“What do you mean?” Evan asked. He crunched on a taco.
“Your grandparents made an offer, and I think you should know about it.” At the mention of Diane and Gordon, the kids froze. “They’d like you to come live with them.”
Evan dropped his taco and Hannah put her plate on the floor in front of her. The kids looked at each other, then turned to Trevor.
“Hell, no,” Evan said at the same time Hannah asked, “Don’t you want us?”
“Crap. No. I mean, yes. Fuck.” He put his food down and wiped his hands on his jeans. “Your mom always knew what she was doing with you guys.”
Callie snorted, and Trevor shot her a look.
“I have no idea how to do this. Your grandma brought up the idea that she’d like you to move in with them.”
“That’s bullshit. Next year is my senior year. All our friends are here.”
Hannah’s eyes became glassy, but she didn’t talk.
“I’m not saying that you have to go. Or that I want you to go. I want you to know it’s an option.”
“So we can stay with you?” Hannah asked in a small voice.
“Of course.”
“Then we’re staying,” she said emphatically. “Right?” she added with a look at her older brother.
“Yeah.”
“Okay,” Trevor said, the tight feeling in his chest loosening. He hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted the kids to choose him.
Hannah smiled, and Evan returned his focus to his dinner.
Trevor picked up his plate. “Then the next thing we need to talk about is where we’ll live. I can’t afford to pay two mortgages.”
Callie scooted forward on the couch. This wasn’t her conversation to have, but the outcome would affect her.
“You guys can move in here permanently, and we can sell the other house.”
Callie wasn’t surprised that he led with that option. He’d said he’d slept on the couch at Lisa’s. He obviously hadn’t been comfortable sleeping in her room. She also knew that he’d intentionally purchased his house in the same neighborhood so it wouldn’t interfere with the kids getting to and from school or their friends’ from his house.
When no one said anything, he continued. “Or we can sell both houses and find something new. A fresh start.”
“As long as I can bring all my stuff, I don’t care which house we live in,” Evan said.
“But what about Callie?” Hannah asked.
“Don’t worry about me,” she said.
Trevor looked at her. When their eyes met, it was like he hadn’t even thought of her. And why would he? She wasn’t his problem.
“Well, if we decide to sell that house, it’ll take some time. It needs some work before it can even go on the market. I’m not going to throw Callie out on the street.”
Callie smiled. “I can start looking for a place.”
“Can’t we stay there?” Hannah asked.
Trevor leaned back on the couch. He was trying to cover being uncomfortable. “I suppose we could. It still needs work, though.”
“I think we should live there.”
Callie set her plate on the coffee table. “Hannah, honey, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’ll be homeless.”
“But if we’re here, you won’t be with us.”
Callie didn’t know what to say. She’d never considered the impact her presence had on the kids.
“We have some time to think about it,” Trevor said. “And no matter where Callie is living, she’ll always be welcome to come over.”
“It won’t be the same,” Hannah mumbled as she picked up her plate again.
They all dropped into silence, and it was killing Callie. “Well, I think the conversation has been heavy enough. Big decisions were made. Let’s talk about something fun. What’s going on with school?”
Evan popped the rest of his third taco in his mouth. “School’s not fun.”
“I think you and Dad should tell us some more fun stories about Mom.” Hannah looked up at Evan. “Did you know Mom’s favorite song was ‘Dancing Queen’? And that Grandma hates it?”
“Now I know what to add to my playlist,” Evan said.
Callie’s eyes popped. “I didn’t share that with you to use against your grandma.”
Trevor laughed. “It might be fun to watch.”
Callie couldn’t hold back her own laugh. “You would think that, because she’d blame me.”
“So what? You know you get off on being the troublemaker.”
Absolutely not what gets me off. The flirtatious answer almost slipped past her lips, but Evan and Hannah were watching the interaction with rapt attention. Callie turned to them. “I am not a troublemaker.”
“Really? What about the time you got us thrown out of Renaissance Faire?” Trevor prodded.
Evan shot out of his seat. “Wait. Don’t say anything until I get back. I want to hear this.”
“The juggler was wrong. He had no business getting us thrown out.”
“Wait for me,” Evan yelled.
Trevor had a glint in his eyes. She knew sharing this story was supposed to embarrass her, but if it made the kids smile and laugh and brought some joy in thinking about Lisa, she would do that all night.
Chapter Three
They shared a bunch of stories that were probably inappropriate for Trevor to be telling his teenage kids, the food was demolished, and the room was filled with laughter instead of crying. The kids dumped their plates in the sink and disappeared into their rooms again.
Trevor stood and reached for Callie’s plate.
“I got it.” She rose from the couch.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t mind.”
She followed him into the kitchen and for a brief minute, it all felt natural, which was weird because he hadn’t laid eyes on Callie in years. He filled the sink while she wrapped up the little bit of food that was left over.
“Thanks for coming over tonight.”
“I’m glad I was here. I think we all needed a night like this after the last few days.”
He shoved his hands in the hot water. “About the house…”
“Trevor. It’s okay. I get it. I’ll be fine. Hannah will understand.”
“For me, it’s just about the house. That’s where she moved on, you know? I don’t have a place there.”
“I know. She didn’t make it easy for you.”
“She shouldn’t have. I didn’t think about your role in this. Mostly because I didn’t realize what a big part you’ve been playing in their lives.”
Callie picked up a plate and rinsed it. “Like you said, no matter where I’m living, I’ll still see them.”
“But Hannah’s right. It won’t be the same.” Trevor looked at her and saw Lisa’s best friend, one she thought of as a sister. “I think Hannah might be using you to fill that void that I can’t help with. You’re a woman she trusts.”
“It doesn’t mean I need to live in her backyard.”
Trevor felt trapped. He didn’t want to live in Lisa’s house, a place she’d filled with memories that had nothing to do with him. But he had this sudden revelation that his kids might need Callie. Hell, based on the last couple days, he needed her.
They finished the dishes, and Callie grabbed her purse. A stroke of panic hit him. He didn’t want her to leave, but he pushed it back. “Thanks again for all your help.”
“No problem. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Well, if you’re offering, you could swing by and let Diane know that the kids decided they want to stay with me.”
She burst out laughing. “Hell no. I’ve held the sole responsibility for taking their girl from them. I’m not putting myself in the line of fire for taking their grandkids, too.”
Her laughter was like music. The sound brightened the room. She was so beautiful when she was laughing. Not that she wasn’t always beautiful, but when she was smiling and laughing,
she was magical. He wanted to lean in and pull her close.
Which was nothing he should be thinking about, so instead, he shrugged. “It was worth a shot since you were offering.”
“Let me know when you plan to break the news.”
“I won’t need you to sit in on that.”
She laughed again. “I want to know so I can make myself scarce, not so I can participate.”
That made him smile. “When are you leaving town again?”
Her face shifted, masking the open happiness he’d just seen. “Not sure. I took off in the middle of a job when you called, so I might have to go back to the Philippines to finish up in a few days.”
He nodded. He didn’t even know why he’d asked. Having Callie here softened the blow of everything. In a way, it had been like old times, when they had been in their twenties and life had stretched out before them. She had been wild back then. And so much fun.
It had taken him years to understand how Lisa and Callie were friends. But they were so close, balancing each other out in ways that made them happy. There had been times that he’d been fiercely jealous of what they shared.
Now it felt ridiculous. Most people would go their whole lives without experiencing that kind of friendship.
Callie said goodbye and left.
From upstairs, music turned on. Loud. He moved to the stairs to yell up and tell the offender to turn it down, and he paused because he realized it was “Dancing Queen.” He’d never much liked that song, but he’d always put up with it for Lisa.
He went into his office and took out his calendar. He needed to get back to the jobs and plan how to move forward. The notes and updates Jerry had given him let him know that everything was on track, but seeing the site today had put his mind at ease. They had a few big jobs scheduled for the summer, which was bearing down on them quickly.
Damn. Summer was almost here. What the hell was he supposed to do with Hannah and Evan when they weren’t in school? They were teenagers, so nothing? He’d never asked. They’d come to his house a weekend or two a month and he’d tried to see their sports and school activities, but he’d never tried to get a grasp on the day-to-day. When he’d spent time with the kids, he’d never worried about schedules. They’d been his for a few brief hours, and he’d let them do whatever they wanted.
He got out a fresh pad of paper and began making a list of things that needed to be fixed at Lisa’s house. Even if they decided to sell, he would need to do some work. If they were moving in, it would be even more work. The layout of her house was similar to his, with one bedroom on the main floor and three upstairs. Maybe if he didn’t try to sleep in her bedroom but moved into the guest room, he could live there.
It wasn’t like she’d married someone else and built a life with that man in the house. It was simply what the house represented. She bought it because she knew she would never take Trevor back. He’d tried moving on, especially over the last year, when his friends had pushed him to start dating, but he’d had no success. He wanted to keep trying, but he wasn’t sure how.
An hour later, he went up to check on the kids. Evan was sitting on his bed, computer on his lap, headphones on. Must be gaming time.
Trevor tapped the doorframe.
Evan looked up.
“Not too late with the games. Do you have what you need for school on Monday, or do we need to get more from the house?”
“You’re gonna make us go to school?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Mom just died.”
“I’m aware. But life keeps moving, man. You’ll have work to catch up on so you’re ready for finals. They have to be coming up soon.”
Evan huffed. “No one’s going to fail me. My mom died. That’s like an automatic pass.”
Trevor clenched his teeth and inhaled sharply through his nose before speaking. “Just because people are being compassionate doesn’t mean you should take advantage of that kindness. Besides, we raised you to pull your own weight. Shit happens. It sucks that your mom died, but she’d come back to kick my ass if I let you skip school and bank on getting pity grades.”
His son rolled his eyes.
“You know I’m right.”
“Yeah. I can almost hear her nagging now.”
They stared at each other for a painful moment, almost as if they really expected to hear Lisa’s voice.
Trevor knocked on the wood again. “Not too late.”
“Define too late.”
“Turn it off by midnight.”
“Two thirty.”
“Keep dreaming. You’ll never get out of bed tomorrow.”
“It’s the weekend.”
“Twelve thirty.”
“One thirty.”
“One.” Trevor smiled, because he knew Evan had been angling for that all along.
…
Monday morning, Trevor finally breathed easy. He got the kids off to school on time, even after some massive confusion about lunch. How the hell was he supposed to know they thought he would make lunch for them? Then he was on his way to Sunny’s Diner to meet his friends. He was the first to arrive, so he claimed their usual table and waved the waitress over to get a cup of coffee. As she poured, he saw Tess walking toward the door, so he turned over another cup and had the waitress fill that one, too.
Tess sat and smiled. “You’re so good to me.”
“I know.”
“How are you holding up?”
He shrugged, unsure how to answer. “I talked to the kids Friday night. I told them that Diane wants them to come live in Indiana, but Hannah and Evan both want to stay with me.”
“That’s not surprising. Their lives are here.” She sipped the coffee. “How did your in-laws take it?”
“Pretty much the same way they take everything when it comes to me—with barely restrained disgust.”
“Ouch.”
The door opened, and Nina and Gabe joined them. As Nina walked behind Trevor, she patted his shoulder and then squeezed before taking her seat.
“What’s up?” Nina asked.
“I survived the weekend with the kids. I have to figure out what to do with Lisa’s house. It needs work, which I’ll take care of, but Hannah wants to live there instead of my house.”
“Why? I thought your house was near the school and everything,” Gabe asked.
“Mostly it’s about Callie.”
“Callie?” Tess asked.
Nina leaned forward to look around Trevor. “Lisa’s friend.”
Evelyn came sweeping into the restaurant. They all looked at her.
Gabe asked, “No Owen?”
“How should I know?” she responded, waving the waitress over.
They ignored that Evelyn knew Owen’s schedule better than anyone.
“He’s on at the firehouse,” Trevor said.
Tess’s brow furrowed as she turned the topic back to Trevor. “What does Callie have to do with the house?”
“She lives in the coach house. I think Hannah likes having her around.” He took a drink. “And if I’m being honest, having her around these last few days has made things easier for me, too.”
“I thought she didn’t like you,” Nina said.
He shrugged. “There was a time we were good friends. Then I fucked up everything in my life, and she had been Lisa’s friend first, so…”
They dropped into silence for a minute and enjoyed their coffee. “Callie helped me remember a lot of the good times with Lisa. We shared stories with the kids over dinner the other night. I kind of forgot what it’s like to have someone who knows your history, who’s been there. Someone who knew me before I broke my life.”
Tess nodded, but he doubted anyone at the table truly understood that feeling. Sure, they’d all done their fair share of screwing up their lives during their marriages and subsequent divorces, but Trevor was pretty sure he held the title for ruining every good thing he’d had.
Gabe set down his cup. “Wait, we’re talking abo
ut the hot chick from the funeral?”
Trevor choked on his coffee.
“Smooth, Gabe,” Evelyn said.
“What? She is. Just wanted to verify who we’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh.” Evelyn stared at Gabe. “Oh, God, did you ask her out?”
Gabe smiled crookedly, and Trevor’s stomach sank. Gabe was a decent guy, but Trevor couldn’t picture Callie with him. Callie was the kind of woman who needed to be out living life and interacting with other people. Gabe was basically a hermit. And if she was going to go all hermit-y, he should come before Gabe.
Where the hell did that thought come from?
“The thought crossed my mind, but I figured asking someone out during a funeral would be tacky.”
“Smart move,” Nina said.
“You’re the one who’s been telling me for almost a year that I need to get out and meet people.”
“Not at a funeral, you freak.”
Everyone at the table burst into laughter as Nina called Gabe names.
When their laughter subsided, Tess asked, “Do you have a plan for the kids?”
Trevor shook his head. Of course Tess would ask. She was the only other parent in the group of divorceés. “They’re going to meet me at Lisa’s after school to pack up more stuff to move into my house. Then I’ll develop a plan to get the work done to get it on the market. Or move back in. Hell if I know.”
“Not for the house, Trevor. For the kids.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t want to tell you what to do, but you’ve never been a full-time dad.”
He knew Tess had his best interests at heart, so he believed she wouldn’t say anything to hurt him. But her words were too close to what Diane had pointed out the other night. He nodded for her to continue.
“You need to set up the rules for them. You need to come up with a system.”
Gabe leaned forward. “They’re teenagers. They don’t need or want constant supervision.”
“But that’s when they need it,” Tess shot back. “They’re used to having you for a few days at a time, and if they didn’t clean their rooms or do the dishes, it was no big deal because they were going back to Lisa.”
“I don’t even know where to start. I left so much up to Lisa when they were little. She made the rules and enforced them. I followed along.”
My Best Friend's Ex (Daring Divorcees) Page 4
