Tangled Up in You

by Samantha Chase

  Anna squealed with delight. “This makes me so happy!” She hugged them both. “Oh! We can double date! And—and whenever you need us to keep Lucas so you can have a date night, all you have to do is ask. This is so exciting!”

  “What’s so exciting?” Quinn asked as he walked over, holding Brian.

  “Bobby and Teagan are dating!” Anna exclaimed. “Isn’t that awesome?”

  The scowl that his brother-in-law was famous for was Quinn’s only response before he turned and walked away.

  “Uh-oh,” Teagan said softly.

  Anna frowned after her husband. “Don’t mind him. He’s not big on change of any kind. You should have seen him when his father first started dating Martha.” She shuddered. “It wasn’t pretty.”

  “Yeah, well, what he did there was just rude,” Bobby said, glaring at Quinn’s retreating back.

  “I agree, Bobby, but don’t make a scene here, okay? I’ll talk to him when he calms down a bit.”

  Right now, he wanted to argue. He wanted to storm through the crowd and tell Quinn that he was wrong. But he also knew his sister was right. It wasn’t the time and really, hadn’t he already caused enough problems today?

  “Fine. But I’m not happy about this, Anna,” he stated firmly.

  “I know. I’m not either, but need I remind you how there was a time when you behaved the exact same way toward him?”

  “It was different. My issue was because he treated you badly for years. He’s making assumptions right now that he has no right to make.” While he hoped that he sounded firm but in control, the fact that his teeth were clenched certainly didn’t help.

  Off in the distance, he heard the whistle of the drum major kicking off the parade. So for now, he was going to find a seat with his girl and enjoy the festivities.

  Lucas came over and grabbed his mother’s hand so they could sit together. Looking around, Bobby found the chairs his parents brought for them and motioned for the two of them to sit. As they settled in, Lucas in his lap, he realized how good this felt. His father was right. He was doing something good here. Something positive. There was something to be said about having a casual day with your family to put things into perspective.

  Was his hand feeling better? A little. But as he looked over at Teagan, who was watching Lucas, he knew there was no place else he’d rather be. He bounced Lucas on his knee and loved how the kid giggled with pure glee. This was what life was all about. Maybe he should take a page from the boy and look at today through his eyes. Kids had a way of finding the wonder in it all. He should forget about the pain and the ugliness of life, push all the negative thoughts and feelings aside and take some joy from the simple things. Like a parade.

  “Here they come!” Lucas cried. “The band is coming! Can I get a drum? Please?”

  One thing Bobby was learning about Lucas was that he wanted to try something new on a daily basis: different sports, different hobbies, and apparently now, an instrument.

  “We’ll see, buddy,” Teagan replied, turning her attention back to the band that was still half a block away.

  Lucas leaned forward as far as he could, but Bobby had his arm loosely draped around Lucas’s waist in case the kid tried to make a run for it. He looked to the left and then to the right in quick succession, then back again, probably trying not to miss anything. He leaned back against Bobby’s chest and clapped his hands.

  “You’re excited for the parade, huh?” he asked, but Lucas shook his head.

  O-kay…

  “I thought you were looking forward to it?”

  If anything, the kid relaxed against him even more.

  Bobby glanced at Teagan, who looked at her son and shrugged. Maybe she wasn’t concerned or curious, but he sure as hell was. Bouncing his knee under Lucas, he gave him a playful shake. “C’mon, out with it. What were you just looking at?” he asked lightly.

  Straightening, Lucas turned to him with the biggest, purest expression of happiness that Bobby had ever seen in his life.

  “I was looking at all the people, because this is the first time I’m just like them,” the boy explained and again, Bobby and Teagan looked at each other quizzically.

  “What do you mean, sweetheart?” Teagan asked.

  “We’re a family,” Lucas said simply. “This is the first time I’m here and have a mom and a dad with me and that made me happy.”

  * * *

  Teagan’s heart stopped at her son’s statement.

  A family. That’s what he felt like this was, and she could see how his young mind had made those connections. Right now, though, she wasn’t sure if she should correct him or just let the statement go. And if she was freaking out this much, she had to wonder what was going on in Bobby’s mind.

  She knew he understood there was more to a relationship with her than just the two of them. He understood there would be obstacles where her son was concerned, but this was all too new for them to have talked about how Lucas would view him. And she certainly never imagined her son would put Bobby in the position of a father quite so soon.

  Bobby’s hand reached out and squeezed hers, and when she looked at him, he whispered, “It’s all right. We’ll talk with him later, okay?”

  She knew he was right. This wasn’t the time, or the place.

  Hell, it seemed like there were quite a few conversations needed today, yet none of them could happen.

  Stupid parade, she thought miserably.

  For the next hour, they sat and cheered, watched the floats go by, and listened to the assorted bands play. Once the last of the parade floats rode by, though, no one in their group moved. They stayed put while all the people around them gathered their things. She looked at Bobby to ask if they were going.

  “We tend to hang back for a few minutes,” he explained. “It’s chaos to try and get out of here for at least another thirty minutes.”

  Behind them, Anna announced that the pub was open for anyone in the family who needed to get out of the sun. One by one, everyone started moving, gathering their belongings before heading inside.

  “Mom? I need to go pee,” Lucas said. Before she could answer, Bobby offered to take him inside. She waved to them and went back to picking up their bags.

  “Let me help you with that,” Quinn said, coming up beside her.

  At first she thought it was nice, then she straightened and glared at him.

  “What? What’s the matter?” he asked.

  Crossing her arms over her chest and striking her most intimidating pose, Teagan studied him long and hard, until he was all but squirming. “While I appreciate you stopping to help, I figured I’d just stand here until you start listing your reasons for not approving of my relationship with Bobby.” Pausing, she waved him on. “Come on, let’s hear them.”

  “Teagan, c’mon. It’s not like that.”

  “It’s exactly like that. You’ve been warning me off him even before anything started. And now you’re going to stand here and pretend that you don’t have an issue?”

  He sighed loudly, lolling his head back. He seemed to be either trying to control himself, or seriously organizing his thoughts.

  When he straightened and looked at her, she was ready for whatever he threw her way.

  “Bobby Hannigan is not the right man for you. Okay?”

  “As a matter of fact, no,” she said, holding her ground.

  “You don’t know him like I do,” Quinn explained. “I’ve known the guy for most of my life, and trust me, I know him way better than you do. He’s not someone you should be involved with.”

  Because she was a rational person, she let those comments sink in and process before she responded. “Quinn, before I moved here, when was the last time we saw one another? Or spoke?”

  “I don’t know—ten years?”

  “More like fourteen,” she countere
d. “I think it’s safe to say that you don’t know me all that well.”

  “That’s not the point,” he said wearily. “Bobby is…well, he’s kind of a player. I’ve never known him to date someone for more than a week. He’d sleep with them, no strings attached, and as soon as he got bored, he moved on. And the women he dated were…let’s just say they’re different than you.”

  Yeah, she’d figured that out Friday night. The women from Bobby’s past that she’d met had all been tall, blond, and definitely curvier and sexier than she’d ever been.

  “You deserve a guy who isn’t like that,” he went on. “Honestly, I never understood why the women of this town went so crazy for him. It was like he had his own fan club when he lived here.”

  Yup, she’d gotten that impression too.

  “You and Lucas don’t need that kind of heartache. Trust me, I’m just trying to look out for you.”

  The logical part of her brain completely kicked in. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Did you ever date Bobby?”

  That made her cousin sputter and almost choke. “What? No! Why would you even ask?”

  She shrugged. “It just seems like you’re trying a little too hard to warn me away. I figured I needed clarification on that front.”

  “That’s your psychology training kicking in,” he said blandly. “You just moved here, Teagan. You haven’t really had a chance to meet anyone else. Why are you rushing into something with him?”

  “I don’t consider it rushing, and really, Quinn, what if I was? I’m a grown woman who deserves to have a life!” she cried. “And I’m not looking for your approval, I’m looking for some respect. I don’t have a problem with Bobby, okay? And if you do, then you need to work on that, not me.”

  “You don’t know him like I do,” he repeated.

  “Okay, I get it. He was overprotective of Anna. That’s fine. That’s what big brothers are supposed to do. But it doesn’t mean he isn’t a good man, Quinn. You need to get over whatever it is that you have against him and move on.”

  He was pacing now and part of her felt bad for bringing all this up. He stopped right in front of her. “What are you going to do when this thing ends, huh? How are you going to pick up the pieces? Especially when you have a child to take care of and a new job? Don’t you think that’s too risky?”

  Before he could go any further, she had a question for him. “Quinn, other than your mom, have you ever lost someone you loved?”

  He thought for a moment and then shook his head. “No. No, I haven’t. I lost a good friend while I was on the racing circuit, but…”

  “I have,” she said sadly. “I lost the man who was the love of my life. I lost him before we ever got to have our future.” She paused. “None of us is promised tomorrow, so what am I waiting for?”

  Placing a hand over her thundering heart, she went on. “You know what? Bobby may very well break my heart. He may call me tomorrow and break things off and give me the ol’ ‘it’s not you it’s me’ speech. And you know what? I’ll be okay. I’ve suffered greater losses and I’m still here to talk about them.”

  “Teagan…”

  “No, you got to have your say, I’m having mine,” she reminded him.

  He nodded and stood in silence.

  “Ever since Logan died, I’ve been overly cautious and careful to the point of not living. Yes, I have my son and he’s everything to me, but I’m ready for more! I’m ready to have more in my life, even if it’s only for a short time.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “Unh-unh,” she said, cutting off anything else he was about to say. “Bobby’s been nothing but honest with me about his past and about his faults. Everyone is entitled to a second chance, Quinn. You can’t stand here and tell me Anna didn’t give you one, or that you’ve always been an upstanding guy with no faults or flaws, because I wouldn’t believe you.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying—”

  “Tell me something good about Bobby,” she demanded quickly.

  “Um, what?”

  “You heard me. Right now. I want you to think of one positive thing to say about him.”

  “I’m not going to do that,” he said stubbornly.

  “Fine. Don’t. I’ll just go inside and ask everyone in there, one by one. I can handle that.”

  She saw her cousin pale slightly and was happy he was as uncomfortable in this conversation as she was.

  When she turned to reach for the pub’s door handle, he stopped her. “Okay, okay, okay,” he said with a huff. “Geez, you’re tenacious.”

  That made her smile.

  He huffed again, raked a hand through his hair, his annoyance palpable. “Something good about Bobby,” he murmured. After several minutes he said, “He’s…he’s good with the kids. There, happy?”

  “Kind of an obvious thing to point out, but I guess it will have to do.”

  “What? It’s not obvious, it’s true! When Kaitlyn was a baby, he was one of the only people who could get her to go to sleep. I used to rock her until my arms were ready to break, and if Bobby was there, he would just hold her for, like, less than five minutes, and she’d be asleep.”

  “Wow,” Teagan commented, still smiling. “That’s kind of sweet.”

  “And…when Anna first bought the house and was struggling with doing renovations and paying the bills, Bobby moved in and paid for half of everything so she wouldn’t have it so hard.”

  Teagan figured she’d just let him talk. He seemed to be on a roll now.

  “When we were moving into our house, he was there every weekend to help with painting and all the work we wanted to put in.” He stopped and chuckled. “He completely demo’d our downstairs bathroom all on his own and then refinished it himself, too.”

  So he was good with kids, good with his hands, and willing to help out family, she thought to herself. Did her cousin realize just how much he was proving her case?

  He must have, because he looked at her and she would almost say he was contrite. “You know what? He’s the bravest guy I know.” He frowned slightly. “I was there when he woke up after getting shot. Most people would have been freaking out, but… It was just the two of us in the room and he wanted me to tell him what happened so he could wrap his head around it all. I think he didn’t want to freak out in front of his folks, you know?” Quinn paused again. “I didn’t know a whole lot about the specifics of his injury and I felt like crap, because all he wanted was a little reassurance that he was going to be okay.”

  She nodded with understanding even as her heart broke just thinking about Bobby in that situation.

  “When the doctor came in and explained the injury and how this could mean he wouldn’t return to the force?” He shook his head. “He just sat there and took it calmly. I would have been ranting and raving and demanding a second opinion if it were me.”

  “Did he get a second opinion?”

  Quinn laughed softly. “I think he got a second, third, and fourth.”

  “Oh.”

  Then he looked at her with a small smile. “Look, during his recovery, he was a major pain in the ass. He was surly and mean, and we were all counting the days until he could go home and be on his own again. But as I’m standing here talking with you, I realize he’s been different in the last few weeks.” He shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe he’s just trying to get on my good side so I don’t go and kick his ass for messing with my cousin.”

  “Quinn…” she warned.

  “Okay, fine,” he said wearily. “You can’t be mad at me for looking out for you, Teagan. I just want you to be happy.”

  “I get it and I even appreciate it, but maybe just tone down the attitude a bit. Trust me when I tell you that the whole going-caveman thing? It doesn’t work. It doesn’t make me feel cared for, it annoys the c
rap out of me. So stop it.”

  Then he laughed and pulled her in for a hug. “You know, I don’t remember you being so mouthy when we were kids.”

  She hugged him back. “Yeah, well, unfortunately, I do remember you being a big pain in the ass. I had hoped you would have grown out of it.” She squeezed him a little tighter. “But I love you and I know your heart is in the right place.”

  He pulled back and gave her a lopsided grin. “It really is. I swear.”

  “Your delivery could use some work,” she teased and moved to grab her tote bag. Reaching for his hand, she said, “C’mon. Let’s get inside and see what everyone’s up to next.”

  When they entered the pub, she looked around until she spotted Lucas and Bobby. They were sitting at a long table with everyone and when they both saw her and smiled, her heart felt like it would burst.

  So this is what it could be like, she thought. A family.

  She had given up that fantasy long ago. She’d thought that if she couldn’t have a family with Logan, then she wouldn’t have one at all. But standing here and looking at not only the two of them, but the room as a whole, Teagan felt a longing like she’d never known before.

  She wanted more of this. And not just for a holiday or for random weekends. She wanted it all the time.

  Was Quinn right, though? Was it too soon? Was she rushing things? Was this all simply because this was the first time since Logan that she’d ever allowed herself to be in this kind of a situation?

  She shook her head. No. This wasn’t about convenience or proximity. What she felt for Bobby was much deeper than that. And as much as she hated to admit it, it was even more than what she had felt for Logan. Guilt made her cringe. She hated to think less of the man who hadn’t had a chance to live his life. She had no idea if they would have grown together into a deeper relationship, and as much as it pained her, she would never know. She would never get those answers.

  What she did know was that she had been given a second chance. It was too soon to say “at love,” but she had a second chance to see if something could be it. She was learning to open her heart again. As much as it scared her, she knew it was worth it.