22. The Real Thing

22

THE REAL THING

T he next morning, Laken was mortified over what she’d done last night with Jamie.

Or more was mortified over the fact she’d fallen asleep on him.

They barely saw each other. She worked her ass off to get out early for the day.

Then she takes a two-hour nap yesterday that killed the rest of the afternoon.

“You’re up before me,” she said, rubbing her eyes as she walked out of the bathroom to see the bed empty and finding him in the kitchen.

“Not really,” he said. “You got in the shower before me and I thought I’d get breakfast going.”

“I appreciate it,” she said. “No chance of me burning something by you distracting me.”

“You don’t burn as much as you say.”

She laughed and gave him a quick squeeze around his waist and then moved over to make her coffee. “I haven’t made enough for you to know that. And I didn’t realize you cooked. I thought you’d have Janelle doing it for you.”

“No,” he said. “She is the nanny, not my cook or maid.”

“You clean your own house?” she asked, lifting her eyebrow. “Even I have a cleaning company come in once a week. I’m not that messy, but I barely have time to feed myself let alone clean.”

“Or sleep,” he said, tugging a lock of her hair.

Her face filled with some heat. “Sorry about the nap yesterday. I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

Between running around, traveling all the time and working long days and nights to make up for wanting to take a few days off, she was burning herself out and knew it.

It was great having Abby on board even if she was spending time she didn’t have to meet with her future sister-in-law to get started. But she knew in the long run it was going to be much better for her.

“I could take it as a compliment that I wore you out,” he said. “I napped right there with you. Sometimes we just need to give into our bodies.”

“I like to think of it that way,” she said. She watched as he dumped some peppers and mushrooms into the eggs and then poured it all into a huge pan. “Is that for you?”

“Both of us,” he said. “There are eight eggs in here. No way I could eat this much.”

She grinned. “I’m sure you could and have before.”

He shuddered. “When I was in training camp and during the season, yeah. I had high calorie days because we just burned everything off. We had chefs there preparing a lot of our food. It was nice. I’d go home and try to do it, and like you, burned things.”

“You’re not burning anything now,” she said.

“No,” he said. “I hired a private chef back then to make a lot of things and have them at the house for me to heat up. It was easier. Then before Penelope was born I decided it was time I stepped up and learned myself.”

“Not to mention if the person was cooking in your house, you wouldn’t want them to hear a crying baby,” she said, closing one eye and grinning at him over her coffee that she’d prepared.

“That was part of it too. But I did want to learn to take care of her on my own. I knew it wasn’t going to be possible for everything. I didn’t know a damn thing about a baby or what came with it.”

“Like changing diapers?” she asked, laughing and trying to imagine him doing it.

“Definitely that,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve changed your fair share.”

“Oh yeah. And I let all my younger siblings know that. The boys, it embarrassed them. I can hold it over Nelson’s head a lot. I was five when Rowan was born so I helped feed more than change him, but I learned around that age how to change a diaper. My mother needed all the help she could get. But it was Nelson and Talia that I did the most for.”

“West most likely did everything for everyone but you and Braylon,” he said.

“He was five when I was born, so my guess is he was changing diapers too. It was like the magic number for learning things.”

She did remember those days. When other kids were playing with dolls and house, she was doing the real thing.

Her mother made a game out of it so she didn’t feel as if it was work, but looking back it sure was.

Most of the time she was cleaning up toys and holding bottles and spooning pureed foods into mouths.

“We had a lot of chores back then,” he said. “Deanna is two years older than me so I didn’t have to do much with her. But there were a lot of kids in our house at all times. My father was mentoring kids, my mother holding youth summits and groups. It feels as if she does most of the household things and teaches kids that.”

“Teaches?” she asked.

“My father taught more of the religious background, but there were plenty of kids that just didn’t have a great home life. Or maybe weren’t taught the simple things in life to care for themselves. Cooking, cleaning, laundry. My mother would come in there. She works way too hard still.”

Laken knew this bothered Jamie. It was not the first time it’d come up. “Is it your mother that won’t take things or your father saying your mother can’t? Or don’t you know which one it is?”

“Probably a combination of both,” he said. “It’s horrible, but for Christmas, everything was practical for her. New cookware, dishes, a jacket, shoes. Nothing fun.”

Laken smiled. “My mother always appreciated those things. It’s taken years for her to realize that she can have things too and not just give it all to the kids. Even though you and Deanna are grown up and out of the house doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel guilty seeing other kids with less. She probably feels thankful for what she has. Accepting cookware, in her eyes, she could justify it as it makes her more efficient to help others.”

He sprinkled cheese on the top of the omelet and covered it to melt. She grabbed a plate down for him to put it on.

“I didn’t think of it that way. Probably the same reason they put the new furniture I sent them in a place where others could enjoy it.”

“Think of it that way. I’m sure you donate to your father’s church.”

“Always,” he said. “And it’s frustrating. I’d rather they not work so hard, but they don’t see that. They need a break or a vacation and won’t take it. They said it isn’t right and they don’t want to be judged.”

“Hmmm,” she said. “Have you thought of the fact that they live on the church property so a home is provided for them? Their income comes from donations people give to the church, right?”

“Mostly,” he said.

“No one likes to be judged. If they are out wearing new clothes and driving fancy cars or going on vacation, people might think they are misusing those funds.”

He let out a sigh and slid their breakfast on the plates and the two of them sat at the island to start eating.

“I know they are worried about that. Or were. But everyone knows I’m their son. No one would think anything of it other than me providing for them.”

“So, in summary, what you’re saying is they don’t want to be judged that they might be misusing funds or not living what they preach and you don’t want to be judged that you are selfish and not sharing your wealth like what your father preaches?”

He stopped eating and looked at her. “I never thought of it that way.”

“Maybe you should,” she said. “The next time you want to help them, try to say you are doing what they taught you to do. Helping those less fortunate.”

He laughed. “I’m not sure I’d use that word. My mother might smack me and then go and pray for doing it.”

She grinned. “You know what I’m saying. Use their teachings and words against them if you have to to get your way.”

“Now I know why you’re good at your job,” he said.

“Great at my job,” she corrected.

“That too,” he said. They ate their breakfast in silence and he jumped in to say, “Janelle knows about you.”

“Oh,” she said.

“Is that a problem?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “I’m just surprised you said anything. Even though my brothers know.”

“She thinks we should go away for a bit,” he said. “I told her that is almost impossible.”

She frowned. “Yeah. At least right now. Maybe in the future, but you’re working weekends.”

“And Penelope’s birthday is after the Super Bowl, so I’ve got to focus on that.”

“Do you have a big party?” she asked. “How is that possible if you don’t want anyone to know who she is?”

He sighed again. “She’s young yet and doesn’t get it. She doesn’t go to PreK or anything. But I want her to next year. That is all part of coming out with who she is. Her birthday is just Janelle and I. Randy will come over if he can.”

“I’ll come,” she said. “My family too.”

“Seriously?” he asked.

“I know she doesn’t know me well, but she met me. Braylon, West and Nelson know about her. Abby and Lily because it’s not a secret work wise or family this close. And they know you’re my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” he asked, grinning.

Guess she let that slip. “Maybe I’m the only one thinking that way. We can change the subject. I’m pushing and shouldn’t.”

His hand reached out. “No. I need the push. I appreciate what you’re saying and doing. Let me bring you up to Penelope in small doses. It’s still almost a month until her birthday. Not quite. If it works into your schedule, maybe you can come to the house again and meet her. See how she is.”

“I’d like that,” she said. “And when her birthday rolls around, I can twist some arms and give your little girl a party with more than her Daddy and nanny in attendance.”

Which made her sad to think about.

Though her father missed a lot of birthdays in her life, she always had her siblings.

She always had her mother.

She even had extended family if there were any close by to where they’d been living.

As hard as it was to grow up with so many siblings, it was better than being alone, which she imagined Jamie was most of his life, even surrounded by so many people.