His brother-in-law leaned back, a beat-up baseball cap backward on his head, a ponytail tucked underneath. Not long ago, Tanner’s hair had been past his shoulders, and he’d cut it short. Now he was growing it out again, much to Anita’s delight. “I figured you’d go somewhere exotic, not Maple Falls.”
Kingston grinned. “I still might.”
“How much time do you have off?” Tanner asked.
“Too much,” he muttered. “How’s Anita feeling today?”
“She’s tired. I told her this morning she needed to cut down to part time at the café.”
“Is she going to?’
“She’s still thinking about it. She sure is stubborn when she wants to be.” Tanner shifted in his seat. “Is it normal to be this nervous about having a baby?”
“Yes, especially new mothers.”
“I’m talking about me, dude.” Tanner lowered his voice. “What do I know about being a father? My dad died when I was young.”
“But you helped raise your brother. You have some experience.”
“Yeah, but not withbabies.” His friend’s tone bordered on terrified.
Kingston would have laughed if Tanner hadn’t been so serious. “Honestly, you can read all the books and learn everything you can about parenting, but it won’t be enough.”
Tanner grimaced. “That’s reassuring.”
“It is. Every child is unique, and the way you approachparenting them will be different. The best advice I have is to go with your gut. You and Anita are good people. You have ethics and boundaries and are responsible. You’re going to be a great dad. A dad that makes mistakes, but you’ll still be great.”
“Thanks. It’s good to have an expert in the family.” Tanner grinned. “When you have kids, you’ll be all set.”
“Hey, Tanner.” Bailey, one of the waitresses, headed to the table. “Jasper’s complaining about his turkey sandwich again. Says he wants to speak to management.”
Tanner slid out of the booth. “The old man does this every day. Sometimes at lunch, sometimes dinner.” His smile faded. “I think he’s lonely and likes the attention. Better go find out what I did wrong. Maybe I added an extra lettuce leaf or something.” He clapped Kingston on the shoulder and headed across the dining room to Jasper, who had his arms crossed and the dish pushed away from him.
Kingston watched as Tanner sat across from Jasper and nudged the sandwich closer. He couldn’t hear what either of them was saying, but as they talked the old man’s scowl evaporated, and he picked up the sandwich and started eating. Tanner stayed and talked for a minute or two, then went to the kitchen.
His brother-in-law was right. Jasper was lonely. Kingston was glad the guy was taking dance lessons. Despite having a reputation for being a wet blanket, he clearly liked being around people. And watching how Tanner instinctively knew how to handle him just proved Kingston right—his brother-in-law was going to be an excellent father.
He glanced at his watch. Two minutes after twelve. Hmm. His mother was never late.
Just as the thought cleared his mind, she breezed into the diner. He waved his hand, and she spotted him.
“Hello, darling!” She sat across from him, the soft scent of her perfume cutting through the fried-food aroma filling the diner. “Sorry I’m late.”
“No problem. Tanner and I were chatting for a bit.”
“I hope he’s taking good care of Anita. She needs as much TLC as possible during this delicate time.” She set her purse down on the bench seat and frowned. “She’s being stubborn, though.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Every time I try to give her advice, she ignores me.”
“She seemed fine with our visit on Monday.”
“That’s because I held my tongue. Last week she almost snapped my head off.”
“You remember what it’s like, Mother.” He opened the menu. “Her hormones are all over the place.”
“Yes, but she should want me by her side.” Hurt crossed her features. “I’m going to miss out on so much when Paisley gets pregnant since she’s so far away. I’d hoped to have a better experience with Anita.”
