Authors: Theresa Ragan
Mom must have already eaten because she looked more than content sitting next to Jill and feeding Ryan a bottle while introducing Jill to everyone who stopped to take a peek at her new grandson.
A big hand settled on his shoulder and he turned to see who was there. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
Dad shook his head as if he couldn’t find the words to express whatever it was he wanted to say. Finally he coughed and said, “My little boy is growing up.”
“Dad, are you serious? I’ll be thirty soon. You’re not going soft on me, are you?” His dad had retired from his position as bank manager two years ago. It suddenly occurred to Derrick that he hadn’t taken his dad golfing in a while. Obviously, it was time he did.
Dad blinked a couple of times, reminding Derrick of his own breakdown earlier when he’d realized he was here to introduce his son to his family.
“Holy shit,” Derrick said. “You’re crying, aren’t you?”
Dad stiffened. “You have a son now. No more cursing.”
“Okay, you’re right. No cursing.” Derrick pointed a finger at him. “But no crying either.”
“Don’t be an ass. I wasn’t crying.”
Derrick inhaled and decided to let it go—the crying and the cursing. “Quite a spread Mom prepared for us today,” he said.
“Yeah. Just don’t eat the ham rolls,” Dad said. “They taste like fish.”
Ah, much better
. There was the dad he knew and loved. “They’re supposed to taste like fish,” Derrick reminded him. “Mom put tuna in the middle of them. That’s what we used to get in our lunches.”
“I’m sorry about that,” his dad said, and judging by his serious tone, he meant it. “I knew she couldn’t cook the first time she made me dinner forty–some-odd years ago. But once your mother decided I was the one she was going to marry, I didn’t stand a chance.”
Derrick decided not to tell him that Mom said the same thing about him.
“I like Jill,” Dad said. “She seems intelligent and friendly. It’s good to see you with someone who has some brains for once.”
“Dad, we’re not dating.”
“She’s the mother of your child. Of course, you’re dating. Whether you like it or not, the two of you will be dating for the rest of your life.”
Derrick glanced back at Jill and tried to picture the two of them together—forever. “I hardly know her.”
“So what?”
“She’s not my type.”
“You mean you’re not
her
type.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Look at her,” Dad said. “She’s perfect. She’s got grace and manners and she has a singing voice.”
Since when did his father care about grace and manners? The alien was back. “What do you mean a singing voice? Have you heard her sing?”
“Of course not. And so what if she’s not 38, 26, 38? Your mother likes her.”
As his dad sang Jill’s praises, Derrick watched Jill’s eyes light up as she laughed about something Mom said to her, which frightened him a little because that meant Mom was telling her about how shy he used to be when he was six and how he was the only kid that would hang onto her leg as if he’d die if she left him for two minutes. Mom loved that story. The truth was Connor had been the shy one. Mom probably had the two of them mixed up, but it was her story and she was sticking to it.
As Dad rambled on, Derrick reached over and flicked a crumb off of his dad’s favorite T-shirt, the bright yellow one that read,
DAD IS RAD
. “Are you ever going to get rid of that ugly shirt?”
“Probably not.”
“You wear it just to annoy us, don’t you?”
“You got it, kiddo.”
Lexi tugged at the hem of Derrick’s shirt, and he obediently bent down to her level. “What is it, Lexi?”
“Mommy said you would give me a piggy-back ride if I was good.”
Derrick knew he’d been set up. He looked over at Sandy and saw her quickly look away. Satan was a tricky one. He looked at Lexi. “Have you been a good girl today?”
Her eyes widened. “Very good. And I wike your house.”
“It’s not
W
ike, it’s
L
ike,” his dad explained to Lexi. “Put your tongue like this.” Dad showed Lexi how to make the L sound and Derrick didn’t try to stop him.
As Derrick watched his father try to show Lexi what to do, he couldn’t help but wonder when he had become his dad? He shook his head at the thought.
Lexi curled her tongue and said, “Wike.” And the two of them went back and forth until Dad finally just walked away.
Lexi quickly forgot all about Dad and turned back to Derrick. “I want to see the ponies.”
“We’ll ride the ponies after everyone eats, okay? Until then, you’ll have to pretend I’m a pony.” Derrick set his plate on the corner of the closest food table and then hunched down low so Lexi could climb onto his back.
With a running start, Lexi jumped instead of climbed, and then used the heels of both her feet to kick him in the ribs. “Faster, faster,” she said. And he dutifully obeyed. If Maggie hadn’t appeared through the side gate wearing a white cotton dress and looking like a million bucks, he might have lasted another five minutes, at least.
Chapter Fourteen
“So you’re not married and you’re not dating anyone?”
Jill smiled at Grandma Dora and answered the same question for the third time in the past ten minutes. Derrick’s sister, Rachel, gave Jill an I’m-so-sorry-you-have-to-go-through-this look.
Truthfully though, Grandma Dora was fun to be around and Jill was glad she’d come to the picnic to meet everyone. Derrick’s family, whether she had planned it this way or not, was going to be a part of her and Ryan’s life. Over the last few hours, Jill had managed to squeeze in a few questions of her own, but getting a word in edgewise was not an easy task around the Baylor family.
“I’m glad you’re available,” Grandma Dora said, “because I think you and my little monkey make a cute couple.”
Rachel put a hand to her temple. “Oh, Grandma, please. We all have real-life names and Derrick is way too old to be called monkey any longer.”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist, my little Tinkerbell. It’s just a name. Nothing to get worked up about.”
“She is right,” Derrick’s mom chimed in. “Jill and Derrick definitely make gorgeous babies together. Just look at this sweet face. Is he the best baby in the whole wide world, or what?”
Rachel and Jill looked at one another and laughed.
An hour and a half ago Jill had given up trying to convince Derrick’s mother, two dozen neighbors, and especially Grandma Dora, that she and Derrick weren’t meant to be. They were not fate in the making or destiny at work. For starters she explained that Derrick loved football, while Jill had never watched a game in her life. According to some older articles she’d found on the Internet, Derrick tended to date curvy voluptuous women. Jill happened to be the opposite of voluptuous. She wore an A cup before Ryan was born, and she had no hips to speak of. According to his sisters, Derrick was a meat and potato guy. She preferred sushi. Derrick was one of ten; she was one of two. He liked action movies; she liked romantic comedies. He liked coffee; she liked tea. The list went on and on.
But, after getting to know Derrick over the past two weeks, she realized none of that mattered.
She liked Derrick Baylor.
She liked the way he looked into her eyes whenever they said hello. She liked the way he kissed, too, and the way she felt when he wrapped her in his arms and held her tight. She liked the way his mouth curved upward and his eyes twinkled when he smiled. He always smelled good, and he looked as good wearing a pair of sweats and a T-shirt as he did in slacks and a button-down shirt. She liked his positive and cheerful disposition. She liked the way he looked at Ryan as if his chest might burst from all the love he was feeling every time he cradled his son in his arms. And now, Jill realized, she liked his family too.
But although there was chemistry between them, and she knew there was because she had felt it more than once, there was also something missing. Something was holding Derrick back. And yet she couldn’t put a finger on it.
Or could she
?
Lexi had run off to join her mom, and Derrick, Jill noticed, was staring longingly at a young woman as she came through the back gate. It was Maggie, the attorney engaged to Derrick’s brother, Aaron.
And that’s when it struck her like a hammer to her head.
Derrick had feelings for Maggie. It was written all over his face. That’s why he’d been looking out the window, searching for her when they had run into Aaron downtown. Derrick was in love with Maggie, the woman who was engaged to be married to Derrick’s adopted brother, Aaron. A person would have to be blind not to see it.
At this very moment, across the yard, Derrick was fawning over Maggie like a starved dog finally getting a treat. If he had a tail, it would be wagging. His full attention was focused on Maggie as the pair headed her way.
“Maggie,” Derrick said, his eyes never leaving Maggie’s face. “I’d like you to meet Jill Garrison and my son, Ryan.”
Maggie wore a summer dress with a pair of strappy sandals. Her hair was sleek and blonde and pulled back at the sides with clips, revealing high cheekbones, perfect bow-shaped lips, and eyes as blue as the cloudless sky above them.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Maggie said as they exchanged a friendly handshake. “And look at Ryan. Oh, my, he’s beautiful,” Maggie said when Derrick’s mom pulled back the baby blanket so she could get a better look at him.
“He’s precious.” Maggie looked back at Derrick’s mom and said, “Aaron told me to say hello to everyone and to tell you he’d stop by next week.”
Jill watched Derrick watching Maggie. Her insides twisted.
Music started up in the distance, breaking her away from her thoughts. They all looked toward the barn where a medley of banjo and fiddle music could be heard. Derrick’s youngest sister, Zoey, jumped to her feet. Her long dark hair hung in one thick braid and it swung over her shoulder as she grabbed a hold of Jill’s hand. “Come on. You have to see this!”
Derrick’s mom insisted Jill go with Zoey, promising to take good care of Ryan while she was gone. She overheard Mrs. Baylor telling Derrick to go to the barn, too.
As Zoey pulled Jill toward the barn, Lexi shouted her name, waving for all she was worth. Lexi was riding the tiniest Shetland pony she’d ever seen. Sandy stood on one side of the pony while Jake stood on the other side. Jill knew that Sandy had hoped to see Connor today, but apparently he was a no show.
Inside the barn, bales of hay were stacked against the walls at different levels so guests could use the hay as seats. At the far wall was a live band that consisted of four men, all wearing overalls and playing instruments: two fiddlers, a guitar player, and a banjo player.
Jill felt as if she’d been transported to another time as Zoey dragged her to the middle of the barn. “Come on,” Zoey said, “it’s time to do a little square dancing.”
Jill laughed. “The last time I square danced was in fourth grade.”
The moment Derrick entered the barn, Zoey waved him over, telling him that Jill could use a lesson in square dancing. Before Jill could protest, Derrick placed his hands on Jill’s waist. “It’s easy,” he said. “Just follow my lead.”
Zoey went to stand before the band and shouted loud enough to be heard over the music. “Okay, people,” she said, “let’s dance.”
Four more couples of assorted ages joined Jill and Derrick on the straw-littered dance floor.
“I’ve seen most of you here before,” Zoey said into a microphone that somebody handed her, “so I’m not going to waste too much time explaining the Butterfly Whirl. Let’s get started.”
Derrick kept a firm hold of Jill’s waist and then told her to put her arm around his waist, too. She tried not to think about everyone watching them, but heat rose to her cheeks all the same. The couples moved in a circle until the music changed. Derrick let go of her hand and gave her a little push to get her moving toward the middle of the circle with the other four ladies. The men did a little jig that was just a few kicks and a heel-toe movement as they circled the women. The dance moves were easy to follow and the whole thing was surprisingly fun.
Jill laughed every time Derrick passed by, wiggling his brows and square dancing with exaggerated arm and leg movements.
“Now things are going to get a little tougher,” Zoey said. “It’s time for the gentlemen to allemande left, and then scoop up their partner and whirl back to place. Let’s go.”
Squeals of delight escaped her when Derrick took her by the waist again and picked her up so high she felt as if she was flying through the air. He finally put her down and held her until she had her balance again.
“Okay, people, it’s time for the do-si-do. Bow to your corner, bow to your own. Three hands up and ’round you go. Break it up with a do-si-do. Chicken in the bread pan kickin’ out dough.”
Everybody faced each other, moved clockwise and first passed shoulder to shoulder, and then back-to-back. Next their left shoulders passed, before they all ended up where they started.
They stuck with the do-si-do long enough for Derrick to add a spin while performing the move.
Jill couldn’t help but smile. “Show off.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Somebody has a big head.”
“Who?” He looked around.
She laughed at his silliness as she followed along with the group and hooked her arm around his elbow. He twirled her in a circle before he let go and she found herself face to face with his brother, Connor.
He bowed. She curtsied.
“Well, hello there,” Connor said, his voice an octave deeper than Derrick’s.
“Nice to see you again,” she replied before they stepped shoulder to shoulder and then back again.
“Did your friend come with you today?” he asked.
Jill nodded. “She’s with Lexi and the ponies.”
They hooked arms at the elbows, twirled, and then changed partners. She did this three more times until she was paired with Derrick again.
“I missed you,” he said.
“I doubt that.”