Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1)

by H. C. Bentley

  "I don't think I've told you this," she started, looking into his eyes. "But you're a good dad. You're great with them."

  "Well." He cleared his throat. "They make it easy for me."

  "They're great kids."

  He nodded, but before he could say anything else, the boys were back, as predicted. Each of them was soon tugging on an adult, begging them to join in on the fun.

  "You hafta to come see this new bounce house! It's like a jungle! It's got a tiger on it and everything!" Logan exclaimed as he pulled on Lynn's arm.

  "Dad!" Nathan looked at Carter, excitement shining in his face. "They still have the giant slides. Can you come down them with me? Please?"

  The adults exchanged glances, and in silent agreement, each removed their coats and shoes. Lynn bounced in the jungle with Logan, and could help but laugh along with him when he giggled hysterically. Carter climbed and slid with Nathan, enjoying the sounds of his oldest child whooping and laughing on the way down the vinyl surface of the slide. From there, they mixed it up, swapping pairs or playing together as a group, until the boys complained they were getting hungry.

  "Daddy?" Logan looked up at his dad. "Can we go get burgers?"

  "I want chicken nuggets!" Nathan announced.

  "And here I was thinking we could go get liver and onions for lunch!" Carter replied, mocking disappointment. Even Lynn had to make a face and shake her head to add to the chorus of 'ew' coming from the kids.

  "Alright. I guess we can go get burgers and chicken nuggets. Let's see who can get their shoes and coats on the fastest so we can get out of here and eat!"

  The boys raced to get their things tugged on, fighting with coat sleeves and struggling with shoes. Logan's little lower lip poked out when Nathan edged him out in the race to finish.

  "I never win." He pouted to Lynn. His sad blue eyes tugged at Lynn's heart.

  "It's okay." She assured him as she reached down to tie the laces of his shoes. "Someday you will, when you're a little bigger. Then your brother won't know what to think."

  "Really?"

  "Really." She flicked the tip of his nose with her finger before zipping up his coat and taking his hand. Carter and Nathan were already standing, waiting for them to make their way to the door.

  They made their way to lunch, dining under the golden arches. She watched as Nathan dunked his nuggets in sauce and nibbled, while Logan tried his best to devour his cheeseburger, happily swinging his feet as he ate.

  Already finished with their food, Lynn and Carter sat together, sipping their drinks as they watched the kids enjoy their lunch.

  "Have to say." Carter pointed to her milkshake. "I'm surprised to see you drinking one of those. You used to love them, but I figured you'd still be stuck in the discipline of the military."

  "Are you kidding?" She laughed. "As soon as I was able, I bought one of these bad boys from Starbucks and enjoyed every sip. I have to be careful not to overdo it since I'm not working out like I used to."

  "Do you miss it at all?"

  "Some." She admitted. "I miss the comradery, the travel. The actual work, too. But, the politics of it all tainted it for me." She shrugged.

  "I can understand that."

  "I keep in touch with a few close friends. You know, Facebook, email, text messages. But mostly that life is behind me. And I'm okay with that."

  "I'm glad you're okay with that." He reached under the table to take her hand. "Just like I'm glad you're here with us now."

  They smiled at each other before the moment was broken by Logan's loud announcement that he had to pee right now. After he pressed his lips to her hand, Carter took his little boy to the bathroom, leaving Lynn to sit with Nathan.

  "Would you like a nugget?" he offered, giving her a glimpse at his rare, sweet smile.

  "How about we split one? I'm pretty full, but chicken nuggets are one of my favorites."

  "Mine too." He tore one in half, and handed her a piece. After Lynn thanked him for sharing, they munched in silence before Nathan spoke up again.

  "Dad told us we get to go have Thanksgiving at your house."

  "Well, it's not really my house," she corrected. "It's my mom and dad's house. But yes, you and your daddy and brother are invited to come spend the day with us." She studied his face. "Is that okay?"

  "Mm-hmm," he murmured in agreement. "Can I tell you something, though?"

  "Sure."

  "I'm glad dad's not having to cook. He does a lot of stuff okay, but I don't think he should try turkeys and pies by himself. Those are always Gramma's job."

  His voice was so matter-of-fact that it caught Lynn off guard, and she couldn't help but laugh at the child's assessment of his father's cooking abilities. She and Nathan were still grinning at each other when Carter returned with Logan.

  "What did we miss?" Carter asked, puzzled.

  "Nothing." Lynn smiled, sending a quick wink to Nathan. "Let's get rid of all this mess and hit some mini golf, huh?"

  The rest of the afternoon, in fits of giggles and frustrations, each of their group struggled to get their respective ball into the little cups on the mini golf course. They played a couple of rounds, then turned the boys loose in the arcade for a little while. Here, Carter became a little boy again himself, challenging his sons to duels in pinball and air hockey. The time came, however, to herd everyone to the truck and head for home.

  "Ms. Lynn?" Logan's tired voice called from the back seat.

  "Yeah, sweetie?"

  "Do you gotta go home?"

  "Oh, honey. I do. I'm sorry." She apologized.

  "Oh." Lynn looked over her shoulder to see Logan's lip sticking out, his chin to his chest as he twiddled his fingers.

  "We were hoping you could eat dinner with us."

  "We're not stopping for burgers and nuggets again," Carter, never taking his eyes off the road, issued his warning.

  "No, Dad. We want her to eat with us at our house," Logan corrected.

  Lynn looked over at Carter to get his reaction. The look he shot her before going back to watching the road told her the decision was hers.

  "I tell you guys what," she began, "if your dad says it's okay to make a quick stop at the store on the way home, I'll fix dinner for all of us."

  "Lynn, no," Carter objected over the cheers of the kids. "You don't have to do that."

  "I want to," she assured him, placing a hand on his arm.

  "Yeah, Dad, she wants to!" This from Nathan, who leaned forward to better hear the goings-on in the front seat.

  "Okay, I know when I'm out numbered." Carter admitted defeat. "Nothing too fancy?" Picky eaters, he mouthed.

  "Gotcha. How about some cheesy chicken and noodles?" She named the simplest, kid-friendly meal she could think of on short notice.

  "Yum!" Logan yelled, pumping his fists in the air.

  "That settles it. Driver, take me to the grocery store!"

  "Yes, ma'am!" Carter glanced at her again, mouthing a thank you.

  * * *

  An hour later, the boys had emptied their plates, all but licking them clean. They had each even tried a small bit of salad. Once they saw that Lynn had some on her plate, they had wanted to try it, too. She had given them a little extra dressing to help it go down easier, but they had eaten it. Now they were with Carter, who was giving them a bath and getting them into pajamas for bed. She cleaned the kitchen, loading the dishwasher and putting away the scant amount of leftovers.

  She was just finishing wiping off the table and the counters when the boys came racing into the kitchen once more. Fresh from their bath, they were both barefoot, and each boy's wet hair slicked back. They grinned up at her, teeth brushed.

  "Thank you for dinner, it was great." Logan's voice was loaded with enthusiasm.

  "I'm glad you stayed," Nathan added shyly, twisting his fingers together as his small body swayed from side to side.

  "Me too. And I'm glad you like dinner." She smiled at them both.

  "We hafta go to bed now.
" Logan looked up at her, a questioning look on his face. "Will we see you in the morning?"

  "No, honey." She squatted down, so she was at eye level with them. "I have to go home and sleep in my bed, just like you have to sleep in yours. But I'll see you again, soon. Okay?"

  "Okay." His little body let out a big sigh. "Can we tell you good night anyway?"

  "I'd be sad if you didn't." The boy ran forward, latching his arms around her neck. She closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of children's shampoo, toothpaste, and boy.

  "Good night, and sweet dreams," she told him as he pulled back, and kissed him on the cheek. She turned to Nathan, repeating the process.

  "You guys go pick out a bedtime story, and I'll be there in a minute," Carter instructed, sending the boys running down the hall. He pulled himself away from the wall where he'd been leaning, watching Lynn with his children. Something in him had shifted at the sight of her hugging his kids good-night. He walked to her, resting his hands on her hips.

  "You could stay, you know," he informed her, looking into her eyes.

  "No, I couldn't." She shook her head and wound her arms around his neck. "It's too soon, and if I did, they wouldn't understand why I'm not here all the time. Best to not get ahead of ourselves."

  "You're right." His sigh matched of his son. "But the thought of going to an empty bed sucks."

  "I'm not any happier about it than you are, trust me." At her words, he dropped his forehead to hers and they stood, enjoying being near each other for a little while longer. The sound of his sons calling for him brought them back to the moment.

  "You go ahead and do the dad thing. You can call me later, once they're asleep, if you want." She leaned up on her toes, gave him a kiss before going over to pull her coat and purse off of the rack by the door. As she shrugged into her jacket, zipping it up, she looked at him and smiled.

  "Do me a favor? Tell the boys I had the best time today." She reached for the handle, giving him one last smile before slipping out the door. Since he couldn't go after her, he rubbed the back of his neck and headed down the hallway to where his sons were waiting for their father to put them to bed.

  12

  Thanksgiving had somehow snuck up on everyone, as it seemed that just yesterday the grass was green, the flowers were blooming, and the sun shined down warm upon their faces. Now, the naked trees stretched their bare branches towards skies that were a gloomy gray, and the air had a chilly bite to it.

  Lynn didn't mind the chill or the gloom as it was now - to her mind - the best part of the year. The holidays were here, meaning the smell of wood burning in the fireplace would be near-constant, decorations would appear on porch steps and doors, and the gatherings of family and friends would begin. She loved when everyone came together, sharing food, laughter, stories. Now that she, her sister, and cousins were all grown, jobs, kids and life made it more and more difficult to get everyone together in the same place at the same time.

  But today was Thanksgiving day, and most everyone was together now. There were a few stragglers -- those who were always late, no matter what time you told them to show up. Lynn, Catherine, and Emily had been cooking for hours, having risen with the sun. Over steaming cups of coffee and warm cinnamon rolls, they had completed the menu, and made a list for a last minute grocery store run for any missing ingredients. They spent hours chatting about town events and family happenings while they all chopped, sliced and stirred. Because of their combined culinary efforts, the air soon carried the aromas of roasting meats, the sweet scent of yams and assorted pies. By early afternoon, they had hit the final stretch in the preparations where they could trade off taking turns visiting with those who had already come in and made themselves at home.

  Bear sent up the sharp bark that signaled more visitors. The dog, now looking even more wolf-like with his full, glorious winter coat of gray and white, went into an excited frenzy at the brisk knock at the front door, practically dancing at the thought of having more people in his house.

  Lynn, wiping her hands on the dish towel she carried, was laughing at the animal's full body wag when she opened the inner door to see Carter and his boys waiting on the other side of the glass. Lynn gave Bear the command to sit and stay as she reached for the curved silver door handle.

  Nathan and Logan, huddled into their heavy winter jackets on either side of Carter, had dimples on display as they grinned through the door. Lynn swung it open to welcome them inside. Carter, smiling and looking handsome in his leather bomber jacket, held a pie in one hand and a plastic grocery bag in the other.

  "Hi guys! Happy Thanksgiving!" She greeted as she closed the door behind them. "What did you bring me?"

  "A punkin pie!" Logan exclaimed as he struggled out of his jacket. His smile was huge, showing off the newest gap in his front teeth where a baby tooth had once been.

  "A pumpkin pie??" She smiled as she knelt to help him out of his coat. "That is my most favorite Thanksgiving pie ever! How did you guess?"

  "'Cause Dad told us! He says you like it with lots and lots of whipped cream on top."

  "Well, your Daddy is a smart man." She grinned up at Carter, then over at Nathan. "And how's my other boyfriend?"

  The boy was shy, and though he smiled his sweet smile, his pale and freckled complexion turned red to match his hair.

  "I'm good." He pointed at the bag that Carter still held. "We brought rolls too, 'cause me and Logan like to eat them, 'specially with lots of butter. And Dad was afraid there wouldn't be enough if we didn't bring extras."

  "Well, it's a good thing you did, because I like them with lots of butter too." As she took their jackets, she noticed the boys looking at something behind her. Remembering Bear, she turned to look over her shoulder. The dog was practically vibrating, trying his best to obey his mistress when all he wanted to do was lick the faces of these little boys who would play fetch and tug with him.

  "Okay, Bear. Come on, but be nice." That was all it took to have the dog off his spot and over to the kids in a matter of seconds. Lynn took advantage of the peals of laughter the boys let loose as Bear bathed their faces in kisses, to give Carter a kiss of her own.

  "Glad you could make it. I kinda missed your face."

  "Well, that's good, because I kinda missed your face too."

  They stood grinning at each other for a moment, before Lynn took the food from Carter so he could remove his jacket, then they both ushered kids into the mix of people waiting inside. The boys took off to join in with the children of her cousins, bonding and making new friends in an instant as children do. Bear was in heaven, having all these little hands available to rub his belly, scratch his ear, throw his ball or sneak him a snack.

  Lynn felt the warmth and coziness of the holiday, of being surrounded by the people she cared most about in the world. The men gathered in what had been dubbed by the family as the pool room, shooting stick and disagreeing with the refs that were officiating the football game that played on the television in the corner. The women were in the kitchen, doing last minute food preparations, or sitting at the bar with a glass of wine in hand, catching up and visiting with those around them. Children of various ages and sizes made their way between the two rooms, sitting on laps and testing the foods that were cooking. The sounds and feelings of family surrounded Lynn like a well-worn blanket.

  She had missed this in her time away, this closeness, the shared memories among these people. Mostly during those times where she wasn't able to get home for holidays or important family events. Those times were always the hardest for her, even though she went to great lengths to stay busy. During the holidays, it was making sure the single soldiers in her unit always had a place to go and that her home was open when they, like her, weren't able to make it back home to be with their families. While she had enjoyed entertaining her comrades, helping to cook for them, there had always been a little ache in her heart for the family she knew missed her as much as she missed them. But she was here now and determined make up f
or lost time and enjoy the day.

  "Hey everyone, look who's here! Carter, you remember my parents, my sister. Everyone else you'll get to know as the day goes on. I'd introduce you but there's so many of us you'll never remember names. Everyone else, this is Carter, and his boys Nathan and Logan are running with the pack somewhere around here." She grinned and kissed Carter's cheek. "And now, I have to get back to the kitchen and help finish so we can all eat soon."

  As Lynn walked away, Carter heard the various greetings, felt a cold beer being pressed into the palm of his hand, and found himself being steered towards the pool room. It looked like he was on his own for now.

  * * *

  The smells of the food being laid out buffet-style in the dining room were glorious. The old oak table groaned under the weight of succulent turkey, juicy ham, hot rolls, and enough side dishes to feed the defensive line of an NFL team. An assortment of desserts sat on the sideboard, pies teasing with their buttery crusts, cookies heavy with chocolate chips begging to be eaten, and glistening squares of fudge in several varieties that would tempt a saint.

  Because their gatherings had grown at a steady rate over the years, everyone scattered around the large open living room. The kids table meant children sitting on pillows around the wide coffee table, under which Bear laid with his head on his paws, hoping little fingers would drop bits of the feast he could sneak and eat. Adults took chairs from the kitchen and pool room, places on the couch and recliners, and balanced plates on knees or trays. Somehow, everyone always found a seat. Holidays had been this way for as long as Lynn could remember, a free-for-all to find the best spot to sit during the meal. Now as an adult, she had a pick of the better seats in the house, and was no longer required to sit on the floor.