by Megan Kelly
He put a smile on for Kim and Serena. “She’s safe. I’m going to go get her in a little bit.”
He hoped they called soon.
Kim sagged in relief. “I can stay here with Serena. I wouldn’t charge you.”
“No.”
His reflexive answer whipped the girl like a lash. She flinched and dropped her gaze, nodding her acceptance into her lap.
“It isn’t your fault, Kim. I’ll have you back to babysit.”
Probably. If he ever went out again.
“It’s just that I need to be with the girls, both of them, right now. You understand that, right? It has nothing to do with you.”
The girl bought it and rallied. She wouldn’t accept payment for the night, and Scott didn’t push it. She felt guilty enough losing his kid.
He sat on the couch, hugging Rena close, and watched the minutes tick by. Half an hour had never passed so slowly.
GINGER HANDED SHELBY a shortbread cookie, glad she’d taken some home from Lisa’s house. The girl had done wrong and didn’t deserve a treat, but on the other hand, Ginger had never seen anyone more in need of a cookie and a hug than Shelby. Since the girl wouldn’t accept a hug from her, Ginger offered what she could.
She pulled out a chair and sat facing her across the small dinette table. “You want to talk about it, Shelby?”
The girl shook her head.
Ginger smiled gently. “I don’t blame you. Whatever happened must have been terrible to make you run away.”
“I don’t belong anywhere.” Anguished eyes met Ginger’s. “I called my Grandma Baxter, like Jean did. My mom’s mom.”
Ginger’s chest ached. She had a bad feeling she knew what was coming.
“I asked about how my mom met my dad. I mean, Dad has told me the story before. The guy I thought was my dad.” Tears started down her face. She sniffed. “I’m adopted.”
Not thinking, Ginger opened her arms. Surprise hit her as Shelby catapulted into her embrace. Standing by Ginger’s chair, the girl buried her face in Ginger’s shoulder, hot tears wetting her blouse.
Ginger rocked her, stroking her hair. “Go ahead and cry. Let it out, sugar.”
Shelby took her at her word and cried herself dry. It only took about five minutes, as the girl had been crying for most of the evening before knocking on Ginger’s door. Running away still had to be discussed, but it was way down on the list.
The girl sank back onto her chair, palming tears from her face. Ginger retrieved a dish towel right before the girl’s sleeve swiped her nose. With a sheepish grin, Shelby used it instead. Taking another cloth, Ginger wet it with cold water and handed it to Shelby.
“Press it against your face. It helps.”
She did so, then nodded and handed it back. “Sorry I had to come here. I don’t know where anyone else lives close by.”
Ginger gaped. She lived a good three miles from Shelby’s house. She couldn’t imagine walking that far at night when she’d been eight. Getting lost on all the different streets and scared by dogs would have had Ginger turning back for home after two blocks. “How did you know where I live?”
Shelby crumbled her cookie. “Dad…I mean Scott, drives past here all the time. He thinks we don’t know why, but I saw you in your car once.”
“Oh.” More to think about later. Or not. After all, she and Scott were at an impasse. Essentially, their relationship was over. As soon as her love for the man faded, he’d just be a memory.
Since he was due at her house in roughly twenty minutes, she’d have to put off getting over him for another day.
“Shelby, you know your dad loves you. And yes, I mean the man you’ve called Dad since you could talk.”
The girl’s eyes went round. “Did you know?”
Oh, crap. Ginger took a breath and put her hand on Shelby’s. “Your dad told me last week. Sugar, what did your grandma say?”
She broke her cookie into bits. “I kind of lied. I told her I’d already talked to Dad, to him about the project. Sometimes me and Serena hear the same stories over and over, and I know them already. So I thought if I said that, she’d tell me something interesting, something new.”
The irony hit Ginger. The woman had obviously told her something Shelby hadn’t heard before. But why? “How did it come up?”
Shelby pursed her lips. “I told her Dad—Scott—wanted me to call. That there was stuff she knew, stuff about my ancestors and about my mom and me, stories from when I was a baby, that he didn’t know.”
The girl lifted wounded blotchy eyes to Ginger. “I didn’t know that was true. I just wanted to hear something nice about my mom because I miss her so much. I didn’t really care about the homework.”
Ginger patted her arm. “It doesn’t matter right now.”
Shelby hung her head for a moment. “Grandma said, ‘Oh, he told you why he wasn’t around?’ I didn’t know what she meant because Dad, you know who I mean, he doesn’t travel for work like Maria’s dad does. But maybe he did years ago so I said, ‘Yeah, he told me.’” Her shoulders came up to her ears, just as Scott’s did when he was unhappy with reality.
“I’m sorry.” Ginger was relieved. At least it had been an innocent misunderstanding on the grandmother’s part, even if there were serious repercussions.
“Everyone knew but me.” Her jaw set with the stubborn expression Ginger had seen too many times. “Grandma said Dad loves me like I was his own. As much as he loves Serena.”
Tears fell down her cheeks again.
“Shelby, your dad does love you. That’s why he adopted you instead of just being your stepdad.”
Shelby scrubbed at her tears as her face turned thoughtful. Obviously that hadn’t occurred to her.
“That’s right. He didn’t have to adopt you when he married your mom. He wanted to. He wanted you.” Ginger took a fortifying breath. “I know something about that myself. About wanting a baby, loving it even though you didn’t…” Oh, dear. Not the birds and the bees. She really was stepping on Scott’s toes tonight. “Didn’t physically bring it into the world.”
“Are you adopted, too?”
“No, but I’m adopting a baby. I can’t have one, get pregnant and all that, even with a husband.” Hopefully, this wouldn’t turn into a chat on how an unmarried woman could have kids.
Hurry, Scott.
“You want a baby that’s not yours? On purpose?”
Ginger nodded. “You know some adopted kids, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah. I guess. I just thought… I don’t know.”
“It wasn’t important to you when you found out about them.”
Shelby nodded. “Right.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re born into a family or adopted into one, sugar. And you know your mom gave birth to you, right? Your grandma explained that?”
Shelby shook her head. “I didn’t ask.”
Ginger took her hand. “I can’t have a baby the regular way. I’ll love the adopted baby no differently than if it were born out of my body. I’m sure that’s how Scott, your dad, feels.”
Shelby’s small face scrunched in concentration. Then she nodded. “You don’t think, now that my mom’s gone, he’ll, like…return me?”
Ginger’s heart ached. “No. Not for one second. Your dad loves you. He wouldn’t stop loving you no matter what. He’s your dad, Shelby, not just a guy who married your mom and sometimes took care of you. It’s forever.”
The girl nodded and drew patterns across the Formica tabletop with her fingertip. “I didn’t like you at first.”
Ginger suppressed a smile. “Really?”
A quick glance darted her way. “Not at first. Because you look a little bit like my mom. And my dad—” Shelby swallowed, but didn’t correct herself calling Scott that. Progress. “He liked you. I could tell at school on my first day.”
“I like him, too.”
“I could tell that you did. I didn’t like it. Because you’re not my mom.”
�
��No one can take her place, Shelby. Even if, and it won’t be me, but even if your dad gets married again, it’s because his heart grew bigger and he made room for someone. Not because he replaced your mom.”
The girl tipped her head. “Can that really happen?”
The science teacher in her vied with the romantic. She compromised, supplying the truth. “Love grows.”
“I guess so.”
“You didn’t know you had a place for Horace in your heart until he was already there.”
Shelby sat up with a smile. “I had a dog place in my heart?”
“Sure seems like it. You never know how much you can love someone until you love them. You love your dad, right?” Ginger held her breath, fearing she was pushing it.
But Shelby nodded.
“So does that mean you don’t have room to love your little sister?”
“Of course I love Serena. I mean, she’s my sister.”
“See what I mean? It’s a family thing. That’s how your dad feels, too.”
“So, say you got married,” Shelby started. “And say the guy had kids already…”
Ginger shook her head. “I’m not discussing that with you, sugar. Now, here’s something you do need to know. Your dad will be here in about five minutes.”
She grinned, thank the Lord. “You called him?”
“He’s very eager to see you.”
Shelby sighed. “He’s going to spank me.”
“Maybe.”
“I guess I deserve it.”
“I guess you do. Why don’t you wash your face and brush your hair.”
She nodded and stood, then threw her arms around Ginger again.
Ginger’s chest nearly burst with love as she hugged her in return.
The knock on the door came as little surprise. With a quick primping of her own, Ginger went to the front to let him in. Serena accompanied him.
“Where is she?”
“Upstairs, cleaning up for you. She’s fine. But, Scott, she knows.”
He shut his eyes.
“Knows what?” Serena asked.
“That I’m adopted,” Shelby called from halfway up the staircase.
Scott turned. Their eyes met and his arms opened. Shelby leaped, as though they were a circus family, used to doing this every day. He hugged her close, face buried in her neck.
“Don’t ever run away again.”
“I won’t.”
“You need to talk to me, Shelby. About everything. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
Serena tapped Ginger’s leg.
She looked down at the girl through tear-blurred eyes.
“What’s she mean, she’s adopted?”
Scott set Shelby down but kept a hand on her shoulder. “You and I will talk later.” He looked at Ginger. “Do you mind if we all sit down for a minute? This discussion will be easier if I’m not driving.”
She nodded and took his and Serena’s coats, then hung them on the hall tree. Not sure she had enough cookies for the reunion, Ginger edged toward the kitchen to check.
“You, too, if you wouldn’t mind,” Scott said. “You’re a part of this anyway.”
He sat on the couch with a daughter on either side, holding them close. Ginger sat across from them, amazed at how well-adjusted they looked. Just a family discussion. All they lacked was Horace. It hurt a bit that they were complete without her.
“I’m going to say this once.” Scott broke off and grinned. “And then I’m going to repeat it until you believe it. I love you, Shelby. Just as much and just the same as I love Serena.”
Both girls beamed at him.
He looked at Serena. “You and Shelby have the same mom, but not the same dads. I’m your biological father. That means you and I might look something alike. Shelby has a different biological father, but I’m her real dad just like I’m your real dad. Because I raised her, and I love her.”
He turned to Shelby. “When your mom was in high school, she thought she fell in love with this boy. Turned out she didn’t really love him, but by then you were on your way.”
Ginger smiled. Nice way to smooth over that birds and bees discussion.
“So she gave birth to you, but she didn’t want that boy to be your dad. Because he’s nice but he wasn’t the one she wanted to marry.”
“She wanted you,” Shelby said.
“She didn’t know me yet, but, yes, she wanted to be able to give you the right dad when she met him. When she met me.”
Rena made dots on his leg and stared at the denim for a minute. “So the mom or dad you have isn’t the right mom or dad?”
“Most of the time they are. But sometimes the right dad is out there, like I was, waiting.”
“Like Ms. Winchester,” Shelby put in. “Waiting for a baby to adopt.”
Scott stared at her, then at Ginger.
Ginger shrugged. “We had quite a conversation.”
“But, Daddy.” Serena pulled his attention to her. “If you were the right dad for Shelby, what about me?”
He hugged her close. “I’m the right dad for both of you. I got lucky that way. I’m so grateful your mom found me to be a daddy to both of you.”
Rena nodded. “Yeah, Mommy was pretty smart to pick you.”
Shelby tilted her head in question. “Do I have to meet my other dad?”
“No.” Scott hesitated. “Unless some day you want to. But he’s really just a guy your mom knew a long time ago.”
It hit Ginger then how young Samantha would have been when she died if she had Shelby while in high school. Seventeen or eighteen when she got pregnant—she wouldn’t have seen twenty-seven.
“How old were you,” she asked Scott, “when you met Shelby?”
“Twenty-two. Their mom was almost twenty and the baby peanut—” he tickled Shelby and made her giggle “—was just shy of a year old.”
“Dad’s thirty.” Shelby helpfully did the math.
“Thanks.” His mouth twisted wryly.
“But he hasn’t had his birthday yet, so he’ll be thirty-one.”
“And now that that’s settled,” he said, “is everyone okay? Should we head home? Or do you have more questions that don’t concern my age?”
The girls giggled.
“Is Shelby going to get in trouble?” Serena asked.
“You bet.”
Shelby ducked her head but didn’t argue.
“Hey,” he said, “come to think of it, what’s this about you swearing at the babysitter? You owe Kim an apology, for that and for running away while she was watching you. You know better.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll tell her.”
“And the swearing?”
“I learned it in class.”
Ginger jerked upright. Scott raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
“From Jean.”
Ginger relaxed, while making a mental note to talk to the girl. “What did Jean teach you?”
“About being a bastard. It was in our homework.”
Ginger opened her mouth, paused, then closed it. “Not technically,” she told Scott. “We did a unit on our ancestors. Jean is quite the researcher.”
“You did a unit on family trees?” And didn’t tell me? his eyes accused her.
“We do it every year.”
Scott shook his head. “Look, Shelby, you’re not to use swear words.”
“I was saying I was one, not that Kim is.”
“Doesn’t matter. I mean, yes, it does. I’m glad you weren’t swearing at her. But you’re still too young to understand the impact words can have.”
“So when will—?”
“Shel.”
She grinned at his warning. “Just kidding. Dad.”
He hugged her. Ginger had a feeling he’d be falling for that trick for a while to come.
They put on their coats. Shelby hugged her. “Thank you, Ms. Winchester. I’m sorry I haven’t been very nice to you.”
“Let’s put it behind us, s
ugar. Tomorrow morning we’ll start fresh.”
“Bye.” Serena tugged on her hand until she bent over, then she kissed Ginger’s cheek. “Thanks for taking care of Shelby.”
They turned to their father.
Scott grinned and pulled Ginger close. His hug smothered her. “God, yes. Thank you, thank you for being here.”
For a minute, he just held on to her. Then he kissed her, right in front of the girls. His kiss held gratitude and longing, remembered terror and relief.
Serena’s laughter bubbled out, as though this were the silliest thing she’d ever seen. Shelby groaned. “Daaad. That’s my teacher.”
But she grinned at them when they broke apart.
“Come on, girls,” he said. “Let’s get home.”
Ginger stood and watched the Jeep back out of her driveway, waving at the toot of their horn. Everyone was fine. Everybody back where they belonged.
Tears stung her eyes as Scott drove away with the girls.
SCOTT COULDN’T BELIEVE what an ass he was. His second grader was smarter, he thought, tipping back a beer as he sat on his couch. Shelby described it to a T. While he’d been explaining how it felt to be her dad, she’d already pegged Ginger as the perfect mother.
“Like Ms. Winchester,” Shelby had said. “Waiting for a baby to adopt.”
All Ginger lacked was that baby, just as he’d needed Shelby to enrich his life. Then Serena.
His obstinacy and fear stood in the way of her adopting a baby with him. He’d seen how much the girls had both come to care for her and she for them. If she needed a baby, too, he shouldn’t be such a coward about it. His fear kept them from being a family.
He rubbed his eyes tiredly. He’d gotten them home while Shelby related her conversation with Sam’s mom. Damn all the luck that the words had made sense to each of them, even though neither was talking about the same thing. There was a phone call he dreaded. Not that he blamed Sarah Baxter. She would never intentionally hurt either of the girls.
Scott took a long swallow of the beer turning warm in his hand.
He’d removed Shelby’s door from its frame until he could figure out some worse punishment. Turned out he couldn’t spank her. She’d been slashed up inside. He wouldn’t add to that. It was tempting, though, just to prove he loved her enough to punish her. So he’d removed her door and told her more was coming. That uncertainty had shut off any complaints she might have made about her lack of privacy.