Voices echoed in her mind: Why would someone like him kiss someone like you? You should be thankful to get any man. Does he mean it, or is it a lie like Reggie’s kisses were?
She pulled back, trying to shake the thoughts out of her head the way you’d shake away a buzzing insect.
Eduardo’s warm brown eyes held concern along with caring. “Hey. What’s going on in that head of yours?” His tone was deeper than usual.
“Nothing,” she said in defiance of the voices. She leaned fractionally closer and Eduardo brushed his lips over hers again.
“Dad!” Sofia’s voice was close.
Fiona and Eduardo pulled instantly apart.
“My mommy’s kissing your daddy!” Poppy giggled from Sofia’s arms.
Fiona’s heart pounded as she stood quickly. “We’re good friends,” she said, uncomfortable with the breathless sound of her voice. She reached out to take Poppy from Sofia.
But Poppy struggled down and ran across the lawn toward the other kids. Her stomach knotting, Fiona hurried after her. But not before she caught a glimpse of Sofia’s mistrustful expression and heard her say, “Dad? You’re not supposed to kiss anybody but Mom.”
Poppy reached the other children. “Our mommy kissed Mr. Delgado!” she crowed, obviously thrilled to be the one with the news for once.
Four heads snapped in her direction. Four pairs of eyes went rounder.
Fiona felt sick inside. What kind of parents were they, to share a stolen kiss practically in full view of their children?
A kiss that couldn’t go anywhere, ever?
* * *
Eduardo sat in his pickup truck in the parking lot of the Senior Towers, trying to do damage control with his kids.
What had possessed him to kiss Fiona? And to do it there, where any of their kids could come around the corner and see them...as Sofia and Poppy in fact had done? How selfish they’d been to risk hurting innocent young children whose hearts had already been broken once before.
Fiona walked by on the way to her SUV, her kids surrounding her like a brood of chicks with a mother hen. They were all talking excitedly, but Fiona’s face was drawn tight.
They glanced at each other, but all he could see in her eyes was regret.
“Why did you kiss Mrs. Farmingham, Dad?” Diego sounded confused, like he was trying to work out a new math problem in his head.
“Because he likes her, dummy.” Sofia’s arms were crossed over her chest.
Eduardo shot up a prayer for guidance. How did you protect young minds and hearts while being honest with them about life?
“I kissed her because...” Eduardo sought for the truth. “Because I like her very much.”
“We like her, too, Dad,” Sofia said in the snarky voice she hadn’t been using as often lately. “But we don’t hide behind bushes kissing her.”
“Does it mean you’re going to get married?” Diego asked.
Eduardo blew out a sigh and shook his head. “No. I’ve told you before, I don’t have any plans to get married again. You two are my focus.”
“And Mom was your wife,” Sofia said.
“But Mom’s gone,” Diego pointed out, “and maybe Daddy wants another wife now.”
Eduardo hated the way that sounded. “You kids know how much I loved your mother,” he said through a tight throat. “How much I miss her. I wish she could be here with us right now.”
“But she can’t,” Sofia said flatly, “so you’re kissing Mrs. Farmingham now.”
“That...that was a onetime thing,” he told them. “I don’t think we’ll be kissing each other again.” Not with the expression he’d seen on Fiona’s face.
But, oh, that moment had been sweet. He’d felt like a bear coming out of hibernation after a long, long winter. Coming alive again in the spring. Waking up to a new world.
He wasn’t a good choice for any woman, he reminded himself. He’d made a commitment to his kids, no one else.
“Mr. Hinton was married before and his wife died,” Diego pointed out. “And then he married Mrs. Hinton, and now Mindy has a mom again. And a little brother.” Diego sounded a little wistful.
“That’s true,” Eduardo admitted.
But Sam Hinton also had a stellar record of taking care of his first wife. She’d lived in luxury throughout her cancer treatments, with visits to specialists around the world.
And it still didn’t save her, a voice inside reminded him.
“It would be weird having the Farmingham kids as brothers and sisters.” Sofia sounded slightly intrigued by the possibility. “I’d have a sister my exact age, like a twin.”
“Look, guys,” Eduardo said, “let’s stop talking about that like it’s going to happen. Let’s stop at...” He cast about for something that might distract them. “Let’s stop at Taco Nation and pick up dinner and watch movies all night.”
“All night?” Diego said.
At the same time, Sofia said, “Taco Nation?”
“All night until bedtime, and yes. Just this once.”
“We haven’t gone to Taco Nation since the night after Mom died,” Sofia said.
Eduardo let his head sink back against the headrest. He’d forgotten about that miserable last-minute trip. Would hitting the fast-food Mexican place bring back bad memories for all of them?
He wanted to stop thinking. To stop making mistakes. “Buckle up,” he said and started to pull out of the Senior Towers parking lot.
But the sound of sirens made him hit the brakes. An ambulance squealed into the parking lot and headed to the front door of the Towers. The sirens clicked off and the paramedics rushed inside.
He, Sofia and Diego sat watching. Nobody told Eduardo to hurry up. Nobody spoke.
Were they all three remembering the ambulance that had come for Elizabeth multiple times? Until the last time when there’d been no more need for speed?
He didn’t want to stick around the Senior Towers watching to see who the patient was. Which friend. Whether the ambulance would fly off with lights and sounds or drive at a slow, sedate pace into the night.
He didn’t want his kids to see it, either.
Swallowing hard, he put the truck into gear. “Taco Nation, here we come,” he said, wondering whether his voice sounded as fake to his kids as it did to him.
“I’m not actually that hungry,” Sofia said.
“Me, either,” Diego said. “Where’s my handheld?”
Eduardo felt around for the small gaming device and handed it back to Diego. Without her even having to ask, he handed his phone to Sofia so she could play her games on it. And he drove home slowly. For a day that had started out so promising, he definitely felt beat-up now.
* * *
After finally getting her overexcited kids into bed, Fiona collapsed back onto the couch at her house.
She lay there, flicking channels on the television; but when she finally recognized that she couldn’t distract herself from her thoughts, she clicked the power off.
He’d kissed her. Eduardo had kissed her.
He’d kissed her. The woman who had to shop at the tall women’s clothing store in Cleveland. Who’d repeated third grade and barely passed the math competency test required for high school graduation. Whose business had failed and whose husband had betrayed her.
We are God’s workmanship, Miss Minnie had said.
Eduardo had said... What was it? He did a particularly fine job on you.
And then he’d kissed her. Her fingers rose to touch her lips as she remembered.
Maybe, just maybe, there was something new and wonderful in her future.
She thought of Diego and his frustration and grabbed her phone to look up adult learning disabilities. She was reading about something called “dyscalculia,” with a sense of amazed recognition, when a text came in.
Kids in bed? Meet out by the garden?
Eduardo wanted to see her! She hugged herself and rushed into the bathroom to comb her hair. She checked the bedrooms and found all four kids sleeping soundly. Only then did she text back.
For a little bit, can’t stay.
Should she put on a different shirt? No, that would seem like she was trying too hard. But definitely a little perfume. And she should brush her teeth. Just in case.
She forced herself to walk at a slow pace toward the garden. In the moonlight, there was Eduardo—tall muscular Eduardo.
A sense of hope and possibility made her heart knock around wildly in her chest.
He didn’t walk to meet her but stood beside the fence post he’d just pounded into the ground yesterday. His face was somber.
Something was wrong.
She stopped a full four feet away from him and cocked her head, studying his face.
No, this didn’t seem like a kissing-type encounter after all.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Are your kids okay?”
She nodded, a couple quick jerks of her head up and down. “Yeah. We’re fine. Um, you and yours?”
He shook his head. “Lots of questions.”
“From you, or from them?”
“Both.” He looked up at the starry sky as if seeking guidance and then looked at her straight on and met her eyes. “Look, Fiona...”
She lifted a hand to stop his speaking. She didn’t want to hear it. Not from Eduardo.
“I know,” she said rapidly. “I know, it’s not... It was nothing. It’s not going anywhere.”
“It wasn’t nothing,” he said, “but you’re right. It can’t.”
“Is...is that what you wanted to tell me?” Her voice sounded a little shrill. “Because I knew that, Eduardo. What did you think, that I’d take it all seriously? That I’d expect a marriage proposal because we shared a little kiss?”
Who was this woman talking so lightly about the most amazing kiss of her life?
“My kids asked if we were going to get married,” he said, his voice serious.
“Oh, mine did, too.” They’d bugged her about it, actually. They wanted her to marry Eduardo, wanted Sofia and Diego to be a part of the family. They were already talking about how they’d rearrange their bedrooms to fit them in.
Now she pushed out a laugh. “Kids. No sense of perspective.”
“Right.” Eduardo looked off to the side. “I just wanted to make sure, to see if you... Well, to see if you were okay. That was pretty intense for a minute there.”
She waved a hand. “I’m fine. Fine! We’re friends who got a little carried away, that’s all. It wouldn’t work between us, anyway. I’m sorry you wasted a minute worrying about it.”
Her mouth continued to talk. She was fine. They were all fine. They’d reassure their kids that they were just friends. No upsets, no changes, nothing to worry about.
Her heart curled up in a tiny little ball in her chest, weeping.
“Okay, Fiona,” Eduardo said finally. “That’s all good, then. I should get back to the kids.”
“Me, too,” she said quickly. “I should get back to my kids, too.”
“Good night, then.” He gestured toward her house. “Go on. I’ll watch until you get inside.”
“It’s Rescue River.” She forced a cheerful smile. “I’m totally safe.”
“I’ll watch,” he said gently. “See you safe inside.”
“Okay. Good night.” She turned and nearly ran toward the door of her house, eyes blurring.
Because she was anything but safe inside. Not when Eduardo had shoved her away, just as she’d known, in her heart, that he would.
Chapter Nine
When Eduardo pulled his truck into the parking lot by the pond the next morning, he wasn’t surprised to see Fiona and her kids pulling gear from her SUV.
Of course they were coming to today’s fishing derby. Everyone in town was here.
In fact, he was late. As the person supervising the fishing of the eight- to ten-year-olds, he should have arrived half an hour early. But getting out of bed had proved to be a chore.
He’d tossed and turned most of the night, his mind cycling restlessly through particular moments. Sofia’s accusation: you’re not supposed to kiss anyone but Mom. Little Poppy’s glee as she ran off to tell the other kids—and anyone else in earshot, presumably—about the romantic moment she’d seen. Fiona’s stricken face last night in the garden before she’d brushed off his remarks with a carelessness that had surprised him.
And most of all, the bittersweet rightness of holding Fiona in his arms.
“There’s Lauren and Ryan,” Diego said. “Let’s go with them.”
He was opening his mouth to respond when he saw Fiona tug her eldest two back toward her and walk in the opposite direction from where he stood with his kids.
He dawdled at his truck until the Farminghams were out of sight and then headed toward the pond, where organized chaos reigned.
On one side was a large wading pool set up with toy fishing lines. A sign read Two- to Three-year-olds. Rowdy toddlers darted around while parents tried to keep them from plunging into the pool.
Many residents of the town, those who had grandkids or kids here and those who didn’t, had set up lawn chairs. He walked by Mr. Love and Miss Minnie among some other residents of the Senior Towers. Kirk, the man who’d been complaining about sweets and gas yesterday, was at it again, saying, “You mark my words, there’s a storm coming. I always feel it in my left knee.”
“You and your left knee,” muttered Nonna D’Angelo as her grandson, Vito, helped her into her seat.
On a small podium, Lou Ann was setting up chairs and a stand for first-place, second-place and third-place winners. Two older gentlemen stood arguing, one overdressed for the occasion and one underdressed. Mr. Hinton, Senior, and old Gramps Camden had been rivals for Lou Ann’s affections for many years. As usual, she was ignoring their blustering and getting things done.
Farther down the shoreline, little Mercedes Camden held a group of kids rapt. As Eduardo and his kids got closer, he saw that Fiona’s brood had stopped to listen. “When I was little, I got lost here,” Mercedes was saying proudly. “It was winter, and it was cold! I hid under this boat, right here.”
“Didn’t you freeze?” a girl asked.
“How’d you get found?” That was Ryan, sounding worried.
“My daddy found me,” Mercedes said proudly. “And he carried me back to Mama Fern, and now we all live together.”
“C’mon, Dad!” Diego was tugging at his arm. “They’re about to tell the rules!”
Sure enough, there was a megaphoned explanation of the age groups and prizes for most fish and biggest fish. “We have buckets for everyone, so fill yours with water and keep your fish in it until one of the officials can come measure them. They’re the ones in the red hats.”
Eduardo looked around to see Vito and Lacey D’Angelo, Buck Armstrong and Troy Hinton all wearing red hats and waving.
After more discussion of safety rules and bait, the officials directed the kids to their places, starting with the youngest and organized by age group.
“The only thing I don’t like about fishing,” Diego said as they waited their turn, “is killing things.”
“It’s catch and release, buddy,” Eduardo explained. “The fish don’t die.”
“But the worms do.”
“You’re weird,” Sofia scoffed. “Come on, let’s get our buckets!”
The next hour was a blur of helping all the eight- to ten-year-olds bait fishhooks, attach bobbers and throw lines into the water. Amid much tangling and arguing, there was thankfully only one volatile moment when Vito D’Angelo’s son, Charlie, landed a hook in the newly curled hair of Paula Camden, the little girl Fern and
Carlo Camden had adopted a couple of years ago—a crisis quickly averted by some expert parental intervention. Little Mindy Hinton was the first to catch a fish, and no one begrudged her the honor. Reeling it in had been a challenge with her prosthetic arm, but she’d insisted on doing it herself and she’d succeeded.
Parents watched and helped, and Vito and Lacey stood nearby to measure the fish. The kids laughed and yelled, trying their best to win. The day had gone slightly overcast, perfect for fishing.
But Eduardo didn’t feel good. Didn’t feel right. Didn’t like the distance between him and Fiona, even though he knew that he’d done the right thing, and the only thing he could.
It must have shown, too, because Dion came over and slapped him on the back, then nodded sideways, urging Eduardo away from the group. “Gotta talk to you, man,” he said. “They’ve got it under control. Right?” With a stern look, he recruited two fathers who’d been standing idly by to go over and help the eight- to ten-year-olds.
In an area sheltered from the increasing wind and from prying eyes, Dion glared at Eduardo. “What did you do to Fiona?”
Guilt beat at Eduardo, but he got in front of it with his annoyance at the man’s tone. “Not your business what goes on between me and her.”
“She’s usually a happy person, but she’s moping. Not saying a word, even though she’s doing concessions with her two best friends.”
“Did Daisy send you over here to ask me?” Eduardo demanded.
Dion opened his mouth, closed it and looked to the side. Maybe he was trying to fight a smile. “She and Susan, yeah. But it’s true Fiona’s upset. Even a lunk like me can see it.” He studied Eduardo. “Come to think of it, you’re not looking so good yourself. Those bags under your eyes make you look older than me.”
Eduardo didn’t answer, just turned to walk along the wide woodland trail, and Dion fell into step beside him.
Birds sang overhead and the smell of damp earth rose from the forest floor. For a few minutes, they just walked through the trees, and Eduardo felt a small dose of peace seep into his troubled heart.
A Family for Easter Page 10