“Nothing I care to discuss with you.”
“Bill was just pointing out how young and cute you look in the overalls. I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm,” Rebecca offered, despite Chelsea’s rude comment.
“Are you sure? I—I bought these overalls because Bill said I didn’t know how to dress for fun. And then I thought he was making fun of me.”
“That would upset me, too,” Rebecca assured her with a smile. “But I’m sure that’s not what he was doing.” She looked over at the others. “Let’s go back to the table. They can’t go get our food until we’re there to stay with Joey.”
“But how will I explain my tears?”
“Oh, Chelsea, never explain. We don’t want them to think they can figure us out.”
A look of realization shone in Chelsea’s eyes. “Yes, of course. What a good idea.”
They walked back to the table. When both men questioned her, she smiled and said, “I had a headache.”
Both men looked dumbfounded.
“I think you’d better get in line for our hamburgers. There’s a big crowd coming,” Rebecca pointed out with a smile.
The men hurried away, fear of standing in a long line making them rush to the hamburger stand.
“Well, that went well,” Rebecca said with a grin at Chelsea.
“Thank you, Rebecca,” Chelsea said slowly, as if the words were hard for her to say. “My mother would’ve insisted on a detailed explanation that would’ve embarrassed me.”
“Good heavens, with that to look forward to, you must hide all your emotions.”
“Mostly,” Chelsea admitted with a shrug. “Mother doesn’t like tears.”
“I think they’re therapeutic, sometimes.”
“I like that idea. You have a great way of explaining things. I’ll have to remember to say that to my mother.”
Rebecca grinned. “Just don’t attach my name to it.”
Chelsea giggled. “You’re a lot of fun…for a mother.”
Chapter Five
“So, Chelsea, you’re going to be a stepmother. Are you all right with that?” Rebecca asked. She knew she shouldn’t be prying into Jeff’s business, but as Joey’s mother, she felt she had a right to know. Chelsea mostly seemed to ignore Joey, and that worried Rebecca.
Chelsea shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t suppose I’ll be around your little boy that much. I mean, Jeff will most likely spend time alone with him doing boy things.”
Rebecca hesitated, but she couldn’t leave things as they were, especially if Chelsea was going to be a part of her son’s future. “Do you not like little boys?”
Chelsea looked shocked. “I don’t dislike them. I’ve just never been around them. I don’t know what to do with them.”
“Well, I could teach you about little boys and what they like to do, so when you become Joey’s stepmother, it won’t frighten you.”
“I didn’t say it frightened me,” Chelsea said, her eyes round and accusing.
“I’m sorry. I just thought— Hmm. I just know from my own experience, when I don’t know about something, it tends to frighten me. I wasn’t trying to make a judgment about your character or mothering skills,” Rebecca said gently.
“Oh.” Chelsea relaxed and seemed a little less defensive. “I guess it does rather scare me a little. I don’t know what small boys like.”
“I like hamburgers,” Joey said helpfully, watching Chelsea. Then he looked up and saw his father and Bill. “Here they are, Mommy. Hurray! They got french fries, too!”
“Now you know what little boys like,” Rebecca said with a laugh. “But that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t eat vegetables as well.”
Chelsea grinned. “I’ll remember.”
The two men reached the table with two trays loaded with food. In the flurry of distributing everyone’s meals, Jeff stole a look at Rebecca. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, everything’s fine.” And it was. Rebecca had discovered that Chelsea wasn’t as pretentious and cold as she’d thought. She just hadn’t had any experience with children, and she was
“Bill was just pointing out how young and cute you look in the overalls. I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm,” Rebecca offered, despite Chelsea’s rude comment.
“Are you sure? I—I bought these overalls because Bill said I didn’t know how to dress for fun. And then I thought he was making fun of me.”
“That would upset me, too,” Rebecca assured her with a smile. “But I’m sure that’s not what he was doing.” She looked over at the others. “Let’s go back to the table. They can’t go get our food until we’re there to stay with Joey.”
“But how will I explain my tears?”
“Oh, Chelsea, never explain. We don’t want them to think they can figure us out.”
A look of realization shone in Chelsea’s eyes. “Yes, of course. What a good idea.”
They walked back to the table. When both men questioned her, she smiled and said, “I had a headache.”
Both men looked dumbfounded.
“I think you’d better get in line for our hamburgers. There’s a big crowd coming,” Rebecca pointed out with a smile.
The men hurried away, fear of standing in a long line making them rush to the hamburger stand.
“Well, that went well,” Rebecca said with a grin at Chelsea.
“Thank you, Rebecca,” Chelsea said slowly, as if the words were hard for her to say. “My mother would’ve insisted on a detailed explanation that would’ve embarrassed me.”
“Good heavens, with that to look forward to, you must hide all your emotions.”
“Mostly,” Chelsea admitted with a shrug. “Mother doesn’t like tears.”
“I think they’re therapeutic, sometimes.”
“I like that idea. You have a great way of explaining things. I’ll have to remember to say that to my mother.”
Rebecca grinned. “Just don’t attach my name to it.”
Chelsea giggled. “You’re a lot of fun…for a mother.”
Chapter Five
“So, Chelsea, you’re going to be a stepmother. Are you all right with that?” Rebecca asked. She knew she shouldn’t be prying into Jeff’s business, but as Joey’s mother, she felt she had a right to know. Chelsea mostly seemed to ignore Joey, and that worried Rebecca.
Chelsea shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t suppose I’ll be around your little boy that much. I mean, Jeff will most likely spend time alone with him doing boy things.”
Rebecca hesitated, but she couldn’t leave things as they were, especially if Chelsea was going to be a part of her son’s future. “Do you not like little boys?”
Chelsea looked shocked. “I don’t dislike them. I’ve just never been around them. I don’t know what to do with them.”
“Well, I could teach you about little boys and what they like to do, so when you become Joey’s stepmother, it won’t frighten you.”
“I didn’t say it frightened me,” Chelsea said, her eyes round and accusing.
“I’m sorry. I just thought— Hmm. I just know from my own experience, when I don’t know about something, it tends to frighten me. I wasn’t trying to make a judgment about your character or mothering skills,” Rebecca said gently.
“Oh.” Chelsea relaxed and seemed a little less defensive. “I guess it does rather scare me a little. I don’t know what small boys like.”
“I like hamburgers,” Joey said helpfully, watching Chelsea. Then he looked up and saw his father and Bill. “Here they are, Mommy. Hurray! They got french fries, too!”
“Now you know what little boys like,” Rebecca said with a laugh. “But that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t eat vegetables as well.”
Chelsea grinned. “I’ll remember.”
The two men reached the table with two trays loaded with food. In the flurry of distributing everyone’s meals, Jeff stole a look at Rebecca. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, everything’s fine.” And it was. Rebecca had discovered that Chelsea wasn’t as pretentious and cold as she’d thought. She just hadn’t had any experience with children, and she was
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