“What does that mean again?”
“A combination of tight and dope—tope. It means awesome, too.”
“Right.” She wandered out onto the patio, looking for Eli. Gid followed, knowing how little boys could easily get into trouble. “Elijah Hughes! Get down from there this instant!”
Gideon’s eyes searched the wide patio and found Eli hanging over the stone railing. He was at an area to the far left, where the small yard gave way to a rock cliff with a sheer drop of about 50 feet to the beach below. He saw Eli freeze at his mother’s voice and turn.
“I’ll take care of this, babe,” he murmured as he strode across the patio to establish some safety rules for his son. He heard her softly say his name, uncertainty in her voice. He didn’t stop, though. She could see firsthand how he planned to deal with Eli. Although not an expert by any means, he liked kids and felt he had some skill.
Walking up behind Eli, he squatted down to his level. His son, knowing he was in trouble, looked at his feet, as uncertain of him as his mother.
“Pretty cool out here, isn’t it?”
“Jimmy Cooper’s pool isn’t a tenth as big.” He glanced up at Gideon through the hair that hung in his eyes. His excitement was building again. “Are me and Mom really gonna stay here?”
“Absolutely, bud, but I have a few rules. Are you ready to listen to them?”
“Yes, sir.” His eyes again dropped to his feet, quickly flicking his gaze past Gideon, looking for the safety of his mother. Her shadow passed over the tiles by his feet as she approached.
Gideon’s lips quirked slightly. He knew he had to tread cautiously here. How he handled this would set the tone for both of them. Putting his hand lightly on his shoulder, he reassured him. “You’re not in trouble, Eli. You didn’t know the rules, so no need to be afraid, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
“First, I want you to be happy here, but I need to know that both you and your mom are safe. So, rule number one, no climbing on railings upstairs or downstairs. Rule number two, no swimming alone. Either your mom or I have to be with you. Understand?” He felt Shannon’s hand on his shoulder, and she squeezed. It was her way of giving her support—a united front against a nine-year-old boy.
“Do I still get to go swimming?”
“Eli, we’ll talk about swimming later. You didn’t answer Gideon. Do you understand his rules?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Looking back at Gideon, he realized his mistake. “I mean yes, sir.”
“Good. I have another rule about the security system, but we’ll go over that later tonight. How about we go see your room?”
Eli nodded, his smile returning along with his eagerness for his next adventure.
Gideon showed them the rest of the house. The large gourmet kitchen with dining ell had Shannon’s mouth hanging open again. She was fascinated by the top of the line appliances and the island with running water and breakfast bar.
“Is your mom a good cook, bud?” He was trying to keep the boy engaged with the “boring rooms”, as he’d called them.
“Yeah, she makes great mac ‘n cheese, and her pizza is good too.”
“Those are his staples, along with hamburgers, hotdogs, and SpaghettiOs.”
“And cereal and PB&J’s. I like those, too.” He corrected his mother as he climbed onto a stool and spun around.
Ruffling his silky brown hair, she said, “How could I forget, baby? I make you PB&J with no crusts every day of the week.”
He pulled away from her hand and whispered loudly, “Don’t call me that in front of Gideon, Mom. It’s not cool.”
“Sorry, sometimes I forget how grown up you’re getting.”
“I like ‘bud’. That’s cool.”
Gideon saw the hurt that Eli’s little rebuff had caused. He was at that phase, no longer a little boy and ready to test his independence. He remembered those days himself, of trying to portray a tough, manly exterior, but that shield vanishing like dust in a rainstorm at the first sign of hurt, disappointment, or fear. He still needed his mother and would for a very long time. Gid just wanted to be there for them both, to support, to protect, and to love. Starting to feel a bit maudlin, he grabbed her hand and continued the tour.
He showed them the formal dining room and his office, both with French doors leading out to the patio and views of the ocean. The den with the 70 inch flat screen caught Eli’s attention as well as the game room fully equipped with pool table, ping pong, and an X-box connected to another flat screen—this one just a bit smaller.
Eli started bouncing with excitement again, whipping off a list of games and wanting to know if Gid had them in his library. Gid opened the doors of a large bookcase and revealed hundreds of games and five times as many movies. “We’ll have to separate the kid’s movies from the others; there are some that your mom might not want you to watch. G and PG, I assume, Shannon?”
She nodded vaguely as she watched her son’s eyes glaze over like a kid in a candy shop—or a video library, as the case may be.
“Look, Mom, Batman. He’s got all of them.”
Gideon pulled Shannon close and whispered, “You can help me go through them and we’ll put the PG-13 and R’s in the locked cabinet.” When she just nodded, he asked, “You okay, babe?”
“Yes, it’s just very overwhelming. We’ve never been around such luxury, Gid. I’m worried about Eli.”
“We’ll keep him grounded, but I would like to spoil him a bit, if that’s okay. I’ve missed out on a lot.”
Looking down at her clasped hands, she wasn’t quick enough for him to miss the single tear that tracked down her cheek. “Baby, that wasn’t a dig. I was just stating a fact.” He pulled her into his arms and she went eagerly, pressing her face into his chest.
“Why is my mom crying?”
Gid looked over at Eli’s mutinous face and knew they were going to have to talk about their situation sooner than later.
“It’s nothing, Eli. These are happy tears. You know how emotional girls can get.” Shannon wiped her face with her hands, blinking rapidly as she tried to clear her eyes of the tears. “Sorry for getting all mushy on you guys.”
Eli wasn’t convinced and he got quiet and watchful as they moved upstairs.
“This is your room, bud. You can redecorate however you like.” It was a huge room, as big as the great room in their old apartment. He had his own private bath and French doors just like the other rooms. Gideon opened the doors to the small private balcony. “Remember the rule about hanging or climbing on the railings. It’s a long drop from the second floor.” Looking at Shannon, he reassured her, “We can lock the doors if you think its best, babe.”
“What do you think, Eli? Can we trust you not to play on the patio?”
“Cross my heart, Mom. This room is awesome and the playroom downstairs is even awesomer. I’ll probably hang out there, or in the den watching TV, or in the pool.”
Shannon smiled and hugged him tight.
“I think we might have to build you a treehouse out back for climbing,” Gid suggested. “I have the perfect spot. That way, you’d have your own special place to go besides your room.”
“That’s sick! I’m hungry, when are we gonna eat?”
“Let me show your mom the rest of the upstairs first, and then we can find something to eat. I think I have pizza fixins’.”
“Way sick! Can I stay here and put away my stuff, Mom?”
“Sure, we’ll pick you up on the way down. Okay?”
Having her approval, he’d already started unpacking his backpack. She smiled as he unloaded his comic books, batman action figures, and his latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid. “He’ll entertain himself for a bit. He loves to read.”
As they walked down the hall, Gideon showed off the other four guest rooms, then lead her up a half flight of stairs to the master bedroom. It was huge, more like a suite, with double doors leading to a cavernous room with dark planked floors covered by an open weave rug. The far wall wa
s some kind of retractable glass that opened by remote control onto a large private balcony with yet another stunning view of the ocean. Just inside the glass doors was a sitting area with plush, comfortable-looking furniture and a fireplace.
Gid remembered a time when they had talked about their dream house. Shannon had said she’d wanted a fireplace in the bedroom. He imagined them both curling up in front of the fire. His imagination took it one step further, picturing Shannon, warm and fragrant from a bath, snuggling up with him on the rug before the hearth, making love. That brought them to what Gid felt was the focal point of the room, his huge, four poster bed.
“Your house is beautiful, Gid.”
Moving up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, her back against his chest. Speaking low into her ear, he murmured, “It’s our house now, Shannon. I want you to feel at home here, both of you.”
He dipped his head and kissed her neck. Shannon smiled, angling her head to the side, giving him plenty of room for his lips to play along her neck and shoulder. She was always so responsive.
“What do you think about our room? You can change anything you want. I’m not attached to anything in particular. I had a decorator do it all. You can make it your own, however you’d like. I am partial to the den and playroom, though, but just the electronics. The furniture, walls, all of that is up to you, just so it’s comfortable. I have a studio beyond the office that I’ll show you later. I do some recording here and work a lot from home, so that is pretty much set as well.”
“I can’t imagine changing anything. It’s perfect. Maybe some pictures of Eli, but other than that…” Her voice faded off and she turned to look up at him. “About sharing your room…”
“Don’t even think it, baby. I have to insist on this. I’ve been without you for too long already, and I refuse to spend another night alone.”
“I’m worried about Eli.”
“We have to tell him. He’s wondering already.”
“I know.”
“It’s probably better to just bite the bullet and get it over with. That way we can move forward and learn to live as a family. “
“You’re right, I know, but I’m nervous.”
“You think he’ll be upset?”
“I’m afraid he’ll be angry at me for lying to him about his father being dead.”
“We’ll tell him the truth and help him understand. Moving forward, we’re about honesty, remember?”
Nodding, she agreed, although she was still afraid.
“It’s going to be okay, Shannon.” Lifting her face to his, he sealed his lips over hers and kissed her breathless. “How about we tell him over dinner?”
She buried her face against him and groaned.
“Kind of like ripping off a Band-Aid, you’ve just got to rip it off and get it over with, yeah?”
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
Chapter Eight
Shannon watched them making homemade pizza together in Gideon’s fabulous, fully stocked kitchen. They had two ready-made pizza crusts and Eli was making his favorite pizza; pepperoni, ham, pineapple, and green pepper, while Gid made a pizza with the works sans pineapple. From a seat at the island where Gid had placed her with a full glass of red wine “to calm her nerves”, she watched their identical heads bowed at identical angles. Matching green eyes glinted with happiness as they worked together and chatted about manly stuff like football, video games, and comics. The same dimple appeared in their right cheek when they smiled. It was extraordinary, really.
She noticed how Eli watched Gideon closely, hanging on his every word. When his new hero called him ‘bud’, he grinned from ear to ear as if a great gift had been bestowed upon him. Shannon had a feeling no matter what Gideon called him, Eli would think it was cool. She was amazed he was so taken with a man he’d just met, but it showed how much he’d needed a man in his life. She had mixed feelings about all this. Having been the only one in his life for the past nine years, she was jealous of losing a piece of him, but at the same time, hopeful that they could establish a strong father/son bond that all boys need so desperately.
The pizza went in the oven and they had fifteen minutes to wait. She decided it was time to rip off the Band-Aid.
“Eli, come sit next to me for a minute. I need to tell you something.”
After he’d settled, sipping on the one soda he was allowed that day, he looked at her expectantly.
“I have to tell you something about your dad.” Seeing the expectation in her son’s eyes, she looked toward Gideon for support. He was standing nearby, leaning against the kitchen counter with arms crossed. He was letting her handle it in her own way, but he gave her a slight nod of encouragement as if to say, “You can do this.”
Clearing her throat, she started again, “You see, honey, your dad is really—”
“Gideon. I know, Mom. After he came by that night, I was going through that scrapbook you kept on Northern Exposure. You had my birth certificate stuck in it.”
Shannon’s mouth hung open. Gape-mouthed was becoming a common facial expression these days. “Why didn’t you say something? Weren’t you surprised? Don’t you have questions?”
He shrugged, taking another sip of his Coke. “I didn’t want to mess things up. You told me he was dead for some reason. I was afraid if you knew I knew, he might leave again.”
Gideon moved to the table, pulled a chair out across from them, and sat. “I’m not going anywhere, Eli. I promise.”
“Why didn’t you come around until now?”
Gid looked at her and she knew she had to take ownership of this one. “We knew each other a long time ago, Eli. We were in love and planning a future together, but there was a big misunderstanding. I saw him doing something wrong and I got mad. I ran away and didn’t want to see him or talk to him again. Then when I found out about you, I went looking for him and was trying to make things right, but a bad man ruined it and your dad never knew about you. Please don’t think he didn’t want you.”
Eli looked at Gideon for confirmation. “What did you do that made Mom so mad?”
Shannon jumped in right away. This was her fault and she wanted to make sure Eli didn’t blame Gideon for any of it. Other than bad choices in managers, none of this was on him. “He didn’t do anything. None of this was Gideon’s fault, I promise.”
She struggled against tears and gave Gid a desperate look as he reached across to take her hand. He stepped in at that point. “Eli, I have a cousin who looks just like me. We could be twins we look so much alike. Except for my tattoo, no one can tell us apart. Your mom saw him kissing another girl, and she thought it was me.”
“Oh yeah! Something like that would really tick Mom off.”
She smiled weakly. Her precocious child knew her better than anyone. She’d often spouted off about TV character’s betrayals and it must have made an impression on Eli.
Gid patted her hand before he continued with the explanation, keeping it at a PG rating. “The bad man was my band’s manager. He wanted to break your mom and me up. He lied to her and even forged my name on a letter that said I didn’t want to see her again. He did such a good job of convincing her that he was able to keep us apart for all this time. I didn’t know about you until the other night.”
“Can’t you call the police on this bad man? Shouldn’t they put him in jail or something?”
“He didn’t really commit a crime, bud, except for the forgery. There was no money involved, and after ten years, I don’t think they’d do much. I did fire him, though. I can’t stand a liar and won’t tolerate someone so dishonest or spiteful working for me.”
“I’m sorry I told you Gideon was dead, Eli. I thought he didn’t want you and I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
Eli sat silently considering this for a long time. She watched as he shifted his gaze between her and the man he now knew for sure was his dad. She’d give anything to know what was going on in that nine-year-old brain. The buzzer
rang and Gideon got up to serve the pizzas.
“Are you okay, Eli?” Shannon asked worriedly. He was very quiet for such big news.
He shrugged, then proceeded to scarf down three slices before coming up for air. His first question was for Gideon. “So, are you gonna marry my mom?”
“Absolutely! I’d like us to be a real family. That’s why I had you guys come stay with me.”
Eli grabbed another slice, and after he was done with that, asked another question. “Will I have to change schools?”
Of course, he’d want to know that. It was a big part of his life—school, friends, and his basketball team. She and Gideon exchanged glances. They hadn’t discussed that yet.
“We haven’t even thought about that, Eli,” Gid offered. “Private or public school options are both open, or there is tutoring. Malibu Unified Schools have an excellent reputation.”
“I don’t like my school. The kids are mean, and the librarian sucks.”
“Don’t say sucks, Eli,” she said reflexively. “It’s not polite. You never told me you didn’t like your school. Were you being picked on by someone?”
“Not me, but one of my friends was. I told the teachers, but they didn’t do anything.”
“I say we check out the Malibu schools on Monday,” Gid suggested. “There’s an elementary school just a few blocks from here where a lot of the neighbors’ kids go. You could make some new friends. How’s that?”
He just shrugged again.
Gideon looked at her, quirking a brow in question. He would learn that kids were unpredictable, devastated by inconsequential news at times, unconcerned by devastating news at others. She shrugged, giving a good impersonation of their son, smiling at his puzzled expression.
Gideon shook his head, a smile curving his beautiful lips. “Any other questions, bud?”
Shannon watched as Eli chewed thoughtfully. He was on his fifth slice, and she wondered where he put it. She waited expectantly for another question as soon as he swallowed. He’d been averaging one per slice.
“I’ve got one more…”
Gideon's Redemption Page 6