Nick smiled at the little-girl quality to the conversation and marveled at yet another facet of Shannon’s personality. Laughing with delight, Shannon ended the conversation, saying, “No hippie dancing tonight, okay?” and another laugh at her mom’s answer. “Love you, too, Mom. See you in a bit.”
“I’ve never heard my mom so excited! It’s almost funny. She was always so practical and no-nonsense when I was growing up.” Shrugging, she added, “I think maybe she and Dad are experiencing what they call a ‘young at heart moment’. I’m glad. It’s sweet in a way.”
Considering what Shannon said, Nick told her, “I wish Alanna would put herself out there more. She’s only fifty-six and lots of years away yet from a senior citizen moment. I’d have thought she’d find some debonair older guy to treat her special after all this time. Your folks are lucky to have this grand moment to share.”
She hadn’t appreciated how a big celebration to mark her parent’s fiftieth wedding anniversary would affect Nick. His parents had celebrated less than twenty years together, so it was no surprise to hear his thoughts were on his widowed mom. When he got quiet, Shannon went to him and wrapped her arms around his middle, hugging him tight.
Nick was warmed by Shannon’s instinct to immediately offer him comfort when he had sounded down. She was going to make a wonderful mother, he thought, an instant before a whole host of random images and scenarios shot into his mind.
“Shannon, we need to talk.”
The seriousness of his tone brought her head flying off his chest where she’d been snuggling to search his face in alarm.
“Uh oh,” she said. “This sounds serious. Am I in trouble?”
“Well, I certainly hope not,” he replied, trying for a lighter tone. “But in a way, that’s what we need to discuss.”
When she didn’t immediately get where he was going with his train of thought, he sighed and pulled her down with him to the L-shaped sofa at the windows overlooking the Common.
Holding her close, he jumped in and went for it. “We’ve been playing with fire, little one. I’m sure it hasn’t escaped your attention that we haven’t exactly been being cautious in the birth control area lately. In fact”—he cleared his throat—“we haven’t made any effort at all.”
Shannon felt the color leech from her face as she struggled to wrap her mind around what he was saying. They hadn’t been using any birth control at all, and since she wasn’t on the pill, they had indeed, as he put it, been playing with fire.
“I’m not on the pill,” she blurted out.
“I didn’t think so,” Nick quietly voiced.
She considered what he’d just said about being in trouble and her heart sank. Was he trying to be casual or was he saying kids didn’t fit into his plans? Panic fed into her nervous system in a steady drip. She’d been unbelievably careless, they both had, by indulging in the sort of lovemaking that ended with things like pregnancy tests and babies.
What had she been thinking? It was too late to indulge in a little personal psychotherapy since doing so wouldn’t change anything.
“Don’t you want children?” she asked in a panicked, frightened little voice that surprised her, and apparently him, if the look on his face was any indication.
Nick didn’t like the pale, frightened way she was reacting but kept his concerns to himself. He felt again like there was something else, something he just couldn’t pin down, dancing about the periphery. Maybe now hadn’t been the best of times to bring this subject up, he scolded himself silently. She looked like the world was ending, and the notion that they’d hit a stumbling block scared him half to death.
“Do you want kids?” he shot back. Oh my god, he thought in panic. Is that what this is about? Maybe she didn’t want the babies and the diapers and all that went along with it.
“I asked you first,” she pointed out icily, but the fact that she wasn’t looking at him settled around his heart like a stone.
Think, Nick. Think, he chanted silently. Something had clearly spooked her. She had reacted to the kids issue more strongly than the birth control problem, and he was sure there was a clue in there somewhere.
Choosing his words carefully and with slow deliberation, he answered.
“Shannon. Nothing would please me more than to be a parent with you. I think you’ll be an amazing mother. Don’t ever doubt that.”
She was looking at him, but her eyes were cautiously blank.
“I didn’t want to upset you by bringing this up now, and I especially didn’t intend to make light of the situation.”
She blinked and let her eyes fall away. Nick was on pins and needles.
“I love you. I want whatever you want. If children are something you’d rather not think about right now, I understand, but I’d be lying if I said that having kids wasn’t pretty high on the agenda.”
Relief surged through Shannon like an avalanche tumbling down a steep mountain. Until he said the words, she thought she might die if he’d answered anything different. With a sudden welling of tears in her eyes, she assured him, “I want your children, Nick. More than anything.”
“Then what’s with the tears, my love? Why the sudden worry? Did you think I’d be mad if you got pregnant, Shannon?”
Covering her face with hurried kisses, he assured her over and over that to make a baby with her would be out-of-this-world, which only made the tears flow stronger.
“Please don’t cry. Your tears are killing me, honey.”
She hiccupped to a stop, swiped her eyes, and attempted a watery smile. “I’m okay, truly. I don’t know why I got so emotional, Nick.”
Liar! her conscience screamed. Ugh, came the defeated response.
“Let’s talk about this later, sweetheart,” Nick said. “Everything is going to be okay, remember? Let’s not borrow worries and just enjoy the happiness we’ve found. Hmmm?”
She nodded and kissed him sweetly. Yes. They would indeed have to talk about this later. Now, as he pointed out, was not the time. They had a party to get ready for and a potential dog and pony show for the family that was making her nerves stand up and take notice.
“You haven’t eaten much today. Would you like me to have something light sent up while you dress? I wouldn’t want you to faint from hunger! What would your parents think of me then?”
“Thanks. That would be perfect, Nick. It’s going to take me a while to do my hair and get ready, so something to nibble on would be smart I’m thinking.”
In a dead-on Boston accent that had her howling with laughter, he went with a raunchy jokester response that he hoped would bring back her giggling smile when he waggled his eyebrows at her and said, “Oh, I’ve got something for you to nibble on, woman!”
“What am I going to do with you, Mr. Barrett?” She chuckled affectionately.
“I believe you know exactly what you can do with me, Ms. Reynolds,” he answered, and just like that the earlier tension was gone and they were smiling at each other once more.
* * *
Two hours later after a quick shower and a long time styling her hair, Shannon slid into a classic little black dress with a high neck and fitted bodice above a cinched waist and flared skirt that ended several inches above her knees. The black crystal-encrusted belt around her middle sparkled, as did the ring she was wearing. Seeing what she had on brought a huge smile to Nick’s face, causing him to jump up and fetch his overnight bag.
“Looks like I have great timing.” He laughed as he pulled a black jewelry case from the bag.
“Oh, Nick. What have you done?” Shannon cried.
“Hush now and just open the box.”
She sat down and cracked open the lid of the hinged box, immediately rewarding him with a startled gasp followed by an excited coo. “Oh my god, Nick. They’re beautiful!”
A pair of elegant diamond drop earrings, each with a dazzling sapphire on top, twinkled back at her from the nest of black velvet. Her look of pure adoration bespoke of her love for h
im as well as her delight in the gift. She could barely sit still as he lifted each beautiful earring from the case and gently placed them at her ears.
She jumped up when he was finished and padded to the nearest mirror where she laughed and clapped her hands like a kid in a toy store. Turning her head this way and that, she delighted in the perfect diamond and sapphire accessory to her designer dress.
When she slid her feet into an outrageously high pair of black peep-toe pumps, he snarled at her with concern and displeasure accenting each word, “And what the hell are those, young lady?”
“You’re joking, right?” she trilled. Striking a deliberately provocative pose, she told him exactly what “those” were.
“These, my darling, are a woman’s secret weapon surpassed only by lingerie or the occasional foot-long sub and a sporting event.”
When she danced around to make the point, he followed her every move, giving Shannon the opportunity to laugh at him. “See?” she asked smugly.
Frowning, Nick said, “I thought your ankle was sore.”
“Yes, I did say that, and just to make you happy, I wore those crappy sneakers all day just so I could break out these babies for tonight. Deal with it, sir!”
“Okay, okay. Point taken. Your legs look fantastic in those shoes, by the way, but I want your promise that if that ankle starts acting up you’ll find the good sense to either sit down or take them off!”
Grabbing a soft cashmere wrap and the tiny satin bag with the same embellishments from the belt on her dress, she smiled sweetly then gave him one of those mock salutes that says, “yes, sir, Mr. High and Mighty, sir!” He couldn’t do anything but laugh as he took her arm and guided her to the door of their suite.
“Don’t look so smug, woman. When I finally get you back here tonight, you’ll be wearing those heels and nothing else, except perhaps the diamonds, and then I’ll show you who the boss around here is.”
She giggled, he smiled, and off they went into the night.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The Reynolds anniversary event was being held at a South End location along a cobblestone street in the heart of Boston. The small, elegant boutique hotel was the perfect setting for her parents and their mixed bag of friends and business associates. The classic feel and semi-formal ambiance that greeted them was a huge relief for Shannon who had feared some Grateful Dead flashback might be planned for a couple who wed in the 60s. While her folks might be older and definitely wrapped kind of tight, they were also from the generation of academics who had been on the front lines of the Cultural Revolution.
Because these types of events were what Shannon did for a living, her sharp eye took in the gorgeous floral arrangements and the white-glove service that gave this party a decidedly top-drawer air. She couldn’t have been more pleased if she’d arranged all the details herself.
“Shannon Reynolds! As I live and breathe!” came a booming voice, and before she quite knew what to do, a pair of burly arms grabbed her up and swung her in a jubilant hug.
“Uncle Robbie!” Shannon squeaked with delight when the huge man dropped her back at Nick’s side. “I haven’t seen you in forever.” She laughed while gracing him with a wide smile.
“Uncle Rob, I’d like you to meet Nicholas Barrett,” she said, using his formal name. Nick’s easy manner and quick, friendly handshake happened with uncomplicated ease, bringing a feeling of relief to Shannon. If her Uncle wasn’t going to ask a million questions, maybe nobody else would.
Cocktails were being passed around, but Shannon could only think of locating her parents and giving them her love. Nick held tight to her hand as they drifted through the crowded room in search of the guests of honor.
They found one of them backed into a corner where her dad was telling one of his “oh my god, can you believe how wrong they were” stories to a gathering of friends. Shannon smiled. Dad always did enjoy rattling on about experiments gone wrong or the occasional ill-conceived hypothesis.
“Dad!” Shannon cried as she threw herself at him.
Peals of delighted laughter ensued while the two hugged and talked all at once, resulting in them tripping over each other’s conversation. Nick stood to the side observing the father-daughter reunion.
Before Shannon could reach for him to do an introduction, her mother appeared in an excited huff, crying out when she saw her only daughter.
“Shannon, darling! You look amazing as always,” her mom exclaimed.
“Oh, Mom!” she replied with a huge smile. “That dress…”
Shannon was stunned by her mother’s transformation. Gone was the plain white lab coat and sensible shoes, along with the usual pencil stuck in her hair or the pair of glasses hanging on a beaded lanyard around her neck.
In their place was a beautifully elegant sheath of a dress with a modest boat neckline that hung in a straight line to the floor. The feminine pumps she wore, while not nearly as modern or outrageous as Shannon’s, were perfect for the look of an anniversary celebration. Shannon was delighted and said so.
Nick must have been hovering nearby because her mother’s quizzical look at the big man so obviously sticking close to her daughter’s side earned Shannon a raised eyebrow and a questioning expression.
Forgetting all about her earlier anxiety, Shannon instantly grabbed Nick’s hand and pulled him toward her parents. She was filled with happiness at seeing her mom and dad again and truly delighted in their joy at being recognized for their fifty years together.
“Mom, Dad. This is Nicholas Barrett,” she beamed. “Nick, these are my parents, Doctor and Doctor Joanne and Michael Reynolds.”
The way her face lit up as she smiled back and forth between the parents that she loved and Nick made his heart thump with happiness.
Putting all of his impeccable manners on display, Nick went with a straightforward charm offensive that managed to make Shannon’s smile even broader.
“Doctor Reynolds.” He smiled as he held out his hand to Shannon’s mother. When she took it, he swiftly turned her wrist to place a gentlemanly kiss against her knuckles.
“I can see where Shannon gets her beautiful hair,” he said as he glanced meaningfully at Joanne Reynolds full mane of salt-and-pepper curls. The woman was obviously charmed because she let loose an abbreviated giggle that reminded Nick of Shannon’s delightful laugh.
“Oh my!” she chortled. “Michael, pay attention!” she cried excitedly. “Your daughter has brought a beau with her, and he’s a charming devil if ever there was one!”
Nick’s appreciative grin found its way into Shannon’s heart along with the wink he shot at her.
Turning to her dad, Nick down-shifted the charm a tad and shook the man’s hand with a firm grip as he nodded in greeting, saying, “Doctor Reynolds,” with all the gravitas he could muster.
Throwing his arm possessively around Shannon’s shoulder, Nick told her parents how pleased he was to meet them at last, while congratulating them on fifty years of togetherness.
Shannon basked in the joy radiating from her parents’ faces. Clutching at Nick’s arm in his elegantly smart Armani suit, Shannon squeezed a fraction in silent signal of her delight when that movement, slight as it was, caught her eagle-eyed mom’s attention.
Nudging her husband, she looked right at Shannon when she said, “Michael, I think these two may have something to tell us.”
Her pointed glance at the dazzling bauble on Shannon’s ring finger was making a statement that the Doctors Reynolds needed clarified.
Smiling in her mother’s direction and not missing a beat, Nick stepped up and said proudly, “You are correct, Doctor Reynolds”
Covering Shannon’s hand with his own where it slotted through the crook of his arm, he looked adoringly into her smiling face and went for broke.
“Sir,” he said, turning to the other Doctor Reynolds. “I’ve asked your daughter to marry me, and to my great good luck, she has said yes.”
The startled gasps of, “What?�
��, “Are you kidding?”, and “Shannon, this is such a surprise,” filled the air as hands were grabbed and shaken yet again and hugs were exchanged in earnest.
Shannon assured her folks that she didn’t want any sort of big announcement to be made because this evening was meant to be their celebration, but she did promise they’d make a formal declaration in the days to come.
Feeling like he was ten feet tall, Nick eventually pried Shannon away for a trip to the intimate dance floor where he could gather her close at last and let the music wrap around them.
She felt so right in his arms that they stayed together on the dance floor for a very long time. There was something so perfect about the way they fit together, swaying gently to the music. He had to admit that the sexy heels added to the enjoyment, for they allowed her to nestle against him in all the right spots and made that perfect backside of hers shift back and forth in flawless rhythm.
The moment he found the opportunity, he swept her onto a terrace awash with twinkling lights and flickering candles set in tall, deep glass vases. He found a secluded corner where he could pull her against him and kiss her soundly.
Is this what bliss felt like? Shannon wondered. She’d never felt so complete and happy in all her life as she did right then, standing with her arms around Nick’s neck, leaning into him as he kissed her with a thoroughness that left nothing on the table.
Everything was going so well that Shannon wasn’t prepared when a dramatic shift opened up like a violent summer storm that came out of nowhere.
Once minute they were standing there wrapped in each other’s arms, whispering as lovers do, punctuating their words with tiny kisses. In the next, a simple, straightforward introduction turned into a dramatic scene that threatened to change everything.
Through the open doors of the terrace, Shannon had heard the booming voice of yet another Doctor Reynolds a second before her older brother, Ted, burst into her line of sight.
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