Where She Belongs (10 page)

B
rett hummed along with the classic country western station he'd found on his XM car radio. It wasn't his typical music, but he was familiar with the oldies. Listening to Willy Nelson croon about the woman who was always on his mind eased the drive into last-century farm culture.

He'd told Amy she owed him big time for the sacrifice he was making—taking a day away from the office to romance a woman he would have ignored under any other circumstances. Not that Shelby wasn't attractive. Only that she had committed the unpardonable transgression of having children.

The stakes were high enough, though, that he planned to romance the kids too. Right under Shelby's cute little nose.

Amy considered his scheme to be a colossal waste of time. To her vindictive little mind, an attorney should have been bought, the lawsuit filed, and the judge distracted by her sleek legs. But Brett didn't want to give up on his plan yet. He wasn't going to admit it to his sister, but he enjoyed his phone conversations with Shelby. He'd quickly learned that shallow chitchat bored her, and she could discuss a wide range of topics with warmth and intelligence. And unlike the tiresome Tracie, who wasn't nearly as irresistible as he let her believe, Shelby had no hidden agenda, played no games.

That was another reason he was anxious to see her. When he finally reached her late Thursday evening, the night of that big storm, he detected something different in her voice. She said it had been a long day and that she was just tired. He could understand that. He'd be nuts spending a whole day shut in a house with two rambunctious rug rats.

When they talked yesterday, she sounded more like herself. But if she had something on her mind, he wanted to know about it.

He had considered driving down over the weekend, but he couldn't take a chance that AJ would drive by and see his car parked at Shelby's house. But yesterday he'd found out that AJ had taken off on one of his frequent summertime camping trips.

Good riddance.

As he pulled into Shelby's drive, his pulse quickened like it did before investment strategy sessions. Today's venture promised its own special appeal.

He parked at the side of the house in the graveled loop behind Shelby's Camry. Such a huge place. At least ten rooms, not counting the bathrooms. Maybe she was exhausted from all the work she'd been doing.

And he hadn't done anything to help. Why would he? After all, his plan was for her to vacate the property. The sooner, the better.

Yet it might not hurt for him to do something. He surveyed the graveled drive. Unaware of their relationship, she'd told Brett about AJ's unwelcome gesture. Only his idiotic cousin would try to win a woman's heart with gravel. But then AJ didn't have the benefit of Brett's calculated expertise. Otherwise, AJ would never have let that college co-ed ruin his relationship with Sully. Brett sure hadn't.

Wonder whatever happened to her
.

Shrugging away the thought, he gathered the flowers from the passenger seat. A bouquet of pink tulips for Shelby and two bud vases, each holding three pink-tipped carnations, for her girls. He paused by the steps leading up to the patio to consider if he should go around to the front door.

Before he could decide, the kitchen screen door opened, and Shelby greeted him with a warm hello. Surprise and delight mingled in her eyes. She looked adorable in cutoff shorts and a paint-splattered T-shirt.

Cute
wasn't his usual style, but maybe it should be.

“Look at you,” he said as he climbed the patio steps. “You look lovely.”

“I look a mess.”

“Not to me.” He held out the bouquet. “For you.”

She blushed slightly as she accepted the flowers and inhaled their fragrance. “Why didn't you tell me you were coming?”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“That you did.”

The screen door opened again. The younger girl practically tumbled out of the house while the older one never took her eyes off him as she walked to Shelby's side.

“Hello, ladies,” he said, flashing his most charming smile and holding out the vases. “I brought you flowers.”

“Just like Mommy?” Tabby oohed and aahed as she gripped the vase in both hands. “Wow!”

He grinned at her delight. “You're Tabby, right?”

“Uh-huh. I this many.” She clutched the vase to her chest with one hand and held up three fingers on the other.

“I never would have guessed.” He turned to the older girl and knelt to her level. “You must be Elizabeth. This one's for you.”

“Thank you.” She took the vase, smiling slightly, then buried her nose in the carnations.

“Girls, this is Mr. Brett. He's the nice man who sent us the basket of goodies when we first moved in. Remember?”

“We liked the basket,” said Tabby. “I ate all the pwetzels.”

“I'm glad.” He stood and smiled at Shelby. “Looks like you're busy painting.”

“Yes and no. We were working on a little craft project, that's all.”

“Good, because I have another surprise for you.” He pulled four
movie tickets from his pocket. “The new Pixar movie is showing in town. I thought we could go.”

Even Elizabeth's eyes lit up as he dangled the tickets in front of them. Shelby opened her mouth in protest, but he pretended he didn't notice.

“Who wants to see the movie?” he asked energetically.

The girls' eager cheers made him laugh.

“Brett.” Shelby pulled at his sleeve. “You should have talked to me about this first.”

He immediately looked contrite. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, of course not. It's just that . . .” She looked at her daughters' uplifted faces, their expressions wavering between hope and disappointment. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I cleared my calendar to do this.”

“What if we hadn't been home?”

“I took a chance.” He ran his finger lightly down her arm. “It's just a movie. Not a date.”

She smiled at that, just as he knew she would.

“Come on, it'll be fun. Right, ladies?” He appealed to the girls, confident Shelby couldn't resist their pleas. He was right.

She glanced at her clothes then at the girls in their shorts and tees. “We need to change.”

“You've got time.”

“Do you want to come in? Get something to drink while you wait?”

“I'll just stay out here. Count the cars that go by.”

“We won't be long.” She herded the girls inside, oblivious to what a pair of gorgeous legs clad in cutoff shorts could do to a man.

When the kitchen door shut behind her, he sauntered to his car. So far everything had gone as planned. A movie was the perfect outing. He'd be spending time with the girls without needing to interact much with them. And even at a kids' movie, sharing a bucket of popcorn with Shelby could be fun.

If all went well today, she'd say yes the next time he asked her
out. Too bad Friday night's charity event was too soon. Could be fun showing her off to the guys. But for now he needed to keep her off-balance.

He grinned, pleased with himself and with the world. He almost didn't care if Amy turned out to be right. Shelby might not fall hard enough for him to give up her land. But he planned to enjoy every minute of the chase. Should he win, the victory would be that much sweeter.

Meanwhile, Tracie still had four or five more weeks before he let her go. If he could stand her pouty lips and cloying voice that long. As predictable as her predecessors, she now arrived to the office late, left early, and took long lunch hours. It seemed more of her clothes appeared in his closet with each passing day as she obviously planned to become a permanent resident. He'd let her believe that for now. It was part of the game. No wonder he was already bored with her.

In a couple of weeks, he'd place an ad for a new receptionist. Same merry-go-round, different painted filly.

Dismissing Tracie with a shake of his head, he propped himself against the bumper of his car and scrolled through the email on his phone. A few minutes later, Shelby and her girls came out of the house clothed in pastel sundresses and sandals. Both children wore their dark hair in a single braid tied with matching ribbons. Shelby's chestnut hair was swept off her neck and held in place with a silver clasp.

Brett wolf-whistled, and Shelby's blushed cheeks reddened even more.

She dangled a set of keys. “Do you mind if I drive? Tabby still uses a car seat, and it's already strapped in.”

He glanced at his Lexus, disconcerted by the unexpected request. He didn't like the idea of riding shotgun. But a car seat? In his car? Not happening.

“I suppose we could follow you.” She shooed the girls toward her Camry.

“No, that's all right. I'll come with you.” He jogged to her side. “I'm just not used to not driving.”

She admonished him with a steely look, softened by a delicate smile. “I didn't know you were so old-fashioned.”

“I'm not old-fashioned.”

“Then get in.” She pointed to the passenger side. “Over there.”

His head screamed
no
, but his feet listened to Shelby. He climbed in, muttering, “I can't believe I'm doing this.”

“What did you say?” She fastened her seat belt and drove toward the road.

“You're the old-fashioned one, not me.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Stay-at-home mom. Craft projects. This is the twenty-first century, you know. Women in the real world have careers, goals.”

“The
real
world?” she said, her voice quiet but firm. “Believe me, Brett, if my life is some kind of fantasy, I would be imagining something different.”

Her soft rebuke stung like a slap. Heat rose up his neck, and he stared out the window. The rhythmic click of the turn signal filled the silence between them. The road was clear, but Shelby didn't turn out of her driveway.

“Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.” She still spoke quietly, almost as if apologizing.

He twisted to take a quick glance at the girls, but they didn't seem to be paying attention to what was going on in the front seat. Elizabeth turned the pages of a book, and Tabby clutched a worn pale pink blanket. “They'll be disappointed.”

“I'll still take them to the movie.”

But
without him
.

The unspoken words hung in the air.

When had he lost control? The answer smacked him upside the head, it was so obvious. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

“I'm . . . sorry. That was an insensitive thing to say.”

“Apology accepted.” She didn't pull onto the road.

He mentally ran through his usual lines, but nothing fit. How could he have been so stupid? He studied her profile, surprisingly intrigued by the delicate curve of her ear and the fine line of her jaw. Dark sunglasses, resting on the curve of her cheek, hid her eyes.

Something stirred deep within him, tender heart-stirring feelings he'd buried long ago beneath unspeakable pain.

Resisting the overwhelming urge to reach for her hand, he cleared his throat. “May I accompany you to the movie?”

“Why?” She pushed the sunglasses into her hair, glanced into the backseat at the girls, then faced him. “Why do you, of all people, want to go to a children's movie?”

“Because I want to spend time with you.” He met her gaze, unafraid of the truth she'd see in his eyes. “I wanted to meet them.” He tilted his head toward the girls.

She seemed to weigh his words before she responded, her voice still low. “Every choice I make, everything I do, I do for
them
.”

“Of course you do.” He gave an exaggerated sigh then an apologetic smile. “And I can ride in the passenger seat without acting like a brat.”

The smile worked. She smiled too, then adjusted her sunglasses, checked the road, and made her turn. He sat back, relaxing as best he could when he wasn't in the driver's seat, and replayed the strange conversation. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he'd learned a couple of things.

First, Shelby had a backbone. And for his plan to work, he'd better not forget it.

Second, he'd meant what he said about wanting to spend time with her. He just hadn't realized it until a few minutes ago.

After the movie, they returned to the house, and Shelby gave Brett a quick tour of the downstairs renovations.

“What about up there?” he asked, propping his arm on the banister post.

“I'm saving that for autumn. It's too hot to work up there now, and the second air-conditioning unit still needs to be installed.”

“Sounds expensive.”

“I suppose.”

“It's a big house for three people.”

“I know. But it's my house, and I love it.”

He was right, though. There were four rooms downstairs, plus a bathroom and the kitchen. Beyond the kitchen was the back room, used for laundry and storage. A tiny room at the rear of it had once stored coal. A rickety set of enclosed stairs led to two small rooms that hadn't been used for decades.