Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Callum brought in two black garbage sacks from the Jeep. One contained all of Parker’s toys, everything from small action figures to a baseball, bat and glove.
The other bag held his clothes, what few he had. When Callum had loaded the two bags into the back of his Jeep, it had struck him that these two bags meant for garbage held all that Parker had in the world.
Leaving Parker rummaging through the toy sack, Callum headed for the kitchen. With him and Brynn working together, it didn’t take long for the kitchen to shine.
Callum had to admit that after a shower, a good night’s sleep and an excellent breakfast with plenty of coffee, he felt ready to take on the day.
Brynn paused and slowly straightened from putting the last glass in the dishwasher. “It seems awfully quiet in there.”
Callum realized, with a flash of guilt, that he hadn’t given Parker one thought. “He’s a quiet boy.”
Still, he moved to the doorway and glanced in the living room before returning to Brynn. “He’s putting up a fence for the cows and horses. ”
“My brothers loved playing with farm sets when they were his age.” Her lips curved as her eyes grew distant with memories. “That kind of play is so good for a child’s imagination.”
“If Connor and I were in there right now, we’d be crashing the cows into each other, and the horses would be jumping the fences, trying to get away from us.” Callum’s smile faltered for a moment. Despite all these years apart, he still hated being so far from his twin.
“I can totally see that.” Brynn chuckled, then sobered. “What’s your plan, Callum? Knowing you, I’m sure you have one.”
“First, more coffee.” Stepping past her, Callum poured them each a cup.
With steaming mugs in hand, they sat at the table opposite each other. The sunlight through the window shone on Brynn’s hair, making it look like spun gold.
This smart, accomplished, beautiful woman had been his friend for as long as he could remember. There was no one’s opinion he trusted more.
Callum wrapped his fingers around the mug, relishing the heat that seeped through the ceramic to warm his fingers. “I never thought that I’d be spending the summer back in Good Hope.”
“You had plans.”
“My calendar is filled with events and travel in July and August. The fall months are equally busy.” He heard the frustration in his voice but couldn’t entirely quash it. “How did I get in this mess, Brynn? This isn’t the life I planned.”
He abruptly stood and began to pace, though the kitchen was small, and there wasn’t much room. After only a few passes, he plopped back down.
“I’m thinking of looking into adoption.” Adoption, Callum concluded, was a far better option than foster care. There had to be lots of couples eager for a child to love .
Brynn’s brows drew together. “Why would you need to adopt him? You’re his father. Your name is on the birth certificate.”
“Not me.” Callum swallowed against a throat that had gone bone-dry. “Finding a couple to adopt Parker. Of course, it would have to be determined that Rebekah abandoned him.”
The confusion in Brynn’s eyes fled, and understanding filled her blue depths. “You’re concerned about how you’re going to work and care for him both.”
“I am. Boston isn’t like Good Hope. I don’t have a strong network of family and friends to help. What kind of life would he have with me? I travel frequently, and I’m often gone for weeks at a time.”
“That would be difficult,” Brynn agreed.
“A family with two parents who are eager to parent a child could offer him a better life than I could. I want Parker to be happy, and I think adoption is the best way to ensure his long-term happiness.”
“I hear what you’re saying, Callum, and all your fears are valid. But do you have to rush to make that decision? Why don’t you at least try? Maybe adoption is the right thing, but you don’t have to be in a hurry.”
“I can’t stay here forever.” Callum blew out a breath. “And Parker has to start kindergarten. He’ll need to get settled somewhere. All that paperwork takes time and?—”
The touch of Brynn’s fingers on his arm had him abandoning his jumbled thoughts to focus on her.
“I understand your worries. I really do. You want to do right by your son.” Her soft voice remained free of judgment. “I’m just saying maybe you don’t need to make this decision right now. I believe you have a lot to offer him as a father. Give yourself a chance to settle before you do anything too rash.”
Reaching over, she covered his hand with hers. “This will work out the way it’s supposed to. You’ll see.”
Her hand was soft and warm. He turned it over to lace his fingers with hers, then he brought their joined fingers to his mouth and placed a kiss on the top of her hand, his gaze never leaving her face. “Thank you.”
Her smile faltered. “For what?”
“For letting me spend the night and feeding me. For listening.” The words came straight from his heart, and he’d never meant anything more. “For being a good friend when I desperately needed one.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled before her expression turned serious. “I want you to stay here. I feel it’s your best option. I realize you could stay at your parents’ house or with any of your relatives, but I think being here would be good for both you and Parker.”
The last thing Callum wanted to do was to impose on her generosity any more than he already had. A protest immediately rose to his lips, but she spoke before he could say anything.
“Think about it. If you go to your parents’ home with a child, the neighbors will immediately text your mom and dad. Relatives will rush over to meet Parker.” She continued in the same soft voice. “You both need time to settle and get your bearings. To think and figure out the next steps.”
“People will discover I’m here.”
“Of course they will.” She smiled. “It is Good Hope, after all. But not right away. If you noticed last night, once you turn the corner, there are only two houses on this stretch of road. Daisy, who lives next door, isn’t from here. Even if she was, she isn’t one to gossip.”
“I don’t want to intrude. We?—”
“You’re not intruding.” Her steady gaze locked with his. “Trust me.”
“I do.” And because of that trust, he made his decision and it felt right. “We’ll stay.”
After breakfast, while Brynn responded to an urgent phone call about a client, Callum found himself pacing inside the small house while Parker happily played with the plastic farm animals.
Callum was used to being active. He’d come home to get to know his son and figure out the next steps, but it was clear to him he would go crazy simply hanging around the house.
“Hey, Parker?”
The boy looked up from the farm scene he was building. No cow-smashing for his son. Callum smiled. The way the boy was organizing the animals reminded him so much of Connor.
What would his twin think of his son? Connor hadn’t been able to get away from his job in Seattle but was planning to make it home for the Independence Day celebration. Would Callum and Parker still be in Good Hope then?
“Did I do something wrong?” Worry furrowed the child’s brow.
“No, nothing is wrong.” Callum smiled to reinforce all was good. “I was just wondering if you know how to ride a bike. Without training wheels?”
He added the last because, though he was six, Parker didn’t seem athletic.
“I don’t need training wheels.”
The indignant tone had Callum chuckling to himself.
Callum had brought his bike with him, but if Parker had one at his grandparents’ home, his grandma hadn’t given it to him. “What do you say we go buy you a bike?”
Parker scrambled to his feet. “I say okay.”
“Not so quick. Let’s wait until Brynn is off the phone. She might want to come with us.”
“Did I hear my name?” Brynn strode into the room, smiling.
“We’re going shopping,” Callum began.
“For a bike,” Parker interrupted. “For me.”
Warmth rippled across Brynn’s face as her gaze shifted from Parker to him. “Sounds like fun. ”
“We hoped you’d join us.” Callum added his most enticing smile, knowing it would be more fun with her along. “Unless you’re busy…”
“Not too busy for you two.” Brynn glanced at Parker. “What color are you thinking?”
“I like red.” Excitement lit Parker’s eyes as the words tumbled out. “But I really like purple. Do they make purple bikes?” The boy directed the last question to Callum.
“I don’t know, buddy. I guess we’ll find out.”
Callum smiled as they headed to the Jeep several minutes later. Was a purple bike on the horizon? He glanced at Parker. It appeared they’d soon find out.
On the short drive to Sturgeon Bay, Brynn entertained Parker by launching into a sing-a-long with tunes she remembered from her childhood.
To her delight and Callum’s surprise, most of the songs were familiar to Parker. When they finished “The Wheels on the Bus,” Brynn asked the boy, “Did you learn those songs in preschool?”
“I don’t go to school,” Parker reminded her.
So far, they’d gone through “The Wheels on the Bus,” “Ten Little Monkeys” and “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands,” with Callum surprising her by joining in.
She’d thought they were through singing when Callum launched into “Baby Shark.” From the back seat, Parker let out an excited whoop. The words and tune were so catchy that Brynn soon added her voice to the mix.
“You know all the words,” Callum said to Parker.
“Grammy and I used to sing.” Parker’s bright smile faded at the mention of the woman who’d been like a mother to him. “But not when Grandpa was there. He didn’t like it when I made noise. ”
An awkward silence filled the Jeep, until Brynn pointed and called out, “Is that where we’re going?”
The front of the brick building boasted a full-size metal bike above the words Two-Wheeled Wonders.
Callum swung into a parking space on the street. “When I searched online, this business had great reviews. It seemed the best choice.”
The Jeep had barely stopped before Parker was unfastening his seat belt. “I never had my own bike.”
Brynn turned in her seat. “If you didn’t have a bike, how did you learn to ride one?”
“My friend Tommy, he’s ten, let me borrow his sometimes.”
“Did Tommy live in the neighborhood?” Brynn asked.
“Yes.” Like a runner poised at the starting gate, the boy quivered with excitement, his gaze focused on the front door to the bike shop. “Tommy, he has a mom, but neither of us has a dad.”
Beside her, Brynn felt Callum stiffen.
“Finding the perfect bike is going to be so much fun,” Brynn told the boy.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect,” Parker told her, pulling his gaze from the door. “Any bike is okay.”
Parker then turned to Callum. “When we get home, can we go for a ride? Tommy and his mom go for rides all the time.”
Callum grinned. “There is nothing I’d like more.”
It was nearly four when Parker arrived home with a shiny new bike and a brand-new Spider-Man helmet. Since the shop had had no purple bikes in stock, Parker had chosen a cherry-red one.
Now, Parker handed Callum tools while his dad ensured every part of his bike was in good working order. Callum was used to riding long distances but knew that wouldn’t happen today. Not with a child in tow.
Still, the weather was good, and working off at least a little energy seemed like a fine idea. Plus, Parker’s enthusiasm was contagious.
“Thanks for inviting me along.”
Callum looked up, and there was Brynn, sitting on a blue bike meant for solid riding, her blond hair spilling out from a sleek helmet. “You’re always welcome.”
“See my bike?” Parker gestured proudly with one hand. “It’s almost ready for me to ride.”
“It is incredibly cool,” Brynn told the boy. “So shiny. I love the red.”
Parker nodded vigorously, a broad smile on his lips. “Daddy let me pick whatever color I wanted.”
Callum sucked in a breath.
Daddy.
“I like yours, too,” Parker went on, chattering happily. “Blue is my third favorite color. I like purple, then red, then blue. I can’t wait to ride it.”
The eagerness in his voice had Callum looking up from the chain he had just tightened. “All ready.”
“Where are you thinking of going?” Brynn asked.
“I thought we’d check out the Waterfront Trail.” That particular hiking/biking path had been a favorite of Callum and his brother.
“I like that trail.” Brynn spoke slowly. “It’s become very popular. With the lovely weather, it may be a bit crowded. Plus, it’s not close and?—”
Her glance at Parker told Callum she was concerned the distance might prove too much for the boy. Something he should have taken into account.
“What path would you suggest?” Callum handed Parker the helmet. “Make sure the straps are tight. ”
“What about Whispering Pines?” Brynn suggested. “It’s not far, and with all the trees, it’s mostly in the shade, so we won’t get overheated.”
Callum knew he wouldn’t get overheated. Brynn wouldn’t get overheated. But a small boy might.
Which reminded Callum that he’d set out water bottles.
“Sure. Sounds good.” Callum turned toward the house. “I’m going to grab the water bottles.” He called over his shoulder, “Do you need one, Brynn?”
“I already got mine,” she called back.
When he returned, Parker was laughing at something Brynn had said. Callum considered asking what they’d been discussing but decided it wasn’t important.
What was important was getting on the bikes and getting moving.