Make a Wish, page 7
I wouldn’t have survived that first year of Peyton’s life without Harley. The grief alone would have been too much, let alone navigating being a father without my wife.
“Hey, you’re back earlier than expected. Did the meeting go okay?” Harley asks.
“Better than expected, actually.” I’m slowly transitioning to take over for my dad at Greenscapes so he can finally retire. It means catching up on how things work and attending a lot of meetings. We’re set to break ground on a huge park outside the city, and there were a couple of small issues with the design that needed to be ironed out. Once we have approval on those tweaks, we’ll be able to move forward.
“Dad!” Peyton abandons her snack and hops off the stool, running over and throwing her arms around me. “Come see what we made! We had bunny pizzas for dinner and Harley showed me how to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and we painted with watercolors!” The words blend together with her excitement.
I let Peyton show me all the things they made in the two hours I was gone, and she informs me that the leftover bunny pizza is for her lunch tomorrow.
Once Peyton is finished with her snack, I send her off to brush her teeth and get ready for bed, leaving me alone with Harley. Over text, conversation between us flows easily. But in person, sometimes I feel she’s more comfortable with Peyton than she is with me. I guess it makes sense since I used to be her boss, but I’d like to find a way to change that. “Thanks again for doing this for me. I hope I didn’t interfere with your plans.”
Harley waves the comment away and then shimmies the tutu over her head and hangs it on one of the chairs. “It wasn’t a problem, and I love spending time with Peyton. As you can see, she was determined to make one of her fairy costumes fit me.”
“Thank you for indulging her.”
She shrugs. “I don’t mind. It’s entertaining and she has such a great imagination. It’s probably one of my favorite parts about working with kids. They’re not afraid to get silly and just have fun.”
“Oh, I’m very familiar with her amazing imagination. There’s rarely a week that goes by that I don’t dress up as a fairy and have an afternoon tea party. Mostly I think it’s an excuse to eat cookies.”
Harley laughs. “Dress-up and tea parties go together like peanut butter and jelly.” She points to the fridge, where Peyton’s child scrawl fills up a sheet of pink paper. “Aside from all the food making, we also made a list of all the things she needs for school next week. She’s excited to start.”
“Thanks, my mother-in-law has been taking care of that since she started school, so that list will definitely help.”
“I always used to love back-to-school shopping. It helped with the excitement.” Harley brings Peyton’s empty snack plate to the sink.
“You don’t need to clean up. I’ve got this.” I grab a cookie off the plate and shove the whole thing into my mouth. It’s been years since I’ve had Harley’s baking.
Karen, my mother-in-law, didn’t agree with sweets in the house. And while I understand not wanting kids to overindulge in sugar, I also don’t think it hurts to eat a cookie every now and again. Especially when they’re homemade and delicious.
“I don’t mind. Have you eaten yet?” She arches a brow as I reach for another cookie.
“I’ll make myself a sandwich once Peyton is in bed.”
“Why don’t you have a seat, and I’ll whip you up one of my gourmet grilled cheeses, like I used to back in the day.” She arches a brow while walking backward toward the stove.
“You still living on grilled cheese and fries? From what I remember, it was your go-to meal of choice. That and the movie The Princess Bride.”
“My dinner palate has changed, but I still love a good grilled cheese when the mood strikes me. My movie tastes on the other hand…” She gives me a wry grin. “You’re in for some comfort food, then?”
“I already hijacked your night. You don’t need to make me dinner too.” But I remember what those grilled cheese sandwiches were like and my mouth is already watering.
“You didn’t hijack my night. I basically did all the things I planned to, but with a miniature helper.”
“You planned to make bunny pizzas for dinner?” I give her a skeptical look. It’s odd how easy it is to slip right back into old ways with Harley. Having her in my house and my kitchen should feel strange, but it doesn’t. She fits. Maybe it’s the comfort of familiarity.
“I planned to order takeout, so this was much better.” She turns on a burner, grabs the frying pan, and waves a hand in my direction. “Sit down. Take a load off. I’m sure you’ve been going since the sun came up.”
“And you haven’t?” I do what she says, though. She’s right. I’m hungry, and slapping some ham and mustard on bread isn’t nearly as appealing as fresh grilled cheese.
“I just spent the past two hours having fun with an adorable nine-year-old. That’s hardly a chore.” She opens the fridge and pulls out several items, setting mayo and a variety of cheeses on the counter.
Less than ten minutes later she sets a plate with two golden sandwiches in front of me, oozing cheese and smelling delicious. I take a bite and groan as the flavors hit my tongue. “Why are these always so amazing?”
“It’s the mayo instead of butter.”
“I forgot that trick. I could never make them taste as good as you did,” I mutter through a mouthful.
“You were running on very little sleep back in the day. And all you had to do is shoot me a text, asking for my secret. I would have given it to you.”
Our gazes lock from across the island for a moment, but she looks away quickly. Not before I catch the hurt lurking behind her eyes, among other emotions. Her cheeks burst with color, and she busies herself with putting away the cheese and mayo.
Thankfully, Peyton comes back into the kitchen, her stuffed bunny tucked under her arm, and saves me from responding.
“You still have Hoppy?” A small smile pulls at the corner of her mouth.
“He’s my favorite stuffie. I have to be careful with him now, though, because he’s starting to wear out.” Peyton holds him out for Harley to see. “Some of his stuffing is starting to poke out of his bum.”
“Hmm.” Harley plants one hand on her hip and leans in close, tapping her lip in contemplation. “I bet we could give him a little surgery and he’ll be good as new.”
“Really?” Peyton hugs him gently to her chest.
“Maybe next time I see you, we can work on making sure he’s all sewed up. Sound good?”
Peyton nods and rubs his ear against her cheek. “Can you read me a story tonight?”
“Harley probably wants to head home, honey,” I tell Peyton.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind. You eat your sandwiches and I’ll read a story.”
“You’re sure?” I ask.
“Positively positive.” Harley winks.
Peyton hugs and kisses me good night before she takes Harley’s hand, and they disappear down the hallway.
It’s been a long time since anyone but me has put Peyton to bed. It feels … odd, but also nice. Especially since I know she’s in good hands, and that means I can eat my grilled cheeses while they’re still hot. Fifteen minutes later Harley appears. I push my chair back, expecting Peyton will want to say good night again.
Harley holds up a hand. “She’s already out.”
“She’s asleep?”
“Down for the count.”
“Can you come over and take care of bedtime every night?” I blurt without thinking.
Harley barks a laugh and crosses the kitchen. “She was worn out. I kept her busy this evening.” Her expression sobers. “Is she usually harder to get down?”
“She’s pretty good, but it’s a new house, new room, new sounds at night. Half the time I wake up in the morning and she’s in bed with me,” I admit.
“Ah, the old sneak into bed while Daddy’s sleeping trick. Are you worried about that, or do you think it’ll sort itself out over time?”
“I’m hoping for the latter, but I don’t know. It’s a big change, moving back here. She really loves having you around, and she loves that her nana, my mom, is a lot less … of a stickler for the rules.”
Harley moves to stand on the other side of the island. “That can be good and bad, can’t it?”
“Mm. Yeah. It can.” I’m starting to see just how stifling it was with my mother-in-law. The help was great, but it came with a price, which was someone other than me setting a lot of the ground rules that I didn’t always agree with. But at the same time, it was coming from a good place and she had Peyton’s best interests at heart. And Peyton is the only tie they have to their daughter.
“Is that something you need to address with your parents? Do you think they’ll be too lenient with Peyton?” Harley leans against the counter, expression pensive.
“Not too lenient. It’s not like they feed her a pound of sugar and let her watch TV all day. It’s more that they’ll let her have a cookie or a glass of chocolate milk, or watch two episodes of her favorite show instead of one. The rules aren’t as … rigid. What I’m worried about is how Peyton is going to handle being back with her granny when we do go to visit.”
“Ah. I see, because the rules were stricter?” Harley asks.
“Exactly. Things were pretty cut and dry with her granny, but here, there are a lot more gray areas. And my parents haven’t had the past seven years with her.”
“Does that make them less likely to say no to Peyton?”
I consider that for a moment. “Maybe a bit. But it’s more that they’re polar opposites to her granny, so it’s getting used to a new set of rules. It’s not just Peyton making an adjustment, it’s all of us.”
Harley nods, her smile sympathetic. “I get what you mean. It was tough to get used to my grandmother’s rules and how they changed when she went from being a grandparent to a stand-in mom. There were growing pains there, and you’re experiencing the same thing. The good thing is that Peyton is old enough to understand there are different rules in place depending on who she’s with. Most kids realize their grandparents are willing to sneak them treats that their parents won’t allow.”
“In this case, it was me always sneaking Peyton the treats when her granny wasn’t looking.” And getting lectured on my parenting when I didn’t do things the same way Karen did.
“Mm.” She nods knowingly. “That must have been a tough line to toe, what with how involved they’ve been.”
I nod. “It could be stifling at times. All I was doing in Boulder was working and being a father. I didn’t have time for a social life, and most of my friends were still here. In some ways I feel bad for taking Peyton away from everything familiar again, but Colorado Springs has always felt more like home. It’s still a lot of change for both of us.”
“Change is always supposed to be uncomfortable. It’s how you know you’re making the right choice,” Harley says thoughtfully.
“You’re too wise for someone your age,” I say.
She laughs. “I’m not twenty anymore, Gavin. And I had to grow up fast. So did you.” She blows out a breath. “Anyway, I’m always here to help if you need it.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. I appreciate you.” I shake my head at how awkward I’m making things. “I mean, I appreciate you making yourself available for Peyton, especially with how busy you already are.”
“I wouldn’t have said yes if I didn’t have the time.” She props her chin on her fist. “How was your emergency meeting? You said it went better than expected?”
“Oh yeah, it was just about getting approval on a couple of tweaks on a design.”
“Oh? What are you designing?”
“A park, but it’s a much larger scale than the ones I’m used to working on, which has been an amazing challenge.”
“Do you have drawings?”
“I do. They’re on my computer. Do you want to see them?” I can’t quite tell if she’s just being polite or if she’s genuinely interested.
The way her eyes light up gives me the answer. “Absolutely! But only if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind. They’re in my office, though.” I give her an out if she wants one.
“Lead the way.”
She falls into step beside me, and we stop when we pass Peyton’s room so I can check on her. It’s a habit I doubt I’ll be able to break anytime soon. She’s curled up on her side with Hoppy tucked under her chin. I pull the door closed and we continue past my bedroom to the end of the hall.
I push through the door to my office, which looks out over the backyard. A trail of lights leads to a pergola where I often work on weekend mornings with coffee.
“Your backyard is amazing. The view of the mountains in the distance is picture-worthy. Peyton and I sat out there and ate dinner tonight.”
“You’ll have to come back another time and have dinner out there with me,” I say as I drop into my chair, then rush to add, “I mean with me and Peyton.” I cringe internally. The way that came out made it sound like I’m asking her on a freaking date. Not that I would be completely opposed to that, but Peyton is already attached to Harley, and complicating this with things like dates probably isn’t the best plan. Especially when I’m still getting my feet under me after this move, and Harley and I are just getting reacquainted.
“We can make bunny pizzas again since they were such a winner this time around.” Harley stands behind me, hand resting on the back of the chair as I pull up the designs and show her the three-dimensional rendering of the park. It’s huge, over a square mile of land with trails, a skate park, and a children’s play structure, along with several open green spaces lined with trees.
“This is amazing, Gavin. You’ve really got an incredible eye for this. I’ve visited some of the parks you designed around here before you moved, but this is really above and beyond.” Her fingers brush my shoulder as she leans in to get a better look, and she quickly drops her hand, moving around to stand beside my chair. I inhale the scent of her perfume or whatever she uses that makes her smell the way she does. Like vanilla maybe. Something sweet.
I clear my throat. “Thanks. I’ve been working my way toward this for a long time. And my dad dangled it like a carrot as a way to entice me to come home.”
Harley chuckles. “Obviously it worked.”
“Like a charm,” I agree. “I was a little daunted by the scope of the project at first, but when you’re given this much space to work with and a huge budget, it really lends itself to creativity.”
“I can see that. Can you zoom in on the play structure?” She points to the center of the screen. “I want to take a closer look at that.”
“Sure. Of course.” It’s been a long time since someone other than the people I work with have shared my excitement about a project. My dad obviously loves landscape design. He’s spent more than thirty years in the field, built his own business from the ground up, and expanded. My in-laws couldn’t understand how I managed to get lost for hours in a project and wouldn’t even realize I’d miss lunch until my alarm went off signaling it was time for me to pick up Peyton.
“This is really cool.” Harley points to the castle-like structure. “What are the chances you could put a rock-climbing wall up the side? Just the first six feet or so, to avoid it being too high and reduce the chances of someone getting hurt, and here”—she points to the wooden bridge connecting the two towers—“you could do a rope bridge, which would be great for balance.”
“Those are great ideas.” I jot them down.
“Oh my God. I can’t believe I did that. Like I know anything about architecture.” She tries to take the pencil from my hand, but I grip it tighter.
“But you know a lot of things about kids and what they like. I’m not jotting them down because I need something to do with my hands, I’m jotting them down because I can see how they could work.” I stand and roll my chair closer to her. “Here, sit. I’m picking your brain.”
“The last thing you probably want to do right now is more work.”
“Paperwork no, but design work I would do in my sleep if I could. Sit.” I nod to the chair. “Let me scavenge your head for ideas.”
She takes a seat in my executive chair, and I grab my stool from my drafting table, rolling back over to her. “Okay. Climbing wall and a rope bridge. What else do you think might work well?”
We go back and forth for the next thirty minutes, discussing potential tweaks and additions. When we’re finished, Harley has given me some really great feedback to fix some of the problems I had with the design.
“How much work is this going to make for you?” Harley asks as I start shutting down my computer.
“It’ll take maybe a day for me to input all the changes and modifications, but we won’t be moving on this structure until the spring. Our first step is creating the trails and setting up the garden and picnic areas, so I can keep making tweaks to this until the winter if you come up with more ideas.”
“As if you need me inserting myself into your projects.” She covers her mouth with her palm and stifles a yawn. “Oh, wow. That was rude.” She glances at the clock on the wall. “It’s after ten already! No wonder I’m turning into a yawn factory.” Harley rolls her chair back and stands up. “I better get home before I turn into a pumpkin.”
I walk her to the front door and out to her car. “Thanks again for watching Peyton.”
“It was way more fun than what I had planned anyway.” She unlocks her car door. “Are we still on for the zoo tomorrow afternoon?”
“We could postpone it if you have other things you need to do.”
“Not at all. And I can totally take Peyton on my own if you’re busy. I’m going no matter what, and having Peyton come along will make it way more fun.”
“Okay. As long as it’s not an inconvenience.” I shove my hand in my pocket. “Can I, uh, can I pay you for tonight?”
