2. Trey
Trey
I didn’t mean to barge into Valona’s house the way I did, but after hearing Keri rush inside the house and right back out without answering me, I had to check on her and make sure she wasn’t overstaying her welcome. We’d only been in Carson Creek a few months and I wanted to make sure we both made a good impression. And since my new neighbor, Valona Berryman already seemed to hate me, I didn’t want her to think I was taking advantage of her kindness.
“Sorry to intrude.”
Valona’s green eyes took me in and found me lacking, which I could admit was a new feeling for me.
She shook her head. “It’s no problem at all. Keri is always welcome here.”
My shoulders relaxed at her words, even if they were spoken like she thought I was a nuisance, or worse, a terrible guardian. “Oh. Okay, good.”
“Holy hell, he’s even hotter than you said he was.” The pregnant woman stood just a few feet away from me, wide blue eyes assessing me like a piece of meat. “Wow.” She was about as talented a whisperer as a chainsaw.
Valona smacked the redhead’s arm a little harder than playfully. “Excuse my friend, Pippa. She’s pregnant and having a hard time keeping her thoughts to herself.”
“My thoughts? You’re the one who said…ow!” She smacked both hands at Valona who had pinched her arm. “I mean, it’s nice to meet you Trey Fine. Great name, by the way.”
“I’m standing right here Pip.” The man beside her finally spoke up and I did a double-take, because it was Ryan Gregory, and he had a possessive hold on the pregnant redhead.
Pippa laughed. “You know you’re my number one hottie babe, but this guy right here is some totally serious eye candy.” She winked playfully and I decided, then and there, that I liked her.
“Thanks?”
“Don’t feel bad, Miss Pippa. Uncle Trey is a model, he’s used to women ogling the goodies, as Momma used to say.”
“Former model,” I corrected my niece with a groan. I wished she hadn’t said that, because once people found out what I did for a living, they tended to treat me like I was an idiot. “These days I’m a dad to this little girl with the big vocabulary.” My sister Martina had died when a sleepy truck driver crossed the double yellow lines, turning me into a father overnight. Keri was ten going on twenty, but the little girl had a big heart and I loved her from the moment I’d held her in my arms not long after she came into the world.
Everyone stared at me awkwardly and I felt like I’d been transported back to all those years of standing in my underwear while others judged me. I held up a hand in apology. “Again, sorry for the intrusion. I should finish unloading the truck. Nice to meet you Pippa. Ryan.”
Pippa reached a hand out to my chest and I froze, wondering if she was one of those women who thought she could touch me because she liked what she saw. “Why the rush? You must be hungry after lugging around all those boxes. Stay for lunch since I can’t.”
I was hungry, but Valona wasn’t fond of me and I refused to intrude. “It’s all right, I have sandwich fixings in the fridge.” Grateful Pippa wasn’t taking advantage, my shoulders relaxed.
“Nonsense, Val made her famous tamale casserole and it’s to die for. Since I’m not staying she can load it up with jalapeno peppers, and you won’t want to miss it.”
Every word Pippa spoke hit me right in my stomach, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten all day. But it was clear she didn’t want me around, so I took another step back. “Sounds great, but I don’t want to intrude, really.” She was kind enough to let Keri stay and that was enough.
“It’s no intrusion,” Valona insisted with a strained smile. “You’re welcome to join us if you have time.”
“We have time,” Keri offered. “Uncle Trey has lots of muscles and there’s not much left in the truck.”
“Thanks kid,” I muttered and turned to Valona, watching her green eyes to see if she really was inviting me to stay.
“No problem,” Keri offered while the twins cheered.
“We’ll be upstairs,” one of the twins offered. I couldn’t tell them apart yet even though the girls were as different as night and day, and before I could clarify they ran up the stairs.
“And we’re off to Dark Horse to make sure everything is good for a Jack & Jill party tonight.” Pippa looped her arm through Ryan’s and took off as well, leaving me alone with my beautiful neighbor.
I took advantage of the privacy to give her an out. “I can stay until your friend is gone. I know she put you on the spot.” It was strange, having a woman dislike me so openly. Not that I thought I was a gift to women, but I couldn’t think of any way I might have offended her.
For the first time since I met her, Valona flashed a smile. It was relaxed and genuine, and it was stunning, it lit up her entire face. “That’s just Pippa, a natural born meddler, but I meant what I said. You can stay for lunch, I have more than enough.”
“I’d love to stay, actually. Tamale casserole sounds wonderful.”
“Kitchen is this way. Have a seat.” She didn’t turn around, but I decided to take her at her word.
“Can I help?”
Valona turned to me with surprise in her sage green eyes. “You know your way around a kitchen?”
I nodded. “I’ve been doing this fatherhood thing for about six months now so I do all right, and I make a mean bowl of Ramen noodles.”
“A model who eats Ramen noodles? You must have been popular.”
I laughed and shook my head. “It’s cheap and delicious, and during the early years that’s all I cared about.”
Valona turned to me, curiosity burning her up. “So you really are a model?”
“I was, yes. Now I’m the guardian of a ten year old on the verge of twenty-five.”
Valona laughed as she pulled cheese and black olives from the stainless steel fridge. “You stopped for Keri?”
“Yes and no. After my sister passed away and I found out she’d put me in charge of her daughter, I brought Keri to LA with me, thinking I could model during the day and daddy at night.”
“Didn’t work out?”
I shrugged and thought back to those days that seemed like a lifetime ago. “Keri is capable and resilient, but she just didn’t fit in at all. Not in public or private school, and I didn’t want her to grow up constantly unhappy and dissatisfied with herself. She’s so confident, more than I was at her age, and I want to preserve that.”
“And you thought of Carson Creek?”
“I grew up in a small town just outside Huntsville, Alabama, and I wanted to give Keri that. In Alabama she might be relegated to being my niece, so that was out of the question. A friend of mine grew up near here and recommended it. We visited and we both loved it.”
Valona smiled again and I was knocked sideways by how beautiful she really was. The long dark hair she usually wore in a braid or a bun, hung down her back and around her shoulders, her green eyes were kind and sexy. She had that whole Earth Mother bohemian look going on, and it was working for me.
“Why didn’t she fit in? Keri’s great.”
I smiled. “I think so too, but she’s a little rough around the edges and plainspoken. Two things that would have made her stand out anyway, if not for the fact that she’s two grades ahead of where she ought to be.”
“Ten, I didn’t realize. I just thought she hadn’t reached her pre-teen growth spurt yet.” Valona shook her head. “Wow, you’ve got your work cut out for you, Trey.”
“Thanks Valona,” I said sarcastically.
She laughed. “She really is great. Helpful, kind and sweet, and the girl is honest almost to a fault. It’s refreshing.”
Her compliments for Keri gave me a measure of relief. “I’m glad to hear that, because I worry constantly that I’m failing her. Is she fitting in with her classmates? Is she doing all right? Being bullied? It’s nonstop.” Realizing I’d said too much, I looked up with a shy smile. “Is that weird?”
This time when Valona laughed, the sound was soft and melodic, super feminine, and it wrapped around me. “Those symptoms are part of a common affliction called parenthood. Welcome to the club, Trey.”
My shoulders sank in relief, or maybe apprehension, I didn’t know for sure. So many additional emotions constantly bombarded me since I became responsible for Keri, I’d stop trying to put a name to each one.
“So it’s normal to have nonstop anxiety?”
“Yep.” She handed me a brick of cheese and a box grater. “Totally normal.”
“Will I get used to it?”
She laughed again. “It’s been twelve years and I’m still not used to it. Ask me in another twelve.”
My brows dipped in confusion as I grated the cheese. “But you make it look so easy, so effortless.”
“Experience, that’s all it is. Just show her you’re trying, kids are simple that way. Show up and keep trying.”
“I can do that.” At least I hoped I could.