Heart Matters

by tani shane

  When the ride ended, the children left the boat chattering excitedly. Jessica managed to laugh despite the uneasy feeling in her stomach. Mallory sang loudly all the way to their car causing a lot of heads to turn and smile at her indulgently. Jamie skipped all the way holding on to Jessica’s hand and almost fell over when his shoelaces came undone.

  “Aunt Jessi!” he cried out, looking annoyed with his shoes.

  Jessica laughed, shaking her head. “It’s all right Jamie; I’ll tie them for you.” She knelt by his side thrusting the stuffed pink bear Jamie had received from Santa into Mallory’s hands.

  “Oh, look!” Mallory shrieked so abruptly that she almost jumped up startled.

  “What?” Jessica looked around trying to see what the little girl was gesturing at. To her horror, Mallory suddenly took to her feet and began running through the crowd.

  Jessica lunged at her but she got away. “Mallory! Stop!” She tucked Jamie under one arm and pushed through the crowd to stop the fleeing child. Then Mallory screamed so inhumanly that Jessica’s blood turned cold. She pushed aside the last person to spot the child sprawled across the path.

  “Mallory!” she cried out, going a deathly pale. She set Jamie next to her and reached out for the girl who was sitting up on her own by now.

  “I’m o..okay, Aunt Jessi,” she spoke, her voice shaky with shock. She winced. “My foot…I think I hurt it.”

  Jessica gasped taking in Mallory’s grazed cheek. She looked around for help. “Can someone please help me with her? Where can I get some first aid?”

  “Here, let me help you.”

  His voice startled Jessica and she looked up in astonishment, staring into familiar blue eyes that were now examining Mallory anxiously. The child squealed at once. “Uncle Steve!” Mallory managed to rise to her feet and flung herself into Steven’s arms.

  “Hey, beautiful!” Steven laughed lifting her in a warm embrace. He beckoned Jamie with one free hand and the child leapt at him. He carried them both easily, laughing as they stormed him with kisses.

  Jessica gaped at him flabbergasted. What was he doing here? She rose slowly to her feet absently dusting her clothes while watching the children and the big man. They made quite a sight. A large handsome man with two kids in his arms. They could easily have belonged to him. He was dressed casually in a pair of faded blue jeans and a navy blue tee shirt that complemented his eyes with a deeper shade.

  His eyes turned upon her suddenly catching her wide gaze. He grinned at her easily. “Hi!” She simply continued staring at him as though still wondering if he were an apparition. He walked casually towards her, coming to stand before her. The gray eyes were large and confused. His blue eyes danced with amusement. “Hello, Jessica.”

  Mallory giggled and Jessica came out of her trance. She cast an annoyed look at Mallory and turned a cool gaze upon Steven. “Steven. You surprised us all.” She deliberately avoided his eyes and lifted Mallory’s foot to examine it delicately. A large purple bruise was beginning to show at her ankle. “Mallory, you’ve sprained your ankle! Doesn’t it hurt?”

  The child looked down and twisted her nose. “Oh, yes, it does, Aunt Jessi.”

  Jessica frowned at her. “You could’ve fooled me. Why did you dash off like that?”

  Mallory looked ashamed but smiled putting her arms around Steven. “I was trying to tell you that I saw Uncle Steven.”

  Jessica set her lips in a stern line. “Next time you will not run helter-skelter regardless of who you see. Is that clear, Miss Cantrell?”

  Mallory nodded guiltily. “I’m sorry.”

  “I think we should take her for examination, Jessica”, Steven stated and began stalking off with the children before she could protest. She had no choice but to follow them.

  “Where are you taking her?” she demanded, catching up with him. He was walking with wide strides and she almost had to run to keep up with him.

  “The local hospital.”

  “Do you know where it is?”

  He declined to answer and stopped only when he reached his BMW. He opened the car and placed the children in the back seat. He climbed into the driver’s seat and only then did he look at her. “Get in.”

  She stood outside looking thoroughly aggravated. “What about my car?”

  “We’ll come for it later.” His brow rose challengingly when she hesitated. “Are you coming with us or not?”

  She had no choice in the matter so she got in meekly. The interior of his car smelled overwhelmingly of him, hitting her like a force. His close proximity didn’t help either and she sat rigidly while he drove in a most relaxed manner. They reached the hospital in silence.

  Mallory was treated by a motherly doctor who fussed over her making her glow with happiness. Strangely, after the doctor had finished with her, Mallory began looking positively sick. A worried Jessica fretted over her, stroking her blonde hair. “What is it, darling? Does it hurt too much?”

  Mallory nodded miserably, tears glistening in her wide blue eyes. “I wanna sleep, Aunt Jessi. I’m tired.”

  Jessica desperately searched the doctor’s face. The woman shook her head slightly. She drew her aside and spoke in a low voice. “I think she’s just scared. She needs to rest.”

  Jessica felt beside herself with exasperation. “But doctor we’ve come all the way from Beverly Hills and we can’t possibly stay here.”

  The doctor looked sympathetic but shook her head. “Look at the poor child. She’s almost asleep. Why don’t you ask Mr. Hart to help you with her?” The doctor pocketed her stethoscope. “I have to leave, Miss Cantrell but do take my advice. You can’t leave while she’s in this state. Why don’t you stay here tonight in Dana Point and leave tomorrow? I’m sure the shock will wear off by then. And don’t let her put too much pressure on her foot just yet.”

  The only thing Jessica could do was watch the doctor leave with a sinking heart. Then a thought struck her mind. The doctor probably knew Steven because she had asked her to seek his help. Was he so popular that the entire women population of the nation knew him? She went in search of him and found him on a visitor’s chair with Jamie fast asleep in his arms. He was kissing the child’s brown hair. Jessica mellowed at the sight. He looked perfectly at ease with the sleeping boy in his arms. He looked up when she approached and hushed her with his finger.

  “Steven”, she whispered, reaching out to ruffle Jamie’s soft hair. He raised his brow and she smiled reluctantly. “You’re good with them.”

  His smile was disarming and it tugged at her heart. “They know me so it’s easy I guess. What did the doc say?”

  “Mallory’s in shock. She needs to rest. We can’t leave just yet.” She looked at him with pleading eyes. “Do you know this place well? The doctor seems to think you can help me around here.”

  Steven gave her a wry grin. “I happen to live here, Jessica. Dana Point Harbor is my home. It was my parent’s home and after them it’s mine.”

  She stared at him in disbelief. “What about the penthouse apartment?”

  “I use that on and off but my real home’s here in the Harbor.” He watched her earnestly, leaning slightly towards her. “Jessica, why don’t you bring the kids to my place for the night? They’ll be fine there.” She looked at him in confusion not knowing whether it was proper to accept such an invitation. The blue eyes suddenly narrowed as he chuckled throatily. “Come on, Jessica, you don’t have to think so much! I’m not a big bad wolf and I promise I won’t lunge at you.”

  She flustered feeling embarrassed but accepted reluctantly. “Thank you. Could you get Mallory for me, she’s a bit large for me to carry. I’ll take Jamie.” He did as she bid and shifted Jamie in her arms.

  Jessica watched the surroundings with interest as he drove his car through the smooth roads of Dana Point Harbor. He drove into a secluded residential street causing her eyes widened with unconcealed surprise when the car moved into the smallish drive of a cozy house. As compared to the sprawling man
sions of Beverly Hills, Steven’s house looked like the outhouse. It didn’t live up to her expectation of the successful man. He had enough money to be able to afford a luxurious home and yet here it was; a tidy little white house at the end of a nondescript street.

  The car stopped and he came round to take Mallory in his arms. The girl was already fast asleep as her brother. Jessica carried Jamie and stood behind Steven as he removed his keys and opened the front door. He went in and she followed to find herself in a small hallway. He switched on the lights as he went and she glanced about curiously. A cozy lounge on one side, a door leading somewhere next to it and a staircase leading upstairs were all that was visible from where she stood. He went up the staircase and entered a bedroom that held a double bed. He drew back the sheets and lowered Mallory on to it.

  Jessica stood in the doorway watching him remove the child’s shoes with an odd feeling. He looked completely at ease doing it. A lump formed in her throat. They could have been so good together. If only…

  His eyes suddenly flew to her face holding hers for a long time. They seemed to be appraising her quite deliberately and slow warmth spread across her cheeks. He rose to his feet going past her. “This is the guest room. You can put Jamie in with Mallory.” He paused at the door and gave her a smile that made her go weak. “You can wash up in the bathroom, if you want. There are plenty of towels on the rack.”

  “Thanks”, she mumbled.

  He stood where he was watching her. “Jessica, would you like some coffee and lunch perhaps? It’s almost noon.”

  She nodded. “The kids?”

  “They can eat when they get up.”

  She smiled at him, failing to notice his sharp intake of breath. “I’ll be down in five minutes.” He left closing the door behind him and Jessica shook her head absently. How had she managed to get into this mess? She would have to call Cheryl and Jeff and tell them about Mallory’s unfortunate tumble. They would never again trust her with the kids, that she sure.

  But their reaction was the least of her worries right now. She was in Steven’s home and her nerve ends were tingling as though charged with high voltage. In the bathroom, she splashed her face with cold water then patted it dry. The mirror showed her eyes wide and disturbed. She frowned with irritation. Stop acting juvenile!, she scolded herself, he is just a harmless man. He is also the one who can turn you into a puppet by his mere touch, her inner voice mocked her. No, he couldn’t do it again. Not this time. In any case, he didn’t look too interested in her. The last thought annoyed her further and she scowled furiously. Why should it matter to her that Steven wasn’t interested in her?

  Jessica brushed her hair and tied it up in a neat braid. She checked herself in the mirror and frowned. The jeans that she wore had been white and were now somewhat dusty. Above it, her red tee shirt that was tucked into the jeans seemed wrinkled. She would have loved to get into a different set of clothes but she had no choice.

  She went downstairs in search of Steven and frowned when she noticed his car wasn’t in the drive. In the kitchen, she found a short note from him. ‘Need to get a few things. Be back soon. Steven.’ She read the short note admiring his steady handwriting before groaning miserably. Why was it that she still liked everything about him?

  She busied herself making a cup of coffee for herself. In the lounge, she found a business magazine and sat reading it with affected interest.

  He returned a good half hour later; his arms full of grocery supplies and other purchases. She opened the door for him and took some bags from him. “What’s all this? Christmas shopping?”

  He led the way to the kitchen where dumped everything on the kitchen table. “Just some food for the hungry and some clothes.”

  “Clothes? That wasn’t necessary.”

  “Of course it was. You are going to stay overnight; don’t you need some fresh clothes to get into?”

  She couldn’t argue with that and busied herself by rummaging through the bags. He had bought pajama suits for the children along with jeans and tee shirts for the next day. For her, he had picked up a short-sleeved flowery dress and a flimsy silk nightdress with a matching gown. She faced him a trifle embarrassed. “You didn’t have to buy all this, Steven.”

  He was looking at her with a satisfied smile on his face. “I thought it’d look good on you,” he said, deliberately referring only to the lingerie he had bought her. “I wanted you to have it. It’s a gift from me.”

  She blushed. “Thanks.” She dropped the clothes back in the bag and turned to face him trying to appear unaffected. “Okay, what’s for lunch? I’m hungry.”

  They lunched on chicken pie, chicken wings and baked vegetables in white sauce. Jessica lauded herself for finishing the last morsel without once wanting to throw. But then the food she had just gobbled had not really been on the top ten for her. For some after food beverage, they brewed fresh coffee and sat sipping it in silence. White sunshine filtered through the kitchen window lighting Jessica’s hair with copper highlights. She seemed unaware of the attractive figure she made and Steven eyed her surreptitiously cherishing the memorable sight. She caught him staring and colored delicately.

  His lips parted in a teasing chuckle. She stared at him in surprise. “Relax, Jessica. I told you I wouldn’t lunge at you.”

  She went a deep scarlet. “I know.”

  “Then why are you so edgy?” His blue depths regarded her seriously. “Are you bothered by me?”

  Bothered? Disturbed, devastated, yes, but bothered? Not really. “The food was good. Thank you, again”, she said avoiding his question altogether.

  Steven couldn’t stand it any longer. She was behaving as if he was a mere acquaintance who she had bumped into. Where was the passionate woman who had responded with abandon in his arms? He reached out to cover her hand that lay on the table. She flinched and tried to pull it away but he tightened his grip. “Jessica?” The gray eyes avoided his compelling blue depths.

  “Aunt Jessi?” Jamie’s soft voice called from above giving Jessica the excuse to push to her feet.

  Steven released her, watching her rush out of the room with a hard set of his mouth. What was her problem? Was she still trying to make him the villain he wasn’t? Surely she had read the papers and knew Ida was not a part of his life. He frowned deeply at the thought. Jessica, you’re proving to be one mystifying challenge, he said to himself.

  The hard jaw set in a determined line. Well, it was one challenge he was taking up right now. He had spent an agonizing month trying to find some excuse to call her and see if there was a second chance for them. He had come up with none and given in to his bruised ego that suggested he wait for her to call. But now she was here. It was a god-given opportunity and he wasn’t about to let it go. You’re mine, Jessica, he mouthed silently, all mine.

  Jessica ran all the way to the room, her heart pounding wildly. This could not be happening! His touch had once again burned her, threatening to scorch her heart. Her reaction scared her. Over the days, she had vowed to erase every memory she had of Steven. That was the only way she’d be safe. That was the only way she could keep her child with her. Her hands flew to her stomach in panic. If he came to know she was carrying his child, he’d never let her go! He’d take it away from her!

  “Aunt Jessi, I’m hungry,” Jamie complained and she tried to face him calmly. She was white faced when she woke up Mallory. By the time the kids had washed up, she had composed herself. She was not going to give in to Steven’s charms, she decided. Only a couple of weeks were left and then she’d be safely in Paris.

  She accompanied the children downstairs, holding her head defiantly rigid. He had cleared the table and welcomed the children rather noisily. The delighted children ate every bit off their plates amazing Jessica. At home, she would have to wrestle each morsel down their throats but with Steven, they seemed just too pleased to have him talking to them and ate without a whimper of protest.

  After they had eaten, Steven drove them t
o the wharf where Jessica had parked her car. She drove it back following his car with unhidden admiration. The kids wouldn’t leave him for a minute. They had refused to accompany her in her car and she could make out they were singing boisterous songs all the way back to his house.

  She cried unintentionally, her heart longing for him treacherously. She would never see him play in the same manner with their child. Her heart told her on impulse to reveal her pregnancy to him and face the consequences. At least her child would have its father. But what would you have?, she asked herself, you’ve already lost Steven and you’ll also lose your child. No, she couldn’t tell him. Not now. Not ever.

  Once in the house they settled down to watch a cartoon channel in the lounge. Steven sat on the couch with Mallory on one side and Jamie on the other. Jessica chose a large beanbag and flopped on to it. She fell asleep watching the three of them enjoying themselves. She was soon dreaming. Dreaming of a blue eyed, golden haired boy who sat in his father’s lap laughing gaily. Steven swung the boy high and she reached out in alarm. “Be careful!”

  Jessica sat up with a start to find Steven, Mallory and Jamie staring at her in surprise. She blushed as Steven’s brow rose mockingly. “Nightmare?”

  “No,” she mumbled, trying to get out of the beanbag. She only seemed to sink deeper and fumbled about awkwardly to get proper support. He suddenly left his seat to help her. She rose rapidly by the force of his pull, colliding with the hard wall of his chest. His arms came about her, crushing her soft form against his firm one. She gasped in shock, staring up into his grim face. He was watching her intensely, raw desire shinning in his blue depths.

  It mesmerized her, sending warm color to her cheeks. His head bent towards her while her face lifted to his. His warm breath was on her lips when they heard the giggles. They came crashing to earth almost instantly and broke apart. Steven kept his arm around Jessica’s shoulders, grinning easily at the kids. Jessica was too embarrassed to say anything.

  Mallory’s baby blue eyes shone with impish humor. “That’s okay, Uncle Steven. You can go ahead and kiss Aunt Jessi like you did at your wedding,” she announced seriously even as Jamie nodded.