Chapter Twenty

“I thought you said that we shouldn’t bother Riley too much.” Adam stated as they walked to the main house.

“Well he invited us to breakfast. I guess that means he likes having us around, right?”

“Yep.” He replied.

Stella chuckled. He’d gotten that particular expression from Riley. Adam walked into the house without knocking and headed for the kitchen. Riley poked his head around the corner and greeted them with a brief wave.

“Hey. Good morning,” he greeted.

“Hi Riley. Thanks for making this necklace.” Adam stated while gripping the witch’s finger that was now hanging securely around his neck.

“Not a problem buddy.”

Stella closed the front door and sniffed. “Mmm. It smells good in here.”

“That’s the ham and red-eye gravy.” Riley disappeared back to the kitchen with Adam.

She watched him at the stove tending to the ham. “Are those homemade biscuits?” She asked in surprise.

“Yep.” He turned to Adam. “Adam, why don’t you grab something for everybody to drink? I’ll have orange juice, please.”

Adam opened the refrigerator and retrieved the orange juice. “Mom what do you want to drink?”

“Orange juice is fine.”

“Can I have a Coca Cola?” He asked. “Riley has a whole bunch in here.”

Stella scowled. “No. You can have orange juice or milk.”

He knew she would say that so he didn’t complain. Riley told him where the glasses were and he set the table.

“Stella, can you grab the biscuits and grits and put them on the table, please?” Riley asked as he began cracking eggs into another skillet which had a pat of butter sizzling in it.

She lifted the lid from the small pot of grits and eyed the perfect biscuits. She was tempted to steal one but Riley was giving her the side-eye. She just grinned at him and played innocent.

As they sat to eat, Stella admired the table and the food. “This looks wonderful.”

Riley began scooping piping hot eggs onto his plate. “Let’s see if it tastes as good.”

It did.

As they ate Riley told them that he wanted to take them to the Fitchburg Furnace.

“Today?” Adam asked hopefully.

“Not today, but maybe Saturday. If that’s okay with you mom.”

“I think that sounds like a nice plan. I’ve wanted to see that place since I read about it online.”

Adam buttered his third biscuit and than topped it with homemade jam. Riley exchanged looks with Stella, sending her a silent question. Stella cleared her throat and realized that she was suddenly nervous. Why would she be nervous? Adam liked Riley. Still this was big news for a little boy.

“Adam.”

Adam looked up at his mom. “Yeah, mom?”

“I have something important to tell you.”

Adam took a big bite of biscuit. “Okay.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” she said distractedly. “Adam. You know how I told you that I wanted to come up to Cobb Hill so that you could get a taste of country living?”

Adam nodded instead of answering.

“Well there is more to it than that.” She and Riley exchanged looks and he encouraged her with a smile. “Remember the letter that your birth mother left for you?”

“Yes.” Adam said slowly.

“Well in the letter she told us the name of your father. Your biological father.”

Adam watched her.

“So I thought I’d come up here to meet him. Because the letter said that your biological father didn’t know anything about your existence. I wanted to tell him about you in person.”

Adam seemed to think about her words. He remained quiet so Stella continued.

“I met your birth father and I told him about you. He was very happy to find out that he had a son and he was happy to know that you were his son.”

Adam’s eyes flitted to Riley. He looked worried.

“Is…is it Riley?” he whispered hopefully to his mother. Riley swallowed back his chuckle.

Stella smiled and nodded. Adam looked at Riley and saw that he was smiling as well.”

“Is this a trick?” Adam asked and then his eyes welled up with tears and he began to cry.

“Oh honey, no.” Stella said as she reached out to comfort him.

Riley was immediately out of his chair and kneeling besides Adam. “Adam, it’s no trick, son. I’m your dad.” He lifted the boy and hugged him. Adam’s arms went around his Dad’s neck.

Riley stood. He was filled with so much emotion as he held his crying son in his arms. He hugged and kissed the boy, soothing him with gentle words. “Why are you crying?” He asked.

“Because…” Adam explained and then his tears began to ease back.

“Because why?” Riley asked, pulling back enough to look at him. Adam’s face was streaked with tears and Riley reached up and brushed them away. “Because why?” he asked again.

“Because I wanted a daddy and I wanted it to be you.”

Riley’s face broke into a grin and his own eyes began to glisten. “Guess what?”

“What?” Adam asked.

“I cried when I found out that you were my son. I cried because I was so happy.”

This time it was Adam’s turn to smile. He hugged Riley tightly.

Stella discreetly wiped away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. Riley looked over at her.

“Come on over here Mom. Group hug.”

She laughed and joined them in the first ever Pranger/Burton group hug…the first of many.

 

 

Later, Riley followed them to the cottage where Adam wanted to show him some of his favorite video games. He sent Adam upstairs to get the game started and then he reached out and took Stella’s hand. He placed in it a folded piece of paper.

She looked at him curiously. Because just the touch of his hand had sent tingles up and down her spine, but when she felt the slip of paper against her palm it had taken her back to reality.

She unfolded the paper and saw that it was a check for one thousand dollars.

“Riley,” she said. “I don’t want this back-” she tried to hand it back to him.

“I won’t take money from you, Stella.” He took her hand and gently folded her fingers around the check. “You’ve been taking care of my son all of this time. I won’t accept your money for bringing him here to see me.”

He turned without another word and jogged up the stairs to join his son in playing video games. The sight of his broad back as he jogged up the stairs momentarily took her breath away. He was gorgeous, sun bronzed, bearded and huge like a Viking.

She thought back to the feel of his hands on hers and felt a warm tingle travel across her body. She frowned and shook away the ideas that had been swarming through her subconscious.

For the remainder of the week the three of them found every opportunity possible to spend time with each other as they could, going to Michaels for lunch, getting soft serve ice cream at the Twin and they even made a trip up to the Fitchburg furnace even before Saturday.

In the evening Riley went to work at the hardware store but spent most of his time there thinking about nothing but Adam and Stella. Luckily his job was easy, cashiering until the store closed and then completing inventory and stock.

His feelings for Stella were growing and although he knew that it was wrong to intertwine his feelings of love for Adam with his feelings for Stella, it simply couldn’t be helped. Stella and Adam were a packaged deal for him. He didn’t consider one in his life without the other.

He knew that he wanted to pursue something with her, although he didn’t know exactly what. What could he be to her if he lived on a mountainside in Kentucky making barely twenty-five thousand dollars a year?

How ridiculous was he to think that he could be a part of her life? But sometimes when he looked into her eyes he saw that she watched him with more than just a polite indication that she was listening to his words.

He saw that her eyes lingered on him. And when that happened he could feel a spark that ran between them, connecting them. He absolutely knew that she felt it because he felt it for her.

It wasn’t just that he desired her, because he did. He could barely stop thinking about the way her body moved and how it must look beneath her clothing. It was more than that. She was his family. That’s what the connection said. And he knew without a doubt that she felt it too.

And the idea that their family connection could one day involve some other man, being her man and that man calling himself Adam’s father was impossible for him to fathom. Just as he could not see himself wanting some other woman to be his woman and having her act as his son’s mother.

Stella, Adam, Riley; that’s how he saw his present and his future.

 

 

Riley was thinking these thoughts and trying to figure out how he could let Stella know how deeply his feelings had grown for her, when he heard the door of the hardware store open.

It was nearly nine, which was closing time. Hardly anyone came in this late, which is why Mr. Harper allowed him to work the store alone in the evenings—despite the fact that his supervisor still didn’t think he was experienced enough.

“Yo’ Riley? You in here, boy?” Sully called out.

“Sully? That you?” Riley had been taking stock of the paint supplies and he rounded the aisle and saw Sully, Mut Jackson and Doo Doo McMahon practically falling over each other. He gave them disapproving looks when he smelled the liquor that they’d been drinking.

But Sully’s expression brightened when he saw his cousin. He gave Riley a hand slap and a hug.

“Hey cousin. I heard you landed yourself a job.”

“Yep.” Riley replied.

“See,” Sully grinned. “You were all worried for nothing.”

Doo Doo picked up a paintbrush, which had a protective covering over the bristles and was pretending to paint the air with it.

“Hey! Watch out with that. Those bristles get jacked up easy.” Riley took the brush from him and replaced it in the appropriate bin.

Doo Doo mimicked him mockingly. Mut was picking up and replacing the candy in the snack bin.

Riley hurried over and took a candy bar out of his hand and replaced it. “Look guys, the store is about to close and they don’t allow anyone in after closing…”

“Well about to close and closed ain’t the same thing.” Mut said and picked up the candy bar again. “Ring this up for me.” He demanded.

Riley blew out an exasperated breath but rang up the candy bar and then accepted the dollar and some change from Mutt.

“You been around Cobb Hill a lot these last few days with them boarders of yours.” Sully said.

Riley gave his cousin a long look. “I thought we been over this. When it comes to my boarders it’s my business.”

Mut was leaning against the counter, eating his candy bar. “You sweet on that black gal?” he asked.

Riley continued to watch Sully. Sully turned to Mut after another moment. “Leave him alone.” He looked at his Riley again. “I just wanted to congratulate you on the job is all. “

Riley’s brow drew together. His eyes never left those of his cousin. “Congratulations are in order for many reasons. Just found out that I have a son.”

Doo Doo roared in laughter. “Hell nah! You got caught up, Riley, my boy?”

“Who netted you?” Mut asked while joining in the laughter.

“Well congratulations,” Sully grinned. “Who’s the proud mama?”

“A woman I knew in college.”

“College?” Sully frowned.

“Yep, I found out that my girl had a baby and put him up for adoption.”

Sully’s expression grew serious and the laughter stopped. “You never knew about your kid?” He asked.

“Not until just the other day.” Riley replied. The other fella’s went around commenting how fucked up that was.

“How’d you find out?” Sully asked.

“The lady who adopted my son came up and told me.” Riley replied.

Sully’s lips pursed together as he studied his cousin. He turned suddenly to his friends. “Let’s go everybody.” He said gruffly. “It’s past closing. Don’t want Riley getting fired. After all, he got a little boy to start paying child support for.”

The men left and Riley followed them to the door and locked it, flipping the Open sign to now read Closed.