Sex, Lies & Sweet Tea Page 17
“No, ma’am. It’s just I can’t get sweet tea like this in D.C.”
“Is she bringing her little boy over today?”
“How’d you know she had a son?” I asked, taking a long drink.
“We passed each other at five a.m. A lady leaving that early has something pretty important to go home to.”
“Yes, ma’am. She has a little boy named Dax.”
“She told me. Where’s his daddy?”
“Ah,” I looked down. It was even hard for me to talk about it now that I knew Sam so well. “He died before Dax was born.”
“That’s so sad,” said Miss Celia. “A boy needs a father. You sure had a good one, and look at you.”
I nodded, getting that queasy feeling in my gut again. Yeah, look at me.
I sat for a few moments and skimmed the Sunday paper. I read all the headlines and even some of the articles, but didn’t retain anything. My mind was so preoccupied with Sam and Dax, I decided I should just get in the car and go.
I picked up the keys to the Aston Martin and then thought better of it. I headed to the garage and grabbed the keys to the black Range Rover off the wall. It was the car I usually drove when I was home, not wanting to put miles on Dad’s car.
I pulled out of the driveway and up the lane to the highway. Donning my shades, I rolled down the windows and opened the sunroof. If I couldn’t have the top down, I’d have the top open.
I sang Bruce Springsteen all the way there, cranking Thunder Road as loud as I could without being a distraction to myself or anyone else. As I reached Sam’s house, butterflies filled my stomach. I wanted to meet this little boy, but I didn’t know if he wanted to meet me.
When I pulled up, a young blonde came out of the house and onto the porch. I assumed right away this was Polly.
“Hello,” I called as I opened my car door and walked around to the old terrace that graced Sam’s house.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Polly. I’m Dax’s nanny and Sam’s assistant.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Polly.” I extended my hand to her and she met me with the tight grip of a man. I knew right away, she wasn’t a woman to be trifled with.
“Sam’s almost ready. Dax is ready, and rarin’ to go.”
“Great,” I replied, still feeling uncomfortable from the death-grip handshake. “May I meet Master Dax? Or should I wait for his mom?”
C’mon in. I’ll make sure she knows you’re waiting. Watch yourself,” Polly said as she pointed to the empty holes surrounding the house and shrubs in burlap bags. “Sam’s been doing some landscaping around the front of the house. The gardeners aren’t coming back until tomorrow.”
As we made it to the porch, Polly suddenly turned and stopped me. “Look,” she snapped. “I love these two people very much, and if you fuck them over I’ll hunt you down and cut off your testicles with a rusty butter knife. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I nodded, but was in shock from the ultimatum. I took a deep breath and followed her through the double front doors of the old house where a small blonde-haired boy was waiting for us.
“Good morning, Dax,” I said, kneeling to his level and shaking his hand. “I’m Mac.”
“Good morning.” Dax grinned, shaking my hand then promptly dropped his arm and began to sway back and forth. “I’m going swimming today.”
“I know I’m going swimming too.”
“Are Mommy and me going swimming with you?” he lisped, blue eyes blazing, just like his mother.
“Yes, if that’s okay.”
“Yup!” He skipped to a beach bag sitting near the door and tapped his tiny hand on top of it. “My swimming suit is in this bag.”
“I thought we might ride the horses today too. Do you like horses, Dax?”
“Yes.”
“We should make sure your mommy has packed you some long pants so you can ride.”
“Mommmmeeeee!” Dax shouted up the staircase that opened into the foyer. “Do I have pants?”
Samantha descended the stairs and took my breath away. Wearing a short, sleeveless red dress she showed off her fantastic legs and muscular arms.
“What is it, Dax?” she asked.
“I need pants.”
She looked at me and laughed. “Dax, this is my good friend, Mr. Callahan.”
“We’ve already introduced ourselves,” I said to her with a wink. “And I told him my name was Mac.”
“Pants, Mommy.”
She looked at me and shook her head, knowing the pants had something to do with me.
“I told him we needed to make sure he had some long pants with him today, in case we decided to go visit the horses and maybe take a little ride.” I took a deep breath and hoped I hadn’t already gone too far without asking permission.
“I see.”
“I’ve got ‘em,” Polly shouted, coming down the stairs with a tiny pair of khakis in her hand. “I’ve got Dax’s pants,” she sang to Dax, dancing with them a little bit before tucking them inside the beach bag.
“Do you have pants, Miss Samantha?” I asked.
“Oh!” Sam stopped, clearly remembering something. “I need to get Dax’s car seat out my SUV.”
“Just point the way and I’ll take care of it, but get some pants.”
“I’ll get something to ride in,” Samantha replied. “And I’ll bring the car seat out to you guys. Why don’t y’all head on out to the car. I’ll be right behind you.”
I picked up the beach bag in one hand and leaned down to pick up Dax with the other, sitting him in the crux of my arm.
“Whoa!” Dax called out with delight.
“Let’s go, Chief.”
Sam met us at the car before I could barely make it down the steps of her porch.
“Hang on,” I drawled. “Let me put Dax down and buckle that in for you.”
“You know how to put in a car seat?” she asked, clearly amused at my confidence.
“I’ve never done it before, if that’s what you mean. But I’m an educated man, and I think I can handle it.”
“Many a great man has gone down in a heap trying to open, close, put together or install child safety products,” she said with a smirk.
“I’ll take my chances.” I shot her a smile and took the car seat from her arms. I buckled the seat in, carefully eyeing the instructions imprinted in the plastic on the back. “See?” I gloated to Samantha.
“See?” Dax repeated to his mom.
I laughed and picked him up to buckle him in.
“Thanks for not bringing the James Bond car today,” Samantha said as I shut the door to the Range Rover.
“Of course. May I buckle you in as well?” I asked, raising my eyebrow and obviously eyeing her hot-ass legs.
“I think I can handle it,” she replied, knowing she was driving me crazy.
“Let’s go!” Dax yelled from the backseat.
“Let’s do it,” I replied.
*
We arrived at Lone Oak and went straight from the driveway to the pool behind the house. Miss Celia had set up a drink area for us complete with sippy cups that I had no idea existed in our home. There was a stack of towels and three others heating up on the warming rack by the pool house. An array of sunscreens sat on the bar by the sweet tea and lemonade. Miss Celia had outdone herself again.
“Alright,” I said with enthusiasm, clapping my hands once and rubbing them together, stirring up some excitement. “Who wants to go swimming?”
“I do!” Dax squealed.
I looked to Sam for permission. She simply nodded.
“Let’s get you suited up, little man,” I said with enthusiasm.
“Dax, come here and I’ll get your trunks on you.”
“I need to get dressed too. How about the men go into the pool house and change, and then your mommy can put on her suit,” I said directly to Dax.
“Yeah, Mommy,” Dax announced with authority. “You can change after the men.”
“Let’s get you dressed first, Dax.” I pulled his shirt over his head, folding it up and setting it beside him. “Stand up and we’ll trade these shorts for your trunks.”
Dax stood and let me help him out of his shorts, suddenly doing an excited I’m naked dance that only toddlers can do.
“Hold on there, Chief. He clearly gets this from his mother,” I shouted out the door to Sam as she laughed at my predicament.
I managed to get both feet in the trunks and pulled them up—almost under his armpits. Success. I sat him down and tousled his hair. “Why don’t you let your momma put some sunscreen on you?”
“Okay,” chimed Dax as he ran back to Sam.
I grabbed a pair of trunks out of the drawer in the pool house bedroom and changed, emerging from the front door with my arms raised in victory. “The men are dressed!” I exclaimed.
“The men are dressed!” Dax repeated, holding his arms in the air.
I walked over to Sam and gave her a wink. “Will you please sunscreen me too when you are finished with this fine young man,” I asked, adjusting the waistband of Dax’s swim trunks to face forward.
Of course, but let me get Dax’s floaties on first.” She pulled two pre-inflated armbands out of her bag and slid them on Dax’s arms one at a time.
“Dax, you can sit on the steps of the pool while Mommy changes,” she said, speaking of herself in third person. “Come here, Mac. Let me spray your shoulders.”
“Thank you kindly, Miss Samantha.” I watched Dax sitting patiently on the edge of the steps.
“The water’s warm, Mommy.”
“That’s good.”
“Hurry, Mommy. Get in the pool with me.”
“Are you okay while I change?” Sam asked, spinning me around after spraying sunscreen on my back.
“Yes,” I whispered softly, touching only her elbow. “The men are dressed. You’re way behind.”
She picked up her bag and walked to the pool house, closing the door.
“Eeeeeeeee,” Dax squealed as I jumped into the pool directly over his head. “Do it again!”
“Why don’t you get in with me? C’mon, swim over to me.”
Dax pushed off the steps and dog paddled with his inflatable arms.
“What’s that face?” I asked with a laugh. “Don’t be afraid to let the water get in your eyes.”
“I’m not,” he defended, clearly working his hardest to stay on top of the water.
I picked him up and sat him on my hip. “Nice job.”
“Fank you,” he lisped, smiling at me and wiping the water from his face.
Sam made her way out of the pool house, looking every bit the Sports Illustrated swimsuit model in a gold bikini.
“Wow,” I remarked, nodding to Sam. “Mommy’s ready.”
“Mommy,” Dax exclaimed, breaking my thought. “I swam!”
“That’s great, baby. Let me get some sunscreen on and I’ll join you.”
“No,” Dax announced, making a sweeping motion with his arms. “This pool is for men only.”
I started laughing and looked to Sam, shaking my head. “I had nothing to do with this.”
“Well, may I sit on the edge of the pool?” Sam asked. Dax looked to me for an answer. I quickly nodded. “We should let your Mommy do whatever she wants.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s a lady and you are a Southern gentleman,” I explained. He shrugged his shoulders and looked to Sam. “Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“You can do whatever you want,” he hesitated for a beat. “You’re a lady.”
*
I could no longer toss Dax into the pool and jump in pretending to rescue him from sharks. It was tougher than kickboxing and I was exhausted. But it was worth it.
“Who’s ready for some lunch?” Sam asked from her lounging position on the chaise.
“I am,” I confessed. “All these sharks are making me hungry. How ‘bout you, Chief?”
“I’m hungry,” Dax said, sitting down poolside.
“Let me call Miss Celia and have her send out our lunch.”
I hopped out of the pool and picked up the intercom phone in the pool house. Watching Sam hug Dax inside a warm towel, I was overwhelmed by their love.
“Miss Celia, can Randall bring lunch to the pool for us?
“Of course, baby,” she agreed. “Do you need anything else?”
“No, ma’am, but thank you.”
I hung up and walked back to Sam, picking up a towel to dry off. “Lunch is on its way.”
“You have blue waisted steel,” said Dax.
“I beg your pardon? What is blue waisted steel?”
I was met with silence from Sam, who was biting her lip and hiding a smile while Dax remained completely serious. “Blue waisted steel…” I said again, trying to place what he meant. “Do you mean blue twisted steel?”
“Yes!” Dax agreed, immediately showing me his best Incredible Hulk pose. “Polly says we work on our blue waisted steel at the gym,” he grunted, holding his biceps tightly.
“I like Polly,” I smiled, looking to Sam.
Randall brought our lunch and sat it under an umbrella poolside while Dax and I put on our T-shirts.
“Thanks Randall, I can take it from here.”
“Yes, sir,” he agreed, giving Sam a nod.
“Let’s see what we have here, shall we? Looks like peanut butter and jelly with carrot sticks and some animal crackers and chicken salad with croissants. Miss Samantha? May I interest you in something? And if so, would you like white or whole wheat?”
She tossed her head back with laughter. She was amazing in so many ways, and now that I saw how incredible she was with Dax, I knew I was in deep trouble.
“I’ll have a whole wheat PB & J, please,” she requested as she took off her wide brimmed hat and pulled a cover up over her bathing suit.
“I want peanut butter and jelly,” requested Dax.
“Dax?” Sam questioned him.
“Please.”
“You got it, Chief,” I said, taking a sandwich from the tray and placing it on his plate. “Carrot sticks?”
“Yes, please,” he said in his tiny voice.
“Mommy, may I have some juice, please?”
“Of course, sweetheart,” Sam said as she ran her long fingers across her son’s face with pride.
“Wait,” I protested. “You sit right here and I’ll bring over the drinks. Dax wants juice, Mommy wants what?”
“Sweet tea is fine.” I could tell she enjoyed me waiting on her.
After lunch, Dax was groggy from the sun and horseplay and I convinced Sam to let him sleep in a chaise lounge under the umbrella so we could talk.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “We can get out of your hair. Really, this has already been a very full day for Dax.”
I begged. “Please stay.”
She agreed and we moved to a table where we could still watch Dax and chat. “He’s a great kid, Sam,” I said to her. “I know you’re very proud of him.”
“I am,” she replied lovingly. “He’s the best part of me.”
“He is you.” Leaning in to kiss her shoulder, it was the first contact I’d had with her all day. I’d been careful not to give the wrong signals to Dax, especially after Polly’s threats.
“Well, at least part of him is me anyway,” Sam conceded.
“It has to be hard, Sam.”
“We have our days. But Polly helps out a lot, and we just try to make life an adventure.”
“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I don’t want to upset you or bring up the past, but I’m sure Daniel would be very proud of the job you’re doing raising him.”
“I think he would,” Sam agreed thoughtfully. She gazed across the pool to Dax sleeping in the chair and smiled. “You know, I talk with other single mothers and it’s just not the same. All of them are divorced, and most of them can’t stand their husbands. That just wasn’t the case for me. I loved my husband. I loved him very much.”
“I’m sure he loved you too,” I said, dropping my head and even my voice. “How could he not?”
Samantha nodded, but remained silent.
“I’m sorry,” I said with a nervous sigh. “The point I was trying to make before I started prying into your former life was that you’re a fantastic mother.”
“Thank you. I really don’t know what I’m doing. I seem to fly by the seat of my pants most of the time. I’ve never been the mom who bakes, sews, and makes the costumes for the school play, while organizing the coat drive and working a full time job. I could never be that person.”
“No one wants to be that person,” I countered. “And I guarantee no man wants to be with that person.”
“Why?” she asked, laughing at my assessment.
“Too busy to have a relationship,” I said. “My parents loved each other so deeply. They were never apart for more than a few days at a time. They didn’t like being apart. At all.”
“It must’ve been really hard on your mother when your dad passed away.”
“She’s not been the same since.”
“And you?”
“Have I changed since my dad died? Probably,” I said, disgusted with myself. “I think part of the reason I left Lone Oak was because I never thought I could be the man my father was.”
“You’re a great man, Mac.”
“No,” I countered. “He was a great man. I’ll never be him or leave behind the legacy he did.”
“Why?” she asked. “Because you can’t have children?”
“Well, sure.” I lowered my head again, almost ashamed of my impending childless future.
She dropped her chin to catch my gaze. “Conceiving a child is biological, Mac. Being a parent doesn’t have anything to do with physically making a baby. You could easily adopt. Look around you. What kid wouldn’t love to have all of this someday?”
“It’s just different for a man. It’s different for a Callahan, that’s all.”