by Evan Grace
My cheeks heat up just thinking about last night. “It was great.” Luna does this twirly little dance, and it makes me laugh. “Stop—I don’t know what’s going to happen, but he’s downstairs and is going to hang out with us.”
She looks at me wide-eyed. “Really? That’s great.”
“I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes. I’m sure if he knew about Ryan then he’d run the other way.”
“He doesn’t seem like the type to run. It’ll be good for both you and Grant—he can see his mom spend time with a man that treats her well, because he does, doesn’t he?”
“Of course he does, but maybe it’s too soon for him to be around Grant.” I start to doubt my decision.
“It’s not too soon. Maybe for a while just let him think Erik’s just your friend. I mean, look how long it took Grant to warm up to Rocco, and even now he only talks to him when he has to.” She rests her hands on my shoulders. “I just want you to have some fun and a little bit of the happiness that you make sure everyone else has.”
I wrap my arms around her, hugging her tight. “Thank you.”
We head into the girls’ bedroom and find them all sitting on Lennon’s bed and watching something on the iPad. They look up when we walk in. “Hi, Mommy.”
“Hey Grunt, can you give the girls hugs?” He gets off the bed and then hugs Starr and Lennon. Grant hugs Luna and gives her a kiss on the cheek. “We’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell her, leading him back to our apartment.
When we reach our door, I squat down in front of my son. “Do you remember Erik? He and his sister, Gretchen, hung out with us.” Grant nods. “Well, he’s come over to hang out with us today. I thought maybe we could watch movies, and then maybe order Chinese later. Does that sound good?”
He reluctantly nods. When we step through the door, Erik stands up. “Hey, Grant. How are you?”
My son looks up at Erik and shrugs his shoulders. Before I can stop Grant, he runs down the hall to his room.
I look up at Erik. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Don’t apologize—I know he needs to be comfortable around me at his own speed.” See, there’s so much more to him than the cocky man I first met.
The first movie we watch is The Incredibles, and Erik seems to really enjoy it, but I’m not surprised because it is pretty awesome. Grant lies on the living room floor with Lucifer cuddled against him. When Erik gets up to use the bathroom, Grant watches him like a hawk, not relaxing until he sits back down.
It makes my stomach turn to watch that happen, and hopefully Erik doesn’t notice. After he situates me in the crook of his arm, we decide to watch Cars 2. Shortly after it starts, I fall asleep with my head on Erik’s shoulder.
I don’t know how long I fell asleep for, but I wake up to the sound of Erik talking. “Do you want to wake your mom up, and then we’ll order some grub?”
Holding really still, I feel Grunt’s little fingers poking my nose. That’s how I wake him up most days. I surprise him by wrapping my arms around him and tickling his sides while he giggles. It’s one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard. For a long time he barely talked and I was afraid he’d be traumatized forever.
Erik helps me sit up, and I see they’re watching Cars 3 now. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
He leans in, whispering in my ear. “I’m not surprised you fell asleep. I didn’t let you sleep much last night.” His breath hits me, causing goosebumps to break out all over my skin.
“Stop, you’re terrible,” I whisper back.
I order us some Chinese food. Erik insists on paying and won’t take no for an answer. He goes as far as to threaten to call them back if I tried to give them my debit card number. Instead he hands me his card and stands right in front of me until I give the person on the other end of the phone the numbers.
“You’re a pain in the butt,” I tell him.
He shrugs his massive shoulders. “Yeah, but you still like me.”
It’s true—I do like him, even though a small part of me tells me to run. That he’s going to hurt me—not like how Ryan hurt me, but Erik’s the type of guy that if I let him too close, he could destroy my heart.
When the food arrives, Erik helps me set it up on the kitchen table. It’s safe to say that we’re all silent because we’re stuffing our faces. When we finish, I clean up while Erik and Grant go to the living room and start playing with Grant’s remote control cars. It makes me smile to hear them zipping around on the floor.
Peeking in on them, I smile. Sure, they’re playing together, but my son avoids getting close or talking to Erik. The giant blond man smiles as his car chases Grant’s around the room. Lucifer sits on the arm of the couch watching the whole thing, looking bored as usual.
It’s seven o’clock when Erik stands up to leave. Grant is reading a book in his room, waiting for me so he can have his bath.
At the door, Erik grabs my hand. “I had a really good time.” He reaches out, tucking some of my hair behind my ear. “Thank you for letting me get to know your boy a little bit more tonight.”
“We had a good time too. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Sometimes he’s out of the office a lot, but if he’s there, he usually stops and says hi to me.
“I won’t be in until after lunch, but I’ll pop in when I get there.” Erik leans down and kisses me softly on the lips. “Bye, baby.” I watch him walk down to his SUV and then drive away.
“What am I doing?” I whisper before shutting my door.
***
It’s been two weeks since Erik and I spent the night together. He’s been working a lot lately—a huge case that he and Marcus are working on has monopolized a lot of his time. I miss him, and the fact that I do scares the crap out of me. When he’s out of town he texts me, checking in, and never hesitates to ask about Grant, which I love.
Thanksgiving is the day after tomorrow, and honestly, I hate the holidays. My parents haven’t spoken to me in a long time; Ryan made sure to sever those relationships. It hurts that, even though I reached out after I left him, they still refused to speak to me.
I have an older brother, Jim, and he’s cut me off as well. He’s married and has two little ones that I’ve never met.
Luna, Rocco, and the girls usually head down to Springfield, where their families live. Everyone else has plans, so Grant and I will spend the day alone, watching the parade and then eating turkey and all the fixings.
I could invite Erik over, but I’m sure he’ll go see his own family. When Carrie and Delilah have asked me about my plans, I’ve changed the subject, and hopefully they haven’t realized what I’m doing.
Jack, being the incredible boss that he is, is closing down the office starting Wednesday at noon, and it won’t be open again until Monday. It’s gotten really cold the past couple of weeks, and soon there will be snow on the ground.
I’m getting ready to work on bills when there’s a knock at my door. I smile when Erik pokes his head in. “Hey babe, you got a second?”
“Sure, come on in.”
He comes in, shuts the door, and walks around my desk. Erik holds his hand out to me and pulls me up. His lips are on mine immediately, and I automatically open to him. Our tongues duel, and I grab onto the sides of the shirt he’s wearing. When he finally pulls back, he uses his thumb to wipe my lip gloss, which I’m sure is smeared now. “I missed you,” he says quietly.
That’s the first time he’s ever said that to me, and it warms a spot deep inside me. “I’ve missed you too.”
“Marcus finally caught the skip.”
“That’s great. You guys have worked hard to find him.”
He hugs me to his chest, and I inhale the woodsy scent that is unique to him. “Yeah, I’m taking tomorrow off and heading to see my family for Thanksgiving. What plans do you have for the holiday?”
Time to show off my superb acting skills. “Oh, you know…a little of this, a little of that.”
“Do you have family that you’re going to
spend time with?” His gaze is like a laser beam, and I fight to keep my gaze neutral.
“Umm…no, it’ll just be a quiet day.” See, it’s a noncommittal answer. I give him a smile. “I really should get these bills done.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later.” Erik bends down, touching his lips to mine before disappearing out of my office.
***
It’s Thanksgiving morning, and Grant is waiting patiently for me to finish making the chocolate chip waffles he requested. Once we sit down to eat, I’m elbow deep in whipped cream when there’s a knock on the door. My heart starts to race a little, and I don’t know why. It’s just that Luna and Rocco left town yesterday. Erik was heading to his parents’ house yesterday after work, and everyone else is gone.
Maybe a teeny tiny part of me always tries to be prepared for the day that Ryan decides to come back into our lives and wreak havoc. As I walk toward the door, I chastise myself for having such thoughts. It’s been two years, and there’s been nothing. I know he’s out of jail, so that’s not it.
When I peek through the peephole, I’m shocked by what—I mean who—I see. I unlock the door with a smile on my face. “Erik? What are you guys doing here?” Erik and Gretchen are at our door.
“We wanted to see if you and Grant wanted to have Thanksgiving with us. I should’ve called, but we wanted to surprise you. What do you say?” They give me hopeful smiles. They may not look alike otherwise, but they both have the same smile.
“Um…well, I don’t want to impose.” I shift from foot to foot.
“It’s not an imposition at all. My mom sent us to come get you.”
“We both have to get ready,” I tell them. “Do I have time to take a quick shower?”
Erik nods. “Of course. We’re not eating until three.”
I step back from the door and they both walk in. Grant comes running into the living room, and his eyes light up when he spots Gretchen. She opens her arms. “There’s my buddy!” My sweet boy runs right to her, hugging her tight.
“I’ll get his clothes out and lay them on his bed. Gretchen, if you could have him get dressed, that’d be awesome.” The tiny blonde smiles and nods. “Thanks, sweetheart.”
Erik follows me back to Grant’s bedroom, looking sexy as he leans against the door frame. “I’m sorry if I put you on the spot, just showing up like this.”
I stand right in front of him. “It’s okay, seriously. Are you sure that it’s okay that we come? I don’t have anything for us to bring.”
“My mom said to just bring yourselves.”
After I get Grant’s clothes laid out I hurry to grab mine, pull my hair up, and jump in the shower. I make it a quick one and hurry through the process of putting some makeup on. I brush out my hair and then put it into a cute knot on top of my head. I throw on some maroon leggings and a black sweater that is flattering to my curvy figure.
I hurry to my bedroom and grab my black riding boots, sliding them on. In the mirror, I look myself over and then head out into the living room. “Does this look okay?”
“Shayla, you look hot!” That comes from Gretchen.
“Thanks sweetie, and thank you for getting Grant ready.” My boy is wearing boot-cut jeans and a long-sleeved red t-shirt.
I quickly clean up the kitchen from breakfast, and then the four of us head out.
It’s an hour-and-a-half drive, but I love watching the scenery pass by. It’s kind of funny that we’re both from Wisconsin and ended up in Chicago.
Gretchen and Grant watch something on her phone. They both have an earbud in one ear, and when I look at Erik, I see that he’s wearing a smile. I grab my phone and use my stealth skills to take a quick picture of them. I look at it before quickly showing it to him. “Send that to me,” he says.
I do as he says and then just watch the passing scenery, feeling content for the first time in a long time. A chill creeps up my spine, though—I look in the rearview mirror and don’t see anyone. Ugh, I need to get a grip.
A while later, we pull up in front of a beautiful Craftsman-style home. The siding is a grayish-blue, the trim is white, and around the base is brick. On the huge porch are a couple of wicker chairs and a little table between them. My hands tremble as we climb out and make our way up to the door.
Erik pushes the front door open and calls out for his mom. A petite blonde woman comes out, wearing a huge smile on her face. “Hello! You must be Shayla and Grant. I’m Erik’s mom, Nicole.” Instead of shaking my hand, the woman wraps her arms around me in a hug that makes me feel so welcome.
“It’s nice to meet you too.” I reach for Grant’s hand. “Grant, this is Gretchen and Erik’s mom. Can you say hello?”
He doesn’t speak—he just waves at her. Gretchen comes forward. “Come on, Grant. Let’s go see if the parade is on.”
Little Tinkerbell takes Grant’s hand and leads him farther into the house. I look at Nicole. “He is absolutely smitten with your daughter.”
Nicole loops her arm through mine and leads me farther into the house as well. “She’s always been really good with kids. Gretchen may only be fourteen, but she knows that whatever she does as a career, it has to deal with children.”
“She’s got a gift,” I tell her.
Chapter Eleven
Erik
Tad, his brothers, and I are watching football in the family room. It’s been a fantastic day. Shayla has gotten along with everyone and seems like she’s having a good time. After we went and picked them up, Shayla hung out in the kitchen with my mom and Aunt Peg, drinking wine and carrying on like a bunch of school girls—giggling and whispering about God knows what.
I’ve never brought a girl home before, but the thought of Shayla and Grant spending the day alone didn’t sit right with me. As soon as I mentioned it last night to my mom, she immediately suggested that we go get them and bring them over.
Grant stayed by Gretchen’s side the whole time and got really quiet being around the guys. I noticed he was very watchful too—it was like he was waiting for something to happen. When Shayla had spent the night I’d wanted to ask her about Grant’s dad, but there had never seemed to be a right time.
I have the means at the office to check into her past, but I don’t want to betray her trust. The more she grows to trust me, the more likely she’ll be to tell me about her past on her own…hopefully. Tad and his brother Jeff pulled me outside earlier to grill me.
“She’s beautiful, but not the type of girl I’ve seen you with,” Tad said. I’ve never brought girls home, but my parents would sometimes see me out with girls when I was younger. And yeah, they were all the same: tall, leggy, and blonde with big boobs.
“Yeah, I know. She’s got a mouth on her too. On our first date the waitress hit on me, and I thought Shayla was going to whoop her butt.” Tad’s a very laid-back pastor, but I do try to watch my mouth around him.
“Good, you need someone who keeps you on your toes. You’re a good-looking guy and have probably had it easy with every other woman…but easy is boring.”
I shake my head, because he’s right. She hasn’t been easy, and even though she’s softened to me a little bit, there’s still a wall around her.
Now we’ve just finished eating dessert and everyone is lounging around the family room watching a movie. Shayla’s snuggled up next to me on the love seat, Gretchen and Grant are lying on the floor in front of the fireplace, and the rest of the adults are sprawled out on the couch and recliners.
Dinner was just us and the aunts and uncles, but people have been stopping by on and off all day. Women from the church love bringing my family food, and I know it irritates my mom. Tad’s a good-looking guy, and even though he’s married, some of the female parishioners still come “visit” him. My mom, ever the welcoming host, deals with it.
An hour into the movie, I feel Shayla go slack against me. “Erik, why don’t they just spend the night?” my mom says. “Grant can sleep on the futon in Gretchen’s room, and Shayla can
sleep with you.” It has been a long day, and to be honest I wasn’t looking forward to the long drive back to their place.
I nod in gratitude. “Thanks.”
When the movie’s over, I gently wake Shayla and tell her the plan. She, of course, declines at first until my mom goes in for the kill. “Sweetheart, it’s late and really cold out. We have the room and would love to have you. Please stay.”
“Y-Yes, okay. Thanks.”
My mom and sister lead Shayla and Grant toward my sister’s room, and I get up off the love seat. Tad and his brother are both staring at me. “What?”
“I never thought I’d see the day when a woman stole your heart.” Tad follows me into the kitchen, where I grab myself, Tad, and Jeff a beer.
I lean against the counter, taking a swig. Both men look at me expectantly. “It’s still new, but I want to see where it goes.”
“She’s great, son,” Tad says with a smile on his face. “That Grant sure is smitten with your sister.”
“Very true. They seemed to have fun today. I felt bad ambushing her this morning, but I knew if I called she’d make excuses for why she wasn’t gonna be able to come. Plus she knows how much Grant likes Gretchen.”
We finish our beers and all head to bed. Before I head to my room, I peek in on my sister and Grant. They’re both already in snoozeville—Grant is curled into a ball on the futon, and Gretchen is buried under a mound of blankets.
The master bedroom is on the opposite side of Gretchen’s room. Luckily mine is in the basement, for privacy. Shayla comes out of the hallway bathroom. “Hi,” she says quietly.
“I peeked in on Grant, and he’s already asleep.”
She snuggles into my side. “Thanks for checking on him.”
I lead her down to my old room. The walls are no longer covered in Green Bay Packers and Victoria’s Secret model posters. Now it’s just my bed but with a flower comforter on it, and empty dressers that used to be filled with my clothes. No one stores things in here; it’s empty except if I stay for an extended period.
