Sighing, Eduardo did so. His friends were good men, no denying it, but they’d try to talk him out of what he was doing. And he couldn’t let them succeed.
He walked back into the living room, shoved the soda can at Sam and sat down. “You guys have fifteen minutes. I’m watching the clock.”
“What’s prompting the move out?” Sam asked.
“I need a better environment for my kids.”
“Seems like they’ve been happy here, from what Susan has told me.”
“They were. Until Fiona’s mother arrived to rub in all our differences. Economic and...background.”
Dion frowned. “What did she say? Anything you haven’t heard before?”
“It’s not about me,” Eduardo said. “I understand that some people didn’t grow up knowing how to deal with differences. But she said stuff that Fiona’s kids picked up and repeated to mine.”
“Stuff about your being Latino?” Sam asked.
Eduardo nodded. “And poor.”
Dion lifted an eyebrow. “Are you poor, or just a tightwad? Nobody I know saves as much as you do.”
Eduardo glared. “It’s called frugal. I spend money on what’s important.”
“Nothing for anyone to criticize there,” Sam said. “Besides, the way your business is taking off, you’re headed toward being extremely comfortable, financially.”
Eduardo waved a hand. “That’s all beside the point. The big problem is that Fiona agrees with her mother.”
“She does?” Sam frowned. “Where’d you get that idea?”
“I told her about what happened, and she didn’t even get upset. She just walked away. She didn’t care.”
“Let me ask you something,” Sam said. “Does the Fiona you know seem like a person who’d agree with that nonsense? Who wouldn’t care that children had been hurt and stereotypes perpetuated?”
He looked at his hands and instantly knew the answer. Slowly, he shook his head. “That’s not how she is.”
“What I’m wondering,” Dion said, “is whether you’re going to let one ignorant woman push you out of your home.”
“And away from the woman you love,” Sam added.
“Hey, hey now!” Eduardo tried to wave away the words. “Nobody said anything about love.”
“But it’s the truth, isn’t it?” Dion asked quietly.
The question hung in the air.
“I do love her,” Eduardo said slowly. “But I have to protect my kids.”
“From what, ignorance?” Dion shook his head. “They’re going to face that in this world. It’s not okay, and I hope one day it will change, but right now that’s the society we live in. Their names and their coloring, everyone’s going to know they’re Mexican, even though they’ve grown up here in the Midwest. Better teach them how to deal with it rather than running away.”
Eduardo had opened his mouth to speak, but now he closed it. Was that what he was doing? Running away?
Was that what he wanted to model to his kids?
He knew it wasn’t. Sam and Dion were right.
Were they right about the rest of it, too? Could he stay and try to make a go of things with Fiona, as they seemed to be suggesting?
He rubbed the back of his neck and didn’t look at them. “How am I supposed to manage the fact that Fiona has so much more money than I do? Her kids have stuff I wouldn’t buy my kids in a million years.”
Sam frowned. “I don’t think of Fiona as being real materialistic, nor teaching her kids to be that way.”
“I’ve seen her shopping at the discount store, like everyone else,” Dion added. “What do her kids have that your kids want?”
“Cell phone, the latest Lego kit...” Eduardo trailed off. When he said it aloud, it didn’t sound like a big deal.
“She got her kids cell phones?” Sam asked.
“I think her mom brought along a bunch of expensive gifts.” Which wasn’t Fiona’s fault, of course, any more than the sacks of candy his own parents gave to his kids could be blamed on him.
Dion leaned back in his chair, cradling his head in his interlaced hands. “I get where you’re coming from with the money thing, for sure. I mean...” He glanced at Sam. “I have feelings for a Hinton. Daisy could buy me and everything I own with her pocket change.”
Sam narrowed his eyes at Dion. “Money doesn’t matter, but you’re an old man compared to her.”
“She doesn’t seem to mind,” Eduardo said mildly. He understood that Sam was protective of his sister, but you couldn’t miss the way Dion and Daisy looked at each other.
“We’re not talking about me.” Dion deliberately turned away from Sam to focus on Eduardo. “We’re talking about you, and how you’re making some stiff-necked move that has your kids and Fiona’s kids and Fiona herself crying their eyes out.”
“Fiona’s been crying?”
“So I hear.”
“She’s a good woman,” Sam said. “Pretty good friends with me and Susan these last few years, and I haven’t seen a mean bone in her body. Good mother, good Christian, humble...”
“A looker,” Dion contributed.
“Hey!” Eduardo glared at him.
“She is pretty,” Sam said.
“And if you don’t like us noticing,” Dion said, “how’re you gonna like it when some other guy steps in and claims her because you had too much pride to court a rich woman?”
“What do your kids think of her?” Sam asked.
“They love her. Sofia was hesitant, at first, because of loyalty to her mom. But she and Fiona seem to be getting close.”
“And would they love a woman who looked down on them for their background?”
Eduardo didn’t answer, but he knew they wouldn’t. His kids had good instincts about people. They knew Fiona’s heart was in the right place.
They all sat there a couple of minutes, watching the soundless baseball game on the television.
“You sure you’re not feeling some survivor’s guilt?” Sam asked abruptly. “When your wife dies, it can be hard to let her go and move on to being happy with another woman. Believe me, I struggled with that.”
Eduardo shrugged a little. “Could be.” Elizabeth would have encouraged him to move on and find love again; they’d even talked about it. But until now, his sense that he hadn’t been enough of a protector had kept him from doing that.
“Have you taken it to the Lord?” Dion asked.
“I...” Eduardo stopped. He’d prayed some, sure. And he’d expressed his anger to the Lord when his kids had been hurt that morning. But had he really prayed before deciding to move out?
Voices and clomping footsteps broke into their meeting, which, Eduardo realized now, had gone on quite a bit longer than fifteen minutes. “Dad, we’re home,” Diego called.
Both kids stopped when they saw the other two men there, altered their usual manner into company politeness and shook hands.
“Hey, you two,” Dion said. “How’d you like to do a little fishing with Mr. Hinton and me?”
“And then have some burgers at my house?” Sam added.
Eduardo looked at his kids and then at his friends. “Let me talk to them for a minute,” he said.
“Take your time,” Sam said. “I’m heading home to start those burgers. They’ll be good, and Mindy will be glad to have somebody to play with.”
“I’ve got fishing poles in the back of my car,” Dion said. “Come on out when you decide.”
“Thanks.” Eduardo clapped them both on the backs as they walked to the door.
On the porch table, he noticed the phone he hadn’t looked at in hours. Reflexively, he picked it up and checked.
One text.
From Fiona.
He clicked on it.
Whatever you may think of me, I don’t want your ki
ds to feel like they’ve been kicked out or that I feel the same way my mother does. I’m sorry for the things my kids said to yours. It won’t happen again.
And then he turned back to find both of his kids looking at him with puppy-dog eyes.
“Do we have to move, Dad?” Sofia asked. “I’m sorry I talked about wanting a phone. I don’t want one anymore and, anyway, I think Lauren’s mom is taking hers away.”
“And Diego said I could play with his Lego set. I don’t need one of my own.”
“And we don’t care if we’re poor,” Sofia said.
“We’re not...” Eduardo scrubbed a hand over his face. “We have plenty. More than a lot of people in the world. And material things aren’t what’s important, anyway.”
“We know that!” Sofia said.
“So can we stay here, Dad, please?” Diego begged.
Eduardo looked over his shoulder through the screen door. There was Fiona’s house. Probably, there was Fiona.
And her kids. And her mother.
He went to the door. “Hey, Dion,” he called after his friend. “Instead of taking my kids fishing, how would you feel about babysitting six kids a little later? I’ve got something to set up.”
“Six kids and two dogs,” Diego added. “Don’t forget Sparkles and Brownie.”
Dion spun and strode back toward him, a wide grin on his face. “Sounds like I might need some help, but I’m completely game for it. I’ll see if Daisy can come over.”
“Do that,” Eduardo said. “Because I’ve got some work to do.”
* * *
“You want to what?” Fiona said to her mother after they’d eaten a late dinner.
“I want to take care of the children while you mend fences with Eduardo,” she said. “He’s actually quite charming.”
Fiona blinked. “When did you talk to Eduardo?”
“When you were fixing dinner.”
“Oka-a-a-ay,” Fiona said. “But...are you sure Eduardo wants to talk to me? And are you sure you can manage the kids?”
“I have help,” her mother said, pointing out the window.
Dion and Daisy stood halfway between the carriage house and the big house, talking heatedly. Then they smiled. Then laughed. And then Dion opened his arms to give Daisy a long hug.
Fiona looked over at her mother. “You’re sure about this?”
Her mother squared her shoulders. “I’m sure. Go on now. He’s waiting for you.”
So, Fiona walked down her front walk and there was Eduardo. Not in his truck, but on foot. He was so handsome he took her breath away. “Take a walk?” he asked.
He must want to apologize, maybe explain his moving out. It wasn’t much, but it was all she was going to get, and she wasn’t going to waste it. She was going to treasure every remaining moment with this man.
“Okay, sure.” They fell into step together, walking down to the back of her property, to a path that wound between the cornfields and the old barn.
Before she could lose her nerve, she spoke up. “I’m sorry about my mom,” she said. “Between her gifts and the things she said...translated through the brains of little kids...I’m not surprised you’d be offended. That you’d want to move out.”
“I’m sorry I blamed you for your mom.”
“If it helps, she’s going to try not to do it again. I gave her an ultimatum.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Ever done that before?”
“No. But I should have.”
They walked along together, the creek beside them rippling.
“I...I think I was premature in saying I wanted to move out,” he said finally.
“Really?” Hope sprung up inside her.
“The kids are really upset.”
It was all about the kids, then. And that was fine. Good, even. “Mine were, too.”
“And I was upset, too, Fiona, because the truth is...” He stopped and took her two hands in his so he was facing her. “The truth is I don’t want to move out. I want to...” He looked up at the darkening sky.
All of a sudden, she felt like she was going to explode. “Look, Eduardo, I’m sorry about what happened, and I hope you’ll stay for the kids’ sakes. But I can’t deal with this semi-romantic vibe we’ve got going here. It’s making me crazy. Kissing me, letting me get close, then pulling back... I don’t want to be treated that way.”
Instead of answering, he tugged her to the edge of the cornfield. “Look at that.”
“Aww, fireflies.” Her heart softened.
“No, over here.”
“Aaaah!” Fiona jumped closer to Eduardo when she saw what looked like two giant people.
He put an arm around her. “They’re not going to hurt you. Come meet them.”
A couple of steps later, Fiona realized how foolish she’d been for being afraid as she looked up at the cheerful straw pair dressed in colorful rags.
“They’re scarecrows! But...they weren’t here before, were they?”
“They’re new.” He paused, then added, “Take a look at her necklace.”
Fiona moved forward and bent toward the female scarecrow. Something sparkled around her straw neck.
Her heart gave a great thump. She glanced back at Eduardo.
He was watching her, a nervous smile on his face. When she smiled back, he stepped behind the scarecrow, unfastened the beautiful necklace and came back to hold it out, showing her.
“Do you like it? It’s been in my family for over a hundred years, but I know a lot of women like more modern styles. Elizabeth did. I just... Well, I treasure this necklace, and I’d like for you to wear it if you like it, too.”
“I love it,” she said honestly. “But I don’t really get it.”
He grasped her hand in both of his. “Can you forgive me for being so hot and cold? For having baggage and taking a while to figure things out?”
She hesitated.
“That’s why I made the scarecrows. Because I’ve been scared. Scared of not being a good enough protector and provider. Of just not being, well, enough.”
His heartfelt confession and the sincerity in his eyes tugged at her heart. “Of course you’re good enough. You’re wonderful.” She stole a glance at the necklace, an intricately wrought silver pendant crowned by a large round diamond. A family heirloom. So much what she would have chosen herself.
“Fiona, I know we need to get to know each other better. I know it’s too soon to make a commitment. But I’d like to work toward that with you. I want you to have this as a symbol of the future we might have together, with God’s help.”
She stared into those liquid brown eyes and tried to breathe.
“Because I love you, Fiona. I love your gentleness and your energy and the love you give your children. And maybe this is shallow, but I love how gorgeous you are.”
The tone of his voice was sincere and so was his face. And in the warmth of that, the last hard, brittle fragments of her own not-good-enough worries melted away. She stepped closer to him. “I love you, too, Eduardo. And yes.” She paused, her chest filled with amazement. “I would be incredibly honored to wear this and get to know you better and maybe...at least, think about building a life together. If our kids agree.”
He clasped her to him then—a tight embrace that enveloped her, promising strength and safety and, most of all, love. Minutes later, he softened the embrace and pulled her to his side. “As for the kids,” he said, “mine adore you. And I think—based on what she said this afternoon—that Poppy is going to be able to accept me. She was the toughest case.”
“All of my kids will be thrilled.” She leaned against him, still hardly able to believe it. Eduardo had said he loved her. He wanted to make a commitment to her.
He shifted so he could study her face. “How do you feel about our economic differences? I don’t have a
s much money as you do.”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. I didn’t earn my money.”
There was a great rustling and shushing in the bushes beside them. Brownie ran out into the clearing and started barking at the scarecrows. Sparkles limped over and nudged him as if in reassurance, and he quieted and went to sit at Fiona’s side.
A moment passed and then all six kids burst out, some from the bushes and some from the cornfield. “Get married, get married, get married,” they chanted.
Fiona pressed a hand to her mouth, whether to stop laughter or tears, she couldn’t say.
“Come here, all of you,” Eduardo said. “Sit down.”
So the kids sat in a circle around them, with Brownie and Sparkles joining in, climbing from lap to lap.
“Were you kids listening to what we said?” Eduardo asked them, his voice serious.
Lauren and Sofia glanced at each other. “We weren’t exactly listening,” Lauren said.
“We just overheard a couple of things,” Sofia added.
“Like that you might get committed,” Diego nearly shouted.
“That means married!” Lauren and Sofia said together.
“Get married, get married,” Ryan started, and the others took up the chorus again.
Fiona looked at her youngest, who was participating in the chant but looking a bit confused. “How do you feel, Poppy?” she asked. “What if we became a family, after we’ve thought about it more?”
“Would I still be the baby?” she asked.
Fiona glanced at Eduardo to find him looking at her. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “Do you think we might have just one more baby, together?”
Fiona closed her eyes against the sudden tears of joy that sprang up in them.
Eduardo got it. He loved babies and kids. He didn’t see seven kids as excessive. If all this worked out, they’d have one more opportunity, if God blessed them with it, at having a baby again, at raising it together.
She reached out to tug Poppy onto her lap. “You’ll always be my very special Poppy.”
“And I think you’re special, too,” Eduardo added. “Every one of you kids. You’re God’s gift to us.”
“And if we were blessed with one more gift, what could be more perfect?” Fiona murmured to him beneath the children’s excited chatter. “I’d love to have one more. With you.”
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