Margaret Daley - A Mother for Cindy

“I hope you’re hungry. I think I prepared enough to feed half of Sweetwater.”

Shoving away those memories he usually kept locked up, Nick turned his full attention to the petite woman hurrying across the deck toward him. She reminded him of a breath of fresh air. He liked her straightforward manner, something he wasn’t used to in a woman. With his wife he’d never been sure what mood she would be in. Their last year of marriage, all they had done was argue.

“I can probably eat my fair share.” He pushed to his feet, ignoring the dull throb that he hadn’t managed to massage away.

Favoring his leg, he made his way to the propane grill, ready to assist Jesse. After she lit the grill, she slapped the hamburgers on the metal rack and stood back. He took a deep breath, inhaling her particular scent of jasmine. It teased his senses, reminding him he hadn’t been around too many women socially this past year. He wanted to lean close and take another deep breath. He didn’t.

Needing some space, he stepped to the railing, his back to her. He stared at the lake, its smooth, blue water having a calming effect on him. “It looks like you have everything under control.”

“Yeah. Gramps accuses me of being a control freak. I’m not. Just very organized.”

“So am I. I find it’s easier to run a company that way.”

“And a house.” She came to stand next to him.

Her arm brushed against his. He tensed, the feel of her electric. He sidled a step away, a finely honed tension bolting through him. “Where’s everyone? Still trying to coax Bingo out from under the bed?”

“I’m sure by now Nate is showing off his animal collection to Cindy and Boswell. Tara and Clint left. And I’m not sure where my grandfather is. He should have been home fifteen minutes—”

The sound of the back door opening interrupted Jesse. She turned at the same time Nick did and ended up touching him again. She shivered from the brief contact. The deck ran the whole length of the house, and they couldn’t manage not to brush against each other?

“There you are, Gramps. We were just wondering where you were.”

“Susan had something to show me. Lost track of time.”

“I’m so glad you could come tonight, Susan.” Jesse offered the older woman a bright smile she hoped would cover her sudden nervousness at the nearness of her neighbor. Stepping forward, she made the introductions.

“I wouldn’t miss one of your little dinner parties for the world,” Susan said as she checked out Nick. “It’s so much better to get the latest firsthand.”

Jesse blushed, aware that Nick was suddenly staring at her.

“Where’s Tara?” Gramps asked, breaking the silence that had followed Susan’s declaration.

“She had to leave—with Clint.”

“Clint!” Susan exclaimed. “My, my, that does shake things up tonight. What are you going to do, my dear?”

Nick came up behind Jesse and said in a low voice, “Why do I get the feeling I’m missing something here?”

Jesse tried to ignore his question while she thought of an appropriate answer for Susan. “Not a thing. We’re going to eat soon and enjoy each other’s company. I’m tickled pink that Tara and Clint are back together.” Jesse was sure her cheeks were past the pink stage. Cherry-red was more like it.

“You should be. You fixed them up in the first place.” Gramps took Susan’s hand and led her to the love seat where the tortilla chips and guacamole dip were on a glass table in front of them. He began to munch.

If her grandfather kept his mouth full, maybe she would make it through this evening without Nick realizing she’d planned for him to meet and hopefully date Tara. Of course, there was always Susan, who was a fountain of information and loved spewing it. Jesse was positive that Nick wouldn’t appreciate knowing he was part of one of her matchmaking schemes, especially after his earlier comment concerning marriage.

Why was he so against marriage?

“Jesse, dear, I think you should turn the hamburgers.” Susan scooped up some dip on a chip and popped it into her mouth.

Caught off guard, Jesse spun about and hurried toward the grill. She flipped the patties over, grimacing when she noticed the slightly charred side. “I really can cook, Nick. I’ve been distracted this evening. Normally one of my parties goes over without a hitch.”

“How often do you entertain?” Nick asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Oh, whenever the urge strikes me.” She waved her hand in the air as though to dismiss the subject as unimportant and hoped no one commented.

“I have to admit, this is a beautiful setting for a dinner. I had my doubts about eating outside with those two so near.” Nick tossed his head in the direction of the geese now waddling toward the lake. “But you were right. They’re staying away.”

Fred flapped his wings as though he knew he was being discussed. Jesse chuckled. “You probably shouldn’t take a tour of my backyard any time soon.”

“You’ll have no argument from me.”

The back door burst open again, and the children, followed by Boswell, came out onto the deck. Cindy and Nate raced toward them, skidding to a halt a foot in front of them.

Cindy grinned, showing her missing front tooth. “Daddy, you should see Nate’s room. He has so many pets. I got to hold Julia, Rita and Sadie. They’re gerbils. Julia went to the bathroom on Boswell.”

Jesse swallowed her laugh and tried her best to keep a straight face. Looking at Boswell, she noticed a wet spot on his black suit coat. “I’m sorry. She does that sometimes when she’s picked up. Nate should have warned you.”

“It must have slipped his mind.” Boswell sent a censured look toward Nate.

“It did, Mom. Promise.”

“I just came out here to tell you, Mr. Blackburn, that I’m going back to the house to change.”

“Sure.” Nick, too, was having a hard time keeping his mirth to himself if the gleam glittering in his eyes was any indication.

“Please, begin eating without me. I know the children are hungry.”

When Boswell disappeared, Jesse and Nick couldn’t contain their laughter any longer. “I wish I could have seen his expression when that happened,” Jesse said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“His face turned real red.” Nate grabbed a handful of chips and stuffed them into his mouth.

“I never saw Boswell move so fast.” Cindy giggled. “I wanted to play with the animals longer, but Boswell thought we should join the adults.”

“Is Boswell a nanny?” Susan asked.

Cindy pulled her father over to the other love seat. “Oh, no. Boswell is a manservant,” she answered in a serious tone as though she had been corrected before about Boswell’s role and wouldn’t make that mistake again.

While Nick and Cindy got to know her family, Jesse finished the dinner preparations and put the food on the long picnic table she’d already set earlier. She removed Tara’s place setting, genuinely happy for her friend. Tara wouldn’t have been right for Nick, Jesse decided, now that she knew him better. Tara was flighty and so absentminded that she would have driven Nick crazy after the first date. No, she would have to find someone more disciplined and in control, more organized.

God, please help me to find someone for Nick, someone to be a good mother for Cindy.

As she called the others to the table, the perfect match came to Jesse’s mind. Felicia Winters, the lady with the kittens, and Jesse knew how she could get them together without raising Nick’s suspicion with another dinner party. She smiled as she sat between Gramps and Nate and across from Nick. She looked right into his dark eyes and shivered. He was staring at her with an intense, probing gaze as though he were trying to read what was going on in her mind. Heavens, she couldn’t have that!