Second Chance at Love (Love Conquers All) (4 page)

“Ah, touchy, touchy aren’t we? From your reaction I would have to say my little birdie’s information is right on target.”

Karen laughed. She had to give it to her little sister. The brat could still push her buttons. Well, she could push all she wanted. No way was she telling her about her impromptu date with Dom. If one really could call it a date. All they had done was go out for cheesesteaks and ice cream. Dom hadn’t even come in after he dropped Karen off, which disappointed her. For the first time in years she was enjoying the company of the opposite sex. She was even more disappointed when he didn’t try to kiss her at her front door.

“There’s nothing for me to be touchy about,” Karen nonchalantly answered.

Starr let out an exaggerated sigh. At the rate they were going, volleying back and forth, their mother and stepfather would be back with the toddlers. “Since you’re not going to come clean, I suppose I’ll have to tell you what the little birdie said.”

“And just want did this little birdie say?” Karen asked just as she was readying herself to take a swig of water.

“That you and that fine specimen Dom were all hugged up, cozy and everything last night in line at Tony Luke’s getting cheesesteaks.”

The water sliding down Karen’s throat ended up going down her windpipe as she gasped in a breath of air. Hearing her sister’s sputtering and choking, Starr became concerned. “Are you okay?”

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she nodded her head as if Starr could see her. “Yeah, I’m okay.” Whoever saw her and Dom hadn’t gotten their story wrong. The cold December night air had them snuggled up. Karen wanted to tell herself the snuggling was to keep her warm, which was partly true. It certainly didn’t hurt that it felt so darn good being so close to Dom. Karen supposed anyone looking at them would figure they were an item.

Gaining her composure, she had a funny suspicion of who this little birdie was. “I know it wasn’t nobody but that nosy little Summer. I thought that was Nick’s car I saw speeding by.”

Starr couldn’t help but to laugh. Karen had hit the nail right on the head. Before she could get her foot good out the bed and set it on the floor this morning, Summer was ringing her phone. “Hey, don’t talk about your other sister like that. If she didn’t tell me, you sure weren’t going to tell me. Besides, you need to get out.”

Karen twisted the top back on the water bottle and padded back to the laundry room to finish her ironing. “I do get out.”

“Girl, stop being smart. You know what I mean. With a man and not with us the girls all the time.” Starr often felt bad when she and Summer would talk about their dates with their husbands as Karen listened, trying to pretend she wasn’t affected. Starr always sensed that her sister wanted someone for herself, but was holding back from finding someone because of her children.

Playing down her excitement of having been out on a pseudo date, Karen lied. “It was no big deal. We just went to get something to eat. Dom brought me right back home. No big deal. He didn’t even come in once he dropped me off.”
Lord help me. I wanted him to so he could kiss me senseless again.

“Mmm-hmm. What about the snuggly-snuggly in line?”

Karen laughed. “Fool, it was cold out there last night. That wasn’t no snuggly-snuggly. That was surviving.”

Now it was Starr’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, whatever you say big sis. Listen, I have to get ready to go. I hear the gang coming in the back door.”

“Alright, honey. Tell Mommy and Poppa Patrick I said hi. And kiss my nieces and nephew for me.”

“Okay, will do.” Before hanging up, Starr just had to know one thing. “Did you have a good time last night?”

Smiling, Karen honestly admitted, “Yes, I did have a good time with Dom.”

Karen could feel her sister’s smile. “I’m glad.”

“Thanks Starry.”

“You’re welcome big sis.”

“Put your hard hat on, buddy.”

The little boy smiled up at Dom. “Okay.”

Excitement coursed through Kyle as he settled the hard hat construction workers wore on his head. He obediently lifted his head as Dom adjusted the strap under his chin to keep the hat from moving so freely on his small head.

Dom had been promising him for weeks that he would take him to one of the construction sites so he could see what he did for a living. When he had tried explaining what a structural engineer did, Kyle couldn’t quite grasp the concept. So Dom decided it would be better to show him.

Kyle had thought he was in some sort of trouble when his teacher told him to go to the principal’s office. Walking slowly to the office, the small child fought back tears.
I didn’t do anything. Johnnie pulled Lauren’s hair. Not me!

To Kyle’s surprise he was called to the office to get a message from his mother. Dom would be picking him up from school because his mom had to take his sister to her doctor’s appointment at three o’clock. Kyle’s day got even better when Dom told him he was taking him to a construction site where he was working.

Double checking to make sure the protective gear was properly in place on Kyle’s head, Dom began to give him a lecture. “I’m going to walk you around the site so you can see the men working. Stay close to me and don’t touch anything.” Placing his hand on Kyle’s shoulder he gave him a gentle squeeze. “You ready?”

“I’m ready Mr. Dom.” Dom smiled down at Kyle when he slid his tiny hand into his large hand.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

For the next thirty minutes Kyle toured the construction site with Dom. The young boy’s ears eagerly listened as Dom explained what each man’s job was and how important each job was when it came to building a structure. He also took this opportunity to point out how the men worked as a team and watched out for each other to make sure they stayed safe on the site. He also stressed how each man depended on the other to bring a building to completion.

The young boy nodded his head in understanding. “My mommy said me and Ashley need to watch out for each other, too.”

Dom’s mouth curved into a soft smile at the mention of Karen. It had been three days since he’d heard from Karen. He’d given her his number after dropping her off Saturday night. But she hadn’t called until earlier today in a panic about not having anyone to pick up Kyle from school. Ashley’s doctor’s appointment had totally slipped her mind. Dom hadn’t minded at all helping her out of a jam.

“Your mommy is right. You and your sister should watch out for each other.” As Dom was speaking he wondered if Karen would let him be the one to watch out for her. Of course, her family looked out for her, took care of her when needed. But he wanted to be the man who looked after her in ways a mother, stepfather, sister, or friend couldn’t. He wanted her to call on him when she was in need of anything, like she had done today. Crazy as it may have seemed, he wanted to take care of Karen and her children. He wanted to be their rock, their shelter.

“Mr. Dom, what are those men doing?”

Coming out of his reverie, Dom’s eyes followed Kyle’s pointing finger. “Ah, the welders.”

Looking up at Dom, Kyle pleaded, “Can we go over?” The flying sparks looked like miniature fireworks.

Dom saw the glimmer in Kyle’s eye. Walking the young boy within a safe distance, Dom began to explain that the welders were using the blow torches to melt metal to connect plumbing pipes. Dom further stressed that fire was dangerous and should only be handled by a professional like welders.

Seeing the welders in action with their blow torches in hand was pretty cool and the best part of the tour. Kyle felt like a big boy when Dom handed him a pair of protective goggles to put on just like the ones the welders were wearing. He couldn’t wait to get home to show them to his mom and Ashley.

“Mommy, Mommy!” Kyle yelled as he swung open the vehicle door.

Before Dom could stop the boy from getting out the vehicle, he was off and running toward his mother and sister.

Karen and Ashley turned around at the same time as they were about to enter their home. Karen’s face lit up as she watched her son charging toward her. Opening up her arms she caught the running ball of energy. “Hey! I see somebody missed me.” Karen teased.

Sheepishly smiling, Kyle admitted, “Just a little bit.” No way would he admit that although he had had fun with Dom, he had missed his mother. Especially in front of Ashley, she would make fun of him and call him a baby.

“Just a little bit!” Both Karen and Ashley laughed in unison.

Ashley shook her head at her younger brother. Grinning at him, she poked him in the side. “You know you missed Mommy a whole bunch.”

Ticklish as ever, Kyle squirmed. “Did not!”

“Well excuse me! You two act like I’m not even standing here!” Karen exclaimed, pretending to be offended. “Just for that—” she said as she reached out and wrapped an arm around each of her children’s shoulders, “I’m going to give you big, fat, wet, sloppy kisses!”

It was Ashley who yelled all the while laughing. “Ewww! Stop Mommy!”

“Yeah! Stop it Mommy! I’m not a baby!” Karen threw her head back and laughed as her little boy scrunched up his nose, vigorously wiping his face. Her baby boy was becoming more and more like his old self each day. Six months ago if she had sent someone to pick him up from school, he would have had a tantrum. He certainly wouldn’t have run to her, nearly knocking her over as he hugged her.

Getting out of the car, Dom made his way over to Karen and the children. Witnessing the playful bantering, an emptiness he had never been aware of began to gnaw at him. They looked like the perfect family.
Almost.
The only thing missing was a husband and father.

A wave of sadness washed over him. For a moment he wondered how difficult it had been for Karen to lose her husband while she was only in her twenties with two small children. How had she made it through those dreary days and dark nights when her small children, he assumed, wanted to know what had happened to their daddy?

A tinge of pain knotted his gut as his thoughts went to Ashley and Kyle. Who would show Ashley how a man was supposed to love and adore a woman? And who would teach Kyle how to be a man? How to treat a woman like his father had taught him? And when they grew older, and life began to throw obstacles their way, who would help Karen keep them from going astray?

“Hey, are you okay, Dom?”

Dom snapped out of his musing. The three pairs of eyes looking at him were full of concern. “I’m cool.”

Skeptically, Karen eyed Dom. Something was going on with him. She had never seen him look so deep in thought and troubled. As kind as he had been to her and the children, there was no way she could let him walk off without trying to help. “Kids go on in and start your homework. I’ll be inside in a minute to get dinner started.”

Obediently, Ashley and Kyle went inside, leaving their mother outside. Once the kids were inside and out of hearing range, Karen took a few steps closer to close the gap between her and Dom.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You looked a little sad a few seconds ago.”

Moving closer, Dom further closed the gap. Reaching out he gently stroked his knuckles against her cheek. “I was just thinking how difficult it must’ve been for you losing your husband so young with two small children. How all alone you must’ve felt. How hard it was to explain to your babies that their father was never coming home.”

Dom held back from telling her his concerns about the children. Because if the startled expression on her face was any indication that she was about to lose it, he was sure if he mentioned his thoughts of Ashley and Kyle, she would crumble. He in no way wanted her to get the impression that she wasn’t doing an excellent job raising her children. However, being the product of having the influence of a mother and a father, he wanted the same for Ashley and Kyle. They needed a father.

Stunned, Karen stared at Dom. The lump forming in her throat threatened to cut off her air supply. The tender concern in the rich, timbre of his voice touched her in a deep place. In a tiny, almost frail voice, she whispered, “It was hard seeing my babies hurting and nothing I said or did could change it.”

A lone tear slid down her cheek. How many nights had she cried herself to sleep after Gregory died? How many days had she pretended to be strong so her children wouldn’t see her fall apart? How often had she felt it was just too hard to be both mother and father to her children?