A Family of Their Own

Chapter Five

Ross focused his eyes on the menu while his attention hung on the girls. They had been courteous to each other but distant. Conversation had been minimal.

“Did you enjoy the movie?”

Kelsey’s voice entered his concentration.

“I figured out the mystery.” Lucy tossed her blond curls. “But then I’m good at puzzles.”

Peyton stared at the menu though her glance didn’t go unnoticed. Ross suspected that she was looking for some kind of comeback, but nothing came. “What looks good, Peyton?” he asked.

She gave a bored shrug before looking up. “A sundae, maybe.”

“With whipped cream?” Lucy ran her tongue over her lips.

A faint look of interest crossed Peyton’s face. “With a cherry on top.”

“Me, too. I love the cherries.”

Ross swung his gaze from Lucy to Peyton. They’d agreed on something. Even a cherry seemed like a victory. “How about sundaes all around?”

Everyone nodded as tension slipped from his shoulders. He eyed the waitress, and she gave a nod before heading their way. “That was easy.” She grinned, collecting the menus. “Four chocolate and vanilla sundaes with hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry on top. Two decafs and two waters.” He turned to the girls. “Are you sure that’s all you want?”

They both nodded, a look on their faces that let him know they were surprised they’d agreed on two things while at the restaurant.

While eating the ice cream, their conversation dwindled. Spoons clinked against the glass goblets and napkins rustled as they wiped their mouths. The hot fudge dripped from Ross’s spoon and he caught the sweet syrup with his tongue, his spirit lifting as he gazed at the three females around the table.

Peyton and Lucy saved their cherries until near the end and, eyeing each other, they lifted them, dangled the red orb by the stem and dropped them into their mouths with a giggle. The sound reverberated like beautiful music. Ross’s hopes soared. Hope and prayer. Kelsey had said it earlier that day, and she’d spoken the truth.

Once the girls had finished and the waitress had refilled their coffee cups, Lucy slipped from her chair, her eyes pleading. “Can I have some money to play arcade games?” she asked her mom.

Kelsey looked at Peyton and then she glanced at Ross, her lips pursed. “What about—”

“Peyton, do you want to play, too?” Ross sensed that he’d saved the day, and Peyton’s grin finalized the situation. He reached in his wallet and dug out a couple of dollars.

Lucy had her money in hand and dashed off, and when Peyton closed her hand around the bills, she darted off, too.

Concern shot through Ross. Lucy embodied energy—a bundle of vigor not easily quelled. But Peyton. He drew in a breath. She needed to be careful. Her energy levels were limited at times. Putting the two together could be like water vapor mixing with low atmospheric pressure creating a hurricane. Disaster. Peyton could never keep up with Lucy.

Kelsey’s attention focused on the girls until she turned toward him. “What do you think?”

A grin stole over his face. “I see promise.”

“So do I.” She reached across and rested her hand on his. “Slow but sure. That’s the best way. Let them move at their own pace. We can’t engineer it.”

Pace. Anxiety skittered across his chest. “Lucy’s a bundle of energy, isn’t she?”

“She was down for so long that now she’s trying to make up for lost time. I’m thrilled seeing her so bubbly and excited about everything.” She shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m a prideful mama. She’s my bright little star.”

“She is.” But that didn’t get to the heart of the matter. “That worries me, though.”

Her hand slipped from his, a scowl replacing her pleasant expression. “What do you mean?”

“Peyton isn’t well yet.” Would she ever be? The sundae churned in his stomach. “She can’t do all the things Lucy can do. What if—”

Kelsey leaned against the seat back. “Don’t look for problems. Kids can be monitored. I can ask Lucy to tone it down, and you can explain to Peyton that she has to be careful. They know their illnesses.”

His eyes closed, taking in her words. Would it be that easy? Kids were kids. They competed. “Kids want to do what other kids do. I’m sure you went through that with Lucy.”

“I did.”

“So it’s…” He shrugged. “Difficult. I hate looking Peyton in the face and telling her she can’t do things, even though I know it’s for her own good.”

“Talk to your doctor, Ross. Maybe Peyton can do more than you think.”

“Maybe.” The hope he’d felt melted into apprehension. He gazed at Kelsey’s thoughtful face. Her long hair fell to her shoulders with only a slight wave, the part that annoyed her still present. She lifted her hand and drew her fingers through her hair as if she realized he was noticing the part.

“You’re an attractive woman. I suppose you know that.”

Her brows furrowed. “Me?” A quick shake of her head followed. “I’m rather plain, I think, but it’s nice to hear you say I’m not too bad-looking.”

Not too bad-looking. He wanted to rebut the comment, but he let it slip. “We’ve both led unique lives, haven’t we? When you don’t have a partner, it sometimes skews your attitudes.”

“Maybe we’re more practical then.”

“Maybe, but is that what life has to be? What about a little risk? Adventure? Outside the box? Even a little bit wild and crazy?”

Her eyes searched his. “And…?”

“And, I don’t know.” But he did know so why not say it? “I really enjoy your company. I like you. But we haven’t had time to get to know each other well.” He swallowed the rush of words charging from him. “Let’s do something…alone. Get sitters and spend time together.”

“Like a date.” A faint grin edged onto her face.

“Okay, a date.” He chuckled at his uneasy approach. “Would you go out with me?”

“Is this the wild and crazy thing you were talking about?”

“Not quite, but it could be the beginning of an adventure.” His heart raced as if he were standing in line for his first roller-coaster ride. “What do you say?”

“I’ve been known to put my toe outside the box once or twice.”

“Then it’s a yes.”

A smile filled her face as she nodded.

He slid his hand across the table and slipped it over hers. “We’re always talking in small snatches of conversation. It will be nice to start a topic and finish it without being int—”

“Mom.”

Lucy’s voice caught him off guard, making him laugh. Perfect timing.

Kelsey caught the joke, too, and pinched her lips together to stop herself from chuckling. “What, Lucy?”

“I’m out of money.”

Kelsey shrugged as she checked her watch. “That’s okay because we’re out of time.”

Ross understood her hint, but instead of disappointment, for once he rose from the chair with plans. He’d call to set a date and a time, but he had a date with Kelsey. A real date and not a foursome.



The sound of footsteps and shifted chairs filtered through Kelsey’s thoughts. She smiled and nodded as if nothing clouded her mind as the vote did today. She couldn’t call Ross and tell him again that the vote was a veto. When Lexie walked through the door, her look let Kelsey know that she hadn’t hidden a thing from Lexie. If she didn’t plant an altogether pleasant expression on her face, Ava would be all over her with questions.

“You okay?” Lexie’s voice snapped her to attention.

“Fine. You know it’s…”

No words were needed. Lexie knew and supported her decision to change her vote from the last one she’d made. She’d been opposed. Not anymore.

The two new women were back and that lifted her spirit although she had no idea if they were for or against her proposal. When the hands of the clock struck the hour, she stepped to the center and opened the meeting. Today she paid attention to what the members said about their children’s prognosis and the families’ situations. They applauded with good news and offered hope with the bad.

While the last person spoke, Kelsey calmed herself while being amazed that she cared that much. Before she knew Ross, she hadn’t flinched, voting no to the proposal. Her stomach constricted as she faced the truth. Too often, people didn’t care about those they didn’t know. Even churches willingly made casseroles for funeral dinners or donated to a church cause, but when it came to giving to the oppressed in other parts of the world or feeding the children of Haiti or India—other countries not predominantly Christian—they closed their eyes.

She tugged her thoughts away from the depressing topic and listened to the final report. “Thanks for sharing all the good news and sad news in your lives. Lucy’s doing fine right now, but we’ve all faced the sorrows that come from the plight of our sick children, and we are in support of each other. If you need a friendly voice, remember—call one of us. Let us help in whatever way we can, and don’t forget, prayer is one of those ways.”

Hearing her comment startled her. She avoided prayer comments for those who weren’t believers, but today she felt the need, and maybe the Lord wanted her to open someone’s heart who needed to know that prayer helps. God listens.

How often she forgot that herself.

She pulled up her shoulders and faced them. “Last week I made a proposal. Not a new one, since I’d initiated the idea before, but last week I offered a new way to look at the idea of allowing men to be part of our group.” She chuckled. “I suppose that would mean a name change as well.”

A few giggles hit her ear.

“Last week I asked you to think about the idea and suggested we vote on it this week.” She gazed around the room, trying to get a sense of which way the vote would go. She failed and that made her nervous. “Does anyone want to offer any thoughts on the subject?”

One of the new women, Diane, if Kelsey remembered correctly, raised her hand. She gave the woman a nod.

“I told my husband about this, and he curled up his nose, but later that night after he’d thought about it, he said he might like to attend when he could. He works days, but he has flextime, so he could attend occasionally.”

“Wonderful, Diane.” She watched the woman’s expression and was relieved when she didn’t correct her. Diane, she said the name over in her mind. “Anyone else?”

Shirley Jack Meyer, one of the regulars, gave a wave. “My husband said he wouldn’t come to a meeting like this if you paid him a million dollars.”

A couple women chuckled.

Kelsey’s heart sank. “I’m sure some husbands wouldn’t want to attend…or couldn’t because of work, but I’m pleased you told him about it.”

“I’m dating a guy who really loves Timmy, and he sounded like he would come.”

The voice came from the back, but Kelsey didn’t see whose it was. “Thanks. Naturally, it doesn’t have to be husbands. Anyone who wants to share in supporting each other.” She drew in a breath. “I think that’s what we were missing on the first vote. We weren’t looking at the needs of others but only our own. That’s a bit selfish, I’m afraid.”

She saw a couple of frowns, but they faded. “Anyone else?”

Ava’s hand shot up. “I’m still on the fence here.”

Kelsey stepped closer and opened her mouth, but closed it. She knew Ava well enough to know she had more to say or ask.

“I’m sympathetic to the situation, but what happens if we agree and then it’s a disaster and the whole organization falls apart?”

Another member waved. “Why would it fall apart?”

“Because we’re not the same anymore. Men might think our worries are silly. My husband used to—” She looked at the newer ladies. “He died from a coronary thrombosis. He called me a worrywart. He said I always looked for the worst. I thought I was being realistic. Bad things happen. They did to him when he died so young.”

Kelsey cringed. She’d talked to Ross about being practical. Realistic. Weren’t they the same? But his suggestion to be adventuresome, to take a risk, opened the door to a real date. Practicality had its merit but she had to admit that risk taking could also be exciting.

Diane raised her hand. “Look at us here, though. We have different opinions, but we still care about each other. We still support each other. That’s why I came back to this group. I didn’t expect everyone to agree all the time. And some will never participate, but that’s okay.”

The comment struck another chord with Kelsey. She and Ross wouldn’t agree all the time. That was reality. But they still supported each other and cared about their girls. The idea washed over her like a warm bath. That was comfort. “You’re right. We are different and have different needs, but we’re comfortable with that, and I think the men would realize that, too, when they saw how we work together.”

“Kelsey.” Ava stood this time.

She gave a nod. “Go ahead.”

“Could we open it to men on a trial basis? Make it clear that if they were uncomfortable—or we were—that they could start their own group?” She motioned to the new woman in the back. “Once men start to come, new ones will join and soon they could become DOSK.” She grinned. “Dads of Special Kids.”

Voices flew at her. “That will work.”

“I like that idea.”

“Let’s try it.”

For Kelsey, the idea fell flat, but it was better than nothing. “Is this what you want?”

Most nodded while only a few shook their heads. “Then let’s put it to a vote.”

A few hands shot up. Then others followed. Two people— including herself—struggled with the yes with an addendum, but the vote passed.

As the women filed out, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse, weighing the urge to call Ross now or wait until he called her about the date.

Date. The word made her feel giddy.

“You’re not really happy, are you?” Lexie’s hand rested on her shoulder.

“Better than a no vote.”

She nodded. “Ross will see it as good news.”

Kelsey lifted her hand to show Lexie her cell phone. “I’m going to call him.”

“Tell him hello from us.” She gave a wave and strode toward the exit.

Kelsey sank into a chair and looked at the phone. She should be smiling, but she felt uneasy. She closed her eyes, opened them and hit the contacts button. Ross’s number came in sight, and before she could change her mind, she hit Send. When he answered, air drained from her lungs. After she got out the yes vote, she had to wrap her mind around the condition.

“A trial period?” Ross’s voice rose in pitch. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy but—”

“I know. I feel the same way.”

“Thanks, Kelsey. I know that wasn’t an easy vote for the ladies. I hope I haven’t created a mess for you.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll get used to the idea.” She grasped at anything to lighten the mood. “It’ll add a little adventure to their lives.”

He chuckled. “Speaking of adventure, what about that date?”

Her spirit lifted. “What do you have in mind?”

“This Saturday about 6:30. Dinner at Clawson Steak House, and they have a dance band. We can talk and enjoy the music.”

“That sounds nice, Ross. I’ll get a sitter, or maybe Lucy can stay with Lexie. I’ll check. It works for me.”

“Great, and thanks for letting me know about the vote. I’ll give you a couple of weeks to adjust and send a warning through you when I’m coming. Maybe I’ll pass the test.”

She squirmed at the comment. “You’ve already passed it in my eyes.”

They said goodbye, and the conversation flashed through her mind. A test. It sounded uncaring. They created the option as a practical compromise, the same way she’d viewed much of her life. But Ross had offered her an alternative. Take a chance. A smile grew on her face. Dinner and music, and time to talk. The idea slipped through her like satin.

From now on, she would work toward being more open, to look at the less practical side of things, because then she might actually see into someone else’s heart.



Ross knotted his tie, looked in the mirror and tugged it off. He studied himself again. A sports shirt and jacket might look better. He shrugged off his dress shirt and suit pants and tossed them on the bed. A first date. How long had it been? Forever, it seemed. He strode to his closet and dug through it. Dark pants? Beige? The temperature had registered only thirty-five degrees. Winter hung over them like an ice pack. He pulled black trousers from a hanger and slipped them on, found a belt and threaded it.

He sank onto the edge of the bed, feeling juvenile. Finally, he pushed himself up and studied his shirts. He settled for a black-and-gray plaid, then tugged a gray pullover from the shelf. He drew it over his head and fixed his collar with shaking fingers. Ross rolled his eyes. He’d enjoyed Kelsey’s company on two previous outings. Yes, the girls had been there, but so what? He and Kelsey chatted. They laughed. They got serious, but he enjoyed their time together.

Tonight they’d be alone. That was the only difference. Alone. That apparently was his problem. He eyed the mirror, giving a nod of approval. Neat but casual. Alone was a bonus. No interruptions. He could learn more about her, and she, about him. Did he even want that? His boring life wouldn’t be much to talk about.

He gazed around the small bedroom, picturing Peyton pouting in his master bedroom. Although the decision had been his choice, so often he wished he hadn’t given it to her. Kelsey had mentioned spoiling the girls. She called it overindulgent. He wanted to deny it, but now he asked himself the same question. Peyton had a serious heart condition, but the guestroom would have been plenty of space with a twin bed. A chair and desk would fit on the side wall. The feature that had triggered his decision caught his eye—the double door leading to the porch. The last vestiges of light spilled onto the carpet unhampered by the now leafless trees.

Ross opened his door and strode into the hallway and through the great room. He checked his watch. Mrs. Withers would arrive any minute. When he reached Peyton’s door, he paused, then tapped. “Can I come in?”

No response, but the door opened seconds later, and he was greeted by Peyton’s unhappy expression. “Why can’t I go with you?”

His chest knotted. “You’re with me most of the time, except when you’re in school.”

“Why can’t I go with you tonight?”

He wanted to sit with her and talk, but she wasn’t budging from the doorway. The room taunted him with his unwise decision. The large space had made her too comfortable with her own easy chair, a TV and a CD player. He’d even set up a desk for her to do schoolwork.

“Sometimes adults need time for adult talk.”

“I’m an adult, Dad. You keep forgetting.”

“You’ll be a teenager soon, Peyton, but I’m going to take time for me tonight.” Kelsey and me. His pulse skipped. Trembling. Charging pulse. He shook his head and licked his dry lips. “Don’t make me feel guilty for wanting a little time for myself. I give you—” Don’t say it. “I love you so much. That will never change.”

“You’d rather be with her.”

Air flew from his lungs. “I’m with you all the time, Peyton. You’re not alone. Lucy has a sitter, too.” And he couldn’t imagine Lucy whining about it.

The doorbell saved him from Peyton’s unhappiness. He bent and kissed her cheek. “Mrs. Withers will order pizza for you. She said she’d make a salad, too.”

“Lucky me.” The door banged.

Irritation slammed against him. He turned from the door and headed for the foyer, determined to have a pleasant evening despite Peyton’s dispirited attitude.

Yet, the door’s thud rang in his head.