“But something happened to make you say what you did.” He applied pressure to her hand. “What was it?”
“This camping trip you’re taking them on. I asked if I could go and their response was that I was a girl.”
Dillon smiled, then brought their entwined hands to his lips. He softly kissed each of her fingers. “Well, I know how to handle that,” he said.
His lips on her hands caused the flutter in her stomach to expand. “Well, tell me, because I don’t know how.”
“It’s simple,” he said, tugging on her hand and pulling her closer to him. “You’ll go camping with us.”
Before she could speak, Dillon had pulled her onto his lap and captured her mouth with his. She felt the excitement in his body and in his kiss as she surrendered to his assault on her senses. She’d wanted this since he’d come to her office at school earlier in the day. When the kiss ended, she rested her head against his chest and enjoyed his closeness. She couldn’t help but wish they could share a part of every day this way.
“When and where are we going on this camping trip?” she finally asked.
“The boys didn’t tell you?”
She shook her head.
He chuckled. “When is the weekend before Thanksgiving. The where is nowhere. We’re going to have our camp-out—complete with sleeping bags and a campfire—right here in the backyard.”
“You’re kidding. You can’t have a campfire in your backyard.”
His large hands caressed her breasts through her blouse. “Don’t worry about it. I have friends in the police department.”
“Are you sure?”
“Sure, I’m sure. Anyway, our campfire is going to be one of those hibachi grills. The boys will love it and it won’t be dangerous at all, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“That’s not it. I know you wouldn’t do anything to harm the boys, Dillon.”
He turned her face to his. “Then what is it?”
“I just didn’t know we’d be here.”
“Where would you suggest?”
She tried to twist out of his arms, but he held her close. “I just thought we were going someplace else.”
He kissed her lips again. “Tell me what’s really wrong, Monique.”
“What are people going to think if I’m spending the night here?”
“They’re probably going to think you’re spending the night here.”
“You know what I mean.”
He sighed. “Are you saying you don’t want people to know we’re seeing each other?”
“Is that what we’re doing? Seeing each other?”
He nodded. “That’s what I’d call it. What would you call it?”
She didn’t answer. She didn’t know what to call it. She knew what she felt when they were together, and she knew she wanted to build something with him. She guessed he wanted something similar, but he’d never said so. She realized now that she needed him to verbalize his intentions.
“Well, what would you call it?” he asked again.
“I guess we are seeing each other.”
He pushed her off his lap and swatted her on her bottom. “Well, now that we’ve solved that dilemma, I can finish my meal. Why don’t you set the table?”
“Is that my payment for dinner?”
His eyes met hers and they were dark and challenging. “Oh, no,” he said. “You’ll know when you’re paying up and, believe me, you’ll enjoy it.”
She believed him.
Chapter Sixteen
Monique thought about Dillon as she packed up to leave her office on the Friday of the planned campout. He hadn’t stuck his head in her office all day, and she’d missed seeing him. She contented herself with the knowledge that she would run into him at his mother’s when she went to pick up Glenn. Though they hadn’t made dinner plans, she’d decided to invite him and Calvin to join her and Glenn. She told herself the invitation was for the boys.
Shaking her head, she closed her briefcase. Why was she lying to herself? This invitation to dinner tonight was for her. She needed to see Dillon, to be with him. And she needed it often. They hadn’t made love since the weekend the boys were away, and she felt she was going to explode if they didn’t find some time to be alone. Tonight’s dinner would be torture for both of them, she knew, but worse torture would be not spending any time at all with him today.
“Hi, beautiful,” a smooth, masculine voice called from her doorway.
She didn’t have to look up to know it belonged to Dillon. Her heart jumped into high gear and she wanted to hurl herself into his arms. “Hi, yourself, handsome,” she said, settling for joining him in sexual repartee. She couldn’t resist the temptation with a man who looked as sexy as he did in his plain, navy suit.
He pushed away from the door, closing and locking it behind him even though the students were gone for the day and few staff members were around. “How I’ve wanted to hold you all day,” he said, taking her into his arms.
She snuggled close to him, content for now to rest her body against his. “Tired?”
“This has been a heck of a day,” he said, caressing her back. He pulled back from her and looked down at her face. “I’ve got to go out of town tonight.”
Disappointment settled in her stomach. She missed him already. “Where? For how long?”
“Nashville. I have to stand in at a principal’s retreat for Malcolm. Unfortunately, it’s for the entire weekend. I won’t be back until Sunday night.”
“I guess it can’t be helped,” she said, feeling selfish for wanting him in town. With her.
“You know what this means, don’t you?”
It meant she’d miss him. A lot. Then it dawned on her. “You can’t take the boys on their camp-out.”
He dropped down on the edge of her desk and pulled her between his legs. “That’s right.”
“It can’t be helped, Dillon,” she said, wanting to ease the anxiety she saw in his eyes. “The boys will understand.”
“Right,” he said, his face grim. “This will be the first time I’ve disappointed Glenn. How do you think he’s going to take it?”
She sighed. Glenn and Calvin had been talking about this camp-out all week. They’d already gone shopping at the sporting goods store for gear. They’d even had a practice session and slept in their sleeping bags in the house. “I really don’t know,” she answered honestly. “He’s so happy now and he hasn’t had any incidents at school. I think he’ll be all right.”
“I wish I could get out of this. But it’s such short notice that I can’t get anyone else to fill in for me.”
His concern for their son touched her deeply and cemented further the love she felt for him. “It was bound to happen, Dillon. Things come up and Glenn has to learn to accept life’s little disappointments.” His grim smile didn’t fade. “Now, cheer up. You know I’m right. We’ll talk to him and Calvin tonight, and we’ll camp out next weekend. They’ll understand.”
“Maybe I could ask Dad or Donald to fill in for me?” The hopefulness in his voice tugged at her heartstrings.
“No, Dillon. Your father and mother have plans for Friday, and you know Donald has a date. This won’t kill the boys. We’ll do it next weekend. They’ll be fine.”
He looked at her with uncertain eyes and pulled her into his embrace. “I hope you’re right.”
She rested her head on his chest. I hope I am, too, she thought. I hope I am, too.
Dillon pulled his truck into his parents’ driveway right after Monique parked her car. Before either of them could get out of their vehicles, the boys were bounding out the front door and heading their way.
“Look what Grandpa made us,” Calvin was saying. Both boys waved what looked like flags. Well, what they held actually looked like a triangular piece of cloth on a thin pole about three feet long.
“Grandpa says this will keep the animals away from the campfire,” Glenn explained. “We have four. One for each corner of the yard.”
<
br /> Dillon and Monique each took a flag.
“That’s good work,” Dillon said, making a production of studying the craftsmanship of the flag. “We’ll definitely need these.”
“Grandpa really saved us this time,” Monique added.
Dillon glanced over the boys’ heads at her, then sighed. He stooped down so he’d be eye level with his sons. “I’ve got some bad news about our campout, guys,” he said. “We’re going to have to postpone it a week.”
“Why?” both boys moaned. “We want to go camping.”
Dillon felt Monique’s hand on his shoulder and took confidence in her support. “I have to go out of town on business, and I won’t be back until Sunday. But we can do the camp-out next weekend.”
“But you said we’d do it this weekend,” Glenn accused.
“Yeah,” Calvin added. This time Dillon wished Calvin didn’t follow his big brother’s lead so readily.
Monique stooped down next to Dillon, keeping her hand on his shoulder. “Next weekend is only a few days away. The time will pass quickly. Plus, you’ll be on Thanksgiving vacation, so you’ll have more days to camp out.”
Dillon studied both boys. Calvin seemed to accept the change in plans, but he clearly waited for his older brother’s response before committing himself. Glenn, on the other hand, frowned. Neither boy said anything.
“So what do you say, men?” Dillon asked, trying to keep his tone light.
“Glenn?” Monique urged, when the boy didn’t say anything.
Glenn began shaking his head from left to right. “I don’t care,” he said, his voice shaky. “I don’t care.” He took the flag he held, broke it across his leg and threw it on the ground. “I don’t care.” He turned and ran around the house.
“What’s wrong with Glenn?” Calvin asked, his voice thick.
Monique pulled the child into her embrace. “Nothing, sweetheart. He’s just disappointed about the change in plans. He’ll be fine.”
The hurt on Dillon’s face made Monique want to pull him into her arms and comfort him, as well.
He sighed. “I’ll go talk to him.”
“Maybe he needs some time to cool off first,” Monique offered. “He’ll come around, Dillon.”
He shook his head. Glenn was his son, and it was time the boy heard some things straight from his father. “No, I think I’ll talk to him now.”
Monique nodded agreement. “Calvin and I will go inside and talk to your parents.”
Dillon stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed around the house after his son. His son. He’d waited for Glenn to accept him as a father, and he was willing to wait for as long as it took. But he couldn’t let his son go another minute without hearing how much he loved him.
He wasn’t surprised to find the boy sitting on a bench in his father’s toolshed. Dillon smiled. This was the place he’d gone to pout when he was about Glenn’s age. He took a seat next to his son. The boy scooted down the bench and Dillon’s heart clogged in his throat. “Glenn, I’m sorry we had to postpone our camp-out. But I have to go out of town on business for the school. We’ll have our camp-out next weekend,” he said.
“I don’t care.” Glenn studied the power tools on the back wall of the shed. “Who ever heard of camping out in a yard anyway?”
Dillon wanted to pull Glenn into his arms and hug him until he cried Uncle. But he didn’t do it. He was afraid of Glenn’s response. Or rather, his lack of response. “Just because I have to postpone our camp-out doesn’t mean that I don’t love you, Glenn, because I do. I love you very much. No man could be prouder of his children than I am of you and Calvin. I love you both very much, and I really hate to disappoint you. But it can’t be helped this time.”
“You don’t love me,” Glenn said, wiping his hand across his face. “My daddy loved me. You’re not my daddy.”
Dillon felt the pain of Glenn’s words deep in his heart, and tears filled his own eyes. “I know Charles loved you, Glenn. And I know you miss him.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I’m so sorry he had to leave you. But he didn’t want to leave. It was beyond his control. He was sick, and God took him to a place where he wouldn’t be sick anymore. But I’m not leaving you, Glenn. I’m just going on a business trip. I’ll be back Sunday.”
Dillon waited for Glenn’s response to his words, and when, after a few minutes, there was none, he thought there wasn’t going to be any. But then Glenn’s small shoulders began to shudder, and he knew he’d been wrong. He leaned toward his son then, and did what he’d wanted to do since he’d first met him. He wrapped his big strong arms around him and hugged him with all the love he felt in his heart. Glenn didn’t resist. When Dillon felt his small arms go around his waist, the tears he’d been holding in were forced out. Two generations of Bell men sat in the toolshed and wept.
After she and Calvin had entered the house, Monique suggested that he get his things together while she spoke with his grandmother. She quickly told Mrs. Bell of Dillon’s change of plans and Glenn’s response to them.
“They’ll work it out, dear.” Mrs. Bell patted Monique on her shoulders. “Don’t worry about them. Let me get you something to drink.”
Before Monique could respond, the older woman was out of the room and on her way to the kitchen. Monique went to the window and looked out, wondering what was going on between Dillon and Glenn. When Mrs. Bell returned, Monique forced herself away from the window and took the hot tea the older woman had so graciously prepared.
She sipped from the cup then sat down on the couch. Mrs. Bell took the chair next to her.
“How was school today?”
Mrs. Bell’s question warmed Monique’s heart because she knew the woman was trying to keep Monique’s mind off of Glenn and Dillon. She opened her mouth to give Mrs. Bell the generalities of her day and soon found that she was actually enjoying the conversation. She realized that she and Mrs. Bell had developed a sort of friendship, a mutual respect and liking for each other.
“Well, Dillon says you’re doing a good job,” Mrs. Bell said. “We’re proud of you, Monique.”
Embarrassed and surprised, Monique waved off the woman’s praise. “I’m lucky,” she said. “And I work with some great people.”
Mrs. Bell was about to respond, but Calvin walked into the room with his backpack and his other belongings. He sat down next to Monique, almost snuggling against her, and she felt his anxiety. With a shy smile to Mrs. Bell, she lifted the young boy onto her lap and hugged him close in her arms. “It’s all right, sweetheart. Your daddy and your brother will be in after a while.” She pressed a kiss against the top of his head and continued to hold him.
“You’re good with him, Monique,” Mrs. Bell said.
She smiled down at Calvin. “He’s good for me,” she said, and meant it. She couldn’t love Calvin more if he were her natural child. It was as if Calvin and Glenn each filled different places in her heart. She loved them both dearly.
At that moment, Glenn and Dillon entered through the front door. Monique took Dillon’s hand on Glenn’s shoulder as a good sign. “Why don’t you get your things, Glenn, so we can get ready to go?” Dillon said.
Glenn looked up at him, nodded, then left the room to get his things.
Calvin scooted off Monique’s lap to follow his brother, but his father stopped him. “How’d you like to spend the night with Grandma while Daddy is out of town?”
Calvin looked at his grandmother, then at Monique. “I want to stay with Moni,” he said.
Monique shot a quick glance at Mrs. Bell, wanting to see her response to her grandson’s request. She didn’t want the older woman to feel that she was taking her place in her grandson’s life.
“I think that’s a good idea, Dillon,” Mrs. Bell said. “The boys need to be together.”
Dillon cast a questioning glance at Monique. “Are you up for having both of them?”
“Sure,” she said. “We’ll have fun, won’t we, Calvin?”
After the boy was out of sight, Dillon strode over and dropped down on the couch next to Monique. Though he looked relieved, she felt the tension in him. She wished she were free to turn and take him in her arms.
“What happened?” she and Mrs. Bell asked at the same time.
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “We talked. I think it’ll be all right now.”
Monique wanted to inquire further, but at Dillon’s obvious exhaustion, she decided to leave the topic alone for now.
“I told you they would work it out,” Mrs. Bell said to Monique. She got up. “I baked some cookies. Give me a couple of minutes for them to cool, and I’ll bag them up and you can take them home for the boys’ dessert tonight.”
Monique nodded. After Mrs. Bell left the room, Dillon turned and embraced her. She hugged him tight to her breast and tried to relieve some of his tension. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, rubbing her hands up and down his back in a comforting motion.
“Not now. Maybe later. After the boys are in bed.”
“But I thought you were leaving tonight”
“I changed my mind. I’ll leave first thing in the morning. I’ll be a little late, but what the hell.”
“Dillon,” she admonished. “That’s not necessary. I’ll take care of the boys.”
He pulled back from her. “Yes, it is necessary. I need to be here, Monique. He’s my son.”
Monique couldn’t stop the hurt that immediately surrounded her. “I know that, Dillon.”
Dillon shook his head, then pulled her back into his arms. “I’m sorry. I’m not angry with you. I just hate it when they hurt. I’d give my right arm for them not to hurt.”
“I know. I feel the same way.”
He pulled back again and ran his finger down her jaw. “I know you do. You’re a great mother.”
“And you’re a wonderful father.”
Second Chance Dad Page 16
