The Fountain of Infinite Wishes (Dare River Book 5) (26 page)

“You can talk to me anytime, y’all,” Amelia Ann said, pouring everyone sweet tea. “I hope you know that.”

“You can talk to me too,” said a familiar voice from behind them.

Sadie turned, her belly looping into sail knots. “Mama.”

“Yes,
Mama
,” she said with narrowed eyes. “Y’all have been ducking me, and I can’t see as I understand why.”

Amelia Ann cleared her throat. “I’ll just go deliver this sweet tea.”

Frankly, Shelby couldn’t blame her. In the face of Mama’s glower, she was speechless.

“Shelby is dating someone new,” Sadie blurted out, “and we didn’t want to raise everyone’s hopes she’s finally getting hitched.” Had that really popped out of her mouth?

Her sister glared at her.

“Is that all?” Mama asked, shaking her head. “Shelby, is this man anything to be ashamed of?”

Her sister shook her head fiercely. “No, Mama.”

“Then why in the world would you think I wouldn’t be happy for you?” Mama said, walking over to her sister and putting her hands on her shoulders. “Are you feeling a mite tempted by him?”

Oh, Good Lord, Mama was going
there
.

“Mama!” Shelby gasped, blushing to her roots.

“Honey,” Mama said, “when a new man comes into your life, especially one you care about a lot, there’s always temptation. You know how I feel about things, but you’re a grown woman. It’s up to you to decide what’s best for you. I hope you know I would never judge you for your choice. I’m always here to listen or share my insights with you.”

Sadie was sure her eyes were as wide as quarters. This was the kind of embarrassing chat that made her cringe from the thought of finding someone special. And it kind of ticked her off some too. Would Mama have said the same thing to J.P.?

“Thank you, Mama,” Shelby said, clearing her throat.

“So, when are we going to meet this man?” Mama asked. “If you set so much store by him, I surely will too.”

“Ah… As I was telling Amelia Ann, it’s early yet. We haven’t…talked about meeting each other’s families.”

Mama patted her on the back. “Well, yours is important to you. I hope your man knows that.”

Oh, he knew. Mama had no idea how much.

“What is his name, Shelby?”
 

“Vander, Mama,” she said, clearing her throat again.

“Vander, huh.” She shook her head. “An interesting name.”

“He’s named after the school,” Shelby shot out. “It’s a family thing.”

“Are his people here?” Mama asked.

“They used to be,” Shelby said. “His daddy died when he was a boy, and then his mama moved them back East. We haven’t much talked beyond that.”

“Well, you can tell a lot about a man from the way he treats his family,” Mama said. “Too bad about his daddy. You have him come to Sunday dinner next week so we can all meet him.”

“I don’t know, Mama,” Shelby said, her shoulders slumping.

“I won’t take no for an answer,” Mama said. “You bring him by and let us get a good look at him. I don’t want either of you girls to get taken advantage of.”

Sadie was sure her mouth opened a touch. She remembered Mama saying things like that when they were growing up. The full reason hadn’t hit her until now. Mama didn’t want them to make the same mistakes she had. This was her way of talking around it like she always did.

“You mean like you did with Daddy?” Sadie asked softly.

Her mama turned her full attention toward her. “Yes, and that’s all we’ll speak about it. You just need to trust me on this, girls.”

Sadie felt herself wither like a flower in the first frost. Her eyes tracked to Shelby. There was a stricken look on her sister’s face, and she had her hand on her heart.

Mama patted Shelby on the back. “I look forward to meeting your man, honey.”

Then she walked out of the kitchen.

Sadie could feel tears well up in her eyes, and Shelby wrapped her up in a hug.

“I’m sorry,” Sadie whispered. “That just popped out of my mouth.”

“No, I’m glad,” Shelby said, holding her tight. “I was paralyzed.”

“We can never tell her what we did,” Sadie said, fighting the powerful urge to let those tears loose.

“I know,” her sister said. “There’s no question now.”

Chapter 23

“You’ve got a spring in your step these days,” Charlie said to Vander as he stopped by her office to say goodnight for the evening.

Like usual, his best friend and top detective was eating at her desk with her shoes off. “Do you ever go home?”

“You’re one to talk,” Charlie said, kicking her bare feet up on her desk. “Until recently, you were all work, work, work. Now you’re running off at… What time is it? Just before seven o’clock. Wait. I think hell might have frozen over. I take it things are going great with Shelby.”

Things were going more than great. He was a little freaked out by how much he thought of her when they weren’t together, by how much he enjoyed being with her, and yes, by how early he’d been leaving the office to see more of her. “Yes. I need to run.”

“That’s
all
you’re going to say?” Charlie asked, swinging her legs to the floor and standing. “Dammit, Vander! We’ve known each other for a long time now. You’ve
never
acted this way over a woman.”

She wasn’t wrong. “I don’t want to discuss this, Charlie. Shelby and I are seeing each other and having a good time. I’m trying not to think about anything else.”

“Oh, come on, Vander,” Charlie said. “Who are you kidding? Shelby’s mom is a preacher, and her siblings are some of the nicest, most down-to-earth people we’ve come across. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill girl to have fun with.”

It was like Charlie was reading his mind. He’d seen Shelby every day since their first racetrack date, and they still hadn’t slept together. “I know. Shelby’s…” He broke off, not sure what the hell to say. Special? “I don’t like it when you talk like a girl. It freaks me out.”

“I don’t
like
talking like a girl with you either,” Charlie said. “I’m really talking as your friend. You’re being abnormally close-mouthed about this situation, Vander, and it’s not like you.”

“What do you want me to say?” he asked. “Do I know Shelby is the settle-down type? Yes! Do I get a little queasy thinking about that? Yes.”

Charlie sat on the edge of her desk. “I know we both had shit happen to us when we were growing up that makes us run like rabbits at the thought of marriage.”

“Who’s talking about marriage? Jesus, Charlie, we’ve only been going out for less than a week.” Of course, they’d been spending practically every free moment together.

She rolled her eyes. “Vander, you’re a man who knows what he wants. I’ve never known time to be a factor in your decision making.”

Shit. She knew him too well.
 

“You need some help,” Charlie went on. “Maybe if I find someone I want to leave work for early, you’ll be the one to help talk it out. I… Vander, do you ever think about growing old?”

He started at that. “Not really.” But that wasn’t entirely true. He’d thought about it a little this year, thanks in no small part to that damn nightmare about his dad.
What are you going to do with the rest of your life, son?
Thank God, he hadn’t had it in weeks. Shelby was filling his dreamtime now.

“Well, I do,” Charlie said. “I suppose it’s because of what happened to me. I…when I was a kid, there were days when I wanted to die. I…shit…this is heavy. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to grow old, you know, like gray-haired-old-lady old. The more years I rack up, the more I wonder if I’ll get there. But if I do, I’d rather not do it alone. Don’t get me wrong—I like being on my own. I’m just not sure I’d like being alone
and
old. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

He walked forward and put his hands on her shoulders. “I promise you can sit in a rocking chair beside me on a front porch when we’re old and gray. We’ll read the newspaper and listen to the police scanner and look for clues. Maybe we can change the company name to the Geriatric Crime Busters.”

She smiled at him, a soft one for her. Though he rarely saw her like this, his tough, no-nonsense friend was like everyone else beneath it all. Human.

“I’d like that,” Charlie said. “Thanks for not laughing at me.”

He rubbed her shoulder. “I’d never laugh at you.”

“I know that, and I’m also trusting you not to get pissed at what I’m about to say.” She took a deep breath. “Usually as we get closer to August 30th, I have to start walking on egg shells around you…and worrying about you working too late, eating enough, and sleeping more than a few hours a night. I don’t feel that way this year. You’re…lighter somehow.”

It was her way of crediting Shelby for the change, and he couldn’t disagree. “I’ve noticed it too. Do you really worry about me eating and sleeping? Charlie, that’s pretty fucking weird.”

“I know it is,” she said with a smile, giving him a hard shove toward the door. “Girl talk is over.”

“Thank God,” he said, resting his hand on the doorframe. “Don’t work too late, Charlie. Sometimes I worry about you too.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she said and turned back to her computer, ignoring him.

As he drove to Shelby’s house, he couldn’t help but think about what Charlie had said. Did he need to think more about the future? Is that why his dad kept rising up in his subconscious mind?

He was content on his own—like Charlie had said. He’d created a successful business, made a name for himself. He was well respected and knew interesting people. Like Gail. That thought made him smile. He wondered if Shelby had mentioned they were dating yet. What would Gail think of that after chasing him all these years? Surely she wouldn’t be jealous? She wouldn’t go off the deep end about it and hurt Shelby, would she?
 

Shit. He was in crazy deep if he was worrying about that.

Somehow he didn’t mind at all.

When he finally knocked on her door, and she answered, the light from the fading sun seemed to cast her in a magical glow. His throat got thick as she smiled and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him sweetly on the lips. She smelled delicious, and her curvy body was so soft against him. His heart started thudding in his chest.

“Hi,” she said, her lips an inch from his mouth.

“Hi,” he said in a hoarse voice.

“You all right?” she asked, putting a hand to his forehead. “Tough day?”

It hadn’t been. He’d closed a few cases. Made some clients happy. Work wasn’t making his stomach do flip-flops. That was all Shelby and the epic effect she was having on his life. “I’m fine. Happy to see you.”

“I’m happy to see you too,” she all but purred, making him rock hard in an instant. “Do you want to come inside for a bit? Our reservation isn’t until eight, right?”

“Right,” he said, considering the wisdom of being alone with her right now. This was the first time he’d ever dated a woman who wouldn’t put out. He wasn’t a dog, but most of the women he’d dated didn’t have the kind of internal struggle Shelby seemed to have with him. She wanted him and was honest about that. But when it came to sex, she wanted to be in a committed, loving relationship. He couldn’t fault her that. In fact, he respected her decision.

Didn’t make him less horny, though. It also didn’t make him less eager to be with her, even if he was aching by the end of each evening.

“Well, come on in,” she said, grabbing his hand. “I’ll pour you some of my sweet tea.”

“Shelby, I hate sweet tea.”

She turned around as he was closing the front door. “But that’s sacrilege!”

He laughed. “Sacrilege? You forget. I wasn’t primarily raised here.”
 

In fact, he hadn’t had run across sweet tea for eight years while in Boston. After moving back to Nashville, he’d ordered some iced tea at a pizza hangout, and the taste had given him a horrible coughing fit. It had brought back a memory he’d somehow lost along the way. Vander’s mother had forbidden him to drink sweet tea when he was a kid, claiming it had too much sugar, but his daddy used to sneak him sips from his glass at suppertime. He couldn’t drink it to this day without feeling angry at his mother, so he avoided it.

“But you’ve lived here long enough,” she said, cocking her brow. “Vander, I’m not so sure about you now.”

“That’s all right,” he said, taking off his suit jacket due to the sudden heat raining through his body from the memories. “There are things I like I’m sure you don’t.”

“Like what?” she asked, wandering into the kitchen, her curvy body distracting him from his dark thoughts. He let himself look his fill.

“I guess we’ll find out in time.” He followed her and put his arms around her from behind. “You always smell so good. You feel even better.”

She sighed and let herself soften against him. “I feel the same way about you.” Her phone rang. “Let me make sure that isn’t Gail. She actually bought antique cannonballs from some moron of an antique dealer. She’s been looking for gunpowder. I told her she can’t fire actual cannonballs from her cannon. Of course, she wants me to look into whether there’s a permit or something we can apply for. My duties often extend beyond straight accounting with her.”