Life would never be the same.
~*~
“Rachel Laine, you have a visitor.”
“Liza, I told you I’m not seeing anyone.”
After everything we had been through the past several days, I couldn’t see any visitors or clients. One reporter thought it was a good idea to pose as potential customer. I had Cheyenne take care of him in her own Cheyenne way.
“It’s Andrew … Turner.”
She didn’t need to clarify. I knew who he was now. “Send him back.” I didn’t think he was coming until after Drew got out of school. They were having dinner together and then he was taking Drew to sign up for baseball at the rec center. I smoothed out my shirt and ran my fingers through my loose hair. Every time I saw him now, I felt on edge. I wasn’t sure how to be around him anymore. All we were to each other now was co-parents. If ever we talked, it was only about Drew.
Before I was ready, there was a knock on my door. “Come in.”
The handle turned slowly. I wondered if he was as nervous as me.
His handsome head peeked in. “Am I interrupting anything?”
I shook my head no, even though he was—my life. All the chaos in my life had me behind and our annual audit was coming up. I needed to prepare for it.
He stepped in and shut the door behind him. Great, more rumors. Not that those hadn’t been circulating already. “Do you mind if I sit down?”
I shook my head again. More and more that’s how I communicated with him. I hated it, but I felt like if I really talked to him, my heart would overrule my head and I would find myself once again where I longed to be.
He took a chair in front of my desk. “I’m sorry about all of the reporters. I thought it would die down by now.”
“You don’t need to keep apologizing.” That may have been the most complete sentence I’d used with him in the last ten days.
He leaned forward. “Here’s the thing, I do until you forgive me. Please tell me how to make things right with you.”
“The only person you have to make things right with is our son.” Not that he already wasn’t. Drew was in Dad heaven. Which was a little hellish for me.
“I’m doing the best I can there. That’s one of the reasons I came to see you. I need the name of a good realtor in the area.”
I sat up taller, interested by this news.
“I’ve decided to move up here. I’ll probably want to rent first, maybe something by the lake, if there is anything available. Of course, I’ll need you to insure it.”
I was back to nodding my head. He never ceased to surprise me. I reached into my desk to get the business card of a good friend and excellent realtor. She knew the area better than anyone. I handed it over to him.
He took it, and my hand.
I stared at our clasped hands. My head was saying yank that baby away as fast as you can, but my heart begged me to let it be.
“Please, Rachel.” His amber eyes egged my heart on.
My head won out. I took back my hand. “I have a staff meeting in a few minutes.”
Instead of disappointment, I saw steely determination in his eyes. I wished I couldn’t read them so well. I knew he wasn’t going to make getting over him easy.
~*~
“Rumor has it that Andrew Turner is moving to our fine town of Merryton.” Jessie looked way too happy saying that.
I needed a girl’s night, not an outing where the person I was trying to get away from was the subject. I looked down at little Tessa in my arms before I responded. I wanted a baby. “It’s not a rumor. He’s renting a place out on the lake. The Renfrow’s cottage.” I’m not sure why it was called a cottage, it was more like a mini log mansion.
“Nice.” Cheyenne commented. “Hopefully, he’ll throw some parties out there.”
I shrugged. I wasn’t sure what he would be doing besides killing me on a daily basis.
“So how long are you going to make him chase after you?” Jessie asked.
That got my attention. I looked up to find all the ladies staring at me with inquiring eyes. “He’s not chasing after me. He’s here for Drew.”
“If you’re going to be a good liar, you’d better at least look like you believe that crap you’re shoveling.” Cheyenne smirked.
“We lost our heads for a moment. It happens when you spend a lot of time around someone. Oxytocin and dopamine. Right, Taylor?”
They all laughed at me.
“You see where oxytocin and dopamine got me.” Taylor pointed to the bundle I was holding.
The ladies laughed harder. I even joined in. “This is different.”
“How?” Abby asked. “The guy is getting excoriated in the news almost every day for dropping out. And it looks like he did that so he could spend more time with you. He’s even coaching the little league team.”
“I think you’re just scared,” Cheyenne said. “You’ve been hiding far too long under the excuse of being a mom.”
“Being a mom isn’t an excuse.” I loved Cheyenne, but that ticked me off, even if it did hit close to home.
“Being a mom is wonderful,” Jessie tried to smooth over Cheyenne’s candor. “But you’re not only a mom. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”
I sighed. “Andrew and I are too different. And what if this is only a notion for him? Is Merryton really going to hold his attention?”
My friends all took a moment, but it was Taylor who ultimately spoke for the group. “Maybe not, but from the way he looks at you, I would say wherever you are, you will hold his attention. And that’s what really matters.”
Leave it to Taylor to make me question my resolve.
“Well, the real question is whether he will play on our team this summer,” Jessie added levity to the moment.
“Yes!” Cheyenne shouted. “He would knock off Easton for greatest butt.”
“Can you imagine the Rileys’ faces if he joined?” Abby said with glee.
“Does the league allow for professional players?” I asked.
“I already checked, and since he’s retired, it’s a non-issue.” Jessie was salivating.
“I would love to see the Rileys get theirs after that interview Veronica did.” Taylor vented.
“You and me both.” I turned toward Cheyenne. “And thank you for taking care of that reporter that was hounding me all last week.”
She licked her lips. “No problem. I quite enjoyed it. He did, too.”
We all rolled our eyes but laughed at our flirty friend. So much so, Tessa startled in my arms. She had a nice set of lungs. I handed her over to her mom, who comforted her.
When we called it a night, I walked out into the cool air. Now that we were into March, it wasn’t frigid, but I still required a coat. I was looking forward to spring and warmer days, maybe even some less chaotic days. I read the sign Jessie had on her door that warned the media they were not welcome. Several other businesses in our downtown district had similar signs. For all of Merryton’s faults, we came together to help our own. They had come together to help me.
I hoped now that everyone had their story, it would fade away. The world now knew Andrew fathered a child with my sister, and that she got around. I had never hated Veronica until now. She painted my sister in the ugliest light possible. She even had the gall to name off a list of names of men Sydney had been with. Which backfired on her. A few guys quit Landon’s team over it, and their wives were shunning Veronica. Not even Landon’s schmoozing could fix it. There was even talk of ousting him as Mayor over it. That would be a happy day. You see, Veronica broke the cardinal rule in Merryton. It was one thing to gossip about your neighbors, but you never ever aired Merryton’s dirty laundry outside the city limits. The only good to come of it was that the Rileys had been keeping a low profile since then. We all appreciated that.
I didn’t feel like going home right away after girl’s night. Andrew was there watching Drew. I decided to take a stroll around the town square. I thought about what my friends and I discussed during th
e course of the evening. Did I really hide behind being a mom? I never thought of it like that. Drew was my life; I loved him more than I ever knew was possible. And I did my best to protect him, at least until recently. And maybe that’s why I was most upset with Andrew and myself. I went against my better judgment keeping the truth from him. And I let Andrew in, only to be moved to the back burner. A place I knew well.
Growing up with a sibling that required a lot of attention placed me in that position often. I didn’t blame my parents; Sydney was a handful. But it seemed like no matter how much I excelled at something, I never reaped the full reward. I remembered that during our senior year at the end of year awards banquet where I was receiving two scholarships and the top three GPA award, my parents were called away to bail Sydney out of jail for under-age drinking. Why couldn’t they have waited? The lost boyfriends were another reminder that Sydney was always on the front burner. Even my fiancé ditched me for his plans that I no longer fit into. And maybe that’s why I could easily let go of being involved with someone while I raised Drew—that way I would never have to worry about being second best to anyone.
So maybe I had some insecurities to deal with, and maybe Andrew was here now, but what if he, like everyone else before him, decided I wasn’t worth staying for?
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“Drew, will you please answer the door? Your dad is here.” That was still so weird for me to say. I hurried to apply my lip gloss before I met them both in the entryway.
They were headed to do some batting practice, because three practices a week weren’t enough. They both stood together in Bears attire, right down to the same ball cap. Andrew had his arm around Drew, looking like a pro dad.
Andrew looked me over. “You look nice.”
“Thanks. You guys have fun tonight.”
“Why don’t you come with us?”
“Yeah,” Drew agreed.
I looked more at Drew than his dad, who was making me feel all kinds of tingly things. “I’m sorry, I have plans.”
“Painting your toenails again?” Andrew asked.
“Not tonight.”
Andrew raised his eyebrow in perfect Hollywood fashion. “You don’t have a date, do you?” His tone was playful.
How did I answer that?
“You do?” Tension ran through his words.
“Kind of. Not really. I don’t know. I guess?” That really cleared it up. “I’m meeting with Eric to finalize our advertising efforts for the spring carnival.” And dinner was part of that. I didn’t know why I felt like I needed to explain myself to Andrew. Probably because I wished it was him I was going out with.
“Are you talking about that teacher at Drew’s school?”
“The very one.” I reached out and pulled Drew to me and hugged him tight. “Show those baseballs you mean business tonight. I love you.” I did my best to avoid eye contact with Andrew. He looked hurt. And for that, I felt bad, but it wasn’t like we were dating, or ever really had. We had some fantastic make-out sessions and some wonderful talks, but that was it. And Andrew’s focus was on being a dad, exactly where it should be.
“Love you.” Even my son sounded disappointed.
I made the mistake of looking up too soon. Andrew’s eyes and mine locked. A fire had been lit in them. Not an angry fire, but impassioned. It sucked the air right out of me and I felt a little lightheaded.
Thank goodness for Drew. “Let’s go, Dad, before all the cages are taken.” Connection severed.
I turned around, like a coward, to grab my shoes.
“Hey, where are you going to be tonight?”
I had no choice but to face him again. “Why?”
“In case of an emergency. I mean, what if Drew needs you?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “That’s what phones are for.”
“The coverage up here is spotty.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Fine. We’ll be at Terranova’s, it’s on Main Street.”
“Isn’t everything in this town?”
“You don’t like it here?” That shouldn’t have surprised me, but it was disheartening. As crazy as this whole situation was, I was glad he was moving up here. It helped me ease into sharing Drew.
He looked between Drew and me. “I didn’t say that.”
“I’ll see you guys later.”
“Definitely,” Andrew replied.
I slipped into some heels and almost canceled with Eric. I shouldn’t have agreed to go to dinner with him in the first place, but he’d asked me several times and he knew it was a friend type date, but I had zero romantic feelings for him. He was a nice, attractive man, maybe even better looking than Andrew. But he did nothing for me, whereas Andrew only had to smile at me and I felt feverish. I think I only said yes because I was afraid what my friends had said about me was true.
I found myself sitting across from a very attentive date, while everyone else took turns looking at us. The fact that Andrew was Drew’s dad had cooled on the Merryton gossip channels, but now everyone was tuned in to see how Andrew and I played out. Veronica’s interview didn’t help there, either. How did she say it? “It’s so sad to see my friend Rachel getting involved with a man who is obviously a liar and a cheat. I mean, I could never be with someone that used my sister and abandoned her child. But to each their own.” The smile she gave after was pure evil.
I will say this about Andrew, he was already charming his way into everyone’s hearts around here. So while some people were raising an eyebrow or two over the fact that there may or may not have been something between the two of us, for the most part people could understand why, and they weren’t judging me too harshly for it. His hometown hero persona didn’t hurt, either. Despite the fact he was being vilified in the city, up here he was still considered a celebrity, which for reasons I didn’t understand gave him a pass. It didn’t hurt that he was as polite as he could be, and that the little league team he coached loved him. He had already agreed to do several day camps in the summer, and Jessie was ecstatic that he had agreed to play on her team.
Landon Riley was doing his best to get that nixed, but so far had come up short. His charm was wearing off.
I smiled warmly at Eric, but not overly so. “I talked the Daily Press into advertising the carnival for free. Well, sort of. I agreed to buy an advert for my agency.”
“That’s great.”
I went back to perusing my menu even though I knew what I was going to get. I loved their spinach and ricotta gnudi.
“What’s good here?”
My eyes left the comfort of gazing at my menu to meet Eric’s expectant ones. “I like—”
“Mom!”
Nothing got my attention faster than that name being used by my favorite eight-year-old. I turned to see my sweaty kid running toward me, with his dad trailing behind looking smugger than ever.
Drew ran into my arms.
“What are you doing here? Is everything all right?”
“I missed you, and Dad said we could have dinner here.” That sounded rehearsed.
I looked up to an innocently smiling Andrew. “What a coincidence.”
“He was in the mood for Italian,” Andrew shrugged.
I refrained from rolling my eyes. Instead I turned to a confused Eric. “Eric, you know Drew, but this is his dad, Andrew.” Not like everyone didn’t already know that.
Eric’s eyes lit up before he stood to shake hands with Andrew. “Oh man, I can’t believe I’m meeting the Andrew Turner. I was in the stands the night you pitched your first no-hitter. It was awesome. Best game I’ve ever gone to.”
Now I rolled my eyes. I had no idea Eric was such a big fan.
Andrew’s smug face changed to downright arrogant. “The whole team was on point that night.”
“Here, join us.” Eric offered. He slid back into the booth.
“Are you sure? I know it’s awkward having the ex crash.”
Eric looked between Andrew and me. “I didn’t realize you g
uys were divorced. I thought uh …” He eyed Drew and thought better of what to say.
Andrew slid right into the booth next to Eric. “We weren’t married, just seeing each other until recently. But we still have to parent together, so we make it work. Right, Rachel?”
I pulled my smelly son closer to me. “Right.”
Andrew winked at me like an idiot.
I turned my attention to the only male at the table I was happy to see at the moment. “How was batting practice?”
“Dad helped me with my stance, and I hit ten balls in a row.”
“Very cool.”
“You should have seen him.” Andrew beamed. “He’s going to be showing me up before I know it.”
I couldn’t help but smile at him. I loved that he was a good father to our son. Pride was bursting out of his eyes.
“Next time you can come, Mom.”
“Deal.”
Andrew’s grin widened farther if that was possible. “You play sports, Eric?”
“Nothing professional, but I ran track in college.”
“Cool, man.”
Our waiter came by, surprised by the new additions, and interrupted the budding bromance. But like everyone else, he was enamored by Andrew and asked for his autograph. Several other patrons did the same. I tried to take it in stride as I watched my date and Andrew court one another. I was long forgotten as they talked relentlessly about sports and Andrew’s career highlights. I had no idea he was the first pitcher ever in the major leagues to pitch two perfect games. And his batting average was the highest for any pitcher when he played.
Drew and I focused on eating and playing the games on the back of the kid’s menu. I actually enjoyed that more than talking to Eric. And Cheyenne was right, he chewed louder than anyone I knew.
Drew’s eyelids became heavy around nine. He leaned into me and dozed off.
“I think it’s time to get this one home.”
Both men turned my way. Andrew smiled at the scene before him, or was he smiling at me? “I’m sorry, we got carried away.”
“No problem. You know the garage code, so you can let yourself in.”
Andrew’s smile turned wicked before he faced his admirer. “I can just take Rachel home now, since I’m headed that way.”
Rachel Laine (The Women of Merryton Book 3) Page 28
