Chapter 3
After telling Kendrick about who she had talked to today, he asked her if she wanted to bring her out for a few days.She had to think hard on that and told him no, not yet.She might have to be dealing with her father.Then she told him what her mother had said about him.
“I looked up their trial.I had no idea that they’d gone to prison like they had.Grannie never mentioned it, and I never asked.All this time, I assumed that they just didn’t want me and had left me with her.”Kendrick told her that it would have been hard on her.“It was.For a lot of years, I was scared to make friends because I didn’t know if they’d reject me or not.Not that my parents being in prison all that time is bad, I guess but it sounds like it didn’t do my father much in the way of good.He’s still getting into trouble with the law.”
“Do you think he’ll come here and try to get money from us?He won’t if he does that.I want you to know that I’ve been telling people no for a long time, and this won’t be any different just because I’m related to him by marriage.”She told him she had not thought about the relationship he’d have with her parents.“I’m just saying that if he comes here demanding money, he’s not going to get any.I know how to be a bastard, too, when it comes to telling people no when they want something that I have.”
“I don’t know what sort of person he is.My mother, either, for that matter.She seemed happy and good, but after all this time, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that she called me.Just because she was worried about my father coming around.”He told her that it could be just that.“I know, but I have to learn to trust her again, I guess.As I said, I know nothing about her other than what she shared with me on the phone.Not that I don’t believe her, but I’m worried all the same.”
“If he comes, we’ll deal with him.If not, then that’s fine too.”She agreed with him.“How was your day, other than a mystery call from your mother?I’m assuming that you got things done with my mom.”
“She’s wonderful.Yes, I got things worked out with her and the job that she has for me.I don’t know why she’d think I’d be any good at calling people for donations, but I’m willing to give it a try.”He told her that his mom had a good feeling about her, and that was good.“I hope so.I’d really hate to disappoint her.She’s a wonderful person, and I like her a great deal.”
“She loves you, too.She told me that with you and Cass in the family, she has women to talk to.I never realized that having six boys around all the time would be hard on her.But I’m thinking that it’s been harder than I can even think.I think that my mom is wonderful too.”They talked about the charity things that she was going to be working on with his mother before dinner.As they sat down to have their meal of roast beef and mashed potatoes, she told him how much she was looking forward to going house hunting in the morning.“I’ve set up appointments with the realtor and have things set up for us.I know that it’s going to be a busy day tomorrow, but I think it will be fun as well.We’ll just have to play it by ear on what we want in a house.I’m leaving that up to you on what sort of things you want in a house.”
“Why me?”He told her that he wanted her to be happy.“I am.I don’t believe that I’ve ever been this happy in my entire life.Just being with you has given me a better outlook on life that I don’t believe that I’ve ever had before.It’s like I’m awake for the first time in a very long time.I love that feeling.”
“I’m glad that I could help.”He laughed when she did, but he wasn’t kidding.He’d fallen in love with his beautiful mate and couldn’t have been happier with the feeling he had for her.All he wanted now was for her to love him as much as he loved her.And for the rest of his life, he’d be as happy a man as there ever was.“I love you, Sharon Valley.And I couldn’t be a happier man than if you were to tell me that you love me.”
“I’m falling in some way for you.I don’t know whether it’s love or not.”He smiled at her, a little hurt that she couldn’t say the words.But she’d get there of that, he was confident.“Do you suppose my father will come here?”
“I don’t know him any more than you do.I can’t imagine that he has the money.He might try to get that from you as well.”She said that she didn’t know how he’d get in touch with her.“If he knows where you live and your name, it wouldn’t be hard to find you.Especially since it’s been in the paper that we’re married.We have contacts all over the world, so it would be difficult to say what newspapers have picked it up and run it.”
“Mother gets the newspaper from here delivered to her daily.I didn’t know that you could do that.Not that it matters.”He said that it didn’t.“I guess we’ll have to wait and see what he does.I’m all for ignoring it, but I don’t think he’s going to just go away.From the way she talked about him, he’s not a nice person unless he wants something.At least I can be on my guard when he gets here, if he does.”
“He’ll come.I have an idea that he’s not going to let this go.”She said that she didn’t either, and they sat on the couch together.“I’d love to be able to just shut the world out, but I don’t think that’s going to be possible.But worrying about it isn’t going to do us any good.We’ll just be prepared for him when he gets here and deal with him as we need to.I’m not above making him disappear forever if he tries to harm you in any way.”
“Thank you for that.”She looked up at him as they sat there.“We’re a boring couple, don’t you think?I mean, we go to work, come home and eat, watch a little television, then go to bed.You’d think we’d have plenty to do once we got off work.”
“I’m willing to do anything you wish; however, at the end of the day, just hanging out with you is about all I can handle for one man.”They both laughed, and he smiled at her.“You’re beautiful.I don’t say that to you often enough.You’re simply the most beautiful creature in the world to me.”
“I needed that.”She kissed him on the chin and then settled down on the couch.“I don’t mind the boring part of our life.I have a feeling that it’s going to get shaken up pretty soon, and we need to be prepared for it.”
For the rest of the evening, they read their books.She’d found a couple in his library that she wanted to read, and with all the time in the world now, she was able to get through them fast.She almost hated to have them end; she was enjoying them so much.Sharon wondered if she could find more like that, but decided to wait until they moved.Then she’d have to find herself a good place to read in the new house where she could enjoy the comforts of home without leaving her little nook.
By the time bedtime was rolling around, she was ready for bed.It had been a really long day, and she just wanted to sleep until tomorrow.They were going to have fun in the morning, and she couldn’t wait to see what was in store with them for their new home.She had a feeling that they were going to find it tomorrow and couldn’t wait to tell her mom about it when she spoke to her next.This might not be so bad, having a long-distance relationship with her mom after all these years.
Getting ready for bed, she was nearly asleep when she realized that she needed to set her alarm.Pulling her phone to her, she got it set for seven since they were leaving at eight and rolled to her side to go to sleep.It was going to be a long day tomorrow, and she was excited to get a start on it.That and finding a house were high on her list of things to do.
Waking when the alarm went off, she was smiling when she got out of bed.There was a note on her side table from Kendrick, and she picked it up to read it.He’d gotten called in the middle of the night and would be home before they were set to go.She hated that he had to go out, but was glad that he’d let her know.
After taking a shower and getting dressed, she made her way to the kitchen.There she found not just Kendrick but his brothers, Lamar and Rette, as well.They had some paintings with them that they’d done and wanted her opinion on them.She clapped her hands and said she’d gladly tell them.
“Don’t be too harsh.We’re tender and shy about our work.”She was shown the first one and fell in love with it.“We have an art show in a month and were wondering if these are going to be too much with it being close to fall?”Then she was shown the companion of the first one.
“I love them both.Did you both paint one of them each?”Lamar said that was it exactly and that they’d not even been in the same part of the studio when they’d done it.“I guess the saying is true about twins, you have some kind of psychic power.These are beautiful.”
They were the same tree that she’d seen on their land when she’d visited them.Once she was able to get that out of the way, she could see that they’d each painted the tree with a different view of it.But the overall feeling of the painting was the same, like they’d been painted by the same person, or she thought they’d been in the same room and compared them as they went.Sitting them side by side, she couldn’t believe how wonderful they’d been painted and was glad that they’d told her that if they didn’t sell, she could have them.
“We’re headed out to go house hunting in about fifteen minutes.Did you want to hang out with us?”Sharon told them that it could be fun, but they declined.They both had deadlines to hit and wanted to get caught up before they got to the last minute.“If you change your mind, just reach out to me, and we’ll tell you where we are.”
“Sounds good.”After they left, taking their paintings with them, she sat down and had a quick meal, asking Kendrick about his work.
“I thought that I was going to have to deliver a baby, but turns out that she wasn’t in labor at all.She still has about three months to go yet.”Sharon asked if that was normal.“For a first-time mom, usually.They don’t know what labor feels like, so they worry that they might wait too long to get to the hospital before the baby is born.I sent her home on bed rest for a few days, and we’ll see if everything is all right.I did have her notify her OBGYN to make sure that he was all right with what I said and that she was to take it easy.I hope she does.It’s going to be hard when the baby comes, and she’s already stressing about it.”
“I have a feeling that I’m going to stress out, too.I know nothing about babies or when they’re kids.I’ve never once babysat in my life.”He thought that was funny.“It’s not.I wouldn’t even know how to change a diaper if my life depended on it.You’d have to come home from work and do it for me.”
“After a while, it becomes second nature.The things that you think you won’t be doing will be something that you can’t believe you do when your second one comes along.After that, then they nearly raise themselves.”Now that she thought was funny.“You’d be amazed at how much I pick up from being around all kinds of mothers.Though I don’t have any children of my own, I could pick out a layette and put one together without any trouble.I also know what will be needed and what isn’t too.I hear a lot for someone who is only in the room for a little while.”
