by T. K. Rapp
“There are two things I know: one—you don’t get involved in other people’s business.”
“And two?” Millie asked with a raised brow.
“If you piss off your wife, you leave the kid with the best friend and take her anywhere she wants to go.”
Millie smiled lovingly at her husband and all appeared right in their little world. I didn’t envy their bubble. I’d always felt they married young, but who was I to stand in the way of their happiness? And it was clear they were happy.
I plucked Colton from Millie’s arms and started making faces and weird noises to entertain him while his parents chatted. They were speaking in hushed tones, so I knew they were talking about me.
“So tell me about this guy,” Nick pried, but I shook my head.
“Nothing to tell. He changed my tire and got my number. That’s it.”
“This was yesterday?”
“Yep.”
“I bet he calls on Monday,” he said with finality.
I turned to look at him and wanted to laugh at the confidence in his statement. While I was disappointed he hadn’t called the day I met him, what Nick suggested was almost insulting.
“Monday, huh?”
“Yeah. Three-day rule. If he calls today, he’s too eager. If he waits longer than three days, he’s a player. My guess, he’ll call on Monday. That way he looks busy, but not too busy. And interested, but not too interested.”
I looked from Millie to Nick and back. “Is he serious?”
“Everyone knows the three-day rule, Dani.”
“Clearly,” I said, pointing to myself, “I must have been sick the day they handed out the memo.”
“If I’m right, you owe me a kid-free night so I can be with my wife,” Nick said, smirking at Millie.
“And if you’re wrong?”
“I won’t be wrong,” he said.
I looked down at Colton, who was mesmerized by the necklace I was wearing, and kissed his chubby little cheeks. When I looked at my friends, they were exchanging looks that I’d rather they kept to themselves.
“Ew. Go. Now.” I waved toward the door, shielding Colton’s eyes. “Go out and get that out of your system. This poor kid doesn’t need to see that.”
“Are you serious?” Millie asked, standing up hesitantly. “Because I will so take you up on the offer.”
“Go. Colton and I have an exciting night of cartoons and sleeping planned.”
Nick grabbed Millie’s hand and pulled her behind him, waving as they left.
“You’re the best, Dani,” he said. “We won’t be long.”
“No worries. I have the better end of the deal,” I teased.
I heard the door shut and I was alone with Colton, who seemed utterly content in my arms. I was swaying from side to side while he continued to grab whatever was catching his attention at the moment.
“Three-day rule, my ass,” I muttered and Colton made a weird noise. I looked down at him and kissed his head. “You’re not going to grow up to be a jerk like all the other guys, are you?”
His response was to drool, spit, and laugh.
“Typical,” I laughed.
C h a p t e r 3
D A N I
My evening with Colton was uneventful…and that was a good thing. Millie was always going on about the lack of sleep she was getting, and how he constantly wanted to be held. That wasn’t the case for me. He had a bottle and was asleep by nine, leaving me to channel surf until my eyes could no longer remain open.
I was certain that the issue wasn’t Colton, but Millie. Something told me she probably kept waking him up to snuggle and kiss him all night. But who could blame her?
By the time she and Nick got home, I’d already tucked myself away in the guest bedroom, but not before checking my phone. I couldn’t tell if I was disappointed or grateful that Tabor hadn’t called.
Since I hadn’t made it to Mom and Dad’s the night before for the obligatory family dinner, I decided to make a surprise appearance after I left Millie’s. Sundays in the Miner home were always reserved for church and family, so I knew they’d be happy to see me.
At least that’s what I thought.
“What are you doing here?” Mom asked, giving me a quick hug when I opened the front door. “I’m heading to the mall, want to come with?”
I shuddered at the thought and shook my head. “Not even a little.”
“Just like your dad,” she scowled playfully.
“Is he here?”
“He’s inside debating on whether or not he’s going to get to the yard work. Head on in. Wanna stay for dinner?”
“We’ll see,” I answered. “Have fun in hell.”
Mom swatted at my arm playfully and walked past, shutting the door behind me.
“Dad,” I called out.
“Kitchen,” he hollered in response.
I laughed when I saw him standing at the back door, his arms crossed as he stared at the yard. I figured maybe he was snacking on something, watching TV, but there he was simply observing.
“What’s the verdict, Dad?”
“I think the lawn can wait,” he chuckled, walking over and hugging me. “What brings you by?”
“Felt bad that I couldn’t make it Friday night. Car troubles,” I admitted.
“What’s wrong with the Bel Air?”
“I got a flat tire when I got off work,” I recalled, embarrassed.
“Good thing I taught you how to change a flat,” he said, but his proud smile faded when he looked at me. “Right?”
“Yeah, not really,” I scoffed. “Changing a flat on your own is great…if you can get the lug nuts off.”
“You’re joking.”
“I wish. Nope, I was sweating like a pig, covered in grease, and this guy pulls over to help me fix it.”
“You didn’t let him help, did you?”
“What choice did I have?”
“Danielle, that’s dangerous. What were you thinking?” Dad scolded. “You should have called me.”
“I was about to, but then this guy swooped in and saved the day.”
“Don’t do that again,” he warned. “I don’t want to see my daughters’ faces appearing on the news—missing—because they were caught off guard.”
“Got it,” I answered, and didn’t say another word about the stranger. Or that I had given him my phone number. That would have gone over about as well as the time I told them I was moving out. Not. Well.
Before he could say anything else, we heard the front door open and I looked back to see whom it was.
“Tessa?” Dad shouted.
“Not going to the mall,” she answered.
I looked at Dad and laughed. “How’d you make that happen?”
Mom going to the mall spelled trouble for Dad. She was notorious for going to the store for one thing and coming back with armfuls of junk.
“Make what happen?” Mom repeated.
“Why are you back?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Can’t I decide I want to see my daughter?” she smiled and hugged me.
“You could…but it’s not true,” I snarked. “So what’s really going on?”
“Mimi!” the familiar shouts of little Cleo echoed throughout the house. Her footsteps pounded clumsily on the wood floor with my sister, Grace, trailing behind her. Grace smiled down at her daughter, who was in the middle of enjoying hearing her own voice.
“What about me?” I asked, scooping the blond-haired cutie when she tried to run past me. “Where’s Aunt Dani’s hug?”
Cleo looked at me with shock-filled eyes and I set her on the ground where she began looking around. Her palms were facing up while she walked around pretending not to see me. It was our game and she loved it.
“AuDani! AuDani hug! Whereyougo?”
Mom started laughing and Cleo kept up the charade.
“Where is it, Cleo?” I asked again.
“I no-no,” she said with a silly smile.
“Is it…over there?” I asked, pointing to the pantry door.
Cleo ran over and tried to open the door, but turned and shook her head when she didn’t get it opened.
“What about over there?” I asked, pointing to the couch, but she didn’t budge. “Is it,” I looked around and saw Cleo’s face lit with the cutest smile, “here?”
I squatted down and opened my arms where my precious niece ran into them and wrapped her chubby little arms around my neck. She placed a sloppy, wet kiss on my cheek and I set her back on her feet.
“She loves her Aunt Dani,” Grace said, giving me a hug as Cleo ran between my parents.
“Who wouldn’t love me?” I joked. “I’m amazing!”
Mom hoisted Cleo in her arms and walked off with Dad to let her play outside. When Grace and I were kids, they were always shoving us outside to run around in the yard and stay there until the sun went down. Unfortunately, where Grace lives there is very little yard to play in, so our parents make sure Cleo gets the full Mimi and Papi experience.
“Millie told me that Nick ran into Philip the other night,” I said when our parents were gone.
“Don’t even think of getting back with that one,” she warned. “I never liked that guy.”
“I know. Trust me, no plans there. I’m so much better off without him.”
“Agreed. We need to find you someone who’s not so controlling. I don’t know what it was about him, but Philip gave me the creeps,” she admitted.
Philip and I had ended dramatically—dramatic in that when I told him it was over I did it outside, in the rain, on the sidewalk in front of a popular restaurant. He was always so worried about appearances and I’d had enough. I hailed a cab and jumped in, but not before he grabbed me by my upper arm and I swear there was steam coming out of his ears.
“We’ll finish this when we get back to my apartment,” he seethed and then pushed me into the back seat.
Luckily, someone saw and pulled him away from the car, giving me time to slam the door shut and yell at the cab driver to leave. Of course Philip wasn’t one to let things go, so he called my place a few times and then took to calling Grace.
“You know, you never said anything to me about not liking like him, but I guess I always knew,” I told my sister.
We were close in so many ways, but it was always hard for me to someone when I was defeated. Especially when that someone was my sister, who I admired. And Philip had defeated me… For nearly six months, I was a mess. His verbal abuse was bad, but apparently not bad enough for me to leave. Fortunately, that changed when the physical abuse started. Therapy was the only thing that had seemed to help me get my life back.
“You seemed happy and it just wasn’t my place to say anything,” she admitted. “But I was damn glad to hear it was over.”
“Yeah, well, tell Millie that. She was pushing for a Dani-Philip reunion. Hard. Trying to sell me on a happily-ever-after because it’s worked out so well for her. But that’s not what I’m looking for right now. I wish she could understand that.”
“She just wants you to be happy.”
“Millie acts as if I don’t go out, but there’s been a few dates. Let me tell you, Gracie, you are lucky. It’s scary out there. Dating…no thank you. And then there’s the whole apps thing to meet people,” I said with a shudder.
“Apps?”
“Yeah, like dating websites.” My mouth puckered. “I don’t think so. What happened to meeting some nice guy by chance where it isn’t so orchestrated? I want that old-fashioned lightning bolt, ya know?”
“It’s not as hard as you think—just stop being so picky.” She smirked.
“I’m not picky!” I defended. “Just because I prefer a guy who has a job, opens doors, treats his momma right, and you know—worships the ground I walk on doesn’t mean I’m picky. Not all of us find the one right away.”
“Trevor’s a pretty good judge of character,” she gushed about her husband. “Maybe he could set you up.”
“No, thank you,” I laughed. “No more setups.”
“No more? When have you gone out on a blind date?”
The back door opened and Cleo ran through, jumping into her mom’s arms.
“It was just one, but enough for me to swear off going on one ever again.”
“What are we swearing off this week?” Dad asked. “Beef? Corporate America? Wine? Just, for the love of God, don’t say beer! Tell me where to sign and how long we’re boycotting.”
Mom wrapped an arm around Dad’s waist and rubbed his small beer belly. “I think it’s beer.”
“This isn’t from beer,” he bellowed. “This is from stress-eating because of all the estrogen in this house.”
“Considering that I’m the only bit of estrogen left in this house on a daily basis, care to elaborate?” she challenged.
Dad’s eyes shot up and he looked over at Grace and me for help, but I took a step back to avoid the fallout. Grace started laughing and I joined in.
“I didn’t mean anything. You know I was kidding,” he backpedaled. “Did I tell you how pretty you look today?
“Pretty enough to take to the mall?” she asked, making me laugh a little harder.
Dad hung his head in defeat and started to walk out of the room. “I’ll go get my shoes,” he muttered with his head hung low.
“What are you two laughing about?” Mom asked, pointing between the two of us with a smirk on her face.
“You totally played him,” I answered. “Well done, Mom.”
“Hey, you don’t stay married to a man for almost thirty years without learning a trick or two.” She smiled.
Mom and Dad had the easiest relationship I’d ever seen. I’m sure it was tougher than they made it look, but they never had to pretend how much they loved each other. When they thought no one was looking, they’d blow kisses or grab each other’s butts or some otherwise randomly embarrassing gesture. It was cute. Grace and I were always in awe.
“Mimi. Hungwee,” Cleo said as Grace set her down. “Canny?”
“No, you can’t have candy, Cleo,” Grace warned. “You already had a piece.”
“Pweese?” she asked, her little lip poking out sadly.
“No, ma’am,” Grace said sternly.
“But Mom,” Mom said to Grace, “she said pweese.”
My sister glared at our mother before breaking. She could never say no to Cleo, and add Mom to the mix and it was game over. Someday that would bite her in the ass, but not yet.
“Fine,” she conceded. “Just one, Cleo. I mean it.”
“Yah, ma’am,” Cleo answered, skipping off holding our mom’s hand.
“You realize you were played, right? Cleo played both of you,” I muttered under my breath.
“Yeah. I know,” she answered in monotone.
I glanced at my watch and decided it was time to go. My date with the recorded television show and a bottle of wine would not wait. Okay, so it could wait, but I wanted climb into my yoga pants and oversized T-shirt and make myself comfortable for the rest of the night.
“Hey guys,” I called out. “I’m gonna head home. Lots to do.”
“Already?” Mom asked, wrapping me into a hug. “I barely got to see you.”
“I know, and I’m sorry I missed dinner. But I’ll be here next week. I promise.”
“Okay, well be careful,” she said, hugging me once more and kissing my cheek.
“I will. Gracie,” I hollered, looking for my sister. “I’ll see you Tuesday. Right?”
“Yeah. See you then.”
“What’s Tuesday?” Mom asked.
“I told her I’d go over and hang out. I was so busy during the school year that I didn’t get over there much. She wants to show me how she’s going to redecorate Cleo’s room.”
“Oh, it’s adorable,” Mom gushed. “You’re going to love it.”
Dad emerged and walked over to give me a hug before I left. I kissed his cheek and laughed at his mall-induced misery. “S
orry, Dad. You’re on your own… All I can say is, better you than me.”
“Help. Me,” he mouthed dramatically, making me laugh.
C h a p t e r 4
D A N I
The school year officially ended for my students, but I still had to wrap up a few things and it would take a couple of trips to the school to complete. I wasn’t in a rush to get anything done because I still had to figure out how to come up with the funding needed to continue River’s Kids.
I sat down at my kitchen table and rifled through the pages of information I had amassed when I initially started the program. I was enthusiastic and idealistic when I got the ball rolling last year, but finding volunteers and donations had proved difficult. Still, I’d continued because I believed in the program and what it could do for the kids.
Watching their eyes light up when they walked in the first day it opened had warmed my heart, and I knew I had done the right thing. All the hours of work and pleading for help to get it off the ground had been worth the effort.
I closed the binder and sighed heavily as I rested my chin on my hands. “This sucks,” I groaned.
Many of my students depended on River’s Kids for activities and tutoring. Without it, they’d go home to empty houses where they were left to their own devices. Knowing I had the ability to do something is what drove me.
I grabbed my laptop and began doing a search on local foundations that might be willing to help out in some way. Mom always reminded me that it never hurt to ask, and she was right.
There were several Fortune 500 companies headquartered in San Diego, so I jotted a few names down and continued to look for others. It was going to be a long day, but I planned on speaking to the principal when I went to work; maybe he’d have some suggestions.
Just as I was about to call Millie to see if she had any ideas, my phone rang in my hand. I looked down and it was another unknown number.
I rolled my eyes and answered it gruffly, allowing my irritation to show.
I hate telemarketers.
“Da-Dani?” he questioned before clearing his throat. “Can I speak to Dani?”