Chapter 12
ALWAYS CONSIDERATE
“Morning,” Jayce said at seven on Wednesday.
It wasn’t getting any easier to see Jayce first thing in the morning.
Her third morning opening the door to his handsome face.
Listening to her son gush about how much fun the two of them were having all day either.
Day one had been mini golf, lunch, then bowling. When Farrah came home, Jayce had dinner on the table. Said that Archer helped him make it. Her son wanted to see if Jayce’s burgers were as good as what he bragged about.
Had she ever come home to dinner on the table? Nope. Never once in her life. Ever.
That it was done the first day and her son was boasting he’d helped just melted her heart.
Of course she had to insist that Jayce join them, then heard all about the day’s adventure. The tie score in mini golf and Jayce winning after two games of bowling, then a trip to the grocery store.
She had to get beyond the frustration that he wouldn’t take any money from her.
Then last night after work, Archer couldn’t stop talking about everything they’d done at the Museum of Life and Science.
Jayce and he built some huge Lego structure in the loft upstairs.
Taller than she’d seen before. They’d had lunch in the house, then gone to the museum for the afternoon, beating her home by thirty minutes.
“Good morning. Looks like a rainy one today.”
“Yep. Got that figured out. Indoor adventure park.”
She laughed. “He’s going to pass out eating dinner after that.”
“Then it gives you the night to yourself,” he said.
“I appreciate those nights. I’ve got to catch up on laundry.”
He shivered and she found it funny. “Hey, if that is what you like to do in your free time, more power to you. I mean, scrubs are easy enough.”
He was looking her over in her navy ones.
“Do you know that scrubs show wrinkles? They have to be folded just right.”
“They don’t have wrinkle-free scrubs?”
His appalled look had her laughing.
“Of course they do and I buy them. But they still have to be washed and folded just right.”
He shook his head, his grin matching hers.
“Then you can have fun tonight with that because Archer and I are going to burn some serious calories. An early lunch, carb load, then off and running. We’ll be back before you, I promise.”
“I appreciate you making this such a fun vacation for him. It’s memorable. He needed that more than I realized.”
Tucker hadn’t even called Archer on Sunday to wish him Happy Easter. What she got was two hundred dollars transferred to her account and a text saying to buy him what he wanted.
What her son wanted was his father to make the effort to pick out a gift from the heart, not as an afterthought to toss money his way.
Rather than ask Archer, she took it upon herself, bought him an Atlanta Braves jersey he’d been asking for, along with some more memorabilia so she could spend the full amount and put it in a basket for her son to see when he woke up.
Made her basket full of games and activity books not seem so great, but what was she going to do.
Had Archer hooted and hollered over it all? Yep, he had. And he thought his father was the man.
Until her son asked to call and thank him that night, and her ex replied with, “Oh, that’s what Mom got you with the money? I thought it would have been something else.”
The light had left her son’s eyes after that. Things just didn’t need to be said. Archer’s hug and thanks to her had been enough.
“Hey, I’m having a great time myself. Maybe I needed it too.”
She let her hand brush over his for just a touch, a test. Maybe for both of them.
Ever since that hug days ago, and the dreams that followed, she needed to know. Did he still make her heart race and her pulse thicken?
Was this just attraction, or was it something deeper? Something she’d been too afraid to admit was pulling her back in, just like before?
His good looks.
His easy charm.
The way he always put her son first.
It was a combination she’d never known in a man. Not even her ex, her son’s father.
When Jayce’s fingers turned and threaded through hers—just for a moment, just an additional connection—it was enough to tell her he felt it too. He was holding back, protecting them both.
Always considerate. Always him.
Always making her wonder what could have been if she hadn’t been so scared.
“Jayce,” Archer yelled as he ran down the stairs.
She let go of his hand before her son reached them.
“Hey there,” he said. “You’re not dressed. Being lazy today?”
“I was going to get him before I left. He was tired and whined when I told him it was time to get up.”
“Guess he’s getting worn out well.”
“What are we doing today?” Archer asked. “Mom, I’m hungry.”
“I need to leave for work. You can get yourself a bowl of cereal.”
“I wanted pancakes,” Archer said, his nose scrunching.
She ran her hand over his messy hair. “Then you should have gotten up earlier.”
“I can make them,” Jayce said. “It’s been a while since I had pancakes. That is if your mother trusts me to clean up the kitchen well enough after.”
She had to let go of some of her control. If he didn’t clean up, she’d fix it.
But she had to admit he was a pretty clean cook when dinner was done on Monday. And they cleaned up together.
“Can we make them, Mom? I really want them,” Archer said, his eyes pleading with her.
She always gave in to that look.
“Sure,” she said. “You can show Jayce where everything is.”
“Sweet,” Archer said. “I’m going to get the box out now.”
Her son ran to the kitchen, she turned to follow. “I need to get my shoes.”
He glanced down at her feet. Jayce had knocked before she had a chance to slip them on.
By going to the door off the kitchen, she was positive he knew that was her room. She didn’t know why it mattered so much.
It’s not like she thought he was going through her house looking at things. He wouldn’t do that and she had nothing to hide.
Just because another man hadn’t been in that bedroom since her divorce meant nothing.
Or maybe it meant everything.
She was just so out of practice with those things.
She dated. She had sex even. One man that she’d dated for four months and never introduced to her son two years ago. He was really the first man she was willing to give more than a few dates to and in the end didn’t work because Alex didn’t like that she wasn’t available enough.
When she returned to the kitchen, Jayce was already mixing the batter in a bowl with his sleeves up and his bicep flexing.
“Mom, look,” Archer said. “Jayce’s arm is big. He laughed when I said it yesterday.”
No way she could avoid looking now with her son pointing as if it were a neon sign flashing.
Jayce was smirking at her. She cleared her throat. “Someone works out,” she said. Might as well have fun with this.
“It was one of my ways to relax. There is always a gym in a hotel.”
“Did you work out with the players?” Archer asked.
“Sometimes,” he said. “I’m not nearly as strong as them.”
“I’m sure you’re just being humble.”
“I’ll see how strong you are today. Jayce said we are going to OC Aerial. Mom, I’ve wanted to for ages.” Her son’s high-pitched excitement had her covering her ears.
“I know,” she said, smiling. “He told me.”
She’d seen that on the list of things Jayce had texted her. There was part of her that wanted to take her son. He’d have fun with Jayce and they’d do it another day.
“Your mother used to be fearless as a kid. She’d be the one to best us all if she had her way.”
“Can you go with us, Mom? Call in sick.”
Farrah laughed. “As much as that sounds like a better way to spend my day, I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Maybe the three of us can go another day,” Jayce said.
She moved to get the best pan out for breakfast and set it on the stove for Jayce. “I’d like that.”
“Sounds like a date to me,” he said.
“You’re going on a date with Jayce?” Archer asked. “Mom doesn’t date anyone.”
“He meant like a family date. It can be used a lot of ways,” she said.
“Oh,” Archer said, his smile dropping. “Got it.”
She didn’t know what that was about and knew it wasn’t the time to ask. Maybe she didn’t want to know.
“I’ve got to go,” she said. “Come give me a kiss.”
“No,” Archer said, frowning. “Not in front of Jayce.”
She rolled her eyes. “Then how about a fist pump?”
Archer raced over and pushed his knuckles against hers. “I still kiss my mother,” Jayce said. “Just saying.”
“You do?” her son asked.
“Yeah. Doesn’t matter how old you are. She’ll always be your mom and the one in your corner.”
Archer looked back and forth between Jayce, who he was idolizing, then her, leaned up and she bent down and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Don’t you forget that good advice either,” she said. “I’ll always be in your corner. Even when you leave the toilet seat up and don’t pick up your dirty laundry.”
“Jayce left the seat up yesterday too. See, it’s a guy thing.”
He groaned and she burst out laughing. “Too many years of living alone. Even now, I’ve got my own bathroom at home.”
“No need to explain. Just don’t do it around me.”
“I know better. No woman wants to fall into the toilet in the middle of the night.”
“Eww,” Archer yelled. “Have you done that, Mom?”
“That’s my cue to leave. Have a wonderful day, boys.”
The minute she pulled out of the driveway, she asked herself why it was so hard to find something like that in her life and if it was even possible to get it.