by Jean Oram
She could tell her bluntness had caught him off guard. He ran his fingers through his hair, then gently rested a heavy hand on top of her head.
“Because mothers are special. Sacred. You treat them with the honor and respect that they deserve. You only take them to your bed if you feel you can do their lives justice.”
Great. Now she was going to bawl.
“Fine.” She made her voice harsh, turning on her heel before stomping up every single step to the main level. She hoped he realized that respect and honor were not what she was looking for with him. She needed someone to hold her tight and tell her it would be okay. She needed someone strong enough to make her forget her problems and responsibilities for a few moments. Not one more man rejecting her.
Being together for a moment in time didn’t have to be complicated. Because when it came to love, it was the simplest thing in the world, and she wasn’t even asking for that.
Evander parked his truck outside the government office for Daphne’s job interview. He came around and let her out, holding his umbrella over her head. He should have brought two, but his mind was elsewhere. Pushing Daphne away when she was offering herself, no strings attached, last night had been one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. Ever since, she’d been giving him the cold shoulder, which told him that, somehow, whether Daphne realized it or not, there would have been strings attached to a night of lovemaking. And those strings most likely would have been feelings. Deep, honest, true feelings.
“Happy birthday!” Tigger squealed to her mother before Evander closed the door.
“Good luck,” he said to Daphne as she hustled into the building, ignoring the rain and leaving him standing under the umbrella.
Not for the first time, he wished he had something more to offer her. A woman such as Daphne deserved more than a one-night stand. Deserved a whole lot more than he could ever give her.
“We have to go bake her a cake while she’s at her interview,” Tigger announced when he climbed into the truck.
“We don’t have time. Sorry, kiddo,” Evander replied, watching through the large windows as Daphne was checked in by the building’s security. It was refreshing to see someone intent on his job. “Hang on two secs. Stay here, doors locked.”
He splashed across the sidewalk to the building, noting that the weather was similar to his mood. Bleak. His mother had scolded him when he’d pulled the dishes out of the dishwasher and slammed them the cupboards that morning. Too loud. Take it easy. Don’t forget to smile.
Canadian summers were short and once again he’d been lulled into taking their beauty for granted. He dashed through the drizzle to the security guard, slipping him fifty bucks. “Keep an eye on that woman. She doesn’t leave the building with anyone but me.”
“And who are you? Her stalker?” the man asked, eyes narrowing with suspicion.
“Her bodyguard,” he said simply. He handed him his business card. “Check with the police if you don’t believe me.”
He returned to the truck, Tigger picking up the cake thread of conversation as he settled back into the cab’s dry warmth. “We could buy a cake. The bakery will put swirly writing on it.”
“Yeah, okay.” Evander glanced at the building, hesitant to drive away. He should be inside, waiting outside the interview room. His mother was at home, having a good day, Brick holding a meeting on the phone with some guys back at the office. The press hadn’t followed Evander’s truck today. Were things safe? Could he risk leaving to buy a cake?
Would he ever actually feel Daphne was safe?
Yeah, when she was permanently ensconced at his side.
So probably never.
“We need to have a party, too.” Tigger was bouncing in place beside him as he pulled away from the building. “A surprise party. Mom’s always wanted one.”
“We don’t have time to plan something like that.”
“Hand me your phone.” Tigger held out her palm. “I can call everyone and tell them to meet us at the house after Mom’s interview.”
The kid actually made it sound as though it was that simple. Buy a cake, invite people over. It was a party.
“What about decorations?” he asked.
The girl thought for approximately one nanosecond before saying, “There’s a dollar store near the bakery.”
“You have a solution for everything, don’t you?”
“Yep.”
If only his life was as easy as this kid made hers out to be. But maybe that was the beauty of childhood—things were simplified, black-and-white. No mazes full of shades of gray to get lost in.
“Tell you what, if you can convince my mother to hold a party at our house after the interview, then we will have a party.”
Celebrating Daphne’s birthday would be an easy way to show her that there were no hard feelings and that he still liked her. In fact, he liked her quite a lot. Too much.
But Daphne was a woman who could use someone caring for her, showing her she was loved. And while he couldn’t show her in the way she wanted, he could show her in other ways, and his family could help.
“Can I have your phone?” Tigger asked.
“Even better,” Evander said, as he hit the button on his steering wheel to connect his phone to the car’s Bluetooth and speaker system. He said to the truck, “Call home.”
Tigger, hands clasped in her lap, leaned forward. The sound of dialing and a phone ringing worked its way through the truck speakers.
His mother answered the phone and Evander said, “Hi, Mom, I have someone here who would like to ask you something.” He raised his eyebrows at Tigger as he turned down the street to the bakery
“Granny Flo, can we have a birthday party at your house for my mom after her interview? Evander said we could buy her a cake and there is a dollar store where we can get decorations like balloons and streamers. She really wants a surprise party, so is it okay if we invite people over?” The girl paused to take a breath and Evander let out a chuckle.
“Today? In an hour?” asked his mother in surprise. He really hoped his mom was up for a party.
“Yes, please.”
“You have such lovely manners, Tigger. Yes, of course you may have a party for your mother. That is a splendid idea. What do I need to do to help you out?”
Tigger looked at Evander thoughtfully, then froze, hands out as though someone was whispering something important in her ear. “No. We have to have the party at the cottage.”
“It’s raining, dear,” Florence said.
“I know. But Mom and my aunts are about to lose it. Shh. They don’t want me to know, so pretend you don’t know the secret. Trixie Hollow is a special place. The party has to be there.”
“Well, I suppose that’s settled, then,” his mother said, much to his surprise. “We’re all waterproof, right, Evander?”
“We are,” he admitted reluctantly. “Are you sure you’ll be okay, Mom?” Having a few people over for cake was one thing, but trekking through the rain to an island was something else.
“Would you like me to make some punch?” Florence asked.
“Yes, please.”
“You know what? I bet I have some balloons and streamers in the basement. I’ll send Brick down to look. We’ll try and decorate the cottage before you get there.”
“Thank you,” Tigger said crisply, ever the in-charge kiddo. Evander reached over and ruffled her hair. So little and yet so sure of herself. She had a good mom.
“How much time do we have?” Florence asked.
Tigger and Evander looked at each other.
“About an hour?” he said. “Plus travel time to get to the cottage. We’ll send Hailey or someone over to pick you up.”
“Thanks, Evander.”
“Thank you, Mom.” He ended the call and parked the truck in front of the bakery. “We’re going to have to be very efficient, Tigger.”
“That means getting things done really fast, right?”
“Yup.”
It felt right having them around, and he only wished he could offer them something to make them stay.
Evander relaxed as Daphne climbed into his truck, smiling. The warmth that had been there a few days ago had returned, and he hadn’t realized how much it had bothered him having her upset and feeling rejected.
“How did it go?” he asked, pulling out onto the rainy street.
“The job sounds really interesting.” She paused, biting her lower lip, her long lashes emphasizing the sparkle in her eyes. “Really good, actually.”
Tigger was staring straight out the windshield, barely moving, barely blinking. The cake and snacks were hidden in what was likely becoming a soggy cardboard box in the truck’s box, and he would have to drive carefully to ensure it didn’t slide around. He nudged the girl who was sitting between him and Daphne and rolled his shoulders, trying to hint that she should loosen up so she didn’t give away the surprise.
“When will you hear back?” he asked Daphne.
“I have it, if I want it.” She stopped worrying her lip with her teeth and gave him a grin so huge he felt as though a shock wave from an explosion had hit him in the chest. He was left momentarily breathless and focused on keeping the truck in its lane. Across the heated cab he could catch waves of Daphne’s gentle scent, could practically feel her touch, wild and electric, despite the space between them.
He needed to get his head on straight. Having her this close for this many days was starting to get to him.
“Are you going to take the job?” he asked.
“I think so. I told them I needed to think about it for a day. They offered me a signing bonus, though.” The grin was back.
“Environment Canada? Wow, they must really love you.”
“Yeah.” He thought he saw a flash of sadness, but if he had it was long gone already. She looked like an entirely different person than she had only yesterday afternoon, when she’d collapsed in a fit of self-pity. The woman had some serious resiliency and was bouncing back already.
She probably wouldn’t need him in her life much longer.
An ache started within him, spreading slowly like an acid burn. Deep and vicious.
“So?” Daphne asked Tigger. “What did you do while you were waiting for me?”
The girl’s eyes grew round.
“We went to the grocery store and grabbed a few snacks. Tigger wanted to have a birthday picnic on the island. Is that okay? It’s kind of rainy, though.”
He glanced at Tigger, who was acting as though he’d just revealed the entire surprise.
“You actually left your post to get snacks?” Daphne laughed, bracing her hands on her thighs, the truck rocking with the familiar happy sound. “What on earth could ever pull you away from—” She stopped short, and he covered for her so Tigger wouldn’t know the full reason they were staying with him.
“We needed snacks,” he said simply. “Plus, I talked to the security guard.” He felt the familiar worry creep up inside him. He had left her unprotected. A rookie mistake. This lull could very well be the quiet before the storm, and not the quiet before everything went back to normal and she no longer needed his services.
Unable to help himself, he asked, “Nothing suspicious happened while we were away?”
“Whew,” she said. “I was wondering what had happened to the real Evander. And whatever you said to that security guard must have worked. He really didn’t want me to leave, until I pointed out that you were waiting for me.”
“It’s my job,” Evander said grumpily.
“I thought your job was saving the whales?” Tigger gave him a confused pout.
“I was teasing your mom. When you find a man who cares about you, he’s going to want to make sure you stay safe all the time. It’s what men do.” Evander focused on the road that led down to the marina where the Summers kept their boat, cursing himself for making it sound as though he cared about Daphne. Which he did.
He wasn’t supposed to get involved, and caring about her in the way he did was definitely involved. He was going to have to pull himself off the case, but who would take his place? Even with his objectivity compromised he still did a better job than most.
As he parked his truck he began to worry that something in the marina would give away the surprise. Familiar vehicles parked along the road. Stragglers trying to get to the island ahead of them. It was a workday, so how many people would be available to drop what they were doing and go to an impromptu party?
What if nobody came?
He glanced around for any reporters. Not even Austin today. Maybe they didn’t like the rain.
He parked in the empty spot reserved for the Summers. “Hang on, I have an umbrella. Let me come around.” He grabbed the damp umbrella out of the door’s cubbyhole and, shaking it out, hurried around the truck. The marina was suspiciously quiet and Evander decided that surprise parties were not a good idea for a retired JTF 2 man. Everything in place seemed suspicious. He should see hints, shouldn’t he? Extra vehicles? Boats scooting out of the harbor before being noticed by the birthday girl?
Holding the umbrella above the passenger side door, he helped Daphne and Tigger slide out of the truck.
Handing Daphne the umbrella, he grabbed the wet box from the back of the truck, letting the rain drip off him as he followed them to the old aluminum boat. Instead of stomping through puddles, Tigger walked somberly beside her mother.
“You’re awfully quiet. Are you feeling all right?” Daphne paused on the dock to press a palm to her daughter’s forehead, nearly catching Evander in the eye with the umbrella’s points as he climbed into the boat. “You feel fine.”
“Tigger,” Evander asked, “can you help us launch the boat, please?”
The girl sprang to life, and before long they were all standing in the vessel’s small overhang enclosure, trying to stay dry despite the wind and rain.
As they pulled between Daphne’s island and Baby Horseshoe all was quiet. Other than a few extra boats parked across the way at the neighbor’s, Nymph Island looked and sounded vacant, causing Evander a moment of doubt. From down here everything looked normal. No balloons. No streamers. No security guards trying to hide. His heart began picking up its pace and he worried that something had gone wrong, and most of all, that nobody had come for Daphne.
Daphne walked up to the cottage, the damp path silent under her feet. Fat raindrops fell off the leaves above, striking Evander’s umbrella as she held it over her and Tigger. Her daughter was acting strange, which was unusual, as hanging out with Evander usually made her extra sparkly.
Daphne glanced back at Evander. His head was bowed, drops of rain sparkling in his hair as he cradled the soggy cardboard box of snacks. She felt a tug of fondness for the man, as well as something she couldn’t quite identify. It was almost a possessive feeling. One of wanting to make him happy, to lift his sorrows and love him until he smiled.
She was going to miss him when they moved back to their own house. Who in her life would let her take the umbrella and carry the snacks through the rain to a dilapidated old cottage? Who else would take care of all the little things so she could worry about being a mother?
Daphne swiped at her damp eyes. She really needed to stop thinking about Evander or it was going to be even harder leaving him when this was all over. As it was, it would be difficult enough.
She thought back to her job interview. She was definitely going to accept Environment Canada’s offer if it got her closer to a life
like this, with fewer worries. It was ironic that the stability she’d mocked for years was what she now craved via a steady job. It was her own version of Evander. A constant, steady, reliable something to lean on that would take care of the details—which in her case would be the money side of things.
Taking this job would be a milestone in her life. One where she grew up and planned a bit more, so she didn’t end up in a corner where she couldn’t even pay the taxes on the cottage. It was time to join the rat race.
All she had left to figure out was Mistral.
No. It was her birthday. No thinking about a man who hadn’t done a thing she’d wanted in the past six years. He was a waste of dreams and energy. It was time to let that hope go and move forward so she could find something better. Someone more deserving. Tigger was worth it and so was she.
Evander gripped her elbow, steering her around the broken step, third from the top.
She stopped halfway onto the veranda. The main room’s glass door was open, leaving the cottage unsecured by the flimsy screen door that was closed over it. She turned to Evander, nearly knocking him with the umbrella. “The door’s open.”
Behind her, she heard the screen open and she turned to face the threat. She stepped back in surprise, arms flying out, crashing into the box in Evander’s arms.
People flooded out of the cottage, shouting, “Surprise!”
Behind her, she could feel Evander fumbling with the box against her back. Something tumbled past her on its way to the floor. Cool, moist splatters hit the backs of her bare legs and she turned to see Evander looking as crushed as the birthday cake lying on the veranda floor.
Without thinking, she reached up and cupped his stubbly cheek. He leaned into her touch as though about to collapse from disappointment.
“It’s okay,” she said softly, “I’m sure we can salvage some of it.” She glanced down at the ruined cake and began laughing. “We won’t even have to cut it, we can just scoop it out onto plates.” Her laughter took hold and she had to clutch her sides to support herself. Leave it to her to smash her own cake.