Rekindled Romance

by Lorraine Beatty

  Being back in Dover was opening her eyes to a lot of things and giving her a new perspective about possibilities she’d never considered. What other paths in her life had she missed because she’d been focused on one way with no thought of the alternatives?

  Maybe there was something beyond Tween Scene. Maybe the door closing on Harmon Publishing would open a new door someplace else. A job with less stress, with more time for a personal life. But she’d never know if she didn’t try. A good place to start would be updating her résumé. She was well respected in the business; her reputation was good. Surely there were other companies who would welcome her job skills and experience.

  With her determination renewed, she picked up her laptop and headed outside to the patio in the backyard. The weather was beautiful. She’d forgotten how sweet an autumn afternoon in Dover could feel. She’d work awhile then maybe she’d call Pam and see if she’d like to have lunch or go shopping.

  After settling into the cushioned lounge chair she started to work, pulling up her résumé and then listing contacts that she could query. She’d been working for some time when she noticed the fan in her laptop was running unusually hard. The computer grew hot on her thighs. She lifted it to allow some airflow underneath. Her fingers brushed the underneath panel. It was hot. Too hot. The fan whined louder.

  The heat increased, scalding her skin below her denim shorts. She screamed, shoving the computer to the ground as it burst into flames. Helpless, she watched as the flames crawled over the keyboard and up the screen. “Oh, no. No! Help!”

  Someone appeared at her side, pulling her a safe distance from the small fire, which was now burning itself out.

  “What happened?”

  She shook her head, realizing Matt was at her side. “I don’t know. I was working and it got hot. Then it burst into flames.” Her laptop was now a blackened, charred mess.

  “Are you all right?” He took her hands in his and inspected them. “No burns?”

  She pulled them away and touched her thighs. They looked red but not burned. “No. But look at my laptop.” She sighed and turned away from the smoking debris. “It’s my own fault. I should have taken it back.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I got a recall notice about the faulty battery over a year ago. I never found time to take it in to be replaced.”

  “Do you have backup files?”

  An inventory of her files scrolled across her mind. The lost information, personal and work related, could never be regained. “I back up all my files on a company system. I can probably access them when I get back.” Unless of course there was no reason to go back. The files might be pointless soon.

  “What about your personal information?”

  She became aware of Matt’s hand resting on her lower back, offering steady comfort. She focused on his question only to realize with a sinking heart that there were precious few personal items on her computer to worry about. No pictures to speak of that didn’t involve work events, no pets, no real friends. Not even boring travel photos. Tears welled up again. What a sad, lonely life she had. She tried but couldn’t stop the sobs that erupted from her chest. Matt held her closer, which didn’t help at all.

  “Shelby?”

  The concern in his voice, the tenderness, was her undoing. She turned into his chest and let the tears fall. His arms enfolded her, chasing away the fear and giving her a safe place to fall.

  He made soft soothing sounds, holding her tightly until she ran out of tears. She stepped back, swiping away the tears on her cheeks. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Is there anything I can do?” He reached out and gently brushed her hair off her forehead.

  She gestured toward the charred computer. “Can you fix it?”

  Matt laughed out loud. “I don’t think so. It’s pretty much done for.”

  She frowned and rested her head against his shoulder.

  “Come on over to the house. I want to take a look at that burn. You need something on that.”

  She started to protest, but it had started to sting. In fact it was becoming downright uncomfortable. Meekly she followed him across the drive and into his house. He set her down at the kitchen table, then went to retrieve the first aid supplies.

  He stooped down in front of her, steadying her leg with one strong hand and applying the ointment with the other. The contact sent a different kind of quiver up her spine.

  “This’ll be sore for a few days. Keep the ointment on it and it should heal quickly.”

  Her gaze drifted to the crown of his head and the thick wavy hair. She could reach out and run her fingers through it with only a slight movement. If only… He stood, smiling down at her.

  “I think you’ll live. Are you feeling better?”

  All she could manage was a nod.

  “Sorry about the computer, Shelby, but I’m glad you weren’t seriously hurt.”

  “Me, too. I never expected to be set on fire by my laptop.”

  Matt smiled, holding up his hand as if he’d just gotten an idea. “I know what will make you feel better.”

  He moved to the cupboard, pulled something out, then went to the microwave and placed it inside. In a few moments, the aroma of popcorn filled the kitchen. She had to smile. He remembered. It was their preferred snack. Popcorn and movies. When they couldn’t go to the theater in Sawyers Bend, they would put in a DVD and watch it in the den at Matt’s. She smiled over at him. He looked quite pleased with himself. “You’re right. It will make me feel better.”

  She realized suddenly that the house was very quiet. “Where are Cassidy and Kenny?”

  Matt took the bag of popped corn from the microwave and dumped it into a bowl. “Turns out that party Kenny had today was for Molly’s little brother. They live up the street, so Cassidy went along to help play hostess. I have a rare day alone in my own house.”

  “Until you had to play rescuer.”

  “I’m glad I was here to help.”

  “Cassidy will make a great hostess.”

  He snickered and sat down. “You mean because she’s so bossy?”

  She had to chuckle. “True, but it’s good she likes to take charge. She’ll be a good leader someday.”

  “Well, we’ll see. She’s a challenge at times. I wonder if I’m doing the right things.”

  “You’re a great dad, Matt.”

  Matt ran a hand down the back of his neck, a doubtful smile on his face. “I don’t know about that. I’m afraid I’m getting into dangerous territory.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Cassidy.” He shook his head. “She’s changing before my eyes. Physically and emotionally she’s becoming a young woman, and I’m finding it harder to connect with her. She really needs her mother now.”

  Shelby ached for him. “You’ll do fine. And you have your mom here, and Laura. They’ll help you.”

  Matt nodded. “They do, but I worry that she doesn’t have someone around to guide her, someone she can confide in. I’d like to think she’d talk to me about girl things, but I know that’s not realistic.”

  “I don’t know if that’s necessarily true.” She took a bite of popcorn, reminding herself to go easy on the salty treat. “I had a friend who found it easier to talk to her dad than her mom. Have a little faith. It’ll all work out.” She reached over and laid her hand on his and felt him tense.

  She pulled her hand away and prepared to go. “I’ve taken enough of your quiet time for today. I appreciate you coming to my aid. I guess I’d better go toss that computer in the trash.”

  Matt stood and walked her to the door. “Leave it. I’ll pick it up after it’s cooled down and take it to the recycling station.”

  “Thanks.” His eyes locked on her again, and she wished she could know what he was thinking. Then again, maybe not.

  *

  Matt shoved his chair back from the computer desk and stood. He’d been staring at the same screen, the same sentences for ten minutes, unable to conce
ntrate. For the first time in months he had quiet time to catch up on paperwork and he couldn’t get thoughts of Shelby out of his mind. Her reaction to the computer fire nagged at him. She’d cried. He couldn’t recall a time when he’d seen her break down that way. Granted, it had been a terrifying experience. But the Shelby he remembered would have fussed and fumed, given the offending device a swift kick and gone out and bought a new one. Instead she’d succumbed to tears and, even more surprising, allowed him to comfort her.

  He’d never seen her so vulnerable. Was her heart issue the cause? He’d never stopped to consider it from her point of view. Suddenly faced with walking away from her career, forced to change her way of life, with the threat of another, more serious heart attack hanging over her. It couldn’t have been easy, not to mention frightening.

  Matt rubbed his jaw. Her reaction wasn’t the only thing gnawing at his mind. He couldn’t shake the very physical memory of holding her in his arms, cradled against his heart. The closeness still vibrated through him like lightning, bringing every molecule in his body to tingling life. He’d wanted to protect her, to shelter her from any harm.

  He had to face the fact that he was losing his heart to Shelby all over again. And that was a very unwise thing to do. It wasn’t simply his own feelings at stake but those of his children, too. And at the root of it all was the nagging question of why she’d walked out on him fifteen years ago. What had gone wrong? What had changed so suddenly?

  One day they were engaged. The next she’d thrown the ring in his face. He’d been over it a thousand times in his head, trying to remember something he’d missed. All he remembered was that from the moment he’d met her, he’d known she was the one he wanted to spend his future with.

  Meeting her had changed his life. He’d been filled with resentment and irritation over missing out on his sophomore year of college. His father had been seriously injured in an automobile accident and Matt had been needed to help run the store. Initially he’d been more than willing to do his part for the family. But one semester had stretched into two, and he’d grown more and more dissatisfied. Then his mom had hired Shelby to work for the summer and everything had changed. Until the night she’d walked away and left his heart bleeding. He’d never heard from her again.

  Allowing himself to fall for her a second time would be insanity. He had to remember they were only friends and that she was doing him a favor. Reliving the past, allowing those old feelings to be rekindled, would only hurt them both. The past was best forgotten.

  *

  Shelby carried her mug out to the front porch the next morning and sat on the swing. For the first time since arriving in Dover, she wasn’t obsessing over her future or Matt living next door. She took a sip of her coffee and smiled. It didn’t taste so bad today. The house was empty without Gramma, but time alone was a good thing. She had a lot to think about, a lot of soul-searching to do. She and the Lord had come to terms last night. She’d released her stranglehold on her life and given it over to Him. During her reading, she’d been reminded that there was a time for everything, and at this point in her life, everything had been torn down and it was time to build it up again.

  The gentle movement of the swing soothed her. She became aware of birds singing in the trees overhead, the breeze stirring the dark leaves on the live oak in the yard. Sunlight filtered through the fading leaves splattered over the ground, and the air held the faintest hint of autumn.

  So this is what it meant to be free of stress. To be calm and peaceful. She didn’t think she’d ever known this kind of contentment before. She liked it. She’d been running from her past, running from her fears, running from her mistakes so long, she’d forgotten how to stop and rest and it had almost killed her. It might still if she didn’t learn to make significant changes in her life.

  Glancing down at the red spot on her leg, she gently probed the edge. It felt much better today. It had been tender and sore. Thanks to Matt’s gentle ministrations it was going to heal quickly. His thoughtfulness had only made her love him more. Being friends again had given her a sense of peace and joy. But Matt had been deeply wounded by his wife’s death and had no intention of risking his heart or those of his children again. She would never ask him to. Even with all her lifestyle changes, her heart disease would be an ongoing concern in her life.

  Today, however, she would concentrate on enjoying the time she had left. Time with Matt and the children, time in her hometown and soon time with Gramma. Her great-aunt was recovering quickly, and Gramma would be coming home soon. She’d worry about tomorrow when it got here.

  Chapter Nine

  For the first time in a long while, Shelby was actually looking forward to something. The anniversary picnic for the Durrants was today. The whole town of Dover was filled with excitement, and she wanted to be a part of it. Not only for Tom and Angie Durrant, but she wanted to reconnect with her hometown and become part of the community again. A notion she was still trying to process.

  She was looking forward to seeing Matt and the children, too. She hadn’t seen them at church that morning. They probably had gone to the early service so they could help set up the picnic.

  Sliding her feet into a pair of comfortable sandals, she walked to the mirror and assessed her clothing choices. She’d opted for a denim skirt and a print blouse. Capri pants and a comfy T-shirt might have been more practical, but she wanted to look feminine today. She didn’t want to examine the reasons why. Best just go and not think about it.

  Shelby walked toward the Shiloh Lake picnic grounds a short while later, smiling at the number of people already filling the parking lot and milling around the grounds. A large banner was strung between two trees, proclaiming the event. Clusters of colorful balloons bracketed each end of the sign welcoming the guests. The Durrant family was beloved in Dover and she understood, better than most, why.

  They were the embodiment of the Dover motto: Faith, Friends, Family. They cared about their community and about each other. They could always be counted on to lend a hand or a prayer. She’d always envied the close relationship she’d observed in Matt’s family. They laughed and joked with each other, and genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. It was a life she longed for, a life she’d dreamed about. But one she’d never known personally.

  Stepping beneath the banner, she glanced around for a familiar face. To her right, a row of grills and cookers had been set up. The delicious aromas wafting toward her made her stomach growl. She knew from experience that the fare would include everything from hot dogs and burgers to chicken, ribs and fish. No one would leave here hungry.

  To her left she saw a long table decorated with ribbons. And more balloons. An assortment of gifts covered the top. She walked toward it and added her own present to the mounting pile—the small wheel of flavored pecans. Something she remembered Matt’s parents liked.

  “Hey, Shel.” Pam Fleming touched her shoulder. “Glad to see you made it. I want you to meet my family.”

  Shelby greeted her husband, whom she remembered from high school, and their three children, the oldest one a strapping teenage boy.

  “You’re welcome to sit with us.”

  “I might do that, but first I want to speak to the Durrants.”

  Pam pointed them out, seated near the edge of the lake. Before Shelby could move, Cassidy waved and ran to meet her. “I didn’t think you were ever going to get here.”

  She smiled, giving her a hug.

  “Will you sit with us? Please, please?”

  She’d like nothing better. “Sure, but first I want to say hello to your grandparents.” Cassidy held her hand as they made their way through the picnic grounds and to the wooden bench where the couple appeared to be holding court. The years had been kind to the couple. Mr. Durrant was a bit thinner, gray around the temples, but still lean and energetic. Matt would no doubt resemble him as he aged. Mrs. Durrant was grayer as well, her hair cut short and her figure a little softer in spots, but her smile was a
s lovely and warm as ever. A perfect match to her sweet spirit. She was the kind of woman Shelby would like to become.

  Angie Durrant rose and greeted her like a long-lost daughter. “Shelby. It is so good to see you again. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about you and prayed for you.”

  Shelby was touched beyond words. She ached for all she’d thrown away. “That is so sweet. I really appreciate that. I need lots of prayers at the moment.”

  “How are you doing? Tom tells me you are battling some health issues.”

  “I’m fine. Truly. I just need to take better care of myself. It’s nothing serious.”

  “Good. I hope those grandkids of mine aren’t wearing you out. I know I have trouble keeping up with them.”

  “Not at all. In fact, they were just the remedy I needed. I love watching Cassidy and Kenny. They are delightful.”

  Angie Durrant touched her arm gently. “Well, I’m so very grateful that you were here to step in and take charge when Matt needed help. I hated that I couldn’t come to his rescue, but with this campaign in full swing I just didn’t have the time. And remember, if you should need us, for any reason, don’t hesitate to call.”

  “Thank you, I won’t.”

  “Come sit here and tell me all about yourself.” Mrs. Durrant patted the bench beside her. Shelby sat down, and Tom and Angie leaned toward her, as if enclosing her into their circle. A lump rose unexpectedly in her throat. If things had turned out differently, these dear people would have been her in-laws.

  She’d finished telling the Durrants about the scrapbooking she was doing when Tom Durrant glanced up and smiled.

  “Matt, my boy. Why don’t you escort Shelby here over to that food table? We’ve been monopolizing all her time. She must be starving.”

  She looked up at him, surprised to find a friendly sparkle in his deep blue eyes. “I guess he heard my stomach rumbling.”