Dad Today, Groom Tomorrow. Holly Jacobs
handle a relationship.
That much was true, at least as far as it went. She’d told him when he was older she would help him find and meet his father, if he wanted. He accepted her explanation and never seemed particularly bothered by the lack.
What would he think of Joe?
What would Joe would think of him?
Aaron was snuggled under the denim quilt she’d made him. It fit so perfectly with the dark-blue walls of his room. A giant poster of the planet earth was behind his head, other space pictures dotted the other walls. Aaron dreamed of being an astronaut someday, and she’d done her best to indulge him.
She wanted nothing more than for every one of her son’s dreams to come true.
“Yes, Aaron?” she asked.
“I love you.”
She held back the tears that threatened to overflow and managed to croak out, “I love you, too.”
She turned off the light, and shut the door.
Joe Delacamp had met his son today.
She was still numb.
No, she was aching. There was a lump in her throat, and she thought her heart was going to break all over again.
Joseph Delacamp had come into her store today, and he’d found out he had a child. He wasn’t pleased. She could see that on his face.
Maybe he was worried that she would come after him for support, or would try to make him take some interest in his son. His wife wouldn’t like that. His mother would like it even less.
Well, Louisa could put Joe’s mind to rest. She wanted nothing at all from him. He could keep his society wife and his society life.
Once upon a time she’d thought she couldn’t live without Joe…but she’d learned differently. She wondered that she was able to keep breathing after she’d left town…left him. And yet, day after day, breath after breath, she survived.
Not that it hadn’t been tough at times.
She’d moved to Erie when she was almost three months pregnant and had worked full-time throughout the remainder of her pregnancy for Elmer Shiner at his small chocolate store. Somehow she’d managed to survive her mother’s death, just weeks before Aaron’s birth.
Elmer had helped her through that. And he’d been the one to suggest she bring the baby to work with her, when Aaron was born.
Elmer had started out a boss and turned into her best friend. She smiled at the thought. Oh, maybe it was odd, having a seventy-year-old man as a friend, but Elmer was full of life and wisdom. He was the only father figure Aaron had ever known.
She owed him a debt she’d never be able to repay.
Everything she had, she had because of Elmer.
Aaron had never gone to day care, but had spent his first five years going to the candy store with her. He was a favorite with the customers.
When Elmer’s lease on the building ran out, he announced he was ready to retire, and sold her the chocolate-making machinery at a ridiculously low price.
He’d helped her locate her new building. Helped her set up everything and get the store off the ground. He still stopped in almost every day, just to check on her and was always willing to work when she needed him.
She heard the downstairs door slam.
She rented the upstairs flat. Elmer lived in the lower one. He was home.
Joe Delacamp had met his son today.
She ran down the back stairs that connected the two apartments and knocked on the door.
“Come on in, Louie,” he called.
“Elmer…” She wanted to tell him everything that had happened and tried to force the words out, but her throat constricted, and all she managed to do was cry.
“There, there, puddin’. Don’t cry.” He wrapped her in his arms and patted her back.
“I don’t cry,” she said midsob.
“What happened?” the gray-haired man said in a gruff voice. “Did something happen to Aaron?”
“No,” she finally managed to say. “Not really, at least not that he knows about. His father came into the store today.”
Joe Delacamp had met his son today.
Elmer let her go and stared at her. “What’s he doing in Erie? I thought you left him behind in Georgia?”
“So did I. But he’s here. He’s working at the hospital, so he’s living in Erie.” She gulped convulsively. “Oh, Elmer, it’s so horrible. Aaron walked into the room and Joe knew—he couldn’t help but know. Aaron’s the spitting image of him at seven. Joe knew and he looked furious. He’s probably worried a secret son will upset the life his parents planned for him, that it will upset his perfect society wife. I don’t know what he’s going to do, and I’m sick with worry.”
“Now, what’s to worry about? He went and got himself engaged to someone else all those years ago, despite the fact he’d asked you to marry him. So you sign some paper saying you don’t want anything at all from him, make it all legal,” Elmer said, echoing her own thoughts. “You and Aaron have got along without him this long. You certainly can manage. Just go see a lawyer and make it all legal-like, then he’ll have nothing to complain about.”
“You think?” she asked.
She needed reassurance. She’d built a wonderful, happy life for herself and her son. She didn’t want Joe Delacamp to complicate it.
“Sure I think.” Elmer patted her back. “Now, stop fretting and go get some rest. You call a lawyer. That Donovan guy across the street seems okay. At least Sarah seems to think so.” He laughed.
Weddings seemed to be becoming commonplace within the Perry Square business community.
Libby at the hair salon had married her neighbor, Josh, the eye doctor. Then Sarah, the interior decorator who’d opened her store about the same time Louisa opened The Chocolate Bar, married Donovan, from the neighboring law firm.
“You’re right. I’ll call Donovan tomorrow.”
“Then call me. I’ll watch the shop when you go and see him.”
“Thanks, Elmer. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Well, don’t look to be figuring it out anytime soon. I plan to stick around a good long time.” He paused a moment and then said, “Did I tell you I have a date?”
“No,” Louisa said, knowing he was trying to change the subject, to brighten her mood. She was more than happy to allow him to. “Who?”
“You know Mabel, that acupuncturist? I was a bit nervous about dating a lady who pushed pins for a living, but she’s mighty cute.”
Louisa couldn’t help the small smile. Mabel had been hanging out at the candy store a lot, but only on days when Elmer was there. She sensed a romance in the making. “When are you going out?”
“Next week. She asked me for this weekend, but I told her me and Aaron had plans.”
“Oh, Elmer, you should have simply canceled.”
“Are you kidding?” he asked. “There’s a bunch of blue gill in the lake that have my name on them. And I got tickets to some fancy-shmancy show Mabel wants to see, so it all worked out.”
“If you’re sure.”
Joe Delacamp had met his son today.
Why couldn’t she shake that thought?
Because Joe was in Erie.
Somewhere, right outside that window,