Bonus Kisses - Freya Barker Page 0,90

are the kids?”

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted them within earshot, so told them they could watch TV in our bedroom.”

“That’s fine, Dad. Thanks. But there’s nothing for them to hear; you’re not going to be a grandfather again for a while yet. One step at a time, yeah?”

“That woman oughta have her lips stapled together,” he grumbles, shaking his head.

“Don’t tempt me,” I warn him on a chuckle. “If Sheila Quinn doesn’t have shit to stir, she creates some.”

I take the wet towels into the kitchen to find Taz and her mom in much the same position, talking softly. When I toss them in the garbage, she winks at me over her mom’s shoulder and I quickly make myself scarce again.

Dad seems pensive when I sit down on the couch and take a swig of my beer.

“You know…” His eyes sparkle when he turns them on me. “…I can’t figure out whether to be glad or disappointed.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Taz

“How is Mrs. Myers?” I ask Mom when she walks through the back door.

The past few weeks have been a little crazy driving back and forth to Springfield for Dad’s surgery and the follow-up procedures, and getting the kids ready to go back to school. Poor Rafe’s birthday got lost in the shuffle, so we’re having a do-over today.

Mom and I have spent a lot of time in each other’s company since the non-pregnancy debacle. The long hours at the hospital, waiting for news on Dad, allowed for some good talks that went a long way to bettering our relationship. It’s still a work in progress, but I think we each have a better understanding of the other. Of our inherent differences at the root of all our past problems.

I’ve come to the conclusion, had I not left all those years ago, we likely would’ve worked those issues out along the way. We’ve covered a lot of ground these past few weeks, most of it by simply spending time in each other’s company.

Today Rafe is scheduled to be out all day doing his quarterly visits, courtesy of Lisa. I enlisted her help to make sure he’d be gone. The new leather sectional the kids and I picked out for the living room is scheduled to be delivered around noon, and I want to have it set up before he comes home. The thing is big enough to seat all of us comfortably, and then some. It may be a weird birthday gift, but as Sofie pointed out with her eight-year-old wisdom, her dad would like nothing better than to be able to snuggle up with all of us at once.

She’s right.

“Happy as a clam with her new cat,” Mom answers, tying on her apron and unloading the rest of the contents of the tote bag she brought in. “That was nice thing for Rafe to do.”

The family who owned the young cat discovered their daughter was allergic and had asked Rafe if he knew anyone who’d want to adopt it. He thought of Mrs. Myers.

“It was,” I confirm. “A cat is probably a better fit for her than a dog.”

“Let’s hope she doesn’t send it to an early grave as well,” Mom grumbles. “She was letting it lick butter off a plate when I got there this morning.”

“Rafe says cats are more likely to stop eating when they’re full.” I start putting ingredients on the counter while I wait for the fresh pot of coffee to brew.

“Fingers crossed,” she says, while greasing the cake pans she brought. “Kids off to school okay?”

“Yup. They both love their new teachers and are eager to go. It’s funny, I remember hating school at Sofie’s age. Nicky used to love school too.”

“You just had trouble sitting still,” Mom says, smiling wistfully. “You were always more interested in learning through exploration than from books.”

We work in silence for a while, surprisingly in sync as we put together the batter for Rafe’s favorite; Black Forest cake. When Mom slides the pans in the oven, I pour us a coffee.

“Dad still doing okay?” I ask when we sit down at the kitchen table while waiting for the cakes to bake.

“He is. I still can’t quite believe that since the last appointment this past week, he hardly has any tremor left. He certainly walks a lot steadier. According to him, his mind is less muddled too, although I suspect that may be wishful thinking. It’s not like his mind was ever that clear.”

I chuckle along with her, amazed and thrilled