by Celya Bowers
“Very true. I’ll wait to hear from you.” She hopped onto the driver’s seat and closed her door, but let the window down. “Thank you for helping Kassie.”
“I think she’s helping me.” He stepped away from the SUV and waved them away. He watched until they were out of sight. After he made sure the office was locked and the alarm set, he walked the few steps to his house.
Now he had to come up with a dynamite date in just two days!
SEVEN
Jemma took a deep breath as she drove home. She was actually going on a date with a man. It had been so long since she’d been this anxious and it was only Thursday. She wondered what condition she’d be in by Saturday. A nervous one most likely.
“Mommy?”
Jemma didn’t think she’d ever get tired of hearing her daughter’s voice. “Yes, baby?”
“Dinner.”
She glanced in the rearview mirror and met her daughter’s gaze. She wondered how to broach the subject of Kyle and their date on Saturday night. She hoped it didn’t send Kassie backwards and she stop using the few words she was using.
“Mommy, tacos.” She pointed toward The Taco Barn, home of the best tacos and fajitas in Tarrant County. “Yummy.”
“You got it, baby.” Jemma turned into the busy parking lot and joined the line at the drive-in. Since moving to Mansfield they normally dined at the Mexican restaurant at least once a week. It was Kassie’s favorite.
“I like Mr. Kyle.”
“I’m glad, Kass.” Jemma smelled a rat.
“Movies?”
She was confused. He’d never mentioned where they were going. Had Kyle already discussed this with her daughter? She wasn’t sure how to start the conversation. She hated bringing up the subject of her father, especially since Kassie had been doing so well. “Honey, you know I love your father. Unfortunately, he’s no longer here. Mr. Kyle asked me to the movies. It doesn’t mean that I stop loving your father.”
“I know. Daddy is not here anymore. It’s okay.”
“What is?”
“That you’re going to the movies.”
“Thank you, Kassie. Aunt Janna and Uncle Damon and your cousins are coming over this weekend. So you can play with your cousins while I’m at the movies.”
The drive through line was moving pretty fast for a Thursday night. Soon she was giving her order of a taco salad, two bean burritos, and Sopapilla cheesecake.
Once they were back on the road again, Kassie started humming. Jemma had no idea of the bouncy tune, but was happy just the same. Her daughter was using her voice!
“I was beginning to wonder if you were coming for dinner,” his mother said as Kyle entered his childhood home. His parents were parked on the sofa in the living room of the two-story home. His father was reading a mystery novel and his mother was browsing through a magazine.
“Sorry, Mom.” He walked to his mother and kissed her on the cheek. “Kassie’s lesson runs a little long.” He sat across from his parents, avoiding his father’s penetrating gaze.
His father chuckled and closed his book. “I hear you were in the tack room with her mother for quite a while.”
He should have known somebody was rat him out. “Jemma was upset, so I was comforting her. Bruno was with Kassie.”
“I see,” his mother said in that voice. “How’s Kassie doing?”
“She’s doing great. She’s been speaking a little bit. A word here and there. Today was most she’s spoke. She went to the pen with Bruno.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. I’ll bet she’ll be Chatty Cathy in no time.” She rose from the couch. “Now that Kyle is here, we can eat.”
His father stood, grinning at Kyle. “Yes, you’ll have to tell us about that kiss over dinner. Your mother made pork chops just the way you like them.” His parents walked arm in arm into the dining room. His father took a seat while his mother went into the kitchen.
Kyle shook his head, not believing his luck. He hadn’t decided if it was good or bad. One indiscretion and everyone on the freaking ranch knew about it. He took a seat at the elaborate table set for three and place the napkin in his lap. This was his mother’s domain. She loved setting the table for meals and believed that they should eat dinner as a family. So no matter what, she left the office at four every day to prepare the meal. She loved to cook. Kyle only wished that he could cook as well as his mother.
His father took the opportunity to question him. “So what kind of comforting did Mrs. Patterson need?” His father took a sip of water, waiting for an answer.
“Kassie was showing her how to say hello to the horses. She got a little weepy and I didn’t want Kassie to see her mother crying. So I took her to the tack room. She broke down, Dad. I think it was more than just about Kassie talking.”
“It should provide great information for your book. Justin says cases like this are rare, but it’s happening more than it used to. I’m surprised she’s not on any medication. Most mothers would have been begging for meds.”
“Yeah, in most cases. Her sister is a doctor, and apparently Krista knows her.” He watched his mother walk in with a tray of fried pork chops. His favorite dish. After she placed the platter in the center of the table, she retreated to the kitchen. Kyle knew it was pointless volunteering to help. His mother would refuse. Always had and always will. His father speared a pork chop. “So when are you asking her out?”
“Is nothing sacred?” Kyle asked as he reached for a pork chop. He hadn’t eaten lunch, so he took another pork chop. He piled his plate with vegetables.
“I keep telling you to take a lunch break,” his father said, spearing a pork chop.
“I decided on a nap instead,” Kyle said. “I can always eat. Besides, I have to make sure I can eat all of Mom’s good cooking.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere. Now have you asked that nice woman out on a date?” His mother placed a pork chop on her plate with a dollop of mashed potatoes and broccoli. “You better hurry up and ask her out. Or you’ll be sorry.”
“I asked her tonight. I hadn’t meant to, but it kind of slipped. I had wanted to talk to her more.” Kyle took a bite of his meat. Delicious. “This is great, Mom.”
“What did she say? Was this before or after the kiss?”
His mother was like a dog with a bone. “It was after the kiss, Mom. It was just a kiss,” he lied. “She was hurting and I was trying to help.”
“By planting your lips on hers? Interesting solution,” she said.
He was getting deeper into the mess with each word. He should’ve just given up. “She said yes.”
“Wonderful!” His mother clapped her hands, reminding him of Kassie.
“Well, I have to come up with a good date idea. Any ideas?”
“That’s Krista’s department. I’d give her a call first thing in the morning for ideas. This is your first date in five years. Does your father need to have the talk with you?”
“So not funny. I’m 43. I think I got that covered. Besides, it just a first date.” He hoped there would be many more.
“Just be yourself,” his mother said.
“Easier said than done.”
“Oh, honey,” his mother said. “Just relax and you’ll do fine.” She looked at his father then cleared her throat. “There’s something we need to tell you.”
“What is it?” He feared his sixty-five year old father wasn’t well. “Are either of you sick?”
“No, not that drastic,” his mother said. “We’ve decided that it’s time to retire. We always wanted to travel, and now that you’re ready to take over, it’s time.”
He nodded. “Sure. What kind of trip do you guys have planned?”
“It’s a cruise. We’ll be gone about three months. We thought you could move here and we’ll take the manager’s cottage.”
“This place is way too big for me,” Kyle said. “I sold most of my furniture when I moved back here. Everyone can stay where they are for now.”
His mothe
r smiled. “All right, Kyle. For now.”
He knew he hadn’t won the battle, his mother gave in way too fast. Now he had to wait for her next trick.
***
Jemma stepped out of the shower when the phone rang. Probably her mother, she mused, hastily tying her bathrobe, and rushing for the phone. She didn’t want the noise to wake Kassie. She answered it before it rang again. “Hello,” she said.
“Hi, Jemma, it’s Kyle,” he said quietly. “I hope I didn’t disturb you.”
She wasn’t expecting his call. At least, not yet, she thought. “No, Kassie went to sleep almost an hour ago. Is something wrong?”
He chuckled. “No, I thought we could talk about our date. What would you like to do?”
“I hadn’t been on a date in a really long time. I’d met my husband in college, so it’s been almost twenty years.” She had no idea what people did on dates. “So whatever you decide will be fine.”
“I’m kinda in the same boat as you. I met my wife right after college, but before grad school. We married right after that.”
Okay, now she was curious. Grad school? “Which one?”
“UT.”
“You’re a Longhorn!” Jemma said.
“Guilty. I went there for my undergrad and grad degrees. I met Ava the summer I started my doctorate. We got married and stayed in Austin.”
“I love Austin,” Jemma said. “Me and my sister, Janna, go shopping in San Marcos at the outlet mall every few months.”
“I don’t think I’ve been there since my divorce was final. I miss it sometimes, not enough to return,” he said simply.
“Oh,” said Jemma. His divorce hadn’t seemed friendly. It sounded bloody awful, as her father said.
He must have read her silence as pity. “It wasn’t a horrible life, it just wasn’t for me. Our divorce was very welcomed on both sides.”
“I’m sorry.” Jemma couldn’t help apologizing. It sounded horrible, but at least they had the courage to end it when they weren’t happy.
“There’s no need to apologize. I had a successful practice, but it just wasn’t where I needed to be.”
“What made you change your mind?” Jemma leaned back against the pillows on her bed. Apparently this was going to be a long conversation. “What made you decide it was truly over?”
“The baby,” he said quietly.
“What?”
He sighed. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but here goes. About a month before our tenth anniversary, I had returned to the ranch to visit. Ava hated it here, so she seldom accompanied me. Anyway, I was walking through the stalls looking at the horses and I decided this was where I needed to be. I wasn’t happy in Austin, with Ava, I needed freedom. So when I returned home and started seriously thinking about it. I told Ava about it and she wasn’t surprised, then she dropped the real bomb. She was pregnant and it wasn’t mine.”
“Wow, this could have been on a talk show,” Jemma gasped. “I’m sorry, that was not nice.”
“You never have to apologize to me for being human.”
“So was it anyone you knew?” She hoped not.
“Yes. He was married to one of our good friends. They have since divorced as well. The last time I saw Ava, which was in divorce court, they were supposed to get married after she had the baby.”
“Oh,” Jemma said. “I met Jared in my advertising class my sophomore year. He was an accounting major,” she told him. “We dated for about six years, lived together for about two, then we got married. We were married for ten years before the accident.” She thought about all the time they’d had together. It still wasn’t long enough.
“Jemma, I didn’t mean to bring up memories. I know this is still pretty fresh to you, so we can talk about something else,” he said quietly.
“No, it’s okay. Sometimes, it’s good to talk about Jared. It’s helping me with closure. After he passed away, I just never had time to grieve. Kassie was my concern. Then the no-talking thing happened. It’s been a vicious cycle. I guess earlier in the barn the damn broke.”
“I understand. The human brain can only handle a certain amount of emotional stress. Losing your husband suddenly, your daughter’s mental state, all these things are like little bricks in your brain.”
His voice had taken on a clinical quality. Much like the psychologist she’d consulted about Kassie. “What was your former job?”
“I was a pediatric psychologist. I was connected to the Austin General Hospital.”
“Wow! That’s one of largest hospitals in the US. So you’re Dr. Cosgrove?”
“Not really. I haven’t practiced in five years, and I don’t plan on returning to the field in that capacity. I like to keep up with the changes, but I have my brother for that.”
“You have a brother?”
He laughed. “If I tell you everything tonight, what will we talk about on Saturday?”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Jemma said. “I just have one more question tonight.”
“Okay.”
“Why did you ask me out? I mean, I’m a 38 year-old stay-at-home mom with a troubled child.”
“I think you’re a beautiful woman who is totally dedicated to her child. You intrigue me.”
Honesty. “How? Am I the first black woman you’ve went out with?”
“No, I dated in college. Color is immaterial to me. Am I your first trip across the color line?”
“Yes and no.”
“Explain.”
“I think I’ll save that for Saturday. I’d really like to see the look on your face when I tell you.” She saw Kassie standing in her doorway. “I have to go. Call me with details.” She ended the call and went to her daughter.
She hugged Kassie. “What’s wrong, baby?” She felt her forehead and was surprised that it felt warm. Maybe she was coming down with something, she feared.
“Tummy hurt,” she whispered, leaning against her mother.
“Must have been that ice cream after those tacos,” she said to her daughter. “Why don’t you lie in my bed for a little while? The pain should go away soon.” She led her daughter to the bed and helped her under the covers. After she changed into her nightshirt, she slid under the covers next to Kassie.
Jemma thought she would have fallen asleep instantly, but sleep wouldn’t come. Her brain was on fast forward. Between the kiss, Kyle asking her out, Kyle’s late night call, and now a sick child, Jemma doubted she’d ever fall asleep that night.
EIGHT
This was supposed to be easy, Jemma reminded herself as she pulled on a pair of black slacks. Earlier that day, Janna, Damon and the kids, showed up as promised to babysit Kassie. They were overjoyed she was speaking, however limited.
Her parents were another story. If Jemma hadn’t had enough to worry about that day, her retired parents showed up on her doorstep a few hours ago, unannounced.
“We thought we’d keep Kassie company while you were on your date with the cowboy,” her mother said, when Jemma opened the front door. “Your father wanted to get out of the house. So we decided to come here.”
“Of course, Mom,” Jemma said. She kissed her mother on the cheek. “The more the merrier. Janna and Damon are watching TV. The kids are playing a video game upstairs.
Imogene Shelton looked her daughter up and down. “I hope this is not what you’re wearing.” She motioned at the red t-shirt and ripped blue jeans Jemma was wearing.
“No, Mom. We were running errands earlier. He’s not picking me for two hours, I still have time to change.”
Imogene nodded. “I’m going to go see Kassie. I can’t believe she’s started talking after all this time. I already like this man.” She headed upstairs without another word.
“Mom, just don’t pressure her into a conversation, okay?”
Her father chuckled as he kissed Jemma on the cheek. “You look beautiful, honey. I’m came to give this guy the once over. I’m happy that you’re giving another man a chance.”
“Thanks, Dad.” She hugged him. “What would I do without you?”
“Let’s not find out.”
“You got it.”
Now Jemma had been locked in her bedroom for the last hour. This should have been easy. This was her third outfit and still she wasn’t satisfied.
“Jem, are you dressed?” Janna called from the other side of the door. “You only have about thirty minutes before he gets here.”
“No, I’m not dressed.” She stomped to the door and let her sister inside. “I don’t know about this, Janna. Everything reminds me of the past.”
“Why don’t you wear that pink blouse? It would go great with what you have on. It’s sexy.” Her sister walked to the large walk-in closet. “It’s such a pretty, girly blouse.” She returned with the blouse in question.
“That thing is low cut. Why do you think I never wear it? Kyle will think that I’m a good time girl.”
Her sister handed her the blouse. “We can only hope.”
***
Kyle drove through Jemma’s quiet neighborhood, admiring everything about the secluded subdivision. He could easily understand why she lived there. All the houses were on oversized lots, and the lawns were manicured to the death, he realized.
He located Jemma’s house and noted the cars parked in front of it. None of them were hers. There was a red Tahoe and a black Ford Explorer. Maybe she had company? He parked his BMW behind the Explorer and cut the engine. He wiped his sweaty hands on his slacks. He was a nervous as a teenager. He should have had a drink before he left his house. His sister would have killed him.
He was thankful to Krista for planning the entire evening for him. They had reservations at the La Bella, an Italian restaurant in Arlington, then they were going to After Dark, a new dessert eatery in the heart of Mansfield.
“Come on, man. It’s a date, that’s all. No use getting crazy. Besides, it’s been five years,” he told himself. “It’s going to be all good.” He opened the door and slid out of the car.