We finally opened our eyes and stared each other down. “If you want to reconsider, we can lock up your house and pretend you need to stay at my place.”
I laughed. “And ignore all the acrobatics it took to get inside?”
His eyes were still half-open, looking at me as if I were dessert. “I’m afraid if I don’t leave right now, I might not.”
I adjusted my dress and straightened up. “Okay.”
He turned to leave and grabbed me once more. The kiss was deeper. I didn’t breathe for the entirety of it. After it ended, he shook it off and whispered good-bye. I watched him walk out. After catching my breath, I went in and fell on my bed. How much more could I withstand of guessing what my future held? Nothing in my life made sense or was easy. My car and house were even working against me now!
Thanksgiving was two weeks away. I’d made up my mind I was going to host it yet again. Yes, there were questions. Especially considering so many people had changed in the group. But it looked as though Maggie would be able to make it. Her mother couldn’t cook for beans so she avoided it at all cost. With Maggie as an only child, Mrs. Morrow didn’t have Thanksgiving and usually ate leftovers from my house. Liz was a fixture when it came to meals at my place. She knew who buttered her bread the best. Typically she was flying solo during Thanksgiving so she wouldn’t have to meet anyone’s parents she was currently dating. But now, with Rick, she told him under no circumstances were they doing this meal anywhere else but my house. Luckily his parents were okay with it and arranged their meal for Saturday. It worked out for someone else in his family to have it that way, anyway. Rose was so excited with how the attendees were shaping up. I’d written down the list and placed it on the fridge next to the menu. She missed the regular monthly meals and seeing everyone.
“Is Carter coming, Mommy? I don’t think his name is on the list. I don’t see the letter C.”
“I’m not sure, Rose. He’s been so busy lately.” In fact, since bringing my keys home that night, Carter had said very little to me. I had Uncle Pete take me to pick it up the next day. Carter had the battery charged enough for me to have no problems starting it and bringing it home.
“Can I call and ask him?”
“Sure.” I dialed the number and handed her the phone.
I stirred the oatmeal and waited to hear her side of the conversation. “Hi, Carter.” She looked at the phone strangely.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“He’s talking. But it makes no sense.”
She handed it to me. I put it to my ear and heard his voicemail come on. I hung up before it beeped.
“I’ll ask him when I go to school today, pumpkin.”
“Is Alex and June coming?” She pointed to the list with her question.
“No, Alex is flying to Florida to be with his family. He said they have a very big meal. Everyone comes—aunts, uncles, and cousins.”
Since that night I locked myself out and we kissed, Alex had been sort of different. I invited him and June over a few times and we ate; he helped with the dishes, then they left. I almost had to wonder whether that night even happened. Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe there was a full moon. Who knows? We haven’t so much as grazed arms and I’m not sure why. I don’t feel like he’s avoiding me. It’s just different.
“Don’t forget to ask Carter. And tell him to bring his pretty girlfriend if he wants. We have plenty to eat, don’t we, Mommy?”
I smeared on a smile Rose would believe and nodded. “You know it, girl.”
I heard Rose in my mind as I knocked on Carter’s office door. I waited till the day was over to ask him. Several times I found myself in the office waiting to go see him, but chickened out. What would he know about Thanksgiving dinner? I could pass it off as a last-minute decision and let him and Mitzy grace someone else’s table. But I knew Rose wanted him there.
“Come in.”
I peered in before I opened the door all the way. “Do you have a second?”
He got up and began pulling papers from piles and stuffing them into his case. Barely looking up, he said, “Just a second. I’m afraid I’m late for a meeting.”
“Oh, okay.” I stood by the door. “I’m having Thanksgiving dinner and wanted to invite you. That is, you and Mitzy. It’s at four. You don’t need to bring anything but—”
“I can’t.”
I shut my mouth, shy of finishing my instructions. “Okay. I see.”
He pulled the handles of his case and slung it off the desk. “We’re going to her parents’ house for dinner.”
“I see.” My head hung. “Well, Rose will miss you. She asked me to ask you to come.”
“Well, that’s nice of her. Please tell her why I can’t.”
“Certainly. And she’ll understand.” I flung my hand as though it wasn’t a big deal.
“I hope so.” He waited to take off out the door. Only I was in the way.
I opened the door and slowly crept toward the reception area. “Have a good evening, then.”
He pulled his door shut. “You, too.” He passed me and walked out.
Okay, that was tense. Was that a ten-foot wall I sensed? Did I have stinky underarms or something? I was becoming a human man repellent. First Alex, now Carter? I did a quick smell check, hoping no one was looking. Nope, still powder fresh.
I gathered my thoughts and left to go pick up Rose. She was disappointed, as I figured. But all that changed when my phone rang and it was Sam. I handed the phone to her to answer. After all, it was her who he always wanted to talk to. I didn’t have to guess why I repelled that man. One giant secret I kept to myself and now he barely said more than ten words to me before asking for Rose.
“Okay, Daddy,” she said after two minutes of recreating her last week of tattling on friends and falling on the playground at recess. “I’ll give her the phone. Good-bye.”
I took the phone, unsure why he wanted to talk to me. “Hello?”
“Sarah?”
“Yeah. Did you want to talk to me?”
“I wanted to ask if me and Sophie could come spend Thanksgiving with you and Rose. I feel like a complete heel asking—I haven’t told Sophie in case you have other plans or don’t want us. And it isn’t as though I wouldn’t contribute. Let me know what I can bring and I’ll have it sent. Do you have a turkey already?”
“Um, yes.” Huh? He wants to come here? With us?
“I can’t cook, as you may well know, Sarah. But we can go to a restaurant or something. You know, if it’s too much to make a meal. I just think it’s important to spend it as a family.”
Family? I could use one of those right now. It’s just that Sam didn’t naturally pop into my mind when the word family was mentioned. I thought keeping Rose’s very existence from him sort of worked against any notion we’d ever become a family of four.
“Uh, yeah. Sure, please come. But I’m cooking. And I’m sort of having over my friends. We do it every Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition.”
“Are you sure we won’t be intruding?”
“Not at all. Please do come. It is a holiday for family, after all. And in an odd, unconventional way, I guess we are that.”
“Sounds great. We’ll fly in Wednesday night. I’ll get a hotel nearby and be at your house the next day.”
“Hotel? Just come and stay here, Sam. Rose would love it. Sophie can sleep in her room, and you can…you can stay in my room. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“I don’t mind sleeping on the couch. Or I can get a hotel room. It’s no big deal.”
“That’s crazy. I’ll tell Rose and see you all then.”
Rose was undeniably ecstatic until Wednesday arrived. I had to tell her hour by hour how many minutes it would be until they arrived. I found myself almost as excited. Sam considered us family. We’d come a long way since the summer when he swore me off for hiding the fact of Rose. Who knows, maybe Sam and me were still a chance waiting to happen. There were still sparks when we visited his friend�
�s winery. I just felt too much guilt from hiding having his child. Was God telling me this was the man I was to be with? And that’s why Alex left and Carter wouldn’t be here? So many things were running through my head, I couldn’t wait till Wednesday got here either.
Rose kept watch out the front window. I busied myself cleaning. And then I arranged the food I’d gotten at the grocery store so it didn’t take up too much counter space. I checked the bathroom mirror too many times to count. I didn’t want to appear too made up. I wore a large sweater, my hair was up, and just some skinny khakis. Rose insisted on wearing a dress. She was so excited. Sam and Sophie was all she talked about since I picked her up at her half-day at school.
She bopped in the kitchen while I was wiping out the sink. “Mommy, weren’t they supposed to be here by now?”
“Rose, I told you. Your dad called and said something went on at work and caused them to leave later than he expected. They should be here before you go to bed.”
Which reminded me. I needed to pull some linens from the closet to make up a bed on the sofa. I was sure the gentleman he was, he’d take it, but I was prepared either way.
“Mommy, they’re here! They’re here!” Rose shot off the back of the sofa and plowed into me, hugging my torso till I felt sick. It could’ve been the gurgling anxiety pent up, too. We both had picked at our dinner, too giddy to eat chicken and fries before our “family’s” arrival.
She ran and slung open the door.
“Rose Marie, you’ll catch cold. Now get back in here. They’re coming in, I promise.”
My breathing hastened and my palms began to sweat. This was the first time since Sam stormed out of here that he was coming on good terms again. It didn’t take long before Sophie stormed in. According to Sam, she and Rose got along brilliantly at his house. He let Sophie on the phone to talk to Rose each time he called.
The girls hugged each other like lost friends. I waited before stretching my arms out to get my love. She rushed over and hugged me tight. Her sandy-blonde hair was turning darker, and those little freckles on her nose and cheeks were increasing. She was gorgeous. Her little boots made her fit right into the little town of Calvert. Rose clung to her like static. I looked toward the door to see whether Sam was coming.
“Daddy is getting out bags. He packed a big suitcase.” Sophie’s eyes grew wide when she described it.
Hmm…big? How many nights was he figuring on staying? He only mentioned tonight. Not that a few more would be bad. Or would they?
Finally he bumped into the door, a case in each hand and his computer attaché case slung over his shoulder. I went over to help him navigate the close entryway. “Here, let me help.”
I took Sophie’s pink case and set it down. He released his large one on the floor beside the door and ducked out of his carry-on. I took in his attire—dress pants, button-down white shirt, but no tie. He must’ve lost it on the plane when he set it down. I remember him doing it on our trip back from New York. I had picked it up and put it in my bag. And he was wearing a nice down coat. Didn’t match his ensemble, but maybe his wool one was too heavy to pack.
“How was your trip?” I reached out to take Sophie’s purple coat and waited for Sam to answer.
“It was good. I’m sorry we’re late.”
“Are you hungry? I’ve got leftovers.”
“Nah, we ate dinner on the plane.”
Sophie piped in, standing on tiptoes to be heard. “It was steak. And there was a baked potato. The stewardess gave me an extra scoop of ice cream for eating everything.”
Sam smiled. “Yes, she did. You did a great job, Soph.”
“Well, let me let you all settle in. Rose, I’m sure you can show Sophie where you all will be sleeping. Why don’t you get dressed for bed now.” I looked at my watch. “It’s almost 9:30. You all can watch television out here for a little bit.”
I turned to Sam. “Sam, you can follow me to my room. I’ve got the sheets changed. If you want, you can shower. Or maybe you’d like to visit with Rose a bit. It’s up to you.”
“I’ll put my things away first, if you don’t mind. But I’m not chasing you out of your room, Sarah. I thought you had a third bedroom?”
“It’s sort of a catch-all room. I don’t have a basement and my attic is rafters. The third room is where I keep decorations, old clothes, and silly things I can’t throw away.”
He nodded. “I see. Well, I think I’ll catch up with Rose for a bit then.”
I showed him where to put his case and where the towels were when he wanted to take that shower. I moseyed out to the kitchen while he visited with the girls. I’d have time to catch up with Sophie tomorrow. She was full of herself with showing Rose everything she brought in her backpack. I heard a few chants of “neat books, iPad, and Pokemon plushes.” Rose was trying to get into everything her big sister was into. Last week I caved and bought her a stuffed animal that looked like a blue dog with a pointy fire tail. She claimed it would eventually morph into something. She didn’t remember the specifics but assured me it would.
I was scrolling through my recipes at the table when I heard Sam come into the room. “Say, would you happen to have some water? I’m parched.”
I got up and went to the fridge to get him a bottle of water. “Here you go.”
He cracked open the top and guzzled it down. I heard each pump down his throat and watched his Adam’s apple plunge up and down. He finished his drink and held onto it, looking around at my kitchen. “I can guess a lot of good food gets prepared in here.”
“I wouldn’t say a lot. We find nourishment here and there. Sometimes even downtown. Rose eats like a bird. I’m constantly throwing out more than we’re putting in.”
“I’m looking forward to your Thanksgiving meal. I can help, if you dare let me.”
My head fell back in laughter. “Yeah, I’ve seen those skills. I might put you on salad duty.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
I flipped through a couple more pages, all the while millions of voices were fighting for space in my brain. How was I feeling? Was this weird he was in my house? How were we to act? Was he truly over everything? He was so ticked before. Ticked? No, explosive seems to describe it better. And he had every right.
He finished up the last sip and looked for the trash. I pointed toward the door and he slipped it inside. “Well, if you don’t mind. It’s been one heck of a day. I think I’m going to take you up on that shower.”
“Sure. If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll make sure Sophie gets taken care of too.”
“Thanks, Sarah. She’s looked so forward to coming here. She had her bags packed the second I told her. She even made me stop at the mall so she could bring you and Rose a little something.”
“She’s the sweetest.”
He stammered for a second more before going back to my room. I sauntered up to Rose’s door and knocked on the open door. Both girls looked up from their handheld devices.
“Hey girlies.”
Sophie dropped hers on the bed and met me with another hug.
I kissed the top of her head. “I’ve missed you so much, Soph.”
She looked up. I noticed one of her teeth was missing on the top row. She was so darned cute. “You and Dad are the only ones to call me that.”
“We are?”
“Yeah, I told Mrs. Rantz on Monday. She thought it was funny.”
“It is.”
“Why doesn’t Sophie call you Mommy, Mommy?” Rose asked.
I raised my brow. Why were kids so innocent? “Well…”
“I think I did once. When I was little,” Sophie said, beaming with a grin.
“I think you’re right.” I pinched her little cheek when I said it.
“Well, if we’re sisters, shouldn’t she call you Mommy then?”
I looked at Sophie. “Sweetie, you can call me anything you want.”
Her little mouth twisted. “Well, I sort of would like to. If you don
’t mind. That way, I can talk about you at school and all my friends won’t ask who I’m talking about.”
“Okay. Deal.”
She squeezed me again and raced back to her digital device.
“Now I need you all to get dressed for bed. We have a big day tomorrow. I don’t want any sleeping on the job.” I gave a little wink and the girls giggled.
I unpacked the clothes Sophie brought and laid out something for Rose to wear for bed. They got changed and brushed their teeth before I went to check on Sam. Surely he was finished by now.
I found him sitting on the side of my bed, perusing the picture album I had out from the night when I laid crying over my maternal grandmother. He looked up.
“I see you found my walk down memory lane. I had those out the other night.”
He pointed to one of me and Dad. I must’ve been fourteen. Awkward stage. I thought feathered hair and knee socks were the bomb. Seems my dad did, too. “Oh my gosh, turn that page.”
Sam held the book close to him and laughed. “You’re cute.”
“Cute?” I grabbed for the book. He pulled back. I let it go.
“Sure, cute. You should see pictures of me. I was nothing but knobby knees and gangly arms. Girls didn’t come near me until I was one foot into my senior year.”
“I have a hard time believing that.” I sat down next to him.
“No, really. Jenny Braden was my first girlfriend. Turns out she only dated me to make Derrick what’s-his-name jealous.”
“Yeah, I’ve got some of those stories.”
He pulled another book from the pile. It was a newer walk down memory lane. I could tell by the picture on the front. I’d gotten the scrapbook from one of those boutique scrapbook places. All of Dad’s came from Dollar General and was plain and generic.
“What era is this one from?”
Falling For Sarah (Sarah Series Book 3) Page 13