Unexpected Love

by Melissa Price

  He went to the room she used to sleep in and found her on the bed. He sat next to her. “Not going to talk to me?”

  “I’m talking to you.”

  “Okay.” He wasn’t sure what was going on. He was also not sure if he should leave her alone or pursue it. He remembered John telling him once that he had made the mistake of letting Sara be upset with him and giving her some space. That had not gone very well. “What can I do?”

  “About what?”

  He gestured in the air, “This. I’m not sure what’s going on and I’m not sure what I can do about it.”

  She looked at him, “Nothing. I’m fine.”

  He stared at her for a moment and then left.

  A little later, she came down and sat on the couch and watched TV. He noted that she sat farther away than usual. Usually she was right next to him. He sat silently for as long as he could.

  “Okay, I can’t stand this. There is something wrong and you have to talk to me. We’ve been through a lot together and we can talk about this. I love you Taylor. More than anything. Don’t shut me out, baby.”

  She slid over and put her arms around him. “I love you too. You won’t break my heart, will you Sean?”

  “What? Where is that coming from? I can’t believe you would even entertain the thought. I will never ever hurt you. I thought you knew me better than that.”

  “I just thought I’d ask because if I ever lost you I would never recover. My heart would be totally broken.”

  He hugged her hard, “No worries there. You are stuck with me forever.”

  When they went upstairs, she took a shower and went to her old room and sat down with a book to read. She was too uptight to sleep. The words weren’t really sinking in but she tried to focus on them.

  Sean came in, “Are you coming to bed?”

  “I’m not sleepy so I’ll read for little while. I don’t want to keep you awake. You have to go to work tomorrow.”

  He stared at her and then went to the other side of the bed and laid down.

  She eyed him, “What are doing?”

  He lay there with his eyes closed, “Sleeping.”

  She sighed and turned out the light. She said quietly, “My mother called today.” She told him about the conversation.

  So that’s where all this came from. “Taylor, I’m not going to give her a dime and neither are you. Let’s get you a new cell and a new number. You can give it out to whoever you want but please, not your mother. I hate it when she calls because she is always trying to make you feel bad and it usually works. She can’t stand it that you are a good person and she isn’t.”

  On his next day off, he took her to the cell store and they got a family plan and she got a new phone and number. When they got back home, he helped her pack her things in the bedroom she used to use. Sean had asked her to move into his room and she had agreed but it was a big step for her.

  He held up the blue lace bra. “I remember this.”

  She laughed and pushed him gently.

  Later, when they were settled in, Sean said, “It’s official now. You are no longer a house guest.”

  “What does that make me now?”

  “My soon to be wife.”

  Eighty-three

  Her grandparents arrived late morning. Taylor hugged them both and then hugged the caretaker, Betsy. Sean was on duty but he had said he would come home as soon as possible.

  She introduced them to Tango and Bolo. Her grandmother smiled at her, “You have always wanted a couple of dogs. I’m glad Sean likes them too.”

  “Well, he didn’t have any pets until I came and now he’s stuck with two of them, but he likes them.”

  Her grandmother took her hand and looked at her ring. “Very nice, sweetie.”

  Taylor grinned at her and picked up a light suitcase, “I am so happy you are here. Let me show you your rooms so you can get settled.”

  She took them upstairs. Before she left, her grandmother hugged her, “You look so good, sweetie. You are recovering well and you have a glow about you.” She winked at her. Taylor left them to unpack since they insisted they needed no help.

  When they came downstairs, her grandfather asked, “So where is this young man who has stolen my granddaughter’s heart?”

  “He’s working but he’ll be here.”

  They chatted about all kinds of stuff, getting caught up. She left them to watch her grandfather’s favorite shows while she went in to start dinner. Beef stroganoff was one of her grandfather’s favorite meal, so she browned the meat and made the pasta with her new pasta roller. It was so much easier than trying to do it with a rolling pin. It came out just how she liked it. Long, medium thick noodles.

  Her grandmother came in. “Anything I can do?”

  “I don’t think so. I just finished the pasta so it’s ready to go. Apple pie is your favorite dessert, right?”

  “Yes, and I make the best apple pie ever. Let’s make it together.”

  Taylor watched her grandmother carefully and did what she was told. “There are some secrets to making this pie. This is how my mother made it and her mother and her mother. I don’t know how far back it goes but I am glad I can pass it on to you.”

  “Great. Can I write it down as we go?”

  “Of course, sweetie. Do you know this is the first thing I made for your grandfather and he loved it so much, he said he was going to have to marry me just for my pie.” She cackled and Taylor chuckled with her.

  Taylor helped her grandmother with the crust and rolled it out just as she was told. Her grandmother gave an approving nod, “It will be light and flavorful.”

  She looked at Taylor when the pie was in the oven, “I’m getting old so it was a good thing you could help me. I haven’t made it in a long time and your grandfather will be so pleased. I bet you and Sean are going to be as happy as we have always been. Even when times were bad we never doubted each other and knew we could stick together.”

  Taylor got tears in her eyes. They were so special and had always given her good advice. She hugged her Gran and had her go sit in the living room while the pie baked. She thought about the bad times Sean had helped her through. He had always been there for her.

  She made the cream sauce for her pasta and got everything ready to cook and pull together.

  When the pie came out, it smelled wonderful and the whole house was filled the fragrance of cinnamon, apples, and flaky crust. She heard her grandfather, “Elma, is that your apple pie?”

  “Yes, Grant. I showed Taylor how to make it and we made it special for you.” Taylor heard him give her grandmother a big kiss.

  Her grandmother asked her husband, “Remember that first apple pie I made you, Grant?”

  He laughed, “How would I forget it?”

  Sean knew it was almost time to get off, but he and John were dealing with some angry high schoolers. One of the boys had accused a girl of saying nasty things about his mother and had punched her in the school lot. The girl had a black eye and split lip. They were waiting for parents to arrive and it seemed to be taking forever. Sean had to put a hand on the boy’s chest as he shouted some curse words at the girl. John told her to calm down as she lunged forward.

  When his mother arrived, John told her what happened and she took him home. They were still waiting for a parent of the girl. John told her to call again.

  After speaking with her mother, the girl said, “She’s not coming. She told me to go home.”

  They ended up putting her in the car and driving her home. Then they went back to the precinct and filled out paperwork.

  Sean came home to a living room of smiling, happy people. His eyes first went to Taylor and then to her grandparents. “Sorry I’m late.”

  Taylor introduced them. Sean shook their hands and Betsy’s.

  Her grandmother winked at him, “Handsome young man in uniform, no wonder my granddaughter couldn’t resist you. What were the words she used? Hotter than hot.”

  Taylor bl
ushed, “Gran.”

  Her grandmother shrugged, “Don’t be embarrassed by the truth. And I can see it is the truth now that I’ve met him. If I were fifty years younger I might have a go at him myself.” She cackled at the last part.

  Her husband said, “Over my dead body. I’d have to fight him for you.”

  That made her grandmother laugh even harder.

  Sean looked at Taylor and then gave her grandmother a boyish grin. “I’ll run up and change and be right down.”

  When he left, her grandmother and grandfather exchanged looks and he said, “We approve.”

  Taylor laughed, “Well, thanks.”

  When Sean came down and sat close to Taylor, her grandmother started talking to him about the pie they had made. Then she said, “You know I’m the one who told Taylor not to let you go.”

  Sean grinned at her, “Thanks.”

  “It’s a good sign when a young man waits to have sex with a young woman. Shows he cares about her. Sex is physical and should be part of a relationship, but not the foundation. Taylor told me you were her best friend. It makes for better sex and a better life together.”

  Sean looked at Taylor and saw the blush on her face. “She’s my best friend too.”

  Taylor got up to check on dinner, Sean following her, “I’ll help.”

  “I’m your best friend, really?” She looked at him with a slight tilt of her head.

  “Of course you are. I don’t talk to anyone like I talk and share with you. You know more about me than anyone on the planet.”

  She gave him a big smile. “And you still give me goosebumps.”

  As she opened the pot of boiling salt water to dump the noodles in, he pulled her against him and kissed her neck. “Smells good. Your grandparents are great. They certainly do believe in speaking their minds.”

  She giggled, “I had no idea.”

  Her grandfather made a big deal over dinner and gave his wife a big kiss on the lips, “Your apple pie. I love it. And you of course.” They laughed at each other.

  He looked over at Taylor, “And you remembered my favorite dish. It was delicious. Better than you could get in a restaurant.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m going to clean up so you guys go in and watch TV.”

  Sean picked up some dishes and went in to help her. He usually helped her clean up and he really wasn’t looking forward to being alone with her grandparents. He wasn’t sure what to say. It was easier to help Taylor and then go in there with her.

  “So, I’m hot?”

  She eyed him, “Yep.”

  He grinned back.

  They all ended up watching a comedy show her grandparents liked. Taylor sat close to Sean who held her hand and her grandparents sat on the other end of the couch. Betsy sat in the lounge chair.

  When they laughed, Taylor laughed, not at the show but at them enjoying it so much and the silly remarks they made. Sean looked over at her and smiled.

  Her grandparents went to bed early and Taylor, Sean, Betsy, Tango and Bolo watched some more TV.

  Sean stood up, “I’m heading for bed.” He looked at Taylor, “Are you coming?”

  She smiled, “In just a minute.”

  Taylor stayed behind to talk to Betsy. “Thank you so much for taking care of my grandparents and coming here to be with them. It means a lot.”

  “Oh, it’s no problem. I really like them. They are such a nice couple and they like to look at the bright side of things and laugh. It makes my job so much easier. I see why they talk about you a lot. You are the big topic around the house, especially since you met your boyfriend.”

  Taylor giggled, “Yes, life has been very different recently. I’ll leave you in Tango and Bolo’s hands or should I say paws, and go to bed. See you tomorrow.”

  “Good night. Your grandmother bragged about what a good cook you are and I can see why. See you tomorrow.”

  Taylor went upstairs. Sean was already in bed. She went into the bathroom to change. When she came out, he smiled at her.

  “I’ve seen you without clothes on Taylor. You don’t have to go in there and change.”

  She shrugged, “It’s different.”

  “Okay.”

  She laid down with her head on his chest, “Sean?”

  “Hum?”

  “I can’t thank you enough for bringing them here. They look so much better than I thought they would be. And I love my pasta roller.”

  He kissed her, “They are great. And I was happy to do it.”

  “How was your day?”

  “Good. It was a little slower than usual. I got held up because of two teenagers after a school activity started fighting and we had to wait for parents to show up. The girl’s mom wouldn’t come so we took her home.”

  “Oh no. Didn’t get to arrest anyone today?”

  He chuckled, “Not today. Gave a ticket to a really cute girl though. She tried first to cry and when that didn’t work, she tried to come on to me.”

  Taylor punched him in the arm and he laughed. “You had better not be looking at other women or flirt back.”

  “No worries there. I have all I can handle at home.”

  “Handle? Are you suggesting I am a problem?”

  He snickered, “The woman who rescues strays, helps wild animals, breaks windows, crawls into crushed vans, rescues people, can’t paint very well, makes me fall down, gets shot in a school, and fights a homeless man? No, no problem at all.”

  “I told you those were isolated events, mister. I’m very quiet and mild mannered.”

  He laughed, “Yes, I’ve noticed.”

  “Are you saying I’m not mild mannered?” She asked teasingly.

  “I don’t need to answer that do I? You yell at psychos, talk to any dog, owner and kid who comes around, but what do I know? I’m just your big brother.”

  She giggled. “Go to sleep, old man.”

  Eighty-four

  Sean came down to go to work. When he came downstairs, Taylor’s grandparents were already there. Taylor had said they got up early.

  “Morning, Elma, Grant.” It felt a little awkward calling them that, but he wasn’t going to call them grandparents, now was he?

  “Good morning dear. Off to work?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Keep an eye on Taylor for me.”

  Her grandfather asked, “She getting into trouble a lot?”

  Sean shook his head, “No, sir.” He knew she did not want them to know about most of things that had happened to her recently.

  “Don’t you worry, sweetie. We won’t let her even look at another guy.”

  Sean was taken aback and must have had a surprised look on his face because her grandfather cackled. “She’s just kidding. Taylor would not look at anyone. She’s too crazy about you.”

  He smiled at them and left.

  Taylor came down to find her grandparents and Betsy eating breakfast. Betsy made her some eggs and she sat with them and ate. She smiled at Betsy, “These are good.” Normally she didn’t eat much breakfast, but she enjoyed the eggs.

  Betsy beamed, “Thanks. That coming from you is a compliment.”

  Taylor said, “I’m not the best chef.”

  “Don’t put your skills down, sweetie.” Her grandmother told her.

  Her grandfather spoke up, “Tango and Bolo kept staring at me so I gave them both a bite of egg.”

  Taylor smiled, “They are hard to resist.”

  “I bet not as hard to resist as that Sean of yours.” Her grandmother winked at her.

  Taylor smiled, “Yeah, he is pretty irresistible.”

  They spent the day watching TV and talking. They showed Taylor how to play cards and the four of them played for a couple of hours. Taylor asked them what they wanted for dinner.

  Her grandfather spoke first, “How about some beer can chicken like you made us last time we saw you?”

  She hadn’t cooked that in quite a while so she smiled, “Great.”

  She really didn’t remember the recipe.
Maybe she should have suggested something else, but too late now. She had to make it. She went upstairs and got onto her laptop to look up the recipe to remind her how to fix it.

  She came down and told them she needed to run to the store and she would be back in half an hour. She left Tango and Bolo to keep an eye on them and drove to the store. She needed some beer and some spices. Sean didn’t really drink much beer and she didn’t like it so there was none in the house. She only needed two bottles and she was pleased to find she could buy it individually at the store without having to get a whole pack of beer.

  On the way home, she heard a thumping noise and the car started to handle badly. She pulled over and got out to find she had a flat right front tire. She blew out an exacerbated breath of air. Great. She was like a magnet for trouble. How did one go about changing the driving force of magnetic poles or forces so that she could turn her luck around? Well, not too much around. She had Sean and two dogs, didn’t she?

  She went to the trunk and found a spare. She laughed. She actually knew nothing about changing a tire or using a jack. How dumb was that? She drove so she should know, but she didn’t. She picked up the jack. Maybe she could call someone.

  A car pulled up behind her. It was a police car but she could not see who was inside. She wasn’t going to be lucky enough for Sean and John to show up, was she? She was dreading that it might be Barrett and his partner.

  When they got out of the car, it was the two cops she did not want to see. Darn it. Maybe she could tell them she had called for help. She could call Sean.

  She pulled out her cell phone before they could approach and called Sean.

  “Hey.”

  “Sean, who can I call? I have a flat tire and my cop friend and his partner just showed up.”

  “Barrett?”

  “Yep.”

  “Damn.”

  He heard Miller talking. “Do you need help?”

  Taylor stared at him and then at Barrett. They recognized her. They were staring back.

  She couldn’t think of what to say. “Uhmm. I think I have it, but thanks anyways.”