Designing Love: An Inspirational Romance (Sunriver Dreams Book 3)

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  “How do you know my frame of mind?” she snapped. “Sorry. That was uncalled for. I need to stop snapping at people. Just so you know, I’m not normally like this. I had a rough night and didn’t sleep well, but it’s no excuse.”

  His stomach churned. “Spencer didn’t do anything to cause that rough night did he?” From what he’d seen of the cop, Spencer seemed like a stand-up guy, but if he was giving Sierra a hard time, he’d have a talk with the man and put a stop to it immediately—cop or not.

  “Not directly, no.” She sighed. “As a disinterested third party, maybe you can help me.”

  He gripped the steering wheel. Sierra must be really upset about something if she was willing to talk about personal issues.

  “My son is fifteen, and he wants to meet his birth father.”

  He didn’t know his dad? Why not? Wait, he didn’t even know she had a son. No way could he ask all the questions racing through his mind. She’d shut down for sure, and he’d like to help her if he could.

  “The thing is, I don’t know if I want him back in our lives. He gave up his parental rights and left when Trey was only a year old. It’s been just the two of us ever since. The idea of allowing him any contact with my son makes me want to go crazy with a staple gun. Seriously though, why would Trey want to meet his dad? Aren’t I enough?”

  “Whoa. You are having a rough time of it.” He pulled up to the coffee window and ordered a mocha for him and a chai for her. This conversation would take longer than their treats would last. They stayed silent while waiting for their drinks. After paying, he pulled out. “Do you mind if we take the scenic route back? I want to check out some property I heard about.”

  “That’s fine.” She sipped the tea. “By the way. Thanks. I needed to vent to someone who wouldn’t care a whit about me and my son.”

  “What makes you think I don’t care?”

  “How could you? You don’t know me.”

  He shrugged. “Not well, but I can’t see how that matters. I’d like to get to know you.”

  Her soft gasp joined the hum of road noise. “Thanks. Now that you mention it, I’d like for us to know one another better too. It will make working together easier if you know how I think.”

  Ha. Like that could ever happen. But he wasn’t about to tell her that. “So you’re upset that your son suddenly wants his dad in his life. Any idea what brought this on?”

  She crossed an arm over her middle. “None. There’ve been some changes recently. We moved to Sunriver for starters. When we were moving in, we triggered the silent alarm. This is what I was going to tell you about the other day and never got to it. Spencer is the cop that responded to the alarm. He thought we were robbing the place, and by the time I got outside to see what all the ruckus was about, he had my son face down on the driveway with a gun pointed at him.”

  He whistled low and slow. “I’m no psychologist, but I think that’s your trigger event. He probably needs a man to talk to about guy stuff.”

  She shook her head. “Oh. No. He does not want a man. He wants his dad. And for the life of me I don’t know why. If any man would work, I’d let you have a whirl at him.” She chuckled. “That did not sound right.”

  He grinned. “I got the point. I guess you’d better figure out why he wants his dad before you move forward. Maybe he only thinks he wants his dad, but what he really wants is a male father figure.” Oh boy, now he’d put his foot in it.

  “That’s not happening. When he thought Spencer wanted to date me, he told him I don’t date and was very rude to him, so I don’t think just any man would work.”

  “I see. Well, maybe you should at least rule that out. Since we work together, and I’m not a cop, maybe I could stop by sometime and we could shoot hoops or something. What does your son enjoy?”

  “He’s a runner.”

  “No kidding. I run too. What about you?”

  “Only if necessary. I have no idea where his running bug came from. Do you really think he only needs to have a man to talk to?”

  “I don’t know your son, but it’s possible.”

  “I sure like the idea of him running with you over him meeting his dad.”

  He tuned in to what she wasn’t saying. “Is there a problem with his dad?”

  She shrugged.

  He slowed as he approached the lot he was interested in building on, then pulled to the side of the road and put the pickup in park. Too bad the property wasn’t further away. They needed more time to talk, but it would have to wait for now.

  “What are we doing?” Her voice trembled slightly.

  She didn’t trust him? Or maybe it was men in general that made her nervous. “This is the property I wanted to see. Do you mind if I get out and walk it?”

  Her face relaxed. “Not at all. I’ll join you.” She met him at the hood. “Is this a new Belafonte property?”

  “No. I’m considering buying it for myself. I’d like to have a house of my own.”

  “You don’t have one?”

  “I live in a studio apartment. It’s time for a change.”

  “Going from a studio to a house will certainly be a change.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” He liked the property and the location. It wasn’t a huge lot, but it fit his budget, and he had confidence that Stephen would design the perfect house for the land. He suddenly realized how quiet they had gotten. He looked at Sierra who seemed preoccupied with something on the edge of the property line. “What is it?”

  She turned with a finger to her lips.

  He moved to her side and saw what had grabbed her attention—a coyote. “I’m not a big fan of those guys.”

  “But he’s fascinating to watch. Look, I think he has something in his sights.”

  “So long as it’s not a kid. They’re not above attacking a small child if no adults are around.” The nearest house was one lot away, and it looked unoccupied. He breathed easier. “You ready to go?”

  She turned toward him. “Sure. Time to go back to reality.”

  He chuckled and dropped his hand onto her shoulder. “It can’t be that bad.” He was glad she didn’t shrug off his hand, but he removed it nonetheless. They went back to where he’d parked and hopped in. He did a U-turn toward Spencer’s house.

  She shifted in her seat. “I’ve been thinking about what you said about running with Trey. What if I decide to join him and invite you along?”

  He shook his head. “He’s not going to talk in front of you.”

  “I get that, but it would give you an opportunity to meet him. If the two of you hit it off, you could run together again without me.”

  He glanced her way. “I thought you didn’t run.”

  “I’m willing to make an exception in this case.” She laid out a plan for when and where they could accidentally meet.

  Getting involved in Sierra’s personal life might not be a good idea, considering she made it clear she wasn’t interested in him. He wasn’t out to get hurt, but friends helped friends, and he felt for her son and wanted to help. This seemed like an innocent enough plan to see if he could assist the teen. “Okay. I’m in. I know the place you’re talking about. I’ll meet you there.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Any idea what you’re going to do about your son’s dad?”

  “Not a clue. I’d like to test your theory about Trey only wanting to have a man to talk to. Until yesterday I had no idea if Randy was dead or alive. Spencer located him a lot faster than I expected.”

  John’s dad died several years ago. There were times when he craved a father figure, and he was in his thirties. He could only imagine how a teenager would feel. “Your plan is solid. I’ll let you know my take on things with Trey.”

  “Thanks.” Surprise filled her voice. “I appreciate it.”

  There was a lot more to Sierra than he’d at first realized. Maybe that line she’d drawn wasn’t as firm as he’d thought.

  Chapter Ten

  Sierra sat at the dining room table
staring at the computer screen. She folded her hands in her lap. Spencer had sent over everything he had on Randy including a recent photo. He sported a close shaved beard and looked well kept. She looked closer and gasped. Trey looked exactly like Randy. How had she not noticed before? They had the same eyes, mouth, even their smile was the same.

  “Who’s that?”

  Sierra jumped and slapped the screen closed. “Trey, I didn’t hear you come up behind me.”

  “You were pretty intense. Who’s the man on the screen?”

  “No one.”

  Trey pulled out a chair and sat. “You’ve always told me you don’t tolerate lies. He’s someone or you wouldn’t have been looking at him like that.”

  Sierra’s heart raced. She wasn’t ready to have this conversation, but it seemed she was stuck. She sighed. “He’s your dad.”

  Trey stood almost tipping the chair in the process. “For real? Let me see him again.”

  “Are you sure you want to see him?”

  “His picture, yes. Him? Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know anymore. It’s not like he cared enough about me to stick around and be my dad, so I’m not sure I care to be his son.”

  Her gaze met his. Hurt and a spark of anger lit his eyes. She needed to defuse this somehow. But right now, showing him Randy’s picture would have to do. She lifted the top and pulled up the photo again. She watched her son stare unsmiling at the screen.

  “Do you think I look like him?”

  The spitting image. “You have his nose, eyes, and smile.”

  Trey nodded. “Yeah. I see that now. I wish I didn’t look like him.”

  “Why’s that?”

  He shrugged. “Just do. I’m headed out for a run.”

  “Hold up. I’ll join you.”

  He froze. “You’re kidding? You. Don’t. Run.” He looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.

  “I’ve put on a little weight since I’ve started drinking so many chai teas. Can’t a mom try something new?”

  He crossed his arms and chuckled. “Whatever. But hurry. I’ll meet you out front.”

  Sierra turned her head to hide her smile. Trey almost always ran about now, and she had it worked out with John to meet them on a nearby path in ten minutes. Would they be too early? She didn’t want to miss him. She changed into spandex and a long shirt, pulled on the running shoes she’d picked up on a recent trip to Bend, then headed outside. She rubbed her arms. “There’s a nip in the air. I’ll go grab a sweatshirt.”

  Trey rolled his eyes. “You’ll be fine. Come on.”

  “Okay. Okay. Please start slow. I don’t want to die in the first five minutes.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll take it easy on you.”

  “We never talked about Spencer. Did you work on forgiving him?” This running thing was harder than she realized. They’d only been running a minute or two and she already wanted to stop.

  “Yeah. I did, but I still don’t like him.” He kicked up his pace.

  Sierra’s stomach plummeted. That was not what she wanted to hear. She struggled to keep up. “Hey,” she panted. “This . . . is not . . . easy.” She’d never make it to the rendezvous point at this pace. Her calves already hurt.

  A runner came up beside her. “Hey, Sierra. Looks like you could use a break.” John flashed white teeth.

  “I’m good.” Not!

  Trey looked over his shoulder. “You know each other?”

  Thankfully John responded because she could barely breathe much less carry on a conversation.

  “I work with your mom.”

  “You’re an interior designer?” Trey scrunched his nose.

  “Ha! No. I’m in charge of the worksite.”

  “I’m done.” Sierra slowed to a walk.

  “Want me to stop, Mom?” Trey turned and jogged in place.

  She waved them on. “Run with John. I’m too out of shape to keep up.”

  “We’ll catch you on the way back,” John said.

  As much as she wanted to keep pace with them, there was no way. Maybe she should head to the house. No, she’d been serious about gaining a little weight. If she was going to indulge in a sugary drink she needed to up her activity. She stopped to stretch then started at a slow jog. Much better. Her son had no idea what going slow meant.

  She’d give anything to be a mosquito on John or Trey’s shoulders. What would they talk about? Would they talk? Yes, John always managed to draw her into conversation, even when she was determined to stay quiet. He had a gift.

  John kept stride with Trey. The teen had good form. They ran in silence for probably a mile. Somehow he had to get the teen to start talking. “How long have you been a runner?”

  “I’ve always liked running. I used to spend my recesses running the track rather than playing.” Trey slid a glance at him. “So you work with my mom. That means you know the cop.”

  “If you mean Spencer, yes, I do. I take it from your tone, you don’t care for him.”

  “I can’t stand him. I don’t know how the two of you can work at his place. My mom actually went to church with him.”

  “She mentioned how you met. That would have shaken me up to say the least.” He wasn’t sure what to expect from Sierra’s son, but his boldness and hostility toward Spencer surprised him a little, even though he’d been given a heads-up about what had happened.

  “Really?”

  “For sure. No one wants a gun pointed at him. Especially when you have no idea why.”

  “Exactly!”

  “Did he apologize?”

  “Yeah, sort of. He said he was doing his job, and had no way of knowing we weren’t robbing the place. It was clear he felt bad about what happened.”

  John glanced at the teen and noted the perplexed look on his face. “That sounds like Spencer. From what I’ve seen, he’s a stand up guy.”

  Trey grunted. “I should probably turn around and head back to my mom. She never runs and we kind of left her in our dust.”

  John chuckled. “I’ll head back too.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You like my mom, don’t you?”

  He chuckled. “I do. Is that okay? We don’t know each other well, but I hope that will change over time. Although I hear she doesn’t date, so we’re just friends.”

  “True, but you seem alright. She likes M & Ms.”

  “Thanks.” This kid cracked him up, but no way would he laugh and risk alienating him. He was smart enough to know if Trey approved of him, he’d have a better chance with Sierra—but was it a good idea considering the signals she’d sent? He’d determined to back off, but the more he got to know her the more he regretted that decision. It wouldn’t hurt to revisit the idea. The woman had some serious walls, but in spite of everything he hoped to be able to scale them with the help of her son.

  They ran side by side in silence for a good distance before spotting Sierra jogging at a slow but steady pace toward them. She waved when she spotted them, then turned in the opposite direction, probably hoping for a head start. Unless they slowed to a walk they’d bypass her within seconds. “I’ll walk with your mom back to the house if that’s okay with you.”

  Trey nodded and zipped past his mom. “See ya!”

  John eased up beside her and slowed to a fast walk. “He’s a great kid.”

  “Thanks. How’d it go?”

  “Well, I think. He mentioned his issue with Spencer. His dad never came up.”

  “I didn’t expect he would. Trey saw a picture of him earlier, and I’m not sure, but I think he might want to pass on meeting him. He said, and I quote: ‘It’s not like he cared enough about me to stick around and be my dad, so I’m not sure I care to be his son.’”

  “Ouch.” He hurt for the teen. His own dad had been great, and he couldn’t imagine not having had him in his life. “Are you going to make jogging a regular thing?”

  “I’m considering it—at least for a little while. I need to connect with Trey someh
ow, and no matter how much I hate to run, this seems to be the best way. I think if you hadn’t showed up he would have slowed and kept pace with me eventually.”

  “You might be right.” The house loomed ahead. Disappointment shot through him. He wanted to continue their conversation.

  “Would you like to come in for a glass of water?”

  “That’d be great. Thanks.” Score! He had a bottle of water in his Jeep parked at the end of the cul-de-sac but much preferred to take her up on her offer. He’d been a little late and had rushed without properly hydrating beforehand.

  Sierra slowed to a walk then stopped in the driveway. She stretched one leg back then the other.

  John took the opportunity to stretch as well. A couple of minutes later Sierra led the way inside.

  “We’re back, Trey,” she said.

  Though not his taste, the house was very nice. His mom would approve for sure. “How did you meet the owner of this place?”

  “Mrs. Drake was a client.”

  He frowned. “That’s right.” He would never forget this homeowner. She had been demanding from day one. So much so that he’d requested before and after pictures to include in her file, just in case she chose to cause problems later. “She was a challenge.”

  “I keep hearing that about her, but she’s been a gem to me,” Sierra said as she led the way into the kitchen. “How is it you know her? I thought you only work with the construction side of the business.”

  “Although the design and construction businesses are separate, when there is a problem with anything, I’m the one to take care of it. It didn’t use to be that way, but now that my mom has retired, Stephen asked me to take on the role.”

  Sierra pulled two glasses from the cupboard then filled them with tap water. “I don’t recall there being any issues with this project. It went very smoothly.”

  “Good. That means I did my job well. She was a handful, and Bailey sent her my way before the project started which was good, since Mrs. Drake refused to pay her bill. She said the cost was higher than she expected and the work wasn’t up to her standards.”

  “You’re kidding.” She handed him a glass. “Everything, including the price, was laid out in the contract before work began. She told me she loved what we did.”