The Fountain of Infinite Wishes (Dare River Book 5) (28 page)

Being professional was so important to her. She prided herself on it, and why shouldn’t she? She’d worked hard for all she had.
 

“Shelby—”

“Oh, be quiet, you infernal man,” she ground out. “I’m trying to comfort you.”

The funny thing was, he actually did feel better. His chest wasn’t as tight, and his throat had eased up some. Since she was getting all riled up, he decided to shut up and enjoy the feel of her hands soothing his temples. Her heart beat strong and sure under him, and he finally sighed.

“There,” she said, twining her arms around him. “That’s better.”

They stayed that way for a long while, and when he glanced at the clock, he rose onto an elbow over her. Her long brown hair was flowing over her shoulders, and her eyes were wet at the creases.

“Were you crying for me?” he asked, astounded.

“I was crying for you and me and all of us,” she said. “We deserved to have our daddys. I don’t know why we didn’t, and we sure as heck can’t change the past, but it’s still sucky, if you ask me.”

He loved how she used the word sucky instead of shitty and a whole host of other phrases. “I’m falling completely under your spell,” he said in a deep voice. “I think I’m in love with you.”

“Oh, me too,” she said, caressing his jaw. “Vander, I…I want to be with you. I’ve…decided.”

He felt the punch of her statement all the way to his toes. He knew what that meant.
 

“Are you going to say the words?” he asked, aware of how she lowered her eyes to break their gaze.

“I thought it might be too soon. Oh, good heavens, I need to sit up. I can’t breathe.”

He rearranged them on the couch and watched as she sucked in air, her hand pressed to her brow.

“You don’t have to make love with me, Shelby,” he said. “I’m not pressuring you.”

Her eyes shot to his. “I said I wanted to, didn’t I? And I know you’re not pressuring me. Thank you for that. Maybe I want to. All right?”

When she started to feel like she was coming undone, as she liked to say, she always stoked up her internal fire. He’d paid attention. “I’m glad you want to. I want to too. So, let me understand. You aren’t going to say the words just yet?” He could feel a slow smile cross his face.

The look she gave him was coupled with a head shake that would have put the fear of God in some. Not him.

“Oh, you’re an odious man,” she said, shoving him away from her on the couch.

He clasped her to him. “I told you I’m falling in love with you too.”

She stilled in his arms. Her gaze latched on to his. “Well, I’m not falling. I
am
in love with you.”

“Leave it to you to quibble over the right way to say it.” He bit his lip to keep from smiling.

She glared at him. “
Why
I love you, I couldn’t tell you. Part of me wants to talk myself out of it. Say it’s too soon. Say I’m just making excuses to get naked with you.”

He didn’t dare laugh. “But it’s not that simple, is it?”

“We should go,” she said, trying to pull away.

He brought her to his chest. “I thought it was too soon too, but I promised myself I wouldn’t be blind to how I feel. Shelby, I love you. I love pretty much everything about you, from the way you say ‘oh poo’ to how brave you are. But mostly, I love how big your heart is and how you keep throwing coins into Gail’s fountain and wishing for things.” He still didn’t believe in wishes, but he liked that she did.

She reared back, her eyes wide and sparkly. “You really mean it? You’re not still in the falling-for stage?”

“Would I say something like all that without meaning it?” he asked.

She studied his face before shaking her head. “No, you wouldn’t. You always tell the truth. I love you too.”

“I know,” he said, cupping her cheek. “You wouldn’t have decided to make love with me if you’d felt otherwise.”

Her chest rose with a huge breath again. “I’m a little nervous about it all. I…don’t have much experience. I
want
to please you.”

He kissed her gently on the lips. “You don’t need to worry about that. We’re going to be incredible together. Can’t you feel it?”

That made her smile. “Wait a minute. You said you
pretty much
love everything about me. What don’t you love?”

“Are you kidding me?” he asked, laughing. “It’s a turn of phrase, Shelby.” But he knew she liked to turn phrases until they couldn’t turn anymore. She was Southern like that.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked, poking him in the ribs.

“I’m sure,” he said, tugging her off the couch. “Of course you would tell me you love me and want to make love with me right before we leave to meet your family.”

Her grin was pure mischief. “Gives you some incentive to get through this evening, doesn’t it?”

“You had a strategy?” He shook his head. “How could I not love you when you think like that?”

“Stick with me, honey,” she said, smoothing her dress down her body like it was a meditation. “You’re going to learn even more ways you love me.”

He gulped. “For a woman without a lot of experience, you sure as hell know how to bring me to my knees.”

She waggled her brows. “There’s a lot of ways to learn things. There’s book learning, and then there’s actual experience. I might be a little heavy on the former, but I plan to change all that. Can you take off work tomorrow?”

He thought through his schedule. His calendar pretty much boasted back-to-back meetings with clients. Would it be irresponsible to cancel everything? He could call in sick. Hah. No one would believe that, least of all Charlie. “Sure. Why not?”

“Really?” Her grin sailed across her face. “Great, I’ll call Gail and tell her I’m taking the day off too.”

“Have you told Gail about us yet?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No. I wanted to…”

“Give it a little more time,” he finished for her. “You might want to tell her this week. There’s something I need to share too. Gail has been jokingly coming on to me for years. I’ve never thought she was serious, or I wouldn’t have continued a professional relationship with her.”

“Coming on to you, huh?” Shelby said, sauntering over to him. “Well, she certainly talks about what a man you are. I’m glad you said something.” She ran her hands up his chest and twined her arms around his neck.

“We really need to go, Shelby,” he uttered in a deep voice, visions of them tangled up in the sheets later tonight playing in Technicolor in his head.

“I know,” she said. “I’m prepared, by the way.”

“What does that mean?” he asked.

She flushed. “I bought a selection of condoms.”

He bit his lip to keep from laughing. “A selection, huh?”

Her fist punched him in the gut. “Do you have any idea how many choices there are? I had no idea what you liked. I mean, seriously! There are as many choices of condoms as there are types of yogurt. I had no idea!”

“Yogurt,” he managed, but he couldn’t keep a straight face. “Oh, Shelby, you’re so funny sometimes.”

“Don’t you dare make fun of me,” she said, giving him another playful swat. “I thought everyone in the drugstore was looking at me, judging me. Vander, I’ve made an appointment with my doctor, but it takes—”

“Time,” he answered, holding her in place when she tried to push away from him. “I’m clean, by the way.”

“I thought you would be,” she said, “but thanks for telling me before I asked. I haven’t been with anyone since college. I suppose you should know there was only one guy, and his attention waned pretty soon after we’d… With him, I never felt like I was…oh, heavens, this is embarrassing…eager to do it every time. I’m rather hoping I feel that way with you.”

Since she was beet red to the roots of her hair, he took his time kissing her softly until she relaxed against him. “I don’t think we’re going to have any trouble in that department. Shelby, you can trust me to make it hot for you.”

She shivered all over. “Oh, I like hearing you promise that. Now, we’d really better go. I’d call and say we got caught up, but Mama will be on me like a swarm of angry bees. She’s determined to meet you and make sure you’re not a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

“The sooner we get there, the sooner we can come back here,” he told her.
 

“Just promise…” she said, taking his hand.
 

“What?”

“That you won’t change your mind about wanting to be with me after meeting Mama. I’m afraid she’s going to put you through the wringer. You just…stand your ground and tell her the truth. Mama believes in church-going and community, but I think she’ll respect your beliefs. She’s generally open-minded.”

Except where it concerned her children. He’d seen it a thousand times with clients. They treated the rest of the world differently than they treated their families. He had a feeling Louisa was going to be the same.

“I won’t change my mind about you, Shelby,” he said. “I can’t imagine not wanting to be with you. That’s how I knew I loved you. I’ve never…longed for anyone’s company like I do for yours.” And no one else had ever lessened his grief about his father. Not even Charlie.

“I long for you too,” she said in a hushed voice, her brown eyes shining. “I’m glad we found each other, Vander.”

“Me too.”

Chapter 25

Shelby felt like she was coming out of her skin in the best way ever as Vander drove them out to Jake and Susannah’s house. He loved her. He really did! And he’d opened up even more about his daddy. Her heart felt like a wine skin ready to burst.
 

Oh, she couldn’t wait to be with him tonight. It was going to be delicious.

They just needed to get through the next couple of hours.

When they arrived, Rory and Annabelle were waiting for them in the driveway. Annabelle looked pretty as a peach in a purple dress decorated with ice cream cones. Rory was riding a bright blue bike.

“Hi!” Annabelle said, running over. Shelby realized there was a butterfly catcher clutched in her small hand. “Are you Shelby’s boyfriend? Folks have been talking about you. I’m Annabelle. I’m six. I’m going to be in first grade when we go back to school.”

“Good to meet you, Annabelle. I’m Vander.” He crouched down and smiled. “Catch any butterflies yet?”

She held out the catcher. “I think it’s broken. Every time I get one inside, it manages to sneak back out. Uncle Rye said he’ll help me later, but he’s keeping an eye on Aunt Tory. She’s working too hard even though she doesn’t live here. Uncle Rye says no woman about ready to have a baby should cook. What do you think?”

Vander’s lips twitched. “I think your Uncle Rye is a smart man,” he said.

“He’s the smartest,” Rory said, jumping off his bike and propping it up with the kickstand. “Except for our daddy. He’s pretty smart too. Uncle Rye said you must be pretty smart yourself to get Aunt Shelby to give you the time of day.”

Vander grabbed Shelby’s hand as he stood, and both of them burst out laughing. “Yes, she is pretty particular about who she spends her time with,” he finally said.

“Women are supposed to be particular,” Annabelle informed him, shaking her catcher dangerously in his direction. “That’s what makes us special. Aunt Amelia says that all the time.”

“I can’t wait to meet your Aunt Amelia,” Vander said. “Sounds like she and your Aunt Shelby are two peas in a pod.”

“There are more than two peas in a pod,” Annabelle told Vander seriously. “Mama is growing some in our garden out back. There’s like a whole bunch of peas in one pod.”

His lips twitched. “You’re absolutely right.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Are you humoring me because you’re Aunt Shelby’s boyfriend?”

“Annabelle!” Shelby said, giving her a look. “Of course he isn’t.”

“I tend to call a spade a spade,” Vander answered. “Seems you do the same.”

“I do,” she told him seriously. “Uncle Rye says it stops trouble from breaking out.”

Vander cleared his throat, and Shelby had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

“Uncle Rye said you did some work for him and that he likes you,” Rory said. “That means you’re okay by me.”

“Me too!” the little girl agreed.

“Come on, Annabelle,” Rory said. “Best let them head on inside.”

“We’ll see you later,” the little girl said, running off with her catcher, slashing it through the air.

“Those butterflies had better watch out,” Vander said under his breath.

“Indeed,” Shelby said as they went inside. “She’s a handful. Tammy was in an abusive relationship before coming to Dare River with Rye. The kids act older than their age.”

“I saw a newspaper article about the concert Rye threw to raise money for domestic violence,” Vander said as they walked toward the kitchen, where Shelby knew they’d find some people. “I recall mention of his sister.”

“Yes,” she said, reaching for his hand when they were a foot outside the kitchen. “I’m so glad she and J.P. found each other. Now, are you ready?”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” Vander assured her. “I’m good with people, and I can handle myself.”