“Is she working?”
“Twenty hours or so a week at Carnegie Airlines.” He’d always hated how it took her away from him. She was always sprinting either to work or home. She’d never understood how much he’d counted on things being settled when he got home from a long shift. Months before they separated, he’d be lucky to find milk in the fridge.
“I always liked hearing her stories about the customers.”
“The thing is, it’s not like she has a career—she answers the phones. Shawn makes that job sound like it’s amazing. Like she’s helping to change the world.”
“She told me once that she helped a lady get funeral tickets,” Sal chided, telling him pretty plainly that he didn’t like Eddie’s tone of voice. “I thought that was special.”
“She told everyone that story because that was the only big thing that happened. Most of the time, all she does is listen to people complain and try to help them.”
“Sometimes that sounds like our life, huh, Wagner?”
To his surprise, Eddie realized he was sweating. Remembering all their problems got him worked up like nothing else. Privately he knew he’d made plenty of mistakes, too. He’d been so upset about losing the baby that he hadn’t thought about her needs enough. “I’m sorry about snapping at you. Thanks, you know, for caring.”
“I have to. I used to work with your dad, though he decided to retire early. So it’s up to me to look out for you.” Talking around another bite of chocolate and peanuts, he barked, “Watch your overtime. There will still be bad guys when you get back on your next shift. I promise.”
“I hear you.”
Sal slapped him on the back, then picked up his trash and wandered out of the room. Eddie grinned when he heard Sal’s booming voice target another officer.
All their business would always be the lieutenant’s, too.
LATER THAT AFTERNOON, Eddie wondered what it had been about Shawn that made everyone like her so much. Liked them together so much.
So far, he wasn’t getting much positive feedback about Jayne, which surprised the hell out of him. What was not to like?
“It’s just that she’s so young, Eddie,” his mom said when he stopped by his parents’ house for dinner.
“She’s not that young. Only seven years younger. She’s almost thirty.”
“She seems younger. She’s got so much blond hair, and she’s perpetually chipper.”
“That’s because she doesn’t have kids. She teaches them, instead.”
Unfortunately his mom didn’t take the bait, about how great it was that he was dating someone who was educated, committed and had summers off.
She’d be the perfect person to live with. The girls would grow to love her, too.
As his mom scooped the leftover mashed potatoes out of the serving bowl and into one of her many Tupperware containers, she said, “Shawn is doing a wonderful job with Kit, Mary and Elsie. She’s a good mother. And smart, too. I won’t let you act like she isn’t.”
What was it with everyone? “I never said Shawn wasn’t smart.”
“You insinuated it, Eddie.”
“Not really.” Feeling vaguely like he was still a teenager, he commented, “So when are you going to be in my fan club?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean that lately everyone I meet is feeling just fine reminding me about how great Shawn was. I didn’t dump her. It was a mutual decision.”
“Hmm. Is she dating someone?”
“I don’t know. Probably.”
“She’s not!” his sister, Melanie, called out from the back room.
Eddie resented the intrusion. “Melanie, no one asked you what you thought.”
“I can’t help but tell you. You’re being ridiculous.”
“So are you.”
“Stop snapping at your sister, Eddie.”
“She’s thirty years old, Ma.”
In reply, his mom handed him yet another Tupperware container. “Put the meat loaf in this, please.”
Eddie took the container and did as he was asked, though he could have sworn he heard Melanie snickering.
No matter how he tried, it seemed as if no one was going to let him move on.
SHAWN WAS RUNNING late again. “Girls, if you don’t hurry, Daddy is going to have to eat all by himself.” Grabbing two little rolling suitcases, she picked them up with one hand and looked for either Mary or Elsie to put in a car seat. Now that Kit only needed a booster and could easily get herself in and out of it, things moved a little more quickly, but even Kit’s help didn’t erase the minutes she’d lost trying to find Elsie’s blankie and baby.
Elsie wouldn’t have lasted twenty minutes on the road without her two favorite security items. Unfortunately she’d left them on the bathroom floor—which was the last place Shawn had thought to look for them.
When no little brown heads appeared, Shawn became more impatient. “Girls? Now.”
Kit skipped in from the garage. “I’ve been out here, Mommy. I’ve been ready.”
“It would have been nice if you could have told me you were in the garage.”
“You were looking for Elsie’s fuzzies.” Kit took one of the little suitcases, bumped it down the wooden stairs and wheeled it over to the Mazda minivan.
Shawn knew her ever-practical daughter was right. “Yep, the fuzzy search made us late for sure.”
“Later,” Kit corrected. “You were late picking us up, Mommy. Mrs. Henderson said so.”
“Only by twenty minutes.”
Returning to Shawn’s side, Kit said, “Mrs. Henderson said being late is rude.”
“So is gossiping.” Shawn appreciated how qualified Mrs. Henderson was, but she sure didn’t appreciate the lady’s penchant for speaking her mind.
When Mary and Elsie appeared, Shawn picked up Mary and motioned her oldest to Elsie, now grasping her blankie and baby with two arms. “Kit, honey, grab Elsie’s hand for me. As soon as we get buckled up, we’ll be on our way.”
If she got them in the car right away and hit every green light and there wasn’t too much traffic on the highway, they might make it to Eddie’s condo only an hour late.
With a huff, Kit led Elsie to the car. Just then Mary squirmed. “I forgot my backpack!”
“Go get it. Quickly.”
Mary ran in, then seconds later, ran out, slamming the door behind her.
Shawn didn’t even chastise her for that, simply buckled her in. After double-checking that Elsie and Kit were buckled in, too, she cheered. “Hooray! We’re on our way!”
“Hooray!” the girls echoed.
Shawn rushed to the driver’s seat, mentally estimating their new time of arrival. But as she pulled the seat belt with one hand, she realized the awful truth.
Her purse was still in the house.
“Hold on, girls,” she called, though a sense of foreboding filled her.
Of course, it was just as she feared—the door