23. Interesting Start

23

INTERESTING START

“ A re you sure you want to do this today?” Kelly asked him forty minutes later. “You seem quiet. I’ll understand if it’s not the right time.”

“Ty is okay now. It’s fine. I’ll be honest and say I was close to canceling it though.”

She wouldn’t be hurt over this. She wasn’t as nervous as she was meeting Owen, but still didn’t want to push this either.

“Can I ask why? Is it you that isn’t ready or Ty?”

“We are both ready,” he said. “Don’t doubt that. Ty seemed off and I didn’t want him to be in a mood to start.”

“Did he have a bad night with Electra?”

“I might as well tell you what happened. It’s not horrible other than it’s frustrating to me. Ty spent the night with Electra’s parents. I didn’t know that and she is supposed to tell me those things.”

Kelly listened to him explain the events of the morning, from getting Electra out of bed hungover to Ty returning late and then saying he had more fun with Michael’s parents.

She was positive there was more being left out of the story with his time at Electra’s alone, but she trusted Michael. She wasn’t so sure she trusted Electra though. Especially since Michael’s ex referred to her and Michael’s relationship as fucking.

“Sounds like an interesting start to the day,” she said.

“That’s a good word for it,” he said. “But Ty was in a better frame by the time I dropped him off. He went to my parents excited to meet you. Though you’re ranked up there with my mother’s homemade burgers at the moment too.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment and be happy with the information,” she said.

“We can go over now if you want,” he said.

“I’m ready if you are. And if you get in front of your parents’ house and want to change your mind, I won’t be offended either.”

“I’m not going to unless you want me to.”

“I’m good,” she said. “Just want to make sure we are all on the same playing field,” she said.

“My goals in life,” he said. “To be on the same playing field as my son.”

She laughed. “Glad you are at least seeing the humor in this. I know it’s the first you are introducing Ty to someone. It’s the first I’ve been introduced to someone’s child, so there you go too.”

She grabbed her bag that had her clothes in it from staying the night.

“My parents are going to love you,” he said.

“They should,” she said, laughing and bumping her shoulder into his. “Sounds like I’m a step up from your last girlfriend.”

“Not funny.”

“It was a little,” she said. “Admit it.”

“Just a little,” he said.

“Do you think it’s bribery that I’m bringing a book to Ty?”

“No,” he said. “Ty loves books and loves to be read to. He’s learning words too. I appreciate the time you took to find the right book.”

She’d shopped around to find one that helped kids learn to read on their own. Like a big picture book with the words under it and letters and numbers.

“It was fun,” she said. “I won’t admit the rabbit hole I could have gone down of so many things.”

Toys and clothes.

Kelly wanted children but never let herself get sucked into shopping for things now. Not for something that could be so far into the future.

Like a wedding gown she never got to wear but secretly looked at bridal magazines and styles that she’d shop for if she’d been engaged.

“I’m not much of a shopper, but I understand.”

“Let’s go meet your son,” she said. “We’ll both feel better once it’s out of the way. Oh, and I’ve got chocolates for your mother.”

He turned. “That was nice of you.”

“I picked them up yesterday on my lunch. I guess I want to make a nice impression. Beer for your father too.”

“What?” he asked. “You didn’t bring me beer.”

She laughed. “That’s why my bag is so heavy. I have it hidden in there. I just grabbed a four-pack at the brewery of one of the newest releases. You’ve said before your dad likes IPAs?”

“He’ll drink just about anything from Fierce. Me too. It’s all a good choice and very thoughtful of you.”

“I’ve had ex’s parents not like me before,” she said quietly.

“Their loss,” he said. “You’re a great person.”

“I am one,” she said cheerfully.

There was no reason to force it even though there were times she didn’t feel like that great of a person.

Not everyone was going to like you or the decisions you make in life.

They spent the short drive to his parents talking about fun topics, both of them laughing and getting in a good mood. Maybe he needed it too.

They pulled into his parents’ driveway and got out. She went around to the back where her bag was and pulled out the gifts for everyone. She should have wrapped them now that she thought of it.

Oh well, the beer and chocolate were a last minute decision.

“Want me to carry anything?” he asked.

“You just want the beer. I’ve got it.”

She had the beer on the book, the chocolate on the beer. It was all good.

“If I knew you got it, I would have put it in the fridge so we could drink it today,” he said.

“It’s not for you,” she argued. “It’s for your father.”

“So there was a reason behind your madness?”

“You think it’s madness that I wanted to make a good impression on your family?” she asked. Did she go about this all wrong?

“Just a figure of speech,” he said.

He opened the door and she saw Ty come barreling toward his father, shouting his name. “Dad!”

“Hey,” Michael said, catching Ty before he ran into his legs. He looked tall for his age, but she shouldn’t be surprised with the size of Michael.

“You just saw me,” he said. “What’s the rush?”

“I wanted to meet Kelly but didn’t want you to get upset if I didn’t greet you first,” Ty said.

Awww, talk about super sweet.

“Ty,” he said. “This is Kelly. Kelly, this is my son, Ty.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “I’ve got a book here for you. Your father told me you liked to read or be read to.”

“I do like books a lot,” Ty said. “Thank you.”

So polite too. “Do you want to take the chocolate off so I can give him the book?” she asked Michael.

“Ty can wait until we get to the back of the house,” he said.

“Hey, Dad,” Ty said. “Why do I have to wait?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. He picked Ty up by the waist and carried him under his arm like a football, the child giggling the whole way.

If she wasn’t so head over heels in love with Michael before, she sure the hell would be now. Maybe it was time to say the words to him.

They’d both been beating around the bush and someone was going to have to make that move.

“Hi,” she said when she got to the back of the house and saw Michael’s parents.

His father was tall, his mother too. She almost felt like she was a dwarf in this house. Being on the petite side had never bothered her before and she wouldn’t let it now.

“It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Susan and this is my husband, Jay.”

“Nice to meet you both too. I’ve got chocolate and beer. I picked one thing for you both but then got thinking you can share. Or maybe Jay wants the chocolate and Susan the beer. I didn’t think of that before.”

“I like her,” Susan said. “You didn’t need to bring us anything and it’s sweet you did, but I love your response to it. I will be eating the chocolate and not drinking the beer.”

“I like chocolate too,” Jay said, coming forward and shaking her hand. “It’s not my fault you don’t like beer, Susan.”

Kelly grinned. “I have to almost like it considering where I work. I can drink a glass now and again, but wine is normally better. Not that I drink a lot,” she rushed out to say.

“Don’t worry,” Susan said. “Michael has told us a lot about you. Nothing bad either.”

She supposed that was a good thing. She hadn’t asked him what he’d told his parents. She didn’t think it would be that she was widowed or had been on a dating reality show.

“That’s good to know,” she said. “He’s said a lot about you all too. Though I do hear most about Ty. And here is your book that you are patiently waiting for me to hand over. I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you,” Ty said, snatching it out of her hand and flipping through it immediately. “It’s got everything in it! Animals and cars and trucks and colors.”

Ty turned and ran to the couch. “Glad he liked it,” she said.

“He’s a good kid,” Susan said. “Just likes or needs to be entertained. It can tire you out, but it’s worth it when he puts his head down at night and is out until morning.”

Michael had said that Ty had a lot of energy. She guessed she didn’t realize it until she saw him moving around so quickly.

“I love kids,” she said. “As you know, my employers have a bunch of them.”

“We went to see Jordan the other day,” Susan said. “Have you seen her yet?”

“Just in pictures,” she said.

Though she got along great with Cade, she didn’t feel as if she was close enough to go to their house and visit just yet. There were a lot of the women in the office who wanted to see the baby and knew either Alex or Cade would bring her in when the time was right.

“They are trying to get into a routine,” Michael said. “Ty and I stopped over, as you know, last week. He took one look at the baby, then ran off with his cousins. He sees them in daycare daily, but you wouldn’t know it with them running to find toys.”

“Regan wants to play with the baby like a doll,” Susan said. “Alex had said that would happen.”

“Could be a good little helper. Maybe they should teach her to change a diaper in Cade’s place,” Kelly said.

Everyone laughed. “I’m sure Cade is secretly doing that to get out of it,” Michael said. “I’m glad those days are behind me.”

“Until you have another,” his father said.

She turned to see Jay sitting by Ty on the couch and looking through the book with him. She found that sweet. Her parents were that way with her. Her father never had a problem spending time and doing things with her.

“I’m not rushing on that,” he said.

His parents looked at her. “I’d like a child of my own, but not in the immediate future,” she said. “I try to plan things out a bit better and I’d like to think we are at a good pace without too much outside pressure.”

Michael laughed. “I love how you just nicely put my mother in her place.”

Her smile dropped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“It’s fine,” Susan said, rubbing her arm. “Why don’t you come in the kitchen with me while the guys hang out here? We can chat.”

“Sure,” she said and followed Susan to the kitchen.

“This might be the happiest I’ve seen my son in years,” Susan said. “I want to thank you. He’s had a hard road with Ty.”

“There is no reason to thank me. He’s a slow one though. Boy, I’ve had my eye on him for years and he never seemed to look my way. I understand why though.”

“He told me you more or less asked him out. Trust me,” Susan said. “He wouldn’t have said yes if he hadn’t been watching you too. But he’s cautious.”

It was nice to hear that maybe Michael had been slyly watching her as much as she’d been doing to him for years. Guess it was a good thing she made that first move though.

“I understand why he is. He was very upfront on our first date. Maybe most would have been scared away, but I already knew he had custody of Ty.”

“And he’s told me that you know about the situation with Electra. I don’t want to say there are no secrets between my son and us. Don’t think that. He doesn’t tell us everything, but he tells us the important things.”

“He needed your support when he found out he was going to be a father. My parents would have done the same thing as you two did.”

Her parents had been supportive in a different way when she had her own drama going on.

That just made her and Michael very lucky people.

“And Michael needs someone like that in his life. Michael also told us briefly what happened this morning. I don’t want you to let Electra get between you two. She’s childish and petty and doesn’t think of anyone but herself.”

“I won’t,” she said. “I’ve heard enough to know the kind of person she is like. I just want to be supportive of Michael. I’ll stay out of anything that goes on with them. I just don’t want that drama.”

“Oh,” Susan said and turned to get the ground beef out of the fridge.

She might have put her foot in her mouth and wanted to explain. “I meant that I’m not going to be a jealous girlfriend to add to that drama. I’ll do what Michael needs and wants me to do. I know his time is limited and I haven’t had an issue with it.”

“It won’t be as limited now that Ty knows about you,” Susan said.

“But that doesn’t mean Michael is going to start spending all his time with me and putting Ty off. I wouldn’t want that. If it gives us an extra day a week, great. If not, we are doing well with the way things are too.”

“That was exactly what I wanted to hear,” Susan said. “Michael wouldn’t have brought you here or introduced you to Ty if he felt it would disrupt his son’s life too much.”

“It’s not my goal to do that,” she said.

“But my son should still put the effort in with you too. You need to come first at times.”

She smiled. “I think Michael has a good balance and I appreciate it. I’d like to think that it had to do with being raised well.”

“What a sweet thing to say,” Susan said. “You are exactly what he needs in his life. I hope he can be what you need too.”

Kelly hoped so too.