6. Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Lilly
“M ommy.”
The sweetest voice in the world filled my ears, and Madeline jumped into my arms. I was on the pool deck in my mom and Charles’s backyard with Rose. It was a perfect morning, and the cup of coffee in my hand had never tasted better. It was almost ten, yet here I sat in shorts and a tank top, enjoying the realization I had nothing to do and no one harping on me to do something. Sitting here chatting with my childhood best friend was rather refreshing.
I hugged Maddy. “How did you get home? You didn’t drive, did you?”
Maddy giggled. “No, silly. Gramma brought us home. She’s inside.” She stepped away and grabbed the hand of the little girl standing next to her. “Mommy, this is Darcie. Jamison is her daddy.”
Darcie was the spitting image of Carly. Her red hair and green eyes were absolutely stunning. “Hi, Darcie. I’m Lilly, Maddy’s mom.” I stuck my hand out. I didn’t know if she was shy, and I didn’t want to scare her with a hug, but she had other ideas.
“Hi, Lilly.” She wrapped her tiny arms around me. I was stunned for a split second, then gave her a squeeze. “I like your name,” she said, “because I like lilies. Did you know they were my mommy’s favorite flower?”
Her comment stopped my heart. She looked at me with the sweetest, most innocent look on her face, and my heart felt like someone was squeezing it. I shook my head. “No, I didn’t know. They’re one of my favorites as well.”
“Mine too,” she said, her green eyes going wide. “They are the prettiest flower. Me and my daddy plant one every year under our weeping willow tree to remind us of my mommy.”
“That’s so sweet.” I swallowed the lump which was beginning to form in my throat.
Thankfully, Madeline interrupted. “Can we swim?”
Okay, that was a random question—which was quickly met with squeals of joy and begging. “Did you bring a swimsuit?” I asked Darcie.
“We don’t need one,” Madeline replied. “We can swim in our clothes.”
“Yeah.” Darcie squealed, and they jumped up and down.
Rose met my eyes and shrugged. “It’s warm enough, and they’re both in shorts and t-shirts,” she said. “Why not.”
I laughed. “Sure. Why not.”
“Yay.” They squealed and jumped in the pool and floated on noodles. I watched them for a bit. Madeline was happy, and they were smiling and enjoying each other.
“Looks like they got along well last night,” Rose said. “Darcie and Lena hang out at gymnastics and our weekly get-togethers. It will be great having Madeline in the mix. I think they’ll all be fast friends.”
My grin filled my face. “We haven’t been here twenty-four hours, yet I feel like we’ve been here forever, like we finally found a home.”
Rose reached out and squeezed my hand. “That’s because you are home. I’m so glad you’re here.”
My vision became blurry, and I raised my eyes toward the sky to blink away the tears. “Thanks, Rose. I shouldn’t have waited so long.”
“Nonsense. You’re here now, and in a week, it will feel like you have always been here. Just wait and see.”
God, I hoped so. I wanted things to be simple for Maddy so she wouldn’t miss New York and the few friends she had. “I want us both to be happy here. I’ll feel better once I know I did the right thing.”
Rose raised an eyebrow in question.
I lifted my hands to hold back her concern. “That came out wrong. I know I did the right thing. I should have done it earlier, but once I know Maddy has settled in, I’ll feel much better.”
“Don’t think of what you should have done. We always have to look forward and know we can only control what we do from now on, and right now, you’re on the right path.”
“Look at you, the philosopher.” I laughed. “It must be nice to have always known what you wanted. You always wanted to marry Nolan and have kids, quick, and that’s what you did.”
“I know,” she agreed. “But there was a time after you left, and I was pregnant with JR, I wished I had gone on to finish my degree. I wasn’t ready to be a stay-at-home mom, and it was hard.”
“What?” I’d never heard this before. Of course, I was on the East Coast.
It was her turn to wave off my concern. “It’s not a big deal anymore. Six months after JR was born, Nolan made me get out of the house and find something I wanted to do. I worked until Lena was born; now, I’m quite happy being a stay-at-home mom. With two, it makes things so much easier.” She shrugged and turned back to the girls in the pool. “So, have you thought any more about starting a cleaning business?”
“I talked with my mom last night when I got home. She thinks it’s a great idea. She’s going to have me do some cleaning at the salon for a while and help spread the word so I can fill my calendar with clients.”
“Good.” Rose beamed. “You have a plan.”
“There she is.” Our discussion was interrupted when my mom, Tonya, Diane, Ruth, and Lena came out the back door.
“Well, there’s my girl,” said Rose.
“Hi.” Lena had a sweet little voice and hugged Rose tight.
“Lena, this is Lilly. You’ve talked to her on the phone, but she and her daughter Madeline”— Rose pointed toward the pool— “are the ones I told you just moved back home.”
“Hi, Lena.” She was a perfect combination of her parents. She had Nolan’s dirty blond hair and Rose’s brown eyes.
“Hi.” She smiled at me and turned to her mom. “Can I jump in the pool with the girls?”
And that was that. She jumped right in. I watched as Darcie introduced Lena and Madeline, and they were instantly lost in their world of whatever four and five-year-old pre-kindergarteners talk about.
“Don’t leave us hanging here waiting for our greeting.” Tonya stood with her arms wide.
I smiled. “Hi, Tonya.” I stood and wrapped her in a hug.
“Welcome home.” Tonya, the loudest and most fun of the bunch and my favorite person, hugged me tightly.
“Thank you.” I gave her a hard squeeze. “It’s great to be home.”
“Well, I want to tell you those girlies had so much fun last night. Poor James, though, needs some boys to help him out. That poor guy is going to have his hands full with the three of them.”
“Don’t forget when Leila and Adler are around, he also has to contend with Skylar,” Diane said. Diane was my mom’s business partner. She and her husband, Tom, never had children of their own, But Tom’s daughter, Leila, came to live with them five years ago when she found out she was pregnant; the baby daddy wanted nothing to do with either of them, and her mother kicked her out... “You’ll love Leila,” Diane told me after she greeted me with a hug. “Her daughter, Skylar, is also four. They’re all starting kindergarten this year.”
“Yeah, but she won’t be going to school with our kiddos,” Tonya said.
“True, but still. She’s a part of this family even if she lives in the next town over. They’ll be rivals,” Diane said.
“Wow,” Rose said. “Can y’all slow it down? They haven’t even started kindergarten yet. Let’s not start the rivalry thing.”
“Rivalry about what?”
“Daddy!” Darcie squealed as Jamison walked onto the deck. His dark hair was wet like he just got out of the shower, and with a tight gray T-shirt over his chest and the black basketball shorts he wore, he looked good enough to eat. I sucked in my bottom lip.
Darcie climbed out of the pool and threw herself in his arms, dripping wet . His muscular, manly body hugged his little girl tight, and I didn’t think it was possible for him to look more delicious, but damn, was I wrong.
Rose cleared her throat, and I tore my eyes from him as the book club ladies wandered back inside.
She bit her lips to hide a smile, and I swatted her arm before I sat back in my chair.
Jamison put Darcie down. “So, I guess you girls needed to swim.”
“Yes, we did, Uncle J,” said Lena.
“Uncle J?” Madeline asked.
“James calls him Uncle J, so I just call him the same thing,” Lena said.
Maddy tilted her head and brought her finger to her lips. “Should I call you Uncle J, too?”
Jamison squatted in front of her and shrugged. “Uncle J, Uncle Jamison, or just Jamison. It doesn’t matter.”
Madeline chewed on her bottom lip, which was what she did when she was deep in thought. “I’ll think about it,” she decided.
Jamison chuckled and tapped her nose. “You do that. You know what?” He asked her.
“What?”
“Your mommy used to chew on her bottom lip just like you whenever she was deep in thought.”
Madeline smiled wide. “Our friend Gianna always told me the same thing.”
He turned to me, and the smile he gave me made my mouth go dry before he turned toward Darcie. “Anyway, princess. What do you say we get you home? I think you girls have spent more than enough time together, and we have our usual Sunday chores to get done before we go to Uncle Bryson’s for dinner.”
“Do we have to, Daddy?” Darcie puckered her bottom lip out. “I want to stay with the girls.”
Rose stood. “It’s okay, Darce. We’re leaving as well. And no complaining.” She pointed at Lena, cutting off the protest before it ever left her lips. “Daddy and JR are at home waiting for us.”
Lena turned to Darcie and whispered something. They both agreed and started jumping up and down. Then they turned to me.
“We think Maddy should come to gymnastics with us,” Darcie said.
Maddy’s eyes got wide. “Oh, Mommy. Please? It sounds like so much fun.” They all started squealing and jumping in a circle, holding hands.
We all laughed and plugged our ears at the earsplitting octave the three of them hit.
“It’s Monday night at six at Five Stars Gymnastics,” Rose said. “I bet she’d have fun.”
“And since they’ll be on the kindergarten squad, they’ll cheer at the football games once or twice a season. It’s adorable,” Jamison said.
“At the football games? Aren’t they a little young?” I asked.
“Nah. It’s always a highlight of halftime. The town loves it.” Rose hugged me as she was getting ready to leave. “Think about it. Your first time is free. You could bring her tomorrow and see what she thinks.”
It sounded good. “Why not. If you want to,” I said to Madeline.
I was greeted with a wet hug and another loud squeal from the trio.
Rose and Lena left, and Jamison and I headed into the kitchen with the girls.
“Why don’t I take these two youngsters to get some dry clothes on?” my mom offered. “I’m sure I can find some extra.” She took Darcie and Madeline to change.
Tonya slapped the counter, and I jumped. “I’ve got an idea,” she said.
“It better be a good one, T,” Diane answered. “You scared me so bad I think I added another gray hair or two.”
“Trust me, Diane, you have no gray hairs. You’ve colored them all,” Tonya said. “Jamison. You need someone to keep your house clean, and Lilly here is interested in starting a cleaning business.” She held her hands out and bopped her head back and forth between us. “It’s perfect.”
I stared at the counter. Was she serious? She was Tonya. You never could tell. I glanced at Jamison. His face didn’t hold any of the uncertainty I was sure mine had. Being around him and his things. Cleaning for him. Seeing his house. Being close. Could I do that effectively? Would I be able to keep my crushing feelings at bay long enough to clean his house well?
“I guess.” Jamison sounded unsure. “If you think I need one, Mother .”
I laughed. Couldn’t help it. He enunciated “mother” so forcefully.
“If you’re really interested, you could have Lilly over and see what she thinks,” said Tonya.
“Yeah. I’m sure she’d agree.” Jamison stood back, his hands up.
“She’d agree about what?” Mom asked as she and the girls returned, now in dry outfits.
Tonya placed her arm around Jamison. “I found Lilly’s first house to clean, and Lord knows this one needs all the help he can get. And it will free up my Friday mornings.”
“What, you don’t want to feed me and your granddaughter breakfast anymore?” he asked. “That’s rude.”
“No. I love taking care of you two, but I have important things I need to be doing.”
Jamison and Tonya kept talking like I wasn’t involved in the conversation, which was fine with me. A part of me wanted to say no, it’s not a good idea, but I didn’t have a reason.
My mom chuckled. “Oh, whatever, T. You have nothing pressing for importance on Friday mornings, and I think it’s a great start. Shear Perfection gets a deep cleaning on Mondays, and Jamison gets some help on what day?”
All eyes turned to me. It looked like it was already decided. I shrugged. “Tuesday?” I asked him.
“Tuesday it is. Come over Tuesday morning. I’ll show you around, and you can give me a quote.” He held out his hand. “It’s a deal, Lilly-Pad.”
I placed my hand in his, and damn, the warmth that filled my body again. What was it about Jamison McKendry that always affected me?