Huntington Family Series

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  * * *

  Bernice arrived five minutes after preschool let out, looking somber in her usual gray. All the children were gone except Tiger, Caleb, and Bernice’s grandson Michael. Bernice didn’t leave immediately but hovered near Kerrianne. “Look,” she began, “about the other night at the dance.”

  “It’s okay. Really—it’s forgotten.” Kerrianne felt embarrassed about her outburst now. She’d meant every word at the time but everything seemed brighter today.

  “Well, I still don’t think we should forget our husbands,” Bernice said, “but I didn’t want to cause you any pain. I know what it’s like to be lonely.”

  Kerrianne decided that was the best apology she’d ever get from Bernice.

  “Hello, ladies.” Maxine was coming down the stairs, looking chic in a purple designer jogging suit. Kerrianne wondered why Maxine had stopped in. Maybe she’d come for the Primary manual, since it was her turn to teach their shared class next week.

  Bernice looked at Maxine. “So,” she said.

  “Hello, Bernice.” Maxine’s voice was pleasant. “Did you do something different with your hair? It looks lovely.”

  Preoccupied with her own life, Kerrianne hadn’t even noticed. Bernice’s tightly permed hair had been blown dry or curled in such a way that the gray locks were nearly straight, puffing up at the scalp and curving slightly under near the ends, a short version of Maxine’s style. The effect with the lighter makeup she was wearing did wonders for her pinched look.

  “It’s great!” Kerrianne said. “Wow.” She didn’t add that it took at least five years off Bernice’s age.

  “Now about the color,” Maxine started to say. “Coloring your hair makes you feel like a new person. I was telling Kerrianne here the other day that my hairdresser is positively the best—”

  “I don’t want to color my hair!” Kerrianne and Bernice spoke in unison and then laughed.

  Kerrianne felt like someone new already. After all, she’d kissed a man today. She still couldn’t believe she’d done it. What do you think of that, Adam?

  She got the feeling Adam didn’t care about her hair, but he might just care about her kissing Ryan. So why did she want to do it again? Think of Ryan’s parents, she thought. She didn’t want to ever have to deal with them again.

  “Well, I’d better get going. I have an appointment.” Bernice took Michael’s coat from a hook. “Come on, Michael. Let’s get you back to your mom.”

  “See ya,” Michael mumbled to the boys, and followed his grandma up the stairs.

  Kerrianne sat down in her chair and began gathering the puzzle Michael had been working on. She glanced up at Maxine, wondering again why she was here. Could she be planning to drag Kerrianne to another dance? She smiled at the prospect. “So, Maxine, what brings you here?”

  “I’m here for Tiger,” Maxine said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  “Tiger?” Kerrianne repeated.

  “Ryan wasn’t sure if he’d be able to find someone to pick him up, so he asked me.”

  “I see.” Kerrianne was surprised at the sting she felt that Ryan hadn’t asked her. Why would she care? She’d told him the preschool hours and hadn’t offered anything more. In fact, in the handout she’d given him, she’d mentioned the rule that parents had to pick up their children by five minutes after the hour unless they wanted to be charged an extra fee. In the days before that rule parents would often come to get their children as much as half an hour late. She should be grateful he wasn’t the kind of parent to take advantage of her.

  The truth was she didn’t mind having Tiger around. Once she’d become accustomed to the loud way he yelled practically everything he said, she’d discovered a sweet little boy who seemed to enjoy sitting at her side and asking questions as much as he loved wrestling with Caleb. During preschool the boys had been inseparable. Caleb had helped Tiger with anything he needed—showing him where the crayon boxes were, explaining the sounds of the first ten letters, and saving him a place at the table. Together they had terrorized the girls at recess, to the girls’ delight, and the other boys enjoyed the new games Tiger taught them. Academically, Tiger was far behind the others, but he had a quick mind and since he would be coming every day, Kerrianne knew he’d catch up soon.

  “Is that okay?” Maxine asked, when she didn’t reply.

  “Of course. It’s just that Ryan didn’t mention it. He has to come over later today and—” She broke off, feeling Maxine’s stare like a weight. “What?”

  “Nothing. I’m just wondering how long it’s going to be until the two of you arrive at the obvious conclusion.”

  “Obvious conclusion? Maxine, whatever are you talking about?”

  Maxine snorted. “Games.”

  “What?”

  “Oh, never mind, far be it from me to be a nosy busybody.”

  “Ha!” Kerrianne laughed.

  Maxine ignored her, glancing over to where Tiger and Caleb were engrossed in some game that involved every action figure in the preschool toy box. “Tiger, are you ready? We should get in some walking practice before your sister gets here.”

  “Ria? She’s coming, too?” Kerrianne didn’t hide her surprise.

  “Yeah.” Maxine flashed her an annoying smile, and Kerrianne had the feeling that she was somehow being set up, that Maxine had purposely introduced Ria’s name into the conversation. “Apparently, the poor girl has been going to the same woman who baby-sits Tiger, but she really hates it there. She’s miserable.”

  “She fights with Jenny all the time,” Tiger piped in.

  Caleb’s eyes opened wide. “What do they fight about?”

  “I don’t know.” Tiger shrugged before adding, “Well, sometimes they fight about what they want to watch on TV.”

  “Ria asked me if she could come to my house after school,” Maxine continued. “So we’re going for a walk.”

  “But it’s freezing out there.”

  Maxine shook her head. “Not anymore. Started warming up a few hours ago. It’s quite pleasant now. The weatherman says that means snow later this week.”

  Kerrianne was glad for the break in the biting cold but was not as excited about the snow.

  “Would you like to go with us on our walk?” Maxine asked.

  Kerrianne shook her head. “I have things to get done before Misty and Benjamin get home.” In fact, she’d just had an idea to fix the hem on one of the princess dresses that might still be too short for Ria.

  “Can Caleb go?” Tiger asked. The boys stood in front of Maxine, arms linked.

  “It’s okay with me, if it’s okay with your mom,” Maxine said.

  “Please, Mom?”

  “Fine, go ahead. But mind Maxine or you won’t go ever again.”

  When they were gone, Kerrianne went upstairs and sat at her kitchen table. She fingered the princess dresses for a minute, thinking of nothing but Ryan’s kiss. With a sigh, she went out to the garage freezer and grabbed a chunk of baking chocolate, the cure for all illnesses.

  * * *

  Caleb still hadn’t returned by the time Misty and Benjamin walked in from the bus. Kerrianne greeted them with warm cinnamon cider and a piece of toast with jam. They were always starving after school.

  Benjamin chattered away about the day, but Misty was silent. “Are you feeling all right?” Kerrianne asked, noticing her repeated glances at the princess dresses Kerrianne had laid across the end of the table.

  Misty nodded and excused herself, her toast only half finished.

  “Ria came home on our bus today,” Benjamin told Kerrianne. “She waved at me and Misty, but she didn’t sit by us. She was with some girl. I don’t know her name.”

  “Did Misty and Ria talk?”

  “No. She was in the front, and she got off on another street with that girl.”

  “I see.”

  Misty returned then, her arms overflowing with a soft yellow princess dress she’d received for her birthday a few weeks earlier. Though
it was big for her, dragging on the ground when she tried it on, the dress was one of her favorites. “Here,” she said, laying it on Kerrianne’s lap. “Ria can have this. Keep it, I mean.”

  Kerrianne felt her mouth drop—and if the truth be told, she was as disconcerted as she was proud at the child’s generosity. Amanda had spent good money on this dress and had picked it out especially for Misty. Kerrianne had half a mind to overrule the decision.

  “You don’t think Aunt Manda will mind, do you?” Misty asked, her blue eyes earnest. “I love it, but it’s the only dress I haven’t worn a lot, and I think Ria will like it the best. It’s long enough for her.”

  Tears gathered in Kerrianne’s eyes. “Oh, sweetie, Aunt Manda won’t mind at all. Thank you for being so kind. I think that’s exactly what Jesus would do.”

  Next to the new yellow gown, the remade dresses looked shabby and worn, and Kerrianne was glad she had something better to offer Ria. With her olive skin, the yellow would look striking on her. She hugged Misty, still blinking back tears.

  “Does this mean you’re going to be nice to her now?” Benjamin asked.

  Misty buried her face in Kerrianne’s embrace and said nothing. Kerrianne shook her head at Benjamin.

  “Ria was supposed to go to Maxine’s after school,” Kerrianne said. “Tiger and Caleb are there too. When Ryan picks them up, they’ll come here for the dress.”

  “Will Ryan play ball with us?” Benjamin asked.

  “Maybe. With a jacket, it’s warm enough. But I don’t know if he’ll have time.” Kerrianne thought fleetingly of the surprise Ryan had promised her. What could it be? Her lips tingled, and she brought a hand to them, remembering.

  “Mom, are you okay?” Benjamin asked. “You look a little red.”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “Just fine.”

  * * *

  Ryan finished delivering the mail on his route at four-thirty. He’d worked as fast as he could, especially once the sun had burned off the cold, and felt relieved that he’d made such good time. His supervisor pulled him aside and told him what a great job he was doing and that his efforts hadn’t gone unnoticed. “There are some changes coming up in this department,” he said. “I just wanted you to know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He shook his head. “I can’t say more than that now, but there may be some advancement opportunities.”

  Ryan nodded and mentally dismissed his words. There were always advancement opportunities in the post office, but they were often in another city, and he wasn’t in a position for a long commute or relocation. His children had stability in Pleasant Grove. They had friends at school, teachers they loved. While he had begun to think that maybe this phase of his job was through, he wasn’t quite sure in what direction he would turn.

  At Maxine’s, the children were up to their arms in flour and cookie cutters. “Hey,” he said. “I thought you were going to take a walk.”

  “We did,” Ria said. “But now we’re making cookies.”

  “Look!” yelled Tiger. “My cookie is a turkey.”

  “Mine’s an Indian.” Caleb held up the cookie for Ryan to see.

  “That’s really something.”

  Maxine was grinning at him. “We’re about finished cutting them out,” she said, tossing him a rag. “Why don’t you start over there?”

  Ryan helped Ria clean up while Maxine loaded a plate of finished cookies for Caleb to take home to Kerrianne. At the mention of her name, Ryan felt an odd tightness in his chest. He hurried to finish, feeling foolish at his desire to see her.

  “Thanks for watching them,” he told Maxine.

  “It was fun.” Her eyes narrowed. “But not something I’ll be doing every day, mind you, though your Ria really is sweet girl.”

  Sweet girl? Ryan grimaced internally. She had once been his sweet little tomboy, but now? Well, sweet was hardly the word for her outbursts. Still, today she seemed all right—happy, even. Content. Maybe half the battle was getting her to a place after school where she felt welcome.

  Ria balanced the plate of frosted cookies, while Caleb and Tiger ran on ahead down the sidewalk to Kerrianne’s. They were singing the ABC song. For a second, Ryan compared this scenario with the one of Tiger in front of the TV at Susan’s. No doubt that he had made the right choice.

  Benjamin opened the door for them. “Cookies!” he shouted back into the house. “Thanks, Ria!”

  “We made ’em at Maxine’s,” Caleb said.

  They went into the kitchen, where half the cookies disappeared in less than a minute. “Come on,” Benjamin said. “Let’s go get a ball.”

  “Will you play with us, Dad?” Tiger asked.

  “Sure, in a minute.” Ryan was looking at Kerrianne as he spoke. If possible, she looked more beautiful than earlier when he had finagled that kiss.

  The boys disappeared, leaving the kitchen suddenly quiet. Ryan wondered why Ria hadn’t gone with them but then noticed her staring at the dresses on the table. Besides the two Kerrianne had shown him earlier, there was another new-looking one of pale yellow.

  “Ria,” Kerrianne said, “I’m glad you came over. I thought you might like to have these dresses.”

  “All of them?” Ria’s voice was full of wonder and the look she cast at Kerrianne was the same one she’d given Ryan when he’d bought her that top-of-the-line basketball last summer. “But aren’t they Misty’s?”

  Ryan saw Kerrianne glance at her daughter, who was sitting at the table with a book in one hand and a cookie in the other. She was only pretending to read, however, and her eyes locked with Kerrianne’s, sharing a message Ryan couldn’t interpret. “No, they aren’t Misty’s,” Kerrianne said to Ria. “They were given to me. These two have been worn and I adjusted them so they’d fit you, but the yellow one is new. You can take your choice, or keep all three. You could wear one of them to the Thanksgiving tea party tomorrow.”

  Ria stepped forward and fingered the clothes awkwardly. “Thank you,” she said softly.

  “Aren’t you going to try them on?” Misty asked, her nonchalance dropping away.

  “I’d love to see you in one,” Ryan added. Misty’s gaze drifted to him, and for the first time Ryan didn’t feel a chill in her eyes.

  “Okay. I guess.” Ria worked hard to contain her excitement, but when she came from the bathroom a few minutes later wearing the yellow dress, her face was flushed and happy. The color made a beautiful contrast to her olive skin and dark hair. She spun around, making the skirt go out.

  “It’s beautiful on you,” Kerrianne said. Ria stopped spinning and hugged her. Then she hugged Ryan.

  “You look nice,” Misty said. Without another word, she popped the last of her cookie into her mouth, shut her book, and left the room.

  “Is Misty all right?” Ryan asked Kerrianne when Ria was changing back into her jeans.

  “What, because she’s talking to Ria?”

  “No, she just seems . . . different. I don’t know.”

  “She’s fine.” Kerrianne smiled at him, and he forgot about Misty.

  “So aren’t you in the least curious?” he asked.

  “About what?”

  “Your surprise.”

  “Oh, that’s right. You did mention something.” She smiled again. “So what is it?”

  “What, no bribery?”

  Her eyes dropped. “No,” she said quietly, firmly. Two bright spots appeared on her cheeks.

  “Well, that’s okay, because it’s yours anyway.” He drew out his digital camera from the pocket of his coat where he’d placed it before going to Maxine’s. “Look.” He scooted his chair closer to show her the greenhouse on the small screen.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s yours, if you want it. Some people in my neighborhood are selling their house to their children. They’re going on a mission and want to scale back. Thing is, their yard is really small, and the daughter wants them to get rid of the greenhouse so she can put up a swing set and
sand box for her children. I was passing by their house yesterday and remembered hearing them say something about it at church. I had the impression it was a broken down old thing but when I saw it, I realized it’s perfect for what you want. It’s not new, but it’s been taken care of. I checked into it, and as long as we get it out of there this week, it’s ours for nothing. It’ll take some work—we’ll have to dismantle it and move it over—but it can be done. Well, what do you think?”

  Kerrianne’s eyes when they met his were wide with shock. “I never thought . . . I can’t believe . . .”

  “Hey, it was you who said the Lord would provide.”

  A tear dripped from the corner of her eye. He reached to catch it. With his other hand, he pulled her closer, watched her eyes shut. Neither spoke as he touched his lips to hers. It took all the effort Ryan could exert not to lift her from her chair and crush her in his arms. Man, I’m gone, he thought. I love her so much. He hadn’t been sure such a thing was possible, not after the way he’d loved Laurie—still loved Laurie—but here it was.

  A sound near the doorway sent them scattering apart. Ria stood there, her hazel eyes taking it all in. Ryan cleared his throat awkwardly, while Kerrianne moved to another chair and busied herself covering the rest of the cookies.

  At least it was Ria, Ryan thought, and not Misty.

  “Come on, Dad,” Ria said. “Let’s go play basketball with the boys.” The tension dissolved as she turned to Kerrianne. “You want to play?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Ria took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come on. It’s fun.”

  “I’ll go get Misty.”

  Ryan watched her leave the room before following Ria outside.

  * * *

  Kerrianne found Misty lying on her bed upstairs listening to the CD of her daddy’s guitar music. “Hey,” she said, sitting on the bed beside her daughter. “What’s up?”

  “I’m glad I gave her the dress,” Misty said, “but I feel sad I don’t have it anymore.” She looked up at Kerrianne. “Does that mean I’m selfish like Benjamin said I was on the bus this morning?”

  “No, Misty. If you were selfish, you wouldn’t have given her the dress.” She snuggled closer to her daughter. “And you know what? I think it was probably harder for you to give the dress to Ria than to a good friend.”