by Ava Miles
His intense regard caused another wave of pleasure to roll through her, and this time she had no problem putting words to what it meant.
He was taking his place next to her.
Chapter 20
Paige knocked on the Thomsons’ back door and entered to find Riley whistling as he stirred spaghetti sauce. He had on the apron she’d gotten him for his birthday two years ago—plain black with the white, bold-face words Super Chef across the chest. Mark had seen him this morning for their usual run, but she’d given him some space in case he felt a little weird about Sadie spending the night. She’d heard her sister’s car pull away around dawn. Truth was she felt awkward about it too, but she couldn’t have been happier for them both.
“Hey!” she finally called out.
“Oh, hey, I didn’t hear you.”
He banged the wooden spoon on the edge of the pot in a sharp staccato and then laid it on the spoon rest.
“Smells good,” she said, sniffing the air. “You use the fresh rosemary from my garden?”
There were giggles from the family room, and she smiled. Whatever the girls were doing was keeping them amused. She loved the fact that her daughter was so happy here with Riley and Jess that she didn’t always want to come home. Paige had never had a safe haven like that when she was a kid.
He nodded. “Yeah. So are we going to be a little weird with each other? Because I’d really love to avoid that.”
“I don’t see any reason for it,” she said. “I’m happy for y’all. I love you both. You know?”
She and Mark had talked about how important it was for them to be supportive but not pushy.
“I love her,” Riley said softly.
She wanted to do a jig, hearing that. She worried about Riley sometimes. He worked hard, and he was completely devoted to Jess. Other than her and Mark, he didn’t have too many close friends. Riley might joke about being a loner, but she knew what loneliness looked like, and there were times he was lonely. She hadn’t known what to do to help other than invite him over and become his family.
Mark had assured her Riley would find his way, but some hurts sink down to the bone, and it was hard for someone who’d never been hurt that way to understand the lingering sting of it.
“I’m so glad,” she responded as softly.
“And she loves me too,” he said, picking up the wooden spoon and stirring. “I feel…really great about that. Ah…also I told her I think I should meet her family. I mean, we’re dating, and she’s important to me, and her family is everything. You know?”
“I know,” Paige said. “Like I said, I’m beyond happy for you both. So, she loved the treasure chest? I mean, there was no way she wasn’t going to. It was the perfect surprise.”
Riley’s thoughtfulness was one of the traits she most loved about him. He was always giving little gifts to the girls and even to her and Mark. Last month, he’d come across an old autographed photo of Justin Timberlake from the year she’d graduated high school and bought it for her, knowing about her high school crush on the singer. And he’d gotten Mark a special T-shirt for Father’s Day, thanking him for being Jess’ second father.
When they’d agreed to take care of each other’s kids should something happen to any of them, Riley had gotten pretty emotional, saying that while he’d known his brother would take care of Jess, it meant the world to him to think she and Haley wouldn’t have to be split up. She’d cried too that night, and they’d had a whiskey to seal the deal.
“She’s coming over for dinner tonight to spend some time with Jess. I got an earful today about sending her back to your house so soon last night.”
She bit her lip. “Do you need Jess to spend the night again?” she asked. The first few weeks after she and Mark had become intimate were still a happy blur.
He tilted his head to the side. “I’ve been struggling with it. I want to spend more time with Sadie, but I don’t feel right about throwing off my routine with Jess. You know? What kind of dad would I be if I let my daughter sleep over at her best friend’s house for the next couple of weeks?”
“I get it,” she replied, coming over to stand next to him by the stove. “You’ll figure it out.”
“But I don’t feel comfortable having her stay over with Jess here,” he said. “Is that weird?”
Paige had grown up with a non-stop carousel of men sleeping over, and it had scared her to wake up and find strange men in the house. Things were different with Sadie, but she understood Riley’s concern and respected it.
“You need to do what you feel is best,” she told him, rubbing his tense back. “I imagine Sadie is traditional in that area too.”
“Yeah,” Riley said. “That’s why she left before Jess got up. We didn’t want her to ask questions about why Sadie had slept over. It’s one thing to share that we stayed up really late, but…”
“Yeah, we have plenty of time before the serious questions.”
“Just remember our deal about bra shopping and tampons,” he said, putting out his fist for a bump.
She answered the gesture. “You got it.”
“Thank God,” he said, slapping his forehead. “Either one of those scenarios might have actually killed me.”
There was a knock on the front door, and then it opened and Sadie called out, “Is anyone home?”
“We’re in here,” Riley said, a smile dancing across his face. “Excuse me.”
“I should get Haley,” she murmured.
He put his hands on her shoulders. “Chill. She is your sister, after all.”
Sadie appeared in the doorway, and Paige made a show of stirring the spaghetti sauce to give them a moment alone.
“Hey, Paige,” Sadie said.
Her sister’s cheeks were flushed when she finally looked over. “Hi. I just came over to get Haley.”
But Sadie was clearly embarrassed, and Paige didn’t want her to be. Setting down the spoon, she hurried over to hug her. “I’m so happy for you. Relax. Breathe.”
Riley made his way to the stove and started messing with the spoon, stealing Paige’s diversion tactic.
“Thanks,” Sadie said, hugging Paige back. “I needed that, I guess. I didn’t want it to be weird.”
“It’s not,” she told her, drawing away. “I’m happy for y’all.”
“Me too.”
“Why don’t you stay for a glass of wine?” Riley asked. “Tell Mark to come over. Better yet, why not make it a family dinner?” He looked at Sadie as he said it, and she nodded slightly and said, “Yes, I’d like that.”
Paige felt an unexpected lump in her throat. Riley and Sadie were family, and it meant the world to her that they’d include them.
“I’ll run home and get him.” He might have started dinner already since it was his night, but she couldn’t imagine he’d done much yet since they’d only just gotten home.
Mark was chopping zucchini when she walked back in. “We’ve been invited for family dinner.”
He looked up, his hand stilling on the cutting board. “I’ll put the steaks back in the fridge for tomorrow night,” he said without hesitating. “Think we could bring the zucchini?”
“Pack it up,” she said. “I’m going to grab a bottle of champagne.”
“Good idea,” Mark said. Grinning at her, he added, “He’s so happy. It’s great to see.”
“Yes, it is,” she replied and pulled out a bottle from the wine chiller.
They went across the yard again and let themselves in through the back door. Jess and Haley were talking to Sadie about their day at school. Riley was leaning against the counter next to her, his whole face awash in love.
Paige took a mental snapshot of the scene. Despite what she and Mark had discussed—that they shouldn’t put the cart before the horse—she loved the thought of where this might lead. She imagined what it might be like if Sadie moved in one day. It would be wonderful to stop over and find Riley and Sadie cooking in the kitchen together, or working companionably
on their art.
“Mama,” Haley shouted, running over and hugging her. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hey, pumpkin,” Mark said, kissing the top of her head. “How was your day?”
“Great! Isn’t it cool that we’re all having dinner together? Jess and I are so happy Sadie is here. She’s so great. Right, Mom?”
Sadie glanced over, and Paige had the silly urge to blow her a kiss. “Yeah, she sure is.”
“You brought champagne?” Riley said. “Cool. I’ve never had champagne with spaghetti.”
“I brought zucchini too,” Mark said, holding up the plastic container. “It’s fresh cut. Figured we could sauté it and serve it as a side.”
“Beats the bagged salad I had in mind,” Riley said. “You know how much Jess and I love salad.”
“Yuck,” Jess cried out, putting her hands around her throat. “Superheroes don’t eat vegetables.”
“What about Popeye?” Sadie asked.
Paige saw Riley bite his lip. Even Mark and Haley stopped what they were doing, knowing what was coming.
Jess put her hands on her hips and stared up at Sadie. “Popeye isn’t a superhero.”
“He’s not?” Sadie asked.
“Of course not,” Jess exclaimed. “He’s a cartoon character. All the difference in the world.”
Sadie pursed her lips like she was fighting a smile. “You don’t think Disney princesses eat vegetables?”
Jess and Haley both shook their heads, and Mark barked out a laugh.
“No, they don’t,” Jess said. “We’ve seen every Disney movie at least five times. We’re experts.”
“There’s no arguing with them on this one, Sadie,” Riley told her. “But we’re going to eat zucchini tonight because Mr. Bradshaw brought it. Aren’t we, Jess?”
“It’s the polite thing, I guess,” the little girl said with a sigh.
“I brought cake for dessert,” Sadie said, tapping Jess on the nose. “Is that permitted?”
Jess twirled in her princess outfit, and Haley followed suit.
“Princesses love cake,” Jess said.
Riley snatched her up and gave her belly a zorbert, making her scream with laughter.
“I’m going to pop the champagne,” Paige said, crossing to the cupboard that held the glasses.
Riley didn’t have champagne glasses, so she chose the red wine glasses and poured each of the adults a portion.
“To family,” Mark said, lifting his glass.
Everyone echoed the toast, and Paige watched as Sadie and Riley shared another special look. She had to hold back an excited squeal. For a woman who’d never imagined wanting a family, she’d found herself a pretty great one.
They sat around the table and feasted on the spaghetti, the girls giggling as they made the noodles dance on their forks. Tomato sauce stained their faces, and Paige volunteered to clean them up after dinner. Jess had to be coaxed repeatedly to eat the handful of zucchini on her plate.
But Paige’s attention kept returning to Sadie, to the notion that her sister seemed to belong with them all. She would have to tell Mark later, but from the way he was smiling at the couple, she imagined he’d concluded the same thing.
The Italian cream cake Sadie had brought was delicious, and Riley’s shock at learning it was homemade made them all laugh.
“When did you have the time?” he asked.
She flushed to her roots at the allusion to the activities that had kept her otherwise occupied last night.
The girls drew shapes in the frosting with forks before Mark called it, announcing it was bath time. Their groans were long-suffering and totally expected. They never liked to be separated.
“Dad, can I spend the night at Haley’s house since Sadie’s here again?” Jess asked out of the blue.
Riley froze in spooning the leftover spaghetti into the Tupperware he’d brought to the table for cleanup. “Ah…”
Sadie’s eyes widened. “That’s so sweet, Jess, but—”
“No problem,” Jess said, waving a hand like a mini-adult. “It’s what friends are for.”
“Jess Thomson, where do you learn these things?” Riley asked with a sigh.
“School, Dad,” she told him, “and movies, of course. Boyfriends and girlfriends have sleepovers when they’re dating.”
School? Who would have imagined Jess would be up-to-date in the dating game? Even Mark cleared his throat, and Paige almost reached for Sadie’s hand. Her face was beet-red now, and Riley wasn’t faring much better.
“Jess, Haley, come and help me load the dishwasher,” Paige said, hoping to break the tension. She herded the girls into the kitchen and helped them wash off their plates and load them.
“Did I shock Dad?” Jess asked her, shutting the door to the dishwasher. “Betty at school says boyfriends and girlfriends can’t get serious unless they spend the night with each other.”
Paige had to control her eyebrows from rising at this revelation. “How does she know that?”
“She has an older brother and sister,” Haley said, leaning her head against her leg. “And her dad got married again this summer. Betty knows everything.”
“I doubt that,” Paige said, but she imagined Betty knew more than she should at that age. She’d been the same way, what with her mom’s lifestyle.
“Boyfriends and girlfriends have to have sleepovers to have sex,” Jess told her.
Okay, now her eyes were wide open. Where in the world was Mark? She could use some backup.
“Do you know what sex is?” She decided to ask straight out because if they did, they’d have to have a talk.
“Yes, it’s all the kissing and touching you see on TV and in the movies,” Jess said. “That’s what boyfriends and girlfriends do.”
Paige blew out a breath in relief. Okay, she could handle this. “Yes, that’s one of the ways you show someone you care about them.”
“Mommies and daddies hug their kids and boyfriends and girlfriends kiss and touch each other,” Haley told her with a serious nod. “Like you and Dad even though you’re married.”
She sank down to one knee in front of them. It struck her that she didn’t have to sink down quite so far as she used to. They were growing up so fast. “Your dad and I wanted to be boyfriend and girlfriend forever so that’s why we got married.”
Jess nodded. “That’s how it’s supposed to be. Do you think my dad and Sadie will get married?”
Shaky ground, Paige knew. She glanced at the door, but no adults were coming to relieve her or back her up.
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “It’s a big decision. You have to be completely sure—like down-to-your-toes sure that you love that person enough to spend every day with them. The person has to be extra special.”
“I know,” Jess said, shaking her head. “It’s like me and Haley. We’re BFFs, and no one else is that special. I mean, Betty wanted to be my BFF, but I don’t like her as much as Haley, although I didn’t tell her that. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”
“That’s good,” Paige said. “We should always try to be kind to other people.”
“Exactly,” she said, cuddling close. “I told her I can only have one BFF. That’s what it means. I think she understood.”
Paige smoothed the little girl’s fine hair back over her shoulder. “You did good.”
“Do you think Sadie understands that she can’t be my mom?” Jess asked.
She fought a gasp. “What do you mean, honey?”
“Well, I already have a mom, and even though she’s not here right now, that doesn’t mean she’s not my mom.” Jess put a finger to the side of her mouth. “I mean, no one can take her place.”
Paige had to fight tears at that. What could she tell this little girl? She stroked her hair until she had an answer she was sure of. “You know what, Jess? I only have one mom too, like you, but I would have given anything to have a woman like Sadie come into my life and love me.”
“But she’s still n
ot my mom,” Jess said, pulling away and staring at her with troubled eyes.
This was becoming too complicated, Paige thought. She would need to share this conversation with Riley. Jess was his daughter, and she didn’t feel right about continuing on this way.
“Okay, let’s get everybody ready for their baths,” she said, rising.
“She’s not my mom,” Jess told her again.
Haley closed the distance between them and put her arm around her friend. They looked like a little unit of solidarity.
She still wasn’t sure how to respond, so she kept it factual. “No, she’s not.”
Jess finally nodded and took Haley’s hand. “Let’s go do our baths at your house.”
They dashed out of the kitchen before she could call them back. At moments like these, she questioned whether the keyless locks she and Mark and Riley had installed in their doors were such a good idea. They didn’t have to wait for an adult to let them inside. Part of that was about letting them grow up, something they seemed to be doing pretty fast these days. She sunk against the counter. It wouldn’t hurt anything if she took a moment before following them. She needed it.
“Where are the girls?” Mark asked, walking into the kitchen with the Tupperware in his hands.
“At our house, taking baths,” she said, cracking her neck. “Where are Riley and Sadie?”
“They stepped into Riley’s office to chat in privacy,” he said, putting the leftovers in the refrigerator. “Are you okay?”
She shook her head, still troubled about Jess’ insistence that Sadie wasn’t her mom. “I’ll tell you later. Why don’t you head home and oversee the girls? I need to wait for Riley.”
He spanned the distance between them and cupped her face in his hands. His gaze was seeking, and she let him see everything she was feeling, the sadness and the worry. When he kissed her lightly on the lips, she folded into him.
“It’s going to be okay,” he told her.
She rubbed her face against his chest, fighting the urge to cry. Jess was so tough sometimes. Had she been that tough at that age? That worldly? For some reason, her sadness deepened, realizing she’d been even more so. She’d started locking herself in her room, and away from her mom’s visitors, starting in kindergarten. Sometimes she’d even slept under her bed, her favored hiding place lest one of those men should break into her room.
