Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Maude slid the baking dish of seasoned chicken thighs into the oven and set the timer, then turned back to the counter to trim the ends off the green beans.
She was going to sauté those in a pan with two slices of bacon that were already diced up and sizzling away.
She’d add salt, pepper, and some smoked paprika, too.
Along with the chicken and green beans, they’d have a salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, thanks to her garden pots in the backyard.
It was the kind of simple dinner that she loved to do, even though she rarely did. Cooking for one just didn’t have the same appeal, but with Robbie here, fixing a dinner like this seemed more worth it.
She heard the front door open and close, then the familiar thud of Robbie’s boots as he kicked them off by the mat.
“Hey,” he said, voice tired but lighter than it had been a few days ago.
“Hey, yourself.” She glanced over her shoulder. “How’s the arm?”
He lifted it a few inches, testing. The bandage peeked out from under the sleeve of his T-shirt. “Sore. But not awful. I did my best to baby it today. Tried to stay away from the saw.”
“Good plan,” she said, and meant it. “I’d rather not have a repeat performance in the ER.”
He snorted softly and came into the kitchen, leaning his hip against the counter. “That makes two of us.”
She finished with the beans, added them to the sauté pan, and wiped her hands on a towel. “How was work otherwise?”
“Productive,” he said. “I fixed the jig that caused the problem in the first place. Should’ve done that earlier. And I sketched out Ollie’s new shelves.” He tipped his chin toward the pan. “What are you making?”
“Roasted chicken thighs, green beans, and salad.”
“Sounds good. I’m starving.”
“You have time, the chicken just went in.”
“I should go shower then.”
She wrinkled her nose at him, even though he smelled fine. “For real.”
He laughed, then held his hands up. “Yeah, well, some of us sweat for a living. How was your day?”
She shrugged one shoulder, her mind going to Ollie and his unexpected guest last night. “Okay.”
He paused, watching her a little more closely. “Really? Because that didn’t sound very convincing.” He straightened. “What’s up?”
She sighed as she started on the salad. She’d already washed the lettuce and dumped it in a bowl. She picked up a cucumber and started slicing. “Ollie’s son, Nolan, showed up at his house last night. Just as Ollie was making dinner.”
Robbie’s brows went up. “Not good?”
“I mean…it wasn’t bad, exactly. But it was definitely unexpected. Nolan is so mad at his mother for everything she’s done—”
“The cheating.”
Maude nodded as she moved on to quartering the tomatoes.
She’d filled Robbie in on what she’d found out about Emily.
Her knife tapped softly against the cutting board.
“The cheating, the lying, trying to keep Ollie from the kids, trying to keep Ollie from getting Milo back… Bottom line is, Nolan doesn’t want to live with his mother anymore. ”
Robbie nodded. “Can’t say that I blame him.”
Maude added the tomatoes to the salad bowl. “No,” she said. “I don’t blame him, either. He’s hurt and angry, and at eighteen, he’s old enough to know exactly what he’s angry about.”
Robbie crossed his arms carefully, mindful of his injury. “So why does the way you’re reacting feel like something other than sympathy?”
“Because I’m human. And I’m feeling things I probably shouldn’t be feeling.”
Understanding filled Robbie’s eyes. “I get it. He showed up without warning. He interrupted your night, and because Ollie is so busy, the time you get with him is important. So you feel like Nolan is going to take even more of that time away from you. All while feeling bad that you feel that way.”
Maude stopped slicing an onion and stared at her brother. “When did you get to be Dr. Phil?”
Robbie’s mouth quirked up on one side. “Don’t overthink it, but I’ve been listening to a podcast about dealing with your feelings.” He shrugged. “I guess I’ve picked up a few things.”
“Well, you completely nailed it. Nolan showed up with his backpack and stuff in his car. And I could tell by looking at him that he was trying to pretend he was fine but wasn’t.” She glanced at Robbie. “He asked to see Ollie right away. He could have at least said hello to me at first.”
She tipped the onion slices into the bowl. “But I quickly figured out Ollie hadn’t told Nolan about me yet.”
Robbie winced. “That’s rough.”
“I mean, it is and it isn’t.” She tossed the salad gently, then set the tongs down. “I get it. He’s protecting his son, who already has more upheaval in his life than he should. But it hurt a little.”
“I’m sure it did.” Robbie snagged a slice of cucumber out of the bowl. “How did Ollie take it all?”
“Ollie handled it great. He was calm and cool. Happy to see his son, which I also understand. But it changes things. Nolan’s not a kid anymore, but he’s not exactly an adult yet, either. He still clearly needs his dad in his life.”
“And you’re worried about him? Or Ollie?” Robbie asked.
“Both of them,” she said simply. “And maybe, selfishly, about myself, too. About where I fit into all of this.”
Robbie gave her a look but said nothing.
“I care about Ollie,” Maude said. “A lot. Obviously. But I also know what it’s like when family drama takes over a life.”
“Thanks,” Robbie said with a roll of his eyes.
“I didn’t mean you. I just…I don’t want to be in their way, and I don’t know how to act when it’s something I can’t actually help with.”
Robbie nodded slowly. “That’s fair.”
“I know that for them, this isn’t about me,” she added. “But it is for me. You know what I mean?”
“I do,” Robbie said.
“I guess it feels like…like Nolan showing up unexpectedly is a reminder that Ollie’s past isn’t finished just because he and I found our way back to each other.”
Robbie shifted closer to the counter. “Did Ollie ask you to weigh in?”
“Not yet,” Maude said. “And maybe he won’t, which is fine. This is his kid. But it still puts me in a position where I have to decide how involved I’m willing to be. I mean, if Nolan’s living with him, he becomes part of the deal.”
“It’s a little awkward,” Robbie said.
“Yeah,” Maude agreed.
“You’re allowed to take your time with all of this. And you’re allowed to feel however you want to feel about it. But I’ve known Ollie almost as long as you have. He’s going to do right by Nolan, but he’s going to do right by you, too. He’s not going to lose you again after all this time.”
She smiled faintly. “I’m sure you’re right. I just wish I didn’t feel like every grown-up decision requires a risk assessment. Things were so much simpler in high school.”
“Were they, though?” Robbie snorted out a soft laugh. “Welcome to adulthood. It’s not that bad. Still better than being a teenager with acne and no money.”
“I guess.”
A piece of bacon popped in the pan, pulling her back into the moment. Maude turned to stir the green beans, heaving out a sigh. “You should go shower.”
“On my way,” Robbie said as he headed for the bathroom.
Thinking about Ollie made her want to talk to him. She knew he might be busy with Nolan, though, so she settled on sending a text. She picked up her phone, and it vibrated in her hand.
Ollie calling.
She let out a breath that was half relief and answered. “Hey. I was just about to text you.”
“Points for me for perfect timing,” he said. His voice sounded mostly normal, but there was an edge to it she recognized. Concern, maybe. Or stress. “I wanted to see if you were okay.”
“I’m fine,” she said. She leaned her hip against the counter and looked toward the bathroom door, listening to the soft rush of water as the shower came on. “I was just telling Robbie about last night.”
Ollie was quiet for a moment. “Nolan showing up like that was a lot,” he said. “I know. Just like I know it was awkward for you. I’m sorry about that.”
“No need to apologize,” Maude said. She meant it. “He’s your son. And yes, the timing was weird, but it’s not your fault that it shook me. I understand why you didn’t tell him about me.”
“I was worried about that,” Ollie admitted. “I was just trying to protect him.”
“I would have done the same thing.”
“Thanks. I won’t pretend I wish things had gone differently. He’s my son. And he’s hurting. He needs me. And he needs to be here.” He paused. “I get that will complicate things for a while.”
Maude closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. “Complicated doesn’t scare me,” she said. “It’s the not knowing that does that.”
“That’s fair.” He took a breath. “I don’t want you wondering where you stand. Where we stand. Nolan being here doesn’t change how I feel about you. Not even a little.”
Her shoulders eased, the tension in them softening. “Thank you for saying that.”
“It needed to be said.” Another soft breath came through.
“Look, I don’t know how things will shake out with him yet, but I do know I care about you.
Deeply. Everything I said on the beach last night is still true.
I don’t intend to disappear into family chaos and leave you guessing.
You want to talk to me, we’ll talk. Anytime.
As long as my hands aren’t in some guy’s chest.”
Maude laughed even as she wrinkled her nose. “Thanks for the visual right before dinner. Still, I appreciate that more than you know.”
“Good,” Ollie said. “Because I’d rather have uncomfortable conversations than lose you again. That is not going to happen.”
The oven timer chimed softly in the background.
“What was that?” Ollie asked.
“I’ve got chicken in the oven and green beans on the stove,” Maude said. “Robbie just got home and went to shower.”
“Then I’ll let you go,” Ollie said. “Thank you for being patient with me. With all of this.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “I just need us to keep talking. Like this.”
“We will,” he promised.
They hung up, and Maude set her phone down on the counter, the delicious smell of the chicken reaching her.
Whatever came next, with Ollie, with Nolan, with Robbie, or anything, two things were clear to her. One, that honest communication was key.
And two, Robbie was right. Being an adult wasn’t so bad.
Not that she’d ever admit that to him.