Vicki’s Gift

by Fischer, Kristin Noel

  “What kind of stuff?”

  She frantically looked around her apartment. “I’m going to remodel my kitchen and . . . and other stuff.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of other stuff, Bianca?”

  “Personal stuff.”

  “What does that mean, personal stuff? Do you have some kind of secret you’re hiding?”

  The look on my sister’s face told me I’d struck a nerve. “Bianca? What is it?”

  She grabbed the laptop from me. “I can’t talk about it right now, okay? Please don’t ask me to explain. I’ll tell you eventually. Just show me how to delete this thing. And please don’t tell anyone I was on here, okay? Let’s just forget it even happened.”

  The tone of her voice told me she wasn’t messing around. I respected her wishes by deleting her profile and promising never to speak of it again. I just hoped whatever was bothering her wasn’t too serious.

  “Bianca, if you want to talk about it—”

  “I don’t. Not yet.” She pushed herself off the couch and strode into the kitchen.

  I stayed there, completely confused. Had I said something to upset her? Should I press harder or just let it go? Honestly, I had no idea what to do. And what did Bianca mean by personal stuff?

  Chapter 23

  Seth

  “Don’t cry, Aiden. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Grant hugged his little brother as Aiden threw a fit in the driveway, kicking his legs and screaming at the top of his lungs.

  “He’ll be fine once you go,” Scarlet said, answering her cell phone with an apologetic, “It’s work. I’ve got to get it.”

  Ford nodded and glanced down at his imploding son. To reassure Aiden, or maybe just to reassure himself, he squatted and placed a hand on the screaming toddler’s shoulder. “Look, Aiden, once Mommy gets off the phone, we can walk to the pond and feed the ducks. How does that sound?”

  “No.” Aiden screamed so loud the veins in his little neck bulged, looking as if they might burst. “I want to go with Grant.”

  My heart broke for the toddler and for Ford, who had to deal with him. Grant had thankfully always been a pretty steady kid.

  Suddenly, I thought about Robbie and the horrible fits he used to throw. The morning after my parents’ funeral had been the worst. Abuela wouldn’t let him have ice cream for breakfast, so he flung himself to the kitchen floor and screamed until he passed out. When he came to a second later, he asked again for ice cream. Abuela didn’t hesitate. “Sure. Whatever you want. Should I put some chocolate sauce on that?”

  I pushed away the memory. The pain of losing my brother had gotten easier over the years, but it still hurt whenever I thought about him or my parents. Fortunately, Abuela was in good health, and I saw her regularly, which helped. A massive amount of time spent in therapy and getting sober helped as well.

  Oh, Lord, help me to not be bitter but joyful for everything you’ve done in my life.

  Looking down at the pitiful Aiden, I wondered if it would be such a bad thing to invite him along with us today. Aiden wasn’t my kid, but he was Grant’s half brother. I wanted them to be close. Still, offering to take him seemed a little strange.

  As though reading my mind, Grant slipped his little hand in mine. “Dad, can Aiden come with us? Please? I want to show him my kayak.”

  Ford exchanged a look with me that acknowledged the awkwardness of our situation. An expert at smoothing things over, he patted Grant’s back. “That’s nice of you to think about Aiden, but not today, okay? I know you and your dad have plans, and Mommy wants to take Aiden shoe shopping.”

  “Nooooo,” Aiden screamed. “No shoe shopping.”

  Grant knelt to the ground next to his little brother. “If you stop crying, I’ll bring you back a surprise, okay? What do you want? A rock? My dad has some pretty cool rocks in his backyard. Or maybe I could bring you back some chocolate. Would you like some chocolate, Aiden?”

  The toddler thankfully stopped crying and nodded. “Yes. Chocolate and rocks.”

  Grant clapped his hands. “Okay, buddy. Chocolate and rocks it is.” Leaning over, he hugged Aiden, making me think everything was going to be okay.

  Unfortunately, Aiden wasn’t through with his fit just yet. All of a sudden, Grant shot to his feet, screaming.

  “He bit me. He bit me. Aiden bit me.” Huge crocodile tears rolled down my son’s face as he gripped his shoulder in pain. “Why did you bite me? Why?”

  Aiden folded his arms and glared at Grant. “Noooooo.”

  Frustrated with the situation, I nudged Grant’s hand aside to look at the angry red mark on his shoulder. Oh, man. My poor son. The bite was intense, especially considering the toddler’s little teeth.

  Ford scooped up Aiden. “Why did you bite your brother? That was not nice.”

  Aiden kicked his feet and threw his head back, screaming as if he’d been bitten instead of Grant.

  Ford glanced at Grant, who was crying in my arms. “I’m so sorry, Grant. Aiden will apologize when you get home.”

  “No, I won’t,” Aiden shouted.

  “Yes, you will.” Ford headed back into the house with Aiden, who showed no signs of calming down. Shoe shopping was going to be a lot of fun for Scarlet and Ford this afternoon.

  Without too much trouble, I managed to load Grant into my truck and wipe his tears. “We’ll get you some ice for that shoulder, okay? It’ll stop hurting in a minute. I promise.”

  Grant looked up at me with tear-stained cheeks. “Why did he bite me, Dad?”

  “I don’t know. Sometimes little brothers are like that.” I started the engine and backed out of Scarlet and Ford’s driveway.

  “Did your little brother ever bite you?”

  I blinked. “No, but he used to lick me when he pretended to be a dog.”

  “Gross.”

  I smiled. “It was gross.”

  “If I was a little brother,” Grant said, “I wouldn’t ever be mean or gross like that.”

  I tousled his hair. “No, I don’t think you would.”

  At the stop sign, I turned toward town, deciding to take Grant to Vicki’s Bakery. We could’ve gone to the donut shop by the marina like we’d done last Saturday, but it was time for me to confront my fears about seeing Vicki again.

  I didn’t hold out any hope of resuming our romantic relationship. I just wanted us to be friends. Or if not friends, then at least friendly to one another.

  Needless to say, my nerves rattled as Grant and I entered the bakery. My therapist would probably point out that I was using Grant as a shield. She’d be right, but who knew how Vicki would react to seeing me in her bakery. Having Grant as my adorable sidekick might soften the situation.

  Vicki was behind the counter filling orders as Grant and I took our place in line. The bakery was packed, so when it was our turn to order, Vicki and I exchanged only a quick hello.

  Once we collected our food and drinks, Grant and I took a seat at one of the chess tables. As we set up our pieces, I glanced around at all the happy customers. Vicki had to be proud of her success. And this coffee . . . this coffee was incredible.

  “This is the best muffin in the world.” Grant retrieved his beloved magnifying glass from his rock hound backpack and examined the muffin carefully. “It has little baby chocolate chips in it, see?”

  He handed me the magnifying glass, and I studied the muffin before stealing a little bite. “Wow, it tastes even more delicious than it looks, doesn’t it?”

  “Yup.”

  We played a couple of games of chess. My father taught me how to play when I was young, and I was happy that Grant enjoyed the game as much as I did. While I never let him win, we did play several versions where I either started with fewer pieces than he did or I was only allowed to capture one of his pieces if I could capture it two different ways.

  “Do you want to play again?” Grant asked when we finished the game.

  “Maybe later.” I glanced at Vicki, who was heading toward us, holding a di
sh tub on her hip. “I want to introduce you to my friend first, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Vicki strolled up to our table. “Hi.” She flashed a smile that caused my heart to hitch. Focusing on Grant, she asked, “How’d you like the muffin?”

  “Super delicious.” He grinned up at her with his lovable grin that never failed to capture people’s attention.

  “I’m glad to hear you liked it. It’s a new recipe, and I was afraid it might be too chocolaty.”

  “Too chocolaty?” Grant laughed. “That’s impossible.”

  Vicki smiled at me. “A chocolate addict. Like father like son.”

  I gave a low chuckle, happy we were enjoying an easy conversation like this. Maybe we really could be friends again.

  Grant pointed at Vicki’s name embroidered on her apron. “Hey, you have the same name as the bakery.”

  She smiled. “That’s because I own the bakery.”

  “You do?”

  Vicki glanced at me, a twinkle in her eyes. “Yes. Someone told me I should name it after myself, so I did.”

  Grant’s eyes widened. “Oh, wow. That’s awesome. Does that mean you can have a snack anytime you want?”

  “Pretty much. In fact, I live above the bakery, so if I awake in the middle of the night, I can come downstairs and eat even if it’s two in the morning.”

  “That is so cool. Maybe I should be a bakery owner when I grow up instead of a firefighter.” Grant glanced at me cautiously. It broke my heart to think he was trying so hard to please me. I didn’t want him thinking he had to follow in my footsteps.

  “Grant,” I said, “you can be whatever you want. Personally, I think you’d be a very good baker.”

  “Really?”

  “Definitely. Just keep in mind that your bakery might go out of business if you eat all the chocolate muffins.”

  Grant pressed his lips together and frowned. “Good point.”

  I smiled at Vicki. “It looks like the bakery is doing well. You must be happy about that.”

  She glanced around and nodded. “I am. I can’t believe I’ve been in business eleven years.”

  “Eleven years? Has it been that long?”

  “Mrs. Delacroix and Lorenzo just celebrated their eleventh anniversary.” She pointed to a wall that contained several framed photos, including one of the former bakery owner and her new husband standing in front of a beautiful vineyard.

  “That’s incredible. I’m so glad it worked out for them. And for you too.”

  She offered a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Was that because of me? I didn’t want to cause problems for Vicki by being back on the island. When we broke up, she confessed that being around me made her sad.

  I insisted she was just grieving her brother’s death. She told me it was more than that and it wasn’t fair for her to take up my time when I should be supporting Scarlet, who’d been put on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy.

  Despite my best efforts to stay together, Vicki ended it. Had the military not transferred Scarlet to Rose Island, I wouldn’t have come back.

  “Dad, there’s my friend from school.” Grant waved at a little boy from his class who’d come in with his mom. “Can I go say hi?”

  “Sure.”

  He jumped off the chair and raced across the bakery to greet his friend. While keeping an eye on him, I glanced at Vicki and lowered my voice. “Are you okay with me being here? With me coming into the bakery? I mean . . . if you don’t want me here, I understand. But I’d like to be friends. If you’re okay with that.”

  A touch of sadness filled her eyes, then she waved a dismissive hand. “You and Grant are always welcome. I’d like to be friends too, Seth.”

  Chapter 24

  Vicki

  Ignoring the hard knot in my stomach, I lugged the tub of dirty dishes into the kitchen and placed it on the counter next to the dishwasher. I knew talking to Seth after all these years would be hard, but I hadn’t expected to be hit by so many emotions—anger, sadness, frustration, and worst of all, deep, deep longing.

  Ugh. Deep longing when it came to Seth was not good. I wanted to be friends, but harboring feelings of longing toward him would just end in heartbreak.

  I’m looking for a woman who is ready for marriage, will love my son, and wants kids of our own through natural means or adoption . . .

  I shuddered and reminded myself that, according to Seth’s profile, he didn’t want someone like me. No, he wanted someone who could give him kids and be a good stepmom to Grant.

  While Grant was adorable, being a stepmom and even thinking about having children was too much for me. I couldn’t do it. Best just to keep Seth in the friend column.

  *

  On the following Sunday, during our family brunch at the ranch, Bianca clinked her spoon against her glass to get everyone’s attention. “Sorry for the interruption,” she said, coming to her feet. “I have an announcement to make.”

  “An announcement?” Drew shoved a bite of cake into his mouth. “What is it?”

  “Please don’t tell me you’re moving out of your apartment,” I said. “Do you know how long it took me to train you to be a good neighbor? I really don’t want to break in someone else.”

  “You’re moving?” Jillian said.

  Bianca smiled. “No, I’m not moving. I . . . well, do you remember how I went to South Carolina my last year of high school?”

  “No,” Drew said, completely serious.

  Matt flicked his little brother’s arm. “Of course, you don’t remember. You weren’t even alive back then.”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Oh yeah,” Matt repeated sarcastically.

  “Well,” Bianca continued, “I left Rose Island because I was pregnant.”

  “What?” I asked, not believing her.

  “I was pregnant. I had a baby and gave her up for adoption. She was a little girl.”

  I stared at her, waiting for the punch line. This had to be a joke, right? There was no way Bianca could’ve had a baby without me knowing about it. She wasn’t that good at keeping secrets.

  “Well, that’s it. That’s my big announcement.” Bianca sat back down and nodded. “My daughter is eighteen today. I always told myself I’d contact her when she turned eighteen. That’s why I’m telling you this. I sent a letter through the adoption agency. She’s supposed to receive it this morning. They said they’d deliver it via private courier since the post office is closed today, so hopefully, she’ll get it.”

  I shook my head in a complete state of shock. I’d been a sophomore in high school and caught up in my own life when Bianca left Rose Island. Cheerleading, student council, and getting straight A’s were most on my mind, not my sister.

  While I’d heard the rumors that Bianca left because she was pregnant, Marcus convinced me that she’d gone away for weight loss. I’d believed him because Bianca was much thinner when she returned. I guess I now knew why.

  “So, when do we get to meet her?” Drew asked.

  Bianca’s face tightened. “I don’t know. I guess it will depend on whether or not she wants to meet me.”

  “Why wouldn’t she want to meet you?” Drew said. “You’re awesome, Aunt Bianca.”

  Bianca beamed. “Thanks, honey.”

  *

  The next time Seth and Grant came into the bakery, Seth was carrying a child who was right between that toddler/little kid phase. “This is Aiden, my brother,” Grant proudly told me. “He wants a chocolate muffin.”

  I smiled at Aiden. Like Grant, he had dark eyes and a charming grin. “Hi, Aiden. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Aiden smiled at me before burying his head in Seth’s neck. Seth whispered something that caused Aiden to give a muffled giggle. My heart melted. Seth was so good with kids.

  I punched in their order. “That’s one chocolate muffin for Aiden. What else can I get you today?”

  “Let’s see.” Seth studied the menu as if he was going to choose somethin
g different than his usual chocolate muffin and coffee. “How about three chocolate muffins, one coffee, and two milks.”

  “Sounds good.” I typed in the order and reached for Seth’s credit card.

  “I want coffee too,” Aiden said.

  Grant threw his head back and howled with laughter. “You can’t have coffee, Aiden. You’re just a baby.”

  “I’m not a baby.” Aiden puffed out his bottom lip. “I want coffee.”

  “Well, you can’t have it,” Grant said. “Right, Dad?”

  Seth shifted Aiden on his hip. “How about we ask Ms. Vicki to put your milk in a coffee cup? Would that work? You can have coffee milk.”

  Aiden hesitated before nodding. “Okay.”

  “Good.” Seth glanced at me. “Is that okay?”

  “Sure, no problem.” Honestly, I was impressed by Seth’s clever solution. Aiden wasn’t the first kid who tried to order coffee, but Seth was the first adult to suggest putting it in a mug and calling it coffee milk. Maybe I could add that to the menu.

  I glanced at Grant. “Do you want your milk in a coffee cup too?”

  He shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m not as high maintenance as my brother.”

  I laughed. Where had the kid learned the expression high maintenance? How adorable was that?

  With the crisis averted, Grant took Aiden over to the chess table while Seth stayed at the counter, waiting for the food. As I poured his coffee, I gestured at the boys. “Are they really playing chess?”

  “They’re playing toddler chess. It’s a version of the game I invented when Grant was little.”

  “How does it work?”

  “Grant moves the pieces correctly, but Aiden can move however he wants. It teaches Aiden how the pieces move while at the same time letting him just be a kid and play with them.”

  I glanced back at the boys who were laughing as if they were the best of friends. Aiden flew one of his bishops in the air before landing it on Grant’s king.

  “That little Aiden is cute, but he seems like a handful. It’s really nice of you to bring him with you. Do you do that often?”