Paige paused, then nodded in agreement.
Daniel tucked the throw more snugly around Jason and gently picked him up. Jason’s head rested against Daniel’s chest, just under his chin. Daniel inhaled deeply, and Paige was certain he got a whiff of Jason’s shampoo. The smile it brought to his face moved her in a way she hadn’t thought possible. Jason moaned in his sleep, nestled closer to Daniel and slipped his arm around Daniel’s neck.
Paige stood transfixed, her hands pressed together in front of her face. Her eyes filled with tears. There was something poignant about the large, fit man holding her small, fragile child in his arms so lovingly.
Lovingly.
The word echoed in her mind. Could this man she barely knew care about her child that much in such a short time? And, if so, what did it mean? She gave her head a quick shake. She was romanticizing things again. There wasn’t any room in her life for that. She could blame her crazy daydreams on the time of year and her own emotional state.
She followed Daniel into Jason’s room.
And stopped short. Daniel was tucking Jason’s teddy in the crook of his arm and pulling the blanket over him. She raised a hand to her heart in a futile attempt to still its rapid beating.
She backed out and returned to the living room. Changing the television to a local station that would be broadcasting a countdown to midnight, she adjusted the volume for background music.
“Are you up for some champagne?” Daniel asked when he rejoined her.
Still unsteady from the realization that she was falling for Daniel, she cleared her throat and hoped he wouldn’t notice the quaver in her voice. “That would be nice. I’ll get it.” She hurried into the kitchen to try to regain her balance.
She took the bottle from the refrigerator and, on impulse, held her hand, chilled by the bottle, to her forehead. That cooled her flushed skin. Feeling a little steadier, she grabbed two wineglasses from a cupboard and took them and the bottle to the living room. She handed the bottle to Daniel and placed the glasses on the coffee table. “I hope you’re okay with these. I don’t have champagne flutes.”
“They’ll do just fine. Ready?” Daniel asked as he was about to uncork the bottle.
They both laughed when the expulsion of the cork made the customary popping sound. Daniel filled their glasses, and they toasted to the new year.
The next two hours slipped by as they talked about their childhoods, their jobs and Jason.
Barry Manilow’s “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve” was playing, the last song before the official countdown to midnight, when Jason’s door opened. With his teddy bear clasped under his arm, he shuffled into the living room.
Paige was up and rushing toward him immediately. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”
“Nothin’,” he responded, still groggy. “I just wanted to be up for midnight. I set my clock. I have something for you.”
The final chords of the song faded, and the host started the countdown. “Ten...nine...”
“You need to sit on the sofa next to Mr. Kinsley, Mom.”
The last vestiges of sleep gone, Jason dashed behind the sofa. “C’mon, Mom. Hurry!”
“...seven...six...” the host counted.
On five, Jason moved his other hand from behind his back. He clutched a sprig of mistletoe. “You know what this is for, right?”
“...three...” He held it over the space between Daniel and Paige’s heads and giggled.
“...two...” Paige sent Daniel a silent apology, but his expression was amused.
“...one!” At the blast of horns and noise makers on the television, Daniel cupped Paige’s cheek in the palm of his hand and leaned in for a kiss. Paige closed her eyes and leaned in, too, as if irresistibly drawn by a magnet.
Jason whooped loudly.
The kiss was light and brief, but it gave her a little jolt. When she opened her eyes and gazed into Daniel’s, she could see in the expression on his face that he’d felt it, too. The sweet taste of the champagne lingered on her lips as it did on Daniel’s. She ran her tongue over her upper lip, savoring the flavor.
“My work here is done,” Jason declared cheerfully, his words followed by a huge yawn. He kissed his mother on the cheek. “See you in the morning, Mom. Good night, Mr. Kinsley.” Jason held up his hand, and Daniel high-fived him. “Happy New Year!” he called, waving the bear over his head, as he trotted back to his room.
After his door closed, Paige could almost hear the ticking of the clock over the soft music that was now playing on television. Then they both began to speak at once. “You first,” they said in unison, and laughed.
Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was playing in the background. Daniel rose and held out a hand to Paige. “How about this instead? Dance with me.”
Paige hesitated only for an instant before placing her hand in Daniel’s and letting him draw her up and into his arms. “I love this song,” she murmured.
With Daniel’s arms encircling her waist, and hers draped over his shoulders, they moved to the rhythm as the poignant words flowed over them.
When the song ended, Daniel lowered his mouth to hers. They kissed gently, tenderly. And this time it was their own decision.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
AS THE WEEKS PASSED, Paige’s feelings for Daniel were undeniably growing. It meant a little more juggling of her time, but for the most part Jason was included in their plans.
Jason seemed pleased about their budding relationship, and there was no question that he was developing a strong attachment to Daniel. Paige smiled at the thought of her son taking every opportunity to encourage her and Daniel to see each other. When they weren’t with Daniel, Jason was constantly talking about him. She was certain he would’ve slept in his Patriots ball cap and jacket if she’d let him.
Which just gave Paige a whole new set of things to worry about. She assumed that part of the reason Jason was growing so attached to Daniel was the total absence of a father figure in his life. Jason had no idea why his father had left them; he just knew Mark wasn’t part of their lives. All his friends had a father who was still around, even if their parents were divorced.
Paige also continued to worry that if and when the relationship with Daniel ended, Jason would be devastated. He had so much to deal with already. She couldn’t imagine how he’d handle Daniel’s disappearance from their lives. With Jason’s increasing needs, the day would come when it would no longer be fun for Daniel. He’d leave them, just as Mark had...and just like the guy she’d dated briefly the year after. Most distressing, she worried that Jason’s desire for a father figure pointed to her own failure as a parent. She couldn’t keep back a groan.
Jason looked up from his painting. “You okay, Mom?”
“Oh, yes, sweetie. Sorry to interrupt you.” She ran a hand over his mop of blond hair. When had she turned into such a pessimist? She’d always considered herself the opposite. But she’d sustained some hard hits, and Jason’s illness overshadowed everything.
She should be thrilled about Daniel being in their lives. He was wonderful to them, caring, considerate and so splendid with Jason. It didn’t hurt that he was tall and gorgeous, and just being near him made her blood pressure skyrocket and her heart race like a jet engine.
Yes, she should be over-the-moon happy. To be able to discuss her worries about Jason with him, and have him truly listen and support her was an unexpected gift. He took a real interest in Jason and how he was doing. But a niggling doubt tried to worm its way back into her consciousness. And when he left them, where would they be? But she refused to dwell on the possibility. It was hard to believe that Daniel had been in their lives for more than three months now. Time was certainly flying by.
*
WHEN CHELSEA CAME HOME, Mr. Weatherly held the door open for her. “You’re back from work early today.”
“Yeah. The gallery is changing some of the exhibits for the weekend, and we got a head start to make sure we’re ready by Saturd
ay morning. It’s nice to be done so early.” They walked through the foyer together. “It seems such a waste not to enjoy the sunshine when the days are still so short.”
“Well then, this might be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.” Glancing at his reflection in the mirrored wall next to the mailboxes, Mr. Weatherly straightened his bow tie. “I’ll fix you a cup of tea. There’s something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you or Mrs. Bennett.”
Chelsea looked at him curiously, and he added, “It’s about our Paige.”
She grabbed his arm. “Did anything happen? Is it Jason?”
He was quick to reassure her. “No, no, no. I’ve just been thinking about something.”
Comforted, Chelsea followed him into his apartment. She unwound her scarf and stuffed it into her coat pocket. Mr. Weatherly took her coat and hung it up, along with his own.
She helped him make the tea, and they took their cups to sit side by side at the small patio table in his sunroom.
“Here’s the thing. I know I have no right, but I think of our Paige as...if not a daughter, as a younger sister.”
Chelsea leaned over and gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek, causing vivid color to bloom on his face. “Aw, that’s sweet. Of course you have a right to feel that way, and she’d be touched by it.”
Slightly embarrassed, he cleared his throat. “She’s been through so much, and now she has Jason’s illness to worry about. I just don’t want to see her hurt.”
“Why would she get hurt?”
“This Daniel Kinsley chap. He’s been around a lot lately, and I worry about both Paige and Jason getting too attached to him.”
Chelsea raised her eyebrows. “Why would you feel that’s a bad thing? I think it’d be great if Paige could have the love and support of a wonderful man, especially now.”
Mr. Weatherly stabbed a finger in the air to emphasize his point. “See? That’s just it. We don’t know anything about this Kinsley chap. I’ve met him only in passing. He seems pleasant enough, but that’s just on the surface. You may have spent more time with him, but what do we really know? How can we be sure he’s a good man? One who’ll stick by her?”
Chelsea’s laugh bubbled out. “Are you kidding? Daniel’s a gem. He’s decent, kind, has a good job and seems pretty stable to me. I wish I could meet someone like him!” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t mean that. Joel is wonderful...in his own way.”
Mr. Weatherly’s shoulders sagged, and he shook his head. “I’m just saying.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Paige is very lucky that you care about her as much as you do. I care about her, too, and I haven’t seen any red flags with Daniel. He seems solid, and he treats both her and Jason so well.”
Mr. Weatherly lifted his cup, sniffed the tea and took a sip. He put it back on its saucer. “What do you or any of us really know about him? How do we know he’s not your proverbial axe murderer?”
Chelsea stifled a giggle. She took a sip of her own tea. “True. But what can we do about it?”
“We could make sure he’s everything he says he is.”
She hesitated. “How could we do that, besides looking up the usual corporate stuff online?”
“We could keep an eye on him. Maybe dig deeper when you check him out on that fancy computer of yours.”
Chelsea put her cup down. “I don’t know, Mr. Weatherly. I realize you mean well, but I don’t think either Paige or Daniel would appreciate it if we interfered.”
“And what if he’s not all he seems to be? What if he hurts her at such a vulnerable time in her life? How about Jason? The young man is developing quite an attachment to Kinsley, from what I gather. How would it affect him if something went wrong?”
“Hmm.” She hadn’t considered that angle. Daniel’s presence seemed to be lifting Jason’s spirits, providing a distraction. How upsetting would it be if he hurt them? She remembered that Paige had raised the same concern. “You may have a point,” she conceded.
“I heard Paige mention that he coaches kids’ baseball on Saturday mornings at the Camden Falls fairground. The spring season hasn’t officially started yet, but he supposedly holds practices for his team when the weather’s good. Let’s start there.”
They put their plan into action the next day. It was a brilliant early-April morning, and the sunshine took the edge off the cool temperature. Mr. Weatherly’s 1965 buttercup-yellow Mustang convertible—his pride and joy—was buffed to a sparkling shine, as always. They both wore dark glasses, worthy of any respectable sleuth, as Mr. Weatherly pulled out of the parking lot.
Four hours later, they pulled back into the lot. Mr. Weatherly shut off the engine, crossed his arms over the steering wheel and tapped his fingers on the braided leather cover. “That wasn’t any great revelation.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Chelsea nudged his shoulder. “We found out he drinks his latte without froth.”
Mr. Weatherly guffawed. “We did, didn’t we?”
She rubbed his arm. “Don’t look so disappointed. We should be glad we saw him with the baseball team. We want him to be who he says he is. We want him to be good for Paige.”
He nodded.
“Why don’t we stick to internet searches from now on, until you’re satisfied?” Chelsea suggested. “Or maybe you should get to know him. You might like him.”
He nodded again.
*
SUNDAYS WERE SPECIAL days that Paige, Daniel and Jason spent together. This Sunday, Daniel was driving Paige and Jason to Great Barrington to visit Paige’s parents. Since they hadn’t seen them at Christmas, a visit was long overdue, and Paige’s mother had often told her how eager she was to meet Daniel.
The drive passed quickly. Jason was bouncing in the backseat as they pulled up outside his grandparents’ house. He rushed up the front steps ahead of Paige and Daniel. As soon as his grandmother opened the front door, Jason threw himself into her arms. He greeted her parents’ little sheltie, Iris, next. Wanting his undivided attention, Iris pranced and leapt excitedly around Jason’s legs.
When his grandfather walked into the vestibule, Jason seemed a little uncertain but gave him a big hug. Paige breathed a sigh of relief that her father didn’t reject Jason’s affection. Jason, for his part, seemed to take his grandfather’s forgetfulness in stride.
Daniel accepted Charlotte’s warm embrace rather awkwardly. Paige knew that outward signs of affection didn’t come naturally to him. Although he and her parents hit it off from the start, Daniel seemed just a bit too formal and reserved, especially next to her warm and easygoing parents.
Her father’s Alzheimer’s wasn’t a factor in Daniel’s interactions with him. Since it was their first meeting, there was no shared history that had been forgotten. Paige was overjoyed to see her father’s good spirits. She marveled again at her mother’s strength and dedication in the face of her father’s illness.
The company and conversation proved to be tiring for Stephen. After an early dinner, Charlotte helped Stephen settle down for a nap.
“Where are Jason and Daniel?” Charlotte asked when she rejoined Paige in the kitchen.
“They’re in the yard playing with Iris.” Paige glanced over her shoulder and smiled as she finished wiping the counter. “You have no idea how much I wish I could get him a dog.”
“Until you do, he’s welcome to play with Iris anytime you like. Paige...?”
Paige draped the dish towel over the handle of the oven door and turned to her mother.
“Honey, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Sure, Mom.”
Charlotte poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Paige. “Let’s sit down.”
Paige sat at the kitchen table across from her mother. “What’s up?”
“I need to talk to you about your father.”
Apprehension formed a hard ball in Paige’s stomach. “Okay.”
“I don’t know h
ow to tell you this...”
“Mom, what is it?”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m worried about how much longer I can take care of your father at home. I just went to the corner store last week to get some milk and eggs. Oh, Paige. When I got back, he was gone.”
“Gone? Why didn’t you call me?”
“I didn’t want to worry you. Thank goodness, I found him. He’d wandered over to Jim and Heather’s place. You know them, our next-door neighbors? But...” Charlotte raised a hand to her throat. “You have no idea how scared I was. If I can’t leave him alone, even for such a short time, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Paige stared at her—stricken yet understanding.
“Paige, honey. I don’t want to do this, but I’m worried I’ll have no choice other than to put him in a long-term care home.” Charlotte’s face showed her anguish. “I feel so awful saying this, but it’s becoming too much to continue caring for him at home. I can’t leave the house. I can’t sleep. I’m just so worried about him.”
Paige squeezed her mother’s hand and swallowed hard to clear the huge lump in her throat. She’d known this heart-wrenching day would come. She just hadn’t expected it this soon. “Try not to feel bad, Mom. You need to do what’s best for Dad. I’ll do everything I can to help.”
“You already have your hands full with Jason.”
“But you can’t do this on your own.”
An excited Jason rushed into the kitchen, the little dog at his heels. Daniel followed at a more leisurely pace. “Hey, Mom! You’ll never believe the neat tricks I taught Iris!” The moment Paige met Daniel’s eyes, he sent her a questioning look. Paige shook her head, letting him know she didn’t want to discuss it in front of Jason or her mother.
A distinct pall had fallen over the afternoon, and Paige, Daniel and Jason said their good-byes shortly after.