A Richter Blend, Westcott Story

StepfamilySystems.com

A Richter Blend, Stepfamily Chronicles.

On line publishing by StepfamilySystems.com

1101 California Ave., Ste. 100, Corona, CA 92881

Legal representation, Parker Stanbury, LLP (213) 995-0001

First Editor, R. D. Atkins

Second Editor, Tina Kitras

Freelance Writers:

Patricia H. Powe, Cooperton Family Story

Michelle Lamb, Grey Westcott Story

Tina Kitras, Macy Cooperton's Cousin, Vera Normandy Story

R.D. Atkins, Delrose Hazelton, Cooperton's senior neighbor, grandparent perspective

Skye C. Weaver, Co-Writer, Youth/Teen Perspective

Mystery Writer: Men's perspective

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Meet Grey Westcott as she runs into the man of her dreams, sort of ...

Something to Grey

I glance across the crowded Mexican restaurant and once again notice the handsome young man looking our way. The color of his eyes is like looking into the depths of a magnificent blue ice berg made all the more intense by his midnight black hair. He looks to be perhaps twenty five which would make him close to my twenty seven years. I can tell he is tall by the way he stretches out long muscular legs under the table as if he owns the entire space.

“Hello to Grey,” my dinner companion says. “You’re not being as subtle as you think, you know.”

“What?” I murmur coming out of my reverie. “Oh, um, I’m sure he’s looking at you anyway, Felicia. They’re always looking at you.”

“No, I don’t think so. You underestimate your model-like long legs, drink me in chocolate brown eyes, and kiss me all night luscious lips whilst running hands through your long honey colored hair and let’s not forget…”

Smiling, I cut her words off right there. “Okay, that’s enough already. I don’t suppose you know who he is, do you?” I ask.

“Yeah, his name is Arlo Sanchez. You should be forewarned, though, he has two children, and an ex that makes the devil himself run and hide,” Felicia says intensifying her dark blue eyes with an ominous glare. She flips her golden shoulder length blonde hair back over her shoulder and takes another sip of her margarita.

“Two kids, uh? Well,” I say feeling disappointed, “That’s on my list of no can do's. I’ve seen what other women go through and swore to myself I never would get into that kind of relationship. It’s hard enough as it is with out adding that. I mean, I love children, but I want my own. I don’t want to help raise someone else’s and deal with an ex whatever she may be.”

“Uh oh, don’t look now,” Felicia whispers leaning conspiratorially toward me while looking over my shoulder.

As is always the case when someone says this, I look and stifle a gasp. Arlo is making his way directly toward our table. Despite my just uttered words, I can’t help but feel a jump in my heart rate. Now that is a man’s man walk, I think to myself. Nice broad shoulders, six foot one or two and a grin that says confidence all over it.

I clear my throat and feign indifference returning to my food as he comes up to the table. I try to send messages to Felicia via telepathy and subtle facial expressions but to no avail. She just smiles her most perfect inviting smile and pushes out a chair for him with her foot.

“Hi, Arlo. Care to join us? I don’t believe you’ve met my friend Grey here have you?” She traitorously asks him.

“No I haven’t. I only have a moment, though. We were just getting ready to leave, but I just had to come over here and say hello first.”

Of course, he has to have a nice timbered voice as well. Why couldn’t he sound like Mickey Mouse and make it easy for me? It takes me a minute to realize he is speaking to me. I look up from my plate into those eyes and think, Damn! Now I’m in for it.

“Definitely not Mickey Mouse,” I utter under my breath. I grab my margarita taking several large gulps. I don’t normally drink much, but some how this Arlo has me all in a jumble. I choke as Janice places a well marked kick to my shin.

“Um, yes, nice to meet you,” I manage to say after my coughing fit subsides. I’m so embarrassed. I’m sure he’s changed his mind. There’s no way he’ll want to go out with me now---stuttering, choking lush that I am. Wait, what am I thinking? I had momentarily forgotten about the two kids and ex facts. Control yourself Grey. You don’t want an instant family do you? Besides, he hasn’t even asked you out yet or maybe he’s not even planning to. I straighten up, returning to reality.

“Sorry,” I say offering my hand, trying for a professional tone. “Grey Westcott.”

Arlo takes my hand, places a kiss upon it and says in a playful drawl, “Arlo Sanchez, pleased to make your acquaintance ma’am.” I quickly pull my hand away and give a curt nod accompanied by a small smile. “Yes, well, if you’ll excuse me, I‘m going to the restroom.” I get up and begin to walk away then turn briefly to add, “It was nice meeting you.” I see the stunned expression upon Arlo’s face and feel guilty. He really is charming. I would love to go out with him, but, with out the excess baggage. Unfortunately, that’s baggage you can’t remove.

~ ~ ~

Arlo looks after the closing bathroom door wondering what he said or did wrong. Surely Grey doesn’t dislike cowboys. His drawl was not even real. He glances down at Felicia looking for an explanation only to get an equally baffled expression in return.

“What just happened there?” He asks, taking a seat in Grey’s recently vacated chair.

Felicia lays a consolatory hand on his arm. “I’m sure it’s just the jitters. Grey doesn’t go out often, you know.”

“She’s a hermit?” Arlo asks, confused. The most beautiful hermit I’ve ever seen.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Felicia says. “She doesn’t go out with men all that often.”

“Oh, that’s good I suppose. I thought maybe I just smelled funny.”

Felicia laughs. “No, but I may have mentioned your ex being one who makes the devil run and hide though.”

“What! Why would you say that? I won’t deny it’s true, but at least give a guy a fighting chance before telling her about the dark side,” Arlo says running an agitated hand through his thick hair. “Jeez Felicia, you’re my cousin, we’re family, you owe me better than that.”

Felicia slightly cringes. “I’m sorry, it’s just we women have to look out for each other and that ex of yours is a real…” Seeing the darkening look on Arlo’s face, she suddenly stops speaking. “All right, all right,” she begins again. “I’ll tell her about some of your better attributes. But only because you’re family and because I actually believe you’re a great guy.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence. I would really like to get to know Grey better,” says Arlo, looking towards the still shut bathroom door and deciding to make his exit before Grey returns. He takes pen and paper out of his coat pocket and writes a quick note. “Look I've got to run, but make sure she looks under her plate?”

“You got it,” Felicia says watching him slip the piece of paper under Grey’s plate.

As he leaves he wonders to himself what it is about this woman that has gotten into his blood. He’s never even met her before, yet the moment he laid his eyes on her he knew, this is it. He smiles to himself and exits the restaurant with the name Grey Westcott rolling through his mind...

~ ~ ~

Can't get the man off my mind ...

I plop my purse down on the entry table and kick the door shut behind me. While driving home from the restaurant, I had been thinking on only one thing. Arlo Sanchez. Now that I am home, this fact has not changed. Only now, I can put my complete attention to the subject matter without the distraction of traffic.

I grin to myself, realizing I am thinking on a man in terms other than the “just friends” department. Wow, it has been a while since I’ve done this. The last relationship I had ended with me vowing to become a nun living in a convent. Instead I moved to Port Hills and began a new life, a much better life. It’s been almost a year since I came here.

I make my way into the kitchen to put my leftovers from the restaurant in the fridge. I then proceed into the bedroom to change into my comfy night clothes. I toss my cell phone over on the bed when I walk in. My apartment is quite small, only the bathroom has a door, but it suits me fine. I have debated on getting a puppy or a cat to keep me company, but my job as a portrait photographer is keeping me too busy.

I bring to a halt my meandering thoughts, realizing that no matter how many times I paw through my drawer, the matching blue bottoms to my night shirt are just not there. I groan in frustration and look through the other two drawers in the dresser. “Fine, I guess I’ll just wear the purple ones instead since somehow my other pair has somehow managed to run away by themselves,” I mutter to myself imagining a world of frolicking socks, clothes and undergarments that always seem to go missing. This is why I need a pet. Then, I can pretend not to be crazy talking to myself and use them as an excuse.

I plop down on the bed and continue with my thoughts. Where was I? Oh yes, Arlo Sanchez. This reminds me that I left his note in my pants pockets which were now resting peacefully on the floor by the dresser. I snort to myself as I get up to retrieve it, thinking how I really need to get better organized at home, but now was not the time; a perfect New Year’s Resolution perhaps?

I sigh to myself as I open the note and read it yet one more time. I plop back onto the bed and hesitantly reach for my cell phone. I press the phone to my lips in one last moment of indecision before finally flipping it open and dialing the number. I hear alternative, rock, ska, pop…I don’t really know what genre it is playing on the other end as the ring-back tone.

“Hello,” I hear the familiar voice say.

~ ~ ~

Arlo looks over to the Christmas tree debating whether or not he should simply take it down. The kids went home to their mom’s the day before after opening all of their presents. The tree was more for them than him. He decides to get it over with and goes to the garage and gets the boxes for the ornaments and lights. He brings them back into his spacious living room and begins the rather large task of removing all of the decorations.

He considers himself lucky that he was not left destitute after a rather nasty divorce. He had left enough doubt in the court’s mind that his wife, Sara, had indeed cheated on him. Her plea for alimony had gone out the window. She had been trying to accuse him of infidelity. Never ever would he do such a thing.

Arlo looks down at his hand realizing he has crushed a glass ornament in his grasp. Okay, so he’s still a little angry. She may not have been a dream to live with, but at least he saw his children every day. He would have stuck it out to the end just for that.

He goes into the kitchen to throw the ornament away and wash the blood from his hand. He changes his thought gears to something more positive, Grey Westcott. Yes, now that’s a woman that brings a smile to my lips. He has not dated anyone seriously since the divorce a year before. There has not been anyone to grab his attention…until now.

“Hmm,” Arlo hums to himself. “I wonder if she will call.” As if summoned by his thoughts, the telephone rings, startling him out of his reverie.He grabs a towel and rushes over to the cordless on the wall. He hits the talk button and presses the phone to his ear with hope in his heart.

~ ~ ~

“Hi,” I say relieved my best friend, Candace or known as Candy to me, is home. She may live in another state, but our friendship is as strong as ever. “I so need to talk to you. I’m glad you’re home.”

“Well, I’m not home yet. I’m on the road heading in that direction. I swear you forget cell phones are mobile. Are you alright?” Candy asks me.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” I say. “It’s just, well; you see I may have met a guy. Well, a man really and he left this note under my plate and he’s tall and handsome and his eyes; oh his eyes. They’re as blue as the center of an iceberg with the sun shining on it and he’s tall. His voice is smooth as velvet and timbered low. Not too low, you know. It’s just right and causes little shivers up my spine. I tried to mess it up and scare him away, but it didn’t work because when I came out of the bathroom there was a note. I didn’t know there was a note, but I’m so glad he left a note. And,” I pause to take a breath realizing it’s been silent on the other end of the phone.

“Are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m still here. You haven’t given me a chance to say anything. Oh my goodness, Grey,” Candy exclaims, “What does the note say? And why on earth would you try to scare him away?”

“Oh, yes well that part sucks really, “I say. “Arlo, his name is Arlo San-something, has two kids and an ex-wife.”

“Oh,” I hear Candy sigh. “I see, well that does hinder things a bit. What does the note say? Let’s start with that.”

“Okay,” I say unfolding the note again. “It says, If you’re in need of a midnight kiss on New Years eve call me. I’ll be there.”

“Ooo, that’s a good one. He wrote his number on it I assume,” she asks me.

“Of course he did,” I say, “But you’re missing the point. Do I call him? I really want to call him, I mean, dang this man is, I don’t know what he is exactly. There’s this magnet pulling us together like I have no control over it at all.”

“That’s intense, Grey. You barely met the guy, but if you feel that strongly about it call him. Think about a couple things first: Are you ready for the intsa-mom thang? And is your heart ready to take another beating if you’re not. You really need to tread carefully with this one, but if this Arlo guy really is everything you say he is, then, dang girl, go get him already!”

“Right, I’ll call him. It can’t hurt anything to call him. We can go out on one little date and I’ll see what happens. I mean, maybe it’ll take care of itself and he’ll turn out to be a total creep,” I say doubtfully. Felicia did nothing but tell me wonderful things about her cousin over the rest of dinner, I think to myself while chewing on my lower lip.

“Oh I doubt that very much, but there’s only one way to find out. I think I’ll go now so you can call him. Love ya sista. Muwa” Candy says disconnecting the phone before I can say anything else.

“Right,” I say again and dial the number.

~ ~ ~

Arlo slams the phone back into its wall cradle. “That woman is such a,” his about to be said expletive is interrupted by the phone ringing again. He grabs it back up, hits the talk button and barely contains his anger when he says, “What now? Is it not enough that I told you I’d buy a new one for Jake?”

“Oh, um, I’m sorry I must have a wrong number,” he hears a soft voice say on the other end of the line then a click as it disconnects. He looks at the caller ID wondering who that could have been when it dawns on him.

“Oh crap. Oh man. Damn it all,” Arlo mutters running his agitated hands through his hair, a habit that used to drive his ex nuts. He takes a deep breath and dials the number back.

“Hello,” he hears the questioning, hesitant voice on the other end answer.

“Is this Grey?” Arlo asks, feeling like a jerk.

“I take it I didn’t get a wrong number then did I,” she responds not really asking.

“Uh, no, I’m sorry about that.” There is a long pause on the line so Arlo asks, “I see you found my note?”

“Yes, yes I did. It was nice of you or perhaps I should say forward of you,” Grey’s voice says.

“Well, it worked didn’t it, you’re calling me,” He says, his confidence returning. “Does this mean we have a date for New Year’s?”

“Yes I suppose it does, but it doesn’t mean I’m in need of a midnight kiss or anything.”Arlo smiles suddenly feeling light as air. “Of course not, but dress to the nines as it were, because we’re going to have a great time.”

[We hope you are enjoying the series! Please visit our other stories when you have time. We have different authors writing each family's journey. Please visit our Stepfamily Strategy Team page for tips and insights you might be able to implement in your own situation.].