Chapter One #2
“I can’t wait to see the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty and eat New York City pizza with Uncle Landon!” he says with a small fist pump that has me chuckling along with holding back tears. It is going to be a long few weeks, and we’ve never been separated before.
But I won’t dim his excitement and anticipation by expressing my anxiety or fears. He’ll be fine, and knowing that, so will I. “Okay then, give me a big hug and a kiss. Then we’ll get your suitcase out of my car and we’ll put it in Grandma and Grandpa’s SUV.”
L.J. puts his skinny arms around me and hugs me tight, something I cherish because I know the time is around the corner when he won’t let his mom pepper him with the kisses I do now.
“Go run to the bathroom before you get on the road,” I tell him.
Standing, I face Carrie and discover the other woman staring at me with an understanding expression on her attractive face. “He’ll be fine. We’ll keep him so busy he won’t have time to be sad or upset. And we’ll have him call and FaceTime every day or whenever he wants in between.”
I force a smile. “I think he’s handling this much better than me,” I say, managing a laugh.
“Such is a mother’s lot in life. But they say if you can send your child off happily without you, you’ve done your job.
And you’re doing an exceptional one. Especially since you’re doing it alone.
” Carrie places a hand on my cheek. “Enjoy your summer, honey. Get used to classes and working and he’ll be home before you know it. ”
Samuel clears his throat. “Are we ready?” he asks, obviously uncomfortable with our emotional reactions.
“I’m finished!” L.J. cries, running out of the bathroom and skidding to a halt by his grandfather, grasping the man’s hand.
“Perfect.” I smooth a hand over my flowy top that covers my leggings. “Let’s switch his bag to the back of your SUV and you can get going.”
The guys clean up the sandwich wrappers on the floor and throw everything into a huge garbage bag in the kitchen.
“I’ll get your bag,” Landon says, following L.J. out to the cars.
While the guys wait inside, I watch as L.J. seat belts himself and I find myself waving goodbye from the driveaway, no longer holding back tears since he can’t see that I’m crying.
Tanner comes up behind me. I didn’t hear him come outside, I was so focused on my son. Always the most silent of the three, he wraps an arm around me and speaks, his voice a low rumble. “He’ll be fine. And so will you.”
I sniff. “I know.” And I hold on to the thought that a big reason for both this move and the trip is to let him learn more about his father by spending quality time with Levi’s parents and his twin brother, all of whom have been so good to me over the years.
The moving van arrives a short time later, and I have no more time to dwell on missing my son.
I direct the movers with the furniture, watching as they put the labeled boxes in their proper rooms and the guys get to work helping me put things away for both myself and L.J.
They accomplish much more than I would have alone.
During the chaos, Carrie calls to tell me they arrived safely in Manhattan and are going out for dinner later. Knowing I have nothing to worry about, I turn my focus to my new house.
Although I still have some boxes left, I am in much better shape than I anticipated, thanks to my friends. The guys leave, and I spend the night alone in my new house, learning the new creaks and sounds and getting used to my new normal.
The next day, I work all day on the unpacked boxes, and when dinnertime comes around faster than I expected, I decide to go into town to pick up something to eat while getting to know the area where I now live.
I consider this summer a chance to find myself again, the woman I am beyond L.J.’s mother. I missed out on learning about myself before I became a parent. I figure a return to college, the milestone that changed my life to begin with, will be the perfect way to start over.
* * *
Shane
I push my chair back from my computer, rise to my feet and stretch, my back aching from all the hours I put in at the desk in my office.
If I didn’t know better, I’d never believe I went to the gym this morning to work out.
But I did. Then I showered, came back here, and got into the zone on my research, losing track of time, skipping lunch and working through the afternoon.
Now, almost dinner hour, my stomach is grumbling, and I am way overdue for a long walk and some food.
I stride through campus, the sight of students sporadic, as summer session doesn’t lend itself to kids hanging out on the lawns and in the student union. But the Circle, a cul-de-sac with a variety of restaurants and eateries, is open year-round, and I decide to head there for dinner.
As I walk, I open my phone and skim the progress I made on the paper I’m working on.
Another couple of years, and I hope to move into a tenured position, something I would have thought impossible a few years ago.
Shaking my head before I go there, I refocus on the words on the screen, a deep dive into a paper dealing with advanced quantitative economic theory and…
I bump into someone, jolting myself and causing my phone to fall to the ground at the same time I reach out to steady whoever I crashed into.
My hands wrap around soft flesh and obviously feminine arms. A floral fragrance reaches my nostrils, and I find myself breathing in for a deeper whiff of the tantalizing scent.
“I’m sorry!” the woman says as I help stabilize her before letting her go and retrieving my cell.
“My fault. I was reading on my phone.” I look up and find myself staring into arresting light blue eyes surrounded by blonde hair that has been pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head, with sexy stray strands falling around her face.
“And I was looking at the directions on my screen. I’m new to the area,” she explains, biting down on her full lower lip.
“Where are you headed?” I hope she is going my way despite the fact that she is, in fact, walking in the opposite direction.
“The Circle. I’m looking for restaurants. A place to eat dinner but I think I got turned around or something. I’m not very good with maps,” she says, her cheeks flushing an attractive shade of pink.
I blink and try not to look like the cat who swallowed the canary when I just got my wish. We are going to the same place.
I subtly take her in, a petite but nicely figured woman, wearing a pair of black workout leggings and a white and lavender top that drapes around her body, giving me a hint of her curves that I enjoy.
“How about you walk with me? I’m headed in that direction myself. I’m Shane, by the way.”
“Amber. And that would be awesome. Left on my own, I’d probably end up on the opposite end of campus.”
I chuckle. “Not everyone has a good sense of direction. So where did you move to?” I ask, making conversation.
She hesitates before answering. “A small cul-de-sac on the outskirts of the school,” she says vaguely, which I understand. She doesn’t know me at all, and I shouldn’t have asked something so personal.
We start toward the Circle, and I point out the library and the businesses that surround the campus, consisting of large companies that tend to donate to the school. Those who live in and around the area aren’t solely college employees.
“Are you meeting anyone for dinner?” I ask, surprising myself with the question.
She shakes her head.
“Want some company? I can familiarize you with the area a little,” I offer.
She looks up at me as we walk. “Sure. I wouldn’t know which restaurant is good, and I’d planned to sit outside and read. Company would be nice.”
I am selective about dating, and for good reason.
But Amber isn’t a young student, she is a woman close to my own age.
Besides, I justify to myself, she just moved to town, which explains why I haven’t run into her before now, and I am just doing a good deed by sharing a meal and telling her where to find things in her new town.
Although she is hot as hell to look at, I am not going to do anything beyond share this one meal. Even if I am more attracted to her than any woman I’ve met before.