“Oh, my God…” Shelby said as she started to feel weak in her legs.
“Shelby, are you okay?” Brian asked as he put his hand on her lower back and stabilized her.
“Who are you?” Kenny asked in an accusatory tone.
“He’s a friend of mine. My car was in the shop, so he gave me a ride. It was very kind of him to drive me all this way,” Shelby said in a sharp tone letting her ex know that he had better tread lightly. “Brian, this is my ex-husband, Kenny and my daughter, Elena.”
Brian shook Kenny’s hand as Kenny glared at him. Then, he knelt down to meet petite Elena’s eyes. “Hello, Elena. I have heard a lot about you from your mother. She is very proud of you.” Elena’s face softened as she smiled at him. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying.
As Brian stood back up, he caught Shelby’s eyes staring at him in amazement. She nodded once with a slight smile to say thank you to him.
The family sat quietly waiting for word from the doctor. Shelby asked if she could see him, but the doctor wanted everyone out of the room while they ran more tests. All they could do was sit and wait.
“Do you want some coffee?” Brian finally asked Shelby.
“No thanks.”
“Okay. I am going to grab a cup. Kenny, can I get you anything?” he asked trying to be nice.
Kenny glared at him and shook his head.
“I think I will get a cup myself,” Margaret said, obviously trying to give Kenny and Shelby a moment alone. Elena was fast asleep in the chair across from them.
“So, are you dating him?” Kenny asked.
“That is none of your business, Kenny.”
“I guess that’s a yes. Have you slept with him?”
“Seriously? I cannot believe the nerve you have asking me these questions while our son is in there fighting for his life,” she snapped as she stood up and turned her back to him.
“I’m sorry, Shelby. I just didn’t expect you to bring a date to our son’s hospital room,” he said sarcastically.
“I already told you that I had no way to get here. My car was damaged and in the shop. Besides, I don’t owe you an explanation. I stopped owing you anything when you slept with another woman,” she whispered through gritted teeth.
“I never wanted you to leave me, Shelby. I still love you. I made a mistake…” he said standing up and putting his hands on her shoulders.
“Get your hands off of me. I’ve protected you by not telling your family or our kids or even our friends that you had sex with another woman. I’ve taken the fall for all of it. They all look at me like I have two heads, thinking I just up and left you. They consider you to be the victim. But if you think there is a snowball’s chance in hell we are ever getting back together, you are dead wrong,” she said as she whipped around to look at him and slap his hands away. “This is about Austin, so don’t even try to talk me into getting back together.”
Before Kenny could respond, Brian and Margaret were back in the waiting room. The doctor came in to speak with them almost as soon as they were all together again.
“Mr. Barnes?” he called to Kenny. “Oh, is this Mrs. Barnes as well?”
“We’re divorced, actually. Shelby Ashwood,” she said holding out her hand.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Dr. Baker,” he said with a smile. “I would like to update you on your son’s status. Austin suffered a pretty severe concussion, but there is no bleeding on his brain,” he said.
Shelby’s eyes filled with tears as Brian hugged her around the shoulders for support.
“However, he did break his left arm, so we’ve set it and he will have to wear the cast for a few weeks. He looks pretty bruised and banged up, so don’t let that shock you, Ms. Ashwood.”
“Thanks for the warning. I live in Atlanta. Will he be able to come home with me?” she asked hopefully.
“Actually, I would highly recommend that he stay here until he recovers. Maybe six to eight weeks. I would like him to follow up with a doctor here that treats a lot of concussions… just in case there are any effects from the accident.” Shelby felt the wind rush out of her sails. She knew she couldn’t leave her son for that long.
“Thank you, doctor. We really appreciate the update. Can we see him now?” Kenny asked.
“Certainly. They are getting him settled in a room, so you will be able to see him in about a half hour.”
Shelby turned to Brian with a look of despair on her face. He motioned for her to follow him outside.
“What’s wrong? That was great news, Shelby.”
“I know it was, but that means I will have to stay here until he recovers. I can’t leave my baby for all those weeks. I don’t know what I am going to do about my condo, my car…” she said.
“Calm down. I can help you out, Shelby. I will take care of your condo. Whatever you need me to do. And, I have a little confession to make.”
“Confession?”
“I sold your car,” he said crinkling his nose up and backing up in case she slugged him.
“What?” she yelled. “Why would you do that? And how did you even do that?”
“Well, let me put it this way. I just need you to sign over the title so I can finish the sale.”
“Okay, you’ve lost me here. Why would I want to sell my car and why would anyone want it anyway?”
“Shelby, the SUV we drove down here in is yours. I bought it for you.” Her heart sped up. Who was this guy? Why would he do that for her?
“You bought me a car? Why?” she asked with her mouth hanging open and her eyes bugging out.
“Because my guy damaged yours, and I could not imagine you continuing to drive your kids around in that car…”
“Brian, this is way too fast for me…”
“I’m not asking for or expecting anything, Shelby. I just wanted you and your kids to have a safe car. I swear. That’s all.” She didn’t know why, but she believed him.
“I am paying you back. I will make monthly payments,” she said pointing her finger at him.
“Fine. Pay me ten dollars a month,” he said.
“Funny guy,” she said. “Really, thank you. For driving me here. For the car. For everything,” she said as she stepped forward and hugged him. He paused and then put his arms around her waist as he took in the jasmine scent of her hair.
“You are more than welcome, Shelby. Really. It was my pleasure,” he whispered into her hair.
Chapter 6
Austin was released from the hospital two days later. Shelby stayed at the farm with him, Elena and Kenny for about four weeks until it became apparent that Austin was okay enough for his Dad to take care of him.
Deciding she needed to go back home and let the kids have their time with Kenny, she packed up her overnight bag and got into her new SUV. Shelby was so thankful her son had made an amazing recovery. His cousin had broken his leg in the accident, but he was also doing well.
“Shelby!” she heard Kenny yelling behind her as he ran to her car.
“Kenny,” she said.
“I just wanted to tell you goodbye,” he said.
“Goodbye, Kenny,” she said with a slight smile.
“I want to say something else. Look, I don’t know what is going on with you and that Brian guy, but I hope you know I only want the best for you. I want you to be happy again, like we were when we were young,” he said.
“That’s what I want for you too. Kenny, I think we were just so young when we met. We grew up together, but we also grew apart together…” she said, stealing Brian’s quote.
“I’ve never thought of it that way,” he said cocking his head to the side. “Good point.”
“Well, I’d better go. Please have Austin and Elena call me tonight so I can say goodnight, okay?” she said.
“Will do. Oh, and I also wanted to tell you that I set my mother straight. I told her what I did,” he said looking down at his shoes.
“You did? Why?” Shelby asked surprised.
“Beca
use I owed that much to you. I didn’t want my mother to keep thinking this was your fault.”
“It was both of our faults, Kenny. You just did the stupid thing that brought it to light,” she said with a sarcastic chuckle.
“Yes, it was stupid for sure. Anyway, I just wanted you to know,” he said. She stepped back out of the SUV and gave him a hug.
“Thanks,” she whispered. He kissed her on the forehead as she backed up, climbed into the vehicle and drove away.
As Shelby drove the long two hours back to her Atlanta condo, she wondered about Brian. They had not spoken since he left her at the farm to spend time with her kids. She didn’t know if they even had a future at all. His last words to her were that she needed this time with her family to make sure she had made the right decision about splitting up with Kenny. She had always known that it was the right decision.
Brian had taken her keys so he could give them to her neighbor, Adele, to check in on her place while she was away. She felt bad he had to take a rental car all the way back to Atlanta, but he’d insisted the SUV was hers to keep.
Instead of going home, Shelby drove straight to the Piedmont Towers building. She just needed to see him even though she kne they weren’t dating or anything. She had missed him even after knowing him only a couple of days. What was that about?
As she rode the elevator up, she concocted a good reason for being there - she needed to sign the title over for her old car. The elevator doors opened and she stepped into the plush lobby.
“Hi. I’m looking for Brian Chadwick,” Shelby said with a self assurance she had to conjure up from within.
“He’s not here,” the girl said.
“Oh. Do you know when he will be back?”
“He had a lunch date, so he’ll be back anytime now.”
“Okay. Well, I will catch up with him later,” Shelby said as the word “date” echoed in her head. Did that mean he was on a real date?
She pressed the button for the elevator and waited for it to open. When it did, Brian was standing there in his dapper suit and his mouth dropped open. Before she could speak, he grabbed her hand and pulled her inside, closing the door behind them. The elevator started moving up and he quickly hit the stop button.
“Brian…” she said trying to get her footing.
“Shelby!” he said as he brought her into a warm hug. “I am surprised to see you. Sorry if I jerked your arm out of the socket.” His laugh lit up the elevator car.
“I just got back. I stopped by to see if I could sign the title over for my old car,” she said nonchalantly. Of course, she could not tell him she was really there because she missed him and wanted to hold his hand again.
“There is plenty of time for that. How is Austin?”
“He’s great. I left the kids with Kenny so they could still get to spend some time with him…” she said looking around. “Shouldn’t we start the elevator again?”
“I just wanted a moment alone with you,” he said softly.
“Really? Why?”
“Because I wanted to do this,” he said in soft tones as he stepped forward and pressed the most passionate kiss she’d ever felt to her lips. Pushed against the wall of the elevator, his hands framed her face. Her legs felt limp as his tongue darted into her mouth with a force that made her feel weak inside.
When he finally pulled back from her kiss-swollen lips, she stared up at him in astonishment.
“Was that okay?” he asked looking worried. “I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds…”
“I was just shocked,” she said with a sly smile. “I haven’t kissed anyone other than Kenny since I was fifteen years old…”
“And?”
“Fabulous,” she said grinning as she reached up and pulled his lips back to hers. For once in her life, she felt like a bad girl kissing a guy in an elevator. When she finally came up for air, she looked at him. “I thought you were on a lunch date?”
“Date? No. It was my Aunt Katherine. Is that what Becky said?” he asked with a smirk.
“Yes. I thought…”
“Shelby, you are the only woman who has interested me in a long time. I have been dying to see you again, but I knew I had to give you the space and time you needed to be a mom to Austin and Elena after his accident. When I saw you, I was so excited I couldn’t help but kiss you…”
He pulled her hand and she fell into his embrace. Her face was pressed against his chest, and his cologne overwhelmed her senses. “Thank you,” was all she could say.
“For what?”
“For wanting me,” she said looking up at him. “You know I have to take this slow, right?”
“Of course. You have kids, and that matters the most,” he said pressing a kiss to her head. “I guess I’d better start the elevator before they call the fire department,” he said laughing.
Shelby stepped back as he reached over to press the button.
“So, where do we go from here?” she asked with a coy grin.
“I would think we might want to go on an actual date,” he said laughing at the way they had reversed a typical relationship.
Chapter 7
“Brian, you aren’t doing it right!” Elena said giggling as Brian strung the Christmas lights around his head. Months had passed since Shelby had introduced him to her kids.
Thankfully, he gratefully took on the role of friend to the kids rather than trying to be a father figure. He knew the kids adored their father, and he had no ambitions to change that at all. The kids enjoyed spending time with him too. He was more fun loving than Shelby had imagined, and she enjoyed seeing them clown around with Brian.
Shelby was delighted when she found out that Kenny was also dating. He’d met a nice woman who owned a horse farm near his family’s farm, and they seemed perfect for each other. She really wanted the best for him, as he did for her. They had both learned they were great as a couple during the first half of their lives, but they were not meant for one another during the second half.
“Kids, the cookies are ready!” Shelby yelled from the kitchen. The smell of gingerbread wafted through the house as the kids ran to the table to ice them. The sound of a big, happy family gave Shelby joy as she had missed hearing the laughter in her home.
Shelby walked around the corner while the kids were busy decorating the cookies and saw Brian sitting on the sofa staring at the half decorated Christmas tree.
“Whatcha doin’?” she asked as she sat down across his lap.
“Just thinking,” he said softly.
“About what?”
“Where I was this time last year.”
“And where was that?” she asked as she nuzzled her head down to his chest.
“I was alone in my big apartment looking across the city at the Christmas lights wondering where my perfect woman was. Little did I know she was about to be brought into my life by one of my own worker’s poor driving abilities,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’m your perfect woman?” she asked sitting up and looking at him.
“Seriously? You have to ask?”
“Brian, you could have had your pick of women all over the world…”
“And I picked you. I would always pick you, Shelby. And the fact that I get to hang out with your two wonderful kids is just an added bonus,” he said smiling.
“They really do love you,” she said.
“And I love them. And I love you.” It was the first time he’d said it to her and she stopped in her tracks.
“You do?” she asked barely able to contain her big grin.
“Of course I do. I thought you knew that already!” He poked her in the side where he knew she was ticklish.
“I never assume anything,” she said softly.
“Okay, then let me make it abundantly clear. I love you, Shelby Ashwood. You are beautiful, smart, sassy and kind. I adore your kids, and I think you are a wonderful mother and a good little cook,” he said laughing at the end.
“And I love you too,
Brian Chadwick. You are intelligent, sweet and you have a tight little butt. Plus, I love that you are so great with my kids,” she said grinning as she planted a big kiss on his lips.
“Gross!” Austin said peeking around from the kitchen. “You guys are too old to be doing that stuff!” Elena giggled from the kitchen table. Austin went back to sit down and continued decorating cookies.
“We need some alone time,” Brian whispered in her ear. She smiled a knowing smile. They hadn’t been intimate yet because Shelby wanted to wait to make sure it was a real relationship. She’d never been with another man, and though she was excited to be with Brian, she was terrified. Everything she knew about sex, she’d learned from Kenny. And, to be honest, he’d learned right along with her.
The Reunion: Shelby's Chance Meeting (Starting Over Series) Page 3
