A Child's Heart (Trent & Cassie's Story) A River City Novel

by E. Ayers

  ***

  After being treated to a wonderful light and sound show of robotic dinosaurs, the guests were broken into groups and given a full tour of the dinosaurs before being escorted into the dining area. Shawn's little face beamed a bright smile through the entire thing. Keeping the child reasonably calm was almost impossible. Even though they had seen the dinosaur room earlier, it didn't look the same as it did this evening, with all the fancy lighting.

  Trent located their seats at the table and was pleased to see that Tate Bia and her husband would be sitting with them. Trent had felt awkward and over-dressed in his suit, as most of the fathers present were more casually dressed. Relief flooded his system, when he saw Tate’s husband also dressed in a suit. But when Cassandra joined them, Trent’s stomach instantly knotted, and he sat up a little straighter.

  The menu contained exotic names, such as Dromaesaurus eggs, warm puddles, Triceratops munch, Stegosaurus spuds, and Tyrannosaurus grill, which easily translated into deviled eggs served on a bed of greens, a delicious bean soup, corn, baked puffed potatoes, and grilled chicken strips, with a variety of dips. The Dino Droppings were chocolate-covered, crunchy tidbits that everyone could nibble with their fingers. The food was good, and Shawn scoffed up everything on his plate.

  “Seems as though Shawn liked tonight’s meal,” Cassandra said, pointing to his empty plate.

  “Yes, he did,” Trent answered. “I’m surprised he ate everything. He normally doesn’t touch chicken at home.”

  “Tess Martinez planned the menu and did the catering. Do you know her?”

  He shook his head.

  “She’s great.” She turned to Shawn. “Ready for some fun?”

  Shawn nodded and scooped up the last of his chocolate munchies.

  When Tate Bia took the podium and introduced Dr. Cassandra Jones, Trent’s heart instantly fell into his stomach with a thud. Any feelings he had for the woman slipped away, as he watched her walk to the front of the room. A doctor? A woman with her education will have no interest in someone like me.

  ***

  The next morning, Cassie looked through the box of books on her desk, then wandered over to Mrs. Winston’s small office. “Do you know anything about those books that came this morning? I know I didn’t order them.”

  “Our supplier sends us a box of bargain books. Most of them sell quickly and a few are duds. The receipt is here.” Mrs. Winston passed the pink slip to Cassie.

  “Hmm. How often do we get these?”

  “Two, maybe three times a year. Give the books to Gail in the gift shop. She’ll handle them.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Winston. Without you, I’d be so lost in this job.”

  “I doubt that. You’re doing a fine job. The Dino Tread yielded the museum a nice chunk of money. Our attendance has soared since you’ve taken the position.”

  “I barely know what I’m doing.” She plopped into a chair. “I’ve been here five months, and the city is all over me for spending so much money. Then I get that shipment of mummies, and I have no idea how I’m going to promote them. Bill Krumpler left me with one heck of a mess.”

  “Bill was curator for thirty-two years. He didn’t leave you with a mess. He wasn’t planning on having a heart attack and dying. Remember, he kept these doors open when the city wanted to close them. Now you’ve got to pick up the pieces and keep everything going. Your Dino Tread gala paid for that exhibit. Bringing culture to River City is way overdue. You’ll figure it out, honey.”

  Cassie could feel the huge weight rolling off her shoulders. Sighing, she stood and thanked Mrs. Winston. “My granddaddy used to say, ‘Git’er done.’”

  “I’ll agree with him.”

  Cassie smiled and went back to the box of books on her desk. She hefted the box and took it to the gift shop. “Here, Gail. Bargain books.”

  Gail rolled her eyes. “Have you looked through them?”

  “No, not really.”

  “Well, it’s your job to check them and see what you want to offer.”

  A slight groan escaped. “Now?”

  Gail nodded.

  Cassie began to unpack the assortment. She thumbed through them and began to make a couple of piles. They were cheap enough, but most weren’t that great. It was easy to see why they were bargain books. Many had wrinkled or torn covers, and a few would never be suitable for the gift shop. Near the bottom, there was a book on dinosaurs. It wasn’t a child’s book. She set it to one side and continued to sort. “I want this one, and these don’t belong in the gift shop.”

  “Send those over to the Friends of the Library. What’s the one you are keeping?”

  “It’s a textbook marked $12.99.”

  “It’s all yours!” Gail grabbed up the other books and began to shelve them. “We ring these under promo. I’m not putting this one out. No one wants a coloring book that’s this wrinkled.” Gail was about to toss it to the trash when Cassie snatched it from her.

  “I know someone who would like it, and I don’t think a wrinkled cover will bother him.”

  Gail shrugged, as Cassie took the two books and went back to her office. She picked up the phone and called Tate. “Hi”

  “Hi, Cassie. What’s up?”

  “Do you have a minute?” She fingered the dinosaur book.

  “Of course. How may I help you?”

  “Do you happen to have Shawn Callahan’s address?”

  “Mmm, give me a sec. I’ve got to look that up. Here it is. Do you want the phone number, too?”

  “Please.” She scribbled the information on a pad. “One more thing, Tate. Is Trent married?”

  “I don’t know. There’s no wife in the picture, but I don’t know if he’s divorced or widowed.”

  “What else do you know about him?”

  “Not much. He’s a nice guy, and he loves his son. That little boy is brilliant, and not the least bit spoiled. Why the questions?”

  “I have a couple of books I wanted to give Shawn, but I didn’t want to create a problem.”

  “Oh, that child loves books.”

  “Thanks, Tate.” Now I have my excuse to visit Trent Callahan.

  ***

  Cassie pulled in front of a small home that looked exactly like every other house in the working class neighborhood. Tiny, cookie-cutter houses sat on postage-sized lots. The Callahan home was painted a pale yellow with dark gray shutters and trim. The grass was recently cut, and a few petunias were planted around the base of the lamppost. She parked her car and drew in a deep breath as she gathered up the two books.

  “Hi,” she said when Trent opened the door. “I brought something for Shawn.”

  “Come on in. He’s not here right now. My mom took him shopping for some slippers and a robe. He’s going to need them for the hospital. They say he’ll be there for a while.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I should have called first. Tate gave me your address, and I thought I’d stop on the way home, since you weren’t very far out of the way.”

  “You live in the area?”

  “Not really. I have an apartment in Sweet Grandview.”

  “This is not exactly on your way home from the museum.”

  “It’s not, but it’s not that far, either.” She forced another smile.

  He glanced at his watch. “They should be home soon. Would you like a glass of iced tea?”

  “Thanks. I’d appreciate that.” She gazed at Trent standing there in his work uniform, his name written in an oval under the embroidered company name. “What exactly does River City Manufacturing manufacture?”

  “Countertops. We measure, custom cut, and install counters for both commercial and home use.”

  “Oh. What do you do?”

  “Everything. Mostly, I handle the computer and oversee the shop. It’s a rather involved process. The measurements are dropped into the computer, which then runs the saws that cut the counters.”

  She followed him through the tiny house to the modern kitchen. “Cute kitchen.
”

  “Thanks. My mom loves it. I tore out what existed a few years ago. I made the cabinets from scratch and the countertops are leftovers from a large job the company did awhile back.”

  “Granite?”

  He nodded, opened a cabinet, and withdrew two glasses. “I’ve got a small woodshop in the backyard.”

  “I’m impressed. You do beautiful work.”

  “Thanks.” He handed her a glass of iced tea.

  She put the two books on the counter and accepted the glass. Her fingers touched his, sending a spark though her body. Gazing into his eyes, she smiled. A golden blonde lock fell across his forehead, and she noticed slight dimples when he returned the smile.

  Broad shoulders filled his shirt, and golden hair covered his forearms. Desire filled her as she stared at the man with gray-blue eyes.

  He returned the stare and she found herself lured to him. Golden-brown eyelashes framed his penetrating gaze. Taking a sip of the sweet liquid only enhanced the burning inside her. His fingers wrapped around the glass and removed it from her clutch as his mouth covered hers.

  Sweet, probing kisses caused her to close her eyes, as she was drawn to him by the magnificent sensation that streamed through her body. Her hands found his shoulders, as his arms locked her into his embrace. Her hips swayed against the soft bulge in his pants. His hand on the small of her back pulled her tight to him. The room vanished. All that was left, were two bodies pressed together.

  His tongue danced with hers as her pelvis rode his hardening length. Her breasts burned. She clawed at the fabric covering his shoulders. It was primal and she lost herself in the ancient ritual. Heat flowed through her until it peaked, causing a groan to escape her throat. Her lips unlocked from his, and she buried her face into his chest. The course material was permeated with the pungent smell of perspiration and oil. Inhaling deeply, it was nauseating, exciting, and very masculine. Reality hit, sending a jolt through her system. She let go of him and turned away. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I just did that.”

  His hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back to him. “I’m not sure exactly what happened, but it was terrific." His breath flowed over her face as he spoke. "I should be apologizing to you. I've never spontaneously kissed someone before.” His voice was deep and raspy. “I’ve heard it said that you can tell a lot from a first kiss, and that was one hell of a first kiss.”

  “I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Why? It was awesome.” He pulled her tight to his body.

  Her gaze locked with his as his lips once again touched hers. Her knees weakened and her body trembled. Wanting to flee, she found herself riveted in place. His tongue found hers. Heat coursed through her as the room began to swim. A gray cloud enveloped her until there was nothing.

  ***

  “Hi, welcome back. Feeling any better?” Trent asked.

  Cassie looked up at the man kneeling beside her. “What happened?”

  “You fainted. I was about to call 9-1-1. You’ve been out for a few minutes.” She started to sit up, but he gently pushed her back down. “You’re not going anywhere. Take a couple of deep breaths.”

  “I’m fine.”

  He ran a finger across her cheek as he stared into her crystal blue pools. “You remind me of a china doll, perfectly beautiful.”

  “Please, let me get up.”

  “Slowly.” He offered her his hand.

  Making her sit at the kitchen table, he brought her the glass of iced tea and then pulled out a chair across from her. As he sat, a grin split his face and erupted into a chuckle. “I’ve kissed many a woman in my life, but I’ve never had that effect on one.”

  “I’m sorry, I have no idea what came over me.”

  “There you go apologizing again for something that requires none.”

  “I’ve never been that lost in a kiss, and I’ve never fainted before in my life. No, that’s not right, I fainted one time after I gave blood when I was still in college.”

  “Gave blood on an empty stomach?”

  “Probably.”

  “Bet you’ve got a empty stomach now.”

  She shook her head, as if trying to clear it. “Maybe. I ate a banana at some point today.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Ah, I think so. I skipped breakfast and drank a pot of coffee at work.”

  “You’re not leaving here until you’ve eaten something nutritious and filling.” He opened the refrigerator, put a generous helping of pot roast in a bowl, and stuck it in the microwave. When the microwave beeped, he handed her the bowl and a fork. “I’ll be right back.”

  Her taste buds savored the delicious beef and potatoes. She devoured it with lightning speed. It had been years since she had a home-cooked meal. Memories of her family flooded her mind: the beautiful, old, stone house on the outskirts of Boston, her mom and dad, Emily Zoot making dinner for the family, and several noisy brothers teasing her. Now she was sitting in Trent’s tiny kitchen, scraping the bowl with her fork to get every precious drop of gravy.

  “Looks like you’re ready for a piece of apple pie.”

  “It was delicious, but I’m not sure I have room for pie.” She gazed at Trent, now freshly showered and wearing a tee shirt and jeans. Her heart sighed.

  “Make room.”

  Her heart had plenty of room for him, but she wasn’t sure her stomach could handle more.

  ~~3~~

  The happy sounds of Shawn coming through the front door caused Trent to look over his shoulder. “I’m in the kitchen, and you have a visitor.”

  “Look what Grandmom found for me!”

  Trent watched his son dig in the bag and pull out a terry robe.

  “It’s just like yours. See! And…” Shawn deposited the robe on the table and began to search through the bag. He stopped digging and looked up at Cassie. “Hi. Are you my visitor?”

  “Yes. I brought you something, but it can wait until you’ve shown your dad all your purchases.”

  Shawn looked up at his father, and dashed off.

  “It’s his medicine. He hates taking it because he’s concerned he’s going to have an accident.”

  Cassie nodded. “I’m sure at his age, that would be embarrassing.”

  “He wears pull-ups at night because he sleeps so soundly, and I’ve offered him incontinence pads for the day, but he says he’s not a girl.”

  “He’s four. What does he know about that?”

  Trent shrugged. “I talk to him. We spend a lot of time talking about life. Guess he knows more than most boys his age, but most kids his age haven’t been through what he’s been through.”

  A middle-aged woman walked into the kitchen. “Hello. I’m Robin Callahan.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Callahan. I’m Cassie Jones. Pleased to meet you.”

  Shawn returned and smiled at Cassie. “This is the lady who gave us the tickets to the Dino Tread. I told you that Daddy and I think she’s really pretty.”

  Cassie glimpsed at Trent, who was blushing and then held her arms out to Shawn. “Thank you. And I happen to think you are as handsome as your daddy.” She pulled the tentative little boy into her lap and opened the bag he was holding. “What else do you have in here?”

  Shawn showed off the rest of the evening’s purchases and, when he was done, Cassie pointed to the books on the counter. “For you.”

  He slipped off her lap. Excited, he flipped through the coloring book of various woodland creatures, then started to look through the book on dinosaurs.

  “That’s an amazing book,” Robin said. “I’m sure it will challenge his reading skills.”

  “He reads?” Cassie looked at Robin as if the woman had suddenly grown a third eye.

  “Oh, yes. I taught him. We didn’t want him vegetating in front of the TV, so I found some books on teaching children to read. It wasn’t difficult.”

  Shawn brought his book over to the table where the adults were sitting. “Want to hear me read?”

  “I’d love
to hear you read.” Cassie listened to the small boy stumble his way through a long passage. He sounded out several words, and she corrected him twice as he muddled through it. “I’m shocked!” She ruffled his blonde hair. “And so proud of you.”

  She gazed at Trent. “There are other books I can give him. I thought he’d look at the pictures in this one. I had no idea he could read so well. This is way too advanced for him.”

  “He needs something to keep him occupied, and this will do quite well. I take him to the library twice a week,” Robin said.

  “Please bring him to the museum one day and have him choose a few books from our gift shop. My treat.”

  They chatted for a few minutes, and when Trent mentioned it was time for Shawn to take his bath and get ready for bed, Cassie attempted to excuse herself.

  “Please stay. It’ll only take a few minutes for me to get him tucked in. After that, we can spend some time together.”

  “Oh, I don’t mean to impose--”

  “Nonsense. I’ve enjoyed your company.”

  Cassie watched Trent as he left the kitchen. He was average in height, slender and sinewy, with a cute butt. She felt the heat flowing over her cheeks and tried to smile at his mom. “He’s a wonderful father.”

  “He’s always been there for Shawn. It’s been tough. At least his boss is good about giving him time off. It’s harder for me. I’ve already put in for my vacation time this June, and I’m still not sure I’ll get it.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I work at the hospital, in admissions. You’d think they would understand.” The woman shook her head and pressed her lips together.

  Cassie winced. “How long will Shawn be there?”

  “We don’t know. Two, maybe three weeks this time. He’s going to have special therapy afterwards. If we’re lucky, he’ll come home sooner, and then we’ll have to take him there daily.”

  “Will this surgery fix the problem?”