Rachel Laine (The Women of Merryton Book 3) (6 page)

I
tried to go back to normal on Monday, but it was like normal no longer existed.
Andrew hung in the air. Whether it was Drew talking about him, or my dad’s meaningful
looks in the office, or the private talks we had about him behind closed doors.
I think my parents were even more upset about the situation than I was. I guess
it made sense, since they lost their daughter, and in their minds, Andrew took
advantage of her. I didn’t tell my dad about the conversation I’d had with
Andrew the previous night. I knew it wouldn’t be well received. It was
unfortunate that I could believe Andrew’s story about Sydney, and probably my
parents could, too, but they would never admit it.

I
reiterated to my dad the need to play nice and to keep it private. My worst
nightmare was to give Andrew any reason to involve the law. I didn’t want to do
that to Drew. And for all we knew, Andrew may very well decide fatherhood
wasn’t for him. He could still walk away, but with each passing day I saw that
hope fade.

Andrew,
like he said he would, called us before he headed to the ballpark for game one
of the series. He asked if he could talk to Drew, and I agreed. I heard them
talk about football practice and school. After their chat, Drew handed the phone
back to me.

“Hey,
Rachel Laine, would it be all right with you if I brought something back for
Drew?”

I
tried to think of a reason to say no, but I came up short. “Nothing too
expensive or extravagant.”

He
laughed. “How did I know you were going to say that?”

“As
long as we are on the same page.”

“I’ll
try my best,” he promised.

“Thank
you.”

“Is
there anything you want from Chicago?”

“Uh…”
I was caught off guard. “No, I’m good. Thank you.”

“Okay,
well, if you think of anything, just name it.”

“Again,
thank you, but you don’t need to buy me anything.”

“Oh
… you thought I was going to buy you something? That’s awkward. I was only
wondering if you wanted me to pick something up for you. You would have to pay
me back.”

I
almost dropped my phone I felt so dumb. I even blushed. I hadn’t blushed in
years.

He
roared with laughter. “I’m kidding.”

“Goodbye,
Andrew.”

“Oh
come on, you have to admit that was funny.” He was still laughing at me.

I
didn’t respond. He was an idiot.

“I’ll
call you later.”

I
didn’t even get to say
don’t bother
before he hung up. Not that he would
have listened.

When
I hung up, Drew looked up from his homework. “Hey, Mom, Andrew said we should
watch part of the game. So can we?”

Great,
a night of watching men spit and stand around scratching themselves in various
locations. “As long as your homework is all done.” I smiled at him.

He
grinned and went back to finishing his math while I finished up dinner. Tonight
was an easy night of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Drew was
disappointed—he thought we should roast every meal over the fire now.

I
folded laundry as we watched the game. I figured I could at least do something
productive while watching the spitting and scratching. Drew was enthralled and
talkative.

“Did
you know that Andrew can throw the ball a hundred miles per hour?”

“That’s
pretty fast.”

“He
told me that if I practiced really hard, I could someday, too. Can I sign up
for baseball, Mom?”

I
had known it was coming, but I hadn’t thought it would be this soon. “If you
want to.” My exterior was calm, but my heart burned.

He
pumped his fist into the air. “I can’t wait to tell Andrew.”

All
I kept thinking was that I had to tell Drew who Andrew was. It had only been a
few days and he was already forming an attachment. I only hoped Andrew wouldn’t
disappoint him.

I
was deep in thought about the Andrew predicament when my phone went off. I
shook my head and picked it up. It was a text from Andrew.

Tell
Drew to watch the Spartans pitcher. He throws a good 4-seam fastball.

I
relayed the message to Drew. He was already glued to the TV anyway.

“Hey,
Mom, did you know that there are different ways to hold a baseball when you
throw it?”

“No,
I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah,
Andrew told me.”

“So,
you really like Andrew?”

He
turned his attention away from the flat screen for a second. “He’s awesome.”

I
sighed and got another text.
Did Drew see that pitch?

“That’s
the pitch Andrew was talking about,” Drew exclaimed.

Yep,
I texted back.

He
texted a few more times about different things Drew should pay attention to,
like the way the pitcher had to look for those trying to steal the base, or how
he always needed to be ready to catch or field the ball if it was hit.

Aren’t
you supposed to be watching the game
? I texted back after
several messages.

I’m
so talented that I can do both.

How
does your head fit inside your hat?

I’m
not wearing one tonight.

Good
thing.

Since
we’re talking about my big head, watch for my interview with tonight’s
commentators. It should play during one of the breaks.

Darn,
it’s bed time. I guess we’ll miss it.

I
saw your DVR. Put it to good use.

You’re
so bossy.

Please?

I
didn’t respond. He was really getting on my nerves. I thought since he was gone
I wouldn’t have to deal with him, but he was like a fly buzzing around,
annoying me. And every time I tried to swat him away, he only became more
persistent.

Rachel
Laine?

See
what I mean?

Don’t
take this the wrong way, but I think you’re beautiful when you’re annoyed.

I’ll
record your dumb interview.

You’re
the best. Tell Drew goodnight for me.

I
turned toward Drew. “Hey, bud, time for bed. I’ll record the rest of the game
and you can watch it after school tomorrow.”

“Please,
can I stay up, Mom?”

I
shook my head no through his constant begging. I didn’t give in. My head hurt
and I was ready to crawl into bed myself.

Drew
looked up to me with those gorgeous eyes of his when I was done reading to him
for the night. “Do you think Andrew will come and see us after he gets back?”

I
tucked Drew in and nodded. The unfortunate answer was yes.

~*~

I
was in that in-between state of awake and asleep. I almost thought I was
dreaming the ringing noise, but I woke up enough to realize it was my phone. I
looked at the time. It was ten—not entirely late, but let’s just say I needed a
large fly swatter.

I
snapped out of my sleepy state. “Hello?”

“I
didn’t wake you, did I?”

“Kind
of.”

“Sorry.”

“Why
are you calling?”

“I
told you I would call you later.”

“So,
why
are you calling?”

He
chuckled. “I was calling to see how your day was.”

“Are
you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You’re
the mother of my child.”

No
one had ever said that to me before. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the tender
way in which he said it, but … “And don’t you forget it.”

He
laughed, but I was serious. “Duly noted. So, tell me how your day was,” he
asked again.

“It
was different. How was yours?”

“Different,
huh? I guess that’s a good way to describe my day, too. So tell me why yours
was different.”

“Well,
this conversation, for one.”

“Late
night conversations with extremely attractive men aren’t your usual?”

“Wow,
you’re so full of yourself, but no, this is not my usual.”

“So
what you’re saying is, you don’t deny I’m extremely attractive.”

I
couldn’t help it, I laughed.

“Do
my ears deceive me? Did I actually make you laugh?”

“Don’t
let it go to your already oversized head.”

“Too
late, but I like sound of your laughter.”

“Don’t
worry, I won’t take that the wrong way.”

“The
real question is, why aren’t you used to talking to men such as myself?”

“I
don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone quite like you.”

“You
know what I mean. Why don’t you date?” he asked.

I
paused. Was this really an exchange that I wanted to be having with him?
Probably not, but I had a feeling he would pester me about it until I told him,
so I saved myself the grief.

“I
was engaged when Drew was born. My fiancé, Brody, wasn’t very fond of the idea
of getting married to someone with a baby. He said I had to choose between him
or Drew. Drew was the only choice I’d ever make, so he left. I decided I wasn’t
ever going to let any man think he could ever be a choice.”

 “So
you gave up being married to raise Drew?”

“I
didn’t give up anything to raise Drew. Raising him has been a gift and a privilege.”

He
was quiet for a moment, which was unusual for him. “Thank you, Rachel Laine.”

“For
what?”

“For
doing what I should have been doing all of these years, and for giving it your
all. Drew is lucky to have you for a mom.”

“You
don’t need to thank me. I’m the lucky one.” I paused and sighed as I remembered
Drew’s growing attachment to Andrew. “Andrew … we really need to talk about
whether you’re all in.”

“We
will.” He sounded apprehensive. “Can I come and see you when I get back into
town on Wednesday?”

“I
suppose.”

“Are
you going to make dinner, or should I?”

“You
are so presumptuous.”

He
laughed. “So I’m cooking then?”

“No,
I better. Who knows what you might introduce Drew to if I let you cook.”

He
laughed at me again.

“Oh,
hey, by the way, who won the game tonight?” I asked.

“Oh
… uh … I don’t know. I left the game early.”

“Why
would you do that?”

“I
wanted to make sure I caught you before you went to bed.” His words tumbled out
of his mouth like he was embarrassed.

“Oh,
well.” I guess that was sweet. “Goodnight, Andrew.”

“Goodnight,
Rachel Laine.”

Each
team had won one game by the time the series came back to Colorado. I’d felt
kind of bad that the night the Bears won, Andrew had missed it. I don’t know
why I felt bad, it’s not like I’d asked him to call me, but I guess it was a
kind gesture on his part. In fact, it was a gesture he kept making. He called
me twice on Tuesday—once during the day and once in the evening so he could
talk to Drew, too.

During
the course of our conversations I found out that he had gone to CU as well, but
he had graduated several years before me with a degree in political science.
That surprised me—he seemed like too much of a goofball to be a poly-sci major,
but I guess it made sense since he was considering going into politics. What
did he say, though? “I can’t believe you never heard of me. I was a legend at
CU.” He was the most conceited man I had ever met.

In
addition, I found out that the state representative seat he was considering
running for was once held by his dad, Oliver. When he spoke of his father, I
could hear the love and respect he had for him, as well as his sadness over
losing him.

Wednesday,
he planned on coming over right after school as long as his flight was on time,
which meant I had to take off work early. Not that it was that big of a deal,
since I was kind of the boss, but it annoyed me. And I was missing girl’s night
at Jessie Belle’s for him.
Deal with the devil
.
Keep playing smart.
I kept reminding myself.

I
didn’t tell Drew he was coming over until I knew for sure he would make it. I was
wary of the whole situation.

Taylor
had pestered me to give her the reason I wasn’t coming, and I almost told her.
If anyone could understand my predicament, it was her. Easton wasn’t exactly
father of the year to their daughter Ashley for most of her life. I knew how
hard it was for Taylor to let Easton back into not only their daughter’s life,
but hers as well. I promised her I would explain later.

I
wasn’t the least bit surprised when we got home and Andrew’s black Yukon was
already in my driveway. My son’s excitement level went through the roof. I barely
stopped him from jumping out before the car came to a complete stop. Andrew got
out of his car when he saw us pull up. He was carrying a bag with a large
wrapped box sticking out of it.
So much for non-expensive and not extravagant.
He probably had to buy the seat next to him in first class to bring it
home.

Drew
made it to him well before me. I don’t know who was more excited, Andrew or
Drew. This was getting serious, and out of my control. I hadn’t counted on them
bonding in such a small amount of time. We would have to tell Drew sooner
rather than later.

I
met them both and Andrew’s eyes met mine. “Hi there,” he said.

“I
guess your flight was on time and you got your first class seat.”

He
grinned. “It was business class this time.”

“Tragic.”
I walked toward the front door of my house.

He
chuckled as we all walked in together.

Drew
threw off his shoes and shed his backpack and coat. “So is that present for
me?”

“Drew
Whitney, that is not a polite thing to ask,” I scolded him.

I
noticed Andrew trying not to smile.

Drew
peered at me with those eyes of his. “Sorry, Mom. But is it?” he asked Andrew.

Andrew
couldn’t help it, he grinned, and I knew it was a lost cause. Andrew pulled the
gift out of the bag and handed Drew the large box. It was wrapped in Bears
wrapping paper and it rattled.

“Yes!”
Drew carried it over to the coffee table to unwrap it.

Andrew
and I both followed him over. We watched him rip the paper until he discovered
what was hidden beneath. His eyes widened. It was a Lego set of the Sears
Tower. It looked monstrous.

“Do
you like it?” Andrew asked, like he was both eager and nervous to know.

I
already knew he did by the look in his eyes.

Drew
looked up to his unknown father. “It’s awesome. Thank you!”

Andrew’s
face registered both happiness and relief. “Maybe we could work on it together?”
He looked more toward me, like he was asking me if that was okay. Drew thought
it was a fantastic idea.

I
nodded with great unease.

Andrew
walked over to Drew and sat next to him on the couch. They both admired the box
with the large Lego Sears Tower on the front.

“You
know, my dad and I used to build Legos together,” he informed Drew.

Why
did that make my heart ache? Was I sad because he missed his own father, or was
I sad because I felt like I was losing part of my son? Probably some of both,
but mostly the latter. I guess this was for real. Drew had a dad and I had to
find a way to come to terms with it. But for now, my eyes began to water so I
turned and walked toward the kitchen.

“Hey
Mom, can Andrew and I build this up in my room on my Lego table?”

“You
like Legos?” Andrew asked before I could respond.

“Yeah,”
Drew replied.

I
didn’t know what to say. I felt like Andrew was still a stranger in some ways,
and I wasn’t sure how I felt about him up in Drew’s room where I couldn’t see
them. And it was another reminder to me that I was losing some control over
Drew’s life. I wasn’t a controlling mother, but I liked to manage the variables,
to keep him safe.

I
kept my back to them. I couldn’t get my emotions under control. I knew I should
say yes. I had a feeling that this would be the least of my concerns in the
near future.

“Sure,”
I eked out, “but homework first, okay?”

“Awww.
Okay.”

I
walked to the fridge and opened it to make Drew a snack. I hoped standing in
front of the cold air coming from the fridge would help clear up my stupid eyes.
As I stood there wiping my eyes and staring aimlessly at the contents, my mind went
completely blank about what I wanted to retrieve.

“Rachel
Laine.”

I
jumped and placed my hand on my chest. I hadn’t even heard him approach.

“Sorry,”
he said.

I
turned toward him. “It’s okay.”

He
tilted his head to the side. “Are you all right?”

I
wiped my dumb eyes. “Yes,” I lied. I was anything but fine.

His
eyes narrowed. I was a terrible liar, and my eyes told a different story, but he
didn’t call me on it. Instead, he handed me a small box.

“What’s
this?” I took it out of his hand while still standing in front of the open
refrigerator door.

“Open
it.”

I
lifted the lid on the cardboard box. Under the bubble wrap was what looked like
a mug. I unwrapped it, and sure enough, it was a large white mug with a picture
of the Chicago skyline on it. It was a nice mug, but I felt awkward that he had
bought me something so I tried to play it off. “What do I owe you?”

He
smiled big. “This one’s on me.”

“Well,
thank you. It’s very kind of you.”

His
face turned a tad pink. “Well, I thought you could use it since you seem to
like hot chocolate.”

“That
I do.”

He
moved a little closer, so we were both right in front of the open fridge. “Are
you sure you’re okay?” he whispered.

I
half smiled and thought about lying, but decided against it. “This is a lot for
me to take in right now,” I whispered back.

He
reached out and touched my upper arm softly. “For me, too.”

I
guess it would be for him, too. I hadn’t really thought about it, because in my
mind, he was this careless moron who had abandoned my sister and neglected his
parental duties. But now that I was starting to get to know him, I wondered if
he was going to prove me wrong. I didn’t think he was innocent or anything, but
I didn’t think he was some scoundrel, either. I guess I really had to start
looking at him as Drew’s dad.

We
stared at each other for another moment in the glow of the refrigerator light. I
wondered what he was thinking about. I could usually read those eyes so well,
but the way his eyes looked now … I had never seen Drew’s eyes look that way.

“Mom,”
Drew called out, making me jump again. It broke the connection between Andrew and
me. Andrew dropped his hand from my arm and laughed at my reaction.

“Yeah,
kiddo?”

“I’m
hungry.”

“You’re
always hungry.” I smiled at him. “Do you want cheese and crackers, or apples
and peanut butter for a snack?”

“Apples
and peanut butter,” Drew and Andrew said in unison.

Drew
called out, “Jinx,” and they both laughed.

I
looked between the both of them and didn’t know whether to cry or smile. In my
head, I knew this was the way it should be—Drew deserved to have a father—but
my heart said he didn’t need more than me.

I
put on a brave face, then got out the apples and peanut butter.

I
sliced the apples the way Drew liked them and served them both at the breakfast
bar. Drew had started in on his homework and Andrew seemed desperate to help
him, but he soon found out that his son was a smart kid who required little to
no assistance in that department.

While
they ate their snack and did homework, I emptied the dishwasher and started in
on dinner. Tonight we were having white bean and chicken chili with homemade
cornbread. I felt eyes on me as I moved about the kitchen. I looked up and
found my feelings were spot on. Andrew was watching my every move. He didn’t
seem embarrassed at all that he was staring at me, especially since he had
peanut butter on his lips.

I
smiled at the fool. “You have a little something on your lip, by the way.”

He
grinned, grabbed a napkin, and wiped his mouth, but his eyes stayed fixed on me.

“Something
else I can help you with?” I asked.

His
smile widened. “Well, since you’re asking, some more milk would be great.”

“Me,
too,” said Drew.

I
looked at Drew and he toothily grinned at me even though he was still missing
his front teeth. “Please?” he added in.

“Now
I know what it feels like to have two kids.” I grabbed both of their glasses.

Andrew’s
eyes were smiling as I snatched his. “Thank you.”

It
didn’t take too long for homework to be completed. I was happy they were moving
upstairs. For some reason, Andrew was still studying me.

Drew
went to retrieve his large box of Legos. “Come on, Andrew.”

Andrew
smiled at him. “Give me a minute. I’ll meet you up there.”

Drew
took no time grabbing the box and running up the stairs.

Andrew
turned his attention back to me. “By the way, you look great today.”

I
looked down at my fitted corduroy burgundy blazer and grey scarf, with blue
jeans and my favorite leather boots. It was nothing special. I looked back up
at a smiling Andrew. “Thanks, and don’t worry, I won’t take it the wrong way.”

“Did
I say that?” He laughed.

“You
didn’t have to.”

He
got up, still smiling, and walked toward the stairs. As I watched him for a
second, I couldn’t help but notice that he looked good, too. Once I was alone,
I went back to making cornbread. That was, until I heard my name shouted from upstairs.

“Rachel
Laine.” Andrew called. He was standing at the half wall in the loft that looked
over the great room.

I
gazed up to him. “What?”

He
pointed all around him. “You and I need to talk about this room up here.
There’s a little too much orange and blue, if you get my drift.”

“Go
Stallions,” I replied.

He
didn’t respond to me. Instead, he turned to Drew. “What do you say to adding
some Bears stuff up here?”

“I
don’t think purple and black would match.”

I
smirked at Andrew’s faltering face.

“But
maybe we could get all new stuff!” Drew called out.

Andrew
looked beyond smug.

“I
don’t think so, bud,” I yelled up.

“Awww
man.”

Andrew
smiled at me.

I
rolled my eyes at him.

I
went back to my cornbread, only to hear Andrew telling Drew not to worry, he
would talk to me about it. I didn’t even bother with a rebuttal because I
wasn’t giving in. I liked his room the way it was, but it was fun to listen to their
conversation. Drew was meticulous when it came to Lego building, so he was the
one giving the directions. I loved that he was so smart and confident, even in
the presence of adults. The topics of conversation varied. Sports was involved,
then they talked about the kids in his class, and even about little Miss Emmy,
who was two years older than him, but Drew had always been drawn to her. But then
the conversation took a more serious twist.