“I’m very sure. Your grandparents have a hard time in cold weather, but they want to see you so much they’re coming here, anyway. And you should have heard your grandmother. She was so excited she squealed.”
What went on in a child’s mind when they were so accepting of some things and hesitant about others? Had her mother complained about her parents and given Rue a negative impression of grandparents? She had readily accepted the Kinkades as grandparents to her friends, so why the difference?
Eb tried to recall what Sandra had said about her own family. He knew she was an only child, just like him, and her parents were even older than his. He thought she had a good relationship with them. At least he hadn’t heard her say anything negative. If things progressed between them as he hoped, would they be receptive to an adopted grandchild?
Not all grandparents were the same. In high school, a friend of Eb’s had come from a blended family. As the oldest of the five children, he and his sister had noticed when their new step-grandparents had given gifts to their natural grandchildren but not the ones unrelated by blood.
Eb didn’t want that for Rue, but extended family just kind of happened.
“Daddy, they’re burning.”
He grabbed the spatula and removed the little black circles from the griddle.
“Letmethis time,” Rue insisted.
“All right.” He held the bowl of batter while she used a small measuring cup to make new pancakes. He chuckled when she put one a little too close to the other.
“Put another one right here, and you’ll have a Mickey Mouse head.”
She did as he said and grinned up at him. “We can make one for Sandra. I like her. She gives the best hugs.”
“Yes, she does.”
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
Sandra reached for her phone, trying to think what the best approach should be. She and Eb had been friends for nearly a year. Somehow, she had to get their relationship there again. Should she simply bring it up directly, just take the bull by the horns? Or would it force them to say things best left unsaid?
She put the phone down and rubbed her temples. If she brought it up, he’d want to know why, and she didn’t want to talk about it. Didn’t want to think about it. Not after seeing Dom again. It had done a job on her, especially when he’d so obviously gotten what he wanted. It had cracked open the poison of bitterness she’d bottled up and kept hidden.
Sandra had thought she’d made peace with her reality. She’d created a fulfilling life for herself. Sure, she was alone, but lots of people lived a solitary life. Maybe it was why she’d been comfortable working for Walt in California; he’d been as alone as she was.
Maybe seeing him happily married to Linda and suddenly becoming a stepfather and a grandfather had been the first crack in Sandra’s defenses. And then there was Rue and the change in Sandra’s feelings for Eb.
Many times over the year they’d known each other, she’d seen Eb’s vulnerability. But never more than since Rue had come. It reminded her of those time-lapse films of blossoms opening to reveal a beautiful flower.
He’d probably be disgusted with her comparing him to something like that, but it fit. Eb had opened up in ways she hadn’t imagined he could. Not even when she’d worked for months to bring him out of his shell. Sandra had thought she’d known him, but lately he’d shown her depths he mustn’t show to the public very often.
The comments from coworkers on the online video made it clear. No one could believe the quiet guy in admin had it in him. Someone had even made a derogatory comment using the Grinch cartoon character. Then, commenters who’d posted after had attacked the troll.
It was like Eb had morphed into the man who populated the romance novels she sometimes read. And no one had needed to make him change intothat guy; he’d already been him. Eb simply had let no one see.
Frequently, in the books she loved, one thing making the male love interest hot came from being good with animals or kids. And Eb had shown himself to be a great dad.
Longing filled her. She wished she could be part of it. Sandra might fool others, but she couldn’t lie to herself. If a timed camera recordedherblossom opening, it would also show the petals falling away, leaving the barren stem that she was. A knot formed in her throat. She wassotired of being alone, being the broken one.
But, someday, he’d meet a woman worthy of him, who’d love Rue like her own child, and together they’d build the family he said he’d dreamed of since he’d been a kid. He should have plenty of opportunities to meet someone. After being in the news, single women would likely hit on him like crazy now.
It would be hard to watch him care for someone else. Right now, Sandra wanted nothing more than to go to his condo and kiss him senseless. The thought made her sigh.
For the first time since Dom had served her with divorce papers for somethinghehad caused, she’d wanted a different future. One with Eb at her side.
Sandra would have to settle for friendship. She wiped her eyes. It was better than saying goodbye to him.
* * *
By the timeEb and Rue had cleaned up the kitchen and gotten themselves dressed for the day, he thought it late enough Sandra would be awake. If not, they could leave the food in the refrigerator with a note.
“Can we see Sandra now?” Rue asked, skipping from her bedroom.
