13.
LYNN
“How are things going, Twinkletoes?”
“Hey, I’m not embarrassed that I’ve got rhythm,” my friend Josh said good naturedly as he stood beside me so we could watch my crew working to clear a section of field behind his house. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I had fun at that class.”
“Well, after all the begging and pleading I had to do to get you to come, I’m glad to hear that.”
“You did nothing of the sort,” Josh scoffed. “As if you wouldn’t let me use your cabin anytime I want to anyway.”
“That’s true. You do have a key.” I laughed before I suggested, “Maybe you should take your dance partner to the cabin for a romantic weekend.”
“Are you going to work today or just stand here and piss me off?” Josh asked.
“I didn’t realize you were so sensitive,” I teased.
“I said the class was fun. I didn’t say shit about the company. That woman was infuriating.”
“I think she’s funny.”
“You would.”
Josh and I watched the crew work until they came to a stopping point, and then we walked together to the edge of the property while they took their morning break. Once we’d marked where he wanted the water and electrical connections to come up, he helped me flag off the lines marking where the trencher should run so that my crew could install the conduit.
By the time we were finished, the crew was ready to get back to work, so I explained the markings to the foreman and then walked back over to stand with Josh.
“You’re leaving soon, right?”
“Yeah. I have to get cleaned up for court and meet the lawyers at the courthouse. Since today is the final hearing, they want us there in person.”
“Do you think the adoption will go through today, or are you going to have to wait for a certain amount of time?”
“My lawyer hopes that the judge will sign off on it today since we’ve been going through all the steps for more than six months.”
“And if he does?” Josh asked.
“Then it will be official, and I’ll have a lot to celebrate. I won’t have CPS all in my shit anymore, and the girls can start to feel settled with a sense of permanency.”
“I was adopted.”
“You were?”
“Yeah. My biological mother wasn’t all about the mom life and signed her rights over to my biological father. When he died, his longtime girlfriend got custody of us, and after she married my dad, they made it official.”
“Was it hard to adjust? How old were you?”
“I was a teenager. We were already a family; all the judge did was change our names.”
“The girls already have my name since Leanne wasn’t really sure who their father might be.” Josh winced, and I laughed bitterly before I said, “That’s kind of how I felt when I found out.”
“What happens if the judge doesn’t formalize the adoption?”
I shrugged before I said, “Then we wait.”
“Is that woman going to wait for you? I get that you think she’s the one - although I’m not sure how since you’ve known her for all of five minutes, but is it fair to make her stand on the sidelines for an indefinite amount of time?”
“I don’t know that it’s fair, but that’s how it has to be.”
“Have you talked to her about it?”
“No. We don’t have a relationship at this point because I’m not going to let my love life get in the way of what’s best for the girls and I’m not going to lie to the court.”
“That’s very noble of you.”
“More necessary than noble.”
“Is she worth all this drama?”
“Have you ever met a woman who makes you feel like you’ve just made contact with a live wire every time you touch her? The zing shoots up your arm and straight down your spine. It makes your heart beat faster and your breath catch in your throat.”
“That sounds like a cardiac event, buddy. Maybe you should see a doctor.”
“Fuck you, man. It’s going to happen to you someday, and when it does, I’ll remind you of this conversation.”
“I doubt it’s ever gonna come up again. I’m fucked up like a wooden watch and pretty sure no woman will ever want to deal with my version of crazy on a full-time basis.”
“I guess we’ll see if Farrah is ready to put up with mine, although most of my crazy comes from the wild screeching sweethearts that have taken over my life.”
“Is she even good with kids?”
“I don’t know. We haven’t had that conversation.”
“I assume that if she was the one to distance herself from you for their benefit, she’s got a soft spot for them.”
“She has a son that she lost custody of before she went to prison.”
“Oh.”
“You know him. It’s Seaverson.”
“No shit? He’s a good guy. He lives a few streets over.” When I nodded, he said, “His mom is friends with mine. Well, I guess that would be his adopted mother? Fuck, it doesn’t matter.”
“Well, wish me luck. I’ve gotta go.”
“I guess I’ll see you at dance class tonight.” Josh barked out a laugh before he said, “That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say.”
“I’ll be there one way or another. Either with good news that it’s all over and Farrah and I can start seeing each other or bad news that means we have to wait a little longer.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”
◆◆◆
Lanna reached over and grabbed my hand, and I squeezed it without looking at her face, waiting patiently for the judge to look over the paperwork and decide what the next step in the adoption process should be.
Finally, he looked up and smiled at me before he said, “At the request of the department and after looking through the file, I’m ready to make my ruling on the case. The mother of the children has relinquished her parental rights and requested that they permanently reside with their maternal grandfather, Mr. Lynn Serrano. Mr. Serrano, you’ve given several adequate reasons for wanting to expedite this proceeding, and after looking through your file, I see that you have already completed all of the necessary steps that the formal adoption process requires. With that in mind, I will be signing the papers today that make the adoption official as well as closing the case through CPS and the court system.”
“Thank you,” I choked out, my voice cracking with emotion.
I barely heard the rest of what he said but felt tears on my face when he announced that I was officially the parent of Berklee and Brinlee and that we no longer had to be at the mercy of an active CPS investigation.
I was now a father. Again. Although, the circumstances were even more heartbreaking this time than they were when I gained custody of Leanne and Lanna.
When the judge wished me luck and the bailiff asked everyone in the courtroom to rise, I felt my breath hitch and had to resist falling back into my chair with relief. Months of jumping through every hoop the state requested had finally paid off.
Berk and Brinn were now officially my daughters, and it felt like my entire body was ready to sag with relief. When Lanna threw her arms around me and sobbed into my chest, I realized that she had come to terms with the fact that her sister wasn’t going to be raising her own children, even though we’d known that for months now.
“Are you going to pick up Berklee and Brinlee early from school?”
“I am,” I said as Lanna pulled back far enough to look up at me. “As happy as it makes me to know that it’s finally all said and done, it’s not exactly a reason to throw a party. I scheduled a session with Dr. Hamilton this afternoon to make sure they’re really okay with the knowledge that this is permanent.”
“That’s good. I’m making their favorite dinner tonight, but I promise I won’t make a big deal of it unless they do.”
“When I drop them off, I’ll let you know how it went with Dr. Hamilton.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to keep them home tonight?”
“Dr. Hamilton said that structure is our friend, and I know she’s right. The girls always spend Thursday evening at your house, so unless they tell me they want to stay home, I’ll bring them over at the usual time and then pick up Roarke and Kaylynn from daycare tomorrow for our usual Friday night.”
“Are you going to have your girlfriend with you?” Lanna asked.
“I’m not sure trial by fire is the way to go, but I’ll ask if she wants to drop by.”
“I can’t wait to meet her, Dad.”
“Even though you know her history . . . or at least as much of it as I do?” I asked.
“If I’ve learned anything from my sister, it’s that good people can make bad choices that affect them for the rest of their lives. If you trust her with your heart and - even more importantly - with the girls, then that’s good enough for me.”
“How did you turn into such a wonderful person?”
“I got it from you. You’re an inspiration.
“Love you, Lanna Banana.”
“I love you, too, Dad.
◆◆◆
“How did the girls seem to you?” I asked.
“Considering their age, I think they’ve taken the news very well. They expressed to me that they’re glad to have everything settled.”
“What about talking to their mom?”
“I asked them their thoughts on talking to her, and even though they do miss her, I think that they’re dealing with some anger towards her because it’s come to this. They did not ask to visit her in person but said that they’ll talk to her the next time she calls.”
“I’m not sure when that will be. They’ve transferred Leanne from county to a federal facility, and they’ve got rules on how long she’ll have to wait before she’s allowed outside contact.”
“That may work in everyone’s favor. Your daughter can get adjusted to her new reality while you and the girls do the same.”
“I’m going to see Farrah this evening.”
“Berklee and Brinlee seemed excited about going to Lanna’s house for the night.”
“You don’t have any warning for me about seeing her?”
“I didn’t warn you away from her in the first place. I just let you know that you should concentrate on what was already going on in your life rather than start a relationship at that point in the process.”
“And now?”
Dr. Hamilton smiled before she said, “I love that you’ve found someone that was willing and eager to put her feelings aside for the good of your family.”
“So do I. We don’t know each other well enough for me to say that this is a forever kind of relationship, but from what I do know, I think that it just may be.”
“I wish you all the best, Lynn. I mean that.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, but I do have a favor to ask.”
“Anything.”
“If you’re going to the dance class this evening, will you take a video of my brother-in-law? I’d love to show that to his brothers.”
“I’ll do my best.”
My session with Dr. Hamilton didn’t take long since it was mostly focused on how Berklee and Brinlee were dealing with the news we got today. Since we had some extra time, I decided to take them for a treat at their favorite bakery which just so happened to be owned by one of Farrah’s close friends.
“I want three of everything,” Berklee said excitedly as she bounced in her seat.
“Me too!” Brinlee chimed in, just as excited.
“You can have one thing to eat now, and then we’ll take a box of pastries for you to share with Aunt Lanna and everybody else after dinner,” I said firmly.
“Two of something?” Brinlee asked, trying to negotiate.
I thought about how to get around their million questions and quickly came up with what I hoped was a good compromise.
“You can have as many things as you’re able to fit in your hand at the same time . . .” The girls started squealing, so I had to raise my voice to finish, “Without stacking them on top of each other.”
The squealing stopped when they realized that I’d found a way around their request, but by the time we walked into Crumbs, they were excited again. It took every ounce of control I had to hold in my laughter when Brinlee stopped walking to stare at her hand and Berklee bumped into her because she was doing the same thing.
When I looked up, I found Farrah’s friend Janis also trying to stifle a giggle, and we shared a secretive smile before she called out, “Welcome to Crumbs! What can I get you darlings today?”
Berklee looked down at her hand and frowned before she said, “We can have as many things as we can fit in our hand.”
Janis narrowed her eyes and tilted her head before she put her hand up and demonstrated as she asked, “With your fingers together or spread out?”
Janis and the woman next to her burst out laughing when my mouth dropped open in shock. Before I could say anything, Berklee spun around and pointed before she said, “You didn’t specialify . . . That’s not the right word, but you know what I mean!”
I sighed, knowing that I’d lost this round, before I nodded and agreed. “I did not specify.”
“We’re in business, girls! I’m assuming that he also didn’t specify whether what you pick out could be broken into pieces to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, did he?”
Another of the women I’d seen at the class and watching my crew from Farrah’s front porch stuck her hand over the display case and introduced herself.
“I’m Serana.”
“Lynn Serrano.”
“Her name almost matches ours,” Brinlee said in awe. “She’d make the perfect grandma. How cool would that name be?”
“Serana Serrano,” Berklee said a few times as if feeling it out. “No. I don’t like it.”
“Well, I don’t think I’m in the running to be your grandma, so we don’t have to worry about that do we?” Serana said with a wink aimed in my direction. “Are you in the market for a grandma?”
“I’m not sure. We got adopted today, so Pop can take that woman he likes out on a date again now.” When I looked down at Berklee in alarm, she said, “We’re eight, Pop, not dumb.”
“I didn’t . . . I don’t want you to think that . . .” I looked up at Janis, who was laughing at me, before I said, “I’m already outnumbered and outgunned.”
“Get used to it, Buddy. If you need any pointers, feel free to call my dad. He’s an old pro.”
“Obviously, if he had to deal with you as a child, with your break everything up to fit it in your hand,” I mocked.
“By the time I was ten, he was a shell of the man he had been before I came along,” Janis boasted. “Especially since I have three sisters and a brother.”
“That poor man,” I said sadly.
“So, what are we having today?” Janis asked, her attention back on the girls. “Come back here and wash your hands so we can get to work on what will get you the most bang for your buck.”
The girls rushed to the end of the counter, and I looked back at Serana before I said, “I need to get a box of treats to take to my daughter’s for dessert.”
“Are you spending the evening at her house?” Serana asked anxiously.
“No, I’ve got dance class.”
“So, it’s really official?” Serana asked. When I nodded, she clapped her hands before she assured me, “I’m not gonna say a word!”
“Good. I’d like to surprise her.”
“It’s going to be so romantic - like Romeo and Juliet without the poison.”
I barked out a laugh and then nodded before I agreed, “Something like that.”
“Are you excited?”
“More than words can say.”
◆◆◆
I resisted the urge to speed across town, hating the fact that I was late to class, but I really had no choice. When I went to drop the girls off at Lanna’s, I did my usual spiel and got Kaylynn and Roarke all worked up, spinning them in circles until they were dizzy. I ended up paying the ultimate price for it when Kaylynn threw up all over me, though. Lanna had warned me about that numerous times.
Of course, she found it hilarious while it took everything in me not to barf myself. Instead, I left my shirt for Lanna to wash and then hurried back to my place for a quick shower and change of clothes. There was no way to avoid being late after that.
I finally pulled into the parking lot of the studio and then jogged toward the front door. When I pulled it open, I was happy to see that everyone was still mingling and looked around for Farrah.
I couldn’t contain my smile when I saw her across the room, and the excitement on her face when she spotted me was a vision I’d never forget. We made our way toward each other and met in the middle of the room, forgetting about the people around us the second she jumped into my arms and my mouth touched hers.
I was still holding her in my arms when our lips parted and she asked, “Is it over?”
“I’m free and clear.”
“I’m so happy for you.”
“You know what that means, right?”
“I think so.”
“Farrah Seaverson, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?”
Farrah threw her head back and laughed loudly before she kissed me again. When we came up for air, she said, “I’d love to!”
I set her on the floor and then whispered, “Do you think everyone is looking at us right now?”
Farrah didn’t move her head, but her eyes darted around as her smile got even bigger. She nodded and confirmed, “They are, but I don’t care at all.”
“Good.” I leaned down and gave her another explosive kiss before I hugged her tightly. “Holding you is the best ending to such a wonderful day.”
“Does this mean you get to hold me after class too?”
“Absolutely. I fully intend on holding you all night . . . Well, among other things.”
“I can’t wait.”
As Lynn and I spun around the dance floor, I saw Zoey and Garvey staring lovingly into each other’s eyes while Janis was laughing with Corey. The rest of my friends were paired up with some of Zoey and Janis’ friends and even a few of Lynns’ friends that he’d somehow convinced to help us with our charade.
Although, that charade wasn’t necessary anymore, which was something that I had hoped for but was also terrified about.
Yes, Lynn was wonderful . . . so far. But in my experience, especially with my taste in men, I’d found that wonderful didn’t seem to last. Now that the road was clear for us to start officially seeing each other, I was worried that the bright and shiny newness would quickly wear off.
Once we got to know each other, would I find out that he had some sort of addiction he’d hidden? That had happened years ago when I met a wonderful man only to find that he was hiding a heroin addiction and a wife and two children. Would I find out that he had an explosive temper when he was angry - and that I would be putting myself in danger if I said or did something that provoked him? I’d dealt with that type when Mr. Sweet and Smiley turned into Mr. Gave Me Two Black Eyes because someone pissed him off in traffic.
I’d put my faith in the wrong person so many times in my life and then had to suffer the consequences. It usually boiled down to the fact that I’d made a bad decision and wasn’t willing to give up.
The married heroin addict just needed my help to kick his addiction, and the one with the hair-trigger temper apologized so profusely as tears streamed down his cheeks that I believed it was a one-time thing. Of course, it wasn’t, and when he turned his fists on Colt, I rescued my son and got the only violent charge on my record.
I had an extensive rap sheet, and that was the only charge that didn’t bring me shame.
“What are you thinking about right this second?” Lynn asked as we waited for the instructor to help a couple near the front of the room.
“I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“What do you mean?”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Lots of things.”
“Give me a list.”
“Okay. How many do you want and in what order?”
“Just spit out your top ten.”
“When I wake up in the morning, I’m a grumpy asshole until I’ve had my shower. I like my coffee, but the shower is what really gets me going. For the first hour of the day, every joint in my body has to make itself known. It sounds like a toddler jumping on bubble wrap when I get myself out of bed. Umm . . . let me think. I know there are more.”
“Those aren’t horrible. I’m talking about the kind of horrible that involves deep dark secrets. Something that I’m not gonna find out about until there’s a catastrophe. The kind of horrible that’s life-altering and makes me look at you in a completely different light.”
Lynn looked concerned for a second and then shrugged before he admitted, “I tried to drown my ex-wife.”
I sucked in a shocked breath before I cleared my throat and said, “She’s still alive though.”
“Yes, she is. It was the last straw for me. I’d been trying to get my kids from her for three months by then. I knew they were in danger, and the court wasn’t paying any attention to me. I got a call from her next-door neighbor letting me know that she’d been drinking on the patio most of the day and had just put the girls in the car and took off.”
“No shit? Did they call the cops?”
“Yeah. We figured she was headed to the lake because she’d packed the tent and some lawn chairs. It was bizarre considering there was still snow on the ground from a storm a few days before, but obviously, she wasn’t in any shape to make rational choices.”
“So, when you found her at the lake, you tried to drown her?”
“No. I could see her up ahead on the road leading down to the camping area near the dock. I was doing my best to catch up, but she was flying.”
Lynn cleared his throat, and I could see a myriad of emotions flicker across his face like a movie screen - rage, sadness, terror, all of which were understandable.
He quietly said, “She never once hit the brakes as she drove through the parking area and went right down the boat ramp and into the water.
By the time I got there, the car had floated out a bit and was slowly starting to sink, but the windows were still above water.
Leanne rolled the window down, thank God.
It was an old car with the crank windows, and she was able to open it enough for her and Lanna to climb through. They were standing on the roof of the car as it slowly sank into the water when I swam out to them.”
I could see the scene in my head as I said, “You grabbed them and left your ex in the car.”
“Yeah. As I was getting the girls back to the dock, two fishermen had run over to help. They pulled my ex from the car and dragged her out of the water. They were doing CPR when the cops got there, and all I could think as I tried to get my daughters warm was that I hoped they failed so she’d finally quit putting my kids’ lives in danger.”
“That’s perfectly understandable,” I said as the music started again.
“I think that’s my only deep dark secret. To be quite honest, I planned on taking that to my grave.”
“As far as I’m concerned, you get a pass on that one, Lynn.”
“Was that what you wanted to know?”
“Let me spell it out for you - you’re responsible, take care of your family, own a thriving business, and work hard every day besides that you’re smart, funny, and too fucking handsome for words. Something’s gotta give. There has to be something wrong with you.”
“I’m sure there are plenty of things wrong with me, but I can’t think of anything awful enough to make you run away, which is what I can tell you’re considering.”
“I’m talking myself out of it, and you’re helping me do that.”
“I have an idea. I’ll invite my daughter and her family over for dinner. Kyle and I will grill some steaks or something while you chat with the girls. Ask them about my flaws. I’m sure they can tell you plenty of things that I wouldn’t even consider.”
“You want me to meet your family?”
“I’ve spent the last two weeks missing you every waking minute. Now that we’re free to be together, I don’t want to let you go. That means you’re going to have to meet my family at some point, hopefully soon.”
“Do you think they’ll like me?”
“I think they’ll be just as charmed as I am.”
“I’m gonna take a chance and throw caution to the wind, which is usually a very bad idea in my experience.”
“Without risk, there’s no reward.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
“How do I know that you don’t have some weird quirk that’s going to make me want to run for the hills?”
“It’s a risk you’ll have to take.”
“More than willing,” Lynn said before he gave me a kiss. It turned heated, just like every kiss we’d shared so far, and I didn’t care that we were standing still in the middle of the floor with people moving all around us. When he pulled away to catch his breath, I said, “I’ve got one more question for you.”
“What’s that?”
“Why are we still here?”
Lynn looked stunned for just a second before he grabbed my hand and started walking toward the door at a fast clip. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Janis and Zoey laughing with their dance partners. I laughed, too, when Moe put her fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly while her partner yelled, “Get it, Lynn!”
As we hustled down the sidewalk toward Lynn’s truck I said, “Now we’re the talk of the dance studio.”
“I’m fine with it. How about you?”
“Absolutely.”
Lynn filled me in on what happened in court today, which I had already assumed since he showed up at dance class. However, it was nice to hear the relief in his voice as he talked about what he could do now that the adoption was final and the girls were officially his.
It didn’t take long to get to Lynn’s, even though it was outside of town just past the neighborhood where my son had recently purchased his first house.
We discussed how much work his friends had done in the neighborhood and how much they had left to do. He even told me about some of the projects he’d been hired to take on. I’d talked to him enough to understand the lingo he used when referring to the machinery, almost all of which I’d watched him maneuver around in the mornings while I drank my coffee.
I was surprised when we pulled up at an electric gate and waited for it to slowly slide open, leaving a wide entrance to get to the hulking metal building in the distance.
“I thought you were taking me to your house.”
“This is my house. Well, part of it is my house, and the other part is my business.”
“The place is huge!”
“It’s where we do equipment maintenance and store some of the more expensive machines. It’s also where Lanna and I have our offices. There’s even a conference room where I can talk to clients and have employee meetings.”
“I guess you’re never late to work.”
“Neither are you. It’s just a short walk to the office or the nursery, depending on where you’re scheduled for the day.”
“Have you lived here long?” I asked.
“I renovated part of the shop when Lanna and Kyle got married and then gave them the house where I raised the girls. I didn’t think I’d need the space.” Lynn chuckled before he said, “Boy, was I wrong.”
“Is there enough room for the girls to live here comfortably?”
“Oh, yeah. I’ll show you in a minute,” Lynn said as he stopped inside the gate and waited for it to close. “The girls love it out here. They’re currently trying to convince me to buy them horses. I’ll do that right after I buy them the goats, donkeys, chickens, miniature cows, and giraffe they’ve already asked for.”
“Never gonna happen, huh?”
“Actually, I’ve talked to a friend of mine, and he’s looking for some horses for the girls. They’ll be staying in his barn so he can teach the girls to care for them and give them riding lessons. I’m keeping that information close to the vest, though, since we’re not sure when he’ll find the right horses for them.”
“They’re gonna be thrilled, I’m sure.”
“Every little girl wants a pony, right?”
“I never did,” I said as I watched the garage door in front of us slowly rise, giving me a glimpse of a massive expanse that was filled with machinery I recognized from The Flower Patch. “Holy shit! You really do put those big things in here!”
Lynn pulled into the building and turned the truck off before he said, “Welcome to my humble home.”
Once I was standing outside the truck, I looked around the huge shop and saw not only millions of dollars worth of equipment and supplies but plenty of signs that young children lived here. There were bicycles, scooters, and a pile of roller skates on one wall next to shelves of other toys. There were pictures and words all over the floor among buckets full of fat chunks of sidewalk chalk.
Besides that, the shop was in almost pristine condition with tools hanging on the pegboard walls - wrenches arranged by size from small to some so large that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to lift them - and an assortment of drills and power tools placed in a way I was sure made sense to those who knew how to use them.
“Come on in, and let me show you the house,” Lynn said as he took my hand. We walked toward a large metal door, and I looked away as he entered a code to get inside before he held the door open for me.
Just like the garage, the inside of the house was pleasantly clean and organized, but there were signs that kids lived here. I saw a pink shoe peeking out from beneath the couch and a pile of hair elastics next to a brush on the coffee table. As I looked further into the house, I was surprised to find a wall of windows that looked out over an in-ground pool with chairs and tables scattered around along with a few lounge chairs that were covered in plush cushions that almost looked too comfortable to resist.
Instead, I looked around the living room and appreciated that it was homey but in a manly way, with a huge leather rocking recliner next to the fireplace facing a television that was probably larger than my bed at home. The L-shaped couch was also leather and looked so buttery soft I couldn’t resist reaching out to run my hand over the back as we walked past it.
“This is the living room, obviously, and here’s the kitchen,” Lynn said as he motioned to my left.
I looked at the large room with an island lined with backless rectangular stools that looked as if they’d be a comfortable seat for anyone that wanted to sit at the granite countertop. The island had a sink and a cooktop along with an immense amount of counter space.
The stainless steel appliances were all shiny with fingerprints only on the refrigerator door next to the handle beside an assortment of snapshots, kids’ drawings, and an erasable calendar that was full of colorful notes.
“Do you like to cook?” I asked.
“Not particularly, but I’ve learned how over the years. When Lanna and Leanne first came to live with me, we ate a whole lot of frozen dinners and pizza, but I gradually learned how to put some meals together. I can make about twenty different casseroles and grill anything, but I’m not much of a baker.”
“I’ve enjoyed cooking in my little kitchen since I moved into my house.”
“I bet it’s kind of nice to make a meal after all those years.”
“Oh, we made plenty of stuff in prison, but I’m not sure I’d consider any of it a real meal.”
“You can cook in prison?”
“Noodles, soups, and I can make several different versions of a burrito with a list of ingredients that can raise your blood pressure and cholesterol just by mentioning them.”
“Like what?”
“Cheetos, two bags of ramen noodles with one packet of seasoning, a beef stick or two, pickles, jalapenos, dried refried beans, and some really hot water. Mix it all together in the chip bag, cover it in cheese sauce if you can find some, maybe a packet or two of mustard, and voila! You’ve got dinner.”
Lynn looked horrified and cleared his throat before he said, “I’ll do the cooking.”
I howled with laughter, and Lynn didn’t even crack a smile. I grinned and said, “Come on. All of those ingredients sound pretty good, wouldn’t you say?”
“Not when they’re mixed together.”
“I was lucky that most of the prisons where I served my time had decent kitchen staff, but even they could only do so much with the supplies they were given, so it made sense to learn how to fend for myself.”
“I’d starve to death.”
“I’ll make you one so you can try it sometime.”
“Please don’t.”
His response had me laughing again, but I knew it was time to change the subject because Lynn was looking a little green around the gills. “Okay, I won’t make you try it. Now, show me the rest of your house. I want to see the pool!”
“Let’s go.”
We walked through a sliding glass door into a pleasantly bright sunroom. The walls and ceiling were all glass, and the sun made everything warm and toasty, but it wasn’t muggy and damp even with the pool nearby.
To the left were a bunch of toys, a buried trampoline, and a couple of hammocks held up on frames at the end of the room. The pool looked even more inviting than it had through the window and was much bigger than I’d realized.
“The girls love to swim, and I use it for exercise, but after a long day, it’s nice to just come out and float to let my body relax and get my joints to stop screaming at me.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“Wanna take a swim with me?” Lynn asked as he pulled me into his arms.
“I didn’t bring a suit.”
“We’re all alone out here, sweetheart. I wouldn’t be opposed to going skinny-dipping with you.”
Not for the first time, I thought about how I looked naked now as compared to when I was younger. Of course, I was heavier now, probably because I enjoyed eating instead of pumping my body full of poison. Even though I was proud of how fit I’d managed to stay, I still wasn’t quite ready to prance around naked while it was still light outside, even if I only had an audience of one.
“Maybe later. Right now I want to see the rest of the house.”
“The bedrooms are all that’s left unless you’d like to see my office.”
“The office can wait, but I’d love a tour of your bedroom.”
“It looks best from the middle of the bed.”
“I guess I’ll have to test that theory.”