Rekindled Romance

“I don’t work at the store anymore, Shelby. That’s my father’s job.”

There was a low, threatening undercurrent to his tone that scraped against her nerves. She ignored it. “So you have your own handyman business now? I saw the van when you drove up.”

Matt’s eyes darkened, and he shifted his weight slightly as if trying to control himself. “I only do that part-time. You know how we small-town guys are. We work as little as possible so we have more time to hunt and fish. We’re not very ambitious.”

Shelby cringed at hearing her own words taunting her. So much for putting on a front. Being face-to-face with him hurt more than she’d ever imagined. “Matt, please...”

The sound of a car pulling in the drive meant Gramma was back. Her chance to escape. “I’ll let Gramma know you’re here.” Quickly she moved through the hall and into the kitchen, meeting Ellen as she opened the door. “Why didn’t you tell me Matt Durrant lived next door to you?”

Ellen blinked in surprise. “I didn’t think you’d care.”

“I don’t. I mean, it was a surprise, that’s all.”

Gramma came into the kitchen, a puzzled frown marring her brow. “What difference could that make to you?”

“Because we were—” She hesitated, gauging her words. “We knew each other in school.”

Gramma shook her head. “I don’t understand. What does that have to do with anything?”

Shelby exhaled an exasperated grunt. There was no way she could make Gramma understand without going into the grim details of her past relationship with Matt, and she wasn’t ready to deal with that right now. “Never mind. He’s here. He wants to talk to you.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Gramma set her purse and a small sack of groceries on the counter, then strode toward the living room. Shelby followed slowly behind, stopping at the archway and leaning against the side. The more distance between her and Matt the better.

“Hello, Matt. You wanted to talk to me?”

Shelby listened as Matt quickly outlined the situation. Apparently he was in dire need of a babysitter. Something about all-day classes and needing help after school. What that had to do with a handyman business she didn’t know. She had to wonder where the mother was. Out of town perhaps?

“Oh dear, I don’t know. I’m so busy with my church work and the hospital. I hate to turn you down but...” Ellen turned to Shelby and smiled. “I have it. Shelby and I can both watch them. We’ll be like a tag team. When I’m volunteering she can fill in. It’s the perfect solution.”

Shelby couldn’t believe her ears. It took her a full second to find her voice. “What? No. I can’t. I mean—” She glanced over at Matt, who looked as horrified by the idea as she did.

“No. I mean, I wouldn’t dream of imposing on your granddaughter while she’s visiting. I’m sure I can work something out.”

Ellen waved off his concerns. “What are neighbors for? When do we start?”

Matt shifted his weight. “Tomorrow afternoon, but...” Gramma’s landline suddenly rang, breaking the tension in the room. “Oh, I’d better get that. That’ll be fine, Matt. I’m free in the afternoon. Send the children over here when they get off the bus.” Ellen waved at Matt and hurried toward the other room, leaving Shelby alone with Matt again.

Shelby searched for something to say. “Matt, I—”

“You met my kids.” His tone was flat and cool.

Shelby nodded, mentally scurrying to regain her footing at his abrupt change of subject. “They’re adorable. I like their dog, too.” She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of them. “They were very well-behaved. Cassidy politely refused my offer of cookies because she didn’t know me. You and your wife should be proud. You’ve done a wonderful job with them.”

Matt paled. His eyes turned dark and cold. “My wife died three years ago.”

She gasped. “Oh, Matt. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.” He pinned her with a cold blue glare.

“My kids have been through a lot. They’re emotionally vulnerable and they tend to give their hearts too easily. I don’t want those hearts broken by a stranger passing through town.”

Stranger? Was that how he thought of her now? Before she could respond, he turned and walked to the door.

He stopped, looking over his shoulder. “Do we understand each other?”

There was a warning in his tone that was impossible to miss—stay away from my children. She nodded, stunned and dazed. The door closed behind him with a sharp pop, like a bullet to her heart.

* * *

Matt strode across the driveway. He shouldn’t have gone to Ellen’s. He should have called. He thought he’d been prepared to face Shelby again, but he’d been wrong. From the moment she’d opened the door he’d been rattled. She looked even more amazing up close, as fresh and lovely as he’d remembered. Her nearness had released a kaleidoscope of memories he didn’t want to explore. There was so much he’d wanted to say, to ask, but nothing would change the past. Nothing would explain away the wound she’d inflicted.

At the edge of the driveway, he stopped, casting his eyes upward briefly. Ellen’s solution to his babysitting problem had blindsided him. He had wanted to turn her down flat, shout that he didn’t want Shelby close to his kids. The last thing he needed was for his kids to form an attachment to Shelby, because when she left, and she would leave, the kids would lose another close relationship. He wouldn’t let that happen. But he’d been trapped. Ellen was his only option.

If only Katie were here. She’d know how to handle this. But if she were, there would be no need. He’d have his wife back, his kids would have their mom and he wouldn’t feel like he was constantly treading water just to survive.

As he walked past the Handy Works van, the words written on the side panel caught his attention. Showing God’s Grace. He stopped. Remorse surged through him. He hadn’t shown any grace to Shelby just now. He’d been curt, rude and unfeeling. Not the way he’d intended it to go. Or was it?

His conscience faulted him for being harsh and judgmental, but his heart told him he had to protect his kids from people like Shelby. People who turned their backs on the things in life that really mattered. He owed her an apology for his bad attitude but not for his position. As far as he was concerned, she was a stranger passing through. Nothing more.

Matt set his jaw and strode past the van toward the house. Shelby had assumed he had a handyman business. He should have expected that. She’d called him “a small-town man with small-town dreams.” He’d started to explain, then changed his mind. Let her believe whatever she wanted.

All that mattered was protecting the hearts of his children.

* * *

Shelby stared at the closed door, struggling to breathe through the thickness in her throat. She’d imagined her reunion with Matt in a thousand different ways, but never like that. She knew she’d hurt him when she’d broken their brief engagement, and she’d expected him to be angry. But the man who had walked out of the house wasn’t the gentle, tender boy she remembered. He was a fierce, protective guardian warning her to keep her distance from his children.

He’d made his opinion of her crystal clear. He had never forgiven her for what she’d done. She couldn’t blame him. She’d turned her back on everything he cared about. Belittled his beliefs and his dreams. She sank into a kitchen chair, fighting tears. “Small-town man with small-town dreams.”

How many times had she longed to take back her angry words? She wanted to explain to him how she’d felt that night fifteen years ago. How scared and confused she’d been. They’d had plans to go to college, to escape the backward life of Dover. But the day after he’d given her the ring, he’d changed. Instead of talking about their dreams for the future, he’d talked about settling down, staying in Dover. She’d felt betrayed. He’d said he wanted the same things she did, but apparently a ring on her finger had erased all that. Her mother’s dire warning was coming true. She’d said that ring only meant one thing, that Matt would expect her to give up her dreams for his. “You’ll be trapped here just like me.” She hadn’t wanted to believe her mother was right, but at that moment, it had seemed all too true.

It had all been so clear to her then. Either marry Matt and spend the rest of her life in a choked-off life in Mississippi or run like crazy toward college and her dreams of working on a magazine. Only one course of action had made sense. Run. It had been a matter of survival. And she’d achieved her dream. She stood at the top of her field. Though for how much longer, she didn’t know.

But at the moment she had a more urgent concern. Gramma was setting the table when she entered the kitchen. “Gramma, I can’t babysit Matt’s kids.”

“You aren’t, sweetie. I am. You’ll be my backup. It’ll be fun. They are darling kids. You’ll love them.”

“I met them this afternoon while you were gone. Their dog came over.”

“Aren’t they precious?” Gramma smiled. “Matt and Katie did a great job.”

Katie. The wife. Her throat tightened. “How did his wife die?”

“Cancer. That’s why he moved back home.”

Back home? “He hasn’t been here the whole time?”

“No. He owned some kind of big computer business in Atlanta. He sold it and moved back here about a year ago to be closer to his family.”

Shelby sorted through this new information. She’d always assumed Matt would never leave Dover. It was the crux of their breakup. It didn’t make sense.