A Child's Heart (Trent & Cassie's Story) A River City Novel (35 page)

Read A Child's Heart (Trent & Cassie's Story) A River City Novel Online

Authors: E. Ayers

Tags: #romance, #true love, #contemporary, #child, #dinosaurs, #older woman, #wedding, #museum, #single father, #young romance, #river city, #new adult, #heart surgery, #e ayers, #urbanite

"Cassie has gone over there to be with her this
morning, but she'll come back here with the first load. I know the
rug in the living room will go here. Her china cabinet fits right
there, and her dining room table will go here."

Rick pointed to several drawings. "Whoever thought
this up was brilliant."

"Mom did. She wants things arranged a certain
way."

"Better than moving things three times," Ari
commented.

***

By the time the day was over, everyone was exhausted
and more than happy to relax with some pizza. Even Robin Callahan
joined the young crowd in Trent and Cassie's kitchen, and thanked
everyone including Cassie for all of the help.

"I thought I was giving up everything, and the only
thing I've actually given up is my old kitchen table and chairs,
which was replaced by an adorable breakfast nook that my son made
me," Robin said proudly.

Trent wrapped his arm around his mom's shoulder.
"Having you here will be wonderful. Shawn has missed you."

Ari grinned. "Having my mom has been a real blessing.
Tate adores my mom, and we all share the responsibilities. There's
quite a few multigenerational households, and it works well when
everyone pitches in."

Rick nodded his agreement. "We see it all the time.
Dallas and I have talked about being that sandwich generation. My
parents are still young and in good health, but that might change
one day."

"You're supposed to have children to be sandwiched."
Trent laughed.

Rick rolled his palms up. "We aren’t doing anything
to prevent it."

"That's wonderful. I had no idea you were trying for
a child," Ari said.

"Dallas has plenty of good years ahead of her. I just
don’t want to wait until I'm fifty to have my first child."

"How many years are there between you and Dallas?"
Trent asked.

"Eleven."

Trent raised his eyebrows. "Whoa. I didn't know the
gap was that much."

"It works for us." Rick grinned.

Cassie smiled. "I know that Dallas is madly in love
with you. She swears without you, she'd never be doing what she's
doing."

Rick shrugged. "We all have different lives. It's
just a matter of making things work."

Trent gave his mom a little squeeze. "I think this
situation is going to be perfect for us, too."

~~37~~

The evening after Thanksgiving, Trent and Cassie were
married in the Church where she'd grown up. She wore a plain blue,
street-length dress, and Trent wore his suit. It was a quiet
ceremony, with only a few family members and Emily Zoot, the
family's cook, in attendance. Steffen beamed at his younger sister
and she returned his smile. Her life wasn't like other people's,
and she knew it, but she loved her life, and she loved Shawn. That
was enough for Trent.

The Mass seemed to take forever.

Trent caught his mom wiping away tears. The Joneses
had welcomed her, and had been much warmer to her than she had ever
been to Cassie. Trent knew that guilt plucked at her.

His mom did seem happier since she had moved into the
apartment, and she seemed to be trying to mend the fences with
Cassie. That provided him some comfort.

They knelt in prayer, which brought Trent back to the
present. But soon his mind drifted again, this time to Cassie's
dad.

The man had admired her engagement ring and
proclaimed it to be just right, not too big, or too small. Cassie
smiled and never let on it was cubic zirconium.

Her dad also fell in love with Shawn who was doing
well in school and had made lots of new friends. He played soccer
on the team that Ari coached, but Ari had assured everyone that
Shawn could play on a regular team in the spring, and wouldn't need
to be on a special needs team.

During the Communion, he heard Shawn say something to
his grandmother. Trent turned enough to glance at his son. Cassie
had bought the boy a new navy-blue suit for the wedding, as he no
longer fit in the one he had. He'd grown a full two inches since
his surgery. All the doctors were thrilled with his progress. With
a new lease on life, Shawn was enjoying every minute of it.

Trent looked over at his beautiful bride, who
appeared to be fervently praying. He needed to pray for more time.
Between adjusting to academia, his job, fatherhood, Cassie, and an
old house with lots of projects, he discovered that anything worth
dreaming of, also meant consumption of his time. To him, luxury was
a rare nap on a Sunday afternoon. But he also knew that there was
light at the end of the tunnel, and the thought of someday being an
architect kept his nose in his books.

He needed to stop his mind from wondering and pay
more attention to the priest.

"I, Trenton Ian Callahan, Junior, take Cassandra Lynn
Jones as my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and
health, until death do us part."

Cassie smiled at him. He wasn't certain if she was
wearing a veil or a mantilla, but it matched the color of her dress
perfectly. Life wasn't easy, and he didn't expect it ever would be.
He only knew, with Cassie at his side, he could achieve his
dreams.

There wasn't going to be a honeymoon, or even a big
reception, only a quiet dinner at one of Boston's posh restaurants.
He was far from his element in her family, but the thought of
Cassie being his wife made it all worthwhile.

Before the priest pronounced them husband and wife,
Trent called Shawn to stand between them.

"I, Cassandra Lynn Jones, promise Shawn Devon
Callahan that I will love you as my own son, help guide you through
life, and do my best to fulfill the role as a parent." She reached
in her pocket and withdrew a small crucifix, placed it in his hand,
and curled his little fingers around it.

Shawn looked up at her and smiled, then fidgeted in
one of his pockets. He handed something to Cassie. "I love you,
too."

Cassie took him in her arms and kissed him as tears
slipped over her cheeks.

Trent nodded at the priest, who then pronounced them
husband, wife, and son. He kissed his bride, and then his son,
shifting the boy into one arm as he escorted his wife down the
aisle.

***

It wasn't until Cassie and Trent
were back in the bedroom of her childhood home that she retrieved
the tiny dinosaur from her pocket.
A
Tyrannosaurus, Shawn's very favorite dinosaur.
Tears welled in her eyes. "Look what he gave me."

"He loves you. We're officially a family now."

"Not quite. There's still the formality of my
adopting him."

"There's no reason that won't go through."

She looped her arms over Trent's broad shoulders. "I
have the most handsome husband."

"And I have the prettiest, most wonderful wife, and I
can't wait to get her naked."

"Oh, and I've got a surprise for you when I am."

Trent raised his eyebrows.

"It's the little something old. Well, it's not old
but rather a copy. "Ever hear of Ben Wa balls?"

"What?"

"You really do need to study history. It's anything
but boring." She grinned. "But I'll admit that I enjoy teaching
you."

###

***

About
the Author

Born and raised with wealth, E. Ayers turned
her back on all of it and married her prince charming a few days
after her eighteenth birthday. Her family disowned her, and her
friends were shocked. A firm believer in love conquering
everything, she never looked back. The love she and her husband
shared became the springboard for her novels.

Fascinated with the way people deal with
everyday problems, E Ayers has always been an observer and a
listener. A simple problem for one person is a mountain for
another. She utilizes those common predicaments, which is why her
books touch so many lives.

Today, she spends most of her time writing
while living in a pre-Civil War home with her two dogs and a cat.
Rattling around in an old money pit gives her muse plenty of
freedom. Her idea of a perfect day is to spend it at the keyboard
of her computer, coffee in hand, and everything in the house
actually working as it should. She's the official matchmaker for
all the characters who wander through her brain, and she likes
finding just the right ones to create a story.

She adores hearing from her fans and can be
found on Facebook, Twitter, and at her website.

Where to Find E. Ayers on the Web:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1297251502

@ayersbooks (Twitter)

http://www. ayersbooks.com (website)

[email protected] (email)

http://authorsofmainstreet.wordpress.com/
(Shared Blog)

Amazon Author Page:
http://amzn.com/e/B005AYJ0XE

***

Other
Books by E. Ayers

Wanting
(A River City Novel)

A New Beginning
(A River City
Novel)