A Hero for Tonight (15 page)

Melissa looked from one to the other. “Is this too much for her? Should we go?”

“No. Seriously, no. You’re a great help, Melissa. If you weren’t here, she’d feel she needed to be doing more, so it’s great that you’re here. Honest.”

“You mentioned tests.” She shook her head. “Never mind. It’s not my business.”

Shane reached into the drawer and pulled out the wine opener. “She had a bad dizzy spell last week at the store. Come to find out she’s been exhausted lately but hadn’t said anything. She saw the doctor, but he didn’t find anything right away.”

“They ran some tests, blood work, that sort of thing. We won’t know anything until next week,” Krista added as Shane poured three glasses. “Maybe it’s a vitamin deficiency or something. She forgets she isn’t young anymore. At forty-five, she needs to take better care of herself.”

“She’s a lot younger than my parents.” Melissa looked to Shane. “She must have had you pretty young.”

Krista knew the story of the young bride very well. “She was nineteen when she had him.”

Melissa took the glass of wine Shane handed her. “I know you two must be worried. Hopefully the doctor will get back to her soon.” She glanced between them once more and then left the room.

Shane walked over and held out a glass of wine. When Krista went to take it, he held on until she met his gaze.

“Now, isn’t this a funny case of déjà vu?”

“Stop it.”

His lips twitched as he released the glass. “I’m not doing anything.”

“Yes, you are.” She took a sip of the red wine. “Your mother knows what happened.”
That oughta take the wind out of his sails.

“
What?
”

She tipped her head as she relayed the news. “Apparently, the cabbie told her all about picking me up in the wee hours of the morning and looking like I was doing exactly what I was doing.”

“This damn town. What did she have to say?”

“Not much. Just wanted me to know she knew, I suspect.” She wasn’t about to mention the lunch club comment and get him stirred up about that whole thing again.

Shane seemed to be digesting the information. His gaze went to the closed kitchen door, and then back to her again. He grinned. “Well, if the cat’s out of the bag...” He lowered his head.

Krista took two steps back. “Don’t.”

“Why not?”

“Are you kidding? Melissa’s here, and Brittany. I’m not doing this.”

“Not doing this here? Or not doing this ever?”

She couldn’t look at him. She turned around and set her glass on the counter to fiddle with the few dishes still in the sink. Shane moved closer, his body heat directly at her back. When he nuzzled her hair, pleasure rolled over her in a familiar wave, and she grabbed the side of the sink, her eyes fluttering closed.

“You smell so good. That’s what I remember the most, how incredible you smelled.”

He kissed the spot beneath her ear, and her neck arched as flames of desire licked through her.

“That’s what you remember most? How I smelled?” She forced herself not to moan with pleasure as desire licked its way up her spine.

He ignored her question, continuing his hot kisses along her skin. “I want you in my bed again, Krista. I don’t want what happened to be just a casual thing.”

She bit her bottom lip. If she was honest, she didn’t either, but her head was screaming at the insanity of it all. She scrunched her neck to make him stop kissing her. “It’s not a good idea.”

His hands slipped to her waist. Gently, he turned her around until she was trapped in the circle of his arms.

“Stop over-thinking this.” He searched her eyes as if to see what she was thinking.

“That’s what you said the other night.”

He tucked her hair back behind her ear. “And wasn’t that fun?” Smiling, he brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. “Let me come over tonight. We’ll do the family thing, dinner, dessert, then leave, and I’ll come to your place.”

Her mind screamed that this was a bad idea. Her body screamed back that it didn’t care. Her heart, well, that was better left out of it. Either way, she didn’t have to decide when he was this close. “I’ll think about it. But back off while we’re here, and I mean it.”

Lifting both hands in surrender, he took a step back. “Okay. I will be the perfect gentleman. Content with having you to myself later tonight.”

“Maybe,” she cautioned.

Before she knew his intentions, he swooped in and captured her lips. The kiss was hard and fast and incredibly hot.

“Think about that.” Then he strutted away.

Shane tried to not watch Krista too much during dinner, but he couldn’t seem to stop glancing her way. All he could think about was their upcoming night together. He definitely had no clue which way tonight would go. One thing about her, she was a hard one to read.

Dinner should have been awkward with the odd makeup of people and underlying drama, but the conversation flowed effortlessly and the laughter wasn’t in the least bit forced. Melissa and Shane’s father talked at length about plants and different hardy varieties that she could use around her yard.

He was relieved to see color in his mother’s face once again, and she ate more than he’d seen her eat in a long time.

“I don’t know what is wrong with me today. It’s as if I have a bottomless pit.” She laughed, tucking into her mashed potatoes and gravy.

Shane watched his father take her hand. “How can you resist with all this good food? The girls did a great job.”

Mary agreed. “They sure did. Thank you again, ladies. It actually felt good to step back and let someone else run the show.”

Krista twisted her mouth. “You were in there every step of the way; don’t make it sound as if you weren’t involved.”

“Yes, well, you girls did the hard part. I want you to know I appreciate it.”

Shane raised his wine glass. “Here’s to another fantastic Thanksgiving dinner with great company and awesome food.”

“Here, here.” The others raised their glasses in unison.

Brittany wiggled in her seat. “Can we have cupcakes now?”

“Pretty soon.” Shane pushed back his chair. “How about you ladies have a seat in the other room while Dad and I clean this up.”

Krista stood. “You guys will just dump it all on the counter in there. I’ll supervise the process.”

Gary winked. “She’s as big a boss as your mother.”

“I learned from the best,” she replied, picking up a pile of plates.

“Well, I’m not going to sit back and let all of you handle this. I’ll help too.” Melissa stood. She handed her daughter the basket of rolls. “Here, Brit, can you carry this to the kitchen and help Krista put them away?”

Mary stood. “I’m going to sit in the other room for a bit if all of you young people have this under control.”

Shane followed Krista. “Something’s not right.”

“She’s just tired, Shane. Calm down.”

His dad walked into the room, and Shane turned to him. “I can’t believe the doctor doesn’t have the results back yet.”

Gary ran a hand around the back of his neck. “I know. I’ll call his office tomorrow, but I don’t know if they’ll be in the day after the holiday and all.”

“You’d think Dr. Sullivan would realize how worried we are.”

“It could be something as simple as an iron deficiency or her thyroid; I’m sure it’s nothing more serious. If it was, he’d have called and had her come in right away. Dr. Sullivan won’t take chances.”

Shane walked back into the dining room and glanced through to the living room where his mother sat on the couch. Her feet were up on the stool and her head back with her eyes closed. His heart squeezed. He never saw his mother rest. Not unless she had the flu.
Could that be all this is?
A simple flu bug?

Brittany skipped into the room. “What else can I carry, Shane?”

“How ’bout this?” He handed her the almost empty bowl of dressing.

Melissa and Krista worked together assembly line style at the kitchen sink, one rinsing, one loading the dishwasher. Once everything in the kitchen was under control, he slipped through the sliding glass door to the back deck. It was warm for November, but he still should have grabbed his coat. Hopefully, the crisp air would clear his head. Between his worry about his mother and his growing need for Krista, he was having a hard time focusing.

When the back door opened, his heart skipped a beat thinking Krista was coming out to join him.

It sank just as quick when Melissa stepped through the opening.

Chapter Eight

Shane hadn’t had a one-on-one conversation with Melissa since their last date, and he wondered now if this was the moment she was going to call him out on it.

She wrapped a cape-like coat around her shoulders. “It was so nice of your mom to invite us. It was much better than sitting home alone just the two of us. I know Brittany had a lot more fun.”

“You’re not leaving already, are you? We haven’t had dessert.”

Melissa smiled. “No, Krista just put coffee on, but I thought I’d get some air. Seems like you had the same idea.”

“Yeah. A heavy meal like that means you take a nap or keep moving so you don’t fall asleep.” He watched her make her way across the deck in her heels.

“I think your mom is having a little nap.”

“You don’t know her, but this is not at all like her.”

“That’s what Krista said. I know you’re worried, but honestly, there’s nothing you can do by worrying. You’ll just have to wait for the test results and then handle whatever it is or isn’t.” She laid her hand on his forearm. “But I certainly understand the fear. If it were my parents, I’d be concerned as well.”

“Thanks.”

Her hand on his arm felt awkward, and he hoped she wasn’t going to make a move toward something more. Shane tucked his hands in his sweatshirt pocket.

She removed hers. “Hey, I thought maybe I should clear the air a bit.”

“Yeah?”

“I know we went out a few times and for whatever reason it wasn’t working. I just don’t want you to think it was you. I’m, um, not really in a place for anything right now. I thought I was, and I enjoyed our dinners, but honestly, for me, it’s not time for a relationship.”

Relief washed over him. “Well, I suspected that. I mean, that’s why I backed off.” Okay, that was a little white lie, but it wouldn’t hurt anyone to let her think that.

“It’s hard with Brittany, too. I don’t want her to get close to anyone who might not stay in our lives; you know what I mean?”

“I do. But here’s my thought on that. How about we all stay in your lives as friends,” he offered. “Then there’s no worries about that?”

Melissa smiled softly. “I think we’d both like that.” She turned to look out across the yard. “We had a house like this, with a big yard I mean. I think that’s one of the harder things when a marriage ends—losing your home.”

Shane shifted and shoved his hands deeper in his pockets. He wasn’t very good with the whole “cry on my shoulder” thing. Still, it must’ve been hard to have the rug pulled out from under you and have to start your life all over. Not sure what to say, he was relieved when she pushed away from the deck rail.

“I better go make sure Brittany isn’t getting too annoying.”

“I’m sure she’s not. Hey, will you do me a favor? Will you ask Krista to come out here? I need to talk to her, and I don’t want my folks listening.”

Melissa frowned. “You two are really worried about your mom, aren’t you?”

Actually, his reasons for wanting Krista alone had nothing to do with his mother’s health, but he grabbed onto her great excuse and hung his head a bit. “Yeah.”

Melissa laid her hand on his arm and squeezed. “I’m sure whatever it is she’ll be fine. She’s got terrific support behind her.”

Shane watched her go, for the first time not wondering why he couldn’t meet the right woman. He’d already met her; now he just had to figure out why
Krista
, and what to do about it.

The woman in question stepped out onto the deck, glad she’d grabbed her coat before coming outside. The deck was empty this time of year and the pool closed up. A few leaves dance across the wooden planks and she shivered as she crossed the enormous space.

“I never realize how big this deck is until it’s empty.”

Krista’s heart pounded. Shane turned toward her, but he wasn’t smiling. What had he talked about with Melissa? Did he decide he wanted to date the other woman after all? Who could blame him? Melissa was beautiful and smart, and, well, not the girl who annoyed him most of his life. She knew it had been a bad idea to sleep with Shane, so if he’d decided the same thing, why should she be upset? Her stomach heaved at the thought of going back to the way they were even if it was the smart thing to do.

“Coffee’s on,” she offered.

He lifted his eyebrow. “And I want coffee?”

She smiled. “You usually do.”

The light wind teased a strand of hair across her cheek. Shane reached out and brushed it off her face.

“How’s Mom doing?”

Krista missed his touch the minute his fingers left her face. “She’s okay. Brittany is chattering away to her, and she’s loving that as you can imagine. Melissa’s cutting the pies, so we should get in there.”