Chapter Twenty-Three. Clancy was just getting out of the shower on Monday morning when her cell phone rang

Clancy was just getting out of the shower on Monday morning when her cell phone rang. Dashing for her room, still dripping, she picked up the little device, pleased and a little concerned to see Abby's name in the caller identification window. "Hi," she said, slightly out of breath.

"Do you have plans for breakfast?"

"Uhm … no. Why?"

"I'd like to make you a nice meal and have a little time with you. Whadda say?"

"You're on," Clancy said, her smile blooming. "Be there in twenty."

Having breakfast together cheered Clancy up dramatically. For the first time since she had been working on the landscape, she wished the day would go slower because it was the last one at the Graham house. At three o'clock, she was rolling the new sod, taking her time to make sure it was done perfectly - as well as to waste enough time for Abby to get home from her afternoon meeting.

Her heart started to beat a little faster when she heard a quick horn honk and looked up to see Abby pulling into the driveway. She made it to the yard in record time, her ebullient smile warming Clancy's heart. "Today's the day!" she said, waving to all of the workmen.

"Sure is," Clancy said. "I was afraid we'd be gone by the time you got home, and we only like to do that when things don't work well." Abby walked over to her and put an arm around her, giving her a squeeze that looked far too friendly to be coming from a client.

The dogs had heard their owner drive up, and they began to bark their heads off once they saw her in the yard with Clancy. "Can I bring my entourage?" she asked.

"Yeah, but let us get rid of the last of our equipment first. I don't wanna risk having the gate left open."

"You're always so thoughtful," Abby said, making Clancy blush when every one of her men heard the compliment.

Ramon, always gallant, gave Abby one of his brilliant smiles. "Let me take the roller out, and you can show Mrs. Graham some of the details."

"I'll help you," Clancy said. She looked at Abby and held up a finger. "One minute." She pushed the roller, while Ramon and the other men scrambled around making sure they'd taken everything to the truck. Two of the men pushed the roller up the ramp and into the truck as Ramon walked over to Clancy. He leaned over and kissed her on the head, a rare but not unknown gesture. "I'm very happy for you, jefa," he said. "Mrs. Graham is a lovely woman, and it's easy to see how happy you make her."

Clancy flushed pink in a matter of seconds. "Thanks," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't come right out and tell you, but we're trying to take things slow."

"The daughter is a problem, no?"

"Yep. The daughter is a problem, but things will calm down … I hope."

"Things will be fine," Ramon said. "You are both very strong women. I have confidence in you."

Clancy gave him a hug, feeling a little awkward when she did. They had always been friendly and had often had barbeques together. She'd gone to watch soccer with the crew several times, and they'd all been to her parents' house for parties. But there had always been a bit of a barrier. She wasn't sure if it was cultural or because she was a woman or because she was the boss, but she knew it was something. Nonetheless, she knew Ramon cared for her, and she felt the same about him. "Thanks," she said again, unable to think of anything more demonstrative. "Thanks a lot."

He pulled away and started to walk to the truck. "Enjoy the presentation," he said. "We'll leave you alone."

"You guys did most of the work," she complained. "Come take some of the praise!"

"No, no," he said. "This is for you alone. See you tomorrow." He ducked into the truck, turned on his banda music and took off, leaving Clancy standing on the street, smiling at him.

When Clancy opened the gate, the dogs ran for her. After kissing her repeatedly, they ran around like they'd been captives for months - which in a way, they had. Having the work crew in the yard all summer had really interfered with their usual routine of sunning themselves, frequent dips in the pool, and barking at the UPS truck, but the end was finally at hand.

Abby walked over to the gate and took Clancy's hand as she surveyed the entire picture. The finished product was more than she'd hoped for, with the wall and waterfall giving the impression they'd been in place for years. The flow of the water had real force, which was exactly what Abby wanted to drown out the noise of the neighbors. "We can adjust the water pressure if you want," Clancy said. "This is pretty loud, but it's a nice, calming noise, versus the shrieks of those kids."

"No," Abby said, shaking her head. "This is just what I wanted. Oh, the plants look wonderful, Clancy. You put in some very nice specimens. They really look healthy."

Clancy decided not to mention that her nurseryman was barely speaking to her after she'd made him re-order the plants three times when they didn't meet her exacting standards. It was vital to her that every element of the job was perfect for Abby, and she was going to do whatever she had to do to make sure that happened. "I left a little space on both sides of the stream for you to add things that strike your fancy," Clancy said. "Once you get used to it, I assume you'll want to tweak the design a bit. I know how you gardeners are."

"It's perfect," Abby said. "I couldn't be happier … with it or with you." She kissed her gently, running her hands up and down Clancy's shoulders and back.

"Isn't Hayley -?"

"Yes, she's home, but she can't see us here. Besides, I don't care who sees us. I have to kiss you to thank you for this fantastic yard. I've never been happier." They stood there for a few minutes, while Abby's sharp eyes took in every detail. "I just wish we could christen it," she said, her voice falling in disappointment.

"Christen it?"

"Yeah. I wanna hop in the pool and sample the waterfall for a bit, then spread out a few cushions on the patio and see how much noise the water cancels out."

"Huh? What noise?"

"The moans and groans and whimpers that will come out of your mouth when I make love to you. That's what I've been dreaming of ever since I started to fall in love with you."

Clancy hugged her, holding on for a long time. "We'll do that as soon as Hayley leaves for school. We just have to wait."

"I hate to wait," Abby said, leaning her head against her lover's.

The couple didn't see each other for the rest of the week. Clancy was roaming all over the San Gabriel Valley, and it was inconvenient for her to stop by Abby's at 6:00 a.m. just so they could have breakfast together. Abby still didn't feel comfortable going out at night if Hayley was going to be home, and the girl seemed to like nothing better than having a friend over for dinner - trapping her mother.

Hayley decided to have a big pool party on Sunday, and she and Abby were busy all weekend with preparations for the event. Clancy decided it was self-defeating to sit around and do nothing just because Abby wasn't available, so she invited Michael up to her parents' house for a barbeque of their own on Saturday.

Sunday morning was a reprise of the previous weekend - with Abby sneaking over to Clancy's for a sensual, rather than spiritual communion. Clancy opened the door with a wide, sexy grin on her face. "I normally don't open the door to people trying to spread the good word, but you're too pretty to turn away. Come on in and tell me all about Jesus." She reached out and snuck her finger into the waistband of Abby's melon-colored linen skirt and gave it a tug. When Abby was standing on the threshold, Clancy let her hands wander over and under the wide straps of the square-cut, white linen, sleeveless top. "Very pretty," she said. "It's a shame it has to come off." Before Abby could reply, the top was lying on the small, wooden table by the door, and Clancy's mouth was nuzzling her breast through her camisole.

Strong hands went to Clancy's head and pulled her close, pressing her hard against the breast. "We've gotta work fast," the brunette got out, her words half-moaned. "I can only stay an hour."

Clancy's mouth stopped sucking, and her grip eased, then released. She stood and looked at Abby with annoyance. "What?"

Immediately trying to placate her, Abby said, "Only two more weeks. Then Hayley's back at school."

Turning, the blonde walked into the kitchen and picked up her coffee cup. She hoisted herself onto the counter and assessed Abby with cool eyes. "Then Trevor gets home, and for all we know, he'll throw a bigger fit than Hayley has." Her mouth was working, and she looked like she wanted to say something more, but she put the big cup to her lips and sipped slowly, trying to control her temper.

Abby went to her and stood between her legs, gently stroking the skin that peeked out from her boxer shorts. "I know this is hard, honey, but we have so little time together …" She waited for an answer, and when she didn't receive one, she went on. "Let's not fight. We're wasting the only hour we've had alone this week."

"You wanted to make love?" Clancy asked, her tone even and calm.

With a nervous laugh, Abby nodded. "Yes, of course. I feel so close to you when we do." She trailed her fingers down Clancy's bare chest, feeling the soft skin where it covered bone, then muscle, then pliable flesh. Her hand covered the decorated breast, and she squeezed it, then leaned in to kiss her partner.

Clancy kissed her but didn't try to escalate matters. She looked at Abby again and asked, "It doesn't bother you to fly over here, throw your clothes off, have sex, get dressed and run home - all in an hour?"

"I'd rather we had all day. Hell, I'd rather we had all of our lives! But we don't right now. So, I think about it like I did when I was in high school and my boyfriend and I would park in front of my parents' house." She laughed now, her lips parting as she recalled those days. "On the drive home, I'd think about what we'd do, and as soon as we parked, we'd be in this mad rush to touch each other. I knew we'd have a half-hour or so before my father turned the light on and off a couple of times, signaling me to come inside." She smiled at Clancy and said, "It wasn't what I wanted, but it was very exciting. Sometimes quick sex is a real turn-on."

Clancy put her cup on the counter and squirmed away from Abby. She slid from her perch and walked away, depositing herself on the sofa. "I like quick sex, too. But I like it because we're so hot for each other we can't wait, not because you lie to your child about going to church and show up unannounced."

Stung, Abby stayed right where she was. "I … I asked Hayley to go with me. I wasn't sure if she would or not until I was ready to leave the house."

Looking at the clock on her VCR, Clancy said, "It's 11:45. Is this the first service they have?"

"No," Abby said, confused. "But I always go to the 11:15 service. I always have."

"But you could go earlier?"

"Yes. There's a nine o'clock mass."

"So you could have left before Hayley got up … like at 7:00, and have been gone for hours without her even noticing, right?"

Her voice had taken on a razor-sharp edge, and Abby knew she'd made a very serious error in judgment. She walked over to the sofa and sat down next to her partner. "Yes, I could have." She let out a heavy breath. "I don't know why I didn't."

Clancy pulled her legs up, planting both feet on the edge of the sofa. Her arms rested on her knees, hands dangling. "Maybe it's more exciting for you to make this like a game. Maybe the whole thing seems like a game."

Abby's voice grew sharp. "Don't put thoughts in my head, Clancy. It might seem like I'm okay with how things are, but that's only because I'm trying my best to be upbeat. I hate this as much as you do."

Still not looking at her lover, Clancy said, "You don't know how much I hate this, so don't assume you know how I feel. You don't."

Angry and hurt, Abby got up and walked to the door. She slipped her top back on and said, "Call me when you feel like having a conversation. I don't have the strength to deal with both you and Hayley pouting." She waited a moment, hoping Clancy would ask her to stay, but the blonde head remained unmoved, staring at the blank television.

Clancy knew she should call and apologize, but she felt like sulking. Having little else to keep herself occupied, she went up to Sierra Madre, surprising her mother when she walked into the house in the late afternoon, sipping one of her favorite malts.

"Well, Clancy O'Connor, I think I've seen more of you in the last twenty-four hours than I have in the last three months!"

"Complaining?"

"Never!" Margaret kissed her and said, "You just missed your grandmother. Daddy just dropped her off at the church to play bingo."

Clancy found it funny that her grandmother had given up the religion long before, but was completely unable to forsake her addiction to bingo - exclusively of the Catholic variety. "I'm gonna hang for a while, if that's okay. Want me to go to the store and buy something for dinner?"

"Are you quite all right?" Margaret asked, making a show of feeling her daughter's forehead.

"I owe you a few thousand meals, Mom. I'd be happy to pop for one."

Looking at her quizzically, Margaret said, "I'm serious. Is everything all right, honey?"

"No." She gave her mother a smile and said, "I've been thinking about how hard it is to be a parent. Watching Abby go through all of this crap with Hayley has given me a new perspective on how kids suck the life right out of you."

Margaret wrapped her daughter in a warm hug and said, "It was never hard being your mom." After placing a kiss on both cheeks, she released her child and said, "I really don't envy Abby, though. This has got to be hard on the whole family."

"Yeah, I'm sure it won't be a day at the beach with Trevor, either. Even though Abby thinks he'll be fine with it." Clancy had finished her malt, and she walked into the kitchen to throw the container away. She poked her head into the refrigerator and saw that the cupboard was pretty bare. "Let me go to the store and buy a nice roast. We can cook it outside on the rotisserie. You know how Dad loves that."

Margaret gave her daughter a kiss and patted her on the butt. "That would be lovely, honey. Buy whatever looks good."

When Clancy returned, her father was already getting the rotisserie ready. "There's my best girl," he beamed when she went out back to say hello.

"Hi, Pop." She gave him a kiss and sat down to watch him putter with his toys.

Looking at her speculatively, he asked, "Fight?"

"Yeah."

"Talk about it?"

"Nah."

She watched him work and nodded when he offered a beer. He returned a few minutes later with the roast on the spit and two beers held by their necks in one large hand. She took hers and sipped on it, not saying another word. John hummed a little while he worked, then sat down and watched the roast begin to spin. They watched the meat as though it were a fascinating television show, neither speaking until it had begun to brown. "I'm so sick of Hayley that I'm thinking of going on vacation until she leaves for school."

"In August?" John's incredulity could be heard loud and clear. "You can't pick up and leave during your busiest season!"

"It's my business," she grumbled, knowing she was acting childish.

"True. It's yours for as long as you don't piss off your clients or your crew." He took the bottle cap he'd removed earlier and flipped it at her, catching her on the shoulder. "What's really goin' on? The kid's gotta be leaving soon."

"Two weeks," Clancy said.

"Since when can't you wait two weeks for somethin' you really want? Jesus, you waited two years to go to college so you could go where you really wanted!"

"It's not the time," she said, feeling tired and cranky. "It's … it's that Hayley always comes first."

"You knew that going in," John said. "Little late to have circumstances change."

"I know that," she said, her voice testy and sharp. "I don't want circumstances to change. I just want Abby to spend a little time thinking of ways to see me more. We didn't have any time together this week, and it makes me nuts!"

"What does she say when you tell her that?"

Clancy leaned back in her chair and let her head loll back. "I just told her today. That's what we fought about."

"What did she say?" he asked again.

She gave him a vague shrug. "She didn't say much. She was mad at me for being mad at her."

John got up and put a thermometer in the roast, nodding to himself when it registered just where he expected it to be. "So, you told her you want her to keep you in the game, right?"

"Right."

"But this is the first time you've told her that, right?"

She shrugged again. "Not really. She knows I'm not happy with the way things are."

He put his hands on his hips, adopting the same stance he did when he chewed out one of his employees. "Have you specifically told her what you need her to do to make you happy?"

"No," she said, her voice barely audible.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" he asked, making her head snap up. "You don't take off from your job in August, and you don't get pissed because somebody isn't doing something if you didn't ask her to do it. Grow up!"

"I'm plenty grown up," she snapped.

"The hell you are! You knew this was gonna be hard, but you didn't want to quit. You've been stewing about this for a while, but you haven't told her how to fix it. That's not fair to her, and that's not mature! Now straighten out and fly right or cut her loose. The last thing she needs is another kid!"

Clancy pressed her lips together, knowing she was on the verge of saying something very rude. Her father went into the house to get another beer, and she tried to calm her racing mind to let his words sink in. He was gone much longer than he needed to be, and when he came back, she took the offered beer and said, "Abby said the same thing to me today."

"What?"

"She said she didn't have the strength to have both Hayley and me acting like children."

"She's right," he said.

"I get it, Dad. I get it. You've made your point. I'll call her tonight and apologize."

"'Bout time," he mumbled, laughing softly to himself.

"Do you ever get tired of being right?"

"Not really. Comes naturally."

"Too bad I didn't get your hilarious sense of humor," she said, obviously teasing.

"I always thought so." He fussed with his roast for a moment and said, "To tell you the truth, I'm surprised it took you this long to snap. Not like you to be this patient with a woman."

She grinned wryly at him. "I've never been in love with one before, Dad. The rules change."

"They do indeed," he nodded, chuckling softly. "So, is this kid always gonna be a problem?"

"Looks like it," she said. "But it's something I'm going to have to learn to deal with. I'd rather she was childless, but she's not. You've gotta take people like you find 'em."

"Too damned bad, ain't it?"

"Sure as hell is," she agreed, taking a long pull on her beer.

Because of Hayley's party, a short phone conversation was all that Abby could manage, but she was very relieved to have Clancy call to apologize. She did the same, and they hung up, agreeing to try to find some time to see each other even though it was difficult.

The next afternoon, Clancy was idling on the Pasadena freeway when she answered her cell phone.

"Where are you, honey?"

"Heading home. I'm almost at Fair Oaks."

"Did you have a good day?"

"Not bad. I spent too long at a client's house in Beverlywood, and now I'm stuck in traffic. I'm trying to get home to take a quick nap before dance class."

Abby pouted. "I wanna go."

"Michael's always happy to bow out. You know I'd rather take you."

With a tone filled with yearning, Abby said, "Hayley's gonna be home for dinner. I should stay."

"Whatever," the blonde said. "I'll think of you when I'm leading Michael around the dance floor."

"You lead?'

"Yep. I told you before," Clancy said, her wicked grin managing to make it through the phone line. "I always lead."

Abby hung up, standing in place with her hand still on the phone, thinking of how wonderful it felt to have Clancy guide her around the dance floor. Hayley walked into the room and said, "That won't make it ring."

Shaking her head, Abby pulled her hand away and walked into the den, irritated by Hayley's mere presence.

On Tuesday morning, Hayley was up earlier than usual. She walked downstairs, wearing a mysterious smile. "Hey," she said when she spotted her mother. "Can I borrow the car this morning?"

"Sure. Going somewhere special?"

"Uh-huh."

Her smile grew, and she turned to go back upstairs, with Abby following her with her eyes. I think I could pin her. If I got her out the front door and called the locksmith …

Around noon, the dogs started to bark, and a moment later Abby heard the garage door open. A loud clatter from the laundry room made her get up to see what was going on. She pushed open the door at the same time Trevor was pulling it from his side. Caught off-balance, she fell into his arms, feeling his sturdy body hold her effortlessly. "You must've missed me," he said, laughing.

She had to scramble to get her feet set in the small space, since both dogs were jumping, barking, and doing their patented flips of joy at seeing Trevor. "God, yes!" she cried. She wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a long, strong hug. "I missed you like crazy!"

"I missed you, too, Mom," he said softly. "Very much."

"Nice surprise, huh?" Hayley asked, giggling.

"The nicest," Abby agreed.

She backed up, giving the kids room to walk into the kitchen. She watched as Trevor hefted his bags into the room, marveling at how much his body looked like his father's. She gazed at him with a wistful smile, making him reach out and tweak her nose. "Don't tell me: I look older and better than when I left."

She hugged him again, letting her hand fall to give him a swat on the seat. "I know I'm predictable, but you should be used to that by now."

"You're not so predictable," Hayley said, her words teasing but her tone serious.

"Depends on the day," Abby said, refusing to let her daughter bait her into talking about Clancy at that moment. "Are you hungry, honey?" she asked her son.

"A little. I had lunch and dinner on the plane, but it wasn't very good."

"Oh, right, your body thinks it's 9:00 p.m., doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Maybe I'll just have some caffeine. I wanna stay up so I can go to bed around 10:00. I wanna get back on California time as soon as I can."

He walked over to the refrigerator and took out a can of Coke. While he poured it into a glass, Abby asked, "Did you leave early, honey, or did the program end sooner than it was supposed to?"

Trevor tilted his head back and nearly drained his glass. "A little of both," he said. "We were finished, but the other people in the program were dragging their feet in writing out the final report. They were working a couple of hours a day and hanging out until three or four a.m. I got sick of it and wanted to come home - so I left."

Abby stood next to him and put her hand on his waist. "Really?"

He avoided her eyes while filling his glass. "Yeah. I want to find a job, not sit around getting drunk in Venice. I mean, it was fun, but we'd been partying for over two weeks." He looked down and smiled at his mother. "Maybe I was just pissed that I hadn't hooked up with anyone."

"No one?" she asked, grinning at him.

"Nope. There were ten girls in the program, and the only decent ones were engaged. I didn't have a date the whole time I was gone."

"You should have been here," Hayley said. "Love was in the air." She was sitting on one of the tall chairs by Abby's counter-height desk. Her mother had grown tired of her lobbing innuendo-filled bombs into the conversation.

Staring at Hayley, Abby said, "I'm sure Trevor and I will discuss Clancy, but we'll do it alone."

The girl gulped noticeably, not used to having her mother be obviously upset with her. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'll go swim for a while so you can talk."

"You don't need to leave, Hayley. You just need to stop being passive-aggressive."

Hayley nodded. "I think I'm better at leaving." With that, she went into the downstairs bathroom to put on her swimsuit.

As soon as she left, Trevor looked at his mother. "Has she been like this all summer?"

"Uh-huh. I almost put her in a FedEx box and sent her to you."

Trevor touched his mother's shoulder. "You should have, Mom. I'm serious. You shouldn't have to put up with her when she's being a jerk."

Abby laughed softly. "I think she acts like a jerk because I allow her to." She took her son's hand and led him into the living room so Hayley wouldn't hear them. They sat down on the sofa, just close enough to be able to touch once in a while. "I always encouraged you to say what was on your mind, Trevor, and you never abused that privilege. But Hayley's a very different kid. I think I should have set firmer limits with her. I thought the same techniques I used with you would work with her, but they haven't."

"She's not a bad kid, Mom. Believe me, I'd rather be with Hayley than most of the girls on my project. At least she's not obsessed with how she looks and whether someone else is getting attention."

"Really a bad bunch, huh?"

"Yeah," he said, his forehead wrinkled in thought. "The guys were good, but the girls really sucked. They were always pouting about something."

"Hayley's been doing her share of pouting," Abby said, smiling.

"Yeah, but at least she's not usually like that. She … she's having a real hard time with this, Mom."

She put her hand on his knee, giving it a squeeze. "I know, honey." She took a deep breath. "How much do you know?"

"I know just about everything," he said. "I know what happened, and I know how it happened, and I know how Hayley feels about it." He shrugged. "It's more than a little weird, but I'm not mad at you or anything."

She gazed at him for a moment, feeling so much better to have him home again. "How do you feel, sweetheart?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I guess it depends on the day. I want you to be happy, Mom, so that's what I focus on. If you're happy with Clancy … I want you to go for it."

"I think I already have," Abby said, her smile wry. "I've told your grandparents, Ellen, Pam, Maria, Spencer … I'm sure it won't be long before Marjorie is marching up and down the hill telling all of the neighbors."

He laughed at that, imagining the older, rotund woman hefting herself up the steep hill to spread her juicy news. "How did everyone take it?"

"Ellen has been the worst," Abby said. "Well, your grandfather isn't very happy about it, but at least he hasn't insulted my intelligence."

Trevor's mouth dropped open. "Ellen did that?"

"Yep." Abby let her head drop back and felt the cushion press against the spot where she was getting a headache. "She told me she couldn't be friends with me anymore."

"No!" The look on his face showed that he assumed she was kidding, but her expression showed she was deadly serious. "But why …?"

"She thinks I'm being selfish," Abby said. "She thinks I'm putting my needs before yours and Hayley's."

His eyes narrowed and he tilted his head. "We're adults now; you don't have to treat us like little kids anymore. It's not like being with a woman is such a big deal." He shoved some of his thick, dark hair from his eyes. "I mean, yeah, it's weird, and it's gonna take some getting used to, but it's not like you're going out with somebody who's mean or evil or something. Clancy's just a chick … right?"

"Pretty much," Abby agreed. "A young chick, but a chick."

"Yeah. That part's a little weird, too," he admitted. "I never thought my stepfather would be a girl just about my age, but … I guess you didn't either, right?"

His gaze had sharpened, and Abby had a feeling he wasn't asking his question. "What's on your mind, Trev? Come on, tell me."

He sat quietly for a moment, then asked, "You haven't been … uhm … wanting to be with women … before, right?"

She took a moment to consider his words. "Do you mean while your father was alive?"

"Yeah." He put his head down, unable to look at her.

She put her hand on his cheek, urging him to meet her eyes. "Honey, I loved your dad more than you'll ever know. He was my first love, and I wouldn't have traded him for all of the women in the world. I never, ever wished that I'd picked another man or a woman. He was the one. He'll always be the one."

She was crying now, and Trevor scooted over to hold her. "But you love Clancy, right?" he asked.

"Yes, of course I do. But it's not the same. It's hard to explain, but there's something unique about your first love. When you marry and have children together, there's … I don't even know how to put it into words. But it's different. Your father was the love of my life. That will never change, no matter how much I love Clancy. She'll be my partner, but with your dad … we were a family. Having you and Hayley made us into a unit. I know it'll never be like that with Clancy. And so does she," she added. "She wants to fit in, but she can't act like she's related to you and Hayley. She'll be your mother's partner."

"But … you'll want her to be at all of our family events, right?"

"Of course!"

"I'd like to have some kinda relationship with her," he said, looking a little confused. "But I don't know -"

"Honey. Just let things happen. If you like her, something will develop. If you don't like her … well … I guess you'll just have to have a few drinks to get through holiday dinners." She leaned over and tickled him on the ribs, making him giggle like a child.

"Stop!" he begged, squirming. "Please!"

"I'll be good," she promised, holding her hands up.

"Not fair," he insisted. "You know all of my weak spots."

She put her arm around him and hugged him tight. "I do. But you know most of mine, too. The blessing and the curse of family."

Trevor went upstairs to unpack, but after just a few moments he came racing down the stairs. "Mom! Why didn't you tell me you were done?"

"What?" she asked, meeting him at the stairs.

"The yard!" He trotted for the back door, both dogs following him. Abby was delighted by his glee, and she fell in line. They went outdoors and Trevor stood with his hands on his hips, shaking his head in amazement. "I never would have believed this was our yard," he said. "This isn't just an improvement - it's a complete transformation." He turned and smiled at his mother. "Clancy's got a load of talent, Mom."

His smile was contagious, and she matched it immediately. "She is, Trev. Thanks for saying so."

"I've got to get into my suit and let that waterfall hit me," he said, grinning like a child. "Wanna join me?"

"Not right now, but I will soon."

He ran into the house, taking the stairs two at a time. "Hurry up, Mom. That pool looks too good!"

As soon as Trevor went outside, Abby reached Clancy on her cell phone. "Guess who's home," she said.

"Hmm … I'm gonna say Trevor, since he's the only one who's been gone. Isn't he home early?"

"Yeah. I think he's worried about his mom."

"Not angry with her?"

"Doesn't seem to be," Abby said. "We had a very nice chat, baby. And he positively loved the back yard. He wants to get to know you better, too. He seemed very accepting."

"Whew! Thank God someone's acting like he's supposed to."

"You can say that again! My boy came through for me!"

Дата добавления: 2015-10-26