Can't Stand the Heat? (18 page)

“Nope. You’ve never said that.” Exhausted, she leaned against him and he dropped a kiss on her hair. “No one’s died out there yet?”

“Nothing but raves. Come on out and accept your kudos.”

It was the grand opening of the Summer House, and they’d invited their families and close friends to join them for dinner. Every table was full.

Quinn and Maddie sat with Delaney, Hank and Paul, and Stevie and Adam Melton were at a larger table with their foster parents and Dave and his family.

Walker’s friend Kirit had flown in from Chicago with his family.

Everyone who was dear to her and Walker had joined them.

The linen tablecloths were blindingly white. Soft light from the wall sconces filled the room with a golden glow. The paintings on the walls, all done by local artists, complemented the clean, simple lines of the furnishings that Delaney had built—the serving counters, the cupboards, the host desk.

Everything was exactly as she’d imagined it would be. Hoped it would be.

Including her family.

Nick and Tommy sat with Tony and her parents. Nick was waving his hands, obviously trying to explain to Tony the computer project he was doing for Walker, and Tony was listening carefully and nodding. But it was clear from the puzzled expression on his face that he didn’t understand what Nick was telling him.

He was trying, though. Tony had finally realized he couldn’t force Nick to be the child he wanted, and was learning to appreciate his son for who he was.

Tommy was chattering to his grandparents, probably about baseball, judging from the equally blank look on her mother’s face.

They were still working out the kinks, and probably would be for a long time, but after a stormy couple of months, Nick had begun to come to terms with having two fathers. Even more important, he’d realized that he wasn’t being disloyal to one when he spent time with the other.

Walker put his arm around Jen’s shoulder and tucked her close as she studied her restaurant.

Her dream.

Happiness bubbled through her like champagne.
My place. My town. My kids.

My man.

All of them supporting her.

“It’s perfect,” she murmured.

“You made it perfect.” He bent to kiss her.

“I had a lot of help,” she said. “From everyone in this room.”

“But you put it all together. You took the steps to make your dream come true.”

He had, too, Walker realized.

He had everything he could want. The woman he adored. The son he loved more than life. A stepson he loved just as much.

He was a lucky, lucky man.

The hum of conversation faded as people gradually noticed them standing near the kitchen door. Jen cleared her throat, suddenly nervous, and Walker let her go, took her hand and squeezed gently.

“Thank you for coming,” she began. The crowd stilled and gave her their attention. “Every one of you.”

Nick sat straighter in his chair as his mother gave a little speech, and Walker saw the piece of paper he held in his hand. Nick caught his eye, and Walker nodded once. Tugging on his necktie, Nick started to stand, but Tony stopped him and straightened the tie.

Jen finished up, saying, “I hope you enjoyed your dinner.” As everyone clapped and cheered, Nick pushed his chair back. He stood waiting for the cheers to subside, his face red.

“Uh, I have something I’d like to say.” He glanced at Walker again, and Walker mouthed,
“You can do this.”
He had no idea what the boys planned to say. Neither did Tony, as far as he knew, although Tony had helped them pick out suits for the occasion.

“I wanted to say I think it’s really cool, Mom, that you did this. That you, like, never gave up until you opened your own restaurant.” He glanced down at the piece of paper again, and Walker’s eyes stung. That was his kid. Becoming a man.

“You, uh, showed me and Tommy that anyone can have their dream, if they work hard enough. We want you to know we’re proud of you.”

Tommy nodded vigorously. Beside Walker, Jen put her hand over her mouth, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders again.

“So when I’m an adult, I’m going to run my own computer company.” Nick pointed his finger at Walker as if he was aiming a gun. “And it’ll kick some GeekBoy ass, dude.”

As everyone laughed and Nick sat down, Tommy jumped up. “And I’m going to play ball for the Brewers.”

Jen rushed over to her boys and engulfed them both in a fierce hug. Shoulders shaking, she whispered in first Nick’s ear, then Tommy’s. Then she kissed each of them.

“She’s crying, Nick,” Walker heard Tommy say. “Awesome, dude.”

As Walker watched them, it was as if the first hard couple of months when Nick had been so prickly faded away. As he watched his family, Walker’s heart expanded until he was afraid it would burst. He never knew he could love so much. So completely.

He wished he’d been able to make peace with his father before he died. Wished that he’d known how to have a relationship with him, the kind of relationship he was working on with Nick. He would always mourn that loss.

But when Nick caught his eye over his mother’s shoulder and smiled, Walker saw his father smiling at him. Loving him.

And he smiled back.

CAN’T STAND THE HEAT?

Copyright © 2010 by Margaret Watson.

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