by Jessa York
Sometimes, she’d make supper for us or we’d go out. Once or twice we went in to visit Jack. Elaine was fun to be around, and I enjoyed being needed. She had her own car, so it wasn’t like she was completely dependent on us, but Jack and I felt guilty if we left her alone too long.
Those first days after your marriage blew up were hell. I remembered that well enough. I knew I didn’t have to take Elaine out shopping or to get our nails done, but I did it anyway. Having someone to do things with was important. And while I thought it was a small thing, she appreciated it fully.
The entire arrangement was less than ideal, but we made it work. We’d fallen into a routine fairly quickly, so when my surprise guest showed up at work, it threw a bit of a wrench into the whole arrangement.
It was just over a week since Elaine moved into Jack’s place, and I was at the stupid photocopier from hell, fighting with it again for the zillionth time that month. The door dinged to let me know someone had come in.
“I’ll be right with you,” I called over my shoulder, not looking at who was there.
“That’s not how it’s supposed to go in,” I heard in a deep voice behind me that I recognized. Shit.
“Here, the toner needs a bit of a twist. Not that the instruction manual would tell you that. Trust me, it doesn’t. I spent hours fighting with ours down at the office.”
I stood there in shock with the toner cartridge dangling precariously from my hand.
John took it gently out of my hand and smiled at me. What the fresh hell just happened? My heart was practically pounding out of my chest, and my skin flushed.
“There, it should work now,” he said as he stood and pushed the big green button to copy. And, sure enough, a page came out in perfect order. His arm reached over and handed it to me.
“Uh, thanks?” I said, not knowing what correct protocol was when your boyfriend’s father—whom he hated—showed up at your work.
“No problem, Harper. Glad I could help,” he said politely, and I just stood there with my head cocked, waiting for his head to start spinning around. It surprised me that he remembered my name. “Look, I know this must be a surprise…me showing up like this.”
“You could say that,” I responded, careful of what I said.
He exhaled and raked his hand through his hair, just like Jack did. I may have inadvertently smirked at the resemblance. Both men were roughly the same height, but John was leaner. Jack’s arms and chest were more muscular than his father’s.
John’s hair was half gray, but in that sexy, distinguished businessman way that looked hot even on a man in his sixties. Looking at John, you knew Jack was going to age similarly, and I counted my lucky stars.
“Is there somewhere we can sit and talk?” he asked. Was I on some kind of prank show? I actually looked around for hidden cameras.
“I’ve got work to do, John,” I said with a bit of ice in my tone.
He laughed at me and said, “I’m sure it can’t take you long to do whatever it is you do here.” His hand motioned flippantly.
Was he for freaking real? “You come into my place of work, ask me for help, then insult me? That’s real smooth,” I said and gave him my best screw-right-off face.
“Dammit.” He sighed and shook his head. “Being an asshole comes second nature to me. I’m sorry. Believe me when I tell you that,” he said and stared directly at me.
“You can’t just spurt out something nasty and then think a quick apology is going to help,” I blasted.
“One minute? Please? I’ve lost my entire family,” he sputtered out, and if I wasn’t imagining things, his eyes were glassy. Who was this man? A week and a half ago he was spewing venom on anyone near him, and now he’s practically crying in my office?
What could I say? I motioned to the chair in front of my desk. There was the break room in the back, but I was not going to be somewhere secluded with a crazy man. Hesitantly, I sat down and stared at him. There was no way I was going out of my way to make this comfortable for him.
“I need your help.”
16
Harper
After I eventually stopped laughing my guts out, I said, “You want me to help you?” Then I keeled over giggling again. “First of all, tell me why I would help you do anything? Secondly, what in the world could I possibly do for you?”
“I need my wife and family back, and you can help me. Nobody else will talk to me. I’ve tried calling and showing up. They’ve all blacklisted me,” he said and balled his fists up on his lap.
“For good reason,” I snarked back.
“For good reason,” he agreed, sighing and leaning back in his chair, just like Jack did. The similarities were uncanny. “I’ve been an asshole,” he said and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. “And you’re right. You shouldn’t even give me the time of day for how I’ve treated you. I haven’t slept in over a week thinking about how I screwed this all up. I need to know how to fix it.” The hopeful expression on his face hit me right in the gut. His desperation practically bled through his pores.
I leaned forward and put my head in my hands. “John, can I call you that?” He nodded, and I continued, “You weren’t exactly nice to me at your wife’s party. Not only that, but you were downright horrible to my boyfriend. I love your son, and anyone or anything that hurts him, hurts me, too.”
“Yeah, I figured you guys were serious. At least that’s what Iris said, and she’s rarely wrong. Well, never wrong if you ask her.” He chuckled and crossed his long leg over the other one, leaving one foot to dangle. “Jack never brought anyone around, and he only dragged Brooke over after he’d already knocked her up. So that doesn’t really count.” Someone kill me now. There was never a time that I wanted to hear about Jack getting Brooke pregnant. Gah. Ava was awesome, but I needed to leave the past where it belonged.
“What’s your point? I still have no clue what you’re doing here.”
He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “I was incredibly rude to you, and I’m so sorry. You can’t begin to imagine how much I regret my actions. Saying that won’t make it right, I know. But I’d like to start making amends, and I need to start with you. I should never have said those awful things, and I sure as hell shouldn’t have behaved like a mean bastard toward my son for the last umpteen years.” He pursed his lips together. “I want to fix this. You have to believe me,” he said and looked convincing enough. That’s for sure. But I never believed a leopard could change his spots. “My wife means everything to me. I took her for granted and now… ” His voice cracked, and he had to stop and squeeze the corners of his eyes with his thumb and index finger. “Now she won’t even talk to me. She’s my life. The reason I worked eighty-hour weeks for the last few decades.” He shook his head and looked at me, tears in his eyes. I felt myself begin choking up. “I miss her. I screwed up, and I miss her.”
“You hurt her. Deep. I get that you want her back, but I’m not convinced that’s what’s best for her,” I said, knowing full well my words were not what he wanted to hear.
“It’s never been best for her to be with me.” He laughed like a sorrowful wounded animal. “Elaine’s always been too good for me. The woman has a heart of gold to put up with me for a husband. If I hadn’t gotten her pregnant, I’m sure she would have ended up with somebody who deserved her kindness and her beauty.”
Okay, there was a lot of information there, and I couldn’t stop my mouth from gaping open a bit.
He interpreted the baffled look on my face. “Yeah, I got her pregnant. It was all me. I meant to do it, too. I knew that if she were carrying my baby, she’d never leave me. Stupid, right?” he asked, palms up, looking at me like he was scared of what I’d think of him now. “I knew when I met her that she had to be mine. Christ, she was beautiful, still is, stopped me right in my tracks the first time I saw her.” He looked down at his hands and smiled. “There’s nobody else for me. Ever since I could remember, I wanted the best of everything, and Elaine is
the best woman there could ever be.” Tears ran down both of our faces, and I pulled two tissues out of the box beside me. John gladly took one from me.
After we both sniffed and got hold of our feelings, I said, “I can tell you really love her, but I still don’t know what you want from me.” I shook my head.
His answer was immediate. “Have lunch with me tomorrow?”
Jack called on my way to see Elaine at his place and asked if Brooke could drop off Ava. She had some place to go and needed a babysitter. Of course, I agreed. I loved spending time with that cute little munchkin.
When I arrived at Jack’s, Elaine had supper on the stove. You could really understand where Jack’s passion for food came from. His mom was a fantastic cook, and I looked forward to our nightly suppers together.
“Hi, honey, how was your day?” she asked while flipping something on the stove. A part of me wanted to tell her that John came to see me. That she was his entire world. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale.” I couldn’t say anything. I wasn’t going to get in the middle of this mess. Her husband was going to have to figure this shit out.
“I’m good, thanks. That smells wonderful, by the way,” I said and noticed a stunning bouquet of no less than three dozen red roses set in a white vase with a huge red ribbon. It was a majestic thing of beauty. “Wow, where did these come from?” I asked, searching for a card in the never-ending monstrosity.
Elaine rolled her eyes and kept cooking. “John sent them. I told the doorman not to allow any more flowers up here. And, I called that stupid shop and warned them to stop all future deliveries. That man thinks a few roses will fix everything.” She huffed and slammed a few pots and pans around on the stove. I cringed, thinking of anything getting scratched or spilled.
Time to change the subject. “Oh, Ava is coming over soon. I wanted to let you know so you don’t worry when the buzzer goes off.” She stood there like a statue with smoke now starting to rise behind her. “Elaine, the food,” I warned her, pointing to the stove.
“Oh crap, I burned it,” she said, taking the whole smoky mess to the sink and turning on the water. A giant sizzle and more plumes of steam rose while she dealt with the ruined supper. She glanced at me and asked warily, hardly able to control her joy, “Ava is coming here?”
I smirked at her. “Yeah, any minute.”
“I haven’t seen her in so long,” she said, biting her lip and gazing out the windows with a worried expression. “I don’t know if she’ll even recognize me.” That was perhaps the saddest thing I’d ever heard. Just thinking about my parents not being active participants in Charlie’s baby’s life made me incredibly heartsick. My two crazy parents were going to be the best grandparents. They would surely drive Charlie and Pete to an early grave, but it would be out of love.
The buzzer went off. Well, I guess we’d see.
“I’m glad you came to your senses and decided to stay here. We have standards, you know,” were the first things out of Brooke’s mouth. Fucking Brooke. Fucking Brooke whom you just lectured your boyfriend about getting along with…dammit. Be nice. If Jack can try, you can, too.
“Hi, Brooke, nice to see you again.” I looked her directly in the eye. “And Miss Ava, I’m so glad you came to play,” I said and crouched down to her level. “There’s someone here to see you,” I said before pointing at Elaine.
The grandma in question strode around the island, but then slowed down and approached Ava quietly. “Hi, Ava. Do you remember me?” Ava stared at her, confused.
“Elaine,” Brooke said, getting her keys out of her purse. “She needs to be in bed by eight and watch her sugar. The last time you guys had her she came back all hyper.” She wasn’t hyper, Brooke, just happy.
“Hi, Brooke, how have you been?” Elaine asked Brooke, but kept her eyes focused on Ava the whole time.
“Fine. You?”
“Can’t complain,” Elaine answered. I nearly snorted, but thank God I stopped myself.
“Well, I need to go. Give Mommy a kiss.” Ava quickly obeyed and gave Brooke the best hug those pudgy little arms could manage. Then Brooke walked off in her usual air of superiority.
“This is your grandma Elaine,” I said, and Ava clutched on to me, still unsure of who this stranger was.
“Would you like to bake some cookies, sweetie?” she asked. Was it wrong that I loved Elaine even more now that she was deliberately defying Brooke? Probably.
“Only like daddy’s cookies.” She frowned and stuck out her bottom lip like a pro. Her death grip on me increased slightly.
“Who do you think taught your daddy how to bake those cookies?” Elaine snickered and shone the most grandmotherly smile I’d ever seen. “Chocolate chip, right?” Ava nodded, her hold loosening a bit. “In fact,” Elaine said, tapping her index finger on her cheek for full effect, “I think he was about your age when he started helping me in the kitchen.” She raised an eyebrow at the small person who was clearly absorbing everything she said with rapt attention.
“Do you want to make cookies with Grandma Elaine?” I asked, and she completely let go and started walking to the kitchen.
“I get the bowl. I can’t quack eggs yet. My hands too teeny.” We both laughed, and Elaine clutched my arm.
With glossy eyes, she mouthed, “Thank you.”
Cookies were made and new friendships blossomed. It was safe to say that Elaine had successfully won over her granddaughter with chocolate chips. Ava was watching a show about a family of cartoon pigs while Elaine and I cleaned up the kitchen—in between bites of delicious cookies. Even with my poor food choices, it had been a while since I had cookies for supper.
“You can’t let her walk all over you. You need to stand your ground now, or you’ll never get it back again,” Elaine said while drying the measuring cups.
“Ava’s a great kid. We haven’t had any issues like that,” I told her, and it was true. Unless she was tired or hungry, Ava always had impeccable manners.
“I was talking about her M-O-M.” She raised an eyebrow at me.
My mouth sagged, and I wiped my cookie hands on a towel. “I’m trying my best to get along with her,” I explained, but even as I said it I didn’t believe it.
“Getting along is one thing, but that woman is a B-I-T-C-H,” Elaine said, scarfing down another cookie.
“Elaine,” I said in a scolding manner, but giggled a bit at her shocking vocabulary in reference to her ex-daughter-in-law.
“It’s true, trust me. She weaseled her way into my son’s life. Don’t think I’m too old to understand that. I know Jack, and there’s no way he ever intended for her to be the one. What’s done is done, and I’m unbelievably grateful to have Ava.” The drawer slammed with added force. “Her mother is an entirely different story.” Mothers were protective by nature. I sort of understood that. But what Elaine said made sense.
“When he found out what she’d done with his friend…well, it just broke him up inside.” “He’d always talked about having a family, ever since he was a young boy. It was the cutest thing,” she said and smiled before snagging the broom. “So, when Brooke left him for another man, he was devastated. I tried to talk to him and tell him it was for the best, but he wouldn’t listen.” The poor broom got a workout as Elaine recalled the miserable time. “You know men,” she added, shaking her head and sweeping like it was an Olympic sport. “Once you hurt their egos, they either crumble or erect a wall.” She pointed the poor broom in my direction. “You shattered that wall to the ground, my dear. I’ve never seen Jack like he is with you. All the time he was with Brooke, he acted like a kicked dog. But with you, he beams.”
She made me blush, and before I started crying, I hugged her. “Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.” My arms held her tight, and she patted my back before we jumped at a sudden intruder.
“Baby girl,” Jack yelled from the entranceway. Ava screamed with delight and ran full speed to her father, bounding into his arms. He swung her around and
kissed her delightfully chocolaty face. “Did you have cookies?” he asked a question with a rather obvious answer. But he just got a gooey smile in return.
He strolled up to me and put his arm around my waist to pull me in for a quick kiss. “Hi,” he whispered against my cheek, stroking my hair with his free hand.
“Gwandma said Harper can’t bake to save her wife,” Ava blurted out, and we all laughed. What could I say? The kid and her grandma spoke the truth.
“Hmm, we’ll just have to bake for her then,” he said, and suddenly Ava’s arm wrapped tightly around my neck and yanked us together in a three-way hug. Gosh, this child was sweet. She kissed her daddy’s cheek, then she slung both her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek so hard I was sure there would be a bruise.
“Thank you, that was very nice of you.” I smiled at her after she released the stranglehold on my neck. A sob came from beside us, and I glimpsed Elaine’s shoulders shaking.
“Take her for a minute?” Jack requested, and I gladly stole Ava away to watch pigs as they prepared for a trip to the beach. A few minutes later, my eyes wandered over to the kitchen to see Jack hugging his mom and softly swaying. Happy tears collected in the back of my throat and fell down my cheeks. I hugged Ava a little tighter.
17
Jack
“Your mom left your dad after a million years of marriage?” Ben asked, his face unable to register what I just told him.
“Honestly, man. She should have done it years ago. The man’s been a dick to her for as long as I’ve known him.” It was true. I spent many hours pondering why my mother stayed with such a grumpy bastard.
“I can’t even comprehend that. Are you okay?” Ben asked and nudged my shoulder. He was a good friend. I could have gone home half an hour ago, but right then, I needed a drink and to unload on someone who wasn’t Harper. She’d been so busy taking care of my mom, Ava, and me that she didn’t need to listen to me whine.