Forever RiverCreek

Chapter 3 - Daddy!

That night at dinner, Cory tries to ignore Tara in his own way. She picks up on the subtle rejection but plays it off since she's still on the clock. The main thing Tara enjoys is watching CJ and Cory bond. However, a monkey wrench is thrown into the mix when CJ asks to spend the weekend with Cory and Lorraine, "Daddy, can I spend the weekend with you and mamaw? I promise I'll be a good boy," he claims, batting his big eyes at his father.

At first, Cory is unsure about alone time so soon with his son. The thousand-yard stare in his eyes screams volumes, but that's when Lorraine interjects, "Yes, my sweet boy. You are always welcome to stay with mamaw. Daddy isn't used to this yet, but it'll be okay. That's something we can help daddy get used to, am I right."

CJ Shakes his head yes and smiles showing off his teeth. Next, Tara, still off in the distance, handles a customer dispute. After the dispute is settled and Tara is freed up, one of the owners arrives, a woman barely taller than Tara with salt and pepper hair in a blue dress. She sees Tara keeping an acute eye on the table where she sees CJ, "I see your ex-boyfriend's mother is here, and I guess that's him with CJ."

"Yep, that's his father, Cory. He had an appointment with the VA hospital today. Right now, everything seems fine, but he's been kind of distant since he's been home. Cory didn't want to come home with me when he first got back. Is that something to worry about, Cheryl?"

"No. When Harry got home from his stint, he was distant. It's normal, and times heals most wounds; all you can do is love him. That's if you still feel that way about him. You're a wonderful and bright young woman with a son who loves you to the ends of the universe," Cheryl says with an arm around Tara's shoulders, "Comp their meal and dessert is on the house."

Dinner ends, and Tara is told to take the evening since Cheryl will close up to spend time with Cory and Lorraine. Tara places CJ in his car seat, free from work, while Cory gets into his mother's Camry. They head over to Tara's split-level home, and Cory walks inside with a tour through the house while Lorraine heads to the playroom with CJ for cartoons and a juice box.

"Here's my bedroom; it's cozy and quaint with a private bathroom. I have a queen-size bed for those nights our son wants to crawl in bed without waking me up. You're always welcome here, Cory. I know things are different, but I need you to know that I still love you," Tara says and puts her arms around Cory's shoulders.

"We'll get there, and I love you too, Tara," Cory replies with his hands on her waist, "Right now, I need to focus on getting myself healed. I'm a wreck, not physically but mentally and emotionally, and you deserve better than a broken man."

Eyes closed and getting a whiff of the cologne, Tara pulls Cory in and whispers, "You're not broken to me. All you need is time and patience; I understand that, but don't fall in love with anyone else. I don't want to live without you."

"I need to get going, but I promise that soon we will have a family night. You, me, and CJ with no one else. Give me time to learn to trust myself."

The only intimate gesture Tara gives is a light kiss on his cheek. They pull away from the hug, and Cory heads down to the playroom with his mother and son. Tara stands there with her arms crossed as a cold sensation sends shivers up and down her spine.

While the fellas play with toy cars, Tara changes from her chef uniform into her nightclothes consisting of shorts that almost show off the bottom of her ass cheeks and a low-cut white spaghetti strap with a built-in bra and her brown and highlighted blond hair in a ponytail. Tara sits at her laptop in the downstairs office and listens to them play as she tries to shake the cold, tingling feeling pulsing through her body. Her attention turns to the playroom when Lorraine tells CJ that she and Cory need to get going.