by Laura Scott
“Is it my birthday?” Ty looked confused when she pulled out the old box of New Year’s party hats and noisemakers. She plopped a hat on his head and blew a party horn in his direction. “Am I six years old now?”
“Nope, it’s not your birthday or mine either.” She knew Ty was clueless as to the seriousness of the testing he’d undergone, but she wasn’t. And they absolutely deserved to celebrate. “We’re going to have a party!”
“Can we invite Mr. Jared?”
“You bet. Let’s go.” She handed him a noisemaker and led the way back to the kitchen. But when she called Jared, he once again didn’t pick up. This time, she decided against leaving another message. No point in playing phone tag. He’d see her missed call and hopefully call her back.
Determined to have fun, Shelly pulled up her music app on her phone, then grabbed Ty’s hand. “Come on, buster, let’s dance.”
Ty didn’t need any encouragement. He eagerly joined in with her enthusiastic swaying to some oldies but goodies music.
“Celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music . . .”
“Mom!” Ty blew his horn to get her attention. “Someone’s at the door.”
“Really?” She turned the volume down on her phone and danced her way to the door. Her pulse spiked when she saw Jared standing there.
“Hi!” She flashed him a broad smile, opening the door wide to let him in. “You’re just in time for ice cream!”
“Hi yourself.” Jared raised his eyebrows when she stuck the noisemaker in his face and blew it at his nose. “Are we celebrating your birthday?”
“No, silly. We’re celebrating the fact that Ty’s tests came back normal!” She spun in a little circle, shuffling her feet. “Grab yourself a hat and join the fun.”
“Shelly.” He grabbed her arm, preventing her from dancing away. Her heart soared when he clasped her to him in a quick hug. “I’m so happy to hear that news.”
“Mr. Jared!” Tyler ran up and flung his arms around Jared’s long legs before she could respond. “I’m glad you came to our party.”
“Me, too.” Shelly’s eyes misted when Jared reached down to include her son in their embrace. “It’s good to see you.”
“Want some ice cream? We have three flavors.”
“Neapolitan,” she explained when Jared looked confused. “Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Three flavors in one.”
“Sounds good,” Jared agreed.
“First, you have to put on your party hat.” Shelly plopped a bright blue hat on his head, thinking his eyes were a much prettier blue. “And here’s your noisemaker.”
Jared blew it loudly, then smiled. She was touched at how Jared played along as they stuffed themselves with ice cream and leftover tacos.
Finally, the hour grew late enough for Ty to go to bed. Shelly was thrilled that Jared didn’t make up an excuse to leave. He’d mentioned wanting to talk, but she was hoping maybe he’d kiss her again.
She’d learned something amazing today. Exciting news was a hundred times better when you had someone to share it with. And if the unthinkable had happened, if she’d been given bad news, then maybe she would have dealt with it better if she’d had Jared with her.
Maybe, just maybe, she didn’t have to do everything alone.
“I’ll just be a few minutes,” she said, following Tyler toward his room.
“I know.” Jared leaned down to pick up the dirty dishes. “I’ll be here.”
“I know.” She flashed an impish grin. Ty dawdled in the bathroom, then again when he wanted a bedtime story. Shelly leaned down and firmly kissed his cheek.
“I love you, Ty, but I’ll read you two stories tomorrow, okay? I have to clean up the party mess, remember?” Flimsy excuse, maybe, but she knew he was tired enough to fall asleep soon.
“Okay.” He yawned and snuggled down into the covers. “G’night.” Then his eyes popped open. “Almost forgot to say my prayers.”
Shelly tried to be patient as Ty went through his nightly ritual. She smiled when he once again added Jared to his prayer list.
True to his word, Jared was in the process of cleaning away the mess.
“Leave them, I’ll take care of it later.”
Jared turned from the sink to face her, his intense gaze making her catch her breath. “You shouldn’t have to clean up everything alone.”
“I’m not alone.” And she’d never been so happy to admit it. “You’re here. Have I told you how happy I am to see you?”
His blue eyes darkened when she approached. He stared at her mouth as if completely fascinated. “No, I, uh, don’t think you did.”
She couldn’t help but smile. This uncertain side of Jared was fun to tease. She stepped closer and reached up to rest her hand in the center of his chest. “Dishes later.”
He gave a bemused nod. “I, uh, we need to talk.”
“Later,” she repeated. She slipped her arms around his neck and reached up to press her mouth against his, kissing him the way she’d longed to do since experiencing his embrace the first time.
10
Jared lost himself in Shelly’s arms, her kiss robbing him of all conscious thought. If he’d thought their previous kiss was hot, this one was scorching. It was as if she’d thrown all her reservations into the wind, allowing the breeze to carry them away.
He never wanted the kiss to end, but the incessant ringing of his cell phone eventually penetrated the cloud of desire surrounding them. With reluctance, he lifted his head, gulping oxygen as he tried to gather his scattered thoughts.
“Are you on call?” Shelly asked, leaning against him as if needing his support.
“No.” Keeping one arm anchored around her waist, he dug his phone from his pocket. Seeing the number of his mother’s cell phone on the screen made him wince. “Uh, sorry, but I need to take this.”
She tipped her head back to look at him in confusion, then seemed to understand he needed his privacy. She stepped away from him, and he instantly wanted to draw her back, holding her close to his heart.
“Yeah?” He turned his back on Shelly and took a few steps away from her.
“Jared, what’s going on? Your father and I have been waiting to hear from you. Have you made the necessary arrangements for us to see our grandson?”
“Uh, not yet.” His mother’s demanding tone brought a wave of guilt. He never should have joined in Shelly and Ty’s celebration, shouldn’t have kissed her like he was starving for the barest taste of her. Not when she still didn’t know what he’d come to talk to her about.
“Why not? What’s taking so long?” His mother sounded more than a little annoyed, and he understood they’d been waiting since their arrival earlier today for him to speak with Shelly. “You promised we’d get to see him soon. Your father agreed to wait on flying, but it’s all I can do to keep him grounded. The sooner you make the arrangements for us to see the boy, the better.”
He glanced over to where Shelly stood, her arms wrapped tightly around her as if she were already regretting their kiss. An embrace she’d initiated. “This isn’t a good time. I’ll call you back, okay?”
“Jared, wait . . .”
But he ignored her, disconnecting from the call. As much as he needed to talk to Shelly, he wasn’t sure confessing what he’d done was something he needed to tell her right now. Not when she was still celebrating the fact that Ty’s testing had come back normal.
“Mommy?” Ty’s voice cut through the silence that hung between them. “My tummy hurts.”
“Too much ice cream,” she said on a sigh. “Listen, Jared, I need to take care of Tyler. This, uh, well, never mind. We can, uh, talk tomorrow.”
“Sure.” He understood she was already regretting their kiss but couldn’t figure out why. What had changed in the few minutes between his cell phone ringing and now? Other than Tyler’s stomachache. “Listen, Shelly, will you and Tyler have dinner with me tomorrow? I really do want to talk.”
“I’m not sure that’s a go
od idea.” She took a step backward, putting distance between them. “There isn’t anything to talk about.”
There certainly was, but this wasn’t the time. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her again, but he forced himself to stay where he was, pinning her with a determined gaze.
“Six o’clock. Dinner. Tomorrow. Both you and Ty better be ready.” With that, he turned and left.
Outside in his car, he slid behind the wheel and sat for a long moment. His phone rang again, but he ignored it. The easy part of this mess was convincing his parents that he needed time to spring the truth on Shelly. The longer he could keep them in Boston, the better.
The hard part would be to admit to Shelly what he’d done. How he’d pried into her personal life.
Something he should have done before he’d kissed her senseless.
At this point, he could only hope and pray she’d forgive him.
Shelly went to Ty’s room and pulled him into her arms. Stupid to have given him so much ice cream, regardless of their celebration. She gave him something to settle his stomach, then held him until he fell back to sleep.
Creeping from his room, she returned to the kitchen. Embarrassing to think about how she’d thrown herself at Jared, the man she worked with on a regular basis. What was wrong with her? Even if she was ready to move on, the reasons she’d avoided relationships until now remained the same. Okay, maybe Ty wasn’t looking at a future that included dialysis or a kidney transplant, but that didn’t mean she wanted the little boy to get hurt if a relationship didn’t work out.
And working together was probably the quickest way to destroy a potential relationship.
Knowing she wouldn’t sleep, she busied herself with cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. Who was the woman who’d called Jared? She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but in the few seconds before he’d moved away, she’d heard a shrill female voice. The way Jared had turned away from her was also an indication that he didn’t want her to overhear the conversation.
A former girlfriend? Wife? Now that she thought about it, she didn’t know that much about Jared’s personal life. Other than his father was sick with heart failure. But he could have been engaged, married, or seeing someone else before moving here to Milwaukee.
A kernel of jealousy invaded her mind before she could squash it like a bug. Enough. She had a son, so what if Jared had someone else in his life? He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would kiss her while seeing someone else, but some men didn’t consider a kiss a big deal. For all she knew, he could have a slew of women on the side.
When the kitchen was spotless, she crawled into bed. Hours later, after a restless night’s sleep, she got up to make Tyler breakfast. Knowing that her son was healthy helped to push thoughts of Jared out of her mind.
This was all she’d wanted. All she needed. A healthy son meant everything to her.
“I’m hungry,” Tyler announced, entering the kitchen.
“What would you like?” She mentally reviewed the contents of her fridge. “I think we have eggs and bacon.”
“I love bacon,” Ty said reverently.
“You love people, not food,” she corrected.
“I love you, Mommy. And Mr. Jared.”
That gave her pause, understanding this was exactly what she was trying to protect Tyler from. No way was she going to dinner with Jared tonight. This had to end, now. Before her son became even more attached to him. “I love you, too.” She pulled a carton of eggs out of the fridge along with a half pound of bacon. “Brush your teeth and get dressed while I make breakfast, okay?”
“Okay.” Ty dashed away to do as he was told.
Shelly cooked bacon and beat eggs, staying focused on the mundane tasks she had to get accomplished today. Considering she had to work tonight, which meant Ty would spend the night at Ellen’s, leaving the chores until tomorrow wasn’t an option.
When breakfast was finished, she did some laundry, then sat outside in a lawn chair while Ty amused himself on the tire swing suspended from the oak tree. Ellen’s husband Jeff had hung it for her last year, and she appreciated having something for Tyler to do. Her lack of sleep caught up with her. Resting her head back against the frame of the chair, she closed her eyes, wishing Ty was still inclined to take naps. She could have used one herself.
Tired. She was so tired. Maybe she’d call Ellen and see if she’d be willing to have Ty come over earlier so she could get a decent nap in. After the last time Jared had threatened to take her off duty, she didn’t want to show up for her shift exhausted. Her mind floated in a blissful state of drowsy relaxation . . .
Crack!
The sound, similar to that of a gunshot, had her bolting up from her chair. Too late. Her eyes widened with horror as she watched Tyler fall.
“Mo-om!” His terrified scream split the air, and she could have sworn his tiny body bounced as he hit the ground beneath the old oak tree with a horrible thunk. It took her a precious moment to realize her son had been trying to climb up the rope when the branch holding the suspended tire swing had broken.
“Tyler.” She fell to her knees at his side, raising her voice so he could hear her above his crying. “It’s okay, I’m here.” Her hands cradled his head, her gaze raking him for signs of injury. No blood, but that wasn’t necessarily reassuring as he could be bleeding on the inside.
“Hurts, it hurts,” he sobbed as she struggled to prevent him from moving too much.
“What hurts, Ty?” She gently, very gently, log-rolled him onto his back, running a hand down the length of one leg, then the other. That’s when she saw it, the abnormal bend to his left arm.
“My arm hurts,” he cried.
“Don’t move.” She planted her hand on the center of his chest to keep him still. “Stay right here. I’m going to call for help. Don’t move or it will hurt worse, okay?”
He nodded tearfully, and she could have kicked herself for leaving her phone inside the house. A tactic to avoid talking to Jared if he attempted to call.
“Stay still,” she repeated. Satisfied that he’d listen, Shelly took precious seconds to sprint into the house to grab her cell phone before hurrying back outside. She dialed 911, requesting an ambulance and giving her address as she returned to Ty.
Feeling slightly better knowing help was on the way, she knelt beside Ty and gently assessed him for other signs of injury. “It’s okay, sweetie. The ambulance will be here soon. We’ll get your arm fixed in no time.”
Tyler’s sobs quieted as she continued speaking softly and reassuringly to him. When the paramedics arrived, they were wonderful, cradling Ty’s broken arm while lifting him carefully into the ambulance. Hearing she was a nurse, they allowed her to ride along, which she did without hesitation, uncaring how she’d get back home.
In the emergency department of Children’s Memorial, the hospital staff recognized her and helped get Tyler settled. The place was busy, the antiseptic scent sharp as the air around her was filled with crying, wailing kids of various ages. It all seemed surreal to be in the ER as a patient. While they waited for the orthopedic specialist to arrive, Shelly closed her eyes and fought the insane urge to call Jared.
Then it hit her. She’d have to call him, or at least call Lifeline. For the second time in two weeks, she’d have to call off work. On a Saturday night, no less. She felt so guilty but knew that the sooner she called, the sooner they could find a replacement.
When she heard Jared’s deep voice on the other end of the line, she almost dropped her phone. “Jared, this is Shelly. Listen, I’m really sorry, but I’m not going to make my shift tonight. I’m in the Children’s Memorial Emergency Department with Ty.”
“What happened?” His sharp question pierced her ear.
“He’ll be okay, I think, but he fell from the tire swing in our backyard and broke his arm.” She was pleased that she sounded calm and rational. “I really feel terrible about calling in again. This isn’t a habit of mine; I’m normally very reliable.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary—” She stopped when she realized she was talking to dead air. Jared had already disconnected from the line. She frowned as she shoved her phone into her pocket. It was sweet that he wanted to be there for Ty, but she knew that would only cause her son to bond with him more than he already had.
Jared showed up in Tyler’s cubicle fifteen minutes later. “Grace is going to work your shift tonight,” he said before turning toward Ty. “Hey, slugger, how are you?” He placed a hand on Ty’s shoulder. “Broke your arm, huh?”
“Yeah. I tried to climb up the rope and falled down.” Tyler’s lower lip trembled. “I knew I wasn’t supposed to climb the rope, but Mom was resting her eyes, so she didn’t see me.”
Shelly’s cheeks flushed with guilt. She wouldn’t have been resting her eyes if she hadn’t lost sleep over Jared in the first place.
Her issues weren’t Ty’s fault. Yet, he’d been the one to pay the price for her inattentiveness.
“Have they taken X-rays yet?” Jared asked.
“Yes, we’re waiting to see the orthopedic surgeon.” She avoided his direct gaze. “It’s broken, but I’m fairly sure that calling the ortho team is a little overkill. I’m sure he’ll get a cast and be just fine.”
“Ms. Bennett?” A youthful-looking resident poked his head into the cube. “Dr. Graves will be here in a few minutes, he’s reviewing your son’s X-rays now.”
“Great.” Shelly smiled. When an older-looking gentleman walked in, with salt-and-pepper hair, she immediately felt reassured. She knew residents needed to learn, but she would rather talk to the specialist herself.
“I’m Matt Graves.” He shook her hand as he introduced himself. He gave Jared a nod, then earned more brownie points when he addressed her son. “Hi, Tyler. I understand you fell and broke your arm?”
“I was climbing the rope,” Ty admitted solemnly. He’d stopped crying, but his cheeks were still damp from his tears. “The tree branch broke, and I fell.”