Daddy Patrol

by Sharon De Vita

  “Awww, Maaa.” Cody’s wail was first, followed quickly by Connor’s.

  “Can’t we just stay here with Coach Joe and keep practicing?”

  “I’m sorry,” Mattie said with a sympathetic smile. “But Joe is not a baby-sitter. And I’m sure he has plenty to do today. In addition to coaching, don’t forget he’s also the sheriff of this town.”

  “Yeah, but Ma—”

  “I’m sorry,” she said more firmly. “But there’s not much I can do about this.”

  “Can’t we stay alone?” Cody asked, earning a look and a raised eyebrow from her.

  “Not in this lifetime, sport,” she said with a laugh. In spite of their obvious disappointment and displeasure with her, they could still make her laugh.

  “It’s not fair,” Cody complained, looking beseechingly at his mother. “It’s just not fair.”

  “I know,” Mattie said with a sigh, feeling the weight of guilt land heavily on her shoulders. “There’s nothing I’d like better than to let you boys stay out in the warm sunshine playing baseball all afternoon, believe me, but it’s just not possible. At least not today,” she added, hoping to soften the blow. She went down on her haunches and lifted two despondent little chins in her hands. “But I’ll tell you what. How about if we get a pizza and rent a movie tonight? Would you like that?”

  The boys exchanged looks, as if weighing their choices. It wasn’t playing baseball all afternoon, but it was better than nothing.

  “Yeah, we guess so,” Connor said, scuffing the toe of his cleats into the dirt.

  “Uh, Mattie?”

  She stood and looked at Joe. “Yes?”

  He rubbed a hand over his stubbled chin. “If it’s okay with you, I mean, if you don’t have a problem with it. I can stay here with the boys—”

  “But—”

  “Wait, let me finish.” He held up his hand to stop her protests. “Clarence has things covered down at the office. Annie and Sophie are at the office handling uniform pickups. They do it every year, so they really don’t need me this afternoon.” Flashing her that killer smile, he shrugged his massive shoulders, then dropped his arms around the boys’ shoulders so they formed a formidable front. “So, it really wouldn’t be a problem.” He glanced down at the boys. “And I’d love to do it. We can really use the practice time, to boot.”

  “Can we, Ma, pul-lease?”

  “We’ll be good. Honest, Ma, can we?”

  “We won’t be any trouble. Really.”

  Mattie’s gaze went from one hopeful face to another, torn between doing what she felt was best, and doing what would make her sons happy.

  “I can even run the kids down to the office and get them fitted for their uniforms,” Joe added as she wavered, weighing everything. “That way I can also check in with Clarence and make sure everything is under control.”

  “But Joe, what about—”

  “Come on, Ma, pul-lease?” Cody stepped closer and would have grabbed her hand to tug on it if she hadn’t been holding the tray with the lemonade pitcher and glasses on it. “We’ll be good, honest, Ma. Pul-lease?” Hope shimmered brightly in his eyes, and Mattie’s heart softened. She glanced at Connor and saw the same hopeful expression and sighed.

  “Joe, are you sure about this?” she asked. “Because it’s not necessary. Really. The boys have gone to the gallery with me plenty of times. It’s really not a problem.”

  “I’m absolutely sure,” he confirmed. “And if I can have more lemonade, I might even be persuaded to cook dinner,” he added with a wiggle of his eyebrows, surprising her.

  “You can cook, too?” she asked, trying not to gape at him as she poured him more lemonade. What? Was he a super-hero? Was there anything he couldn’t do?

  He laughed. “Well, let’s just say that Gina and Annie are the culinary geniuses in the family.” He grinned sheepishly, winking at the boys. “I’m what you might call the culinary idiot.” His words sent the boys into fits of laughter. “But I know how to warm and how to microwave,” he added proudly, making her laugh. “Hey, stop laughing, they’re useful skills.”

  “I see. But cooking dinner isn’t necessary or required. As long as you’re going to spend the afternoon with the boys, the least I can do is cook dinner for you.” She leaned close and spoke directly into his face. “And I’m not a culinary idiot.” She grinned. “Honest.”

  “I believe you,” he said softly, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers.

  Stunned and startled, Mattie jumped back as if he’d lit a torch to her, glancing guiltily at the boys. She’d never, ever kissed a man in front of them and had no idea how they’d respond.

  She’d been playfully lost in the moment, unaware of just how close she’d been. Or he’d been.

  “You kissed a girl,” Cody complained, swiping a hand across his own mouth as if he could wipe away the offending action.

  “Yep, I did,” Joe agreed, smiling at her. “Do you mind?” he asked Cody, who looked up at him, eyes wide.

  “Why would you want to kiss a girl?” Cody asked, eyebrows wrinkled in total disgust. “Girls are yucky.”

  “Yeah, well, come back and tell me that in ten years,” Joe responded with a laugh. “And your mom’s not yucky. I like kissing her.”

  “You do?” Connor asked, wide-eyed. He glanced at his mom as if some reason for wanting to kiss her would magically appear, then he glanced back at Joe. “Why?”

  Slightly panicked by the question, Joe looked at Mattie.

  “Hey, don’t look at me for any help. You got yourself into this mess,” she added, trying not to grin. “You’re on your own here. I’ve got enough problems answering other…life questions.”

  “Thanks,” Joe muttered, glancing down at Connor, who was waiting patiently for an answer. “Well, I like kissing your mom because…because…I like her,” he finished lamely. “You like your mom, don’t you?”

  “Yeah,” Connor and Cody both said, sliding a glance toward her.

  “And you kiss her, don’t you?” Joe was on a roll here, and figured if he handled this right, he wouldn’t get derailed by two five-year-olds. Again.

  “When no one’s around,” Cody admitted in a near whisper.

  “Okay, then. So I kissed your mom because I like her even though you and your brother were around. Sometimes I kiss your mom when you two are not around,” Joe added with a shrug and a laugh when Mattie groaned and covered her face with her hand. “Is that okay with you boys?”

  Cody and Connor exchanged glances, then both shrugged their shoulders. “Guess it’s okay.”

  “Yeah, we don’t care if you wanna kiss girls or our mom, but it’s weird,” Cody decided, scratching his head. The kiss forgotten, Cody was anxious to get back to practice. “So Ma, can we stay with Joe?”

  Mattie sighed. Her insides were still rioting after the brief kiss Joe had just given her. If she’d been concerned about the boys’ reaction, she had to admit Joe had handled it admirably. The boys apparently didn’t think or care one way or the other. As long as they weren’t the ones required to kiss a girl.

  “Yes, honey, you can spend the afternoon here with Joe.” They started hooting and hollering, jumping up and down and giving each other high fives. “But,” she added in her best parental voice, causing them to stop jumping and turn to her, waiting. “I want your absolute word that you’ll listen to Joe. Do everything he says, and no fighting or arguing, agreed?” She couldn’t look at Joe right now, knowing she’d blush. She was going to have to say something to him about kissing her in front of the boys. It just wasn’t something she was totally comfortable with, but then again, she wasn’t comfortable with him kissing her. Period. Not that she didn’t enjoy his kisses. She did, perhaps too much, and that’s what worried her.

  “We promise, Ma.”

  “Scout’s honor,” Cody added.

  “Do you promise to behave, and to listen to whatever Joe tells you?”

  “Mattie, don’t worry,” Joe said, affectiona
tely pulling the boys closer. “They’ll be fine. We’ll all be fine. So go on to work and don’t worry about a thing.”

  “Yes, but…” Mattie’s voice trailed off and she shrugged, feeling ridiculous. “Joe, the boys have never stayed with anyone other than their grandparents and Aunt Maureen.”

  “Mattie, with seven brothers and sisters, not to mention more nieces and nephews than I can even remember, I’ve spent more time with kids than probably you have. I’m also a certified lifeguard, not that there are any pools or water nearby except for the lakeshore, which is a good mile away, but just in case some tidal wave or monsoon should drop from the sky and hit Wisconsin this very afternoon, I’m prepared for it. Totally. And I’m also trained in emergency medical care, so as long as I don’t try to cook anything, and a tidal wave doesn’t descend, I think we’re all pretty safe.” With his gaze on hers, he lifted a hand and laid it to her cheek. “Don’t worry, please. We’ll be fine.” His eyes seemed to be pleading with her: Trust me.

  And Mattie found herself wavering, lost in the depths of those mysterious dark eyes.

  “Mattie?” His voice, soft as a whisper, gentle as a caress, washed over her, and Mattie wanted to shiver.

  Joe watched her, waiting. He knew that this was a test for him. A test to see if she could trust him enough to leave her precious sons with him, knowing that he’d guard their lives with his own.

  Considering in all her years of parenting, Mattie had never had anyone she could trust, share parental responsibility with or lean on, he understood that she might have a hard time letting go.

  But at some point, she had to know and acknowledge what he’d been telling her all along. He was totally and completely harmless. He’d never do anything to hurt her or her boys. Or anyone else for that matter.

  And for the life of him he couldn’t understand why it had become so important to have Mattie’s trust. Perhaps because he knew she didn’t give it freely or often. That made it all the more special and precious to him.

  “Yeah, Ma, we’ll be fine.”

  “Yeah, so it’s okay, you can go to work.” Cody all but gave her a push to get her going before she could change her mind.

  Mattie blew out a breath, then dragged a hand through her hair. “Okay, but remember what I said,” she cautioned, her gaze still on Joe’s. He could read the uncertainty, the fear in her eyes, and met it with a smile of reassurance. “I’ll be home about five.”

  “We’ll be right here,” Joe told her as she forced herself to turn and walk toward the house. At least if she was alone at the gallery, she’d be able to call her former mother-in-law, something she not only dreaded, but had put off for a day already. Like it or not, she had to call Gary’s mom and have a talk with her.

  Just the thought was enough to ruin Mattie’s day.

  Foot traffic in the gallery was always heavier on weekends than during the week. Today had been no different. By fourthirty Mattie had a blistering tension headache, partially because she’d been far too busy since she’d walked in the door to even have a morsel to eat, and partially because she’d been talking almost nonstop to customers from the moment she’d come in and relieved Colleen, the part-time college student she’d hired to handle the morning shift.

  But, on the bright side, she’d sold two paintings and a sculpture, and had put an additional sculpture on hold for another customer. The commissions she’d earned today would go a long way toward helping her purchase a desperately needed new car. Well, a different car, Mattie amended as she filed away the last invoice of the day. She wasn’t certain she could afford “new” yet, but a newer, different car, one that was a bit more dependable than the one she now drove would suit her purposes fine.

  With a sigh, Mattie used her knee to close the file cabinet, and reached for the soft drink on her desk. Her sketch pad was lying facedown under a pile of papers she’d yet to file. The day had started out slow, at least for the first fifteen minutes, fifteen minutes she’d used to work on Joe’s sketch.

  Picking it up now, she couldn’t help but smile at his image. He’d asked her if she’d sell the sketch to him. And no, she wouldn’t. Not after all he’d done for her and the boys. She would give it to him—as a gift. But not until she was totally satisfied it was the best it could be.

  Although Clancy was in the back workroom finishing up the painting he’d started last weekend, she was alone otherwise. And it was blessedly quiet finally.

  With a sigh, Mattie sank down in her chair, pressed a hand to her aching back and reached in the drawer for her charcoal. She had to make that call to her former mother-in-law before she left for the day, but it could wait just a few more minutes. She really needed a few minutes of peace and calm, do something that would give her pleasure and hopefully help stem the pounding headache that had taken up residence inside her head.

  Cocking her head to get a better view of what she’d already drawn, Mattie narrowed her gaze and began to sketch, fleshing out the area around Joe’s cheeks and jawline. She’d made them too small initially. Not at all proportionate to the rest of his face. He had a broad, masculine face with beautiful planes and angles, planes and angles she wanted to capture in the sketch.

  Biting her lip in concentration, she made light, feathery strokes along his hairline and around the sides of his scalp, expertly drawing the texture and shape of that gloriously thick, black hair. She always focused on the hair as one of the crucial parts of a sketch. It helped to give the entire face depth and definition, and allowed her to see what areas needed more work, more shading, or less. Deeper lines, or more perspective.

  With a smile, she began to work on the mouth and found her own mouth curving into a smile when she remembered the way that mouth felt, tasted. A quick thrill rolled over her, causing her skin to prickle and her heart to pound.

  Lord, the man could kiss, she thought with a grin. Or maybe it had just been so long since she’d kissed a man, she’d forgotten how pleasurable it could be.

  No, she decided. Joe was one expert kisser. She couldn’t remember ever being kissed the way he’d kissed her. Nor could she ever remember responding to a simple kiss so wildly.

  As she finished the lines of that full, sensuous mouth, Mattie sighed, then glanced at her watch and almost jolted out of her chair. Good Lord! She’d been sketching for almost half an hour! Time flew when she was engrossed in drawing, more so than at any other time. And as much as she would like to just close the world off for several hours and finish her sketch, she couldn’t. She had responsibilities to the boys and obligations to her aunt that she simply couldn’t ignore, especially if she wanted to get home on time.

  She’d phone her former mother-in-law, then call it a night.

  With a sigh, Mattie dropped her charcoal back into the drawer, laid her sketch pad on the desk and reached for a tissue to wipe the remnants of charcoal dust off her fingers.

  She stared to pick up the phone to dial, then decided that with the way her head was pounding, she’d better take a couple of aspirin before she called. Talking to her former in-laws always gave her a headache anyway, simply because it was so frustrating and futile, so why add to it now? She reached in her desk and pulled free the bottle of aspirin she kept there, shaking two free and downing them quickly with her soft drink.

  Trying not to grimace at the chalky taste, she quickly picked up the phone and dialed her former mother-in-law before she could change her mind. This had to be done, so she might as well get it over with.

  It took three rings before the phone was picked up.

  “Evelyn, it’s Mattie. I’m returning your phone call.”

  “That was several days ago,” she accused. “I expected you to return my call sooner.”

  “I’m sorry, but with work and school, things have been a bit hectic. This is the first opportunity I’ve had.” Mattie hesitated. “Evelyn, there’s something I need to discuss with you.”

  “What?”

  Mattie took a quick, silent breath then plunged in
. “The last time the boys were at your house for the weekend, they overheard you and Bob talking, and apparently the things they overheard upset and scared them very much.”

  “That’s ridiculous. I would never do or say anything to scare or upset my grandsons.”

  “Nevertheless, Evelyn, they did overhear you and they were scared.” Mattie knew she had to persist or she’d be run over and bulldozed by this woman once again. “And I’m afraid that this isn’t something I can allow to continue.”

  “What on earth do you mean?” Evelyn demanded. “Are you saying I can’t see my own grandchildren? That’s ridiculous. They’re my blood.”

  “No, I’m not saying you can’t see them.” Mattie took a deep breath and tried to hang on to her temper. “But what I am saying is if you’re going to continue to see the boys, then I’m going to have to ask you and Bob not to discuss them while they are there. They’re not babies any longer, Evelyn, and understand far more than you think they do.”

  “What exactly was it that I supposedly said that scared and upset them?”

  Mattie pressed a finger to her temple and began to massage it as she closed her eyes. “They overheard you telling Bob that if they came to live with you, Bob could be their daddy and teach them to play baseball.”

  “Well, it’s the truth. I see nothing wrong with stating the truth.” Evelyn huffed out a breath. “The boys would be much better off living here with us. Why, you yourself said that with work and school you’re very busy. How much time can you truly devote to the boys? Bob and I are both retired. They could have our full attention if they lived with us.”

  Mattie blew out a breath and counted to ten. “Evelyn, we’ve been through this several times. Cody and Connor belong with me. I’m their mother. I would never, ever agree to give up custody of my children. Not to anyone,” she added firmly, and especially not to her. “My sons are my life and I’m totally devoted to them.”