This was the problem with the truth- it sometimes made things much harder. “I don’t regret it, no. And it should be with someone you love. But just because you love someone, it doesn’t mean you have to sleep with them. It’s really important that you understand that.”
“I know, Aunt Gloria. I promise that Gray isn’t pressuring me. This is something I want to do.” She looked at me with unblinking eyes.
“Okay. But you know that sex will change everything? You can’t go back and undo it.” I didn’t want to scare her away from sex, but it was important that she think about all of the consequences. “And you need to know that just because you do it once, it doesn’t mean that you have to keep doing it if you don’t want to.”
She nodded, still clearly not deterred.
“I think you should consider going on the pill, too. It will give you more control over your body.” I even went a step further and added. “You always need to remember that. It’s your body. It’s your decision. Okay?”
“Okay. I understand.” She looked away, her cheeks turning pink. “How is it? The first time, I mean. Some people say that it’s pretty painful.”
“A little. But if you really love the person, they will treat you right.” I smiled a little remembering how sweet Johnny had been that night. “You just have to be honest about how it feels and take it slow.”
She looked at me with tears in her eyes. “Thanks, Aunt Gloria. I know that you aren’t my mom, but sometimes I just really need one. I could never talk to Dad about this kind of stuff.”
“I understand.” I reached over and touched her hand. “But you shouldn’t discount your father so quickly. He was young once, too. And he really loves you. If you ever needed him, he would be there for you.”
“I know. But it’s not the same as having a mom.” A single tear slid down her cheek.
“You know that you can come to me anytime, for anything? I’m not your mom, but I am your aunt and I love you more than anything. You were my first love, Julia. Don’t ever forget that.” I opened my arms when she got up and came to me, curling into my lap just like she had as a small child.
In that moment I knew that no matter how hard it was raising kids, no matter how much they made you want to tear your hair out, it was the best thing I would ever do in my life.
The next morning, Jake was over early to pick up the kids. Chris, J.J., and Marta had all slept in the guest room. When Johnny bought the house, he had put two sets of bunk beds in the room just for them. Julia had crawled into my bed and stayed for the night. It wasn’t until the next morning that I wondered where Johnny had slept. After I got the kids out the door, I found him on the couch, stretched at an uncomfortable angle.
“Hey, lover boy,” I said, running my hand through his messy hair. His eyes fluttered open. “Sorry you got kicked out of bed.”
“No problem.” He tried to sit up and failed. “I may still be drunk.”
“What the hell did you two do last night?” I laughed softly at his pained expression. “I thought you were just watching the game?”
He groaned. “So did I. But then Kate showed up and they started talking about things that made drinking necessary.”
“Poor boy.” I rubbed his chest. “I’ll get you some Aspirin, water, and a big cup of coffee.”
“You’re the best,” he grunted as I walked into the kitchen.
By the time I came back, he was sitting up with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. I placed the water and coffee on the table in front of him and handed him two pills. “So adult night was a fail?”
“My dad had to drive us all home,” he said, looking at me pointedly.
“Well at least that’s not the most embarrassing time he’s ever had to give a ride in the middle of the night,” I reminded him with a laugh. “You could’ve called me.”
“Jake didn’t want to bother you.” He downed the pills and lay back. “Was that him at the door earlier?”
I nodded. “Picking up the kids. He is fairing much better this morning than you are.”
“He’s probably still riding high on his Kate date.” He made a failed attempt to reach for the coffee. I grabbed it for him so he wouldn’t have to move.
“What the hell is a Kate date?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Wait. Do I really want to know?”
“Hey, this has nothing to do with me. I stepped away from the table for five minutes to call my dad and then after we dropped Kate off at home, Jake tells me that she asked him out.” Johnny took a tentative sip of coffee and sighed.
I wasn’t exactly surprised. I knew that Jake had been seeing Kate recently because of the boys, and he did things like shovel her driveway. In my experience, that meant he was interested in her, even if he didn’t want to admit it. That was partly why I had invited Kate to Jack’s birthday party.
“How do you feel about the whole thing?” I asked him as normally as possible.
“Me?” He gave me a confused look. “Why should I care who Jake dates?”
“Because she’s your ex-girlfriend,” I reminded him. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”
“Of course I didn’t forget.” He shrugged. “That was two years ago, Glor. In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve moved on.” He rubbed his hand over the tiny bulge in my stomach.
It was a good reminder. “The doctor’s appointment is in an hour. You need to get yourself cleaned up.”
“I thought you liked it when I look all rough and sexy,” he teased, his hand moving down to my thigh.
“You look like a drunken lush, Carter.” I kissed him gently. “But, yeah, sexy as hell.”
We finally arrived at the doctor’s office five minutes late. Someone made the wise decision that it would be more efficient if we just showered together. That ended up being a bad decision.
“This is your fault,” I told Johnny as we took a seat in the waiting room. “Now we probably got bumped to the bottom of the list.”
“Whatever. It was worth it.” He put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed.
“Your dad looked pretty tired when we dropped off Jack.” I winced as a pregnant woman walked in looking like she was carrying a litter instead of a baby.
Johnny said, “Yeah… I definitely owe him one. Maybe I’ll take him fishing next weekend.”
“How’s the hangover?” I asked. He looked better after the shower and shave, but I could see he still wasn’t feeling great.
“These screaming babies are really helping the headache.” He eyed one of the screamers that was being rocked by a girl that looked to be about Julia’s age.
I remembered our conversation from the previous night and felt a knot form in my stomach. “If one of Jake’s kids told me something pretty important, in confidence, do you think I should tell him?”
Johnny’s eyes widened. “Julia isn’t pregnant?’
“No!” I was quick to deny it. The last thing I needed was Johnny telling Jake that his daughter was knocked up. “But in general, is it wrong for me to keep something like that a secret?”
“It’s not wrong, necessarily. You’re their aunt and it makes sense for them to tell you things. But he’s their father…” Johnny looked as lost as I felt. “I guess it depends what it is that they tell you.”
I thought that we were done with the topic, but after the appointment Johnny stopped me just as I was about to get in the car.
“I think you should tell him,” he said quickly.
“Jake? Really?” I was surprised by how suddenly he had changed his mind. “What made you decide that?”
Johnny’s large hand covered my entire stomach, warming me completely. “We’re going to have a little girl. I don’t even know her yet and I want to do everything to keep her safe. I can only do that if I know the important stuff.”
When the doctor had announced that we were expecting a daughter, Johnny’s face had changed into an expression I had never seen, even when we had found out about Jack. I could tell that learning he would be
a father to a little girl had changed him.
“I’m not sure I can tell him,” I said, feeling torn.
“If it was our daughter, would you tell me?” he asked, not in an accusatory way.
“I think I would,” I admitted. “But Julia isn’t my daughter. If she had thought that I would tell Jake, she probably never would have talked to me. She’s a teenage girl and she needs to be able to talk to someone.”
Johnny kissed the top of my head. “I get it. Just do what your gut tells you.”
He might have believed in my natural instincts, but I was less certain. It was still a couple of weeks until the school dance, so I had some time to make up my mind.
We picked up Jack and headed to the park. Johnny had taken off for the entire day so we could spend some time together as a family. I sat on a bench and watched Johnny chase after our son, both of them laughing. My heart felt so full that I was afraid it might burst.
Johnny was truly the best person I had ever known. He loved so selflessly, gave so much of himself. He never once questioned me when I said I wanted to keep working. He offered a dozen times to move to Los Angeles with me if that was what I wanted. Through it all, he had never asked for anything in return. Except for one thing.
I watched him put Jack into his stroller, strong and loving arms holding him gently. In that moment, I made up my mind.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, alarmed by the strange look on my face. “Is it the baby?”
“No, no.” I rubbed my stomach absently. “Well, maybe. I’ve just been thinking.”
“About what?” he sat next to me on the bench and took my other hand.
I looked into his steel blue eyes, never more certain of anything. “Will you marry me, Johnny Carter?”
CHAPTER SIX
Kate
“The principal will be with you in just a moment,” the school secretary said as I waited in the cramped office.
An hour earlier, I had gotten a call from the high school. Denton had started a fight during lunch and was going to be suspended. My son sat next to me, his lip bloody and swollen. I hated to think what the other kid might look like.
As far as I knew, Denton had never been in a fight. He had always been a good kid – quiet and a decent student. I got glowing reviews from his teachers saying that he was bright and polite. I had never gotten a call like this one.
“What happened, Denny?” I asked, still in shock. “Why did you hit that kid?”
“He started it,” Denton muttered, eyes on his feet.
I let out an exasperated sigh. When I had attended this high school, the principal’s office had been a pretty regular stop. I skipped school frequently, got caught smoking, and generally had a bad attitude. But I had never expected to be here because of my son.
“Ms. Tanner?” The principal stepped out of his office.
“Cooper,” I corrected with my maiden name. I had switched it back one week after the divorce was finalized.
“Sorry. Ms. Cooper.” He smiled at me grimly. “Please bring your son.”
His office looked just as a remembered it. A new principal, but the same décor. Even the chair that I dropped into was the same.
“Let me start by saying that it’s unfortunate we had to call you in under such terrible circumstances. We’ve come to expect more from your son.” Principal Kent’s eyes darted between us. “Fighting is not acceptable under any circumstances.”
“Of course.” I felt like I was being judged as much as my son. “Denton has never done anything like this and he will definitely be punished. I’m not sure how a suspension is going to help matters.”
He folded his hands on the desk in front of him. “It will give him some time to think about his actions.”
That was a bunch of crap and we both knew it. Denton already knew that it was wrong to start a fight and staying home from school wasn’t going to add any valuable lesson.
“Can you at least tell me what happened?” Fighting with the principal wasn’t going to do me any favors.
“Apparently the young man said something to your son that he didn’t like. Denton then proceeded to punch him in the nose.” The principal held up his hands. “As you can see, this type of behavior is completely unacceptable on school grounds.”
I turned to Denton. “What did he say to you?”
“Nothing,” Denton grumbled, eyes still pointed at his feet.
“Fine. If you don’t want to talk about it now, we’ll talk at home. It looks like you are going to have a lot of time now.” I turned back to Principal Kent. “How long is his suspension?”
“Three days. He can return next Thursday. We will have someone collect his assignments.” He actually dusted his hands, signaling that we were officially dismissed.
“Alright. Let’s go, Denton.” I was annoyed that the principal wasn’t being more helpful. He seemed annoyed at me as well, so at least the feeling was mutual.
Denton refused to talk on the way home. All that he would say was that the kid, Peter, totally deserved to be punched in the face.
“Is this because of your dad and the new baby? Are you acting out?” I asked at one point. I was rewarded with a stare that said I was the dumbest person alive.
It was a look I knew all too well. When you had a teenage son, you got used to that look.
After we were inside, I sat him down at the kitchen table and said, “If you don’t tell me what really happened, your sleepover with Chris is going to be canceled.”
“That’s not fair, Mom.” He sounded like a little boy again and not an angry teenager. “I was defending you.”
“Me?” I asked. “How were you defending me?”
“Peter said that John left you for Gloria Star because she’s way hotter than you.” His face turned bright red. “He was being a jerk.”
Slowly, I took in a deep breath. I knew that the incident had to be more complicated than the principal had indicated. This made more sense. “Denton, I understand how upsetting that was, but it doesn’t give you the right to hit someone.”
“I know.” Denton looked at me, still angry. “Can I go to my room now?”
“Yes, but leave your phone. You’re in trouble, young man.”
He tossed the phone on the table and stormed away. A few seconds later I heard his bedroom door slam shut. It was times like this when I wondered if Denton would’ve been better off if I stayed married to Brad. Would a stable male presence have helped him control these outbursts?
I had closed the shop in order to go to Denton’s school and now I couldn’t exactly leave him at home. Someone needed to be there to enforce his punishment, otherwise it would just be a fun day off school for him. In the spare bedroom, I had set up a mini-studio to work on my art. The shop had been really busy in the last few months and I was starting to fall behind on orders.
It actually ended up being a blessing having the afternoon free. I was able to get lost in my work, occasionally taking a break to clear my head by staring out the window. A few hours after I started working, a familiar truck appeared in the driveway. I hurried to the door, getting there just as the doorbell rang.
“Wow. You clearly recovered better than I did.” Jake greeted me with a smile.
He wasn’t giving himself enough credit – I thought he looked pretty fantastic. I, meanwhile, was wearing a stained smock and had paint all over my hands and probably my face.
“Not that it’s not great to see you, but what brings you by my house on a Friday afternoon?” It hadn’t snowed in a few days so he couldn’t be there to shovel my driveway.
“When I was here last weekend I noticed your gutter is starting to come loose. It’s supposed to warm up tomorrow and then the snow will start to melt. You might have a bad situation if it doesn’t get fixed.” He held up his right hand which was holding a toolbox. “Thought I’d come by and save you some trouble.”
“Oh.” I was taken aback and not sure what to say. I wasn’t used to people— men in particular �
� going out of their way to take care of me. “That’s really nice of you.”
“It’s not an entirely selfless offer. I’m hoping you’ll go around town telling everyone what a great guy I am.” This time when he smiled, my heart did a little jump.
“Deal. I’ll even get some coffee brewing to warm you up when you are done,” I said. “Do you need a ladder? I think we might have one in the garage.”
He waved away my offer. “Nah. I threw one in the back of the truck. Go get started on that coffee.”
I hurried to the kitchen and shoved a filter and coffee grounds into the brewer. While it brewed, I dashed around tidying up any visible living space. The house wasn’t exactly a disaster, but with a teenage boy living there, we always had shoes and video games strewn about. For some reason, it was important to me that Jake not see the house in disarray.
That didn’t take as long as I expected so I had some time to gawk from the window while he worked. The thing I found most fascinating was the way he never got frazzled or annoyed. Even when he dropped the screwdriver twice in less than two minutes, he just climbed down and got it. Whenever Brad had fixed things around the house, he had only done so after days of begging and then proceeded to swear and grumble the entire time.
This was certainly a new experience.
“All fixed,” Jake proclaimed when he popped his head through my door. “It should hold up just fine.”
“Come in! The coffee is ready.” I had already poured two mugs. “How did you know I would be home today? I’m normally downtown at the shop.”
He took a seat across from me at the table. “Just got lucky, I guess.”
“Smooth.” I hid a smile behind my coffee mug.
“Actually, I was hoping to fix it while you were out. I didn’t want to interfere with your day,” he said quietly.
I knew that wasn’t the real reason he had come by in the middle of a weekday. He had really been hoping to fix the gutter without me ever even knowing. He didn’t want the credit, or for me to feel beholden to him in any way. Jake was a good guy.
After Victory: A Searching for Glory Novel (A Second Chance Love Story) Page 4