“I miss Daddy, but I don’t miss you and him arguing about him never being there.”
Kids saw and heard everything and she had to remind herself of that every day. “Things are just different now. We’re a different kind of family. And that’s okay.”
“So…” Olivia drawled. “Don’t you want to go to the movies or something with Coach Moore?”
“No,” Angela returned, straightening. “That’s not on the agenda. As I said, he’s going to be Anthony’s friend. Then maybe your brother won’t be so miserable all the time.”
“Yeah. Then maybe he’ll stay out of my room.”
Ten minutes later they were inside the van, drinking hot chocolate and munching on chocolate chip cookies. David had encouraged Olivia to take the front seat beside her mom while he sat in back of Angela and Anthony sat beside him. Of his own accord, Michael had crawled into the van’s third seat. They’d left the door open a bit on Anthony’s side.
“Your mom makes great cookies,” David commented.
“Some moms don’t bake at all,” Olivia remarked over her shoulder, sounding shocked, as if that was inconceivable.
Suddenly one of Anthony’s friends was standing at the van door.
“Hi, Simon,” Angela greeted him. Simon was in Anthony’s class and also had played Little League with him.
Simon pointed to David. “My dad says he played for the NFL.”
Anthony cut a sideways glance to David. “You didn’t tell me that. Is that true?”
Angela was all ears herself.
“I was drafted by the NFL and I went to training camp, but I never got a chance to play. I was in a car accident that messed up my leg.”
“That was rotten luck,” Simon stated emphatically. “My dad says you’re a great coach, now, though. The Raiders won almost all their games.”
“Your dad must be a football fan.”
“He’s always in front of the TV watching sports of some kind. Mom doesn’t like it. That’s why she said we’re gonna cut down a Christmas tree tomorrow, and he has to go along.”
“That’d be neat to cut down a Christmas tree,” Anthony said wistfully.
Angela saw David studying her son. Then he said, “I’m great with a saw. If you and your mom want to pick out a tree, I could cut it down for you.”
“Can we do that, Mom?” Anthony asked, excited.
Angela loved seeing that sparkle in her son’s eyes. She’d missed it the past few weeks. If cutting down a Christmas tree would help put a smile on his face, she’d freeze off her toes and fingers again tomorrow. She was also willing to try to put her reactions to David into deep freeze, too. “If Coach Moore’s willing to saw it for us, I guess we can.”
“That’s a plan, then,” David stated. “Why don’t I meet you at the Christmas tree farm around two?”
“Two will be fine.” Angela told herself she was just looking forward to the outing because it was something Anthony wanted to do for a change. It didn’t have anything to do with the fact that David would be along.
After Simon had taken off for his family’s car, David opened the door on her side of the van. “I’d better be shoving off.”
“Wait,” she called, before she thought better of it.
Already out of the van, David closed the door and stood before her window.
When she pressed the button, it rolled down a bit. “Thank you,” she said softly, meaning it. “Are you sure you want to go tomorrow?”
“I’m sure. It’s been a long time since I’ve cut down a Christmas tree. I’ll see you at two.”
With a wave, he headed off toward his SUV, and Angela couldn’t help staring after him. He was three years younger than she was, a bachelor and way too intriguing. Reluctantly, and with a sigh, she came back to reality. She was a single mom with responsibilities and no spare time. This outing tomorrow was for her children’s sake, and she wouldn’t forget that.
After Anthony closed his side of the van, she switched on the ignition. “Buckle up.”
As the kids fastened their seat belts, she did the same, all the while remembering the feel of David’s body around hers as they’d sped down the hill. For those few moments, she’d felt young and free and alive again.
With another sigh she backed out of the parking place and started for home.
As Olivia, Michael and Anthony ran from tree to tree, squabbling about which one would be perfect in their living room, David asked Angela, “Do they ever agree?”
She laughed. “Once in a great while. I’m just so glad to see Anthony is a part of this today. He’s actually excited about something. He’s been moping around for so long, I was afraid he’d forgotten how to have fun.”
To his surprise, David was having fun, too. He usually related to kids one-on-one, not in a family setting. This was different. But there was no other way to reach out to Anthony and have him reach back.
As spokesman, Anthony ran over to them and pointed to a Douglas fir. “That’s the one we want.”
Michael complained, “I like the one over there.”
“It’s not as tall,” Olivia berated him. “We want a tall tree.”
Out of the blue, as if he’d been thinking about it all day, Anthony asked David, “I know you don’t play in the NFL, but do you know guys who do? I mean, you went to their training camp and all.”
“I’ve kept in contact with a few. Do you know Duke Smith of the Redskins?”
“Wow! Duke Smith! Yeah, I watch him on TV.” Anthony looked at the tree and then back at David. “Maybe you’d like to help us put up the tree. Whaddya think, Mom? Can he?”
“And he can stay for supper,” Olivia piped up.
Angela looked flabbergasted by her daughter’s invitation.
If he helped with the tree, David knew more questions about football were going to come up. He also knew something else might come up that he should probably tell Angela about. It was the incident that had started him mentoring in the first place. Yet all of it was personal, and he and Angela weren’t on that level yet.
When he was silent, Angela recovered her composure and asked, “Do you have other plans? You probably cherish your free time on weekends.”
“I do. But I haven’t helped put up a Christmas tree in years. Are you sure you want me there?” he asked Anthony, looking straight at him.
The boy met his eyes this time. “Yeah. Last year Mom tried to do it herself and the whole thing fell over the next day. It was a mess.”
When Angela laughed self-consciously, David could have kissed her. She was so cute when she blushed. “Your son is a practical kid.”
“He doesn’t want more of his favorite ornaments to break. I can’t say I blame him.”
“At least they picked a straight tree.” He grinned, as he took his saw from the sled they’d brought along to transport the tree.
After David cut down the fir and arranged it on the sled, Anthony asked if he could pull it, and Michael insisted on helping. David motioned down the trail to the barn where the proprietor of the farm was bagging the trees so they were easier to take home. All the kids started down the hill, cooperating for a change.
“That won’t last long,” Angela said with a smile.
David knew Olivia’s invitation