I couldn’t tell whether he wanted me to apologize for screwing up his life or acknowledge that he was doing the right thing. I decided to go with a little of both.
“I’m sorry you had to change your plans. But I know Bridget’s going to be so happy to have the time to get to know you.” I paused before adding, “And I’m sure you’re going to be glad to have the time with her, too.”
“Definitely. It wasn’t even a question.” He sounded sure, and that made me feel a little less guilty. “I just had to make sure someone else could take the job. Otherwise I’d have flown out there, taken the photos and then come right back. But it works better this way.”
“Okay, that’s great. Bridget said something about meeting your mom this weekend?”
“I was hoping we could do that. If it works for you, maybe I could pick her up tomorrow morning. My mom’s doing a big family dinner in the afternoon, but I thought if Bridge comes early, they can get some time together, and then she can meet everyone else. What do you think?”
What I thought was lost in the pure panic over the idea of my daughter being thrown into a situation I couldn’t control. What if they didn’t like her? What if Graham was mean to her? What if Iona and Maureen took out their anger at me on their newly discovered niece?
It only took a fraction of a second before I realized how crazy that was. I’d known the Evans girls for a long time, and they’d never been anything but kind to me. Maureen and I’d been as close as sisters for several years. They’d welcome Bridget into the family, and the worst thing that would happen was she’d be spoiled rotten.
“I think that sounds wonderful. Bridget’s going to be in seventh heaven.” I tamped down my own misgivings and tried to sound like I meant it. “What time do you want me to have her ready?”
“Is ten too early?”
I laughed. “May I remind you, we live on a farm. Early is never a problem. She’ll be all set.”
“Cool. So I was thinking, maybe we could come up with a regular schedule for me to see her. I could pick her up from school some days, or if you were okay with it, she could spend the night at my mom’s with us.”
Panic filled me. “But she takes the bus to school.” It sounded stupid to my own ears, but I couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out.
Flynn’s voice took on a patient tone. “I’m sure we can work out something where I pick her up or drop her off. By the way, how come Bridget goes to the elementary school in Burton? I thought she’d be at the regional one.”
“They re-districted everything a few years back. We’re right on the line, so we were given the option of sending her to either school. I thought it would be easier for her to be with the same kids all the way through, rather than making the transition at high school like Sam and I had to.”
“That makes sense. And it makes it easier for me, too. What would you think of me picking her up Tuesdays from school and then having her over night? And maybe one day a weekend?”
“I . . .” I bit my lip. “Yeah, I guess that works. I’ll have to go into the school and make sure you’re added as a parent. They’re very strict now about who’s allowed to pick them up, you know.” This was going to mean telling other people the truth. I didn’t know why this hadn’t occurred to me before now, but for some reason, I’d thought I could keep the whole situation quiet, just between Flynn and his family and me. But once I told the school, the news would run through town like a wild fire.Great.
“Can you do that on Monday? The sooner, the better. That way if I ever need to get her, it won’t be a problem. Right?”
“Sure.” I couldn’t say anything more over the lump in my throat.
“Are you okay?” Flynn sounded cautious. “You sound . . . weird.”
“No, I’m fine.” I rolled my shoulders and closed my eyes. Honesty would be best here, I decided. “You just have to understand, Flynn, that right or wrong, I’ve been Bridget’s one and only parent her whole life. Getting used to sharing that responsibility might take me a little time. I’ve only been away from her overnight a few times in her entire life. The furthest and longest I’ve been apart from her was when she stayed at Katie’s last fall while I went to Savannah with Sam and Meghan. This is very new for me.”
He was quiet for a minute. “I can understand that. And if I’m moving too fast for you, just tell me, and we can talk about it. But I’m trying to catch up on eight years of missing out. I don’t want to lose another second with her. Especially if I’m going to have go away again.”
“How long do you think you’ll be in town?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.
He blew out a long breath. “Not sure. I was planning to be state side for a while anyway, even before . . . well, before everything changed. I’ll have to go back to work eventually, but it isn’t pressing, unless a really incredible opportunity comes along.” He paused for a moment. “But no matter what, I’ll be back. I’m planning to make Burton my center of operations from now on.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I’d gotten used to a life that didn’t include Flynn Evans. Having him in town full time had the potential to turn my world upside down. “Won’t that be a big change for you?”
“Yeah, it’ll be an adjustment, but it makes sense. Mom’s going to need some help, and I want to be here for Bridget.”
“Do you have an apartment in New York?” I’d always pictured him living in one of those lofts I’d seen in sitcoms, something spacious and modern, with a deli on the corner and a view of Central Park. Having never left the great state of Georgia, I relied heavily on television and movies for my information on the world at large.
“I have one that I’ve been renting from a friend of a friend. Actually, I move quite a bit, even in the city. All my shit that I can’t take with me on the road, I keep in two big rubber totes in whatever apartment I’m currently using. If I need to vacate before I can get back there, I have a friend who swings by, picks them up and moves them to the next place.”
“Geez. That’s . . . wow. I just can’t imagine not having a steady place I could come back to, even if I were traveling most of the time.”
Flynn was quiet for a beat. “I guess I lost the taste for a home after I left Burton. At least, home the way you’re thinking of it. At this point, I take everything I need with me. Traveling light isn’t a bad thing.”
“I guess not. It hasn’t really been an option for me for a long time. Maybe ever. I’m one of those people who comes with baggage.” At some point, we’d stopped talking about apartments and homes. We’d veered into dangerous territory, where I felt like I might be walking close to quicksand.
