Page 28 of The Calendar of New Beginnings
“But do you know what, Danny?” she continued, staring earnestly at his son. “The one your dad chose for your mom is absolutely the best. Because he’s the best and smartest dad ever. Right?”
And then Lucy smiled—that smile that transformed everything around her.
Danny grinned back. “Right. Heisthe best and smartest dad ever!”
To punctuate the sentiment, his son turned in hisseat and gave him a smile big enough to fill the world with sweetness. Andy felt his stomach settle back into his gut as Moira patted him on the back.
All of the adults around him released slow breaths.
Lucy met his gaze briefly before returning her laser-like focus to Danny. “Did I tell you about the time I took a horse and rode through the ancient ruins of Petra like Indiana Jones? Please tell me you’ve seen the Indiana Jones movies. They’re like your dad’s favorites.”
“Of course I’ve seen them!” Danny said. “But Dad has me close my eyes for the scary parts.”
“Like the scene where all the bugs crawl over them?” Lucy asked, gagging. “I hate that part!”
“We’re not supposed to say ‘hate,’ Miss Lucy,” Danny said quietly. “Right, Dad?”
“Right,” he answered, leaning over and kissing Danny on the top of his head because he needed to. Frankly, all he wanted to do was down Lucy’s Jameson, take his kid home, and tuck him into bed.
“Oopsy daisy,” Lucy said with a shrug, doing her best to lessen the tension at the table. “Guess I’m still learning what’s okay to say. You keep reminding me. Okay, Danny?”
“Okay,” Danny said, bouncing in his seat. “Have you ever seen?—”
“How about you and me find the foosball table?” Matt interrupted, standing up. “I’m in the mood for a little competition.”
Andy knew his brother was trying to give him a moment to recover his balance, and he appreciated it. Danny’s questions were becoming more inquisitive as his mind developed. Sometimes Andy wondered how many times he’d have to deflect a particularly tough question about deathand how it related to Kim.
The hardest part was that he knew it wasn’t going to end any time soon—as a little person grew, so did his questions. Right now, Andy was looking at somewhere around ten more years of this line of questioning. It stretched before him like an open-plank bridge over a gorge.
The rest of their party stood too. Lucy sought his eyes, and in them, Andy could see her regret for her earlier comments. He smiled at her to assure her it wasn’t her fault.
Blake picked Danny up and threw him in the air, causing him to squeal. “I’m going to beat your pants off tonight, munchkin.”
Danny giggled. “No, I’m going to beatyourpants off, and then you’ll have to walk to your car in your underwear.”
“That would be a sight,” Natalie said, laughing out loud.
“Might make a few women faint,” Jane added, joining in.
“Undoubtedly,” Moira agreed, giving him a playful wink.
“I’ll catch them as they fall, man,” Matt told their brother-in-law, his shoulders shaking.
Blake shook his head. “You all wish you could have this body.”
Matt clapped him on the back, and the group of them left the table and headed for Hairy’s game room, leaving Andy and Lucy alone with Moira. He gave his sister a look, which she returned.
She fussed with her hands. “Lucy, I’m sure you heard, but I up and left my old job after a few too many run-ins with my boss. I’m planning to take a break in Dare Valley before looking for a new one, and I was hoping…we might get together sometime. What with you being back and all. Plus, I’d love to talk to you more about photography. You’re one of the best out there, and it’s a special hobby of mine.”
His sister was as close to babbling as he’d ever seen her. Good Lord, was she having another fan moment?
Lucy was watching her with a neutral expression, but he could feel her gathering herself. Talking about photography was probably the last thing Lucy wanted to do outside of the classroom. Not that Moira had any way of knowing that.
“Let’s give Lucy some time to settle in,” he said, deciding to intervene.
Moira’s mouth parted slightly, a sure sign she was surprised by his response. “Of course. Any time you’d like, Lucy. I’ll just join the others and let you two catch up.”
A smile flickered on Lucy’s face. “Andy’s right. I have a lot of things to see to right now, but I’m sure we can chat at some point. Good luck finding a new job, by the way.”
