Route 66 Reunions (18 page)

Derek scrambled to join him, and Tessa followed. She locked the doors and slid her keys in her pants pocket. She stared at the vehicles filling the parking spaces, at the people walking to and from their cars, at the lighted building where she could see more people browsing through the videos. All at once, she had the uncontrollable urge to laugh.

“Hey Mom, what’s funny?” Derek took her hand. “Aren’t we going in?”

The serious look on his face stopped her laughter. She wiped her eyes and smiled at him, giving his hand a squeeze. “Of course we are. I’m hungry for pizza. Aren’t you?”

He grinned. “Sure am.”

Seth fell into step with them on her other side. “Mom, are you okay?”

“You mean because of my little laughing spell?” At his nod, she smiled. “Just happy to see Blake doing such a good business. I’m fine.”

“Yeah, this is pretty cool.”

Through the front door, they entered a small foyer with doors leading into the arcade on one side and the video store on the other. Straight ahead was the dining room. A pretty young woman welcomed them and led the way to a table near the center of the room. Waiters and waitresses walked quickly from the tables to the kitchen and back taking orders and delivering steaming pizzas and drinks.

Tessa sat with her two sons and searched the room for either Rob or Blake. She saw neither and assumed they were busy in the kitchen. Their waiter left with their order as the hostess stopped by their table.

“Would you be willing to share your table with this couple? They say you know each other, and we’re short of space tonight.”

Tessa looked up to see Blake’s mother smiling at her. Just the sight of the woman caused her heart to pound.

Blake’s father said, “If you feel uncomfortable, we understand. Blake has talked about you and the boys so much, we feel like we know you.”

“Oh no, that’s fine.” Tessa’s smile included both of the older Donovans. She motioned toward the empty chairs. “There’s plenty of room.”

She watched the couple settle between the boys and felt pressure on the back of her chair. She turned to see Blake’s smiling face. “Hey, thanks for sharing a table. We’ve been busy all day.”

“This busy?” Seth looked with wide eyes around the room.

Blake laughed. “No, there was a break between the lunch and supper crowds. I’ve got Rob helping out in the kitchen. He’s a natural cook, you know.”

She nodded. Actually, she hadn’t known until recently. Not until Blake showed him how much fun cooking could be.

“I can’t let him cook yet, but he’s a whiz with the dishwasher. He should be ready for a break. I’ll send him out to join you. Enjoy your meal.”

He no sooner left than the same waiter returned to take the Donovans’ order. After that no one spoke for a full minute, and Tessa grew uncomfortable. She listened to the buzz of conversations all over the large room and watched the activity as people of all ages went in and out of the arcade and the video room.

Finally she spoke. “I never expected so many people to show up here tonight.”

“I know.” Mrs. Donovan gave a little laugh. “I must confess I worried that Blake would be disappointed. I don’t think he is.”

“No, I should think not.”

Mr. Donovan shook his head. “He’s got a knack for this sort of thing. He knows how to draw them in.”

Rob sat in the one remaining chair and grinned at the older man. “It doesn’t hurt that he’s got gimmicks going.”

“Gimmicks?” Tessa frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I bet you didn’t read the ad in the paper.” Rob looked smug. “The waiter will explain when he brings your pizza.”

As if on cue, the young man who had taken their orders appeared at the table and placed a large bowl of salad in the center. He set six small bowls and napkin-wrapped flatware to the side. “Your pizza will be ready soon.” He pulled a stack of coupons from his apron pocket and counted out six before laying them beside the bowls. “Fill these out, turn them in to the cashier when you pay, and she’ll tell you if you’ve won. The odds are good for at least one of you to win something. Maybe even a free meal tonight. For anything else, you’ll get coupons to use tonight or on your next visit.”

He walked away, and Mr. Donovan picked up the top coupon. “There must be some method of selection. These each have a number.”

He pulled a pen from his shirt pocket and began filling his out. Derek, sitting next to him, watched a moment before asking, “You’re Blake’s dad, aren’t you?”

The older man turned a warm smile on the little boy. “I sure am.”

“Then he should give you free pizza anytime you want it.”

The Donovans both laughed. “That’s true, he should. Only I might want so much, I’d run him out of business.”

Derek grinned. “Yeah, me, too.”

The pizza came then for Tessa and the boys. The older couple had heaping plates of spaghetti, and before long a contented silence surrounded the table as everyone ate. Tessa inhaled the warm blended scent of pepperoni, hamburger, Canadian bacon, tomatoes, onions, and a dozen other ingredients that filled the room and enticed her appetite.

When they had eaten more than enough salad and pizza and emptied their glasses of soft drinks, Rob headed back to the kitchen. Derek and Seth whispered for a bit before Derek looked up. “Mom, Seth says it’s gonna cost to go in the arcade. Is that true?”

Tessa nodded. “It will cost to play, yes.”

“A lot?” Her youngest son ran his fingers through his hair and frowned. “I guess we don’t have to.”

Tessa’s heart began a familiar, heavy beat when she noticed Blake’s mother watching Derek. She reached for her purse. “I don’t think it will cost too much. I’ve been saving quarters for tonight.”

Derek’s eyes brightened as she dropped a stack of quarters into his outstretched hand. Seth grinned when he took the remaining coins. Both boys scrambled from the table. “Thanks, Mom,” they called over their shoulders before melting into the crowd.

Mr. Donovan stood. “Reckon I’ll see what that arcade is all about.”

“You go ahead.” Mrs. Donovan shooed him off. She stood as he left, and their waiter began clearing the table. She gave Tessa a little smile. “Would you like to see what my son has done with his bar?”

Tessa nodded. “Of course.”

They crossed the dining room without a word spoken. Tessa knew Blake’s mother had something on her mind, and she sensed it had to do with Derek. Her heart still hadn’t settled down since he finger-combed his hair. Her hands felt clammy, and her stomach rolled as if rejecting all the delicious pizza she’d eaten.

She stood at the back of a long line and read the menu above the bar that offered a selection of soft drinks and ice cream. Blake’s mother stopped beside her and said, “I haven’t had a banana split in years.”

Tessa laughed and patted her stomach. “Me either. I’m not sure I need one now though, after all the pizza I ate.”

The older woman nodded. “I know what you mean. Maybe a small cone would be best. Just to neutralize the spicy taste.”

When their turn finally came, Mrs. Donovan got a vanilla cone, while Tessa took a twist cone that she knew Blake had provided just for her. Love for him welled in her heart as she followed Janice to one of the small tables and chairs sitting to the side. She let the blended flavors melt in her mouth.

“Your youngest son reminds me of Blake when he was that age,” Mrs. Donovan said. “He was born not long after Blake joined the navy, wasn’t he?”

Tessa swallowed and held the other woman’s gaze without flinching by sheer force of will. “Almost a year.”

“Ah.” The woman nodded. “Eight months if I remember right?”

Tessa’s throat closed, so she nodded.

“I see.” Mrs. Donovan spoke in a soft voice. “Does Blake know?”

This time Tessa shook her head, and she looked away, not wanting to see reproach in the other woman’s eyes.

“Well, that’s between the two of you.” Mrs. Donovan took a small bite of her cone and swallowed before she said, “My guess is he suspects. How could he not? I would love to see my grandson from time to time. Is that all right?”

Tessa met her gaze and saw an eager light, but no condemnation. She nodded. “I don’t mind you seeing him, but I need time to tell Blake and Derek, as well as the other boys.”

“That’s fine. I have no intention of telling anyone except Derek’s grandfather. The rest is up to you.” A sweet smile crossed her face. “Blake’s been going to church with you, hasn’t he?”

“Yes, he’s gone twice now.”

“I thought so. He’s been asking me questions. I believe God will soon answer our prayers for him.” A shadow stole her smile. “Please continue to pray for Blake’s dad. God healed him, and he knows it. He promised to attend services with me this Sunday, so please pray he will be receptive to the Word.”

“I will.” If Tessa gave in to the relief she felt at the moment, she would either crumple onto the floor or laugh out loud, and neither was appropriate. So she simply said, “Thank you for being so understanding.”

Blake’s mom smiled. “A year ago, I wouldn’t have been. I want us to be friends. We’ve had enough hard feelings between us for too many years. It’s my fault I never knew my grandson. I saw you from a distance over the years and watched you change. I saw the hospital announcement in the newspaper when Derek was born, and I wondered then. But I refused to have anything to do with you. That was my loss.”

Tessa didn’t know what to say. She reached for the older woman and felt the fingers of a friend enclose her hand where before she’d expected an enemy. The handclasp was brief but cleansing, and Tessa wasn’t surprised when, with one more gentle squeeze, Janice Donovan said, “You know, I have room in my heart for two more grandsons.”

At ten o’clock, Blake locked the door against his departing employees. His opening had been better than he’d expected. After turning off all the lights except one in the dining room, he sat at one of the tables and looked around, but he couldn’t sit still. He had to see Tessa. He pulled his cell phone out and found her name, then headed for his SUV. Ten minutes later, they were still talking when he stopped in front of her house.

He left his car behind hers in the driveway and headed for the porch swing. The front door opened and Tessa came out, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. He watched her eyes light when she saw him.

“I thought about putting on a jacket but decided we could share this. It should be warm enough.” She handed him the blanket. “In fact, I have a couple of mugs of hot chocolate just inside the door. I’ll get those while you settle.”

Blake wished he could settle in with Tessa and the boys on a permanent basis, but something held Tessa back from a commitment. She loved him. He loved her. He loved her boys. All three of them. If Derek was his son, as he suspected, he could readily forgive her for keeping him secret. He understood. Sometimes his mom even scared him. But Mom and Tessa were getting along great now. What more did they need?

As she stepped out with a mug in each hand, he pushed all concerns aside and absorbed her beauty and warmth. He’d been alone for a long time. He could wait a few more days to get past this friends-only thing. There’d be time for that later.

“I am so keyed up from your success, Blake.” Tessa handed him a steaming mug and sat in the swing beside him. “I really didn’t expect so many people to show up.”

He grinned. “Didn’t think I could pull it off, did you?” Before she could deny her lack of faith in him, he said, “I saw you and Mom with your heads together several times tonight. What’s with that? You two becoming friends? Maybe telling secrets?”

Tessa stiffened beside him.

T
essa clutched the warm mug while her world tilted. He knew. Somehow he had figured out Derek was his son. And why not? It hadn’t been hard for Janice to see.

“Your mother has changed, Blake. And so have I. She did say she’d like for us to be friends.” Tessa forced herself to relax. If she ignored his comment about secrets, maybe he would forget. “So how many pizzas did you sell?”

Blake grinned. “If Robbie didn’t count them, I don’t know. But we did well and the ice cream bar was a great hit.” He settled back in the swing, and Tessa breathed easier. “I thought we were going to run out of supplies. The giveaways really drew them in.”

“Rob said you had gimmicks.” Tessa loved Blake’s crooked grin. If only she could keep it—and him—forever. She settled under his arm resting on the back of the seat and relished the weight and warmth as he tugged her even closer. “Did he do his work okay?”

Blake chuckled. “If he keeps up the pace he set tonight, he’ll be my new manager when he graduates high school.”

Tessa detected a note of pride in Blake’s voice. She sighed. “You know that’s less than three years from now.”

“Yeah, they’re growing fast, Tessa.” Blake looked off across the yard as if her once-upon-a-time toddlers played in the grass. “Think how I felt when I saw them that day. Seth’s almost a teenager, and Rob is. I’ve always carried this image in my mind of Seth just starting to walk and Robbie not much bigger. Now look at them. They’re almost grown. I’ve missed so much.”

His soft voice battered her heart with each word. Tears burned her eyes, and she sipped her cooling chocolate to concentrate on something else to keep them from falling.