have rankled her. But he was right. About everything. She hadn’t taken any time for herself in a very long time. Not that she had a choice. The kids were her priority, first and foremost, no negotiations. Yes, she could have used their babysitter, but…
She shook her head. Going out by herself just didn’t interest her.
She liked Ian. He was safe.
Yes, he flirted, and Kayla couldn’t deny the thrill of having a younger man wink and smile at her like Ian did. She also appreciated his strength. She wasn’t sure she’d have made it through the last six months without him.
Gosh, had it really been six months. The hours flew by, one day drifting into the next and…wow, it’d been six months. At one point, not too long ago, she’d lived one second to the next, one teardrop to the next. Now, though, she could breathe. She’d found her laugh again.
All thanks to Ian.
Was it okay for her to admit she was excited for their non-date? Because she looked forward to playing grown-up and going out on the town. She wasn’t ready to start dating for real. She wasn’t interested in adding another man into her life and the lives of her children, not by a long shot.
Ian was just Ian.
She smiled, thinking of how he told Chase to clean under his bed. Her son hated cleaning his room and Kayla knew most of his stuff ended up shoved into the abyss under the box springs. Truth was, she didn’t let the knowledge bother her. Of all of the battles to fight with her ten-year-old, the collection site under his bed wasn’t the hill to die on.
“Chase!” She crossed into the kitchen, toward the garage.
The heavy, self-closing door jerked open and Chase appeared. “Yeah.”
“Come here, bud, I want to talk with you.”
The blood drained out of his face.
She led him over to the table and took a seat in her chair. He plopped down in his. She glanced at Leon’s chair. No one ever sat in his chair these days, hadn’t since he’d last sat in it the evening before he died. Her eyes burned. God, she missed him.
“I want you to know how sorry I am for freaking out like I did.”
“ I know.” He reached out, across the table and took her hand. “Really, Mom, I know.” He patted her hand like she were the child. “Mom, you’re under a lot of stress, I know that. Dad was our dad, but he was your best friend. He made you happy. You miss him.”
“Yeah, I do. I feel a little lost without him.”
He nodded, pursed his lips, looking very grown-up. “Of course you do. We all miss him. But you have to miss him the very most.”
She eased her ha nd out from under his and placed it on top. “Regardless of how hard your dad’s death is on me, I shouldn’t take it out on you, Chase.”
He nodded again. “And I shouldn’t have lost Dad’s hammer.”
“Any idea how it ended up under your bed?”
“Well, now that I found it, I remember I needed to fix my dresser. A nail came loose and I didn’t want to bother you with it.” He shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Come here.” She motioned for him to come around the table. When he did, she remained seated, and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest. He hugged her back, with equal intensity. It wouldn’t be long before her son dwarfed her.
The front door banged open and Kayla heard the clanking of metal against metal.
Chase jerked away. “Ian’s back. I like Ian, Mom. He makes you laugh. I like that. Can I go help him, please?”
“Yeah. Be sure you’re helping and not bothering.”
He laughed. “I never bother Ian, Mom.” He rolled his eyes. “He loves me.” He took off on a dead run.
Hmm…i t hadn’t occurred to her how much Ian cared for her children. The realization smacked of face-palm. Obviously, the young stud wouldn’t hang out with people he didn’t like. But it was the way Ian handled all of them with exactly the right amount of… Ugh! She couldn’t put her finger on the emotion. Probably because she
She shook her head. Going out by herself just didn’t interest her.
She liked Ian. He was safe.
Yes, he flirted, and Kayla couldn’t deny the thrill of having a younger man wink and smile at her like Ian did. She also appreciated his strength. She wasn’t sure she’d have made it through the last six months without him.
Gosh, had it really been six months. The hours flew by, one day drifting into the next and…wow, it’d been six months. At one point, not too long ago, she’d lived one second to the next, one teardrop to the next. Now, though, she could breathe. She’d found her laugh again.
All thanks to Ian.
Was it okay for her to admit she was excited for their non-date? Because she looked forward to playing grown-up and going out on the town. She wasn’t ready to start dating for real. She wasn’t interested in adding another man into her life and the lives of her children, not by a long shot.
Ian was just Ian.
She smiled, thinking of how he told Chase to clean under his bed. Her son hated cleaning his room and Kayla knew most of his stuff ended up shoved into the abyss under the box springs. Truth was, she didn’t let the knowledge bother her. Of all of the battles to fight with her ten-year-old, the collection site under his bed wasn’t the hill to die on.
“Chase!” She crossed into the kitchen, toward the garage.
The heavy, self-closing door jerked open and Chase appeared. “Yeah.”
“Come here, bud, I want to talk with you.”
The blood drained out of his face.
She led him over to the table and took a seat in her chair. He plopped down in his. She glanced at Leon’s chair. No one ever sat in his chair these days, hadn’t since he’d last sat in it the evening before he died. Her eyes burned. God, she missed him.
“I want you to know how sorry I am for freaking out like I did.”
“ I know.” He reached out, across the table and took her hand. “Really, Mom, I know.” He patted her hand like she were the child. “Mom, you’re under a lot of stress, I know that. Dad was our dad, but he was your best friend. He made you happy. You miss him.”
“Yeah, I do. I feel a little lost without him.”
He nodded, pursed his lips, looking very grown-up. “Of course you do. We all miss him. But you have to miss him the very most.”
She eased her ha nd out from under his and placed it on top. “Regardless of how hard your dad’s death is on me, I shouldn’t take it out on you, Chase.”
He nodded again. “And I shouldn’t have lost Dad’s hammer.”
“Any idea how it ended up under your bed?”
“Well, now that I found it, I remember I needed to fix my dresser. A nail came loose and I didn’t want to bother you with it.” He shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Come here.” She motioned for him to come around the table. When he did, she remained seated, and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest. He hugged her back, with equal intensity. It wouldn’t be long before her son dwarfed her.
The front door banged open and Kayla heard the clanking of metal against metal.
Chase jerked away. “Ian’s back. I like Ian, Mom. He makes you laugh. I like that. Can I go help him, please?”
“Yeah. Be sure you’re helping and not bothering.”
He laughed. “I never bother Ian, Mom.” He rolled his eyes. “He loves me.” He took off on a dead run.
Hmm…i t hadn’t occurred to her how much Ian cared for her children. The realization smacked of face-palm. Obviously, the young stud wouldn’t hang out with people he didn’t like. But it was the way Ian handled all of them with exactly the right amount of… Ugh! She couldn’t put her finger on the emotion. Probably because she
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