LIV
It’s Thursday afternoon and I just got to Emma’s house, to pick up Tucker. I only need a sitter a couple of days a week, so she keeps him for me when Mama can’t. My very best friend since kindergarten, she’s the only person, besides my mama, who I’ll leave him with. He’s been to daycare a couple times, but it’s not my favorite option, and I avoid it as much as possible.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and eat with me?” she pouts, walking us to the door.
“Girl, it’s food truck night. Go to the park with us,” I demand.
“Maybe next time.” She scrunches her nose and moans dramatically, “I don’t feel like putting on real pants.”
I laugh at her and look down at her yoga pants. “Quit looking at my Ass” is written across the butt and she refuses to wear them out of the house.
“I’ll call you later this week, depending on my workload,” she gives me a hug.
“Thanks for keeping little man. Call me if you want us to bring you food.”
Tucker gives her a hug and blows her kisses as we walk to the Jeep.
Less than a mile down the road, we stop at the park, snagging one of the last spaces in the lot.
Jefferson Park is the hub of all public events in Coyote Creek. With food trucks, children playing and family reunions in the summer, it stays filled with people.
Thursday through Saturday, each week from Memorial Day to Labor Day, different local food vendors set up. Most of them being from small, rural towns like ours. They travel all over, feeding people within hundreds of miles every week.
The food selection changes weekly, depending on who signs up to come. People drive in from an hour away to visit the park, see old friends, and try new food.
The whole reason we came tonight is for the fish and we waste no time getting in line at my favorite truck, Go Fish. I order a kid’s dinner for Tuck and fish tacos for myself, paying Hank what we owe him and dropping an extra five in the tip jar.
He and his wife run the truck together and their food is literally heaven. She’s not with him today and the line is moving a little slower than usual.
“Thank you darlin’,” he winks at me.
“Next time I see you on the sheet, I’ll be here.”
“Hopefully that wife ‘a mine will be here with me,” he booms with a hearty chortle. “She’s got the new grandbaby tonight so Violet can get some sleep.”
I met Hank’s daughter, Violet, in high school and we’ve kept in touch since. “Awe, sweet. I got the birth announcement she sent. Tell her I said congratulations and I’ll try to come see her in a few weeks.”
“Bye fish!” Tucker waves at Hank, who waves right back, and we walk over to the picnic tables.
We’re able to snag an empty one and I set our food down, careful not to spill our drinks, as Tucker climbs up on the bench.
Hearing the rumble of a now unmistakable voice, my stomach clenches. “Mind if we join you?”
I look up to see Ryan, both hands full of food with Henley standing beside him smiling, holding two large drinks in her hands.
“Hi Liv.”
“Hey sweetie,” I tell her. “I don’t mind at all.” I look to Ryan, feeling my face flame, “Have a seat.”
Tucker pleads to sit next to “Hennie,” so she moves to our side of the table.
We make small talk as we eat, discussing our favorite foods. I tell them where to find the park’s vendor schedule and suggest a few I think they should try.
“All the vendors that come down here are pretty good, but Hank has the best Fish truck, hands down. His brother came with him last summer, in his own truck, and made the most delicious steak I’ve ever tasted. But for the life of me, I cannot remember his name.”
“My dad’s steaks are my favorite,” Henley smiles and looks over to Ryan. “We should cook out, Daddy. Liv and Tucker can come over for dinner one night and she can try your steak.”
She’s such a sweet kid.
He nods his head. “That’s not a bad idea. I haven’t gotten the grill out since we moved. Whatdya say?”
Eeep. He wants me to come to his house.
“Yeah, that sounds great,” I hope my voice doesn’t sound as shaky as I think it does.
“Let’s shoot for next week.”
“Sure. Just let me know when.”
Tucker sweetly interrupts our conversation, “Mommy, ice cweam ‘peese’.”
“I can take him to the ice cream truck for you,” Henley offers.
“That’d be great, thank you.”
Reaching in my pocket for cash, Ryan waves me off and reaches for his leather wallet, handing over a twenty.
“Grab something for all of us.”
“Okay Daddy.”
She takes Tucker’s hand and helps him down to walk with her.”
“Thanks for that,” I nod to the kids.
“Thank you for letting us eat dinner with you.”
“So, how are you liking Coyote Creek?” I ask him, keeping an eye on the kids as they stand in line.
“I like it. I bought the old Shell station this week,” he says, talking about the gas station on the highway out past mama’s house.
“Pop told me you’d be opening an auto body.”
He nods his head. “I’ve got contractors coming out Monday to get started on the renovation.”
“That’s awesome. It’s good to see some new business coming to town.”
“None of this would be happening so fast if your mom hadn’t helped me. She set up the meeting with the property owner and basically made the sale for me. Convinced the contractors to start early, too.”
I laugh. “That’s Mama, taking care of her tribe. You do realize you’re one of hers now, right?”
“That’s fine with me. I like Gina, and Pop is happier than I’ve ever seen him.”
“So is she, without a doubt. They really are great together.”
Conversation flows easily between us and he tells me about his plans to get his shop open. He’ll have to do interviews and hire at least two people to get up and going.
“Check with me or Mama when you do the interviews. We have some really good shade tree mechanics around here that we could recommend. We also know who you wouldn’t want working for you.”
“Mommy,” Tucker comes running up beside me and launches himself at me.
Henley is right behind him, carrying their loot.
We each grab an ice cream bar and Henley helps Tucker get his package open.
“So, how do you like your new house, Henley?” I choose vanilla, as does Ryan.
“I really like it here.” She smiles. “But I’m home by myself most of the time. Dad’s been gone a lot doing work stuff.” She shrugs her shoulders.
“You can come hang out at my house anytime you want,” I say sincerely. “My schedule changes, depending on what my clients need, but you’re welcome to come over if I’m free.”
“For real?”
“As long as your dad doesn’t mind, yeah give me a call.”
Ryan nods his head at his beaming daughter, “I don’t mind if you go.”
Henley and Ryan both get their phones out, to take my number.
“Thank you so much Liv. I know daddy has to work, but I’ve been so bored.”
Immediately, my phone chirps with an incoming message.
“That’s me,” she says.
Ryan slides his own phone back in his pocket.
Tucker, having inhaled most of his ice cream, is now covered in chocolate. He gives me a sloppy ice cream kiss while wiping his hand on my boob.
“And that’s my cue to leave,” I sigh, looking down at my once white t-shirt.
“We’re done too. We still have work to finish up at the house.”
The four of us stand and clear the picnic table, throwing away trash as we walk toward the parking lot. Henley chases Tucker ahead, both of them laughing, leaving me with Ryan.
“Thanks again for the treat.”
He smiles down at me. “No thanks needed beautiful. I’ll text you next week about dinner.”
My cheeks flush at being called beautiful.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Reaching the edge of the parking lot, I see Ryan’s Chevy parked across from my car.
“I like your truck,” I tell him.
“I like your taste in music,” he says with a wink, mentioning the railroad tracks for the first time. “You have some pretty bitchin’ dance moves too.” He stops and punches the air, while shaking his head. I watch as his large tattooed body mimics my dance moves from last weekend, careless of the other park goers. His dance surprises me and makes me laugh so hard my stomach hurts.
Henley clutches Tucker next to her, wide eyed in horror. “Daaad.”
Her embarrassment makes me laugh harder, and a tear falls from my eye.
He finishes his dance and slings an arm around my shoulders, his eyes full of humor, and we continue our stroll through the full parking lot.
I look up at him silently and he raises an eyebrow.
“You ain’t got nothin’ on me,” I snort.
He throws back his head and laughs.
∞ ∞ ∞
When we got home I spent some time playing in the floor with Tucker. I gave him a bath, read his favorite book, then read four more books just to get the little turd to go to sleep.
Curled up on the couch in fuzzy pajamas, sipping a glass of wine, I’m trying to find something to watch when my phone alerts.
Henley: Daddy has 2 wrk 2moro. Can I come 2 ur house plz???
Me: Absolutely. Im doing wrk stuff. If ur dad says yes u can go w/ me
Henley: k. ill ask
It takes about five minutes before my phone goes off again.
Unknown: This is Ryan. U sure u dont mind if Henley comes ovr?
Me: Its no prob. I gotta run errands 4 wrk most of the day. U care if she rides with?
Ryan: Thats fine
I send him my address and he tells me he’ll drop her off around nine in the morning. She can go with me to run errands for my clients and he’ll pick her up when he gets done working. Tucker will be excited to see “Hennie,” as he dubbed her, and it’ll give me a chance to get to know her better.
I drain my wine glass and make my To Do list for tomorrow. As I do every night, I check on Tucker, and take Peanut from his bedroom, before closing the door.
She settles on her dog bed, in the corner of my room, as I crawl in bed, laying alone in the dark.
I have a hard time falling asleep again, thinking about Ryan.
He’s sweet and surprisingly funny. He’s a good dad, and I have a great respect for him based on that alone.
My own father cheated on my mom, like a lot, and when he left us, he never looked back. Not a card, or phone call. No Happy Birthday’s, no weekend visits, and we haven’t seen him since.
Tucker’s dad wasn’t much better. As a casual fling, having children was never our endgame, so when our condom broke and I found out I was pregnant, he told me he didn’t want the responsibility, and offered to pay for an abortion. I quickly vetoed that idea and we compromised at getting a lawyer to draw up paperwork. He signed his rights away and I promised never to come after him for support, although it’s stated very clearly that once Tucker turns eighteen, I am not responsible if he tries to contact him.
Watching Ryan dote on Henley, after listening to Pop’s stories about his son for the last year, makes my heart freaking melt.
It also doesn’t hurt that physically, he’s everything I could ask for. Built tall and strong, he’s firm, but not overly muscular. He dwarfs me, and I ache to be scooped up and wrapped in his arms.
When he threw his arm across my shoulder this afternoon, I nearly melted into a puddle of goo.
He has a faint white scar on his cheek that runs down into his beard, and calluses on his hands from working on cars. Although it drives me nuts that he cracks his neck, the deep sigh of relief that follows is worth keeping my mouth shut for.
I know realistically he isn’t perfect because nobody is. But to me, he’s absolutely perfect.