21. A Good Team

21

A GOOD TEAM

“ C an we stay longer?” Tyler asked Dane on Sunday morning. “I don’t want to go home with Mom.”

“Why not?” he asked. “You know you need to. I’ll see you in a few days.”

“Because we wanted to go swimming at Aunt Chloe’s again,” Tiffani said. “It’s the holiday weekend. You don’t have to work tomorrow, do you?”

“No,” he said. Which he’d forgotten about when he’d made plans for Sloane to spend the night.

She was open but said her first appointment wasn’t until ten and Heather was going to open so she didn’t have to get there as early.

“Then why can’t we stay today and tomorrow with you?” Tyler asked.

“You know how this works,” he said. “We’ve been doing it for years.”

He didn’t know what was going on that the kids were fighting him so much on this.

He thought things were better with them and Ethan since he’d talked to them about it.

Maybe his sister and mother thought he was a wuss for doing it, but in his mind this was about wanting what was best for them and not about helping his ex out with her relationship.

He also knew at some point he might have to let his kids know he was seeing Sloane.

He’d start slowly and introduce them to the fact of it but not have them meet just yet.

Since this was the first person he had been with since his split, he didn’t want them to get upset when they felt they could come to him for anything.

“I know,” Tiffani said. “But Ethan will probably be there today. He is on the weekends more.”

He lifted an eyebrow at that. He thought that Mel was trying to spend more time with her boyfriend when the kids weren’t around to avoid this problem.

He couldn’t say anything about it though.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Do you have anything fun planned today? Maybe ask Mom if you could do something.”

“She said we were, but I’m not sure what,” Tiffani said. “She’d surprise us, she said.”

“Sounds like fun,” he said. “You like surprises. Get the rest of your stuff and we’ve got to hit the road.”

When they were in the car, Tyler said, “Dad. How come you’re the only one that calls Mom Mel?”

“I am?” he asked. He knew that from his sister but just figured Ethan did it too. “It’s only a nickname.”

“But she doesn’t let Ethan or anyone else call her that,” Tiffani said. “I heard Ethan call her that one night and Mom got that snappy voice she gets when she is mad and is trying not to be. ”

Dane grinned. He knew that voice well.

It’d been directed at him one too many times.

The one where his ex lowered her voice and made it firm.

It was as if Mel didn’t want to yell. He knew she didn’t like to be yelled at.

When the two of them had issues, they hardly ever fought. They’d talk and snap but never yell.

He felt like he never won. Not even a fraction.

The fact he got half a win with Sloane earlier this week on the payment of her massage was promising.

He supposed he could see her side of it, but she saw his too.

Compromise was a nice thing.

“You’ll have to ask Mom why no one calls her that,” he said. “I have no idea.”

It didn’t make sense to him, and if his ex asked him to start calling her by her full name, he would. But she never did.

When they first started dating, he’d called her that by accident. Kind of a shortened slip of the tongue when they were laughing over something.

She’d smiled and told him she’d liked how it sounded on his lips.

From that point on, he’d called her that but noticed none of her friends did.

He was too tired and over things to even try to figure it out now.

“She won’t tell me,” Tiffani said. “Sometimes she won’t answer questions when we ask her. She’ll say because she is the mother and that is why.”

He laughed. “Sometimes that is the only answer you need. When you’re an adult you might understand it more. Now saddle up, troops. Do you have Stanley and Felix? Check your bags and make sure they aren’t hiding under the bed.”

He was starting to think Tiffani did that on purpose so he’d have to go back and see her.

“He’s not here,” Tiffani said.

“I’ll go get him,” he said. Exactly what he figured, but today he had plans and wanted to avoid making a pit stop to drop off a stuffed animal if he could avoid it.

He ran up the stairs to his daughter’s bedroom and found the floppy-eared rabbit hiding under her pillow this time.

He handed it over when he got to the bottom and the three of them went to the garage, got in his SUV and he drove them to Mel’s.

When he pulled into Mel’s ten minutes later, both kids got out.

He looked into the back and saw Stanley sitting there after Tiffani got out and opened the door to get him.

Mel was on the porch with her arms crossed. “Tiffani. I told you three times to make sure you’ve got Stanley.”

“I had him,” Tiffani said, reaching her hand for it. “But he was in the car. I forgot.”

“No, you didn’t,” Tyler said. “You purposely put him between the two seats. I saw it.”

“No, I didn’t,” Tiffani said and stomped her foot. “I’m not lying.”

“Enough,” Dane said. “Both of you. You’ve got Stanley now. Give me a kiss and I’ll see you in four days.”

Tiffani gave him a hug and kiss and Tyler did the same.

“If we were staying with Dad,” Tyler said, “we could have gone swimming at Aunt Chloe’s today. ”

His shoulders dropped. “I told them next time. We went yesterday.”

“Ethan and I have a surprise today,” Mel said. “We are going to do something as a family.”

“That would mean Dad comes too if it is as a family,” Tiffani said smartly.

He put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Hey. What have we said before?”

Tiffani looked up at him. “That we’ll always be a family even if Mom and you aren’t together.”

“Exactly. Go have fun with Mom and Ethan today.”

“Thanks,” Mel said. “I told you she is giving me fits.”

“I keep talking to her. I’ll do it again,” he said.

Dane left shortly after and went home to clean up any messes the kids might have left before Sloane showed up.

He was starting to worry about telling them he had a girlfriend, but he knew the longer he waited the harder it’d be.

He should tell Mel first. It’d have to be a conversation when no one was around. Not the kids or Ethan.

Maybe he’d feel Sloane out today and see what she thought.

If he told the kids, she might feel some pressure and that was the last thing he wanted.

Almost two hours later, Sloane pulled into his driveway.

He wouldn’t admit he was waiting and watching for her like a kid looking for Santa on Christmas Eve.

He opened the door when she was walking up the front walkway.

She had a pair of jean shorts on that were above mid thigh, only because her legs were so long.

A teal T-shirt with a V-neck and canvas slip-on sneakers on her feet .

Her hair was down and flowing around her shoulders and back. He didn’t see it down often. Only when they had plans to go somewhere out in public.

“You look nice and comfortable,” he said.

“You told me to dress this way,” she said. “You didn’t tell me what we were doing.”

“We are going to a festival today. There are all sorts of them on the Duke grounds and around Durham in the summer. This might be the last one of the year.”

“I’ve heard of them before,” she said. “My clients often talk about them, but I’ve never been.”

“Not to one of them?” he asked.

“I’m usually working,” she said. “This will be fun.”

“Good,” he said. “I’m glad I thought of it.”

He was always trying to find something to do with the kids.

“Your house is pretty big,” she said.

“Come in,” he said. “I thought it was too big too.”

“Then why did you buy it?” she asked.

“Because Mel wanted it. We had it built. She was all excited over it and I was just ready to settle in and start our life.”

He could afford it. It wasn’t an issue.

He’d felt so guilty over being gone working so much for years and missing time with his kids that deep down he was looking forward to this too.

“Did you pick things out together?” she asked, moving past the front where his office was located. The door was open like it normally was.

The other side of the staircase had a formal dining room that never got used. He thought maybe they used it once when Mel was living here. Now it just collected dust .

“I’m pretty basic. I like the light colors. Nothing has changed since we moved in.”

He had no problem with the light gray walls and dark hardwood floors. That might have been the only thing he didn’t like when they were picking designs, but he didn’t care enough to argue about it.

“It’s completely different than my house,” she said.

“You’ve got character. My house looks like everyone else’s on the street inside. I’m sure most of the same materials were used on them.”

She smiled. “Have you been in a lot of them?”

“No,” he said, “but you can see some pictures online when they are for sale.”

Mel had looked at it all and tried to be different, but there wasn’t much they could do when he refused to upgrade on ridiculous things.

“Now this is a beautiful space,” she said.

“Thanks,” he said. “It’s my favorite part of the whole house.”

There was a huge family room that had another table off to the side that he sat at with the kids when they were there. A massive island that looked into the family room that sat four also. The kids would sit there and do their homework while he cooked. The sunroom off the family room was another favorite place of his.

That was Mel’s dream and he had to admit that it was nice to see it.

His kitchen was all white, which he hated, but no way he was paying to have it changed.

“How do you keep this clean with kids?” she asked, running her hand along the cabinet.

“Not easily,” he said. “I’ve thought about having the cabinets painted but not sure what color. I would pick gray but not with these walls. I don’t want dark, but the white is just too stark.”

“A nice pale blue would be pretty,” she said. “One that has gray undertones in it.”

“Tiffani said that too,” he said, smiling. “I’ll have to think about it. You’re okay staying the night?”

They hadn’t spent the night together once and that it was happening at his house the first time, he wasn’t sure how she’d feel about it.

“I’m fine,” she said.

“Let’s go upstairs and put your stuff away then,” he said.

They moved toward the front of the house and up the stairs.

“Now this is a great spot for the kids.”

“It’s their area. They can play and watch TV up here and be a little noisy and it’s not a huge deal. They still need to be kids.”

“They should be,” she said. “How many bedrooms are up here?”

“Five,” he said. “Overkill and I know it. One is on the small side. It was a nursery and next to the primary. The kids each have their own room too.”

“Did you plan on more kids?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t have been opposed to it,” he said. “I love them obviously with my job.”

“Maybe someday you’ll have another,” she said, smiling.

He knew she wanted them someday. She’d told him about the conversation with Carolyn not that long ago.

“Maybe,” he said.

They went into his room. “It’s not as big as I thought it’d be. It’s kind of perfect.”

“I think so,” he said. “We took some space away from this to have that smaller room. Right now it’s got my exercise equipment in it.”

She moved past the king sized bed and into his closet and then bathroom.

“You are nice and organized,” she said.

“Just like you,” he pointed out.

“Makes us a good team,” she said, grinning.

“There are a few empty drawers in my closet on the left if you want to put your clothes in there.”

“Thanks,” she said.

She unpacked and then they left to go to the festival.

“I love the food at these things,” he said. “I’m not even sure of the theme, but there are normally food vendors and games. Entertainment everywhere. I’ve taken the kids before in the past.”

“I can’t wait,” she said. “I’ll have to try a little bit of everything.”

They’d been walking around at the festival for an hour and having a blast when he turned the corner. “Oh shit.”

“What?” she asked.

“That’s Ethan over there.”

“Where?” she asked.

“There, in the red shirt. I didn’t know they were coming here. Mel said she had a surprise for the kids but didn’t say what.”

“And you wouldn’t have come if you’d known?”

“No,” he said. “I thought you and I could talk about things this weekend about when it would be time to have the kids meet you, but I’d like it to be after they know you exist.”

“Good,” she said. “I don’t think either of us should be thrown into anything. ”

He was glad she was on board with that and wasn’t sure why he thought she might not be.

“Why don’t we go in the other direction, just in case?”

“We can leave,” she said.

“No,” he said. “You’re having fun. It’s big here and there are enough people that we should be fine.”

But ten minutes later there was a tap on his arm and he turned to see his ex standing there. Thankfully she was alone.

“Dane,” Mel said. “What are you doing here?”

“The same thing you are,” he said.

Mel turned her head to Sloane and back to him. “Who is this?”

“Mel, this is Sloane Redding. Sloane, my ex-wife, Mel.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sloane said, putting her hand out.

Mel hesitated and put her hand out, then said, “Can we talk privately?”

“I’m going to run to the bathroom,” Sloane said.

The minute Sloane was gone, Mel said, “I didn’t know you were dating someone. You haven’t said anything.”

“It’s not been that long,” he said.

“Do the kids know?” Mel asked.

“No,” he said. “I haven’t told them yet and when the time was right I’d tell you first. As I said, it’s been less than two months.”

Mel was looking at where Sloane had gone. Almost as if she was waiting to make sure they would stop talking when Sloane returned.

“You could have told me,” Mel said.

“Why?” he asked. “You didn’t tell me about Ethan for months. You didn’t about Ian either for months. Longer than it took you to tell me about Ethan. ”

“We hadn’t been divorced that long,” she said. “And I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“I’ll buy that,” he said. “But again, I’m not sure why you expect me to tell you every single person I date if the kids aren’t involved.”

“You’ve dated other women?” Mel asked, her jaw dropping.

He frowned. “Do you think I haven’t dated one person in over three years?”

He was playing it up and he knew it. But it was true. He’d been on dates. He just hadn’t slept with anyone.

Again, no one’s business. Least of all his ex’s.

“I guess I didn’t know,” Mel said.

“Listen, I’ll talk to you more about this if you want. I’m going to want to let the kids know soon and want to do this the right way.”

He could tell she didn’t like the way he’d said that and he didn’t care.

“Fine,” Mel said softly. “I’ll talk to you later. We’ve been here a few hours already and I’ll just say it’s time to go. I don’t want the kids to see you without knowing.”

He was going to argue with her and say that he could leave but decided not to.

For once he wasn’t going to be the one to compromise for her.

She could do it for him.