“I appreciate the offer, but Jamie made arrangements for an alarm system to be installed on Monday.” She gives me a smile that pushes the air from my lungs and curls around my heart.
“That’s our Jamie, always thinking three moves ahead,” Dad says and gives me a nod.
“That’s what makes him such a great hockey player,” Fallon says as she captures Chase’s hand. “Okay buddy, let’s go get changed and get you in that pool.” She goes still and looks around. “Wait, where should we change?” she asks as she reaches for her duffle bag.
“Come on,” I give her a nudge with my shoulder. “I’ll show you.”
Dad turns to Mom and he leans in conspiratorially, whispering something in her ear as we head into the house. I really hope he doesn’t think there’s anything going on between Fallon and me. I can see how he could have misread the situation in the hall. I can’t imagine he’d be too thrilled to think his oldest son moved in on his youngest son’s wife a year after he died. I’m going to have to straighten him out about that.
Fallon follows me down the hall, and I point to one of the spare bedrooms. “You guys can take this room. Mom still has some of my old clothes in the other one,” I say and jerk my thumb over my shoulder. “I’ll meet you both at the pool.”
As I walk to the room, my cell pings and I pull it from my back pocket to see a text from my buddy Cole. I guess word that Fallon was home got around fast. The guys locker room is worse than a hair salon full of grandmothers. We could out-gossip them any day.
Cole: Hey what’s up.
Jamie: Just at Mom and Dad’s with Fallon and Chase.
Cole: She home for good?
Jamie: Far as I know.
Cole: We’re all about to vacation at Wautauga Beach, until practice starts up next month. Why don’t you guys come? Chase would love it. He could play with Brandon. They’d have a blast. Zander
, Sam and Daisy are flying in from Boston too. So are Quinn, Jonah and Scotty. Katee and Luke are there now.
Jamie: Not sure Fallon is up to that.
Cole: Offer is open. Rider can’t make it, so his cottage is yours for however long you want.
My mind goes back to the cottages on Wautauga Beach, Port Orchard. It’s a beautiful spot, with Mt. Rainier looming in the distance. A bunch of guys on the team all purchased property there years ago. Sara and I had planned on it, but it never happened. Cole is right, though. I’m sure Fallon and Chase would love it, and it would give Chase someone his own age to play with.
But while it would be nice for Chase to meet Cole and Nina’s son Brandon, Zander’s and Sam’s daughter Daisy, and Quinn and Jonah’s son Scotty, I’m not so sure I want to go to the cottage and play house. Yeah, not a good idea at all. I’m have no problems helping Fallon get her house ready for sale and running errands, but holed up with her in a cottage for a week or more, probably not a good idea. I shove the phone back into my pocket, make my way to the other spare room and dig a pair of my swimming shorts from the dresser. I dress quickly and notice the other bedroom door is still shut tightly. I give a soft knock when I hear Chase inside.
“Fallon, everything okay?”
A pause and then, “I don’t think I’m going to swim.”
“Why not.”
Another pause and then, “I should have gone bathing suit shopping. I don’t know what I was thinking grabbing this one.”
“I’m sure it’s fine. It’s just us,” I say. When the hell did she get so self-conscious? What happened to her over the last year or so? Did someone say something cruel to her. She never seemed like the type to worry about a few pounds, and fuck man, those pounds look good on her.
The door slowly inches open and she’s holding her duffle bag in front of herself. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Mommy, I want to swim.”
“I know, bud. Maybe another day.”
“I’ll swim with him,” I say before thinking it through. I’m not supposed to be bonding with these two.
She gives me an apologetic look. “No, Chase is my responsibility…I just.” She glances down, but then the door swings open and Chase darts past us.
“Chase, wait,” Fallon says and goes after him. I run to keep pace, and as soon as we get outside, Chase races to the pool.
“Chase,” Fallon yells, and drops the bag. She grabs him before he jumps into the deep end. She goes down on one knee, and gives Chase a good hard lecture about the dangers of the pool. He pouts a little and she pulls him to her for a hug. It’s easy to tell how much she loves her son.
“You need your water wings,” she says. “Stay right here and don’t move, okay?”