by Holly Jacobs
“No. Seeing Ava was a good thing. I didn’t realize how much I missed her and Merrill. But between that and the fact that I have a reunion coming up...well, it’s brought everything to the surface. I guess that’s why my dreams are more frequent.”
“I know what you mean. I’ve been thinking about breaking into Sawyer’s house and I want...”
“I made a new tomato salad. You’ll have to guess what—” Maggie had come in the back door with a big bowl interrupting whatever Willow had been about to say. She paused and looked at the two of them. “Did I intrude on something?”
Audrey was about to say yes, but Willow said, “No, not a thing.”
Audrey couldn’t help but wonder if Willow had been about to tell her who else had broken into Sawyer’s.
“Hey, Maggie May, ask me about raptors. Did you know...”
She started sharing her newly acquired knowledge with Maggie. And kept it up through dinner until Clinton finally said, “How long are you going to continue educating us on birds?”
“I kinda like it,” Bea said.
Willow smiled at Bea and then looked at Clinton. “Seriously, do you realize how many conversations at this table have centered around things like dual flush toilets and GMOs and...” She paused. “Let’s just say that I have at least a week or two free passes on sharing bird facts.”
Audrey laughed and Maggie did, as well. “So, Willow, tell us...”
* * *
IT HAD BEEN a good evening. The kids were in their rooms. Bea was sleeping and Clinton was reading. Normally, Audrey would wonder what Willow was doing, but now she knew she was reading, too.
Audrey was sitting on the porch in front of the glow of her laptop, going through a teaching site that the lady from the school district had suggested. It made her realize how unprepared she was for this.
She’d never worked with high school kids before. But the kids she’d be working with were the kids who were taking the class because they were interested and motivated. Plus, at each school, she’d have some sort of teaching support.
A quick beep pulled her from her reading and fretting. A car pulled up out front and Sawyer got out.
“What are you doing up so late?” he asked as he walked toward her.
“I could ask you the same question,” she said, patting the glider seat, then closing her laptop and setting it on the table.
He sat down. “Poker at a buddy’s tonight. He lives a few blocks from you. I thought I should mention that so you didn’t think I was stalking you.”
Audrey laughed. “Did you win?”
“Let’s just say if we were playing for money, I might have trouble making the mortgage payment this month.”
“What do you play for?”
“Chocolate. The good news is, I’m not going to put on any weight this week.” He gave the glider a small push. “I was going to call tomorrow and check on you all. How’s Willow’s bird rescue going?”
“Well, she was a font of information about birds at dinner. Clinton called her out, but she seems to feel that birds make better table conversation than dual flush toilets and told him he just had to deal with it.”
“I’d probably have to agree with her.”
Audrey smiled. “She’ll continue to volunteer. She’s going on Wednesdays and Fridays with Austen. And she’s spending her own money that she’s earned to split the cost of gas with him.”
“She’s a good kid.”
Audrey realized how much she enjoyed this...just sitting on a glider and talking about her day, about the kids and having someone listen. She edged a little closer to Sawyer.
“She is a good kid,” she agreed as she casually rested her hand on his—making the connection she felt manifest in an innocent physical way. “I think she was going to open to me about breaking into your house.”
“I find that I forget about that for long periods of time. And that’s not like me. I was thinking about it and I realized that I’m someone who holds a grudge. That’s not a quality I’m proud of.” He paused. For a moment the only sound was the slight squeak of the glider and the evening insects.
“When Willow first came to the house,” Sawyer said, “I saw a thief. Now, I see so much more than that one mistake. I see a hard worker. I see someone with a sense of humor. I see someone with a sense of fairness. I see her family...all of you. She might not have been here long, but you’re already a part of her.”
“I’m glad you see the same thing I do. I like to think that people can make mistakes and come back from them.”
Audrey thought about herself. About that night and the accident. It didn’t matter what anyone said, she knew she and her friends all felt responsible for a woman’s death. That one night had stood between her and her closest friends ever since. It had also influenced Audrey’s decisions and changed the course of her life.
“I like to think that something good can come from something bad,” she finished. “I’d have to agree with that. If Willow hadn’t broken into my house, she wouldn’t have found you. And you wouldn’t have convinced her that balancing her karma mattered. And if she’d never shown up—repeatedly—on my doorstep I’d never have met you.” He pulled her into his arms. “And, Audrey, I’m very, very glad I met you.”
“I’m glad I met you, too.” This. This was what she’d always wanted. She’d dated men who’d tried to impress her. But all she really wanted was someone who’d be there at the end of the day and sit with her, listen to her and talk to her in return. Someone who’d hold her.
“And I’m glad I met the kids, too,” he added. “I’ve never had a lot to do with kids, but I like yours.”
“They like you, too.”
“So, how about we go out on that real date. I mean, we’ll go to a nice restaurant, have some dinner, maybe a glass or two of wine.”
“I was thinking that this was enough. Just sitting and talking to you, being held by you. This is what I always imagined a relationship would be.” She recognized the meaning of what she’d said and tried to back away, “Not that I’m saying we have a relationship...” Although she didn’t know what other word would more accurately describe their situation.
“Shh. I think relationship is accurate. Just what will grow out of it I don’t know, and you don’t. We don’t have to. For now, we’ll take it one day at a time and see where it leads.” Before she could say anything, he added, “And we’ll always be careful of the kids.”
“I feel like I’m standing at the edge of an old map, with a giant ocean in front of me. Unsure of what’s out there. People have always been afraid of the unknown.”
“Sometimes you just have to face those fears. So you’ll go out with me on a real date?” he pressed.
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
“Good. Friday nights are traditional date nights,” he said. “If you can make that happen, I could pick you up at six.”
“I can make that happen, and six is fine.”
He leaned toward her. Audrey knew he was going to kiss her and she met him halfway.
She wasn’t sure how long they’d known each other, but it felt like forever. As if however long they’d known each other wasn’t enough. His lips on hers felt right.
Here she was...stepping off the edge of the map and trusting that she would fine. Trusting that maybe she could find something lasting in these uncharted waters.
CHAPTER TEN
THE DATE WAS a smashing success.
Audrey imagined it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for most people. They went out to dinner and then took a walk. Sawyer offered to take her to a movie, or something very date-ish like that, but if she was taking time away from the kids, she didn’t want to spend it in front of a screen. She wanted to spend it with him. With Sawyer.
He’d come over for dinner on Sa
turday. They’d ordered pizza and then he’d taught them all to play blackjack.
She’d argued that blackjack wasn’t really the best game for kids, but he argued it was a great game because it taught strategy and math skills.
She’d been outvoted, but she didn’t mind. Watching Sawyer and the kids join forces was a delight.
As they’d played, she’d wondered why she’d ever been nervous about Sawyer and the kids getting close. So when he invited them over to swim on Sunday, she hadn’t hesitated to say yes.
Later that evening, he’d texted her a simple Good night.
She went to sleep and dreamed...but her dream was a jumbled, happy one with Sawyer and the kids in it, and Ava and Merrill.
She didn’t see him on Monday other than a quick hello as she picked up Willow, but on Tuesday they met for lunch. And they talked on the phone both days.
On Wednesday around noon, Audrey pulled into the drive and picked up the flowers on the seat next to her. She walked across the lawn to Maggie’s. Her neighbor greeted her at the door. “Audrey, Sawyer sent you flowers? That’s lovely. Really lovely. I’m afraid that these days most men don’t understand how much a woman likes little gestures like that. Daisies and yellow roses. My favorites,” she said. “Now, run home and put them in water and I’ll make you a quick lunch. You can stay that long, right?”
“Maggie, I had a meeting, then was sent here on an errand.”
“An errand?”
She handed Maggie May the bouquet. “Read the card.”
Maggie May took the card and opened it. Her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink. “Well, then. Why don’t you come in and I’ll put these in water before I make you something to eat.”
“You don’t have to feed me.”
“I know. But I enjoy it. And I imagine Abe is back in his cubby hole, not thinking about lunch for himself.”
Audrey nodded. “Probably.”
“Then I’ll make him a sandwich and send it with you.”
Audrey followed Maggie into her house and back to the kitchen, which didn’t look as if anything had been changed since the house was built.
“Audrey, you’re home early,” Bea said. “Maybe we can go to the peninsula? I...”
She interrupted before Bea had planned her entire afternoon and was disappointed. “I’m here for lunch. And to make a delivery.” She nodded toward Maggie and the flowers.
“Someone sent you flowers, Maggie May?” Bea asked.
Maggie nodded. “They did. Wasn’t that nice and chivalrous?”
“I don’t know what that is,” Bea said as she sat next to Audrey.
Audrey noticed that Bea’s shorts seemed...well, short. She was shooting up this summer.
“It’s a word you use to describe a man who’s a gentleman.” Maggie pulled a vase out of the cupboard.
“So, who’s chivalrous?” Bea asked.
Maggie busied herself putting the arrangement in the vase, and didn’t appear to be in a hurry to answer, so Audrey supplied, “Mr. Lebowitz.”
“Oh,” Bea said. “Ohh. Maggie May’s got a boyfriend.”
Maggie’s cheeks were no longer simply pink, they were bright, flaming red. “I do not. Abe is just a friend. We’ve gone out to dinner a few times and he sent the flowers to thank me for a nice time.”
“That’s a boyfriend,” Bea maintained stubbornly.
“No, that’s simply two people who are of a similar age and have similar tastes, young lady. People who’ve discovered they enjoy each other’s company.”
Bea laughed. “A boyfriend.”
“He’s Audrey’s boss. We went out a few times, casual like. Just two people of a similar age getting together. But I won’t date him because if something happened between us, it would be awkward for Audrey.”
“Awkweird,” Bea said, still laughing.
Audrey put her hand on Bea’s knee and gave it a gentle pat, then shook her head, indicating she should stop teasing. “Maggie, I’m a big girl. I can handle a little awkweirdness.” She turned to Bea. “Why don’t you go see what Clinton’s up to?”
Bea laughed and left.
“Sorry about Bea. I meant what I said—I’m a big girl.”
Maggie smiled. “You love Abe and you love your job. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of that.” She reached out and gently touched Audrey’s cheek. “You deserve all the happiness in the world. You deserve a happy family.”
Audrey started to protest, but Maggie shushed her. “That’s what he is. That’s what I am. You’ve gathered people to you and built a family. I would never, ever risk rocking that.”
“Maggie, I’m pretty sure that if you two dated and discovered it didn’t work out, we’d manage. I mean, we’d just have to pretend I’m a child of divorce. We’d split the holidays.”
She leaned forward and kissed Maggie’s cheek. “I would never want to stand in the way of something that could be wonderful. Call him and thank him for the flowers, then ask him out on a date.”
“Me ask him?” The idea seemed foreign to Maggie.
Audrey laughed. “It’s a new millennium, Maggie May. You can ask him out. I suspect he’d enjoy that.”
“And you’re sure...”
“Positive.” Audrey was happy. So unbelievably happy. She simply wanted the rest of the world to be that happy, too.
“You know what? I will ask him. The kids had antipasto for lunch. It’s in the fridge. I’m going to go make that phone call.”
Bea came back in the room and said, “Maggie and Mr. Lebowitz, sitting in a tree.”
“Hush,” Audrey said, though she was smiling. She had to admit, she liked the idea of them together. “Let’s give Maggie May and Mr. Lebowitz a break. No teasing. They’re too new.”
“How come you call Maggie May Maggie May or just Maggie, but you call Mr. Lebowitz Mr. Lebowitz and not Abe?” Bea asked.
“Because Mr. Lebowitz is my boss and it’s a mark of respect.” But as she said the words she knew he was more than that. He was a mentor, a teacher, a boss, a friend...family.
“You don’t respect Maggie May?” Bea pressed.
“No. I mean, yes, I respect her. I call her by her first name because that’s who she is. Maggie. Or Maggie May. I don’t have any better explanation than that.” She hoped Bea was done with questions. She busied herself getting a bowl of the antipasto and a glass of iced tea.
Bea sat and quietly watched her. “What if Mr. Lebowitz marries Maggie May? Then he’ll be family and you’ll have to call him Abe, too.”
Audrey speared a big bite of the salad, not so much because she was hungry but because she wanted to slow down Bea’s questions.
When she’d finished she said, “If they did get married, we’d cross that bridge then. In the meantime, let’s not talk about marriage to Maggie May or Mr. Lebowitz. It’s definitely too early for that.”
“And for teasing,” Bea said.
Audrey breathed a sigh of relief. “Right.”
Audrey took a long sip of Maggie’s suntea.
“Can I talk about you and Sawyer getting married?” Bea asked innocently.
Audrey inelegantly snorted the tea through her nose. “Me and Sawyer? Married?”
“Yeah. You call him Sawyer, so he must be family, and you like him, so you’ll probably marry him, right? I mean, that’s what grown-ups do when they like each other.”
The question sounded like something a ten-year-old might innocently ask. But there was a gleam in Bea’s eye that revealed the question wasn’t all that innocent. Something about Sawyer was bothering her.
“Bea, I...” She stopped, thought about it a minute, then asked, “Why are you worried about me and Sawyer?”
“’Cause you like him. And if you like him, you might marry him, then
we’d all live together. I just want to know if he likes kids? I was at a house once before Clinton with a real nice lady, but her husband hated kids. He yelled at us all the time. But I moved to a new house and they didn’t holler, and I found Clinton there, and he took care of me. But then he left and I was all alone.”
“Clinton’s not going anywhere.”
“Yeah, he is. Him and Willow will go away to school in a couple years and leave me here. Then if you marry Sawyer and he hates kids, I’d be the only one left.”
“Does Sawyer yell at you?” Audrey asked.
“No. Not so far. He plays games in the pool and he’s nice to Willow, even if she robbed him. He seems nice, but what if he’s faking, just to get you to like him?”
“Do you think that’s the case? That he’s just faking us all out?”
There was no gleam in Bea’s eye this time, but she sighed and the sound gave evidence of her old soul. “No. But I worry.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry. If Sawyer started being mean to you, you’d tell me and I’d leave him.”
“Really?”
“In a heartbeat. You’re mine, so if someone’s mean to you, they’re being mean to me, and I’m not the kind of person who stays around when someone’s mean. But I don’t think Sawyer’s faking it.”
Bea smiled then, back to being just a ten-year-old again. “Me, either.”
Crisis averted. Audrey finished her lunch.
“Did you know Sawyer’s got a friend who’s helping Willow in science?” Bea asked.
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah. He emails her science stuff. I looked at it, but I didn’t understand it.” Bea nodded so hard that her braid audibly thwapped her back. “And Sawyer’s emailing her math stuff. So Willow’s doing homework even though it’s summer vacation and she don’t have to.”
“Do you know why?” Audrey felt a little guilty for asking, but not so guilty that she didn’t ask.
“Sawyer found out that Willow does okay at science and math, but she’s in the regular classes. She wants to move up to the smart classes and do the best so she can go to school and be an environmental engineer. So she needs help. So Sawyer called his friend, a science teacher named Lucas. They’re both emailing her stuff.” Bea shook her head. “Extra schoolwork during the summer.”