LEANN RUBBED HER STOMACH, stared across the arcade portion of the pizza restaurant and watched Aaron. He’d spent the whole evening running to her and asking, “Are you all right?”
The smell of tomato sauce made her ill.
He always followed his first question with, “Can I have another five dollars in quarters?”
Gary’s mother turned out to be a regular piggy bank when it came to celebrating her grandson’s birthday.
Leann checked her watch. Gary was due any minute. She’d not allowed Aaron to pass out the cake or open presents until his stepdad arrived. Ryan agreed. “It’s gotta be hard for a cop to get his son’s birthday off when half the station is related.”
Leann smiled and nodded. In truth, Gary had gotten off work thirty minutes ago and was picking up the puppy that would belong solely to Aaron.
Max had returned stateside two weeks ago, and Wilma was no longer part of their family. Leann wasn’t sure the family needed a third dog, especially when she was about to have her third child, but she couldn’t say no.
She rubbed her stomach again.
“More water?” Trudy offered her. In her neat red blouse tucked into tan pants and topped with an apron that read EAT MORE PIZZA, she barely resembled the troubled girl who’d arrived in town two years ago.
While Trudy was successfully navigating the ins and outs of her first job, her father was, of all things, starting to raise sheep. He had the best teacher in Russell. For the last six months, Gary, Aaron and Tim had spent a lot of time at Russell’s place, helping with fencing and such. Jace even drove in once a month to help.
So far, a profit hadn’t been made, but who knew what the future held.
“Russell’s having more fun that Aaron.” Gary’s mother noted.
Both Aaron and Russell were seated before identical race car games. Their shoulders swayed back and forth as their cars careened across the screen.
“He’s dismantling the shooting range,” Leann said. “Trudy’s afraid someone will accidentally hurt a sheep.”
“She’s got him wrapped around her finger,” Gary’s mom agreed. “Great granddaughters usually have that ability.”
Just then, Gary entered the restaurant. He set a squirming laundry basket on the table and then bent to kiss her.
Melanie came and sat down next to Leann. “Another dog?”
“What’s one more?” Leann noted Melanie’s bulging tummy. They were due three weeks apart.
Just then, Shelley, Leann’s sister-in-law joined them. Her husband Oscar was at the station. He’d swing by on his break. Shelley handed little Roberto over to her mother-in-law.
Leann gently brushed the soft hair from Berto’s forehead. The last year had been nothing but one miracle after another.
She’d even become closer to her brother and younger sister.
She knew Gary was thankful for everything that had happened, too. He’d put down lasting roots. Joined the police force too. His goal for the next year was to build a larger house on their property so his mother could come live with them. She’d finally retired. And, best of all, there was closure for the whole Guzman clan. The remains of Roberto Guzman—husband, father, brother—had been discovered by hikers just four miles from the family cabin.
He hadn’t walked out on his family. They might not know every detail, but the consensus from the forensic medical team was he’d fallen down an incline and died on impact.
Gary put his fingers to his lips and whistled. It brought everyone over except Russell and Gary’s aunt Bianca, who’d taken Aaron’s place at the race car game. Who said only the young knew how to have fun.
The puppy, however, no longer wanted to be in the laundry basket. It nudged the towel off the top, peeked out—to the delight of the partiers—and then scrambled right onto the birthday cake.
“Good thing we didn’t light the candles,” Leann said.
Gary started to get up, but between Brian, Trudy, and everyone else, everything was soon cleaned up.
“Have I told you today how much I love you?” Gary asked.
“Twice this morning and once on the phone,” Leann affirmed.
“How did the visit to the doctor go? Wish I could have been there.”
“I went with her,” his mother said. “It was pretty spectacular.”
Gary laughed. “Not how Leann usually describes the visits.”
Leann agreed with his mother. “This one was pretty spectacular.”
“Why?”
“Well,” Leann said, “let’s look around. We’ve got a Tim, an Aaron, and Little O, and your mother is holding Berto.”
“So?” Gary said.
“All boys.”
“Yesssssss.” Gary sat up. “What? You’re kidding.”
Leann put her hands on either side of his face. “Not kidding. I hope you’re ready for a girl.”
Their kiss might have lasted longer except for Aaron dropping a frosting-covered puppy in Gary’s lap.
Aaron nuzzled the dog’s fur and wound up with frosting around his lips, which he licked clean. “Sorry, mom. I’ll try to watch out for it better when we’re at home.”
“A girl,” Gary breathed. “We’ll get her a puppy, too.”
* * * * *