Tangled Up in You

by Samantha Chase

  And as it turned out, he was right.

  It took her fifteen minutes because her hair wasn’t cooperating. Though it was a little longer than she normally wore it, even at shoulder length it seemed to take forever to dry. She made a mental note to look for a hair salon. At the very least she was going to need a good cut and style before starting her new job.

  When Teagan walked back into the living room, Lucas had the television off and was waiting by the door. She grabbed her purse, keys, and phone and bent down to give him a loud, smacking kiss on the cheek.

  “You took forever.”

  “I know, bud. Sorry.” She ran a hand over his dark hair. “And you will be rewarded for your patience.”

  His big brown eyes widened. “I will?”

  She nodded. “An ice cream cone as big as your head for dessert tonight. How does that sound?”

  “Yay!” he yelled as he ran out the door and to their car.

  * * *

  Later that night, after Lucas was finally asleep, Teagan lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Her mind raced.

  That had been one heck of a curveball her parents had thrown her at dinner. They were leaving on a two-week cruise next week! At first she had been certain she’d misheard them. After all, they had just moved across the country. Why would they be going on a vacation right away? And worse, how were she and Lucas supposed to settle in without them?

  Which is exactly what she’d asked, and as she lay there in the dark, she still couldn’t believe the response she’d gotten.

  “We thought it best to do this now,” her mother said. Catherine Shaughnessy was the best mom a girl could ask for—loving, sweet, and very level-headed.

  Right now, she hated that last one the most.

  “But…why? We just got here. You can see how hard Lucas is taking the move,” Teagan had argued. Fortunately—or maybe it had been planned—her dad had taken her son out on the pier so he hadn’t heard any of the conversation.

  With a patient smile, her mother responded, “That’s why we thought it best, sweetheart. You and Lucas need to settle in together and figure out how to make this move work for the two of you. With your father retiring, we’re looking forward to traveling that isn’t about work. You understand, right?”

  Sadly, she did. It didn’t make her feel any better about it, but she understood.

  “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

  “There was so much going on and we didn’t want to add to your stress. The subject came up when we were here in April. Ian and Martha mentioned they were going on this cruise with some friends and I mentioned that your father and I had never gone on one. Next thing I know, they extended the invitation. Your father was very excited about it.” She smiled. “He’s worked so hard his whole life, it’s nice to see him looking so relaxed.”

  “I know, I know. And now I feel like a selfish brat because I’m just thinking about myself.”

  Reaching across the table, Catherine took Teagan’s hand in hers. “You’re the least selfish person I know. And your concern isn’t for yourself, it’s about Lucas.”

  “It’s the same thing, Mom.”

  “No, it’s not. You’ve always put Lucas first, and it’s a wonderful quality. And you know how close Lucas and your father are, so you’re afraid Lucas is going to be devastated that we’re gone.”

  “I’ve relied on the two of you too much,” she admitted in a low voice. “Lucas isn’t a baby anymore. It’s time for us to let the two of you have a life.”

  “The two of you are our life.” Catherine smiled. “We aren’t going on the cruise to get away from you. We’re just looking to do a little something for us. Something fun.”

  “And you deserve it. You really do.”

  “Plus, it’s a chance for us to make some new friends,” her mother went on. “You remember Jack and Mary Hannigan, don’t you? They’re Anna’s parents, and they still live next door to Ian and Martha.” When Teagan nodded, she said, “They’re going as well.”

  “I’m sure you’re all going to have a great time. And after this move, I’m sure you’re ready to relax a bit.”

  “Oh, believe me, we are. But we’re not the only ones who need a bit of rest and relaxation. From what I hear, the others are looking to get away just as much.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, Quinn and Anna just had their third baby last month.”

  Oh, right. She remembered her mom talking about that, but with everything else going on, it hadn’t really stuck in her mind. “That’s great. What did they have again?”

  “A little girl,” Catherine said wistfully. “They named her Bailey.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  “Anyway, Ian and Martha have been helping with Quinn and Anna’s two little ones for a while, because Anna was on bed rest for the last month of her pregnancy. And then with the birth of the baby…”

  “What about her folks? They’re nearby—couldn’t they have helped out?”

  “Their older son was shot last month. He’s a police officer in Myrtle Beach.”

  “Oh my goodness!” she gasped. “How awful!”

  “They say he’s doing well, and getting better every day. He was shot in the shoulder and has some nerve damage, but he’s recovering.”

  “Well, that’s a good thing.”

  Catherine nodded and then laughed softly.

  “What? What’s so funny?”

  Her mother waved her off but then said, “They claim he’s fussier and more demanding than the new baby!”

  “Mom, that’s terrible! The man was shot!”

  “I know, I know. He’s just incredibly grumpy and Mary said he was a lousy patient. So believe me when I say they’re looking forward to getting away for a little while.”

  “Just like you are,” Teagan added. “I really am excited for you.”

  Now as she was looking back, she realized she was both excited and not, all at the same time.

  How messed up was that?

  The good news was there were plenty of things she and Lucas could do to entertain themselves while her parents were away. Like she’d told him earlier that day, they could go to the beach, the park, and generally explore their new town. There were plenty of cousins for him to play with now and she hoped—in time, maybe once school started—he’d make some friends on his own. They’d scout out the local library and see if there were any kids’ programs there, or maybe even some local day camps.

  Tons of options.

  For Lucas.

  It was a lot easier to make friends when you were five, she thought. Making new friends at twenty-seven? Not quite as easy.

  Not that she was shying away from it, but…

  Yeah, okay. If she had the choice, she’d avoid it altogether. She was the new kid all over again. You’d think she’d be used to it after so many years of constantly starting over, but the thought of trying now was exhausting.

  Ironic, considering how physically exhausted she was right now and yet she couldn’t seem to fall asleep.

  Kicking off the blankets, Teagan climbed from the bed and went out to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Standing in the dark, she wondered what she could possibly do to fall asleep.

  “Try not thinking about sleep,” she murmured. “That should help.”

  Easier said than done.

  A box sat where she’d plunked it on the kitchen table—books and photo albums. She reached in and pulled out the photo album that was on top and took it back to her room, quietly closing the door behind her.

  At her bed, she turned on the small lamp and sat down. In the dark it had been hard to tell which album she had grabbed, but once she realized, her heart squeezed hard in her chest.

  Lucas’s baby book.

  Half of it was Lucas’s book, anyway. The other half was d
edicated to Logan—his father.

  With a shaky breath, she leaned back and opened the book to the first page, Logan’s official military portrait. Slowly, she reached out and touched it, as though she could still feel his face. He was so young and so handsome in that picture. She hated how that was the way he would be forever. She’d never get to see him grow old. He wouldn’t ever grow old with her. He’d never had the chance to meet his son or even know of his existence.

  It was six years since he’d died and the pain wasn’t nearly as harsh as it had been in the beginning. She still remembered the day her father had come home and broken the news to her. Teagan had never known heartache like that before and she prayed she never would again.

  Turning the page, she found several shots of the two of them while they were dating and she couldn’t help but smile. They looked like kids and it felt like a lifetime ago. They’d met just after she’d graduated from college, the summer before she’d left to start her master’s. They hadn’t had much time just to be a couple. She was either away at school or he was deployed. It was kind of a miracle she had even gotten pregnant.

  The next several pages held more random shots of the two of them and each one made her smile wider. Pictures of them at a military ball, another at a bonfire, and still another from New Year’s Eve. The final picture she had of them was from the day Logan had deployed for the last time. They were hugging and she remembered how tightly he’d held her as he promised to love her forever.

  “When I get home,” he’d said, “we’re going to start planning our future.”

  Instead, she’d had to help plan his funeral.

  With a shuddery breath, she touched that picture and stared at it for a long time until it began to blur. It wasn’t a surprise that she was crying—she often did when she thought about that day.

  Closing the book, she placed it on her nightstand and shut off the light.

  Maybe she would sleep, maybe she wouldn’t.

  But for right now, she would cry.

  * * *

  Standing and staring out the front door of his family home, Bobby watched as his parents drove away happily with Ian and Martha Shaughnessy, and another couple who were apparently cousins of Ian’s. A cruise. They were leaving him to go on a cruise! He still couldn’t wrap his head around the whole thing. It wasn’t like his parents didn’t deserve a vacation, of course they did. But did they have to take one now? It had only been five weeks since he’d been shot, for crying out loud! His arm was still in a sling and he couldn’t drive. What was he supposed to do?

  He looked down at the sheet of paper in his hand and frowned. His mother had made him a list of all the people who were willing to come and lend a hand if he needed it—everyone from Quinn and Anna to their pastor.

  Great.

  Muttering a curse, he stepped away from the door and slammed it shut. Two weeks. He had to fend for himself in an empty house for two weeks. Part of him was thankful finally to have some time alone, while the other was still a bit peeved that his parents couldn’t have waited to go on vacation until after he was fully healed.

  His thoughts were interrupted by ringing. Dropping his mother’s list on the dining room table, he pulled his phone from his pocket and swiped the screen.

  “What?” he snapped.

  “Wow, I wonder why Mom and Dad were so anxious to go away!” Anna said with amusement. “Still cheery, I see.”

  Yeah, everyone had been on him about his mood, but what did they know? They hadn’t been shot. They weren’t in pain. And they weren’t living their lives in limbo wondering if they were going to have a career to go back to when it was all over.

  “Was there a purpose for this call?” he asked tiredly.

  “As a matter of fact, there is. I wanted to invite you over for dinner,” Anna replied.

  “It’s a bit of a walk.”

  She laughed. “I know that, doofus. Obviously, Quinn will come and pick you up.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Bobby, I don’t want you spending all your time alone. It will be good for you to get out for a bit.”

  “Mom and Dad have been gone all of five minutes, Anna. I haven’t been alone in over a month. If anything, I think I’m due for some me time.”

  She sighed. “I just worry about you.”

  Of course she did, and he was being kind of a brat right now. “Look, I appreciate the offer, I do. And maybe sometime during the week I’ll take you up on it. But for the next couple of days, I’m going to enjoy the peace and quiet. It’s nothing personal.”

  “This is because Bailey spit up on you yesterday, isn’t it?”

  Bobby knew she was trying to lighten the mood and he couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s still hard to believe so much came out of that tiny girl.” He shuddered. “But no. That has nothing to do with it. If you remember correctly, I was a favorite for Kaitlyn to spit up on and Brian used to pee on me every time I changed his diaper.”

  Now she was laughing much harder. “That was funny. He didn’t do that for anyone else. Only you.”

  “Yeah, I’m lucky,” he deadpanned.

  Anna snickered a little more before speaking again. “Okay, I’ll give you a couple of days of peace because I know you’re right—it’s been a while since you’ve had some time to yourself.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Do you have enough food?”

  “Mom shopped enough for them to be gone for a month and that’s on top of the meals she stuck in the freezer. I only have to heat them up.”

  “She’s good.”

  And she was, Bobby knew it. Had he remembered to tell her how much he appreciated her help? Probably not. He’d been irritable about everything since the shooting. He made a mental note to remember to thank her—and his father—when they got back.

  “Well, I’ll let you go enjoy the peace and quiet,” Anna said. “But if you need anything, just call, okay?”

  “I will. I promise.”

  When he hung up, he was instantly hit with the silence.

  Finally.

  Only it wasn’t quite as soothing as he thought it would be. For all his complaining about just wanting to be alone, now that he was, it didn’t feel as great as he’d hoped.

  “Give it more than a minute, you moron,” he berated himself. Bobby walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bag of chips, and reached into the refrigerator for a can of soda. What he really wanted was a beer, but it was only eleven o’clock in the morning. No matter how crappy he was feeling, there was no need to start drinking this early.

  Snacks in hand, he made himself comfortable in the living room before turning on the TV. Daytime television had never been his thing, but thankfully his parents had Netflix. He’d been binge-watching many different things lately and it was time to pick something new. If his father were home, he’d suggest something sci-fi. If it was his mom, she’d want something sweet and romantic.

  He rolled his eyes at that one.

  Scrolling…scrolling…scrolling…kids’ movies.

  For some reason, he stopped and stared at the screen for a minute. Hell, when was the last time he’d watched something simple and silly? Oh, right. About three months ago when he was visiting Anna, and Kaitlin had convinced him to watch Frozen with her.

  For the tenth time.

  He’d even sung along to all the songs with her.

  Of course, it was one thing to sit and watch some cartoon when you were hanging with a bunch of kids, it was another when you were a grown-up home by yourself with no kids of your own.

  Still, there was something about a good Disney movie…

  Five hours later, he’d watched a short film collection, Finding Dory, and The Incredibles. Standing, he stretched and realized he’d skipped lunch and was starving. The refrigerator and freezer were loaded with casseroles and soups and all kinds
of stuff his mother had made, but he really wanted pizza. And not the store-bought kind, but real pizza that was delivered.

  There was plenty of time to eat everything that was already here, so what would be the harm in ordering in for one meal?

  Guilt only niggled at him for a moment. Twenty minutes later, Bobby had his next round of movies picked out and a cold beer in his hand while he waited for his dinner to be delivered.

  And that became the pattern for the next five days.

  By the fifth night, not only did he feel like crap from eating nothing but pizza and chips, but the place was a complete mess. Pizza boxes littered the pantry along with empty beer bottles and soda cans. There was a smell in the air and he couldn’t be sure if it was the trash or him.

  Closing the pantry door, he realized it was him.

  Maybe it was time to take Anna up on her offer to come for dinner.

  But first, he had to shower.

  Staring at himself in the steamed-up mirror thirty minutes later, he grimaced at the ugly scar on his shoulder. It was healing as it was supposed to, but it certainly wasn’t pretty. He was only allowed to have his arm out of the sling to do his physio exercises, and for a few minutes, he slowly stretched it and tried to work out some of the soreness. He couldn’t wait to be done with wearing the damn thing. Of course, that didn’t mean much of anything—just because the sling came off didn’t mean he was healed and good to go. No, all it meant was a little more mobility. Then serious rehab would start.

  Something he was, no doubt, going to hate.

  Unfortunately, if he wanted to go back to work, he would need to complete the program and get clearance from a team of doctors. And there was no way he was even going to allow himself to think about the possibility of that not happening. He had to work. Needed to work. More than that, he needed it to be the way it was before. There was no way he would go back if he had to rot behind a desk.

  “Don’t even think about it,” he said to his reflection.

  Drying off, he walked into his room to get dressed and realized he was out of clean clothes. He cursed and threw on a robe. With no other choice, he straightened up the room, threw all the dirty clothes in his hamper, and slowly dragged it down the hall to the laundry room.