“Sure.” The teasing smile also added a twinkle to her eyes. “It’s been forever since I went to the drive-in.”
Curious, Tonya asked, “What did Kevin say about it?”
Jesse cupped her face, brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Haven’t told him yet. But I will now that you’ve agreed.” He kissed her one last time, more thoroughly, deeper, and ended with a soft growl. “I better get back to it before I forget myself.”
As he started out of the room, Merrily mouthed, Oh my God!
Nodding, hand to her heart, Tonya agreed. Wow, she felt singed. “He’s...”
“Potent?” Merrily dropped back in her seat. “Yes, he is.”
This time it was Brick who intruded. Black hair disheveled, brown eyes narrowed, he paused behind Merrily’s chair. “Talking about me again?”
Merrily bent her head back and looked at him upside down. “Of course.”
“Fibber.” Grinning, he leaned down for his own brand of kissing, and left Merrily breathless.
Tonya blushed while watching. Blushed, and smiled. She was so happy for both of them.
To break up the blatant PDA, Tonya cleared her throat. “I thought the drive-in had shut down.”
“It closed for a while during renovations, but it’s been back open all summer.” Brushing Merrily’s long brown hair aside, Brick caressed her shoulders in a pretend-massage. “Jesse is talking about it with Kevin right now.”
More like Jesse was working at convincing Kevin, and Kevin was quietly listening. It was rare for him to really engage in a conversation.
Sad, Tonya thought, how they all braced for a variety of reactions beyond the expected happiness. Sometimes Kevin just took it in stride. But other times he got defensive, as if he thought he shouldn’t be happy.
As if he thought no one really wanted him.
In the blink of an eye he would withdraw, become distant and uncertain all over again.
It divided her so badly—the love and, yes, the hate she felt for her deceased sister. Sometimes it knotted her stomach up so badly she didn’t know how she could bear it. Cissy had been older by eight years, but for as long as Tonya could remember, she’d been the more mature one, the one with a plan, the one who accepted responsibility.
No matter how she’d tried to help her sister, it had never been enough. And because of that, because she’d failed, Kevin had been cheated.
Driven by self-loathing, she pushed back her chair and strode toward the hall—but Jesse and Kevin cut her off as they left the bedroom.
“Ah, no you don’t.” Jesse had a very paternal hand on Kevin’s shoulder, and Kevin looked...pleased. “No peeking.”
Tension drained from her spine, and as she watched them approach, her smile came naturally. “Is the room done? I’m dying to see it.”
“Not yet,” Jesse told her. “Brick and Merrily are going to take Kevin to the store with them to pick out some hardware for the dresser and the desk drawer.”
That was news to her!
“Our treat,” Merrily said from behind her, apparently having just been clued in. “Sort of a housewarming gift for Kevin, neighbor to neighbor.”
The way Jesse watched her, Tonya knew he’d arranged it so that they’d have a little alone time, but for what? It wouldn’t take long to pick out knobs. Unless Jesse was a wham-bam kind of guy there wouldn’t be time enough for—
“Mind out of the gutter,” he whispered near her ear, making her flush with guilt.
Amused and not bothering to hide it, he caught her hand and took her along with them back to the kitchen.
For once, Kevin looked excited. “We’re going to the drive-in.”
“I heard.” Needing to touch him, she combed her fingers through his unruly hair. It was overlong, but a haircut was the least of her priorities right now. “I haven’t been there in forever, but it’s perfect weather for it.”
He chewed his bottom lip. “Jesse said we could take his truck and sit in the back.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Before he got fed up with her mothering, she dropped her hand.
Love walked in, twining around each and every leg before stopping by Kevin. The cat stared up at him with her different-colored eyes.
Always attentive to the cat, Kevin immediately knelt down and scratched her head. “Think she’ll be okay if we’re all gone?” He stroked along the length of her back. “She might have the babies soon.”
“If she does,” Merrily assured him, “she’ll know what to do. But what a great surprise that would be, huh?”
“I hope she waits till I’m here with her.” He dropped down to sit against the kitchen wall, gently urging the cat into his lap. “I don’t want her to be alone.”
And even that, such a caring sentiment, left Tonya’s throat tight.
“Tell you what.” Merrily knelt down beside him. “How about I get my pet sitter to come stay with her, and if she goes into labor she can give us a call? What do you think?”
“You have a pet sitter?”
“I do. Sort of like a kid sitter.” She patted his knee. “You had those when you were younger, right?”
Without answering, he did some quiet thinking, then shifted his troubled gaze to Tonya. “Maybe it’d be easier if I just stayed here with her. I mean, if you want.”
Maybe it was past time she actually told him what she wanted. His room was almost done, he’d been with her now for a couple of weeks and they really needed to get some things bought for school.
They needed an understanding.
Turning to the others, Tonya asked with a smile, “Could I have a second with Kevin, please?”
Brick nodded. “We’ll wait in the living room.” He and Merrily stepped out.
Pausing by her, Jesse cupped the back of her neck and kissed her, warm and firm, right on her mouth. That kiss felt like reassurance that she was doing the right thing. Like backup if she needed it.
Like caring, whether she’d admitted to wanting it yet or not.
Lightening the mood, he winked at Kevin and left.
Tonya’s thoughts scrambled, trying to find a toehold on the right thing to say. She wasn’t good at this, not like she’d been good at so many other things. Real estate, managing her money, planning her future—as a single woman with no children—yes, she’d been great at that.
But this...talking with a troubled boy, not so much. She felt totally out of her depth.
But then, she hadn’t been good at being a sister, either. At least, not the type of sister Cissy had apparently needed.
Suddenly realizing how Kevin eyed her, she asked, “What?”
“You guys do a lot of kissing.”
Her smile slipped. “Well...”
“It’s not like how my mom was always kissing guys though.”
Oh God. How much had he seen with his mother? “How is it different?”
“The guys, mostly.” His expression hardened. “They were gross.”
“Jesse’s not gross.”
“No.” He eyed her again. “He likes you. He’s nice.”
“Very nice.” Had the men she’d brought around not really liked Cissy? “So you don’t mind him being here?”
Kevin shook his head, looked away and asked, “Does he mind me being here?”
“No!” She went to her knees beside him. “Jesse likes you, you know that.”
“But—”