by Ivy Wonders
“Well, we’ll have to work on that then, won’t we?” I asked, then took a bite of the burger. “Oh, but kudos on this burger. What a sin this is. But a delightful one.”
Leaving me, she called back, “I’ll extend your compliments to the chef, Doc. And please feel free to call me Rosy. I think we’ll have a long and profitable friendship. Once you decide if you’re staying or not.”
My mind already seemed to have made that decision for me as I kept planting more and more seeds in the town that the love of my life called home. A town I thought we’d be very happy in for a long time.
Taking out my cell, I began searching for a local real estate company. Finding one, I scrolled through the listings and saw a ton of available properties that would work perfectly for us.
Of course, Reagan’s input would be appreciated, as I wanted it to be her home too. But I could pick out a few. Maybe once she saw I’d be staying around, she would decide it was useless to keep fighting the inevitable.
The ding of the bell told me someone had come in, and I looked up from my cell to find a woman and her kid walking to the counter. When I recognized the woman, a smile moved over my lips. “Reagan,” I said softly to myself.
And her son, too. She held the hand of a small boy with dark, wavy hair. I listened as Rosy greeted her. “Hi there. What can I get ya this evening?”
The little boy tugged at her hand. “Mom, can I go sit down and look at my new thingy?”
“Sure, sit wherever you want,” Reagan said. “I’ll bring the food when it’s ready.”
“K.” The little boy walked toward the back—toward me. Ambling along, he looked at what seemed to be a Kindle decked out in a light blue case that made it harder to break. He kept on coming until he got to the back, and then took a seat at the booth right across from me.
Literally three feet apart, I could see the kid perfectly even in the dim light. I look over hair that was the exact same dark shade as my own, and those eyes of his were as blue as mine.
Reagan Storey, what have you been hiding?
Although not one to talk to kids I didn’t know, I found myself unable to resist. “Hi there.”
He looked up at me, then smiled, showing me he’d lost one front tooth. “Oh, hi.”
“Is that a Kindle you’ve got there?” I asked, thinking that seemed like a good enough opener.
“Yes, sir. My mom just got it for me. I can read and listen to books with this.” He turned it around, then pushed a button that made the book come to life, a voice reading the story out loud.
“Cool.” I looked back at Reagan and thought what a great mom she must be.
Well, great except for the part about not letting her son have his father in his life.
“Yeah,” he said. “I love it already. And I got this pirate book. I wanna be one when I grow up.”
“A pirate?” I asked as I looked back at him.
“Sure. And Mom’s gonna get me a parrot and a patch for my eye.” He looked back at his device. Then his head jerked up to look at me. “Oh, and a ship. She’s gotta get me a ship too, ’cause pirates need one.”
“Of course they do,” I agreed. “My name’s Arrie.”
“I’m Skye.” He smiled at me, then went back to his reading.
I looked back at Reagan, who still had her back to us. I watched as Rosy handed her a tray with a couple of drinks on it and the food she’d ordered. Reagan turned around, her eyes scanning the place for her son.
For a moment, she looked right at me. Then her eyes landed on her son before looking back at me, noticing how close we were. And then the tray fell out of her hands, drinks going everywhere, food flying around, and her mouth gaping.
You’re so busted.
Chapter 14
Reagan
What the hell is he doing here?
Stunned, I finally pulled my eyes off Arrie, who sat only a few feet away from our son. Soda puddled around my feet, onion rings rolled around on the floor, and our burgers had exploded, making them inedible. “Damn!”
The woman working ran around the counter. “Oh, I’ll clean this up then put your order in again.”
“I’m so sorry about this. And can you make the order to-go this time, please?” I wasn’t about to stick around now.
“Sure,” she said as she bent over to clean up the mess I’d made. “Not a problem at all.”
Trying to stop the panic attack I thought I might be having as my heart pounded in my chest, I began taking deep breaths. Then I started my journey to the back of the café to retrieve my son—all the while trying not to notice the smile on Arrie’s face.
Not quite walking over to the table, I stopped and stretched my hand out. “Come on, Skye. Momma has to get our food to-go.” I wiggled my fingers to get him to come to me.
“You’re not going to say hi, Reagan?” Arrie asked me. “That’s kinda rude, don’t you think?”
It was completely rude, but I had other priorities—mainly, getting away from the man who was likely causing me a panic attack. “I got a call, and we’ve gotta get going. An emergency.”
He chuckled. “You didn’t pick up your cell, sweetie.”
Obviously, he’d been watching me since the moment I’d walked in. Or better yet, the moment we’d walked in. “I got it before we came in.”
Narrowing his eyes, he looked at me for a moment before looking past me. “You can bring their order over here, Rosy. They’ll be staying.”
“Sure thing, Doc,” the woman behind the counter called out to him.
“You know her?” I asked, staying in place. I wasn’t about to take a seat and give him any more time to figure out my secret.
“Yep.” He gestured to the open bench opposite my son. “Take a seat, Reagan.”
My legs shook, and I figured sitting down wouldn’t hurt. He sure as hell didn’t seem about to give up. And as soon as my ass hit the seat, Arrie grabbed his food and slid in next to me, scooting me to the inside.
“Um, what are you doing?”
“Joining you two for dinner.” He put his hand on my knee under the table. “I knew you’d invite me anyway.” Taking a lock of my hair, he wrapped it around his finger. “I wanted to ask you and your son to join me for dinner tonight anyway. Funny how things work out, huh?”
If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought Arrie had planned the whole thing. Knowing that was impossible, I had to chalk it up to my horrible luck. “Lucky you.”
“I agree.” Arrie jerked his head at Skye, who hadn’t taken notice of a thing as his eyes stayed glued to the Kindle in his hands. “So, Skye and I already introduced ourselves while you were busy up front.”
“Great.” I reached down to move his hand off my knee. “We really should be going.”
Just as I said that, the lady—Rosy, apparently—brought our food. “Here we go.” She smiled at Arrie. “I took the liberty of cutting up the boy’s burger into quarters. I used to do that for my kids. It’s easier to eat that way.”
Arrie seemed pleased. “Thank you, Rosy.” He reached into his pocket as I grabbed my purse to pay for the order once again. But he beat me to it, slipping money into her hand. “There we go. That should cover it. Keep the change.”
I almost fainted when she held up a hundred-dollar bill. “Oh, thank you, Doc!”
Giving Arrie the stink-eye as the woman skipped away, I whispered, “I would’ve made sure to pay her more than the meal cost to make up for having to clean up my mess, you know.”
“I’m sure you would’ve,” he said, then unwrapped the straws she’d put on the table, plopping one in Skye’s soda then the other in mine. “There you go.”
Skye finally looked up from his device. “Oh, the food’s here.” He put the Kindle down beside him then took one of the quarters of burger in his little hands. “Oh cool. Look, Mom, they cut it up for me.” His eyes moved to Arrie. “Hey, Arrie, you know my mom?”
“I do. I’m a doctor too,” Arrie explained easily. “She and I a
re treating the same patient at the hospital. Plus, we went to medical school together—that was before you were even born.”
Taking a bite, Skye looked at me, chewing his food as he said, “He’s nice, Mom.”
“Don’t talk with food in your mouth.” I put my elbow on the table, resting my now-pounding head in my hand.
Skye caught that action much too quickly. “No elbows on the table, Mom.”
Moving it off, I nodded. “Still talking with food in your mouth, Skye.”
He held up his pinky finger to acknowledge what I’d said, and Arrie took the moment of silence to say, “I think you’re nice too, Skye.”
“Thank you,” my son said, after swallowing his food. He eyed Arrie a bit, then commented, “Your eyes look like mine.”
“I think so too,” Arrie agreed. “As a matter of fact, we seem to have the same color hair, too.” He ran his hand through his thick, dark waves.
I looked at Skye to see that he was doing the same thing. “Weird,” I heard him whisper to himself.
Feeling like I’d fallen into an episode of The Twilight Zone, I tried to break the spell, “My grandfather on my mother’s side had the same hair and eyes as you, Skye. It’s not that rare at all to have dark hair and blue eyes.” Sure, I’d lied, but I had to do something to end their comparisons.
Nudging my shoulder with his, Arrie whispered, “Seems you have a definite type, Reagan. I bet Skye’s father and I could be twins.” He stared deeply into my eyes with a grin on his face, as if he could hear my thoughts.
And there it is. He knows.
My world was about to come crashing down. Arrie knew I’d lied, though he was acting calm and composed, which only served to spook me thoroughly. After all, why get upset? He could do whatever he wanted now. He had the money to screw me royally. He could take my kid; make up for all the time I’d stolen from him.
I didn’t want to let him see me sweat, so I tried my best to remain just as calm as he appeared. Even when he went so far as to put his arm around me and ask my son—okay, our son—something he shouldn’t have. “Did your mom ever talk about me, Skye?”
My son shook his head. “Nope.”
“That’s kind of surprising,” Arrie went on. “See, she and I were sweethearts back in medical school. We’re old flames, you know?”
“You mean that my mom was your girlfriend?” Skye asked with wide eyes.
Arrie nodded. “Yep. We were in love.”
Skye made a face. “Yuck! Girls stink. I’m never havin’ a girlfriend.”
“Good,” I said, then leaned in to whisper to Arrie, “Please stop it.”
“No,” he whispered back. He looked back at Skye. “So, slugger. Your mom told me you play tee ball.”
“Yep.” Skye took a drink of his soda. “I’m pretty good. You play?”
“Not anymore,” Arrie said. “But I used to back in high school. I wanted to play in college, but I was too busy. Your mom was busy back then too. Becoming a doctor isn’t easy, and it takes lots of time and concentration.” Arrie looked at me. “Doesn’t it, Reagan?”
I could see what he was doing—trying to figure out exactly why I’d kept everything from him. “It does take lots of time and immense concentration. Especially during placements and internships.”
Arrie nodded, then looked back at Skye, who’d just gulped down the last of his burger. I couldn’t seem to eat a bite of my food; my stomach having turned on itself. “I’d love to come watch some of your games, slugger. When you have one, please invite me.”
“Cool!” Skye beamed at Arrie. “Mom, can you invite him when I have a game?”
“Okay.” I played with the straw in my drink, wondering what I would do without Skye around.
Even if Arrie didn’t take him away completely, I’d have to share him. That meant weekends alone without my son in the house. And then there’d be holidays where Arrie got him and I didn’t. And, eventually, entire summers where he’d go stay with his father, leaving me alone.
I had no idea why Arrie had his arm wrapped around my shoulders. Probably so he could show me how much he owned me now. Or maybe because he wanted to wring my neck and this was the closest he could get to that in public.
I waited for the other shoe to drop, but it never did. But Arrie did make his demands clear, though. “Reagan, do you think it would be okay for me to come over so we can visit some more?”
“Oh, not tonight.” I wasn’t up for that. Not yet.
Not ever.
“It’s not late. Skye’s out of school for the holidays, I’m sure.” Arrie smiled at me, but I knew not to trust it. “Come on, please? I’ll pick up some ice cream on my way over.”
“Chocolate?” Skye asked before I could say a word.
Arrie’s eyes went to his. “If that’s what you want, slugger. I can bring chocolate ice cream, and we can all watch something on television. What do you say?”
“Heck, yes!” Skye announced. “Mom, Arrie’s gonna bring ice cream. And can you make hot chocolate too? We’re gonna have so much fun! Can I pick the movie?”
“Sure, why not?” I knew when I’d been beaten.
“Then I pick Peter Rabbit,” Skye quickly decided. “It’s not a cartoon, so grownups will like it. But it’s funny, and kids like it too.”
“How thoughtful of you,” Arrie told him, then reached across the table to tussle his hair. “What a great kid you are.” Arrie looked back at me. “You should’ve introduced us a long time ago, Reagan. We’re gonna be great friends.”
“Yeah, Mom,” Skye agreed. “I like Arrie. You should’ve introduced me to your old boyfriend a long time ago.”
“Yes, I can see that now.” I bit my lower lip as I tried not to break down crying.
Arrie knew about his son now, and he’d save his wrath for when Skye couldn’t hear him condemning me for what I’d done. Then I’d have to tell Skye about Arrie being his father and face that condemnation as well.
The evening was already a disaster, and I knew it would only get worse. For me, anyway.
Skye and Arrie had found a quick and easy friendship. Almost the same way Arrie and I had found it so easy to fall for each other back in the day. In a way, I felt happy about how easy they’d found it. In another, I felt their comradery would pit them against me. After all, I was the villain who’d kept them apart all this time.
“I’m finished, Mom,” Skye informed me. “Can we go now?”
“Yes, can we go now, Reagan?” Arrie asked. He looked at my uneaten food. “Looks like you’re not hungry anyway.”
What’s the point of eating when virtual death is so near?
Chapter 15
Arslan
Knowing Reagan had kept such an enormous secret from me should’ve made me angry as hell. Somehow, it didn’t.
Walking out with Reagan and her son—our son—I walked them to her car. Skye hopped in, buckling himself up in the middle of the backseat. I leaned in to kiss Reagan on the cheek, which made her gasp a startled, “No!”
Finding her reaction odd, I didn’t bother saying anything about it. “I’ll be over there as soon as I pick up the ice cream.”
Skye called out from the backseat. “Can you get that spray whipped cream too? I love it!”
“Done.” I closed Reagan’s door after she slid in behind the steering wheel. “See you in a few minutes, baby.”
Calling her that again felt great. Somehow, learning the truth about Skye—having an answer to why she’d been denying us a chance—just made everything click into place in a way I never would have imagined. She and I would be back to the good stuff very soon—maybe even this very night.
After picking up dessert, I headed over to her place, happy to see that the porch light had been left on for me. Now, this was the Reagan I’d known back then. No more pushing me away; no more cryptic, rude behavior from her, thank God.
That shit was done. With her secret out, all that dumb shit could end. I finally understood her weird behavior, a
nd that made me happy.
No more analyzing. No more trying to figure out how to get her to realize we had a future together. No more of that hard stuff.
Ringing the doorbell, I heard Skye call out, “Come in, Arrie.”
Opening the door, I didn’t see Reagan right away. “Hey, Skye.” I pulled the spray whipped cream out of the bag. “I got the goods.”
His smile made my chest swell up. Damn, I’ve got an adorable kid!
He walked up to me, opening his mouth like a little bird. “Quick, give me a mouthful before Mom sees.”
I took the lid off and gave him a shot of the sugary stuff then saw Reagan out of the corner of my eye. “Uh oh.”
Skye swallowed as his eyes went wide, then he took off down the hall. “Sorry, Momma.”
Wiping her hands on a kitchen towel, she called out to him, “It’s okay, Skye.” She looked at me with her lips in a thin line. “He acts like I beat him or something.”
“Nah.” I went into the kitchen, where she’d just come from. “If you point me to the bowls, I’ll make us some sundaes.”
She pointed at a cabinet. “In there. None for me.”
She’d lost her appetite. I understood why, but I didn’t like it. “You know, this isn’t as bad …”
Skye darted into the kitchen, the sugar already taking effect. “Come on, guys. The movie’s about to start!” He pointed at the can of whipped cream. “Lots of that for me, please, Arrie.” Then he darted out again.
Reagan looked at him then back at me. “Let’s not say anything he might overhear. Please.” Her eyes pleaded with me, which I thought was totally unwarranted for such a simple request.
“Yes, I agree.” She turned to leave, and I felt sadness radiating from her.
Perhaps the shame of being found out had her acting so strangely. I had no idea what holding onto a secret that long could do to a person. Back at the restaurant, I had been hoping she might actually feel relieved to finally have this out in the open. But whatever she was feeling, I knew I’d help her get over it.