~ ~ ~
Dan phoned Kate shortly after nine that night. “How’s your week going?”
Kate thought about her disastrous meeting with Reid and Dave Thorpe’s proposal for them to work together on the fundraiser. “Could be worse,” she said with a laugh.
He laughed too. “Glad you have a sense of humor, whatever’s going on. Anyway, I’ll be out of town the next two days. What does your weekend look like? Are you available Friday evening? My brother, Doug, and his family are coming to visit my parents for the weekend. Doug’s son, Oliver, is joining us for our Colorado trip. I want Ethan and Oliver to spend time together.”
He was including her in his family’s happenings. Kate’s feelings ran the gamut from pleased to cautious. “That sounds okay. What time will you leave?”
“I know this is early for you, but can you be ready by six Friday? It’s casual. Don’t bother dressing up.”
“Okay, I’ll dispense with fussing,” she declared.
“Oh, by the way, Ethan will be staying with my parents Friday night. Why don’t you bring an overnight bag along? That way we’ll be able to swim later on and you can stay the night. Don’t worry, I’ll get you home in time to prepare for your class on Saturday. I can be your assistant that afternoon, too.”
Kate inhaled sharply. She wasn’t worried about getting home early on Saturday. Sleeping at his home would take their relationship to a whole new plane. Was she ready for this?
When she was silent for several moments, Dan said, “Have I shocked you? I didn’t mean to imply we’d share the same bedroom. You can have your own room, if you’d like.”
Feeling absurdly relieved, Kate replied, “Thanks for understanding. Maybe I’m extremely cautious about relationships since I really messed up last time. I do want to be with you but I’m hesitant to take that last step. Can you be patient?”
“Do I have a choice?” he said with a laugh. “Anyway, don’t sweat it. Whatever we do, I want you to be comfortable. We have plenty of time ahead of us and I won’t rush you into something you’ll regret. I want a wholehearted enthusiastic response when the time is right.”
After the call ended Kate pondered his words. What was holding her back? Was it her fear of other people’s opinions? Or was it her reluctance to get entangled in a serious relationship again? Keeping things on a platonic basis felt safe. She loved being with him and, deep inside, knew she wanted that final act of togetherness. But would there be a price to pay?
~ ~ ~
The week went by quickly. Since she had control over her afternoon exercise routines now, Kate had more time to prepare for her class Saturday afternoon and the presentation on Sunday at a large health food store in the area. She even had time for a long phone conversation with her mom one evening. Wondering if her mother would have a clue about her strained relationship with Stacy, Kate broached the subject.
“I’ve been trying to recall when Stacy and I started having problems,” she told her mother. “Every time we have a conversation, Stacy manages to insert something nasty. I think that’s why I’ve been avoiding family get-togethers. I honestly don’t know how to handle things with her.” She might as well be honest.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” her mother replied slowly. “I’m sure Stacy doesn’t mean some of the things she says. Maybe you take her too seriously. Sometimes we have to overlook faults in others, especially family members.”
It wasn’t the answer Kate was looking for but she had the distinct impression the conversation made her mother uncomfortable. Rather than continue it, she said, “Maybe you’re right. Anyway, I did enjoy seeing everyone on Sunday. Dad’s looking great and the kids are having fun playing together. Alison and Taylor didn’t tease Jacob at all. Did you notice that?”
Her mom brightened immediately. “Well, I promised them a special treat if they shared their toys and didn’t tease one another. Guess my strategy worked.”
“You’re the kindergarten teacher so you know how to handle them,” Kate replied. They chatted about other inconsequential things and then the call ended.
Afterward Kate sat for several long moments thinking about the dynamics in her family. Her mother wanted everyone to get along, no matter what, and that wasn’t going to change. Her father was busy with his business and tended to ignore tensions in the family. As far as Greg was concerned, everything was fine. If she wanted to alter anything, she’d have to do it on her own. A daunting task, especially since she didn’t know how to change her relationship with Stacy.
~ ~ ~
On Thursday night Kate packed an overnight bag to take with her when Dan picked her up Friday. She also printed out recipes for her Saturday class and the presentation on Sunday. She still needed to measure and store the ingredients for her class and the presentation. This was the difficult part. It was time-consuming and she couldn’t rush things. “I could use an assistant,” she mumbled to herself as she filled a measuring cup with nuts and poured the contents into a Ziploc. By the time she finished, it was after ten at night. Yawning, she refrigerated everything and headed for bed. Friday would be a long day with little alone time. Hopefully she’d be able to sleep in Saturday morning, unless Dan was an early riser. At this last thought she made an instant decision. Dan could get up whenever he wanted. She’d make it absolutely clear she wasn’t to be disturbed until at least nine.
~ ~ ~
“Daddy, are you ready yet?” Ethan ran inside Dan’s bedroom late Friday afternoon when he came home from school. “I wanna go now. Okay?” He hopped up and down, changing feet, until he reached Dan’s side.
“Give me a few minutes, pal.” Dan ruffled Ethan’s hair. “Why don’t you get out your new backpack? We need to take pajamas, polo shirts, underwear, socks, shorts, jeans, and a light jacket. Think you can handle that?” It would keep his son busy while he washed and changed into something casual.
Ethan ran out of Dan’s bedroom and down the long hall to his room. Dan drew a relieved breath. After two days of travel and constant meetings, he was ready to unwind. An image of Kate passed through his mind. He smiled, remembering their last conversation. He’d definitely shaken her up with his suggestion to stay overnight. At least she hadn’t given him an outright no. That was progress. She was beginning to trust him and that was the important thing. Difficult as it was, his strategy of letting her take the lead into intimacy was working. One thing he would insist on though was notifying her parents about the skiing trip to Colorado.
A few minutes before six on Friday evening, Kate heard a knock on her door. Dan was early but she was ready. She’d shortened her bicycle ride that afternoon so she wouldn’t have to rush.
“Hi Dan. And good to see you, Ethan,” she said when she opened the door. They were both dressed casually in jeans and polo shirts. Kate was glad she’d chosen something similar to wear.
“Can I see your glass house?” Ethan rushed in looking all around. “Daddy said you have a house where things grow. Can I see it? Maybe I can get one too.”
Letting out a tired sigh, Dan said, “Maybe we could show Ethan the greenhouse before we leave? Just for a moment. I told him about it and now he wants one. Which wouldn’t be a bad idea, except I’ve no time to start looking around for one.”
Kate sensed the stress Dan was under and wanted to relieve his tension. “No problem. I’ll take him out to see it and then we can leave.”
“Thanks, Kate. I’ll make a quick phone call while he’s busy.”
Taking Ethan’s hand, Kate said, “You can grow vegetables and flowers all year round in a greenhouse. Let’s see what I have growing now.” Together they walked outside.
“Oh, you have a swimming pool too,” Ethan cried, pulling at her hand. “Maybe I can swim in it later.”
“Maybe sometime you can,” Kate replied. “Now we’ll see what’s growing insid
e my greenhouse. But you have to move slowly inside,” she said softly. “Do you know why?”
“Why?”
Still speaking quietly, Kate said, “Because the walls are made of glass and they can break if you bump into them too hard. Also, plants like to hear quiet voices otherwise they can’t grow well. They don’t like shouting or loud noises.”
Ethan stopped short, his eyes rounded. “Can they hear people? I didn’t know that.”
She nodded with a serious air. “Of course they hear us and they like us to talk slowly and softly to them. They grow better that way. Can you do that?”
“I think so,” Ethan said looking a bit worried.
“Okay then. Let’s see what’s growing.” She opened the greenhouse door and tip-toed in with the child copying her movements.
Still talking softly, Kate said, “I put some seedlings into pots. Let’s see if they’ve grown taller.” She walked carefully over to one of the tables covered with several dozen pots. “Here they are. Can you tell what kind of vegetables they’re going to be?”
The boy stared at the array of pots. “I don’t see any vegetables. Just green things.”
Kate picked up one of the pots. “If you sniff it, I’ll bet you’ll know what vegetable it’ll grow up to be.” She put her nose next to the thin green stalks and took an exaggerated sniff. Then she brought the plant close to Ethan’s nose.
He sniffed the plant. “Oh, I know. It’s an onion.” He smiled up at her.
That smile resembled Dan’s, Kate thought. Ethan was a sweet little boy. He must miss his mother so much. Her heart opened to him. “You’re right. It’s a scallion, which is similar to an onion. You can chop it into small pieces and put it in a salad. It tastes really good.” She put the pot back carefully. Picking up another pot she said, “This is hard to identify. It’s also something to put into a salad. Can you guess?”
Ethan tried sniffing at the plant. “It tickles my nose,” he said laughing. “What is it?”
“Radishes,” she told him. “Probably white ones. I planted several kinds of radishes—white, red, and purple. Did you know they come in so many colors?”
He shook his head. “I don’t like radishes. They taste funny.”
“Mine taste sweet. I’ll bet you had the bitter kind. When they’re grown, I’ll let you try some.”
Ethan looked around the long table. “Is that a carrot?” He pointed to a feathery top.
“You’re right. It’s a baby now but soon it’ll be ready to eat. Would you like to grow vegetables? You father told me you grow flowers.”
“We put in seeds and now there’s marigolds,” Ethan’s expression was serious. “But you can’t eat them, Daddy told me.”
“He’s right. Some flowers are edible though.”
Just then Dan came through the greenhouse door. He stopped when he saw Kate and Ethan involved in a discussion. For a change his son wasn’t running around like a maniac. How did Kate manage that?
Turning around Ethan saw his Dad. “You have to be careful,” he told his father in a low voice. “The plants get scared if you talk loud. And you can’t run or you’ll get hurt.”
Listening to his son telling him to keep quiet was a new experience for Dan. “You’re right, Ethan,” he said in a low tone. “Thanks for warning me.” He walked slowly over to them.
Looking important, Ethan said, “That’s a scallion. It smells like an onion. And that’s a radish.” He pointed to another plant. “And this one’s a carrot. I want to grow vegetables too. Can I, Dad?”
If it would keep Ethan quiet and focused, it’d be worth its weight in gold, Dan thought. “I don’t see why not. We can ask Mr. Henley to put one up for us. He’ll know all about greenhouses.”
“Goodee,” Ethan cried. Then he put his hand over his mouth. “Sorry plants. I shouldn’t have yelled. Will they be angry at me?” He looked at the table of plants with an apologetic expression.
“You said you were sorry so I’m sure they’ll forgive you,” Kate whispered. Glancing at Dan, she said, “We probably have to leave now. If you want, I’ll give you my file on greenhouses so you can investigate. I used a local company. I think they’re as good as any.”
“Thanks Kate. I’d appreciate that.”
~ ~ ~
The drive to Dan’s parents’ home was a peaceful one. Kate brought along several books for children about growing vegetables. Ethan kept busy reading them and asking questions.
“I want to grow tomatoes,” he announced. “The little ones that look like cherries.”
“They’re called cherry tomatoes just because they look like cherries,” Kate said. “I love those. The big tomatoes are fun to grow too. When they’re ripe you can scoop out the insides and stuff them with other things, like rice or beans.”
“I like beans, the little ones, not the big ones,” he told Kate. “But I don’t like peas.” He made a face.
“I grow the tiny peas. I’ll bet you’ll love those,” she said. “In fact, I don’t bother cooking them. I just open the shell and eat them up. They taste like candy, they’re so sweet.”
“Really?” Ethan looked impressed. “Can I help pick them? Maybe I’ll eat them like that too.”
“I’ll bet you can grow them in your greenhouse once it’s set up. You have to wait until they’re ready to pick or else the peas will be too little. We can pick them together sometime,” Kate said.
“Yippee,” Ethan cried.
Dan listened to Kate and Ethan talk about growing vegetables and was struck by how carefully she explained things to his son. She wasn’t frazzled or put out by his questions. Instead she was able to give the boy positive feedback and incentives for gardening. He could tell Ethan enjoyed being with Kate. Who wouldn’t, he thought with an inward smile. Usually he was worn out by Ethan’s presence. But with Kate around he could relax and unwind from his busy life. For someone who didn’t have children of her own, she knew what was important to a child. Then again, she taught gardening and nutrition to children five days a week. That had to count for something.
“We’re here,” Ethan shouted as they turned onto the road leading to his grandparents’ home. “Can I take off my shoes and run on the beach? Can I, Daddy?”
“Let’s see when Nana’s serving dinner first,” Dan said. “Remember, your cousin Oliver’s here. He’ll want to see you before you run off.”
“Okay,” Ethan replied. “I forgot Oliver’s coming.” To Kate, he explained, “Oliver’s my big cousin. He’s in sixth grade now.”
Shortly after nine that night Dan and Kate left his parents’ home. “I figure we need some time on our own,” he said as they drove away.
“I felt comfortable with your family,” Kate said. “They made me feel very welcome. Your brother and his wife seem like a compatible couple.”
“Yeah, Doug’s lucky. He married Sophie right after college. I think she was his first serious girlfriend. My other brother, Derek, is still single, although he’s had some long-term relationships. My mother’s always trying to fix him up with one of her friend’s daughters. She invites someone just for him every time he comes home to visit.” Dan laughed thinking about his mom’s matchmaking attempts.
“I suppose parents like to see their children set in life, whether with a secure job or a partner,” Kate said. “At least my folks know enough not to try fixing me up with anyone. My divorce shattered their hopes for me. They’re just happy I have a job and can support myself. Now, my older brother’s different. He’s always encouraging me to date again. I think you’ll like him. The only drawback with Greg is that he’s still best friends with Jared.” She shook her head with a bemused expression. “How he can stand the guy is beyond me.”
Dan laughed at her last statement. “Your brother has an entirely different relationship with your ex-hu
sband than you did. I’m sure Jared doesn’t try to impress Greg the way he does when he sees you. Anyway, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself tonight. Can’t wait to get you into that warm pool.” He put his hand on her thigh and gave it a quick squeeze. “And thanks for keeping Ethan busy during the drive. It’s the first time I’ve been able to relax while driving anywhere with him.”
“Ethan’s a delightful child. He just needs outlets for all that wonderful energy. Gardening will make a big difference for him.”
Dan wasn’t sure gardening would solve his son’s problems. But if Kate thought so, maybe there was a chance. He’d keep his fingers crossed things worked out. Kate was becoming an important part of his life and he didn’t want anything, especially his son, to mess things up.
Radish, Carrot, and Scallion Salad
with Avocado
2 bunches radishes, washed and cut into quarters
2 scallions, sliced thin
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 avocado, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Sea salt to taste
Mix vegetables together and place in salad bowl. Combine dressing ingredients, and pour over vegetables and mix together until coated.
Chapter 15
Nearing Dan’s home, Kate decided to mention sleeping in on Saturday morning. “Dan, I don’t know if you’re an early riser or not, but I plan to sleep until at least nine.” She waited with some trepidation for his response.
Dan pulled to a stop in front of the three-car garage on his property. Turning to her with a serious air he said, “Is that so? What if I want to see the sunrise with you at the beach?”
The Sweet Touch Page 14