“Man, was I wrong,” she murmured.
Kicking the blankets off, she walked into the bathroom and opted to go right into the shower. It was ridiculously early—too early to go out and do anything—but the thought of staying in bed alone wasn’t appealing either.
Once she was showered, she pulled on her robe and walked to the kitchen to make some coffee. The remnants of last night’s takeout were still all over the living room, so she cleaned it up while her coffee brewed. It was a mindless task that did little to keep her from thinking about Bobby and what he was doing.
Was he back to full active duty?
Then what was he doing here if he was going back to the force in Myrtle Beach?
“It’s way too early in the morning for this.” Wiping off the coffee table, she finished tidying up before taking a mug down for her coffee. The clock read seven fifteen, not much earlier than when she normally started her day, but she felt as though she’d already done about a dozen tasks.
Most of them mental.
Unfortunately, Bobby was right. She did need to have faith. Just because he was going back to work didn’t mean something bad would happen. When had she gotten so pessimistic? It was completely unlike her in almost every other aspect of her life, but this had struck a chord in her that she couldn’t shake. And sitting in her kitchen obsessing about it wasn’t going to help either.
Taking her coffee with her, she did her hair and makeup before getting dressed. By eight o’clock, she was walking out the door to finish her shopping. Logically, it was just going to be easier to run all her errands without her son along.
So she shopped, crossing things off her list, getting the best deals—and by eleven, Teagan felt like she had run a marathon. When she arrived home and put everything away, she looked around, feeling like now she could finally relax. Lucas’s book bag was all packed for Monday, her own satchel was packed with her own supplies. Laundry was done, the house was clean, and she was happy to say she’d gotten it all done.
Then the phone rang.
“You’re being stupid,” she chided herself. Her heart kicked hard in her chest as if preparing for bad news. Grabbing her phone, she saw her mother’s face on the screen and let out a breath of relief. “Hey, Mom!”
“How are you doing today? Any better?”
Sitting on the sofa, she told her mother about running into Bobby—leaving out their overnight activities—and how things had gone this morning. “Did you know he was cleared to go back to work? Did Mary say anything to you?”
“She might have mentioned it, but I can’t really remember.”
That was odd. Since Teagan and Bobby had started dating, her mother had been almost rabid in her attempts to get as much information on their relationship as possible. And after their emotional girls’ night, she knew her mother was just as anxious for news on what Bobby had decided to do as Teagan was. So what was up with her vague response?
“Really? I would have thought you and Mary would have talked about that at great length, considering how close the two of you have gotten.”
“Believe it or not, Teagan, we do enjoy talking about things other than our children,” Catherine said defensively.
Yeah, something was definitely up.
“Okay, okay…sheesh.” She sighed. “So I was up early this morning and finished all my shopping. Want me to pick up some lunch for all of us on my way over?”
“That sounds wonderful! Lucas was asking about fried chicken.” She laughed. “I swear, our boy is a foodie. I don’t know where he gets it from.”
“A foodie? Really? This is the same child who would only eat peanut butter and jelly for lunch for almost a year.”
“Oh, I had forgotten about that. Hmm… Either way, he’s been talking about chicken. I told him maybe there’d be some grilled chicken tomorrow at Quinn and Anna’s, but he insisted he wanted it fried.”
“No worries. I’ll head up to the grocery store. I know the kind he prefers. I’ll pick up some salads too, and something for dessert. Anything else I should get?”
“No, I think we’re good here. I have plenty of drinks, so just text me when you’re on your way.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Teagan said before hanging up. There wasn’t any reason for her to sit around and wait, so she grabbed her purse and left.
At the supermarket, she grabbed two buckets of chicken because the pieces looked small and she knew her father would eat half of it on his own if given the chance. Along with that, she grabbed some potato salad and a fruit salad. As she passed the bakery, she picked up a box of oatmeal-raisin cookies and a plate of brownies. Her stomach was growling as she paid for her order and by the time she was standing outside again, she was tempted to eat a cookie to hold her over.
She was standing on the sidewalk waiting to cross to her car when she noticed a trio of policemen walking into the pizza place at the other end of the shopping center. Her eyes followed them for a minute, then narrowed.
Bobby.
For a moment, she was too stunned to move. If he was back on the local force, why wouldn’t he say that? Why was he being so secretive?
Shaking her head to clear it, Teagan made her way to her car. The entire drive to her parents’ house, she was thinking about Bobby. If he was back on the force here, willing to move back, it would mean he really was serious about them. But why keep it from her? She hated not knowing what was going on, and at the exact same time hated how needy she was feeling!
By the time she walked into her parents’ house, she was a little calmer but still desperate for some answers. Rather than make a scene, she put a smile on her face and greeted her son with a massive hug.
“Hey, buddy! I missed you last night! Did you have fun?”
Nodding wildly, he said, “Uh-huh! We watched movies and played Go Fish and Meema made us Rice Krispie treats!”
Smiling at her mother, Teagan commented, “Rice Krispie treats? You haven’t made those in years!”
Catherine laughed and shrugged. “We saw a commercial for them yesterday and they were on my mind. I went to the store and got the ingredients while the two of them played cards. And they were delicious, by the way. Just like I remembered.”
“Any left?” Teagan asked, suddenly craving the sweet treat.
“When I went to bed there was half a plateful left, but when I got up—”
“They were small!” her father said as he walked into the kitchen. He kissed his daughter on the cheek. “I was watching the eleven o’clock news and didn’t realize just how many of them I’d eaten.”
Rolling her eyes, she said, “Somehow I think you had at least a general idea.”
He grinned. “Maybe.” Then, walking over to the dining room table, he said, “Ooo, chicken! Nice!”
Over lunch they all listened as Lucas talked about how excited he was to start school. At one point, her mother made knowing eye contact with her and Teagan knew right then and there that she’d figured out that Teagan wasn’t quite in the moment with the rest of them. She nodded back, a signal that they’d talk after they were all done eating.
Thirty minutes later, they sent James and Lucas out to kick the soccer ball around.
“Spill it,” Catherine said. “At this rate, your father’s going to sleep for a week. Lucas has been running him ragged for the last twenty-four hours. Either that or he’ll demand more treats.”
Unable to help herself, Teagan laughed and told her mother what she saw. “I don’t get it. Why is he being so secretive? Why wouldn’t he just tell me? Knowing that he’s working here rather than Myrtle Beach? Well, it kind of helps.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “This is small-town living at its finest, Mom. Not that there isn’t crime here, but it’s just not on the same scale as a bigger city.”
Catherine nodded. “Makes sense.”
; “Which brings me back to the original question—why?”
“You’ll have to ask him that. Does he know that you’d feel better with him moving back here and working?”
She looked away uncomfortably. “We, um…we never really talked about it.”
“Oh, Teagan. Honestly. Why wouldn’t you have that discussion?”
Jumping up from her chair, she began to pace. “This all happened so fast! And you know what, it wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to move here, meet someone, and fall in love! That wasn’t in the plan at all!”
“Teagan—”
“No, it’s true! And then when it all started to hit me that he was eventually going to go back to work—I freaked! I wasn’t only scared about his job, but I was scared about how I felt. All I asked for was a little time, and then everything changed!”
“Other than the possibility that he’s come back here to work, what’s changed?”
“Everything!” she cried. “I miss him when he’s not here, I think about him all the damn time. I need him! And you know me, Mom. I don’t want to need anyone. I’ve done just fine on my own and…well, except for you and Dad, everything’s been on me.”
With a sad smile, Catherine walked over and hugged her. “You have been so strong and so brave for so long. I’m sure it’s scary to think about letting go a little and letting someone else in.” Pulling back, she looked at Teagan. “When you find the right person—the one who’s going to be there beside you to share everything, including your fears—it’s a wonderful thing. Don’t cheat yourself out of what could be the greatest love of your life because you’re scared. Talk to Bobby. Tell him what you saw and let him explain.”
Nodding, Teagan hugged her. “Thanks, Mom.” After a minute, she pulled back and smiled. Off in the distance she could hear her son yelling happily about scoring a goal on his old Pops. Laughing, she made her way over to the back door. “I think I’ll go out there and give Dad a bit of a break.”
“I’m sure he’s fine.”
Waving her off, she said, “Maybe. But it’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and my son is happy. I should be out there taking it all in.” She was out the door and in the yard a moment later, calling out for someone to kick the ball to her.
Inside, Catherine reached for her phone and quickly dialed Mary Hannigan’s number. “I think we have a code red situation.”
Chapter 11
“Bobby! What are you doing here?”
Smiling shyly at his sister, he said, “My niece is starting kindergarten tomorrow. I had to be here for that.” He’d been practicing that line for days and he thought it sounded perfect, but when Anna’s face started to crumble, he was certain he’d done something wrong.
“Are you just the sweetest man ever?” she said, her voice wobbly as her eyes filled with tears. Before Bobby could react, she threw herself at him and hugged him hard. “Thank you.”
Wow. This was…way more emotional than he thought it would be. When she finally stepped back, she motioned for him to come into the house. Kaitlyn and Brian immediately ran over and lunged at him.
“Hey, you guys,” he said, hugging them both.
“Kaitlyn! Where did you…?”
Bobby looked up to see Lucas running into the room.
“Bobby!” he cried and joined in on the group hug. Bobby’s heart squeezed hard in his chest.
Did he hug Lucas a little harder? Maybe. Looking over at his sister, he said, “I guess I should have called first, huh?”
“Never,” she said adamantly. “We’re having a bit of a back-to-school celebration today. Teagan’s here, but so are Aidan and Zoe. Plus Mom and Dad, Ian and Martha, and James and Catherine, so…”
“So…?”
“So it’s too late to sneak back out. The kids will rat you out,” she teased and then looked down at said kids. “Why don’t you guys go and see if it’s pool time yet?”
Bobby almost fell over as all three kids immediately released him and ran off. “Looks like I’m no competition for swimming, huh?”
“You never were,” she replied with a grin, patting him on the back. “Come on, we just finished lunch but there’s plenty of food left.”
It would have been so easy to turn and walk out the door, to make some kind of excuse and leave, but…no. They were done playing the avoidance game. Yesterday had been long and exhausting, and by the time he had finished, it was too late to call her.
So he’d texted an apology and got back a one-word response.
It was worse than the nod from yesterday.
What he found ironic—particularly at this moment—was how she hadn’t mentioned she was going to be at his sister’s house today. All she’d said was that she had plans. If she had been sincere about seeing him and letting him see Lucas, why not just ask him to join them today for this—what did Anna call it?—back-to-school celebration?
It didn’t matter. He was here now, he’d see her and talk to her, and not do anything to ruin the kids’ party. So if he had to wait one more day to tell her about his job, so be it. Maybe it was a little petty on his part, but he was determined not to tell her about it yet. He wanted to surprise her. He’d worked it all out in his head, and if he could just get through this afternoon without blurting it out, it was going to be awesome.
It was going to secure their future.
She was his. He’d known it from the very start. He could understand her fear, but they were going to work through it.
He’d make sure of that.
“Bobby?” Anna was standing by the sliding glass doors watching him. “You coming?”
Nodding, he headed that way. He was almost to the door when Quinn walked in, got right in front of him and, slamming a hand hard on Bobby’s chest, stopped him.
“We’ll be out in a minute,” Quinn said over his shoulder, but then his attention was right back on his brother-in-law. He gave a hard shove and Bobby stumbled back a couple of feet. “You. Me. In my office. Now.”
It was pointless to argue and really, the last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene. With a sigh of resignation, Bobby walked toward the home office Quinn had right off of the garage.
As soon as they were in the room, Quinn slammed the door shut and said, “Dude, what the hell are you doing?”
“I thought I was coming to see Kaitlyn and wish her luck on her first day of school. Didn’t think it was a crime,” Bobby said defensively. “And besides, you told me to be here!”
“Yeah, well…” He looked over his shoulder as if checking to make sure the door was still closed. “I needed to make this look believable.”
“Oh my gosh, enough. What’s going on? I came here like you asked me to, and I was all set to go out there and talk to Teagan. Why am I in here talking to you instead?”
“Because she’s not outside, she’s upstairs in the guest room changing into a bathing suit. I figured you might want to talk to her without an audience.”
Right then and there, he could have hugged his brother-in-law. Who would have thought his one-time nemesis would be his biggest ally in getting his girl back?
“So she’s alone upstairs?”
Quinn nodded. “In the room you usually stay in.” When Bobby reached for the door, Quinn stopped him. “Can I offer you one piece of advice?”
“Sure.”
“Speak this time. I heard you were fairly mute at the coffee shop on Friday.”
“Wait, how did you hear about that?”
He shrugged. “Bree brings her car into my shop all the time. She came in yesterday for a tune-up and mentioned how the two of you ran into Teagan.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. Use your words, Hannigan. God knows you never shut up when you’re trying to prove something to me.”
“That’s different. And anyway—”
“N
o,” Quinn quickly interrupted, “there’s more.”
Bobby huffed with annoyance. “Today, Quinn. It doesn’t take someone that long to change into a bathing suit.”
“Okay, look. She saw you yesterday.”
“Who saw what?” No one knew about him spending the night at Teagan’s, so he was a little confused. What was Quinn talking about?
“Yeah, she saw you going into the pizza place with a couple of other cops.” He smacked Bobby in the shoulder. “You were supposed to lay low! We discussed this!”
Unfortunately, Quinn was right.
Dammit.
“What were the odds of her being up there at the same time?” he cried.
“It wasn’t just to make sure she didn’t see you, you idiot, but anyone who knows you. Now she’s freaked out because you didn’t tell her you were working here and she’s probably second-guessing wanting to get back with you because you’re a liar!”
“Hey!” Bobby demanded. “That’s enough.” Then he paused. “Wait—did she say that? Is that what she told Anna? Because I need to know this before I go up there and make an idiot out of myself.”
“You’re already making an idiot out of yourself.”
Both of them turned and saw Anna standing in the doorway. “I swear, the two of you are the loudest couple of morons ever.” She glared at Bobby. “You? Go upstairs and talk to her. And you?” she said to Quinn. “Get back outside and play lifeguard while the kids swim. They’re waiting for you.”
Neither argued as they both practically ran from the room.
Bobby took the stairs two at time and was just about to knock on the door when Teagan opened it and gasped.
“Bobby? What are you doing here?”
Talk about déjà vu.
“I, uh… I came to wish Kaitlyn good luck on her first day of school.” He paused because the sight of her in a bright-blue bikini had him practically swallowing his own tongue. His eyes devoured her and when he met her gaze, he gave her a lopsided grin. “Sorry. You look amazing.”
“Thanks.” But she didn’t seem flattered.
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