Commissioned In White (Art of Love Series) (5 page)

“Sara called it a princess dress,” Chelsea said, smiling when her Aunt Jillian laughed her flirty laugh.

“Well, Reesa looks like a princess in it, so I guess that’s pretty close to right,” Jillian said, smiling and remembering how overwhelmed and awestruck Reesa had been when she’d tried on the fitted dress.

“Aunt Teresa told me she broke up with the guy she was going to marry back then,” Chelsea said.

Jillian turned to look at Chelsea. “Yes, that’s true. She bought this a week after she broke up with the guy. Your auntie has always been an optimist. I guess that’s why so many men have asked her to marry them. Pessimists like me end up single for life.”

“You’re beautiful. You just haven’t found the right guy, Aunt Jillian,” Chelsea said firmly.

“Oh God, to be young and hopeful again,” Jillian said, smiling.

“After all this time, it just seems wrong that she’s never going to be able to wear the dress and be a bride,” Chelsea said. “Aunt Teresa said she’d save the dress for me but it would never fit.”

“Lord no, baby. You’re already too tall for it. If I ever get married, and you like my dress, I’ll save mine for you. But then again, you might not ever be as rounded as me. You got your mama’s lean build so far, so you might end up being a skinny version of me,” Jillian said, walking to hug the girl to her. “We’ll just have to find that magical dress for you when your time comes around.”

“I hope I do look as beautiful as you one day,” Chelsea said.

“Well, aren’t you sweet,” Jillian protested, laughing as she held the girl at arm’s length. “Your mama and daddy made the prettiest babies on this planet. In a couple of years, you’re going to pass me up in the looks category. I need to find a man before you get too pretty and dazzle them all.”

Chelsea laughed at the idea that she’d be as pretty as Jillian in a couple of years. She knew what she saw in the mirror and didn’t see that happening any time soon. “Every time I think of Aunt Teresa never wearing her dress, it just makes me really sad. Mama would have been sad too.”

“Yes, she would have,” Jillian said, looking back at the dress. “But that’s just the way life works sometimes. Don’t be thinking your aunt got cheated. She didn’t just marry Shane Larson to get custody of you all. She fell for him the first time she laid eyes on that scruffy looking man. He’s the one for her, so it’s unlikely she’ll have a need to wear this dress so long as he’s in her life.”

“But if it wasn’t for us. . .” Chelsea began.

“Don’t even go there. . .” Jillian interrupted. “She’d be married to that awful Brentwood Addison and not nearly as happy as she is with you all and Shane. Teresa Callahan is doing exactly what God intended, and I know Shane is part of that.”

“You can tell he loves her. I see him watching her. He reminds me of daddy looking at mama,” Chelsea confided softly.

“You know, I’ve thought the same thing,” Jillian said. “The way he found her and all—well, I have to believe your mama and daddy are looking down on us and helping things along in the right direction. Trust me—white wedding or not, your aunt is way happier now.”

“I still feel sad about the dress,” Chelsea said, unable to get the image of her Aunt Teresa in it out of her mind.

Jillian hugged her again. “Of course you do, sweetheart. You’re fourteen and have the softest heart of anyone I know.”

“Should I remind Aunt Teresa that I have it and just let her sell it?” Chelsea asked.

“Nah,” Jillian said, pulling away. There was no reason to dash all the girl’s illusions. “Keep it here for now. She’ll remember it eventually. Let Shane get moved in completely and settle into a routine with you all first. You’re doing everyone a favor by holding it off for a little while.”

Chelsea nodded, trusting her Aunt Jillian and hoping the sadness she felt about it went away quickly.

***

Shane knocked on the door of the house, smiling as he thought he heard someone yelling for him to come in. When he tried the door, it swung easily open in his hand, so he stepped inside.

“Hello,” he called out as he walked past the mountain of boxes in the living room. Peering into the kitchen and dining room, he saw no one. But he heard whispering then, even though still no one came to meet him.

“Help—I’m lost,” he said loudly, stopping to listen again.

“Back here,” two voices yelled in unison.

Shane’s mouth twitched as he prowled the hallway peering into mostly empty rooms as he went. Finally in one of them, he found his father and Jessica lying on their backs in the middle of an unmade, freshly assembled bed rivaling the one he and Reesa currently shared. Packing and paper was strewn all over the floor.

“Boy, seeing you two in bed together brings back memories,” he said, reaching up to loosen the tie that felt like it was strangling him.

He remembered how embarrassed he had been when Jessica had crawled into bed with his depressed father in front of Michael and him. Of course, they had been fighting then, but his father had eventually caved, and Shane had seen the naked love on his face when he held her. That was the exact moment Shane had decided he wanted that same kind of love for himself. And thank the creator, he had found it.

“So where’s the stuff we’re moving?” Shane asked.

Will and Jessica both laughed at the question.

“I should have called you. We’re too tired now to move anything else today. You look tired too,” Will said, pushing up to a sitting position.

“I am,” Shane admitted, finally managing to get the tie loose enough to hang. “But things are going well, and I start my new schedule next week. I’ll be working mostly afternoons at the clinic. Mornings are my time with Reesa. I’m not willing to give them up right now.”

“Good for you,” Jessica said, groaning as she sat up. “Man, I feel a hundred years old after all that lifting.”

Will reached out and ran a hand over her back in comfort. “This is why I had the big garden tub replaced with a two person Jacuzzi model. It’s going to feel really great later.”

“I am so sorry I haven’t been able to help you all more,” Shane said, shoving hands in pockets.

“Perfectly understandable, son. Your new family is top priority,” Will said firmly. “How’s work?”

Shane smirked. “I’m adjusting to them. They’re adjusting to me. The part I hate is having less control of my time. I’m hoping to change that in a few months.”

“How are Reesa and the kids?” Jessica asked, sliding off the bed.

“Good,” Shane said cautiously. “Ditto what I said about work. We’re all getting used to each other. It’s actually feeling pretty normal already. I like being there. Now and again, it gets hairy, but I think the extra space in the garage is going to help.”

“Maybe when Zack goes away to school, you can move your office into his bedroom,” Will said. “That would be a little more private.”

Shane shoved hands in his pocket. “Actually, I’m hoping we move Sara into his room. I have plans for her room then.”

Will waited for the explanation, curious about the strange expression on his son’s face.

“I want a baby,” Shane said finally. “I’m hoping in a couple years, Reesa might want one too.”

Jessica looked at Shane and then at Will. “I bet you were just like that at his age.”

Will snorted. “Actually, Ellen was three months pregnant when we got married.”

“Oh good God—I’m so glad I’m past that possibility,” Jessica said, choking back the rest of her swearing and just letting herself laugh instead.

“What? I wanted her and the children. What’s wrong with that?” Will asked.

Shane grinned and bit his lip. “So you had to marry Mom because of Michael.”

“
No
,” Will said, irritated. “I did not have to do anything. I wanted to marry your mother. I couldn’t keep my hands off her, and her birth control didn’t work well enough. Michael was the result. The rest is history.”

Jessica stood by the bed, hands fisted on her hips. “Then when it comes right down to it, you really have no right at all to chastise Michael or Shane for their controlling attitudes with their wives.”

“Which is why I haven’t chastised either of them,” Will said, scooting off the bed to stand and glare at Jessica’s annoying smile. “The only chastising I did was to tell Shane to stop sleeping around until he’d found the right woman to take those chances with.”

“Done,” Shane yelled loudly, then burst out laughing at both their shocked faces. “I swear you two argue as much as Michael and Carrie. If Reesa and I did this, it would wear me out.”

“So, what? You never fight with her?” Jessica asked, tilting her head sideways. “How do you know what she really thinks about things?”

“Well, usually I just ask nicely and she tells me nicely,” Shane said, biting the inside of his mouth at the perplexed look on Jessica’s face. “It’s called intelligent conversation. No yelling required.”

“Sounds boring,” Jessica retorted, grinning at an unrepentant Shane, who she could tell was secretly hoping to embarrass them. “And you’re missing out on all the make-up sex.”

Shane laughed at the wicked look in her eyes. God, he loved feisty women. Apparently, it was something else he had in common with the other men in his family.

“Jessica,” Will protested. “Could we please not discuss our sex life with my son? He’s not Lipton. That’s bad enough.”

Jessica laughed low. “Sorry. My tongue got the better of me.”

“Save that energy for later,” Will said, teasing to soften his outburst, relieved when she laughed that husky laugh he loved and sent his nerve endings dancing. He looked back at Shane. “Sorry to bring you over here just to listen to two tired people fighting.”

“The entertainment was worth it,” Shane said, grinning. “But I think I’ll head home now. My bride awaits.”

“Speaking of brides. . .” Jessica began.

“Jessica—let it go. . .Ellen’s dealing with it,” Will said firmly.

Jessica let out a huffy breath. “Fine,” she said. “Let Ellen do it.”

“Something I need to know?” Shane asked.

“No,” Jessica said, retracting and regrouping her thoughts to keep from blurting it all out. “I’m having jitters. Your mother has got it all under control. I need to trust the system.”

Shane laughed. “You know, the JP ceremony Reesa and I had is starting to look better all the time. I thought you guys were going to get it done without all the crazy,” he said.

Jessica looked at Will and glared.

Will glared back. “No,” he said. “I’m just as tempted as you are, but this is the time to be patient, not to act rashly. We talked about this at lunch. Ellen is going to take care of it.”

“Oh, alright,” Jessica said grumpily. She turned to Shane. “Go home. You’re tempting me too much.”

“Everything okay, Dad?” Shane asked, frowning.

“Everything is fine,” Will answered calmly. “Just wedding crazies. I’ll be glad when it’s done. Jessica asked me a dozen times to go to Tennessee, but no I didn’t want a quickie.”

“Hell, you never want a quickie for anything,” Jessica said, laughing.

It was so much like something Reesa often said to Shane that the flush crept up his neck and face before he could stop it. Damn, he was just like his father.

“Okay—that’s probably my cue to leave and get myself home,” Shane said, grinning over his embarrassment.

Seeing that she had managed to genuinely embarrass Shane with her too-honest comments, Jessica immediately felt guilty. Some mother figure she was turning out to be. She was too used to teasing her daughter.

“Shane—I’m sorry. I’m tired, edgy, and irritable, but that’s no reason to take it out on you,” Jessica said, walking over and hugging him. “I certainly didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Shane hugged back. “I’ll live. Just answers more of my questions about what I inherited from Dad.”

“Okay,” Jessica said contritely, feeling a genuine flush climbing her own face then. “I’m blushing, so I think we’re even now.”

Laughing, Shane snagged her hand and dragged her down the hall as he got ready to leave. “I’m going to be the happiest man at your wedding. Except for maybe Michael.”

“What about your father?” Jessica asked on laugh.

Shane grinned and let her go as he practically ran to the door. “Dad will be too shocked that day to be happy. He’s going to be the happiest man a year from now when he realizes that marrying you was the best thing he ever did in his life.”

“Next to marrying Ellen and having you and your brother,” Jessica said with confidence, kissing his cheek. “And I love you all. I even like your mother, and yes you can put that in your damn book. You’re so smart, Dr. Larson. Someday you need to tell me what it’s like to be the man who gets everything he wants.”

“Ask me again after you and Dad are official. I’ll tell you then,” Shane said lightly, even though her words bothered him as he was climbing into his car.

Shane saw Jessica standing in the doorway and waving until he drove out of the cul-de-sac.

Driving away, Shane pondered her comment, wondering if it was true. Did he always get what he wanted?

He thought about his disappointments. He’d had his share. His parent’s divorce. His only long term girlfriend dumping him in college. Still, they were few and far outnumbered by the positive things. He would be the last person to deny that he walked around expecting life to go the way he wanted it to, and when it did, he was always grateful.