by Linda Wisdom
Zach didn’t miss Ginna’s grimace. “Something I should know?” he asked, tucking his hand in the back pocket of her shorts.
“Grampa is my dad’s father, and while I love him dearly, he can be a bit much at times,” she explained. “Emma and Trey will love him because he carries candies, and he’s about the best grandfather a kid can ask for. We all love him to pieces and there’re times we want to cut him into pieces.”
“So where’d you learn those shimmy moves you were doing on the sidelines?” he asked as they returned to the patio and over toward a large barbecue pit. He could see two older men standing by the grill. Their stance was that of two roosters battling over who ruled the farmyard.
Both men were dressed in T-shirts. One had hair more silver than brown and the same blue eyes that declared him a Walker. The other man, with his white hair and deeply tanned face creased by time and weather, showed just where the Walker good looks came from. Father and son greeted Ginna with broad smiles.
“Like my moves, did ya, Zach?” She bumped him with her hip. “There’re my two favorite men!” She ran over and hugged each of them.
“When’re you bringing the baby in for a tune-up?” the older one asked.
“Next week, Grampa. Dad, Grampa, this is Zach Stone. Zach, my dad, Lou, my grandfather, Theo.”
Lou’s smile was warm and open, while Theo looked at Zach with blazing blue eyes that seemed to see right through.
“Your son has good taste,” he said to Zach. “He told me my Model T was a beauty.”
“He has an extensive Matchbox collection. They’re his favorite toys,” Zach replied.
Theo sniffed with disdain. “Toys. He needs to be around the real thing.”
“Grampa feels if you don’t get grease and oil under your fingernails by the time you’re three, you’re lost to the trade forever. So why aren’t you with Gramma like all the other husbands are with their wives?”
“Ha!” he snorted. “Most of the men were smart like me and stayed home.” He peered at the grill. “Aren’t those ready to flip over?”
Lou sighed and turned the burgers. The ones already cooked were stacked on a plate and handed to one of the teenage girls in charge of the younger children. She smiled her thanks and headed for the tables that had been set up.
“You run quite an operation here,” Zach said.
“The kids believed in bringing their friends by and we never minded it. We knew where our kids were, and with their friends welcome, there was never a lack of anything to do,” Lou replied. “It’s not as if we don’t have the room. We’ve got about fifteen acres, more than we need. We’re all family here.”
Zach looked over to where Emma and Trey were happily consuming hamburgers. A few of the children around them appeared to be their age. He’d always been relieved that they never had a problem in groups. Looking at them, he could see they would thrive in this atmosphere.
When he turned to Ginna, he noticed something else. She, too, was looking at the children’s tables. The smile on her lips held a hint of sorrow that was reflected in her eyes.
I can never have children, he recalled her sorrowful words spoken with bravery. Ginna might have said that she’d leave it to her brothers and sister to expand the Walker family, but deep down, she mourned the fact that she herself couldn’t contribute.
As he turned from her, he met Lou’s eyes. The older man’s expression told him he knew exactly what Zach was feeling. Lou gave a barely perceptible nod, including him in the sadness the family shared.
Being with Ginna made him a part of this family. Even Lucie was included just that easily. Their own parents had never made their children’s friends this welcome.
“You’re a very generous man, Lou,” he said quietly.
The older man grinned. “My wife’ll tell you I’m pretty much crazy. But if pressed, she’d tell you she loves it, too. There’s nothing more she likes than feeding a bunch of people.”
“Everyone brings food,” Ginna explained. “Mom makes cakes that are fantastic. Penny over there makes great coleslaw. I get off easy because I usually give a few haircuts while I’m here.” She picked up two plates and held them out. Theo dropped buns on the plates while Lou set the burgers on them. “Thanks.” She kissed both men’s cheeks and led Zach off. She kept up a running commentary on choice of foods as they moved down the tables laden with salads and various condiments for their hamburgers. By the time they headed for a place to sit and eat, his plate was overloaded.
“I’ll never eat all this,” he said as they sat at a table.
“Yes, you will,” she said confidently, lifting her hamburger to her mouth. “You need the energy. There’s even more going on after lunch.”
“If you do any more of those shimmy movements, there’ll be a hell of a lot going on, but nothing you want your parents to see,” he murmured.
She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, you’d be amazed what my parents have seen,” she said in a low voice. “Especially with my brothers.”
“Telling stories again?” Brian asked, taking a seat across from them. Gail smiled a hello and slipped in beside him. “Gin’s got one of those overactive imaginations,” he confided.
Lucie took one of the open spaces, then glared at Mark who sat down next to her.
“Keep it up, brother dearest,” Ginna said sweetly. “I still have some of those damning pictures locked away. I’m sure Gail would enjoy seeing them.”
“Really?” Gail grinned at her sister-in-law. “How good?”
Ginna leaned forward, acting as if no one else was around. “Let’s just say that some of these photographs do not show him at his best,” she said in a mock whisper. She looked around as if making sure no one was eavesdropping. “We’ll talk later.”
Gail nodded, then turned to Zach. “The twins look great. Obviously they’ve recovered from the chicken pox.”
“After those first few days, they sailed through it. I was the wreck,” he confessed.
“I’ve treated Emma and Trey since they were born,” Gail explained to the others. “So far, they’ve fared better than Zach has.”
“I always thought Jeff acted sappy about his girls until our daughter was born,” Brian said. “I’m already having nightmares about when Jenny starts dating.”
“I’m not letting Emma date until she’s thirty,” Zach said.
Brian nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
Later on, Ginna took Zach on a tour of the house. Walking through the large home, he realized the interior was as well set up for entertaining as the exterior was.
“And now for the pièce de résistance,” she announced with a theatrical flourish, opening a door near the end of the hall.
Zach didn’t need an explanation to know the bedroom he was looking at belonged to a younger Ginna. The turquoise-and-lime accents had him thinking of the Caribbean. The white wood furniture was that of a young girl, while pictures, pennants and movie posters were for Ginna the teenager. He turned around and found her leaning against the now-closed door.
“I bet your dad would get out his shotgun if he knew I was in your room,” he said, grinning at her.
She shrugged. “Daddy’s a lousy shot. He’s always the first victim in a paint-ball battle.” She smiled slowly. “Does this bring back old memories, Zach? Did you ever sneak into a girlfriend’s bedroom while you were in high school?” She walked toward him with a slight shimmy to her hips, which he found mesmerizing.
“Obviously you never met the girl I dated in high school,” he replied. “I wasn’t allowed to kiss her until we’d dated for four months.”
“Wow.” She widened her eyes. “And you kept on seeing her?”
“I guess I figured she was worth waiting for when it came to a kiss.” He watched Ginna move even closer.
“Was she?” She stopped when her breasts brushed against his chest. She tipped her head back, her lips parted.
He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck. “Sweetheart, she was nothing
compared to you.” He moved his mouth over hers in a slow easy motion.
She lifted her arms, looping them around his neck as she kissed him back.
“You could fulfill one of my fantasies,” she murmured.
“And that is?”
“Making out with my boyfriend in my bedroom while my parents are outside.”
Zach’s smile said it all. He dipped his head and placed a trail of butterfly kisses along her collarbone.
“Funny. That was my fantasy, too.”
Chapter Twelve
“You’re a good guy, Zach,” Brian told him as they gathered all the children later that day. His blue eyes turned the color of steel. “But if you hurt my sister, I will make sure no one ever finds one piece of your body.”
Zach looked over to where Ginna stood talking to several women. She held Emma perched on one hip with the little girl’s head drooping wearily against her shoulder, and Trey held on to Ginna’s other hand, but his body leaned against her.
He turned back to Brian. “If I did something as stupid as hurt her, I’d deserve anything you’d want to do to me. Although—” he matched Brian’s intense expression “—if you were going to tear someone to pieces, you should have done it to her ex.”
The other man studied him closely. “So she told you.” His face broke out into a grin. “It took a while, but Denny learned to keep his mouth shut.”
One of those man-to-man looks passed between them. Zach’s lips stretched in a smile. “Damn, I wish I’d been there.”
“Mark thought we should videotape it, but Jeff and I talked him out of it. It was a good conversation and we got our point across.”
Gail walked by, and as she did, she touched her husband’s shoulder. Zach saw the love flow between them and envied their connection. He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and realized Ginna was walking his way. He reached to take Emma out of her arms, but she shook her head. He leaned down and swung Trey into his arms. The little boy closed his eyes and draped himself over his dad’s shoulder.
“I don’t wanna go,” Trey muttered sleepily.
“By the time I get you in the truck, you’ll be sound asleep,” he told his son, rubbing his back. The little boy’s body quickly grew slack with weariness bordering on sleep.
“Can I drive?” Nick asked, walking up with his mother.
“Not in my lifetime,” Zach said.
The boy looked up. “You are so reaching middle age.”
Zach looked at Lucie. “Make him stop.”
“Both of you behave.” She herded her son toward Zach’s SUV.
After the kids were belted in, Lucie looked at Zach. “If you want, I can take the twins tonight,” she offered.
Ginna shook her head. “I’m giving a perm to a coworker in the morning.”
The drive to Ginna’s house was quiet as the kids slept.
“Your family knows how to throw a great barbecue,” Lucie said. “Thank you for inviting us.”
“We don’t believe in doing anything small,” Ginna replied. “Even if my family can be a bit much at times.”
When Zach walked Ginna to her front door, they heard Casper’s excited barks from inside. She shushed the dog as she turned to Zach.
“I’m glad you came,” she said with a tiny smile. “I just hope my brothers didn’t beat up on you too much.”
“No more than I might have deserved for making love to their sister,” he said. He dipped his head and gave her a kiss that lingered on her lips. “Are you free for dinner night after next? The kids are going to a friend’s house for a birthday party sleepover.”
Her lips tilted upward. “Hmm, the children at a sleep-over and you free for dinner. How convenient. Now, we are talking dinner ending with a rich calorie-laden dessert, aren’t we?”
“Whatever chocolate confection you want.”
“Two?” she pressed.
“Three. You can even eat mine.” He grinned.
“Then I’m free, but you might want to bring Casper a bone. He’s been giving you those looks lately,” she whispered.
“Got it.” He kissed her again. “Seven? Here or the salon?”
Ginna thought for a moment. “I’ll have to call you and let you know.” She unlocked the door. “Good night, Zach.”
“Good night.” He waited until she slipped inside and he heard the click of the dead bolt. Casper’s excited barks told him she was being lovingly assaulted by her dog.
By the time he reached his truck, Lucie had moved into the passenger seat.
“She’s got a nice family,” she murmured as he pulled away from the curb.
“Yeah, they’re something else,” he said. “Did I see Mark putting the moves on you?”
Lucie shrugged. “He asked me to go to a basketball game with him.”
“And?”
“I told him I’d rather eat dirt. I also told him he’s obnoxious, arrogant and has an ego the size of Australia,” she replied.
Zach laughed. “And he said?”
“He just looked at me until I explained the meaning of the words obnoxious, arrogant and ego.” She rolled her eyes. “He thought ego was a body part. I think you can figure that one out.”
“No wonder Ginna said he was dropped on his head when he was a baby.”
Zach couldn’t contain his grin. He couldn’t remember the last time his sister had been interested in a man, and even though she’d cut out her tongue before she’d admit it, she was definitely interested in Mark Walker.
He made a mental note to warn the guy off her. Or he would have to hurt him.
GINNA COULDN’T SLEEP. After the day she’d had, she should have crawled into bed and been out the second her head hit the pillow. Instead, she lay curled up on her side, staring at the open window, the sheer curtains blowing softly in the breeze. Casper lay on his self-appointed spot at the end of the bed. Every once in a while he whined and twitched, so she imagined he was dreaming about the cute poodle next door.
Reliving the day was easy.
Watching Zach play baseball, enjoying his grins and enthusiasm for the game as he played hard to make sure his team won.
Watching Emma and Trey run and play with the other kids as easily as if they’d known them all their lives. Even Nick did his best to convince a few of the boys that building a rocket was easy. And almost succeeded.
But it was the time she and Zach spent in her old bedroom that took up a good deal of space in her heart.
Her smile refused to go away as she relived that time.
All those adolescent dreams she’d had in that room. Stories she’d spun in her head of a handsome prince stealing into her room to make mad passionate love to her.
Little did she know the day would arrive when that dream would come true.
She had an idea a few members of her family suspected something had happened—she and Zach were gone so long—but no one said anything. Even Mark had kept quiet. She suspected Abby had something to do with that, bless her.
She’d been leery of going there today. Since her divorce it hadn’t been easy to attend gatherings like that. Family, friends. And all the children. Reminders of what she couldn’t have.
She could put on a brave front, say that Denny’s words hadn’t hurt her. That she could go on even if she couldn’t have children. If they knew she was lying through her teeth, no one ever challenged her. She loved them even more for all the warm unconditional support they offered.
Denny’s words had hurt. He’d told her she was flawed. He’d made her feel almost deformed.
I’m sorry, Ginna, but the tests have shown you and Denny cannot have children, the doctor had told her. He’d gone on to say maybe, but a big maybe, in vitro fertilization could be an option. But she’d shut down by then. What was the use when he said there was little chance the procedure would work.
The test results were in an envelope in her desk. She hadn’t bothered reading them fully. She knew enough of what they said.
As Denny
told her, she couldn’t give him his own children. So what if she was beautiful and even pretty smart? She couldn’t do the one important thing he’d counted on. So he went out and found someone who could.
She rolled onto her other side and punched her pillow into submission. Casper raised his head, then lowered it and fell back to sleep.
She envied his ease in sleeping and wished slumber would come as easily for her. She wasn’t her best early in the morning, and going in early to give Cheryl a perm was going to be difficult enough for her.
Today showed her more of what Zach was like as a father. She saw Zach’s pride in his children and their ease with making new friends.
He was excellent father material and he deserved more children. He had more than enough love to share.
But that wasn’t something she could give him. It wasn’t fair to even think about a future with him when she couldn’t give him what he warranted.
After her divorce, she’d had a good long talk with herself, and at the time decided she was better off remaining alone. Maybe a long-term relationship if the right man came along, but she was going to be careful that her heart didn’t get involved.
Then she’d met Zach, who took her to a fairy-tale brunch. Who admitted he wouldn’t hurt her for anything.
Who knew she couldn’t have children and didn’t consider her less than a real woman the way Denny had. He’d listened to her, sat there on the beach and comforted her without offering pity. He held her in his arms and told her she was never to think there was anything wrong with her. He made her feel whole again.
“You were the loser, Denny,” Ginna said out loud. “Just because I have a defective uterus doesn’t mean I’m a defective person.”
She thought saying it aloud would make it true in her mind.
It didn’t.
“INSTEAD OF GOING OUT, come over and I’ll cook for you,” Ginna offered when she called Zach that Tuesday afternoon.
“Are you sure your dog will allow me to eat in the house?” he joked.
“If you bring him a bone, he’ll be your friend for life.”
“Yes, but I expect to live another fifty years or so. He might have other ideas. What time do you want me over there?”