by Dover, L. P.
“Or not,” I mutter as Tom jumps off my bed and saunters out into the hall. I glance at the clock and notice I have about thirty minutes to get to the Jenkins. They don’t live far, but I want to stop for some wine and a bouquet of flowers.
When I finally arrive, after one pit-stop, I’m the only car in the driveway. I find this odd but think nothing of it because maybe Maeve is running late. When I step up to the door, it swings open, and Mrs. Jenkins is there to usher me in.
“These are for you.” I hold out the bouquet.
“Oh, thank you, Kyler. They’re lovely. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Logan and Maeve will be here shortly.”
“She doesn’t live here?”
Mrs. Jenkins looks at me wide-eyed and cracks a grin. “Heavens no, she has a house a few doors away.”
Interesting.
I do as suggested and try to make myself comfortable, which means I’m snooping as much as possible. There are pictures of Maeve and Logan everywhere, but none of her ex. Part of me finds this odd since he’s the boy’s father, but whatever. I think the fact that they’ve removed any trace of him bodes well for me.
The front door swings open, and the voice of Logan fills the air. He calls out for his grandfather and goes running off. I lock eyes with Maeve, smile, and move closer.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
5
Maeve
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Kyler’s eyes widen in shock, and my mom gasps, glaring at me like you would a toddler who won’t stop talking in church. I saw the extra car in the driveway, but I didn’t expect it to belong to Kyler.
Kyler clears his throat awkwardly, and my mom pats his shoulder. “Guess we surprised her,” she says, laughing it off. “Why don’t you open up that wine you brought? I think we could use it about now.”
He nods and looks over at me once more before hobbling off to the kitchen. Once he’s out of earshot, my mother lifts her arms in the air. “Where are your manners?”
“My manners? Did you seriously invite him to dinner?” I snap.
She lifts a finger to my lips. “Shh … he’ll hear you.” Then she moves closer. “Kyler’s a sweetheart of a man. You need to give him a chance.”
I swear the woman has gone delusional in her old age. “Hell no. You realize we graduated high school together, right? He was an ass, and so were his friends. They used to make fun of me.”
She waves me off. “That was high school, Maeve. People grow up and change.” She points over at my graduation picture on the mantle. “Look at you. You’re not the shy, introvert you used to be. It took you a while to break out of your shell. I think you’ll see that Kyler’s not the same as he was then.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass who he is now. I’m not interested. You can forget the whole matchmaking crap you have in your mind.”
“All right, girls, let’s drop it,” my father interrupts. He walks over to me and places his hands on my shoulders. “We’re going to have a good dinner tonight. By looking at Kyler’s face when you cussed at him, I have no doubt he’s already feeling uncomfortable. We don’t need to make it worse.” He squeezes my shoulders. “Try to be polite. That’s all I ask.”
“Yeah, Mom,” Logan calls out, his voice echoing from the hallway. “He likes football, and he gave me an unlimited pass for the festival.”
My parents both raise their eyebrows, and I groan. “Fine. I’ll be nice tonight. But you,” I say directly to my mother, “need to forget the whole idea of me finding a man. I’ll date when I’m good and ready.”
My father nods. “I agree.”
“And it sure as hell isn’t going to be Kyler Groff.”
He appears just as I say it, holding up the open bottle of wine. I have no doubt he heard me, and it makes me feel a little guilty. “Who wants some?”
My mother chuckles to break the silence. “I know I do. Let’s go to the kitchen and eat.”
She holds onto Kyler’s arm and walks with him while my father nudges me with his elbow. “Your mother means well. She just wants to see you happy.”
“I would be if she’d stop meddling.”
“That’s not your mother.”
Exactly. He heads into the kitchen, and I walk over to the hallway and stop just outside of Logan’s bedroom door. After I had him, my parents converted their guest bedroom to one specifically for him. He’s their one and only grandchild. I’ve always wanted more kids, but it never worked out. It was kind of hard to have a baby with a man who was never around.
I tap a finger to the door. “Dinner time, babe.”
“Coming.” He opens the door, holding one of his footballs. “Do you think Kyler can show me some of his moves? I was talking to my friends, and they said he’s like a legend here in town.”
And the night just keeps getting better. “Not tonight, sweetheart. His knee is still messed up.”
He pouts his lip and tosses his football onto the bed. “Okay.”
It hurts my heart that Logan hasn’t had a male figure around other than my father. Ethan calls and FaceTimes him every chance he gets, but it’s not the same. Logan marches into the kitchen first, but I hang back to calm myself down. I don’t want to be a bitch, but it’s hard. Maybe if I drink enough wine, it’ll help. Taking a deep breath, I walk into the kitchen, and of course, my mother has Kyler sitting next to me. Our plates are full of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Luckily, there’s a large glass of white wine calling my name. I take my seat and reach for my drink, gulping down as much as I can. It’s an expensive Napa Chardonnay with its buttery goodness and hints of tropical fruit and vanilla. I’m impressed. My mother’s mouth gapes, and my father tries his best not to laugh. I don’t even look over at Kyler.
“Kyler brought the wine. I think it’s a Chardonnay. You’re favorite.”
“Thanks, Kyler,” I say, determined not to look at him. “We ready to eat?”
My dad recites a little prayer, and we all say our amens. Once I finish my wine, I pour another glass since the bottle is right in front of me. By the time I get to my meatloaf, I’m tipsy. Guess that’s what I get with drinking on an empty stomach. Kyler talks to my parents for a few minutes about their investments, but then he spends the rest of the time talking to Logan about football. Keeping my focus on my food, I pray I don’t spill ketchup covered meatloaf all over my shirt. Kyler enamors my parents, and I don’t see why. Don’t get me wrong, he’s good looking, always has been, even in high school, but that’s about it.
Once dinner is finished, I breathe a sigh of relief. Soon, Kyler will be on his way, and Logan and I can go home and watch more of our favorite show. Logan takes my plate and places it in the sink like he always does every night. He always helps me with the dishes when we’re at home, but my father suggests that they go outside and toss the football around. My mother opens the dishwasher, but Kyler steps up next to her.
“Why don’t you let Maeve and I handle the dishes tonight?”
Eyes wide, I glare at my mother, but she just smiles and backs away. “That would be great.” She is not going to hear the end of this once we’re alone.
“All right,” she agrees. “I’ll leave you both to it.”
When she leaves the room, I groan under my breath. This night just gets better. I turn on the hot water to rinse off the dirty dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Kyler stands by the dishwasher and rolls up his sleeves. “If you rinse, I’ll load.’
“Whatever you say.” I rinse off one plate and hand it to him quickly, sloshing water all over his jeans. He looks down at his wet crotch, but I keep the dishes coming, trying my best not to laugh, which is hard considering I’m tipsy.
“It looks like I pissed myself,” he says, chuckling as he loads the dishwasher.
I rinse off more plates, trying my best to keep soaking him. “You should learn to control your bladder better.”
He laughs again. “Why are you so salty towards me?
Do you really hate me that much from high school?”
I was right. He did hear me in the living room. “You were an ass.” I pick up my pace with the dishes. As soon as we get them done, the sooner he can leave.
“Yeah, I was,” Kyler admits, “but that was a long time ago. I’m not that same guy anymore.”
I snort. “Okay.” I hand him the last dish and wash my hands. “We’re done. I think it’s time I go home.”
My mother appears in the doorway. “Kyler can walk you. It’s dark, and I don’t want you walking by yourself, especially since you’re three sheets to the wind. Logan decided he wants to stay here tonight.”
As if my night can’t get any worse. “Kyler’s knee is hurt, Mom. That’d be inconsiderate of us to ask him to do that.”
Kyler’s smile widens. “I don’t mind at all.”
I roll my eyes. “Of course, you don’t.”
When I get into the living room, my dad and Logan walk through the front door, and Logan rushes over to hug me. “Night, Mom. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You better not watch our show tonight without me.”
He laughs. “I won’t. Poppy and I are going to watch football.”
I kiss his cheek and say goodbye to my parents, hoping I can get a head start on Kyler. With his knee, it’ll take him an hour to walk with me. If I can run home before he gets to the door, I’ll be okay. I walk out onto the front porch, but before I can get to the steps, his voice calls out behind me.
“Were you trying to leave me?”
“Of course not,” I reply sarcastically, turning around to face him. “I was just getting some fresh air.” I turn so quickly it throws me off balance—damn wine. I’m about to fall down the stairs until Kyler rushes over, grabbing me around the waist to steady me. My breaths come out in rapid pants as I hold onto him, my heart beating out of control. I’m never out of control, but yet, I drank too much, and here I am, making a fool out of myself. I push Kyler away and stand up straight. “I’m fine.”
Kyler holds up his hands. “I see that. Although I did just save you from faceplanting on the concrete.” My cheeks burn from embarrassment. I do feel like an idiot.
With a heavy sigh, I slowly take each step one at a time. The cold air feels good against my heated skin. I glance over my shoulder at Kyler to see if he needs help getting down the stairs. Much to my surprise, he marches down them perfectly. No limp or any indication he’s in pain.
I peer down at his knee and then back up to his face. “How did your knee miraculously get better?”
His mischievous grin says it all. “I might’ve exaggerated it a little bit to get your attention. Now at the race, I did hear something pop, but it happens all the time. I never fully got better after hurting my knee in college.”
“Should I be flattered?” I ask blandly.
His smile slightly fades. “Come on, Maeve. I’m trying to be your friend, but you’re making it difficult.”
“You didn’t try in high school. What makes now any different?”
“Are you seriously going to hold that over my head? We graduated almost twenty years ago.”
He has a point. I’m not even the same girl I was twenty years ago. “You’re right,” I say, turning away from him. I start toward my house, and he walks beside me. “I shouldn’t hold it against you. I’m sorry. It’s just high school was miserable for me. I couldn’t wait to get away from here. And now, I’m back.”
“I’m sorry too, Maeve. If I could go back and change how I was, I would. There’s no excuse.” He gently takes my arm and stands in front of me. “And being back here isn’t so bad. You have your family, and your son looks thrilled.”
Honestly, that’s all that matters to me. “I do believe he is,” I agree.
Kyler holds out his hand. “Think we can start over? I’m Kyler. It’s nice to meet you.”
I look at his hand and then back to his face. “Fine.” I shake his hand. “I’m Maeve. It’s nice to meet you too.”
He nods toward my house. “Do you mind if I walk you home?”
“Sure. I am a little on the drunk side. The wine was exceptional, by the way. What made you pick the Chardonnay?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. I thought you might like it.”
I smile. “Good guess.”
His grin widens. “I finally got a smile out of you tonight. This makes me happy.”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Don’t get used to it. I’m blaming it on the wine.” We make it to my house, and he helps me up the front steps. Instead of going to the door, I walk over to the porch swing. I sit down, but he keeps his distance. I pat the spot beside me. “You can sit if you want. It feels too good out here to go inside.”
He bursts out laughing. “That’s the wine talking.” He sits beside me, and we rock slowly. I close my eyes and listen to the silence. There wasn’t such a thing when I lived in Baltimore. There was always something going on, causing the noise.
“So, what happened to you in college?” I say, opening my eyes so I can look at him. “I thought for sure you’d make it to the NFL.”
A sad smile spreads across his face. “So, did I. I had a full ride, but after I tore my ACL, I lost all hope.”
“Were you able to finish college?”
His jaw clenches, and he looks down at his hands. “No.”
In that one simple reply, I can feel the heaviness of it. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“It’s okay,” he answers. “It’s not a secret. Do you remember Tessa from high school?”
How could I forget? “She was your girlfriend.”
His eyes flash with anger. “We were together in college, but then after I tore my ACL, she wound up pregnant.” I was not expecting that, and he can tell by my expression. “Yeah, it shocked me too. I ended up quitting school and getting a job at the bank to support us. It turns out she had cheated on me, and the baby was the other guy’s.”
I slap a hand over my mouth. “Oh my God, that’s horrible. I can’t believe she did that to you.”
He sighs. “Me either. Last I heard, she’s still with him, and they have two other kids together.”
Shaking my head, I lean my back against the swing. “It’s craziness, I tell you. Then again, things happen for a reason.”
“True.” We rock back and forth on the swing a few more times. “What about you and your ex-husband? What happened there?” he asks, his voice curious.
I can see him staring at me through the corner of my eye, but I keep my focus straight ahead. “We grew apart. Ethan’s a pilot and works all the time. Logan and I never saw him. Eventually, it got to the point where I didn’t feel married anymore.”
“I’m sorry,” Kyler murmurs.
This time, I look over at him. “Ethan loved his job more than me. He calls Logan all the time and sends me money to take care of him, but it’s not the same. Logan doesn’t seem to mind, but I know he needs a father figure in his life. That’s why we moved back here.”
Kyler’s eyes slide down to my lips, but then he averts his gaze. “I don’t see how he does it. There’s no way I could leave a wife and child like that. Some idiots just don’t know what they got.”
This makes me smile. “Exactly. Maybe someone should’ve told Ethan and Tessa that.”
Kyler shrugs. “I’m not worried about it. My life is better now.”
“So is mine.”
We rock for a few more minutes, but then he plants his feet to stop the swing. “It’s getting late. I want to make sure you get inside where it’s warm before I leave.” He stands and holds out a hand, so I take it, and he helps me up. The tipsiness I had earlier is gone, and I’m more coherent. I remember everything he said to me. Kyler slowly lets my hand go and slides his hands into his jean pockets. “I’m probably pressing my luck right now, but will you be at the festival tomorrow?”
I nod. “I will be, but I’ll be on the clock.”
“What about afterward?
Think you might want to grab dinner with me?”
I look into Kyler’s hypnotic blue eyes, and the word slips out of my mouth. “Yes.”
He smiles and steps back. “Great. Honestly, I thought you’d say no.”
“I still might.” But then I wink. “Just kidding. I had a good time talking to you tonight. There’s no reason why we can’t be friends.”
His grin widens. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Now go inside, so I know you aren’t going to freeze to death out here.”
Chuckling, I unlock the front door and step inside, leaning against the door after I shut it. My heart races, and I blow out a breath. “What the hell am I doing?” Honestly, I don’t know, but it feels right. Talk about a change of heart.
6
Kyler
Being the manager of a multi-chain bank has its rewards. There are downfalls as well, but when your bank is number one in the state, one of the major sponsors of local and statewide events, and you have an excellent staff that doesn’t necessarily need you all day, you’re allowed to take a day off or two. Thankfully, it’s a short work week at the bank, and each of the branch managers and assistants are dutifully working to keep our operation as smooth as possible. Also, lucky for me, my office is right in Plymouth. It was one of the stipulations when I accepted the job—that I stay in my hometown. I wanted to be close to my parents and serve the community I grew up in. The Board of Directors agreed with the understanding that either my assistant or I travel to each event to make our presence known. The thing is, the tellers, managers, and our community rep team love doing these festivals and sign up for as many as they can each year.
After I make an appearance in the office, I find myself wandering around the festival. The event is set up in the park, with vendors, artisans, and food trucks along the outside, and the carnival is in the middle. For as long as I can remember, the Turkey Festival has been a part of Plymouth, and as an adult, I found it odd we’d celebrate Thanksgiving the way we do.
“Mr. Groff.” I turn at the sound of my name. Evelyn Pritchard is waving me toward her. “Mr. Groff, I don’t see your name on the pie-eating contest.”