Romance in Color

by Synithia Williams

  Reagan sat another moment, eyeing Winona before she pushed Naomi aside and stood. “We’d better get these clothes put up and get this house clean before Amy gets here. And go shopping for kid food. Coloring books. Things like that.”

  Naomi jumped up and started hanging clothes. Winona hugged Reagan.

  “Thank you,” Winona said. “I appreciate it. And I know Jake does, too.”

  The change that came over Reagan was magnificent. She blasted through the grocery store with a smile on her face and a newfound energy, choosing things she thought a seven-year-old would love. Three different coloring books, markers, crayons, colored pens and pencils.

  “I’d love a bottle of wine,” Winona said wistfully.

  “Grab one,” Naomi said.

  “I can’t. I don’t feel right drinking with Jake around.”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “He doesn’t mind. I know he doesn’t. But I do.”

  “That explains the mood,” Naomi said.

  “We talk on the phone like teenagers when he isn’t around. We laugh, we joke, we make fun of you and Chayton.”

  “That’s love, baby doll.”

  “Speaking of baby dolls,” Reagan interrupted as she held up a doll wearing a strawberry-colored dress. “Do you think Amy will like this?”

  Naomi grabbed it from her and shoved it in the cart. “Absolutely.”

  “It’s not love,” Winona continued.

  “Yeah, darling, it is.”

  “Lust and love are totally different.”

  “You can feel lust and love for the same man. And when you do, it’s absolutely awesome. That’s when you know he’s the one. Isn’t that right, Reagan?”

  Reagan’s tight shoulders softened. “I suppose so.”

  “Doesn’t mean it’s easy. Hell, Chayton and I wanted to kill each other when we professed our love for each other. Still do, almost every day. Or at least once a week.”

  “That’s because you’re both stubborn asses,” Reagan said.

  Naomi looked at Winona and winked. They continued their shopping and when Reagan approached the counter and started unloading groceries, Winona bent over, retrieved a box of cereal, and slammed it on the conveyor belt. Stress was starting to get to her, eating a hole in her stomach, making her head hurt, and here she was taking it out on the cereal.

  Reagan pushed her aside. “Let it alone. I’ll do it.”

  Winona stepped back, watching the groceries slide to the cashier, who hid a smile as she asked how they were doing today and if they found everything they needed. Winona tried to give Reagan money, but she stopped her with a palm up.

  “Jake already gave me money. I tried to refuse, but he left it on the counter. I don’t need yours.”

  After the cart was loaded with groceries, they walked outside to the car. Reagan insisted she would unload them, so Naomi and Winona stood and watched.

  “What’s with her?” Naomi whispered.

  “I think I pissed her off.”

  “She’s so emotional.”

  “Maybe she’s pregnant.”

  Naomi gasped and eyed her cousin. “No way.”

  “Could be. Or maybe it’s the same thing that’s wrong with me.”

  “She’s in love with Jake?” Naomi teased.

  Winona swatted her. “She’s scared.”

  “And what are you scared of?”

  “Loving Jake. Losing Jake. He’ll leave when it’s all over. When Amy goes back home, he’ll go home.”

  “So she’s scared of losing Jake?”

  Winona elbowed Naomi. “Shut up. You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I think you’re right. We need to go back in and get a pregnancy test.”

  • • •

  When the guys made it home with Amy, none were the wiser of what had happened earlier. The clothes were put up, the house cleaned, groceries in the cabinets, and dinner on the stove.

  Even the perfect investigator would never guess Garret had almost come home to an empty house.

  Reagan greeted him with a smile and a kiss, then enthusiastically showed Amy to her room. She’d found some dolls, a chalkboard, and colorful pillows to decorate the room and to give Amy something to play with while she stayed. Winona wondered if Reagan was trying to overcompensate for her earlier plans of abandonment.

  “Dinner’s about ready,” Naomi said as she took the last of the chicken fingers out of the fryer. Winona finished up the mashed potatoes. The girls had spent hours cooking and planning and cleaning, hurriedly trying to make everything perfect.

  “Great,” Garret said. “What are we having?”

  “Chicken fingers, salad, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes.”

  “Macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes?” Garret raised his brow and peered over the stove.

  “Yes,” Reagan said. “I remember how much I begged for both when I was a child, and my mom always said you can’t have two starches at dinner. And besides, if she doesn’t like one, she’ll have the other to choose.”

  “She’s not a picky eater,” Jake said. “She helps me cook semi-gourmet meals.”

  “Semi-gourmet?” Naomi asked as she set the table.

  “They are, actually,” Winona chimed in. “He’s a wonderful cook.”

  “Well, I hope our simple homemade cooking will suffice,” Reagan said. “Next time I’ll let you handle the cooking.”

  Jake approached Reagan and set his hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just that she eats better than most kids. I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

  Reagan smiled in an attempt to let Jake know she hadn’t taken offense, but Winona could tell something was still off with her friend. “It’s not a problem. I’m happy to do it.”

  • • •

  Within minutes, they were all seated at the dining room table, eating and laughing. Amy shared stories of her previous school year and talked about how much she wanted to go swimming with Uncle Jake, the best swimmer she knew.

  “He wins his swim meets all the time, you know,” she said. “And we swim all the time together in the summer. I haven’t gotten to do that much this year.”

  A pang shot through Jake at Amy’s words, and he realized once school started, he probably wouldn’t have much of a chance to see her. And without a court order, Lillian may not ever let him see her again. Probably wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been for Garret. He needed to hire an attorney and see what he could do to guarantee his rights to see her. Unfortunately, he knew he’d have a fight on his hands. As a second cousin, he wasn’t what most courts would consider an important family member, and even as a godparent he meant nothing in the court’s eyes. He feared Lillian would paint him as a terrible person who only wanted Amy for one reason. The thought sickened him.

  “You okay?” Winona asked softly as she placed her hand on his leg.

  He continued to chew and nodded, mustering a smile he was sure didn’t reach his eyes.

  Amy talked about her dad over the dinner table, but only joy and oblivion shadowed her words. Jake’s gut tightened as she talked with gusto, and he appreciated that the adults didn’t exchange awkward glances.

  His heart swelled. He was falling in love with this family. They had been so accepting and supportive of him. He’d never be able to get through his ordeals without them. And the toys Reagan had bought to fill up the room Amy would stay in showed him how much they truly cared. There were no words, no actions to describe his appreciation for them, and they barely knew him.

  They finished their food but hadn’t risen from the table when Reagan said, “Anybody ready for dessert?”

  “I am!” Amy said, waving her hand.

  “Okay. We’ve got ice cream in a cone or in a bowl with sprinkles of chocolate and nuts.”

  “Can I have it in a cone with chocolate and nuts?” Amy asked.

  “Of course. Anybody else?”

  “I’ll have the same,” Winona said. Naomi agreed. Chayton wanted a bowl, and Garret
and Jake said they’d have one later.

  Jake watched as the three girls made a team of preparing the ice cream. He shot a glance at Garret, whose eyes were lit on his wife with great passion. Jake could see why. She was an awesome woman and would make an excellent mother.

  Jake sat at the table and finished his tea as everyone ate their ice cream. Afterwards, he began clearing the table.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Reagan said.

  “Yes, I do. You girls cooked. And you’re letting me and Amy stay here. So I’ve got to clean up.”

  Garret moaned and rose from the table. “You’re making us look bad, boy. But I guess I can help.”

  Chayton followed suit and before long, the men and Amy—who wanted to help—stood at the sink. Amy stood on a chair to reach the dishes. Amy washed, Jake rinsed, Chayton dried, and Garret put them away.

  “How many men does it take to wash dishes?” Naomi asked.

  “Three,” Winona piped. “With help from a girl.”

  Amy guffawed as if it was the funniest joke she’d ever heard.

  Garret turned away and grabbed a broom. “Okay. I’ll sweep.”

  “And I’ll wipe down the counters,” Chayton said.

  “Yeah, you’re good at that,” Naomi teased as she approached Chayton and squeezed his biceps. He slapped her on the butt, which Amy also thought was funny, and before long the kitchen was spotless.

  After everything was clean, Reagan asked, “What do you want to do now? We have movies—”

  “Let’s play a game!” Amy said.

  “Okay, that sounds fun. What should we play?”

  “Charades.”

  “Charades?” Reagan arched her brow and glanced at Jake, obviously thinking Amy too young to play.

  “Believe me, she can handle it. She loves a good show.”

  “Reminds me of someone else I know.” Winona approached Jake and wrapped her arms around him. Watching him with Amy had spread warmth into her, and she couldn’t hold back any longer. She wanted to share that warmth with the people she loved.

  “You should have met her daddy,” Jake said low in her ear.

  She nuzzled his chest. “Was he a show-off, too?”

  “Yep.”

  “Couldn’t have been worse than you.”

  “What can I say? I’m a badass.”

  “A cocky sonofabitch, too.”

  Jake kissed her nose, leaving a trail of fire on her skin. “Yeah. And you love every moment of it.”

  “Hmm, I don’t know.”

  “You do know.”

  She squealed as Jake tickled her, trying to back away. Amy squealed and jumped in, joining their fray. “Oh, you want to be tickled, too?” Jake asked as he turned to her.

  “No, no, no!” Amy shrieked. Jake continued to tickle her and she fell to the ground in a fit of giggles.

  “A mad man,” Chayton shouted, as if still playing the game of charades and he was supposed to be guessing. “Ooh, ooh, the Tasmanian devil. The abominable snowman. The tickle monster.”

  Amy squealed. Jake stopped tickling her and turned on Chayton. He flexed his bicep. “You want some of this, too?”

  Amy guffawed and jumped on Chayton in an attempt to help Jake attack and tickle.

  Winona watched the fiasco in front of her, admiring Jake’s arrogance as she murmured to herself, “Yeah, I do know.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  They played charades well into the night, and Chayton and Naomi followed Winona home. Winona stayed away the next morning, letting Jake and Amy get accustomed to their temporary arrangements. She fretted around the house, wondering what to do after the minimal dirty dishes were clean and the floor mopped. She’d taken the next few weeks off from volunteering at the shelter and working at Air Dog, but now she didn’t know what to do with herself. Should she call Jake and check in, see if she could do anything? Or should she let him and Amy alone?

  That afternoon, she didn’t have to make a choice. Jake called to invite her to dinner.

  “Amy and I are cooking for Garret and Reagan tonight. We’d like you to come, too. Naomi and Chayton can’t make it, but I can pick you up if you want.”

  “No, that’s okay. I’ll ride over on my bike. What time?”

  “We’re ready any time.”

  “Okay. I’ll be there in a bit.”

  She’d showered earlier and put on makeup, just in case, so she was already ready. To pass time, she paced through the house so she wouldn’t look desperate, like she’d been waiting all day for him to call.

  Which she had.

  Thirty minutes later, she decided enough time had passed. Storm clouds reeled across the sky and as Winona stopped at the light, she watched them like a short movie-flick. Orange flames dusted the clouds, the sun’s rays tunneling out of heavy clouds. The musky smell of impending rain filled the air, and she briefly wondered if the motorcycle was a good idea. Not that she hadn’t driven it in the rain before.

  Amy greeted her at the door with an enthusiastic smile. “Winona! We’re so glad you’re here. Just wait until you see what’s for dinner.”

  “What is for dinner?”

  “I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise. Come on in.” She moved aside and let Winona enter, much like an adult host would do. Winona had a feeling growing up with Jake and Brandon had a lot to do with her social skills.

  Sadness washed over her. She would have loved to meet Jake’s cousin. Regrettably, she’d never have met Jake if not for Brandon’s death. Oh, how life sometimes threw punches. Painful punches. She didn’t want to muse over those punches right now.

  “You have to stay out of the kitchen until dinner,” Amy warned. “Garret and Reagan are drinking a lemonade outside. You can join them there.”

  “Thanks.” Winona slid the back door open and saw Reagan. “Hey.”

  “Hey, sweetie,” Reagan greeted. “Sit down. Have a glass of lemonade.” She indicated the pitcher and glasses nearby. “Amy made it. Squeezed the lemons and everything. It’s fresh.”

  “Isn’t she an amazing little girl?”

  “She is,” Reagan agreed. “We were just talking about how wonderful and funny she is.” Reagan took Garret’s hand and smiled. Glad to see they were getting along, she assumed they had made up and all was well, but she wasn’t about to ask.

  “She banned me from the kitchen. Told me to join you two outside.”

  Reagan laughed. “Any idea what they’re cooking in there?”

  “No idea. But your house smells heavenly. Like garlic and basil. I’m thinking something Italian.”

  “Maybe spaghetti?”

  “Homemade spaghetti with his own special sauce, since Jake’s involved. He probably baked his own pasta. Do you have a pasta machine?” Winona asked.

  “Actually, yes, we do. It’s never been used, but we bought it on spur of the moment once. We wanted to start cooking together and learning new recipes. I hope he’s breaking it in for us.”

  They continued to talk about Jake, Amy, food, and anything else that came up. They sipped lemonade and watched as clouds continued to darken the sky.

  “I’m thinking about getting a cat,” Winona said out of the blue.

  “Huh?”

  “Would you mind if I adopted a cat?” she asked Reagan.

  “Mind? Why would I mind?”

  “Because I’m living in your condo. And I didn’t want to have a cat in there if it bothered you.”

  “Not at all. There was a cat there before I was. It’d be perfect. Will you adopt one from the shelter?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’d like to go with you. Maybe I’ll adopt one, too.”

  “I’m thinking of asking Amy to come along. She can help us choose one. It might be fun for her.”

  “Sounds great. She and Jake went swimming together today down at Tanyon Lake. And dirt biking. Who would have thought she’d be so good at dirt biking? He took her on an outdoor tour, to the campsite we were at when Naomi was chased by the bear. She
couldn’t stop laughing when Garret told her the story. They had a picnic, then went grocery shopping for this meal they’re cooking. Made a whole day of it. Sounds like they had a wonderful time.”

  Winona bit down on her disappointment that they hadn’t asked her to join them. Why should they ask her? They needed their alone time and she didn’t want to intrude.

  “I’m sure she’ll want to show you her pictures later. She’s quite a photographer.”

  Amy slid open the door and stuck out her head. “Dinner’s ready! Time to wash up.”

  They gathered at the dining room table, where it had already been set. Amy walked around the table with Jake, helping to serve the meal. It was as Winona had guessed, only better. Spaghetti, garlic bread, and a salad with sparkling white grape juice and a small strawberry tart for dessert. Winona had never tasted anything so wonderful. Garlic and basil exploded on her tongue. Lively chatter surrounded the table, warming the room.

  The storm came with pelting rain and boisterous thunder. They watched a movie afterward, and when Amy started yawning, Jake told her it was time to bed.

  Her eyes widened. “Can’t I stay in here a little longer?”

  “You stayed up way too late last night. You need to get a good night’s sleep.”

  “But it’s thundering,” she said, her voice shaking. Peeping at Winona, she asked, “Can you come with me? Tuck me in and let me fall asleep?”

  Winona laced her fingers through Amy’s small ones and glanced at Jake before responding. He smiled and nodded.

  “Of course,” Winona said as she stood and walked with Amy down the hall to her room.

  Thunder clapped, bounding into the walls. They both jumped. Winona laughed.

  “I don’t think it’s funny,” Amy said as she huddled closer to Winona’s legs.

  Winona flipped the switch to light Amy’s room and sat with her on the bed. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

  “Would you read me a story?” Amy asked.

  “I have a better idea.” She opened the drapes, raised the blinds, and turned off the lights. “Let’s watch the storm and let it tell us its story.”