Typical.
Despite her understandable bitterness, her mother had already warned her not to drag her kids into her marital conflict. “Don’t make them take sides,” she told her. “They’re going through enough.”
So Joely suffered silently, which was also typical. She’d had a lot of time to think about things in the last week and a half, and it always seemed to go back around to that same, recurring theme.
She returned upstairs to get Hannah ready for the day. Joely was pleased to find that her youngest looked much better. Her face was no longer ruddy from crying and the light had come back into her bright blue eyes, the ones she had inherited from her father.
Fortunately Joely was completely crazy about Hannah, so she wouldn’t hold that against her.
She knocked on Nash’s door next. His voice was muffled and sleepy as he said, “What?”
“Time to get up,” she called through the door. “Breakfast in twenty.”
He finally trod into the kitchen a half-hour later. By then, Joely and Hannah were sitting at the breakfast nook overlooking the backyard. Without saying anything, he joined them at the table, spooning food into his plate without offering one word.
She studied him as he ate with his head downcast. Hannah tried to engage him in conversation, but he wasn’t cooperative. Joely had been worried about him for a while. He’d been this way since he turned twelve. She had wanted to take him to a therapist, but Russell had dismissed her concerns. “He’s just a boy, Joely. They aren’t prone to mood swings and temper tantrums like girls. Just because he doesn’t act like everything is the end of the world doesn’t mean that something is wrong.”
Joely hadn’t really believed him then, and definitely didn’t believe him now. Nash just had his whole world turned upside down. If he couldn’t find a way to express those feelings, Joely knew they’d just build up and explode one day. Hopefully he wouldn’t head too far off the rails to do it.
She sighed as she opened the Sunday paper to the classifieds. She needed to find a job and stat, so she could provide a somewhat stable environment for her kids. Unfortunately none of the jobs in the paper were for a homemaker. With twelve years away from the workforce, she felt woefully unqualified to do any of the jobs listed, which weren’t many. Of those she either had too much experience (i.e. would do more menial work for less pay) or too little experience (i.e. wouldn’t qualify for the good money she needed.)
She ended up on the Internet, but those prospects weren’t any better. This was going to be a lot harder than she planned.
Granny Faye headed home a little before noon. Unlike Lillian, who was there practically from open to close, Granny Faye set her own hours. She could work breakfast and dinner only if she wanted, with an afternoon of rest in between. Lillian, however, could stay there 24 hours a day every day. The restaurant was her baby. She worked tirelessly to make it a success. Joely envied her ambition.
Meanwhile it was all Joely could do to make her kids’ favorite homemade cinnamon rolls. Hannah had requested them and Joely couldn’t deny her. Besides, she felt more productive in that kitchen pounding out the dough than she had felt all morning scouring ads for jobs that didn’t quite fit. She regularly baked her feelings into her food, which explained why there was a little more junk in her trunk. She often gave food away because she made more than anyone could eat. It often helped her pass the time, but it also produced something she could see, touch and taste. That was inherently rewarding.
Granny Faye brightened the minute she came through the side door from the garage. “It smells like heaven in here! What are you making?”
“Cinnamon rolls!” Hannah declared with a huge smile. She was covered head to toe in flour, having the time of her life helping her mother with her task.
Granny Faye tickled her sides before she gave her a loud peck on the cheek. “You better save me one.”
“I’ll save you two,” Hannah promised as Joely put the last pan in the oven.
“Where’s Kari?” Joely asked.
“She wanted to stay at the restaurant with Lillian. We figured it wouldn’t do her any harm to learn some of the family business.”
Joely nodded. She glanced down at Hannah, who was a proper mess. “We’ve got thirty minutes until these are done. Why don’t you head upstairs and clean up?”
Hannah nodded and climbed down from the stepstool on which she was standing. Joely waited until her little bundle of energy had disappeared out of sight before she turned back to Granny Faye.
“Kari’s still mad at me, isn’t she?”
Granny Faye began to clean up the mess on the counter. “She’s just mad, period. You’re going to get the brunt of it because you’re the one who’s here.”
“Because that seems fair,” Joely sneered.
Granny Faye just shrugged. “Life’s not fair, honey. If that’s what you’re expecting, you’re in for a long wait.”
Joely sighed and leaned against the counter. “I just don’t know what to do. They’re all so mad at me. And I get it. I really do. I’m mad too.”
“And there’s no one there for you to yell at,” Granny Faye concluded.
Joely nodded. “Yeah.”
“Give yourself some time, honey. You can’t fix everything overnight.”
“No kidding. I can’t even find a job at this rate.”
“We told you. Come down to the restaurant. We’d find something for you to do.”
Joely patted her grandmother’s arm. “I appreciate that. I really do. I just… I just want to do this on my own.”
Granny Faye gave her a knowing look. “You just don’t want to do dishes,” she corrected.
Joely chuckled. She surveyed all the dishes she’d dirtied preparing her cinnamon rolls. “You know me too well.”
“That I do,” Granny Faye confirmed with a curt nod. “Now get out of here so I can clean this pigsty.”
Immediately Joely felt guilty. “No, I made the mess. I should do it.”
“Yes, you should,” Granny Faye retorted. “And if you don’t get out of here right now, I just might make you.”
A half-hour later, the white kitchen was sparkling clean and Granny Faye, Joely, Hannah and Nash all sat together, eating warm, gooey cinnamon rolls as big as their fists.
“These are wonderful,” Granny Faye praised. “How come you didn’t tell me you could cook like this?”
Joely licked away some warm icing with her tongue. “Because you’d put me to work at the restaurant,” she answered with an impish grin.
Granny Faye nodded without shame. “With food like this, you’d be a huge hit.”
Joely just shook her head. “I have kids, Granny Faye. I can’t spend every waking moment of my life at that restaurant like you and Mom. I just want a job where I can clock in, clock out and come home.”
Granny Faye shrugged. “Suit yourself. Sounds positively boring to me, though.”
“Hello, is anyone here?” a male voice resounded from living room. The British accent was immediately recognizable. Joely reached for a napkin immediately, just a hair before Xander Davy entered the kitchen with her daughter. “It smells heavenly in here,” he praised as he looked at Granny Faye. “What kind of magic are you cooking up now, Granny Faye?”
“Wasn’t me,” she said before pointing at Joely.
“May I try one?” he asked her, and she blushed as she nodded. He took a fork from the center carousel and cut a huge chunk from one of the massive rolls. “Mmmm,” he said immediately as he savored the bite. “This is fantastic. Have they already offered you a job at the restaurant yet?”
“Repeatedly,” Joely answered with a smirk. “They can’t afford me,” she added.
“I can believe that,” he said as he sat at the table to finish the roll.
Kari was silent as she followed his lead, grabbing a plate from the cabinet and a soda from the fridge. She barely got back to the table before Joely took the soda can away from her daughter. Instead she poured her a gl
ass of milk from the pitcher on the table. Though she was mortified by her mother’s behavior, Xander sent Kari a teasing smile and a shrug. It made her blush as she concentrated on the roll in front of her.
“So what brings you by, handsome?” Granny Faye asked.
“Lillian asked me to run Kari home after the church rush, since I was heading back into town anyway.”
“How was your first day at ‘work’?” Granny Faye asked her. Kari just shrugged.
“She was brilliant, of course,” Xander praised. “Lillian had her greeting patrons at the door. I guess you could say she learned from the master.” He turned to Kari. “Keep that up and they won’t be able to afford you either.”
Joely watched the interaction closely. She didn’t know what to make of this man just yet, but so far he had done little to impress her. Sure he was good-looking, but he seemed to know it. Men like that just put Joely off. She had lived with an arrogant, self-absorbed sonofabitch for seventeen years. She’d had her fill, thank you very much. Joely rose from the table, collecting empty plates to take them to the sink. She could feel his eyes follow her, and she cursed herself for blushing like some silly schoolgirl.
“I tell you what,” Granny Faye declared, “I’ll catch a ride back to the restaurant with you. It’ll just take me a minute to get ready.”
“Absolutely,” he agreed immediately with a smile. “Gives me time to finish my roll.” Granny Faye excused herself, calling Hannah to follow so they could clean up together. Xander looked at Nash, who was trying his hardest to be invisible. “I love your shirt,” Xander said, referring to the graphic from a popular video game. “Do you play?”
Nash spared him a glance before he finally nodded.
“It’s taking me forever to beat that game. Have you gotten to that level where you have to fight the dragon in the cave protected by zombies?”
Nash only hesitated for a moment before he nodded again.
“You’re going to have to show me how that’s done, mate,” he said. “It’s driving me bloody crazy. Maybe some time I could come over and you could help me out.”
Nash stared at this weird stranger for a long minute before he shrugged. Xander turned to Kari. “Was that a yes?”
She blushed even deeper and nodded. He glanced up at Joely, who had returned to the table for more dishes. “Talkative bunch,” he teased with yet another wink.
Joely turned to her children. “Why don’t y’all go get cleaned up, too?” she suggested. “Maybe we can get some pool time in this afternoon.”
Neither Nash nor Kari seemed overly excited about it, but they knew better than to argue. They both excused themselves from the table and headed off toward the living room. Joely turned to Xander. “What’s all that about?” she wanted to know.
“What’s what about?” he asked as he popped another huge bite into his mouth. His dark eyes watched her closely.
“Playing buddy-buddy with my kids,” she replied as she took his plate and headed back toward the sink. The chair scraped against the tile as he stood and walked over to join her.
His mouth was still full when he said, “It’s called being nice.”
Her look was skeptical. “Look. They’re going through a difficult time right now,” she said.
He swallowed his last mouthful. His eyes kept hers captive as he ran his tongue around the corner of his mouth to capture any leftover frosting. “I know,” he finally said. “Your mother told me.”
Inwardly Joely groaned. That explained everything. “Great.”
He leaned against the counter. “It’s no big deal. Lillian thought maybe I could connect with Nash. He’s alone in a house full of women now. She thinks he could use a man to talk to.”
From where they stood nearly a foot apart, she could see his broad shoulders straining against the navy blue shirt he wore. His legs were long, crossed casually at the ankle, as he linked his hands and rested his elbow on the counter. Her nose filled with the scent of his cologne, a mixture of wood and spice. There was no doubt about it. He most definitely was a man. And the look in his eyes wouldn’t let her forget it. “I just,” she started but then found herself flustered and stammering. “I don’t know how long I’ll be here and I don’t want them to get attached to anything temporary. I appreciate the thought, but it’s not necessary.”
He towered over her 5’5-inch frame, studying her long brown hair and her deep brown eyes. The longer he stood without saying anything, the more nervous she got. When the tip of his thumb brushed the side of her mouth, she nearly jumped right out of her skin. Her doe eyes opened even wider as she watched him lick his thumb. “Missed a spot,” he murmured.
She was still sputtering behind him as he walked from the kitchen.
Chapter Three
Joely and the kids didn’t go to the restaurant that night. In fact, she was so discombobulated over Xander’s behavior in the kitchen that she ended up cooking more food than her brood could eat. She was putting most of it away by the time her mother returned that evening, after the dinner rush had ended.
“I should have stayed here for dinner,” her mother teased as she dipped her finger into a bowl, wiping away some residual sauce.
Joely turned to her mother. “What’s the deal with Xander Davy?”
Lillian’s eyebrow arched. “What do you mean?”
“I mean explain him to me. Why is he there?”
Lillian chuckled as she helped Joely clean up the mess. “He’s here because he’s brilliant. He’s worked at some of the best restaurants all over the world. London, New York, Miami, San Francisco.”
“And he just decided to slum it in Abilene, Texas?”
Lillian was instantly indignant. “What’s wrong with Abilene?” she questioned. “It’s done very well for you, thank you very much.”
Joely rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I mean.”
“According to Xander, he’s always had a touch of wanderlust. He stays a couple of years in each place, gets whatever he needs from it, learns whatever he can from it, and then moves on. Since he’s always loved westerns ever since he was a little boy, he thought he’d give West Texas a shot. His wild hair turned out to be a real blessing for us. He’s only been my manager for four months and already he’s increased profits by 23 percent. I’ll be sad to see him go, to be honest with you. I originally hired him so Granny Faye and I could spend more time at home. By the time we’re able to do that, he’ll probably hit the road for something new.”
“Even more reason to keep him away from the kids,” Joely decided.
Lillian laughed. “Don’t be silly. He’s great with kids. His philosophy is that if you can get the kids into the restaurant, you can get the parents into the restaurant. He always goes out of his way to make every kid that comes through our doors feel like a star. I think he even got through to Kari a little bit, to be honest with you. That was the first time I’d seen her laugh in a month.”
Joely thought about the look in his eyes as he licked frosting from his thumb and shivered in spite of herself. That was certainly a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long, long time. “Still. It’s weird. Some strange man, traveling through town, chummy with kids. I don’t like it.”
Again Lillian laughed. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. He’s perfectly harmless. Unless you’re a single woman anyway,” she amended with a wink.
“What does that mean?”
Lillian shrugged. “He loves the ladies and the ladies love him. Believe me he’s not hurting for attention. And by the way, I’m a little offended that you believe I’d ever put my grandkids in harm’s way. I did a thorough background check, you know. He’s never been asked to leave any job. They always begged him to stay. Clean criminal record, no distasteful vices. He’s just a very ambitious man who wants to do what he can for the people he works with. Right now that means casting a little sunshine our way.”
“Beware Greek gods bearing gifts,” Joely retorted.
Lillian leaned against the counter
to study her daughter. “When did you become so cynical, Joely?”
Her answer was immediate. “When I caught my husband cheating on me.”
Lillian pulled Joely’s hands out of the soap dishwater, a clear indication that she was trying to do anything in the world but think about her current situation. She had been that way since she was a child. She had to keep busy, or else she’d remember how sad she really was. Lillian grasped her daughter’s hands tightly as she forced her to look her in the eye. “Not all men are like that, honey. You got hurt. It happens when you fall in love. There are no guarantees in this life, sweetheart. Bad things are going to happen. Sorrow may endure for the night,” she said softly as she wiped a tear from Joely’s cheek. “But joy comes in the morning.”
“I want to believe that,” Joely said as she pulled away to reach for a towel. “But how can I trust anything, or anyone, anymore?”
“Trust me,” her mother said. “I’ve been where you are. Sure, my husband didn’t cheat, but he left me all the same. You just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward. You never know where you’re going to end up. And sometimes that’s the best part.”
Joely wasn’t so sure about that. There was a big ol’ question mark over her future path now. And it didn’t get any better that Monday morning, most of which was spent registering her children in their new schools.
The schools themselves were familiar. Joely had once attended all three of the schools her children were now enrolled. She was surprised to see that some of the teachers who taught her would be teaching Nash and Kari, which made her feel a little better about some of the new changes. The kids themselves were extremely uncomfortable as they walked through the doors of these strange new places. Since Russell’s timing could not have been worse, having his unfortunate fling discovered just weeks after the start of the new year, that meant all her kids were now starting somewhere new after all the classes had been established. Their collective discomfort of being “the new kid” was palpable. Joely empathized, doing her best to compensate with all the hugs and kisses that they’d tolerate. For Hannah, this was quite a bit. For Nash and Kari, who had shaded her into the villain of their story, uprooting them from their comfortable, privileged lives, it was none at all.
Back for Seconds (Lone Star Second Chances Book 1) Page 3
