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Rainey
Rainey’s request was not well received by the principal or the school. They all but refused to give her the kid’s lessons until she insisted that they’d have a certified teacher tutoring them. She just hoped like hell that the tutor that Slater hired would be as capable as she told the school he or she would be.
As soon as she convinced the principal to give her the kids books and assignments, Rainey hightailed it out of there and back to her house to find Slater and the kids waiting to leave. They had completely packed up his truck and tossed the rest of the bags and Ella’s toys into the trunk of her car.
“Ready?” Slater asked. The kids all cheered, and Rainey giggled.
“I’d say that’s a yes,” she said. “I just have to grab one more bag and then, I’ll be ready. Everyone get strapped in,” she ordered.
“I want to ride with Slater,” Jack said. She looked at Slater and he nodded.
“All right then,” she said. “Girls in my car boys in the manly pick-up truck. Let’s hit the road.” Rainey ran into the house and back out with the bag of important documents that she brought with them when they traveled. It had the kids’ birth certificates and medical records, everything she would need—just in case.
The ride to the cabin was not a quiet one, as she had hoped. Ella was awake for most of it because Penny and Sarah insisted on singing silly camp songs all the way up to the cabin. At first, it was adorable, but towards the end, she wanted to cry uncle. When they finally pulled off onto the gravel drive that led back to Slater’s cabin, she was about ready to buy some earplugs.
As soon as she put her car in park, she quickly jumped out, shutting the door to the girls’ last chorus of “Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on The Wall” behind her. “Was your ride that good?” Slater asked.
She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. “Don’t ask,” she insisted. “Do I look like I had a bad ride?” she asked.
“No, you just shot out of that car like a bat out of hell. I’m assuming you either really want to check out the new place, or you had some very rambunctious girls along with you.” He took her hand into her own and Jack got out of the pick-up.
“Eww, Mom,” Jack almost shouted. “That’s so gross.”
“Holding Slater’s hand is gross?” she asked.
“Yeah—girls and boys can’t hold hands in school. I think it’s gross,” Jack insisted.
“Well, kid,” Slater said, “when you get to be my age and a pretty girl wants to hold your hand, it’s not so bad.”
“Naw,” Jack drawled. “I’m probably going to still think it’s gross,” Jack insisted.
Rainey couldn’t help her giggle. “I’m fine with you thinking that son. You just let me know if or when that ever changes for you, and I’ll lock you away in the house.” The thought of any of her kids' dating made her feel a little grouchy. When Jack first died, she was worried about him missing out on everything that the kids hadn’t experienced yet. He wasn’t ever going to be able to meet their unborn daughter. He was going to miss out on weddings that he wouldn’t be able to walk his daughters down the aisle for, and big games that he’d have to miss Jack playing in at college—the whole nine yards. But then, she realized that she would just have to make those events as special as she could for each of them. Rainey would have to play both parents’ roles for her kids and she had made her peace with that. She just never saw a man like Slater coming into her life again or making her want to share her life with someone else.
The girls got out of her car and Sarah had little Ella in tow. Slater took the toddler from her and walked up to the porch of his cabin. “This place is awesome,” Sarah said.
“Will we have to share a bedroom?” Penny asked crossing her little arms over her chest. “Because I always get stuck with the baby.”
“Nope,” Slater said. “This place has five bedrooms, so you won’t have to share. But remember, they all could use some work. You four will have to help me fix them up and decorate them the way that you want them.”
Rainey didn’t want the kids getting their hopes up. “Guys, I can’t afford that, but I’m sure that we can help Slater fix this place up. What do you say?” she asked.
“You don’t have to afford it, Rain,” he insisted. “It’s my treat. Besides, this place can use all the help it can get and I’m betting that your munchkins are pretty good with color schemes and all that jazz.”
“You don’t have to do that, Slater,” she said.
“Sure I do,” he insisted. “Besides, your brother-in-law pays me a boatload of money, so it’s not a big deal. I’d enjoy being able to work with the kids and let them have a little bit of fun to boot,” he said.
“Come on, Mom,” the girls pleaded. Even Ella chimed in, but she had no idea what she was begging her mom for. It was too cute to tell any of them no, so she didn’t.
“Fine,” she said. “But you’ll have to deal with them when they start begging you for the moon and the stars.”
Slater crossed the porch and gently kissed her lips. “Thank you for that, honey,” he whispered. The kids all shouted a chorus of how gross the two of them were and she giggled.
“Seems your fan club is already turning on you, Slater,” she teased.
“Tough crowd,” he grumbled. He handed Ella to her and pulled his keys out from his pocket. As soon as he opened the door, the kids scattered, shouting something about claiming their rooms. Sarah even took little Ella with her, leaving her and Slater all alone.
Rainey looked over the massive cabin. “I thought you said that you bought a little cabin,” she said, stressing the word, “Little”. “This place is huge. I think it’s even bigger than my house.” He wasn’t kidding about the work that needed to be done. It was dusty and dirty, but underneath all the grime, Rainey saw promise.
