him away from kids, too?”
Put that way, she felt foolish. “You’re missing the point.”
“No, you’re missing the point. Ryan’s eight, not two. He’s smart enough to know that I’m here now, but that I’ll be going back home, just like Walter and Jean and your other guests. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends during the time we have together.”
Megan sat staring at her folded hands, wondering if she was making a mountain out of a molehill. She’d only wanted to protect her son.
“Listen, I think I know a little of what Ryan feels since my mother died when I was fairly young. Every time I saw my father with a woman, I wondered if he’d marry her. I loved my mother a great deal and I didn’t want him to try to replace her. Yet I was drawn to the idea of a woman in our lives again, someone who’d cook my favorite foods and knit sweaters and stick up for me when my dad was too strict. Did you ever think that Ryan looks at me not as a replacement for his father but rather as just a guy he can have a few laughs with and maybe learn something from?”
Except that Ryan’s feelings for his father weren’t like Alex’s for his mother, Megan thought. Neal hadn’t had much to do with his son as a baby, and even later he all but ignored Ryan. He’d never helped with his school projects, never attended one ball game, one Cub Scout meeting. No movies or fun visits to pizza parlors. The last year or two of his life, Neal had stayed away more, almost like a familiar stranger to both of them.
But how could she explain all that to a man she hardly knew?
“I see your point, but I hope you also see mine.”
Alex reached over and placed a hand over both of hers. “I do. And I promise I’ll try not to hurt him.”
Ryan came barreling over at that moment, causing both adults to pull back their hands. “Hey, Mr. Shephard, I beat Jamie, this kid from my class, at Pac-Man twice. Can you believe it? Want to play me?”
“Maybe later, sport. Here comes our dinner.”
As the waitress set down the steaming pizza and drinks, Megan slid out of the booth. “I think you need to wash your hands before eating, Ryan. Baseball grime all over you. Come with me.”
“Aw, Mom, I don’t want to go into the girls’ room.” He changed to a whisper. “My friend’s here.”
“Ryan, we’re far from home and this is a big place. We’ve talked about stranger danger. I don’t want you to go in alone.”
The waitress left and Alex got up. “I’ll go with him to the men’s room. Come on, Ryan.”
When they returned, Megan was busily pouring root beer. She noticed that Ryan’s hands were sparkling clean. She spoke to Alex without looking up. “I know you think I’m overly protective but—”
“Just a tad, yeah. Hand me your plate, Ryan.” He slid a piece on for the boy, then filled her plate and his own. “I also think it’s natural to be overly protective when you’re solely responsible for your child. You should have seen my dad. The first date I went on, he insisted on driving me to pick up the girl, took us to the party and came back for us. If you don’t think I was embarrassed...”
Megan relaxed, surprised yet grateful that he seemed to understand. “How old were you?”
“Fourteen.” Alex took a bite and chewed appreciatively. “It was a birthday party for a classmate. Her parents stayed out in the backyard. We played spin the carrot.”
Megan swallowed around a laugh. “Spin the carrot?”
“Yeah. We didn’t have a bottle so we used a carrot. When it was my turn, the carrot pointed to Norma Doolittle of all people.”
“She wasn’t your type?”
“She had a problem that became my problem. Braces. The minute I went near her mouth to try to kiss her, these tiny rubberbands came shooting out. Nearly put out my eye.”
Behind her napkin, Megan laughed again. “You’re making that up.” Despite her misgivings about Alex—and there were many—she was beginning to enjoy herself,
Put that way, she felt foolish. “You’re missing the point.”
“No, you’re missing the point. Ryan’s eight, not two. He’s smart enough to know that I’m here now, but that I’ll be going back home, just like Walter and Jean and your other guests. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends during the time we have together.”
Megan sat staring at her folded hands, wondering if she was making a mountain out of a molehill. She’d only wanted to protect her son.
“Listen, I think I know a little of what Ryan feels since my mother died when I was fairly young. Every time I saw my father with a woman, I wondered if he’d marry her. I loved my mother a great deal and I didn’t want him to try to replace her. Yet I was drawn to the idea of a woman in our lives again, someone who’d cook my favorite foods and knit sweaters and stick up for me when my dad was too strict. Did you ever think that Ryan looks at me not as a replacement for his father but rather as just a guy he can have a few laughs with and maybe learn something from?”
Except that Ryan’s feelings for his father weren’t like Alex’s for his mother, Megan thought. Neal hadn’t had much to do with his son as a baby, and even later he all but ignored Ryan. He’d never helped with his school projects, never attended one ball game, one Cub Scout meeting. No movies or fun visits to pizza parlors. The last year or two of his life, Neal had stayed away more, almost like a familiar stranger to both of them.
But how could she explain all that to a man she hardly knew?
“I see your point, but I hope you also see mine.”
Alex reached over and placed a hand over both of hers. “I do. And I promise I’ll try not to hurt him.”
Ryan came barreling over at that moment, causing both adults to pull back their hands. “Hey, Mr. Shephard, I beat Jamie, this kid from my class, at Pac-Man twice. Can you believe it? Want to play me?”
“Maybe later, sport. Here comes our dinner.”
As the waitress set down the steaming pizza and drinks, Megan slid out of the booth. “I think you need to wash your hands before eating, Ryan. Baseball grime all over you. Come with me.”
“Aw, Mom, I don’t want to go into the girls’ room.” He changed to a whisper. “My friend’s here.”
“Ryan, we’re far from home and this is a big place. We’ve talked about stranger danger. I don’t want you to go in alone.”
The waitress left and Alex got up. “I’ll go with him to the men’s room. Come on, Ryan.”
When they returned, Megan was busily pouring root beer. She noticed that Ryan’s hands were sparkling clean. She spoke to Alex without looking up. “I know you think I’m overly protective but—”
“Just a tad, yeah. Hand me your plate, Ryan.” He slid a piece on for the boy, then filled her plate and his own. “I also think it’s natural to be overly protective when you’re solely responsible for your child. You should have seen my dad. The first date I went on, he insisted on driving me to pick up the girl, took us to the party and came back for us. If you don’t think I was embarrassed...”
Megan relaxed, surprised yet grateful that he seemed to understand. “How old were you?”
“Fourteen.” Alex took a bite and chewed appreciatively. “It was a birthday party for a classmate. Her parents stayed out in the backyard. We played spin the carrot.”
Megan swallowed around a laugh. “Spin the carrot?”
“Yeah. We didn’t have a bottle so we used a carrot. When it was my turn, the carrot pointed to Norma Doolittle of all people.”
“She wasn’t your type?”
“She had a problem that became my problem. Braces. The minute I went near her mouth to try to kiss her, these tiny rubberbands came shooting out. Nearly put out my eye.”
Behind her napkin, Megan laughed again. “You’re making that up.” Despite her misgivings about Alex—and there were many—she was beginning to enjoy herself,
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