Dad Next Door

Dad Next Door

A contemporary Hearth & Home Novel

by Sandra McGregor

Copyright 2014 Sandra McGregor

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edotion, License Notes

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Thank you

This book is dedicated to all the single mothers who put in long hours to be the best possible parent. May God richly bless you.

Chapter One

Mom! Did you hear me?

Erin glanced in the rear view mirror. Thick auburn hair flopped across the boy’s forehead, not quite covering a deep frown…a frown she saw a lot more often than she liked. What now? Blue lasers…just like his father’s…met and held her gaze before she broke the connection and returned her focus to the narrow, winding road. Persistent and determined…two words that perfectly described the personality of her firstborn.

We’ll see, Andy, she responded, not wanting to commit to whatever his question had been…but also not wanting to admit that her mind had been a million miles away from his grumpy mutters from the back seat.

That’s what you always say when you don’t want to say ‘yes’, the eight-year old mumbled, crossing his arms and slumping further into the seat.

Her gaze darted back to the rear view mirror in time to see him punch his younger brother on the arm. Her sigh was silent. She was too tired to intervene. Four hours of driving with two lively…and loud…boys in the backseat had used up her supply of patience. She refocused on the road, sending up a silent prayer that they would settle down without her having to resort to yelling…or worse yet, stopping the car to put one of them in the front seat beside her. She almost smiled at her two sons considering it the worst kind of punishment to be the one banished to the co-pilot seat.

With renewed resolve, she refocused on the promise she had made with herself. World War III might be brewing in the backseat, but in the front seat, she reaffirmed the decision to stay calm and move on with her life. There was no denying she had tuned out a lot of the confusion during the past couple of years, a process that had no doubt saved her sanity, but it had gone on long enough. Her euphony moment came when her oldest reminded her of a long-forgotten promise from his father…at least forgotten by her, but obviously not by her two sons. It had been their father’s great idea for bonding with his boys. If only he had lived long enough to fulfill his promise.

Camping. Erin shuddered. Snakes, bugs…and dirt.

But Andy was right. A promise was a promise, regardless of which parent made it. It didn’t really matter that she knew nothing about tents and campfires, her sons deserved to have that last promise fulfilled.

Mom! Andy hit me hard.

Andy… When her gaze connected with his in the mirror, she narrowed her eyes and firmed her jaw. It was a glare she had used in her classroom and then perfected when she became a mother…a glare her boys called her mother look. And it worked every time.

Yes ma’am, he mumbled, turning his head to stare out the window.

Her heart ached for them. They both had idolized his father, but his wreck and subsequent death had hit her oldest son harder. Well, things needed to change and the change would start with her. She never expected to be a widow at twenty-eight, but now at almost thirty, it was time to get over it and move on, as everyone told her about the grieving process.

Kyle. Her husband, her lover and her friend. She blinked several times and cleared her throat before glancing at the mirror to be sure the boys were occupied. If her sons were only going to have one parent, they needed that parent to have her feet firmly on the ground. But camping?

She frowned slightly as she homed her gaze from Andy to her reflected eyes in the review mirror. Large and dark. Not bad for a woman heading into an uncharted dimension. She lifted a hand to shove short wisps of cocoa-brown hair from her forehead. Her ponytail was slipping…again. Her eyes momentarily closed. Have I done the right thing? Please don’t let them get hurt this week.

Erin forced her thoughts to refocus as she reached out and turned off the air conditioner. Within seconds, she had the window down and was breathing deeply.

Smell that? She glanced over her shoulder, smiling broadly.

Yeah, it smells like Christmas trees, offered Toby, leaning over slightly and craning his neck to the side to look up toward the tops of the tall trees.

With the boys now occupied discussing what they wanted from Santa Claus, her shoulders sagged with relief. Another argument avoided. Sure, there were days when she didn’t feel up to the task of being the only parent, but the two precious children in the backseat deserved her best effort.

Her cousin’s tough love words still rang in her ears. Erin Cody, what are you afraid of? There’s nothing out there but trees…and maybe a few bugs…and a lot of dirt. If you can handle a classroom full of hormonally-charged teenagers, I think you can handle camping with two small boys.

I sure hope so, Erin muttered softly. She straightened her spine and pushed her shoulders back.

Her foot lifted from the gas pedal, allowing the car to slow. Thirty, thirty-one… The numbers on those white posts beside each gravel driveways tell me we’re getting close to the turnoff for our cabin. She only hoped the cabin was at least similar to the pictures on the Internet site.

Number thirty-four. We’re here. She tossed the announcement over her shoulder as she turned onto the tree-lined road, driving only a couple hundred feet before it opened into a clearing. She slowed to a stop.

Wow! The boys scrambled from the back seat, yelling with renewed energy. Like lightning in a summer storm, they streaked toward the cabin.

I’ll beat you!

The challenge was tossed out, silently accepted, and the race was on. Erin stepped out and stood by the car to watch. It was no surprise that Andy won, but Toby was closing the distance on his older brother by the time they reached the porch and bounded up the few steps. It won’t be long, she whispered. She was proud of both boys, but she silently rooted for her youngest son to occasionally win. He tried so hard to keep up with his brother…and was disappointed so often.

Since the two rocking chairs failed to hold the children’s interest, they leaped from the porch and turned toward the grove of trees nearby. Don’t go far! She raised her voice, but had doubts whether or not they heard over their own yelling. They were anxious to discover all the fascinating things the forest had to offer. Adventure awaited and they obviously didn’t want to waste a moment of their allotted week.

Erin exhaled a huge breath. A few hours earlier she had left the heat and congestion of Atlanta behind to face a new experience. At least things are going well so far. But what did the week hold in store for them? She couldn’t begin to imagine, but good or bad, she was committed.

She wasted only a moment pondering the amount of cloths and food she had packed before she pulled the cabin key from her pocket. Without the boy’s help it would take numerous trips to carry it all in, but it was too late now and she’d just have to deal with it.

The structure’s exterior was an impressive two-story log cabin with a long front porch, complete with the two wooden rocking chairs that looked inviting. I could spend the week right out here in a chair…reading a book. Later. Right now, there was work to do. She turned her attention to unlocking the door and pushing it gently to swing inward. She wasn’t prepared for the relief that washed over her when she stepped into the cool interior.

From outside, her first impression was of camping in rustic grandeur. But two steps inside the door she stopped and her jaw dropped slightly. She stood spellbound as she gawked at the beam ceiling that soared at least eighteen or twenty feet over her head and showcased the rock fireplace that dominated the far wall. Wow. The word whispered out to break the silence that now surrounded her.

Her gaze was drawn to a wall of glass to the left that allowed a view of the lake. In the middle was a sliding door that opened onto a wooden deck nestled among the pine trees on one end.

Oh my goodness. This is incredible. Unbelievable. With her first sense of freedom in two years, she crossed the room and unlocked the door to step out onto the deck. Just outside the door, she stopped between two lounge chairs and ran her fingers along the bright-red cushions. The view was everything promised. The thick forest of trees sloped down toward the lake in the distance…a lake that sparkled like diamonds as it reflected the late afternoon sun.

This is beautiful, she whispered, and it smells so good up here. She momentarily closed her eyes and savored the fresh pine scent being blown about on the light breeze. Toby was right…it was like Christmas.

Okay, she whispered, glancing toward Heaven as if asking for Divine assistance. This camping thing seems to be working out, but don’t go anywhere. The week isn’t over yet and I might need some help.

Peace washed over her body, relaxing her shoulders and easing the tightness in her chest. Silence. I’m not sure what it’s like to sleep in a tent, but this cabin is the only way to camp. It’s like being at home…only in the trees. I could get used to this…and be happy.

She stretched her arms over her head and then let them drop to each side as her eyes closed and her chin lifted toward the sun. The rays warmed her face and chased away the last doubt about her vacation choice. Several deep breaths released the last thread of tension, but then her practical nature kicked in and her eyes popped open.

The sooner I get organized, the sooner I can relax. The murmured words sounded loud in the relative quiet of her surroundings. With a deep sigh and a mental promise to spend as much of the week as possible relaxing on the deck, she turned and reentered the cabin.

It took three trips to bring in the boxes of food and the three suitcases. With the kitchen in order, it was time to investigate upstairs. With a suitcase in each hand, she climbed the long staircase, glancing into each room as she walked slowly down the hall.

Since the cabin had three bedrooms, she figured they’d each have their own room, but that thought changed when the first room held two twin beds and was decorated in shades of brown and royal blue. Perfect. After hefting a suitcase onto each bed, she wasted no time in heading back downstairs for her own suitcase.

On her next trip, she glanced into the second bedroom, but moved on to the last door. Ooohh. This is beautiful. She sat the heavy suitcase near the king-sized bed and, without missing a step, continued toward the sliding-glass door at the far end of the room. Like being in one of her son’s favorite futuristic movies, she caught sight of the trees through the wall of glass and now she was a starship being drawn on a tractor beam to the mother ship.

Oh my goodness, she whispered, shifting her gaze from the stunning view of the forest and the lake beyond to the locked door that separated her from a closer look.

The lock resisted her efforts at first, but once the lever was lifted, the heavy door easily slid open. The deck was small, with a café-sized, metal table and two matching chairs tucked into a corner. Giant arms of a nearby pine tree reached across the railing…waving in the gentle breeze to fan its strong aroma toward her. It drew her forward.

To the right she glanced down a long flight of steps that led to a narrow walkway that wrapped around to join the large deck below. This place couldn’t be more perfect.

Memories that were normally closed away, memories that always left her sad and lonely, wedged their way in to remind her of what she’d lost to the drunk driver two years earlier. That night…

No! Her hands fisted at her sides as she clamped her jaws together and lifted her chin. This week belongs to the boys. Like the therapist had taught her, she visualized placing her loneliness in a box and closing the lid. She’d never forget her husband, but her wallowing days were over. Time to move on. Her whispered words turned like a key in the lock on her box.

She relaxed her hands and brushed a finger along the rough edge of the metal table. She longed to sink into one of the two chairs and just listen to the birds chirping and the breeze blowing gently through the trees…but it would have to wait.

The smells and the sounds of nature gave her a sense of peace she had been unable to achieve at home or at work. All that was missing was a man to share morning coffee with or to stand beside her to watch the sun go down. Her smile faded slightly. Maybe someday.

Her head jerked up. The boys. Memories and longings for someone to share her life were forgotten as she stepped inside and locked the door behind her. At the bottom of the stairs, she hesitated a moment before deciding to call to them from the deck instead of the front porch.

Just as she stepped out on the huge redwood deck, she heard them thrashing through the trees with Andy yelling at his younger brother to hurry up. Growing up an only child had been lonely at times, but it had spared her having an older sibling who thought that birth order came with the privilege of bossing younger siblings. At least that’s how Andy acts at home, she muttered. Some things didn't change with location.

Hey Mom!

Erin hadn't seen them break from the woods off to the right, but she couldn't miss her youngest calling from somewhere below. I’m up on the deck!

Her last word was followed by the sounds of them tromping up the stairs. Like their father, they attacked life. For two years she had lived as if her world were tilted on its axis, but it had righted. The boys had weathered a rough spot on the road of life, moved on and were now fine. She could feel a load lifting from her shoulders.

Hurry up. I am. Let me tell her. No, I found… Shhhhhh!

My goodness, sound sure carries in the mountains. Despite the hissed bickering she could hear between her sons, she smiled. It’s only two boys, but it sounds like an army has arrived.

Two heads appeared over the edge of the deck and soon they were hurling toward her like cannonballs in flight. Toby radiated excitement, but Andy was unusually quiet and reserved. Her smile slipped, but with determination, it remained. What’s going on?

Their hair hung in dark clumps, plastered against their foreheads as excess sweat trickled down the sides of their faces. The distinct odor of sweaty little boys reached her before they skidded to a halt. These were her babies, even though they had their father’s eyes and his energy level. She’d never forget when each of them had been placed in her arms for the first time. It had been…

Mom! Listen!

She jerked her thoughts back to Toby as he danced impatiently from one foot to the other, his eyes bright with excitement. Yes, I’m listening. What did you guys see out there in the wilds? Her gaze slid to Andy who was now avoiding her eyes. Unlike his brother, he didn’t look excited…but…wary…and almost… hopeful? Her resolve firmed. Whatever they wanted to take home, the answer was no. They didn’t need another lizard or turtle in the house.

Her thoughts of exotic creatures sharing their home stopped dead in their tracks as her youngest son bubbled over, no longer able to hold back his news. Surely she had heard wrong. He now had her full attention. What did you just say?

We met a man in the woods and he knows how to fish!

Chapter Two

Erin’s heart thudded…her world skidding to a stop as her gaze darted between Toby and Andy. She opened her mouth, but the words…backed by paralyzing fear of the unknown out in the growing dusk, refused to form. She watched Toby’s smile dim, but…

A movement at the far end of the deck caught her attention, sending her lecture on speaking to strangers into a black void as fear, like none she had ever experienced before, gripped her throat. She grabbed Toby to her, slamming his thin body against her even as she turned toward the safety of the cabin and a door that locked.

Mom! His voice was slightly muffled against her shirt, but something in his voice made her stop. Not fear…but irritation.

Andy glanced toward the steps before he turned back to face his mother.

Um, he wanted to meet you.

A dark head appeared at the top of the stairs. Erin stood mesmerized, her mouth hanging slightly open as she watched the man gradually come into view. From her vantage point, his profile didn’t prepare her for the assault on her senses when he reached the top and turned to face her. Her breath caught…and then he smiled.

Her focus narrowed to his face. Oh, she had determined in the first glimpse of the man that he was tall and athletically fit and trim, but it was his eyes… and his smile…that held her captive.

Um… She cleared her throat. Her gaze momentarily darted to her boys, but now they were both smiling at the large man advancing on them.

Mom, you’re hurting me, Toby complained, shrugging his shoulder, his smile dimming for a moment while he glared up at her.

She relaxed her grip, but her fear wasn’t as easy to deal with. I…I came out to call you two home, but I wasn’t expecting you to bring anyone with you. Her words were directed at the boys, but her gaze remained on the stranger who advanced. He had a friendly smile, but everyone who watched television knew a smile could disguise evil.

Her heart thundered, blocking out everything except the urge to hover over her boys and protect them from whatever danger was rearing its ugly head. She knew how alone they were with the cabin tucked back in the grove of trees, but she had hesitated too long. It was too late to run.

Like a flash of lightning, her mind processed his close buzzed hair, as if he were military, but his face was clean-shaven and his deep tan told of hours outside. He didn’t look threatening, but she was still on full alert.

As he neared, she stepped forward and pulled Toby close to her side. She wasn’t naïve enough to think crooks or perverts came with pointed teeth and horns. She dragged her gaze away long enough to glance at Andy. The boy was smiling at the man as if greeting his best friend. Her gaze darted back to the tall man.

Hi, I’m Stan Forsyth. I met your sons down by the lake.

His smile hadn’t wavered, but now that he was near, he reached out his hand, offering to shake. Her response was automatic.

A tingle shot through her palm sending chill-bumps up her arm and a shudder down her back before he took a step back, his eyebrows drawing in slightly. Did he feel it too? Um, nice to meet you. She allowed her arm to relax back to her side. Are you staying in one of the cabins?

He’s just next door, Toby interjected before their visitor could respond.

Erin frowned at her son’s rudeness, but the big man chuckled, a deep laugh that preceded his smile widening. He looked as if he belonged in the setting that surrounded them. From his flannel, plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, to the jeans and hiking boots. He looked rugged and capable of roughing it. Despite her years, her heart palpitated like a teenager meeting a rock star.

Yes. I’m the guy next door, he added, tilting his head toward a grove of trees to the right of the deck. Sorry to intrude before you even have a chance to get settled, but the boys said they’d love to learn to fish. I know this is sudden…and we don’t know each other, but I’d be happy to teach them…if that’s alright with you. After a short pause, he continued. Of course, you’d need to come with us.

He said he’s going at five in the morning and if we want to learn how, we’ll have to get up very early and be very quiet, Andy answered. Can we go?

Erin held back the bark of laughter, rolling her bottom lip inward and clamping her teeth on it. Her sons? Quiet? She struggled to appear serious as she turned toward the boys. It was easy to read the silent pleading on their faces…begging her to allow them the opportunity to fulfill one of their dreams. They had missed out on so much since their father died. Her heart ached…and then softened. Well, if we get everything put away and get to bed early, I guess it will be all right.

Yeah! The boys slapped their hands together in a high-five.

So, Mr. Forsyth, do you have any children?

Please…call me Stan. After a brief pause while she nodded, he continued. No. I’m not married and I like to think that being married is a prerequisite to fathering children, he said, a gentle smile transforming his momentary serious face.

Ah, she said, her lips twitching slightly as she nodded her head. Well then, I hope you know what you’re doing, because my two have enough energy to tire out a saint.

I'm usually a patient man. He glanced at the boys before turning back to face her.

Oh, there’s a problem. She hated to disappoint her boys, but they couldn’t go fishing. We don’t have poles…and, you know, all the… She waved her hand in a circular motion, but it didn’t help her find the right word. She gave up and shrugged. You know, all the things you need to fish.