Cindi Myers - Lullaby for Two / Child's Play - Lullaby for Two

She knew that was the right answer, but maybe she’d wanted a different answer. Maybe she’d wanted him to say that he still felt connected to her on some level. Maybe she’d wanted him to admit that whatever was between them so many years ago wasn’t yet finished. Heck, she’d just admitted that to herself after their last kiss. She hadn’t wanted to consider it before. Denial was a great wall that could keep worries and complications at bay. The problem was—it was a wall that always crumbled.

Right now she was tired, not just physically tired, but emotionally drained. She’d worried along with Vince this morning and she knew she was becoming entirely too invested in Sean’s welfare, not to mention Vince’s life. But that would soon end. Sean would be recuperating and then Vince would be leaving. So if she wanted to play Good Samaritan or friend, there was no harm in that.

She wasn’t involved with Vince.

Her salad only half-eaten, she settled the lid on it and stuffed it into the bag.

“That wasn’t much of a supper,” he scolded.

“It was enough. I’ve got to get going or Francesca and Emily will send out the search dogs.”

“They don’t know where you are?”

“Not exactly. I just told them I wouldn’t be home until late.”

After Vince pushed himself up from the recliner, he took his empty bag and dumped it in the trash can. “Are you taking that home to finish it?”

When she shook her head, he took the bag from her and tossed it into the can on top of his.

“If you had your choice, which would you pick? Flowers or the steak dinner?” he joked.

She rolled her eyes.

“Humor me.”

Would she choose the safety of flowers, or the complication of a dinner with Vince? That’s what he was really asking, wasn’t it?

“I like flowers,” she decided, taking the safe route.

“That’s good to know.” His gaze was trying to turn her inside out. Before it did, she moved toward the door.

She stopped before exiting the room. “You can call my office tomorrow and let me know when you’re home. I’ll be there until after five.”

“Will do.”

The light was too dim to read his expression.

As she murmured, “I’ll see you tomorrow,” and left the room, she heard him call, “Drive safely.”

She had taken safe roads up to this point in her life. Were safe roads really what she wanted?

That was a question better left unanswered for now. That was a question that was better left unanswered until after Vince left Sagebrush.

When Tessa arrived at Vince’s condo around seven o’clock, Mrs. Zappa was still fussing in the kitchen. The housekeeper had opened the door to Tessa and exclaimed, “Maybe you can make him eat!”

Tessa wasn’t sure if Mrs. Zappa was talking about Vince or Sean. In fact, she’d never been introduced to the housekeeper and wondered how Mrs. Zappa knew who she was. “I don’t think we’ve met,” she began.

“Oh, I know who you are. You’re Walter McGuire’s daughter and you were once married to Vince.” Conspiratorially, she leaned toward Tessa. “I’ve never told him I know, but I do.”

Tessa had to smile in spite of herself. “Do you think he’d be uncomfortable if he knew you knew?”

“You know men. They like to keep their life private. If he wants to do that, it’s fine with me. I’m not going to poke where I’m not wanted. He only let go of that boy to get a shower since he brought him home from the hospital, and now he’s holding him again. Vince needs to take care of himself, too. The casserole’s still in the oven. It’s going to be dry as toast if he doesn’t eat it soon.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Tessa assured her. “How is Sean?”

“From what I can tell, that little boy is doing fine. He ate his supper.”

Tessa laughed. “That is a good sign.”

Mrs. Zappa moved toward the door. “It was good to meet you, Dr. McGuire.”

“It was good to meet you, too, but please call me Tessa.”

“And you can call me Rhonda.” She gave a last wave and left.

Moments later, Tessa was standing outside Sean’s room. A small CD player on top of the chest played soothing music. Vince was sitting in the rocking chair with Sean asleep in his arms. He was looking down at his son as if he never wanted to look away.

“How’s he doing?” she asked softly.

Vince gently touched the sling on Sean’s arm. “As long as I talk to him and play with him, he’s not fussy. I guess it distracts him from any discomfort he’s having.”

“Rhonda says you need to eat your supper. Now would be a good time if Sean’s asleep, don’t you think?”

“Rhonda?”

“Mrs. Zappa. She told me I could call her Rhonda.”

He frowned. “Yeah, that was the name on her application. I’ve just never used it.” Standing with Sean in his arms, he carried him over to the crib and gently laid him down. “I hate to leave him. I don’t want him to wake up and be afraid, or think he’s still in the hospital.”

“You’ll hear him on the baby monitor if he cries. You’ve got to give yourself a breather, Vince. Have you even slept in the past two days?”

“I got a few hours’ sleep the night before surgery, and again last night.”

“In a recliner in Sean’s room.”

“It was comfortable.”

“Has anyone ever told you your stubborn determination can be frustrating?”

He smiled at her. “I’ve always considered it one of my better traits.”

When he smiled like that, she felt butterflies flutter in almost every part of her body. She was only here to help him with Sean. “I haven’t had supper, either. We can share Rhonda’s casserole.”

Tessa decided to serve their meal on the coffee table in the living room because Vince needed to relax. Maybe he would if the atmosphere was casual enough.

When he came into the living room and saw the two steaming plates, he admitted, “I think I am hungry. I had a sandwich from the cafeteria but that was a long time ago.”

“This looks great.”

Vince sat beside Tessa and dug his fork into the casserole.

They ate in silence for a few minutes until Tessa asked, “Are you going to work tomorrow?”

“I’m going in late. That way I can make sure everything’s okay with Sean and Mrs. Zappa—Rhonda—before I leave. I’ll stay late if I call home and everything’s okay.”

“You’re not going to call her every hour, are you?”

He gave Tessa a sideways glance. “How did you guess?” Then he smiled. “No, I’m not going to call every hour. I trust her. The doctor said the incision on Sean’s shoulder and the one on his leg looked good. I changed the dressings and Sean didn’t seem to mind too much.”

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