Chapter Twenty-One
This Saturday had been a long time coming. Paxton had wanted to get a family baseball game together for the kids since he’d first learned of David’s interest in the sport. Since last week’s insane escapade with David’s father, the kid had been unusually quiet and even withdrawn. Having a normal, fun-filled family game seamed more important than ever.
“Did you take the bases outside?” Aunt Eileen stood in the middle of the kitchen, waving a large spoon around as she mixed the biggest bowl of mustard potato and egg salad he’d ever seen.
“Done.” His arms full carrying a massive tray of marinated ribs for the grill, Uncle Sean nodded at his wife. “And Finn checked the diamond lines from yesterday. Still visible and ready for the game.”
“And the bleachers?” His aunt returned the spoon to the bowl and continued blending.
“Done as well.” Connor slapped his hat against his leg and stomped his boots at the back door mat. “Also set up the west field for a little horseplay later on if the kids aren’t too tired.”
Aunt Eileen lifted her gaze from the bowl, paused, then turned to her nephew. “Wouldn’t tired kids be an oxymoron?”
A burst of laughter filled the room. The only person in the room at the moment with children, Connor managed to mumble through his mirth. “Good point.”
“I still think painting the lines on the field was a bit over the top.” Paxton hadn’t meant for the game to be such a production, but it shouldn’t surprise him that when his aunt heard of his plans, she’d go all out to make the day a huge event for family and friends. Once the game would be over, there’d be food and music, and knowing his aunt, there’d be dancing too.
The front door flew open, and carrying a large duffle in each hand, Quinn stomped into the house.
“Were you raised in a barn?” Aunt Eileen called from the kitchen. “Close the door.”
Quinn shook his head. “Sorry, but Sandra Lynn and David are—”
“Right behind him.” Sandra Lynn yanked her son’s cap off his head.
Anyone who had ever spent any length of time at the Farraday ranch knew that one of Aunt Eileen’s pet peeves was wearing hats in the house. Especially baseball caps, she would not hesitate to point out to her family and their friends that there was no sunshine in the living room.
A bit more clingy than usual this last week, David was pressed up against his mother.
“The kids are all out in the backyard.” Aunt Eileen stepped back and reached for a different plate. “If you go tell them to wash their hands, everyone can have one freshly baked chocolate chip cookie before the game starts.”
David’s eyes lit up and without any of the hesitation he’d shown all week, the kid sprinted through the house and out the back door.
“Cookies gets ’em every time.” Aunt Eileen smiled after the boy. “Good thing I baked extra this morning.”
With no one watching, Paxton stole a quick kiss and taking Sandra Lynn’s hand, squeezed it tightly in his.
Smiling up at him, she squeezed his hand back then turned to the kitchen. “I’ll have to remember that trick.”
“’Fraid not.” With a grin as wide as the house, his aunt smiled back at Sandra. “Only works for grandmothers and pseudo-grandmothers. You parents are stuck with rules.”
Another minute of chuckling and teasing about child rearing versus grandparenting and the door bumped open again. This time Declan and his family came in the door. The youngest of the Farraday grands, Declan’s son Thomas wiggled right out of his mother’s arms and toddled like only a fourteen-month-old could across the room, repeating PawPaw until his grandfather scooped him up and sliding him onto his shoulders, carried the gleeful child outside with the others.
“I do miss that age.” Sandra’s gaze lingered momentarily on the door that slammed shut behind Uncle Sean, so long that Paxton’s mind was spinning.
“Since the kids are all outside, I thought y’all might like the latest news on Mr. Edward Morton.”
“Good or bad?” Sandra asked so softly, that without thinking, Paxton curled her into his side and kissed her temple.
“Depends.” Declan shrugged.
“On?” Paxton wished the man would just get to the point.
“Whose boots you’re wearing. I’d say for us, it’s a sweet catch. For Ed, not so much.”
“All right.” Paxton sighed. “Just spit it out.”
“You know that sleek little sports job?”
Both he and Sandra nodded.
“Stolen.”
Sandra’s mouth dropped slightly open.
“We already knew that he’d be up on federal parental kidnapping charges the minute he crossed the state line which, based on the circumstances, should see him getting somewhere close to eight years on the low side. Long enough for David to grow up without a mean drunk standing over his shoulders.”
Those words had Sandra Lynn stiffening. Squeezing her a moment, he kissed her temple again, pleased when she relaxed against him.
“But the piece de resistance that, my friends, I just learned about a few hours ago… The idiot has upgraded his drug of choice from booze to heroin, which he had in his possession. David is not going to have to deal with that man for a very, very long time.”
Sandra sighed. “I don’t know if I should feel sorry for Ed or kick my heels up and give a cheer.”
“Today, I vote for cheer,” Aunt Eileen called from the kitchen. “Tomorrow we can feel bad for the jerk.”
His aunt’s perfect delivery had Sandra giggling. Bless that woman.
From where Sandra Lynn stood, the day could not have gone any better. There were so many Farraday grandkids running around similar to David’s age. Adam’s daughter Fiona, Connor’s son Shane, Jamison’s son Brandon, and Declan’s daughter Caitlin were all within a few months of each other. Then, of course, Declan and Becky had the cutest little boy, Finn and his wife had a little girl similar in age to little Tommy, and Grace and her husband had a little girl a smidge younger than Tommy. How much fun for all those kids to have so many first cousins.
Not only were there plenty of kids David’s age, but Connor’s older daughter Stacy, and Brooks’s daughter Helen, along with Ethan’s daughter Brittany, were the coordinators of the kids’ game. Splitting their friends with the younger brood, the games were pretty evenly matched and even the younger ones who, like David, had never had a lot of training or practice, did really well. It didn’t hurt any that the older kids were cheering everyone on. This really was a crazy nice family.
Once the baseball game was over, as Connor had mentioned earlier, the kids still had plenty of energy, so they all moved to the side field where Connor had set things up for them to play mutton tag and grab the bandana off the lambs necks. Then there was the stuffed steer roping, and a slew of other games including the three-legged races. The kids were laughing so hard, but the best part was that David was running and playing and laughing with all the others. The quiet little boy of the last week after the ordeal with his father was gone and her happy boy was back.
“You’re smiling.” Paxton handed her a plastic cup with his aunt’s fresh squeezed strawberry lemonade. “Care to share?”
“My son is happy.”
Paxton slung an arm around her shoulder and followed her gaze to where David and the other children were playing some game akin to blind man’s bluff. Grey and the other family dogs were also running about barking and bouncing and having as much fun as the kids. “He is.”
“I owe it to you.”
“I had little to do with it.”
“You keep saying that, but without you, no one else would have gotten so involved.”
“Of course they would have. Declan would have done the same regardless of me. After all, you were raised here too.”
“All right.” She sighed. “I’ll give you that Declan is good and might have been able to anticipate Ed’s intentions, but I have no doubts that they went the extra mile because you cared.”
It took Paxton a long moment before he bobbed his head. “Let’s settle at everyone cares.”
“This may not be a good time, or the right place, but I can’t help it. I love you, Paxton Farraday.”
His smile dimmed slightly and if not for the intensity that grew in his eyes as he studied her, she would have sworn that she’d just ruined everything.
“I have to ask.” He blew out a slow long breath. “Love me as in oh you’re my best fishing buddy, or love me as in I don’t want to ever live without you?”
“For the first time in my life I know what it feels like to be head over heels, honest-to-goodness, in love with a man.”
“You’d better mean me, because I have been head over boot heels in love with you since you were eight years old.”
At that very moment, someone handed his aunt a microphone and she tapped on it, getting everyone’s attention. “So y’all know. Supper is ready. Ribs and fixings are on the back porch. As you’ve already found, the drinks are in coolers along the other side.”
Applause sounded from all around. Just about every member of the Farraday clan was in attendance as well as half the town. Even Sister and Sissy had closed the shop to be here.
“Sing!” someone shouted from not far away.
Aunt Eileen shook her head. “Not tonight. This gathering is for the young ones.”
Several more voices followed, “Sing!”
Paxton’s aunt rolled her eyes. “Fellas, give a gal a break.”
Now pretty much every adult and half the kids had their hands cupped around their mouths and were hollering good and loud, “Sing!”
“All right. All right.” Aunt Eileen waved her hands at the crowd. “You win.” She spun around, whispered something to her sister-in-law Ann, and then turned back to the family gathered around the wooden dance floor Aunt Eileen always had laid down when there was family and music. “This one is for all you lovebirds out there. One of my favorite songs by Old Blue Eyes.”
It took Sandra a few moments to place the opening notes, but as soon as Paxton’s aunt started crooning, Some day, when I’m awfully low, she recognized what had also been one of her dad’s favorite oldies tune.
“Shall we?” Paxton raised her one hand and she knew that he’d been the one to ask his aunt to sing that song.
At her nod, he twirled her into the fold of his arms. For the remainder of the tune, she found herself melted against him, comforted by his thoughtfulness and his deep low voice serenading her right alongside his aunt. Every time he crooned ’cause I love you, her toes tingled and her heart danced. No matter how long and hard the last few years had been, absolutely nothing was sweeter than this very moment.
When the peppy tune slowed, and Aunt Eileen glanced at her husband, her voice dropping to sing the last lines, the way you look tonight, Paxton pulled her tightly against him, dipped her ever so slightly, and lifting her back into his arms, kissed her hard, and strong, and sweet and lovingly. Yep. Life had never been better.