“Since when do you hold my door for me?” I asked with a lifted eyebrow.
He glanced over at Ace, who’d started in the direction of the truck after locking up the house. “A man’s job is to be courteous to the woman of the house.”
I cocked my head to the side, surprised. “Did you tell him that?” I asked Ace once we all got in the truck.
“What?”
“To hold my door open for me?” It was something Ace had always done when we were a young married couple. Even before then, honestly. And he’d recently started doing it again.
Over the past month, it felt like we fell in stride with the couple we used to be. The couple to whom things came easily and naturally.
Ace shrugged. “Respect the queen of the home. Right, kid?” He peered into the rearview mirror to look at Aiden.
“Right.”
I rolled my eyes. Aiden would’ve agreed if Ace had said the sky was fluorescent green. But honestly, there were worse lessons he could pick up on.
The drive to the park where we were picnicking was only about twenty-five minutes from Ace’s house. We reached the park a little after one o’clock, and surprisingly there weren’t too many people there.
A few families were scattered throughout, but we had plenty of room to spread our blanket and belongings on the grassy partition, a few feet from the Gaines River.
Along the river bank sat various shades of grey, pewter, and ash-colored stones. The smooth edges of the rocks made them perfect for sitting or walking on without getting uncomfortable.
I took a seat on the blanket and watched Ace follow Aiden out to the water. Ace helped Aiden roll up the edge of his jeans to his knees before doing the same for himself. He took his hand as they waded mid-calf into the crystal-clear river.
Ace pointed at the cliff on the far side of the river and told him something I was too far away to hear.
A sigh fell from my lips. In front of me was the dream for which I’d so often wished over the past sixteen years. I had asked myself over and over, what if I had never left? Or, what would happen if I went back to Ace?
I had convinced myself that he hated me. That, in the time I’d been gone, he’d wizened up and recognized that I had been the cause of his pain.
Much as I regretted hurting Ace, I couldn’t say I wouldn’t do it again, in all honesty. Because if I had remained in Texas, then I never would’ve met Yvette, who’d entrusted me with the greatest gift of her life, when she found out she was dying. I wouldn’t have Aiden.
Thoughts about Aiden forced me to recall that I still had the threat to his safety hanging over my head.
“Mama, Mr. Ace is teaching me how to skip rocks,” Aiden said as he ran up to me.
I’d gotten so wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn’t even realize they’d come out of the river back over to the blanket. There was a glimmer of laughter and delight in his eyes. I always wanted to keep that shine in his gaze.
“He’s good at that.” I smiled and watched as Ace trailed behind Aiden up from the river.
“I’m going to practice some more.” Aiden started to turn back in the direction he came.
“Uh-uh, not before you eat,” I scolded.
“Aw, man,” he whined as he dropped to his knees on the blanket.
“Don’t sound so down, kid,” Ace cut in. “The river isn’t going anywhere. Besides, the food is the best part about picnics. That and…” Ace’s words broke off, and his eyes trailed over to meet mine.
We both paused and stared at one another. When I saw the smile on his lips, I knew the same memory came to mind.
I’d lost my virginity to him on our first picnic. Every picnic after that ended up with me flat on my back.
I looked away.
“And what?” Aiden asked, hanging on to Ace’s every word.
“That other part, I’ll tell you about when you’re older,” he said.
