“Which is the main reason why I am so proud of you right now, and I don’t have any words big enough to describe how I feel,” Will said, his throat tight.
Shane stepped into his father and hugged him then, feeling comforted as his father rubbed his back in support.
“I just hope I can be as good to the Lansing kids as you’ve been to Michael and me. You’re a great father and role model,” he said.
“Well, I have great sons—irritating—but great,” Will teased, laughing again as he eased away.
“Dad? What would you do if Jessica refused to marry you?” Shane asked.
“Love her anyway,” Will said on a sigh. “There’s really no choice about loving someone you feel so strongly about, but I wouldn’t be truly happy, and eventually it would become a problem. I’m the kind of man who needs to be married. It’s just how I’m wired.”
“I must be like that too. The moment I realized how much I cared about Reesa, my mind jumped to marriage. I would fit in her life. I know I would. But also, I’d just be good to her. She deserves a guy willing to rub her feet as well as—well you know what I mean,” Shane said harshly. “I am that guy, Dad.”
“Save your angst for your woman. You don’t have to convince your father about how great you are,” Will joked, laughing at Shane’s huge frustrated sigh.
“Well, don’t worry about me getting her pregnant to force her into marrying me,” Shane said flatly. “Michael has already been on my case several times about that idea and how badly it turned out for him.”
“Tell me you weren’t even thinking along those lines,” Will demanded.
“No, of course not,” Shane said quickly, shrugging out of the jacket as he headed back to try on one more suit. “That’s why I went to see Luke. I don’t have enough time to do that anyway.”
Will was unsure what Shane meant by “not enough time to do that anyway” and wasn’t really sure if he wanted to know. Still he looked over at Michael, who was slouched down in a chair, head back and almost asleep.
“Shane wasn’t really considering trying to get Reesa pregnant, was he?” Will asked.
“He’s so obsessed with helping her that I think Shane would be capable of anything where that woman is concerned,” Michael answered, not opening his eyes or sitting up. “Luke’s suggestion is a good alternative, in my humble opinion.”
Will closed his eyes in dismay. “The last thing Reesa needs right now is more children. I hope to hell Shane can see that despite what he wants from her.”
Michael raised his head, looking at the sincere concern on Will’s face. “I think it’s very interesting that Shane is like you in some ways and I’m like you in others.”
Will shrugged. “Genetics.”
“More than that,” Michael said, smiling when Shane came back out in a brown suit as dark as his eyes. “That one looks good too. You look rather striking in dark brown, Dr. Larson. Use that one for meetings where you have to fake being smart.”
Michael was disappointed when Shane didn’t even react to his taunt. Instead, Shane looked in the mirror with a frown on his face.
“I don’t even know that man,” Shane said, pointing at his reflection.
Will stepped closer, almost eye to eye with Shane in his boots. He was glad he’d worn them today. It made it easier to get Shane to pay attention to him.
“Of course you know that man,” Will said sternly.
Shane stopped adjusting his cuffs to listen.
“By day, he’s a research psychologist. By night, he’s a graphic novelist slash mild-mannered husband and step-father of four.” Will pointed in the mirror at Shane. “That’s just your alter ego staring back at you.”
Shane snickered, then laughed. His father always seemed to know the absolute right thing to say. “I suppose it is,” he admitted. “I can’t believe my alter ego is going to be wearing suits.”
“And I can’t believe I’m going to say this out loud,” Will began, “but I’m missing your piercings. You look strange now.”
“Luke advised me to lose them, but I kept the important one,” Shane said, sticking out his tongue for his father to see.
Will sighed and shook his head. “I knew better than to mention them, but I did it anyway.”
Michael was snickering from his seat. “When you’re my age, maybe you won’t need toys to improve your performance, bro. Want some pointers about how to please a wife on a regular basis?”
Shane gave his brother an evil look. “Really? Well, you won’t know what I know until you test drive one of these with a woman. If you ever get the guts to get one, I’ll draw you a picture of what you can do with it.”
“Boys,” Will said sternly, his face filling with an embarrassed flush. “We’re in public. Shut the hell up.”
Shane and Michael both burst out laughing.
Will rolled his eyes and walked away. “I’m done here. Shane needs shoes for those suits. Meet me at the shoe store when you both decide to act your ages.”
After his father left, Shane gave his brother a dirty look. “You are a master of embarrassing Dad, and of harassing me into being a part of it.”
“I wasn’t the one bragging and showing Dad my tongue stud—
again
,” Michael said, grinning.
“This is still your fault,” Shane said firmly, walking off even though he was laughing. “You made me break my own rule about not bragging about the details of my sex life, even if it was just to you and Dad.”
Michael smiled at his brother’s retreating back. Slouching back down, he leaned his head back in his chair again, thinking about how much life had changed for the men in his family over the last six months.
“Evidently Reesa Callahan is so great you can’t hold it in,” Michael said aloud, even though Shane probably couldn’t hear him from inside the dressing room.
Chapter 21
“So what are you telling the kids?” Jillian asked.
“As much of the truth as I can,” Reesa said quietly. “I told them Shane had to go out of town to defend his dissertation and that he’s really busy.”
She and Jillian were in the bedroom folding the typical mountain of laundry four kids created. They had it spread out on the giant bed because it was the largest surface in the house.
Jillian looked at Reesa’s sadness and wanted to choke Shane Larson. Two weeks ago the woman was glowing. Now she looked like hell. “You said he called last week?” she prompted.
“Just the one time last Friday and just for five minutes to let me know his dissertation defense had gone well. He didn’t come by all weekend, so I thought maybe he wasn’t back yet. When he didn’t show up Monday morning, I knew—oh, never mind. I really shouldn’t be thinking of this right now,” Reesa said flatly. “It’s probably my fault because I told him I couldn’t talk about us until the court case was over.”
“You don’t seriously believe the man is still mad at you for not taking the money he offered?” Jillian asked.
Reesa nodded. “That’s the only explanation that makes any sense. I guess I’ll know for sure after tomorrow.”
“Are you nervous about the hearing?” Jillian asked. “I already know Mom and Dad aren’t going to be here. I heard them tell their attorney over the phone to just get it done and over. That should work in your favor if it makes the judge as mad as you think it will.”
“Yes. I just hope coming up with part of the money is going show the judge I’m willing to do anything for the kids,” Reesa said. “I took both jobs. It still wasn’t even half of what I needed.”
“I have another ten thousand you can have, honey,” Jillian told her.
Reesa shook her head. “No. You can use some of it to help with clothes and stuff. Plus, if Zack and Chelsea end up with your parents, you might need it for other things.”
“Girlfriend, even if it goes down like that, Zack and Chelsea are going to be so miserable without the rest of you that even my self-absorbed parents are going see they were wrong,” Jillian said fiercely, hoping like hell it was true.
“It might not be just the money. Shane kept asking me to marry him,” Reesa said, sniffing.
“Let me guess, you kept saying no? Why? Shane Larson is a damn sight better than Brentwood Addison and you said yes to him. Now instead of letting Shane help, you’re back in Brentwood’s pocket again financially. The man is a weasel,” Jillian said firmly.
“I do trust Shane a lot more than I ever did Brent,” Reesa said. “But we barely know each other out of bed, Jillian. I admit I’m falling in love with the man, but he’s just—rushing me.”
“I hear you,” Jillian said, carefully. “But I think maybe you’re afraid too.”
“Afraid of being married? I don’t think I am,” Reesa said, surprised, thinking about it as she sorted the folded laundry out by owner.
“No, honey,” Jillian said softly. “I don’t think you’re afraid of marrying Shane Larson. I think you’re afraid of loving him, and then maybe losing him. You’ve already lost most of two families. I doubt your poor heart could take losing that big shaggy tattoo guy.”
Reesa stopped what she was doing and swallowed. Jillian had always seen straight into her. She was the first person outside of April and her parents that Reesa had ever told the truth of how she felt about losing her first family. The only other person she ever told was Shane, and that was in the middle of an argument.
“I don’t know how not to be afraid,” Reesa said softly. “I tried to tell Shane about my concerns. Maybe he’s too young to understand.”
“I don’t think it has a damn thing to do with his age,” Jillian said harshly. “He’s just one of those guys who’s like a steamroller when he’s made up his mind about fixing something and doing it his way. You have to put a big rock in front the machine to slow it down when it gets that bad. You know my brother Jackson was the same way with April. She so did not want to marry a player like him and, girl, he was bad with the ladies. But I got to admit my brother shed those other girls hanging around him like they were nothing. He might only have been twenty when he met your sister, but he loved her hard.”
Reesa sniffled, but laughed at the idea of Jackson being like Shane. “I think not taking the money Shane offered me was a giant boulder to his machine, not just a big rock.”
“Maybe,” Jillian agreed, relieved to see the beginnings of a smile on Reesa’s face. “And maybe you need to head over to his place and find out for sure.”
“I can’t go running to the man when he’s not even talking to me right now,” Reesa said. “Besides, it’s late and I couldn’t stay long anyway.”
“Sure you can,” Jillian said easily. “I’m sleeping with Baby Girl tonight. Take my car and go get you some fun. I can’t stand seeing you all depressed like this. Damn, that’s why I took the district sales manager job at the company. I’m tired of leaving you alone to deal with all of this by yourself. I want to be here for you and the kids more, not just be the drop-in aunt.”
“No matter where you are physically, I never feel alone knowing I have a friend like you,” Reesa said, walking to Jillian and letting the taller woman fold her into her beautiful arms as she hugged her waist.
Jillian sniffled as she held her tiny friend. Being reminded of Reesa’s petite size also reminded her that the woman was way more vulnerable than she seemed. There was no one who could handle more crises at once, but damn, everyone cracked under the strain now and again. Reesa was way, way overdue for a meltdown, and Jillian could feel it coming.
“Oh God, stop that sniffling right now, will you? You know I can’t stop once I get started,” Jillian protested. “Every sad thing in my life has to be cried out before I can quit.”
Reesa pulled away and swiped at her eyes. “What if Shane isn’t home?”
Jillian shrugged. “You’ve had a little drive and a few minutes to yourself.”
Reesa nodded and walked to the bathroom. “I guess you’re right.”
Jillian swore at the closed door, more angry at her parents than she ever remembered being in her entire life.
She looked at the picture of her brother and sister-in-law on the dresser. “I hope you two know that Reesa and I are trying like hell to keep it all together,” Jillian said to the couple in the picture. “If you sent Shane to Reesa, do you think you might send someone to help me out too?”
Jillian sighed at the heaviness in her heart as she walked back to the living room.
***
Everyone ended up in Zack’s room, sprawled on the bed and floor. They were trying to decide how bad the situation was going to be if Zack and Chelsea had to go live with their grandparents.
“We won’t let it be a problem,” Zack said with more confidence than he felt. “Aunt Teresa said she would make sure we all got to see each other at least twice a week and every other weekend.”
“Where’s Shaney? He said he was coming back,” Sara stated fiercely, finally saying what she’d been thinking about for the very long time he had been gone.
“Shane has his own stuff to deal with right now,” Zack said softly. “He’ll be back, Sara.”
“But what if he doesn’t come back?” she wailed.
Sighing, Chelsea held out her arms for Sara to climb into her lap. “He will,” she said to her sister, making herself echo Zack’s confident tone, though she didn’t really feel as confident about it as he did. She figured Aunt Teresa and Shane had a fight because she’d caught Aunt Teresa sniffling several times over the weekend.