“I didn’t mean go blonde again. I meant touch-up your roots.”
But Paige had already climbed off the bed, was halfway to the door. “Yeah right. Tell me when your man’s here. I’ll be in my room.”
Allie shook her head as she leaned over toward the nightstand. After sifting through the lists she had tucked in the drawer, she pulled out the one she was looking for – Possible Birthday Gifts for Paige. She scratched out trip to the salon and replaced it with black hair dye before shoving it back in the drawer. She tapped her fingers along the side table next, pondering her exchange with Paige. They’d fallen into a pattern: Couple steps forward, followed by a giant leap back. Still, even with the setbacks Allie could tell she’d made headway.
She thought back on what Paige had said in the car last week. That Terrance wanted her to come live with him. She hadn’t brought up the subject since then, which Allie was glad about; hopefully Terrance’s offer had only been a fleeting bit of weakness on his part. Him missing the girls and all that. Knowing Terrance, it would never be enough for him to make the kind of sacrifices necessary to follow through with it.
She eyed the clock, alarmed to see it was time to pull the lasagna out of the oven. She inhaled the rich, tangy aroma while making her way to the kitchen. Allie had been nervous about this night the entire week. About how it would go. Since the divorce was final, it had taken only two words to describe Allie: divorced mom. The term ‘divorced’ was directly connected to Terrance, which was ironic considering it meant she was no longer with the guy. The title ‘mom’ she owed to Jilly and Paige. And while Allie couldn’t think of a better title to hold, she secretly longed for something more. Something that could unbury the person she used to be. Her romance with Braden had started doing that very thing. Around him, she felt energetic and young. Sometimes nervous and shy. But above it all, she felt like her old self again. Braden gave her an escape from the frequently uptight, often obsessed, entirely over-worried woman she’d become. It was like Allie had turned into two separate beings. And tonight, the two would be forced to merge. Morph into some entirely new species, and learn to function.
And how would the girls respond to Braden? Of course Jillian would be kind and inviting. But would Paige ever really give him a chance? And what about Braden? Would he become overwhelmed after meeting the girls? Realize what he’s getting himself into and bow out before he got any deeper? Especially if Paige was set on spoiling things.
Allie sighed. If she was being honest with herself, that was her biggest concern. She very much wanted Braden to be part of their lives. Knew he could be a good fit for their family. But if things didn’t work out between Braden and Paige, it might be too difficult to move forward. If they could only hit it off – the way Paige did with her Grandpa Emerson – there’d be nothing to stop them from furthering the relationship. A shaky breath made its way through her pursed lips. Now was the moment of truth.
~+~
An orange glow lit the evening sky as Braden passed Allie’s house for the second time. She’d told him to come at six-thirty, and it was already just past that, but he couldn’t help the feeling of dread that kept him from pulling into her drive. If he could only pinpoint exactly what had him so anxious, perhaps he could squelch it and move on.
The quiet road stretched on for miles. Miles he couldn’t venture into just then, not if he was going to show up on time. With an irritated groan Braden slowed the truck, pulled off to the side of the road, and spun the thing around.
As pretty as the sunset was – the stretch of it spreading across the horizon – it made Allie’s home look all the more intimidating. There it stood in some heavenly glow, graced by the very light of God. And here he was about to walk on in and … what?
A bout of nausea rolled through his gut as he eased into her driveway. He’d done this one time before after accepting an invitation years ago. Braden had driven out there to have dinner with Allie, Terrance, and the girls, and then chickened out – headed straight back home. Calling to say he was too sick to come. Perhaps he should do the same thing now.
Just as the idea gained merit, a car zoomed into the driveway alongside his truck. The garage door creaked open, and there went one of the daughters, had to be the oldest, pulling Allie’s car into the garage. And just who was in the passenger seat? Was she dating already? He guessed if she was old enough to drive she was old enough to date, but the mere thought triggered a protective side he hadn’t even known was there.
Well, there was no backing out now. Guess he’d have to go through with it. Whatever it might bring. Another grunt escaped him as he pushed open the truck door and climbed out.
Jillian came strolling out of the garage, a wide smile on her face as she eyed him. “Hi,” she said. Boy did she look like her mother. Soft strands of hair fell from a high-set ponytail atop her head. Her smile belonged to Allie. Her cheekbones too. And that posture, the straight set of her shoulders reminded him of her mother as well.
“Hello there.” He gave her a single nod, watching as the guy in the garage tucked his hands into his pockets.
“You must be Braden. I’m Jillian.” She spun around and motioned to the kid behind her. “And this is my friend, Porter.”
She offered her hand first. Porter, as she’d called him, sauntered over and did the same before adjusting the bill of his baseball cap from front to back.
“Nice to meet you two,” Braden said.
Jillian smiled. “You too. Paige and my mom are inside.” She waved for him to follow, speaking as she led the way. “I just went and picked up Porter. He works at my Granddaddy’s ranch. He’s been helping out a whole lot since my dad left, and now he’s my Uncle Logan’s right hand man.”
Braden nodded. “Good to see a kid who knows how to work. That’ll do you a lot of good.”
“Yes, sir.” The kid spun the cap again, pulling it over his brow with one final tug as they stepped inside. A savory aroma stirred in the air as they entered. Braden pulled in a hearty breath, suddenly very glad he’d come.
“Hey, Jillian?” Allie’s voice came from somewhere in the home. “Would you and Porter mind setting the table? I’m not sure where Paige ran off to but Braden will be here any minute.”
Jillian spun around to give him a smile. “Actually,” she said to her mom, “he’s here already. I brought him in with me.”
A few steps more and Allie came into view. Braden pulled in a sharp breath. There she stood in the center of the kitchen. If her home appeared to sit at heaven’s gate, she was an angel at its door if he ever saw one. An apron draped over her body, hair pulled into a braid on the side of her head. A kindness in her eyes that nearly made her glow.
Her gaze ran the length of him as the corners of her lips turned gradually up. “I’m glad you could make it.”
Braden suddenly wished he had a hat on his head to toy with, the way Porter did. He settled for roughing a hand through his hair instead. “Me too.”
The younger daughter, Paige, wandered in just as Allie brought the food to the table, their cat, Phoebe, at her heels. On more than one occasion, Allie had warned him that Paige’s look was rather severe – black dyed hair with lots of eyeliner to match. What they used to call Goth back in high school. He’d been expecting something more drastic. Paige had an obviously pretty face, unhindered by the black of her hair or the excess makeup around her eyes. She had soft features, pale skin, and a hidden smirk that made Braden smile. According to Allie, Paige struggled with the idea of her dating her dad’s old friend. Part of him couldn’t blame her.
Just as Paige began lowering herself across from Jillian, Allie spoke up. “Oh, no hon. Scoot down one.” She patted the back of the chair across from Porter before dashing back toward the kitchen.
Paige shrugged. “Okay.” Her eyes settled on Braden next, her face falling flat. “You must be Brody. Or is it Bobby?” The smug look creeping over her face told him she’d butchered his name on purpose.
Braden extended h
is hand with a grin. “It’s Braden,” he said. “And you must be… Phoebe, is it?”
The eye roll he earned felt like a reward. Or perhaps it was the brief showing of that dimple in her cheek. Her eyes shot to the cat as she strutted over to her dish and began to crunch her food. “Yeah,” Paige said, glancing at Braden once more, “I’m Phoebe.”
As Braden saw it, that was the rebellious girl’s snarky way of saying touché; he’d take it.
“Well,” he said, glancing from Paige to Jillian, “I’m happy to finally meet you. Your mother has had a lot of great things to say about you both.” He felt dumb for leaving Porter out of the equation but couldn’t exactly take back what he’d said. Besides, this kid wasn’t even part of the family. But then neither was Braden. In fact, from the looks of things, Porter had been around for a while. Had an in with Allie’s father, even. Braden was the outsider here. The thought had him running another hand through his hair.
“You can have a seat right here,” Allie said, motioning to the empty chair. And what was this? He’d be sitting right next to Paige? Allie took a seat at the table’s end, putting her just to his left. He noticed the opposite end of the table had been pushed right up to the wall, no chair to speak of. Had that been Terrance’s place at one point? Braden recalled how difficult it had been to see his father’s empty chair after he passed – a painful reminder of just who was missing from every meal. Had Terrance’s chair been removed for a similar reason?
That question rolled around his mind as the group dished up. By the time he’d filled his plate, other inquiries arose: Just how close had Terrance been to the girls? Would he take them fishing at the lake? Spend time bonding with them as a good father should? Or had he let them down over the years, the way he’d fallen short where Allie was concerned. But the loudest question of all had more to do with his future with Allie: was it possible that the girls might welcome him into their lives?
With Paige at his side and Jillian sitting directly across, the room seemed to answer his question with a stifled sense of silence. A strained sort of tension that had him feeling like an intruder. He glanced over at Allie to see her scanning the table.
“Seems like we’re missing something,” she said with a puckered brow.
Jillian shot up from her chair. “Oh, it’s the corn. I’ll grab it.” She sped over to the microwave, retrieved a glass dish and brought it back to the table. “So you know what I was remembering the other day?” she said, looking at her mom first, and then Braden.
“What’s that, sweetie?”
“Braden,” Jillian answered. “I remember when he came into our art class and showed us all how to carve pictures into this plank of wood.” She glanced at him next, a broad smile on her face. “You had these neat tools you let us use. Remember?”
He did remember. He had scanned over a list of the students, recognized Terrance’s last name on the slip, and noted the familiar features on Jillian’s face the moment she’d walked into the class. Braden gave her a grin. “Yes, I remember. I still get calls from Mr. Bates once or twice a year, asking me to help with some project or other.”
“Well that was a really neat one,” she said. “I mean, I don’t love art the way Paige does, but I really liked that assignment.”
He nodded with satisfaction. “Glad to hear it.”
“That reminds me,” Allie said, straightening in her seat. “Paige has a project coming up soon in art and she was wanting to maybe do that same thing.”
Braden looked over at Paige. Her face had gone about ten shades of red.
“I don’t know if I’m going to do that or not,” she said, looking pointedly at her mom. “I was just thinking about it.”
“Isn’t your whole class doing it?” Jillian asked.
Paige shook her head and set down her fork. “Bates is doing it different this year. He told us we could choose between that and a couple of others. Three stupid cheerleaders picked the photography project, and suddenly the rest of the mindless drones in my class had to do the exact same thing.”
“But you can still do yours on wood if you’d like, right?” Allie said.
Paige’s eyes narrowed. “If I want.”
Allie looked confused. “I thought you were planning on it. That you just needed the tools and stuff.”
A stare-off ensued, accompanied by a tension-filled bout of deadly quiet.
Braden cleared his throat. “I’d be happy to get you whatever you need,” he said. “In fact, if you want to come by the shop I can help you get started.”
Paige dropped her gaze, picked up her fork, and began poking aimlessly at her food. “I’m not even sure I want to.”
“Well you better decide soon, hon. It’s due in less than three weeks. Mr. Bates said most kids already have a good start on theirs.”
The fork stayed lodged in her food as Paige folded her arms over her chest. “That’s because they all ran to the park after school and shot selfies. They’re using fellow students as their subjects. I wouldn’t do that in a million years.”
Braden felt as if he’d been wedged into the center of an ongoing argument. It seemed odd to him that Allie knew just when the assignment was due. And that she’d been talking with Mr. Bates on Paige’s behalf. It reminded him of that list she’d made for her. Was Paige on the verge of failing, or what?
“So, have you already picked out a subject?” he asked her.
Paige shrugged. “I did, but I’m not doing him anymore.”
“Hmm,” Braden murmured. “Back when I was in school, it didn’t have to be a person. It could be an object too. Has that changed?’
When Paige didn’t answer, Jillian spoke up. “It had to be a person when I did it a few years ago. I chose my Uncle Alex. In fact, my mom hung it up in the office.”
Braden nodded, realizing that must have meant a lot to Allie. “I’ll have to take a look at it before I go,” he said.
An irritated puff sounded from Paige’s direction. “Yeah, she’s not the artist, but her stuff is what’s hanging on the walls.”
“She did a portrait of my dead brother,” Allie said. “If you could draw something other than pictures of the living dead I’d gladly hang your art too.”
“Um, hmm.” Paige slid her chair from the table. “I’m done,” she announced, shoving her hand into her pocket as she went. She retrieved a phone, began tapping at the screen and, in moments flat, she was out of view.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“So,” Allie said, pumping a squirt of lotion onto her hands. “How bad was it?” She watched as Braden leaned against the kitchen counter and folded his arms. The black night seemed to seep in from the windows, making the room appear darker than usual.
“It wasn’t bad at all,” he said, “all things considered.”
She stepped closer to him, nudged the toe of her bare foot against his dusty cowboy boot. “You mean, considering the fact that I have a daughter who hates me, things went alright?”
“She doesn’t hate you, Allie.”
Her gaze drifted up a foot at a time. Slowly. The conversation was important after all, and a part of her was hesitant to hear what he really thought. Her eyes ran along Braden’s dark denim jeans, over his strong, folded arms in that jade green shirt. When she finally met his gaze, Allie saw a list of unspoken words in his eyes, yet she couldn’t read even one of them. Her fear was that Braden was planning to run for the hills. But the look on his face didn’t confirm it.
He cradled her elbow and motioned toward the family room. “Let’s go kick back,” he said. “Take a load off.”
The restless energy bustling about her limbs made Allie want to do anything but. Still, she nodded, checking the clock. “Okay.” The girls had long since said goodnight. Whether they were doing homework in their rooms or sound asleep by now, Allie didn’t know. Either way, she knew they’d give her and Braden privacy. Jillian, because she wanted the two to wind up together. And Paige, because she’d be horrified to walk in and find them ma
king out on the couch. The thought made her smile until she realized just how far off that scenario was from really happening. They had things to talk about. Issues to discuss.
Braden remained quiet as he headed into the living room. Allie paused to shut off a few lights, leaving them in the yellow glow of the standing lamp. A wadded up blanket caught her eye before she could sit. She snagged the thing off the lounge chair and held it by two ends. “I know Paige doesn’t hate me, but she sure acts like it sometimes.”
When Braden didn’t respond, she looked up, unnerved to see a quiet grin on his face.
“What?” she asked.
He patted the spot next to him. “Come and sit with me.” His voice was that alluring tone, low and scratchy.
She draped the folded blanket along the chair and sunk into the leather couch, leaving half a cushion between them. A new swarm of nerves rushed through her. The unsettling motion begging her to pace. Instead, she turned her body to face him and then folded her legs, resting her hands in her lap.
Why exactly was she so nervous? Because she was scared that Braden might run, she reminded herself. Perhaps he’d seen and heard enough for one night – enough to know he was wasting his time with her.
She moved her hair from her face, tucked it behind one ear, and pulled in a deep breath of courage. “Braden, if this is too much for you…” She left it there, the emotion attached to her words too much to take.
“Why would you think that?” he asked.
Allie blinked a few times, the view of her hands coming back into focus. At last she lifted her chin, shifting her gaze to Braden. His eyes had been warmed by the light, a hypnotic blend of brown and gold. She could tell that his face was freshly shaven, yet hints of a dark, five-o’clock shadow accented his jaw. If she ran her fingers over the short scruff, would it feel like the 80 grit sandpaper she’d held in the shop?
“I really enjoyed meeting your girls tonight,” he said. “I thought they were great.”
Rough Edges: Allie's Story, A Companion to the Sweet Montana Bride Series (Second Chances Book 1) Page 10