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Shrugging, Gladys stepped away from me. “No, I’m positive she didn’t. Even if she’d picked up on my feelings, she had faith in her husband.” She glanced out the kitchen window that looked out of the expanse of green grass that led to the main house where Butch lived. Alone. “I helped Caroline raise Clint. I’m now helping Clint raise Sammy. I’ve been a replacement for so many years. Honestly, I’m tired of living for other people. It’s time for me to live for myself, which is why I went on that date with Ernest.”
I laughed. “Yeah, but I don’t think Butch or Clint was very thrilled about that.”
A large smile covered Gladys’s face. “I thought I’d seen every reaction possible from Bobby Sullivan. But honestly, what he’s been doing the past few weeks has me confused.”
I shook my head. Sometimes we were our own worst enemy. “Ms. Gladys. Really? You don’t know why he’s acting this way? There’s nothing that comes to mind?”
“Well, when I got home from my date, he was going on about how sorry he was for ruining my date, but that he couldn’t let me date a man who didn’t appreciate me.” She began to pace. “He even had the nerve to ask me what Clint and Sammy would do if I ran off and got married to someone who wouldn’t want me to take care of the family I had here on the ranch? As if anyone would stop me from being here for my boys.”
Clearing my through, I interrupted. “Did Butch ever say anything to you about how he’d feel about you moving on with someone else?”
“Well, no.” Gladys stopped talking as we heard the door open. The sound of Sammy’s little feet running towards the kitchen gave away who it was. “Doesn’t matter, anyway,” she blurted. “It’s too late for me to have my happily ever-after.” Gladys looked at me with a soft, motherly gaze. “But for you, there’s still time. Don’t be like me. Grab hold of your happiness before you do something foolish and let it slip away.”
It was never too late for someone to find love, even Gladys. If only she’d open her eyes to what was in front of her. My eyes flashed to the kitchen entrance as Sammy came inside, breathing hard and carrying a package of hamburger buns.
“Ms. Gladys! Here are the buns we got for you. Dad’s bringing in the rest of the stuff.”
“Thank you, Sammy. Go grab a bottle of water. Why are you so out of breath? What’s wrong.”
“I don’t wanna say. Dad says I have to stop being so antsy all the time. That I don’t have to share everything all the time, but I need to tell Ms. Tamara something.” His eyes slid over to me, a look of concern on his face.
“Sammy, come here,” I beckoned. “What do you need to tell me? Is everything okay?”
He vigorously shook his head. “No. You have to tell my dad you want to stay here with us. If you don’t, they’re not gonna leave him alone. And I know you sometimes talk to my mommy’s pictures. I think she’d like you just as much as I do. Tell Dad that you want to be here with us. If you leave, he’s probably gonna be sad. And I don’t wanna go to the store again and have that lady touch him and laugh at him like a horse.” After all those words, he opened his little mouth and made a braying sound like how the horses in the stable sounded.
Laughter burst out of me. I heard Gladys doing the same, although she tried to hide it.
“Sammy!” Clint stood at the door; his face scrunched up in frustration. “What’d I tell you in the truck?”
The little boy looked over as his dad walked to the kitchen counter and placed the grocery bags down. “I know, Dad, but I couldn’t help it. But it’s important. That red-haired lady was asking my name and talking to you and inviting herself over to our house. I don’t like her, and I want Tamara to stay because I like her.”
“Shit,” I heard Clint say under his breath.
“Oh, honey, I like you, too,” I soothed the agitated little boy. “And yes, I do talk to your mommy. I think she likes knowing how big you’re getting and how smart you are.”
Sammy nodded again. “Yup, that’s why you have to stay with us.”
“Hey, Sammy,” Gladys interjected. “Come on over here and grab a cookie. I made a fresh batch this morning.”
His little eyes got wide. “You did?” He shuffled over to the other woman as I turned my gaze to Clint. Did I have a right to say anything about this other woman? I know I wanted to, but I also didn’t want to embarrass myself.
“Tamara? Can we talk?”
“Maybe we should wait,” I snapped. It had only been a few days since we’d first slept together, but it felt like more than just a fling or one-night stand. If that were the case, then who was this woman coming out of nowhere. And why the hell did my heart hurt so much? I had no right to feel this way so soon. “Let’s talk after lunch,” I tried again.
“No. Now. If you don’t come with me on your own, I’ll pick you up and carry you.”
I gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
“I sure as hell would. You have three seconds to get up off that seat.”
Okay, now he was back to being the asshole. I turned to Gladys and Sammy, who were both watching the scene unfold. Both eating freshly baked cookies. “He wouldn’t….”
Gladys nodded, “Oh, yes, honey. He would.”
