Chapter 12
Tank
“For now,” I tell Rose, watching the group that’s now a block away, “I think the best thing is just to face them. Head on. No sudden movements. Keep and hold eye contact to establish dominance. And whatever you do, don’t let them see your fear or they might attack.”
Rose laughs, which is what I wanted. I mean, what I really wanted was to kiss her without my kids showing up, but making her laugh is a consolation.
Typically, I love seeing any of my kids or their spouses and significant others. I love them all. I never needed advance warning or permission before they popped in at the Austin house or my loft here in Sheet Cake, which they did with some frequency.
But that might be changing.
Because right when I was about to kiss Rose for the first time is not when I want them showing up.
They’re striding toward us like some kind of small-town street gang, looking for trouble.
I take quick stock of who we’re dealing with: James and Winnie; Collin and Molly; Pat; Val; and Kyoko, Winnie’s friend who works at the Dark Horse.
In fact, the brewery looks like where they’re coming from.
I’m glad I have my arm around Rose’s waist because when she tries to pull away, I gently tug her closer until she relaxes against me.
There’s nothing to be ashamed of here, even if we had been kissing.
I don’t particularly want to make out in front of a crowd, but I am not apologetic in the slightest about this.
Rose and I are not two teenagers getting caught by their parents. Kind of the opposite, actually.
Maybe later I’ll find having the tables turned like this humorous. Now, I’m mildly annoyed—specifically about their timing.
After a few hours with me going dark in the family group chat, they’re here for proof of life.
Or … just because they’re nosy, overinvolved people, who will frame this as love and concern. It’s also not surprising they adopted a few extra people along the way. Which has maybe become the Graham Way.
“Sorry,” I murmur to Rose. “This is apparently what happens when I keep ignoring their texts.”
“Children,” Rose says with a wry smile. “Even when they’re grown, they don’t leave you alone. On the plus side, I guess it gives us something to look forward to talking about on our second date—how our kids feel about us dating.”
“That’s what you’re looking forward to on our second date? Talking about our kids?”
“That’s not all I’m looking forward to.”
“Good,” I say, just as they reach us, stopping a few feet away. “Well, well, well—looks like the neighborhood watch is out and about,” I say, arching an eyebrow that I hope signals to my kids that we will talk about this interruption later.
For his part, James rolls his eyes as though to tell me it wasn’t his idea. Not that he needs to broadcast this. Of course it wasn’t. What’s more of a change is the fact that James’s no got overruled.
I’m sure this was all Pat. Or maybe mostly Pat with a little Collin thrown in for good measure. The two of them together can be like lighter fluid and a lit match. Although Winnie has the kind of twinkle in her eye that tells me she’s not innocent in whatever this is.
A confrontation? Intervention? Impromptu dance competition?
“I think most of you have met Rose Roberts? She owns the bakery, which is currently out of commission, and is staying at my place. But I think most of you know that too.”
“Hi,” Rose says, waving. “Good to see you all.”
There are polite murmurs of greeting before Collin jumps in.
“You wouldn’t answer your phone,” he accuses, like this is a proper explanation for all of them crashing my date.
“I think I gave y’all a very good reason I might not be answering my phone for a few hours,” I say pointedly.
“But you also left us with a lot of questions,” Pat says. “It was bordering on cruel to leave us hanging with a text like that.”
“Cruel? Not sure that’s the word I’d use,” I say. “I’d call it informative.”
“We’re sorry,” Molly says, hooking her arm through Collin’s. “We didn’t crash your date just because Pat couldn’t wait for details. I mean, partly that.”
“Hey,” Pat protests.
Winnie urges James to step forward, which he does, with a sigh. “There is actually a good reason.” He pauses. “Some people feel it’s a good reason, anyway.”
“How about someone spit it out, then?” I say.
To my surprise, it’s Val who does. “Chevy called and there’s a tiny, mini, small emergency with Wolf Waters. Chevy asked if we could fetch you to help.”
“He asked all of you to come fetch me, Valentina?”
Val tucks her long hair back behind her ear and shuffles her feet. “Well, not exactly.”
“Chevy asked Val to ask us if we knew where you were because you weren’t answering your phone,” Pat says. “And we all graciously offered to come find you. Again, since you weren’t answering your phone.”
Winnie steps forward. “And though the best option probably would have been to let him know you were unavailable for a few hours, everyone was far too curious—”
“Nosy,” Kyoko interrupts.
“Yes, fine—nosy,” Winnie amends. “We were all too nosy to pass up this excuse to see how your date was going.”
Collin grins. “And it looks like it was going really well.”
“Until you interrupted.” I meet each of my son’s gazes to let them know I will find a way to make them pay for this. Then to Rose, I say, “I’m sorry about my children and company. The date was going pretty well, wasn’t it?”
“I agreed to go on at least three more dates, didn’t I?” she says cheekily.
“I thought it was four.”
“Hm, I lost count. Why don’t we round up to five?”
“Sold. Five dates.”
This exchange is met by a cheer from Pat, a gasp from Molly, and a whole lot of goofy smiles that match my own.
It floods me with relief. Because when Rose mentioned discussing how our kids felt about us, it made me realize that I’ve done nothing to gauge how they would feel about me dating, period. This whole thing with Rose snuck up on me. I couldn’t have imagined this a week ago.
I’ve never been so grateful for a broken air conditioner.
I’d imagine my children are thrilled about this. The ones here tonight sure look like it.
But … the idea of me dating or getting married might also come with some complicated feelings. There’s no way around thinking of their mother, remembering, maybe even grieving a little. I want to be sensitive to that, and maybe I didn’t give them enough thought before asking Rose out.
But that’s a later problem.
Now, I smile at Rose. “I’m sorry to excuse myself right now and end this date so abruptly. But I’ll see you in the morning.” I’m suddenly struck with a brilliant thought. “Remind me what time you said you’ll start baking?”
“Um, probably four-thirty? Kalli opens at six, and I’d like to have a few things ready by then.”
“How’d you like a few other helpers?”
“Um, sure,” she says.
“Great. Collin and James will be by around five to help with anything you need. Pat gets a pass on account of the baby who isn’t sleeping. But I’ll find another way for him to make this date crashing up to you.”
Molly raises her hand. “Can I help too?”
“And I’d like to watch,” Winnie says. “I mean, you can put me to work, but I definitely want to see James and Collin in aprons.”
“I might not have enough aprons to go around,” Rose says.
I hope it wasn’t overstepping to volunteer my kids. I don’t mind on their accounts, but if it won’t actually be helpful to Rose, I don’t want to make her job harder. She’s smiling, though, and that’s a good sign.
“Will they be more trouble than they are help?”
She glances up at me with a smile. “It’s perfect. And I have to say, I admire your parenting style. We need to compare notes.”
“Maybe on our sixth date?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I’ll bring aprons!” Kyoko says. “I mean, if that’s okay for me to come. I have an apron collection, actually.”
“Of course,” Rose says. “It will be a welcome change to have some help in the kitchen.”
For some people—maybe most people—my family might be a lot. Because it’s not just my kids but their significant others and their close-knit group of friends. Rose seems to be rolling right along with it, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Before I can overthink, I press a kiss to her cheek—much faster than I like, but more than just a perfunctory brush of the lips. “Why don’t you head up so you can get some sleep? I’ve got to go put out some fires, apparently.”
Rose grins up at me. “Thanks for my date. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
It’s a little too quiet as everyone seems to watch her tap in the code at the outer door. She gives me a last look and a little wave before starting up the stairs.
And before anyone can jump in with questions, I say, “Now, who’s coming with me to see what Chevy needs help with?”
In the end, it’s me, James, Winnie, Collin, Val, and Kyoko who head over to meet Chevy at Backwoods Bar.
We arrive just before midnight to find him alone in the gravel lot before the darkened metal building.
He’s leaning against the side of his truck.
Not in his uniform but just in jeans and a T-shirt.
He peels himself off the truck and ambles over to wrap Val in a hug that lifts her off her feet. James grunts when the embrace goes on, probably because he’s thinking about his now-early wake-up call.
Winnie pats his arm. “There, there. Let the good deputy greet his fiancée properly.”
Kyoko sighs. “You know, if Tank is dating Rose, that leaves me as just about the only singleton in Sheet Cake.”
“Sounds like it would make a good reality show,” Collin says. “We could have Molly put in a good word with the studio. Maybe call it Sheet Cake Love or Love Stories in Sheet Cake.”
“No way am I doing a reality show,” Kyoko says. “But a good guy of any kind would do.”
Chevy and Val finally pull apart. “Thanks for coming,” he says, meeting my gaze. “Though I didn’t expect a crowd.”
“Hope that’s okay,” I say.
“Well, I’m not really sure. We’ll have to feel it out. I got a surprising call a little while ago from Spring Waters.”
I’ve never met Spring, the poorly named Waters cousin of Billy and Wolf, and I haven’t been sorry about it.
Her reputation is of a spoiled trust-fund princess, and what’s worse, she apparently gave Lindy a hard time in high school.
And her sister, Tabitha, gives Lindy a hard time now via the PTO. Typical Waters behavior.
Winnie makes a sound of disgust. Apparently, she feels the same way. “What did she want?”
“She called in a welfare check on Wolf. After what happened with the signs earlier, he didn’t open the bar last night. Or tonight. First time in years for it to be closed with no notice or sign on the door. And Wolf won’t answer his phone.”
These somber words from Chevy give us all pause.
“How did Spring even know?” Winnie asks. She still has some anger in her voice, but it’s not as harsh as it was moments ago. “She doesn’t talk to Wolf.”
“Guess she saw a post on Neighborly about the bar being closed two nights in a row.”
“Oh.” Winnie slumps a little at this. “I guess I wasn’t monitoring that closely. I didn’t know. We were all a little distracted with Tank being on a date.”
Chevy gives me a look that tells me he’ll look forward to details another time. “It’s not your job to keep track of the town, Win. But in this case, I’m grateful. Spring asked us to come out and make sure Wolf was okay.”
“Well, where is he? Does anyone actually know where he lives?” I ask. Other than his talk of a bunker, I’ve got no clue about where Wolf actually calls home.
“Spring gave me directions. I guess we’re about to finally answer one of Sheet Cake’s burning questions,” Chevy says, taking Val’s hand. “Does Wolf Waters actually have a bunker?”