Chapter 23 Better For Them Both
BETTER FOR THEM BOTH
“Iaced my report card!” Archer said the minute he walked in the back door.
Jayce expected a different response to his appearance, but had no clue since all Farrah did was send an emoji that Archer took it well.
“That’s great,” he said. “If I knew I would have brought dessert to celebrate.”
“Can we get ice cream after pizza? Mom ordered it already.”
“I’m always up for ice cream. What about you, Farrah?”
“Ice cream sounds like a great way to celebrate,” she said.
“Are you going to kiss Mom?” Archer asked.
His top lip disappeared into his mouth, his eyes got wide, and he glanced over to see Farrah grinning.
“I’d like that. Will you be upset if I do?”
“You can, but you can’t make any noises when you do it.”
“There are rules to it?” he asked. “Okay, you’re the man of the house. Tell me the rules. I should know them.”
“Really?” Archer asked. “Mom always says she’s the boss.”
“In this instance I think it should come from you,” he said, rubbing his hands. “Lay it on me. I can handle it.”
Archer grinned and mimicked Jayce, rubbing his hands together.
“Sweet. I told Mom no kissing noises.” Archer gave him a sample of what he didn’t want to see. “Blah, blah.” The kid was sticking his finger down his throat and gagging now after a hilarious display of puckered wet sloppy kissing in the air movements.
“My technique is a bit more refined than that.”
“Show me,” Archer said. “Then I’ll let you know if you have to change it.”
He could barely hold back a laugh. Farrah was enjoying herself, and if she was happy, then so was he.
But hell, it was getting harder. Weeks ago, he’d thought this moment would never come. The nights spent sleepless, dreaming of her, aching to touch her again, to finally let out the words he’d buried deep.
Now she was right here close enough for him to catch the warmth of her skin and the scent that made his pulse race.
Every brush of her hand, every flash of her smile scraped against his control like sandpaper on raw nerves.
It built the more he was around her, and zapped his control greater than imaginable.
He wanted more. Needed more. The freedom to touch, to claim, to whisper everything he’d held back.
But Archer had to come first. Always. Not just for Farrah, but for him.
So he swallowed the burn in his chest, let the need coil tight inside him, and reminded himself that being the man who did things right mattered more than giving in to the fire threatening to consume him.
It’d be better for them both in the end. He believed that one hundred percent and that belief led them to this night.
Where an eight-year-old was giving him the rules to be with his mother and he was going to follow them to the letter no matter how much he wanted to draw Farrah into his arms for a kiss that told all the secrets he was holding close to his chest.
He moved next to Farrah and put a kiss on her cheek. “How is that?”
“I can handle that.”
“How about this?” she asked and gave him one on the lips. He liked that she had made the move to do that over him.
“Good, Mom,” Archer said. “No noises. Keep it quiet.”
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Can I hold your mother’s hand?” He threaded their fingers together.
“Yep. That’s good,” Archer said. “And you can hug her too. She likes hugs a lot. The tighter the better. I do it to make her happy. I like it when Mom’s happy. She lets me get away with more.”
Talk about a humbling conversation. He saw the emotions gathering in Farrah’s eyes.
“I want to make your mom happy too,” he said.
“Perfect,” Archer said. “That’s an important rule.”
This kid was one of a kind. “It is one. Anything else?”
He was pretty happy with being schooled so far. It was everything he planned on anyway.
“Mom does too much around the house. It’s nice when you help her.”
“No more, Archer,” she said. “Now you’re stepping out of your lane.”
“But Jayce asked.”
“And you answered. We didn’t want you upset over a new dynamic. Archer wondered if you were being friends with him so that you could be my boyfriend?”
“No,” he said seriously. “Not at all. I want to be your friend.” He put his hand to the side of his mouth. “Sometimes I have more fun with you doing man things.”
Archer pointed at his mother. “Burn on you, Mom.”
The doorbell went off. “And that is dinner,” she said. “Perfect timing.” She moved away from them to get their dinner, then returned and put it on the island.
“Mom got a white pizza with peppers and mushrooms. Gross.”
“There isn’t anything wrong with peppers and mushrooms,” he said. “What did you get?”
“A meat lovers. A manly pizza. And wings.”
“Well, this man is going to have the pizza with your mom,” he said. He wasn’t sure his stomach could take the other one with the nerves that had been dancing inside of him today and was happy Farrah thought of that.
It seemed she had thought of everything.
Not just for her son, but for him too.
He’d carried his worries about the next step they were taking, the what-ifs pressing heavy on his chest and his mind.
He should have remembered who Farrah was at her core. She always did the right thing. Always put everyone else’s needs before her own.
Even if it meant swallowing her own doubts and sacrificing her comfort just to make others feel at ease.
And while part of him ached with admiration for the strength it took, another part resisted it. Because he didn’t want her happiness to be something she gave up so easily. Not for him. Not for anyone. She deserved more than that.
Whether it was something as simple as a dinner choice, or her son’s peace of mind.
He just hoped he was man enough to give her what Archer felt his mother deserved. Another weight he’d carry quietly.
“See,” she said. “I told you it was the better option.”
“Mom loves white pizza.”
That made him feel somewhat better. That it wasn’t completely about him. That she might be doing it for her too. Getting something that made her happy.
Was he helping her out of the bubble of selflessness and maybe prioritizing herself some?
He hoped so.
“I do too,” he said. “But I eat everything.”
“Can I have my wings first, Mom?”
“That’s how you do pizza night,” he said.
“Are you having wings? They are medium. Mom doesn’t like hot.”
“I suppose I can choke a few down. We can get hot wings another time. Just the two of us.”
“Yes!” Archer shouted. “Mom can eat a salad while we have wings.”
He turned to see her grinning. “You’re just eating this up right now,” she said. “Archer is loving the man bonding thing and now I’m outnumbered.”
“That’s how Jocelyn always felt,” he said.
They sat to eat, Archer gobbling up two pieces of pizza and four wings. Jayce and Farrah stuck to one piece each with a couple of wings.
“Can we get ice cream now?” Archer asked.
“Do you even have room?” he asked.
“I always wonder where he stores it, but he’ll find room for a sundae.”
“My treat,” he said. “I might get one too.”
They cleaned up dinner and left for the ice cream shop, getting in line with a bunch of other families.
Seemed the night for it.
“Archer.”
Jayce turned his head to see another kid walking over with a sibling and parents. “Hey, Colin. We’re getting ice cream with my mom’s boyfriend, Jayce.”
Guess that was a good way to get it out there.
Farrah flushed some. “Hi, Melanie, Rick. This is Jayce McCarthy.”
“I thought you looked familiar,” Melanie said.
He didn’t recognize her. “I’m sorry. Have we met?” He shook her hand.
“I saw you walking around with a bunch of people not that long ago in the building your family might be buying. I’m a nurse there. Our office plans on moving to one of the new offices when it’s done. At least that is the rumor if the sale goes through. I hope it does.”
Not that he’d talk about that now.
“Got it,” he said. “We are in the early stages of it.”
“It’s going to be great,” Melanie said. “I know it. We’re all really excited too.”
“That’s good to hear.”
They moved up in line while Colin and his family got behind them.
He hadn’t expected to feel pride over that conversation and being part of his family’s business.
Guess there were more surprises this night than he’d thought.
And when he got home a little after nine after giving Farrah another kiss at the door. Just a peck so that he didn’t break a rule, his parents were in the living room watching TV.
Might as well pull the cat out of the bag and let it run around and have some fun.
Not that he didn’t suspect his parents knew. Or at least his mother.
“How was your night?” he asked when he sat down.
“The same as every Friday night,” his father said. “Two old people relaxing after a long day of work.”
“You’re hardly old and you know it. I just wanted to let you know what Mom already suspects. I’m dating Farrah Lane.”
He watched his mother smile. “That’s nice to hear. I wasn’t so sure and was very careful what I said yesterday.”
“But you said enough and it was time to let Archer know.”
“So you only kept it quiet for him?” his mother asked. “No one knew?”
“Farrah’s parents knew. They had Archer for the night a few weeks ago when she and I went on a date alone, but we haven’t had a chance for one since.”
“Does that bother you?” his father asked.
“Nope. Archer is a great kid. They are a package deal and I know it. We all talked tonight and I got the rules laid out in order to be his mother’s boyfriend.”
His mother laughed. “That’s very sweet. Are you going to follow them?”
“To the letter.”
“Good boy,” his mother said.
“I won’t be home tomorrow night. Just letting you know not to leave the light on.”
He wouldn’t be embarrassed to say that, but it felt like at his age he shouldn’t have to.
But he wouldn’t let his parents worry or wonder if he didn’t return either.
It went back to respect at all ages.
“Have fun,” his mother said, smirking.
Jayce got up and walked out of the room and upstairs for the night. He thought they’d ask more questions and was happy they hadn’t because he had few answers.
All he knew was that Farrah whispered in his ear when he left that Archer had a sleepover and she didn’t want to be home alone on Saturday.
Had to follow the rules and keep Archer’s mom happy, so he couldn’t say no!
“I commend you on your restraint,” Jim said when his son was upstairs.
“I’m learning,” his wife said.
“It only took thirty years,” he said. “But go on, get it off your chest.”
“Jayce seems so happy. I told you that a few weeks ago. I worried about him coming home, but he needs this as part of his transition.”
“Don’t confuse him staying because of her,” he said. “I know in your mind you’re hoping if he can settle down in his personal life that he will be happy with his decision to stay.”
“You feel the same way but don’t want to admit it,” she argued.
“Maybe. But he had to do that on his own. He’s not going to risk hurting anyone, but I want him happy. I’m hoping his new career plays a part in it, but if he’s not happy with it, he knows he can move on.”
“I don’t think he will any more than you. He’s having fun at work, he’s not stressed, and he admitted that he’s making more with his salary.”
“You wanted to give him even more,” he said.
“I know. It was wrong of me, but I get it. It has to be fair. I didn’t know what he was making.”
“And it wasn’t our business. Our business is helping our kids find happiness and we are. Give him some breathing room now. No more calls to Carolyn or Diane.”
She wrinkled her nose. His wife didn’t keep secrets from him, but he hadn’t been happy to hear she’d done that.
Stacy got her wish and now she had to let it ride.
Just like he was.
If the trip got too messy, they’d both be there for support, but his son had to figure this one out on his own.