Dakota Love (14 page)

“It’s a picture of our family, Jason.” Caroline remained calm.

“I know that.” He spat out the words. “Why is the picture back out?”

“Because, contrary to what you think, I’m not mad at your father.”
Nor God any longer, for that matter
. Caroline frowned. That was an odd thought at a time like this.

“They’re all over the house, like”—Jason paused and readjusted his ball cap—“like he was still alive.”

“Well, he’s not still alive, but you were right. He was a part of our lives, and we shouldn’t forget it.”

“You can still be mad at him dying with pictures out. Did you just put them back out to shut me up?”

“Jason, I am not mad at him,” she said firmly. “This is not the reaction I thought you’d have.” Caroline turned back to pinning the quilt top to the project board.

“Well…what did you expect me to do?”

Her hands shook, and she dropped a straight pin. She remained focused on the board and decided she’d already pushed in enough pins to hold the quilt top. “I thought you’d be happy.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline saw Angela stand and take the frame from Jason. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jason shrugged, then turned to Caroline. “I am happy you put the pictures out. Sorry for my outburst.”

Caroline caught a glimpse of the real Jason in his sincere expression.

“I guess it just took me by surprise.”

I’m guessing it’ll be the first of two surprises today. Rodney and Michelle, due to arrive any minute, will be the second
. Would Jason be polite when meeting Rodney?

As if on cue, Caroline heard a knock on the door before it creaked open. “Anyone home?”

“Down here!” Caroline hollered, comfortable enough with their relationship to let Rodney find his own way down the stairs.

Caroline stepped in front of Jason and in a firm whisper said, “This is Rodney and his sister.”

Jason bristled at the mention of Rodney’s name.

Caroline continued. “Please be polite. Both of these people are my friends, not to mention customers.”

Rodney entered the room first, carrying a large shopping bag in one hand and a plastic fabric store sack in the other.

“She’s been to see Mark.” He held up the plastic bag with Granny Bea’s logo on it. “You should get a kickback for all the business you send his way.”

“I think we’re even on that.” Caroline smiled at Rodney, then looked past him at Michelle.

“Hi, Caroline.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Michelle. Come in.” She motioned with her hands. “I’d like you both to meet my son and daughter-in-law.”

Rodney set the bags on Caroline’s worktable and removed his gloves.

“Jason and Angela, this is Rodney Harris and Michelle Combs.” Caroline made the appropriate hand gestures while stating their names.

“Nice to finally meet you both.” Rodney held his hand out to Jason. “Your mom talks a lot about you.”

Jason shook the hand Rodney offered. “She talks about you often, too. Seems you’re a jack-of-all-trades.” His raised eyebrow spoke the sarcasm not reflected in his voice. Since his tone was civil, Caroline chose to ignore the innuendoes in his comment and gesture.

Rodney shook Angela’s hand. “She’s quite excited about becoming a grandma. You should see what she’s been working—”

“Rodney!” Caroline stopped him before he spoiled the surprise.

“I wasn’t going to tell; I was just trying to build suspense.” Rodney flashed a sheepish smile at Caroline.

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Nice save, big brother.”

“I’ve made coffee.” Caroline pointed to the card table. “It’s decaf if anyone would like some.” She turned her attention to Michelle. “I’m anxious to see what you chose for fabric.”

“Well, I have one very sports-minded son.” Michelle pulled a stack of folded T-shirts out of the shopping bag and laid them on the table. “So I went with this.” She pulled out black fabric with all types of sports equipment printed on it. “It pretty much covers all the sports on his T-shirts.”

A quick flip through the shirts showed hockey, baseball, basketball, and football teams. “Good choice, not just for the symbols in the fabric, but the colors all coordinate, too. Did you decide on what style you want?”

“Yes, I want…what do you call the connecting rows on the front?”

“Sashing.”

Michelle smiled. “I want this fabric as the sashing and the backing.”

“Got it. What’s the other quilt’s fabric like?”

“This son collects T-shirts from our vacations.” Michelle pulled out turquoise material with postcards, stamps, and postmarks featuring tourist attractions weaved into it.

“Perfect!”

The same broad smile that Rodney wore when pleased appeared on Michelle’s face. “Instead of this fabric as the sashing, I bought white. I wasn’t sure that the turquoise would look so good right next to some of the T-shirts.”

Caroline removed that bundle of T-shirts and saw a vast array of colors—orange, navy, red, olive green, white, and black. “I think you’re right. I’ll bind the edge with white, too, and that will help deflect some of the non-contrasting colors.”

“Whatever you think is best. I’d like the quilts to be their Easter gifts, or would that be rushing you?”

Caroline considered the other paying projects and the dates she’d committed to being finished. Then with Angela’s fast-approaching due date, the baby quilt needed to be completed. It might be a tight deadline. She started to pull her lip under.

Rodney glanced her way. “Don’t worry about mine.”

She unfurled her lip.

He stood by the project board, sipping coffee, and resumed looking at the gaping hole in his quilt top. “Mark’s ordered the retro fabric but doesn’t expect it in until the end of February.” He traced the open area with his finger before looking back at the group.

“And”—Angela gave Rodney a conspiratorial wink—“since I’m due in April, your grandchild won’t need a quilt for at least six months.”

“Okay, then.” Caroline flopped her arms in the air. “I know when I’m beaten.”

Everyone laughed except Jason. Caroline cleared her throat. She put Michelle’s items back in the bags. “Speaking of your quilt, did you find out any information yet?”

“Well, I found out that no one has contact information for the cousin who moved to California. Aunt Jenny found the picture and promises to get it in the mail. She says her eyes aren’t as good as they used to be, but if she has a picture of it, I’m doubtful the cousin in California had anything to do with it, because they’re on opposite sides of the family. So we should be able to compare the picture to the quilt sometime soon.”

“I look forward to it.”

Jason snorted. Caroline cleared her throat again and shot him her best not-now-young-man look. Michelle joined Rodney in looking at the quilt and slipped her arm around his waist. “And,” Rodney continued, “how are the negotiations going? Did you get a flat-rate pricing sheet finished?” Rodney turned his head to look at Caroline. His affection for her sparkled in his eyes.

Caroline’s heart fluttered, which brought an immediate heat to her cheeks since Jason stood just to her side. She didn’t want her son to see something stronger than a friendship between her and Rodney until she had a chance to talk to Jason about it.

“Soooooo…” Jason pulled out the syllables, increasing the tension in the room. “You’re dating my mother.”

Too late. Jason had picked up on their shared look.

Michelle’s arm dropped from around Rodney’s waist.

“I am, I guess.” Rodney walked over and stood eye to eye with Jason.

The desire to push in between the men flared in Caroline, yet her feet stayed firmly planted.

“You guess?” A sarcastic chuckle followed the question. “Either you are or you aren’t.”

Caroline opened her mouth to intercede, but Rodney held a hand up to stop her.

“It means”—Rodney enunciated each word—“that we’ve spent time together as friends but only had one date. Although I’m open to many more if it’s agreeable with your mother.”

Caroline’s heart fluttered at Rodney’s admission.

Both men turned to face Caroline. Had the anger in Jason’s eyes been daggers, she’d have been pinned to the wall like the quilts to her project board.

Jason had been in a mood since he’d arrived today. Caroline wished she knew what was causing her son to act so uncharacteristically these last few months. Where was her easygoing, open-minded son? Did he feel left out or hurt because she didn’t consult him before buying the long arm machine? That purchase seemed to be what had triggered all of his anger.

“Well?” Jason forced the word through his clenched teeth.

She looked from Rodney’s eager expression to Jason’s smug, expectant one.

“Caroline?” A flicker of disappointment crossed Rodney’s face at her lack of response.

“Mom?” Jason’s tone of voice and expression conveyed cockiness. Was her son making her choose between him and a new beginning? Did he want her to spend her life pining for his father?

She felt the deep crease form as her eyebrows furrowed, the flutters that had lifted her heart now replaced by the beginning of a dull ache. She cleared her throat in order to have complete control of her voice.

“I am agreeable.”

Relief covered Rodney’s features. The corners of his mouth twitched as he tried to hide a smile. Caroline watched Jason’s expression turn more dour as he registered that his mother hadn’t given in to his pressure and refused another date with Rodney. The dawning that she chose Rodney over him.

“What is wrong with you?” His teeth and jawline clenched.

Angela came to his side and reached for his hand. “Jason, we should go.” Her voice was soft and soothing.

He pulled his hand free and held one finger up in front of Caroline. “I am not going to stand by and let you waste money on this.” He pointed to the long arm machine. “Or this”—he pointed to Rodney—“nonsense just because you’re mad at Dad for dying. You are acting ridiculous.”

“Jason!” Angela pushed her burgeoning tummy between Caroline and Jason. “We. Should. Go. Now.” Her commanding tone stopped Jason’s tirade. He stalked toward the door.

Angela pulled Caroline to her in a quick hug and whispered, “I’m so sorry. He doesn’t mean it.” She gave Rodney and Michelle an apologetic smile, then followed Jason through the door and up the steps.

The slam of the door rattled the glass in the door window and echoed through the workroom.

Jerk, jerk, jerk
. Rodney berated himself. Why had he puffed out his chest like a rooster to Caroline’s son? He never thought her features could display additional worry, but deep lines now etched her face in places the usual day-to-day worries never touched. Her eyelids drooped, and frown lines draped her mouth with its almost nonexistent lower lip. She looked simply mortified.

On the verge of tears, Caroline blinked several times to clear the moisture glowing in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.” She placed a shaking hand to her mouth. “This is so unprofessional. And my son, I’ve never seen him act that way before. Sure, we’ve been having some problems, but…” She shook her head as if the image would disappear like a picture on an Etch-a-Sketch. “I can’t apologize enough, and I completely understand if you’d want to take your business elsewhere.”

Rodney’s heart twisted and he reached for her, but Michelle beat him to it.

“I’m not taking my business anywhere else. Please stop apologizing.”

“But Jason’s actions—I just don’t know—”

Michelle reached for Caroline’s hands and held them in hers. “I’m a mother, too. I have sons.”

Caroline bent her head to hide her face.

“Their timing is seldom perfect.”

Caroline lifted her eyes to Michelle’s compassion-filled face. Rodney watched a tear trickle down Caroline’s cheek. His heart tightened in his chest, a feeling worse than the pain of his heart attack. He’d hurt Caroline. He’d made her choose. Even the knowledge of winning tugged at his heart, instead of lightening it. What kind of a man would come between a mother and her child?

He wanted to be the one to embrace and comfort Caroline until her pain subsided. After what he’d caused, surely she’d push him away. He couldn’t bear that. Instead he stood and watched Michelle salve Caroline’s wounds.

“Will you be all right while Rodney takes me back to my vehicle?”

Rodney woke up from his stupor. “You can take mine. I’ll walk home later.”

“I can’t drive a stick shift.” Michelle’s aggravation was apparent in the glare she shot his way. That probably meant a lecture on the ride to his house.

Michelle picked up her purse. “Caroline, e-mail me when the quilts are ready, if I don’t see you before then.”

A weak smile appeared on Caroline’s face, and she nodded to Michelle.

He couldn’t move, frozen like a yard ornament in the snow cover. She hadn’t acknowledged him once since Jason left.

“Rodney,” Michelle called from the top of the stairs.

“I’m coming right back.” His words to Caroline seemed at full volume in the quiet of the workroom. He lowered his tone. “If that’s okay?”

Caroline brushed the wet from her face with the back of her hand, and his feet thawed. He stepped toward her, grasping her tear-dampened hand. He raised it and pressed his lips onto the moisture, then held it against his cheek.