Family Ties (6 page)

***

The aroma of garlic and tomato sauce wafted from the oven when Andie opened the door to check her lasagna. The house was relatively quiet, thank heavens. The kids were doing homework or playing in their rooms, except for Jamie who was sitting at the kitchen table, carefully handling the pieces of the model she’d bought for him today.

Although she’d read the instructions, building little cars was more difficult than it looked. Why on earth people called it fun to ‘insert tab A into slot C’ was beyond her. She’d read the directions through a couple of times and couldn’t make any sense out of them at all. Once the kids were sleeping, she’d sit down and go through them again so she could help Jamie with it tomorrow.

Re-sealing the foil on the lasagna, she popped it back into the oven.

He looked so intent, she thought, putting her oven mitts on the counter. Crossing the small space, she dropped into the chair beside him. “We’ll see what we can figure out after supper, okay big guy?”

After all, she was an educated, intelligent woman. Surely she could decipher directions intended for – she double-checked the box on the table – ten year olds. Shoot.

He nodded, a forced smile on his lips. He’d squirmed with anticipation when she handed him the box. Now he wanted nothing more than to start putting the pieces together. He was holding a tire in his hands, turning it over and over.

“We’ll sit down and see if we can make sense of the directions, then - .” The doorbell interrupted her.

“Stay here, okay?” She kissed him on top of his head as she passed his chair on the way to the door.

“I...uhm...I thought the boy might like this.” Gray’s work-roughened hand held a bag from the local toy store. “They can be confusing and little kids need simple models to begin with, so I picked up one for him.”

Surprised, Andie reached out for the bag he’d extended. “Thank you, Gray. That’s very nice of you.” She extended her hand in welcome. “You’re a lifesaver. Please come in.”

“No, I’ve got to get to work on the fence for the pool.”

“Surely you can take a few minutes off. Besides, we’ve got a car spread out over the kitchen table and I’d appreciate your help with a couple of the instructions.” She grabbed his hand and led him inside, grinning like a woman saved by the bell.

By his frown, she knew he’d had no intention of giving her a hand with the construction, but she wasn’t going to let him get away. Jamie needed more help than she could provide and here was a man standing in her home – a man capable of starting them off in the right direction.

“Jamie, look who’s here.” she called to the young boy staring at the tire he was spinning between his fingers. She held up the bag. “Mr. Mills brought you a present. Shall we see what’s inside?”

The boy looked from one adult to the other, finally searching her eyes. He must have been reassured by what he saw because he nodded slowly. Hesitantly.

“Come on Gray,” she said leading him to the table and showing him the pieces spread out across it. “As you can see, I don’t know squat about models and I’m not sure where to begin.” She handed Jamie his gift.

“That’s a beautiful car, Ms. Bowen, but it’s pretty complicated for a first-timer.”

“Call me Andie, please.” She looked at the box in Jamie’s hand and the one on the table. “Really? I didn’t know there was a difference.”

Jamie turned the box over, looking at it from all sides.

“This car isn’t as fancy as the one your moth...I mean Andie bought, but it’s a good practice run. You can learn on it and then go on to do more difficult ones.” From the look on his face, the one she’d bought fell into the latter category.

Jamie’s face broke into a broad smile as he studied the picture on the front of the box, then tried to tear its cellophane wrapping. He didn’t say anything but looked at Gray expectantly.

“It’s pretty close to the one you saw in my house. And it’s not too hard for a beginner to put together.”

The oven timer interrupted their conversation but Jamie forced the box into Andie’s hands with a wag of his fingers that told her he wanted her to open the cellophane. “Guess I can manage that,” she replied. “But only if you promise to put these pieces back in the box.” She pointed to the ones spread on the table, then lowered her head and looked up at the child. “We can’t get the pieces mixed up,” she said, wagging her finger and smiling. “Okay?”

His slow nod showed he’d go along with her suggestion, but not without some disgruntlement. Good for him. If he was finally able to disagree with her a bit, he’d taken his first steps into healing.

Turning, she shut the timer off on the stove then took a knife from the stand and slit the cellophane along the edges of the box. After replacing the knife she removed the wrapping before handing the box back to Jamie.

She was surprised to see Gray sitting on a chair beside Jamie, looking over the pieces scattered on the table. “Remember what I said.” Jamie took the new box and sat it between them and turned back to the tabletop, listening intently to Gray’s explanations.

Could it be the boy had missed having a man in his life? His file made it clear his mother had had many boyfriends, but a permanent relationship wasn’t noted. Which meant there probably hadn’t been one.

Leaving the two males to their puttering, she took the lasagna from the oven and placed it on a glass hot pad. She loved this house and especially its family-style kitchen. Breakfast and lunch were ideal here in the big room, but Andie already knew she liked to have dinner in the dining room. There was something about a more formal meal that seemed to help the kids settle down. The ritual was new to the younger ones, but once they got used to it, they expected it. Especially on Saturday nights when she brought out the candles and the good crystal.

Her marriage to Dave hadn’t lasted long before he’d died in a car accident but had provided many beautiful things. One of the few she still had from that time were her china and crystal.

Dave. He’d been a wonderful man. Kind, loving, and supportive through all her hard work in Grad School. They’d worked long hours while she established her clinical practice and he was building his law practice. They’d agreed to put off having children. Her dreams of a family had been ripped away one dreadful night but she’d recovered and learned to go on.

She remembered feeling lost after the funeral – surrounded by lots of pretty things in an empty life. Resolve had kicked her into action. She got rid of most of her stuff and used some of the insurance money to pay off the mortgage. She’d handed in her resignation and started taking in foster kids.

It was a perfect answer for her. The kids benefited. She’d been able to quit her job, where burnout was looming on the horizon. And she’d found meaning and purpose for herself in a different kind of family – one that required her professional credentials along with her personal ones.

Noise in the basement brought her attention back to the present. The French bread was already slathered with butter and garlic, so she popped it into the hot oven, then took the salad from the fridge. Setting it on the table in the dining room, Andie decided tonight might be a good night for candles. After all, she and Jamie had something to celebrate. Placing the slender white tapers in their crystal holders, a shiver of anticipation walked down her spine.

Tonight felt like the start of something good. Something really, really good. Hugging that feeling to herself, she added another setting to the table. No way was Gray Mills going to get out of here without dinner. She owed him at least that much for beginning Jamie’s journey back to life. And maybe she owed herself something too.

***

Swallowing down his response to the smell of homemade lasagna, Gray determinedly kept his attention on the boy and the car parts in front of him. They’d been told not to mix up the pieces from the two models, but that wasn’t necessary. The one spread out on the table had fine, delicate parts that needed to be glued together then painted. The pieces from the model he’d bought were already painted and most of them snapped together for fitting. He’d teach the boy the same as Pops had taught him – snap them together and be sure they fit properly, then glue them so their
joints
were perfect.

After they’d carefully put the parts of the other car into the box, they’d taken the individual pieces from the plastic frame. Gray explained each piece and pointed out its picture on the directions.

The little guy had good hands.

“No, we don’t need that one yet,” Gray replied to the boy about the piece Jamie held up for his inspection. “What do the instructions say we need next? Can you tell from the picture?”

Studying the diagram intently, Jamie found the line of directions and picture they needed next. He put a finger on the picture and scanned the table top, looking for the right piece. Gray could almost hear his brain working.

A squeak and a smile accompanied the triumphant lifting of the next addition to the model. He scowled as he held it against the picture then handed it to Gray with all the seriousness of a nurse handing a surgeon a scalpel.

“So you think this is the right one?”

Jamie looked from the piece to the picture and back at him, then nodded.

“You’re right.” The pure delight on the boy’s face would make anybody smile. “Very good.” Gray tousled the kid’s hair, just the way Pops had done to him. He leaned in close to the boy. “I know it’s close to dinner, but would you like a mint?”

The boy looked over his shoulder into the dining room where Andie was busy setting the table. He turned back and nodded, quickly extending his hand for the treat. Gray dug deep in his shirt pocket, pulling one of the last mints from today’s stash and placing it on the boy’s palm.

“Here you go.” Gray closed the boy’s fingers around the treat and pointedly looked at Andie. “We’ll keep it our little secret, okay?”

Eyes huge, Jamie looked over his shoulder. Gray was shocked at the look of fear on the boy’s face.

Amazed at his own stupidity, he knew he had to put the boy at ease. “Hey, don’t worry if Andie finds out, pal. She won’t make a big deal about it with you. It’s me,” he tapped his chest, “she’ll be sore at.” He leaned in close to the boy. “I don’t want to get her on my case. Okay?”

The boy’s lips formed an ‘o’ and he nodded.

“Good boy. Glad you understand.”

“Supper time, short stuff. Time to get washed up.” Andie took the garlic toast out of the oven and turned to the table. “What have you guys been up to?” She bent over the table, studying the newly-started model. “Wow, that’s great. You’re getting lots done with this one, aren’t you?” She smiled at the boy. “But now it’s time for dinner so hit the sink, kiddo.”

Jamie took one last look at his model and at Gray and then slowly slid off his chair.

“No problem, son. You’ve got it down pat now. You can show Andie and the two of you can finish it off.”

Gray pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. “It’s time for me to go home anyway. I’ve got lots to do tonight.”

“You can’t go now,” Andie exclaimed.

“Excuse me?”

“I expected you to stay for dinner – I’ve set a place for you.”

He dwarfed her as he moved from behind the kitchen table. “Thanks very much, but I couldn’t.”

“You’re going to have to eat at home,” Andie insisted. “It won’t take any longer to eat here.” Her arm swept out indicating the lasagna. “Everything’s ready. All you have to do is eat.” She put a hand on his bare arm and leaned closer to him. “I promise to finish Jamie’s model with him after dinner.” She tipped her head toward the partially finished car on the table. “I think even I can finish something so simple.”

She turned to him, her gaze catching his, trapping it. He felt himself being drawn down into her eyes.

He took a deep breath and straightened up and away from her. That was weird. For just a second he’d felt something with this woman. “Look, I’d better go.”

A small, damp hand wormed its way into his and tugged. Jamie was holding on and pulling him toward the dining room.

“Do you want Mr. Mills to stay for dinner, Jamie?”

He nodded then pointed to the partially-completed model. Any fool could follow his eyes. Gray shrugged. Okay, so he wouldn’t get much done on the house tonight. One extra day next door to her and the kids wouldn’t kill him. Besides, Jamie was turning out to be a good kid. Way too quiet, but well-behaved.

“Okay, here’s the deal.” He squatted down to be at the kid’s level. “I’ll stay for dinner then we’ll finish the model.” The boy’s smile spread from ear to ear. Gray leaned in close, to speak quietly. “But you’ve got to let Andie help you with the next one, else her feelings will be hurt.” They both looked up at the woman under discussion. “Girls are like that.”

Seriously, Jamie nodded his agreement then pulled him toward the dining room.

Gray rose to his feet. “I guess I’m staying for dinner. Thanks for the invite. It smells delicious.”

Andie smiled at both of them. “It’s just lasagna – nothing fancy. Jamie can show you the washroom, so you can wash up.”

“Hewwo.” The slam of the front door punctuated Chloe’s shout just as running footsteps came toward the kitchen. “I’se here,” the little girl shouted to everyone watching her.