The Comeback Girl (12 page)

To Donnie’s surprise, the question stopped Zach in his tracks. “Aren’t you even going to try to work something out with my dad?”

Donnie braced for her answer.

“There’s nothing to work out—except where
you’re concerned. Besides, like I told you, Tyler and I were never meant to be together. I’m sorry, but I can’t change that, sweetheart.”

His face contorted in anger. “Can’t? Or won’t?” He walked toward the foyer then paused in the doorway. “Live here if you want. I’m going to my dad’s.”

K
RISTIN COULDN’T FEEL
her heart beating. She figured her body was on automatic pilot because she was still breathing, but her brain had turned off. It was the only way to stand the pain of losing her son.

“He doesn’t mean it,” Donnie said, taking her arm when she started to race after Zach. “Let him cool down. We all say things we don’t mean when we’re upset, right, son?”

“I guess,” Lucas said with a careless shrug.

“But this isn’t like Zach,” Kristin said, trying to pry Donnie’s fingers loose.

A part of her needed to find Zach and apologize, but a part of her craved Donnie’s rock-solid assurance that her world wasn’t going to end.

Donnie squeezed her hand. “He’ll come around, Kris. He just needs to blow off a little steam.”

“I don’t think so. He’s never been this angry.”
Maybe he’s right not to forgive me this time.

“Lucas, please get Kristin a glass of water and bring it outside. She needs some fresh air.” Donnie put an arm around her shoulders and led her
through the house to the patio. “I want you to wait here while I go look for Zach. Will you do that?”

Kristin squinted against the bright sunlight. He guided her to a two-person redwood glider tucked in a nook created by a grouping of shoulder-high photinia bushes. The sun had warmed the padded cushion, and she sank into it.

Donnie left but returned a minute later with a chenille throw. “When I find him, I’ll give him a chance to vent. On me. I’m as much to blame for this situation as you are.”

Kristin knew that wasn’t true. True to form, she’d blown it again.

Donnie squatted in front of her and took her chin between his thumb and index finger. “Kristin, look at me.”

She pushed his hand away. She saw the compassion—the understanding—in his eyes. He was offering to share the burden she’d carried for so long alone, but she couldn’t accept. “I’m sorry, Donnie. This isn’t going to work. I can’t marry you. Not if Zach—”

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Let Lucas know if you need anything.”

He left her then. Kristin pulled her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth. The glider provided a comforting jiggle and she closed her eyes to think.

What a mess.
How had life gotten so complicated? She needed to take Zach and go back to
Jenny’s little house. She’d focus on building up her business and trying to bring some joy back in her son’s life. And she’d pray that Tyler wouldn’t make the upcoming custody battle too awful.

Yes, a part of her wanted to marry Donnie—even if it was for the wrong reasons. But she couldn’t risk alienating her son.

And what about Lucas? she wondered. Zach had reacted so fast, they hadn’t even heard from Donnie’s son.

Her first impression of the boy had reminded Kristin of herself at age ten. He seemed so alone. Despite two sisters, Ida Jane and a town full of pseudogodparents, Kristin had often felt isolated.

She’d gone through all the motions—pep squad, volleyball, French club, but she’d never quite fit in.

“Would you be…like…my stepmom?” a voice asked from the doorway of the patio.

Kristin looked up, startled. She hadn’t heard the sliding door open. Lucas advanced slowly, carrying a glass of water. She furtively wiped away the tear trails on her cheeks and said, “Don’t worry, honey. I don’t think your dad and I are getting married. I can’t force this on Zach—not after all he’s been through.”

He didn’t say anything. His eyes—so like Donnie’s—looked troubled. Stopping an arm’s length away, he handed her the glass.

“Thanks,” she said and took a sip. She smiled at him. “I had hoped we might be friends,” she
said. “Stepmother has such an ugly ring to it.” Her attempted humor fell woefully short of the mark.

He dropped his chin, letting his hair cover his forehead and eyes. He reminded her of her old sheepdog, Daisy. The likeness almost made her smile.

“It’s stupid to get married because your kid needs a baby-sitter.”

Her stomach flip-flopped. “You don’t want it either, huh?” It was hard to keep the tears back, but she tried. She was the adult here.

“Well…I’d hate a nanny more. Nannies are for babies. Why can’t my grandma come back? She’s cool, and we get along pretty good.”

“Your grandmother and I bumped into each other at the bank before she left. You’re right. Maureen
is
cool and she looks great.”

“She works out. The doctor said she has high cholesterol.”

The length of this conversation amazed her. Was he curious or lonely? Kris was afraid to move lest she scare him away. “How’s her sister doing? Maureen went to help your dad’s aunt, right?”

Lucas ventured a step closer. He pretended to be engrossed in peeling chipped paint off the upright post that supported the overhang. “Okay, I guess. Grandma likes to help people. Last year, she volunteered in the library at school.”

“I used to work in Zach’s classroom. I loved it.”

“My mom baked cookies—in, like, first and sec
ond grade, but…she doesn’t cook much anymore. Mostly we eat out.”

Kristin wondered if that had contributed to his weight gain. No doubt he would slim down as he grew taller, but poor eating habits might make it hard to keep off the pounds.

“My dad said you massage people.”

“That’s right. Have you ever had a massage?”

“Heck no,” he said, turning away. She caught a glimpse of his telltale blush.

Something she’d seen in the Gold Creek Chamber of Commerce information brochure came back to her. “Doesn’t your school have a career day?” His slight shrug might have been a yes. “Do you think your classmates would be interested in learning about massage therapy? I could bring my bench and give a bunch of five-minute massages.”

He abandoned his task and walked a little closer. “The kind where you sit up instead of lying down? I saw a guy doing that at the fair last year. Can you make any money?”

“A dollar a minute for a chair massage.”

He looked impressed. “Sixty bucks an hour. Not bad.”

His grin was so Donnie-like, Kris felt the tears return. She would have liked to get to know this child better.

“Where’s my dad?”

“He went to find Zach.”

“Will your son change his mind?”

Her bottom lip started to tremble.
What a cry-baby!
“I doubt it. Once his mind is made up…”

“Sounds like my mother.”

Kris hadn’t expected such candor. “My sister, too.”

Lucas took another step toward her. “My mom’s going to Africa.”

Kris could see in his eyes how much Sandy’s broken promise had hurt her son. “I know. Did you want to go?”

He took a deep breath. “Maybe. I’m not sure. Her husband doesn’t like me…uh…kids.”

A telling amendment, she thought.

“He was married before and has two daughters somewhere. He doesn’t have time for them, either. He’s too busy.”

Kristin sighed and snuggled down in the glider. The afternoon sun was starting to dip toward the west and a chilly breeze had blown in. “It’s sad when families get shortchanged by careers.”

“What kind of things do you and Zach do?”

His question surprised her, but she answered honestly. “He helps me run my business. I’m terrible about remembering appointments. He learned how to balance my checkbook when he was eight because I was so bad at it. The bank once called me four times in two weeks.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Really? My dad would shoot you.”

Kris made a face. “That was a couple of years ago. I’m better now—thanks to Zach and my com
puter. But that’s business. For fun, we go skating sometimes. And we both like to fish. He has to put the worms on my hook. I don’t like that part.”

Lucas laughed. It was a nice sound, and Kristin was pleased with herself—until she looked up and saw Donnie, Zach and Sarge standing at the rear gate. She hadn’t heard them approach.

She leaped to her feet, still clutching the throw. She raced to her son. She ignored the stay-back look he gave her and wrapped her arms around him. “I love you, Zach. I can share you, but please don’t make me give you up entirely. I couldn’t take that.”

He stayed rigid for a few seconds then dropped the dog’s leash and hugged her back. “I’ll stay with you, Mom. I probably couldn’t take Sarge if I went to my father’s place. He lives in a high-rise apartment in Seattle.”

“Really?” she squeaked, her throat too tight to speak.

“He’s planning to move to Gold Creek permanently, but it might take a few months.” Zach looked to his left to where Kristin sensed Donnie was standing. “And, uh, Donnie said he has a guitar for me.”

Kris looked over her son’s shoulder. Donnie smiled a bit sheepishly.

“I haven’t played since Conundrum broke up,” Donnie said. “But Lucas plays. Maybe you guys can jam.”

Lucas looked skeptical, but Kristin saw a flicker of interest in his eyes.

“Zach, does this mean you’re willing to stay here if I marry Donnie?”

“Yeah, I guess,” he said. “Whatever.”

“What about you, Lucas?” she asked the boy who was now on one knee petting Sarge. “I know you’re not wild about this idea, either.”

Lucas shrugged, then looked up at Zach. “Cool dog.”

“Thanks. I think he’d like it here.”

Lucas pointed toward a good-size doghouse that was painted the same color as the Grimaldo home. “Me ’n Dad built that for Sheba. She died last year. She was a Border collie. If she wanted you to go somewhere, she’d nip at your heels, like she was herding you.”

Zach knelt, too. Kristin’s heart almost broke at the kindness in his smile. “Sarge used to belong to a miner who died. He likes to chase rabbits, but he never catches ’em.”

“Cool,” Lucas said. “Rabbits are okay.”

Kristin felt Donnie looking at her, and she couldn’t stop herself from looking up. His smile was tentative but hopeful. She wondered if they were thinking the same thing: if this truce held, she might actually end up as Mrs. Donnie Grimaldo.

But that wasn’t going to happen until she took her sister’s advice and tested the spark. She looked at Donnie and said, “Could we take a walk?”

He looked surprised. “Sure. I’ll show you the creek.” To the boys, who were still petting Sarge, he said, “Lucas, why don’t you show Zach the
game you got for your birthday. Kris and I are going to be at the creek. Talking.

“Zach, as soon as we get back, I’ll show you that guitar. We’ll see if it’s up to your standards.”

Zach didn’t say anything, but he looked pleased. And he followed Lucas into the house without hesitation.

“That was nice. About the guitar,” Kris said.

He shrugged as he directed her to a path leading away from the yard. “An icebreaker, not a bribe. I swear.”

“Those kinds of fine distinctions are sounding pretty political. Are you practicing?”

He walked at her side. They moved slowly since her shoes weren’t designed for rocks and loose pebbles. The oaks that lined the upper flood plain of the creek cut the breeze so Kristin could enjoy the brisk temperature without shivering.

“I seriously doubt that I have a prayer in this election, but like Sam said last night, it will be good experience. I’ll know what to do differently in 2006.”

“What will you do if you lose?”

“Collect unemployment.” His wink told her he was kidding. “Actually, I haven’t thought that far ahead, but I’d like to stay in law enforcement. Or maybe I’ll go back to college and finish my degree. I’m just a year short.”

He paused. “Does it bother you? The fact that I might lose.”

“Andi says you’ll win, hands down.”

Donnie chuckled. “And we all know better than to argue with Andi.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence, but the chatter of the birds—vocal but unseen—filled the air. As they neared the winding ribbon of trees and reeds, Kris heard the trickle of water. “I expected the creek to be dry this late in the season.”

“No. Lucas said it’s still knee-deep in spots.”

“You don’t come down here?”

He shook his head. “I try to give him some space. I felt better about it when Sheba was around, but I know Lucas needs to be alone sometimes.”

“How come you didn’t get another dog?”

“I thought we were all leaving town.”

“Are you disappointed?”

He didn’t answer until they reached the granite shelf. To one side, a grouping of willows provided shade and a convenient low branch to lean against. They relaxed, side-by-side, and stared at the ripples on the surface of the creek as water bugs scurried about.

Donnie sighed. “Truthfully? Yes. I still want to see the world, but this isn’t the right time. And now, I have a new goal, and a new family. I’m pretty excited about all of that.”

She turned to face him. “Are you? Really?”

“Of course.”

“Then how come you haven’t kissed me?”

He looked surprised, then sheepish. “This is going to sound stupid, but I’m intimidated.”

“What?” she shouted. The invisible birds shot
like a cloud of locusts from the willow and disappeared over the rise. “Why?”

“Because you left here a girl and came back a woman. A gorgeous, amazing woman of the world. You’ve been places and seen things and I’m still here. Just the same me.”

The words were so close to what she’d told Andi that morning, Kris couldn’t speak. So she let her hands do the talking. She touched his face, his jaw, his brow. There was a new crease that hadn’t been there at seventeen. His beard was a little coarser, but if she remembered correctly there was a spot—the size of a nickel—under his chin where no hair grew.

Her fingers skimmed his cheek then gently tilted his head back. Still there. She could remember kissing that spot, tasting it.

He put his arms around her. Even through layers of clothes, she could feel his heart thud against her chest. If she turned slightly, she’d find that resting spot she loved so much.

But she wasn’t here to rest. She was here to find the spark that had been missing far too long.

She wound the fingers of her left hand through his hair and brought his face closer. With her right hand, she touched his lips. They parted and his tongue flickered playfully, making her smile.