by Fifi Flowers
Celeste
“Hey look!” Veeta was pointing to a gorgeous man off in the distance that turned my insides to jelly. “It’s that mister boy with a fishing pole.” She tilted her dark head sporting a long braid down her back and pursed her lips funny.
“He’s going fishing with us today.”
When I spoke to Skeet a couple days after the big blow up of his world, he asked me if he could meet Veeta officially. He told me he was ready to follow my lead. If I wanted to tell her about him alone that was fine...or together. I thought about it on my own and then decided to talk it over with my father.
Finding him out in the orchard riding his old tractor, I asked him for a ride. He was wearing a smirk on his handsome face under a straw hat as I climbed up on a back portion where I could stand behind him. We rode along for a bit down between rows of peach trees before I got up the nerve to ask his advice. “If you were in Skeet’s boots...” I hesitated when he stopped the tractor. “How would you like your child to find out about you? Would you want to tell her? Or... would you want the mother to tell her first?”
I didn’t give him the final option since he spoke up before I could put it out on the table. “Tell Veeta together. Tell her soon.” He had turned on his seat to face me. “That is one smart girl. She’s already asking questions about every picture in the house. The more Skeet comes around, she’s going to know something is up. Better if she knows right away. Then let her set the pace of acceptance... Skeets a good boy...man. She’s going to love him just like you do.”
My father had me in tears as he hugged me awkwardly atop of the ancient tractor that had brought Skeet into my life. I was happy that I had gone to him for advice and I was equally happy that Skeet was on board with that idea.
I just hoped that it went smoothly and that Veeta was happy with the news.
“He looks big and strong.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing as I saw her assessing him while I packed a couple of tackle boxes—Veeta liked to have her own equipment. “You know...” She had turned away to speak quietly to me as Skeet drew closer. “...he could row us around the lake with those muscly arms.”
I lost it and started laughing. “We could ask him.”
Still in a quiet voice she leaned in with a serious look on her face and my stomach tightened and tumbled a bit. “Was Mister your boyfriend? I saw pictures of you and a boy that looks like him.”
Thankfully I was saved by Skeet calling out to us. “I brought special cheeseballs and hot dogs.” He shook one of the small bags in his hands.
“Gross! I was hoping you brought dessert... Peach ice cream with vanilla pretzel bits.” Veeta was in her usual form rattling off about how we had extra food in our tote bag for everybody before she headed back to dessert. “That’s my favorite dessert...or anything with peaches...they’re best right off the tree.”
“Veeta.” I had to stop her. “The fish are waiting.”
“Oh right.” She was moving to her gear and putting her pole strap over her shoulder and grabbing her mini turquoise tackle box that matched her mermaid rod. “Let’s go... Oh, Mommy, ask him, ask him!”
“Ask me what? I’m all ears.” Skeet was smiling and directing his question to Veeta instead of me.
“Will you row us around the fishing hole in the boat Grandpa has down by the dock?” She had such excitement in her little voice.
That’s how we found ourselves in the middle of the lake and several other spots as Veeta navigated. I kept wanting to correct her when she kept calling Skeet “Mister.” I was about to tell her that his name was Skeet but then that was moving away from the whole reveal. If I told her to call him Skeet and then told her that he was her daddy…that could be confusing. I was confused.
My father said tell her together, but we hadn’t worked out how or which one of us would speak up first. It was when we finally decided on a spot to fish that Veeta made things easier for us.
“I’m so glad you didn’t want us to eat that stuff you brought.” She spoke up as Skeet loaded her fishing hook with gooey cheese balls and pieces of hot dogs. “We use big fat worms from the garden. They gobble up the big fat tomato plant caterpillars too.”
“I remember that,” Skeet agreed with her. “I think the fish like how they wiggle.” I had never seen Skeet be so animated as he mimicked the action he spoke of and Veeta giggled, nodding her head.
My heart warmed watching the scene in front of me and then my stomach tumbled again with Veeta’s words. “That’s Mommy’s name on your arm...” She reached out and traced the vine with her fingertip before bursting with energy. “I knew it! You are that boy...” She was waving her thumb in a hitchhiking position backward. “Are you going to be Mommy’s boyfriend again? I’m okay with that. I don’t really like Dale. He takes us to good places, but I don’t think he really likes kids. He should never be a daddy. Not everyone is a good daddy. Some of my friends are like me and don’t have daddies and some of them have two daddies and no mommy...”
I loved how Skeet cut her off, offering candy with a big smile of his gorgeous face. “You said you liked peach things. Try one of these...” He watched her unwrap the two twisted ends of the clear matte wrapper. “...it’s peach taffy,” he added as she looked it over and smelled it. “Go ahead, taste it.”
Smart man. It kept her quiet and she liked it so much that she wanted another one. It seemed like the right time. She was happy. She was quiet. And I was pretty sure that Skeet had won over a portion of her heart already.
I wasn’t sure about Skeet’s approach, but who was I to say how it came out. “Why do you think you don’t have a daddy, Veeta? Everyone has a daddy at one point...”
Oh no! She’s not ready for the where babies come from speech.
“...even if the daddy doesn’t live with the mommy. I know you have only your mom taking care of you, but what do you think about your daddy being part of your life every day too?”
Oh no! Did he feel trapped in town? I hadn’t heard his plan.
“Do you want to be my daddy? You want to marry my mommy?”
“Veeta, it’s a bit different...” I had to jump in and hope that Skeet didn’t mind me butting in. I wasn’t sure what to say that didn’t come out a total lie. I wasn’t telling her the whole story. That would come years later when she was old enough to explain all of the shitty things that happened in real life; death, murder, crime, and the loss of her biological mother. “Skeet, not Mister, is trying to tell you that he is your real daddy—”
Veeta stayed quiet, looking at both of us with her head tilting side to side when Skeet cut me off and took over.
“I didn’t know about you. Your mommy and I had a disagreement over me not being a good enough man for her...” I watched his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed hard. “I went to live in California on a wine farm to grow up...” He shook his head and bit his bottom lip for a few seconds before continuing. “Anyway, when the time was right, I decided to come back and then I learned about you.”
I had never seen Veeta sit so quietly except when she didn’t feel well.
“Hey, baby.” I reached out and rubbed her little arm. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not a baby anymore. I’m a big girl and I have a daddy... Can I tell everyone at school? They will be so surprised!” Her voice was amping up as thoughts seemed to be popping into her head. “Can I take him to show and tell before school ends?” she asked, turning her head up to me before she redirected her focus. “Mommy won’t let me go to summer school so I have to say goodbye to all of my friends... Schools very important, don’t you think?”
Oh no! She is trying to butter him up to take her side.
“I’m sure we can make some kind of arrangement with your class because I know how important school is...You’re going to go to a new school next year for kindergarten, right?” Veeta was grinning and nodding her head. “Well, then I think you need a break to spend some time at the beach.”
Where the hell was he going with hi
s speech?
Chapter Twenty-two
Skeet
Things had gone better than I had anticipated. After our fishing adventure, I saw a great deal of Veeta...and Celeste, of course, but she did allow us some time alone to bond. For once I was happy to have a salesman-style sedan to get around town since I needed a car seat to drive my daughter anywhere. She was pretty pleased with it too when she saw video screens on the back of the front seats’ headrests.
Veeta made me laugh and kept me on my toes when I quickly learned that it was best not to tell her “yes” to anything without conferring with Celeste. She wasn’t calling me Dad or Daddy. I heard the word “hey” a lot. She had gotten away from calling me Mister and she was introducing me to everyone we came in contact with as her daddy. The big introduction to her classroom was probably the most interesting with lots of raised hands to ask me questions.
“How old are you?”
“Where have you been?”
“Are you married to Veeta’s mommy?
That last question struck me the hardest. I wanted to say yes or at least not yet. Some kid answered for me, “Get with it, you don’t have to be married to get a baby.”
He was right. So many people didn’t get married. Had kids and lived happily ever after. I need the whole white wedding, ring on the finger scenario and I didn’t care if that was an old fashion way of thinking. Mainly, I wanted us to be a family that lived in the same place together, every day of the week.
I still wanted that new start and I wanted it even more since learning about Veeta. Maybe I was totally selfish wanting to take them both away from their life on the farm. But it was the perfect time. School was going to be out in a week. It was a pre-school and there was no chance of her going to school with the same kids. If I could get them to come away with me, Veeta would start school after the summer and make lifelong friends.
“What are you waiting for? Doesn’t your new position start soon?” My pop walked into the bar when I was sitting on a barstool talking to Dean who was a bit down in the dumps because Nora still hadn’t gotten pregnant since they had started doing fertility procedures.
I didn’t really want to talk about my new little family in front of my friend, but it was hard not to with my pop giving me advice. He had been wild about Veeta even before he knew she was his granddaughter, the new information made him giddy when she was around him. Strangely enough, Veeta had no problem calling him Grandpop which made him feel proud.
“It’s never easy raising kids. There will be ups and downs with them, but I think you’re right to start your new family life in a new place. And you better have room for me to come visit.”
“What’s Pete talking about? Are you taking them out to California?” Dean asked.
“No. Not that far and I haven’t even talked to Celeste about it yet.”
“She’s going to love what he’s done for her...for them.” I was shaking my head and telling him to quiet down.
Dale, with his eagle ears, was surely paying attention to every word he said and hoping to stir up trouble. He had already told Celeste what a mistake she was making letting me take Veeta places alone after he saw us at the diner when I picked her up from school one day. I don’t think he liked being ignored by her, but in all fairness she had her face in a couple of scoops of her favorite peach ice cream with vanilla pretzel bits.
He was really going to flip when he found out about my overall plan. I just wanted to make sure he heard about it after Celeste. Hopefully, it was going to be revealed to everyone soon.
“Everything’s set up for you in the wine cellar,” James, the manager of Saphyre informed me as I walked in. “Let me know if you need anything else. Andy is waiting for your signal since Owen and Sienna are in California attending a wedding. They send their best and provided you with a special bottle of champagne.”
Shaking his hand, I thanked him and headed for the memorable cellar. Dimly lit, it was a spectacular room made even better with the beauty standing in it alone with a beautifully set table bathed in candlelight.
“What are you doing here?” I slid my arms around her and planted a light kiss on her red painted lips. “I’m expecting a couple for dinner,” she breathlessly said against my lips. “I think it’s a marriage proposal...” I smiled at the excitement in her soft voice as she tried to back out of my arms. “You better go.”
“I think I’d rather stay and find out if she says ‘yes’ to loving him forever. To running off with him to Tybee Island where he bought her a cottage...where he has a new job...a new life with him and their daughter... What do you think she will say? Maybe she finally tells him that she loves him...has always loved him and will love him forever?”
“Did you...” She tilted her beautiful head and looked up at me. “You’re my private party of two... I make two?” I was nodding to every question she posed. “I’m not really scheduled to work—”
“I can pay you for your time if you needed the hours.”
She smiled. “That’s not necessary. You planned a lovely menu to pair with wines, but I’m not sure I could drink that much...”
“What about the champagne?”
“That is a very nice bottle. You have good taste.”
“It’s compliments of your boss and his wife...but I think you have to say yes before we uncork it...” I stood back from her, reached into the pocket of my suit jacket, pulled out a tiny box, and went down on one knee. “I love you, Celeste and everything I said before is what I want with you... I want forever with you and Veeta. What do you say, will you marry me?”
“I say yes. I love you, Skeet. I always have and I always will. Forever.
Epilogue
Celeste
“Mom.” I missed hearing Veeta call me Mommy. Why did she have to start real school? Why did the other kids have to butt-in and tell her the word “mommy” was for babies to use, not eight year olds. Damn them!
“Mom. Dad has Peach in a backpack. Stop being such a slowpoke! The turtles are faster than you.” She laughed and repeated her words about turtles under her breath. “Peach wants to see the turtles waddle to the ocean.” She never let up.
Peach. That was not what Skeet and I named our daughter, but I had a feeling no one would ever use her real name Pearle—after Skeet’s grandmother on his father’s side—Corday Remington. Veeta called her Peach from the minute she saw her. “Her cheeks are so full and rosy like the peaches in the orchard.”
That was it, everyone called her Peach. She was probably going to be confused when she started school and the teacher called out Pearle Remington on the first day of class.
Oh no. I didn’t even want to think about her leaving the nest yet.
She was as unexpected as everything else in our life. Skeet and I got married immediately following his proposal and my acceptance. He had a town judge waiting on standby along with James and Andy who served as our witnesses that night. I hadn’t even worried about excluding everyone from our union because Skeet assured me that everyone would be fine with our semi-elopement. That was true because a big celebration out at the farm had already been planned. I had no idea how perfect the matching mother-daughter dresses I had sewn for my future resort-wear boutique would come in handy.
Even a proper honeymoon was set up for us at my favorite Tybee cottage. It was when we were alone there again that I found out that Skeet had purchased it when it had been a bit of a wreck and had it redone by some locals that refurbished old cottages. It went along with another proposal I had only heard a tidbit about when I said yes to marriage.
“The Beauclaires are backing a wine shop for me and it just happens to sit a few doors down from a space that would be perfect for your own dress boutique.”
Talk about being put on the spot. “If I say no then you live here and I live on the farm?” I had to ask even though I was beyond thrilled to live my dream. I was concerned about leaving my family support system for Veeta...and my job.
“If that’s wha
t you decide...” Skeet’s face sagged a bit.
“I want to be with you.” I was quick with words to bring a smile back to his face. “Veeta and I belong with you... Besides, I think it’s about time my family comes back to Tybee for vacations.”
“Let me show you just how happy you’ve made me.” Those were Skeet’s last words as he took me to an all-time high...and gave me our little Pearle...Peach.
“What are you grinning about? Thinking about your boyfriend?”
“He’s my husband, Clancy.” I shook my head.
“Same thing. Veeta sent me to get you.” I wasn’t surprised.
I needed to get moving before the rest of my family came to put the squeeze on me. As I expected, my parents bought a place not too far from us with enough room to house Conrad and Clancy and their families or guests. I was surprised that Pete, Skeet’s pop, made Tybee his permanent home after selling off his automotive shop and starting a new one down the road from our two businesses that were doing so well.
I loved my resort-wear boutique and thought of Martina often since I had framed some of our old sketches and hung them throughout the shop. I, also, loved Skeet’s wine shop that was only steps away and I enjoyed being part of some of his events, using my sommelier skills. What I loved the most was that we had a great staff of people working for us that allowed us to be available to our children.
“Yes, I know the sea turtles are making their crawl,” I said to Conrad who was walking through the front door with his father-figure face in place.
Veeta was so serious when it came to those turtles. I remembered the first time she came home telling us all about them and asking me to sign a field trip slip to go see the nests. “Lights out at ten o’clock. The turtles can get confused and go toward the city lights instead of the ocean.” We tried to tell her that we weren’t anywhere near the nests but it didn’t matter, we needed to turnout our front porch light from May to October. Skeet finally installed a timer that shut the outside lights off every night at ten pm. She was relieved and stopped complaining.
