3. Nolan
Chapter 3
Nolan
A s I pull into my drive, I spot Cora sitting on the front porch in the shade, a pitcher of iced tea within reach. The smell of freshly cut grass fills the air as the girls play outside, their carefree laughter a sweet summer sound.
When I work, Cora’s in charge. She’s been my lifesaver. After Stephanie died, my sister stepped up. Something Stephanie would have approved of. She loved Cora, would’ve chosen her over some stranger stepping in to raise our girls.
We both work for Savannah’s Fire and Rescue Department. They’ve worked with us. Making sure our schedules coordinate and don’t overlap. Their cooperation has allowed this to work. On the days she’s in charge, she stays over so the girls don’t feel like they’re being shuffled around.
Mollie greets me as soon as I open my door. With complete faith in my ability to catch her, she leaps into my arms, her blonde curls bouncing wildly as she runs. I do, of course, and sticky hands wrap around my neck as she hugs me like I’ve been gone for days.
“Why are you late?” A frown pulls down the corners of her mouth as she juts out her bottom lip, the adorable pout making me chuckle.
Keeping her stable in my arms, I brush my nose against hers. “I stopped by the cemetery to talk with mommy.”
The whoosh of wheels on pavement announces my other daughter effortlessly gliding our way on her skateboard. With a graceful hop, she kicks her board into the air, catches it, and leans against the dusty bed of my truck.
Kellie’s eleven going on sixteen. At least that’s what it feels like. She’s at that awkward stage where she’s not sure if it’s still cool to do kid stuff or if she should worry about makeup and hair. It’s obvious she’s trying to find her balance by her outfit today of baggy, Bermuda style shorts, an oversized t-shirt hanging off one shoulder, and a tank top underneath. Completing her look, she’s added purple eyeshadow and lipstick. I’ve learned to not turn it into a major issue and just go with it.
“We heard about Miss Beth. Miss Jodi stopped by and took the boys to the hospital for their uncle.” The unmistakable sadness in her eyes is hard to ignore, and it hurts knowing I can’t protect her from this. “Will she be okay?”
“Yes.” Shutting the door with a bump, I lean against it, Mollie still in my arms. “I was with her the entire time at the scene. She was alert, giving me the business like always. I’m confident she’ll make a full recovery. It’s just going to take her some time.”
Relief washes over Kellie’s face as she tosses her skateboard and does that thing skateboarders do to hop on. “Good. I like her.”
Before I can say more, she’s zooming down the street, her skateboard flipping and spinning beneath her feet. She’s wearing a helmet, a requirement we don’t skip, so when she takes a spill that looks like it hurt before jumping back up, I don’t flinch—maybe a little. After brushing her hands off on her shorts, she’s on her board and tries again, this time landing perfectly.
Chuckling, I watch as she waves and playfully shake my head. “Show off.”
“Can we have a cookout tonight? Roast hotdogs?” Mollie rests her head on my shoulder. “Please?”
“I don’t see why not.” I kiss her forehead before setting her back on her feet. “We’ll go to the store later, after I take care of a few things. Now go play.”
Giggling, she runs back to the sandbox next to the garage where her little friend from next door is waiting. Once she sits down, they quickly resume where they left off before she got distracted.
Cora approaches, her bag slung across her shoulder. “Hate to leave like this, but I’ve got an appointment this afternoon with the wedding planner. I need to get home, grab a few things, before texting Troy to see if he can meet me there. Um,” she hesitates, “You okay?”
Opening the passenger door, I reach inside and grab my bag. “I will be. It was bad. I wasn’t sure what I’d find when we arrived on the scene. As soon as I realized it was Bethany, I took over because I needed to be the one with her. My team understood. Allowed me to do what I needed to. I expect to get called in to the captain’s office for a talk, but since it’s my call to assign jobs to the TRT team, and there were no hiccups, I don’t suspect more than a slap on the hand.”
Rising to her tiptoes, Cora places a kiss on my cheek. “That’s good. I’m sure they understand. We all do.”
Ignoring her, I do what I always do when returning home. “Anything I need to know?”
“She’s been unusually quiet since the deadbeat dropped her off.”
Both of us watch Kellie speed down the street, spinning her skateboard and sticking another landing. It’s hard to know how she’ll be after a required visit with her biological father. He’s not a bad guy, but their relationship is far from perfect.
Stephanie and Gary had Kellie when they were just kids themselves. High school sweethearts—of sorts—who kept the baby they made. They remained together for only a year after Kellie was born, and according to my wife, their relationship was far from a fairytale. As soon as he graduated, he joined his father on his boat and became a fisherman, following the fish up and down the coast. Which meant he was gone more than he was around. Absent in his daughter’s life, only seeing her when the guilt ate at him.
When Stephanie died, I wasn’t sure I’d get to keep Kellie. I am only the stepdad, even though I never once saw myself in that role. I’m more of a father to her than Gary has ever been. She is my daughter. That’s how I’ve always thought of her and feared she was about to be taken from me.
Gary’s her father, and had every right to be the father his daughter needed. I’m not sure why I was shocked when he pulled me aside at the funeral and handed over signed documents naming me as her legal guardian. He didn’t want our arrangement to change. He wanted Kellie to live with me. When he could, he’d visit like always.
His exact words pissed me off and had me seeing red. “Being a full-time father doesn’t interest me. I hope you’re okay with keeping things like they’ve been. If not, I’ll reach out to my sisters. See if either of them can keep her for me. Otherwise, I’ll have her placed in foster care.”
How could he be so cold?
Fuck that.
After having my lawyer look them over, I signed the papers. Added a few clauses of my own that said he couldn’t change his mind later. That once Kellie was a teenager, she’d get a say in how things between them worked. And if he ever wanted to walk away, he’d sign his parental rights away so I could adopt her and give her my name. As far as I was concerned, she was mine. Had been since I first met her at three years, four months, and seven days old.
Gary never kept her overnight. His visits with her when he was in town were short, only a few hours. When he called for a this time, Kellie was fed up with his games and explicitly stated she didn’t want to go. I urged her to go this one time to let him know she was done. My plan was to follow up with him after I learned how things went.
“Did he say anything?” My fist clenches tightly around my bag, the tension coursing through my fingers.
“He told me he’d call you later.” Cora sounds just as angry about it as me. “He mentioned an upcoming trip to Alaska, so perhaps it was for the best. Said he has a buddy who invited him up. Sounded like he planned to talk to her about it. I’m not sure who told who first. How can he walk away from that kid? I don’t get it.”
“Me either.” It’s not something I could do. I’d been prepared to fight for her. Take him to court if he expressed an interest in resuming custody. If I’d lost, then I’d have requested visitation, so Mollie and Kellie stayed close.
“She’s lucky to have you.” Cora shakes her head, her long, dark hair swaying with the motion. “Call if you need anything. My shift isn’t until tomorrow morning, so I’m free to stop by and help with Mollie if you two need space to talk.”
I nod. “Will do. I think we’ll be fine. I have a few things I need to do over at Bethany’s. She can help me, giving us a chance to talk while we work. Maybe Cindy can watch Mollie while she and Bailey play.”
Our attention shifts to where my neighbor Cindy sits, staring at me with hearts in her eyes.
Cora snickers as she turns to leave. “I bet if you take off your shirt, she’ll agree. Maybe even offer to bring you dinner and her special dessert.”
“Fuck off,” I grumble after her. “I’m not interested in anything Cindy has to offer.”
And I’m not.
Cindy’s marriage was in trouble long before I moved in, and I hate how she zoned in on me that first day. But I was too nice to blow her off, and because we were neighbors told her my story. That only fueled her efforts. I was the widower with two girls who she saw as her next target.
She’s now a divorced mother of two, searching for her third husband to take care of her and her children. That will not be me.
I barely make it to my front door before Cindy is on her feet and sashaying my way. “You look tired. Did you have a tough shift? Anything I can do to help? Just name it, I’m not busy. We can put on a movie to entertain the girls while we chat .”
With a thud, I drop my duffle just inside the front door. I quickly turn to face her, my smile fixed firmly in place. “Actually, if you could watch Mollie while I go across the street and take care of something for Bethany, that would be great.”
“Bethany? Why?” Cindy follows me to the garage, talking a mile a minute, stumbling over her feet, trying to keep up. “I mean, her Christmas lights are still up. Who still has their Christmas lights up in July? Weird people, that’s who. Plus, you don’t even like her.”
I press the code for the garage door while I pray for patience. “I like her. Why would you say I don’t like her?”
“Because you don’t. You can’t. I mean, why would you like someone like her? She’s old, nearly forty. And you aren’t even thirty yet, so you can’t possibly.” The way her face scrunches up reminds me of the girls I avoided in high school, and it just goes to prove some people never change. “Plus, she’s weird. You know she throws those parties with her friend Jodi, and God only knows what happens during them.” As if sharing a secret, she leans in, one hand cupping the side of her mouth. “I think they’re swingers. I mean, I’m no prude, but even you have to admit that’s not normal.”
Cindy’s words prove she’s unfamiliar with what the term swinger means. Couples and singles both attend the parties thrown by Beth and Jodi. Plus, what I’ve witnessed suggests they are nothing more than friends getting together to have fun—but not that kind of fun.
While she criticizes the woman I’ve grown to admire, I detach my ladder from the wall and carry it out of the garage. Passing her, I set it down in the driveway and take a calming breath. “You know what? I think Mollie can help me. You can go.”
“Oh. No.” She backtracks as fast as she can. “You misunderstood.”
“I don’t think I did. Go, before I say something I don’t think you’ll like.” Whistling loudly to get Mollie and Kellie’s attention, I pick up the ladder. “Girls, follow me. I need your help. Who wants to take down some Christmas lights?”
Mollie loves helping, no matter what it is. “Me. Me Daddy. Can I?”
“Sure thing, sweet pea.” I pat her on the head and motion for her to look both ways before crossing the street.
Kellie skates up next to us, jumps off her board as it lands in the yard, and shoves her hands in her pockets. “Why are we taking down her lights now? Shouldn’t we have done that months ago?”
I lean the tall ladder against the house and then raise it slowly. “Sometimes you don’t realize what you should’ve done until something happens and opens your eyes to it. We’re going to do better about that. And since Bethany will need some extra help while she recovers, we’ll have lots of chances to do just that. You okay with that?”
“Can I climb the ladder?” Kellie grabs the bottom to steady it when I start climbing.
I look over my shoulder and grin down at her. “You think you’re old enough to do that?”
She shrugs. “Maybe.”
“How about you let me see how hard it is to get these down and once most of it’s done, if you still think you’re ready, I’ll let you try?” I reach above my head to unfasten the lights from the clips.
“Seriously?” Kellie’s voice sounds hopeful.
“Seriously,” I tell her as I unclip the last one I can reach before having to move the ladder.
We have them all down and rolled up for storage in an hour. Kellie even helps by taking down the ones above the porch where they weren’t as high. I vow to put them back up for Bethany this fall before she reminds me that I promised to never make her climb a ladder again.