by Natalie Ann
Zoe started to laugh and she shushed her. “Would you be upset if I did do that with Ryan?” she asked her kids.
“No,” Maddie said. “Can we give Ryan a kiss like we did Daddy?”
Oh man. She might be making a mess of this. “I’m not sure that is what Mommy means,” Zoe jumped in to say.
“Thanks,” she told her sister, but she’d make sure she told Ryan about this conversation tonight. “Ryan and I do hold hands. And we do kiss, but we haven’t done it in front of you because I wasn’t sure how you would feel about it.”
Jeffrey was quiet, then said, “I like Ryan. He’s not Daddy. Not like Daddy was, but in some ways he’s more. Or better. Is it bad to say that?”
She reached her hand over and pulled Jeffrey close. “Your father was the best dad there was. There is no comparison.”
“I just meant that Daddy didn’t know how to build a birdhouse. He even told me in a dream he was jealous at how good it came out.”
“That’s a good description. Daddy was great in other ways. We all have strengths. Building and being handy wasn’t something Daddy was good at,” she said.
“No,” Jeffrey said, “but he and I could talk baseball and stats for hours.”
She kissed her son on the head. “You could. You’re so smart just like him.”
“And I’m handy like Ryan too,” Jeffrey said.
“Yes, you are,” she said.
“How come I’m not like Daddy?” Maddie asked.
“You are,” Zoe said. “You like to nap like Daddy. And you like candy like your father did too.”
“I do,” Maddie said. “Daddy told me he liked the name I gave Taffy.”
“Do you dream about Daddy a lot too?” she asked her daughter.
“I do. I like it,” Maddie said. “He hugs me in my dreams. I can’t feel it, but I almost can.”
Yeah, the tears were falling. “How about you, Jeffrey?”
“I like it too. He gives me high fives like he always did.”
She was glad her kids were so well adjusted. “I have dreams about Daddy too. They make me feel good.”
They were getting there, she thought. As hard as this conversation was going to be in her mind, it really wasn’t.
21
Treating You Well
Ryan pulled into Shannon’s driveway and walked through the garage door that had been left open. Though his parents lived just a few miles away in the development too, he was picking her and the kids up for dinner.
“Ryan’s here,” he heard Jeffrey yell when he opened the side door. The puppies came running with the boy, followed by Maddie.
“Mom said you’re her boyfriend,” Maddie said.
He’d known that Shannon had that conversation with the kids. He’d been nervous about that too.
When had he ever been nervous about those things in his life? Never, now that he thought of it.
But he understood that they should be aware of what was going on, especially since they were going to dinner with the rest of his family today.
“I am,” he said. Maddie held her arms out for him to pick her up and he went with it. She settled on his hip and put her head on his shoulder and his heart started to thump, his palms sweat. “Are you okay with that?”
“Yes. Because I still talk to Daddy and he said he’ll always be in my heart. But you’re here and you can hold me and he can’t.”
“Maddie,” Shannon said, “we talked about this.”
“It’s okay,” he said.
“Then I can give you a kiss,” Maddie said and put her tiny lips on his cheek and gave him a big hug, then wiggled to get down.
“Kids,” she said, “go get your stuff and treats for the dogs so we can lock them up.”
“You can bring them,” he said.
“What? No. They might get into things and I don’t want to be watching them nonstop if they make a mess. Maybe another time.” She flushed and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m assuming. I shouldn’t assume.”
He reached out his hand for hers and held it. “Relax. Don’t be nervous. And it’s fine what Maddie did. It just shocked me. I wasn’t expecting it, but I guess I got the stamp of approval. I should tell them I’m not trying to replace their father.”
“They know,” she said. “We talked about it. But if you want to mention it, it wouldn’t hurt. Jeffrey is getting really close to you and I worry—” She stopped when the kids came running back with backpacks on. “We need to put your jackets on before the backpacks.”
“Oh yeah,” Jeffrey said, giggling and pulling his off and helping his sister. Whitney had done that with him too as a kid. Always looking out for him without being asked. “We’re excited.”
“My parents and Whitney are excited to have you over.”
“We’re bringing toys,” Jeffrey said. “Mommy said they probably won’t have anything for us to play with.”
He laughed. “Not likely.” Though he wouldn’t be surprised if his mother picked up something small. She was good that way.
“Puppies in the crate,” Shannon said, grabbing one, and he snatched up the other when it started to take off.
“I’ve got the treats,” Maddie said, handing them over to each puppy.
“Let’s hit the road everyone,” Ryan said.
“How long does it take?” Maddie said.
Shannon started to laugh. “Five minutes.”
“Yay!” Maddie yelled and walked to her mother’s SUV.
“Oh, I figured I’d drive but now I realize you need a booster and car seat.”
“Yes,” Shannon said. “It’s easier to just take my car over. You can drive if you want.” She handed over the keys to him.
“It’s fine. I’ll just tell you where to go,” he said.
“It’s really not a big deal. It’s only a car.”
He took the keys she dropped into his hand. The door opened from the house and it was Zoe sticking her head out to wave.
“She can go too,” he said not even thinking of that.
“She’d rather not, trust me. She likes having the time to herself. I texted her we were leaving because I had no idea what she was doing today or where she was going. I think she’s meeting friends out.”
He pulled out of the garage and the long driveway and made his way to his parents’ house in the older section of the development.
His sister was already there as he expected. It was only around three, not that late, but he’d had some things to do today and Shannon said she had to catch up on laundry and other chores.
“I forgot the cake,” she said quickly.
“Mommy!” Maddie yelled. “It’s my favorite.”
He laughed and turned around in his parents’ driveway and went back. “Sorry,” she said. “I guess I was a little nervous and forgot to grab the cake I baked this morning to bring.”
“You didn’t need to make anything.”
“Of course I did. It’s the polite thing to do.”
He hit the button to open the door and then pulled in. She ran in the door and came back a minute later with a covered cake dish in her hand. All he could see was that it looked chocolate and was layered.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Chocolate peanut butter mousse.”
“Oh man, it’s a good thing I’m so active on a daily basis or I’d be gaining weight dating you.”
If Shannon wasn’t supplying him with desserts, then she was making dinners and sending him home with some leftovers. They didn’t see much of each other during the week, but spent most of the weekends together.
“That’s why I work out as much as I do. I like to cook and bake and what fun is it if I can’t eat it?”
He pulled back into his parents’ driveway and helped Maddie out. She took off toward the front door following her brother. Looked like the kids were excited to be here.
“This section is very pretty. So many more mature trees that I wish we had.”
“My parents have been
here for over thirty years. They built the house before Whitney was born.”
The front door opened and his mother was standing there. “Well, hello,” she said to the kids. “Do you remember me from the picnic? I’m Ryan’s mom, Wendy.”
“Hi,” Jeffrey said.
“Hi,” Maddie said. “We brought toys with us.”
“That’s great. But I went out and bought some coloring books and crayons and a few puzzles. Do you like to color and put puzzles together?”
“Yes,” Jeffrey said.
“I love to color,” Maddie said, jumping around.
“That was very sweet of you,” Shannon told his mother. “And it’s so good to see you again. Thank you for asking us to dinner.”
“My pleasure. And look at that cake,” his mother said, taking it out of Shannon’s hands.
Once all the jackets were hung up, Ryan brought them to the back of the house where his father and sister were watching TV.
“Hey,” Whitney said. “Come on in. Do you want a glass of wine?”
“Maybe I’ll have one,” Shannon said. “It’s early yet.”
“Mommy likes wine but doesn’t keep it in the house or she drinks it all,” Jeffrey told everyone.
“Thanks, Jeffrey.” Shannon looked around the room. “That’s not true. I enjoy a glass but once it’s opened someone has to drink it and Zoe doesn’t share the same tastes as me. It tends to go to waste.”
“You don’t need to explain,” his father said. “Wendy has been known to put away a bottle herself. Whitney, yeah, we won’t go there.”
“Thanks, Dad,” his sister said, narrowing her eyes. He wanted to defend his sister. She had every right to drink in those earlier days of the split. It’s not like she got drunk often, but he’d seen it a few times.
He might have been there to hold her head when she was throwing up the next day or tucking her in at night.
Shit, he might have gotten drunk with her a time or two when she stopped him from beating the shit out of her ex. She hadn’t been able to stop him the last time though.
Not that he got in as much damage as he wanted, but it was enough.
“I hope you like lasagna,” his mother said. “I’ve got meatballs and can make some spaghetti for the kids too. Ryan did tell me they liked spaghetti and meatballs.”
“They eat most things,” Shannon said. “No need to go out of your way. They love anything with sauce and cheese.”
The kids settled in to start putting puzzles together and Ryan sat on the couch with Shannon next to him. He caught his sister’s gaze on him and wasn’t sure what to make of it and was pretty sure he didn’t want to know.
The dinner was going well, Shannon thought.
Her kids were behaving and that was about the most any mother could ask for.
Ryan’s parents were nice and funny. Whitney was great. She actually felt as comfortable here as she did at her own parents’ house at times.
Funny how in the short period of time she’d been dating Ryan that she’d feel this way.
When dinner was cleaned up, the women taking care of that, Wendy asked her, “So Ryan is treating you well?”
“Of course,” she said. “Why would you ask that? He’s a perfect gentleman.”
Whitney started to laugh. “I’m not sure about that.”
“Whitney,” Wendy said. “Ryan means well. He has a bit of a temper at times though, Shannon. Not that I think he’d show it to you. It’s behind him. It’s more that he’s a little short with people. I have to say he seems different the past month or so and I’ve got to imagine your sweet nature is rubbing off on him.”
“I’m not sure I’m that sweet,” she said. “And though Ryan can be grouchy he’s never shown any temper toward me. He’s always been very patient with the kids too.”
Wendy reached her hand over. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. There is no reason for you to worry or anything like that. It’s just Ryan tends to not have patience. It’s more like that. He gets easily annoyed and I hoped he wasn’t that way around you.”
“Not at all. Should I worry about that?” What was she missing that his mother was saying this?
“Mom,” Whitney said. “You’re going to ruin this for Ryan. What is wrong with you?” Whitney turned to her. “You know my marriage ended and it was a bad time for me. For everyone. Ryan took it personally and he might have had a few interactions with my ex that my mother is talking about. Trust me, Kevin had it coming and Ryan was justified.”
That made her feel better. “I know that women like to try to change him or are after his money. That could make anyone sour. I like him the way he is. I’m none of those things. If that is what you’re worried about with me, don’t be.”
Wendy smiled. “That is what I was hoping to hear. That you are defending my son from what I said rather than being concerned. My work here is done. Now let’s dig into this cake.”
Shannon shook her head. She supposed she might be the same way when her kids were older.
“This cake is the best,” Matt said. “Wendy, you need to get this recipe from Shannon.”
“I’ll gladly share it if you want,” she said. “I really like to bake and try new things.”
“This is no boxed cake recipe, is it?” Wendy asked.
“No. But I find the homemade recipes aren’t that much more work.”
Whitney snorted. “I’ll let you keep making them. Boxed brownies and cakes work for me just fine.”
Once the dessert was done, the kids were starting to get tired, with Maddie rubbing her eyes. Shannon knew she’d have to get home to let the puppies out soon and feed them as they’d been gone for about five hours now.
“Dinner was great, Mom,” Ryan said. “But Maddie’s bedtime is coming up and I’m sure Shannon would like her relaxing at home.”
Funny how he knew that without asking. Just from the conversations they’d had in the past more than him being there that late at times.
“Yes, thank you again. Sometimes it’s best to get her in bed on time rather than have temper tantrums if she’s overtired.”
“I know all about them,” Wendy said. “Ryan was the champion of throwing fits.”
She started to laugh. “And you seem so laid back.”
“I was little and tired. My parents didn’t keep me on a routine like you do with your kids,” Ryan argued.
“No one had routines back then. We just threw diapers in a bag and grabbed a bottle and a few toys and left. There weren’t all these things we needed. You slept where you sat most times.”
“Whatever,” Ryan said. “Shannon is doing it right. That’s probably why her kids are better behaved than Whitney and me.”
“How did I get thrown into the middle of this? Even if what Ryan is saying is true.”
Shannon felt her face start to flush with the praise from Ryan. “I’m not sure there is a right or wrong way. Jeffrey doesn’t need a routine. He’s pretty laid back. Kind of like me and his father. Maddie is a little bit more high strung.”
“I’m like Aunt Zoe,” Maddie yelled.
“Yes, you are,” she said. “Now pack your things up. What do you say to Ryan’s parents?”
“Thank you for dinner and the coloring books and puzzles,” Jeffrey said.
“Thank you,” Maddie said, rushing toward them and giving Ryan’s parents and Whitney a hug. Her daughter was always so affectionate.
Shannon couldn’t have asked for a better dinner or acceptance into not only this town but also this family.
22
Return The Favor
“Are the kids sleeping?” Ryan asked when Shannon came back downstairs.
“They are. It was a good night. I’m thrilled they were so well behaved. I just never know.”
“They’re good kids,” he said.
“They are. The best. Everything that has happened to them, they’ve adapted so well. I couldn’t ask for more. Some of that is because of you too.”
“I don’t need any thanks,” he said.
She moved over and sat next to him on the couch, and he pulled her close and under his arm.
“But I want you to know that I appreciate it.”
“Earlier you mentioned something about Jeffrey getting close to me and then stopped when he walked in.”
“I just worry. I know it’s new and early for us. You’re not used to having kids around and they are my world. They have to be it. I’m all they have left.”
“You’re doing a great job, Shannon. We’re about the same age and I couldn’t imagine doing it on my own like you are. My family is a big support in my life. They were there when Whitney went through everything too.”
“I’ve got family. My parents and Tyler’s are back in Washington,” she said. “They weren’t happy with me moving. Especially Tyler’s parents.”
They never talked much about this and maybe it was time. “Why did you move here? So far away? I understand wanting to start over but across the country where you knew no one?”
“The memories were hard. I told you Tyler and I were high school sweethearts. But it’s not just that. Everyone knew us there as one. Then with the company. I got tired of the sympathy. Tyler was generous with his time and money with employees. He gave people more chances than he should too. When he died, there were some leeches—one in particular—right there looking to see if they were still going to get those handouts.”
Interesting. “John didn’t deal with that?” He figured the other owner would have some say.
“Oh, he did. He fired some of the leeches and those that were coming to me he took care of. I never asked what he did or said. It didn’t concern me. I inherited half of the business, but I left the operations to him. It wasn’t my thing and I wasn’t about to overstep myself.”
“But it was or is your business now,” he argued, “and some might feel you had the pull.”
“I don’t want the responsibility of it. I’m stepping back now because life is too short and the company is growing so much. I was having trouble balancing it and my kids before. But now living here, it’s even harder. It’s only taking so long to legalize everything because we are still getting valuations on the company and what a fair offer is.”