Thoughts of Jack and his funeral had effectively put a fierce damper on Althea's mood. No more daydreaming about a hot night with a sexy stranger she'll never see again.
It was back to reality for her — the reality of being Jack Taylor's widow.
Hours later Althea was giving herself a mental pat on the back. She had all the food laid out, her cutest little sundress on and sweet tea chilling in the fridge. Johnny was outside in a T-shirt of a punk band she'd never heard of, playing with his best friend. It was a moment of solitude for her in the kitchen before the craziness of a houseful of five year olds descended upon her.
"Ahh, peace. I think you may finally be getting this mom thing down, Tea," she sighed to herself, only to jump in her seat at the crash of Jenna and Aubrey stampeding into her kitchen.
"We have collected your mother from the airport!" Aubrey boasted with arms spread wide, as though she'd made an accomplishment right up there with resolving all tensions in the Middle East.
"And we are back not a moment too soon. Are you talking to yourself girl? Should we be worried?" Jenna added.
"No, just enjoying thirty seconds of peace and quiet. Please tell me my mother is behind you and not fussing with the decorations in the living room?"
"I'm right here Sweet Tea, though I must say you've gone kind of dark for a kid's party, don't you think? I was just going to move some pieces around to make it look more cheery..."
"It's fine mom, please, relax," she said through teeth gritted in that way that only a beloved mother can cause. "Johnny wants the whole party to be punk. I'm not sure what that means, but I know he won't want cheery."
"Thank goodness I had a girl. Boys are too weird," Althea's mother said as she placed a warm kiss on her daughter's cheek.
"Good to have you here Mom. How about a bourbon with a splash of Diet Coke?"
"Gentleman Jack?"
"Of course."
"Perfect. That will certainly refocus my DIY energies." Althea stood and fixed them all something a little stronger than sweet tea. On her way back to the table she saw Jenna catch sight of the rings on Althea's fingers. Jenna pursed her lips and gave Althea a disapproving look.
"Tea, I thought you were moving past wearing those all the time? They just make you sad."
"Carol saw and it upset her. I think I need to keep wearing them around her. It's no big deal."
Jenna, Aubrey and her mother exchanged worried looks before her mother finally cleared her throat and asked, "So Tea, honey, what else is new?"
"Yeeees, what is new Tea?" Aubrey asked in a singsong voice, followed by a giggle from Jenna.
"Oh my? Has something finally happened Tea? Please tell me it involves a naked man, because if you tell me you're grinning so wide right now because you took up knitting or some dumb crap like that, I'll be sorely disappointed."
"Keep your voices down," Althea whispered, "I don't want Carol to know. But yes, I followed doctor's orders."
"Wait, now I'm confused. What were doctor's orders?" her mother asked. "Tea, baby, are you sick? That's not your news, is it?"
"No, Mom."
"Don't worry, it was a man all right, Viv. I wasn't there the whole time they were together, so I can neither confirm nor deny that he was naked, but..." Aubrey intoned.
"She wasn't ill, Viv, she was just sick of being in the born-again virgin’s club. We took her out to get some no strings attached action and she landed herself a serious Hottie Mctottie! I had to pick her up after midnight! I have to admit, Tea, I wasn't sure you had it in ya," Jenna said with a grin.
"Oh honey, that's wonderful," Althea's mother cooed, as though she'd just come in first place in a piano recital. "I'm so happy to hear that!"
Vivian was always more of a friend than a mother to Althea. She lived from moment to moment, making Althea feel like she needed to be that much more grounded, more secure. Althea plugged her ears to block out the sounds of the three women's squeals. She could tell this would be one of those moments where her mother would bring out her particular brand of brashness.
"Though you really should have stayed till morning. That's when the really hot loving happens," her mother added.
Yup, there it is, Althea thought.
"Eww, Mom, gross. Morning would have been complicated. Besides, I wanted to be home when Carol brought Johnny back today. This was great. I wasn't looking for more than that."
"Why on earth not, baby? You know, evolutionarily we are actually serial monogamists. That is why you see that many of those who lose a spouse are in a new relationship in the first year. At the very least, sex with a new partner after the loss of your last one is appropriate and healthy. Or maybe at least some repeated nooky before you receive your AARP card."
"Thanks Mom," she muttered.
"Though you have an AARP card and no shortage of admirers. Right, Viv?" Aubrey asked with a grin of idolizing glee.
"Yes, you're so right Aubrey darling. I've never let a little thing like menopause interfere with my love life. Believe me!"
Jenna stepped in to the rescue. Left unchecked, Althea's mother would go on for an hour about evolution and the mating rituals of mature humans. Althea would need a pitcher of cocktails before she could listen to that.
"So, point is, did our Tea get her groove back?" Jenna asked.
"Not fully back but definitely a bit more groove going on for sure," Althea answered with a happy smile. "I mean, I must say I do feel better — he was sexy, smart, funny, interesting, sexy."
"You said sexy twice," Aubrey pointed out.
"I know, it was worth repeating..." Althea said with a smirk. "And I'll never see him again, so I don't feel guilty, it was just a perfect one night stand..." Althea stated, standing and grabbing a tray of hot dogs and hamburgers to take to the serving table in the main party area.
Althea paused at the sound of loud voices at the front door. One was certainly Carol and an unfamiliar woman's voice but the gruff masculine voice that shot shivers up and down her spine and into her core was definitely familiar.
"Val, hi! And little Nicky Tate! You look wonderful, both of you!"
"Oh come on Mrs. Taylor," he drawled, "no one calls me Nicky anymore. I go by Griffen now, but I'll let it slide and give you a big hug."
"Griffen? I don't know if I can get used to that, but if it will get me some of your great hugs, I'll manage."
"Mom brought cookies. I'll add them to the pile," Griffen said. "I missed a lot of things when I left, but I think I dreamed of tables full of cookies at weddings and birthday parties the most."
Their conversation continued to float into the kitchen as Althea's chest grew tighter.
Oh God, Althea thought as she started to get cold sweats and shake. The world was slowing down, but her heart was racing. She started to mentally consider methods of escape. Would Johnny like a private birthday somewhere far away? she wondered. Maybe in the witness protection program?
Jenna jumped forward and steadied the tray Althea was close to tipping forward, as all three of them quickly figured out who was there. She needed support but they all looked stunned right along with her.
"Griffen, come and meet everyone. This is Tea, Jack's wife." Althea came out of her stupor enough to cringe. Carol still referred to Althea as Jack's wife. It generally didn't bother her, actually making her feel good — feeding into her feeling that she was always his — but then again, she'd never had sex with his best friend without knowing it.
Oh God, please don't throw up in the kitchen, please don't throw up in the kitchen.
Carol barreled on, "And this is Jenna, and Aubrey. Jenna is an orthopedic surgeon at UPMC — very successful, this one. And Aubrey is a great freelance photographer. Both single, wink wink."
Oh God, Carol actually said wink wink!
Althea had thought it couldn't get worse, but she was wrong.
"Tea, honey, are you all right?" Carol asked.
"Oh she's fine. Just
worked too hard to wrap up the party plans. Right Tea?" Jenna asked pointedly.
"Right." Althea nodded.
"And Tea's mother, Vivian," Carol added. "I'm so glad you could meet everyone. Guys, Griffen here was like Jack's second brother!"
A wave of nausea passed over Althea and she finally looked up straight into Griffen's bright aqua blue eyes. She was relieved to see he looked dumbstruck, as well. At least she wasn't the only one shocked and uncomfortable.
The voice of the woman Althea presumed was Griffen's mother broke through. "Carol, is there anything we can do to help?"
"Don't be silly, but you can come into the living room and see Johnny and the rest of the guests. We're going to put out lunch any second now." With that, Carol started ushering them out of the kitchen, not noticing that Griffen almost broke his neck staring back at Althea as he walked out of the kitchen.
As soon as they'd left the kitchen it exploded with sound but Althea remained silent and continued to stare at where Griffen used to be. Althea could barely make out that her mother, Aubrey, and Jenna were all trying to sort out the facts. She finally broke in.
"Shh, all of you."
"Do you realize what this means?" Jenna asked.
"It means I slept with my husband's best friend."
"Your dearly departed husband who's been gone almost six years. Don't you dare think for a second that you did anything wrong baby," her mother said, steering her into a chair.
"Only me. Only I could finally decide to take one little baby step forward with my life, to have one fun night, and it ends up being with my husband's best friend. I think I'm gonna be sick. Jenna, Aubrey, FYI, I'm going to kill you both. And I'm going to make it hurt."
Althea thought that to their credit they also looked mortified, but that wouldn't save them.
"But you were so happy last night. You said you were glad you did it. That you love us," Jenna moaned.
"That was when I was in a post-crazy awesome sex haze and I thought I'd never see him again. Before I knew he was the prodigal BFF to my dead husband, now returned!" Althea flopped her head in her hands with a satisfying thump. "What a disaster."
Vivian stepped toward Althea, shuffling away her befuddled friends with two well-placed knocks of her hips. "Honey, please. Just breathe."
"I kind of like sitting here feeling sorry for myself, actually."
"Oh, just stop it, baby girl, that is quite enough. Aubrey, Jenna, get this girl another bourbon with a splash of Diet Coke, stat." They started scurrying around the kitchen. Althea had to smile, no one rallied the troops like her mother.
"Look at me Sweet Tea." Her mother pressed her cool hands into Althea's cheeks, forcing their eyes to meet.
Althea suddenly felt like an awkward teenage girl again, being consoled after their father deserted them for his new family two days before her fourteenth birthday. "You were always so serious, sweetheart. Even now you're trying to turn a one-nighter into an existential crisis."
Althea looked at her with big, sad eyes. She could sense in some back part of her brain that she was acting like that overly dramatic teenager from her memories, but if you can't be one with your mom, when can you be?
"You have done nothing wrong," Vivian continued. "Your whole life has been committed to honoring Jack's memory, from raising his son on your own to supporting and helping his mother, this thing with that hunky man in there is something you did for yourself and I couldn't be prouder. I know you want to take that baby step back..." "Why thank you Aubrey," she said as she took the large cocktail from Aubrey's hand and passed it to Althea, "drink up baby girl. I refuse to let you feel guilty because that boy is beyond handsome. Instead, you're going to let us touch up your makeup and you're going to go out there with your head high with a plate full of burgers and hot dogs and you're going to have a nice time. Got it?"
"Yes, Mom, you're right."
"That a girl, now give me a hug." With that, Althea hugged her as tightly as if she were turning five years old herself.
"Come on ladies. Let's get me out there, it's time for another baby step!" Althea exclaimed. The three women responded with a cheer that made her roll her eyes and grin at the same time.
Griffen watched as Althea and her entourage entered the living room, carrying trays of food with deliberately neutral facial expressions. He was just as thrown as they were. How could this woman that was the first — in as long as he could remember — that had gotten under his skin and wouldn't leave, be Jack's widow? Could fate be that much of a bastard? Christ, he'd been hours from hunting her down and making her get to know him just that morning.
He wasn't surprised that Jack's wife was stunning, that part was a given. Growing up, he and Jack had spent as much time having their pick of every pretty girl they wanted as they had studying and playing football.
It was also no shocker that she was charming, brilliant, and driven. That had been golden boy Jack in spades. Jack would have recognized Althea as a keeper right away and wouldn't have let her go.
What was surprising, shocking even, was that Griffen had found himself entertaining those same kind of thoughts.
"Nicky, I mean Griffen — sorry, still not quite used to that. How does it feel to be back in the Burgh after all these years?" Carol asked.
"Huh?" He'd barely been paying attention to everyone's chatter, being too busy watching Althea while she avoided his gaze.
"Being back in Pittsburgh? What do you think?"
"It's good, a little surreal, especially since the city looks so different, so much activity going on," Griffen replied, all the while craning his neck to try and see Althea as she walked to the kids’ table to check on Johnny and his friends.
"Johnny, come over and meet one of your daddy's oldest friends," Carol said across the room. "Tea, bring him over." Althea's eyes widened and she followed as her little boy ran over. He had some kind of spiked up hairstyle, a wild T-shirt and arms covered in fake tattoos.
"I'm a punk. Do you know what that is?" he demanded.
"I do. I actually like punk rock."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Ever heard of Maddie Hatter?"
"Duh! Of course," Johnny scoffed.
"Well, I know her back in New York," Griffen said, glad he could impress this kid.
"You know the Maddie Hatter?" Aubrey exclaimed and looked over at Jenna and Althea's blank faces. "She is only like the hottest female punk rocker ever, and she's super cute. How do you know her?" she asked Griffen with a raised eyebrow, that was suddenly mirrored in Althea and Jenna's skeptical faces.
Griffen quickly raised his hands in surrender, "We share a copyright lawyer and she's married to Captain Syringe, so she and I are just friendly acquaintances. Trust me." He couldn't believe how desperately he wanted to keep these women from thinking he was a womanizing jerk, when really, he pretty much was. But he didn't want Althea to see him that way.
"Anyway, Johnny, want her autograph?"
"Yes! Sweet!"
"Now, Johnny, I don't think you need to bother Mr. Tate with that. He's very busy," Althea said slowly.
"Nah, anything for Johnny, it's my pleasure." Their eyes met and something hot flashed in hers for a second before she looked away quickly and went to straighten more trays for the tenth time.
"Cool. Can you get me Captain's autograph, too?" Johnny was jumping up and down at that point.
Before Althea could protest, Griffen quickly answered, "Consider it done," and high-fived him.
Aubrey and Johnny jumped up and down excitedly. Point one for Griffen. Then Aubrey schooled herself and went right to eyeing him warily. And bam, just like that, docked half a point.
"Well, I guess you're okay," Johnny said through narrowed eyes, looking back at his mother and somehow seeming to catch on to her nervousness. "What else do you like?" he added cautiously.
"I played football. I saw you guys have a football over there."
"Yeah! I'm a quar
terback."
"Just like your dad, huh?" Griffen had to look away, the words choking in his throat as they came out.
"That's what Grandma says." Griffen's heart twisted again.
This kid had the world's greatest guy for a father but he would only know him from stories and memories. From old football trophies and scholarship awards. He would be like a character in a book to him — only existing through the retelling of another. Jack would never be a flesh and blood man that could hold him. And that made Griffen want to hug this boy as tightly as he could and never let go.
Griffen composed himself and looked back to see that Althea was staring at him with tears in her eyes. He had to clear his throat before he could speak. "Are you on a team?"
"Yeah, but we aren't really good. It’s just a small local league."
"He’s still not old enough for real pee-wee football," Carol added.
"That’s no problem," Griffen said. "You gotta start somewhere, right? How about this? After lunch I take you guys out and show you a few things I picked up back in the day?"
"That would be awesome. Thanks!"
"Uh, Johnny, Mr. Tate probably has a lot to do. Don't you?" She looked at him meaningfully.
"Nope, I've got nothing but time," Griffen answered ignoring her widened eyes.
"Cool!" Johnny said.
"Fine. But you need to actually eat lunch first, Johnny, and don't forget about cake and presents."
"Yeah Mom. See ya later, Gwiff." Johnny ran back over and quickly gave his friends the good news.
Val smiled and glanced back and forth between Griffen and Althea with a look of interest that was not lost on Griffen. "Johnny is so funny. How did he even find out about punk music and tattoos?" Val asked.
"Aunt Aubrey, would you like to enlighten her?" Jenna asked.
Griffen caught himself staring at Althea again. He wasn't sure what his plan was here, except that he wasn't ready to let her out of his sight again. Not yet, at least. She was so beautiful. She was also Jack's widow. How come he didn't feel worse about it? Yes, he was completely thrown when he saw her standing in the kitchen and his emotions had been battling between guilt and lust ever since, but lust and a strong desire to just be near her were winning out handily by the time she'd emerged from the kitchen.
Three Rivers (A Gateway to Love Novel) Page 8