Читать книгу I'm Your Man - Susan Crosby, Susan Crosby - Страница 6

As much as Maureen wanted to sleep in, her internal alarm woke her at 6:00 a.m. Frustrated, she pulled the blanket higher and rolled over—and came almost nose to nose with Riley, who stood beside her bed, solemn-faced, staring at her. Her heart thumped at the surprise, but she calmly said good morning.

“Here.” He shoved an envelope at her.

Dread slammed into Maureen. She sat up and patted the spot beside her, inviting Riley to join her. He didn’t budge, except to tighten his hold on his tiger. His eyes brightened with tears.

She opened the letter.

Dear Mom,

I’m sorry to just take off like this, but I couldn’t let you talk me out of leaving. I’m going to be on True Grit! It’s a reality TV show, and the winner gets a million dollars. I’m going to win. I just know it.

The filming takes about six weeks. You won’t be able to get in touch with me unless it’s an emergency. I attached a sheet of instructions from the show’s producers and the legal forms you need if you have to authorize medical care for Riley. I won’t be allowed to call home. I have no idea where I’ll be.

I know you don’t think I’m responsible, Mom, but I can do this. I can win it. Then I’ll have enough money to be independent and take care of Riley by myself. It’s for him, Mom. He’ll also need money for college, and this is the best chance I have of getting it. And it’s time for me to go out on my own, not rely on Daniel anymore.

So I’m leaving Riley with you. You’ve always said you’ve been cheated out of knowing him because I took him to live at Daniel’s. Now’s your chance.

Have fun with my baby.

Love, Jess

P. S. I’ve enclosed a blank journal. I’d appreciate it if you would jot things down, you know, the Rileyisms he’s famous for, so that I don’t feel like I’ve missed so much time with him. Thanks!

“She went away,” Riley said, his lower lip quivering. “She’s not coming back for a long, long time. Forever!”

Against his protests, Maureen lifted him into bed and tucked him close. Jess, Jess, Jess. What have you done? And why me instead of Daniel? “Did Mommy tell you where she’s going, honey?”

He nodded, his face rubbing her chest. “She’s going to win a bazillion dollars.”

And what were the chances of her being the last one standing and winning the prize?

“I want my mommy.”

“I know, sweetie.” She searched for the right words to help him. It was the first time he’d been away from Jess, and she’d apparently surprised Riley as much as Maureen. “Did she tell you she’s going to be on television? On True Grit? Do you watch True Grit?”

“Yeah, with Mommy. It’s kinda weird.”

She would have to take his word for it, since she’d never seen an episode. But it had become a pop-culture icon, and she knew enough about it to wonder if Jess could compete. Was she strong enough, physically and mentally, to withstand the intense challenges?

“Won’t it be fun to see Mommy on TV?”

“I guess.”

“And I’m happy because I get you all to myself.” What was she going to do with him? She couldn’t stay home from work. And what about her vacation with Ted? He wasn’t going to understand. Oh, no, he wasn’t going to understand at all.

“Are you hungry? Would you like some of my super-duper chocolate-chip waffles?”

“Can I have maple syrup, too?”

Maureen refrained from shuddering at the double dose of sweetness. “Of course you can.” Her mind was whirling. Why hadn’t Jess left Riley with Daniel? It made no sense to bring Riley all the way down here, to take him from the only home he’d known.

But he’s mine. Happiness overshadowed her questions. For just a little while she would enjoy the gift Jess had given her.

“SOMEONE’S HERE,” Riley said, standing at Maureen’s front window.

“A tall man with short gray hair?”

“Yeah. He’s skinny.”

Maureen preferred to think of Ted as lanky. He was fifty, eleven years older than she, and very handsome, turning heads everywhere they went. “That’s Ted. He’s my boyfriend,” she said, getting up off the floor and heading toward the hallway.

“You have a boyfriend?” he asked, as if shocked.

Yeah. A stunner, isn’t it? She laughed quietly as she went to the front door, opening it before Ted could knock. “Hi.”

He was nine inches taller than her five foot six, so he had to stoop a little to kiss her, even as she went up on tiptoe. She moved in for a hug, more for herself than him. She dreaded telling him—

“You must be Riley,” Ted said, stepping back and looking over Maureen’s shoulder.

She turned. Her grandson was peeking around the doorway. “I’m Riley Joshua Cregg,” he said.

“Ted Montague. Good to meet you.” They shook hands like gentlemen, which made Maureen smile.

They all moved into the living room. Ted stopped and stared. “You opened a toy store.”

Not exactly, but she’d dug out Jess’s old toys, and Riley had brought a lot with him. They were scattered and piled throughout the room. “We couldn’t decide what we wanted to play with.”

“I see.” He looked around. “And your daughter?”

Without comment, Maureen picked up the envelope and passed it to Ted. Halfway through reading Jess’s letter, he sat in the overstuffed chair he’d claimed as his over the past few months. She looked around the room as he poured through the documents. The place really was a mess, and she generally hated mess, but she didn’t mind this one, the scattering of toys and the noise of one small boy.

Her furnishings suited the Italianate Victorian facade of the building, with its pretty blue-with-white trim. The eleven-foot ceilings made the house seem bigger than its actual square footage. It was roomy enough for her—two bedrooms, a full basement with lots of storage space, a bright, cozy kitchen and big, sunny backyard. She’d bought it fifteen years ago, before the area had started to gentrify, and it was now worth a small fortune, at least to her.

Ted folded up the papers and slid them back into the envelope. He met her gaze. She’d never seen him angry before. Annoyed, maybe, but not truly angry—until now. His whole face frowned, making him look his age, when he usually looked younger.

“We’ll talk about it later, okay?” she said, angling her head toward where Riley was vrooming cars across the hardwood floor.

“Six weeks, Maureen? Six weeks?”

Riley looked up, responding to the strident tone by shrinking back. He shifted his gaze to Maureen, his eyes wide. She smiled and joined him on the floor, choosing a bulldozer from his construction zone and using it as if pushing a pile of dirt.

“Riley and I packed a picnic,” she said. “We thought we could go to Holly Park.” She felt a little guilty about telling Ted in front of Riley, since Ted would look like the bad guy if he said no.

He gave her a look that said he knew what she was doing. “Fine.”

They took advantage of the nice day to walk the less-than-half-mile trek to the park. Ted held her hand but said nothing. Riley didn’t hold her hand and talked nonstop. He pointed out houses, cars and dogs that caught his eye, stopping in his tracks and saying things like, “Look at that!” or “Isn’t that funny?” with open exuberance and wonder. Had Jess been like that? Surely she must have been, but Maureen couldn’t remember specifically.

They reached the green dome of Holly Park with its view above the rooftops. The marine layer was burning off, leaving a beautiful panorama of the city. Maureen had been to Holly Park only one other time—Jess and Riley’s last visit, a year ago. The recently renovated park that used to be a blight was now an urban paradise for families.

Riley wanted Maureen to stay close as he hopped from the playhouse to the slide, then onto the swings and cargo ropes. When he got to a stretch-rope merry-go-round, he watched the other children play but didn’t make a move to join them.

Even at six, he’s a loner, Maureen thought, watching him. Or maybe he needed to know the lay of the land before he threw himself into the fray—which was a smart move and the opposite of his mother, who had rarely thought through anything before taking action.

Maureen gave Riley a push on a swing then glanced to where Ted sat at one of the picnic tables, staring into space. He’d been married at thirty, divorced at forty and was childless—a conscious choice. He didn’t think the city was a good place to raise children, and he was a city man through and through. His ex-wife had at first been in agreement, then changed her mind and wanted a family, after all. She divorced him, remarried and now had four children—and lived in the city. He’d kept no photos of her, not even of their wedding, so Maureen had never seen what the woman looked like.

“Higher, Grandma! Push me higher!”

He giggled as she pushed him, and she saw Ted smile at the joyful sound.

Together they ate their lunch of turkey sandwiches, chips and cookies, all things Riley had selected at the deli section at the local market. He swung his legs while he devoured his lunch, the toes of his sneakers dragging the ground, his focus on the children playing. She wished she knew him well enough to read his expression. Was he tired? Or sad, perhaps? He looked solemn, anyway, had lost his former playfulness.

“Won’t be too long before you’re in first grade,” Maureen said.

“Grandma.” His tone was tolerant. “I’m already in first grade. I graduated, you know.”

“Do you like school?” Ted asked.

“It’s fun. But Cody says first grade is hecka hard.”

“Who’s Cody?”

“He lives next door. He’s seven.” He took a big bite of cookie. “He knows everything.”

They left the park soon after with a promise to return the next day. Riley skipped a little ahead of Maureen and Ted, stopping often to inspect items of interest. He would be ready for a nap, then Maureen would have to face the music with Ted.

“Can I have another cookie, plea—Papa!” Riley shouted as they neared the house. He took off running. “Papa!”

A man rose from his perch on Maureen’s tiny porch. She’d recognize him anywhere—Daniel Cregg, Riley’s paternal grandfather. Maureen’s nemesis.

The man who’d stolen her daughter and grandson.