Cross Country Chaos Read online

  “Uh huh.”

  “I did try to call Patty.”

  Her mom smiled and put the BlackBerry on the dash. “Uh huh.”

  Kelly didn’t say anything as she drove. Eventually her mom broke the silence.

  “There are far worse men.”

  “Mom!” Kelly shushed her, glancing toward the backseat. The boys were engrossed in a book about the Badlands.

  “I’m just saying.” She tried again a few minutes later. “He’s nice.”

  “Mother, this is not up for discussion!” Kelly hissed.

  “Fine.” She smiled, annoying Kelly.

  Deep inside, Kelly still felt the warm tingle, her pulse skipping as she replayed Mart’s words. He liked her!

  Despite her hesitation, not wanting to get her heart broken, she couldn’t help but hope.

  * * * *

  Kelly prayed the boys would forget her promise, but by the time they left the St. Louis Arch the next day, they were already waving the cherished Cooter’s Place brochures and checking the map.

  What the hell? She had promised. How long could it take? But she had to stop for the night. One missed night’s sleep on the road took too much out of her. They spent the night north of Nashville, and Cooter’s Place was their first stop after breakfast Saturday morning. It took Kelly three hours and purchasing nearly one hundred dollars worth of memorabilia to get on the road again.

  “You are the coolest mom ever!” Denny crowed as he pawed though his bag of souvenirs.

  She looked in the rearview mirror. “Ever?”

  Paulie’s grin matched Denny’s. “Ever, Mom. Really. The coolest.”

  Kelly grinned. Sharon looked at her. “We drive across the country and back, and this is what they’ll remember most.”

  Kelly shook her head and laughed, not caring. Her boys thought she was a cool mom.

  The coolest mom ever.

  Chapter Twenty

  Home never looked so good. It was almost five a.m. Sunday morning when Kelly pulled into her driveway. She made Paulie sleep on the couch so her mom could have his bed. Kelly didn’t get any further than unloading the boys. She grabbed her purse and Denny’s backpack and unlocked the house. Then she walked into her bedroom, locked the door behind her, and fell onto the bed.

  Oh God, it’s good to be home!

  Kelly awoke around nine, rolled over and listened for sounds of life. Nothing. She smiled, enjoying the silence. She peeled her clothes off, dropped them onto the floor, and crawled under the sheet, entertaining herself with thoughts about Mart’s voice and the feel of his lips on hers…

  She heard a noise and opened her eyes. It was after one.

  Paulie’s voice, then Denny’s.

  The troops were alive.

  And was that…coffee?

  She threw back the covers and took a shower. Her mom, awake but looking a little worse for wear, sat at the kitchen table with the Sunday paper. She pointed at the coffee pot.

  It was already half-empty.

  “Thanks, Mom.” Kelly poured a cup and sat. “You okay?”

  Sharon nodded. “My chiropractor will have a field day with me for the next few weeks, but I’ll live. You?”

  “I’m glad to be home.”

  “That makes two of us. The boys are outside. They woke up around ten, and I made breakfast. I didn’t want them waking you.”

  “Thank you.” Kelly sensed something else. “What?”

  Sharon smiled. “Mart called, left you a voicemail.” Sharon pushed the BlackBerry across the table. Kelly snatched it.

  “You played my voicemails?”

  “No. He called, and I looked at the screen. Then the voicemail message popped up.”

  “Oh. Sorry.”

  “He’s nice. I really like him.”

  Kelly carried her coffee into the living room while she dialed into her voicemail.

  “Hi, Kelly, it’s Mart. I wanted to make sure you got home all right. Give me a call, let me know you’re okay.” There was a pause. “And let me know when you want to go out. Bye.”

  She smiled, played it several times, then saved it. She wanted to call him back, but not with her radar-eared mother in close proximity. Her mom said good-bye to the boys.

  “Don’t forget to call Mart.”

  “I won’t. Thanks.” Kelly put her mom’s bags in the trunk of her car.

  “I’d be proud to call him my son-in-law.”

  “Good-BYE, Mother!”

  “I’m just saying.”

  Kelly watched her leave before returning to the kitchen. Denny and Paulie played in the backyard. She watched them from the window and dialed Mart’s number.

  Her heart jumped with each ring. He picked up on the third, sounding slightly out of breath. “Hey!”

  “Hi. We’re home, safe and sound.”

  “Oh, good. What time?”

  “About five this morning. Sorry I didn’t call you earlier, but I didn’t wake up until a little while ago.”

  “No, that’s okay, I understand.”

  “Did I interrupt anything?”

  “No, I was just working out. I have a home gym machine.”

  The thought of his strong arms made her heart skip. “So that’s how you keep your girlish figure?”

  She loved his laugh. “I see your snark survived the trip.”

  “Barely.” The boys were still playing. “I think it was talking to you the other night that gave me something to live for.”

  “Really?” Did his voice change tone?

  “Yeah.”

  He paused. “I don’t want to scare you off.”

  “I think you’ve got that backwards. I’m a single mom of two boys and have serious trust issues. Sure you want to deal with me?”

  “Ooh, the ‘I’m more unlucky in love than you are,’ game. I usually win that.”

  She laughed, then watched the boys for a moment through the window. “What are we doing, Mart?”

  “I hope we’re having dinner in the next few days.”

  “I mean, what are we doing? I have two boys who’ve been hurt. I won’t put them in the middle of something just to turn their world upside down again.”

  As much as she was attracted to Mart and wanted a relationship with him, she’d had time to think about the flip side of the coin, the repercussions if it didn’t work out.

  How much it would hurt the boys if it didn’t work out. She would rather be alone than put them through hell a second time.

  Mart’s tone sounded serious when he spoke. “Kelly, I meant it when I said I’m willing to take our time, as long as it takes. I’m not looking for a one-night stand or a few weeks of fun. I’m tired of being alone. I want someone who’s not afraid to be in a relationship with me.”

  “I’m terrified to be in a relationship with anyone.”

  “Let me rephrase that.” He paused, and she didn’t interrupt. “I want a woman who’s not afraid of my wheelchair.”

  “Why would I be afraid?”

  “Exactly. I can understand and respect you have a lot going on right now, after what you’ve been through. I want the same chance you’d give any other man, no more, no less. I’m not looking for special treatment. I’m looking for a chance to see where this goes. That’s all I’m asking.”

  The boys were playing catch now, Denny trying to get the ball into Paulie’s glove. Paulie was giving him pointers on how to throw. “I don’t want to make a mistake.”

  “You can’t make a mistake if you don’t try.” Not a hint of sarcasm or bitterness.

  She closed her eyes. “I missed you. When can I see you again?”

  * * * *

  Mart breathed a sigh of relief. For a minute, he was afraid of the, “It’s been fun, but…” conversation. “I have to fly to Las Vegas tomorrow on business. I’ll be back Wednesday afternoon.”

  He hoped Denny’s surprise wouldn’t arrive until after he returned.

  “Their father is taking them out for dinner Tuesday instead of Wednesday, s
o we’ll be home. What time?”

  “As long as there aren’t any delays, my plane lands in Tampa around four.”

  “Call me when you get in. If you feel up to it, come over for pizza.”

  “That sounds good.”

  “You won’t be too tired?”

  “This is an easy trip, I go there a lot. We’ve got three clients out there.”

  “Oh.”

  She didn’t sound okay. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’m just tired.”

  They said good-bye, and he hung up. He’d been afraid she’d change her mind once she got home, but apparently she was still willing to let him in.

  All he had to do was prove to her she could trust him.

  * * * *

  Kelly watched the boys through the window. David spent lots of “business trips” in Las Vegas.

  Mart’s nothing like David.

  How do you know? You don’t know him. What would he possibly see in you?

  What did Mart see in her?

  Kelly tried to quiet the nagging voice. Mart wasn’t like David. And he wasn’t like the few other guys she’d tried to date.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Wednesday morning, Kelly was about to put her headphones on when she heard the distinct sound of a loud truck and a quick beep-beep.

  She wasn’t expecting any deliveries. What the hell? A FedEx Ground truck had backed into her driveway. The rear door opened, and the driver unloaded a large box.

  “Hi. Uh, what is this?”

  The guy looked at his electronic clipboard. “I have a delivery for Martin Rawlings.” He handed her the device and pointed. “Sign there, please.”

  “But there must be a mistake. He doesn’t live here.”

  “Are you refusing delivery?”

  She looked at the box. “No, I’ll accept it.” She signed and directed him to put the large carton on the front porch. She looked at it, then found her phone. Mart’s voicemail picked up.

  “Hi, it’s Kelly. A huge box arrived for you. It’s on my front porch. I’m not upset, just curious. Give me a call when you get this, okay? Thanks.”

  She hung up and looked at the label, didn’t recognize the manufacturer’s name although it looked vaguely familiar. Whatever it was, it would have to wait until Mart called.

  When the boys got home, they wanted to open it.

  “No,” she ordered. “Do not touch it, do you hear me? It’s Mart’s. If he wants us to know what it is, he’ll tell us. You put a finger on that box and you’ll be grounded for a week, understand?”

  The boys nodded, but it didn’t stop them from looking.

  Mart called her a few hours later. “I’m sorry, I was on the plane. What’s up?”

  “You didn’t play your messages?”

  “I have a ton of them, figured it was faster to call you.”

  “There’s a huge box sitting on my front porch, and it’s addressed to you. Care to tell me what it is?”

  “It’s there? Great! I’ll be over as soon as I get out of the airport. It’ll take me about ninety minutes to get there. See you soon.”

  She stared at the phone. Whatever it was, he was happy about it. She’d have to wait to find out. He pulled into the driveway around six-thirty, minutes after the pizza arrived. Her heart raced when she saw his van.

  Kelly met him on the porch and tried to read his smile. “There’s pizza inside.” She leaned over for a kiss and fought the urge to crawl into his lap. “I missed you,” she whispered.

  He met and held her eyes, touched her cheek. “I missed you, too.” He kissed her again, longer, and she stood up when she heard the boys at the door.

  She cleared her throat. “Uh, what’s in the box?”

  “After dinner.”

  “What is it?”

  He winked. “A surprise. A good one, I promise.”

  Kelly eyed him but let it rest. The boys were happy to see Mart and tried to pester him about the box throughout dinner, but he didn’t tell. After they finished, Mart called them outside and let the boys open the box.

  It was a new hand-crank bike for Denny.

  Stunned, Kelly sat in one of the porch chairs and watched while the boys helped Mart assemble it. Denny climbed into it, trying it out while Paulie ran to get his own bike.

  Mart wheeled over. “You okay?”

  She nodded and hugged him. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back, I promise.”

  “No, you won’t. This is my present to Denny.”

  She searched his eyes and kissed him. “You’re something else, you know that?”

  “Problem is, no one’s been able to tell me what,” he quipped. “Hey, put your helmet on,” Mart called after Denny. Paulie raced into the house to get it for him.

  “Is that the one he tried out at Nationals?”

  Mart nodded.

  She laid her head against Mart’s shoulder. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “I don’t have kids of my own. Now he can go riding with Paulie and his friends. The good news is the bike should last him longer than a race chair. It’s adjustable.”

  “Good. I can’t afford to plunk that kind of money down every year. How much was it anyway?”

  “At least five home-cooked meals worth. After that, we can negotiate.”

  She loved the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. It amazed her how comfortable she felt with him. “Deal. The first one this Saturday night?”

  “Excellent. And I still owe you a date.”

  They watched the boys play, Denny quickly getting used to the bike. Even though it was close to dark, she let them take one turn around the block.

  “Stay together,” she warned. When they were out of sight, Mart turned to her.

  “Ah, well worth the investment.”

  “You mean time ourselves?”

  “How do you read my mind like that?”

  She kissed him, wishing she could freeze the moment in time.

  After a few minutes, he pulled away. “They’ll be back any minute.”

  “Yeah.” She pulled him to her for one last kiss. With perfect timing, the boys rounded the corner.

  “Don’t forget, I’m still taking you out.”

  Her heart skipped. “I won’t let you welch, don’t worry.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Kelly fussed over her cookbook, deciding on something she could prepare with minimal problems. Denny and Paulie ran out to meet Mart when he pulled into the driveway. She dried her hands and tried to quash the nervous butterflies threatening to upend her stomach as she went to greet him.

  “Hi.” She smiled.

  “Hi, yourself.” He smiled back, pulling her in for a kiss. “Smells great.”

  “I hope it tastes okay.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  After dinner, they gathered in the living room to watch TV. Mart easily transferred from his chair to the sofa while Denny watched him in awe.

  “How’d you do that?”

  “What, this?” Mart reversed the procedure, swinging back into his chair.

  He spent a few minutes teaching Denny the technique. “You have to build up your arm strength. And make sure your chair has good brakes, or you’ll land on your butt.”

  “Have you done that?”

  “More times than I can count. Better on my butt than on my head. My head’s so hard, it might dent the floor.”

  Kelly sat on the couch. Her heart fluttered again when Mart patted the cushion next to him. She scooched closer, and he winked. “The DVD’s in my van, Paulie. Can you get it? It’s on the passenger seat.”

  “Sure.” He flew out the door.

  “Did you really race in the Olympics?” Denny asked him from his place on the floor.

  Mart nodded. “I sure did.”

  “Did you go fast?”

  “Not fast enough. A guy from Australia went faster than I did.”

  “Oh, man.”

  Paulie returned with the DVD, and they watched
the documentary. “My roommate in college was a film major,” Mart explained. “This was his project. He spent almost a year working on it.”

  Mart put his arm on the back of the couch, and Kelly cuddled closer.

  Life is good.

  The documentary was a little under an hour long, about adult adaptive sports. It followed several athletes, including Mart. At the end, she sent the boys to get ready for bed.

  When they were alone, Mart asked, “Do you want me to go?”

  She looked into his eyes. “No. Can you stay?”

  “For a while. I have to work tomorrow. I fly out Monday and need to prepare the client’s presentation.”

  Kelly wanted him to stay all night but knew that was unrealistic with the boys around. Not to mention way too soon. Kelly got the boys put to bed and returned to the living room.

  “Thank you for coming over.”

  “I enjoy spending time with you. And the boys, of course.”

  She settled next to him on the couch, turning so she lay across his lap. “It’s been a long time since I could relax with someone like this.”

  “Me, too.” He leaned forward and kissed her, responding when she put her arms around him. After a few minutes, he sat up and brushed the hair from her face. “We keep this up, I won’t be able to leave.”

  “Who says I want you to?” Screw taking things slow. She was a big girl, right?

  “That would be nice, but I don’t think it should happen this soon. Not with the boys home.”

  She closed her eyes and snuggled against him. He was so warm, so comfortable. “You’re right.”

  “And there’s no reason to rush. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I hope not.”

  “Besides, I’m a moaner.”

  She looked at his serious expression. Then he winked, which made her laugh.

  They sat in comfortable silence for a while, fingers twined. Finally, he asked, “Are you okay with this?”

  “I’m scared.”

  “Really?”

  She nodded. “I’ll be honest with you, I’m scared to death.”

  “I’m sorry, I—”

  “No, I didn’t mean scared of you. This is my first relationship since David. Considering how that ended, I’m nervous.”