"That happened to me too. All my friends were going to kindergarten, and I had to wait a whole year."
"Grammy and Daddy said it will be better for me."
"Well, I'm sure they're right."
"Anyway my friends, Lily and Jill are going to preschool too. Did you kiss my daddy? Jill said you did."
Meghan almost choked on her food. This was definitely not good.
"Olivia," Patrick said in a warning voice.
"Do you like my daddy? Jill said you went to a restaurant with him, too."
"I'm sorry. My daughter usually has better manners." Patrick saved her from answering. "Olivia, you know it's not polite to ask those questions."
"But you said you liked Ms Shelby. Does she like you too?"
Meghan couldn't help the giggle that escaped. So, Patrick liked her. He told his daughter. She would have loved to hear that conversation.
"Yes, I like your daddy. We're friends. We grew up together." What the heck, why hide it. If there was anything between them, she'd like to know it right now.
Patrick smiled. "You know you're adding more coal to the fire."
Meghan shrugged. Someone else started the fire, so why not? Would Patrick put it out? She finished her dinner and carried her plate to the sink. She had work to do. Now wasn't the time to discuss this.
Olivia slid off her chair, carried her plate to the sink and handed it to Meghan then went back and took Patrick's. "Are we going to talk to Mommy now?"
Patrick stood and finished clearing the table. "No, we're going to stay here and help Ms Shelby."
"But Mommy is waiting for us."
"We told your mother we were helping Ms Shelby, remember?"
Olivia looked around the kitchen. "What can I do?"
Meghan looked at Patrick. What kind of job could she give Olivia that would make her feel helpful, but not too hard?
"Where are you starting?" Patrick carried the leftover salad to the sink.
"I wanted to finish the kitchen tonight. I finished the upper cabinets and washed all the dishes. I know. Olivia, can you take all the pans out of this cupboard and set them on the table?" Meghan wrung out the sponge and wiped the table.
"What do you want me to do?"
"How are you at washing walls? I want to paint, but as greasy as these walls are, they have to be washed first."
"Good enough. Where's the bucket and soap?" Patrick rolled up his sleeves. "Oh, and do you have a ladder?"
Meghan snapped her fingers. "A ladder, good question. I didn't think to buy one."
"I'll look in the basement. If not, I have one at home."
Meghan busied herself back in the refrigerator. Hopefully, there was a ladder downstairs. If not, Patrick would have to go home, and Payton was there, waiting for him. Patrick didn't look too happy about it, but what would happen once he and Payton talked?
Thankfully, Patrick came back with a ladder. Meghan filled the bucket with water and added the soap. She couldn't think of a darn thing to say. Her mind kept going back to the comment Olivia had made. Payton was back and from the sounds of it, she was there to stay. How did Patrick feel about that? He didn't look overly enthusiastic, but that didn't really tell her anything. He might just be leery. After all, she did leave under less than amicable circumstances. At least that's what Patrick led her to believe.
Of course, there were two sides to every story. Patrick told her his side, what was Payton's? And did she even want to know? Right now, she'd better concentrate on her house. At least it was livable. The bedroom had been dusted down and sheets changed, all ready for bed. It would be nice to wake up in her new home. After a quick cup of coffee in the morning, she could start right in on the dining room.
"I'm done with the pans. Can we go now, Daddy?"
"See if there's something else you can do." Patrick looked down from his ladder. "I have to finish the walls."
Olivia stood hands on hips, a pout on her tiny mouth. Obviously, Patrick didn't spoil the child. "Can you take the bowls out of this cupboard for me?"
"O-kay." Olivia opened the cupboard and pulled out the plastic bowls. "How come there's so many cottage cheese bowls in here?"
Meghan stopped and looked in the cupboard. Other than a few plastic mixing bowls, the cupboard was full of empty cottage cheese cartons. "Good question. Looks like someone liked cottage cheese. Why they saved all these cartons is beyond me." Meghan pulled the trashcan next to the cabinet. "Just toss them in here."
Grabbing another bucket, she filled it with hot, soapy water and began scrubbing out the cabinet that held the pots and pans. At this rate, they'd be finished with the kitchen tonight. Tomorrow, she'd tackle the dining room and move on from there. Monday, she'd call the high school and see if she could get some boys to start painting.
"I'm done with those cabinets too. Can we go home now, Daddy?"
Patrick folded the ladder and set it against the basement door. "Pretty soon, I'm almost done."
"I'm tired. I want to go now. Besides, Mommy's waiting for us."
Meghan stood back and watched. The way Patrick clenched his jaw wasn't lost on her.
"I can finish up now. You did the high stuff at least. I appreciate your help. Yours too." Meghan held out her hand to Olivia. "You've been a really big help emptying those cabinets for me. Saved me a lot of work."
"You're welcome." Olivia shook Meghan's hand. "Come on, Daddy. Let's go."
"Are you sure? I can stay and finish up. It won't take long." Patrick shot a warning look to Olivia.
"Yes, I'm fine. I can't thank you enough." Not that she wanted him to go. Thinking of him across the street with Payton turned her stomach.
Chapter Eleven
Patrick took Olivia's hand. Damn it, he didn't want to leave, and he sure as hell didn't want to talk to Payton. Why was Olivia so gung ho on seeing Payton anyway? Sure, she was young and didn't understand how her mother deserted her, but what had his mother told her about Payton that made Olivia so willing to accept her? Too bad he didn't have time to call and ask. Hell, he'd just pay her a visit and find out. Putting Payton off for another hour or so wouldn't bother him a bit.
Patrick snapped his fingers. "I just remembered something we have to pick up at Grammy's." Patrick pulled his car keys out and led Olivia to the car.
"But Mommy's waiting. Can't she come to Grammy's with us?"
"No."
"Can't we get it tomorrow? What did you forget?"
Crap, he hated to lie to her. What could he possibly need from his mother? "I just need to talk to her." At least that part was true.
"Can't you call her?"
Fortunately, he pulled into his mother's drive and didn't need to answer. Already his mother had the door opened, waiting for them.
"Grammy!" Olivia ran to her opened arms. "Guess what? Mommy came back. She's waiting for us, but Daddy said he forgot something here."
Patrick caught his mother's look over Olivia's head. Oh, yeah, she had a lot to answer for, and they better be good answers.
"Come in, come in. How would you like some fresh baked cookies and a glass of milk?" Ida said.
Patrick smiled. Leave it to his mother to know how to diffuse a situation. Not that she still didn't have to give him some answers, but at least he calmed down a bit. The ache in the pit of his stomach lessened.
Once Olivia was settled at the kitchen island with her cookies and milk, he nodded for his mother to join him in the nook. Far enough away, he could keep an eye on Olivia, but she couldn't hear them. "Okay, what did you tell her about Payton, and why in the hell didn't you tell me?" His temper rose at the thought of Payton.
"Calm down, Patrick." His mother poured each of them a cup of coffee and set a plate of cookies on the table before she sat down. "For starters, I told her about Payton because she asked. We both agreed we'd never lie to her."
"Telling her Payton had an important job and couldn't stay here wasn't lying?" New anger welled up inside him. How could his mother tell his daughter som
ething so foolish?
"Okay, I stretched the truth a bit."
"A bit? How about an out and out lie? Do you realize Olivia thinks Payton's job is done and she's here to stay?"
"I'm sorry, Patrick. I never expected Payton to come back. Besides, how do you tell a four year old her mother didn't want anything to do with her?"
Patrick rubbed his face. She had a point, but still. "The least you could have done was tell me."
"I'm sorry it completely slipped my mind. Olivia didn't ask anything else, she seemed satisfied with that answer and the subject never came up again. What does Payton want?"
Patrick took a long drink of coffee and sat back. "Good question. I have no idea. She showed up unexpectedly just as we were leaving for Meghan's. I didn't stick around to ask. She's waiting for us to come back, but I needed to know what you told Olivia."
"You could have called for that information. Sounds like you're stalling to me."
"That's an understatement. The last place I want to go right now is home. Olivia's so excited to see her mother, I thought you created this grand illusion about Payton or something."
"Now that, I'd never do. Aren't you the least bit curious?"
"Truthfully, no. I wish to hell she never would have shown up. But you know Payton, whatever it is, it's for her own gain. I can't imagine anything that would bring her back here after all this time. She said she came to see Olivia. Doesn't sound like Payton to me." Patrick stood and poured another cup of coffee. "Why the hell would she suddenly want to see Olivia after all this time?"
"I guess you'll have to ask her that question." His mother sipped her coffee. "You're not still in love with her, are you?"
Patrick leaned back and laughed. "Are you kidding? I'm not sure I ever was."
"So, what are you going to do?"
"I guess I'm going to see what she wants and send her on her merry way."
"What if she wants visitation rights?"
"She signed over complete custody to me when she left."
His mother put her hand on his arm. "People do change their minds."
"I'll fight her on it."
"You might lose. The courts often side with the mother. You might lose custody of Olivia if you fight her. And what about Olivia? Obviously, she wants to see her mother. You can't prevent that. It would only build resentment as she got older."
"Hell, I don't know. What else can I do? The damn bitch comes back out of nowhere and disrupts our lives, just as I …."
"Just as you what? Found someone else? You can't let her interfere between you and Meghan, Patrick. Whatever else she does, you can't let her stand in the way of your relationship or happiness."
Patrick couldn't help but laugh. The town gossips had really done their jobs. "What makes you think Meghan and I have a relationship?"
His mother stood up and laughed. "Maybe it has something to do with being caught kissing her a couple of times, and maybe the fact you took her to dinner, not to mention you went over there tonight with a picnic basket."
"You mean to tell me the whole town knows I went over there with a picnic basket? Don't people have anything better to do than gossip?"
"I don't know about the whole town, but I happened to be talking to Cora Wilson when you walked across the street."
"Hell, if Cora Wilson knows, the whole town knows. I'm surprised she didn't tell you about Payton."
"Obviously, she didn't see her, or you can bet she would have."
Patrick shook his head. "Great. They're going to have a field day when they find out she's back."
"Can we go now, Daddy?" Olivia skipped into the room. "Mommy is waiting for us."
Patrick looked at his mother and shrugged. What the hell was he going to do? "Okay, go wash your hands first."
His mother took Olivia's hand. "Come on, I'll help you."
Patrick drank the last of his coffee and grabbed a cookie. Somehow he had to get rid of Payton. Preferably tonight. The last thing he needed was her spending the night. Talk about complicating a situation.
"Ready?" Olivia kissed her grandmother goodbye and took his hand.
Ready wasn't the word to describe his feelings. Maybe Payton got tired of waiting and left. Not likely, but he could wish.
* * *
Patrick pulled in the drive next to Payton's car and shot a look at Meghan's house. The lights still burned in the kitchen. A momentary pang of guilt hit him. He should have stayed and finished. Olivia jumped out of the car before he even had his seatbelt unbuckled. Whatever else happened, Payton better not hurt her.
"Mommy, we're home." Olivia shoved the door open and sped through to the living room. Patrick could barely keep up.
Payton sat on the couch, feet curled up and a glass of wine next to her. Her suitcase sat next to the staircase. The only light in the room, a dozen candles and a fire in the fireplace. Patrick didn't like it. Didn't take Payton long to make herself at home. Too damn comfy if you asked him. And too much ambiance. The woman just didn't quit. And who the hell built a fire in August? Damn air conditioning was probably running constantly.
Olivia jumped on the couch and curled up next to Payton. For just a brief moment, Patrick caught an intimate look pass between them. "Are you going to stay, Mommy? Please say you're going to stay."
"That's up to your father." Payton brushed the curls back from Olivia's forehead and kissed her.
"Can she stay, Daddy? Puleeease!"
Patrick's stomach knotted. Payton never showed that kind of affection for Olivia when she was a baby. What was she up to? And wasn't it just like her to lay it on him. "Your mother and I need to talk, and it's time for you to be in bed."
Olivia's lip stuck out and quivered. Patrick crossed the room, picked her up and carried her to the stairway. Setting her down, he gave her bottom a little pat. "Go on, I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in. And don't forget to brush your teeth."
"Can Mommy tuck me in and read me a story?"
"We'll see." Patrick patted her behind and gave her a gentle push. "Go on now, get ready for bed."
After Olivia tottered up the steps, he turned back to Payton. She hadn't moved from her spot. She looked beautiful in the candlelight. Her silk blouse caught the glow from the candles and looked expensive. Not that it surprised Patrick. Payton always had luxurious taste. She'd rather pay a lot of money for one good blouse than to buy three or four at a discount store. Now that she was a success, she could dress the part.
"She's a beautiful little girl. You've done a good job with her."
"Let's cut to the chase, Payton. What do you want?" Patrick crossed the room and sat on the wing-backed chair across from her. He folded his arms across his chest. Whatever it was, the answer was no.
Payton eased her legs off the couch, smoothed her skirt and looked at him. "I know this is awkward, but I want to come back. I want to try again. I never stopped loving you, Patrick. I want us to be a family."
Patrick crossed his leg. Was she nuts? Did she think she could just waltz in here and pick up where they left off? "You've got to be kidding." He couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Not that he cared, she deserved sarcasm.
"Of course I'm not kidding. I'm serious, Patrick." Payton stood and walked to him, leaned down and brushed her lips across his cheek. "We could be a real family again."
Patrick stood, knocking her aside. "We weren't a real family to begin with. What the hell makes you think we can be one now? It's been four damned years, and now you want to be a family? Get out of our lives, Payton. We don't need you here. We don't want you."
"It's that new neighbor, isn't it? Your secretary?" Payton's lip curled in that angry way he hated.
"Actually, no. And what difference does it make anyway? You left, why didn't you stay gone?"
Payton walked toward him in that slow seductive way that used to tantalize him. She hadn't changed a bit. Still thought she could use sex to get what she wanted. That wasn't going to work anymore. He held up his hand to stop her just as
she leaned into him. "You need to leave."
She stopped dead in her tracks, tears formed in her eyes, her bottom lip came out. Lord, spare him one of her pouts that used to melt him and let her have her own way. Thank God, he was immune to her now. Payton couldn't hold a candle to Meghan. Too bad he hadn't seen that a long time ago.
"I have nowhere to go."
"How about back to New York?"
Payton shook her head.
"Daddy, can Mommy read me a story now? I'm ready to be tucked in." Olivia's voice broke their discussion.
Patrick ran his hands through his hair. "Damn it, go read her a story and kiss her goodbye. Tell her you have to leave. That something important came up. Make up something. I don't care, just don't let her think you're staying."
Payton wiped an invisible tear and went upstairs.
He looked out the window. The kitchen lights were off, but the living room still glowed. Meghan must have finished the kitchen. He sure as hell would rather be over there. Damn it. Leave it to Payton to ruin everything.
Ten minutes later, Payton came back downstairs. Patrick held her coat out to her. "Did you make up a good excuse?"
Payton shook her head and ignored the jacket. "I can't leave."
"The hell you can't."
"I quit my job, gave up my apartment. I have nowhere to stay."
"You did what? Why the hell would you quit your job and give up your apartment? You honestly didn't believe I'd let you walk back in here, did you?" Damn it, she really thought he was going to open his arms and take her back after all this time.
"I'm pregnant."
Patrick backed up and fell into a chair. "You're what?"
"I'm pregnant."
"Then go stay with the father."
Payton shook her head. "He's married."
Patrick laughed. He couldn't help it. The irony of the situation amused him. Payton pregnant with another man's kid, and she comes to him. "And you came here why?"
"I remembered how you always said Littleton was a great place to raise a child."
Patrick raked his fingers through his hair. "And I remember you saying how boring it was."
Secrets, Lies & Love Page 7
