4. Mae

4

MAE

" L ook, Mom, look!" Zack tugged at my hand, pulling away from me toward Dozer who, despite his age, was ambling quite happily along the grassy bank as we wandered into town.

"What's he doing, huh?" I smiled down at Zack, adoring his utter awe at all the seemingly mundane things Dozer was getting up to.

"He's chasing a bee, a bee!" Zack's voice pitched in excitement, and he would have likely run right over to him if I weren't keeping such a firm grip on his small hand. Zack had talked about getting a pet for a long time, but his heart was set on a dog, and that wasn't doable back in my apartment. I'd tried to show him how graceful and cuddly cats could be, but I hadn't been successful.

Yet.

Dozer was too slow to catch the bee, but it was amusing to watch him amble forward, his long ears flapping each time he managed a burst of speed .

We couldn't go on walks like this back in the city. Already, I could feel the charm of this small town working on me, tempting me to give in to my mother's desires and just stay here. Having Zack grow up in clean air with such vibrant access to nature would be a blessing. But not one I could afford.

We walked the familiar path I used to take every day as a child when heading into town. Down a winding, leaf-covered lane toward a main road that opened up toward the town and weaved a spiral path from one end to the other. Old shops gradually came into view as we walked, and Zack babbled at my side as he told me the very important plot twists and details in a dream he had about flying cars that were really dragons.

So much remained the same. The hardware shop on the edge of town was still going strong, and walking past, I breathed in the smells of sawdust and sweet sap that immediately teleported me back to my youth. The shop selling incense and crystal was still here, although I swear I had never seen anyone go inside. We made a stop off and dropped off the cookies to Ada, and I expressed my condolences for Clive. Surprisingly, Ada was more excited to see me.

Grief was easy for her. Or she hid it well.

But as much as stuff was the same, things were different. The winding dirt path lane toward McCarth farms was closed and the path was overgrown and muddy. It was visibly untraveled. And the small shop on the corner where I'd spent my hard-earned pocket money had changed into a chain convenience store, lacking all the homely warmth it once had. Now, it was bright and cold, with glaring lights and signs promising that anything at all I desired could be found inside.

This was our stop.

"Alright, Dozer." Taking the lead, I wound it firmly around the nearest streetlight but kept it loose enough that he had some give if he wanted to wander. Then I patted him, and Zack joined in with awkward, unsure movements. He had a lot of love to give but didn't know how.

"It's okay," I said to him. "Remember what I said when we arrived? You can pet him slowly and make sure it's not too rough. Head to back."

"Mmhmm." Zack nodded and did as instructed, although he still lacked the finesse of understanding that if he was rough, it could affect Dozer. Dozer, to his credit, was more than happy to soak up any and all attention as he sat there, tongue lolling out of his mouth and tail wagging.

"Okay, Mommy needs some stuff from the shop, so you stay by my side, okay?"

"I want to stay out here and keep Dozer company."

"I can't leave you out here alone," I said gently but keeping my tone firm. "We won't be long."

"But Dozer will get lonely ."

"No, honey. He won't. Think about how often Grandma has to leave him outside. He's used to it."

"No!" Zack started whining, and I could already see how this was going to quickly unravel into an argument. "I'm here. I wanna stay."

"You can't stay," I repeated. "Come on, I need some things from inside here, and then we can come back and get him, okay?"

"No!"

"Come on, Zack," I scolded, stranding straight and pulling him toward the store. "I can't leave you out here, so we're going inside. Dozer will be fine."

I hated scolding Zack. Despite it being necessary to teach him, every time I did, I was overwhelmed with guilt. Hours of scrolling social media and soaking up hours of content on gentle parenting had done nothing but make me feel guilty every time I had to be firm.

Zack, thankfully, relented, but he stomped with each foot as we headed inside the store. A tantrum was brewing. In public.

If luck was on my side, the store would be empty.

Luck was not on my side.

Running through the mental list of items I needed in my mind, Zack started to hang back as we walked down each aisle. My quick walk had to slow as Zack resisted more and more, and with each pull back on my hand, my irritation was rising. Balancing a grumpy child and a basket full of snacks and body care products was a circus act, and by the third aisle, my tether was short.

"Stop dragging your feet," I snapped at Zack, whose eyes were narrowed into angry slits. "You'll scuff up your shoes."

"Don't care," Zack muttered.

"I care. Those are good shoes."

"Don't care."

"Do you want to walk around barefoot?"

"Can I do it outside?" There was a glimmer of hope in his tone.

"No."

"Don't care." Just like that, I dashed his hope of going back out to Dozer and he became even more impossible. He sighed, stomped his feet, and pulled at my arm with all his might. The one time I had to let go of his hand to reach something on the top shelf, he tried to bolt.

I caught him quickly, parking him right back next to me with a firm telling off that the longer he made me take, the less time I'd let him play with Dozer .

Seconds away from a full-blown tantrum, I decided to cut my losses and take what I had managed to get to the checkout. Only when I stood up from getting shampoo off the lower shelf did my bag pull at my shoulder.

It was caught on something.

I tried to angle myself away and free my bag from whatever it was stuck on, but I lacked the core strength to balance, half crouched, while wrestling a child and a basket.

Grumbling, I spun around in time to see a rotating stand filled with birthday cards and keychains begin to topple to the ground. Before it could fall, though, a hand shot out to catch it. The stranger pulled it upright, then turned to me with a dazzling smile that made my heart stop.

All irritation toward my son melted away as I stared into deep brown, almond-shaped eyes set into olive skin. Thick, white-blonde hair swept across the man's forehead, and he lifted one hand to sweep the loose strands back into place on top of his head.

Dressed in a white shirt, black suit jacket, and tie, this man looked far too gorgeous and far too well-dressed to be shopping in a place like this.

"Th–Thank you," I stuttered out, wishing I had a hand free so I could offer to shake his just to see what he felt like. My heart raced beneath my ribs, and when I breathed in, my senses were flooded by the tantalizing scents of warm wood and caramelized sugar.

Fuck. He smelled as good as he looked.

"It's no problem," he said in smooth tones. "Those stands have hands of their own, just waiting to grab onto an unsuspecting piece of clothing. So eager to be on the ground."

When he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkled together, and his pupils twinkled. My heart skipped a beat, unable to look away, and when my own laugh reached my ears, it sounded strained.

"Ain't that the truth." I swallowed hard, forcing myself to calm down. "Thank you for saving me the embarrassment. I didn't plan on spending the next twenty minutes cleaning up every birthday greeting this store has to offer."

"It's no problem."

The handsome stranger took a half-step back, and a strange yearning rose in my chest. A desire to say something else and prolong the conversation just so I could look at him a little bit longer rose in me. His jaw was so sharp it could cut glass, and even the sharp, downward angle of his brows could be scary. All in all, he looked rather intimidating if not for the wide, charming smile that added a sexy, boyish charm to his good looks.

"Oh!" Suddenly, the stranger yelped, and I glanced down in time to see Zack swiftly kick him in the shin.

"Zack! What are you doing? We don't kick people! Oh, my God, I'm so, so sorry. Zack, what has gotten into you?"

Torn between scolding my son and apologizing to the stranger, I didn't know where to focus first. The last thing I needed was for this to turn into a much bigger argument, nor did I want to yell at my son in front of a stranger, but it seemed I had no choice. Zack's face was thunderous as I dragged him away from the stranger, but as I turned back to the man to offer another apology, I paused.

He was crouched down to his haunches, eye level with Zack, and a gentle look graced his features.

"You know," he said softly, "if you kick someone just below the knee, it hurts a lot more than the shin and you can sometimes make them fall over." The man reached out and touched Zack's bare shin, just below his knee, and to my immense surprise, a small smile swept over Zack's face .

"And if you really want them to fall over, you can kick them on the back of the knee right here." He moved his hand around Zack's knee and gently touched him there, drawing a slightly wider smile from Zack.

"You have to be careful, though," he added in a serious tone.

"Why?" Zack asked, trying to hide his smile. He was ticklish behind his knee, and the stranger seemed to have worked that out.

"Because if you stand too close when they fall, you could get squashed flat like a pancake!" He moved his hand around and lightly prodded Zack in the stomach, and Zack couldn't hold in his shy laugh.

"Sorry," Zack murmured. As his tantrum faded, his shyness won over and he tightened his grip on my hand. Meanwhile, I was in awe at how quickly this man had defused what was set to be such an explosive tantrum.

"I'm so, so sorry," I said, utterly mortified that this man had been kicked by my child. "He's grumpy because we had to leave our dog outside. I'm so sorry."

"Relax." He straightened up and flashed me that wide, gorgeous smile that somehow felt like it was just for me. It had to be since he looked so stoic and intimidating without it. "Kids are kids."

"Do you have children?" I asked, reasoning that had to be how he was able to deal with the tantrum so easily.

"No, sadly not. I love children, but I've never had my own. Would need a lovely woman for that." He winked at me, and my stomach somersaulted up to my heart.

So, he was single, was he?

"I'm Jian, by the way."

"Mae." I smiled. "Nice to meet you. "

"You wouldn't happen to know where the allergy medicine is, do you?" Jian asked. "I'm kind of new in town and I don't know where anything is."

"Sorry, I don't. I've been away for some years, actually, so things have changed since I was last here," I replied, unable to look away from Jian while I stroked the back of Zack's hand with my thumb. "But we could look together? I still need to find deodorant."

"Oh, I know where that is!" Jian chuckled proudly. "Come on."

Together, we wandered the shop looking for the allergy medicine and the rest of the items on my list. Zack had calmed down enough to go back to hiding behind my leg like he usually did in public places, but he always had a sweet smile for Jian.

It turned out that Jian was in town to help a friend, but he wouldn't be staying long. I told him about my mother's birthday, and when I remarked about his overly smart outfit, he laughed and said he had a strict boss.

By the time we headed outside, I was completely enamored with this man and his subtle flirting. Zack made a beeline for Dozer, who woofed softly and slowly stood up.

"What an adorable old puppy." Jian smiled, reaching down and petting him.

"He's my Grandma's dog," Zack said proudly. "But I'm going to keep him."

"Oh, you are, are you?" I chuckled, untying the leash. "And where are we going to keep him?"

"Well, you keep saying our apartment is too small for a dog so… so we get him his own one," Zack said firmly, as if he'd just come up with the most amazing solution.

"Oh, really?" I snorted .

"If only it were that easy." Jian chuckled, ruffling the top of Zack's head. Then those sweet brown eyes were back on me. "It was truly wonderful to meet you. Thank you."

"For what?" I laughed nervously as heat crept up my neck.

"For the most fun I've ever had buying allergy medicine. I hope we run into each other again." He waved at Zack, winked at me, then turned and strode away down the street.

"Mom?" Zack asked in a loud voice that carried down the street. "Why are you blushing?"