THE SECOND MORNING wasn't as bad or as embarrassing to Jeremy. He ran ahead of Jason and was probably at school before Jason got into town. The boys he'd got in trouble joked with him about Jason, but it was a nice kind of teasing. (He certainly knew enough about the other kind.) So he just laughed and agreed with them.

And then it was lunch time, and Jason was waiting for him at Lottie's. That was okay though. That sometimes happened, with out of town kids. Jeremy supposed he was an out-of-town kid for now. He wished it could be all the time, but his brothers were wanting to winter in town.

Huh! Did that make him an out-of-town town kid?

Jason greeted him as he entered, and waited until they were both finished eating. "How would you like to lunch here every day?"

"A lot," Jeremy answered. "Can I? Really?"

"As long as you behave yourself."

"Nonsense," Lottie said. "I can handle drunk brawlers, I can handle a fractious child. Especially if it's Jeremy. Isn't that right, Jeremy?"

"Uh-huh." He nodded enthusiastically. He slid a glance at Jason. "Even when we stay in t-town?"

"I'm hoping we won't be in town too often at lunch time," Jason answered easily. "Of course, that will depend on the weather. But I'd say it won't make a difference to your lunch. I don't want you to spend all of your lunch break here, though. You do need some play time."

Jeremy thought that over. "Wh-what if I don't w-want to?"

"Every now and then is fine. But you need to learn to get along with people, especially considering you're going to be an employer. You can't just go around barking orders."

"I can't?" Jeremy looked wide-eyed at his VERY BOSSY oldest brother.

Jason laughed. "No. Everyone is bigger than you, they'll just run right over you."

"That's mean, Jason!"

"So is being a wise-mouth, boy. Now, if you wish, you can have a bite to eat here before coming home at the end of the day? And if you need to stay overnight, you may spend it here, if you want, as long as there's a room for you. What do you think of that?"

"Not stay by myself?"

Jason studied him for a moment. "Do you want to? You'll have to light a fire, do your homework , all that stuff, and most of the time it's going to be dark."

"I c-can doall that."

"That's not what I asked. I don't think you've ever spent an entire night by yourself."

"I can, though."

"Yes, if you want to."

Jeremy shook his head. "Don't wanna."
"I didn't think so. If you change your mind, and do stay at the house, let Lottie or someone know. Just in case you need something in the meantime. Okay?" Jason kept his tone neutral, but he wanted to laugh. This conversation had gone as he'd thought it would, and he was reassured that he knew his youngest brother that well. It was hard enough to think of leaving him alone, but he was used to spending hours alone on the mountain, and he hadn't been much trouble after they worked out what worked.

"I c-can do that." He'd rather not, at least sometimes.

"You WILL do that," Jason said, with his expression gentling. He'd been a boy once himself. "Right?"

Jeremy nodded.

"Right?" Jason repeated, looking straight at him.

"Yeah. Right," Jeremy agreed, adding 'for now' to himself.

"Go on, then. Get back to school. I'll see you at the camp tonight."

"Jason?"

"Hmm?"

"Do I have to g-go there right away?"

Jason pondered that, studying the boy. "I suppose not. But you have to be reasonable about how long you stay. Like – be there before bedtime."

Jeremy nodded and ran out the door.

"Somehow I'm not sure if I was on the winning end of that," Jason said, to Lottie, who laughed at him. She had seen Jeremy cross his fingers behind his back at at least one point.