Page 53 of Small Town Frenzy
“You’re lucky I don’t have neighbors.” I wave him over, as panic is getting the best of me. “Come back in through the window.”
Standing straight up, he thumbs toward the front of the house, and asks, “I can’t use the door?”
“No. They’re going to be out there in a minute. I can’t have you crossing paths.”
“Crossing pathsagain, you mean.”
“Semantics.” I back away to give him space to climb back into my bedroom. When he doesn’t come, I dip back out. “Griffin?”
He sighs with a shake of his head as he returns to where I’m waiting for him. “This is a first,” he grumbles, dropping his clothes and boots in through the opening and hitting my floor with a thud.
“Well, if it matters,” I say, pacing away from him to the dresser to pull out a pair of shorts to quickly slip on, “this is not how I saw it going either.” I turn back to see his progress. “I’m winging this, too.”
Securing his hands to the frame, he lifts, showing off those incredible arm muscles of his, and works the rest of his large frame in sideways to land on his feet. As soon as he clears the opening, I shut the window, lock it, and lower the shades as if there are spies outside. “Get dressed.”
“Figured that was the next step, but thanks.” He grabs his jeans, shoving a leg through while eyeing me. “A bit demanding, don’t ya think?”
“Um, maybe this is another day at the beach for you, but my three-year-old just saw a naked man outside my window. So forgive me if I’m in panic mode right now.” I take a breath because I need one to calm down. “I’m sorry.”
Chuckling enough to rock his shoulders but not make a sound, he grins. “Don’t be.” With his jeans hanging open atthe top, giving me a nice peek of the trail that disappears into his underwear, I grin. God, I’m brazenly wanton around him. This is what he does to me. He makes my mind and body go wild with intention. Taking hold of my upper arms, he bends his eyes so he’s level with mine. “Panicking won’t help us. We have a minute to think, so we should come up with a plan. Unless you already have one?”
“I don’t have one.” I put my finger over my mouth so I can hear the scuffle of Judy and Jacob heading down the hall to the front of the house echoing off the wood floors. I hustle toward the door and start to open it.
“I thought you would have all your bases covered,” he says in a lowered voice. “Seems to be how you roll.”
“Guess I should have.” Tiptoeing into the hallway, I dip my head back in. “Don’t leave this room. I’ll be right back.” I shut the door behind me and hurry toward the front door. Yeah, no contingency plan was in place for this type of situation. But if I had, it wouldn’t have included Griffin climbing out my window and running into my son,his son, while escaping after having sex all night.Jesus . . .I’m out of control.What am I doing?
I can’t play dumb. I know exactly why I’ve been distracted, and even worse, I’m in full control of what I’m doing. Does that make it better? Nope. But even in this ridiculous and careless web we’re all tangled in, it’s hard to regret my actions. All this did was put a damper on my great mood.
Jacob isn’t hard to convince of a situation. He’s three. It’s the inevitable conversation I’m going to have with him, when the time is right, lingering ahead of us that puts a pit of dread in my stomach.
When I walk outside, I quick step to the street whereJudy’s got Jacob seat-belted into the golf cart. “Hey,” I callbefore they take off. Judy’s been great. I’ve never had a complaint, and Jacob adores her. I hope I didn’t make her feel as awkward as I do right now, though mortified is technically more accurate. I stroke Jacob’s face and lean down to kiss him on the head.
His little hand comes around my wrist. “Mommy, come to the park.”
“I can’t today. Two people are getting married down by the overlook. Isn’t that exciting?” Excitement isn’t what I read on his cute face when his mouth twists to the side. “I’m sorry. Tomorrow, we’ll have the whole day together. We can go to the park and do all the fun things.”
I’ve been lucky. He’s never been a fussy baby or kid. But he does have a stubborn side that’s developing. I have no idea where that came from. Stubborn isn’t something I’ve ever considered myself, and I’ve never been called it either. He’s his own little person, though, and every few months that pass, he gets stronger opinions. I’m glad he’s so brave to voice them, even if they contradict my own.
I lean down once more to look into those beautiful blue eyes of his. “I promise, okay, buddy?”
“Okay.”
Looking over at Judy, I have no idea what to say. She must see me floundering because when Jacob gets distracted by the hobby horse he’s still holding in his hand, she smiles gently and says, “It’s okay, Cricket. You did nothing wrong.”
She’s only in her early twenties but genuinely seems to understand the war I’m waging between being myself and having a life outside of my son and being the mother I want to be for him. It never seemed possible to be both. Maybe I was overthinking it, though. I step back from the cart and wave. “Have a good time.”
“We will,” they reply in unison. Jacob looks back and waves. “Bye, Mommy.”
I wave, then cup the side of my mouth, and call out, “Bye, sweetie.” Lowering my hand to my side, I stand there until they travel over a hill and are no longer visible to me. When I turn back to the house, I look at it, seeing it from a new perspective. I never considered it a cottage by the size, but Mom named it that on the property map, so it stuck. The blue siding and white trim were also her design. Although I do love it, it doesn’t feel all mine like it did even yesterday.How is that possible?
Nothing has changed other than Jacob getting closer to learning the truth about his father, and Griffin finding out he has a son. Pretty monumental, but why does it make me feel somewhat displaced?
As I walk inside the house, I know I’m jumping ahead of myself. Even if Griffin is suspicious, he hasn’t had it confirmed. I close the door behind me and walk down the hall. Dread causes my feet to drag. It will be good to finally get this secret out into the universe. He should know. He should have all along, if I had only been able to contact him.
I open the door to find him sitting on the couch, dressed, disappointingly, though logically I know I’m in the wrong to hope for that under these circumstances.Shameless. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
He stands but doesn’t rush to move. Shoving his hands in his front pockets, he asks, “No pushing me out the door or having me climb out the chimney?”
