Call it fate, p.12
Call it Fate, page 12
The sound of a chair sliding on the floor followed by fast footsteps resulted. Iain’s entire face was lit up as he came around my desk and flung himself into my arms. Bright green eyes and a small dimple looked up at me. “Thanks, Mama. You’re the bestest.”
I kissed the top of his head, then lightly smacked his butt. “Now, get out there and finish the work, okay?”
“Okay.”
Thirty blessedly silent minutes later, I’d picked the design I wanted, sent Cam and Chase an email with a few questions about the kinds of plants I want, and turned off my tablet. I made sure my desk was cleared and straightened the stack of “Things to Do” brochures on the counter and headed into the dining room, happy to see Iain hunched over the table, focused on whatever he was doing…until he sat up, a small, triangularly-folded paper between his finger and the table.
He flicked it with his other hand. He grinned as the “football” sailed through the air to another table, passing between two juice glasses before landing on one of my blue cloth napkins. He raised his hands in victory.
“Iain!”
He jumped and turned as his shoulders drooped, and he bowed his head. I pinched the bridge of my nose, hoping there was some kind of pressure point there that would relieve my tension.
“Is your schoolwork done?”
If possible, his shoulders slumped even more. “No,” he answered in a tiny voice.
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I dunno.”
“Iain, you know you can’t go outside until the work is done.”
“I know, but—”
“No ‘buts,’ mister. You know the rules.”
“But, Mom, if you just let me play first—”
“Iain Zachary! Don’t start with me, or I’ll—”
“Do I need to set a timer?”
We both looked up to see Zach standing in the doorway, a mixture of amusement and concern crinkling his brow.
“Zach!” Iain brightened up like his own personal guardian had saved him.
“What’s up, bud?” Zach’s eyes darted between Iain and me.
“My mom won’t let me play.”
I huffed and rolled my head at him in a “really?” gesture.
“Does she have a reason for that?” Zach said before I could add my own frustrated input.
Iain squirmed, a little less certain of his saving moment. “She says I have to do my schoolwork first.” He looked at Zach with wide, earnest eyes. “But there’s no school today, so I don’t know why I have to do dumb ol’ work. I hate ABC order. I always mess up, and now, there’s a hole in my paper from erasin’ a word. It’s stupid. Who cares anyway?”
Zach’s expression grew softer, and for a moment, I thought he was going to cave, and we were going to have our first battle of parental will. Instead, he nodded. “Hmm. Sounds frustrating. But your mom is right about work before play. How about we give your mom a moment to take a break, and I’ll help you with the ABCs. I know a trick that might help.”
“Really? Sure!” He bounced back to his chair while Zach drew closer to me. “Is that okay with you? You look a little frazzled.”
I gave him a wry smile. “Thanks, I think.”
He chuckled softly. “You’re beautiful, but you look like you could do with one of those timeouts Iain mentioned last night. I’ll help him,” he hesitated, his brows drawn close together, “if that’s all right, that is. I know we haven’t spent a lot of time together, but it’s just a simple assignment. Let me help. Please.”
My heart skipped a beat when he called me beautiful, same as it did when he held me last night. It felt familiar. Comfortable. Dangerous. I gave a quick nod of my head before I could do anything stupid like hug him. “Of course, it is. Thank you. I’m just going to be in the kitchen.” I peered at him. “Do you want some lunch? When do you have to be back at the clinic?”
His lopsided smile gave my heart another skip. “I’ll never turn down your cooking, and we close early on Thursdays.”
“Zach! Come on.” Iain bounced in his seat, making both of us laugh. Already, the ache between my shoulders had eased, but it transferred to my chest as I saw Zach settle next to our son, drinking him in like a like a man deprived of water for days. No, I wasn’t going to cause any more pain for that man, even if it meant I had to break my word and keep a secret.
I made my way into the kitchen and pulled out thick slices of turkey for sandwiches and my special spicy mayonnaise and busied myself making sandwiches for Zach and me. Iain got a PB&J. I was wiping down the counters when the door swung open. I stood still, watching as his eyes took everything in.
Zach looked around. “You got your dream kitchen,” he said.
“I can’t believe you remembered.”
“I remember everything,” he answered quietly, his eyes hooded with emotion. “Especially how good it was. I maybe tried to forget, but I couldn’t. Did you?”
“Zach, I…” My hand clenched the dishrag I was holding. Working through things with Iain was one thing. I couldn’t when it came to us.
He held up his hand in surrender. “Tell me about the room.”
Grateful he didn’t push, I launched into my description. “It was one of the first rooms we remodeled.” I was super proud of this room. While the rest of the house had a traditional feel, this room had more modern elements. It still had large crown molding along the ceiling found in the rest of the house. Sleek upper and lower Wedgewood-blue cabinets lined one entire wall, only interrupted by my six-burner stove and double oven.
One of my favorite things, the pot filler, was anchored to the diamond-patterned porcelain tile backsplash that filled in the space between the cabinets. The oak flooring kept the room continuous with the rest of the house, and white granite countertops kept the area bright. A huge kitchen table that had sat generations of family members took up space between the stove and a butler’s pantry.
“It’s really terrific. I can see the functionality, but it’s also beautiful.” His eyes finally landed on me.
“It’s my favorite room in the house. I spend a lot of time here, so I took a lot of time to think about what I wanted without losing the integrity of the original house. My cousin Cam is a talented designer. She took my ideas and made them a reality. Fortunately, when this house was built, they included a large kitchen. Because it must have been the warmest room during the cold winters, families would gather in it. So, we didn’t have to expand the space, just modernize it.”
I glanced over his shoulder. “What’s Iain doing?”
“I tore up some paper and wrote each word on a separate piece. Then we put the pieces in order. He’s copying them down in his notebook now.” He paused, then added, “You named him after me. Iain Zachary.”
I bit my lip as I nodded. “I always wanted him to know that his dad was a good man, no matter what happened between the two of us.”
Zach squeezed his eyes shut but not before I caught the glistening of tears in them. “Thank you for that.” He cleared his throat.
I nodded, unsure how to move toward the conversation we needed to continue without losing the tenuous peace arrangement we seemed to have created. “Can I get you some wine or something else?”
“Wine would be nice. Whatever you have open.” I felt him study me while I uncorked a bottle and poured us each a glass. I set his plate in front of him, appreciating the way he practically licked his lips as he stared at the sandwich.
“This is really good,” he mumbled around his first bite. “Everything here is.” He smiled sheepishly. “I wasn’t sure what to expect with The Dogtrot for a name, but it’s definitely nicer than anywhere else I’ve ever stayed.”
I felt a flush spread across my cheeks, pleased with his compliment more than most other folks’. “Thank you. It’s been in my family for generations. It was the first large house built here, and the rest of Main Street kind of grew up around it since it was close to the original mill that dates back to the turn of the nineteenth century. Hence the name of the town.”
“So, why the unusual name for the business?”
I chuckled. “It refers to the original architectural style of the house. It started as two small buildings, one for the kitchen and eating area, the other for living and sleeping. They were connected by a large, open hallway which took advantage of cross breezes and made it the coolest spot in the house, basically where the family dog was most likely to hang out, hence the name. Pretty smart in a time when there was no air conditioning. As my ancestors became more settled and prosperous, they took one of the sides and rebuilt it into the house you see today, and the remaining small side was used for storage.
“When one of my great grandfathers died in the First World War, his widow needed a way to make money, so she started renting rooms. Her son didn’t like her living around strange men passing through, so he turned the storage rooms back into a small living area for her. Both upgrades kept the breezeway, so it’s like a modified arrangement of the original concept. Folks just started referring to it as The Dogtrot, and I guess the name stuck. I thought about changing it when I took over here, but it’s too much a part of my family history as well as that of the town, so I ended up keeping it.”
“That’s fascinating.” He said it in a way I knew he wasn’t just saying it for politeness’ sake.
“I’m done,” Iain announced as he skipped into the kitchen.
“Did you finish?”
“Yep! Are you done bein’ a grump, Mom?”
“I guess I am now.”
“Good. ‘Cause you owe me a happy.”
I caught Zach’s wink at him, and I felt another tug at my heart. “Fine. I’m happy that someone else got to help you with your homework.”
My answer earned the mother of all eye rolls. “That’s so lame.”
“We don’t get to judge what makes us happy,” I said, feigning indignation.
“Fiiine.” He looked at Zach who nodded back. What was up with that? “What happens when it rains cats and dogs?”
I put my finger to my lips and cocked my head for a few seconds. “I don’t know. What?”
“You step in a poodle!” He laughed and laughed. “Get it? A poodle instead of a puddle?”
I snorted. “I got it.”
And I got that it was Zach who brought all my previous stress to a laughable moment now.
The light that was back in his eyes reminded me so much of the first time I saw him, and he tried to talk me into having a date with him after his dog, Milo, bowled me over where I was sitting at the park. I was powerless to resist him, and if I wasn’t careful, I was going to get sucked right back into those old feelings. But I couldn’t see any good coming from that now.
“Now can we go out and build snowmen?”
Iain’s words pulled me from my moment of reflection. “After you eat.” I slid his peanut and butter jelly to his traditional spot, where he chowed down with a grin, making his dad chuckle.
“I take it you like peanut butter sandwiches.”
“Yup. But mostly with strawberry jam.”
“That’s my favorite, too.”
“Really? Mom likes blackberry. Blech. What’s your favorite food? Mine’s cheeseburgers.”
Zach appeared to think hard. “I’m not too picky, but cheeseburgers are one of my favorites, too.”
“With fries?”
“Of course, but I like ranch dressing with mine instead of ketchup.”
Iain’s face broke out into a huge smile. “Me, too!” He high-fived Zach across the table. “Mom, can we have burgers for dinner tonight? We can invite Zach since he likes it, too.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” Zach’s words didn’t match the hope that brightened his expression.
I shrugged, unwilling to do anything to jeopardize the moment. “It’s fine. Seems like a good repayment for your schoolwork help.”
“And maybe we can have chocolate cake for dessert since we’re havin’ company and all?” Iain held his hands as if in prayer and blinked his eyes with a charming grin.
I smiled affectionately. “Now you’re pushin’ it, mister.” But I knew that we’d end up having it, too. Anything to keep the identical smiles on their faces. “Go get your snow gear on.”
He took off with his usual gusto.
“Thank you.” Zach’s softly spoken words helped lift the burden that I’d felt like I’d been carrying for the past few days. No, the past several years.
“I see you’ve already mastered dad jokes,” I teased, wanting to keep the moment light.
He chuckled. “At least animal ones.”
“Do you…do you want to build a snowman with us?”
I wasn’t sure which set of emerald green eyes had shone brighter at the prospect. I wasn’t sure how we were going to work everything out, but for now, this was enough.
Chapter 18
Zach
* * *
To my surprise, I slept past my usual waking hour. By the time I got showered and dressed, I was late for breakfast. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d played in the snow, but I’d had a blast playing with Iain the past two days.
The snow that had distracted Iain from his homework a couple of days ago didn’t add much to the total, but it did provide a Norman Rockwell-worthy background for some winter fun. So many times, I wanted to grab Iain up and hug him or to say, “I love you.” I never knew it would be so easy to fall in love with anyone, not even Emalee, but I had. Totally and completely.
Each night, I’d been included in the family dinner where I mostly interacted with Iain. Raelyn seemed to keep a wary eye on me, but she didn’t snub me, either. Em was polite, but after Iain got his shower and went to bed, she pretty much showed me the door. Getting up and leaving each night to go back to my room nearly killed me, but knowing that I’d wake up and see both Iain and Emalee in the morning made it easier.
My time with Iain felt effortless. He was an amazing kid. I could tell his time growing up in a bed-and-breakfast had made him social and not the slightest bit awkward around strangers. I could only hope that wouldn’t change once he found out I was his dad.
His mother was a different matter. Ever since I saw her, I’d felt like someone had inserted a pacemaker into my heart. I could deny it as much as I wanted—and oh, how I’d done that for the last several years—but my heart felt like it started pumping normally for the first time in seven years.
The attraction to Emalee was still there, no matter how much she tried to deny or avoid it. I didn’t blame her. A lot of anger and misunderstanding had muddled the trust and connection we’d once had.
But the more time I spent around her, the more I wanted to get to know everything about her again. I could tell that what happened to her mom and having Iain while raising him as a single parent, had shaped her. She was no longer the naïve, young girl who just dreamed about “what ifs.” She may have redefined her dreams, but her focus and drive to make them happen were sexy as fuck.
Fortunately, I had time since Harold Claypool was still expected to have a couple of more months in the rehab facility. I smiled at the irony that I was now happy to be stuck in Sterling Mill.
Still, change was inevitable. Tomorrow, I would move into the rental that Valley Animal Hospital had arranged for me. I wasn’t sure how I would be welcome to join them after today, but I was going to find a way. In the meantime, I didn’t have to go to work, and Iain didn’t have school since it was Saturday. I hoped to sweet talk Emalee into spending the day together—all three of us.
New energy zipped through my veins as I hurried down the stairs—only to come to an abrupt stop on the bottom step when I saw four uniformed officers standing near the entrance to the dining room.
Dear god, had something happened to Iain? Had someone broken in? Was Emalee hurt?
Laughter filled the small area, allowing me to breathe normally until I recognized the officer who’d given me the coffee the other day. It wasn’t him so much that disturbed me as it was the huge grin on Iain’s face as he stared up at the man who smiled back with obvious affection. Was Emalee dating him? Did this guy play a father’s role to Iain? Was that why she took a step back from me yesterday?
On some level, I knew it wasn’t fair to be angry with Emalee, but I was in the picture now. He’d have to make room.
Iain’s eyes shifted, and he saw me. “Hey, Zach!”
I tempered my irritation and smiled back, pleased as hell that he acknowledged me with such enthusiasm.
He rushed toward me. “Can we play again today?”
“What does your mom have planned?”
He rolled his eyes. “She says I have to clean my room and help her with some other chores. Boorrring!”
I chuckled. “Sounds like a mom.” I ruffled Iain’s hair. “Tell you what. If your mom agrees, maybe we can find to do something together later today.”
Iain’s eyes grew wide. “Really? That would be totes awesome! I’m gonna go change and tell Lexi.” He ran out of the room, and seconds later, I heard the breezeway door slam shut.
I wasn’t sure who Lexi was, but it didn’t matter as I glanced up to see Mr. Uniform watching me closely. “You’re the guy on the bench from a few days ago.”
I wasn’t stupid. He was sizing me up. “Yep. Thanks again.”
“Welcome.” He leaned against the banister with crossed arms. “So, you know Em?”
Em? He obviously knew her well enough to give her a nickname. “We go way back.”
His brow furrowed, and I could almost see him connecting the dots.
Yeah, I had her first.
“Zach? I didn’t know you were still here.” Em’s voice broke through our staring contest as she came to stand next to the officer. “I thought you’d left earlier this morning. Mama covered breakfast duty this morning, so I didn’t know.”
I moved to stand next to her, maybe a tad closer than was necessary. “No, I slept late after our evening together last night. The clinic is closed today.” I deliberately allowed the innuendo to stand. I didn’t mind saying I felt a little smug when the deputy’s eyebrows arched as he looked at Emalee. “However, I wasn’t expecting to see the police when I came down for breakfast. I was worried.”
