Chapter 25
25
“Dad?”
Mark was sitting on the side of Benji’s bed. “Right here, bud.”
Benji grinned, a little chuckle slipping out. “I was just wondering when we were going to get together with Miss Karen. I know you went out with her a couple of times. I thought maybe we could ask them over… or go out for pizza… or maybe…” He hefted his shoulders. “I don’t know, but don’t you like her?”
“I do like her. Very much.”
“Then… don’t you want her around us? Me and Grandpa?”
It hit Mark how the situation looked to his son—a woman he liked but hadn’t had around Benji other than a quick introduction after the running practice. “I do want you to spend time with her. She and her girls. It’s just that things are difficult now. I have a lot of work, and she’s involved in work, and…” His words died out, not knowing how to explain more to a ten-year-old.
“Do you think she wants to meet me?”
He dipped his head to hold his son’s gaze. “I know she does. Unfortunately, a case I was involved with also affected her work, and we haven’t spent time together this week.”
“Once you solve the case, then we can meet? I really like Laura and Olivia when they say ‘hi’ at practice. The other boys think I’m cool to know the older girls.”
Benji’s voice gave evidence to how much he wanted to spend time with Karen and the girls. God knows, I also want to. Seeing the anxious expression on Benji’s face, Mark was filled with determination. “As soon as we can, we’ll figure out a time to get us all together. Okay?”
Benji’s face transformed into a huge smile. “Good!” He slid down under the covers and closed his eyes with a smile still on his face.
Mark’s heart squeezed in his chest with the desire to give his son something he wanted so badly. After his dad had gone to bed, Mark pulled his phone from his pocket and remembered his conversation with Colt today. Since he was no longer on the burglary case, at least for now, there was no impediment to dating Karen.
“Don’t let a good woman like Karen get away because of this case. Brad will work it with Sam, and you’ll work on your other cases with Aaron when Brad needs to be involved in the burglaries. It’s not like there isn’t enough work to go around,” Colt said.
Quickly dialing, he hoped she would answer. After one ring, she picked up, and he breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn’t still ghosting him.
“Hey, Mark.”
Her voice was soft but with no emotion he could define. Wincing, he asked, “Hey. Is this a bad time?”
“No. The girls are watching TV before heading to bed. It’s some historical mini-series that appears to be all the rage. I watched some just to make sure it was appropriate.”
“Was it?” he asked, attempting humor but not knowing how it would be reciprocated.
She chuckled, and he loved the sound, grateful to have it back in his life. “I’m not certain I know what is appropriate anymore. Olivia has her own interests, but a part of being twelve wants to desperately do whatever her fourteen-year-old sister is doing. The show had kissing and indicated more, but no nudity. God, I can’t believe how grown-up the girls are, yet I still want to protect them from growing up too soon.” She groaned. “And here I am blabbing.”
“No, don’t stop. I love hearing about you and the girls.” He didn’t care if that made him sound desperate—he fucking was and didn’t mind her knowing it.
“Tell me about your day.”
Encouraged that she asked about him, he let out a soft sigh of relief and decided to cut to the heart of their problem. “I talked to Colt. He said that with me not being on the burglary case, there is no reason we can’t date.”
She hesitated. “It still feels weird, Mark. I still feel like I’m a suspect, and you’ll be watching everything I say.”
The heaviness that had lifted off his chest was now pressing again. “I admit this is uncharted territory for me,” he admitted. “In fact, all of this is. You’re the first woman I’ve been in a relationship with, and I don’t want this to stop. I’ve been happier with you in my life over the last couple of weeks than in a long time. I had convinced myself that if all I had from here on out were Benji, that would be fine. But just being with you has made me feel like there’s more out there in life for me.”
There was a moment of silence, and she spoke softly. “Me too. That’s exactly how I feel.”
He cleared his throat and plunged ahead. “My day was good. After I talked to Colt, Aaron and I worked on another case. We also spent some time with a couple of the county's drug task force. I got home on time and had dinner with Benji and Dad. Benji and I went over his homework and watched some TV. Now, he and Dad have just headed to bed. After I said my good nights to them, I wanted to call you.” He chuckled, but the sound was rough to his ears. “I realize that doesn’t sound like a very interesting day, but I just wanted to share it with you.”
“I’m glad you did. Not every day has to be guns blazing and high-speed car chases,” she said softly.
“Yeah. We don’t have a lot of those. Although, I have to admit, we’re having more and more. But yeah, um… days are good with me having someone to share them with at the end is even better.”
“I agree. It is nice to have someone to share things with.” She hesitated, then said, “Speaking of sharing, I checked on my patient today who has the two neighbor kids always around. They were at his house again, so I looked for signs of abuse and didn’t see any. I chatted with them, and they only mentioned how their mom works nights, and that she and her boyfriend argued a lot. But no physicality toward the kids. I talked to my friend at CPS, and she said I can file a report but without anything else to go on other than they like to eat at the neighbor’s house, there’s not much that can be done. But they could go in and do an assessment. I just wasn’t sure. My patient thinks the mom drinks, and I wonder what job she has that requires her to work all night. The boyfriend gives me the willies?—”
Mark was instantly on alert. “How so?”
“I’ve only met him a couple of times, but… I don’t really know how to describe it. I just feel uncomfortable.” She sighed. “I’d love to be able to help the kids more, but the last thing I want to do is bring the wrath of that guy down on them.”
“What’s the address? I can run him through our system.”
“It’s the mom’s place, so I doubt he’s on the lease.”
He walked to the kitchen, grabbing a pen and pad of paper from the junk drawer. “Let me have it anyway.” She rattled off the address, and he jotted it down. “I’ll see what I can find out.” Leaning his hip against the counter, he sucked in a deep breath, hoping she was going to be amenable to what he was going to propose. “Okay, Karen, here’s what I’m thinking. I really want us to move forward if you feel the same way.”
“I do.”
He loved her definitive affirmation. “Good… that’s really good. I’ve been with the girls during practice, and Benji has met them, and has been introduced to you. He knows I like you, and we went on a couple of dates. As he was getting ready for bed tonight, he asked me when he was going to get to meet you. I want us to have a family dinner. Something simple… we’ll order pizza. Your house or mine. Whichever place will make you feel more comfortable. And I’d like my dad to be there, too.”
“I agree.”
He jolted slightly. “Just like that?”
She laughed. “Just like that, Mark.” She sighed, then added, “I wanted us to make this happen after our last date. Then, I was so caught off guard by the interview and reacted with anger. But that wasn’t the right response that I should have?—”
“No… there is no right or wrong response to things that happen, Karen. I want you to be free to feel whatever emotion you’re having.”
Silence met his ears before she finally spoke.
“You’re kind of perfect. It’s going to give me a complex.”
“If we get another night together, I’ll give you more than a complex.”
At that, she burst out laughing again, and the weight that had pressed on his chest for a week finally eased. “So… pizza? Tomorrow night? I know it’s a school night so we can make it fast. A way to ease the two families to get to know each other more?”
“Perfect. And I don’t care which house.”
“Okay, then you three Drummond ladies are formally invited to the Robbins’ household tomorrow night. Six o’clock?”
She laughed again. “That sounds good. Thank you, Mark.”
“What for?”
“For keeping you and me on the right path. I got sidetracked and felt lost.”
“Karen, you mean a great deal to me. And I want to see how far we can go. So, if you get sidetracked, honey, I promise to do everything I can to bring you back to me.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.
“Can’t wait.” Disconnecting, he closed his eyes for a moment and let the feeling of contentment wash over him. He knew all relationships had bumps in the road and hoped he and Karen had just made it over their first big one. Now, he was ready for things to be steadier.
The next evening, Mark was in the kitchen, chopping up vegetables to go along with the pizza. His dad walked in and lifted a brow. “I’ve never known kids to want salad with their pizza.”
Looking up, Mark nervously grinned. “I didn’t think about it either until I was at the station today and told some friends what I was doing tonight. Aaron told me I needed salad because that’s what the ladies would want. Brad told me to get dessert, but then he was probably just plugging Bess’s bakery. Colt and Sam couldn’t add much since their girls are younger.”
Richard chuckled. “While Benji was at school and you were at work, I made a fruit salad, just in case anyone didn’t want to fill up on pizza.”
Mark’s eyes widened. “I didn’t even think about that!”
“There’s no reason to be nervous, Son. Benji is looking out the front window, excited to meet the woman you’ve been going out with and saying he already knows the Drummond girls. I don’t think it will be awkward at all.”
“I didn’t want to do this too soon, Dad, but I really want to move things along.”
Richard shook his head. “It’s not too soon, Mark. In all these years, you haven’t brought any women into Benji’s life. You’re a good dad, and you wouldn’t be inviting Karen over if she wasn’t important.”
He nodded. “She is. She’s very important to me.”
“Do you think she could be more?” Richard lifted his shoulders. “More as in someone permanent?”
“It’s too early for me to make a prediction, but she’s not only somebody that sparks my interest, she’s a really good person. If we don’t work out as a couple, which I hope to God we do, then I would still want her in our lives as a good friend.”
“I don’t think we could ask for anything better,” Richard said, clapping Mark on the back.
“Dad!” Benji yelled. “They’re here!”
“He’s excited.” Richard laughed. “Although, it might be because we’re having pizza.”
Chuckling, Mark walked toward the front of the house where Benji was bouncing with excitement. As soon as he saw his dad, he stopped and took a big breath. “Sorry, Dad. I have to play this cool.”
Lifting a brow, he stared at his son, amused but also taken aback. “You have to play this cool?”
Benji nodded solemnly, the kind of seriousness only a ten-year-old could muster when discussing something of grave importance. “Yeah. I mean, the girls are older, and they run in a different group at practice. But I don’t want Laura and Olivia to think I’m just some dumb kid.”
Mark raised his hand, instinctively reaching to ruffle Benji’s hair—a gesture he’d made countless times since Benji was little. But this time, Benji shifted slightly, dodging the affectionate tousle. The movement was subtle, but it hit Mark harder than he expected. It was one of those quiet moments of fatherhood when the realization crept in—his son was growing up. That innocent phase of childhood was slipping away bit by bit.
He cleared his throat, trying to mask the pang of nostalgia, and smiled down at his son. “Just be yourself, bud. You’re a cool kid already. They’ll see that. Trust me, they’re going to love hanging out with you.”
He hoped he’d said the right words, and the smile on Benji’s face struck him straight through the heart. “Okay. Let’s get this party started.”
If Mark had any reservations about how the evening would go, they were laid to rest within the first ten minutes. As soon as Karen and the girls arrived, the atmosphere felt easy and natural. Laura and Olivia greeted him with smiles, their familiarity instantly putting him at ease. Olivia and Benji bonded almost immediately, diving into a conversation about one of the latest games that had taken the kids at school by storm. Their laughter echoed through the house, a sound that eased the tension in Mark’s shoulders.
Karen had brought fudgy brownies, and Richard greeted her with a warm hug, which was visibly reciprocated. Soon, they were seated around the dining room table, plates filled with mostly pizza for the kids, with some salad and fruit added for the adults.
Richard asked the girls about school, and Karen discovered what Benji liked to do for fun. After dinner, Benji’s excitement couldn’t be contained any longer. “You have to check out my new game system!” he exclaimed to the girls, his eyes bright with anticipation.
Olivia’s face lit up, and without hesitation, she and Benji bounded into the family room, already chattering about the games they’d play.
Mark noticed Laura seemed torn. He knew there was a significant distinction between not wanting to be with younger kids yet not feeling comfortable with adults.
“Laura,” he said, gaining her attention. “If the new game isn’t your thing, why don’t you hang with us?”
She looked at him, her expression softening with relief at his understanding. “Thanks,” she said quietly, her voice thoughtful. “I think I’ll stay for a bit.”
Karen, seated next to Mark, smiled warmly at her daughter, clearly proud of her quiet maturity. She reached over and squeezed Laura’s hand. “You can always join them later if you change your mind.”
Mark said, “You can tell me what Baytown High School is like nowadays. It’s probably a lot different from when I went there.”
At that, Laura’s eyes widened. “You went to Baytown High School?” Her voice was laced with surprise, and excitement filled her expression.
“Believe it or not, I did too,” Richard said.
At that, Laura’s eyes widened even more. Mark fixed coffee while the others chatted. Laura and Richard walked off to take a look at some of Richard’s old yearbooks he kept on a bottom shelf in the family room.
Soon, it was just him and Karen left in the kitchen. He held her gaze and watched as a beautiful smile moved over her face. “What do you think? Success?”
She laughed and nodded while still holding his gaze. “I think it was very successful, and believe me, Mark, I understand the significance.”
He placed a cup of coffee on the counter in front of her. Watching her carefully, he asked, “Just to make sure we’re on the same page, how do you see the significance of tonight?”
Without hesitation, she said, “You’re a single father of a wonderful boy who is the center of your world. From everything you’ve told me, you had a good marriage to a good woman, and Benji had a wonderful mother. I’m a single mom with two girls who are about to be teenagers. They are also the center of my world. And I was married to a wonderful man who was also a wonderful father.” She tilted her head to the side. “How am I doing so far?”
He nodded slowly. “Every word you just said is exactly how I feel.”
“I haven’t brought men around the girls, and you said you haven’t brought women around Benji. This is significant in that we are bringing the families together, even if it’s just for a meal.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, nodding. “This time together means everything to me.”
She glanced around and then stepped closer. “I really want to kiss you right now.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “It won’t be the longest kiss in the world, but I think we can manage.” With that, he lowered his head until their lips touched. Sealing his mouth over hers, he touched her lips with his tongue. She opened, and he swept his tongue along hers, swallowing a groan. Forcing his head back, he reluctantly ended the kiss and stared at her smile. “You are so beautiful.”
Her body rocked against his as she laughed softly. “I keep thinking about the night we spent together. I hope we get a chance to do that again soon.”
“Maybe, when we work it out, we can plan a weekend trip to Virginia Beach. Close enough to home yet private.”
Eyes wide, she nodded. “I would love that, Mark. Let’s start planning.”
Throwing his head back, he laughed. Hearing noise coming down the hall, they released each other from their tight clutch. But he kept his arm around her with his hand on her waist. The kids and Richard came into the kitchen for more dessert, all laughing and talking. And no one seemed surprised that Mark and Karen were together.
She looked up at him and smiled, and he decided the image of her in his kitchen with all the kids around felt just right.