Willow Brook Road

by Sherryl Woods

  She was a little too tempted by the invitation. “I should probably get Jackson home.”

  Sam looked at the sleeping baby and smiled. “Is this your nephew?”

  “The one and only Jackson McIlroy,” she confirmed. “His dad’s the doctor in town. With an adventurous kid in your life, you’ll want to get to know him.”

  “Absolutely,” Sam said. “Now, about lunch. How about it? You can grumble that nothing I’m feeding Bobby is healthy.”

  Carrie laughed and thought about what her grandmother had just advised, opening her heart to new experiences, even if she wasn’t quite ready for a new man.

  “Well, when you put it that way, it should be fun,” she said. “Maybe I’ll even let you hold the baby, if he wakes up crying. That could be even more entertaining.”

  “Hey, I’m barely holding my head above water as it is. One kid at a time, okay?”

  “Okay,” she relented. “I’ll go save a table. It’s going to be hopping in there soon.”

  Even as she walked away, she heard him trying to persuade Bobby to climb down. The boy promptly refused.

  “Don’t make me come up there after you,” Sam warned.

  As much as she wanted to turn around and watch the test of wills play out, she kept going to Sally’s. Lunch promised to be one of those interesting adventures that had been in short supply recently.

  5

  “Twice in one day?” Sally commented when Carrie walked into the café. “To what do I owe the honor?”

  “I’m meeting a friend. At least I am if he can get his nephew to leave the playground.”

  “Ah, you must be talking about Sam,” Sally said, proving how efficient the Chesapeake Shores grapevine could be. “I heard about what happened, that out of the blue, he’s got his nephew to raise.” She shook her head. “Poor little thing. He must be feeling so lost without his mom and dad. And Sam must be feeling completely out of his depth. Your uncle Kevin would know what that was like.”

  Carrie immediately sat up a little straighter. “Why didn’t I think of that? Uncle Kevin suddenly found himself a single dad when Georgia was killed. The whole family pitched in with Davey until Kevin got his feet back under him. I should arrange for Sam to meet him.”

  Sally gave her a long look. “How did this become your problem?”

  “I told you. Sam’s a friend.”

  “I thought he was new to town.”

  “Okay, we just met, but he obviously needs help. Kevin can give him some encouragement, tell him he won’t feel as if he’s floundering for long,” Carrie said, warming to the idea. “Look at Kevin’s life now. He’s married to Shanna. They have Davey, and an adopted son, Henry, and two kids of their own.”

  “You planning to step in and be this man’s Shanna?” Sally asked, a spark of devilment in her eyes.

  Carrie’s jaw dropped at the question. “No, of course not. I’m just being neighborly.”

  Sally looked doubtful. “Keep telling yourself that. You want your usual to drink—an iced tea?”

  Carrie shook her head, determined not to be so predictable. Maybe it was silly, but she viewed it as a first step toward getting more spontaneity back into her life just as Grandma Megan had advised. She’d been right. Playing it safe wasn’t Carrie’s way.

  “I think I’ll go crazy and have another cup of coffee,” she announced with a greater sense of triumph than the decision deserved.

  Sally nodded and went to greet a group of tourists who’d just taken over two tables in the middle of the room, using half the chairs for all their packages. Clearly their visit had been good for the Chesapeake Shores economy.

  Just then Sam came in the door, a firm hand on his nephew’s shoulder. The boy wore a mutinous expression as Sam guided him to the booth where Carrie was waiting.

  “Carrie, this is Bobby. Bobby, Carrie is the nice lady who helped me decide on that delicious Irish stew we had for dinner last night.”

  Ignoring both her and his uncle, Bobby crawled across the seat and settled in a corner of the booth, arms folded across his chest, his gaze downcast.

  “Sorry,” Sam mouthed.

  Carrie debated her strategy, then opted to be direct, acting as if Bobby weren’t so determined to punish Sam and pretend she didn’t exist.

  “I saw you climb that jungle gym on the playground just now,” she said, her tone cheerful.

  Bobby gave her a surprised look, but remained stubbornly silent.

  Carrie was undaunted. “You were really high. You must be very brave. How old are you?”

  She saw Sam start to answer for him, and shook her head. He sat back and waited.

  “I think I was about your age when my twin sister and I climbed up on the railing on the porch at my grandfather’s house and tried to walk it like a tightrope,” she continued as if he’d responded. “It was pretty scary, but fun, too. At least till our mom caught us.”

  Bobby finally met her gaze, a faint interest sparking in his eyes. “Was it very high?”

  “Not as high as the jungle gym, but pretty high.”

  “I like to climb stuff,” he said. “And I never get scared.”

  “That’s great, but it’s important to understand that some things have risks. You don’t want to do anything that might be dangerous. A broken arm or leg wouldn’t be much fun.”

  Bobby shrugged. “My friend Pete had a cast on his arm. He said it itched. And there were lots of things he couldn’t do for a long time.”

  “Something to remember,” Carrie suggested. “I heard you might want a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. That’s my favorite, too. Sally’s are the best.”

  Curiosity finally overcame his bad mood. “Is that the lady who owns this place?”

  Carrie nodded. “And here’s another tip. If you’re nice to her, she sometimes has cookies still warm from the oven for her best-behaved customers.”

  Bobby’s eyes widened. “Chocolate chip, like we had last night?”

  “Even better,” Carrie said, praying Nell would forgive her if she ever heard about that traitorous claim.

  “I think you’ve said the magic words,” Sam said. “Bobby and I are both suckers for warm chocolate-chip cookies.”

  “I can eat lots and lots of them,” Bobby agreed.

  “But only after lunch,” Sam reminded him just as Sally arrived to take their orders for two grilled cheese sandwiches, a burger for Sam and an order of fries for the table.

  Clearly more at ease now, Bobby glanced across the table and studied Jackson in his carrier. “Is that your baby?”

  “No, Jackson is my nephew. He stays with me sometimes.”

  “Like I’m staying with Sam?”

  “Not exactly,” Carrie said. “He goes home to his dad at night. His dad’s a doctor here in town and his mom is in school in Baltimore.”

  Bobby looked puzzled. “If she’s a mom, isn’t she too old for school?”

  Carrie smiled. “This is a special school for people learning to be doctors.”

  “Is she gonna give shots?”

  “I imagine so.”

  He gave an exaggerated shudder. “I don’t like shots.”

  “Most people don’t,” Carrie agreed. “But I happen to know that Jackson’s dad gives shots that you barely even notice.”

  “Did he give one to you?”

  “More than one. I was going on a trip and needed several before I went.”

  Bobby shook his head. “I’d have stayed home.”

  “And missed out on a big adventure?” Carrie said. “I thought it was worth it.”

  “Where did you go?” Sam asked.

  “Africa. My grandfather has taken on the task of designing and building medical facilities for several small villages, something that’s increasingly critical with all of the outbreaks of Ebola that have been occurring in that part of the world. I went with him and my grandmother to talk to the people and see what they needed. While he did his thing, we worked with the women in the villages to help with
their English and teach them some preventative care for their babies.”

  “That’s impressive. Are you involved in his work on a regular basis?”

  “Not really. Helping in underserved villages is my sister’s passion. It’s the reason she’s studying to be a doctor. And the trip was my grandfather’s way of trying to motivate me to get on with my life.”

  “What do you do now, aside from taking care of your nephew?” Sam asked.

  “Not much,” she said candidly. “And that’s the problem.” Relief washed over her when she saw Sally coming with their food. “Here’s our lunch.”

  She stole a French fry from the plate the minute it was on the table, avoiding Sam’s curious gaze. She glanced his way again and realized she’d been wrong. It wasn’t curiosity on his face. His expression had actually shut down as if he disapproved of her glib response.

  Okay, maybe her life was a bit of a disorganized, unplanned mess at the moment, but who was he to judge? As she focused her attention on her meal, it dawned on her how annoying snap judgments could be. Perhaps that was exactly how Sam had felt earlier today and last night, when she’d been judging him.

  Maybe she’d been a little premature in telling Sally they were friends. They were, at best, distrustful acquaintances. With surprising regret, she realized she didn’t see that changing anytime soon.

  * * *

  Except for Carrie’s ability to coax Bobby out of his stony silence, lunch had pretty much been a disaster, Sam decided as he headed back to the inn with his chattering nephew at his side. He couldn’t exactly ponder what had gone wrong, though, with Bobby asking a million and one questions about the town, the bay and every bird they saw. Sam’s answers were in short supply. Who knew a six-year-old could be so bright and inquisitive?

  “Why don’t we look for some books about all that the next time we’re in town?” he suggested at last.

  “We could go back now,” Bobby said, gazing up at him hopefully. “I saw a bookstore right next to where we ate.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to take a nap?”

  “I don’t take naps,” Bobby scoffed. “I’m too big.”

  Sam sighed. “Okay, then. Let’s go back.”

  This was Sam’s first visit to the bookstore. He was surprised by how extensive the selection appeared to be. It even had a cozy little coffee area.

  Bobby immediately gravitated toward the children’s section, where books had been left scattered around and child-size furniture invited kids to sit and look at the books or play with the book-themed toys. Clearly the owner understood a lot about children. It was an atmosphere that invited curiosity and exploration, rather than one that said Hands Off!

  A woman emerged from the back and beamed, first at Bobby, then at him. “Hi, I’m Shanna O’Brien,” she said, holding out her hand to Sam. “And you’re the new web designer working with Mack.”

  Sam blinked, astounded not only by her perceptiveness, but by her last name. “Excuse me for letting my jaw drop,” he said. “But I’m beginning to think O’Briens are everywhere,”

  She laughed. “Pretty much, and with all the babies in the next generation, I don’t see that changing.”

  “How did you know who I am?”

  “I ran over to Sally’s a half hour ago to pick up a sandwich. I spotted you with Carrie and this little guy. It didn’t take long to put two and two together. We have very good math skills in this town, at least when it comes to that sort of thing.”

  “I’d better remember that,” he said, not sure how he felt about so many people, no matter how well-intentioned, knowing his business.

  Shanna had gone to kneel down next to Bobby. “So, what kind of books do you like?”

  “All kinds,” Bobby said. “My mom read to me every night before bed.” He glanced up at Sam, his expression sad. “Will you do that? I packed some of my favorites, but I like new stories, too.”

  “Absolutely,” Sam said readily, grateful to get a handle on something he was capable of doing to make Bobby’s transition to this new life a tiny bit easier. “You pick out whatever books you want and we’ll read them together.”

  Looking relieved, Bobby turned back to Shanna. “Do you have books about the bay and the birds around here?”

  “I sure do,” she said, pulling several off a shelf. “There are a lot more, but they’re for grown-ups. If you want to know more when you’ve been through these, come back and we’ll see if one of those appeals to you.” She glanced at Sam. “I’m a big believer in encouraging children to read about whatever interests them, even if the books were meant for adults. They might stumble over some of the words, but it keeps them interested.”

  Bobby was already engrossed in a picture book about local shore birds, so she turned her attention back to Sam. “I’m trying to convince Thomas O’Brien to start a summer class for the younger kids in town. He already has an active group at the high school, but in my opinion children are never too young to develop a passion for the world right around them. Thomas runs the foundation to preserve the bay, and I’ve told him the best way to assure that the bay goes on being protected is to spark interest at an early age. Do you think Bobby would like to join?”

  Sam glanced down at his nephew and smiled. “I think that’s your answer. He’s the one who insisted we come in today and find these books, and we just arrived back in town last night.”

  “Thomas and my husband will be thrilled about that enthusiasm. Kevin—and yes, he’s an O’Brien, one of Mick’s sons, in fact—works with Thomas. Between us we have three boys and a girl, ranging in age from a few months to seventeen. We’ll have to have the two of you over for dinner, so Bobby can make some new friends.”

  “That would be great,” Sam said, liking this open, generous woman at once.

  “Should I invite Carrie, too?” she asked slyly.

  He blinked at the obviousness of the question. “Up to you,” he said. “It’s your dinner.”

  She gave a nod of satisfaction. “I’ll take that as a yes. Now let me ring up those books, unless you want to look around for some for yourself.”

  “I think I’m going to be spending all my spare time reading these with Bobby,” he said. “I’ll find some for myself the next time we come in.”

  “Any particular genre?”

  “Adventure travel,” he suggested. Books were probably the only way he was going to satisfy his wanderlust for the foreseeable future.

  “You’re in luck. I have a great selection. There are a few other people in town who have the time and money to travel, so I try to order the latest books for them.”

  “You must get to know your customers really well,” Sam said, impressed.

  “It’s the only way for a small, independent bookstore to succeed these days,” she said.

  When their purchases were paid for and bagged in two separate bags so Bobby could carry a couple himself, she gave Sam another smile. “I’ll be in touch about dinner. Probably one night next week. I know Tuesday is deadline night at the paper, so I’ll aim for Wednesday or Thursday.”

  “Great,” Sam said.

  Outside Bobby was practically skipping across the street in excitement. “Can we read when we get back to the inn?”

  “Would you rather do that than swim?” Sam asked, surprised.

  “Uh-huh,” Bobby said with a nod. “I always liked it when Mommy read to me.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do,” Sam said. He held out his hand. “Hold my hand when we cross the street, buddy.”

  Bobby tucked his hand trustingly into Sam’s, then gave him a shy look. “I think maybe being here is going to be okay.”

  The softly spoken comment brought the sting of tears to Sam’s eyes. He was glad for the sunglasses that kept those tears from his nephew. “I know it’s going to be okay, Bobby,” he said, his tone more reassuring than it might have been even twenty-four hours earlier. “We’re going to be a team, you and me.”

  Bobby grinned. “I like bein
g on a team. Do you think they have T-ball here?”

  “I imagine they do.”

  “Can I play?”

  “If you want to.”

  “Will you come to the games like Daddy did?”

  “You bet.”

  Sam studied the satisfied expression on his nephew’s face and realized turning into a dad wasn’t going to be quite as terrifying as he’d imagined. Bobby was already showing him the way.

  * * *

  Jackson was down for his afternoon nap, though how he could sleep with Davey and Henry fighting over a video game in the living room was beyond Carrie.

  “Hey, you two, a little quieter, please. The baby’s sleeping.”

  “Oops,” Henry said, his expression immediately turning serious.

  “Shouldn’t you have outgrown this competitive thing with your younger brother by now?” she teased. “You’re only a year away from going to college.”

  He grinned. “I’m just warming up for college,” he informed her. “I hear it gets pretty wild and competitive in the dorms and fraternity houses.”

  “Whatever happened to the sweet, serious little boy who first came to town to live with Shanna?” Carrie asked, remembering his arrival even though she’d been just a few years older.

  “I got turned into an O’Brien,” he said, then gave her a taunting look. “You want to play?”

  Davey’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, Carrie, take him down, okay?”

  “I’m no good at this game,” she protested innocently. “You both know that.” Still, she sat down and took Davey’s remote. “Don’t be too hard on me, okay, Henry?”

  Fifteen minutes later, she’d wiped the floor with the smug teenager, proving he and Davey weren’t the only competitive people in the room. Davey hooted.

  Henry’s gaze narrowed suspiciously. “Have you been practicing behind our backs?”

  “It is my game in my house,” she told him. “What did you think, that I’d let you go on trouncing me?”

  Henry laughed. “I was hoping. I need somebody around to keep my confidence high. Uncle Connor sure doesn’t let me win and even Davey’s getting to be more than I can handle. I guess I’ll have to start playing with the babies if I want a surefire win.”