Chapter 8
Dinner and lunch, as friends, turned into weeks of various public appearances together. There was just as much late night and early morning passion in private. They enjoyed their time together, more and more, becoming nearly inseparable in their off time — all in the name of revenge.
Evelyn, of course, broadcast it all on her Facebook account for the town to see. Evelyn also became Kinley’s justification for their outings and get togethers. It was her way of fighting back and making a fool of Evelyn…or so she said.
Problem was, the joke really was on them. Evelyn didn’t miss a beat, and there wasn’t anything to report other than what they were actually doing. They had yet to create a scenario that backfired. They weren’t exactly setting her up for anything or trying to disprove Evelyn’s reports. The only thing they were proving was what the town already knew: Evelyn was a cranky old busy body armed with social media.
While Kinley and Jace were giving her plenty of scandal to report, they were but a distraction from Evelyn’s real conquest of outing Molly Sexton and Seth Spangler. Seemed they were spicing things up all over town and trying to keep it under cover — unsuccessfully. They were doing all the real work, secretly following Evelyn and fighting back with Facebook posts of their own on a secret Facebook account, #RumorAlsoHasIt where they blasted Evelyn post for post. Kinley had figured it out one morning over coffee with Molly at her shop, Reading Grounds, and supported every ridiculous post about the old hag.
Kinley and Jace let them do the heavy lifting while they enjoyed each other’s time and affection under the guise of retaliation that didn’t really exist. Kinley was okay with that because she was having fun. Jace was okay with it because he’d do anything to get time with Kinley.
“So, you and the doc are getting pretty serious…?” Sadie asked her sister, Kinley, as they left the dance studio, headed to the park.
“What? No. Why would you think…” Kinley tried to blow off Sadie’s observation until it hit her. “Evelyn.”
Laughing, Sadie linked arms with her sister. “Yes, Evelyn. The whole town has been keeping up with you two. Evil Evelyn Shirley is doing a really good job of documenting your affair.”
“Affair?” Kinley gasped. “I don’t have affairs. It’s more of a…fling. Just trying to teach that old woman a lesson.”
“And what lesson would that be? What exactly is she learning other than you give her daily reports to post online?” Sadie laughed, resting her head on her sister’s shoulder. “Sis, you need to own it. You like him!”
“Of course, I like him, or I wouldn’t go to dinner with the guy a few times a week, and…well, you know.” Kinley hushed her voice at the last few words.
“Why don’t you call it what it is?” Sadie started. “Sis, you have a boyfriend. Period. And he is head over heels for you.”
“Noooo, we agreed. Just a fling, to mess with Evelyn. He gets it. We’re just bed buddies. He doesn’t do relationships either. Although, he never said why.” Kinley thought about that for a bit and made a mental note to ask him when she saw him next. Not that it mattered, they were as far as they were going to go.
“I think he tells you what you want to hear because seeing you under the pretense of it just being a fling or bed buddies is better than not seeing you at all. I’ve known Jace for quite a while now. He’s a good one, Kinley — the real deal. Please don’t let what happened to you in New York define your future. That was not the real deal, or you would still be there.”
Sadie had a good point. New York had done a number on her career, heart, and even pride. It was hard to think past it. Kinley liked how things were, though. All the benefits, but no strings…hard to get screwed that way…figuratively anyway.
Jace wrapped up a patient chart he had been working on between appointments and headed to the exam room that held his next patient, which also happened to be his last before calling it an early day. Connor O’Reilly stood there with his son, Cooper, waiting for their post ear infection follow up appointment.
“Hey, sport,” Jace said to the boy, offering a fist bump. “Bring Dad in for a shot or something?”
The little guy laughed at the ongoing joke between them. “Nah, Doc Jace. Dad doesn’t have da cooties, so he don’t need da shot.”
Jace nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. “Oh good, because I’m all out of cootie shots. How’s that ear buggin’ ya? Any better, kid?”
“Yep! And Dad said if you say it’s all goned that I get to go to da park and get a iced cream! I didn’t get to go to the park da whole time I was sick!”
Jace gave the boy a big-eyed look of shock and surprise. “No park? At all?” He felt the child’s forehead in an exaggerated manner. “And you’re doing okay? That’s a whole week of no park! Phew! No fever yet! How about I look in that ear and make sure it’s better so we can get you swinging and sliding stat.”
“Yes! With the pokey light. Look in there, it feels all bettered up,” little Cooper announced.
Jace went through the motions of checking his patient over, offering ample enthusiasm as he went and found a now healthy child. Connor O’Reilly, however, stood there silent, arms crossed, shaking his head and chuckling at the seriousness of his son versus the silliness of the doc.
“Well, Coop-man, that ear looks perfect. I take it you took the medicine like a champ and beat it pretty good!” Jace said with another fist bump. “Looks like you’re going to the park!”
Cooper raised his hand for the fist bump, and shouted, “Yes!”
“I’m headed there too, meeting JT. Mind if I walk with you?” Jace asked.
“Let’s go!” Cooper was off the exam table and headed toward the door before Connor or Jace could respond.
The short walk to the park afforded a few minutes to chat about things other than ear infections and antibiotics. Jace anticipated the topic, given Connor was Kinley’s brother in law and the O’Reillys took family matters to heart, blood or not. He was prepared, though — nothing to hide, showing his cards all along.
“You know Sadie is meeting us at the park, right?” Connor asked.
“Yeah, that’s why I have the sitter dropping JT there. The boys were going to play.” Jace knew exactly where this was going.
“Kinley hasn’t mentioned JT, to me or Sadie. I gather that means she doesn’t know about him?” Right to the point, Connor O’Reilly style.
Cringing a bit, Jace turned to Connor, not liking how that sounded out loud. He’d mentally approved the what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her concept. Until now. “Uh, no, I haven’t…told her…yet.”
Connor shook his head and let out a deep sigh. “Ah, man. You’ve been seeing each other for weeks now. How does your son not come up?”
Jace cut him off before he could finish, correcting the assumption. “We aren’t seeing each other. Kinley isn’t interested in a relationship. She’s just…sticking it to Evelyn.”
“Sticking it to Evelyn? Shirley? From what I hear, Kinley’s sticking it to you — or you to her rather.” Connor winked, pleased with his play on words. “How is being seen around town and having sleepovers with you sticking it to Evelyn?”
“Don’t ask. She thinks it’s accomplishing something and calls it a fling. She says we’re bed buddies. I just think it’s her way of justifying it. She doesn’t talk about New York much, but that asshole she was engaged to did a number on her.”
“And you’ll let her call it whatever she wants so long as you get to spend time with her. Is that any better than New York?” Connor concluded.
Hands in his pockets, Jace dropped his head. “It’s not like that, man. Think about it, you’re a dad. I like her, I really do, and I’ll do anything to spend time with her because what if she does change her mind and this can be more? But if it doesn’t work out, I have JT to think about too. I can’t bring someone into his life and then have it fall apart. Not again.”
“I hear ya. He has been through a lot — you both have,” Connor agreed.
A subtle laugh escaped Jace. “Are we really having this conversation — talking about our feelings? I think we both left our man card back at the office. Seriously, though. I hear you. I plan to talk to her about him. She may not think we’re anything but a fling, but it has definitely become more than that. At least for me.”
“Well, looks like that talk is coming sooner than later. Look who’s headed this way with Sadie. And if I’m not mistaken, that’s JT and the sitter right over there.” Connor nodded his head to the right toward the hopscotch court in the center of the park where JT was playing and his babysitter was sitting on a bench watching him.
Surprised by the lack of nerves, Jace took in both JT and Kinley, nearly crossing each other’s paths already. A mischievous wink and nod to Kinley earned him a sassy grin and certain sway to her hips in response. Just as Kinley was reaching Jace, she was stopped in her tracks by a shrieking voice of excitement.
“Daddy!”
Jace swooped the little boy into his arms, equally happy to see him as the boy was to his dad. Jace didn’t hesitate or stall, only gave his son the affection he would any other day. It was now or never. Nothing like advancing a plan and executing off the cuff, then hoping it ended in his favor.
“Daddy?” Kinley’s confused tone had Jace’s attention. “Did he just call you daddy?”
So maybe this would be a little harder than he thought. “Uh, yes. This is my son, JT. Bud, this is daddy’s…friend, Kinley.”
“You’re the prettiest,” JT said to Kinley with a sweet smile.
It seemed JT was about to earn himself an ice cream, maybe two, given the smile that crossed her face.
Jace took advantage of his son’s good timing and charming demeanor. “Isn’t she, Bud?”
“Yap! In da whole wide park, Dad! Prettiest girl ’cause your hair is like chocolate,” JT offered.
“My chocolate hair, huh? How old are you, JT?” she asked. Sadie and Connor stood off to the side, taking in the scene.
“I’m free, but I’m almost four! It’s gonna be my birf-day soon! Wanna come to my party?” the tot pleaded with big brown eyes and a smile that would get him just about anything.
A light tug at her sweatshirt gained Kinley’s attention. Her nephew Cooper was at her side. “Auntie Kinley, you gotta come! JT is having chocolate cake and balloons and pizza and chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream and every-fing!”
“Every-fing, huh? I’m sensing a theme with the chocolate,” she teased, finding the toddler-grammar amusing. In fact, this was probably the first time since being back that kids didn’t make her itch. That was something. “Well, you don’t need to twist my arm. You said the magic words…chocolate and cake!”
Jace set JT down, and the two boys laughed at Kinley’s joking reference to chocolate and cake, which happened to be two of their favorite things, before they ran off to play on the slide, Sadie and Connor in tow. It was understood, with a simple nod, they would watch the boys so Jace and Kinley could talk.
“Really, Doc? A kid? Let me guess, you have a wife too.” Kinley looked around in an exaggerated manner as if searching for a secret wife just waiting to jump out in surprise as the boy had. “When do I get to meet her? Does she like chocolate too?”
He placed his hands on her shoulders, guilt riding his conscience. Perhaps he had misjudged the situation. “I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner, but you said nothing serious, and a kid…well, it’s serious.”
“So, you don’t deny the wife. Where is she? Can’t have a kid without a woman, so…” Kinley spun around, as if watching for the mystery woman
Before she could finish, Jace closed his eyes tight and dropped a bomb she hadn’t expected any more than she had expected to meet his child. “Dead,” he said. “She’s…dead.”
Wide eyes, a stammering jaw, and the absence of words spoke of the shock his words struck her with. “Dead? Oh…Jace…oh…I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t…know.”
“I know you didn’t. How could you?” he admitted, guilty for the direct response. “You didn’t even know about JT. Look, I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner, but you wanted to keep things so casual, and a child…well, not very casual.”
“I suppose not,” she reasoned. “I admit it’s a shock, but I didn’t mean to pry like that.”
A long pause stood between them as both tried to decide what was next. What did either one say now, given the circumstance? How did they move past this, or did they? Jace was right, they were just casual, so what was there to decide or even say?
“Come over tonight. Have dinner with me and JT. We can talk after he goes to bed,” Jace said
“Oh, I don’t know...” Kinley wanted to say yes, but frankly, yes scared her.
Jace’s voice dropped low. “It’s spaghetti night. I make a mean spaghetti.”
The charming smile he tossed her way resembled that of JT’s just moments before — like father, like son. Kinley studied Jace’s expression, taking in the dimple on his left cheek she hadn’t noticed before today — something else he shared with his son. Deep down, she knew she should decline the offer, she wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, much less an entire family, but her words betrayed her, spilling out before she could rethink the decision.
“What time should I be there, Doc?”