And if the opposite happened, if Zach was furious with her for keeping Riley a secret from him—or worse, wanted nothing to do with his son at all—at least they would be in a public place where he couldn’t blow up at her and make a scene.
“I understand that Santa Claus visits the party,” she told Riley as they drove the short distance to the community center. They were alone in the car. Her mother’s multiple sclerosis was flaring up again and her father had opted to stay home with her, urging Delia and Riley to go ahead and have a good time.
“Mom,” Riley protested with a mothers-just-don’t-get-it groan. “I’m nine. I don’t believe in Santa anymore.”
Delia chuckled. “Not even if he happens to be handing out presents?”
“Really?” the boy asked, suddenly intrigued. When he turned his head in her direction, a lock of his hair, black like Delia’s but shaggy like his father’s, flopped into his eyes, which were brown and dreamy like Zach’s. Her heart clenched at the sight. Riley looked so very much like his father. She hadn’t realized just how much until she’d returned home and had seen Zach again.
“That’s what I hear.”
“Well, maybe, then.” He didn’t sound convinced.
“You don’t have to visit with Santa if you don’t want to, but I think it would be awesome if you did.”
He tilted his head at her. “Do other moms besides you say awesome? I mean, in Serendipity. Grandma and Grandpa kind of talk like cowboys.”
Delia laughed. “They do, don’t they? I grew up here, so I don’t hear the differences as much as you do. Are you afraid you’re going to find things too different out here from what you’re used to?”
“I dunno.” He looked away, out the passenger-side window. “Maybe, I guess.”
“Well, don’t worry too much about it. I know you aren’t used to Texas accents, but after a while you won’t even notice. I promise.”
“I guess,” the boy said again.
Delia really felt for her son and the changes he’d been so abruptly faced with. It was terrifying to move across the country where you didn’t know anyone.
She should know. She’d done that very thing ten years ago. But knowing wasn’t necessarily helping, and she wasn’t sure how to make things any easier for him.
For what seemed like the millionth time since she’d arrived in town, she questioned the wisdom of her decision to move back home. Would Riley really be better off here in Serendipity, or was she creating more problems than she was solving?
“There are plenty of kids in town. I’m sure you’ll meet many of the boys your age at the party tonight. It’ll be fun to make new friends, don’t you think?”
Riley had always made friends easily, which reassured Delia—a little. She was hopeful that he would have little problem finding new buddies to hang out with. If he could make friends before school resumed in January, so much the better.
“It’ll all work out for the best,” she said, as much for herself as for Riley.
The look he gave her was wise beyond his years. “I know, Mom. Don’t worry about it.”
Delia wished it was as easily done as it was said, but she didn’t have any more time to think about it because they’d pulled into the community center parking lot. The place was teeming with cars and trucks—mostly trucks, given that the majority of Serendipity’s population were ranchers. It looked like everyone in town was here, but then, that was what Delia had expected.
The neighborly, unhurried pace of small-town life was nothing like the frantic, high-octane life she’d been living for the past ten years. And she was somewhat surprised to find she’d missed Serendipity, where a function as run-of-the-mill as the annual Christmas party was the biggest news in town.
As Riley stepped out of the car, he hesitated and glanced at Delia for reassurance. She took a deep breath and smiled at him.
She could use a little encouragement herself. Her stomach was churning uncomfortably as her emotions alternated between nervousness about and anticipation of the night ahead.
“Ready?” she asked as she slid her arm around Riley’s shoulders.
He looked up at her and nodded. Her little man. So very brave, putting on a strong game face for his mother’s sake.
“We’ll just stick together, you and I,” she assured him. “We’re a team. Just like we’ve always been.”
They were accosted by Delia’s old friends the moment they walked through the door. The first to see them was Alexis, who was, naturally, already in the company of Mary and Samantha; apparently, they’d been watching for her.
“Delia,” Alexis squealed, darting forward across the crowded room. Her friends flanked her as they approached, making at least as much noise as Alexis.
Delia’s grip tightened on Riley and she leaned down to whisper in his ear. “These are the women I told you about. The Little Chicks. My friends from high school. Don’t let them frighten you with their prattle.”
Riley rolled his eyes.
“Mom,” he protested.
“And who is this?” Alexis asked because she was the first to make it to Delia’s side.
“This,” Delia answered proudly, “is my son, Riley.”
All three women started talking at once, addressing questions and exclamations not only to Delia but to Riley, as well. Delia couldn’t even tell who was asking what, and she could only imagine how Riley felt.
“How old is he?”
“He’s absolutely adorable!”
“He looks just like you, Delia.”
“You’ve been holding out on us. How come you never told anyone that you have a son?”
Delia held up her hands and chuckled. “One question at a time, please. I may be used to your chattering, but you’re going to overwhelm the poor kid.”
A couple of boys around Riley’s age dashed right through the middle of the group, and Riley’s eyes lit up with interest. He fidgeted from one foot to the other and looked longingly across the room to where the boys were now swiping sugar cookies from the buffet table.
“Go,” Delia said, even though Riley hadn’t asked. “Meet some new friends.”
“What about you, Mom?”
It warmed Delia’s heart to see how concerned her boy was for her. “I’ll be fine. These ladies are my friends, remember?”
Riley grinned and took off at about the same speed the other boys had been going, somewhere around Mach 3. Delia smiled as she watched him approach the other children. In moments they were all talking and wrestling together as if they’d known each other for years.
Samantha linked arms with Delia and drew her into a corner where it was a little less crowded.
“Dish, girlfriend,” she ordered. “And don’t leave out any details.”
Mary and Alexis had followed, and they both leaned in to hear Delia’s explanation, which she did owe them. They were her best friends, and she’d said nothing about Riley to them. She felt bad about that, although it had seemed the best solution at the time.
But she couldn’t share the whole truth with her friends. Not yet.
Delia looked around the room, searching for that one familiar face, but she didn’t see Zach anywhere. For the tiniest moment, it occurred to her that he might skip the party because he knew she’d be there, but she didn’t