey and I were living separate lives, it had still taken a while for me to adjust to my new single life. I’d had to become responsible for everything. There was no sharing the load. That was hard enough. Imagine if there were children as well.
Mothers were amazing in all they did. Single mothers even more so. From what I’d seen, Jasmine was a great mom and had an excellent work ethic. The way she balanced both was a testament to her strong will and being able to speak her mind. My mother had neither of those.
I could say I had one of those traits at least; my strong will got Steve and me through our childhood. It would get me through these six months and help me be a better work partner for Jasmine.