Lorraine Beatty - Rekindled Romance

She could almost relax completely, if it weren’t for Cassidy and Kenny coming over shortly. After a quick hello yesterday, she’d escaped to her room, explaining she had work to do and leaving Gramma to watch over the kids. She’d missed being with them but it allowed her to avoid Matt. She hadn’t come out of her room until she’d seen the three Durrants walking across the drive to their house.

Gramma’s advice had hovered in the back of her mind. It was time to settle the past. All this huffing and puffing was silly. But how did they do that when it was clear that Matt would never forgive her for walking out?

Today, however, she couldn’t use work as an excuse to avoid babysitting. Gramma had called to say she’d been invited to dinner and a movie with friends. She wanted to know if Shelby was okay with keeping the kids. Shelby couldn’t refuse. Her grandmother deserved a night out, but that left her to deal with Matt’s disapproval.

She set her jaw. She was not going to worry herself into knots over this. Matt needed someone responsible to keep the kids; she was his only option. All she could do was be as conscientious as possible, and hopefully in time he’d come to trust her.

Squealing air brakes sounded outside, and she found herself smiling, even as a trickle of nervousness formed. What did she know about taking care of children? She’d certainly never learned anything from her mother. She’d always made motherhood seem like a burden, the worse choice a woman could make. But Matt’s adorable kids were making her take a new look at some of her assumptions.

Shelby met the children halfway down the drive. “Hello there.” Seeing their sweet, happy faces warmed her heart in a way she’d never experienced before. Cassidy fell into step with her as they made their way back toward Gramma’s house. Kenny raced ahead.

“I’m glad it’s Friday. No school for two whole days.”

“Don’t you like school?”

Cassidy nodded. “But I don’t like homework.”

“Join the club. No one does.” Shelby glanced up at Kenny, who stood on his porch, backpack at his feet. “Kenny, come on. Gramma left some brownies today.”

“Can’t we stay at our house today? Please? I want to play with Chester. I don’t want to wait until Dad gets home.”

Cassidy nodded. “Could we? I like being at your house, but I’d really like to go home.”

Shelby couldn’t think of any reason not to, other than she would feel uncomfortable in Matt’s home. But her primary concern was the children. “I suppose. Let me go get the key and a few of my things.”

Standing in Matt’s house a few minutes later, she couldn’t resist the temptation to look around. Unlike her grandmother’s house, which retained all its original details, Matt’s home had been completely remodeled. Walls had been removed, rooms opened up and windows replaced, giving the home an open, spacious feel. Despite the clean lines and modern style, the furniture was practical and functional. Evidence of the children lay scattered around the room—toys on the floor, a stuffed animal on the ottoman. Matt’s work boots stood beside the leather recliner.

She forced herself to ignore her surroundings. Quickly she moved to the kitchen and set her laptop on the table. Cassidy, never far from her side, took the brownies and set them on the island. “Any homework?”

“A little. But I can do it Sunday night.”

Shelby laid an arm across the girl’s shoulders. “Would you like some advice, woman to woman?” Cassidy nodded, a huge smile on her face. “Do you know what the word procrastinate means?”

Cassidy groaned softly. “To put stuff off.”

“Yep. I learned after much painful struggle that the best way to enjoy your time off is by getting the unpleasant things out of the way first. It’s freeing. I think you should try it.”

Cassidy pointed to the treats on the counter.

Shelby shook her head. “Before we have brownies.”

With the young girl up in her room and Kenny safely in the backyard with Chester, Shelby took a moment to check emails on her smart phone. There was no more news about the future of the company. Not surprising. Everything was on hold until the upcoming meeting. It was the not knowing that kept her on edge. The cold hard truth was the chances of her being out of work soon were very good. And she couldn’t get back to New York to look for another job until she had her health back on track.

“I used to live in Atlanta when I was little,” Cassidy stated as they munched on homemade brownies a short while later. Kenny had scooped his up and returned to the yard, mumbling something about finding a lizard on the fence.

Shelby was still picking at her piece, knowing she shouldn’t be eating the chocolate treat but unable to completely resist. “So I heard. Atlanta is a very big city.”

“There’s a lot to do there. Not like here.”

Shelby stifled a grin at the girls assumed air of sophistication. “Don’t you like Dover?”

“It’s okay. I didn’t like it much when I first got here. Boring.” She rolled her eyes. “But I have friends now so it’s not so bad.” Cassidy took another bite of brownie. “What do you do in New York?”

“I edit a magazine. You may know it. Tween Scene.”

Cassidy eyes widened. “Really? That’s the coolest magazine ever.”

“Thank you.” Shelby couldn’t help a swell of pride at the compliment. She’d worked hard to make the magazine a success. It broke her heart to think it might be discontinued under the new management.

“I can’t believe that’s your magazine. Wait until I tell my friends.”

“Well, it’s not mine. I don’t own it. I only work for it, but I’m glad to hear you like Tween Scene so much. What’s your favorite section?”

Cassidy thought a moment. “The one where they show you what to wear and what not to wear. And the makeup one, and the part where you talk about TV stars. Only...I’m not allowed to read it.”

Shelby stopped midbite. “What? But you’re so familiar with it.”

“I know, but Dad says it’s too grown-up for me. He says the articles aren’t good for girls my age.”

Tween Scene precisely targeted Cassidy’s demographic. Did Matt really disapprove or was he steering her away from the publication because she was the editor? Come to think of it, did he even know she was connected to the magazine? Could his comments be solely objective? Doubtful. Tween Scene was perfect. “I’m sorry to hear that. We try very hard to make the magazine appeal to girls your age. If your dad won’t let you read it, how do you know so much about it?”

A guilty smile moved her lips. “I read it at Molly’s.”

“Oh. I see.”

“You won’t tell Dad, will you?”

“No. But do you think you should be disobeying your father?”

Cassidy shook her head. “But it’s such a cool magazine.”

Cool in the young girl’s eyes. Inappropriate in her parent’s. Which one was the truth? As far as Shelby could recall, nothing in Tween Scene should cause concern in parents. Apparently, Matt’s overprotective streak ran to more than just their hearts.

“I wish I was thin and pretty like you,” Cassidy said, her voice soft and wistful. Shelby made a quick survey of the little girl. She wasn’t rail thin, but she wasn’t chubby, either. She was nicely filled out and starting to transform into a young lady. “I think you’re perfect.”

Cassidy smiled. “Thanks, but I want to look like that girl on the cover last time. You know, the one where she was wearing those cool jeans and that striped top with the patches.”

She remembered it well. It had been one of the best covers all year. “That was Yasmine.”

Shelby thought about the child models and celebrities she worked with regularly. They were nothing like Cassidy. Most were mature beyond their years and bone thin. Nearly all the models were older than the preteen image Tween Scene promoted. Something about that bothered her, but she wasn’t sure what.