A Lesson on Love

by Sharon C. Cooper

  Stormy headed to the table. Normally, she ran like a ball of energy everywhere she went, but not this time. Right now, she looked deep in thought, or as deep in thought as a five-year-old could look.

  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Rayne hugged her daughter’s petite body. “What happened to your friend?”

  “She hurt her leg and started crying. She wanted her daddy, and when he hugged her, she stopped crying.”

  Rayne and Stormy watched as the little girl and her father walked out of the building hand in hand.

  Rayne squeezed Stormy’s shoulder. “Are you done playing?”

  “Yes,” she murmured, and turned troubled eyes up to Rayne. “Mommy…I want a daddy.”

  Charlee choked on her soda and started coughing. She patted her chest but the cough grew louder. Her shocked, watery eyes met Rayne’s.

  Not a day went by that Stormy didn’t catch Rayne off guard with her questions, comments, and in this case, requests. But right now, she was at a loss at how to respond. On occasion, she asked questions about Kirk, but this was the first time she’d asked for a daddy.

  “Can you get me one?” she asked seriously, her eyes steady on Rayne, her lips pinched together, looking much older than her five years.

  “I’ll be back,” Charlee rasped, coughing and clearly trying to hide her laughter at the same time.

  “Mommy, can you?” Stormy persisted.

  “Sweetheart, why do you want a daddy?”

  “Because when you’re sad they pick you up and help you stop crying and…they’re nice.”

  “Um…” Was all that came out when Rayne opened her mouth, struggling to find the right words. “Mommy’s are nice to, and they wipe their children’s tears. Why do—”

  “I know, but I want a daddy. Can you get me one?”

  “Well, it’s not that simple,” Rayne started, knowing that whatever she came up with wouldn’t appease her child. “I have to be married before you can get a daddy.”

  “Can you get married?”

  Her serious expression bought a smile to Rayne’s face. “I was already married, and you had a daddy, but he’s in he…” Rayne stopped herself. She had no idea where Kirk’s soul might’ve ended up.”

  “Can you get married again and then get me another daddy?” Stormy continued.

  Rayne sighed. “Honey, I…we… We’ll talk about it later, okay?”

  This was one of those conversations Rayne needed to think on. And no doubt the topic would come up again.

  *

  “I don’t know about this outfit, Charlee. This looks more like something you would wear, not me.” Rayne stared at herself in the full-length mirror, admiring how feminine the mustard colored, lace trim, keyhole blouse looked on her. Even though it brought attention to her full breasts, it cinched in the middle, giving the illusion of a narrow waistline. The outfit was sexy, yet tasteful. Alluring, but not too revealing.

  She ran her hands down her wide hips and over the navy-blue pencil skirt, that stopped just above her knees. Would Jerry like the outfit? Was that what she wanted, for him to like the way she looked? The evening was only supposed to be about them going to dinner to celebrate his birthday. Nothing else.

  Charlee stood behind her, fluffing the loose curls she had put in Rayne’s hair. “If you really want Jerry to swallow his tongue, I say we pin your hair so that it falls over one shoulder like this.”

  Rayne let Charlee do her thing, but couldn’t help wondering if it was a good idea to look so suggestive. Nothing beyond dinner was happening tonight, and she didn’t want to come across as a tease. But then again, she had to admit that she like the way her neck looked with her hair swept to one side over her shoulder.

  Rayne turned to face her friend and Charlee stood back grinning.

  “I think you’re ready. I just wish I could see the expression on the man’s face when he lays eyes on you. He is going to lose his shit.” She squealed.

  “Language, girl. You know that little person in the other room is like a sponge, soaking up everything we say.”

  “Right, right. You’re right.” Charlee glanced at the thin watch on her wrist. “I’m going to head out. My dad wants me to stop by the office tonight since I’ll be flying out early in the morning.”

  Her father owned the company where Rayne worked. A company that manufactured construction supplies and equipment. Charlee, a sales rep for the organization, traveled around the country.

  “Stormy, where are you?” Charlee called out when they stepped out of the bedroom.

  “In my room.”

  Rayne followed Charlee down the hall toward the bedroom and they both pulled up short at the door.

  “Little girl, if you don’t clean this room up right now, you won’t be going anywhere. I knew you were too quiet in here. I want all of these toys in that toy box, now. It’s almost time for us to leave,” Rayne said. How one kid could make such a mess was a mystery to her.

  Charlee kneeled down next to Stormy who was surrounded by every doll and stuffed animal she owned. “Okay, kiddo, I’m getting ready to go. Give me a hug. I’ll be out of town for a while, but you be good while I’m gone, okay?”

  “Okay, Auntie Charlee.” Stormy hugged her, almost knocking Charlee over. “Don’t forget to buy me something,” she said in a loud whisper, and Rayne shook her head.

  “Don’t I always?” Charlee whispered back just as loudly.

  “Stormy, when you finish this room, put your pajamas and your toothbrush in your backpack to take over to Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins’ house.”

  “Am I spending the night?”

  “No, but it might be late when we pick you up, and I want you to be ready for bed. I’m going to walk Auntie Charlee to the door. Make sure this room is clean by the time I come back upstairs.”

  “Okay.” Stormy started picking up toys. “Mommy?” she called before Rayne and Charlee stepped into the hallway.

  “Yes.”

  “Is it too late to get Jerry a puppy for his birthday?”

  Oh good, Lord. Not the puppy thing again.

  “Yes, it’s too late, and he loves the gifts we picked out,” Rayne said, her mind immediately going back to what he said about proving that electricians did their best work in the dark. When she purchased the mug, she knew he would get a kick out of the innuendo, but hadn’t planned to fuel Jerry’s flirtatious nature. Yet, that’s exactly what it had done.

  “But I think Jerry really wants a puppy,” Stormy pressed. “He talks about puppies all the time.”

  “Only because you keep bringing it up. He’s not the one who wants a dog, you are. And we’ve already talked about why you’re not getting one yet. Now clean your room.” Rayne walked out before more questions came.

  “That girl is a trip,” Charlee said, laughing as they went down the stairs.

  “That’s putting it mildly. She’s getting to be a real handful.”

  “And you love her to death.”

  Rayne smiled and headed to the front door. “You know it. She’s my everything.”

  “All right, I’m out of here. Have fun tonight and do everything that I would do.”

  Rayne laughed. “Um, I don’t think so. Doing something your wild tail would do could land me in trouble. I’m only going out to dinner and that’s it.”

  “Fine, but for the love of God, please order something other than a salad. You drive me nuts with that crap. Would it kill you to order a juicy steak and potatoes or some ribs for a change?”

  “Whatever. Just go.” They hugged at the door before opening it. Rayne always missed her friend when she traveled, and would probably miss her even more since she was going to be gone for several weeks. “Call while you’re away and be safe.”

  “Always.”

  Chapter Ten

  Jerry leaned on the breakfast bar and stared down at the blueprint, in awe of what his cousin Liam had come up with.

  “This is exactly what I envisioned. Ladybug is going to freak when this is all done
.”

  Liam finished the bottle of water and tossed it in the recycle bin. “I’m glad you approve. I have to admit. I never thought you would ever ask me to draw up plans for a doll house. Why not just buy one?”

  Liam, an architect, normally spent his time designing impressive plans for homes or multi-million-dollar office buildings. This was the first time anyone had ever commissioned him to draw up plans for a doll house.

  “I considered buying one, but I wanted her to have a one of a kind. Now, I just hope we thought of everything. It has to be perfect.” He couldn’t explain it, but he wanted Stormy to have something from him that she’d remember even after she was grown and on her own.

  “Trust me, you’ve thought of everything, including track lighting in the family room. And I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a dollhouse that’s a side-by-side townhouse.”

  “I know right? I thought she’d love a smaller version of our townhomes.”

  He and Rayne might live next door to each other, but their places had different floor plans. Jerry had three levels with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. Rayne’s had two levels with only two bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms. Based on the drawing, Liam had captured even the smallest details.

  “It was a good idea to include the handle and the two doors as well as the lock just in case the house has to be moved. Now, I just hope MJ can get it built before Christmas,” Jerry said, still looking over the blueprint.

  Their cousin, Martina, was one of the best carpenters in the city and often did intricate woodworking projects on the side. She assured him that even though she hadn’t built one, she could handle the miniature-size project.

  “Christmas is not for another six months. I’ve seen her knock out some pretty big jobs in less time. I’m sure she can get this done. Even if she doesn’t, come Christmas, you can always take Stormy over there to see whatever is done.”

  “True, but it wouldn’t be the same. Nah, I need it done before Christmas, even if it means I have to help build it.”

  “Don’t you think this is a little much for the little girl, especially not knowing if you’ll ever get with her mom?”

  Jerry rolled the blueprint and held it up. “This has nothing to do with Rayne. I want Stormy to have something special from me.” Deep down he wanted both Rayne and Stormy in his life forever. But if things didn’t work out between him and Rayne, he’d still be in Stormy’s life.

  Liam nodded. “All right, well, when am I going to meet this neighbor lady and your ladybug? Considering how much you bring their names into every conversation, I feel like I already know them.”

  “Hopefully I can introduce you soon, but right now, I need to finish getting ready.”

  “Yeah, actually, I need to get out of here.” Liam pulled his car keys from his pants pocket and headed to the stairs.

  Jerry followed. He had twenty minutes until he picked up Rayne and Stormy, and he felt like a kid on Christmas Eve. Anticipation drummed through his veins. He had one shot to show Rayne a good time in the hopes that she’d want them to spend more time together. Besides that, he also wanted to get her talking. As a very private person, she didn’t share much. He hoped to change that tonight. He wanted her to know that she could trust and depend on him.

  “Okay man, I’ll catch you later,” Liam said when they got to the first floor of the townhouse.”

  “Sounds good, and thanks again for the work you put into that drawing. You outdid yourself. Send me the invoice whenever you want, and I’ll take care of it.”

  Liam opened the door. “Who knows, maybe this dollhouse project will turn into some…” His voice trailed off, and he froze in the doorway.

  “What’s up?” Jerry looked past him. Rayne’s friend Charlee stood rooted in place staring at them. But it was Rayne who snagged Jerry’s attention.

  He elbowed Liam out of the way. “Wow, babe,” Jerry said, giving her a once over. Those exquisite light-brown eyes popped more than usual with the smoky eyeshadow and bold eyeliner. She had a mysterious vibe. And rarely did she wear her hair down, but today her long, silky locks were begging for him to run his fingers through them.

  His gaze went lower, taking in her bodacious figure in the body-hugging outfit, and those legs. Those long, shapely legs had his mouth watering. Hell, it was the whole package that left him almost speechless.

  “You…you’re absolutely stunning.”

  The left corner of her red lips kicked up into a smile. “Thank you.”

  “Liam,” Charlee said, surprise in her tone. A tone that snatched Jerry’s attention, bringing him back to the current situation.

  “Charlee,” Liam responded dryly. He sounded disinterested, but the way his appreciative gaze took her in said otherwise.

  Interesting.

  Jerry had met Charlee on numerous occasions, but she never mentioned knowing Liam. And considering how familiar they seemed with each other and the tension transpiring between them, he sensed a history there.

  “You two know each other?” he asked, looking from one to the other.

  “Yeah, unfortunately,” Liam hissed.

  Unease swept through Jerry. His cousin was a quiet, introvert by nature. Never rude, especially to a woman. Especially a beautiful woman.

  Seconds ticked by as they stood there. He and Rayne observed the two enemies, waiting to see if either would expound on Liam’s comment. Neither spoke. They just stood there glaring at each other. Well, Liam was glaring while Charlee watched him carefully before lowering her gaze.

  Liam turned to Jerry and held up his arm, giving him a fist bump. “Check you later.” He started to walk away, but Jerry caught the back of his shirt.

  “Hold up, man. Let me introduce you to Rayne.” He rested his hand at the small of her back. “Rayne, this is my cousin Liam. Liam, this is Rayne.”

  Liam extended his hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”

  “Thanks, you too,” she said.

  “You guys have a good time tonight,” he said walking away.

  “Dare I ask how you two know each other?” Rayne said to Charlee.

  “Long story,” she said, and looked at Jerry. “Show my friend a good time tonight, and don’t let her order a salad. She needs a little fun in her life.”

  “Fun and no salad. Got it.”

  As she walked to her car parked in the driveway, Jerry said to Rayne, “I’ll be right back.”

  He jogged over to Liam who had just climbed into his Chevy Camaro. He slid to a stop on the driver’s side. “Hold up, man.”

  “Don’t ask,” his cousin spat before Jerry could even form a question.

  With the car window down, Jerry leaned on the door. “That was pretty intense back there. You all right?”

  Liam glanced to where Charlee was backing her car out of the driveway. “Yeah, I’m good. Just a little surprised to see her. I know she’s an only child. So, what is she to Rayne?”

  “Best friends.”

  Liam bobbed his head up and down but didn’t comment.

  “What is she to you? Someone you dated?” Jerry asked cautiously, knowing there was a good chance Liam wouldn’t share any details.

  Liam slipped on his aviator shades and seconds ticked by, the silence between them growing until he said, “She’s my ex-fiancé,”

  “Wait. What?” Jerry wasn’t sure what he expected Liam to say, but it wasn’t that.

  “And if you want to live to see another day, you won’t mention that to anyone. Now move so I can get out of here.”

  “Dude! You can’t drop a bomb like that without details and just leave. How did I not—”

  “Move your ass away from the car or get run over. Your choice,” Liam barked.

  Shocked by his cousin’s tone, Jerry lifted his hands. He had barely got out of the way before Liam burned rubber peeling away from the curb, barely missing his feet.

  “What did Charlee do?” Rayne asked when he went back to her door. “I know my friend. The expression on your f
ace says that whatever happened wasn’t good.”

  Jerry wanted to tell her the little that Liam shared, but whatever happened between him and Charlee was between them. At least until Liam filled him in on the details.

  “He didn’t say much, but you’re right. Whatever happened between them wasn’t good. Okay enough about them.” He put his arm around her shoulders, trying to shake off the shock of what Liam had said. Questions bombarded his mind faster than he could process them, but right now, he had a non-date to finish getting dressed for.

  “Ready to go?” he asked Rayne.

  “I will be in ten minutes.”

  “Cool, I’ll meet you and Ladybug out here then.”

  *

  “All right, mom. We’re going to head out. Just call if you need anything,” Jerry said. With a hand at the small of her back, he guided Rayne to the front door of his parents’ home. The plan had been to drop Stormy off and keep it moving, but his mother hadn’t stopped talking since they walked in twenty minutes ago. He loved her, but he was ready to have Rayne to himself.

  “You kids have a good time,” Violet said. She and Stormy stood hand-in-hand in the doorway as Jerry and Rayne made their way down the porch stairs.

  “Bye, mommy. Bye, Jerry. Have fun.”

  “Bye, honey. Be good for Mr. And Mrs. Jenkins.” Rayne blew her a kiss.

  Jerry guided her down the clay brick walkway toward his truck. “Are you sure you’re all right with leaving Ladybug with my parents?” he asked, helping her into the vehicle. His gaze immediately gravitated to her gorgeous, shapely legs. He still couldn’t get over her transformation. She looked very feminine and sexy as hell in the short, fitted skirt.

  “Yes. I know you well enough to know that you wouldn’t suggest Stormy stay with them if you didn’t think she’d be well taken care of.”

  “I’m glad you know that,” he said when he climbed into the driver’s seat. “That little girl means the world to me, and I would never put her in danger.”