“Hi, guys,” he greeted, smiling at each of the kids.
He looked to Crystal and held up her overnight bag. “I thought you might need this.”
She’d completely forgotten about leaving the bag in his car. Rising to her feet, she crossed the apartment to take it from his hands. “It was nice of you to bring it by.” She felt ridiculously formal and awkward.
“Are you flying today?” asked David.
Larry smiled. “As a matter of fact, I am.” A pause. “But not the Cessna. I was thinking about taking the jet to California. There’s a NASCAR race there this weekend.”
David’s jaw dropped open. And really, so did Crystal’s.
“You have a jet?” asked David, in a reverent tone.
“It’s not mine,” Larry warned. “It belongs to my nephew Kent. He said we could use it if we wanted to come and see him race.”
David’s and Jennifer’s eyes were wide and hopeful. They stood perfectly still, attentive to what Larry might say next.
He raised his eyebrows in Crystal’s direction.
She gave him a subtle nod. The trip would probably be good for the kids, and she knew Larry would take excellent care of them.
His face lit up with delight. “Would anyone like to come along?”
“Yes!” the children both squealed at the same time. “Can we, Auntie Crystal?”
“Sure, you can. But you have to be good for Uncle Larry.”
Three shocked, silent faces turned her way.
“But, you’re coming, too, aren’t you?” David voiced the question.
“Of course she’s coming, too,” Larry leapt in. “So is Rufus. My future daughter-in-law has set up a pet area at the track beside her mobile vet unit.”
Crystal’s heart started to pound. A weekend with Larry? How was that going to work? Could she ignore him and focus on the kids? Did she dare try to rekindle something?
“Let’s pack,” Jennifer cried, and the kids disappeared, leaving Crystal and Larry staring silently at each other.
“I hope that was okay,” said Larry, looking guilty but less than contrite.
“It’ll be good for them,” Crystal told him honestly.
“And what about you?” His meaning was clear. How would she handle spending time with him?
“They’re my priority at the moment.” Attempting to adopt her mother’s approach to adversity, she moved briskly over to the kitchen table, shutting down her laptop. “I’m going to have to bring some work along. I’m afraid I’ll be pretty busy with it.”
“I take it all’s well with the five million?”
“All is well,” she confirmed. “I’m working with a lawyer and an accountant. I decided to manage the trust myself. Pay myself a salary. Maybe buy the kids a house.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Larry said softly, his eyes conveying admiration. “Bring along all the work you want.”
CRYSTAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN working. But there was something peaceful about sitting in the early Saturday morning breeze, watching Jennifer and David play with a group of NASCAR teams kids. They appeared to be friendly and inclusive, and in no time at all, Jennifer and David were caught up in the games.
Crystal had found a bench, shaded by one of the haulers. Clouds scuttled across the blue sky, the temperature was cool, and the garage area was a pleasant hum in the distance. She took the first relaxed breath she’d allowed herself all week.
Then a figure appeared in her peripheral vision.
Steve Grosso.
She saw that he’d spotted her, hesitated, then made up his mind and marched toward her.
Her heart sank. She really wasn’t up for an argument.
His feet came to a halt next to the bench. “Hello, Crystal.”
She pretended to notice him for the first time. “Steve.”
He gestured to the bench. “Do you mind?”
Yes. “Of course not.”
He took a seat, and they were silent for a few minutes.
“I was sorry to hear about your sister.”
She nodded, keeping her vision straight ahead.
“I remember how painful it was to lose my mother.” He took a breath, watching the children play. “I promise, it gets better. Slowly. But day by day, week by week. The raw pain subsides, and you eventually find a new normal.”
“That’s what I need,” she told him in a strained voice. “A new normal.” For her and for the kids.
Silence took over again.
Then Steve cleared his throat. “I realize you weren’t after my father’s money.”
The words surprised Crystal, and she turned to look at him. There was pain and regret in his expression. “Heidi, my fiancee, told me about your animal trust. She said you told her all about it when you dropped your dog off.” He paused again. “I owe you a very big apology.”
“Thank you,” she managed.
“I don’t know what I can-”
“It’s over,” Crystal put in. “Your dad’s made up his mind.”
“But-”
“It wasn’t you, or your opinion. He wants me to find a man my own age, to have children.” She gave a cold laugh at the absurdity of Larry’s fantasy.
“I accused him of having a midlife crisis.”
“Maybe he was,” Crystal allowed. Larry had claimed he was breaking up for her own good. But who could guess the real reason? Maybe he’d fulfilled whatever twenty-something-year-itch had hit him, and he was done with her. She’d never know for sure.
“That’s absurd,” said Steve.
“How do you know?”
“Because I know my father. I’m going to-”
“Don’t,” she told him sharply. “Please. Walk away from it.” Her gaze went back to the kids. “I have enough to deal with at the moment.”
“Right,” he agreed, rising to his feet. “Once again, I’m very sorry. I made a very big mistake.”
“Thank you.”
“WELL, THAT WAS PROBABLY the stupidest thing you’ve ever done,” said Milo. The family’s racing patriarch was holding court outside Dean’s motor home while race cars qualified on the track in front of them.
Larry didn’t bother disagreeing with his grandfather’s assessment of his actions with Crystal.
“Juliana’s fifteen years younger than me,” Milo continued. “That ever cause us any problems?”
Larry looked to his brother Dean, who had also been raised by Milo and Juliana. “Not that I could see,” Larry allowed, and Dean nodded.
Just then, Juliana came out of the motor home.
“My age a problem for you?” Milo demanded.
“Only that you won’t grow up,” Juliana put in smoothly. “Am I to understand we’re talking about the Larry and Crystal situation?”
Larry wasn’t wild about being described as a “situation,” but he wouldn’t be rude to the woman who’d been both mother and grandmother to him. “What about children of her own?” he had to ask, knowing Juliana had never had her own children.
“You’ll have to ask her that question,” Juliana answered softly. “When we finally met her this morning, she seemed like a lovely girl. Smart enough, maybe, to know that life doesn’t come in a neat little package. A person is lucky to find love at all, never mind find love in the perfect circumstance.
“I never gave birth, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have children. It seems to me the young lady we’re talking about
