Chapter Ten #3
She thought of the boys and reminded him, “I don’t want the kids to be confused, so in the morning—”
“No problem.” He nuzzled her neck. “Same game plan as last time you stayed over. When they come knocking, I’ll send them downstairs.
Then when you come down, they’ll assume you slept in the spare room—if they assume anything at all.
” She wasn’t sure she approved of his plan.
And he knew it, too. “Riley, come on. Don’t get all morally conflicted.
Some things a five-year-old just doesn’t need to know. ”
That made her smile. “You’re right about that.”
“Good, then. That’s settled—and there’s something else I’ve been meaning to tell you…”
She snuggled in closer to him. “What now?”
“Lenore told me about your little conversation in the grocery store.”
She jerked back enough to look in his eyes. “She did?”
“Yep. She called me last night and confessed all.”
Riley didn’t know what to say. “Wow.”
He brushed a curl of hair back off her cheek. “She said she felt guilty for ambushing you and asked me to reassure you that she really is sorry, and she won’t be pulling anything like that again.”
“Do you believe her?”
He made a thoughtful sound. “Time will tell, but yeah. She seemed sincere.”
“I’m impressed.” She turned in his arms, and he wrapped his body around her, spoon fashion. “And I’m wary, too,” she admitted. “Lenore makes me nervous.”
“I get it. Until lately, it’s seemed like she would never move on. But now she really is trying, and that counts.”
“You’re a wonderful, patient ex-husband,” she said.
“Yes, I am.” He grinned.
“And so modest, too.”
“Yep—oh and one more thing…”
She peered at him closely. “What now?”
“I told my mom and dad about the baby.”
She sighed. “How did that go?”
“You’re not upset that I didn’t bring it up to you first?”
“Josh. It’s getting to the point where everyone is going to know. I think you should just tell people when it feels right and keep me posted. I’ll do the same.”
He seemed pleased. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Good. How did they take it—your folks, I mean?”
“They were happy for us.” He gave her a weary smile. “And yes, they asked if we were getting married. I said we weren’t.”
“And?”
“They took it well, I thought. They said anything we need, just let them know.”
“Should I reach out to them?”
He pulled her closer. “If you want to. But there’s no need to feel obligated to do or say anything right now. They’re fine, I promise you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am. They like you. They always have. They will love our baby. They know that one way or another, you and I will make it work. Now, go to sleep. The boys will be up at the crack of dawn.”
She stifled a yawn. “I’ll reach out to your mom.”
“Whatever you think…”
* * *
Josh was ready the next morning when the door handle jiggled, and his son called out, “Dad! The door’s locked!”
On the pillow beside him, Riley’s eyes popped wide open. “Oh, no…”
“Relax. I’m on it,” he promised in a whisper. And then he called out, “You and Dillon go on downstairs! I’ll be there in a minute.”
There was loud murmuring on the other side of the door, and then Shane shouted, “Okay, but don’t go back to sleep!”
“I won’t! Go. I’ll be down.”
Little feet padded off toward the stairs.
Riley brushed a curl of red hair out of her eyes. “You’d better get down there.”
“Like I said, I’m on it.” He planted a kiss on those sweet lips of hers, rolled out from under the pile of covers and reached for his jeans.
Downstairs, he told the boys that Dillon’s mom had decided to stay the night. Before Dillon could jump up and dart for the stairs, he added, “Give her a minute. I, uh, woke her up. She said she’d be down soon.” Then he set four boxes of cereal on the table and added, “Take your pick.”
They filled their bowls and hardly spilled any milk. By the time Riley appeared dressed in yesterday’s clothes, they were happily munching away on crunchy granola.
After breakfast, Josh convinced Riley to stick around for a while.
They went on a hike, the four of them with Roger herding them from behind.
The trail Josh chose led up into the foothills.
They returned by another path that ran along beside a clear, narrow stream.
The boys surprised him. It was a two-hour hike, but they kept up and never once complained.
Back at the house, Riley said it was time for her and Dillon to go.
“What about lunch?” asked Josh, though it wasn’t even eleven yet. When she gave him that ultra-patient look from under her lashes, he said, “Hey. You have to eat…”
“Yeah, Mom,” Dillon agreed. “We got to eat.”
Riley sighed like they were pressuring her—which they were.
But still, she was smiling and agreed to stay for lunch.
By noon though, she was ready to go. Josh knew by that determined gleam in her eye that this time he wouldn’t be convincing her otherwise.
He would have to settle for making sure he saw her again soon.
When Dillon and Shane went upstairs to straighten up Shane’s room and get Dillon’s pack, Josh made his move. “What are you doing Monday?” he asked as he moved in nice and close.
“Working, eight to four.”
“But Monday’s Memorial Day.”
“And the hotel will be open as always,” she reminded him rather sternly.
“Okay, then. But you just said you’re off at four.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “And you ask this because?”
“Big cookout at the Rising Sun.” The Rising Sun Cattle Company had been in the Bravo family for generations.
Josh’s dad, Cash, and Joe’s dad, Nate, each own a third of the Rising Sun.
Their other partner was also a Bravo, Zach.
Zach Bravo, his wife, Tess, and two of their grown children lived and worked on the Rising Sun.
“Is this an invitation?” Riley asked.
“Yes, it is. You and Dillon should come to the cookout. I’ll text you directions.”
“Please. Everyone in town knows how to get to the Rising Sun.”
“All right then. Just head on over after work. Invite Annette—Miles, too. There’ll be plenty of food. It’s going to be great.”
“Well, I would have to bring something…”
He took her hand. She let him—a very good sign. “That’s a yes, isn’t it?” He pulled her close and stole a kiss.
But then she backed away. She was blushing. He found that adorable. “I’ll need to check with Annette,” she said in a prim tone that made him want to kiss her again.
“Of course.”
“I’ll let you know by tomorrow.”
“Just go ahead and say yes now.” He lowered his head slowly enough that she had time to turn away.
But she tipped up her sweet lips and he got to kiss her again. When he lifted his head, she said, “Okay, then. Dillon and I will be there—what about Shane?”
“He’ll be there, too. I’ll pick him up at one and take him back to Lenore’s first thing Tuesday morning.”
“Lenore won’t be at the cookout?”
“Nope. I invited her, but she said she’d been invited to a party a friend’s house—a friend from her discussion group.”
“Go, Lenore!”
“I know, right?” He was just about to steal another kiss when he heard footsteps on the stairs above.
She heard them, too, and stepped back. “We really do have to go,” she said.
Five minutes later, Josh and Shane stood in the yard waving as Riley and Dillon drove away.
“Wish Dillon could have stayed.” Shane kicked the dirt and pooched out his lower lip.
Josh could have done a little dirt-kicking right then, too. But instead, he turned for the steps. Shane fell in beside him as Josh said mildly, “Your mom’s expecting you in half an hour, so you couldn’t have hung out much longer anyway.”
“I know.” Wrinkling his nose, Shane squinted up at him.
“What’s that face you’re making?” Josh pushed open the front door.
“It’s my sad face, Dad.” Shoulders slumped, Shane trudged across the threshold, Roger right behind him.
Josh entered last and shut the door. “You’re putting on your sad face just because Dillon had to go?”
“Yeah. And my birthday’s over, and now your birthday’s over. It’s practically a whole year till I’m six. A year is a really, really long time.”
“A year will go by before you know it,” Josh promised.
Shane wasn’t buying. “Dad, come on. A year is a very long time.”
Maybe Shane had a point.
In a year, Shane would have a seven-month-old sister. That would be something. Josh couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms.
In a year, a lot could happen. In a year, if Josh had his way, they would all be together—Riley, Josh, Shane, Dillon and the baby. One big happy family…
He needed to make it happen. He just didn’t exactly know how.
“Dad?”
“What is it, son?”
Shane slipped his small hand in Josh’s. “You okay?”
“You bet.”
It was only half a lie. Because Shane’s hand in his reminded him to be grateful for all that he had—a good life, a large, loving family, a wonderful son and a daughter on the way…
“We need to get a move on,” Josh said. “You should head back upstairs, grab your pack and whatever else you’re taking to your mom’s.”
Shane smiled then. “Watch me! I’m fast!”
“No running in the house…”
“I know that, Dad. But I can walk fast, too!” And off he went at a quick clip, across the living area to the stairs and up them. “See?” he shouted when he paused on the landing.
“Oh, yeah!” Josh called back. “So fast!”
With a giant grin, Shane disappeared down the upstairs hallway.
For a minute longer, Josh remained at the front door, thinking about how he’d lied to Riley with all that just-for-now crap. He hadn’t given up on a future for all of them, together. And he wouldn’t give up. They deserved to be a family in every way.
He just needed to help Riley see that turning her back on how much the two of them meant to each other made no sense at all. And turning her back on the family they could make together?
That was just plain wrong.