by Cindy Kirk
Thankfully driving to Yellowstone and spending the day looking for grizzlies and their cubs had kept her mind occupied. She’d gotten some good buffalo and moose shots but it wasn’t until she was hiking back to the Jeep that she’d seen the bear and her two babies. July had been far enough away to be safe, but close enough to get some fabulous pictures. The lighting had been perfect. Since she’d been upwind, the animals hadn’t even known she was there.
Time had flown by. Though she’d gotten out of Yellowstone far later than she’d planned, July felt good about what she’d accomplished. The photos would finish up this assignment on a high note.
On her way out of the park, she tried to call Mary Karen to tell her she’d be late for supper, but the call wouldn’t go through. It didn’t surprise her. Cell reception in Yellowstone was notoriously unpredictable.
She finally reached Mary Karen when she passed through the south gate. Only when she heard Caleb in the background did she remember her promise to the twins. Mary Karen told her not to worry but July knew the boys had to be disappointed.
She thought about stopping to get them some candy to try to make up for missing the movie but by the time she pulled into Jackson it was Adam’s feeding time.
Parking the Jeep in the driveway, July grabbed her equipment and hurried inside. The minute she opened the door she heard Adam. His loud “I’m hungry” cry echoed throughout the house.
After quickly unloading her equipment on the foyer’s side table, July turned toward the kitchen and her hungry son. She’d only taken a couple of steps when Caleb appeared. The smile that normally lit the little boy’s face was nowhere to be found.
“You promised to take us to the movies,” he said, his blue eyes flashing.
For a second July was struck speechless. She’d assumed Mary Karen had told the boys why she was delayed. From the belligerent look on Caleb’s face that obviously hadn’t happened.
“I got stuck in the park taking pictures of a momma bear and her cubs.” July gestured to her camera. “Later, after I feed Adam, I can show you the photos of—”
“I don’t want to see your stupid pictures.” Caleb lifted his chin and took a step forward. “You promised to take us to the movies.”
The venom in his voice took her by surprise. July stumbled back as if she’d been struck.
He took another step. “You lied.”
Was it only her imagination or was the boy growing larger and more menacing with each step?
Tell him you’re sorry.
July opened her mouth. For a second nothing came out. But somehow the words made their way past her dry throat and she was able to shove them past her lips. “I’m sorry, Caleb. I promised and I should have been here.”
Her triumph at being able to apologize was short-lived.
“I hate you.” Caleb leaned forward, his hands now clenched into fists at his side. “I thought you were my friend but you’re just a big fat liar. I—”
“Enough.” David clamped a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
July stared in surprise. She hadn’t realized David was even in the house.
“But she—” Caleb protested.
“Not one more word.” David clenched his jaw and held on to his temper with two hands. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so disappointed in one of his nephews.
He’d been in the kitchen with Mary Karen, trying to soothe a very fussy Adam when he’d heard the front door open. He’d handed the baby to his sister and hurried from the kitchen to greet July. He’d only caught the last part of her conversation with Caleb. But he’d definitely heard enough.
While he understood the boy’s frustration—after all this had been the second time in less than a week that a movie had been promised but not delivered—there was no excuse for the way the boy had spoken to July.
David shot July a reassuring smile before turning his attention to Caleb. “Son, you need to apologize.”
“I won’t.” The boy squirmed beneath his firm hold. “Me an’ Connor wanted to go to the movies real bad. She cared more about her stupid bears than she did about us.”
A couple of tears slipped down July’s cheeks and David cursed the insensitivity of four-year-old boys. From the other room, the baby wailed. July’s anxious gaze slid in the direction of the kitchen.
“Why don’t you go feed Adam?” he said in a soft voice. “Caleb and I, well, we have a couple things to discuss.”
July didn’t argue. With a look of relief on her face, she rushed past him.
Once she was gone, David scooped his nephew up in his arms and took him into the living room where he placed him on his knee. “You and I need to have a talk, man-to-man.”
“What about?” the boy mumbled, his gaze focused on his shoes, his lip jutting out.
“Look at me, Caleb.” David waited until the boy’s eyes met his before continuing. “The way you talked to July was totally unacceptable. I know you’re upset, but she apologized. Would you like it if you said you were sorry and I talked to you that way?”
Caleb paused for a long moment then shook his head.
“Would you like it if I told you I hated you?”
“But she—”
“Would you like it if I said that to you?” David asked again, this time in a firm tone.
“No.”
“How do you think it made her feel?”
Caleb shrugged.
“I can tell it made her feel pretty bad. It’d make me feel awful if you said it to me.”
“But she—”
“There is no excuse for that kind of behavior,” David said.
“But—”
“No excuse,” David repeated. “Do we understand each other?”
Caleb hung his head and nodded.
David gave his nephew a hug. “You’re a good boy, Caleb. You have a very loving heart. I know you can do better.”
Unexpectedly, Caleb flung his arms around David’s neck and laid his head against his chest. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not me you need to apologize to,” he said softly.
Caleb shook his head and buried his face against David’s chest. “Can’t.”
David stroked his nephew’s hair. “A man does what needs to be done.”
He turned the boy around and put him on the floor then smiled encouragingly. “You can do it. I have faith in you.”
David followed Caleb to the kitchen where July sat at the table burping Adam.
Mary Karen opened her mouth but David shook his head in warning.
Like a prisoner approaching a guillotine, Caleb took a few steps toward July, stopping several feet from her. Pride rushed through David when the boy lifted his gaze and looked her in the eye. “I’m sorry I said those things. And I don’t hate you.”
For a second David feared July wasn’t going to respond to the boy’s overture. But then her lips lifted in a wobbly smile. “I forgive you, Caleb. Will you forgive me for forgetting about our movie date?”
David held his breath.
“I guess,” Caleb said finally. He looked back at his uncle. “Can I go now?”
“May I go now?” David gently corrected.
“May I go now?”
“Yes, you may.”
The words had barely left his lips when the boy raced from the room.
Mary Karen lifted a brow. “What was all that about?”
“Just another day in paradise.” David shook his head and chuckled. “One thing I can say about your household, dear sister; it’s never dull.”
Chapter Sixteen
After she finished feeding Adam, David suggested they put the baby in his new Snugli and take a walk downtown. July really wasn’t in the mood to go out. But it was almost the boys’ bedtime and with her and David out of the house, Mary Karen could help Granny with her speech without any interruptions.
Though the temperature was still mild by Jackson standards, July made sure Adam was bundled up and grabbed a coat for herself. They walked in sile
nce for a block until July brought up the subject still weighing on her mind.
“I hated that you had to get in the middle of that thing with Caleb,” she said. “I’m an adult and a mother. I should have been able to handle a disgruntled preschooler.”
“You did fine.” David reached over and took her hand. “But I was glad I was there.”
“Why?”
“Caleb is smart but strong-willed,” he said. “Mary Karen does a great job with him. But sometimes a boy needs a father figure to reinforce what she’s already taught him.”
“He was right about one thing,” July said. “I had promised.”
“There is no excuse for a child to speak to an adult in such a disrespectful manner,” David said. “Not only that, you’d apologized and explained why you were late.”
Her heart gave a little leap. “Are you saying a person should always accept an apology?”
“David. July.” John Simpson hailed them from across the street.
David waved and turned to July. “Shall we go say hello?”
July nodded and tucked away her disappointment. She was eager to hear David’s response to her question. But she would bide her time and find a way to bring it up later. After all, they’d barely started their walk.
Although John and Kayla had left the baby with Kayla’s mother so they could have their first “date night” out, they asked David and July to join them for pizza. The growling of July’s stomach provided the answer and a moment of laughter.
They snagged a table in the middle of the popular eatery’s dining area. The conversation flowed fast and furious despite the fact that every few minutes someone stopped by to visit.
July enjoyed being part of the foursome. She liked talking babies with Kayla. She liked the way David’s arm rested on the back of her chair. But she especially liked the way David made a point of introducing her when friends and acquaintances would stop by and how he included her in any conversation. By the time the pizza arrived, July felt as if she was on a first-name basis with most of the population of Jackson.
“I swear you guys know everyone in town.” She bit into a thick slice of pineapple and cream cheese pizza.
“Jackson isn’t that big,” John said.
“And when you’ve lived here as long as we have, there aren’t many people you don’t know,” Kayla added.
“That would be nice, I think,” July said, resisting the urge to sigh. “Though I like the city, too.”
“You’re from Chicago, right?” Kayla asked.
July nodded and took another bite of the yummy pizza.
“When will you and Adam be heading home?” John filled July’s glass with more soda from the pitcher on the table.
July felt David’s eyes on her. They hadn’t talked about her leaving since the day after Adam was born. Back when she promised him she’d have the DNA test done before she left town. “I’ll be here a couple more weeks.”
“I wish you’d stay.” Kayla reached across the table and gave July’s hand a squeeze. “The book club meetings won’t be the same without you. And you’re the only friend I have who has a newborn.”
Friend. Tears stung the back of July’s lids. Kayla considered her a friend.
July returned the squeeze. “I’m going to miss you, too.”
“Isn’t there any way you could stay?” Kayla asked, casting a curious glance in David’s direction.
“Maybe.” July kept her response deliberately vague. “I’m exploring several possibilities.”
“Like what?” Kayla leaned forward resting her forearms on the table.
“Like seeing what kind of positions I could get that would allow me to stay. Stuff like that.” July gave a dismissive wave. “It’s all very preliminary.”
“I hope something works out,” Kayla said.
“Me, too.” She kept her eyes on Kayla and off David. “Me, too.”
David waited until he and July were on their way back to his sister’s house before he brought up her leaving.
From the beginning he’d known she wouldn’t be in Jackson for longer than a month or so. But somewhere along the way he’d lost track of the time. What had she said to Kayla—a couple more weeks? That meant that in as little as fourteen days, she—and Adam—could be gone. The knowledge was a boot-kick straight to the heart. “So you’re thinking about staying in Jackson?”
She hesitated for only a second. “Considering it.”
David could feel Adam’s heart against his chest. Since July had carried the baby on their way downtown, he’d offered to take him on the way home. To David’s surprise, July had agreed.
He reached down and adjusted the stocking cap on the little boy’s head and felt a warm rush of emotion. The time he’d spent with July and Adam these past few weeks had brought a richness to his life he’d never known. They’d filled the empty places in his heart with joy. He couldn’t imagine his life without them in it.
“If you’re wondering about the DNA testing,” July said when the silence lengthened. “I’m going to do it next week.”
David didn’t know why the offer disturbed him. After all, this was what he wanted, what he’d once demanded. Maybe it was because he’d begun to equate the test with July leaving Jackson. Once it was done, she’d fulfilled her promise and there was nothing holding her here.
“David?”
“Just let me know when you’re ready,” he said almost brusquely. “I’ll bring the testing vials home with me.”
“How about Monday?”
“That will work.” David remembered how eager he’d been to find out whether Adam was his son. Now he realized that the love he felt for this little boy didn’t have a thing to do with the blood running through Adam’s veins.
“Got any big plans for the rest of the week?” July asked.
David twisted his lips. “I’m meeting with Celeste’s old boss after work tomorrow.”
“Really?” Her head cocked. “What about?”
“I’m not sure.” David shrugged. “He called and said he was going to be in town and wanted to get together.”
She glanced both ways down the side street then stepped off the curb. “Were you two ever friends?”
“I barely knew the guy.” In fact, he could count on one hand the number of times he’d even seen Gary. “He was at a couple of parties we attended when we lived in L.A. That’s about it.”
He took July’s arm as they crossed the street, but didn’t let go when they reached the other side. Strolling down the sidewalk with Adam sleeping against his chest and her hand in his was pure heaven on earth.
“Are you eating dinner together?”
For a second David wasn’t sure what she was talking about then he made the connection. “With Gary? Absolutely not.”
He could handle Gary for an hour or so but beyond that, forget it. David had a mental image of the man from their previous encounters. Sharp dresser. Big boozer. And stuck on himself. No, an hour would be more than enough.
“Well, since you don’t have plans…”
David lifted a brow. “Yes?”
“Mary Karen and Granny are taking the boys to some children’s thing at the Playhouse tomorrow night. I thought I could make dinner for you…if you’re interested, that is. I also have something I want to discuss with you, nothing big so don’t worry.”
“I’m definitely interested,” he said. “I didn’t even know you cooked.”
“I’m no Julia Child.” July favored him with an unexpected grin. “And I know just enough to be dangerous in the kitchen.”
“Are you going to tell me what’s on the menu?” he teased.
“Nope.” A little smile played at the corners of her lips. “I have a couple of specialty dishes I’m considering.”
“I have an idea.” Though David enjoyed spending time with his nephews, what July had in mind sounded more like a romantic evening for two—or three—if you counted Adam. Which meant his home was a much better alternative. “Why don�
��t I give you a key to my house? You could make dinner for us there.”
“What about Adam?”
“I have a crib for when Logan sleeps over.” David thought for a minute. “Just make sure you bring diapers.”
“Anything else?”
They hadn’t slept together since last week. He wondered if she’d missed the intimacy as much as he had. “I don’t have to go in until the afternoon on Friday so if it works for you, you could sleep over?”
Her cheeks turned a becoming shade of pink. “I’d like that.”
“Pajamas optional,” he added.
July laughed. “I’m not even going to bring them. They’ll only end up on the floor.”
On impulse David leaned over and brushed her lips with his. “Knowing how you make me feel, I have no doubt you’re right.”
David couldn’t believe what a difference a few minutes could make. All week he’d been dreading Thursday because of the meeting with Gary. Now tomorrow couldn’t get here soon enough.
When July awoke Thursday morning, she realized that with her photography assignment completed, she finally had some time for herself. Determined to look her best for the all-important dinner with David, she made an appointment at a downtown salon to get her hair trimmed. While there she had a manicure and pedicure and got her eyebrows waxed.
She returned home to feed Adam then they both took a two-hour nap. Feeling renewed, refreshed and ready to face whatever the evening might hold, July packed up the baby and headed to the grocery store.
From the comfort of his car seat strategically placed in the shopping cart, Adam stared up at the fluorescent lights while July checked items off her list. She tossed a bag of mixed green lettuce into her grocery cart and was closing in on the garlic cloves and onions when her phone rang.
July recognized the ringtone immediately. She pulled the phone from her bag and slid the phone open. “Hi, A.J.”
“Top of the morn to you, my pretty.”
July pulled her brows together at the greeting. “Are you drunk?”
“Now what would make you think that?” he asked, neither confirming nor denying her suspicions.