For the Love of Mike (Men Of Maine Series Book 2)

by Diana Tobin

  “I don’t think so, either, honey. I never met them, but from what your parents said, they didn’t approve of the marriage. Denny said his parents wanted your mom and dad to divorce and they’d take custody of you and Charley, but they talked about sending you both to a boarding school. Your dad knew if anything happened to him I’d make sure you two were raised normal. His words,” she added.

  “They didn’t come to the funerals, did they?”

  Again, Mike shook her head. “They never approved of your mother and refused to come to her funeral. They did offer to take you and your sister, place you both in some sort of nursing home until you’d healed, then ship you off to a school. Your dad refused.” She wouldn’t repeat what she’d overheard Denny say on the phone, but it made clear to Mike the depth of his love for his wife and his grief over her death. “Not coming to your dad’s funeral could’ve been my fault.” She met Dani’s steady stare. “His parents wanted him buried in the family cemetery. I refused. I knew he wanted to be buried next to your mom.” Mike lifted a shoulder in a little shrug. “I haven’t heard from them since. Have you?”

  “No, and I never want to.”

  She hated to suggest this but Dani had a right to know everything. “Life with your grandparents might be easier. They have a lot of money. You wouldn’t have to work unless you wanted to. They might have changed their minds about sending you off to school…letting the two of you live with them.”

  Slowly, Dani stopped what she doing and turned to face Mike. “Do you want us to go?”

  “No! Oh, no!” Mike dragged a hand through her tousled hair. “I want what’s best for you.” Her lips twitched. “Although I know you and I don’t see eye-to-eye about what that is. I promised your dad to raise you. I didn’t love him the way a wife should love her husband, but I did care about him and came to respect him. I wish…” She wished a lot of things.

  She wished Denny had been able to better deal with his grief, for the sake of his children. She wished he’d been able to crawl out of a bottle rather than sinking deeper into one. She wished they’d been able to come to love each other, as a couple, as parents of two young girls. She wished she hadn’t failed to live up to someone else’s expectations, again. She wished she’d been able to give Denny a reason to live.

  Mike would never tell another living soul, but she didn’t believe Denny’s death had been an accident. She was sure it was suicide. He hadn’t ridden his motorcycle in months. And, while he did drink himself to sleep each night, he didn’t drink during the day. What had made him decide to go for a ride at sunset that day?

  Looking back, perhaps she should’ve seen what he planned. After they’d married he’d insisted on having adoption papers drawn up. Mike thought it an unnecessary expense, but Denny said he never wanted her parental rights challenged. After his death, she’d discovered he’d taken out a large life insurance policy the day they’d said their vows with her as sole beneficiary. Proof he trusted her to do what was best for his children, even though he wouldn’t be there to see to it.

  Dani brought platters of waffles and bacon to the table. She heated up Mike’s coffee, poured herself a cup, and sat down. They ate silently for several minutes before Dani spoke.

  “You said you’d seen a bad marriage. Were you married before?”

  “Not me. My parents.” Mike scooped a last bite of waffle through a puddle of syrup. “This farm has been in Grammie’s family for generations. She’d have been happy to be a farmer’s wife. The problem was, my dad didn’t want to be a farmer. Given half a chance, he’d have sold the place and frittered away the proceeds.”

  “What did your dad do? For work, I mean.”

  “He was a lot like your dad—drifted from job to job. He worked at a couple of mills, but as the economy declined, many of the mills shut down.” She placed part of another waffle on her plate. “He was always after Mom to sell the place, saying we’d move to Portland or something where life would be better. Fortunately, Mom didn’t agree, and never added him to the deed. Instead, she opened the coffee shop.” She added more syrup to her waffle. “Dad didn’t want anything to do with making ‘frou-frou’ drinks, as he called it.” Mike grinned at Dani. “That’s about the time Mom told him to hit the road, and he did, literally. Last I knew, he was driving truck.”

  “Do you see him often?”

  “Nope. He had about as much interest in being a father as he did in being a farmer. I have no idea where he lives or what he’s doing.” She finished her breakfast, then said, “Maybe my sister or brother have heard from him. They both make good money. Something that would appeal to dear ole dad.” She patted Dani’s hand before gathering up the dishes. “Thanks for breakfast. It was good, and I appreciate the pampering.”

  “You’re welcome, Micki.” Dani helped put away the leftovers and clean up. “You know, people are messed up.”

  Mike gave her a puzzled look.

  “Money brings out the worst in people. Dad had access to plenty, yet he chose to stay away from his parents because of their attitude and crazy ideas. Your dad turned his back on a great family because he couldn’t get money.” She shook her head in disgust. “Messed up!”

  Mike beamed at her.

  “What?”

  “You, my darling daughter, have got it. Money is necessary, but it shouldn’t be more important than people. Especially people you care about. I’m very proud of you.”

  “Aw, don’t go getting all mushy,” Dani protested.

  “Not me,” she declared, blinking back tears.

  “Um, Micki, about Ethan. I know you don’t want to talk about last night, but did you guys have a fight? Do I need to quit my lessons?”

  She’d spent the morning wallowing in self-pity, giving no thought to how her daughters would be affected by the change in their relationship. “As long as you want to continue and as long as he’s willing to instruct you, your lessons should go on. I’ve also made a commitment to prepare meals for the players living with him, and I won’t turn my back on them. We’re good.” She started to turn away, then added, “Dani, could we keep this between us? The fact that my date wasn’t nearly as great as yours. Grammie and Charley both like Ethan, and they don’t need to be in the middle of this.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Thanks, honey.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Monday, she made sure Ethan’s car wasn’t in the driveway before she stopped at his house with the meal for that evening. She left the slow cooker on the counter, put the salad in the fridge, and left a note with instructions before heading to work.

  Naturally, Nettie had asked about her evening with Ethan to which Mike had simply replied, “We discovered dating doesn’t suit us.” When she’d refused to further discuss it, Nettie had let the matter drop, instead commenting on the change in Dani.

  “Looks like the two of you are getting along better.”

  “We had a nice morning together,” Mike told her. “We talked about her parents, Denny’s parents, you and Dad.”

  “Hmmph!”

  “She needed the truth, Mom. Charley accepts that we love her. Dani didn’t, but I think she’s beginning to.” She took the coffee Nettie handed her. “She’s a teenager, so that won’t be the end of our disputes, but I believe we reached a new closeness.”

  Mike got The Hair Mousse opened for the day and listened to the messages on the answering machine. Three requests for appointments before the holiday and two messages from Ethan asking her to call him. “Fat chance,” she muttered as she picked up the phone to return the calls for haircuts and a manicure.

  Each time Ethan called her cell she hit “ignore” and let it go to voice mail, which she later erased without listening to. By the time the school bus stopped out front, she had plenty to keep Charley busy. She waved at Dani through the window as her daughter made her way across the parking lot to work next door.

  “Hi, Mama.”

  “Hi, sweetie. How was your day?” She gave Charley a hu
g.

  “Good, but I don’t see why we have to go to school all week.”

  Mike laughed. “You don’t go to school Thursday and Friday, so you’ve only got two more days. Grab a snack. There are towels waiting for you to wash, okay?”

  “’Kay. What are we having for supper?”

  “Stew. I’ll make biscuits when we get home.”

  “You mean Ethan’s house,” Charley corrected.

  “No, we’re going to eat at home. Wil is coming over, too.” Seeing Charley was going to argue, she added, “The boys know how to dish up food. We don’t have to eat with them every night. Now, get started on your chores. I have someone coming in for a cut.”

  On the way home, Dani said, “Ethan called. He’s going to pick me up after supper for a lesson. Okay?”

  “Sure,” replied Mike. “Do you have much homework? Fortunately, Charley was too busy to do hers at the shop.”

  “I have a little reading to do. I can do that when I get home later.” Dani fidgeted in her seat a bit. “Uh, Grammie was talking about Thanksgiving. She wants Wil to eat with us.”

  “Good.” The last thing Mike wanted to think about was the upcoming holiday. Surely, Ethan didn’t still expect her to spend the day with him? No, he didn’t care about spending time with her, but he did expect her to feed his players and his parents. Screw that! He could take them out to dinner.

  Nettie and Wil pulled in shortly after Mike and the girls. “Mmmm, supper smells good,” said Wil.

  Mike smiled at him. “Let me get the biscuits made, toss the salad, and we’ll be ready to eat.”

  Charley and Dani set the table, Nettie poured wine for the adults, and soon they sat down for the simple meal.

  Mike remained at the table finishing her wine when Ethan came in to pick up Dani.

  “The stew was good, Michaela.”

  “Thank you,” she responded without looking at him.

  “The boys got the bread a bit too crisp,” Ethan said. “I see y’all had some good lookin’ biscuits.” He pointed to the two remaining on a plate showing bits of herbs.

  “Help yourself, Handsome,” said Nettie. “Micki’s got a good touch.”

  “Yes, ma’am, she surely does.” He picked up a biscuit as Dani came in with her coat, scarf, and hat.

  “I’m ready, Coach.”

  “See y’all later.”

  Mike cleaned the kitchen and prepared another slow cooker meal to drop off at Ethan’s the next day while Charley did her homework at the table. Nettie and Wil went into the living room to watch TV. When Mike finished she went in to talk to her mother. “Are you two going to be up for a bit?”

  “Yes, there’s a show we want to see. Are you going out?”

  “No, I’m going up to bed. Do you mind waiting for Dani to get home?”

  Nettie and Wil exchanged a look. “Are you feeling ill?”

  “No, Mom, just tired. I’ll see you in the morning.” She winked at Wil. “Will I see you then, too?”

  “Ayuh.”

  “Night.” She checked on Charley, gave her a kiss goodnight, and went up to her room. Mike knew her mother thought it strange she didn’t wait to speak with Ethan, as was their habit, and appreciated not being questioned. Truthfully, she wasn’t feeling well. Her head was beginning to ache nearly as much as her heart.

  Downstairs, Nettie was fussing at Wil. “Something is going on with those two. Something not right.”

  “Aw, leave ’em alone, honey. We shouldn’t be sticking our noses in their affair.”

  “Maybe that’s the problem; they need to be having an affair. Nothing like some sweet loving to—to get things straight,” Nettie said with a naughty smile. “Where do you think we’d be if Cathy hadn’t stuck her nose in?”

  “What’s Cathy got to do with you and me?” Wil demanded. “I kissed you.”

  Nettie cupped his whisker stubbled cheek with one hand. “Yes, you did, thank goodness. Finally!”

  “I’ll show you ‘finally’,” he said, leaning in and kissing her. “That’s just a sample.”

  She smiled and laid her head on his chest. “I love you, Wil.”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “’Bout time,” he said on a sigh, making her giggle. Before he could show her, Ethan and Dani walked in.

  ****

  “Micki, you should’ve told me.”

  Mike stood at the workbench packing lunches for the girls. “Told you what?”

  “That we were cooking Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd. I’ve got a turkey in the freezer—Oh, gosh! It’s got to defrost.” Nettie went out to the mud room where there was a chest freezer and returned with a frozen turkey in her hands. Once she had it in the refrigerator, she turned back to Mike. “Ethan said you told him to give us a head count and we’d take care of it. We’re going to need more turkeys. Maybe a ham, too.”

  Mike’s stomach dropped. She had hoped Ethan would make other plans. She sure as heck didn’t want to talk to him about it. That’s probably why he’d kept calling her. Nothing personal, he just wanted to let his cook know how many people to plan for.

  “Who all is coming?”

  “Ethan, of course, and his five players. His parents will be here tomorrow. Did you know they were coming?”

  “He said they were thinking about it.”

  “There’s the five of us,” Nettie continued. “Web, Gusta, Noah, and their two players. Joe and Alice Webster. A couple of other hockey players who didn’t want to go out of town with their host families. Micki, you should have said something. We’ve only got two days to get ready.”

  “We discussed it a bit Saturday night, but no decisions were made.” Mike hoped her tongue didn’t fall out at the lie as she placed ice packs in the lunchboxes. “I think I have a pretty full schedule today. If we can figure out what we need, I’ll go grocery shopping once I close the salon.”

  “Let me do it,” Wil volunteered. “Make me a list and I’ll go up to Farmington.”

  “What about your store?”

  Wil waved a hand dismissively as he finished up the leftover waffles. “Folks ain’t looking to buy antiques today. They either want to get prettied up or buy coffee—or both. Besides, if I’ve got the two best cooks in town making me a meal, I’m willing to do my part.”

  “You are a lifesaver, Wil,” Mike said. “Where in the world are we going to fit everyone?”

  The three looked at each other as the girls raced into the kitchen.

  “Who’s being fitted?” asked Dani.

  “It appears,” Nettie said frowning at Mike, “your mother and I are making Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd. We have to figure out where and how to do it.”

  “Ethan has a big table,” Dani reminded them.

  “It’s about the same size as Grammie’s in the dining room, but still not big enough,” Mike pointed out. “We’d have to use the kitchen, too.”

  “What about the coffee shop?” asked Charley.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s a nice big room, and you have all those tables. Can’t we push them together? And you’ve got the stove in the back.”

  A big smile spread across Mike’s face. “Have you noticed how smart my daughters are? That’s a great idea, Charley.” She turned to her mother. “Don’t you think, Mom? We could do the turkeys here, they’ll stay hot enough to move them into town. We’d have the counter to put all the food on. Even if we need more tables, there should be room.”

  Nettie was smiling. “That’s a wonderful idea.” She winked at Charley and Dani. “You know, the girls get their good looks and intelligence from their grammie.”

  All five laughed.

  “I’ve got to get the store opened,” said Nettie. “Wil, I need your help.” She began gathering up her purse, coat, and scarf. “I want to call Gusta, see if she’ll make some pies. I also want to invite Cathy and Stan. I don’t know if they have plans. I know she doesn’t care to spend time with his family so they might as well eat with us. Micki, I’ll talk to
you before Wil goes shopping. Bye, girls. I love you.”

  “Bye, Grammie.”

  “Bye, Gram.”

  “Hurry up and eat, girls. We need to drop off dinner at Ethan’s on the way to school. Any special requests for our feast Thursday?”

  Charley frowned at her mother. “Am I gonna have to sit at the kids’ table?”

  “I don’t think we have any kids other than Noah Webster. Remember, Gusta and Web’s little boy?” Mike was writing down instructions for the chicken dish she’d put in the slow cooker.

  “Billy and I could sit at a separate table with Noah,” Dani offered.

  Mike looked up. “That’s nice of you, honey. We should probably wait and see what his parents want to do.”

  “Can we have sweet potatoes with marshmallows?” asked Charley.

  “You bet,” Mike said with a grin. “Let’s get going.”

  “Micki, will you make stuffing?” asked Dani.

  “I’m sure that will be on the menu.”

  “I like how you make it.”

  “Really?” A slow smile spread across Mike’s face. “You should probably help me with it.”

  “I’d like that.”

  Mike gave Dani a quick hug then they were out the door.

  She gritted her teeth when she saw Ethan’s car in the driveway, but she wanted to drop off the meal—and at least she wouldn’t have time to talk. Although, she doubted he cared to discuss anything other than his next meal with her.

  Ethan opened the door as the three went up the walk. “Good morning! How are my favorite ladies?”

  “Hi, Ethan,” piped up Charley.

  “Morning, Coach.”

  Mike dipped her head and made her way to the kitchen. She placed the slow cooker on the counter, plugged it in, then placed the note she’d written next to it. “This is tonight’s supper. You need to add the cheese at the end. Dani,” she nodded toward the teen, “has a dish of waffles. You’ll need to reheat them. Syrup is in the bag along with things to go with your meal later.”

  “Michaela, we need—”

  “Thanksgiving dinner will be at Moose-ley Coffee. We’ll let you know what time. We might need you to bring your plates. I think we have the rest.” She’d avoided looking at Ethan, keeping her gaze on the things she took out of the bag, putting some in the fridge as she spoke. “I’ll be by sometime tomorrow with your meal for the evening.”