by Tanya Agler
“The place looks well-maintained. Thank you.”
“I asked Danny if living so close by was okay with him and he insisted it was. He said it kept him close to his mom.” And she’d been trying to coax Danny back to life ever since, a hard enough proposition. “The utilities are off, but it’s still daylight, so you should be able to see.”
“I’ll contact a Realtor before I leave town.”
“Or you can keep it and stay here whenever you visit your nephew.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.
“Hear me out. This town is great for Danny.”
“I beg to differ. Fort Lewis has many strong attributes.”
“Talk to your commanding officer, then stay here to see why this would work so well for Danny. Hollydale may be small, but this close to the Great Smoky Mountains, there are so many opportunities for you to get to know Danny better. Hiking, the Fourth of July festivities, you name it.” Natalie escorted Aidan inside.
Even with the passage of three months, it still seemed hard to believe Shelby wouldn’t emerge from the kitchen or the back of the house. Since Shelby’s passing, Natalie had brought Danny over whenever he wanted a toy he’d left behind or to pick up a special T-shirt or other item he wanted. Shelby’s home no longer smelled like cinnamon and little boy. Mustiness now tinged the air, and a fine layer of dust coated the coffee table.
Aidan made a beeline for the mantel, and her stomach twisted at witnessing his getting acquainted with his sister’s memory.
He traced his finger over the bright pink photo frame. “She displayed this here? My father snapped this picture. It was the first time I held her when she was only a few hours old.” Then he moved to the next photo and picked up the wooden frame decorated with green camo. “This was the day I graduated from boot camp. She and my dad and Cathy traveled all the way from Cincinnati.”
Natalie crept closer, the thick carpet muffling the sound of her cowboy boots. “She was proud of her big brother. I didn’t know you called your mother Cathy. Shelby always called her Mom, of course.”
“Cathy was my stepmother.” His shoulders stiffened as he placed the frame back in its spot. “Shelby and I are half siblings.”
In all the time she’d known Shelby, not once had her friend ever said anything about that. Shelby always referred to him as her brother. Always. Even though she hadn’t known him long, his cracked voice let on how much seeing all this affected him. From the way his shoulders were hunched over now, it became clear he wanted some time alone. She backed away.
“I’ll be next door if you need me.” She winced. From everything Shelby told her, Aidan only let a few people into his inner circle, choosing not to depend on many folks. His loss.
However, for Danny’s sake, she was glad he had found a way to let Danny into his life. The catch was convincing Aidan to maintain everything the way it was.
“I’d like to spend some time with Danny later today.” Aidan kept his back to her, his tone low.
“Of course. What should the three of us do together? Go to the splash fountains? Have lunch at the Holly Days Diner? Want to kayak on Timber River?”
He turned around, stoniness reflected in his gray gaze. “Just Danny and myself.”
Aidan didn’t add anything further. He didn’t have to. The tilt to his chin, the stiff manner of his shoulders, everything indicated he believed Danny would board the plane with him eventually.
She couldn’t let that happen. Shelby wanted her son to grow up in Hollydale, and Natalie intended to follow through with her friend’s decision.
Still, Danny did need time with his uncle. “He doesn’t know you, and you don’t know him yet. You need me as a go-between. Everything doesn’t have to happen at once. Danny’s just now sleeping through the night again.”
“He knows me from visits and phone calls.”
“None of which have been a factor in his life since his mother died. How about meeting us at the park around noon? Give me your phone for a second, please.” She programmed her number into his cell. “Text me later so I have your number, too. If you take him to lunch, I’ll work on the float and be close by if you need me. A compromise of sorts.”
“Eleven works for me.”
“Eleven thirty it is.” Natalie sent a smile his way and closed the door behind her.
Maybe she was worrying over nothing. Maybe Aidan would come around to the idea that Danny needed them and they needed Danny, in Hollydale. She intended to keep everything the way it was.
Except, she’d add more laughter. Both Murphy men needed more of that in their lives.
CHAPTER FIVE
NATALIE SWUNG THE huge duffel bag full of supplies onto the picnic table. This was the type of day she loved. Some late morning runners sprinted along the paths, and the mountain air held a kiss of summer without the melting heat. Pink and purple petunias lined the path, bright colors heralding her favorite season. Danny hovered nearby, a scowl taking the place of the sad expression she’d seen too often over the past three months.
“Stay here,” she cautioned, before running back to her SUV and unloading the chicken wire from her trunk.
The wire didn’t weigh that much, but its unwieldy bulk made it difficult to carry. A car door slammed and footfalls on the pavement made her pause. Aidan reached for the rolled-up wire and handled it with ease, carrying it the rest of the distance to Danny.
“Good morning. As someone who’s used to getting up extra early, it feels like the day’s already half gone, but we’ll make the best of this late start.” Aidan moved toward Danny and hesitated, probably noticing the boy’s expression. Aidan seemed unsure whether to embrace Danny, shake his hand or do nothing. He stepped back. “All ready for a fun lunch?”
Danny shuffled his feet and mumbled a reply, unintelligible to Natalie’s ears. Her heart went out to Aidan. He was trying, and yet, Danny had been through so much. If he moved away with Aidan, she wouldn’t be there for him. And she’d be letting Shelby down.
“What’s wrong? Yesterday you were happy to see your uncle.” Natalie knelt beside Danny, her bare knees touching the still wet grass.
Danny shuffled his feet once more, a far cry from the cheerful child who’d once given away hugs like they were going out of style. “If I’m with Uncle Aidan, I can’t be with you.”
Her heart zinged. He had to stay in Hollydale. She squeezed his hand. “We have lots of time.” I hope.
If she couldn’t convince Aidan that Hollydale provided Danny with much-needed stability, could she stand in his way, Shelby’s instructions to the contrary?
“I’ll be right here while you have fun with your uncle, who will come get me if you need me.”
“I want to stay with you.”
Danny clung tight, and she glanced over her shoulder at Aidan. She mouthed, Help.
Aidan came over and patted Danny on the shoulder. “I like your attitude. Work first, play later. We’ll have more time for outings now that I’m staying in Hollydale for a month. Lieutenant Colonel Thrasher approved my request.”
A small spark ignited in Natalie at his intention to remain here for a longer period. A month to get to know the enigmatic major. A month for him to get to know Danny and see the benefits of consistency with a side of fun thrown in for good measure. Then again, she tamped down that spark. He was staying for Danny’s sake, not hers. In fact, this delay might cost her dearly. What if she and Aidan formed a bond? The beginning of something between them wasn’t lost on her.
Then where would she and Danny be when he returned to active duty?
Danny stood back, and she gave him a smile for reassurance. “We can work with that, right?”
Aidan removed his windbreaker and placed it on the wooden table. “So, where’s the plan? What are you using the chicken wire for?”
Plan? She had it all in her h
ead at this point.
“This morning I’m improvising and modifying the original plan and taking it up a level. Once the structure is built, the overlay will involve more glitter and color. Next will come the frame and wallboard. It’s going to be a reach for the stars extravaganza.” She walked over to the duffel bag and unzipped it. Reaching inside, she pulled out wads of tissue paper and scissors. “Today I’m working on the part that will go around the sides and hide the frame. It’s an idea for making the display more colorful and eye-catching. I hope it works.”
Aidan raised an eyebrow. “Tissue paper? What if it rains?”
“Then the parade will be rescheduled.” Natalie brushed an imaginary piece of lint off her colorful tunic. “Holidays are such happy celebrations. And represent everything you’re fighting for.”
She had to keep believing that. This float was more than just a float. It was a way forward. She missed Danny’s laughter so much. Others might find her silly for putting this much weight into prepping a simple parade float, and yet, sharing and laughing and just being together in a special moment counted for so much.
“Paper schematics? An inventory list? Supplies on hand?” Aidan glanced at her duffel bag. “Some of the engineers I’ve worked with have taught me a thing or two about simplification. We can examine whatever you have and find ways to streamline your project.”
His expression implied she was supposed to have a detailed plan and a backup and maybe even a plan C. She shrugged. “It’ll come together.” Searching the nearby ground, she found three smooth pebbles and picked them up, laying them atop the piles of red, white, and blue tissue paper. “I planned to cut these into long strips while you frolicked at the splash fountain.”
She and Danny turned toward Aidan. His outfit of pressed cargo shorts paired with a long-sleeve shirt with a collar was hardly conducive to getting wet.
“You’re not wearing swim trunks.”
He returned her shrug. “Your text said he’d get wet. You didn’t mention anything about me.”
“Next time, I’ll be more specific.” Before the words were out of her mouth, she knew that was a switch. It was Aidan’s tendency toward details, not hers. Her tendency was to dream big, the bigger the better.
Aidan arched his eyebrow but added little else while sitting across from Danny. She showed them the length and width of what she had in mind, and the three of them got to work. Aidan’s nimble fingers made quick work of his pile.
“So, Danny, how was kindergarten?”
“Okay, I guess.”
Aidan looked at Natalie. “Is he ready for first grade?”
While Hollydale Elementary was smaller than average, it did boast four kindergarten classes. She hadn’t had the pleasure of having Danny in her class. Still, she knew everything about him, including how he doodled anywhere, anytime, but put off reading for hours.
“Yes, he’s smart and expresses himself best with a sketch pad and pencil.” She filled Aidan in on Danny’s educational progress. By the end of his pile, Danny had started opening up to Aidan.
Danny placed his scissors on his pile of completed strips. “Before you leave, Uncle Aidan, I’m gonna draw a really nice picture for you. This time you’ll remember me and won’t stay away so long.”
Aidan rolled up his sleeves before rushing to lower them again, his scar peeking out for a second. “I’ve never forgotten you. You’re a piece of my heart.” He looked at Natalie. “Didn’t you tell him...”
“I think Danny’s earned a break.” Natalie jumped up and stretched her legs. She didn’t want Danny to know she and Aidan had different viewpoints on where he should live. Not just yet. “How about we walk to the playground? See if the swings are free?”
“What about all these strips? They might fly away or someone might take them.” No sooner did the words come out of Aidan’s mouth than a gust of wind blew some of the tissue paper off the table, scattering the strips about the grass.
Once they’d gathered and secured the tissue paper in the duffel bag, the three of them set off toward the playground. Danny skipped ahead, and she glanced at the handsome man walking alongside her. If it weren’t for his standoffish glare, it would almost be like they were a couple on this beautiful summer day, the birds chirping, the slight breeze ruffling the light fabric of her tunic. Any hopes for a partner of her own had disappeared with the solemn news of Francisco’s death from his parents.
She pushed the memory away and focused on Danny. She was so proud of the brave little boy.
“Hollydale is prospering and coming into its own. Timber River is better than any amusement park, and the hiking trails around here are second to none.” Inside, Natalie groaned as she sounded more like a tour guide than a teacher.
“Good to know.” Aidan jammed his hands in his cargo shorts pockets and marched along the path, his gaze never leaving Danny. “Why did you interrupt me back there? I have the distinct impression he doesn’t know I plan to fight you for custody.”
The man was direct. She’d give him that much.
“Aunt Natalie!” Danny climbed to the top of the slide. “Watch me.”
She clapped when Danny slid to the bottom. Then she pointed to the empty swings, the silence in contrast to the cheerful cries from the splash area. “Want to join me on the swings?”
Danny shook his head and shouted, “You guys swing,” before he ran over to the rock-climbing area.
She reached for Aidan’s hand and pulled him along. “Come on. When was the last time you went swinging?”
Her cheeks warmed at her awkward phrasing, but that didn’t stop her from escorting him over to the swings anyway.
“Are you always this persuasive?”
“Only on days ending in y.” She smiled as she climbed onto her swing, making sure he joined her on the one next to hers. After pumping her legs a few times, she glanced over and glimpsed a small glimmer of a smile before he masked his face again. “You can have fun in Hollydale. It’s not only allowed, it’s encouraged.”
“You keep mentioning the town.” Aidan’s gaze wandered over to the rock-climbing area, and Natalie didn’t have to look in that direction to know he was watching Danny.
“If you give the town half a chance, you’ll find it’s a great place to raise a family.” She wasn’t only talking about Hollydale. It wasn’t often she had to prove herself to someone, yet gaining Aidan’s trust was worth it. “Shelby wanted Danny to grow up here.”
“Young children are resilient. He won’t even remember Hollydale by the time he’s grown up.”
His words sent a chill through her, and he seemed oblivious to what he’d said. If Danny had no memories of Hollydale, he’d have no memories of Shelby either.
Aidan kept pumping his legs, and she didn’t know how to get through to his heart.
“Danny’s therapist says this is a delicate time.” She switched her attention from the uncle to his nephew, whose heart she did seem to impact. “Anything unexpected can rattle him, more than we even realize. Until the custody and living arrangements are finalized, telling him about our differences will only worry him.”
“Differences? That’s a light way to phrase it. Only one of us can get what we both want.” The defensiveness in Aidan’s voice rose, not that she blamed him.
How he was holding it together so well was beyond her. These adjustments would devastate anyone with less inner strength than the man beside her. His quiet gentleness had made a positive impression and, if it had been any other situation, she could have found herself rooting for him to take his nephew with him.
She shifted her weight, continuing to move her legs back and forth. The breeze in her hair invigorated her, the sweet smell of summer filling something deep within her, something that had been dormant since her fiancé Francisco’s death. The man beside her had an edge to his quiet intensity. Letting down her guard might allow him
the chance to become who he needed to be and she needed to have in her life.
A mother arrived with her two children and looked grateful for a few minutes alone on the bench while they played. Natalie kept her voice low. “Danny has great potential. Taking him from me and my home, which has become his in the past three months, could be devastating.” For him and for me.
Guilt rippled through her at thinking of herself when she should only put Danny’s needs first. The truth was, Danny needed Natalie and Hollydale, and they needed him. There was nothing wrong with that. At least she hoped there wasn’t.
“Having him told his uncle doesn’t care enough to take him with him could also be devastating.” The undercurrent running through his words meant Natalie wasn’t quite sure whether he meant that for Danny or himself.
This day was slipping away, just like her hold on Danny’s future. “When was the last time you had fun for fun’s sake?”
“We’re talking about Danny.” Aidan clenched the metal links of the chain so hard his knuckles turned white.
“Are we?” Natalie tried infusing their conversation with the same bright intensity of the sun peeking through puffy white clouds. Although there was no sign of bad weather on the horizon, she’d nip any sign of bad blood between them if she could. “I was under the impression we’d found something in common.”
“Something other than Danny or Shelby?” Irony laced his voice.
“Neither of us wants to let go first.”
“You mean lose. You don’t strike me as the competitive type.” Aidan slowed his pace as his feet dragged along the dirt.
“Appearances can be deceiving. From the way I see it, though, you think winning is the best alternative to losing, whereas I’ve learned there are other ways not to lose. It’s the how you play the game that changes your perception of what a win is.”
Growing up with a twin who was a star soccer player should have dulled her competitive edge. To a certain extent that was true. However, she’d also learned there were other strategies to winning besides scoring more than the other person or landing on Park Place and Boardwalk. “Danny’s not a game or a sport. We have to work together.”