Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Kylie took the plates of pizza to the kitchen table, where Keira and Kevin scrambled into chairs.
“Would you pour iced teas for all of us?” she asked him.
“Even the kids?”
Sounding very grownup, Keira said, “When Aunt Kylie comes, we always get to drink iced tea. It’s our special treat.”
Kylie shrugged. “What can I say? I’m the fun aunt—and I do have their mom’s permission.”
As he placed glasses on the table, he was surprised to see the pizza had not only pepperoni and sausage on it, but also chunks of mushrooms and onions.
He thought little kids only ate cheese pizza, but these two began wolfing down their slices.
Obviously, they had a more mature palate at their age than he had had at six.
After they finished off the pizza, Kylie praised them for eating such a good meal and said they could have another special treat.
“Did you bring KitKats?” Kevin whispered.
“I did,” Kylie said, whispering back, causing both twins to cheer.
They ate their KitKat bars, and Zane asked, “What are we going to do now?” thinking the twins might be old enough for board games. He added, “If you’d like to play Chutes and Ladders, that might be fun.”
It was the only game he could think of from his childhood besides Monopoly, and he thought that would be too complicated for them since the kids had informed him during dinner that they would be starting first grade in August.
“Chutes and Ladders is a baby game,” Kevin said with disdain. “So is Candyland.”
“How about we play Trouble?” Kylie suggested.
“Yes!” both twins cried, with Keira jumping from her chair and twirling several times in a circle, her arms high above her head.
“You look like a ballerina,” Zane told her.
“That’s because I take dance. And I cheer. I have pompoms. Would you like me to do a cheer for you, Mr. Zane?”
“I play soccer,” Kevin added quickly, also seeking attention. “I get to wear cleats, and I have my own soccer ball. It’s got my name on it. It’s really cool. Do you want to see it, Mr. Zane?”
Kylie said, “Go ahead and check out their stuff. I’ll clear the table and get Trouble set up.”
Each child took one of his hands and hurried him up the stairs.
They went first to Keira’s room where she showed him ballet slippers, a tutu, and a jewelry box.
She opened it, and music began to play as a tiny, plastic ballerina turned in circles.
Then Kevin led Zane to his room, showing off his old cleats, which he said were now too small for him.
“Mama’s gonna give these to a friend of hers who has a little boy who wants to play soccer.” He picked up another pair. “These are my new cleats. I’m on the Aces again. I scored a lot of goals last year. Dad practices with me in the back yard.”
Kevin looked at Zane. “Would you like to come to one of my games, Mr. Zane?”
“I’m not going to be in the Bay when school starts,” he explained. Seeing the boy’s crestfallen look, he added, “But if I do come back to visit, I’ll be sure to ask your parents if you have a game I can go to. I’d like to cheer you on.”
“And you have to come see me, too,” Keira demanded. “You can come watch me dance. I go to dance every week.”
Kylie called out for them to join her downstairs. Once more, both twins took his hands in theirs, and they returned downstairs.
Zane had never played Trouble before, but the rules were simple to pick up.
“Let’s join forces,” he told the kids. “Any time we can, let’s send your aunt Kylie home.”
The next half-hour, he listened to many cries of glee from the twins as they all ganged up on Kylie. Keira won the game, and Kevin insisted they play again. The little boy won the second game, and when they begged for a third, Kylie said, “No can do. You need to get ready for bed now.”
“Can we watch one Spidey and Friends?” Kevin pleaded.
So Kylie wouldn’t have to be the bad guy, Zane said, “Nope. Your parents said no TV, and we need to stick by those rules.”
“No fair,” both kids complained as Kylie hustled them up the stairs.
He followed, with Kylie asking if he wanted to tag team. Zane helped Kevin dress in Spider-Man pajamas, while Kylie assisted Keira into ones from what she called Frozen. They met in the Jack-and-Jill bathroom located between the two children’s bedrooms to supervise brushing the kids’ teeth.
When Keira asked if he liked Elsa, pointing to the cartoon figure she wore, he said, “Sure—but I’ve never seen Frozen before.”
Her eyes grew wide and round. “You’ve never seen Frozen? You’ll have to come back on a Saturday. That’s when we get to watch TV. You could watch it with us, Mr. Zane. It’s my favorite.”
“I’d like that, Keira,” Zane said.
And he meant it …
He had never been around kids, other than his brother, and Zane had avoided Harris as much as possible. Going to Sullivan’s to play had been easy since his friend’s only sibling had died when Sullivan was a baby, leaving him an only child. Zane certainly hadn’t been around little girls.
Yet Keira looked so endearing as she asked for him to come watch a movie with her and her brother.
Suddenly, Zane felt a seismic shift inside him.
He might actually want kids. And wanting kids meant a wife becoming a mom. Sure, he could adopt on his own, but he knew how lonely his dad had been as a single father. Whether he’d ever admitted it or not, Zane had missed having a mother as he grew up.
Glancing to Kylie, he wondered if the spark between them could be fanned into a flame which turned out to be permanent.
Then again, she had made it clear that she did not want kids.
Since she had been the only woman he’d shown any interest in since Amanda, he set aside the feelings he now experienced, telling himself that maybe one day he might be a dad.
Or even Sullivan being a dad would be the next best thing.
Like Kylie, he could be the fun uncle his best friend’s kids worshipped.
Once teeth had been brushed and hair combed, the twins debated on which books to read before bedtime. Kevin requested that Zane be the one to read to them.
“We hear Aunt Kylie all the time,” the little boy explained. “We need to see if you’re good with voices.”
“All right,” he agreed. “What are we reading tonight?”
After consulting one another, Kevin chose an Encyclopedia Brown book, while Keira retrieved something she called American Girl.
“I’m first,” Keira said, handing Zane the book and climbing onto the sofa. She snuggled next to him, and Kevin planted himself on Zane’s other side. Smiling, Kylie sat next to Kevin.
“I’ll show you where to start,” the little girl said, opening the book. “This is about Molly and Christmastime.” She located the right chapter. “Read this one. Please.”
Zane did so, liking the illustrations and thoughtful storyline. When he finished the chapter, which was about celebrating Christmas during World War II, Kevin gave him the second book.
“His real name is Leroy, but he’s a detective and really, really smart,” Kevin explained. “Dad says Encyclopedia is a nickname.”
“You pronounced Encyclopedia perfectly,” he praised. “That’s a long, hard word to say.”
The boy beamed. “I practiced it. A lot.”
He found a bookmark in this book and picked up with that chapter. By the end, the cliffhanger made him want to continue reading to the kids, but Kylie stood.
“Okay, time for bed. One drink of water, then hit the restroom. We’ll come tuck you in.”
After the kids raced from the den, she said, “You did a great job, Zane. They love hearing different voices. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you read to kids all the time.”
“It was … nice,” he admitted. “But it’s one thing to step in and play at being a parent for a couple of hours and actually being one, twenty-four/seven.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” she said softly. “Parenting is very, very hard.”
The wistful way Kylie said it and the faraway look in her eyes made Zane want to question her about her choice not to have children.
He thought she would be a natural at mothering.
Then again, he hadn’t known Kylie long, and he certainly wasn’t going to argue with her about the choice she had made to remain child-free.
Upstairs, they tucked in each twin. Kevin was first, and he thanked Zane for coming to babysit.
“My pleasure,” he told the six-year-old.
“Could you come back? Before you leave the Bay?”
“I’ll try,” he said, not wanting to make a promise he couldn’t keep.
Keira was already in bed when they reached her room. Kylie gave her a doll, and she placed it on the pillow next to her. Then spontaneously, she leaned up and hugged Zane.
“Goodnight, Mr. Zane,” she said sweetly.
Kylie brushed a kiss on her niece’s forehead and said goodnight to her. They exited the bedroom, turning out the light.
His fingers found hers, and they went downstairs again, returning to the den and sitting on the sofa.
“That was nice,” he said. “I was worried I’d make a mess of everything tonight, but the twins were so warm and open.”
“They’re great kids. Amber, too. My brothers and their wives are doing an outstanding job raising the next generation of Mayfields.”
“You’re really good with them. You made everything look easy tonight.”
Her eyes misted with tears. “They make it easy. They aren’t perfect. They fight. Throw a tantrum every now and then. Overall, they’re really sweet, though.”
He glanced at his watch, seeing it was a few minutes past eight. “We’ve got some time before Karl and Annie arrive home. Any idea what you’d like to do?”
She gave him a light kiss and then looked at him knowingly. “Sex is off the table. I can’t imagine them coming home and catching us on their couch.”
Zane laughed. “Would you mind if they caught us making out?”
Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “I think they could probably handle that.”
“I never really made out with girls when I was in high school. Going to an all-boys boarding school and coming home for holidays and summers, I didn’t really date. Then in college, it seemed girls expected me to go straight to the good stuff.”
“Kissing can be fun,” she said, her palm moving up and down his chest. “I had a boyfriend in high school. Junior year. We would make out for hours in his car.”
Slipping one arm around her shoulders, he said, “Let’s have a little fun then.”
His free hand went to her waist. He kissed her, gently at first, and then need caused him to deepen the kiss. Kissing Kylie was different from kissing any other woman. He lost himself in her.
They sprang apart when they heard voices in the kitchen. He raked his hands through his hair, while she licked her lips, which were swollen from all the kissing which had taken place. Zane slipped an arm about her moments before Karl and Annie entered the room.
“Hey,” Kylie said casually. “How was your dinner?”
“Productive,” Karl replied. “We’re going to be carrying the line.”
“How were the kids?” Annie asked anxiously.
“They fell in love with Zane,” Kylie told the pair. “If he lived in the Bay, I would lose my babysitting gig because they preferred him to me.”
“They were really good,” he seconded. “You’re doing an excellent job raising them. They’re polite. Nice. Curious.”
Zane lifted his arm and took Kylie’s hand, pulling her to her feet. “We’ll head out now. Thanks again for taking Kylie’s charters, Karl. We’re going to spend the weekend at Tidewater and let her enjoy resort life.”
“Have fun,” Annie said.
They said goodnight and headed out the door to Kylie’s car. Getting in, she said, “Do you want to get up early and take the first ferry over to Tidewater, or do you want to sleep in and go whenever?”
“Oh, we’re going tonight,” he told her. “Head to the harbor.”
Confusion filled her face. “But the last ferry has already made its run for the night,” she protested.
“Just drive,” he told her.
When they arrived, she parked. Zane led her to the skiff and explained, “This is how I’ve been going back and forth.” He slipped his arms around her. “I want you to sleep on Egyptian cotton sheets tonight. Wake up and have breakfast in bed if you want. Then we have the whole day to ourselves.”
Zane gave her a lingering kiss and broke it, stepping into the boat. He offered his hand, and she took it, stepping down and taking a seat. Starting the engine, he steered them away from Driftwood Bay and toward Tidewater. He had two days to spend with this amazing woman.
And Zane was going to make every moment count.