“Where are we going?” she asked as I took an exit.
“I thought we’d surprise your grandparents.” If I couldn’t get her to talk, then maybe my mother and father could. I’d learned one lesson as a mother; when all else failed, call Grandma and Grandpa.
My mother was surprised to see us. “Hey, honey. What’s the cause of this surprise?” She was in the kitchen cooking dinner. “I’m making soup if you two want to stay for dinner. There’s even French bread with cheese if you want to dunk it.”
She gave Sierra a wink, and her eyes lit up. I could tell that something was weighing terribly on her mind, and I sent her to sit with my father as I helped my mother cook and explained my meeting with the teacher.
“That doesn’t sound right, Allison. There’s got to be more to this story. I’ll see what I can do to help you get to the bottom of it.”
“I just can’t believe he’d be cruel to her.”
“He’s cruel to you,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe he talks to her that way when you’re not around to abuse.”
“Yeah, but she hasn’t done anything to him, and he hates me. I can see him wanting to hurt me, but her?” I shook my head. “I just can’t fathom it, Mom.” I let loose a deep, cleansing breath, and my mother patted my back.
“You’ll be okay, dear. We’ll get this sorted out.”
“I know. I just hate that I can’t get her to tell me. I know it has to be something.”
“Did you tell me everything growing up?” My mother gave me a pointed look.
“Heck no.” My laugh was half-hearted.
“And why was that? You knew you could tell me anything.”
“Well, I couldn’t tell you things, knowing they’d hurt you. I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me. So, I was ashamed, I guess.”
“So, maybe that’s why she doesn’t want to tell you. She knows it will hurt you and shame her.”
I gave that some thought, and it was actually the only thing that made sense. “She’s such a strong kid, usually.”
I had always prided myself on being a strong woman, but even the strongest have a hard time when their children are suffering.
At the dinner table, my mother made small talk, asking me about the new job, and when David’s name was mentioned, it got Sierra’s attention.
“I like him,” she said.
“You do?” I asked. “Why do you like him so much?” I couldn’t help but be curious what struck her fancy about him.
“He said you’re pretty, Mama.” She waggled her brows and giggled.
“When did he say that?” I turned to my mother and shrugged.
“He said I was beautiful like you, remember? And I like anyone who thinks we’re pretty. And I hate everyone who thinks we’re not.” She got a strange look on her face and stirred her soup in slow circles.
“Does anyone ever say you’re not pretty?” I asked.
She looked up and then turned her eyes to my mother.
“Sierra? Answer your mother, dear.” Mom gave my daughter the look, and she sank her bread into her bowl.
“If someone says that, then they’re not someone you want to be around, right?” I assumed some of the kids at school had teased her, and that this must be the root of the problem.
“So, if I don’t have to be around them, does this mean I don’t have to go to Dad’s house any more?”
My blood turned cold. This wasn’t some childhood bully bullshit.
“Did your father say something to you about not being pretty?” I asked.
“No, not Daddy, but Cindy said you’re ugly, and then Daddy says I get things from you, like my hair. Then he tells Cindy he hates you. Does he hate me, too?”
“Of course not, honey. Your dad is having a hard time being on his own, and he’s angry with me because I get to be with you so much. It’s really not about the way either of us looks, and he’d never hate you.”
“At school, they were talking about having their daddy’s come to Career Day, and I don’t want mine to come. It’s all they talk about. That’s why I like David. He’s nicer than Daddy and Cindy. He likes you, Mama, and he likes me, too.”
“Honey, you know I don’t have to tell your father about any of this. We’ll figure it out. Don’t let that worry you, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Why didn’t you tell me all of this sooner?”
“Because I didn’t want it to hurt your feelings. You’re not really ugly, Mama. Not to me, anyway, and not to David.”
My father cleared his throat. “And not to me, either. All three of my girls are the prettiest.” He gave Sierra a wink, and just like that, she felt better.
“You should invite David over for dinner Saturday night,” my mother said. “I can cook a roast, and you can bake him some oatmeal cookies. Weren’t those his favorite? How about it. Give him a call.”
“I want to help, too!” Sierra pounded her spoon against the side of her bowl and cheered. “Call him! Call him!” She hopped out of her seat and brought me my phone.
“Fine, okay. I will.” I rolled my eyes and laughed, taking out the phone and dialing his number.
Chapter 11
David
The last time I walked up to Allison’s door was the night I’d showed up in my uniform to take her to prom. Her father had stepped out, shook my hand, and warned me about prom night traditions and how I should put tradition aside and be a nonconformist when it came to his daughter.
Maybe if he’d been a bit more intimidating, I’d have listened to him. But as it turned out, traditions were traditions for a reason.
The blood rushed to my dick, and I knew I’d better stop the memories from tenting my pants when the door opened up, and Mrs. Beall gave me a warm smile.
“Hi, honey! Come on in. It’s been too long.” Mrs. Beall had aged gracefully, but like most women her age, had found a few extra pounds and a pair of glasses. Neither did a thing to hurt her beauty.
“Yes, ma’am, it has indeed.”
She pulled me in for a big, warm hug and then pulled away. “Is that dessert?” She eyed the pink box I carried.
“Yes, I found a baklava that is close to my mother’s recipe, and I remembered how much you used to love it.” My mother used to make the stuff and fill Christmas tins for the holidays. Then she’d load up a wagon, and Missy and I would pull it door to door, delivering. The neighbors would invite us in for cookies and milk, give us handfuls of peppermints, or some other treat; and once we got a fruitcake that was so hard, Mom couldn’t cut it. I had the best memories on this block, and from the gleam in Mrs. Beall’s eyes, she remembered them, too.
She cleared her throat. “Hers was the best. Thank you so much.” She took the box and stepped back so I could go inside.
Sierra stood peeking around the corner, and her eyes lit up when I presented her with the small bear I’d picked up in the mall. “My nieces said that this place in the mall has the best bears ever.”
“Thank you.” She stepped up and took the bear, keeping her smile on the floor. She’d been so much more outgoing the first time I’d met her, but now, she was acting a bit shy. She hugged it as her mother stepped out from the kitchen.
She wore a short dress, and although it was modest, it still showed off her slim curves and perky breasts. “Thank you, that’s so thoughtful.”
She gave me a quick hug, and I breathed in her scent while I had her close. She smiled at me like she’d caught me in the act.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her as her mother led us to the dining room, explaining how she’d tried something new with the roast and hoped we liked it. She’d always been one of the best cooks and had taught my sister most of her skills. With our own mother gone, Missy would call Mrs. Beall for advice and recipes.
Her father, who’d always been glued to the TV, came in and shook my hand before we both sat down. “Good to see you, David.” He gave me a firm grip and met my eyes directly.
“You too, Sir.”
&n
bsp; The man hadn’t changed much, except for the graying hair and a few extra pounds that had come with aging and being well-fed by a good woman.
“Sorry about your father, son. He was a good man and a great neighbor. I see the yard’s been kept up, which is nice but are you expecting to sell the house?”
“Eventually, but we’re not really in any hurry. It’s been a bit harder than we thought, going through everything, and none of us really have had the time.”
“It’s never easy. You let me know if you’re going to list it. I have a few friends who are looking.”
“I sure will.” The thought of having anyone else in my childhood home hadn’t sunk in. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, so blathering on about it wasn’t going to do me any good.
“Allison tells me you’ve taken over your father’s position at the company,” Mrs. Beall said.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s a big change from the Air Force, and I will admit I’m not sure I’m doing a good job of filling his shoes.” In fact, I knew I wasn’t. If it weren’t for Greyson, I’d be lost.
Mrs. Beall gave me a reassuring grin. “I’m sure you’re doing fine, and we appreciate you giving Allison such a wonderful opportunity.”
Allison spoke up. “We sure do.” She smiled, and I couldn’t help but notice she seemed a bit more relaxed than usual. It felt good knowing I’d played a part in her happiness.
“She’s had a bit of a struggle, you know.”
Allison’s head turned sharply as her mother spoke, and her cheeks reddened.
“Yeah, she finally divorced the asshat.” Her father chuckled.
“Richard, please.” His wife gave him a scolding look, and her eyes shifted to Sierra. “Even if we hate the jerk, it’s not a polite word for our granddaughter to hear.” She tilted her head toward the girl, but she was busy building a mound out of her potatoes.
Her father shrugged and mumbled under his breath, “Truth is the truth. She may as well hear it.”
“Daddy, please. Not now.” Allison shook her head, a weary look crossing her face, which set the tension back into her brow. “We try to only speak good things about the situation, even though it’s tough.” She gave us all a tight smile and changed the subject. “Mom was asking me earlier how Missy and Blaine are doing.” She took a sip of her wine and gave her mother a pointed look.
“Oh yes, how are they doing? How are the twins?”
“They’re doing fine. Growing. Missy is great. She loves being a full-time mom and makes Martha Stewart look like an amateur. Blaine is good. He’s lost in his art.” I wasn’t about to tell them there was tension between the two or about Blaine’s horrible addictions and behavior.
“That’s good to hear. I miss having all of you kids around.” Mrs. Beall’s eyes sparkled.
After that, we fell into a more comfortable conversation and enjoyed the baklava together, which they all agreed was a close match to my mother’s.
I thanked them for dinner, and as Allison walked me out with Sierra in tow, her mother retreated to the kitchen to clean, and Mr. Beall went to his chair.
Before Allison shut the front door, Sierra jumped up and down. “Mama! You forgot the cookies!”
“Oh, no. Will you run in and get them?” Sierra ran into the house as Allison turned back to me. “I almost forgot. We baked you some cookies.”
“Oatmeal?”
“Of course, I know how much you love them.”
“I do. They’re still my favorite.” I remembered when I’d choke them down, and how much I’d grown used to them. “You know, when I was in the military, some of the guys would have their mothers send them baked goods, and I’d make trades to get their oatmeal cookies.”
“I wish I’d known. I’d have sent some.”
“Yeah, I should have stayed in touch.”
Her eyes sparkled as the door opened, and Sierra came out with a tin full of cookies. “Mama says these are your favorite, but I don’t know why. Oatmeal is the worst.” She curled her little nose up.
“You develop a taste for them. Your mom’s oatmeal cookies are the best.”
She smiled big and took my hand as she had before. “Thanks for coming to dinner. It made my mama happy.”
“Well, that’s my favorite thing to do, you know? Is to make her smile.”
“Tell David goodbye and then go help Grandma clean up, okay. We’re going to have to get home and get you to bed soon, too.” She brushed her hand through her daughter’s hair, and the little girl smiled and looked up at me.
“Bye, David. Thanks for the bear.” She turned and ran inside, leaving me and Allison alone.
She walked over to the front railing near a pillar as I placed my cookies in the car and then went back to join her.
“So, is it really your favorite thing to do?” she asked. “Making me smile?”
“It’s probably in my top five.” I would only reveal the other four if she asked. “So, you and Doug Simon, huh? I still can’t wrap my head around it.” I had a bad feeling there were awful things she wasn’t comfortable telling me about him, and judging from the way he’d yelled at her last week in the driveway, I doubted I’d like hearing it.
“Yeah. About the only good thing he’s done for me is give me my daughter, not that he cares about her. He barely gives her the time of day, and if it weren’t for knowing it irritates me, he wouldn’t bother.”
“She’s a great kid. How could anyone not want a daughter like her?” I’d always wanted a family and kids of my own; a daughter in particular. Someone to spoil and coddle, who would look at me the way Sierra did, with a big smile and a heart filled with unconditional love. “He didn’t know how good he had it.”
“I shouldn’t have run to him when you left. It was the biggest mistake of my life, but then, it gave me her. So, how do I wish to take it all back?”
“I know what you mean. I wouldn’t regret her, either. She’s adorable. A little spitting image of her mother, too.” I couldn’t get over how much she was like her, but different, too, with her own little personality.
“Yeah, I’m not sure that always works in her favor.” She seemed to be full of thoughts, but she shook her head like she was physically clearing them away. “Having her in my life makes all the pain worth it, you know?”
Hearing the word “pain” had my blood boiling. How could he treat them that way? I wanted to say I should have never left her, but the words were choked back by a lump in my throat and the desire to kill the son of a bitch. And if I had stayed, she wouldn’t have had her daughter. I couldn’t help but feel responsible in a way. I stepped closer, lifting her chin to meet her eyes. “Did he hurt you? Put his hands on you?”
She looked deep into my eyes and gave a half-hearted smile. “No, never that. Abuse doesn’t have to be physical, David. But thank you for being concerned. You’ve always been a good friend to me. I’ve missed it, our friendship.” She wiped her face and then stepped into my arms. “Thanks for coming. And thanks again for the opportunity. I’ll see you bright and early Monday morning.”
“Sounds good. And I’ve missed you, too. Thanks for the cookies.”
She watched me walk away. I got into the Cobra and took a cookie out of the tin. I didn’t ever eat in my car, but I couldn’t wait. The texture was the same, and so was the taste. As I choked it down, savoring the flavor of my past, I shook my head. I was falling in love with the girl next door all over again.
Chapter 12
Allison
I sipped my coffee and sat curled up on the sofa as Sierra spoke to her father on the phone in the next room. It was all I could do to butt out and let her have her usual Sunday morning chat. It was the one time out of each week that he allowed her to call, and only because he had nothing else better to do. The calls never lasted more than five minutes anyway, so it wasn’t like she was going to take up too much of his time, but I made sure she did it, so that he couldn’t say I was keeping her from him.
Sierra walked in and placed my phone
on the table and then turned to go to her room.
“Not so fast, honey pie. How’d the call go?” I couldn’t just let her go off to her room without gauging her mood. She’d had too many issues with her dad to do that, and I wanted to know what he’d said to her.
“He said ‘no.’”
“Said no? What did you ask him?”
“About the stupid career day. He said ‘no,’ he can’t come.” She looked at the floor, closing her fists in anger as her little chest heaved.
“I’m sure he has a good reason he can’t make it, honey. You know your dad works.” I wanted to rip my own tongue out and stomp on it for making excuses for the asshole and do the same to him just because he was an asshole.
“No, he said he had other things to do, and that the school thing was your job.”
I ground my teeth so hard my jaw popped. Far be it for him to take on more responsibility, just because it’s something I usually dealt with.
“I’ll tell you what, I can go if you want. I have a new job, and I work for one of the biggest advertising agencies in the city.” I was finally proud of my job and thankful I could help my daughter out.
“No. All the other kids are talking about their daddies coming. I don’t want to be the only kid there with a mommy and no daddy.”
“I’m sure you’re not the only one who won’t have their father, Sierra.”
“I don’t want to go! Can’t I just stay home that day?” She gave me a pleading look as tears filled her eyes.
“Sierra, I can’t let you do that, honey. You’re only allowed to miss so many days, and what would happen if you got sick again like you did last year?”
“I’ll go to school sick, Mama. Please don’t make me go.”
“You’re going. That’s final.”
“But it’s your fault he doesn’t like me! And it’s your fault that he won’t go! If I had a daddy who liked me, then I’d be like the other kids instead of being a loser.”
Always Been Mine: A Single Mom Office Romance Page 7
