The Forever Gift Read online

  Help!

  He listed the name of the restaurant.

  On our way.

  Sorry. And thanks.

  Now to tell Debs. He got out of the car and found her waiting on his side. She slid her arm through his and tried to pull him toward the building. He refused to move.

  “What’s wrong, sugar?” She turned to face him.

  How could he tell her he wasn’t interested in going out with a woman old enough to be his mother?

  “I can’t afford something as pricey as this.”

  “Oh, this is my treat, sugar, so don’t you worry about a thing.” Debs ran a hand up his chest, feeling out his right pec. “I’ll take care of dinner, and you can be dessert.” She lifted on her toes and moved in to kiss him.

  Dylan stepped back and held up his hands between them.

  “Ah, you’re not going to play hard to get, are you?” Debs took a seductive step toward him. Did she have a split personality, one that chatted intelligently online and then the one before him? How could they be so different?

  “This isn’t for me,” he said, moving back several more steps. “You go ahead and eat here if you want. I’ve texted a friend to come and get me.”

  Debs’ expression darkened, and her mouth twisted into an ugly sneer. “Not man enough for me, huh? Well, it’s your loss.” She slung her bag over her shoulder and flounced toward the restaurant, not even looking back.

  He felt a little sick. What if some guy came on to Rae like that? Dylan, at least, was bigger than Debs. He had no doubt if she’d been pushier, he wouldn’t have had any trouble getting clear of her.

  What if she had claimed he’d pulled something on her? A chill went through him. It struck him then what a dangerous place the dating world could be, even for a guy.

  Dylan walked out to the sidewalk, grateful when Rae texted they were close.

  When they drove up in Jason’s Range Rover, the salesman had the good grace not to speak, but his expression said plenty. Dylan got in the back seat, and Rae shifted so she could look back at him.

  “What went wrong?” she asked.

  “Cougar,” Dylan said glumly. “If my father were single, she’d have been a good age match for him.”

  “Then why did you come here with her?” Rae asked.

  “She caught me by surprise, and I didn’t think fast enough.” Dylan shrugged.

  “What, you’re telling us you’re too nice a guy to tell the senior citizen you’re not into old ladies?” Jason asked, glancing back through the rear-view mirror with a sly twinkle.

  “Yep.” Dylan slumped in the seat and heaved out a breath.

  “Leave him alone, Jason. I think it’s nice he wasn’t rude to her.” Rae faced the front again. “Dylan, you’ll need to report her for misrepresenting herself. How bad was she?”

  “I think I’m going to have nightmares,” Dylan said, thinking about the way she’d blatantly come on to him. Looking back now, it was kind of funny, and the humor of the situation hit him. He started to chuckle. After a few seconds all three of them were.

  “Since Amelia has all our kids, you want to come with us to dinner?” Rae asked.

  Jason frowned, and it was Rae’s turn to shrug.

  “It’s not like you and I are anything more than friends,” she said. “Dylan’s a friend too.”

  “Your friend,” Jason grumbled.

  “It’s all good.” Dylan gave him the address to Debs’ house. “You can take me there. I’ll pick up my car and take the kids out for ice cream. I’m beginning to think meeting someone for coffee first is a safer approach than dinner.”

  “Live and learn, I guess,” Rae said.

  “You got that right,” Dylan said.

  Rae reached back with her hand and he took it, grateful for the sign of support. Jason sent a scowl back his way, and Dylan took his time releasing her hand.

  How was he ever going to get her to recognize she loved him? And she did; he knew it. But what if it were a platonic love that never grew into anything else? He doubted he could take being only a friend to her forever.

  10

  Rae was thinking of Dylan’s nightmare first date as she walked to the restaurant only a block from her apartment complex. Milo had seemed nice in their conversations. When he’d suggested they meet for an early lunch one Saturday and the weather was forecast to be nice, she’d decided not to drive. Truth be told, though, she’d rather be at the complex’s playground with Dylan and the children.

  As she approached, she noticed a tall slender man searching the people in the parking lot. She knew him instantly from his online photograph.

  “I think you must be Milo,” she said, extending her hand. “I'm Rae.”

  He turned to her and blinked, looking surprised, his red-rimmed eyes dilated. She hoped he didn’t have pink eye.

  “Rae. Rae.” He frowned like he was trying to remember why the name was familiar. Then his expression lightened. “Oh, yeah. I remember now. Rae Cavanaugh.” He shook her hand but glanced over her shoulder, seeming to search for someone.

  “If this isn’t a good time,” she said, taking a step back.

  “Oh, no.” Milo looked at her fully then and grinned. “You’re a total bae. This is perfect. Let’s go in.”

  The slang term bae bugged her. He thought she was a babe but hadn’t remembered he had a date with her? He didn’t offer his arm which was good because the guy was giving off uncomfortable vibes.

  Milo chattered on about things he was interested in, things she didn’t remember being in his profile. It made her think about poor Dylan and his date with the cougar, and Rae wondered if she had a catfisher too. If she was going to keep doing this, she’d have to come up with an emergency back-out-of-a-date plan for awkward situations. Like this one. Since she wasn’t comfortable with unnecessary rudeness either, she sympathized even more with Dylan’s situation.

  Milo started asking all kinds of questions of Rae, things he should have already known from her profile and messaging exchanges. Maybe he had a sieve for a memory, like the one for names. He also kept looking over her shoulder. She shifted in her chair, wondering if something was going on behind her. The TV on the wall was playing a commercial, so maybe he’d been watching the baseball game instead of talking to her. She doubted it though. He didn’t look like a sporty kind of guy.

  Unlike Dylan. She wondered if they were still at the playground or if he’d taken the kids in to get lunch. It’d be a lot more interesting there with them than here with this guy. She glanced at Milo again and blinked.

  “Um,” she pointed to his face, “your nose is bleeding.”

  “Oh, yeah.” He put a napkin to his nose. “That happens sometimes after.”

  And then she put the pieces together, the runny, red eyes, the out-of-it attitude, and now the blood. He was definitely high. Rae put down her menu, glad they hadn’t ordered yet.

  “This isn’t going to work, Milo.” She stood.

  “Wait. You don’t have to go.” He stood, his words half-hearted, and his gaze darted to the door.

  Rae glanced that way and saw a pretty blonde enter, searching the room. His expression brightened with recognition.

  “The next time you make dates with two people,” Rae said, picking up her purse, “I’d recommend you not make me one of them.”

  “Yeah.” He chuckled, reminding her a lot of the Disney character Goofy.

  Shaking her head, Rae headed for the entrance. At the door, she glanced back. Milo and the blonde were all over each other. There was no way Rae would have been kissing him. Ever.

  She sent Dylan a text.

  A dud. Where are you guys?

  His response was almost immediate.

  Just leaving the playground to have lunch. Want to join us?

  Rae quickened her pace, anxious to get back to the people she cared about.

  Should we have a picnic?

  I asked the Littles, and they’re jumping all around. I’ll take that as a yes.

>   She grinned. All this morning she’d been dreading the date, but now she felt like she’d been freed from a terrible burden and might float away.

  Dylan stood at the playground gate, a Little on each hand, and Beth on his shoulders clinging to his hair. Rae’s heart swelled, making her chest feel as though it might burst open. She loved them all so much.

  “Mama,” Preston and Jayden cried when they noticed her and came running. She squatted down and pulled them into her arms, loving the group hug. Dylan’s nephew had taken to calling her Mama, and it warmed her heart while making her feel guilty. After kissing each boy on the temple, she stood.

  “I’ve got sandwich makings,” Dylan said, coming to stand beside her.

  “And I’ve got those cookies we made last night.”

  “Cookies!” the Littles cried.

  Beth had rested her cheek on the top of Dylan’s head, eyes drooping, a thumb in her mouth, and her other hand clinging to his ear. It wouldn’t be long before she was asleep.

  “I think we might need to have the picnic in the living room—” Rae held up her hands at the protests from the boys. “And then maybe we can do bumper cars after her nap.” She glanced at Dylan, and he nodded, so she said, “Let’s go then.” She took the Littles’ hands, and they headed for their building.

  “How bad was it?” he asked, keeping his voice pitched low for her ears only.

  “You’re going to laugh when I tell you,” she said with a soft chuckle. “Seriously, we should start a webpage that talks about our forays into the world of online dating and the interesting people who populate it.”

  “Maybe.” Dylan grinned. “I’d rather laugh about it than have bad dreams.”

  “Well, she’s out for the night,” Rae said as she came down the stairs that evening. She looked tired but happy, and Dylan hoped it’d been as good a day for her as it had been for him.

  He closed the book he’d been reading to the Littles who sat on each side of him. Dylan met her gaze, smiling softly. Even after a long day, with strands of hair escaping from her ponytail, he thought she was the most beautiful woman he knew. Her expression softened as she looked at him.

  “Can we watch our movie now?” Preston asked.

  “Yeah. Yeah,” Jayden said, jumping up and down.

  “Yes, you may.” Dylan rose to turn it on for them, and the boys shifted to their giant bean bags.

  Rae retrieved the bowls of popcorn from the kitchen.

  “Have you and Mr. G. finished working out the details?” she asked, settling on the couch beside Dylan.

  “Yes. I can’t believe how easy he’s being about this. It seems his wife’s in more of a hurry for him to retire than he is, so I’m going to be a kind of owner-in-training. He said we can spend a while with me still doing my route part-time, and then the other time shadowing him, eventually taking on some of the responsibilities. The second year will be one where he gradually backs off, and I take on more until I’m running things by the time he retires.” Dylan rubbed his face. “He’s even made some suggestions about which classes I should take over the next two years.”

  “How do you feel about that?” she asked.

  “I can’t think of a better way to get on-the-job training.” He shrugged. “I’m kind of excited.”

  “Good. That’s what’s important.” Rae yawned before leaning closer to whisper in Dylan’s ear, “Now if I could get excited about this online dating. I wonder how long we’ll have to do it before Amelia is satisfied.”

  The feel of her warm breath on his neck made him want to pull her into his arms and tell her he loved her and then kiss her senseless. Instead, he breathed her in, the fragrance of her shampoo and the aroma of fresh popcorn filling his senses.

  “I know, but we’ll both have to do it until Amelia is satisfied, or she’ll never give us any peace.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “It’ll have been a year next month,” she said, her voice tight.

  Yes. The one-year anniversary of her husband’s death. Dylan shifted his arm to her shoulders, and she rested her head against his chest. He brought his other arm around her and brushed away a strand of hair from her cheek. This time last year, it would have been another man who held her, who loved her. Would she ever be able to move on from Mike?

  Dylan had thought he’d seen something in her eyes when she’d looked at him tonight, something beyond the friendship he’d gotten used to seeing there. He glanced at the boys who were laughing at something in the movie. For the first time since Dylan’s mother had died when he was a kid, he had a family again. But it was nebulous. At any time, some other man could swoop in and steal Rae’s heart and take her from him. Take all three of them from him. He had to keep that from happening until he could capture them for himself.

  She didn’t move away, so he kept his arm around her. When her breathing slowed, he took a chance and kissed her temple. The motion made her stir, and she shifted, lifting her face to tilt back her head, her eyes still closed. Rae looked exactly like she was waiting for a kiss.

  His heart pounding so hard it hurt his chest, Dylan touched his lips softly to hers. Rae pressed hers more firmly against his and, with a soft sigh, settled back against his chest.

  “Rae?” he whispered.

  Nothing.

  “Rae?” Dylan tried again.

  Still nothing.

  He relaxed and tried to calm his racing pulse. They’d had their first kiss, and she wouldn’t even remember it.

  11

  Dylan had been right. Rae didn’t show any signs she remembered the kiss, but he couldn’t get it out of his head. As the weeks passed and they each went on more dates, he found himself having a harder time not saying something. He was glad he’d decided not to take a summer class. Between his regular responsibilities, training with Mr. G., worrying about not hearing anything from Nora, and stressing that Rae was going to fall for one of the guys she was dating, Dylan felt like he needed to give up something. But what?

  He found himself dragging a little more than normal when he packed up his equipment and headed into the office. Sitting quietly in the background through all of her dates was killing him. He wanted to call it off.

  As he entered the office, the sound of voices drifted in from the other room. It sounded like Jason talking with someone. Then Rae laughed, and Dylan’s stiff neck muscles tightened even more. He forced himself to take a breath. Sitting next to Rae’s desk to wait for her, he figured to take the time to calm himself. Jason had turned out to be a decent guy. With pressure from her, things between him and Dylan had improved. Now if he didn’t worry about every date she went on.

  Maybe he needed a break from everything. It wasn’t like she’d done anything wrong. She could see whomever she wanted and had no obligation to return his feelings.

  His phone rang, and he checked the number. His father. Dylan’s pulse quickened. The last time they’d talked it had been about Jayden. Dylan had taken his father’s advice and made his temporary custody of the boy official.

  “Hello?” he asked, and a funny sound came from the phone. “Dad? Are you all right?”

  “It’s Nora.” His words came out as a croak, and Dylan realized his father was crying.

  A lump formed in Dylan’s throat, his eyes burning. “Is she . . .” He’d worried so long his sister might end up killing herself. Now, faced with the real possibility that she’d done it, he couldn’t speak the word. His father did.

  “Dead.” Lawrence Rademaker’s voice broke.

  Shoulders shaking, Dylan wiped at his eyes, his heart aching both for his sister and his father.

  “It’s my fault,” his father sobbed. “I thought . . . I thought if I used tough love on her, she’d finally stick to her treatment.”

  “Dylan, what is it?” Amelia cried, hurrying over to him.

  “I know you’re at work,” his father said, his voice in control but still rough. “I’ll call you tonight about funeral arrangements. I want you in
volved in this.” He ended the call.

  Dylan looked up into Amelia’s concerned face and started to cry again. She sank to her knees and wrapped her arms around him.

  “Is it your sister?” she asked when he’d settled down.

  “Yes.” He got control of himself and gave Amelia a quick hug before straightening. When the large woman tried to stand, she groaned. Dylan rose and helped her to her feet.

  “Was it an overdose?” she asked.

  “My father didn’t say, but I assume so. He was crying.” The lump in Dylan’s throat choked him again, and he coughed.

  “What’s wrong?” Rae cried as she stepped into her office and hurried to him. “Is it Nora?”

  He nodded, wiping at his eyes again.

  “I’ll tell Mr. G.,” Amelia said, patting him on the shoulder. “We’ll arrange to split up your route amongst the others until you come back.”

  “Thank you.”

  Amelia gave a sad nod and left the office.

  Rae slid her arms around his waist. “I’m sorry.”

  Dylan held her, struggling not to break down again. “He was crying, Rae. My father was crying when he told me. He didn’t even do that when my mother died.”

  “Maybe he’s accepted his role in this.” She straightened and looked up at him, dropping her arms. “Poor Jayden.”

  Dylan’s stomach knotted. “Will you come be with me when I tell him?”

  She reached up and cupped his cheeks. “Of course I will.”

  He almost kissed her then. If they’d been the couple they should have been, he would have. Dylan would have had the right to, but he didn’t. He wouldn’t risk rejection on top of losing Nora.

  “Thank you. I’ve got my payments for the day.” He fumbled for the papers he’d set on her desk earlier.