Captured In Ink (Art of Love Series) (7 page)

“You’re pretty fierce for a princess,” Shane said, smiling. “I thought princesses spent all their time shopping for shoes and getting their hair done. You’re certainly not like any princess I’ve ever known.”

“That’s because I’m ‘pecial,” Sara said, putting her hands on her hips.

Shane grinned and thought the pint size pixie looked very much like Reesa had earlier with hands on hips. You had to love the female spirit—and Shane certainly did.

“No. Brian is
‘pecial
. You’re just little,” Zack informed Sara, fielding a hard arm punch from his brother, who had evidently decided to join the living again, and a fierce leg tackle from his tiny sister.

“
I am too ‘pecial. I am a princess
,” Sara yelled.

Shane put two fingers in his mouth and whistled until it echoed off the walls of the kitchen and everyone clamped their hands over their ears.

He smiled happily at the sudden silence that descended.

“Pizza is getting cold while you guys fight. Eat now. Save some for me and your aunt,” Shane ordered.

Shane watched as Reesa took a bag of popcorn from the microwave and divided it onto four plates which she passed out to them. She put another bag of popcorn into the microwave as the kids filed from the kitchen, their plates heaped with food.

“Pick a movie. It’s Brian’s turn to choose—but no horror movies,” Reesa ordered. “Sara hasn’t slept in her own bed in weeks.”

When they were all in the living room and he heard the TV on, Shane sat back down at the kitchen table. “The kids are great.”

Reesa nodded. “Yes they are.”

“So are you over your fiancée—I mean, ex-fiancée?” Shane corrected, watching her take a bag of fresh popcorn from the microwave and put a handful on each of their plates. “Not that I wouldn’t still try to change your mind, even though he has a nicer car than me.”

Reesa grinned at Shane. “I wasn’t dating Brent because he had a nice car.”

“Couldn’t you have left me to my shallow illusions?” Shane asked, watching her carefully heaping popcorn on the edges of their plates. “I can buy a new car. I’m not sure I’m ever going to look that polished.”

Reesa laughed, really laughed as she studied Shane’s long legs stretched out under the dining table and his massive shoulders and chest completely filling out the shirt he wore. She smiled at him and he sat up straighter in the chair.

“I like the way you look, and it was pretty much over between Brent and me when I moved out of his condo and into my sister’s house to take care of the kids,” Reesa said. “Ever hear of Jackson Lansing?”

Shane nodded. “Sure. Who hasn’t in Lexington? He was a UK basketball player who got drafted to play for the Celtics after college. My brother Michael is a huge sports fan. Wasn’t he also one of the assistant coaches here?”

Reesa nodded. “Yes. He and my sister, April, were both just twenty when Zack was born, but they were the best parents ever, even at that age. Jillian is Zack’s sister, and she I were best friends in high school. They met because April used to drop me off at their house. All our lives were meshed together as tightly as any two families could be. I miss them both terribly. Jillian does too.”

Shane watched her move through her cooking tasks, admiring her efficiency and her grace. Popcorn and pizza, who would have thought such a combination would even taste good? But then who would have thought he and Reesa would be such a perfect fit? Good thing he loved surprises and that he had an open mind about how his life was supposed to be.

“Reesa—I’m really sorry you lost your sister and brother-in-law. There’s never anything adequate to say in sympathy,” Shane said, watching her nod and carry their plates to the table.

“I appreciate it anyway,” Reesa said softly. “Sometimes sympathy is all that gets me by.”

Shane couldn’t tear his gaze from her as she put a piece of pizza with everything on it on each of their plates, then put another giant piece on his. When he caught himself studying her short nails and ringless hands, he wondered when he was going to stop memorizing every detail of everything about her.

“Well, I’m still just a casual observer at this point, but you seem to have given the kids a pretty good replacement foundation. They’re crazy about you,” Shane told her sincerely.

“Crazy, huh? Is that your professional opinion, Dr. Larson?” Reesa asked, sliding a plate to him, along with a napkin.

Shane shook his head, snorting at his poor choice of words. “Let me rephrase—I hear love and respect in the way they call you
Aunt Teresa
. You’re doing something right, honey.”

“I don’t know what’s right. I lost my sister, my fiancée, and control of my life all in one day,” Reesa said quietly, picking up some popcorn and tossing it in her mouth. “I have no choice but to be here. They need each other. They fight, but they need each other. And they need me because I’m willing to take all of them—keep them together like it was meant to be. It’s not just what April and Jackson would have wanted. It’s what’s right.”

“Anyone would admire you for making that choice,” Shane told her, reaching out and picking up her free hand in one of his. “I really would like to get to know you better. That’s not just a line, Reesa. I know how to deliver lines. I’m not using any on you about this.”

Reesa decided she was safer not commenting. She knew all too well how good Shane was at delivering lines, and she could tell he was being honest with her. That was what worried her.

“If Brent could only hear how serious and adult you sound, he’d know how wrong he was about judging the Shane Larson book by its cover. How in the world did you convince all the kids to go along with pretending we were dating?”

Shane chewed a bite of pizza and wondered what he could say to her that wouldn’t rat out the kid’s scheme to get rid of Brentwood Addison. He was saved from answering by the only one that hadn’t been an original instigator.

Brian appeared in the doorway and looked at them sitting at the table talking and eating. “You guys coming to watch the movie with us or what?”

“What movie?” Reesa asked.

“Don’t worry. I let
Princess Sara
pick for me,” Brian said sarcastically. “Can we take the rest of the pizza to the living room?”

“Sure. Why not?” Reesa said, standing and closing the boxes. “Keep it on the coffee table.”

“Are you dating Shane, Aunt Teresa?” Brian asked, looking at Shane, and then at his aunt.

Brian looked so hopeful that Reesa stopped what she was doing to stare at him in surprise. She brought her gaze to Shane, thought of his mouth on hers a couple weeks ago, thought of maybe having it on hers again.

Then she moved her gaze to her half-empty plate of food and thought of maybe not having to go to a club to pick up a guy next month because Shane wanted to date her. She could just sleep with him again. It was both convenient and appealing. The trick would be to not get too used to him.

“Yes,” Reesa said cautiously, answering Brian at last. “I guess you could say Shane and I are officially dating.”

Shane swallowed a bite of pizza and had trouble choking it down past his relief at hearing her say the words. Both Reesa and Brian looked at him as he cleared his throat. “This is really good. I think I like having popcorn with pizza. Can we make another bag?”

Reesa nodded. She picked the pizza up and put the boxes into Brian’s arms, smiling when he walked out with them.

She put another bag of popcorn in the microwave and watched it pop for a couple moments before turning back to Shane.

“The counselor told me to let Brian have his privacy and to not push him, but then he goes into his room and doesn’t come out much,” Reesa said, her throat tight. “Sometimes at night I hear him in there crying, but he won’t let me comfort him. So I stand outside the door and wait.”

“Brian seems mostly okay to me,” Shane said carefully, trying to find words to tell Reesa her patience with the boy was the best thing she could do. “In my studies, I learned that grieving takes time and every person handles it differently. Brian seems pretty level in most ways. I’m betting he’ll find his way out of the shadows soon. How old is he?

“Twelve,” Reesa answered.

“That age was hard for me too. My parents started fighting more. I think it was when I first realized they weren’t happy together in the way married people are supposed to be,” Shane told her.

“Do you really have a degree from Johns Hopkins?” Reesa asked, using her napkin to wipe her misty eyes.

“Most of one,” Shane said easily, his gaze serious on hers. “I have to defend my dissertation in December, but I don’t expect any problems. Over half of it has already been published. I’ve been told I’m a prodigy.”

“
A prodigy?
” Reesa declared, laughing. “Good for you, I guess. I’ve seen enough head doctors in the last six months to last me a lifetime, Dr. Larson. God help us all when you decide to hang up a shingle. You’ll end up scaring your patients into doing what is good for them.”

“Hey,” Shane said, slightly offended. “I would be a good doctor if I decided to see clients, but I’m going into research instead. I’m currently writing a book about the effect of divorce on families and how people cope.”

“You certainly don’t
look
like a doctor,” Reesa said on a laugh. “You look like a sexy biker from hell which I seem to be into right now for some strange reason.”

“Keep it up and I’m going to tell Sara you called me an ugly name,” Shane threatened, grinning about the sexy part. The feeling was certainly mutual.

Reesa laughed and moved ahead of Shane leaving the kitchen.

Following Reesa to the living room reminded him of the night he had walked out of the club with her. Walking behind her let him watch the alluring swing of hips in her tight jeans. Shane found himself making a mental list of all the things he was going to do with Reesa when he got her alone again.

In the living room, Reesa took a chair that was way too large for her and had to fold her legs up under her to sit comfortably in it. One day he would pull her into his lap, Shane thought, but for now he happily dropped to the floor at her feet.

As he ate his popcorn and pizza, he savored the unique sensation of feeling like he was in the right place at just the right time.

***

When the movie ended a couple hours later, Shane got up to leave.

Brian and Chelsea had already said good-night and gone to their rooms. Zack had picked up the pizza boxes and carried them to the kitchen, saying good-night before he left too. Sara had fallen asleep on the couch before the movie was half over and was still snoring softly. Shane grinned at the princess sleeping peacefully for once.

“Can I carry her to bed for you?” he asked, thinking Sara really was too big for Reesa to carry.

“No,” Reesa said, retrieving a cover from a basket under an end table. “I’ve learned to just let her sleep where she lands. She usually wakes up around two or three from bad dreams, and then comes to my bed to sleep the rest of the night with me.”

“Well, I guess I’ll say good-night then,” Shane said, not really wanting to go, but not really feeling like he could stay either.

“Come on. I’ll walk you out,” Reesa told him.

Shane walked out the door into the chill October air. “You’ll get cold out here without a jacket.”

Reesa reached out and took his hand in hers. “I’ll get in the car with you for a couple minutes so we can talk.”

Surprised, but pleased, Shane tightened his grip and walked with her. At the car, he let go of her hand to unlock it and opened the door for her before walking around to the driver’s side. He slid his large body into the seat and saw her gaze was on him, taking in every inch as he fit himself in the car.

“That was some long look. See anything you liked while you were undressing me with your eyes?” Shane teased because she was making him anxious again with her assessing stare.

In fact, Shane decided he was far more nervous sitting in the car with Reesa tonight than he had been driving her to his home for sex two weeks ago. The woman definitely had him on edge now, probably because he had no idea where he stood with her despite what she told Brian about them dating.

“I see a lot I like when I look at you,” Reesa said quietly, pulling her gaze away from him at last. “I liked you two weeks ago. I like you better now. You somehow in a single night made me forget a man I lived with for more than a year. I was intending to marry Brent, but now I don’t want him anymore. I’m still not sure how I feel about that.”

“Are you expecting me to apologize for something I’m not the least bit sorry about doing. Were you really in love with that dweeb?” Shane asked, because it needed to be asked even though he didn’t want to know the answer if it was yes.

But he did need to know what was going on with her.

“I certainly thought I was for a long time,” Reesa said honestly. “When April died, I fell apart and Brent didn’t know what to do with the pieces. We had a huge fight when I told him I was moving in to take care of the kids. Two months ago, Jillian was on a date and saw him on one. After that I finally gave up thinking he might come to accept my new life and decided to move on as well. You know the rest of the story.”