J Saint - Collateral Damage

Each month the MetroSouthern magazine held a gathering for people featured in the current issue and Angie had been nagging her to go since Bill waltzed out the door.

Lauren nodded. "How can I even consider dipping a toe into the dating pool again when I was so wrong about Bill? MetroSouthern men sound as if they'd only be more of the same."

"Don't throw out the whole barrel because of one rotten apple."

"Yeah, well. I bit into that rotten apple, so you'll have to forgive me if I'm not interested in having apple pie any time soon. I won't attend the soiree, but I will promise to go out. How's that?"

Angie narrowed her eyes. "On a date?"

Lauren winced then nodded, her mind quickly zeroing on how she could get around going on a "real" date.

"With who?" Angie demanded. "It's only a deal if it is a date date. Not your cousin, a friend or that to-die-for gourmet cook pal from Faire Fureur. The only thing that lights his eyes up besides his masterpiece meals is a man."

She blushed, because that exactly what she had in mind.

"So who?" Angie asked.

"I don't know yet. Someone different. Someone who doesn't remind me of Bill."

Angie did the three finger thing again. "He must be hetero, single and between twenty-five and forty-five."

"You don't ask for much, do you?"

"Just wait. You haven't heard anything yet. Those are the qualifications for a talking date. The criteria for a sex date are a lot more vigorous, pun intended. But we'll worry about that one next month."

Sex date? She didn't do…she couldn't just do…she couldn't even think about…could she?

Her palms broke out in a sweat. Even though her restless nights stemmed from eighteen months of denying she was a woman didn't mean she was ready for anything to change that.

She obviously sucked at judging character in men. She'd not only erred once, but twice. The boyfriend before Bill had been a mistake too, a big one, which had made Bill so Prince Charming-like in her mind. Yet neither mistake should translate into never taking a chance on a relationship again, right? That would be irrational. Just as irrational as her supposition that she could sustain herself on just being mom.

"Don't look so serious." Angie shook her head. "We're talking in terms of casual not commitment."

She didn't do casual. Ever. Fortunately, a loud whoop saved her from having to reply, and she snapped her attention back to her sons. Hank lifted them off the pony, which meant that any second they'd be headed her way and Bill would surely be on their minds.

"Do we have a deal?" Angie pressed.

"This is blackmail, but yes." Lauren smiled as the boys looked her way, their eyes shining. "It's a deal. You'll find her number on the desk calendar in my office. Top right hand side, written in red." She'd find a way around Angie's date plan.

"I'm on it." Angie slid back her chair, taking off just as the boys reached the table.

"That was the bestest ride ever!" Mitch jumped up and down with excitement. "Did you see me, Mom? I rode like a real soldier."

Lauren brushed back the hair from Mitch's eyes. "Yes, I saw you. You rode like a pro."

Mitch looked about the lawn and his smile fell flat. "Dad didn't see, though. I wanted Dad to see the pony."

"Yeah." Matt's brow furrowed in a deep frown. "Me too. Tell the pony man he can't go until Dad comes."

"I can't do that, honey. The man must take the pony home so it can eat and rest."

"But Dad has to!" they cried at the same time.

"Your father can see the pictures Aunt Angie took. You both know it wouldn't be fair keeping the pony from resting after he's worked so hard for you and your friends. I promise there are plenty of pictures to show your dad, even some of you two riding the pony together."

Matt folded his arms across his chest in a symbol of manly independence. "I'm not going to sleep until Dad comes and sees the pictures. He pomised he would." Then he looked up, a sheen of tears in his eyes. "Why isn't he here yet?"

"He's never here anymore," muttered Mitch, looking down as he kicked at the grass with the toe of his sneaker.

Lauren sighed. "I don't know why he isn't here. There could have been a plane delay. There could have been a business emergency. But I'll make you a deal. You two can stay up as late as you want, only you must sit and watch a movie. No hide and seek with Sasha and Sam or War Zone."

Both of their favorite games pretty much destroyed the house and led to hours of wild fun. After the party, Lauren wasn't up for all of that tonight. Things had to settle down and get quiet. With luck they'd both be asleep before the movie ended.

"Just a little hide and seek?" asked Matt.

"Tomorrow. Not tonight. Now do we have a deal? Or do you two just want to go to bed at your usual time?"

"Deal!" they chimed.

"Then go say thank you and good night to all of your friends."

The boys took off and Lauren leaned back in her chair. She'd only delayed and distracted them in regards to Bill, but the discussion had gone better than she expected. Signs that they resented their father's absences were emerging, and if she wasn't careful, their hurt could affect them for the rest of their lives.

Her parents had died in a car accident when she was sixteen. They'd been driving to pick her up from camp. And even though they had loved her, and they hadn't left her on purpose, she'd still felt abandoned. That feeling sometimes reared an ugly head, especially since Bill walked out and her brother, Jason, had gone MIA.

Setting her thoughts aside, she pasted on a smile and joined Matt and Mitch for the thank-yous and good-byes. She'd picked the perfect day for her sons' sixth birthday. There wasn't a dark cloud in the sky, but plenty shadowed her heart.

Disaster struck after the last family left.

Sasha and Sam barreled out the back door as Angie exited. She heroically tried to keep them in, but was knocked aside as Sasha and Sam sprang straight for the pony, barking like hounds from hell. The pony jerked free from Hank then proved it could move like the wind and kick as it bucked like a Brahma bull through the open gate with her dogs on its heels.

Lauren yelled for Sasha and Sam as she took off running, but three people beat her into the front yard-Hank, Matt and Mitch. She gave up on the dogs, which by some miracle stayed out of range of the pony's kicks, and started yelling for Matt and Mitch. Unfortunately, they were whooping so loud she didn't think they could hear her. If they'd heard her and ignored her, then she'd ground them until their sixteenth birthdays.

Her worst fears took shape as Hank slipped in the grass and the boys ran past him. Twenty yards and the whole crew would hit the street, running like bats out of hell without a brain in their heads.

Oh, God.

Lauren yelled for the twins again. This time they looked back over their shoulders, saw her, and slowed slightly as they pointed at the pony and the dogs. From the fear in their faces, she knew they were saving their beloved pets from the now Godzilla-pony and wouldn't likely stop until their mission was accomplished.

Suddenly the sprinkler system came on full force, shocking everyone with blasts of cold water-something that wasn't scheduled to happen until four in the morning.

Matt and Mitch cried out in shock and came to a halt. Lauren could hardly see through the mist as she kept running, but as she neared the dark silhouettes of the twins, she found Sasha and Sam with them. The boys' cry of surprise from the water blast had brought the Shepherds to them. She anchored a hand on each of their collars as Hank passed them, shouting for the pony named Clementine.

While she assessed his progress, worried that the pony would be hit by a car, the sprinklers cut off, bringing instant visibility. Hank had caught the reins, halting the pony about halfway into the street. Luckily no cars had been passing then.