by Ines Saint
Nick shook his head and tried not to smile. Emma wanted to major in psychology, but he wasn’t ready for role reversal just yet. “Nothing. I’ve been thinking, that’s all.”
“Okay, but who’s Jamie Sullivan?”
“Just … someone new at school. I was going through some things in my head.”
“Is he the new assistant coach?” Emma asked. Nick didn’t answer. “Don’t worry about the school, Dad, it’ll be all right. You’re only leaving for a year, and Mrs. Gardner is more than capable.”
Nick sat down and Emma gave him a comforting pat on his knee. “Do you want some hot cocoa?” she asked. He couldn’t help it — he laughed.
Emma sighed and picked up a framed picture of her late grandmother. “I’m trying to help.”
“I’m sorry, Em. I’m not in the mood for hot cocoa, but join me after you make yours, okay?” When Emma shivered, he asked, “Would you like me to turn the AC down?”
“No. It’s just that seeing eyes so identical to yours look so cold never fails to spook me,” Emma explained before placing the picture back on the table and walking toward the kitchen.
Nick stared at the photograph and silently agreed. Her eyes were frighteningly cold. Wondering what his mother would think about him leaving the school for a year, Nick smiled, knowing she’d be ecstatic, hoping Mrs. Gardner would restore the school to what it had once been. Things like scholarship programs for promising children of reduced income families, and more parental involvement would’ve exasperated her.
The microwave oven signaled that “hot cocoa à la Emma” was ready, and Nick put the picture back down.
“So, should I be worried?” she asked after settling into the loveseat beside him and taking a sip. “I mean, you know how these midlife crises go. First, you start drinking and checking yourself out in the middle of the night. Next, you buy the zippy red convertible. Pretty soon, you’re being bamboozled by some pretty young bimbo. Next thing I know, I’m changing my new baby brother’s diaper while mommy dearest spends your money in Europe with her handyman lover.”
“Ouch. You do know it’s too early for me to have a midlife crisis, don’t you?”
“Well, maybe having a kid so very early in life speeds andropause up.”
“Andropause?” Nick raised an eyebrow.
“It’s like menopause, but for men.” Emma took another long sip from her mug. “I guess I’ll just have to ask Claire to keep an eye on you until the end of the semester.”
“Last week you said I was a scarred man with a deep aversion to relationships embedded in my psyche from birth, and tonight you think I’m going to be taken in by some sweet young thing?”
“That scarring part actually came from Mom. Your psyche analysis was all mine.”
Nick was used to having the women in his life analyze him to death, so he only said, “Fine, talk to Claire. I’m sure you’ll be the first person she’ll call if I get the urge to dress like a teenager and get my ear pierced.”
Emma pretended to shudder at the image. Nick smiled and playfully kicked her knee, knowing Emma trusted him to be smarter than that. She knew how hard he’d worked to overcome the stigma attached to being a young father; she’d been there every step of the way.
All he was itching for now was a change in scenery and a different kind of freedom.
• • •
A few weeks later, Jamie was busy getting the twins ready for school. They’d applied to Grey Private Elementary, and the children had been accepted. In the end, her kids always came first, and it was the right school for them.
Her in-laws, Cindy and Joseph, were visiting, and they were really enjoying the process of helping their only grandkids pick out their school things.
They were all back in town now, she and the boys walking down the dry-laid brick sidewalks of Autumn Falls’ small downtown area, waiting for her in-laws. There were a few wonderful antique shops located around the town’s square, and Jamie’s mother-in-law loved sifting through them whenever she came.
Jamie was usually happy to oblige her. But today, Michael was in a funk because he couldn’t find a rocket lunchbox and that, on top of her father-in-law’s eternal foul mood, was really putting a downer on the afternoon.
A scruffy sound caught her attention, and she saw that Michael was dragging his feet. “Why don’t you get a Mickey Mouse lunchbox, like Timmy?” Jamie stopped and leaned against a parking meter right across the street from the shop Cindy and Joseph were in.
“Mickey Mouse is for babies,” he whined.
“Well, space lunchboxes are for geeks,” Timmy shot back.
“NASA is way better than Disney!”
“No way!”
“Hey, simmer down you two, or you both get Winnie the Pooh lunchboxes.” A car was pulling up to the meter, and Jamie straightened.
“And what’s wrong with Winnie the Pooh, Mommy?” Timmy asked, clearly offended.
“Nothing! But you both told me you had outgrown him.”
“Yeah Mommy, why do you hate Winnie the Pooh?” Michael demanded.
“I never said I hated Winnie the Pooh.”
“Just because he has an unfortunate last name, doesn’t mean you should bash on him,” a deep male voice chimed in.
She immediately recognized the voice and turned to see Nick Grey shutting the door of his pickup. “Hi there,” she said, determined to act pleasant.
“Do you hate Winnie the Pooh?” Timmy looked up at Nick when he came to stand in front of them.
“No way,” Nick answered with solemn eyes.
Michael and Timmy both beamed at him before turning to glare accusingly at their mom.
Nick smiled at her, but she didn’t smile back. His gigantic ego would think she was throwing herself at him.
A young girl got out of the back seat, and Jamie recognized Emma from her picture. Another female, surely Michelle Pfeiffer’s long lost twin, climbed out of the passenger seat.
Nick turned to his daughter. “This is my daughter, Emma.” He paused, and Jamie noted hesitation on his part. “And this is … a new mom from school. Her kids start kindergarten this year.”
A new mom from school? He’d hesitated because he’d forgotten her name! It didn’t surprise her because he’d been distracted during the first half of their meeting, and had gloated and behaved like a man-boy the better part of the next half. Not to mention the final insult.
“Nice to meet you.” Emma shook Jamie’s hand and smiled.
Jamie put her hands on her kids’ shoulders and said, “And I’m sure you remember my children’s names. I spoke about them at length during our meeting.” While you were distracted.
Nick looked down at Michael and said, “You must be Michael,” and, “You must be Timothy,” to Timothy. Apparently, he’d listened a little. He shot her a triumphant look. Thwarted and a little impressed, Jamie turned her attention to Emma.
“I’m Jamie Sullivan, by the way.” She saved Nick the trouble of remembering her name. It was more important that he remembered her kids’ names, anyway.
“Jamie Sullivan?” Emma repeated, looking baffled. Jamie was about to ask Emma why she seemed confused when Nick hurriedly said, “And this is Celine Bliss.”
Jamie turned to the beautiful blonde, saying “It’s nice to meet you.” But Celine Bliss only acknowledged her with a slight nod before turning to inform Nick she’d be in one of the antique shops.
Nick squatted down in front of Michael and asked, “Why the long face?”
“I can’t find a rocket lunchbox.”
“Are rockets your very favorite things?” Emma asked.
“Yes.” Michael’s head bobbed. “When I grow up I want to be a rocket engineer.”
“Wow, that’s ambitious! Good for you!” Emma cheered.
&nbs
p; Timmy cleared his throat. Nick caught it and turned to him. “And what do you want to be when you grow up?”
“I want to be Santa Claus.”
“Santa Claus?” Jamie watched as Emma pursed her lips and tried not laugh. “Wow, that’s really great. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that before. Are you going to live at the North Pole?”
“I kind of like it here, near my mommy. My mom, I mean, but it doesn’t snow all the time here, so I don’t know if I’m going to move north or just stay here,” Timmy answered, dejected. This had been plaguing him for some time.
“Sounds like you need a snowflake wand,” Nick said.
“A snowflake wand?” Timmy’s eyes widened.
“What does a snowflake wand do?” Michael was clearly entranced by the thought.
“Well, let’s ask your mom. She had one when she was about your age.” Nick shot her a boyish grin, his eyes bright.
Her pulse picked up and her stomach did a strange little flip. How could she still be attracted to him after the way he’d treated her? But the answer was right in front of her. That smile, combined with those eyes and that build of his … it wasn’t fair. She wished he really had sprouted man-boobs and lost his hair in weird patches. And she wished she had the wand now so she could place it on her cheeks to cool them off.
“Do you still have it?” her boys asked in unison.
“Er — well, no. Your grandfather got rid of it.”
“Well, it was kind of dangerous,” Nick reminded her, as if they were old friends. And she hated him a little for it, because he was being all nice and charming again. Masks people wear, she reminded herself, looking away without smiling.
Her kids, however, were all smiles at the thought of a dangerous snow wand.
Jamie turned to find Emma squinting and studying her closely. “Jamie Sullivan. You know, your name sounds really familiar. I’m convinced I’ve heard it before.”
“Maybe someone mentioned me around town lately. My mom told everyone I was moving back.” Jamie shrugged.
“You lived here before?” Emma asked.
“Yes, I grew up here. My maiden name is Viera.”
“Viera? As in Justin Viera?” Emma’s eyes and smile were now equally wide.
“Yes.” Jamie laughed. “He’s my brother.”
Behind Jamie, a man cleared his throat. Loudly. She turned to see Cindy and Joseph coming up behind them, Joseph wearing his usual frown.
“You’re back,” Jamie said before turning to Nick again. “These are my in-laws, Cindy and Joseph Sullivan. They’re visiting from Lexington. This is Dr. Grey, the headmaster at the kids’ new school, and his daughter, Emma.”
When she looked back at Joseph, she noted the deepening creases in his scowl as he studied both Nick and Emma, and so she added, “Well, we should be on our way,” before anyone could say anything else.
“You’re the headmaster of a prestigious private school?” Joseph eyed Nick.
“Yes.” Nick answered firmly, looking Joseph in the eye and straightening.
Joseph raised both eyebrows and looked from Nick to Emma and back again. His frown deepened. “You’re a little young to be her father.”
“Well, that’s really off topic, isn’t it?” Jamie tried to keep her tone neutral so the kids wouldn’t sense any tension. “We were on the subject of leaving. Let’s go.” But Cindy and Jamie were the only ones who took a step.
“Are you married?” Joseph asked.
Nick’s face, always expressive, had turned to stone. He opened his mouth to say something, but apparently thought better of it because he shut his mouth, shot the kids a warm but weary smile, and said, “I’ll see you at school,” before turning away. Emma gave them an uncomfortable wave, and off they went.
• • •
Nick walked away, feeling aggravated. To have some jerk he didn’t even know look down on him and question him in front of Emma and a new family joining the school was bad enough. He thought those days were long gone.
But to have to silently walk away was worse. He couldn’t believe that man was Jamie’s father-in-law. No doubt he’d make Jamie think worse of him.
On top of that, Jamie obviously thought he’d forgotten her name. What a way to make her feel at home.
• • •
On the way to Jamie’s house, Joseph turned into the Gestapo. “How old is that Emma girl?”
“Don’t know,” Jamie replied.
“How old is Dr. Grey?”
Trying a more direct approach, Jamie said, “That’s really none of our business, is it?”
Joseph turned around to give his wife a significant and all-too-obvious glance. “I wonder how anyone thinks that a man who obviously became a father at a very young age is fit to be the headmaster of a school.”
Jamie didn’t want to lose her cool in front of the kids. “The school’s headmaster is chosen by a board of directors that consists of parents and community leaders. I’m sure they took all his qualifications into careful consideration.”
“I just don’t think it’s a good example for the kids to have a role model — ”
“We can talk about it another time,” Jamie interrupted him, her tone firm. She glanced at her kids, but they were busy playing with their Nintendo DSs. “I don’t see why — ” he began, but Cindy cut him off.
“Joe, we’re leaving tonight. Let’s just have a pleasant last few hours.”
Pretty soon, Jamie’s perfect little house came into view. The kids spilled out of the car the moment she parked.
Soon enough she heard Joseph say, “I can’t believe that damn brother of hers still hasn’t found time to put the kids’ swing set together. “If my damn back weren’t killing me, I’d … ”
Jamie went inside and began putting groceries away, taking out her frustrations with Joseph on the kitchen cabinets. One of the advantages of moving back to her hometown was being far away from him.
She remained close to them because she loved Cindy, and for her children’s sake, but Joseph was a constant trial on her patience. He came into the kitchen now, and Jamie braced herself.
“Look, Jamie,” he began, his gruff voice grating on her nerves. “You think I’m just being difficult, but I’m only trying to protect my grandkids. I look closely at things that just don’t add up about people, like this Dr. Grey. You’d think a board of directors would choose a headmaster with an exemplary family.”
Jamie wasn’t fond of Nick’s ego, but she did admire his accomplishments.
“No, Joseph, you’re not being careful, you’re being judgmental. Yes, Dr. Grey became a father at a young age, but by all accounts, he single-handedly raised a wonderful, well-adjusted daughter and completed a PhD while she was still a little girl. That’s admirable.”
“People’s mistakes speak louder than their achievements.”
“No, the way people handle their mistakes speaks louder than anything,” Jamie shot back.
“You’re gullible, Jamie. You’re the type who believes what you want to believe about others because it’s convenient.”
A cold sensation gripped her chest. The trouble with naysayers was that many times they echoed your greatest fears. She was gullible, and she wished she could tell Joseph how ironic it was that those words had come out of his mouth. After all, he’d raised Scott.
Chapter Three
The Sunday evening before school was to start, Jamie cooked dinner at her parents’ house with her mom and her niece. Liz, her sister-in-law, just watched. Her brother did most of the cooking over at his house, so she was glad to give him a break, even though she knew he loved to cook, too. They’d grown up far away from their grandparent’s Puerto Rican culture, and food was their favorite way of connecting with their heritage and keeping it alive.
But no men w
ere allowed in the kitchen while they prepared dinner — it was strictly girl time. The mood was always light, and Jamie had come to relish the weightlessness of it.
“Are you excited about starting school next week?” Jamie’s mom, Isabella, asked Hannah.
“Kind of.” Hannah shrugged. Jamie studied her niece, knowing she was equal parts nervous and thrilled over her first day of middle school. “I know Michael and Timmy are excited about their first day. They looked like they were about ready to combust when I asked them about it.”
Jamie laughed and finished seasoning the pork chops.
“Speaking of the school, is it true Nick Grey’s losing his hair, too?” Liz asked.
Her belly dipped the moment she heard his name. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing him again after Joseph’s questioning. The look on his face … “No, he hasn’t lost any hair. That’s just Justin projecting his own frustrations.”
She’d barely finished her sentence when Justin walked in, looking none too happy. “You’re short, Jamie. You can’t see what I see at the very top of his head.”
Never one to miss an opportunity to torment her brother, Jamie grinned. “He does have a few stray grays in there, but they don’t really work against him. They just make him look sexy.”
Hannah grinned. “What about Nick’s massive belly? Dad was going on and on about it last winter.”
Jamie cocked her head to the side. “Oh, that. Well, I guess your father meant to say massive, solid six-pack, but he just couldn’t bring himself to describe it accurately.”
“How would you know he has a six-pack?” Justin crossed his arms and raised both eyebrows.
“You can just tell, you know? I mean, a mere shirt can’t hide perfectly sculptured abs.”
“You have no sense of family loyalty, Jamie.”
Jamie popped an olive into her mouth and laughed.
“And I wouldn’t get too attached to his aging, sagging looks. He’s leaving soon,” Justin added.
“Oh, yeah?” Jamie asked. Nick leaving was a positive development in her book. Come to think of it, he’d mentioned something about it.