Chapter 4

“All I wanna do is have some fun, and I got a feeling…crap.” Ally stood in the middle of her base operation for Sweet Glory, also known as the guest cottage behind her house, staring at the chocolate penis molds as she willed them into submission. So far, she’d gotten about four dozen white and milk chocolate penises finished, one batch dipped in a hard caramel coating, one in sprinkles and two filled with cherry liqueur.

For a Christmas wedding.

The bride wanted several different sizes to make sure the night got as raunchy as possible, her words not Ally’s. So she worked late into the evening with nothing but old school Sheryl Crow to keep her company while Cindy and Glory were inside painting nails and having a good time. Not that she would ever begrudge Glory time with her grandmother. With just one grandparent, Ally was grateful Cindy had plenty of love and patience to give. Small favors, she thought as she always did when she needed a reminder to be grateful for what she had.

And I am truly grateful for Cindy. Even if she wished the woman’s son would go back to wherever he’d been all these years. The track changed and her booty began to shake as the upbeat sound of her Grease soundtrack began. She tempered chocolate and belted out Hopelessly Devoted to You and she poured, set and filled to her favorite songs, Summer Lovin’ and We Go Together. It was more fun than a woman her age should have on her own, but there was something about John Travolta and chocolate dicks covered in yuletide sprinkles that made her feel good. Damn good.

Last batch, she grinned as she put on the smooth Belgian chocolate and got ready to pour the big molds, all while her booty still shook. I might lose those last few baby pounds after all, she grinned.

And danced.

And stirred.

Her joy was replaced with worry when she spotted a large figure in her peripheral. Without thinking, she flung the spatula across the room, screaming loud enough to wake the entire town. “Archer? What in the hell are you doing skulking around my property?” She stood and stared, feeling absolutely no guilt about the silicon spatula stuck to his chest with Belgian chocolate glue. “Well?”

“I knew Ma was inside with Glory and I figured this gave us a perfect chance to talk.”

“Except I’m busy. Working.” And she wanted nothing more than him gone at the moment.

“You’ll have to talk to me some time, Ally.”

Seriously? He wanted to go there? “And now that you’re back and ready to rejoin life, the rest of us should make ourselves available to your wants and needs, right? Well tough tits, Archer. When we talk, if we talk, it’ll be when I’m ready to talk.”

He nodded but she caught the determined set of his shoulders, the fixed line of his jaw. Archer wanted to fight. “You know, Ally, you’re acting like I’m the one who kept a baby from you. Not the other way around.” He slowly removed the spatula from his chest and walked past her to the sink, dropping the offensive utensil and turning back with an expectant glare.

“If I didn’t already know how full of shit you were, I might actually be offended by that.” She shrugged and turned back to the chocolate, slowly stirring it to make sure she didn’t waste money by burning it.

“I never lied to you. Not once.”

“Maybe not outright but what do you call it when you, clearly, were thinking of joining the military for at least a few days but never said a word?” He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off with a gesture. “Save it, I don’t give a damn just don’t tell me you never lied.”

“I didn’t,” he shot back angrily.

She grinned but there was little amusement behind it. “Really?” She pitched her voice low, “No matter what Ally, I’ll never leave you alone with my child.” He’d made the promise and then, “Or I’ll check in with you in a few weeks to see if you have any answers,” she repeated his words verbatim because she made herself memorize them. It had taken a year before they stuck and she could recall them easily. Those words were the perfect reminder that he couldn’t be trusted.

“Shit, how was I supposed to know?”

“Whatever Archer. Just because we broke up and you got some wild hare up your ass about the military didn’t make that condom not break. We both know that so please save me whatever excuses you came up with to make yourself feel better.” She removed the chocolate from the heat, disengaging the double boiler to let it cool before pouring the molds. Her heart raced from the confrontation she hadn’t expected, but those words needed to be said. He’d walked away without looking back, not her. “If you had called, even once, you would have known about Glory.”

Silence settled in the room and she couldn’t take it. Even the sound of him breathing made her angry. She didn’t need anger and she didn’t need him. Reaching across the counter, she turned the volume back up and began to hum along as the Rent soundtrack began. “I’m here, Ally. I’m here now and I’m trying.”

“Really? Because it seems like you just showed up making demands to me.” She didn’t want to fight. Fighting brought forth anger which only made her remember everything. All of it. All over again. “I’m not fighting with you Archer.”

“Good.” His voice softened and she refused to look at him, afraid his expression would match his tone. “Because I didn’t come here to fight.” His voice pitched deeper, giving it that come hither quality she used to love.

Not anymore, she reminded herself when her nipples began to tingle. “Then we are in perfect agreement there.”

“I want to be in Glory’s life, Ally. I’m not walking away.”

“Again,” she tossed out because she was feeling petty and fired up.

“Fine, yes. Again. I want to be a father to her.”

She tried not to laugh, she really did, but the thought he could just show up and be a father was hilarious. “It’s not quite that simple.”

“It sure the hell is,” he insisted angrily and finally, Ally turned to face him. If Archer thought he could intimidate or flirt his way out of this situation, he was sorely mistaken.

“Actually, it isn’t. Glory is a little girl who desperately wants her father, but you are a stranger. I’m not going to rush her because you need to make up for your mistakes so we either do this my way or I’ll see you in court.”

“I’m trying to be nice, Ally.”

Shaking her head, she looked him head on, her violet eyes slammed right into his deep blue ones. “And I’m looking out for my kid.” The stare down continued, each set of eyes swirling with so many different emotions—anger, sadness, guilt, regret—though neither of them spoke a word.

Several long moments later his shoulders deflated. “Fine, Ally, you win. I’ll let you direct this. For now.”

“I didn’t win anything. If you really want to be in Glory’s life, be there. Show up when you say you will and love her. Do that and you and I will have no problems.” With those words she tested the temperature of the chocolate and began to pour, feeling nothing but relief that her hands didn’t shake as she did it.

Ally was aware of him, how could she not be in such a small space, but she refused to acknowledge his presence. She focused on her work until he finally got bored and left.

It’s what he does best.

She hoped, for her daughter’s sake that this time the Archer she’d fallen in love with would make a presence and stick around. He was the man Glory deserved.

 

 

Going to Winter Parade today with Glory.

Archer stared at his phone in anger and disbelief. Two days had passed since the showdown in her guest house and he’d heard not one word from her. He’d started to think that maybe he ought to get a lawyer and let the courts handle it, but out of respect for Ally and what they once meant to each other he wanted to give her more time. And all he got for his efforts was a vague text about their whereabouts for the whole damn day.

“Why are you frowning, today is the Winter Parade!” His mom clapped her hands with excitement, a bright smile lighting up her face.

Archer looked at his ma, all decked out in her long wool coat and turkey covered scarf, cheeks flushed pink and eyes sparkling with joy. “I’m not frowning.”

“You sure as hell aren’t smiling,” she scowled at him, slowly turning to a smile until his mouth joined the party. “Why are you still here?”

He frowned. “Am I supposed to be someplace else?”

“Glory is going to be the cutest little dancing turkey in the parade today! She and Ally have also entered the gingerbread contest so get your butt in gear.” She clapped to corral him, patting his butt the same way she used to when she needed to get four kids dressed and out the door on time.

It took him less than ten minutes to get dressed for standing in the cold, but also for eating because aside from the many ways to consume eggnog and chocolate, the Winter Parade was, ironically, about the food. “Ma, you ready?”

Her footsteps sounded and then she appeared wearing a smirk. “I’ve been ready. You plan to let your fingers freeze boy?”

Archer groaned. “I still need to get some. I’ll be fine today.”

She smacked a pair against his chest as she walked past him. “Been gone far too long if you forgot what winters here are like.”

He sighed, blinking away the memories. “I lost them doing a search and rescue up in Alaska last year.” He knew it wasn’t the smoothest way to give his mom the details of his life she was desperate to hear, but no one had ever called him smooth.

“Archer,” she admonished. “You can’t just drop that kind of news on a girl.” He let her wrap her arms around him and squeeze tight, because she needed it more than he didn’t want it. “Let’s go watch our girl shine at the parade.”

The thought of seeing Glory again, and Ally, got his feet moving. “Better hurry up or start walking from here.” The available parking spaces along the parade route would be gone fast and with three other towns showing up for Blissful’s annual Winter Parade they’d be lucky to find any spot in the whole damn town.

“Oh please. I park in Ally’s driveway and walk from there.”

Archer said nothing in reply as he thought about how entwined Ally’s life was with his mom’s. Avoiding her would be impossible and the thought of ignoring Ally, of giving her space, didn’t sit well with him. He would have to find a way to get over her anger—and there seemed to be a lot of it—so they could exist peacefully.

For Glory.

For his kid, he would try. He would push down his anger over the fact that she kept his daughter from him all these years. And Ally would just have to get over her thing too.

“You’re quiet over there. Too quiet.”

“Just thinking, Ma. What do I need to know about Glory?”

She laughed as she pulled the car into Ally’s driveway and hopped out. “Honey Glory is a gift and the best way to enjoy her is to welcome the surprise.”

“Yeah, thanks,” he grumbled and stepped out, giving the house an assessing gaze to see if it was unoccupied. It was. The house looked lighter, cheerier in the daylight.

“Honey, don’t worry. She is bubbly and outgoing, she’ll question you to death until she’s satisfied with the answer. Oh, go grab that box.” His gaze followed her finger to a paper bag on the doorstep.

“How do you know it’s for you?”

“Just get it, smart ass.” She smiled as she tightened her scarf.

“Where’s your hat?” He opened the bag and grinned. “Right here.” Archer tried not to laugh, he really did, but he failed. Miserably.

With a far too delighted laugh, she shoved the offensive brown and orange hat—a Thanksgiving version of a Santa hat—on top of her head. “What do you think?”

“I think you look like a hobo who knocked over a Thanksgiving store. But you’re the prettiest hobo I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh don’t try to charm me, I’ve been immune to that smile since the third grade. Besides we both know I look fabulous. And you will too,” she told him as she smacked an identical hat against his chest.

“No way.” He shook his head, holding the hat between his thumb and forefinger as though it were toxic. “Sorry Ma. I love you, but no.”

She snatched the hat back and headed towards the sidewalk, marching down the block with more determination that a woman her age should. “Fine, but you should know that Glory picked these hats out so she could spot us when her float goes by.”

He groaned. “Why didn’t you just say that?”

“I just did.”

With a groan, he jogged to catch up to her and took the hat, slapping it on his head. “I look ridiculous.”

“You know how many times I did ridiculous things for you children? Thousands, maybe more. It’s part of being a parent, doing anything to make your child smile, to make her feel loved and supported.”

“I remember you being a lot better at helpful talks.”

She laughed and poked his side. “Parenting is an on the job kind of education, Archer. Find your own way to connect with her and parent her.” She pointed towards another god awful hat, pulling him behind her through the throngs of people to where Ally stood, taking photos of everyone gathered. “Ally! You look great. Warm too.”

She turned and flashed a blinding smile that nearly dropped Archer to his knees. “Cindy, you’re rockin’ it woman! Especially those boots!”

His mom threw her head back and laughed. “Got them on sale. Online! It was as easy as you said and I got a big discount which makes them even cuter, somehow.”

Archer tuned out the shoe talk and took in Ally. She wore a long black coat with her ugly hat and matching scarf which, in his opinion, was even uglier. Her own boots were the stuff of fantasies, smooth caramel suede that went up to her knee and those heels, they would leave marks. “Hey Ally.”

“Archer,” she said politely but her eyes clearly told him to fuck off.

He grinned and gave her another long, hard look. “Lookin’ good.”

Violet eyes narrowed briefly before she turned away, pretending to search for the floats that hadn’t started moving yet. “I think I’ll go get some hot chocolate.”

“I’ll get it. I just saw Marianne over there,” Cindy insisted and hurried off, but not before turning to wag a finger at them. “Play nice.”

“She’s not as slick as she thinks she is,” Ally said, her voice lined with frustration and affection.

“Don’t let her know. We just let her think she is, it’s easier for everyone.” She let out a laugh but quickly hid it, and her expression sobered but he’d seen it. Progress.

“I’m glad you came today.”

“You are?”

“Glory is curious about you which means I’ll have to tell her sooner rather than later.”

“That works for me.”

“That’s because you won’t be around to deal with her broken heart.” She bit her lip in regret. “Shit. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You meant it.”

“I did, but that’s not helping the situation. I apologize and I’ll do better when Glory is around.”

He frowned, shocked at her words. “Are you for real?”

“Of course.” Ally turned to him, eyes wide and alive with emotion. “If you’re serious about sticking around town, I want her to have you in her life and I’ll do what I can to make it happen.”

He looked at her like she’d grown two heads, trying to figure out who this mature and standoffish woman was. She certainly wasn’t the fiery woman from the guest house who flung chocolate first and asked questions later. “And that’s it?”

She nodded. “To make her happy, I’ll do just about anything.”

Before Archer could say more, a couple dozen engines started and the floats began to move slowly up the square. First were the town officials dressed up as snowflakes and high school athletes as various holiday ornaments. Then the thing just kind of went haywire with business owners sitting atop their sponsored float wearing appropriate holiday themed attire, but with a ton of shameless promotion thrown in for good measure. Pretty much everything that happened from Thanksgiving until New Year was represented on a float.

One of the dancing turkeys sent a handful of candy flying into the crowd and Archer’s hand shot out to catch one just a split second before it would have smacked Ally in the face. She let out a surprised laughed and flashed a grateful smile. “Good catch.”

“Thanks.” It was a madhouse. The parade was long and disorganized, it was also ridiculous and fun, and completely Blissful.

Surprisingly, Archer found that he kind of loved it.