remember?”
“You’re the one who said it probably wasn’t a real surprise,” Josh countered.
“Doesn’t matter if it is or it isn’t, we gotta do what Grace says. Now hurry up, and don’t use all the hot water, either.”
“It’s not me,” Josh protested. “You’re the one who uses it all up.”
Michael stood at the foot of the stairs listening to the bickering until it finally faded away. Once he’d expected to have sons of his own, expected to fill a house with laughter and sibling controversy, just like this. How had he lost sight of that part of his dream? Had it gone with the departure of Grace from his life, or even before, when he’d buried himself in work at Delacourt Oil just to prove himself?
Did it really matter when or how it had slipped away? he asked himself. Maybe what really mattered was whether it was too late to get it back….
Chapter Eight
G race took one last look around the dining room and gave a satisfied sigh. Balloons floated everywhere. The table had been set with Trish’s best china and the gaily wrapped presents had been piled high at Josh’s place.
“It looks terrific, darlin’,” Michael said, coming up behind her to rest his hands on her shoulders. “Every little boy’s dream birthday party.”
“Do you think he’ll mind that it’s late?”
“No, something tells me that Josh will be over the moon that you thought to do it for him.”
“I wonder how many birthday parties he’s ever really had,” Grace said, feeling sad for him. Her mom had always struggled to make birthdays special, even when they hadn’t had much money to spend or when she hadn’t had energy for anything else.
“My guess is not a lot,” Michael replied. “Not if that was when Jamie always came for him.”
“Will all this fuss over Josh bother Jamie?” she asked worriedly. “We don’t even know when his birthday is.”
“We’ll find out and do something special for him, too,” Michael reassured her.
“What if it’s months from now?”
“We’ll do it whenever it is,” Michael insisted. “Wherever he is.”
Grace sighed. “I hate to think of him being anywhere but here.”
“I know. So do I. But let’s be realistic. This isn’t even our home. No matter what happens, he won’t be here. Neither will we.”
“But he’s been so happy here the last couple of days. They both have.”
“Then we’ll look into finding them a home close by,” Michael said.
He spoke so confidently as if it were as simple as choosing a place and having the kids move in. Maybe the matter-of-fact tone came from controlling a business empire. He was probably too used to people falling in with his plans. This time it might not be that simple, Grace thought.
“How?” Grace asked. “It’s not like placing a puppy.”
When he realized she wasn’t going to be pacified by glib answers, he paused, his expression thoughtful. “Maybe Dylan’s wife can help,” he said eventually. “She’s a pediatrician. She may know people who would be willing to take in a couple of boys.Let’s not talk about this tonight, though. Let’s just have a party. I’ll go call the boys, okay?”
Grace took one last survey, then nodded. “Go get them.”
She waited with her heart in her throat until the two boys thundered down the stairs, then skidded to a stop in the entrance to the dining room.
“Oh, wow,” Josh whispered, his gaze locked on the stack of presents. “Is this for me?”
Grace nodded. “I know it’s a few days late, but I wanted you to have a celebration,” she said.
“This is so cool.” Josh raced across the room and threw his arms around her, all but knocking the breath out of her.
“I wish you were my mom,” he whispered tearfully.
Grace felt her heart crack in two. “I wish I were, too,” she whispered, her gaze seeking Michael’s. “I wish I were, too.”
She blinked back tears, then glanced toward Jamie, who was standing perfectly still, his expression
“You’re the one who said it probably wasn’t a real surprise,” Josh countered.
“Doesn’t matter if it is or it isn’t, we gotta do what Grace says. Now hurry up, and don’t use all the hot water, either.”
“It’s not me,” Josh protested. “You’re the one who uses it all up.”
Michael stood at the foot of the stairs listening to the bickering until it finally faded away. Once he’d expected to have sons of his own, expected to fill a house with laughter and sibling controversy, just like this. How had he lost sight of that part of his dream? Had it gone with the departure of Grace from his life, or even before, when he’d buried himself in work at Delacourt Oil just to prove himself?
Did it really matter when or how it had slipped away? he asked himself. Maybe what really mattered was whether it was too late to get it back….
Chapter Eight
G race took one last look around the dining room and gave a satisfied sigh. Balloons floated everywhere. The table had been set with Trish’s best china and the gaily wrapped presents had been piled high at Josh’s place.
“It looks terrific, darlin’,” Michael said, coming up behind her to rest his hands on her shoulders. “Every little boy’s dream birthday party.”
“Do you think he’ll mind that it’s late?”
“No, something tells me that Josh will be over the moon that you thought to do it for him.”
“I wonder how many birthday parties he’s ever really had,” Grace said, feeling sad for him. Her mom had always struggled to make birthdays special, even when they hadn’t had much money to spend or when she hadn’t had energy for anything else.
“My guess is not a lot,” Michael replied. “Not if that was when Jamie always came for him.”
“Will all this fuss over Josh bother Jamie?” she asked worriedly. “We don’t even know when his birthday is.”
“We’ll find out and do something special for him, too,” Michael reassured her.
“What if it’s months from now?”
“We’ll do it whenever it is,” Michael insisted. “Wherever he is.”
Grace sighed. “I hate to think of him being anywhere but here.”
“I know. So do I. But let’s be realistic. This isn’t even our home. No matter what happens, he won’t be here. Neither will we.”
“But he’s been so happy here the last couple of days. They both have.”
“Then we’ll look into finding them a home close by,” Michael said.
He spoke so confidently as if it were as simple as choosing a place and having the kids move in. Maybe the matter-of-fact tone came from controlling a business empire. He was probably too used to people falling in with his plans. This time it might not be that simple, Grace thought.
“How?” Grace asked. “It’s not like placing a puppy.”
When he realized she wasn’t going to be pacified by glib answers, he paused, his expression thoughtful. “Maybe Dylan’s wife can help,” he said eventually. “She’s a pediatrician. She may know people who would be willing to take in a couple of boys.Let’s not talk about this tonight, though. Let’s just have a party. I’ll go call the boys, okay?”
Grace took one last survey, then nodded. “Go get them.”
She waited with her heart in her throat until the two boys thundered down the stairs, then skidded to a stop in the entrance to the dining room.
“Oh, wow,” Josh whispered, his gaze locked on the stack of presents. “Is this for me?”
Grace nodded. “I know it’s a few days late, but I wanted you to have a celebration,” she said.
“This is so cool.” Josh raced across the room and threw his arms around her, all but knocking the breath out of her.
“I wish you were my mom,” he whispered tearfully.
Grace felt her heart crack in two. “I wish I were, too,” she whispered, her gaze seeking Michael’s. “I wish I were, too.”
She blinked back tears, then glanced toward Jamie, who was standing perfectly still, his expression
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