The Broken Road

by Melissa Huie

  I tried to stay up until Shane got home, but by one thirty, sleep was calling my name. I set the house alarm, locked up, and went upstairs. I had to admit that I was worried about him. I was so used to falling asleep in his arms that it would be difficult to sleep without him. I sent him a quick text. “Ready for bed. Wish you were here. Be careful.”

  Two minutes later, I got back, “I’ll be next to you soon. Sweet dreams.”

  With a sigh, I set my cell phone on the nightstand. Not soon enough, I thought, as I lay there. I slowly drifted off to sleep, dreaming of his kisses and his touch.

  Chapter 15

  I KNEW SHANE WASN’T IN BED before I even opened my eyes. I didn’t feel his body heat, I didn’t hear his light snoring. My hand instinctively reached for him, finding only the coolness of the pillow. He didn’t come home.

  Groaning, I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. Only seven thirty? Ugh. I hated waking up early when I didn’t have to. The best part of the weekend was sleeping in. I dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom. No point in being lazy. I didn’t have any plans today except dinner at Mom’s. I was in the shower washing my face when I heard the door to the bathroom open. Shane walked in.

  “Well good morning, sunshine,” I called through the clear glass.

  “Good morning to you, too. Adrian came back to the shop and I lost track of time. I’m sorry babe,” he said. I wasn’t going to make this a big deal. He had been upset and I was glad that Adrian was with him.

  “It’s okay. I was just a little worried. Are you going to join me?” I offered, giving him a sly grin. Shane chuckled as he pulled off his shirt. He opened the glass shower door and got in. The beauty of his body took my breath away. My eyes roved over his now-familiar body. I reached out and gently soaped his sculpted chest, watching the suds fall down his toned thighs. The dragon on his chest took up most of his torso, with the tail ending right below his hipbone. His muscular, sinewy arms covered in two detailed and intricate tattoo sleeves pulled me into his body. Shane’s engorged erection pressed into me and the ache between my thighs grew. I gasped and gave him the opening he wanted.

  I crushed my lips to his as his tongue plunged into me, exploring every inch of my mouth. Moaning, I arched into him, looking for release. The tension was becoming too much to bear. Shane lifted me up, wrapped my legs around his waist and braced my back against the wall. I took him eagerly, clinching as tightly as I could. With every thrust, my nerve endings screamed. I floated higher until I fell in a dizzying explosion. Shane shuddered against me, pulsating inside me.

  Panting, he let me down gently on my quivering legs. Shane kissed my neck, then gently ran the soap over my body. His hands ran down the length of me. It felt like I was being caressed with silk. Thank God I converted this bathroom into a double steam shower, I thought. It made moments like these so much more enjoyable.

  * * *

  We got out of the shower thirty minutes later, wrinkled like raisins and out of hot water. Shane moved to the bedroom where he passed out on the bed from sheer exhaustion. I put on denim capris and a gray V-neck T-shirt and headed downstairs with Penny following my every move. I let her out the back door and turned to start the coffee. I let out a squeak in surprise. Sitting on the counter, beside the bills and the mail, was a beautiful bouquet of white tulips in a glass vase. What a sweetheart, I thought, inhaling their sweet scent. I started the coffee and poured myself a bowl of cereal. I had just finished my Captain Crunch when my cell phone rang. I was happy to see that it was Sarah.

  “Hey, sis. How are you? Are you with Kyle now?” I answered.

  “Hey sweetie. Yeah. I’m here with him now. He’s incorrigible; he won’t stop flirting with the nurses,” she said with a laugh.

  “That’s great news. At least we know he’s back to normal,” I joked.

  “Exactly. We will be going to Mom’s shortly. We’ll see you at dinner, right? I think Mom’s going all out for her baby boy.”

  “Yeah, we’ll be there. I’m sure Mom will cook enough for an army,” I said dryly.

  “Right. I’ll see you later, they are discharging Kyle now. Oh. And I have bridesmaid dresses for you to look at!” With that she hung up the phone. I had to laugh. Sarah was so excited to get started planning the wedding. She had already asked Jen, me, and her sister, Erin, to be in the wedding party. I was slightly nervous about what dress she had in mind. Bridesmaids always shared their horror stories of being forced to wear dresses in teal taffeta or sequins. I wasn’t a fan of either one, so I hoped Sarah had picked out a great dress.

  Hearing that Kyle was doing well made my day. I know my mother was going to be fretting about both of them at dinner, which would hopefully distract her from my own living situation.

  My mother equated living together to being practically married, so she had been beating around the bush about our future. I’d had to tell her that I honestly didn’t know. As much as I was falling in love with Shane, we had never had that “talk.” The whole “where do you think our relationship is going?” talk. I felt that there was something he wasn’t telling me, some sort of mystery that he was either hiding or ashamed of. There had been calls late at night or emergencies at the shop that he had to deal with right away. Maybe it was my paranoia, or maybe it was something more. I didn’t know.

  I lazed about the house for the rest of the day until it was time to go to Mom’s. I went upstairs to wake Shane and found him snoring away. I gently shook his arm and quietly said, “Shane. It’s time to get up. We’ve got to go to Mom’s for dinner.” Shane grumbled and rolled onto his side. I shook harder this time. “Come on, punk. I know Mom’s making her famous ziti. I’m going to leave you here and I’m not bringing home leftovers.”

  “Like hell you won’t,” he mumbled, rolling over to grab my wrist and pull me underneath of him. “Your mom loves me. She’ll make sure I get my ziti.” He laughed as he pinned my arms over my head with one hand and tickled me with the other. I shrieked and couldn’t contain my laughter. I was extremely ticklish and he always used it to his advantage. I laughed and screamed until I couldn’t breathe.

  “Okay, okay! Stop!” I cried out, gasping for air. Laughing, Shane stopped and kissed me.

  “Let me change my clothes and we can go,” he said, getting off the bed. I just lay there, drooling and trying to catch my breath while I watched him change. The muscles of his back were just mesmerizing. I debated on whether or not I had time to attack him, but decided against it. It was already five and Mom wanted us over at five thirty. Shane changed into a gray T-shirt and a white button down shirt that hung loosely over the T-shirt and jeans. He put on his boots and pulled me off the bed.

  “How’s your brother doing?” he asked, as we walked down the stairs.

  “Good. I talked to Sarah earlier and she said that he was flirting with the nurses, so she thinks he’s back to normal,” I joked. I pulled on my gray hooded sweatshirt and whistled for Penny. I clipped the leash to her collar and let her out of the mudroom door.

  * * *

  We arrived at Mom’s with a minute to spare. I could see Sarah’s Prius sitting in the driveway. We let ourselves in and were welcomed by the wonderful aroma of basil and homemade garlic bread. My mouth watered. I loved my mother’s cooking. She never failed to put on a huge spread. In addition to the garlic bread and ziti, she had made chicken with tomatoes and spinach, a salad, and I could see my favorite apple turnovers sitting on the stove top. I was in heaven.

  “Hi, baby cakes,” Mom said, coming over to Shane and me. She gave us a hug and shooed us into the kitchen. My mother’s house was small and didn’t have a formal dining room so we all crowded into the kitchen for dinner. The small table had been extended to its maximum capacity. Kyle and Sarah were already seated, apparently waiting for us.

  “It’s about time you guys got here. I’m starving!” Kyle joked, his good arm slung around Sarah’s shoulders.

  “I guess we shouldn’t keep the invalid starving, should
we?” I joked back, coming around to give him a hug. A look of regret flashed over Shane’s face as he gave Kyle one of those half hugs before sitting down. It passed quickly, and I brushed it off as a figment of my imagination. We gathered around the table and before long our plates were piled high with food. The conversation was at a minimum while we gorged ourselves.

  “So, how are you feeling Kyle?” I asked. He looked awkward with his right arm in a sling. He was having a bit of difficulty using his left hand.

  “I’m good. The bullet went straight through and did minimal damage. Don’t think I’ll need any additional surgeries or anything.” Kyle was calm. He talked about his injury and threat to his life as if he was talking about the weather. I guess it came with the territory, but I would have been a blubbering idiot if I’d been shot. I felt better about Kyle. His spirits were up and he seemed to be doing fine. Sarah had been taking great care of him. I was so thankful that they were together.

  We switched topics. Once Kyle’s injuries had been acknowledged, we moved on to discussing the wedding. Every girl dreamed of her wedding. Being with Shane made me hope for our future, our potential wedding. Not that it was imminent or assumed, but it was nice to dream. We basically ignored both Shane and Kyle while we talked about the wedding. That was expected, though. What input could they have really had?

  * * *

  After dessert and coffee, Kyle looked like he was about to doze off at the table so we said our good-byes. On the drive home, Shane was quiet. In fact, he had been quiet throughout dinner as well. I wondered if all the wedding and marriage talk had scared him.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, as I pulled into the driveway. I turned off the car and we sat in silence. Shane seemed to be lost in thought and when I spoke it startled him.

  “Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just tired. I have to meet Adrian shortly,” he said vaguely, getting out of the car. I frowned. Adrian was working Shane to the bone. What bike shop was that busy that Shane couldn’t take a night off?

  “Shane, stay home tonight. You need the rest,” I suggested as I followed him inside. Penny ran straight to her bed. Poor pup was exhausted.

  “That depends,” he said, putting his arms around me.

  “On what?” I asked, raising my eyebrow.

  “On how well you persuade me,” Shane replied, giving me an evil grin. I had to laugh because he knew my persuasion skills were unmatched. And needless to say, he didn’t go back to the shop that night.

  Chapter 16

  SHANE WAS UP EARLY the next morning. I stretched as I watched him get dressed.

  “Can’t you go in later?’ I mumbled as I burrowed my face in the pillows.

  “Babe, I can’t. If I don’t get over there now Adrian’s going to have my ass,” Shane said hurriedly, as he pulled on an old gray long sleeve shirt. He bent over, his hair still wet from the shower, and gave me a quick peck on the lips. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but it will be later today. You will see me later. So stay just like that.” He motioned to me, giving my naked body the once over.

  I laughed and threw my pillow at him. “Go before I make you stay!” I heard him chuckle as he walked down the stairs. I sighed, content. It doesn’t get any better than this, I thought. A tiny voice in the back of my head said quietly, It does if he feels the same way you do. Stupid insecure brain. I pushed that to the side. If he didn’t feel the same way I did, would he still be sticking around? I doubt he was staying just for the sex, regardless of the fact that it was fantastic sex.

  I lay in bed for as long as I could until Penny started pacing the floor. “Okay, Penny. You win. Let’s go.” I pulled on sweats and walked downstairs to let her out.

  With the coffee brewing, I made spinach and tomato omelets for Penny and me. She promptly wolfed down her omelet; I doubt she even tasted it. “You’re such a piggy,” I said as I flipped through the paper. I put the sports and business section aside knowing that Shane would want them later. Browsing the sales ads, I made my shopping list. I figured that shopping would be a good way to start the day. I drained my mug and carried it to the sink. I showered, pulled on a pink scoop neck shirt and jeans, and headed to the store.

  * * *

  I was sitting at the traffic light when my cell phone rang. “Hello?” I saw a police officer next to me give me the evil eye. Maryland had just passed a law banning cell phones use while driving. Deciding to avoid yet another ticket, I hit the speaker button and put the phone down.

  “It’s me. Lauren’s asking for you and we’re about to make some cookies. Do you want to join us?” Jen’s voice said. I could hear Lauren in the background singing loudly.

  “Sure. I’ll be right over.”

  Putting off grocery shopping to make cookies with my goddaughter was a no-brainer. Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into Jen’s driveway. Lauren rushed out to greet me.

  “Auntie Megs, come on! The cookies are waiting,” she cried as she lead me into the house. “Momma, Auntie Megs is here!”

  “So I see. Hey, Megs,” Jen said. She handed me a glass of wine and whispered, “You will need this to keep up with her.” Laughing, I followed them into the kitchen where a cookie workshop had been set up. Cookie dough, sprinkles, and cookie cutters were spread on every available surface. “Matt was called to do a surgery so it’s just us girls today.”

  “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s make some cookies,” I said, laughing at Lauren’s infectious smile.

  While we made the cookies, Jen and I chatted about old times. Our conversation was as general and typical as one would have with a three-year-old in the room until Lauren threw me for a loop.

  “Aunt Megs? Where’s Uncle Shane?” she asked, as we were making the cookie dough.

  “He’s at work. He’s going to be sad that he didn’t get to see you.”

  “Mommy and Daddy are married. Are you going to get married to Uncle Shane?” Children can ask the most innocent questions that are the hardest to answer. I paused, searching for an answer.

  “Um, I’m not sure. It’s too soon to tell. I love your Uncle Shane though,” I replied cautiously. I obviously was not about to go into detail with a child. She seemed to accept my response and I felt I had dodged a bullet. Once the cookies were in the oven and the kitchen was cleaned up, we put on a Disney movie for her in the playroom. Jen and I thought we were in the clear to talk about more adult topics when she wandered in with another question.

  “Auntie Megs, are you going to have babies?”

  Where does she come up with these questions? “I hope so. I hope I have a little girl just like you,” I hedged.

  “You should. So I can play with her,” Lauren replied matter-of-factly.

  “Oh yeah? Are you going to clean her diapers too?” I asked, tickling her belly.

  Giggling, she said, “No! That’s what daddies are for!” I laughed along with her, but now the seed was planted in my mind. I did want kids. I wanted a little girl of my own. Did Shane want kids? Add that to the list of things we needed to eventually discuss. I could see Shane with a baby. He was so good with Lauren. My thoughts wandered to what our potential child would look like. Would she have my hair? His eyes? I was so lost in the fantasy that I didn’t hear the oven timer go off.

  “Cookies!” All thoughts of new playmates went out the window as Lauren scrambled for the kitchen.

  “Her babysitter is having another baby. She’s due in a few months. So, of course, Lauren has babies on the brain. She has been demanding a baby brother or sister for the last year,” Jen explained. That made sense.

  I chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve been waiting too. So get working!” Jen and Matt were wonderful parents, but hadn’t had much luck with having another.

  “Next year, hopefully,” she replied, taking my hint and laughing along with me. After taking a baggie of cookies, I said my good-byes and headed home.

  * * *

  The rain had given way to a sunny day. It was time for Penny to go out so I leashed her up and headed dow
n the street. We were enjoying the walk when my cell phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but answered it anyway.

  “Hello?” I said.

  “Megan. It’s Tommy,” a voice from my past said. My stomach dropped. I had not heard from Tommy in a long while and when I did it was normally via text. This was not like him. Something’s not right.

  “Hi, Tommy. What’s up?” I asked wearily.

  “I’m in the area and was wondering if I could stop by,” he said. My gut dropped. I don’t know why, but I felt like it was a bad idea. Call it female intuition or something, but this didn’t feel like a social call.

  “I thought you were in New York. What are you doing back here?” I asked slowly.

  “Oh, I’m working on a case. Are you free this evening? I’d like to stop by and say hi,” His cool and calm voice had me suspicious. I immediately thought of the federal case my Uncle Bob was working on. Could Tommy have something to do with it?

  “I have a few things to do tonight. Can I take a rain check?” I hedged. The prospect of seeing Tommy wasn’t giving me the warm and fuzzies. Not to mention that I knew what Shane’s reaction would be when he heard that my ex-fiancé was in town.

  “Please, Megs. I promise I won’t be there long. I’ll even bring dinner. You still love sushi right?” he pleaded. Seriously? Dinner with Tommy? This is getting weird. I didn’t know what was going on, but it couldn’t be good if Tommy was asking to come over. I reluctantly agreed and gave him my address.

  “Great, I’ll pick up the sushi on my way over. I’ll see you at six,” Tommy said cheerfully and hung up. I just stared at my phone. This was crazy. The whole conversation had my guard up. I looked at my watch and realized it was only three thirty. Great, only two and half more hours to stress.

  I prolonged our walk as much as possible. I tried to enjoy the beautiful weather but Tommy’s impending visit was bothering me. The conversation in itself had made me feel uneasy. Eventually we made it back to the house. I puttered around washing the dishes and doing a load of Shane’s laundry, all the while not focusing on the task at hand. I was trying to kill time until Tommy arrived. The feeling of dread weighed in my stomach. A visit from an ex-fiancé from out of the blue didn’t scream fun times.