Reaching over, he closed her mouth with one long finger. “Breathe, baby.”
“But Gideon, it’s a freakin’ mansion.” She whispered this softly, but her sentiment was echoed by Eli, who was bouncing up and down in the back seat.
“Holy cow! You live in a mansion. Are you rich, Gideon?” Eli’s eyes were as big as saucers as he pressed his nose against the rear driver’s side window.
“Eli! That’s not polite to ask.”
“That’s okay, babe. I did very well with my band and solo career, Eli, but producing is where it’s at.”
“You don’t plan to perform anymore? What about touring? Will we be all alone in this gigantic house while you’re gone?”
“Easy, Shannon.” He reached for her hand and squeezed. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he saw that Eli also had a worried expression on his face. “I still write a little and perform locally with the band, but our touring days are over. I’m happy in my studio, producing and promoting new artists. I’ll let them go on a grueling 60-city European tour. It’s a rough life, being on the road, living out of a suitcase, screaming fans, security problems…”
“Awesome! Sounds like fun to me.” Eli had resumed bouncing up and down again with excitement. He was a small bundle of energy and reminded Gideon of himself at that age.
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, son.” He blanched at his slip and his eyes flew to meet Shannon’s startled gaze. They hadn’t decided how or when to tell him yet. She squeezed the hand he still held in return and suddenly giggled. That shocked him. He thought she’d be pissed over his little lapse, but she smiled and shook her head as if saying, “Don’t worry about it.”
“I think it’s fresh. I want to be in a band. Can you teach me to play the guitar? Or the drums, can you play the drums? That would be so cool to play the drums!”
The adults laughed at his youthful enthusiasm as Gideon pulled up to the front door.
“Do you have a pool, what about a pool table? Do I get my own room?”
“Eli, slow down. I’m sure we’ll get the grand tour very soon.”
“The answer to all of your questions is yes. I thought I could show you around first. Afterwards, we could scrounge up something to eat and then take a swim in the pool. Sound good?”
“That’s sick!” he said and bounded out of the car.
Shannon frowned after him. “That was rude. I’m so sorry.”
Gideon patted her thigh affectionately. “Sick is a good thing nowadays, Shannon.”
Looking at him in surprise, she asked, “It is?”
“Yeah, it means awesome.”
Shaking her head she sighed. “It used to mean gross. He’s only nine. What am I going to do when he gets to be a teenager? I’ll need a translator.”
“No probs, noob. We’re tope. I got yo back.” Because he was producing a 16-year-old’s new record, he was up on more of the youth slang than Shannon, who looked at him with a glazed over expression. He couldn’t help but laugh when she said, “Crap! Not you too! I have no idea what you just said.”
Gideon laughed as he came around to help her out. Leaving the bags for the time being, he let them in the front door. He told them there was a garage around back where he usually parked, pointing to the far side of the yard where the driveway curved around back.
“I’ve got a Lexus SUV that you can drive. The POS you were driving the other night looks like it’s ready for salvage.”
“My Chevy is not a piece of sh—” She stopped herself just as Eli ran up.
“I know what POS means, Mom, and he’s right. Your car didn’t even start twice last week.” Looking at Gideon, he continued to throw his mom under the bus. “We had to walk home after dark and take the transit for three days until Jody could fix it. He said there wasn’t enough duct tape and bondo in the world to put the ‘old girl’ back together. He called it a POS, too.”
Gideon didn’t like the sound of Shannon and Eli walking home after dark in that neighborhood, or anytime for that matter. He was glad he’d put an end to that today. Never again would they be in dangerous situations like that.
“The Lexus is your mom’s now, Eli. You won’t be walking home alone or riding in a bondomobile again.”
He opened the door and showed them inside, quickly resetting the alarm system by entering the code into the keypad. “I’ll show you this later. You’ll have to practice a bit to get it down quickly enough.”
He knew Shannon was only half listening because her gaze was fixated on the far side of the room. It happened with every guest the first time they came to his home. It had happened to him and was the reason he bought the overly large home in the first place.
Guiding her with a hand on her lower back, he saw what she saw—a sight that he had yet to tire of or take for granted. The foyer opened into a great room which was done in neutral tones; beige tile floors, off white walls and trim, and taupe furnishings all arranged to enhance and not detract from the singular feature of the room. On the far wall, where at least eight sets of French doors opened onto a stone patio, was an incredible, vast expanse of blue that was the Pacific Ocean. Once again, her jaw was gaped open.
“This is just the first room, babe. Don’t pass out yet.”
“Mom! You gotta see the pool! You can swim in it while you look at the ocean. It’s tope!” Eli’s delighted shouts snapped her out of her trance.
“What does that mean again?”
“A combination of tight and dope—tope. It means awesome, too.”
“Right.” She wandered out onto the patio, looking for Eli. Gid followed, knowing how little boys could easily get into trouble. “Elijah Hughes! Get down from there this instant!”
Gideon’s eyes searched the wide patio and found Eli hanging over the stone railing. He was at an area to the far left, where the small yard gave way to a rock cliff with a sheer drop of about 50 feet to the beach below. He saw Eli freeze at his mother’s voice and turn.
“I’ll take care of this, babe,” he murmured as he strode across the patio to establish some safety rules for his son. He heard her softly say his name, uncertainty in her voice. He didn’t stop, though. She could see firsthand how he planned to deal with Eli. Although not an expert by any means, he liked kids and felt he had some skill.
Walking up behind Eli, he squatted down to his level. His son, knowing he was in trouble, looked at his feet, as uncertain of him as his mother.
“Pretty cool out here, isn’t it?”
“Jimmy Cooper’s pool isn’t a tenth as big.” He glanced up at Gideon through the hair that hung in his eyes. His excitement was building again. “Are me and Mom really gonna stay here?”
“Absolutely, bud, but I have a few rules. Are you ready to listen to them?”
“Yes, sir.” His eyes again dropped to his feet, quickly flicking his gaze past Gideon, looking for the safety of his mother. Her shadow passed over the tiles by his feet as she approached.
Gideon’s lips quirked slightly. He knew he had to tread cautiously here. How he handled this would set the tone for both of them. Putting his hand lightly on his shoulder, he reassured him. “You’re not in trouble, Eli. You didn’t know the rules, so no need to be afraid, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
“First, I want you to be happy here, but I need to know that both you and your mom are safe. So, rule number one, no climbing on railings upstairs or downstairs. Rule number two, no swimming alone. Either your mom or I have to be with you. Understand?” He felt Shannon’s hand on his shoulder, and she squeezed. It was her way of giving her support—a united front against a nine-year-old boy.
“Do I still get to go swimming?”
“Eli, we’ll talk about swimming later. You didn’t answer Gideon. Do you understand his rules?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Looking back at Gideon, he realized his mistake. “I mean yes, sir.”
“Good. I have another rule about the security system, but we’ll go over that later tonight. How about we go see your room?”
Eli nodded, his smile returning along with his eagerness for his next adventure.
Gideon showed them the rest of the house. The large gourmet kitchen with dining ell had Shannon’s mouth hanging open again. She was fascinated by the top of the line appliances and the island with running water and breakfast bar.
“Is your mom a good cook, bud?” He was trying to keep the boy engaged with the “boring rooms”, as he’d called them.
“Yeah, she makes great mac ‘n cheese, and her pizza is good too.”
“Those are his staples, along with hamburgers, hotdogs, and SpaghettiOs.”
“And cereal and PB&J’s. I like those, too.” He corrected his mother as he climbed onto a stool and spun around.
Ruffling his silky brown hair, she said, “How could I forget, baby? I make you PB&J with no crusts every day of the week.”
He pulled away from her hand and whispered loudly, “Don’t call me that in front of Gideon, Mom. It’s not cool.”
“Sorry, sometimes I forget how grown up you’re getting.”
“I like ‘bud’. That’s cool.”
Gideon saw the hurt that Eli’s little rebuff had caused. He was at that phase, no longer a little boy and ready to test his independence. He remembered those days himself, of trying to portray a tough, manly exterior, but that shield vanishing like dust in a rainstorm at the first sign of hurt, disappointment, or fear. He still needed his mother and would for a very long time. Gid just wanted to be there for them both, to support, to protect, and to love. Starting to feel a bit maudlin, he grabbed her hand and continued the tour.
He showed them the formal dining room and his office, both with French doors leading out to the patio and views of the ocean. The den with the 70 inch flat screen caught Eli’s attention as well as the game room fully equipped with pool table, ping pong, and an X-box connected to another flat screen—this one just a bit smaller.
Eli started bouncing with excitement again, whipping off a list of games and wanting to know if Gid had them in his library. Gid opened the doors of a large bookcase and revealed hundreds of games and five times as many movies. “We’ll have to separate the kid’s movies from the others; there are some that your mom might not want you to watch. G and PG, I assume, Shannon?”
She nodded vaguely as she watched her son’s eyes glaze over like a kid in a candy shop—or a video library, as the case may be.
“Look, Mom, Batman. He’s got all of them.”
Gideon pulled Shannon close and whispered, “You can help me go through them and we’ll put the PG-13 and R’s in the locked cabinet.” When she just nodded, he asked, “You okay, babe?”
“Yes, it’s just very overwhelming. We’ve never been around such luxury, Gid. I’m worried about Eli.”
“We’ll keep him grounded, but I would like to spoil him a bit, if that’s okay. I’ve missed out on a lot.”
Looking down at her clasped hands, she wasn’t quick enough for him to miss the single tear that tracked down her cheek. “Baby, that wasn’t a dig. I was just stating a fact.” He pulled her into his arms and she went eagerly, pressing her face into his chest.
“Why is my mom crying?”
Gid looked over at Eli’s mutinous face and knew they were going to have to talk about their situation sooner than later.
“It’s nothing, Eli. These are happy tears. You know how emotional girls can get.” Shannon wiped her face with her hands, blinking rapidly as she tried to clear her eyes of the tears. “Sorry for getting all mushy on you guys.”
Eli wasn’t convinced and he got quiet and watchful as they moved upstairs.
“This is your room, bud. You can redecorate however you like.” It was a huge room, as big as the great room in their old apartment. He had his own private bath and French doors just like the other rooms. Gideon opened the doors to the small private balcony. “Remember the rule about hanging or climbing on the railings. It’s a long drop from the second floor.” Looking at Shannon, he reassured her, “We can lock the doors if you think its best, babe.”
“What do you think, Eli? Can we trust you not to play on the patio?”
“Cross my heart, Mom. This room is awesome and the playroom downstairs is even awesomer. I’ll probably hang out there, or in the den watching TV, or in the pool.”
Shannon smiled and hugged him tight.
“I think we might have to build you a treehouse out back for climbing,” Gid suggested. “I have the perfect spot. That way, you’d have your own special place to go besides your room.”
“That’s sick! I’m hungry, when are we gonna eat?”
“Let me show your mom the rest of the upstairs first, and then we can find something to eat. I think I have pizza fixins’.”
“Way sick! Can I stay here and put away my stuff, Mom?”
“Sure, we’ll pick you up on the way down. Okay?”
Having her approval, he’d already started unpacking his backpack. She smiled as he unloaded his comic books, batman action figures, and his latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid. “He’ll entertain himself for a bit. He loves to read.”
As they walked down the hall, Gideon showed off the other four guest rooms, then lead her up a half flight of stairs to the master bedroom. It was huge, more like a suite, with double doors leading to a cavernous room with dark planked floors covered by an open weave rug. The far wall was some kind of retractable glass that opened by remote control onto a large private balcony with yet another stunning view of the ocean. Just inside the glass doors was a sitting area with plush, comfortable-looking furniture and a fireplace.
Gid remembered a time when they had talked about their dream house. Shannon had said she’d wanted a fireplace in the bedroom. He imagined them both curling up in front of the fire. His imagination took it one step further, picturing Shannon, warm and fragrant from a bath, snuggling up with him on the rug before the hearth, making love. That brought them to what Gid felt was the focal point of the room, his huge, four poster bed.
“Your house is beautiful, Gid.”
Moving up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, her back against his chest. Speaking low into her ear, he murmured, “It’s our house now, Shannon. I want you to feel at home here, both of you.”
He dipped his head and kissed her neck. Shannon smiled, angling her head to the side, giving him plenty of room for his lips to play along her neck and shoulder. She was always so responsive.