“I owe you an apology,” Shannon said. She slid her fingers through her hair and tucked it behind her ear “I had a suspicion Ren had a crush on you for some time. Whenever he was home, he’d talk about you constantly. And I knew if he wasn’t out with Tyler and the guys, I’d find him over here. It never dawned on me it could be more than a crush.”
“No apology necessary. Your surprise was normal.” She lifted her glass and took a sip of the slightly bitter tea. She would even go as far to say that Shannon’s reaction was normal. She’d learned her twenty-three-year-old son was sleeping with her neighbor. A little surprise and anger was expected. Stacey would have been shocked if she hadn’t been upset.
“I was upset when I suspected there was something going on between you two. He’d come home that one afternoon practically floating on air with a smile plastered on his face. And then you were high-tailing it to your sister’s. I hadn’t put two-and-two together right away.” Shannon smiled tightly. “That night, Jay found him hanging outside on your porch waiting for you. He was on edge the next couple days. I couldn’t figure out why, but I caught him looking out the front windows constantly in what I now know was in search of you.”
Stacey sipped her iced tea. Guilt fluttered through her. She’d left without a single word to Ren that day. Though she’d suspected her leaving caused him some distress, Ren had never told her that he sat on her porch waiting. Her chest restricted on hearing these revelations. Looking back, her reaction had been unfair.
“A couple days later, I saw him park his Jeep in our driveway and wander over here,” Shannon continued. “I rolled around in bed all night, waiting for him to come home. When he didn’t, I knew for sure.” She inhaled deeply and released the breath in a whoosh. “He will always be my baby. Over the years, I kind of looked at you as more like me, forgetting our age difference. So, it caught me off guard.” She gulped her iced tea as if parched, then set the glass on the counter. “I shouldn’t have slapped you.” The words burst from her lips. Obvious this wasn’t an easy conversation for Shannon, either.
“I understand your reaction.”
“I appreciate that.” Shannon twisted her glass on the counter before looking at Stacey. “I understand you and Ren are seeing each other. I’ve never seen him happier.”
“He’s amazing.” Stacey tilted her head in recognition of Shannon’s assistance in making Ren that way. “He’s kind. Respectful. Considerate. Loving. I thought our age difference was insurmountable. I thought I’d never be able to trust a man again after being so duped by Randy. Ren never gave up on me.”
Shannon rimmed her glass with the tip of her finger.
“I didn’t fall in love with Ren to get back at Randy. Or to try to anger or upset you or Jay. It was just as big of a surprise to me. I kept telling myself this can’t happen. But it did.”
“I want him happy. He’s my son and he means the world to me. You make him happy. I’ve never seen him this way. Is this how I pictured things? No. But life never seems to let you imagine things too long before snapping you out of the thought that you might actually be in control.” She tucked a few wisps of hair out of her face behind her ear. “You’re a wonderful person, Stacey. My feelings about the situation had nothing to do with you as a person. I hope you know that. It’s hard for me to let go of him. Sometimes I look at him and still see that little eight-year-old boy asking me to help him build Legos.”
“I want him happy, too.” Stacey smiled. “I can’t begin to imagine what it feels like to raise a child knowing at some point you have to let them go and just hope you’ve done your best work.” She fidgeted with her glass, turning it in a circle on the counter. Her chest tightened with emotion. She didn’t know the feeling of being a mother, but she wanted to. At some point, maybe she’d have the opportunity with Ren. “I’m sure it’s a mix of emotion. If it helps at all, you and Jay have done a remarkable job with him.”
Shannon nodded in acknowledgment. “I know it’s taken me a while to work through all this. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel awkward about it, but for the sake of everyone’s happiness, I want to make it work. Over time I think we’ll all adjust.”
“That means a lot. It really does.” Agreeing to a relationship with Ren meant agreeing to be part of his life, which included his family. If Shannon didn’t want her around, refused to talk to her or Ren, how would things ever work out between them? She and Ren already had enough obstacles to work through. His mother disliking her or refusing to speak to her would be one of the toughest. Her chest warmed with the effort Shannon displayed today.
Shannon sipped the last of her tea, then walked over to the sink to set the glass in the basin.
“I’m glad we had this talk.” She turned on her heels and smiled. “I hope you and Ren will come to dinner on Sunday. Talk with him and let me know. Enjoy your evening.” Shannon fluttered out of the kitchen and out the front door.
Contentment filled her. Though she and Ren had their obstacles and there would be trying times like any relationship, things were beginning to fall into place and she couldn’t be happier.
Chapter Twelve
Ren stared blankly inside the refrigerator. He’d driven over to Stacey’s around nine in the morning. She’d welcomed him with an eggs benedict breakfast to die for before putting him to work helping install a ceiling fan in the family room. He knew his way around tools and do-it-yourself kind of projects, thanks to his father, so he didn’t mind at all. Any excuse to spend time with her was fine by him.
It had taken them almost three hours to get the fan installed. The light she had on the ceiling had been more complicated to remove than they’d originally thought. They’d worked up a thirst, which was why he stood at the fridge with a silly smile on his face. With work done, cold beers and a dip in the pool with Stacey was on the horizon.
He couldn’t believe the path his life had taken over the last several weeks. It’d been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least. He’d gone from elated, to broken hearted, to frustrated, to head over heels in love. Ever since he’d received the ‘love me’ text from Stacey almost a month ago, things have taken a consistent turn in the right direction.
They still had a lot of work to do, but didn’t every relationship? He’d come to learn that relationships required a lot of time and effort. The riding off into the sunset happily ever after was a fairytale. But the benefits more than outweighed the work itself.
He and Stacey had been dating for a month. During the week, he drove over to her house after the office, not even stopping at the apartment he shared with Tyler. Some days that would be six o’clock. Other days, more like eight in the evening. Working for a large engineering firm didn’t necessarily follow the forty-hour work week schedule depending on the project. But not a day went by he didn’t see her.
They snuggled on the couch and watched an episode of Modern Family or Orphan Black, depending on whether they wanted to laugh or tense their muscles. Ren had never been so content as when he wrapped his arms around her, her heart beating against his. They fit perfectly together, physically and otherwise.
On the weekends, they’d go out to dinner, or to the movies, or for a stroll along the beach, whatever her heart desired. They shot pool a few times at the Alehouse with his buddies, who were utterly impressed with her skills on the table, hustling them for some cash. Her sister, Jen, came up for a weekend, showering him with thanks for putting a smile back on Stacey’s face. And his mom welcomed them to dinner on more than one occasion. It had been a little uncomfortable the first time, but Dad did everything he could to ease the anxiety in the room, and the evening had been enjoyable.
The last several weeks had been better than he imagined, even sticking with his no-sex promise. It had been almost two months since they’d had. They’d messed around, kissing and caressing each other. He’d been to second base a couple times, making her come with his fingers. She tested his resolve, slipping her hand down the front of his shorts or wrapping her le
gs around him in the pool and rubbing against him. Not easy, saying no to her, but he enjoyed exploring the little things, like the ticklish spot on her neck, the curve of her low back, or the way she sighed when he placed a kiss just below her ear. He’d never taken things slow with a woman. Oddly enough, he loved it. He had the distinct impression she enjoyed the chivalrous nature of his promise, too, most of the time.
Bang! Bang!
The knock at the front door forced him out of his reverie. He grabbed two bottles of Corona from the fridge and popped off the bottle caps.
“I got it,” he yelled to Stacey, who had gone to her bedroom to change into her bathing suit.
He walked down the hallway and opened the front door. Not sure what to expect, but it sure wasn’t to see Stacey’s ex-husband, Randy. All six feet and two hundred pounds of asshole. By the look on Randy’s face, eyes round and mouth agape like he’d been about to say something but the words escaped him, he hadn’t expected Ren to answer the door.
“Why’re you answering my door?” Randy sniped, crossing his arms over his chest, which caused his biceps and chest muscles to flex under his blue button-down shirt. Ren, however, couldn’t be happier about the situation. He’d wondered how long it would be before he and Randy came face-to-face. He wanted Randy to know Stacey was his, that he took care of her now. Time for Randy to recognize what he lost, what he threw away.
“It’s my understanding this isn’t your door anymore,” Ren said with a bit of amusement. He wiggled the two Coronas in his hand. “I’m visiting Stacey.”
Randy rolled his eyes, then shook his head in disbelief, and huffed out a breath. His lips drew tight and his hands clenched. “Are you fucking my wife?” He spat the question as if the idea were preposterous.
Ren released a cocky laugh. “She’s not your wife.” Who did this dickhead think he was anyway? First, it’s his door. Now, Stacey’s his wife again. Fuck him.
“You are, aren’t you? You’re fucking her?” Randy ran a hand through his thick, sprinkled with gray, black hair. His agitation was palpable.
“Ren, who’s at the door?” Stacey chimed as she flitted into the hallway in a bikini he’d never seen. Wow! She looked so beautiful it sucked the breath right out of him. Randy gasped.
Her hair, released from its messy bun of earlier, fell into wild waves over her shoulders. The white material of the swimsuit showed off her golden skin from head to toe. The top cupped her breasts snuggly, pushing her cleavage up, and making Ren’s mouth water. Thin pieces of fabric wrapped around her ribcage and connected in the back, making her appear almost tied up. A bolt of lust zinged through him, settling in his groin. His cock sprang to life and his eyes hadn’t even fully devoured her bottoms, which drew attention to the toned curve of her hips and legs. He couldn’t believe she was his. How had he gotten so lucky?
The sound of Randy’s low growl shook Ren out of his lust and made his temperature rise. He’d lost his chance to view her as anything other than his ex. The animalistic sounds fueled a fire in Ren.
“Oh! Randy!” She pulled to a halt in the foyer. Her blue eyes widened to saucers.
“Surprised, Stacey?” he asked, voice full of gravel and accusation.
“What are you doing here?” She crossed her arms over her midsection, as if trying to hide her vulnerability and skin. Ren wished he had a blanket he could throw around her to make her less exposed. Her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment, and he couldn’t tell if she was uncomfortable to be standing there in her bikini or standing there with him.
“I came by to talk to you. To see how you were doing. But I guess the surprise is on me. You’re fucking the neighbor-kid?” He chuckled before shaking his head and giving her the once over. “I mean, I can see why he’s interested. Shit, you’ve never looked better, but he’s a kid. Classy, Stace.”
Stacey blanched.
Kid? They’d come so far on their age difference. If this asshole so much as put an idea in her head that their age was an issue again, Ren would pummel him.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” he snapped, stepping in front of her to shield her from Randy’s view. Anger bubbled through him. He tightened his hand not holding the beers into a fist and clenched his jaw, grinding his molars together in an effort to not punch Randy in the face. He’d been dying to do just that since he heard what he did to Stacey, and the way he talked to her pissed him off. Acting like he still had a say in what she did or that he could lower her self-esteem with a few words. Screw him.
“So, fucking my wife makes you her bodyguard now?” Randy sniggered.
“What about her not being your wife anymore don’t you seem to get? You blew your chance to call her that.”
“Doesn’t seem like it took very long for her to let you fill my spot between her legs.”
Without thinking, Ren cocked his fist and hit Randy on the side of his jaw. His head snapped back. Stacey screamed. Searing pain shot through his wrist and up his arm. He hadn’t hit someone in years and never really enjoyed being in that position anyway. He wasn’t a fighter. But Randy’s words infuriated him. The fact that he could talk about the woman he had loved and been married to in such a derogatory manner had Ren seeing nothing but red. Surprisingly, the Coronas were still intact in his left hand.
Randy rubbed his jaw. He squinted, his face reddened, and his lips pulled back revealing teeth like a snarling wolf.
“If you weren’t a fucking kid, I’d pound you in the ground.”
Ren set the beers down on the table near the door. He shook out both hands, readying for whatever came next. “I’m not a kid anymore. And if you continue to talk about Stacey in such a demeaning way, I’ll pound you.”
“You sucker punched me the first time, but I promise it won’t happen again.” Randy stretched his neck back and forth, then rolled his shoulders like he readied for a boxing match.
“Stop it. If you lay a hand on him, I’ll have you arrested, Randy.” Stacey stepped forward. She sounded exasperated and angry. “Do either of you need an ice pack?” She looked from Randy’s face to Ren’s hand.
Both shook their heads.
“Good.” She inhaled deeply and blew the breath out. “There’s no reason for you to be here. None.” She stood to the right of the door with her hands on her hips. “Shouldn’t you be home with your pregnant girlfriend?”
“I wanted to talk with you.” Randy still rubbed the side of his jaw where he’d been punched. The fact he still felt the hit made Ren smile. Randy glanced at him and glared. He took the meaning “if looks could kill” to whole other level. “Can we talk in private?” His voice morphed into something softer with his request as his gaze found Stacey.
She shook her head. “We have nothing to talk about. Everything is final.” Her lips drew into a tight line. “I’m doing fine. Amazing, actually.”
“I fucked up, Stace,” he blurted. Desperation dripped from every word. “Shit. I made so many mistakes over the last year I can’t even keep track.” He tilted his head toward Ren. “Don’t you have something you can do so she and I can talk?”
Ren straightened his back. He didn’t want to appear intimidated despite the wave of jealousy that rolled through him. They shared a lengthy past. Ten years of marriage. They had planned to share their lives together, have a family. Surely, feelings still existed. His stomach turned at the thought of her giving him another chance. The idea of losing her broke him, but losing her to Randy would kill him.
“Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Ren.” She weaved her fingers through his. The boulder of fear sitting on his chest lifted and he relaxed his shoulders. Randy’s gaze dropped to their joined hands and his face scrunched in anger.
“Is this for real?” He waved a finger between them. “Or are you just pretending to piss me off?”
Stacey smirked. “Super cute of you to think I’d pretend to be with someone just to piss you off.” She rose up on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on Ren’s cheek. He closed his eye
s briefly to relish in the attention. “This is the most real relationship I’ve ever been in.”
“But he’s just a kid, Stace. For Christ’s sake.”
Ren stiffened again. If he didn’t stop calling him a kid, the top of his head might blow off. This conversation was getting old. “Do you have something you’d like to convey to her or is this conversation over?”
“Don’t be an asshole.” Randy placed his hands on his hips, trying to intimidate him. He clearly took care of himself, was muscular and fit. However, so was Ren and he had youth on his side.
“I’m losing my patience. We have plans this afternoon and you’re interfering with them.”
She squeezed his hand, letting him know she supported him.
“Just say what you need to say, Randy,” Stacey blurted.
“Fine.” He wrung out his hands in front of him, looking at the ground, then back up at her. “I always imagined it’d be the two of us. From the moment I met you, you were the one.” He swallowed hard. Ren almost felt bad for the guy. Almost. He’d messed up his marriage to the most incredible woman and had finally realized what he lost.
“I wasn’t the one, Randy. Otherwise, there would have never been a Misty or Christie or whatever her name is.”
“I made a mistake,” he pleaded.
“Yes, you did.” A half-smile slipped over her lips. She looked vindicated. Pride surged through him. She’d had her heart shattered in a million pieces by this man and now she stood strong. God, he loved her. “We all have to live with our mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes turn into regrets, but you still have to live with them. This is yours to live with.” She leaned her head against Ren’s shoulder. “It’s not okay for you to come here. Nor is it okay for you to harass Ren, especially in my house.” She pointed to his black Mercedes SL Roadster sitting in the road next to the driveway. “You should get back to your girlfriend.”
“Stace. Just let me talk to you,” Randy begged. He’d clasped his hands together in front of him, almost in a prayer position. “I was jealous of you. Your career skyrocketed. You made twice as much as I did and I guess it made me feel small, less of a man. Like I couldn’t take care of you. Like you didn’t need me.”
Let Me Love You Page 14