On the Way to Heaven (BWWM Romance) (6 page)

CHAPTER
TEN

    
The girls burst out of the truck as soon as
Neil parked. Waving their piled-up ice cream cones, they ran across the grass
to the jungle gym.

    
“Be careful! It’s dark!” Neil helped Trina
out of the passenger’s seat.

    
Violet climbed on the jungle gym while
Paige and Winter headed for the swings.

    
“Come on.” Neil guided Trina up the long,
curvy sidewalk. “I wanna show you the structure I built a few years ago.”

    
They walked up a hill and across a stone
walkway. They stopped at a lit structure with a wall made of colorful pebbles,
surrounded by a walking area made of granite and decorative rocks. A stream of
water flowed from the rocks and into a tiny canal.

    
“Jesus.” Trina walked down the stone steps.
“You built this?”

    
He nodded with a big smile. “Impressed?”

    
“Shocked is more like it.” She touched a
rock. “It looks like something you’d see in a magazine. You did this all by
yourself?”

    
“I had my crew help me, but I wrote out the
plans and everything.”

    
“Neil.” Trina sat on a rock. “I misjudged
you.”

    
“What?” He chuckled.

    
“You’re not just a carpenter, but an
artist.”

    
“Stop.” He blushed.

    
“I mean it.” She glanced around the
structure. “Everything you’ve done is poetic. It speaks to a person. There’s so
much emotion here.”

    
“A lot of people say that they can feel
stuff in my work.” He sat beside her. “I never thought about it, though. I
certainly don’t consider myself an artist.”

    
“You are one.”

    
The lights bounced off the colored pebbles,
giving the water a majestic hue.

    
“I’m in total awe.” She laid her hands in
her lap. “What made you do this?”

    
“About three years ago, the mayor asked me
if I’d help reinvent the park.” He rubbed the thigh of his jeans. “Everything
had gotten so old and rundown, that people had stopped coming. Since Allocco
only has a few places of recreation as it is, it would’ve been sad if this
place ended up closing.”

    
Trina stared at the water, which appeared
multi-colored because of the pebbles.

    
“This park means a lot to me and this
town,” Neil said. “I spent so many days out here when I was a kid. I never
really had a childhood. I’ve been working since I was ten.”

    
“Ten?”

    
“Yeah, I worked for my dad’s company, and I
don’t have any complaints, because I loved it.” He looked into the darkness.
“But I did miss not being able to do all the things my daughters do. Just
playing was something I never had time for.”

    
“Whatever you said to Winter did the trick.
She seems okay now.”

    
“Yeah, we had a good talk.” The night
breeze flowed through his hair. “I hate that she was so upset. I never want my
kids to be hurt. I don’t want you thinking I don’t care.”

    
“I know you care. Although you could’ve
shown it without the ice cream.”

    
“Food makes her happy.”

    
“I’m afraid you’re training Winter to see
food as compensation for how she’s feeling. She’s gonna turn to it more and
more, and that could really threaten her health.”

    
“Lay off, Trina.” He exhaled. “I’m doing my
best.”

    
“I don’t mean to criticize. I’m just
concerned.”

    
“I’ll watch what she eats. I promise. It’s
just so hard without Charlotte. I’ve never been one to talk about my feelings,
or anything. I was raised to believe that men keep things inside.”

    
“That’s not right. I did that for years,
and all it does is make things worse. You have to deal with Charlotte’s death.”
She took his hand. “Until you accept it, you’ll continue to feel lost.”

    
“How can I accept it?” A tear fell. “When
my only wish is to have her here again? I’d give anything for that to happen.”

    
“I know it’s hard.” She laid his hand on
her lap. “But you’re not dead, Neil. You have to stop acting like you are.”

    
“If I could just see her again.” The tear
rolled down his cheek. “I have so much to say to her. If I had just one more
chance, then—”

    
“I know.” She tightened her hold on his
hand. “You ever wonder how she felt? That maybe she wished she had more time
with you and the kids?”

    
“What are you talking about?” He looked
confused. “She’s dead.”

    
“What if she’s not?”

    
“What?”

    
“I mean she’s dead in terms of being on
earth, but not in the afterlife. Her spirit’s looking down on all of you.”

    
He ran his hand through his hair.

    
“Trust me,” she whispered. “Charlotte is
watching you. And the things you wish you could say to her, she wishes she
could say to you.”

    
“I know you’re saying this to comfort me,
but—”

    
“No.” She clenched his hand. “It’s true,
Neil. There’s a life after death.” Trina looked up at the stars. “You have to
believe that.”

    
“I told you, I don’t believe in that
stuff.” He let her hand go. “I believe that when we die, everything stops. It’s
over.”

    
“It’s not over. Charlotte’s up there.” She
pointed. “I guarantee it.”

* * * *

    
Neil came downstairs. “I put the brats away
for the night.”

    
Trina smiled from the living room couch.

    
“I’m in the mood for some more ice cream.”
He headed for the kitchen. “Want some?”

    
“Yeah, that would be nice.” Trina followed.

    
“I’ve got chocolate and vanilla.” He pulled
both containers out of the freezer. “Just like us.” He grinned.

    
She leaned on the counter. “Cute.”

    
“Which one?” He set the ice cream on the
counter.

    
“Vanilla.”

    
“Ah.” He raised an eyebrow. “Do you
prefer
vanilla?”

    
She smirked. “I get the feeling you’re
hinting at something.”

    
“Maybe I am.” He got two bowls and spoons
out of the dishwasher. “Answer the question.”

    
“Are you talking about ice cream or men?”

    
He set the bowls on the counter. “Both.”

    
“The color of a man doesn’t matter to me.”
She clasped her hands. “What matters is that he’s a good guy with a good
heart.”

    
“Good answer.” He piled vanilla scoops into
a bowl and slid it to her. He grabbed the chocolate ice cream and took the lid
off.

    
“What about you?” She licked ice cream off
the spoon. “What do you prefer?”

    
“I’ve never had chocolate.” He dipped
scoops in the bowl. “But I’ve always been very curious about it.”

    
She laughed so hard she almost spit out ice
cream.

    
“What?”

    
“Nothing.” She hid her grin.

    
“Seriously, what’s your man situation?”

    
“My man situation?” She scooped a chunk of
ice cream onto her spoon. “There is no man situation.”

    
“Why not?”

    
“I don’t know. Looking back, I guess I
focused too much on the wrong things and not the right ones.”

    
“Which are?”

    
“I focused more on what the man could bring
to the table financially instead of what he could bring emotionally. I was too
busy going with guys because of an image, and I never really found true love.”

    
“How old are you?”

    
“Thirty five.”

    
“And you’ve never been truly in love?” He
sucked ice cream off the spoon. “That’s awfully sad. Everyone should experience
true love once.”

    
“But what is true love, really? I don’t
believe in soul mates and stuff.”

    
“Why not?”

    
“I just don’t.” She moved her spoon across
the melting scoops. “When you grow up like I did, fairytales and happily-ever-
afters
seem like nothing but crap. Just something adults
tell little kids so they won’t stop dreaming.”

    
“Dreams come true every day.”

    
 
“Can
we talk about something else?” She stabbed her ice cream. “Marisa seems
interesting.”

    
His eyebrows rose to his forehead. “You met
Marisa?”

    
“She came by this morning to catch you
before you went to work.”

    
“From your tone it seems like you don’t care
for Marisa very much.”

    
“
She’s
the one with the
problem.” She put her spoon down. “I didn’t appreciate how she came in here
making accusations about you and me.”

    
“What?”

    
“Yeah, she acted like I wanted you, or
something.” She scoffed, trying to ignore the heat radiating from his
smoldering gaze. “Like I was trying to be more than the maid, and she reminded
me I was
just
a maid.”

    
“She said that?” He exhaled. “I can’t
believe Marisa would be so disrespectful to you.”

    
“She obviously feels threatened. I guess
with me staying here, she thinks something will happen between us.”

    
“It’s none of her business if something
happens between us.”

    
“Yeah, but nothing will.” She glanced at
him. “Right?”

    
He looked at her. “
Right
.”

CHAPTER
ELEVEN

Two Weeks Later

    
“You’re doing well.” Trina helped Paige
with her math homework in the living room. “Now what’s the common denominator?”
She pointed to the figures in the textbook.

    
Paige studied the numbers. “Umm…”

    
Neil stomped into the house and slammed the
door. He flew past without even speaking.

    
“Uh-oh,” Paige whispered. “I think Daddy’s
mad.”

    
“I do, too.” Trina got up from the couch.
“I’ll be back in a minute.” She went into the kitchen.

    
Neil got a beer out of the fridge.

    
“I swear, I wouldn’t recognize you without
a beer in your hand.” Trina leaned on the counter.

    
“I’m not in the mood tonight.” He opened
the beer and took a loud gulp.

    
“Sure is interesting how you find time for
beer and not much else.”

    
“Lay off.” He glared at her. “I mean it.”

    
“I’m just kidding.” She walked over to him.
“Why are your panties so tight? I made smothered turkey necks.” She smiled.
“That should cheer you up.”

    
“Nothing will cheer me up.” He sat at the
table. “I had the day from hell. Everything went wrong on the job, so the
customer is pissed at me. I didn’t get my latest order of materials, and the
guy I ordered them from thinks they got lost in the mail.”

    
Trina sat beside him.

    
“But I could deal with all that.” He
squeezed the beer can. “I can’t deal with Louis Barr, though.”

    
“Who’s Louis Barr?”

    
“The biggest asshole in Allocco.” He
slurped beer. “I was banking on starting my next job next month. It’s a huge
job, and it would’ve really helped me out. You know I need the money.”

    
She nodded.

    
“Then Louis Barr…” He groaned. “That son of
a bitch snatched the job right from under me.”

    
“What?”

    
“Yeah, I’m supposed to build a deck for one
of my longtime customers. Everything was set, and Louis goes and strikes a deal
with the man for less money.”

    
“Whoa.” Trina crossed her legs.

    
“Can you believe that? The bastard didn’t
want the job; he just did it to get back at me. Louis has hated me since high
school.” He balled a fist. “He dated Charlotte before I did, and he always
thought I stole her from him. She was gonna quit him even before she got with
me.” He slammed the can on the table. “He’s been making my life hell ever
since.”

    
“I’m sorry, but I’m sure you’ll get another
job in no time.”

    
“Not one like that. This is a small town,
Trina. The big, high-paying jobs don’t come every day. Shit.” He kicked the
table. “I’m sick of Louis sticking his nose in my business. If I wouldn’t be
arrested for assault, I’d beat the shit out of him.”

    
“I know this might not help, but things
happen for a reason.”

    
“Right.” He laid his baseball cap on the
table.

    
“You should be mad at the guy who gave
Louis the job after he had a deal with you. If this guy is a regular, then he
really screwed you.”

    
“I can’t blame him.” He tapped the table
with his index finger. “Times are hard, and he wanted to get the labor as cheap
as he could.” He rocked. “I swear, Louis has gotten in my way for the last
time.”

    
“Just let all this go. We’re gonna have fun
at the carnival tomorrow.” She jiggled. “I’ve never been to a carnival. I’m so
excited.”

    
“You’ve never been to a carnival?”

    
She shook her head. “No one took me
anywhere as a kid, except school.”

    
“You and the girls have fun, then.” He
sipped beer. “I don’t think I’ll be in the mood.”

    
“You’ve gotta go. The girls have been
looking forward to this all week.”

    
“You can take them.”

    
“That’s not the damn point. They wanna go
with
you
.”

    
He stood and pitched the can in the trash.
“I don’t feel like it, all right?”

    
“Typical,” she whispered.

    
“What?”

    
“Once again, it’s all about you.” She
stood. “I’m sorry Louis took your job, but you made a promise to your
daughters, and you can’t break another one.”

    
“Trina—”

    
“Shut up.” She marched to him and stuck her
finger in his face. “You’re going to that carnival tomorrow, and you’re gonna
have fun.” She grabbed his shirt. “If not, then you’re gonna have to answer to
me, and believe me, Neil, you don’t want this
sista
to get angry. Do you understand me?”

    
His eyes widened. “Yes, ma’am.”

    
She let his shirt go. “Good.”

* * **

    
As soon as the girls’ feet hit the pavement
the next day, they took off through the crowd at the carnival.

    
“Girls!” Neil adjusted his baseball cap.
“Shit, they’re gone.”

    
Trina walked beside him.

    
Swarms of little kids ran past them. Men
and women gathered at the food stands.

    
“Well.” He pointed to the various tents and
stands. “This is the carnival.”

    
She straightened her shades. “I know what
one looks like, I’ve just never been to one.”

    
“We have this every year. I can tell you
where everything is.”

    
“Okay.”

    
He pointed to a line of colorful tents and
stands where kids and adults gathered. “You can play Ping Pong Pitch, Ring
Toss, Free Throw, Balloon Darts, Milk Bottles, Ball Bounce, any game you could
think of is right there.”

    
She smiled. “Okay.” She pointed to a group
of kids who stood in front of a bin of water, fishing for something. “What’s
that?”

    
“Panning for Gold.”

    
Trina gawked as they passed. “I bet you’ve
played all these games.”

    
“Been playing them since I could walk.” He
pointed to a line of people standing in front of a woman with balloons. “That’s
a balloon artist.”

    
“Cool.” Trina beamed. “She makes animals
and stuff out of balloons, right?”

    
“Yep.”

    
The woman passed a little boy some yellow
balloons she’d twisted into a dog.

    
“That’s so cute,” Trina said.

    
They walked farther down, bumping into
people who concentrated more on their food than the sights.

    
“Ah.” Neil stopped in front of a group of
stands. “You smell that?”

    
“Hmm-mmm.” She took in the delicious aroma
of sweets, frying corn, and caramel.

    
“Smells like heaven, doesn’t it?” Neil
inhaled and exhaled. “The best part of the carnival, baby. The food.” He guided
her to the packed lines. “I know the menu by heart. Anything you could imagine
is here. What do you want?”

    
“It smells good but…”

    
A man passed Trina with a container of chili
cheese fries.

    
“I think I’ll pass.” She patted her
stomach. “I watch what I eat.”

    
“I watch what I eat, too,” Neil said.
“Watch it going into my mouth. Now, you cannot come to a carnival and get the
true experience unless you stuff your face.”

    
People walked past with funnel cakes,
cotton candy, corn dogs, fried pickles, and nachos.

    
“Goodness.” Trina turned up her nose.
“Everything’s so fattening and greasy-looking. The carbs in one of these things
alone…”

    
“You don’t have to watch your figure.” Neil
glanced at her butt. “I don’t mind doing it for you.”

    
She nudged him, laughing. “Behave.”

    
“One day of pigging out isn’t gonna hurt,
Trina.”

    
“Next!” The heavyset woman with the notepad
gestured to them.

    
“We’ll have two chocolate funnel cakes,”
Neil said to the woman. “Two medium nachos, two orders of barbecued wings, two
fried pickles, and two—”

    
“
Neil
.” Trina swatted his
arm. “We can’t eat all that.”

    
“The hell we can’t. Besides, I’m not
finished.” He looked at the woman. “Two deep fried Twinkies, some popcorn and…”