Page 31 of Catching Our Moment
“Hard to tell with him.” He shrugged. “Kelcie won’t talk about it, but we can all feel her tension when the weekend rolls around. That is why I think it would be good for someone to live close to her. Maybe help her distract Aaron from some of the divorce drama.”
I stared back out the front window, mulling that over.
“I doubt me being next door is going to lessen the drama,” I said.
James wasn’t my number-one fan. It wasn’t like Kelcie and I saw each other much, but I knew that me moving next door would stir up some animosity. I never asked Kelcie how much she’d told James of what happened between us before he stepped up and took responsibility for her and Aaron. And I often wondered if that had been what had made him propose to her.
Dylan shrugged again. “Frankly, who lives next door to them is none of his business.”
James never deserved her or Aaron—we both knew it.
We pulled up to a stoplight. Autumn was around the corner—the perfect time in mid-Maryland. It was still warm out, but it had the promise of being a cool, beautiful evening. We drove down Market Street, the center of town, flanked by intersecting streets, filled with historic buildings that housed small restaurants, boutiques, antique shops, and even theaters and art galleries. Surrounding the town were a small college and a variety of neighborhoods. Even farther out were historic Civil War battlefields and landmarks.
It really did have a lot of charm that, as a child, a teen, and even a young adult, I’d never appreciated.
Maybe Aaron, Kelcie, and I could spend time exploring this place as if we were new to it. We kind of were. It would be a good distraction for all three of us.
Dylan took a left off Market and pulled up in front of a duplex. The left side had flowers in pots on the shared front porch. The right still had a ladder and other construction paraphernalia lying around on it.
As Dylan pulled up in front of the house, I stepped out of the truck, rolling my head over my shoulders and stretching.
My left arm was in a sling to stabilize my shoulder, and my head ached.
Dylan popped the trunk and pulled out my luggage. “This is it—the new duplex I told you about. I bought it earlier this year and was going to flip it.” He motioned to the house.
We both started to walk toward it. “Kelcie’s side is completely finished. Your side has a few cosmetic things left to do—a small punch list I can do at your convenience. No rush.”
I scratched at the beard I’d unintentionally begun growing over the past week and tried to piece things together. “So, are you renting it to her?”
“For now. Until she figures out what she wants to do.”
“I could buy it from you if you want.” We walked toward the steps when the light came on from the left unit. The storm door flew open so fast I thought it would break.
“And be her landlord? Yeah, I can’t see that going over well,” Dylan said. Aaron crashed through the door and ran down to us.
“Shaw!” he said. “You’re late.” Aaron grabbed the railing with one hand as he flew down the steps, coming to a halt one foot in front of us. “But Mom said you’re always late, so nothing is new.”
I glanced up, and Kelcie stepped out of the door, slower than her son. She stopped at the top of the stairs, leaning on the railing, a small smile on her face.
I cleared my throat. Not for the first time, I couldn’t help wondering how this was all going to work out. I tried to lean forward and come down to Aaron’s level, but I was reminded of the throbbing pain in my head, not to mention the dizziness, which was how I got here in the first place. I straightened.
“Well, my man, first, I wasn’t driving. So, if we’re late, it’s because of him.” I threw my thumb over my shoulder toward Dylan. “Second, your mother is mistaken.” I shot her a side-eye. “I was always waiting for her.”
Dylan walked behind me, carrying my bag up to the front door. “You were both always late.”
“Hey, did you know DeeJay Mullins is playing your position this week?” Aaron blurted out, walking alongside me. “Analysts are saying it’s going to be a test to see if he could handle filling your shoes permanently.”
Ah, yes. Aaron’s bluntness.
“But Mom said he’s not taking your shoes. It means he may replace you.” He tilted his head as if trying to understand me better. “Are you leaving football, Shaw?”
I pretended to yawn as if I were tired and not trying to avoid answering.
Kelcie knew my tactic and intervened. “Aaron, honey, I think we need to give Shaw some space. I’m sure he’s tired.” She hesitated to approach, waiting for us to reach her.
Did she regret our arrangement? Did she have second thoughts? I’d been pretty drugged up when it was all being discussed.
I took a good look at her, comparing her to my memory. The setting sun still pulled the chestnut color out of the hair that escaped her ponytail, and she was in worn jeans and a t-shirt. But her bow-shaped mouth, instead of being ready with a witty comeback, lacked something and seemed less familiar.
