A Child's Heart (Trent & Cassie's Story) A River City Novel (3 page)

Sweet, probing kisses caused her to close her eyes,
as she was drawn to him by the magnificent sensation that streamed
through her body. Her hands found his shoulders, as his arms locked
her into his embrace. Her hips swayed against the soft bulge in his
pants. His hand on the small of her back pulled her tight to him.
The room vanished. All that was left, were two bodies pressed
together.

His tongue danced with hers as her pelvis rode his
hardening length. Her breasts burned. She clawed at the fabric
covering his shoulders. It was primal and she lost herself in the
ancient ritual. Heat flowed through her until it peaked, causing a
groan to escape her throat. Her lips unlocked from his, and she
buried her face into his chest. The course material was permeated
with the pungent smell of perspiration and oil. Inhaling deeply, it
was nauseating, exciting, and very masculine. Reality hit, sending
a jolt through her system. She let go of him and turned away. “I’m
so sorry. I can’t believe I just did that.”

His hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back
to him. “I’m not sure exactly what happened, but it was terrific."
His breath flowed over her face as he spoke. "I should be
apologizing to you. I've never spontaneously kissed someone
before.” His voice was deep and raspy. “I’ve heard it said that you
can tell a lot from a first kiss, and that was one hell of a first
kiss.”

“I’m so embarrassed.”

“Why? It was awesome.” He pulled her tight to his
body.

Her gaze locked with his as his lips once again
touched hers. Her knees weakened and her body trembled. Wanting to
flee, she found herself riveted in place. His tongue found hers.
Heat coursed through her as the room began to swim. A gray cloud
enveloped her until there was nothing.

***

“Hi, welcome back. Feeling any better?” Trent
asked.

Cassie looked up at the man kneeling beside her.
“What happened?”

“You fainted. I was about to call 9-1-1. You’ve been
out for a few minutes.” She started to sit up, but he gently pushed
her back down. “You’re not going anywhere. Take a couple of deep
breaths.”

“I’m fine.”

He ran a finger across her cheek as he stared into
her crystal blue pools. “You remind me of a china doll, perfectly
beautiful.”

“Please, let me get up.”

“Slowly.” He offered her his hand.

Making her sit at the kitchen table, he brought her
the glass of iced tea and then pulled out a chair across from her.
As he sat, a grin split his face and erupted into a chuckle. “I’ve
kissed many a woman in my life, but I’ve never had that effect on
one.”

“I’m sorry, I have no idea what came over me.”

“There you go apologizing again for something that
requires none.”

“I’ve never been that lost in a kiss, and I’ve never
fainted before in my life. No, that’s not right, I fainted one time
after I gave blood when I was still in college.”

“Gave blood on an empty stomach?”

“Probably.”

“Bet you’ve got a empty stomach now.”

She shook her head, as if trying to clear it. “Maybe.
I ate a banana at some point today.”

“That’s it?”

“Ah, I think so. I skipped breakfast and drank a pot
of coffee at work.”

“You’re not leaving here until you’ve eaten something
nutritious and filling.” He opened the refrigerator, put a generous
helping of pot roast in a bowl, and stuck it in the microwave. When
the microwave beeped, he handed her the bowl and a fork. “I’ll be
right back.”

Her taste buds savored the delicious beef and
potatoes. She devoured it with lightning speed. It had been years
since she had a home-cooked meal. Memories of her family flooded
her mind: the beautiful, old, stone house on the outskirts of
Boston, her mom and dad, Emily Zoot making dinner for the family,
and several noisy brothers teasing her. Now she was sitting in
Trent’s tiny kitchen, scraping the bowl with her fork to get every
precious drop of gravy.

“Looks like you’re ready for a piece of apple
pie.”

“It was delicious, but I’m not sure I have room for
pie.” She gazed at Trent, now freshly showered and wearing a tee
shirt and jeans. Her heart sighed.

“Make room.”

Her heart had plenty of room for him, but she wasn’t
sure her stomach could handle more.

~~3~~

The happy sounds of Shawn coming through the front
door caused Trent to look over his shoulder. “I’m in the kitchen,
and you have a visitor.”

“Look what Grandmom found for me!”

Trent watched his son dig in the bag and pull out a
terry robe.

“It’s just like yours. See! And…” Shawn deposited the
robe on the table and began to search through the bag. He stopped
digging and looked up at Cassie. “Hi. Are you my visitor?”

“Yes. I brought you something, but it can wait until
you’ve shown your dad all your purchases.”

Shawn looked up at his father, and dashed off.

“It’s his medicine. He hates taking it because he’s
concerned he’s going to have an accident.”

Cassie nodded. “I’m sure at his age, that would be
embarrassing.”

“He wears pull-ups at night because he sleeps so
soundly, and I’ve offered him incontinence pads for the day, but he
says he’s not a girl.”

“He’s four. What does he know about that?”

Trent shrugged. “I talk to him. We spend a lot of
time talking about life. Guess he knows more than most boys his
age, but most kids his age haven’t been through what he’s been
through.”

A middle-aged woman walked into the kitchen. “Hello.
I’m Robin Callahan.”

“Hi, Mrs. Callahan. I’m Cassie Jones. Pleased to meet
you.”

Shawn returned and smiled at Cassie. “This is the
lady who gave us the tickets to the Dino Tread. I told you that
Daddy and I think she’s really pretty.”

Cassie glimpsed at Trent, who was blushing and then
held her arms out to Shawn. “Thank you. And I happen to think you
are as handsome as your daddy.” She pulled the tentative little boy
into her lap and opened the bag he was holding. “What else do you
have in here?”

Shawn showed off the rest of the evening’s purchases
and, when he was done, Cassie pointed to the books on the counter.
“For you.”

He slipped off her lap. Excited, he flipped through
the coloring book of various woodland creatures, then started to
look through the book on dinosaurs.

“That’s an amazing book,” Robin said. “I’m sure it
will challenge his reading skills.”

“He reads?” Cassie looked at Robin as if the woman
had suddenly grown a third eye.

“Oh, yes. I taught him. We didn’t want him vegetating
in front of the TV, so I found some books on teaching children to
read. It wasn’t difficult.”

Shawn brought his book over to the table where the
adults were sitting. “Want to hear me read?”

“I’d love to hear you read.” Cassie listened to the
small boy stumble his way through a long passage. He sounded out
several words, and she corrected him twice as he muddled through
it. “I’m shocked!” She ruffled his blonde hair. “And so proud of
you.”

She gazed at Trent. “There are other books I can give
him. I thought he’d look at the pictures in this one. I had no idea
he could read so well. This is way too advanced for him.”

“He needs something to keep him occupied, and this
will do quite well. I take him to the library twice a week,” Robin
said.

“Please bring him to the museum one day and have him
choose a few books from our gift shop. My treat.”

They chatted for a few minutes, and when Trent
mentioned it was time for Shawn to take his bath and get ready for
bed, Cassie attempted to excuse herself.

“Please stay. It’ll only take a few minutes for me to
get him tucked in. After that, we can spend some time
together.”

“Oh, I don’t mean to impose--”

“Nonsense. I’ve enjoyed your company.”

Cassie watched Trent as he left the kitchen. He was
average in height, slender and sinewy, with a cute butt. She felt
the heat flowing over her cheeks and tried to smile at his mom.
“He’s a wonderful father.”

“He’s always been there for Shawn. It’s been tough.
At least his boss is good about giving him time off. It’s harder
for me. I’ve already put in for my vacation time this June, and I’m
still not sure I’ll get it.”

“What do you do?”

“I work at the hospital, in admissions. You’d think
they would understand.” The woman shook her head and pressed her
lips together.

Cassie winced. “How long will Shawn be there?”

“We don’t know. Two, maybe three weeks this time.
He’s going to have special therapy afterwards. If we’re lucky,
he’ll come home sooner, and then we’ll have to take him there
daily.”

“Will this surgery fix the problem?”

“We hope. If it doesn’t, he doesn’t have many
options. The biggest problem is surviving the surgery. That’s why
this new technique is so important. It will not only cut the
surgical time down, but it will be easier on him, because it’s less
invasive than traditional open heart surgery.”

Cassie watched the woman’s eyes fill with tears.

“We don’t want to lose him.” Robin grabbed a napkin
and blotted her eyes.

Cassie reached over and touched the woman’s arm. “I
can’t imagine being in your shoes, but I understand. He’s
precious.”

They chatted for a few more minutes about less
important things, until Trent reappeared.

“He’s in bed. He’s also not about to forget your
offer of another book.” Trent pulled out a kitchen chair and sat.
“Want more iced tea?”

“No thanks. I’ve had plenty. I - I probably should be
going. I've taken up too much of your time.”

“Not at all." He grinned. "Would you care to take a
walk? I can’t offer much to you.”

“A walk sounds nice.” She smiled back. “In fact, it
would be perfect.”

They stepped out the kitchen door, and into the
backyard, landscaped with rosebushes. Trent offered her his hand.
“I’d like to take you someplace more exciting than on a walk around
our neighborhood.”

“A walk is fine. I don’t need to be entertained. I
tend to live a quiet life. I work and I sleep. I’m so in need of a
vacation.”

“I know what you mean. I’ve been trying to sneak a
few extra days in with Shawn. I can’t afford to do very much.”

They walked around the house to the sidewalk in the
front. That's when a thought sprang into Cassie's mind. “Has Shawn
ever been to the beach?”

Trent shook his head.

“I have an idea. I hope you don’t think it’s too
forward of me. I keep telling myself I want to run away to a remote
island and sip pina coladas all day, but I’d be more than willing
to settle for a vacation at a nearby beach. Would you come with me
and bring Shawn? We could drive down on a Friday night and come
home late on Sunday. It would give him two days at the beach.”

“I can’t afford it.”

“I’m not asking you to pay for anything. It would be
my treat. I’ll get a hotel room with two beds. You can sleep with
your son. I’m certain it’s only a few dollars more, and I need the
break. Shawn can play on the beach, and I’ll get a much needed
vacation.” She looked at the small houses all lined up in rows. It
seemed as if each one was competing for best yard.

“That’s very kind of you, but I can’t accept such an
offer.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t have you pay for us to stay at the beach
with you, and I can’t afford it.”

“Trent, please. Allow me to do
this. It’s not much, but I think we’d all enjoy it. Shawn is
adorable, and I’d like to see him have a little fun, before he goes
to the hospital.”
Say yes!

***

He stopped and turned to her. How could he ever
explain his feelings, especially to someone like her? “Shawn is my
life. You’ve been very generous towards us, but I can’t--”

“Swallow your pride, Trent, and allow me to do this.
You have a precocious little boy who needs to have some special
time with his daddy. I need a break, and if we do it together,
it’ll be fun. Do you really think I want to spend hours on the
beach with no one to talk to the entire time? We'll do it as
friends.”

Friends?
“It’s still an imposition.”

“No, it’s not. Just say yes.”

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, but when her
lips touched his, he knew his answer was yes.

***

“Tate, where’s the nearest nicest beach?” Cassie
asked.

“Oh, that’s a tough question. There are several.
Why?”

Cassie explained the situation.

“I know exactly who to ask. Dallas Nixon’s in-laws
live at the beach. I’ll call them and I’ll call you back.”

Cassie thanked her friend and returned to her problem
at hand, a dozen mummified remains. She had over a hundred
impressionistic paintings arriving as the dinosaurs left, and no
way to tie the two exhibits together. Lost in thought, the ring of
her phone made her jump.

She steadied her momentarily frazzled nerves and took
a deep breath as she picked up the phone. “Dr. Jones speaking. How
may I help you?”

“You ordered the ancient Egyptian mummy and artifact
collection?”

“Actually, my predecessor did.”

“I’d like to apologize. The other half of your
shipment went to California. We’ve tracked down where they are, and
you should have them by the middle of next week.”

“Thanks. Ah, what exactly is still coming to me?” She
listened to the man and breathed a sigh of relief. “Can you fax
that to me?”

“Certainly. It’s not King Tut, but it is still an
exciting collection.”

“Excellent. And we’ll have the exhibit until July
31?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for calling. I was very concerned about
showcasing what I had received thus far. I’m relieved to know there
is more.”