by Amy Reece
It hit her so suddenly she sucked in her breath, shocked. I love him. She’d been in love with him since middle school, but this was different: loving versus being in love. She’d never felt anything like it for David, although she’d once thought she’d loved him. Compared to what she already felt for Seamus, it paled in comparison.
“Nina?”
She smiled and crossed the room to slip her arms around his waist. It was far too early in their relationship to tell him what she felt—it would likely terrify him. “Thank you.”
He kissed the top of her head and laughed lightly. “It’s just eggs, babe.”
She snuggled deeper against him. It was way more than eggs. “Let me cook breakfast.”
“I got this. You go grab a shower. Food will be up in ten minutes.” He stepped away and swatted her lightly on her rear as she turned.
The girls were still asleep, so she moved as quietly as possible as she took her shower and got ready for work. She was still reeling from her realization. I love Seamus DeLuca. Of course I do. How could I not? But could he ever love me back? A vision of his previous girlfriend swam across her mind, an extremely unwelcome intruder in her reverie. He broke up with her. He’s with me now. Stop worrying and just enjoy it for as long as it lasts. She squared her shoulders and leaned toward the mirror to apply lip gloss. Tonight, I’ll make sure we’re not interrupted.
He had her breakfast waiting when she returned to the kitchen and sat across from her while she ate. “I have to work tomorrow. It’s a forty-eight-hour shift, so I’ll be gone all weekend.”
“It must be hard to work such long shifts. You do get to sleep there, right?”
“Sure, as long as we don’t get a call.” He shrugged. “It’s not too bad. I actually prefer the forty-eights to the twenty-fours. With a twenty-four, it seems like you just get settled and it’s time to go home. I also like having ninety-six hours off at a time.”
“That would be nice. Listen, Seamus. I love having you stay here, but I know you must be ready to get back to your place, especially since we have the alarm system installed. It can’t be easy to be around such chaos when you’re used to a much quieter existence.”
He reached for her hand across the table. “It’s not chaotic around here, and I love it. If you want me to go, say the word. But I’d like to stay. What do you want, Nina?”
You. In so many ways, not all of which are physical. “I want you to stay.” She couldn’t look away from his smoky blue eyes.
He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Good. You know, we never did get a chance to have our date. You busy Monday night?”
“I think I can squeeze you into my busy social calendar. I’ll have to cancel a couple of other hot dates, though.”
He laughed and stood to carry her empty plate to the sink. “You’re sure sassy this morning. Hot date, huh? Gives a guy reason to hope.”
“A girl too.” She met his gaze and raised her eyebrow in challenge.
He let out a low whistle, then looked over her head. “Good morning, Iris. How are you feeling?”
Nina turned to see Iris, her hair sticking straight up, her eyes dull and shadowed. She crossed the room and knelt in front of the little girl, her hand going automatically to her forehead to check for a fever. “Do you still feel sick?”
Iris nodded, but allowed Nina to guide her to a kitchen chair.
Seamus left the room and returned a moment later with one of the fluffy blankets from the sofa to wrap around the little girl. “You think you could drink a little something, Angel?”
Iris nodded unenthusiastically and pulled the blanket tighter.
Seamus poured her a small cup of ginger ale. “I’ll go check on Lily.”
Nina kissed the top of Iris’s head and sat beside her. “I need to go in to work for a while today, hon, but Seamus is going to stay here with you and your sister.”
“Okay. I don’t feel good, Momma.”
Nina’s heart broke. “I know, sweetie, but you’ll feel better soon. You’ve got a tummy bug, but it will run its course and you’ll be back to normal.”
“I don’t want to throw up again.”
“I know.” Nina glanced at her watch as Seamus returned. “I have to go. Are you sure—”
“I’m positive.” He kissed her briefly. “Lily is still out cold. We’ll be fine, and I promise to call if we need anything. Go.”
***
She had to rush to get to her morning class. She lectured in a fog, then stopped by the student union building for a latte with an extra shot. She needed all the help she could get today. Back in her office, she sipped while sorting through the enormous stack of mail and interdepartmental memos. Halfway through the stack she found a forgotten Post-It.
Call Kira re: insurance.
She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. Crap. I forgot all about it. She dug a little deeper and found the file folder containing the insurance information. She flipped through the pages, refreshing her memory, then picked up her phone. She figured she’d have to leave another message, but was pleasantly surprised when Kira answered.
“Oh, Nina. I, um, I’m just on my way out the door. Can I call you back later?”
Nina was running on too little sleep and she’d had enough of Kira’s weird nervousness. “This will only take a second, actually. So, it turns out Neal had two different life insurance policies. I’m the beneficiary of one; you’re the other. Did you know?”
“Life insurance? No, I had no idea.”
Nina frowned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Kira sounded sincere. “Okay. I called the insurance company a few days ago and they said we could go in together to make a claim. What’s your schedule like for next week?”
“Do I have to go?”
Nina closed her eyes and attempted to keep her temper in check. Honestly, it was like dealing with a child. “Yes, Kira. You have to go. I need you to do this, so what days do you have off next week?”
“Wednesday.”
“Good. I’ll call the insurance company and see if they have anything available on Wednesday.” She glanced up at the knock on her open office door. “I have to go, Kira. I’ll text you the details, okay?” She hung up and turned to greet her visitor. “Hi, Chris. What brings you here?”
Chris sat across from Nina and handed her a paper cup. “Dirty Chai latte. Seamus said that’s what you like.”
“Thanks. How in the world could he remember something like that? I don’t recall mentioning it to him.”
Chris grinned and sipped her own coffee. “He likes you. A lot. DeLuca men can be formidable when they’re in pursuit of a woman.”
Nina frowned. “I’ve been in love with him since I was in middle school.”
“Have you? You married someone else.”
Nina sipped her chai before answering. “Yeah, well, we’re all entitled to a stupid-ass mistake or two.”
Chris nodded. “I hear that. I didn’t marry mine, but…” She shrugged and glanced around the office. “Have you actually read all these books?”
Nina smiled. “Not cover to cover, but I’ve at least skimmed most of them. Reading is what I do.”
“Better you than me, girl. Listen, Nina, I do have a reason for stopping by. I wanted to ask you about your ex-husband.”
Nina frowned again. “David? What about him?”
“Was it a contentious divorce? You got the house and the kids, right? Does he have partial custody of the girls?”
Nina grimaced and set her cup aside. “No on all counts. I simply asked David one day if he was having an affair. He said yes and asked for a divorce. I wasn’t terribly surprised. He has a very short attention span. He didn’t want any sort of custody, although he is generous with his financial support. I couldn’t begin to afford that house on my salary.”
“Does he ever see the girls?”
“Occasionally. He mostly makes excuses for why he won’t be able to see them. Why all the questions about David? Oh.” She reached for her ch
ai again. “You’re thinking he was the one who broke in to my house, aren’t you?”
“The possibility crossed my mind.”
Nina shook her head. “It’s not his style. Whoever trashed my place was extremely angry. David would simply ask if he wanted anything from the house. There’s no way it was him.”
Chris nodded. “I understand, but I’d still like to speak to him. I wanted to let you know first. Can you give me his cell phone number?”
Nina shrugged. “It’s a waste of your time, but sure.”
***
Seamus
“Come on, Lily-bug.” Seamus scooped her from Nina’s bed and cradled her gently against his shoulder. “You can’t sleep all day. Iris has been up for nearly an hour.” He carried her to the sofa and placed her at the opposite end from Iris, then tucked the big fluffy blanket around her legs before handing her the small sippy cup. “Try to drink some juice, okay?” It was Pedialyte, but he didn’t think they needed to know.
Lily nodded sleepily but took the cup and drank.
“Seamus,” Iris whimpered, “I’m gonna barf again.”
He carried her quickly to the bathroom, grateful she made it to the toilet before vomiting. He cleaned her up and soon had her back on the sofa with more Pedialyte. “You two want to watch a movie?”
They both nodded unenthusiastically and merely shrugged at his first suggestion. They must really feel crappy; they’re usually extremely vocal about their cinematic choices. He turned on the cartoon, then stripped the sheets off Nina’s bed and threw them in the washing machine with plenty of bleach. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he figured Nina couldn’t resist checking in already. To his surprise, his sister’s name was at the top of the text message.
Izzy: Are you home?
Seamus: No. I’m still at Nina’s. Why?
Izzy: I have the info you wanted from her brother’s computer. Text me the address and I’ll bring it by on my way to work.
Seamus: The girls are sick, so you better stay away, Preggo.
Izzy: Gosh, Mom, I think I’ll risk it. Send the address.
Seamus rolled his eyes at her bossiness and sent Nina’s address. He was putting the sheets in the dryer when she knocked on the door forty-five minutes later. “Mac is gonna skin me alive if you get this stomach bug,” he said as he stepped aside for her to enter.
“No, he won’t. Stop fussing.” She pushed past him and headed to the living room. “Hey, girls. Seamus says you’re sick, huh?” She knelt in front of them—slightly ungainly at six months pregnant—and set about doing the little motherly things he’d seen her do a million times with Janey: feeling their foreheads, tucking their blankets more securely around them before turning to her brother. “When was the last time they threw up?”
“Iris did about an hour ago, but Lily hasn’t since last night.”
“See if Nina has any saltines for Lily. Iris probably doesn’t want any yet.” She took their cups to the kitchen and refilled them with Pedialyte. “Keep the fluids going all day.”
He took the sippy cups from her. “Will do, Dr. DeLuca. Why does no one remember I’m a trained EMT?”
“When I need an arterial bleed stopped, I’ll call you. And it’s Dr. MacNeil now. When was the last time you had to deal with a sick kid?”
“About an hour ago. I’ve got this, Izzy.” He loved his sister, but honestly. “You said you had the info from Neal’s computer?”
“Fine.” She rubbed her burgeoning belly absently as she frowned at him. “I can see you’re going to be stubborn about this. At least promise to call me if you need anything, okay?”
He rolled his eyes again and chuckled. “Yeah, I promise.”
She reached for the large tote bag she’d brought and pulled out her laptop. “Good. Go give those cups to the girls while I pull up the spreadsheets.”
“Bossy much?” he muttered under his breath but did as she ordered. The twins were asleep, so he set their cups on the coffee table and returned to the kitchen.
“All right, here’s what I’ve found.” Izzy waited until he sat beside her, then angled the screen toward him. “All these spreadsheets show are the company’s expenses and profits for the last few years. Everything looks pretty standard for a startup company. They had finally started to make a profit, but it wasn’t much.”
“So, there wasn’t anything weird? Why would he insist Nina got the computer?”
Izzy shrugged. “I have no idea, but I did find something interesting.” She pulled the computer back and clicked on one of the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet, then shifted the screen toward him again. “See this entry here?” She pointed to a number in the middle of one of the columns.
“Yeah.” He squinted at it, but it seemed like any other number. “What does the little orange triangle mean?”
“That’s a comment.” She hovered over it. “Or it usually is. Neal, being a computer-savvy kind of guy, managed to change the code and turn it into a button.” She clicked it. “It links to a file attached to the spreadsheet.”
“What’s in it?”
“I don’t know. It’s password protected.”
Seamus sighed and stood. “Well, maybe Nina can figure it out when she gets home tonight. She figured out how to get into his laptop, so he probably set a password she’ll know if he wanted her to see what’s in this document. Thanks for doing this, Izzy.”
“I’m happy to help. You’ll tell Chris and Finn about this, right? They probably have experts who can open the document even if Nina can’t. It could be something to do with why Neal was murdered.”
He accepted the flash drive she placed in his palm and dropped it into the fruit bowl in the center of the table, amongst the apples. “Of course we’ll tell them.” She had such a knack for making him feel like a child. It could have something to do with the fact that she was nearly seven years older and had babysat him and Tony frequently when they were younger. “Please stop nagging, Iz. I’m begging you.”
She stood and slipped her arm around his waist. “But I’m so good at it.” She kissed his cheek and turned to pack up her computer. “All right. Sorry about the nagging and doubting your childcare abilities. You’re doing a great job here, Seamus. I’m really proud of you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Now get lost so I can finish my laundry. Be sure to wash your hands and take some vitamin C, okay? Maybe you won’t catch what the girls have.”
“Now who’s nagging?” She winked as she passed. “See you Sunday at Mom and Dad’s?”
“Not this week, unfortunately. I work all weekend.”
“That’s too bad. Say hi to Nina for me. Let me know when the girls feel better, so we can arrange a play date. Janey loves them.”
“Me too. I’ll call you as soon as they’re up and around.” It was true. He loved Nina’s daughters—not liked or simply tolerated—but loved them. He loved Nina, of course. He’d loved her since they were kids, but he knew he was falling headlong toward something more. Once upon a time, the thought of being in love with any woman, much less one with two children, would have sent him speeding in the opposite direction, but he had no intention of going anywhere at the present. I’m falling in love with Nina. He closed his eyes. No. I’m already there. Damn. That was fast. Then he smiled.
The girls slept for another hour, during which he managed to get the clean sheets back on the bed and some chicken broth warmed up. Lily was ready for some crackers and broth when she awoke, but Iris would only sip ginger ale. They watched another movie, this time without falling asleep, and both managed to not vomit all afternoon. Seamus hoped the worst was over. He sat with them, reading a chapter from Harry Potter, when his phone buzzed.
“How are they?” Nina didn’t bother with a greeting.
He smiled at her concern. “Fine. They stopped throwing up and Lily had some crackers and broth. Iris is still on juice and ginger ale, but maybe she’ll try a few crackers after story time.”
“Oh, thank God. I’ve been so worrie
d. Listen, I’ve got a staff meeting this afternoon, but I’ll be home right afterward. I’ll pick up some Chinese or something on the way.”
“That sounds great. You want to talk to Lily?” The little girl had crawled into his lap and was mouthing a plea to talk to her mother. He handed her the phone and stroked her hair while she told Nina about how she was feeling better, but Iris wasn’t better yet. Iris calmly held her hand out for the phone and proceeded to inform Nina that she felt better but wasn’t hungry. If Nina wanted to bring her a popsicle, she would probably eat it. Seamus bit his lip in amusement as he took the phone back. “Everything is fine here, so just relax and concentrate on work.”
She sighed. “I know, but when my babies are sick it’s all I can think about. I’ll be home as soon as possible. I—”
“What?”
“Nothing. Thank you, Seamus. I’ll see you tonight.”
He frowned as he hung up, wondering what she had been about to say.
“Can I have more crackers, Seamus?”
“Sure, Lily.” He set her back in her spot and tucked the blanket around her legs. “You want more juice, Iris?”
The other girl nodded unenthusiastically.
By four o’clock that afternoon, both girls were feeling much better. Lily had eaten some toast and Iris had finally asked for a few crackers. He’d put them in a warm bath and changed them into fresh pajamas, which seemed to rejuvenate them both. He washed their sheets, hopeful they might spend the night in their own beds, so he and Nina could finally have a few hours to themselves. If she’s too tired to make love, I’ll just be happy to hold her all night. He hoped he could stick to his noble sentiments when he was lying next to Nina.
By five o’clock, they were all impatiently awaiting Nina’s return. She’d told him she should be home by five thirty at the latest. The girls were bored with movies and books, so he found the cabinet where the board games were stored and set up Candy Land, hoping to keep them distracted until their mother arrived. At five thirty, he sent a text but although it said it was delivered, she apparently didn’t read it. He figured her meeting had gone later than expected and tried to focus on the game. By five forty-five, he’d sent another two texts and turned his phone off and on again to make sure the error wasn’t on his end. By six o’clock, he’d tried calling her three times and was starting to freak out. Where are you, Nina? Goddammit! This isn’t like her! By six thirty, he’d given up all semblance of not worrying and now paced, compulsively checking his phone, while the girls pretended to watch another cartoon. He was on the point of calling Finn when the doorbell rang. His stomach sank into his sneakers as he jogged to answer it. Chris, grim-faced, ushered him outside. Hugh was standing slightly behind her. “What happened? Where is she?” His words were a mere whisper from a suddenly parched throat.
