“I touched your shoulder. Normally that works. But Ryder jumped right up when I walked in the room.”

  She looked at Ryder and saw his smirk. “I did. Guess my paternal instincts are starting faster than I thought they’d be.”

  She wanted to growl at him but realized he was only joking. There was that mischievous little glint in his eyes that she always loved so much before.

  She pushed her hair out of her face forgetting to even pull it back last night. “Let’s go see if you can find the eggs,” she said. “The Easter Bunny left very specific instructions on what to do. If you don’t mind bringing the breakfast back to the kitchen and setting it aside for now?”

  “I saw the envelope on the counter, but Ryder said I couldn’t open it until you were up. So then he said we could make breakfast. Do you know how hard it was to wait?” Tommy all but whined.

  “I know. I’m sorry. But you got your Easter basket last week. The Bunny dropped it off but knew you couldn’t really hunt for eggs.” She was pretty positive he wasn’t going to be believing in this much longer and it kind of broke her heart.

  She’d brought the stuff for the basket with her and put it together the night before when Tommy was in bed. Ryder hadn’t even thought of it and was upset but ran out to the store and got Tommy two video games to play this week and one chocolate bunny. She’d limited the candy knowing he’d want to eat it all but had managed to keep him in check this week with it.

  “I know. That is the reason it didn’t bother me as much but looking for things is fun and we’ve never had a letter left before so I can’t wait to see what it says.”

  “Let’s go find out,” she said. “Sorry breakfast will be cold.”

  “We can eat,” Tommy said. “I’m hungry. But we can read the letter too, right?”

  “We sure can.”

  “You should have gotten me up,” she said to Ryder when Tommy ran out of the room ahead of them.

  “I had it covered,” he said, leaning in to kiss her quickly on the lips. She couldn’t even get mad over the move because she’d been hoping he’d do it.

  When the three of them were sitting at the island, Tommy reached for the envelope and ripped it open while Ryder fixed Tommy and his plates.

  “It’s a scavenger hunt,” Tommy squealed.

  “Cool,” Ryder said. “Let me see. Is there a map?”

  “No map. Just clues, which is even better. I get to try to figure it out. But it’s only one clue,” Tommy said.

  She’d told Ryder Tommy would say that, but she did have fun last night putting clues in each of the plastic eggs. When he found one, he’d have to figure out the next clue for the next egg.

  Tommy was staring at the piece of paper while he gobbled his breakfast. She wanted to make them easier, but Ryder said no, that he could tell Tommy was pretty smart and since the house was still new to him, it’d be more of a challenge and keep Tommy entertained.

  And almost an hour later Tommy managed to find all twelve of the plastic eggs even if Ryder had to retrieve a few as they were placed too high up. But this last one was at his level and right under his pillow.

  “Man,” Tommy said. “How come I didn’t feel it being put there last night?”

  Marissa laughed. Her son slept soundly. “You aren’t supposed to feel it or hear it,” she said.

  Tommy grabbed the golden egg—the rest had been pastel ones. When he opened it up, there was a hundred dollar bill inside that wasn’t in there when she’d closed all the eggs last night. She’d put a note in there that congratulated him on finding them all.

  “Mom! I’ve never seen a hundred dollar bill before. I can buy more video games with this. Thanks!” Tommy said hugging her.

  “Thank Ryder,” she said. She wasn’t taking credit for it. Nor had she ever given that much cash to him before and wouldn’t.

  Tommy all but launched himself at Ryder. “Thank you. This was awesome. I hope the Bunny does this again, but I bet on that night he doesn’t have time to do it for everyone.”

  “Maybe he will next year,” Ryder said. “You never know. I mean the golden egg was totally worth it, wasn’t it?”

  “It was, but it was more fun trying to solve the clues. This is great, but I just liked playing the game.”

  That made her feel better. Ryder only laughed though, the comment not fazing him so at least she knew he wasn’t trying to buy his son. Or realized Tommy couldn’t be bought.

  Though the game had been Ryder’s idea too and he didn’t even take credit for it.

  When breakfast was cleaned up, Tommy was sitting on the couch drawing, his eyes starting to droop a little. “Why don’t you lie down. Ryder’s parents will be here in a few hours. Maybe you won’t need a nap this afternoon.”

  They planned lunch to be around one, Tommy normally was napping by three, but if he took one now he might be better as she was pushing that morning nap to end lately. Just the little activity of moving around the house wore him out and she wondered how he was going to be able to go to school in another week.

  “I am tired,” Tommy said. “I don’t want to sleep when Grandma and Grandpa are here because I don’t know when I’ll see them again.”

  She looked over at Ryder, who said, “Not long. I think next weekend will be too hard to have you drive here again but what do you think of me staying at your place?”

  “Can you?” Tommy asked.

  Even though she and Ryder had talked about this already she was glad that he was checking with Tommy. “I can and I will. I think I’ll go with you to your doctor’s appointment next Friday too. We can hang out while your mom is working and maybe meet her at the appointment.”

  She was going to argue with him for making those plans but knew it was just talk with their son. They didn’t even have the time of the appointment yet. She’d call on Monday.

  It didn’t matter though because Tommy was happy and that was all that counted.

  And if she was starting to be happy again too, didn’t that count for something?

  “I like steak, but this is better than steak,” Tommy said.

  Ryder grinned as his mother almost flushed with the praise. “It’s still steak, but this is prime rib. It’s one of Ryder’s favorites and we have it every Easter.”

  “So you cooked it last week too,” Marissa said.

  “She did,” his father replied, diving in for another bite. “But I’m great with having it two weeks in a row.”

  “I’m sorry you missed Easter with your family last week,” she said to Ryder.

  “It’s fine,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been anywhere other than here. It’s not like I was waiting on the Easter Bunny to deliver anything. And as I said, I was with family.”

  “I got to find eggs this morning,” Tommy said, stuffing more mashed potatoes in his mouth. The kid was like an empty pit. “There were clues in them all and I figured it out on my own and the last one was golden and it had a hundred dollar bill in it.”

  “That’s pretty great,” his mother said. “The Easter Bunny used to do that at our house for the kids when they were older.”

  “You mean he does do it on the actual day too?” Tommy asked looking at Marissa. “How come I never got it before?”

  Oh boy, this might not turn out right. “I think your mom might have had to request it,” his mother said.

  “I didn’t know he did it,” Marissa said quickly, then looked down.

  His mother jumped in fast to help out. “The Bunny gets a lot of requests so he doesn’t really have a list like a menu for parents to choose. We asked for a few years and were turned down and then had to tell him in advance our plans and then we worked it out together. Can’t be last minute with the Easter Bunny. We learned that the hard way.”

  Marissa snorted next to him and then laughed. “I guess I didn’t plan well enough in advance. But you always loved running around looking for them without clues, right?”

  “I did. One year there was an egg hidden in the garbage. It was broken too. It was right on top. I knew we had twelve and I was looking and looking and couldn’t find the last one. But when I went to throw my breakfast away I saw it and laughed.”

  “I think I’d heard the Bunny dropping it the night before,” Marissa said smirking.

  “That Bunny can be tricky,” Ryder said and dropped his head.

  Here he was all excited to be spending another holiday with his son. First the birthdays he’d missed and now all the Easters. He shouldn’t be upset or annoyed. But he was finding he was.

  Resentful was more like it.

  “He can be tricky. I’m smart,” Tommy said.

  “That’s good. Next year I bet it’s even harder,” he said his voice a little harder than normal. “If I’d known about you, I would have put the request in and we would have been doing this all along.”

  Marissa turned and looked at him, her lips pursed, her eyes little slits. Tommy was still eating, but Diane kicked him under the table and his father cleared his throat.

  “But you know about him now. We all do,” his mother said sweetly. “And that means a lot more holidays we get to look forward to, right, Ryder?”

  “Yes,” he said and looked at Marissa and mouthed sorry.

  She nodded her head and went back to eating and he realized that maybe he did need his family’s help after all because he had foot and mouth disease going more than he realized and he didn’t want to blow it.

  They’d spent most of this week getting along wonderfully. Not just when Tommy was around, but at night.

  If he wanted her in his bed he understood and knew that in time he could get her there all night.

  He’d had a blast hiding the eggs last night and even Marissa got in on the fun and coming up with clues. She knew Tommy best and what he’d be able to figure out and together they’d done an awesome job.

  Then this morning when Tommy was napping, he and Marissa were on the deck talking about the next week and it hit him hard that they’d be leaving in the morning and he wouldn’t see them again for days.

  That he’d been living in this little fantasy world where everything was going to be just fine but it really wasn’t.

  It’s not like they were twenty minutes away, or even an hour, but almost four hours. Driving back and forth to see each other daily just couldn’t or wouldn’t happen.

  And he was smart enough to know that seeing them every weekend wasn’t going to always work out either.

  He just had to learn to accept it.

  Nope. Not going to.

  He’d told Tommy that you spoiled those you cared for and that was damn well what he was going to do with his son and Marissa. To the point that they wouldn’t want to go back to their house again.

  30

  Have Patience With Me

  “I guess I should get all my hugging and kissing in now before Tommy gets up,” Ryder said the next morning.

  She’d gotten up early knowing that she’d have to pack and get some food in Tommy. She wanted to be gone by nine if she could. Ryder wasn’t happy about that, but the earlier they got home the easier it’d be to get back in a routine.

  She moved into his arms for a cuddle. “All you want,” she said.

  He tipped her chin up and gave her a kiss. “At some point we can do this in front of Tommy. I don’t want to slip and have it be a shock and feel guilty sneaking behind my kid’s back to kiss his mother.”

  She smiled. It did sound funny when he said it that way. “He knows you’re his father, but he’s never seen me with anyone before. I don’t want to shock him too much.”

  “Do you think it would? I’m making you breakfast in bed. He’s heard me tell you that you spoil people you care about. Dragging this out isn’t going to do anything but confuse him and frustrate me.”

  “It’s been less than a week, Ryder,” she said. “I know you’re impatient, but even you can see where I’m going with this.”

  “I can. And if we are being honest with each other I’m going to tell you I hate to see you leave. I don’t want you to, but I know you have to.”

  “I do. Our life is there.”

  He opened his mouth and closed it. At least he didn’t say he wanted her life here. She knew if things worked out with them, she’d have to move. That wasn’t even up for debate. “Mine is here along with my family who wants to spend more time with their grandson.”

  “I know and we’ll work it out. You’re coming on Thursday night. You’re spending Friday with Tommy alone and we’ll be together Saturday and some of Sunday.”

  “It has to be enough, I know. Tommy wouldn’t feel up to driving back and forth and it might be easier for me to go there than you to always come here,” he said.

  “We can compromise and take turns, but the distance is going to make it hard to do this every week.”

  “Not what I want to hear,” he said.

  “It’s the truth and you know it. When Tommy is out for the summer, I can take some days off and maybe we can make it longer weekends.”

  “I can do the same. I can spend time with him while you’re working or aren’t I allowed?”

  “You’re going to be with him on Friday alone. You’re allowed. I know it was harder earlier on when I didn’t want to, but at this point, there is no reason to not allow it.”

  She saw him grind his teeth and knew he didn’t care for her choice of words on whether something could be allowed. “So Tommy could spend a week here alone without you?” he asked.

  She knew this would come up but didn’t expect it to be today. “Are you going to force the issue if I say I need time?”

  “What do you mean by force it?”

  “Go through the lawyers,” she said.

  He sighed. “No. I won’t do that. Not only are we trying to work it out for Tommy, but for us. I wouldn’t want to get on your bad side, but I’m trying. I’m going to make missteps. I’ll probably do it a lot! Just have patience with me. I’m eager to spend time with my son and just as eager to spend it with you.”

  And that was how they left things when she drove away with Tommy waving to Ryder out the side window a few hours later. They were on the road by nine like she’d wanted with snacks and water for Tommy and her in the car.

  Again, he was spoiling her in little ways. He was concerned about his son’s comfort and made sure there were blankets and pillows for Tommy and even a neck rest if he fell asleep sitting up.

  She looked in the rearview mirror and saw Tommy playing some game on his phone, but she knew he’d be sleeping soon. He normally did fall asleep in the car and that was before his surgery.

  Two hours into the drive, she glanced back and saw Tommy sleeping like she’d expected. They’d been talking while he was playing games, then he’d said he was texting Ryder and his grandparents. It was sweet they were all reaching out and saying bye to him.

  Her family had been the only one Tommy had ever known and they treated Tommy great. Her brother Cody spent a lot of time with Tommy early on, but he was older and working and dating and didn’t have as much time.

  Her parents had always been there to give a helping hand. Not as much financially, which was why she never asked. Her family didn’t have the money like Ryder’s. She had student loans and her father was out of work for over a year after the accident. Even now, he worked part time. He was a welder in a job shop and though he made good money, his body took too much of a beating being on his feet or bent in odd angles now to do it full time.

  Her mother had a decent job with great benefits, but the pay had never been there to really support the family. She was a loan officer at a bank and it was steady and pretty secure. Getting loans or refinancing had kept the whole family above water after the accident and her parents were just now getting back on their feet.

  She’d wanted to help them out for a while, but they’d refused. When she lived with them she was able to pay for some food and chip in as best as she could, but she didn’t have a lot either after paying for daycare, diapers, and formula.

  Putting away the money she did was easy when she got a few big commission checks. And though she continued to put more away each year, she’d felt the sting of going paycheck to paycheck and didn’t ever want to be there again.

  She wasn’t going to rely on Ryder’s money for anything. She’d pay down her student loans with her own savings now that she knew she had a college fund for Tommy started and more she could add to it monthly. Knowing Ryder and his parents started one too helped ease that burden.

  Her mind was racing with all sorts of things and plans and before she knew it she was pulling into her driveway and looking at her little ranch house that she used to be so proud of.

  Now it just looked like a small house compared to Ryder’s.

  And she had to stop thinking that and hoped that Tommy didn’t feel that way.

  “We’re home, Tommy,” she said.

  He rubbed his eyes and stretched. She kept an eye on him to see if he even winced when he did it, but he didn’t so that was an improvement too.

  “When can we see Grandma and Grandpa?” he asked, then wrinkled his nose. “That might get confusing having two of them. I didn’t even think of that.”

  “It might but you’ll figure it out. I’m sure if you wanted to call Ryder’s parents something else, they’d be fine with it.”

  “Like what?” Tommy asked when he unbuckled his seatbelt.

  “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask them?”

  “How about Papa? Ryder’s dad is big like a papa bear. They could be Mama and Papa.”

  She smiled thinking Grant probably did look like a bear to a nine-year-old, but she learned he was a big old teddy bear. “I think that sounds good, so you should ask them too.”

  “I will,” he said, walking to the front door. “When I get in the house I’m going to text them.”

  “I’m sure they’ll like that. Let’s get you settled and I can unload the car and then start some laundry.”

  “I want something to eat,” he said.