A Woman In Love: Book Four (The Woman I Love Series 4)

by G S Binkley

  When Stella returned to the living room, she overheard her daughter. “That won’t be easy. I thought Lacy said those were one of a kind… the only two left.”

  Remembering where they had bought the matched set, Gage rubbed her temple. “Uh oh.”

  Suddenly, Derek was very concerned. “What do you mean ‘uh oh’?”

  Chapter Five

  “Gage.”

  “Gay.”

  “No, it’s Gage.” Derek repeated.

  Smiling, Hayley repeated. “Gay.”

  “That’s pretty close.” Sammy assured his older brother. “Better than ‘Mimi’.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” Derek sighed. The young boy had worked for the last half an hour trying to get his sister to pronounce Gage’s name correctly. “Maybe Dani can help us?”

  “Want me to get her?” Sammy poised, ready to take off and find his older sister.

  “Not yet.” Derek mused over the dilemma before him. His mother wasn’t very happy to find out that her lamp was broken but what made matters worse was when Sammy apologized to her about breaking the lamp. Of course, that brought surprised looks to not only his mom but Gage and Stella as well. Then it was just a matter of time before the whole story came out. While Sammy and his brother played tag, Derek had tripped and bumped into the coffee table that resulted in the lamp toppling over.

  Derek wanted to make amends for lying to Gage by getting Hayley to say her name. He had already offered to clean up the paints and brushes his mom used in order to pay for the lamp.

  “Well?” Sammy propped his hand on his hips. “Do I get her or not?”

  “Not.” Derek turned back to his sister. “We have to do this on our own.” He didn’t want Dani getting the credit for this seemingly impossible challenge. “Now, Hayley, one more time say Gage.”

  “Gay!” Hayley shouted then clapped.

  Frustrated, Derek sighed. “Okay, it’s back to Mimi.”

  “Mimi!” Hayley yelled and promptly spun around, leaving her brother’s room. “Go get Mimi.”

  “Oh, boy.” Sammy followed his sister out the door.

  ***********************

  Gage placed a comforting hand over Lacy’s. “She’ll be okay. Nate said he’d watch out for her and you got her that phone. We can call her later if you want.”

  “Oh, that’ll buy me points. Checking up on her while she’s out with her friends.” Lacy frowned.

  Stella got up from the kitchen table. “You need something to drink.”

  “Scotch and soda.” Lacy ordered.

  The grandmother retrieved a bottle from the refrigerator, placing in it front of Lacy. “Here. Start with some milk.” Stella took her place at the table again. “Lacy, you’re going to pick her up at ten, right?” Lacy nodded. “The movie started at seven and by the time they get out, she’ll only have about an hour to walk around the mall.”

  “Yeah, and besides, they’ll probably get something to eat at the food court. So how much running around could she do?” Gage tried to be helpful. “And did I mention that Nate will be there.”

  “Yes, you did. Thank you.” Lacy offered a tentative smile. “Both of you. To tell you the truth, I’m worried about Dani, yes, but right now I’m more concerned about Derek.”

  “His lying?” Stella asked.

  Gage added. “And cussing.”

  “His general attitude since he’s been back.” Lacy sipped her milk. “Gage, sweetheart, would you get me a cookie?”

  The blonde jumped up and headed toward the cabinet. “Absolutely.”

  Just then, Derek, followed by his two siblings entered the kitchen only to hear Gage proclaim. “Ahh, Lacy. The carton’s here but there’s not one cookie left.” Gage held up the empty tray.

  “Uh oh!” Derek did a one-eighty quickly heading out of the room while his two followers followed suit.

  When Sammy turned, he mimicked his brother. “Uh oh.”

  With Hayley bringing up the rear, she echoed. “Uh oh.”

  ***********************

  As Gage had predicted, Dani and her friends headed to the food court in order to get something to drink along with fries and onion rings. But before she did, Dani stopped by the computer store where her uncle worked and said ‘hi’ as her mother requested.

  With food and drinks on the table, the girls surveyed the area looking for anyone they knew. “I hope he comes tonight. Troy said he would.” The blonde haired girl, Katie, had a new boyfriend named Drake and her friend, Troy, assured her that he would be there. “I don’t see him.”

  “There’s Troy.” Dani pointed.

  Katie motioned for him to come over to their table. “I’ll see if he knows if Drake is here.”

  The curly haired red headed girl sitting next to Katie shook her head. “Katie, Troy’s the one that likes you.”

  Dani sipped her soda, trying to ignore Cindy’s proclamation.

  “Is that true, Dani?” Katie demanded.

  “Everybody likes you.” Dani gave an attempt at being a diplomat.

  “Here he comes. Let’s ask him.” Cindy announced.

  As Troy approached, Katie’s brown eyes flared. “Don’t you dare! I don’t want him to think I like him… not that way.”

  The tall, slim boy ambled over to the girl’s table. Troy pushed back his glasses. “Hi.”

  “Sit down.” Cindy ordered.

  A sharp glare from Katie challenged Cindy to say more. When she was assured her friend would remain quiet at least for the moment, Katie asked Troy. “See Drake tonight?”

  “Earlier.” Troy scooted up to the table in his chair.

  “Want something?” Dani asked.

  Shaking his head, Troy asked. “You guys go to the movie?”

  Cindy felt safe in answering that question. “It was cool. I’ve seen it twice now. I love Reese Witherspoon.”

  “When earlier?” Katie wasn’t satisfied with his laconic response about Drake.

  Feeling like he wouldn’t lose anything, Troy declared. “I don’t know why you’re so interested in him anyway. He’s not really your boyfriend.”

  That made Katie fume since she had told both Dani and Cindy he was very much her new boyfriend. “That’s not true. What do you know?” Katie attempted to dismiss his declaration as a matter left to the green-eyed monster.

  Troy stood up. “Do you know how old he is? Nineteen. And just because he buys you a few things doesn’t mean he’s like you… not like that anyway.” Frustrated, Troy ran his fingers through his short dark hair. “He’s just trying to get to you… to do things… oh, never mind.” Troy stormed off.

  Katie totally dismissed his warning words. “He’s just jealous.”

  “Is he really nineteen?” Dani asked.

  Katie sipped her drink and admitted. “He is older.”

  Cindy munched on a fry but had to ask. “What’s he want you to do?”

  “Will you two stop it?” Katie was upset with this line of questioning so she searched for a diversion. “Isn’t that your uncle?”

  When Nate showed up at the food court, he headed straight for the burger counter, pretending not to notice Dani and her friends. After he received his food, Nate turned around looking in his niece’s direction. When he saw her wave at him, Nate hurried over to her table. “Just getting something to eat.”

  Dani picked at her fries. “We did, too.” Her mind was still on this nineteen year old that Katie insisted was her boyfriend.

  “You girls having fun?” Nate bit into his hamburger.

  “Totally.” Cindy smiled at him. “When do you get off work?”

  The way she asked it put Nate on high alert, realizing the young girl may have a crush on him. “When the mall closes at ten. But then we have to straighten up before we leave.” Turning to his niece, he asked. “Dani, instead of your mom or Gage picking you up why don’t you stop by the store and I’ll drive you home.”

  “Ah….” Dani glanced at her two friends.

  “I’ll call La
cy and let her know.” Nate suggested.

  Katie rolled her eyes, trying to get Dani’s attention. She knew that Drake hung around outside the mall after it closed and hoped to introduce her friends to him.

  “I guess so.” Dani reluctantly agreed. “But don’t worry about calling mom. I’ve got my own phone now.” She held up her new light blue cell phone. For some reason, Dani wasn’t too enthusiastic about meeting Katie’s nineteen year old friend. Since she knew Troy all through school, she reasoned that if Troy was concerned about this fellow named Drake so should she be and Dani was smart enough to know that it wasn’t just because he liked Katie. “I’ll come by when we’re through here.”

  Nate stopped himself from hugging and kissing his niece but just barely. “See you at ten then. Anybody want the rest of my fries?”

  “I do.” Smiling, Cindy reached for them. “Thank you.”

  Nate winked at the young red headed teen then said to Dani. “See you at ten.”

  Upset, Katie practically yelled. “Why’d you go and do that? I wanted you to meet Drake.” As much as the young blonde was attracted to Drake, she didn’t really want to be alone with him at least not outside in the dark. She was counting on Dani supplying the necessary element to the theory that there was safety in numbers. Besides Katie thought one of Drake’s friends was scary.

  “Oh, who cares about Drake? Drake this, Drake that. That’s all I’ve heard about this past month.” Cindy had never actually seen him and was beginning to believe he was just her friend’s fictitious boyfriend. But then again, Katie did show me those cool clothes he bought her. “You should stick to Troy. I like him.”

  “Then you go after him like you were doing with her uncle, flirting with him.” Katie accused the red headed friend.

  Stunned, Dani asked. “You were flirting with my uncle?”

  “I think he’s cute.” Cindy declared before she grabbed her purse and left. “I gotta go. Mom’s probably outside waiting already.”

  Dani gathered her things as well. “Maybe we should go, too.”

  “Hold on. Let’s walk around a few times more. Please.” Katie begged.

  Looking at her watch, Dani reluctantly agreed. “Okay. Just once.”

  ************************

  “What was that all about?” Stella asked.

  Gage flopped the empty cookie container on the table. “I think it had to do with no more cookies left.”

  Lacy licked her lips. “There aren’t even any crumbs.”

  Gage sat down. “Well, I don’t think Sammy would have been able to climb up there and get them.”

  “Hayley either.” Stella added.

  Scrunching her eyebrows together, Gage entertained another notion regarding her rambunctious daughter. “I don’t know about that. She’s a little climber.”

  “There was only one left. I’m betting it was Derek.” Suddenly, Lacy smiled. “I guess I’ll have to teach them a valuable lesson my mom taught us kids.”

  Gage and Stella waited patiently for Lacy to reveal that said lesson.

  “I quickly learned never be the first one to open anything and you never took the last one either.” Lacy said then further explained. “Mom always asked who opened it or who took the last one. She never asked who ate all the middle ones. I remember Nate took the brunt of it most of the time.”

  “You mean after you or your brothers coaxed him into opening the package of cookies?” Gage grinned.

  “Not me… it was Lisa.” Finally, Lacy acknowledged. “Oh, okay, we got her to get him to open them.”

  “Like mother, like son.” Gage declared.

  “Stella? Would you add another package of oatmeal cookies to the list?” While the older woman nodded, Lacy rethought her request. “Better make that two.”

  “And we’ll hide one of them.” Gage said to a smiling Lacy.

  *************************

  The next afternoon as Lacy stood before a nearly empty canvas with paintbrush in hand, she ran over and over in her mind what she could do about the recent developments in her family. Absent-mindedly she applied the red tipped brush to the canvas.

  “Interesting color for grass.” Lynn Lewis noted.

  Surprised, Lacy almost dropped the brush. “What are you doing here?”

  “You sound like you don’t want to see me.” Lynn teased her daughter. “Come here.”

  Lacy hugged her mother. “I’m always glad to see you.”

  Moving back from Lacy, Lynn jested toward Stella who stood a few feet away and was the one who let Lynn in. “You’re in the clear, Stella.”

  Stella chuckled then sat down to rest her tired feet. “You don’t know how glad I am. Although if I would have been in trouble, it may have gotten me a few days off.”

  Concerned, Lacy stepped forward. “Stella, if you need some time to yourself.” Lacy slapped her head. “What am I saying? Of course, you would. After all you were the one that went to LA….”

  “Lacy, I was just kidding.” Stella assured her daughter-in-law.

  Lynn touched her daughter’s arm. “Here come sit over here with us. Honey, what’s wrong?”

  Lacy allowed her mother to guide her to the couch. “What isn’t? Dani, Derek…”

  “Stella told me.” Lynn scooted a little closer to Lacy. “When I raised you kids, I guess life was simpler then. I didn’t have to worry much about the kids playing outside or spending the night with their friends. And I know you’ve got that added concern…” Lynn sucked in a deep breath before suggesting. “Maybe you should get a full time bodyguard.”

  Lacy glanced at her mother then looked away. “That’s not going to solve everything. More and more Dani will need her space. I can’t keep her fourteen forever. And not only that, I don’t want her to feel trapped or like a prisoner.”

  Stella felt comfortable enough to add her two cents. “Why don’t you talk to her? Explain how things are. Dani’s the brightest fourteen year old I’ve ever known.” Stella looked down and nervously rubbed her hands together before she admitted. “Of course, other than Julie’s daughter, Jessie, I don’t have much experience with teenage girls.”

  Sensing Stella’s remorse over her decision to give Gage up for adoption, Lacy reached over to the older woman and placed a comforting hand on Stella’s knee. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Lacy’s comment brought a smile to Stella’s face. “Now you got any ideas about how to handle Derek?”

  “I do.” A voice from the doorway claimed.

  The trio of women turned to see Dani enter the room. The youngest woman in the room asked. “Okay, Dani, what should I do?”

  The fourteen year old flopped on the couch next to her grandmother. “I’d send him to his room until he dropped his attitude.” Then a mischievous smile crossed her face. “Or swat him on the bottom a couple of times.”

  “Do you think that last suggestion of yours should apply to a fourteen girl we know?” Lacy asked.

  “Oh, mom!” Dani was aghast at her mother’s question. “I’m way too old to be spanked.”

  Lynn laughed. “I don’t think anyone every laid a hand on that bottom of yours.”

  Seriously, Dani proclaimed. “That’s because I was always good.”

  “Uh…huh.” Lacy spoke for the threesome.

  “Okay, fine.” Dani pulled her leg up under her and leaned forward. “I didn’t want to say this… because you know I like dad and all but….”

  Lacy waited for the confirmation to what she assumed and Stella had hinted at in their conversation. “Go on.”

  “You know how dad used to be… well, kinda hard on Derek?” Lacy nodded. “This last time I think he went overboard.”

  Shocked by her daughter’s words, Lacy shot a look toward Stella, thinking that David was harsh toward their son. “Overboard?”

  “Not that way, mom. The other way overboard.” Dani explained. “Anytime Derek did anything, dad was all like ‘you’re so wonderful’ every time Derek caught a ball. Things like that.”<
br />
  Lynn rubbed her chin before asking. “So Derek finally got his dad’s approval.”

  “Yeah, even when he did things that weren’t…”

  “Weren’t what?” Lacy inquired.

  “Nice.”

  Lacy turned toward Gage’s mother. “Stella?”

  “I already told you what I saw, Lacy. I think he was just trying to build Derek’s self-esteem.” But Stella did admit. “It got playful sometimes… with Derek and the staff.”

  “How do you mean playful, Stella?” Lynn was very interested in getting some examples.

  But it was Dani who provided the telltale evidence. “Like playing jokes on dad’s staff especially… Mason.” Lynn hiked an eyebrow in question.

  “The butler.” Lacy informed her. “What else did your father encourage Derek to do?”

  Dani let out a small giggle. “It was with Hayston. And I shouldn’t be telling because she’d kill me but….”

  The older women leaned in closer toward their informant.

  ************************

  From the window of her study, Gage watched Daniel Lewis play with her three youngest kids outside in the yard. She turned back to stare for a brief moment at her laptop. “I need to get that done before next week but…”

  ************************

  “More!” Derek screamed.

  Sammy echoed his brother’s request. “Come on, grandpa. One more time.”

  Daniel Lewis leaned up against the lawn tractor he had just slipped off of. “So, you want another ride?”

  “Yes!” The brothers yelled simultaneously.

  “More ride.” Hayley’ bounced up and down in the trailer that was attached to the tractor.

  “Just when am I gonna get this lawn mowed then?” Daniel pretended to be frustrated with the trio. “Huh?”

  “Who cares?” Derek frowned.

  When it appeared that their grandfather wasn’t too happy with Derek’s response, Sammy prompted his sister. “Say please, Hayley.”