A slow smile tugged at Shelby’s pretty lips. “Oh. Okay. Let’s go into the kitchen.”
She led the way, found a plate and arranged some cookies on them. “A glass of milk would go good with these,” she said. “Want one?”
“Sure.”
She poured them each a glass of milk then carried the plate of cookies into the living room and set it on the coffee table. She and Jake each took a seat and Jake reached for one of the cookies and took a big bite, savoring the buttery richness, the sweetness of brown sugar.
“Awesome,” he pronounced. “You do make good cookies.”
“Thanks.” She looked into her glass of milk, licked her lips, then took a cookie for herself. “So, what’s new, Mom?”
Her mother sighed. “I think your father is having an affair.”
Jake’s jaw dropped and his head whipped around to look at Shelby.
“I doubt it, Mom.” She seemed unconcerned by this accusation. “You and Dad have had a lot of ups and downs in your relationship, but I’m pretty sure he’s never actually cheated on you.”
Jake blinked.
“In fact, I’m pretty sure neither of you has even dated anyone else, even during the times you were separated, have you?”
Mrs. Leighton frowned.
“Did you try calling him?”
“No. I’m not going to be a nagging wife who keeps tabs on him all the time.”
Shelby bit her lip. “Well. That’s good.” Then she muttered under her breath, “For a change.”
Mrs. Leighton stared out the front window, oblivious to the fact that Shelby had brought a guest, not even trying to make small talk. Jake almost grinned. So much for his worries about being grilled by the parents, maybe interrogated about his intentions toward their daughter. Then Mrs. Leighton straightened. “Oh! There he is.”
Jake spotted a man walking up the driveway through the front window.
“Oh, we parked in the driveway,” Shelby said. “He couldn’t get into the garage.”
Her mom rose to her feet and sniffed. “Don’t worry about it. If he’d been home on time, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
The man walked in the front door and Mrs. Leighton rushed over to him. “Where the hell have you been?” she demanded as she grabbed his shirt.
“Working late,” he said. He looked past her. “Hi, Shelby sweetie. Didn’t know you were coming over or I would’ve been here sooner.”
She sighed. “You did know I was coming, Dad.”
“Your mother never told me.”
“Yes I did!” Mom screeched. “You never listen to me!” And she turned and disappeared down the hall. Shelby winced at the bang of the bedroom door slamming shut.
“Okay,” she said standing. “We should go.”
Jake rose too. “Uh…” He looked at her dad.
“Dad this is my friend, Jake. Jake, my dad, Steve Leighton.”
They shook hands and Mr. Leighton said, “Nice to meet you. Sorry you couldn’t stay longer.” He started down the hall. “I better go talk to your mother.”
Shelby’s eyes met Jake’s and the frustration in them made his heart clench. He wanted to pull her in for a hug, comfort her, reassure her that she was important. To somebody. To him.
Hell. What was that?
“Well,” she said to him once outside the house. “Sorry about that. But that’s pretty typical.”
“Didn’t they even care that you brought some guy with you?” he asked. “Jesus, if I had a daughter and she brought a guy home, I’d be all over that.”
She sighed. “Yeah, well. Like I said, they kind of distract each other from everything else.”
Jake held up his hand and she saw two cookies. He grinned. “I stole a couple of cookies, since you won’t bake any for me. These are really good.”
Her laughter made his heart constrict even more.
“I hate the way my mom is so needy,” Shelby said as they drove back to her place. Once again she looked out the side window, so his sidelong glances at her revealed only her shiny blonde hair. “I wish she’d have a little more confidence in herself. And in Dad.”
“That’s a crazy way to grow up,” he said.
Now she turned to look at him. “I’m sorry. At least I had two parents.”
“From the sounds of it, not really. Hey, don’t be sorry for me. I survived.”
She nodded, her lips curved into a sad smile. “Yeah, you did. And so did I. But even so, stuff like that messes you up, you know?”
Yeah. He knew. He knew he hadn’t handled Gianna leaving very well because of his mom and sisters having left. And Shelby apparently knew she hadn’t handled her relationships with men very well after growing up all but ignored by her parents. Neither of them had a particularly good example of a healthy relationship in their lives.
But that didn’t mean they weren’t capable of having a healthy relationship.
Why was he even thinking of that, seeing as neither of them even wanted a relationship?
Jake called on Saturday to see if she wanted to go for a run along the beach.
Shelby grinned. “Are you kidding me?” she demanded. “I already told you I can’t run with you. Your legs are three times as long as mine. I have to run to keep up with you when you walk, for heaven’s sake.”
He laughed. “Oh come on. I’ll run real slow.”
“As it turns out, I can’t,” she said, eyeing Taylor in her kitchen carefully cracking eggs into a bowl. “Taylor’s here. We’re making cookies.”
“Oh.”
She hesitated. “You can come over and help if you want.” Then she closed her eyes briefly. Why would he want to bake cookies with her and a twelve-year-old? She wasn’t even sure why she’d offered. But she would like to see him.
“I’ll go for my run with Wayne. At least he can keep up with me.”
She had to smile even as disappointment washed over her.
“Then I’ll come over after.”
“Oh.” Her smiled widened. “Okay. What’s your favorite kind of cookie?”
“Hmm. I think peanut butter.”
“All righty.”
She hung up, then opened a cupboard and pulled out a jar of peanut butter that felt disappointingly light. She unscrewed the cap and peered in. Yup, nearly empty. Damn.
“Hey, kid,” she said to Taylor. “We need to make a trip to the store.” When Taylor looked up she waved the empty jar.
“Okay.” Taylor wiped her hands on a towel.
“It’s time for lunch. You hungry?”
“Starving!”
“What’d you have for breakfast?”
“I…uh…didn’t have breakfast.”
Shelby made a shocked face. But she wasn’t shocked, she was sad, because Taylor often skipped meals when she was home alone. Taylor was capable of making herself something to eat, a sandwich or piece of toast, but she often just completely forgot about eating when she was on her own.
“I’ll take you out for lunch,” she said. She surveyed the counter. “We okay to leave this stuff for an hour? We should put those eggs in the fridge.”
Taylor was happy with fast food, although Shelby wished she’d suggested cooking a meal for her instead. Even if her cooking wasn’t all that great. They were probably better off with burgers and fries. And they had fun, laughing and talking over their lunch in the noisy restaurant.
Then they stopped at the grocery store and picked up peanut butter and a few other things Shelby needed. She added a six pack of beer…just in case maybe Jake stayed later. And a bottle of wine for her. And a package of Eggo waffles for Taylor to take home. “For your breakfast tomorrow,” she said sternly. “You have to eat breakfast.” It wasn’t the healthiest breakfast but it was easy for Taylor and better than nothing.
“I love these!” Taylor said, clutching the box. “My mom won’t buy them.”