A Special Kind of Love (11 page)

Jasmine
ruffled Josh’s hair and kissed his cheek. Typical of a nine-year-old boy, Josh
wiped his cheek, blushing furiously.

“
Jeeze
, Mom, cut it out.”

Jasmine
laughed. “I’ve told you over and over, my son, I am your mother and I will kiss
you anytime I want too. I don’t care how old you are, or how
uncool
you think it is.”

She
crossed to the other side of the table and received a kiss from
Annebelle
.

Sharon
stifled a sigh.

I wonder if she knows how blessed
she is? I bet she takes their easy affection for granted. What I wouldn’t give
to be able to kiss my son in private, much less public. Suck it up. It is what
it is, and I am blessed too. I wouldn’t trade Aaron for anything or anyone in
the world.

Tanner
looked up and caught her eye at just that moment. The look that crossed his
face told her he understood what she was feeling.
Compassion,
but no pity.
He reached out and took her hand, giving her fingers a
squeeze. She smiled. It was so nice to have someone in her corner.

“Y’all
about finished eating?”
Jasmine asked. “I can’t wait to go see the fireworks.”

Everyone
responded in the affirmative, except Aaron. He stared at a spot in the center
of the table and tapped his fingers against his thumb, silently counting.
Tanner followed the direction of Sharon’s gaze. He squeezed her hand again,
rose from his seat and walked over to Aaron.

Tanner
squatted down next to Aaron’s chair and placed an arm along the back of the
chair, without touching her son’s shoulders, he spoke quietly to him. Sharon
couldn’t hear, but she saw Aaron nod. His restless hand movements stopped and
he looked up from the table into Tanner’s face. He smiled and nodded again at
whatever Tanner said.

Sharon
felt her breath catch at the sight.

Tanner
reached into his pocket and pulled out his ear plugs, handing them to Aaron he
looked up and locked gazes with Sharon. She mouthed
thank you,
and he nodded in reply
.

Tanner
stood and Aaron followed suit. Sharon stepped to them and was surprised when Tanner
made no move to put his arm around her or take her hand. He was withdrawing,
and she wasn’t going to allow it. She reached out and
thread
their fingers together.

“Fireworks!
Let’s go,” she said.

Chapter Five

The
fireworks were wonderful. The show lasted almost an hour, and Aaron had
oohed
and
ahhed
along with
everyone else.

But,
Tanner had been withdrawn after the altercation at the dance. He had been
polite and attentive to Aaron, but he was holding back from her. There were no
more accidental touches. No stolen kisses. And while he smiled with his lips,
the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

The
drive home was accomplished in strained silence. No holding hands over the
center console. No easy conversation. Tanner had turned on the radio, discouraging
conversation, and Sharon bided her time until they got home. There was no way
she was going to let some dumb rednecks ruin the connection she felt developing
between the two of them.

Aaron
had fallen asleep in the car on the way home, and thank goodness Tanner was too
much of a gentleman to just drop her in the driveway. She just knew that was
what he wanted to do.

He
offered to carry Aaron in to bed for her and she had secretly cheered her good
fortune. He wasn’t going to be able to make a speedy exit. Sharon opened the
door and followed the pair into the house. Moving ahead to open Aaron’s bedroom
door and turning down his covers. Tanner placed her son on the bed and she
trapped him in the room by standing in the doorway.

He
stopped in front of her, “Goodnight, Sharon,” he said in a low voice.

“I
don’t think so, Tanner. I’m not ready to say goodnight, yet.”

“This
isn’t the time or place to have this discussion. We’re going to wake up Aaron.”

“Then
come with me into the living room. You’re not going to leave until we talk
about this.”

Tanner
stared over her left shoulder and then closed his eyes and nodded stiffly.
“Okay.”

He
followed her into the living room. A table lamp was already lit, but it cast a
small circle of light, leaving the room cloaked in shadows. Tanner sat on the
edge of the couch, hands between his knees and head down.

“Why
do you want to do this, Sharon? There’s really nothing left to talk about. This
was a mistake. I should have known better. You have enough in your life to deal
with,
you don’t need me to complicate matters for
you.”

“Don’t
you think I should get a vote? Why do you get to decide what’s too much for me
to deal with?”

“You
said you came to Gaines for a chance at a new start in life.
A
place where Aaron could be accepted.
If you’re with me, you’ll just have
to deal with more prejudice. Tonight proved that.”

Sharon
walked over to him and knelt between his spread knees. She cupped his face in
both her hands and looked him straight in the eyes. “I know what I said, Tanner,
but I also know what I feel. Tonight did prove something to me, but not what
you think. The way you handled yourself tonight showed me what kind of man you
are, a good man. One I’d be proud to have in my life. It was stupid of me to
think that moving would change anything about how people see Aaron. Or make his
life any easier. Aaron and I are always going to have to deal with people’s
ignorance. Just like you and your family. I don’t know where this thing between
us is going, but I want to find out.”

She
leaned forward and kissed him, just a gentle brush of her lips against his, and
Tanner’s reserve collapsed. He crushed her in his arms, hauling her onto his
lap and devouring her mouth with fierce passion.

* * * *

She
and Tanner had talked on the phone every night since.
Wonderful
conversations, where they learned more about each other, and flirted
shamelessly.
They had a date tonight. She and Aaron would spend the day
with Tanner. First a riding lesson, then lunch and a trip to the fire station.
Then Aaron was going to a sleep over at
Kamani’s
house with Josh and
Annebelle
.

A
slight wave of trepidation struck her at the thought. She had to learn to trust
other people with her son. She liked
Kamani
and knew
she would be just great with Aaron. She shook her head, throwing off all
negative thoughts. It was going to be a wonderful day and she was going to
enjoy every minute of it.

Water
was running in the bathroom. Aaron was up, time to get
herself
moving too. Allowing herself one last stretch, she threw the covers aside and
hopped out of bed. There was a spring in her step as she headed to the bathroom
for her morning ablations.

Sharon
dressed carefully for the day. Not wanting to be overdressed, yet she wanted to
look nice. She wasn’t riding today, only watching, so she chose
capris
instead of jeans, deep purple, to look bright and
festive. She paired them with an off the shoulder peasant blouse, in a mix of
spring colors. A French braid in her hair, to keep it tamed, and a pair of slip
on mules completed her ensemble. No sandals when going around horses.

Sharon
entered the kitchen to find Aaron already dressed and ready, sitting at the
table and eating a bowl of cereal.

She
kissed his cheek, and he promptly wiped off her kiss with his hand.

“Good
morning, my darling.”

“Morning,”
he mumbled through a mouth full of cereal.

“Do
you have your bag packed for tonight?”

“Yes,
ma’am.”

“Did
you remember your toothbrush?”

“Duh.
Of course I did, and before you ask, I
packed my deodorant too. Pajamas, clothes for tomorrow, clean underwear, and
socks.”

She
ruffled his hair. “I know
,
I’m a pain in the butt.”

Aaron
continued to eat his cereal without answering.

Sharon
filled her coffee cup.
Than
k God for coffee pots with timers. She
made herself some toast and sat down at the table. No sooner than her butt hit
the chair than the doorbell rang. Tanner was picking them up, so they wouldn’t
have to deal with the hassle of two cars.

She
swung the door open wide, after checking the peephole. Some things a Chicago
girl just couldn’t get out of her system.

“Hi
there, handsome.
How are you this beautiful day?”

Tanner
caught her around the waist, pulling her in for a quick kiss. “I’m better now,
pretty lady,” he said with a wink.

The
butterflies in her stomach turned into dive bombers.
Damn the man can kiss
.

“Come
on in. We’re just finishing breakfast. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“You’re
an angel. We caught a brush fire last night, just before I got off shift and I
was stuck at the station filling out paperwork until after midnight. Coffee is
just the ticket to get my motor up and running. Although, you gave it a jump
start already,” he waggled his eyebrows and smirked.

She
linked arms with him and gave his shoulder a bump. “You’re such a devil.”

“Guilty
as charged,” he said.

Aaron
was putting his bowl in the dishwasher when they entered the kitchen. He turned.
“Hi, Tanner.”

“Hi,
little man. How are you
doin
’?”

Aaron
raised one eyebrow, then his features settled and he apparently decided to
ignore the question.

“I’m
all ready to go. I’ll go get my bag and we can leave,” he said.

“Go
ahead,” Sharon called after him, “but we’re going to have a cup of coffee
before we take off.”

They
could hear Aaron grumbling under his breath as he went to get his stuff.

Sharon
poured Tanner a cup of coffee and they sat down at the table. He sipped the
steaming brew and then reached across the table taking her hand in his.

“I’ve
been looking forward to today,” he said with a smile.

She
squeezed his fingers. “I have too.”

They
sat in companionable silence, sipping their coffee and letting their eyes do
the communicating.

Aaron
returned
,
duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

“Are
you done making goo
goo
eyes at each other? Can we go
now?”

Smothering
her
laughter
, Sharon arched an eyebrow at Tanner.

“Yes,
we can
go,
kiddo.” He picked up Sharon’s cup and
placed their cups in the sink. Sharon stood and he turned, threw his arm over
her shoulder and pecked her cheek.

“Let’s
hit it,” he said.

The
riding lesson was a huge success. Aaron finally got to gallop. He was so excited
he was practically vibrating in his seat as they ate grilled cheese sandwiches
and tomato soup at the Blue Moon Café.

“Thank
you, Tanner. That was so awesome. I can’t wait to go again. When can we go
again? Can I gallop in the field, instead of just the arena? Mom, can I get a
horse?”

Tanner
laughed out loud and Sharon choked on her soda. “Umm, I think getting a horse
will have to wait for a while, baby. We don’t have anywhere to keep a horse. He
wouldn’t be happy roaming around the backyard.”

Aaron
got a pensive look on his face and then said, “We could keep it at the RNR or
at Tanner’s house.”

Before
Sharon could voice her objections, Tanner spoke up. “Those are both good
options, for some time in the future, Aaron. But a horse is a lot of responsibility
and expense. Why don’t you slow down a little? I’ll take you riding as much as
I can, and you are always welcome to ride my horses. As long as I’m with you,”
he thankfully tacked on. “In answer to your other questions, we can go riding
again on Sunday, and no you can’t gallop outside the arena. You need a lot more
practice before you’re ready for that.”