Five of Hearts, page 10
“Anyway, I had a shift that afternoon. I got home late, after midnight. Vince was gone, all his stuff cleared out. He’d left a note. He said he just couldn’t do this. He had plans, a future. He couldn’t let anything get in the way.”
“Wonder what his future patients would think of their fine, upstanding doctor if they knew his backstory.” Dean scrunched up his nose. “Wait. Is he still studying to be a doctor?”
Shannon thought for a moment. “I’m not sure, to be honest. He’d have his undergraduate degree, for sure. He should still be in medical school. Frankly, I have no idea where he is now.” She took another swallow of water and tried to wrap up her sob story.
“I came home and had the babies here. I tried to reach out to Hollis and Eden, Vince’s parents. I thought they might want to be a part of their grandchildren’s lives.” Her cheeks flamed as she remembered that particular exchange.
“Hollis accused me of trying to pimp my children for money. He told me that if I contacted them again, that he would take out a restraining order on me. That there was no way I was going to get my greedy hands on his family money.”
“Ah, so that winning personality definitely runs in the family.” Dean looked inordinately pleased that he’d gotten a smile out of her.
Shannon heard the first faint whoop of a fire engine. She scrambled to her feet and hauled Dean up beside her.
“Okay, now that I’ve vomited up my past, let’s just drop it.” She flashed him a pained smile and swung her attention to the road in front of her.
They moved in close with the rest of the crowd. Shriners in their little maroon fezzes drove by in impossibly small cars, looping around in crazy figure eights. Shannon watched Dean’s face light up with delight. It was fun experiencing something that had been an annual event for as long as she could remember with a person seeing it for the first time.
Local Boy Scout troops filed past. Daisies, Brownies, and Girl Scouts were interspersed with marching bands, Veterans from as far back as WWII, and a collection of muscle cars. Dean clapped for everyone, but Shannon could almost see the drool starting to form when a vivid yellow Corvette purred by.
“I bet I know what you’re going to ask Santa for this Christmas.” She giggled.
The antique models of fire trucks began to roll past and Shannon stepped a little closer, trying to get a clearer view of the road. The triplets would be passing them any minute now. She bounced on her toes, eager to see her excited children.
“Hurry, hop on.” Dean had crouched down in front of her to offer a piggyback view.
Giggling girlishly, Shannon wrapped her arms around his neck and sprang up onto his back. Dean held tight to her thighs, both of them laughing so hard they nearly toppled. The largest engine drew up close and Shannon waved her arms high in the air, hollering each triplet’s name. She saw the moment they spotted her, their bright smiles dazzling. Her mother waved from behind them, one arm around Roger.
“Mommy, Mr. Dean! Have a kiss!” Brenna’s aim was spot on and Shannon reached out and caught the taffy without losing her balance. She blew them a kiss of her own.
The fire engine signaled the end of the parade, volunteer firemen following behind with a long, thick rope. Shannon slid down Dean’s back and they hurried off to the elementary school, where the group of children was to be unloaded.
Seeing Hollis Bainbridge had put a damper on the day for Shannon, but talking about her past wasn’t as difficult as she would have thought. Maybe time was healing those old wounds. Or maybe it was the quiet, patient way Dean had listened to her story, never judging her choices. He jogged alongside her, clearly just as eager to meet up with the children as she was. A tiny, hopeful part of her wondered if this is what it was like to be a family. The idea was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Dean sat cross-legged on the floor in the children’s section of the town library, forgoing his ball cap and shades for the first time, and not feeling the slightest bit nervous about being around people. He waited for the clenching stomach muscles, the cold sweat whenever he accidentally made eye contact. It didn’t come. He was doing this. And more importantly, he was enjoying himself.
His grin huge, he glanced over at Shannon, who sat beside him. The triplets were huddled together in the very front row of little people. Miss Bree, the librarian, was putting felt pieces of food up on a big black background, as she told her audience about the Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Dean had never heard this story before and found himself leaning forward. What a great idea—to not just tell a story, but to show it! He wondered if Miss Bree would let him play with the felt board after story time. He turned and flashed a grin at Shannon. He thought of the Madonna as he watched her. She only had eyes for her children. The pride, the joy that lit her face, it was humbling.
The festivities from the day before ended up running late into the evening. Dean had offered Roger and Catherine his SUV to take them back to the bed and breakfast. He said they could bring it by any time today. The triplets had talked him into coming in to read them bedtime stories. One book had led to another and Dean found himself invited to story time at the library. Did those kids ever get a “no” for an answer?
Oh, boy, now they were on their feet singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” Did anyone else’s knees crack as bad as his? Shannon giggled out loud, which could only mean she’d heard. He stuck out his tongue, tempted to tug on one of the braids she’d wrangled her hair into.
“Remember, next week we’re going to read about families. Moms, dads, brothers, sisters … You’re welcome to bring in a photo of your family if you want to share it with the group.”
The children all clustered in front of Miss Bree’s chair. Dean tried to get a look at what the fuss was about. The librarian’s brunette head was barely visible in the sea of preschoolers. Shannon’s laughter reminded Dean that he was being rather obvious.
“Did you want to get your hand stamped too?” she asked sweetly.
“Oh, is that what’s going on?” He sighed wistfully.
“What were you expecting? She gives out gifts at the end?” Her smile was indulgent.
“Hey, cut me some slack. This was my first story time.” This time he did reach out and yank lightly on a shiny, red braid.
“Mommy, Mr. Dean, lookit what I got! Miss Bree gave me a fish stamp.” Brian proudly showed off the blue fish stamped on his left hand.
His brother and sister crowded around them and stuck their little fists out as well. Shannon made suitably impressed oohs and aahs. Not sure what to do, Dean reached out and tousled the boys’ hair. Brenna slipped her tiny hand into his, beaming up at him in adoration. Oh, the power she wielded when she flashed that smile. Her mom had an equally powerful one.
“Should we head home so you can get your car back?” Shannon nodded toward the door.
“Nah. I told them to take their time. I don’t have anywhere I need to be.”
They said goodbye to Miss Bree and wandered toward the shelves of age-appropriate picture books for the kids. Dean watched them, tapping spines, rubbing their chins, and looking so contemplative, he had to stifle a grin behind his hand. Shannon was right beside them, reading off titles to the books that the kids found themselves drawn to.
“Have you gotten a library card yet, Dean?”
The question gave him pause. At the height of his career, he’d never had time for libraries. He’d grab a paperback from the airport souvenir shops. It wasn’t that he didn’t read.
“I hadn’t thought of it. I used to read a lot on the bus. We’d pass a paperback along until all of us had read it.”
“All of us?”
Crap. “Uh. You know … in high school.”
“There is a terrific bookstore in town, the Book Nook. The old woman who owns it, Ruby, is a sweetheart. But libraries fit in much better with our budget, if you get my meaning.” Shannon held up a large stack of books.
Dean reached out and took them from her. She rounded up the troops and headed for the check-out kiosk. He watched in wide-eyed amazement as the children took turns scanning the bar codes on the cover of the books. This machine was even better than the felt board.
Outside, the sun was being stingy, at best, but the humidity kept the temperature plenty warm. They tossed the library books into the van and walked up the street, no destination in mind. The triplets skipped ahead, mindful not to put too much distance between them and the adults.
“So the other night … you were pretty upset about your mom getting remarried.” He left the rest unsaid, ready to be told to mind his own business.
“I freaked, didn’t I?” Shannon smiled, but it still looked a bit forced.
“If you’d run out of ingredients for cookies, would you have started making a fruit salad, or a crock pot stew?”
She laughed. “I would have switched to my other calming technique. I can crochet a scarf in about an hour, you know.”
“Ah, well in that case, I like all shades of blue.” He winked.
They followed the children to the small playground at the end of the street. As the triplets dashed in three different directions, Shannon and Dean found an empty bench and parked themselves.
Brady had long-since learned how to compensate for the cast on his arm. Dean noticed the slight tensing when Shannon saw her son taking chances. But he had to hand it to her, she didn’t say anything. It was probably killing her not to warn them all against doing anything dangerous, but she kept it all in.
Brenna had found another little girl on the swings and they had struck up that instant friendship that only the very young could pull off. Brian was at the top of the monkey bars, little muscles straining as he swung his way to the end. Dean leaned back and smiled. He had the strongest urge to pull Shannon up against him, so they could watch the kids together.
“Oh my God. That’s my mother and Roger.”
She pointed to a couple coming out of an antique store, hand in hand. They stopped just outside the store and kissed. The gesture was so tender, so real. Dean smiled wistfully. He had the ability to step back and view them as the loving couple they represented. Shannon, so personally involved, shuddered.
“Try to pretend they were just a couple of strangers. Look at them as if you were just seeing them for the first time.”
“They look happy.” She tore her gaze away. “They look in love.”
“You going to give them your blessing?”
“She didn’t even ask!” Then, grudgingly, “Yes. Of course they have my blessing.”
Shannon leaned back against the bench, her shoulder resting against his. She pointed at Brian zipping down the slide to land in a giggling heap at the bottom. He gave her a thumbs-up as he raced off to his next destination. It was such a peaceful day.
“I’d watch out around this one, if I were you. She’ll ruin your life. I’ve seen her do it before. She’s a family wrecker.”
Dean’s head snapped up at the intrusion. Shannon’s hand grabbed his, icy cold and trembling. The nasty jerk from the parade stood over them. His eyes were full of bitterness and hatred. Dean was torn between wanting to defend Shannon’s honor and wanting to keep this a quiet, private conversation.
“This isn’t the time or place, pal. You want to talk about whatever you think Shannon did, you and I can meet up somewhere.”
“She’s poison. Those kids, though … ” He turned a calculating gaze toward the playground. “Vincent is in a good place now. He’s turned his life around. I bet if he could see his kids, he’d be proud. Proud enough to come back. Proud enough to visit his poor ma.”
They watched the older man as his calculating eyes darted from one little redhead to the next. He wet his lips and appeared to be forming some kind of plan in his head. Shannon whimpered. He whipped his head back and sneered at her.
“Vincent deserves to see his kids, spend time with ’em. You can’t hide them away from him forever.”
“He’s the one who left! He didn’t want to have anything to do with them.” Her voice was shrill and panicked.
Dean stood up and closed the distance between himself and Hollis. The man was a good four inches shorter. He took a deep breath and tried to look as menacing as possible. The triplets were starting to pay attention to the conversation the adults were conducting and he needed to end this before they could overhear.
“No one is interested in your opinion. You had your chance years ago. Not my problem if you blew it.” He stared down the old man, daring him to blink first.
“Vincent is ready to come get his kids. He’s wanting to make up for lost time.” Hollis spun on his heel and stalked from the playground.
Mustering the brightest smile he could manage, Dean waved at the kids, silently encouraging them to continue playing. They returned his wave and went back to what they were doing. He sat down beside Shannon and pulled her close. Her shuddering gasps told him she was fighting off tears—hard.
He raised his head and checked out the direction he’d seen that detestable man head off in. Across the street, he spotted Catherine and Roger. Her lips were pursed and she was staring at Shannon. She must have seen what had happened. He wanted to be able to smile off her worries, but he knew better. Catherine was a mama bear and he almost felt sorry for the man if she decided to go after him.
• • •
A summer squall had everyone dashing down the street for the minivan. Dean held out his hand for the keys and Shannon didn’t even have the strength to argue. She slid into the passenger seat and left Dean to make sure the kids were all buckled in. It was taking everything she had to keep it together.
They drove through town and then continued on toward the beaches, missing the turnoff for the harbor and Shannon’s cottage. Dean turned up the heat and flashed her a bolstering smile. She held her hands out to the vent and swallowed a sob when they wouldn’t stop shaking. Her breaths were slow and measured.
“Don’t let him win. This is what he wants. He wants to see you rattled, miserable. Don’t give him the satisfaction.”
“Please just take me home.” She wouldn’t even look at him.
“I will, eventually. But right now it’s lunchtime and I think today is a great day for pizza. Who’s with me?”
The triplets hollered their approval from the backseat. Shannon hugged her arms against her body and shook her head hard. “We can’t. It’s not … I can’t afford it, Dean.”
“And that’s totally fine, because I wasn’t asking you to pay. I brought it up and I plan to treat.”
The windshield wipers slapped rhythmically as they continued the trip in silence. Everyone seemed to have long since taken cover, the sidewalks and the road strangely deserted. Shannon slowly began to relax. Dean was right. If she had gone straight home, she would have put a movie on for the kids and then given in to a major tear fest under cover of the shower.
“Fine. I like pepperoni and mushroom.” She spared him a half smile.
Dean pulled the van into the half empty parking lot of Polly’s Pizzeria. Shannon was mildly surprised that he had discovered this place on his own. It was well off the main drag. But then again, he was a guy … and a single guy at that. They had a built-in pizza and beer radar.
She was actually grinning by the time she got out of the car and helped the triplets down. They raced to the front door and out of the rain. Shannon waited until Dean caught up to her and then silently mouthed “thank you.” His expression unreadable, he nodded.
Since it wasn’t very crowded, Shannon let the kids get their own table. She left Brenna refereeing an arm wrestling contest between her brothers. She sat at one of the tall tables, where she could keep an eye on her brood. Dean put in their order at the counter and then joined her at the table.
The rain was no longer coming down in buckets, but it wasn’t ready to pack it in either. Shannon watched a rivulet of water snake its way down the window, passing through both the P’s in Polly and Pizzeria. She turned away from the window to see Dean studying her.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. More pissed than anything else. No one threatens to take my kids away from me.”
“That’s my girl.”
Shannon blushed at the remark. She knew he hadn’t meant it that way, but a tiny part of her couldn’t help but wish he had. She bit her lip and darted her gaze elsewhere.
“Shannon? Shannon Fitzgerald?” The waitress had brought their food out already.
“Hey, Megan James, right? How have you been?”
“I’ve been getting old in my parents’ pizza joint, that’s what.” She giggled. “I haven’t seen you in ages. Are you living in town?”
“Yep, moved back to have the triplets.” Shannon nodded at the table they sat at.
“Oh, goodness, yes. My mom told me you’d had triplets. And don’t they look just like you! So, Vince, are you the big doctor you said you were going to be when we graduated?” The waitress clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes gone wide. “I’m so sorry. You are not Vince.”
“I lost touch with Vince after our divorce.” Shannon’s apologetic smile encompassed both Megan and Dean.
“Okay, so we know I’m still working here and living with the ’rents. How about you? Did you get your teaching degree? You had a scholarship, right?”
Shannon snorted. She had been awarded a scholarship that would have paid for her textbooks that first year. She’d hardly call that a scholarship.
“Nah. The triplets keep me hopping. I’m the caretaker for one of the manors up on the Bluff. Pretty sweet deal.”
Megan set down their pizza and drinks. She set the tray on her hip and gave Dean a saucy wink. “Well, Vince’s loss. I’d say you’ve traded up, girl.” She gave them a short wave and spun on her heel.
This time it was Dean’s turn to blush. He coughed, presumably to hide his embarrassment, and reached for the same slice of pizza as Shannon. As their hands touched they locked gazes, just for the briefest of moments. Her breath hitched in her throat as she watched his irises darken with lust. She had to fight the urge to lean in just a little closer and see what might happen.
