Jodi wrinkled her perfectly pert little nose. ‘‘Fish for breakfast?’’
‘‘It’s no worse than when you have pizza in the morning.’’
Jodi laughed. ‘‘Yeah, it is. But I’ll try it.’’
Matt put the plates on the table, added napkins, then walked over to get silverware. Beth took a step back and they bumped. She apologized, as did Matt. Jodi had moved on to the fruit assortment.
‘‘There’s mango and something that looks like mango, but isn’t,’’ she said.
‘‘Probably papaya,’’ Todd told her. ‘‘It’s delicious.’’
‘‘Okay.’’ Jodi ducked around her brother and set the fruit in the center of the table.
Beth leaned against the counter and tried to relax.
The picture was all wrong, she realized. It had been over eighteen months since a man had sat at the table with them for breakfast. Having Todd join them now was strange. Beth found herself missing her husband with a fierceness she hadn’t felt in a long time. She wanted the ritual of preparing the meal to be what it had been before. She wanted her children to move in a familiar dance as each performed his or her chores. She wanted to be comfortable, to not have to worry about saying the wrong thing or acting foolish. She wanted her past back.
‘‘I set the table, Mom.’’
She blinked and saw Matt standing in front of her. Confusion darkened his brown eyes. He looked so much like his father that he sometimes made her heart hurt. This was difficult for him. He was trying to be the man of the family and some male had just strolled into his territory. He was only fourteen—how was she supposed to explain this to him when she didn’t understand it herself?
‘‘Would you like to take your breakfast into the family room and watch TV?’’ she asked quietly.
Matt nodded. He knew that she didn’t usually allow them to eat meals in front of the television. She knew he needed a temporary escape.
‘‘Thanks, Mom.’’
Both her kids filled plates with food, then disappeared. Beth sat across from Todd. ‘‘Thanks for bringing all this.’’
He looked at the open containers, most of which were still full. ‘‘I guess I brought too much. I didn’t know how much teenagers would eat.’’
‘‘Don’t worry about it. While bagels and fruit aren’t a traditional pool party snack, I promise they’ll eat everything this afternoon. Individually, fourteen-year-old boys are fairly normal about food, but when you get them in a group, they turn into locusts.’’
Todd smiled at her. ‘‘I’m excited about today. I’m glad we’re going to be spending so much time together.’’
She blinked. Dear Lord, how was she supposed to respond to that? ‘‘Um, yeah, me, too,’’ she mumbled at last.
She spread some veggie cream cheese onto an egg bagel and took a bite. Conversation. She needed to come up with something witty. Unfortunately, by the time she’d finished chewing and swallowing, all she could think of was the truth.
‘‘It’s very strange to have you here,’’ she said. ‘‘Oh. I mean that in a good way.’’
Todd sipped his coffee. ‘‘How is it good?’’
‘‘I don’t mean it in a bad way. It’s just this is so different from my usual life. Having a man here and all. If a male person were to come calling, I would have expected him to be interested in Jodi.’’ She replayed the last sentence in her head and cringed. ‘‘Not that you’re calling on me. I know you’re just, um, visiting,’’ she finished, feeling both lame and confused. She really didn’t know what Todd was doing here.
He leaned toward her. The round table had always seemed plenty big until she had a handsome man invading her personal space. She resisted the urge to shift her chair backward.
‘‘Let’s get a couple of things straight,’’ he said, his voice low and smooth. A shiver rippled down her spine.
‘‘I’m listening.’’ Her voice was practically a squeak.
‘‘I think your daughter is very lovely and very young. You seem conscious of the age of the women I usually go out with, and I don’t want you worrying that I see Jodi as anything other than a very nice girl.’’ He emphasized the last word.
She remembered her questions from her first date and all the things she said about the age of his companions. ‘‘I never thought you’d—”She waved her hand toward the family room. ‘‘I wasn’t worried about that at all.’’
‘‘Good. I just wanted to make myself clear. Item two. If your definition of a man coming calling means that he wants to spend time with a woman because he’s intrigued by her, then that’s exactly why I’m here.’’ His blue-gray eyes seemed to stare into her soul. ‘‘I like you, Beth. You’re different from anyone I’ve ever met before and I want to get to know you better.’’
She coughed. It felt like something had gotten stuck in her throat, only she wasn’t eating at that particular moment. Her chest tightened, her heart pounded loud enough for the neighbors to hear and she knew she was going to die right then. How could he say that? How could he come right out and tell her that he liked her? This was so much worse than high school, she thought. At least then the boys kept their feelings to themselves.
‘‘I’ve shocked you,’’ he said.
‘‘‘Shocked’ is a strong term,’’ she told him. ‘‘I’m a little out of my depth with all of this. Just keep on talking and I’ll catch up eventually.’’
‘‘I could change the subject to something a little easier for you.’’
‘‘Good idea.’’
‘‘Okay. Why don’t you tell me what we’re going to be doing today?’’
That sounded like a nice, safe topic. ‘‘As I mentioned before, I need to go to get some plants. This is just for around the trees in the front yard. I want to put in something hardier to survive the summer. Matt’s baseball game starts at eleven-thirty. I have to help with refreshments. The parents all take turns and this is my week.’’
‘‘Will I be helping with that, too?’’
‘‘If you don’t mind.’’ Although she was going to make sure they were in separate booths. She didn’t think she would survive close quarters with him for two or three hours. Better to just gaze at him from afar.
‘‘From four to seven is a pool party here, then the boys all go over to one of Matt’s friends for a barbecue and sleep-over. Jodi is studying with a friend this morning, then baby-sitting from three until around midnight.’’
‘‘I brought a suit with me,’’ Todd told her. ‘‘You said if I still wanted to go out with you tonight, you’d come.’’
Beth grinned. ‘‘Why don’t you remind me about your fancy clothes at about six-thirty tonight? I’ll bet you’ll be more than happy to cancel.’’ She glanced at the clock. It was close to nine. ‘‘If you’re finished, we need to get going.’’
‘‘I’m ready.’’
They stood up. Beth called out to her children and told them they would be back in less than an hour. She led the way to the back door.
‘‘We can take my car,’’ Todd said.
She thought about the sleek vehicle parked in front of her house, then shook her head. ‘‘We’re going to buying plants. They’re packed in dirt and generally very messy.’’ She unlocked the garage side door, reached inside and pushed the button to open the main door.
She looked at Todd who was staring blankly at her sports utility vehicle. ‘‘It’s a Durango,’’ she said helpfully.
‘‘It’s big.’’
‘‘I know. Isn’t that great? To quote my son, ‘It’s the best set of wheels I’ve ever had.’’’ She laughed. ‘‘Welcome to the suburbs, Mr. Graham. Why don’t you climb on board?’’
Chapter Six
Todd stood in the center of the garden section of Home Depot and glanced around in amazement. This must be gardener heaven, he thought as he took in the rows and rows of plants, trees and flowers. He hadn’t known this many different kinds of things grew in the Houston area.
Beth ha
d left him in charge of the shopping cart, an oversize affair without a child seat, while she picked flats of plants. He watched her walk up and down the long aisle, going to the end and returning halfway before bending over to pick up a flat. Todd hurried to her side.
‘‘I’ll get that,’’ he told her.
He could see the protest forming on her lips, then she stepped back. ‘‘Thanks,’’ she said.
In the ten-minute drive from her house to the store she’d alternated between nervous chatter and shy silence. Even if she hadn’t told him about her solitary life since the death of her husband, Todd would have guessed she didn’t get out with men much. For reasons he didn’t completely understand, being around him made her nervous. He was used to women wanting to impress him, but he couldn’t remember reducing one to a stammering blush before. He found he liked that he upset her equilibrium.
‘‘I think that’s everything,’’ she said as she looked at the four containers sitting at the bottom of the cart. They headed toward the cashier.
The store was crowded, with couples and families filling the aisles. He heard parts of conversations. Sentences about retiling bathrooms and installing play areas in backyards. This was an unfamiliar world for him. If his penthouse condo needed painting, his secretary arranged it. When he wanted different furniture, he called in a decorator.
‘‘Do you plant these yourself?’’ he asked.
‘‘Matt will help, but yes. I’ve thought about getting a gardener and I’m sure I will when both kids are off at college, but for now we can keep up with the yard.’’
He wondered again if it was a matter of finances. Was money tight for Beth and her children?
They reached the front of the store. About half of the two dozen checkout stands were open. He and Beth walked along until they found one that had a short line. Todd automatically reached for his wallet.
‘‘What are you doing?’’ Beth asked as she put her hand on his forearm to stop him. ‘‘These are my plants and I’ll pay for them.’’ She softened her words with a smile.
She was about five-five or five-six, shorter than his six-one, not to mention the tall, leggy model types he dated. If he were to pull her close, he could probably rest his chin on her head. For some unknown reason, the thought made him want to protect her, as if her size made her vulnerable.
‘‘Morning, Beth,’’ a female voice said from behind them. ‘‘I see you’re out taking care of the front yard.’’
He turned around and saw a dark-haired woman pushing a cart filled with cans of paint. She smiled. ‘‘We’re redoing the downstairs half bath. Jack thinks it will take all of an afternoon. I’ve tried to explain this is a two-day project, but you know how they get about this kind of thing.’’
‘‘Rita,’’ Beth said. ‘‘Hi. Nice to see you.’’ She put her hand on the cart. ‘‘I’m buying plants, like you said.’’
Rita’s gaze never left him. There was an awkward pause. Finally Todd leaned toward her and held out his hand. ‘‘Hi, I’m Todd Graham.’’
‘‘Oh.’’ Beth shifted uncomfortably and looked as if she wished she were anywhere but here. ‘‘Um, Todd is a friend of the family. He’s helping out today, with the planting, then later at Matt’s baseball game.’’
The cashier announced the total. Beth handed the woman a credit card. ‘‘It was nice to see you, Rita. Say hi to Jack for me.’’
She scribbled her signature on the offered receipt, then hurried out of the store. Todd pushed the cart after her. When he caught up with her by the Durango, she was leaning against the vehicle and breathing heavily.
‘‘That was so horrible,’’ she moaned. ‘‘I’m sorry. I should have realized we’d run into people I know. She was staring. She’s going to tell everyone.’’ At last she looked at him. ‘‘I hope you don’t mind I said you were a friend of the family. I didn’t know what else to tell her.’’
‘‘It’s fine,’’ he said easily, even as he wondered why she didn’t just say they were dating. Except they weren’t dating. He liked her and all but he certainly wasn’t interested in dating her; at least he didn’t think he was. He didn’t date widows, with or without teenagers. Of course, if they weren’t going out, then what the hell was he doing loading plants into the back of her truck? He’d told her he wanted to get to know her better…which was true. But that was somehow different from dating. At least that’s what he told himself.
As he slid into the passenger seat next to her, he stroked his index finger against her cheek. ‘‘We’re both confused about what we’re doing,’’ he said. ‘‘We’ll just wing it.’’
‘‘Sounds good.’’
Her voice was breathy, which was fine with him because touching her cheek had sent an electric shock clear down to his groin. What was going on? Was he attracted to Beth? He stared straight ahead and tried to ignore her long, bare legs. She was a little more curvy than he was used to, but he liked the idea of something other than narrow bones digging into his body. She was the kind of woman who made a man think about comforting hugs as well as making love.
Just forget about it, he told himself. He would finish out his day with her, take her to dinner, then get back to his side of town. That was where he belonged. He didn’t want to risk getting in too deep.
When they pulled into the driveway, Matt came out to help them unload the plants.
‘‘Todd said he would help me plant,’’ Beth told her son. ‘‘So you don’t have to if you have something else you would rather be doing.’’
‘‘I don’t mind,’’ Matt said. He pushed his glasses up higher on his nose, grabbed a flat and headed for the front of the house.
‘‘We have to leave at eleven,’’ Beth called after him. ‘‘Be sure to stop in time so that you can get ready for the game.’’
She walked into the garage and came out with an assortment of garden tools. ‘‘I have gloves if you don’t want to get your hands dirty.’’
‘‘I think I can handle it.’’
‘‘We’ll see.’’
He picked up a flat and followed her to the front yard. Matt had started digging up the flowers already planted in the mulched circle under the large tree to the left of the walkway.
‘‘Pansies don’t make it through the Houston summer,’’ Beth explained. ‘‘So we take them out and put in something else. It’s a relatively simple procedure—take out what’s already there and put a new one in its place.’’
Todd knelt down on the cool ground. In his world plants and flowers came in delivery trucks. At the office all the foliage was rotated monthly by a service. He didn’t think he’d ever worked in a garden before, but it didn’t look difficult. Maybe he would like it and buy a plant for his balcony.
The soil was moist and the pansies came out easily. He set the flowers aside, watching Matt as he peeled back the plastic container of the new greenery. The boy set the plant into the hole and tapped down on the earth. Todd followed suit.
‘‘I didn’t think we’d get this finished before we had to leave for the game,’’ Beth said, ‘‘But with Todd’s help it’s going to go fast.’’
They worked in silence. Todd became aware of the noises of the neighborhood. Up and down the street car engines started as families prepared for Saturday outings. A few lawn mowers roared to life. This world was so different from his childhood. He couldn’t remember his family doing anything as a group, with the exception of attending the latest wedding.
Inside the house, the phone rang. ‘‘Has Jodi already left?’’ Beth asked her son even as she rose to her feet.
‘‘Yeah, after you did.’’
‘‘I’ll be right back,’’ she said, and hurried inside.
Todd sensed Matt’s attention on him. The kid had something on his mind, but Todd wasn’t going to rush him. Matt would get it out when he was ready. They continued to work together, finishing with the first tree, then moving to the second. There were two on the left side on the lawn and one on the right.
‘‘My dad is dead.’’
Todd stiffened in surprised. He hadn’t expected that to be Matt’s opening salvo. ‘‘Your mom told me. I’m sorry. That’s got to be rough.’’
Matt shrugged. His hair was barely to the bottom of his collar, but it was all one length and it hung forward, covering his face as he worked. ‘‘He was great. He worked for an oil company. They’d sent him out of town on business and he died in a car crash. The other guy was drunk.’’
‘‘I’m sorry,’’ Todd repeated, feeling inadequate. He wished Beth would come back so he didn’t have to deal with this conversation. He didn’t know squat about talking with kids.
‘‘My parents met in high school. I don’t think they ever dated anyone else, but each other. It’s kinda weird, but nice.’’ Matt sat back on his heels and stared at Todd. ‘‘They loved each other. It was really hard on her…afterward. She cried a lot. Mostly at night after we were in bed. I don’t think she wanted us to know, but we did.’’
Todd didn’t like hearing all this, especially not from a fourteen-year-old boy. ‘‘That situation would be difficult for anyone. Your mother seems to have handled it well.’’
Matt shrugged. ‘‘She doesn’t get out much. You know, dating and stuff.’’ Color flooded his face, but he didn’t back down and he didn’t turn away. ‘‘I don’t know who you are but from what my mom’s friend Cindy’s husband said, you’re this rich guy and you date a lot. I know I’m just a kid, but I’m not gonna let you hurt her. She’s funny but she’s real serious, too. She has a lot of responsibilities. She doesn’t need some jerk messing her up.’’
He paused and swallowed. ‘‘I’m not saying you’re a jerk. I don’t know. I’m just telling you that I’m going to make sure she’s okay.’’
Todd waited for the anger or at least a hint of irritation, but all he felt was admiration for the kid’s guts and envy that Matt was so close to his mother. This family lived an emotional life that was foreign to him. The only feeling his parents generated in their children was the sense that they were unwelcome and in the way. His mother had remembered him when she wanted to use him as leverage against his father, or her latest husband.
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