Unexpected Love

by Melissa Price

  “You aren’t completely off the road so you should be careful.” Miller was staring at her. Was it her or were they a bit hostile?

  “I’ll be careful.” She looked from one to the other. They weren’t going back to their car.

  She turned towards Sean’s car and picked up the jack. She really didn’t know how to use it. Maybe take the lugs or whatever they were called off first? She wanted to look like she knew what she was doing. She looked over at them, “I’ve got this, thanks.” They still didn’t leave.

  Now what? She looked at the tire. She didn’t see lugs. Of course, dummy, they were behind the wheel cover. She could feel them staring as she bent down to try to pry off the cover.

  She could tell one of them walked up. “Need help with that?”

  She didn’t look up. “I can get it.”

  Another car pulled behind them. It was too much to hope that it was John and Sean. She was relieved to see Sargent Mayfield.

  Mayfield could sense the tension. “Taylor, what’s going on?”

  “I got a flat.”

  Miller looked at him, “We were just offering to help her.”

  Mayfield nodded, “I’ll get it, go back out.” He looked at Taylor, “I’m pretty good at changing a tire.”

  Taylor smiled at him gratefully as the other two left. Mayfield took her cell phone. He could hear Sean shouting. “Sean, will you shut up? You are not helping the situation. I have it.” He hung up and Taylor giggled.

  “He certainly is protective of you but I can understand that. I feel the same way about Allison.”

  “I like Allison a lot. She’s so nice.”

  “She likes you too. She gave me her opinion of you and Sean the other night.” He laughed at her worried look. “She thinks you are perfect for each other and she can’t wait to see you two married.”

  Taylor got a big smile on her face, “What do you think Sargent?”

  He chuckled. “I agree with my wife.”

  After he changed the tire he looked at her, “Taylor, don’t worry about Miller and Barrett. They are probably more scared of dealing with you now than you are of them. Just treat them like any other cops and remember what I said.”

  She gave him a smile, “Thanks.”

  “I’d call Sean back and tell him you are on the way home before he pops a vein.”

  Eight-five

  When she got back home, she carried the light bag into the house. When she first got here she could not do even that. She walked in to find the three of them watching TV. Tango and Bolo were both was sitting on the couch between her grandparents.

  “Hi, sweetie. We were getting worried. Everything okay?”

  “I had a flat tire but Sean’s boss changed it for me.”

  “Do you need any help?”

  “No, I have it, but thanks. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  She took the stuff into the kitchen and her phone vibrated. A text from Sean.

  I won’t make it home until 6:30 sorry. LU

  She texted back. Okay dinner when u come home. LU

  LU was their short hand for texting I love you.

  She sat with her grandparents and watched TV and talked to them. Her grandmother winked at her.

  “How is that young man of yours liking us?”

  She laughed, “He likes you.”

  Sean’s home phone rang. Taylor was not certain if she should answer it. It rarely rang. Everyone she knew called him on his cell phone. She got up and picked it up. “Hello?”

  “I must have the wrong number. I was looking for Sean Reed.”

  “This is his phone.”

  “Oh, is he there? I’m his father. I was hoping to catch up with him. I just moved back to the US.”

  “He’s not here right now.” His father, that was a shock.

  “Can you give him my number or do you know when he will be there?”

  “Sure, I can take your number.” She wrote it down. “I’ll give him the message.”

  “May I ask who you are?”

  “I’m his fiancée.”

  “Oh, I see. When are you two getting married?”

  “In a few days.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t recommend getting married to him. I’ve been divorced three and his mother has been divorced four times. I think it’s in our genes. We don’t stay married long and can’t seem to get along with another person more than a few weeks or months.”

  “If you knew Sean, which you obviously don’t, you would know he is not like that. He’s a good person.”

  “I think I know him better than you do. I’m his father and spent 17 years with him. Trust me, good is not the word I would use to describe him.”

  Now she was mad. He was just like her mother. “You know what? You’re an idiot. You know nothing about the kind of man your son is.”

  “Maybe you should face reality, young lady. And get out of your fantasy world. Life is not that simple and neither is Sean. I can’t tell you how many times he got in trouble. He has a wild streak and then he left his family to come here and used my credit card to buy a ticket.”

  “I think as his father that was the least you could do for him since you obviously did not know how to be a father to him.”

  “He’s a bad investment, girl. And don’t you dare tell me what I do and do not know about being a father. Are you going to give him my number or not?”

  “I’ll give it to him. How can you act like everything is fine between you? How could you treat him like you did when he was a kid? He’s not a kid anymore. He’s a good, kind, caring man. Not that you would know.”

  “What did he tell you? Did he give you some sob story about how I didn’t love him?”

  “Did you love him?”

  “It’s none of your business.”

  “I’ll tell Sean to call you but don’t expect to come here. I’m not interested in meeting a small minded jerk like you.” She slammed the phone down.

  She was more than angry. She didn’t know what to think when she hung up. She knew how she and her mother got along even now, but maybe Sean wanted a chance to have a relationship with his father. His father was not going to have a good opinion of her, that’s for sure. He probably hated her already.

  If Sean called him, would his father try to convince him to get rid of her? What if Sean was caught between them? Maybe she should have done a better job of talking to him rather than getting angry. It was obvious he did not know Sean. All he remembered was the 17 year old who had tried for years to get his parents attention and then given up.

  Taylor went to the kitchen and started dinner. She vigorously peeled potatoes, which made her feel a little better to slice the skins off with a slicer.

  Her grandmother came in, “Taylor, what’s wrong?”

  Taylor shook her head, “Nothing, Gran. Really.”

  “Do you think I believe that?”

  Gran was perceptive, like Sean. Taylor turned from the potatoes, “That was Sean’s father. I wasn’t very nice to him. Sean and I have bad parents in common. He said something nasty things about Sean and I gave him a piece of my mind. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe Sean wants his father in his life. But his father and I are not going to get along. He shouldn’t have to make a choice between us or get caught in the middle. It’s not fair to Sean. What if I just ruined a chance for him to get to know his father or they can make amends?” She wiped a tear away from her cheek.

  “Sit down.”

  Taylor sat at the table, but looked down at her hands. Her grandmother took her hands in hers, “Sweetie. You know from experiences with your mother that not all parents are good parents. Even though I loved Bobby, he could have been a better father to you too.” Taylor started to say something but her grandmother cut her off.

  “Taylor, be honest with yourself. He could have taken you away from your mother if he had really tried. I know how much you loved him and so did I. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t disappointed in what kind of father he was. He left you hanging and I k
now you wanted him to love you and pay more attention to you.”

  Taylor looked at her grandmother, she understood more than Taylor had known.

  “It’s Sean’s choice and he is smart and kind and he loves you very much. He can make his own decisions about his family. Besides, if his father is a jerk, someone needed to set the man straight.”

  Taylor half laughed as she wiped the tears on her cheeks.

  “You can’t possibly think Sean would leave you over his father. Maybe they can get along, but Sean would never make you unhappy or uncomfortable. You know that.”

  Taylor grimaced at her, “What if he is mad because of what I said?”

  Her grandmother laughed, “If I could tell you the number of times I have made your grandfather mad, but we always worked it out. I told your grandfather one time when he was mad at me that he would get over it. Then I walked away which made him even madder but when he thought about it, he realized I was right.”

  “You said that to him?”

  “Oh, I said more than that. I also told him to forget sex. I wasn’t interested until he apologized to me.”

  Taylor’s mouth dropped open, “You said that?”

  “Of course. If there was one thing I could rely on was the fact that he liked the sex and we did it four or five times a week for the first three years we were married.” She started laughing. “Of course, I liked it too, but when I was mad, it was the only thing I could think of to say. Plus he loved me and we both knew it. Sean loves you, Taylor. I suspect more has gone on between you two and what you have been through than you are going to tell me.”

  How could Gran possible know that? She had never said anything and Sean would never say anything either.

  Her Gran knew she was thinking about what she had just said. “Don’t worry, Taylor. It’s just a feeling I have. You and Sean are very close and I suspect there are things that have made you both that way.”

  Taylor grinned at her, “Thanks Gran.” She kissed her cheek and went back to cooking.

  Eighty-six

  When Sean got home, he changed and they ate dinner.

  Her grandfather complimented her on her food as usual and Sean echoed the thoughts.

  After they were watching TV, her grandmother said, “Sean, you looked tired, you should go up and get some rest.”

  “I think I will. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

  Her grandmother pointed to Taylor to go up too. She reluctantly got up and her grandmother said, “You’ll be fine, sweetie.”

  When Taylor got to the room, she couldn’t think about how to even start the conversation. Sean sat down on the side of the bed and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

  Yep, he was perceptive. Taylor was biting her thumb and shifting her feet. How did she tell him? How did she even start the conversation?

  Sean had never seen her this nervous. Usually she hid it better than she was right now. He held out his hand and she walked over and took it. He pulled her down to sit next to him.

  “What’s wrong?” He repeated.

  “Why do you think anything’s wrong?”

  “Because I’ve never seen you this nervous.”

  “We can talk later. You look really tired.” The tears started running down her cheeks.

  Sean hugged her, “No, we need to talk now. Tell me.”

  She wiped her cheeks with the back of hands, “I answered your home phone this afternoon. I wasn’t sure I should but I did.”

  “That can’t be what is upsetting you.”

  Her voice lowered, “It was your father.”

  His brow furrowed, “My father?”

  She nodded her head yes.

  “He called here? How did he get my number? What did he want?”

  She swallowed, “I wasn’t very nice to him, Sean. I hope you aren’t upset with me but I meant every word I said.”

  “Start at the beginning and tell me the whole conversation.”

  She repeated the conversation to him. When she was done, he said nothing. She could tell he was thinking and he did not look very happy. He was probably upset with her. She may deserve it but she would not take back what she said.

  Sean was fuming. He had not spoken to his father in nine years. The last time he saw either of his parents, he had tried to tell them he was leaving but they were screaming at one another and paid no attention to him. He had gotten used to that. Not that it made him feel any differently than he had felt for a very long time. He had given up trying to get their attention.

  One day he decided he couldn’t stand it there any longer and he wanted to stop getting into trouble just to try to get them to talk to him. So he had left on a plane with $200 in his pocket and one carry bag. Yes, he had charged the ticket to his father’s credit card. What his father didn’t say to Taylor was that a year later, when he had graduated from the police academy and started working, he had mailed him a money order with no return address to pay for the ticket and he had signed it so his father knew who it was from.

  On the plane ride to America, he had thought long and hard about what he wanted for his life. Going to America knowing no one and having very little had been scary but it was something he had to do. He needed to change his life. There had been a cop in Australia who gave him some advice and seemed to understand him. More than his parents did. They never gave him any advice and barely talked to him. Not when he got into trouble or did something good.

  He had decided he wanted to be a cop and he had resolved to be the best husband when he found the right woman that any man could be. And if he had children, they would be loved and cherished, not pushed selfishly aside. He was not going to get into big arguments with the woman he loved and he was going to help others by being a cop.

  Now his father had called and essentially told the most important person in his life not to marry him and that his genes were bad? And his father had the nerve to say he wasn’t good? He had a wild streak? He had the nerve to tell Taylor off?

  When she had asked him if he loved his son, all he could say was that it was not his fiancée’s business? His father was more of an idiot than Sean had realized.

  Eighty-seven

  Taylor was so nervous about the long silence, she almost got up and ran out of the room. But he was still holding her hand. He finally looked at her. She looked even more nervous. She didn’t think he would leave her over his father, did she?

  “You can throw the number away, Taylor. I’m not interested in talking to him. I’m also happy you stood up to him and told me what he said. You defended me, woman,” he said it with a grin. Then his face became grimmer, “I’m glad you told him off and if I had been on the phone, the words would not have been that polite. No one is more important to me than you. He’s lucky I don’t call him and cuss him out.”

  She was so relieved. Taylor hugged him, “I love you Sean.”

  “I love you too.”

  She looked at him, “You don’t cuss.”

  He laughed, “You haven’t seen me at work sometimes. I can cuss but I try not to, but I could make an exception for him.”

  She giggled, “I was scared you would be mad at me. I thought you might want a relationship with him and I didn’t want to ruin it for you or get you into the middle of us not getting along. I am sorry but I would not like him. He’s too much like my mother.”

  He grinned, “No worries there. And for the record, I’m not interested in meeting her either.”

  “Sean, he did say one thing that was right, I am in a fantasy world. I have everything I could ever want and had ever dreamed of wanting.”

  Sean kissed her passionately, “Me too.”

  She stood up, “I have to go down and tell Gran you aren’t mad at me. I didn’t tell her the conversation but she knew I was scared to tell you. She told me not to worry, you were smart and you loved me and you would figure out what you wanted to do.”

  “I’m liking your grandmother more and more. Taylor, you can always talk to me, okay?”

>   She grinned, “Okay, but Gran says we are not always going to agree so we will have to work it out like they have had to do. If she’s really upset with grandfather, she won’t have sex with him.”

  Sean raised his eyebrows, “Remind me never to make you mad.”

  She laughed and kissed him.

  Her grandmother looked at her expectantly. Taylor gave her a thumbs up. “See, sweetie. I told you. Grant, how about we go upstairs and create some trouble?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Taylor followed them upstairs. When she went into the room, Sean was asleep. She laid down next to him and fell asleep with a big smile on her face.

  Eighty-eight

  Sean came downstairs the next morning and found Elma and Grant in the living room.

  “Good morning, Sean.”

  “Good morning, Elma.”

  “I hope you don’t mind but we sent Betsy out to do some shopping and have some time to herself.”

  “No, of course not.”

  He sat down on the couch, “Can I get you anything?”

  Grant spoke up, “Nope. Elma made some coffee. It’s still hot. You should get some, she makes good coffee.”

  Sean came back with a cup of coffee. He looked at them, not sure what he should say.

  “Honey, I can see you and Taylor were meant for each other and I want you to know how much we appreciate that you take such good care of her. Things have been so hard for her recently.”

  Sean thought, you don’t know the half of it. He simply said, “She’s doing really well.”

  “I can see she is looking so beautiful and I know she told me she is getting stronger. She told us you made her start going to the gym.” Her grandmother laughed, “But she doesn’t like it.”

  Sean grinned, “I’m never going to get her to like it.”

  “That’s okay. You gave her the push she needed. I’m happy knowing she’s happy. You’re not going to break her heart are you?”

  “No, ma’am. I need her as much as she needs me. I’m very serious about our relationship. We are getting married in a few days, you know.”