Smitten (28 page)
Willow nodded shyly. “You said you run that etiquette school too?”
“Yes, I do.”
“I was signed up for one in Boston. It would have started at the end of this month.”
“Well, I don’t know why you couldn’t come to mine instead.”
Willow’s gaze shot up. “Really?” She looked hopefully toward her dad, but Nick said nothing.
“Sign-up is right now for the next class,” Shelby said, trying to nudge Nick into giving his approval.
Still nothing.
“And with your dad so graciously letting me use his building for my classes, we’ll be right there on his property.
So you’d just walk across the yard to go to class. Oh, and of course, your class sessions would be free.”
“Could I go, Dad?” Willow practically whispered.
Nick frowned at Shelby. What was the deal?
“Willow, I was hoping for some chocolate-covered cherries.”
He pulled out his wallet and gave her a ten-dollar bill. “Would you mind getting some for us while I talk to Shelby for a minute?”
Taking the money, Willow headed inside the store.
“Well, good to see you, Nick,” Shelby said, hoping to make a quick getaway. She turned to go.
“Oh no, you don’t,” he said, grabbing her arm.
“What?”
“Shouldn’t you have asked me first?”
“I’m sorry about that. We’ve never talked about it, Nick, but I don’t have a great relationship with my dad. I was hoping maybe I could help you with Willow. Give you some pointers on what might have helped me when I was a kid.”
“You could have done that without the school thing.”
“The school thing? What do you mean?”
“I don’t want to fill her mind with all that mumbo-jumbo high-society stuff.”
“It has nothing to do with ‘high society,’ but everything to do with behaving like a lady. In another year she may not want to take those classes. Don’t you want your daughter to learn some manners?”
“No offense, Shelby, but you don’t have any kids of your own. I’d appreciate it if you’d let me handle this.”
“Wow. Okay. So that’s a no, then, on the free classes?”
“Yes, that’s a no.”
Just then Willow stepped out of the candy store and looked at them both.
“Shelby, we’ll see you on Saturday,” Nick said. He grabbed Willow’s hand and practically pulled her away with him while Shelby looked on, utterly confused.
Saturday morning Shelby watched as Nick checked each cable around her things in his truck bed for the umpteenth time. She could have had everything in the building and completely settled by now, but he had to check and recheck. If there were an award for safety observance, Nick would win it hands down.
At least he didn’t seem miffed with her anymore, and for that she was grateful. But he hadn’t changed his mind either, and she was hoping she’d get a chance to talk him into letting Willow take her classes after all. She just hadn’t figured out how.
When they arrived at Nick’s place, Nick had another guy there to help him unload the truck. Willow joined Shelby, and they carried in the chairs while the guys hauled the tables.
Once the tables were in their places, chairs crowded around them, blackboard hung, and dishware stacked on shelves, everything was ready to go—or should have been. But as Shelby looked everything over, she couldn’t get over the institutional look of it all. It would never do. She couldn’t wallpaper or paint, but she could add things that she could take with her once she moved out.
Nick’s cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open. “Hello?”
Shelby moved a couple of files into her desk drawer.
“Today?”
The urgency in his voice made Shelby look up. Nick was rubbing his neck as though it ached.
“Give us time to get packed and on our way. Okay, see you later.” He snapped his phone closed.
“You okay?” Shelby asked.
He sighed. “Yeah. I have to go back to Boston to settle some affairs for Camilla—on behalf of Willow.”
“You’re leaving today?”
“Depends on how long it takes me to get ready. At the very latest, tomorrow morning.”
“Do I have to go, Dad?” Willow asked.
“Don’t you want to see your grandma and grandpa?”
She shook her head slightly, as though she didn’t want to be disrespectful.
“Well, you can’t stay here by yourself.”
“She can stay with me.” The words were out of Shelby’s mouth before she could stop them.
Willow brightened. Nick frowned.
“I’d love to have her, Nick. She can help me get this room ready for the students—if she’s game?” Shelby smiled at the young girl.
“Can I, Dad? Please?”
Nick waited, clearly weighing the situation on all sides. “I guess it’s all right,” he said finally. “If you’re sure, Shelby. I’ll be gone for several days.”
“That’s fine. It will be fun.”
He scratched the stubble on his chin, and Shelby gave an involuntary shiver. Oh, how she’d love to get her hands on a razor right about now.
“All right, then. I guess it’s settled,” he said, though there was still hesitation in his voice.
“How did you like going to the church here?” Shelby asked Willow as they walked to the car in the church parking lot.
“I like it better than the one in Boston. We stayed in with the adults there. It was boring.”
“Did you like the youth pastor?”
“Yeah. He’s cool.”
Shelby smiled. “I’m glad.” They settled in the car. “So how does Parmesan chicken with asparagus sound?” Shelby placed her key in the ignition and turned to Willow, who said nothing.
They locked eyes.
“Pizza?”
Willow gave a vigorous nod.
Shelby laughed. “Okay, pizza it is.”
After lunch Shelby and Willow went back to Shelby’s house. Willow sat in the living room and flipped channels on the TV while Shelby worked at her sewing machine in a corner of the room—a temporary work space until her dining room repairs were finished.
“What do you think of this?” She held up a peasant-style dress in vibrant colors of gold, pink, and cream, complete with short puffy sleeves and a gathered skirt below an empire waist.
Willow’s eyes widened. “Oh, I love it.” She jumped up from the sofa and came over to inspect it. “You know what would look cool is if you made some ruffled leggings to go with it.”
“I like the way you think,” Shelby said.
“There’s a boutique in Boston that sells clothes like this.
Mom used to buy them for me and for her friend’s daughter.”
A shadow crossed her face.
Shelby put her hand on Willow’s arm. “I’m sorry, Willow.
I know you must miss her very much.”
Willow nodded.
“Do you sew?”
“A little,” Willow said. “I took lessons from a lady in town.”
“Really? A wonderful experience for someone your age,”
Shelby said. “Do you think you could make some headbands for me if I show you how? They’ll basically be a band with a big flower.”
“I’d love to.”
“Well, it just so happens I have a spare sewing machine.”
The two of them spent the afternoon sewing and talking together. By the time they were done, Willow had completed her first headband.
“What do you think?”
It was a black band with a thick black-and-white ruffled flower attached.
“Oh my goodness, I love it, Willow! You did an amazing job,” Shelby said as she looked it over. “We may have to go into business together.”
The look of pleasure on Willow’s face touched Shelby’s heart. “I’m cold. How about we get some hot chocolate and sit in front of the fireplace?”
Willow’s face brightened. “Yeah.”
Once the hot chocolate was ready, Shelby loaded Willow’s cup with miniature marshmallows and sprinkled a couple in her own. Then they went into the living room to sit in front of the fire.
“I wonder how Dad’s getting along,” Willow said before taking a sip from her mug.
“I’m sure he’s fine. Do you mind terribly staying here?”
“No, no,” Willow said. “I’m having fun. It’s just that . . .”
Her voice trailed.
The girl had already lost one parent, Shelby realized; she was bound to worry when the other one wasn’t around.
“I’m sure he’s fine. He’ll be home on Tuesday.”
Willow nodded and took another drink.
“I know you haven’t spent a lot of time with him, but you’re lucky to have a dad like him, you know?”
Willow was silent for a moment. “Does your dad live in town?”
“It’s funny you should ask. I’m not sure
where
my dad lives.
He moves around a lot.”
Willow looked down at the floor. “It seems like dads are never around when you need them.”
Shelby’s heart squeezed. “Sometimes they can’t help it.”
“Sometimes they can.”
Shelby couldn’t argue with that. One glance at Willow, and Shelby’s heart determined all the more to make things work for that little girl and her father. They would not have the same type of relationship Shelby had with her dad.
She would see to it.
S
helby had just poured her morning tea when the phone rang. She glanced at Willow, who sat on the sofa watching television.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Shelby. This is Nick. I hate to do this to you, but Camilla’s attorney has a family emergency today and can’t see me until tomorrow to go over Willow’s trust fund. Could she stay with you until Wednesday?”
“Absolutely. We’re having a great time together.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Shelby turned to Willow. “Honey, your dad is on the phone.”
Willow got up and took the phone from Shelby. “Hi, Dad.”
Shelby carried her cup of tea into the kitchen to give them some privacy. She couldn’t hear what Willow was saying, but she treasured the sweet little voice that wafted into the kitchen. Her own daughter would have been Willow’s age.
Oh, she didn’t know for sure she had carried a daughter, but she’d always imagined she had a girl. The doctor didn’t say one way or the other, and she had been afraid to ask.
How many times had she thought of her precious baby over the years? The precious baby that her father had ordered her to have removed from her body.
It’s like a wisdom tooth, Shelby. Might not bother you now, but it’ll cause you trouble later on. Best to take care of things while you can
.
She could still see her mother’s tears, hear her pleading with her dad. But he would have none of it. Said he would not pay for her mistake. She had to “remove” the baby or he would kick her out of the house . . . and she had nowhere else to go.
The truth was, she and her mother had feared her dad.
He had never hurt them, but sometimes he acted as though he would, and his words did as much damage as any fist she could imagine. Her love and respect for him had died that day, along with her child. Had the Lord not made a difference in her life, she would have walked away from him and never looked back.