“Miss Shelby, this is Molly and this is Darcy, my two BFFs.” She turned and pointed to Shelby. “And this is my babysitter, Miss Shelby. She’s the editor of Tween Scene magazine.”
Squeals of appreciation and excited comments swirled around her. “I’m glad you enjoy the magazine, girls.” She allowed the conversation to continue a few moments, then touched Cassidy’s arm gently. “I want to see your collage, and then I’d like to meet your teacher. I want to tell her that your father will be here shortly.”
Cassidy’s collage was impressive. Shelby found herself swelling with pride at the young girl’s ability. She was beginning to understand better Matt’s fierce protective instincts. With a heart this full of love, how could you not strive to make your children’s life the best they could be? She glanced around the room at the parents, noticing the pride and joy in their expressions as they examined the accomplishments on display. Even Kenny was smiling at the things he saw.
She’d always felt tremendous pride in her work and in the magazine she produced. But none of her achievements had made her feel one-tenth as satisfied as seeing what these two children had done. It was something she was going to have to think about going forward. There might be something more important than Tween Scene and her career.
*
Matt took the steps to the second floor of Dover Elementary School two at a time. He only had a half hour to visit both his children’s rooms, admire their projects and meet their teachers. He’d have a nice long talk with Cassidy later about making sure notices from school were given to him.
He stepped inside room 208, his gaze searching for his daughter. He found her standing beside Shelby, talking with a young woman he recognized as Cassidy’s teacher, Miss Jenkins. He started forward, noticing how his daughter leaned close to Shelby, glancing up at her with a smile. Shelby smiled back, laying an arm across the girl’s shoulders affectionately. His heart tightened in his chest. For the first time since Shelby had started watching his kids, he realized that she genuinely liked them and truly had their best interests at heart.
He also realized what his children were missing without a woman in the home. The sight of his daughter and Shelby brought a warmth into his heart. Kenny sidled up to Shelby and smiled up at her. She ruffled his hair and pulled him close.
Mesmerized, Matt move forward, catching the tail end of the conversation.
“I’m so glad to meet you, Mrs. Durrant.”
“Oh no, I’m Shelby Russell. I watch the children after school. I’m their neighbor. Mr. Durrant—”
“Is sorry to be late.”
“Daddy!” Kenny raced toward him, hugging his waist.
Matt spoke with the teacher, then followed Cassidy to her display. Kenny was impatient to get back down to his room. There was barely time to view his pictures before the event was concluded.
Outside in the parking lot, they walked Shelby to her car and said goodbye with hugs and fervent thank-yous.
Matt pointed to his SUV, which was only a few cars down the row. “Go get buckled in. I’ll be right there.” He turned to Shelby, searching for the right words. “I can’t thank you enough for stepping in at the last moment.”
“I was glad I could fill in until you got here. It was important to them that you attend.”
“But I couldn’t have if I’d had to come home and get them first. I appreciate what you did. I’d forgotten how nice it was to know someone has your back. To pick up the slack. It’s hard to be everything to them all the time.”
“You’re doing a great job, Matt. Don’t ever question that.”
He looked into her beautiful brown eyes and felt something deep inside shift. She’d always had his back, except once. “Thanks again. I’d better go. I’ll see you tomorrow evening.” Matt strolled over to his car. Shelby was good with his children, and they were happy under her care. But was it wise to let them care for someone who was battling a heart condition?
*
“Piz-za! Piz-za!” Cassidy and Kenny chanted loudly.
“Please can we have pizza for supper?” Cassidy begged. “I want to go to Angelo’s.”
Shelby laughed and held up a hand to silence the girl. “I think it’s a great idea, but we need to wait for your father to get home and see what he has to say.” After the open house, she’d grown even closer to the children. Matt had been more pleasant, too, inviting her to share the evening meal each day. She’d gladly accepted, but she knew she had to back off some. It wasn’t a good idea to become too entangled with their lives.
“Daddy will say yes,” Kenny announced confidently. “He loves pizza.”
“All right. But in the meantime, homework for you, missy. Kenny, you have some chores, remember?”
Shelby watched them scurry off, her heart filled with affection. She grew to love them more each day. But always in the back of her mind lay the knowledge that sooner or later she’d have to leave them, and Dover, behind. She would miss them and she believed they would miss her, too. A shroud of deep sadness settled heavily upon her spirit. “Lord, why have you put me here? Nothing good can come of this. A lot of hearts will be broken. Including mine.”
Shelby went to the small table in the corner of Matt’s living room, where she’d set up her scrapbooking supplies. The children were more comfortable in their own home, so she’d started bringing her scrapbooking supplies with her to work on in the afternoons. It helped to keep her mind off the fact that she was spending so much time in Matt’s home. It was hard to maintain emotional distance when she was surrounded by his presence at every point. After all, she had to protect her heart, too. She was living a fantasy, seeing how her life might have gone had she made different choices. She’d come to realize the most exhilarating moment of her career was nothing compared to the joy and satisfaction she experienced with these children.
Cassidy appeared beside the table, a smile on her sweet face. But they weren’t her children. Never would be. “Hi, sweetie. Homework all done?”
“Almost.” She sat down in the chair and rested her elbows on the table. “Is that Miss Ellen’s scrapbook?”
“It is.” Shelby pivoted the large book so she could see the page better. Cassidy had never shown any interest in the book before. “I’m about finished with this page. This is my aunt and uncle, and that’s my mother there.”
Cassidy leaned closer for a better look. “Cool. Why did you put a seashell on the page?”
Shelby smiled at the memory. Her last happy one before her father left. “My whole family went to the beach that summer. We stayed in this big hotel for a week and swam every day. In the evenings we’d go out to eat, then play miniature golf or go to the amusement park.”
“Could I do a scrapbook?”
What had prompted this sudden interest? “Sure. It’s easy.”
“Could we do one about my mom?”
Shelby froze, her heart contracting into a tight ball. “I think that would be a great idea. Kenny could help, too.”
Cassidy nodded. “My dad’s birthday is coming up. We could give it to him then.”
Shelby smiled and gave the girl a hug. Cassidy had such a sweet, loving heart. “As soon as you finish your homework, we’ll run into town and pick up a book.” Cassidy’s thoughtfulness brought tears to her eyes. Matt’s children were so delightful. What a joy it would be to watch them grow up.
*
Cassidy pulled the last piece of clear plastic from the new scrapbook as Kenny charged into the room. Shelby had taken the children into town and selected a large scrapbook for them to work on. Each child had picked up a few trinkets and colorful paper to decorate the pages. Cassidy had chosen a sheet filled with hydrangeas because she said it was her mother’s favorite flower. Kenny found a piece with books on it because he remembered how his mother would read to him. Shelby had been deeply moved by their sweet memories.
“Daddy’s home.” Kenny spun on his heel and headed toward the front door.
“He’ll see our surpris
e.” Cassidy’s eyes filled with worry.
Shelby motioned her away. “You go. I’ll hide this with my stuff and take it with me for the weekend. I’ll bring it back on Monday.” Quickly she gathered up her scrapbooking paraphernalia, meeting Matt in the foyer as he entered. Kenny hugged his daddy’s hand. “Can we go get pizza?”
“I guess.” Matt smiled, resting a hand on his son’s head. “Go get ready.”
She looked at Matt. “They’ve been begging for it all day.”
“How did it go?” he asked as the kids drifted off.
“Good. Cassidy’s homework is done. Kenny brought home an invitation to Andrew’s birthday party tomorrow. I think it might have been in his backpack for a few days. I’ll have to do a better job of looking in there.”
“I’m not sure that would be safe.”
She chuckled and nodded. “Other than that, I think all is well.” She shrugged and shifted her cumbersome books and the small plastic box with photos and decorations.
“Can I help you with that?”
She shook her head. “It’s not heavy. So, I’ll see you on Monday. Unless you’ve found someone else?” He stared at her a moment, making her feel uneasy.
“No. Not yet.” He slipped his hands into his pockets. “Thanks for all you did this week. It means a lot to me that I don’t have to worry about the kids while I’m at work. I know they’re in good hands.”
“I’m glad. I’m enjoying their company. I really care about them, Matt.”
“I know you do. I can see that.”
“Daddy, we’re ready,” Cassidy called, hurrying into the room, Kenny on her heels.
“Okay, okay.” He smiled and held his hands up in defeat. “Give me a chance to change my clothes.” He turned to her. “Thanks, Shelby.”
“You’re welcome.”
Matt opened the door for her, but before she could move, Kenny spoke up. “I want Miss Shelby to come for pizza with us.”
Cassidy nodded. “She has to come, Dad.” She clasped her hands together dramatically. “Can she, Dad, huh? Please? She doesn’t have anything to eat at her house.”
Shelby cringed. That would teach her to confide too much in the children. “Oh, no, there’s plenty of food. Just nothing I like.” A hot flush filled her cheeks. Great. If that wasn’t a weak refusal. He’d think she was angling to accept.
Matt met her gaze, a small smile on his lips. “I think that’s a good idea. She’s worked hard this week and saved the day at the open house. She deserves some Angelo’s World Famous Pizza.”
Shelby didn’t know how to respond. Did he really want her to join them? He had been more pleasant the past few days. He’d even started calling in the afternoons to check on things, listening intently as she told him about the cute and funny things the children would do and say.
The tension between them had eased considerably. Some of their old friendship was starting to return. A result of the truce, no doubt. He’d agreed to the truce for the sake of the children. He would do anything for them, even be nice to her. But inviting her out in public, to a restaurant, was something entirely different. She looked down at the children’s hopeful expressions. She would do it for their sake.
“Uh. Sure. I’d like that. I’ll be right back.”
Cassidy and Kenny cheered and jumped up and down. Matt glanced at his watch. “We’ll leave in ten minutes.”
She nodded, still questioning the wisdom of spending an evening with Matt and his children in what amounted to a family outing. She was playing with fire. How could she maintain her safe distance if they started behaving like a real family?
Chapter Seven
Matt quickly changed into jeans and a polo shirt, wondering what demented impulse had prompted him to include Shelby in the pizza trip. The last thing he wanted was to draw her even deeper into his family circle. He had a feeling it was already too late. He felt her presence in his home and in the lives of his children every night, long after she’d crossed the driveway and gone home. He just wasn’t sure how he felt about that yet.
Outside on the front porch, Matt locked the door, then glanced up to find the object of his thoughts coming across the driveway. His heart stopped. She was so lovely. Her hair was down from its usual ponytail, swaying against the side of her neck with each step. Her eyes were bright with affection as she smiled at his son and daughter.
Cassidy bounded from the porch and greeted Shelby with a hug. “I’m so glad you’re coming, too.”
Shelby glanced over at him, and he returned her smile. He was probably worrying about nothing. She was doing a great job with the kids. She was dependable and caring. He’d stopped worrying that she’d disappear. And she’d reassured him repeatedly that she was doing all she could to take care of herself. And he liked the idea of having someone along this evening to talk to. An adult to converse with. A nice change from the chatter of his son and daughter.
Kenny grabbed her hand, claiming her attention. “I like the dessert pizza best.”
As they started toward the car, Cassidy proposed a different plan.
“Dad, can we walk to town?”
His daughter’s simple request caught him off guard. He looked at Shelby. It was a nice evening. Warm with a slight breeze, the perfect night for a walk into town. But was he ready to spend time walking so closely with Shelby? “I don’t know, Cassidy. Maybe Miss Shelby isn’t up to the long walk.” He cringed inwardly. He’d made it sound like she was an invalid, or worse, that he didn’t want her along.
“I’d welcome the walk. It’s a lovely evening.” Shelby smiled, a twinkle in her eye. “I don’t mind if it’s all right with you.”
He shrugged and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Son, never argue when two females have spoken.”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
“It means we’re walking to town for pizza.” He slipped his car keys back into his pocket and started toward the sidewalk. He tried to take a position beside his son as they walked, but the boy skipped ahead to be with his sister. That left him to fall in beside Shelby. He tensed, acutely aware of her at his side. It felt familiar, as natural as breathing. Memories from the past started to bloom, but he plucked them out like weeds. The past was over. It was the present he had to focus on. They’d walked nearly a block before she broke the silence.
“It’s a lovely evening.”
“Yes. It is.”
“Thank you for inviting me. I know you’d rather have the kids to yourself tonight.”
He glanced over at her, surprised at her perception. He had been looking forward to some close family time. “I’ll have them all weekend. Besides, they like you. They wanted you to come, and you deserve a treat.” He thought about Shelby living in that big old house alone. She must miss her grandmother. “Sorry Ellen had to leave town. I know you came home to spend time with her. Instead you’re taking care of two ornery kids.”
She smiled over at him. “She’ll be home soon. My great-aunt is improving rapidly.”
“Will you have time with her before you have to go back to New York?”
“We’ll have time.”
The tone in Shelby’s voice made him look at her. She was staring straight ahead, making it hard to interpret her meaning. She never mentioned returning to New York. Odd given her devotion to her career. Was there something else keeping her in Dover besides her health and spending time with Ellen?
They walked in silence again, letting the children chatter up ahead. When they neared the edge of town, they stopped to wait for the traffic signal.
“I can’t believe all the changes here since I left.” Shelby smiled at him. “In many ways it’s exactly as I remember. But in others, it’s very different.”
His heart skipped a beat. He focused on crossing the street and not the way her smile warmed his whole being. “It’s grown a lot in the last ten years. The new auto plant brought in new business and new residents. It’s been a good for Dover, and the people have developed a new attitude
toward the history of the town. There were a lot of people who hated our old buildings and old houses. But now they’ve embraced it. The state film commission has really marketed Dover to the movie industry.”
“I know. Magnolia Days.” She bounced slightly in delight. “I saw that movie three times. I was thrilled when I learned it was being shot on location here. It made me proud and a little homesick. I always thought this was one of the most charming towns in the whole state. No one has a town square as lovely as ours.”
Matt wasn’t sure he’d heard her right. “I thought you hated this place.”
Shelby shot him a sheepish grin. “I thought I did, too.”
“What changed your mind?”
She made a sweeping gesture with her hand. “I used to look at all those old buildings as walls trapping me in this backward place, preventing me from seeing the world beyond the old crumbling bricks.”
“And now?”
She smiled and brushed her hair off her face. “Now I feel like it’s a fence, keeping me safe. Like old friends giving me a warm hug each time I look at them.”
His heart jumped in his chest. Was it possible she might actually consider staying? That was too outlandish a notion to even consider.
Shelby clasped her hands behind her back as they walked across the square. “I dreaded coming back. I expected to remember all the things I disliked about it. But since I’ve been here, it’s the good memories that are resurfacing.” She smiled over at him, lifting her shoulders in a slight shrug. “It actually feels good, comfortable to be here again. I was sure I’d feel lost after the pace of the big city, but this feels like home.”
Matt forced his gaze forward and ignored the flutter in his chest that seemed to quicken whenever Shelby smiled at him. “I know what you mean. It was a big adjustment moving back after living in Atlanta, but I don’t regret it. It’s a good town, though we have our share of small minds and busybodies.”
Rekindled Romance Page 10