Chapter 6
STRIVING TO CONQUER
“Is he here?” Archer asked when they heard a car door four days later.
“It looks it,” Farrah said, pulling the curtain back to see Jayce walking toward her front door.
He still carried the same swagger he had years ago. A strut that dared the world to touch him, only for him to flick it away with the swipe of a finger.
The light breeze teased his hair, his long-sleeved cotton shirt clinging just enough to hint at the strength beneath, while his jeans hung looser but still revealed the hard muscle her teenage self had never quite noticed.
After exhausting all her contacts, she had no choice but to reach out and see if he was serious about watching Archer for her.
He was, which meant her son needed a bit more time with the man who was a stranger to her life, even though he’d been in it for so long as a boy.
Jayce had always been a good friend, she was in a bind, and he was trustworthy. She saw his parents at the doctor’s office; they talked about Jayce now and again and he was nice to her son. Showing he had changed little.
The next week would firm it up in her mind if there were any red flags.
“I’m going to let him in,” Archer said, reaching for the door.
She stepped out of the way and let her son greet his new babysitter.
Talk about something she never thought would pop into her head.
“Hey there, Archer,” Jayce said, holding his fist out to get a knuckle pump.
Her son laughed and did it.
“Hi,” she said. “Glad you could come over. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”
“Gets me out of the house,” he said. “Not like I’ve got much going on and it’s sad to say my social life is hanging with my parents.”
She laughed. He had to be joking. This guy who everyone was friends with in high school. The one who hung out with professional athletes as part of his career as if it was no different from her walking into her job daily.
“I’m glad I could help.”
“Mom and I ran errands today, but I wanted to go bowling. Errands are boring,” Archer said.
“Well, you and I can go bowling the week we hang out.”
She kept her bottom lip from coming out. Archer ate up the words, “hanging out.”
Other than her father, her son never had a male to hang out and do things with.
It’s not like her ex ever wanted to toss a ball, shoot hoops, or even watch sports.
Tucker was more about his own friends pumping his ego, and seeing who flocked toward him.
Deep down she was positive it had more to do with the fact Tucker didn’t know more than the basics of any sport, couldn’t catch a ball without bobbling it, nor dribble without tripping. He wouldn’t want to have anyone think he wasn’t as great as he was in his own head.
“Can we, Mom?”
“That would be up to Jayce. He’s the boss that week, if you don’t run him off on the first day.”
“Mom said that I have to listen and behave. I can’t ask you for anything either or be annoying.”
Jayce turned to her. “Being annoying is part of being eight. What’s wrong with you?”
“See, Mom,” Archer asked, jumping around the room and bumping into the table in the foyer holding some framed pictures.
She and Jayce reached for it the same time to catch any disaster. “My point, Archer.”
“Can I show Jayce my room?” Archer asked.
“Later,” she said. “Why don’t we let him into the house so he knows where everything is.”
“It’s just a house,” Archer said. “Any idiot could find the kitchen and bathroom. Those are the most important things.”
She tried to keep the mortification from her face. She knew her son was only joking, but didn’t want Jayce to think she had no control over her kid.
“I don’t know,” Jayce said. “TV remotes and video game consoles were right up there on my list at your age.”
“I’ve got my own room for that. Come with me.”
She watched as Archer dragged Jayce to the den off to the side. Years ago, she hadn’t liked that it was so far away from when she was in the kitchen or family room in the back. But now that he was older, it was good to have the noise barrier between them when Archer was worked up.
She followed along as Jayce tagged after her son. “This room is awesome.”
“It was my father’s before. He used to come in here away from us and drink scotch and smoke cigars with his buddies. Mom made him stay up front because of the smell.”
Nothing like airing out dirty laundry.
“Looks more like a kid’s room now,” he said, winking at her.
“It was the first thing I changed. Archer needed his own space on this floor.”
“I picked the colors and theme.”
The room was blue with framed posters of professional athletes of all the sports that her son loved. Football, baseball, and basketball. Tucker loved to show off and get sports memorabilia for Archer. Expensive things a kid had to look at and not play with.
Would Archer appreciate it when he was an adult? Sure, but at his age he’d rather take the signed baseball and throw it in the yard than look at it through glass.
“It’s pretty rad,” he said. “I’ve got the PS5 too.”
“Dad bought it for my birthday last year.”
“His old one was just fine, but you know...”
Buying her son’s attention rather than giving it to him in person.
“We can play games together for sure,” he said. “So we’ve got bowling and video games. Two rainy day activities if need be.”
“That week is going to be awesome!” Archer shouted. “Mom plays video games with me, but she’s not that great.”
“Not something I’m striving to conquer.”
“I’m sure your mother is good at a lot of other things,” he said, winking at her.
“She cooks good,” Archer said. “We’re having lasagna tonight.”
“Awesome,” he said. “One of my favorites.”
She noticed the smile not reaching Jayce’s eyes and wondered what it could be.
“Archer, why don’t you start one of your games and I’ll talk to Jayce and show him around, then we’ll come back.”
“Okay.”
Her son pulled out the console and she walked out of the room with Jayce following.
When they were in the kitchen in the back, she asked, “If you don’t like lasagna I can make something else. I just remember you had it a few times at your parents’ when we were kids.”
She’d gone to dinner there once when they were dating and it was served. Then when they were just friends months later, a bunch of them went to hang out at his house and Stacy McCarthy warmed one up and served it for lunch.
“It is one of my favorites. I think I’ll be fine. Not sure if you know why I was at the doctor’s office.”
“No, I don’t check patient files if they aren’t mine or I’m not required to.” Though she could, she just didn’t.
“I’ve got an ulcer. Had an upper GI and got the results back on Thursday. I’m on meds and so far so good. I think I’ll be fine, but haven’t tried tomato sauce yet.”
She reached to rub his hand. “I haven’t made it yet. Do you like veggies? I love white lasagna with veggies and meat and cheese. Archer will even eat that if the good stuff is buried.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” he said.
“You’re not asking, I’m offering. And it’s a way to get a veggie in my kid without argument. I just wasn’t sure if you’d eat it.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I will.”
“Good. Let me show you around some. Then while you and Archer hang out, I can get that together and in the oven.”
They moved through the first floor of the house; the back was open into the family room with a dining room off to the side.
Her office was in the front that she rarely used.
Just a place to pay bills and keep documents more than anything.
Tucker had the front of the house for him. His office and den across from it.
They went upstairs to a loft where Archer watched movies and TV when he wanted, had some toys there and hung out with friends also. His room and two others were there with a bathroom.
She’d bypassed her primary on the first floor off the kitchen. Jayce didn’t need to know that, it wasn’t as if she opened all the doors to the bedrooms upstairs. Only Archer’s was open, with the bathroom next to it.
“Mom, are you done with Jayce now?” her son asked, his voice pleading. “I want to play games.”
“You two do that while I put dinner together. Once it’s in the oven then I’ll come back and join you.”
“We can kick Mom’s butt,” Archer said.
“Or we could find something we are all good at,” Jayce said. “Maybe take turns doing things.”
“I like to throw the ball long. I can do that while you and Mom catch outside.”
“Sounds like a win to me,” he said. “What do you say, Mom?”
The adorable grin on Jayce’s face matched with her son’s pleading hands melted her heart. A vision she’d always dreamed of when having a family, and one she never got.
Seeing it now only brought frustration and annoyance.
She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to open herself up again to anyone, least of all someone with a proven record of not sticking.