Rachel Laine (The Women of Merryton Book 3)

by Peel, Jennifer

  “He left big shoes to fill. If I can do half as much good as him, I will consider myself successful. I think there are few things that would make him prouder than knowing that another Turner will be serving the great people of District 43.”

  He had all the right answers, and he looked pretty when he smiled for the cameras. This was all surreal for me. I couldn’t believe this man called me every day to tell me how beautiful I was, and that he missed me. Well, his calls were hit and miss this past week; sometimes I only got texts. He had been out of pocket, preparing for this day and the next few months.

  I was about to change the channel when the following question piqued my interest: “Mr. Turner, can you tell us how a single man with above average means can really relate to the issues that face the constituents of District 43?”

  He knew this one was coming, and he had asked for my advice on how to handle it.

  “That’s a great question, Carol.”

  That was a good move, using her name.

  “I have lived my whole life in District 43. It is a great place to raise a family, or be single if that’s what you choose.”

  There was a smattering of laughter from the crowd. He was charming.

  “Many of my closest friends are doing both. And whether they have families, or live alone, we all care about the future generations that will inherit this great state and area. And yes, I was lucky enough to have a career that has afforded me a good life, but I believe where much is given, much is required. It has been—and will continue to be—my pledge to give as greatly as I have received.”

  Nicely done, I thought. I told him he needed to flip it around on them. That not only people with families counted. I suggested he try not to let them divide the community into married and unmarried. His answer was compelling enough that if I could, I might vote for him.

  Later that night I texted him. You did well today. Congratulations. Drew said he would vote for you. I’m still on the fence. By the way I gave your Christmas presents to your mom today. I’m sorry we couldn’t give them to you in person. I’ll text you when we get to Tucson tomorrow night. Goodnight.

  I mentally began to go over everything we needed for our thirteen-hour drive tomorrow. Normally we flew, but with a dog and a new bike coming home with us, driving seemed the way to go. I had been packing and preparing for days. Drew and I would be spending ten days at the small home my parents rented in Tucson. I was looking forward to the seventy-degree weather, not to mention seeing my mom and dad.

  At 9:30, my phone rang.

  “Hey, I thought you were in a strategy meeting?”

  “I was, I am. We’re taking ten and I wanted to call you. How are you?”

  “I’m good.”

  “How’s Drew?”

  “He’s excited about Christmas. The next five days can’t go fast enough for him.”

  There was a pause. “Hey, Rachel?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I feel terrible that I didn’t have the chance to get you or Drew anything for Christmas. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. I meant to.”

  “It’s no big deal.”

  “No, it is. You’re both a big deal to me. I dropped the ball. Can you give me your parents’ address? I’ll see what I can send.”

  “Really, it’s okay. He’s going to be spoiled rotten.”

  “Regardless, will you please text me the address? I want him to know I’m thinking about him.”

  “I will.”

  “I hate that we aren’t spending Christmas together. I’ll make it up to you next year.”

  “You keep saying that.”

  “I know. I mean it, though.”

  I rubbed my forehead. “Okay.”

  “You sound like you don’t believe me.”

  “I’m just worried.”

  “Not about how I feel about you or Drew, I hope?”

  “I worry your intentions will be overridden by your life.”

  “Things will settle down. Nothing will get in the way of us being together. Please drive safe and let me know when you get there. I’ll call you on Christmas Eve when I get to my mom’s and we’ll talk for hours.”

  “I’d like that.” I wanted to keep talking, but I heard voices in the background.

  “I’m sorry, I need to go. Goodnight, gorgeous.”

  I texted Andrew my parents’ address before turning off the light and sliding under the covers. I wondered if our relationship would ever get to move past phone calls and texts. I reminded myself I was planning on being single for a long time, so it would be all right if it didn’t work out. But now that the door had opened, it was hard to close it, and I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to. I was tired of being alone. I wanted a partner.

  We woke up bright and early. I wanted to be on the road by 6:00. My phone rang at 5:30. I expected it to be Andrew and had a twinge of disappointment when I realized it wasn’t him, but I recovered quickly.

  “I wanted to let you know we’re on our way to the hospital,” Taylor informed me through labored breathing. No pun intended.

  “I’m sorry we won’t be here. We’re headed out this morning.”

  “I know. Be safe. I’ll text you some pictures when I’m all dolled up afterward.”

  “I bet you took a shower and did your hair and makeup already, didn’t you?”

  She laughed. “Guilty. Easton was freaking about it.”

  I heard Easton disagree in the background.

  “Slow down, honey,” Taylor suggested to her obviously nervous husband. She said he was a wreck when Ashley was born. It was hard to believe, since he delivered babies for a living. “Anyway, I feel a major contraction coming on, so drive safe.” She hung up without another word.

  I was excited for her, and a tad jealous. I wanted another baby. I guess I could adopt again. That was a thought. I put a pin in it.

  Andrew called as soon as I got the final suitcase loaded. I suddenly felt better.

  “Have you left yet?” I could hear the tired in his voice.

  “We will in a few minutes.”

  “I forgot to say thank you last night. Your insight really helped me field questions yesterday. I know I keep saying this, but you’re amazing.”

  “You’re welcome, but I think you would have done all right for yourself without my help.”

  “I did sound good, didn’t I?”

  I laughed at him.

  “I looked good, too,” he added.

  “I see you’re still stocking up on arrogance bran.”

  “It’s all natural.”

  “Have a Merry Christmas, Andrew.”

  “Don’t go,” he pleaded unexpectedly.

  “Andrew—”

  “We can meet at my mom’s house.”

  He didn’t know how tempting the offer was to me. “We have to go. My parents are expecting us, and besides, the press is all over you now. We can’t risk it.”

  “I know you’re right, but I’ve never missed two people more in my life. And I don’t want to miss another holiday with my son.”

  “I’ll have him call you on Christmas.”

  “It won’t be the same.”

  “No, it won’t.”

  “I checked the roads. They look good. Keep both of you safe.”

  That was kind of him. “I always do. Do you want to talk to Drew?”

  “Always. Bye, beautiful.”

  I walked inside from the garage and handed the phone to a sleepy Drew. “Hey, it’s Andrew.”

  That woke him right up. They hadn’t talked in a couple of weeks.

  I ushered Drew and Jake out to the car while Drew and Andrew caught up on the phone. I wanted to get going. We had a long day ahead of us.

  I don’t think Andrew got to say a word for the first fifteen minutes. Drew had been saving up a list of things to rattle off to him. First he told him all about his holiday program at school where he played a reindeer, then it was expectations about what Santa was going to bring him. He expressed his excitement
about my dad’s promise to take him golfing when we got there. Finally, Drew took a breath and said, “I saw you on TV.”

  I didn’t hear what Andrew said, but Drew responded, “I wish you weren’t on TV so you could come see me.”

  It made my heart sink.

  He followed up with, “I bought you a present with my own money.”

  I hoped Andrew’s run for office was worth this.

  Drew handed the phone up to me when the call ended. “Andrew said he’ll call us later to check on us. He said he sent my Christmas presents to Arizona.”

  “That’s nice.”

  “Yeah, but I wish he could come.”

  “You and me both, bud.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Arizona was just the ticket. Drew was happy to be with his grandparents and my dad filled Drew’s need for male companionship. And I needed my mom.

  Sunday, the day after we arrived, Drew had my dad out on the golf course, which left my mom and me to do our annual Christmas baking. We made everything from sweet breads to peanut butter fudge.

  “Drew talks about Andrew a lot,” my mom commented while she was chopping the nuts for the fudge.

  “You have no idea.”

  “Are you okay with that?”

  “It’s getting easier for me. Andrew is really good with him, and for him.”

  Without looking up from her task at hand. “And how is he for you?”

  I set down the mixer I was about to use. “Mom.”

  She looked up at me from across the kitchen island.

  “Would you be disappointed in me if I told you I had more than friendly feelings for him?”

  She thought for a moment, which made my heart pump wildly. I wasn’t sure if I had ever really disappointed my parents, and I was afraid I just had in a huge way. Her gaze was fixed on me, but I couldn’t read her dark, steady eyes.

  “Mom?” I begged like a child for her to make me feel better.

  “I’m not disappointed, but maybe a little upset.”

  “With me?”

  “No, honey. I just wonder why he didn’t care for Sydney the way he obviously cares for you. I saw the way he looked at you. There was tenderness. Where was that with Sydney?”

  I moved toward my mother and took her soft, aged hands in mine. “Mom, he was tender with Sydney. He protected her from a man that could have hurt her.”

  My mother’s eyes widened, but I didn’t go into any detail, at least not about that particular point.

  “He tried to give her advice, but we all know how well Sydney listened to anyone’s opinion but her own. And Mom, she threatened him with false accusations when she told him she was pregnant.”

  My mom did not look surprised at all.

  “He’s sorry he didn’t believe her, but can you blame him? And who’s to say if he did, if things would have turned out any different. The only difference would be that he would have raised Drew, not me. We both know Sydney wasn’t going to change. Not even for her baby.”

  My mom’s eyes filled with tears. I felt some of my own, too.

  “I love Sydney. I miss her every day, but she was out of control and needed help. We all tried our best to help her, but she didn’t want it, because it would have required her to change.”

  “We turned her away,” my mother cried.

  “Oh, mom. You and dad did your best for both of us. We had no idea what condition she was in.”

  “But she was our daughter.”

  I knew how much that had haunted my parents, but they had really tried with Sydney. They gave her every advantage they could, and then some. “She probably would have left anyway.”

  Mom seemed to take some comfort in that. She gripped my hand tightly. “So, tell me about you and Andrew.”

  “I don’t know. It seems so crazy. We are complete opposites. The man has dated super models and goes to exclusive parties, and you should see his second home. But every day he finds time to see how I am. He likes to hear me prattle on about PTA meetings and premium deductibles. And every time we talk, he tells me how amazing and beautiful I am. The weird part is that when he says it, I believe him, and I believe that he really feels that way.”

  Mom smiled, I think in resignation. “You are beautiful and amazing. And maybe Andrew is good for you. You were so young to shoulder such a heavy responsibility. And I know you don’t see it that way, but you have always been older than your years. It’s about time you added some excitement to your life. It’s about time you let someone in.”

  “I worry that Andrew’s life is too exciting. I don’t know if I belong in his world, and what if he doesn’t fit into mine?”

  “Honey, when two people come together, it is no longer about his world or her world, it becomes about the life they create together. And if you both want to be together, you will work hard at creating a world that works for both of you.”

  I nodded in agreement, though the thought scared me.

  “Don’t be afraid, honey.” It was like she could read my mind. “You need to let go. You have always been cautious, and that’s a good quality, but when it comes to matters of the heart, you have to open up.”

  “So you’re saying you think it’s okay if Andrew and I see each other?”

  She sighed loudly. “Honestly, he wouldn’t be my first choice, but I see a difference in you I like. From the sounds of it, he’s good for you and he makes you happy; that’s all that matters to me.”

  “He does make me happy, but he drives me nuts.”

  “That’s what I say about your dad all the time.”

  I hugged her hard. “Thanks, Mom. And who knows, this may not go anywhere. We aren’t even dating yet.”

  “I think the boat has already left that dock.” She released me and went back to chopping the nuts.

  My mom’s wise words bounced around in my head. I supposed she was right. Other than not physically seeing each other, we talked like we were a couple.

  When my dad and Drew returned from the golf course, we made plates of goodies for my parents’ neighbors and delivered them. We had been doing that since I could remember, but here in Tucson, we could wear shorts. In Merryton, when we walked around our neighborhood this time of year, we had to dress like we were walking across the tundra. I could get used to the snowbird life my parents were now leading. But someone had to run the insurance agency.

  As Christmas neared, the energy level inched higher and higher. Drew was beside himself with anticipation. It didn’t help that on Monday—two days before the big day—a decent-sized box showed up for Drew. Inside the box were several professionally wrapped presents in bright reds and greens, all from Andrew. I didn’t want to think about how much he had to pay to have those gift-wrapped and overnighted.

  I could barely get Drew to fall asleep that night. “I can’t wait to see what Andrew got me,” he kept saying over and over. Santa had taken a back seat.

  “Two more sleeps and you will find out.”

  “I told grandpa about him, and how cool he was. Grandpa said he could come over sometime.”

  I raised my eyebrow. “Really?”

  “Yeah. He said he wanted to get to know him. Grandpa likes baseball.”

  I ruffled his hair. “Yes, he does.”

  “Grandpa said he’ll be back to watch me when I play. I told him Andrew was going to come, too.”

  I tried to imagine what it was going to be like to have all of us there at the ballpark. Andrew was going to draw way too much attention, for sure. But would he and my parents get along? Was Cheyenne going to hate me? Which reminded me, I needed to check on Taylor. She had sent me pictures of her blonde-haired, beautiful baby girl that weighed almost nine pounds. I couldn’t believe she was hiding a nine-pound baby. Her delivery was a little rough, though. They ended up having to do a C-section, but all ended well. Mother and baby were healthy, albeit a little sore. Taylor was not happy about having to stay down, but when we talked briefly, I could hear how in love she was with her new addition.<
br />
  Anyway, back to Andrew and Merryton. My curiosity was getting the better of me. “What did grandpa say when you told him that?”

  “He said, ‘That would be nice.’”

  That was my dad’s way of saying it wasn’t his preference, but at least he was trying. I’m sure my mom had told him of our discussion. My dad kept looking at me and shaking his head.

  I kissed my little man goodnight and tucked him in, along with Jake. I walked out to see I was the last one up. The Christmas tree was the only source of light. I always loved that sight. There was a magic that was all its own. I looked at all the presents that surrounded the tree and smiled to myself. Andrew was invading our lives.

  I sat on the couch in the family room and watched the white lights twinkle on the tree. I wished Andrew was there with us. In my reverie, my phone buzzed.

  “I was just thinking about you,” I said quietly into my phone.

  “What a coincidence. I’ve been thinking about you all day,” Andrew replied.

  “Even with all of your interviews?”

  “You’re always on my mind.”

  “Are you done for the night?”

  “Yes. I’m heading up to my mom’s right now.”

  “Early?”

  “I figured, why wait?”

  “You sound tired.”

  “I am.”

  “Hey, your package for Drew came today. He’s bouncing off of the walls, he’s so excited about it.”

  “I’m happy it got there. Please take some pictures for me when he opens them. I hate that I’m missing it.”

  “I’ll be sure to.”

  “Just so you know, I didn’t forget about you, but I wanted to give you your gift in person.”

  “So, it will be an Easter present?”

  He groaned. “No. I have to see you before then. I’ll figure out a way.”

  “Snap a picture of it and send it to me,” I suggested.

  “No way. This is too good for that. I want to be with you to see your reaction.”

  “We could Skype.”

  “No. I want the living, breathing version of you in my arms.”

  I smiled at the thought. “I could be accommodating.”

  “Really? How accommodating could you be?”

  “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”