Unexpected Arrivals(81)
“Hey, baby,” my husband cooed into my ear just before he wrapped his solid arms around my waist and pulled me in close. “What are you looking at?”
I pointed at his mother and Dottie down on the beach with Legend. Never in a million years did I imagine I’d be standing on the island watching James’s son play in the surf, much less with Susan and my grandmother. “Just thinking how ironic it is that she was never able to be a grandparent to me, yet she’s so amazing with him.”
“Maybe our being here is the universe’s way of giving the two of you a second chance,” he spoke with his mouth tucked next to my ear as we continued to watch from the kitchen.
“Then I guess the universe is a sadistic bitch because I don’t see that happening before hell freezes over.”
He stood straight and turned me in his arms, pressing my back against the counter. “Cora, she means a lot to Legend. We’re going to have to find a way around your animosity.”
My jaw dropped in shock. I understood where he was coming from, but the woman had basically abandoned me when my parents died after forcing me to move to Florida. He already faced enough with his job and child; adding my drama to the mix wasn’t fair. I was an adult, and he was right…I needed to find a way around my disdain for Gwendolyn.
“I don’t know how to do it. I want to get back to the woman I was a week ago—the fun one you adored.”
“I still adore you. I just hate seeing you so torn.”
“My emotions are all over the place. One part of me is head-over-heels in love with this fantastic child we get to keep. A child I had no desire for until he hung upside down on the monkey bars in the sand giggling. Another part is stuck on the animosity I feel for my grandmother. And then there’s this part I wasn’t expecting at all that wishes I’d met Chelsea, or at the very least, could thank her for that.” I pointed out the window to Legend and tears gathered in my eyes.
“She must have been a great mom.”
“Right? He’s the poster child for perfect kids.” I swallowed hard before continuing. “We have to keep Chelsea alive in his memories, James. She promised him we would love him, and it’s our duty to remind him daily how much he loves her so his memories don’t fade. My grandparents never did that for me—”
“I’m glad I found you both together,” Brock’s voice boomed from the other side of the kitchen, interrupting our conversation. “I wanted to talk to you about a proposition I have.”
James groaned behind me. “This ought to be interesting.”
I smacked him playfully, wondering why he didn’t think he should be making the same effort to build bridges with his parents when I had to make concessions. If Legend was our priority, then that not only left me finding a way to close gaps—James had to as well.
“Hey, Brock. What’s up?”
He took a stool in front of us, and for some reason, the large kitchen seemed to dwarf him where he was normally a captivating, or even intimidating, part of a room. I’d grown to really like both of James’s parents in the week or so we’d been here—time had softened them greatly.
“I understand the two of you haven’t made any final plans about whether you’re going to stay in Geneva Key or go back to New York, but I wanted to offer you a job, James. I don’t need you to give me an answer today; just be aware that the offer is on the table, so that it’s not a consideration in your choice to stay in New York or move back to Florida.” He sat there smiling as though he were proud to be able to provide his son a viable solution, not as though he held something over our heads.
James’s silence indicated he was equally dumbfounded. Their relationship had grown leaps and bounds in the last few years, but neither of us expected this. While we hadn’t figured out the best plan, having one major problem solved, if we chose to stay, was monumental.
“Thanks, Dad. I’m kind of speechless at the moment.”
“If you stay in Geneva Key, your mother and I want to do everything we can to make the transition easier. Employment is hard to come by here—at least anything you could live on—and you don’t need to face that burden. You could live off your trust fund while you work things out, but based on how infrequently you’ve made any withdrawals, I assume you won’t do that. And I don’t think you should—a man should provide for his family. The two of you need to do what’s best for you and not be forced into either place.” He smacked his hands on his thighs just before he stood. “Just something to think about.” And he turned and left as quickly as he’d joined us.
“That was unexpected,” James said to no one in particular.
“Your parents are really trying.”
If I planned to make the most of the opportunity for healing, that didn’t just mean becoming friends with the Carpenters or accepting Legend—that also meant making peace with Gwendolyn and my past.
***
“Daddy, can we have a slumber party tonight?” Legend lay on a towel in the sun with his hands behind his head and his feet kicked out.
Other than his jabbering, the rest of us had been rather quiet. I was sure Gwendolyn and Susan were worn out having spent the day playing on the beach with a rambunctious boy, and I was just lost in my thoughts. I didn’t have a clue what to say when my grandmother was around, and I didn’t care to chance things erupting into an argument if one of us said something the other took offense to. Legend loved her, and I wouldn’t do anything to tarnish that. Although, I had to admit, it was taking a toll on me and bringing me down. I wasn’t the type to hold a grudge—or at least I never thought I was. I’d also never been put in the position I was in with Gwendolyn. In the long run, this emotional back and forth would do nothing other than hurt the people I loved.