Captured In Ink (Art of Love Series) (4 page)

“Reesa is thirty-four,” Jillian said firmly, not willing to let herself be deterred from her questioning by yet another rough looking, smart-mouthed rogue.

She crossed her arms under her breasts and planted herself more firmly as she waited for Shane’s response. Though Joe approved of the unspoken agreement Jillian and he seemed to have made to ignore each other, he was finding it much harder to ignore her increased cleavage. What was he supposed to do? The woman was practically hoisting her breasts up the ladder to him with her arms crossed that way.

Shaking his head at his weakness for females, Joe forced his attention back to his task.

“My brother is thirty-four,” Shane said finally, when he realized Jillian was expecting some reply from him. “I’ve never dated an older woman—should be interesting.”

“Reesa doesn’t want to date you. In case you didn’t get the whole picture earlier, she has quite a lot going on in her life and it takes up ninety-nine percent of her time. You already had your share of the one percent that’s left,” Jillian told him.

“It wasn’t enough,” Shane said sincerely. “I want the whole one percent. And I get the challenges. I understand family can be complicated.”

“Maybe you do, and I’m not saying you don’t, but you can’t really blame her for thinking you wouldn’t get it. You don’t exactly look mature if you know what I mean. It might help everyone’s opinion of you if you shaved and got that hair of yours trimmed into something remotely resembling a style,” Jillian declared. “Zack looks more mature than you.”

Shane frowned and nodded. He didn’t think his appearance mattered to Reesa, but maybe it did. “Noted. I will shave and get a hair cut. Anything else?”

“You willing to lose the jewelry?” Jillian asked with a teasing grin.

“Only what Reesa doesn’t like,” Shane said, smiling wickedly. “Some it of sort of belongs to her now.”

“
STOP
—Sounds like too much information,” Jillian protested, holding up a hand as
best friend Joe
laughed from above her. “What the hell is it about Reesa Callahan? Would you tell me that? Every man she dates can’t get enough of that tiny woman.”

Shane thought about Jillian’s question, not liking the fact that there had been men who were serious about Reesa before him. He clamped down on his jealousy and told himself that being seven years older, it was only normal Reesa would have had seven more years of dating experience. He needed to make peace with that quickly.

“Is there anyone serious in her life now?” Shane asked, frowning.

“No, but it’s not my place to tell her story to you,” Jillian said, holding up one hand and shaking it as well as her head. “You just need to know that woman is good in every way. The last man did not deserve her. I’m not sure you do either.”

“Reesa is the one for me,” Shane said firmly, holding Jillian’s gaze.

“
The one for you?
You’re crazy. A single night can’t make that much difference. You don’t even really know her,” Jillian protested.

Since Joe felt the same, but hadn’t said as much, he stopped and looked down at Shane to see how he was handling the blatant criticism.

Shane calmly reached into his back pocket, pulled out the first drawing he ever made of Reesa, and handed it over to Jillian.

Jillian took the paper from Shane and unfolded it. On it was an upper body shot of Reesa, dressed in a super hero costume, her gaze direct, honest, and full of determination.

“I drew the picture the morning after we were together,” Shane said quietly.

Jillian sighed so loudly that it echoed off the side of the house. “Well, knock me over with feathers. This is perfect in so many ways I can’t even begin to tell you.”

Joe looked down at the picture and sighed himself. Larson was an enigma, but his art always told the truth about his feelings. Joe wasn’t ready to think about what he knew the picture meant or to wonder why Shane hadn’t shown it to him. It was rare that Shane didn’t share everything with him.

Jillian looked at the drawing reverently for several minutes. Sighing again, she finally held it out to Shane who took it back, folded it gently, and returned it to his pocket.

“All heroes and heroines have obstacles to overcome. They need a sidekick. I’m planning to be Reesa’s,” Shane told her.

“And here I thought I’d heard every line in the world
.
Damn, boy,” Jillian exclaimed, biting her lip. “Do me a favor and leave her alone today. Reesa needs to not worry about you sneaking up on her again. I need some time to convince her you’re not a child. Come back tomorrow.”

“I can do that,” Shane said. “I’m okay now that I know who she is and where I can find her. The last two weeks of not knowing were hell.”

Since that was partially her fault, Jillian didn’t comment as she turned around to leave.

“Jillian?” Shane called, smiling as her heels sank in the soft ground again. She looked at him frustrated. Shane worked not to laugh because he wanted Jillian to approve of him.

“Yeah?” she answered tersely. “Talk fast. I’m sinking here.”

“Reesa said I was good?” Shane asked with a grin.

Jillian laughed at his question but didn’t answer, just shook her head as she walked away. The man might not be very old, but Shane Larson certainly had his game on. And she would bet money that man-boy knew exactly how good he was too.

Jillian heard Shane laughing as she rounded the corner of the house, but didn’t catch what “best friend Joe” said that made him laugh even harder.

Happy to be on the solid surface of the driveway at last, Jillian quickly walked back to the front door, already practicing what she was going to say.

Chapter 3

It wasn’t pancake Saturday, but Shane still called everyone to meet him at Michael’s so he could talk to them all at the same time. He wanted to get his news out in the open so he’d have people to talk to when he needed help. In his mind, that was the definition of family.

“I found her. Her name is Teresa Callahan,” Shane announced, sipping coffee as he met the disbelieving stares of four of his closest family members. “I went to help Joe hang gutter. It turned out to be at Reesa’s house.”

Carrie got up from her chair at the table, walked to Shane, and hugged him hard while he laughed. “That’s the most incredibly romantic story I ever heard,” she declared. “And I can even tell you how I feel without crying all over you. This is such a great day.”

Stunned, Michael shook his head and drank his coffee. He was speechless—completely speechless. It was really hard to wrap his head around Shane somehow manifesting his mystery woman, though Michael knew he wouldn’t completely believe it was true until he saw her for himself. After all, it could just be one of Shane’s elaborate practical jokes.

Will sipped coffee while Jessica ran her foot up his leg under the table. They would still be in bed if Shane hadn’t called at seven asking them to meet him at Michael’s. He sighed heavily thinking of morning sex and cuddling with Jessica, but was glad to hear Shane was a step closer to settling down. Real woman or not, Shane imagining himself in love was better to Will than the amount of sleeping around his son had been doing.

“So where is she now, Shane? Why isn’t she here with you?” Will asked. He watched his youngest son quickly lower his gaze to his coffee cup, but not before Will caught a flash of something in his eyes.

Shane cleared his throat and prepared for the barrage of yelling coming his way over the next bit of news. He took a deep breath.

“Reesa is at home with her family, probably fixing breakfast for her four kids about now,” he stated as calmly as he could.

The absolute silence in the kitchen said more about the amount of shock they felt than any amount of yelling would have. Shane’s gaze slowly scanned their faces trying to gauge who was the most surprised before landing on his brother’s agitated expression. Trust Michael to be the volatile one, Shane thought, listening to his brother swearing under his breath.

“Run now before it’s too late, bro,” Michael said finally, wincing as Carrie walked over and smacked his arm hard. “Ouch—damn, woman. My brother thinks he’s in love with a woman who has
four
kids. I’m just saying what everyone else is thinking.”

“Sometimes you make me wonder what I’m doing with you,” Carrie told him, yanking on his pony tail as he glared. Good thing Michael had made that list of positive traits for her, she thought. She might have to head to the bathroom soon to read it.

“Shane, explain the situation please before I kill your brother,” Carrie demanded.

Shane laughed nervously, trying to diffuse the tension. “They’re not Reesa’s biological children, but they are her family. They’re her nieces and nephews, and she says she’s raising them. I don’t know the whole story yet, but I don’t have a problem with the kids. They’re pretty much teenagers, all but one. I met three of them. They seem okay.”

Will let out the big breath he’d been holding, hoping it didn’t sound too much like a long-suffering sigh. He’d leave the yelling to Shane’s mother, who might not feel the same level of acceptance for instant grandchildren as Will knew he would eventually. He loved kids in general. He would love whatever grandchildren his children brought to him.

That still didn’t mean he thought Shane had what it took to take on such responsibility before he was even thirty. Will had figured on having some fluffy twenty-two-year-old who was beautiful, but vague as a daughter-in-law. He had figured on having to pat her hand and dry her eyes occasionally over Shane’s bad behavior. A woman who took on four children to raise might actually be strong enough to deal with his youngest, but an instant family was not the greatest way to start a new relationship.

“Have you thought this through, Shane? Four children—that’s a lot for anyone to take on,” Will said quietly, sipping coffee without tasting it as he watched Shane tighten his mouth and lift his chin.

Okay. Evidently the decision was already made, Will realized, reading his youngest son’s body language. Four kids. Wow. He certainly hadn’t seen that one coming for Shane at all.

“I know four kids is a lot of responsibility, Dad,” Shane said, his tone very serious. “But when I was standing in their living room, I just knew I belonged there with them. Didn’t you ever just have a sense something was too right to turn your back on it no matter how challenging the situation?”

He smiled as his father turned to look at Jessica, and Michael turned to look at Carrie. At least the men in his family could understand his motivation, Shane concluded, even if they didn’t genuinely approve.

“I just have one immediate problem—and it’s not the kids,” Shane declared, looking between his father and brother, hoping to distract them from worry.

He lifted his coffee cup, bracing to deal with round two of the shocks he was delivering. “Reesa is Michael’s age, and she doesn’t want to date me. She’s thinks I’m too young, or at least that’s the impression I got from her best friend who grilled me. I’m going to have to talk her into getting to know me. She’s still determined to keep me out of her life.”

Michael snorted and grinned. “That’s not a real problem—hell, that’s a challenge. Have fun with that. Women fall all over you, bro. I’m sure you can handle getting the one you want to pay attention.”

Carrie rolled her eyes as she stroked Michael’s long hair. The man was incorrigible, but he was right about this one. Plus her instincts told her Shane would love with his whole heart, and what woman could resist that?

“If you’re even half as persuasive as your brother, she won’t be able to hold out for long,” Carrie said, laughing softly when her husband leaned into her neck with a kiss.

Shane returned the knowing grin Michael was giving him.

“Maybe her reluctance is not a sign of a lack of interest. This woman you care about might not have much time for dating, Shane,” Jessica said softly, deciding she had been silent long enough in this family debate. If she was going to be a member of this family, she needed to speak her mind when it was important. “It takes a lot of time and energy to care for one child. Four would keep anyone hopping.”

Shane nodded. “Yes, I can see how that would be true. Her friend said the kids took ninety-nine percent of Reesa’s time. I’ll have to figure that out as I go.”

“So when are you seeing her again?” Carrie asked, trying to focus on something positive.

“Tonight,” Shane said firmly. “Reesa doesn’t know it yet, but I’m showing up anyway. I plan to keep showing up until she gives me a chance.”

“Shane—I noticed you didn’t call your mother to this meeting. Don’t put off telling her for too long,” Will warned. “I believe she’s only imagined starting grandchildren from scratch. Teenagers are going to be a surprise for her.”

“I know,” Shane said, sighing. “I just want to wait a bit until I can spring my secret weapon on Mom. She won’t be able to be mad at me then.”

Michael laughed. “Secret weapon? You’re starting to sound like those novels you create, yet I’m stupidly fascinated anyway.”

“You should be. My secret weapon is three feet tall, blonde, and needs all the grandparent love she can get,” Shane said, fighting the urge to snicker at the melting looks on Carrie’s and Jessica’s faces. “She’s child number four in the group. Her name is Sara, and she’s only five.”