Summer Kisses (9 page)

Ryan’s fingers clasped firmly around Derrick’s thumb. The little guy smelled like baby powder and formula. “Look at that. He already has a good, strong grip. Someday you’re going to play football like your old man, aren’t you?”

Jill disappeared inside her apartment and dropped her purse on the coffee table with a purposeful
thunk
.

She came back to where he hovered over Ryan and crossed her arms tight against her chest. “One minute,” she said. “That’s all you get. And Ryan is not going to be a football player when he grows up.”

It took a moment for what she said to register. The football comment had thrown him off, but more importantly, he hadn’t expected Jill to agree to his request to introduce Ryan to his brothers.

He stood, figuring he’d better move quickly and take advantage of her agreeable mood. But before he could pick up the carrier, Jill leaned low and scooped Ryan into her arms.

Derrick followed close behind as she headed for his apartment.

Ryan began to fuss.

“Is that Ryan?” somebody asked over the din when Jill stepped inside his apartment.

Brad reached Jill’s side first. “Can I hold him?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Derrick said.

“Of course you can.” She placed Ryan in his brother’s arms. “Here.” She showed Brad how to place his elbow. “You can use the crook of your arm to hold his head up. Yes, like that.”

“Look at that!” Brad said. “He stopped crying.”

“He don’t wike his mommy,” Lexi said as she picked a new crayon out of the box next to Jake.

“That’s not true,” Sandy told her daughter. “What did I tell you about that?”

“You said it’s okay cuz wots of babies don’t wike their mommies.”

“I did not.” Sandy looked at Jill and gave her an apologetic shrug.

Jill looked determined to ignore them all as she continued to help Derrick’s brother with Ryan.

A knot formed in Derrick’s throat. What the hell was wrong with him anyhow? Every time he was around Jill and his son a gushy sappy wave of emotion swept over him.

Cliff and Connor were now huddled around the baby, smiling and making faces at Ryan. “You did good,” Connor said to Derrick after taking a quick peek at Ryan.

“He didn’t do anything,” Jill said.

She was mad at him for renting out the apartment, no doubt about it.

Cliff laughed at her sassiness. “It’s pretty amazing how all of that donor stuff works. It won’t be long before women don’t need men at all.”

“You know what they say,” Jake said, “you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them.”

Sandy huffed.

“That’s what Mom’s been telling Dad for years,” Brad said before he started making ridiculous goo goo sounds at the baby.

Jill smiled at Brad’s antics, a genuine smile that told Derrick she was warming up to his brothers, or at least to one of them.

“I have new crayons, Jill!” Lexi shouted into Jake’s ear, making him wince.

“You’re a lucky girl,” Jill told her. “What are you doing over there?”

“Pwaying with my new boyfriend.”

“Okay,” Sandy said, shaking her head and trying not to look amused. “I think it’s time for us to go.”

“Sorry I was late,” Jill told Sandy. “You know how bad traffic is at this time of the day.”

“No worries. Lexi always manages to find something for us to do.”

“I should go,” Jill said. “It was nice meeting you all.”

“Before you go,” Brad said, “Mom would be forever grateful if you brought Ryan to the barbeque at her house this weekend. We’ll all be there.”

Derrick noticed Jill’s eye twitch, a definite sign that she was uncomfortable. He’d seen the same twitch the other day when he showed up at her doorstep unexpectedly.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Jill said.

“Lexi could ride the ponies,” Cliff pointed out.

Lexi dropped her crayon and screamed, “Ponies!” at the top of her lungs.

“And Jake will be there,” Derrick told Lexi, causing her to jump up and down in Jake’s lap as she clapped her tiny hands in giddy delight, making Jake grimace.

“Your parents have ponies?” Sandy asked.

“They own a pony farm,” Connor answered.

“Mom would love for all of you to come for an early dinner on Sunday,” Cliff told Sandy, making it clear that she and her daughter Lexi were invited too.

Brad nodded his head. “And we won’t take no for an answer.”

“Have you ever seen that many good-looking men in one family?”

Jill and Sandy sliced and diced the green peppers and onions for the chili recipe they planned to have on the cover of next month’s issue of
Food For All
. Every month they had a theme and this month’s focus was soups, stews, and chili. Sandy was an amazing cook and usually didn’t bother fiddling with other people’s recipes, but the woman in charge of the test kitchen had quit, leaving them in a bind.

Jill reached across the kitchen counter and turned up the baby monitor. They had left Derrick’s apartment over an hour ago. Ryan had not stopped crying until five minutes ago. Not a peep while he was being held in Derrick’s brothers’ arms, but once Jill took her son, all bets were off. He hadn’t stopped crying, not until she put him in the crib and let him cry himself to sleep. Lexi was right. Ryan didn’t like his mommy.

“Earth to Jill.”

“Sorry,” Jill said. “What were you saying?”

“All those good-looking brothers in one family and not one of them had a ring on his finger. What do you think that says about men?”

“I don’t know, but I suppose you’re going to tell me.”

“It’s proof of what I’ve been saying all along. Women no longer need men to hunt or bring home the bacon, so what’s the point?”

Jill shook her head. “You really need to let go of the weird bitterness you have towards men.”

“My father left my mother and me when I was six,” Sandy reminded her. “I wouldn’t know him if he passed me on the street. What sort of man leaves his own flesh and blood, never to be heard from again?”

“Not all men are like your father or your ex-boyfriend.”

“How can you say that after being stranded at the altar? Men are good for one thing and I won’t remind you of what that one thing is, but the problem is, men don’t have stick-ability.”

“It’s just a matter of finding the right man,” Jill said. “We need to be patient.” When Sandy met a man she was interested in, she tended to be controlling and abrasive. Jill figured that Sandy subconsciously sabotaged a relationship right from the beginning, since she didn’t believe there was a man in the world who would stick around anyhow. The relationship always fizzled out before it had a chance, confirming Sandy’s fears. But Jill didn’t want to upset her friend, so she changed the subject. “Did I tell you Thomas called the other day?”

Sandy’s eyes widened. “What did he want?”

“He offered to be my lawyer in the event I need help keeping Derrick away from me and Ryan.”

“How did he even know Derrick was in the picture?”

“I told Mom and she must have told him. Despite the fact that Thomas left me at the altar, my parents still think he walks on water.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him I appreciated the offer but I didn’t need his help. I also told him that Derrick and I were dating.”

“You what?”

Jill smiled “Great idea, don’t you think? I wanted to show Thomas that I’ve moved on. And besides, he’ll tell my parents and then hopefully they won’t come to visit right away.”

“Did he sound upset?”

Jill shrugged and then stirred the ingredients in the pot on the stove. “It was hard to tell.”

“Did Thomas mention Ryan, you know, did he ask how Ryan was doing?”

“He congratulated me and said he was sorry for everything that happened between us.”

Sandy finished pouring barbeque sauce into a measuring cup and then looked at Jill again. “You’re worried about something. What is it?”

“I’m thinking I should seriously think about Thomas’s offer in case it turns out that Derrick and I can’t work something out when it comes to Ryan. It would be ignorant of me to walk into mediation next month without being prepared.”

“True,” Sandy said as she tossed onions and peppers into the pot. “I’m curious though. Why do you think Thomas called now after all this time?”

“He called once before, but I didn’t pick up.”

“Do you still have feelings for him?”

“I’ve come to realize I need closure and the only way I’m going to get it is if I sit down and talk to him about what happened.” What Jill really needed to know was how someone she’d been ready to spend the rest of her life with could humiliate her in such a way. If he’d known he couldn’t go through with the marriage, why hadn’t he talked to her instead of leaving her standing there like a fool? The question had kept her awake for too many nights. She had trusted Thomas. Never in a million years had she believed he would be capable of doing such a thing. But he had, and he did, and less than a week after leaving her at the church, her parents had invited him inside their home and begged Jill to come out of her room and talk to him. They expected Jill to forgive him without question. That had been the last straw. She’d packed up her things and left for California within the week.

The scent of garlic mixed with onions wafted from the pot as Sandy added white beans to the mix. “I wonder if Connor will be at the barbeque on Sunday?” Sandy asked.

“Derrick’s brother?”

Sandy nodded. “Why the surprise?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just haven’t seen you show interest in a man in a while.”

“I’m not interested in Connor. I was just wondering about him because he seemed so quiet…and sad.”

If Jill thought there was any chance at all of helping Sandy make a love match, she’d be all over it. But the truth was Sandy was too darn picky, not to mention stubborn and opinionated.

“I didn’t notice,” Jill lied. “But since we’re talking about Derrick and his brothers, I’ve decided that it’s not a good idea for me to attend the barbeque this weekend.”

Sandy didn’t respond.

“I’m not even sure if it’s a good idea for Derrick and me to be friends,” Jill added.

“I can’t disagree with that,” Sandy said as she stirred all the ingredients in the pot together. “You know how I feel about him showing up unexpectedly.”

“Exactly. I went through the sperm donor process knowing I would be raising Ryan on my own. But for the record, just because I don’t want Derrick Baylor in Ryan’s life, that doesn’t mean I think he’s a bad guy. It’s just that I need—no, make that I
want
to raise Ryan on my own. And besides, Derrick is a football player, a celebrity of sorts. He’s a good looking man and it won’t be long before he’ll be married and have a family of his own. I don’t want Ryan to ever feel like he’s second best. Being friends with Derrick would never work. The man needs to leave us alone.”

“Agreed.” Sandy put the lid on the chili and turned the temperature to low.

Jill followed Sandy into the family room where Lexi was quietly coloring. She helped her gather Lexi’s coloring books and crayons.

“I’m sure Derrick will understand when you tell him you’ve changed your mind about the barbeque.”

“Too bad if he doesn’t understand,” Jill said, trying to convince herself that not having anything to do with Ryan’s father was the right thing to do. “He never should have moved to the apartment next door without discussing it with me first. He’s arrogant and pushy. If he thinks he can just—”

A knock sounded at the door.

All riled up, Jill went to the door and jerked it open.

Derrick stood on the other side. His hair was damp. He had on a clean pair of jeans and a blue button-down shirt. He was also holding a crayon. “I thought Lexi might need this.”

She took the crayon, thanked him, and tried to shut the door, but he put his hand on the doorframe above her head and used his broad shoulders to prevent her from doing so. “I wanted to thank you for letting my brothers meet Ryan,” he told her. “It meant a lot.”

“You’re welcome.”

He peeked his head inside. “Is Ryan asleep?”

She nodded.

He spotted Sandy. “Leaving already?”

“It’s getting late,” she said. “Jill and I have a lot to do tomorrow.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

Sandy smirked at him and then looked at Jill as if to say “tell him to get lost and tell him now.”

Ryan began to cry in the other room.

Derrick gestured that way. “Want me to get him?”

“No thanks, I’ve got it under control.”

“Are you still mad at me?”

“Of course I am,” Jill said. “A week ago I didn’t know you existed, but you’ve managed to barge into my life without my permission. Everywhere I look, there you are. You’ve seen me at my most vulnerable and now you’ve set yourself up so you can watch my every move.”

“You think I want to spy on you?”

She raised her chin. “Yes.”

“Listen,” he said, leaning close enough for her to get a whiff of aftershave. “I’m not spying. I just want a chance to get to know you and Ryan. I swear on my honor, that’s all there is to it. I would never try and take Ryan from you. Never.”

“You’re obviously used to getting what you want.”

“I’ve been sort of pushy, haven’t I?”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

Semi-defeated, he looked at Sandy. “Need any help getting to your car?”

“I think it’s safest for me to say ‘no, thank you.’”

“I’ll be on my way then.”

Jill tried to shut the door, but he was still in the way. The man was impossible.

“One more thing…I talked to Mom and everything’s set. She’s very grateful that you’re willing to bring Ryan to the ranch. If it works for you, I’ll pick the four of you up at noon on Sunday.”

“To ride ponies?” Lexi asked from the family room.

“To ride ponies,” he said with a smile.

Jill anchored a strand of hair behind her ear, hating the way she felt all tongue-tied and weak in the knees whenever she was face-to-face with the man. “Why do I get the feeling I don’t have a choice in the matter?”

“You have a choice,” Sandy reminded her.

A dimple appeared when he smiled. The last thing the man needed was a dimple.