The Man Upstairs (You, Me & The Kids)

by Pamela Bauer

  “You want me to keep them.” It was a statement, not a question, and one that gave him great concern. It wasn’t that he didn’t have experience with children. He had six nieces and nephews. Just because he was single didn’t mean he didn’t like children. Actually, he thought they were fun. Fun when they belonged to someone else. When they were his responsibility 24/7, that was another thing.

  “Obviously my brother and sister-in-law had great confidence in you. Otherwise they wouldn’t have designated you as the guardian of their children,” she pointed out.

  And he had been designated as their guardian. He remembered shortly after Sara’s birth when Doug had asked him if he would object to being named in the will. Quinn had chided him for even bringing up the subject, joking about how they’d made a pact in college that one day they’d be the oldest hockey players on the ice on alumni night. They’d show the world that they could still lace up their skates when they were ninety.

  Doug had said he hadn’t forgotten their agreement and that there was no way in hell he wouldn’t be passing him the puck at the alumni game when they were both one hundred. Naming him as guardian was simply a precaution he had to take as a parent. He’d said it was better to have a legal guardian named and not ever have to use one, than to need one and not have one.

  “If keeping the children with you is an imposition, I’m sure if you spoke to Doug’s attorney he could make arrangements with an agency that provides professional child-care services until I’m back on my feet.”

  Quinn felt a body at his side and looked down to see that Kevin had quietly come up to him and was once more his shadow, as he had been ever since he’d set eyes on him. The boy whispered, “Can I watch TV out here?”

  Quinn handed him the remote and motioned for him to sit on the sofa. The bathroom door opened and out came Sara.

  Quinn turned his attention back to the phone. “Roberta, let me think about this.”

  “Is that my aunt?” Sara demanded, her face lighting up at the discovery. “I want to talk to her.” She practically pulled the phone from his hands.

  Their conversation was brief. Quinn watched her animated features go from anticipation to rejection, as Roberta Grant told her the same thing she’d told him. After only a few minutes, Sara handed the phone back to Quinn. “She wants to talk to you.”

  Quinn ended the conversation, telling her he’d be in touch. As soon as he’d hung up, Sara said, “She doesn’t want us, either.”

  She dropped down onto the sofa, folding her arms across her chest.

  “That’s not what she said, Sara,” Quinn corrected her. “She’s going to be in the hospital.”

  “Whatever,” she said disinterestedly.

  “Where are we going to live if Auntie Bobbie doesn’t want us?” Kevin asked, his face pale.

  Quinn looked at the woeful face staring up at him. Kevin reminded him of a lost puppy, so desperate for someone to want him in his home.

  “With me,” Quinn answered. “You’re both going to stay with me until your aunt recovers.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  DENA HOPED she’d see Quinn on Friday, but he didn’t call. She assumed he was preoccupied with his temporary wards, so she accepted an invitation from one of the graphic designers to join a small group of Delaney employees for drinks after work. Normally Dena wasn’t a happy-hour person, but she saw it as an opportunity to get to know her co-workers better. She also thought it was probably a good idea to give Quinn some space to deal with his new responsibilities. That’s why, when happy hour ended and she still hadn’t heard from him, she stayed to have dinner, as well.

  She was glad she had when she returned home and saw there wasn’t a message on her home phone, either. As she got ready for bed, she wondered how he was coping with the kids and decided that she’d go down for breakfast the following morning to find out.

  However, the only people at the large round oak table were Leonie and Krystal. Leonie sat with the newspaper and Krystal had the yellow pages of the phone book opened in front of her.

  “I thought you’d be at work,” Dena said to Krystal as she helped herself to a cup of coffee.

  “I don’t have to go in until noon,” she replied.

  Dena glanced at the open book and saw that she was looking at formal wear. “Are you looking for a tuxedo?” she asked, as Krystal’s finger moved down a list of numbers.

  “Not for me. For Garret,” she replied. “There’s this big gala ball at the hospital next month, and he barely has time to eat, let alone call around to find a tux to wear, so I told him I’d take care of it for him.”

  Dena wondered why Leonie didn’t do it, but then Krystal added, “Actually, it’s better if I pick it out. That way I can make sure it goes with what I’m wearing.”

  “You’re going with him?” Dena asked.

  “I wish I were going,” Leonie remarked. “They’re going to have a terrific orchestra,” she said over her coffee cup.

  “So why aren’t you?” Dena asked.

  It was Krystal who answered. “Because he can’t be with his mother when he sees a certain lady doctor. You see, when Garret was in med school he had a very intense relationship with a girl in his class.”

  “They were going to get married, only she decided she was too good for him,” Leonie interjected in a sour tone Dena had never heard her use before.

  “Yeah, she moved on to bigger fish. She married some hotshot doctor,” Krystal continued. “Now she’s going to be at this big gala event Garret has to attend, and of course, when he sees her for the first time in three years he doesn’t want to be alone.”

  “So you’re going with him as his date?” Dena asked.

  “I sure am, and I’m going to show that hoity-toity lady doctor that if she thinks Garret’s been pining over her, she’s sadly mistaken. Hey, I can hold my own when it comes to looking good,” she said without any pretentiousness.

  Leonie patted her hand. “It’s really sweet of you to do this for Garret.”

  Krystal shrugged away the compliment. “It’ll be fun. And I’m not just doing it for him. I’ve always wanted to go to one of those big society galas. You know how I love to dress up…and Shannon’s going to do my hair.”

  “Sounds like punishment to me,” Dena quipped good-naturedly.

  Krystal simply wrinkled her nose, then turned her attention back to the phone book.

  “Dena, I’m glad you came down this morning because I have something to ask you,” Leonie said.

  “Sure. What is it?”

  “It’s about Sara and Kevin. Quinn asked me if it would be all right if they stay with him until the end of June. I told him as far as I’m concerned, it’s not a problem, but I do have leases with my tenants that say this is a residence for adults only. So if it’s a problem having the children here, I want you to tell me. This is your residence, too, and I respect your rights.”

  The end of June? Dena frowned. She’d understood the children were only going to be with him for a few days.

  When she didn’t respond right away, Leonie asked, “Does it bother you that there are children in the house?”

  “No,” Dena answered honestly.

  “You’re sure? Up to this point Sara and Kevin have been rather quiet, but it could get noisy around the place at times, and I know you do a lot of work at home,” Leonie warned.

  “No, it’s all right. I can work at the office if necessary,” she replied.

  “I don’t think Quinn will allow things to get out of hand, do you?” Krystal said on a chuckle.

  Dena shook her head. “He’s been a very considerate neighbor so far.”

  Krystal grinned slyly. “Very considerate.”

  If Leonie saw the look that passed between the two women, she didn’t comment. “I know he wants to do right by those kids.”

  “We all do,” Krystal added. “They’re going through a really bad time right now. I only wish there was something we could do to help. Leonie, you will let us know if
there is anything, won’t you?”

  “Of course I will. Right now I think the three of them just need some time to get used to each other. Quinn’s become a father overnight. That’s quite an adjustment for any man.”

  “Thank goodness all of this happened after his hockey season was over. At least now he has the time to spend with them,” Krystal commented. “What’s he going to do about school? Will he enroll them here or will they make up what they missed once they’re with their aunt?”

  “He doesn’t want them to get behind, so he’s going Monday to enroll Kevin at the local elementary and Sara at the junior high.”

  Krystal sighed. “Poor Sara—to be twelve and have to change schools is hard. Junior high is awkward enough without having to leave and start over in another place.” She shuddered in horror. “She’s going to be a handful for Quinn.”

  “I’m sure he’ll get a lot of support from his family. There are enough of them in the area that he can turn to for help,” Leonie said.

  Dena knew his family lived nearby, yet he hadn’t told her much about them other than the fact that his mother was a teacher. She hadn’t met his parents or his sisters. Why would she? They’d agreed their relationship would have no strings.

  Leonie folded her newspaper and rose to her feet. “I have work to do. I want to thank you both for your understanding. Quinn and those kids have been through a lot the past couple of weeks. I don’t think he needs the added stress of trying to find a more suitable place for them to live…not when it’s only for a couple of months.”

  “We feel the same, don’t we, Dena?” Krystal looked at her expectantly.

  “Yes,” Dena replied.

  Leonie smiled gratefully and wished them both a good day, then left, leaving Krystal and Dena alone at the table.

  “You don’t have a problem with the kids being here, do you?” Krystal asked, her brow creasing slightly in suspicion.

  “No. I already told Leonie I didn’t.”

  “I know what you said to Leonie, but I also saw the way you squirmed when she brought up the subject. You looked so uneasy.”

  Yes, she had been uneasy, but only because Quinn hadn’t told her about the kids staying on with him. He could have called her and discussed it with her before he went to Leonie, but then why would he? Their relationship was one of convenience…at least that’s how it was beginning to feel to her. She didn’t want to admit any of that to Krystal, however.

  “Yes, I was a bit apprehensive. We were talking about children who’d lost their parents in a very sudden, tragic way, and now they’re having to deal with some big changes in their lives. It’s very sad.”

  “And you’re sure that’s all it was?”

  “Yes. What else would it be?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just that you were so quiet the other night when we were all in the kitchen…and then today…well, I thought maybe you didn’t like kids or something.”

  “I like kids,” she insisted. “Please don’t go jumping to any wrong conclusions about me,” she said, annoyed that her voice had an edge to it, but the subject of children was an uncomfortable one and not because she didn’t like them. She simply felt inadequate around them. “Of course I was quiet Thursday night in the kitchen. Those kids didn’t know me, and when I tried to tell Kevin that I was sorry about his parents, you saw how he burst into tears. It was awkward.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Krystal apologized. “I just think you and Quinn make a really cute couple, and I’d hate to see you break up over the kids.”

  Dena didn’t want to discuss her relationship with Quinn. “I really don’t want to be talking about this. Could we please not discuss my personal life?”

  She hadn’t meant for the words to come out so sharply. From the look on Krystal’s face, she could see that she was hurt.

  Her voice quivered as she said, “I’m sorry, Dena. I didn’t mean to stick my nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

  Remorse had Dena wishing she hadn’t been so abrupt with her. She wished it wasn’t so difficult for her to talk about her feelings, that she could enjoy girl talk the way other women did, but she simply didn’t know how.

  What she did know was that she hadn’t meant to hurt Krystal, who’d been nothing but friendly toward her. She needed to make amends and said in a gentle voice, “Let’s just forget it, okay?”

  “No, we’re not going to forget it. I do this all the time. Because I blurt out everything in my personal life, I expect that others want to do the same thing. I respect your privacy, Dena, I really do.”

  There was such youthful sincerity in her eyes that Dena reached across the table and patted her hand. “I know you do, and I didn’t mean to snap at you, but the truth is my personal life is pretty boring.”

  “You’re dating a professional hockey player and you call that boring?”

  Dena tried to hide her smile, but couldn’t. “All right, it’s not boring. Actually, it’s rather exciting, but honestly, there really isn’t anything special going on between me and Quinn,” she stated evenly.

  “Would you like there to be?” Before Dena could reply, Krystal threw up her hands and said, “See? There I go again. You don’t have to answer that.”

  Dena didn’t answer because she wasn’t sure just what it was she wanted from Quinn. She’d thought they could date, enjoy each other’s company and not get emotionally entangled. She still wanted to believe that.

  “It isn’t that I don’t want to tell you about me and Quinn, it’s just that I’m not comfortable talking about my love life,” she explained. “I never have been. It’s just the way I am.”

  Krystal leaned back and sighed. “And I talk about mine far too often. Do you think maybe we if hang out together more often you could get me to stop revealing so much of myself to strangers, and I could get you to open up a bit to your friends?”

  Dena smiled. “Maybe. Or maybe we should just accept that we are who we are.”

  A smile slowly spread across her face. “Okay, no more talk of Quinn. I need you to repeat Roy’s name.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to hear it over and over so that the next time I hear it in public I won’t lose it.”

  “Did you lose it recently?” Dena wanted to know.

  She nodded. “At the salon. Of course it didn’t help that I was already having a bad day. It started when I dropped a bowl of color on the floor. After that it was all downhill. I had one crabby client after another so that by the time someone asked me about Roy…” Her voice wavered and she said, “See. I still get choked up just thinking about it.”

  “The spilled dye or the whining customers?”

  That brought a weak smile to her face. “It would be so much easier if I could just forget that guy existed.”

  “Hey, I thought our independence day celebration erased his existence.”

  “You’re right, it did,” she stated with a stronger conviction than Dena knew she was feeling. “I’d better make some phone calls or else Garret won’t have a tux for the ball.”

  Just then her cell phone rang. She flipped up the top and said, “Omigosh! It’s Ben. I haven’t heard from him in ages.”

  “Ben?” Dena shot her an inquisitive look.

  “I dated him last year. He’s a rerun,” she said, then added, “I’d better see what he wants.” And just as quickly as her gloominess had come over her, it was gone. She hurried out of the room. Dena heard her say, “Hey, I’m so glad you called. I’ve missed you.”

  “WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU LEMONS, make lemonade.” Quinn wondered how many times he’d heard his mother utter those particular words of encouragement. The only problem was, when he got lemons he wanted to reach for the tequila and salt.

  Only he couldn’t. He had the responsibility of two children. One was asleep in his bed, the other sat in front of MTV watching music videos and clutching a tattered stuffed bear called Dooda. Not how he’d hoped to spend his Saturday
night. Still, he had no choice but to keep them with him until their aunt could take over. Now the question he faced was, what was he going to do with them for the next two months?

  It was a huge responsibility, and one he didn’t take lightly. Leonie had told him that Sara was probably old enough to stay alone and even baby-sit her younger brother, but to Quinn she seemed very fragile and young. Yet when he mentioned the possibility of getting a nanny, the twelve-year-old had become even more hostile than she already was. She’d assured him she’d been baby-sitting for the past year and that she didn’t need anyone treating her like a little kid.

  Perched on the roll-away in her T-shirt and jeans, clutching a stuffed animal, she looked very much like a little kid to Quinn. He wished there was some way he could reach out to her, but so far he hadn’t had any luck. He would try again.

  “Kevin’s asleep already,” he said as he sat down on the sofa. “How about you and I play a game?” he suggested. “I’ve got Scrabble, Monopoly, Risk…” He rattled off a list on his fingers.

  “No, thank you,” she said politely.

  “What about some cards?” He tried to think of all the things he and his sisters had played when they were kids.

  “I’d rather watch TV.”

  “We could rent a movie from pay-per-view. Should I check and see what’s available?”

  “I already looked. There isn’t anything I want to see,” she said sullenly.

  Quinn thought for a moment. “What about Sony PlayStation?”

  “I hate video games.”

  Frustration welled in him. It had been this way since the day he’d gone to South Carolina. He could do no right. Every suggestion he made she shot down, and he wondered if all girls her age were this difficult.

  “You don’t have to baby-sit me. I told you, I can take care of myself.”

  “I’m not asking because I think you need supervision. I thought it might be fun to play a game or watch a movie together.”

  She shot him a look that said he had to be kidding.

  He was losing his patience. He folded his arms across his chest. “And what do you think I should do for entertainment this evening?”