But her mouth didn’t want to obey what her instincts were telling her. “I’m making dinner right now. Why don’t you come on over and eat with us?”
“That sounds great. Meet you in thirty minutes?”
Was it her imagination or did he sound relieved? “Sure.”
After giving him her address, she hung up and whipped around the corner to the living room, frantically calling for her kids to help her straighten up the place. Justin immediately balked at Valerie’s request. Before she could address his grievances, Whitney looked at her mother curiously. “Who’s coming over?”
Although it irked Valerie that her daughter assumed that they were cleaning up just because someone was coming over, this time her guess was right on the money. “My friend, Gage Logan. Hurry and help me, okay? And when you finish picking up this floor, will you wash your hands and come help me in the kitchen, please?”
The fact that Whitney was looking at her as if she’d lost her head didn’t escape Valerie’s notice. But now there were more important things to worry about. She raced around the house, picking up stray clothing, backpacks, and books before heading to her bedroom to change out of her work clothes and don a loosely fitting blouse and comfortable jeans. Then she quickly ran a brush through her hair and dabbed on some lip gloss before heading back into the kitchen to rinse the vegetables.
Whitney had just finished washing her hands. “Can I slice the cucumbers, Mom?”
“Sure. And I’ll shred the lettuce and grate a few carrots.”
“Okay.” Whitney loved using the plastic serrated knife that was specially made for children.
The doorbell rang far too soon. Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she pasted a welcoming smile on her face and opened the door. Gage stood alone on her front porch, looking as handsome as ever, in a dark red dress shirt, striped tie, and black dress pants. Valerie’s heartbeat zinged into overtime as she inanely blurted, “Hey, it’s good to see you again, although it’s a little unexpected.”
Instead of the flirtatious grin she expected in return, one side of his mouth dipped down self-consciously. “I’m a little surprised to be here myself. But considering everything that’s happened this week, I’m glad you agreed to meet with me.”
Valerie studied him thoughtfully, thinking back to the days when he’d been cool and confident. Arrogant and even harsh in his teasing, which had bordered on insulting.
Interestingly enough, he appeared to have lost that persona. She was sure that his confident demeanor still lie dormant somewhere and would resurface soon. After all, what would Gage want with a simple woman like her? He was probably used to spending his time with more sophisticated women. But it seemed that life had recently kicked him in the shins.
Hmm. Well, she would find out what he wanted and then turn him away right after she fed him dinner.
“Come in.” Valerie’s words snapped Gage out of the trance he’d fallen into after seeing her again. Her lightly made-up face and easy smile shouldn’t have been anything to make his heart thump rapidly. Gage was used to being around beautiful women. But he’d never forgotten Valerie’s openness and natural beauty.
“Thanks.”
With only a nod of acknowledgment, she turned and walked back into the house, leaving him no choice but to follow. The house was beautiful. It had that nostalgic feeling like it had been in the family for generations. The rustic lines were softened by the rose-colored drapes on the windows and the muted brown tones of the couch and lampshades. Sepia-colored photographs from generations of family members graced the walls.
Stopping to gaze at each one, Gage was quickly able to pick out the Levington family. There was Valerie, standing in front of her brothers Kurt, Jake, and Luke. Seeing her youth immortalized like this, with her hair in ringlets and her freckles uncovered by makeup, caught him off-guard. He wished that they could go back to those years before they’d become enemies and form the friendship that he should have cultivated when he’d had the chance.
Her son was lying on his stomach on the floor, driving his cars around on a play mat. Wow, Gage thought, a kid who still plays with cars instead of electronics. He leaned down to look at Justin. “Hi, Justin. Remember me? I’m Gage.”
Justin looked up at him briefly before his eyes flicked down again. “Hi,” he said in a low voice.
Gage glanced up at Valerie quizzically. “Don’t be offended. He avoids eye contact with most people.”
Gage decided to try again, sitting cross-legged on the shaggy carpet beside him. “Whatcha got, Justin? Let’s see your cars.”
To his surprise, Justin held as many of them as he could in his hands out for Gage’s inspection. Gage bent over, exclaiming over each one and at the same time, keeping a respectful space between the two of them. Carefully taking a red car off the floor, he made a revving engine sound with his lips and made it zoom around the play mat, stopping at the police station and then the house.
Suddenly, Justin’s excited voice boomed, “I’ll race you.”
Gage grinned. They raced their cars around the play mat for a few minutes, stopping at the bank, the farm, and the lake before Valerie’s soft voice broke into their interplay.
“So where is Zach tonight?”
Gage met her gaze. “Zach is spending the rest of the week with his grandparents in Tucson.” Raising his eyebrows, he ventured, “Actually, that is what I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Dinner is almost ready. Should we eat first?”
“Sure. Anything I can do to help?”
Handing him a bucket, she said, “Maybe you could encourage Justin to put his toys away while I help Whitney set the table.”
When she left the room, Gage held the bucket out to Justin. “Hey, Justin. Your mom says it’s time to clean up your toys. Wanna help me put the cars in the bucket?”
Justin kept driving his cars around in obvious reluctance. Gage figured he could allow Justin a few more minutes to finish playing.
Soon he held the bucket out again. “It’s time for dinner. If we hurry and pick up your toys, we’ll be able to eat that much sooner. And your mom will be really proud of you.”
It almost seemed as if the boy hadn’t heard him.
Finally, after a third prompting from Gage, Justin picked up a silver car and placed it along the edge of the play mat. Gage watched, fascinated, as Justin lined the rest of his cars parallel to the first, arranging them by color and size. Then, one by one, he picked them up and dropped them into the bucket. Although Gage’s instincts were screaming for him to hurry, Justin continued in agonizing precision.
When the last one landed in the bucket with a plunk, Justin grinned up at Gage and held his hands up, fingers spread apart, and shook them back and forth briskly in some sort of sign language. “All done.” He clapped happily.
Gage swallowed. “Well done, Justin,” he said huskily at the same moment Valerie reentered the living room. The meaningful look she sent Gage lit a lightbulb inside his brain. She’d given him a test. At this point, he wondered if he’d passed or failed.
Dinner was a simple affair, consisting of chicken casserole, a garden salad, and buttered rolls Valerie had pulled from the freezer. She asked her daughter to bless the food and then they began passing the dishes around the table.
Gage inhaled appreciatively. “Smells delicious.” Most of his meals came from boxes. Or the ballpark.
“It’s nothing fancy. Most of my dinners are one-dish meals. Cleanup is a lot easier.” Lowering her voice into a stage whisper, Valerie added, “Plus, I can sneak more vegetables into their diet that way.”
“I heard that!” Whitney exclaimed.
Valerie sent her daughter a mock horrified look, making Whitney break out into giggles.
Gage grinned. He was seeing a different side to Valerie. She was the perfect choice for Zach, who could also benefit from the lively interaction of a real family. Gage’s conscience pricked when he remembered his first impression of Valerie as an u
ncaring parent. His judgment had been way off base.
After dinner was over, Valerie asked her children to place their dishes in the sink while Gage helped her to clear the table. When they were finished, she thanked him and invited him back to the living room.
“You were saying something about a business proposition?” Valerie asked after they were seated comfortably and the kids went off to their rooms.
Taking a fortifying breath, Gage answered with a question of his own, hoping to appeal to her natural mothering instincts. “If you were given the choice between being a stay-at-home mom or having a great career, which would you choose?”
She took a moment to consider. “That’s a hard question to answer. Ideally, I would love to be home for my kids while they’re still young. But since I need to work, the next best option would be a job that works around their schedule. Unfortunately, that isn’t the way the world works.”
“Have you thought about going back to school?”
“I would like to someday, but the time has never seemed right.”
Gage was intrigued by the fact that she felt torn between the two worlds. He wondered if most women felt that way at times.
“Why do you want to know?”
“I wanted to check on your availability and long-term goals before presenting my offer, which would allow you to stay home with your kids and still earn enough to make a living, if you’re interested.”
“I’m interested but I don’t think that’s possible.”
“It is, but it would require some unconventional hours. The upside to it is that for some of those of hours, you’d be asleep.”
“Sleeping while I’m earning money?” she asked incredulously. “I’m not following.”
“Do you remember me telling you that I was going to file for full custody of Zach when we ran into each other at the store?”
Valerie nodded.
“Well, April, my ex-wife, was in a fatal car accident ten days ago. I no longer need to file the claim. I’ve become my son’s only living parent overnight and I’m trying to figure out how to make everything work.”
She gasped. “Oh, Gage. I’m sorry to hear that. How is Zach taking his mother’s death?”
He sighed. “Not very well, which is to be expected. It will take time for him to adjust to April being gone.”
“That’s so sad, Gage. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Now was his chance. So why was he hesitating with the next phase of his request? Would she reject him outright or seriously consider doing it? “Yes, actually. I’m in need of a full-time caregiver for Zach immediately. I work late hours during the baseball season and day care isn’t really an option. Zach stayed with Pierce and Noelle for a few days, but she is almost ready to have a baby and I can’t rely on them. I’m wondering if you would be interested in taking the job. The money I paid April for child support could be allocated to you.” When he named the sum, Valerie’s mouth fell open.
“Gage, that’s too much. My children already receive child support from their father. I’d feel like I was stealing your money.”
In April’s case, Gage felt that she really had been. The money she’d squandered on countless parties and trips left a bitter taste in his mouth. But with Valerie, he knew the money would be put to good use. “No, Valerie. I want to pay you that much. Anyone can see that you take good care of your kids. I know that Zach would be in good hands.”
Valerie studied him thoughtfully while little beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. What if she said no?
“The fact of the matter is that I’m required to work during the Diamondbacks’ home games. I don’t get off work until after the games end, which is around ten o’clock or sometimes later, depending on if they go into extra innings. Then I have to finish my reports for the night before I can come home. I was thinking that Zach could just spend the night with you and I could pick him up in the morning. And then we’d be back on your doorstep again at one o’clock in the afternoon so that I can be at work by two.”
Then, afraid that he might be asking too much of her, he added, “You can take some time to think it over, if you’d like. I know this will be a big change for Justin, and if you think it would cause too many disruptions to have another child in your home, I understand.”
“I don’t have a problem with that,” Valerie countered. “But how do you feel about Zach being with my rowdy bunch? Justin isn’t the easiest kid to get along with. Neither is Whitney, for that matter.”
“They’re just kids, Valerie,” he reminded her. “Seriously, I think it would be good for Zach to be around them. He’s been in day care part-time and he’s normally an easy-going kid, but losing April has thrown him off. I’m worried about him. He could really use a friend or two right now.” Truth be told, Gage could too.
“I’m assuming that you’ll need a babysitter for Zach on Sundays?”
“For every Sunday when the D-Backs play a home game. Baseball season is hectic for me. But since Sunday games are played in the afternoon, I get off at a decent hour.”
“Would you mind if I take Zach to church with us on the Sundays when I have him? I would be his Primary teacher. And I insist that you allow me to take him to Primary even on the Sundays when you’re home.” Her infectious smile was back.
“And if I don’t agree?” he asked mischievously.
“Then no deal,” she answered cheekily.
He chuckled. “You drive a hard bargain. And I’m fine with that as long as you don’t tell Pierce I gave in so easily.”
“Do I sense a sibling rivalry going on here? You and Pierce always seemed to have a great relationship.”
Gage shrugged. “We did until recently.”
“What happened?”
Now it was Gage’s turn to become silent. Could he really tell her without lowering her opinion of him? Then, figuring that Valerie’s opinion of him probably wasn’t very high to begin with, Gage decided that he really had nothing to lose.
He began by telling her about meeting April at the University of Arizona, their short marriage, and the subsequent events after their divorce. Noting the initial shock on Valerie’s face, he lowered his head in shame. “My family didn’t know about Zach. I—couldn’t tell them. It was just too hard to admit that I made so many mistakes.”
“It’s not easy to admit that to yourself, let alone anyone else,” Valerie said softly. “I’m sorry that you’ve had to deal with that all on your own.”
“That’s the thing. I didn’t have to.” Gage swallowed thickly. “I should have told my family a long time ago. They were pretty upset with me too. But we’re working it out.” He was still amazed over the way his family members had pulled together for him during April’s funeral.
“I hope things will get better for you. You can only move forward from here.”
Gage smiled at her. “Thanks. Now that you’ve agreed to watch Zach, I feel like I’ve already taken a step in the right direction. I have a feeling that you and I will make a great team.”
Valerie smiled back. Their gazes connected for a moment and time froze. It was almost like the years had melted away and he and Valerie had made a silent pact to put aside their differences for their children. In essence, that was what he hoped to accomplish.
Then Valerie’s smile faded. “Maybe because we’ve gone through so much of the same heartache—divorce and knowing that we’re the black sheep of the family.”
“You feel that way too?” Gage asked, surprised.
“Oh, yes.”
“But what happened to you wasn’t your fault, at least from what I heard your family say after the baby blessing.”
Valerie lifted her bangs out of her eyes, moving her fingers toward the back of her head and grabbing a fistful of hair. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who did that.
“When you are the only divorcee in a strong Mormon family, it’s hard to avoid everyone’s pity. Don’t get me wrong, Gage. My family loves me and they are very supportive
. But I know deep down that I’ve disappointed my parents. When I recall the way I envisioned living my life, I’m disappointed in myself. I should have known better.”
Better than what? But at that moment, Whitney and Justin came running into the room in their pajamas, claiming that their teeth were brushed and they were ready for scripture time.
Gage took that as his cue to leave. He wasn’t retreating, he told himself after telling them good-bye with a promise to call the next day. He was simply giving Valerie the time she needed to help her children get ready for bed. Family scripture study had never been a regular part of the Logan family’s routine, so there was no reason to stick around as Valerie gathered her children close to her side now. Gage shut the door with a decisive click on his way out.
Zach was elated to learn that he was going to live with his dad from now on but not as much when Gage told him that he’d be spending his afternoons and evenings with Valerie and her children. “Do I have to?” became his favorite phrase.
“Yes,” Gage asserted sternly. Then, softening his words, he added, “Give it a try. I’m sure you’ll like them.” Zach seemed to respond better to his entreaty.
But once they arrived at Valerie’s, Zach’s scowl was back in place. Whitney, the outgoing sibling, broke the ice by ushering him and Justin down the hallway to show him where the toys were.
Gage and Valerie exchanged a meaningful look. She grinned at his sigh of relief. “You look like you’ve been through a major battle.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “I can take it as long as he behaves himself for you.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine. It takes a little time to adjust to a new situation.”
His hands flexed nervously. He knew he should go or he’d be late for work. But leaving Zach was tougher than he’d imagined it would be.
“He’ll be fine, Gage. You’ll see.”
Looking into her eyes, Gage noticed how peaceful Valerie seemed. She was in her element. “Your boss didn’t give you too much grief about quitting?”
The Matchup Page 9
