Casting Doubt Read online

  Five

  He raises an eyebrow and studies me from head to toe.

  Well, so much for hoping for a little romance on Spring Break. Why didn’t it occur to me that Jesse would be here too? I just assumed it was Alexia, and her alone, putting the displays up. Not that I have any objection to running into Jesse again and so soon, but had I known I would have worn something other than shorts and a sweaty t-shirt. Oh, and a shower probably would have happened too. So much for my brilliant idea to go for my run on the wooded trails around Baxter before picking Alexia up. Not only does my wardrobe suck, but my hair is pulled back into a ponytail and I’m sure it’s probably still wet with sweat too.

  Shit! I hope my deodorant is doing its job and I don’t smell as bad as I look.

  Well, if he had any interest before, he sure as hell won’t now.

  “How was your run?” Alexia asks as she hangs another painting on the wall.

  “Great. The paths are awesome and it was so quiet.”

  “Were you running here?” Jesse asks as he starts placing pottery on shelves.

  “Yeah, though I think I ended up on Baxter land a few times because I saw signs that warned against hunting on private property.”

  “I don’t think they care about people running or hiking since the trails run into the park trails.”

  “I saw some high school kids hiking and a few couples strolling, but no other runners.”

  “Kian likes to take his bike on those trails when it’s not muddy,” Alexia says. “He and Gabe make a competition of it. Last week they came back with skinned elbows and knees.” She shakes her head. “Sometimes they are just like children.”

  Jesse chuckles and keeps working and I turn to him. “Do you hike, run or bike the trails?”

  “Nope. I never have time.”

  With two jobs and a son, he probably doesn’t even get enough sleep, let alone have time to exercise.

  I glance around. Most of the paintings are on the wall. Those that aren’t are leaning against it beneath a hook. Jesse still has a lot of pottery to put on shelves. “Need some help?”

  “Sure. Just grab some pots and sculptures and put them wherever you want.”

  Alexia gives him a disbelieving look.

  “Hey, you’re the one who worries about the visual appeal of the paintings. These are pots and all glazed in similar colors. I expect you to rearrange what you don’t like.” He grins at me and I know he doesn’t care if she moves everything around.

  A moment later his phone dings and he pulls it from his pocket. “Damn. I need to go.” He puts it away. “I’m supposed to be back by seven so my sitter can go home.”

  Alexia waves him away. “I’ll take care of this.”

  Then she turns. “I’m going to be awhile, Deirdre.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll hang out.”

  “I still need to do stuff in my classroom. If you don’t mind, I’ll just keep your car and maybe Jesse can give you a lift.”

  Hell, yes! I want yell. Instead, I take the keys from my pocket and toss them to her.

  Alexia glances at me after catching Deirdre’s keys “Sure you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all.” In fact, nothing could be more perfect.

  I hold the door for Deirdre and then lock up so Alexia won’t have to worry about anyone wandering in off of the streets. The doors leading to the campus are unlocked. But we don’t care if any of the staff or students come in. This is their gallery and their work. Of course they want to see it on display.

  Deirdre is ahead of me and I can’t help but admire her legs. Long and toned. “Do you run often?”

  “Three or four times a week, when I can. This past winter was a pain, but now that the weather is nice I hope to run at least five days a week.”

  She stops at the side of my truck, but I grab the handle before she has a chance to. She gives me an odd look and I shrug. “My mamma raised a gentleman.”

  Deidre chuckles and gets in. I shut her door, hurry around to the driver’s side, and hop in. “Unless you’re one of those girls who don’t like doors being opened. Then I won’t again.”

  “I may be self-reliant and all that, but I still like being treated like a girl.”

  I never did get why women put up a fuss about things like doors being opened for them. Just because a guy wants to be a gentleman doesn’t mean they think the woman isn’t capable of doing it for herself. It’s just about manners and sometimes I wish things were still like they were in the olden days, long before I was born. When men still held out chairs, helped with coats and opened doors. I see so little of it anymore and it’s kind of sad. Maybe I was just born in the wrong era. Then again, had I been with Sheri back in the forties or fifties and she found herself knocked up, there would have been a quick, quiet wedding before anyone suspected, and the two of us would have been miserable for the rest of our lives. I guess I should be thankful for some changes. “You sound like my mom. Dad was old-fashioned. A Marine until he was injured in Desert Storm when I was only a baby.”

  “Injured?” Deirdre asks.

  “Leg wound. Not too bad, but bad enough he was medically discharged. But he’d done the whole ROTC thing in high school, enlisted and went right off to boot camp as soon as he graduated.” I chuckle. “Once a Marine, always a Marine, he always said.”

  “Sounds kind of stuffy and strict.” Deirdre makes a face and I laugh.

  “Not always. Mom was the head of her department at work, and had to fight the glass ceiling most of her career, or so she tells me. She liked coming home and not having to fight anything and just being treated with respect and love, and pampered. She once told me she had the best of both worlds in choosing her career, but also catching dad.”

  Deirdre’s smiling. “I think my mom was like that too, until Dad was killed. Then she became the only parent to seven kids. I was only eight at the time. It had to have been really tough on her.”

  “She never remarried?”

  “Nah. I’m not sure she even looked, or wanted to, though another parent would have helped with the burden. Not that she ever considered us a burden, but it couldn’t have been easy.”

  The light turns red and I slow to stop. Deirdre sits forward and grins. “Now I know it’s spring.”

  I look at her out of the corner of my eye.

  “You only see this light turn red when the weather’s nice.”

  She’s right. It’s constantly green unless tripped from either side road, which is rare in the winter. To the left is a hot dog stand and an ice cream hut. Both are only open in the spring and summer. Across the street is a drive-in movie theatre that only shows old movies and also seasonal.

  She gasps. “They’re showing An Affair to Remember.”

  “Okay.”

  Deirdre jerks her head to me. “Surely you’ve seen it.”

  “Can’t say I have.” Sounds like a chick flick.

  “It’s only one of the best movies ever.”

  I have to laugh. “Want to see it tonight?” Movies at the theatre only play for one night. There are enough great old movies out there that the theatre can run year round and not repeat a film.

  Her eyes light up and she grins at me. “Really?”

  It’s not exactly the date I was hoping for, and it comes with a chaperone. “If you don’t mind Cam tagging along.” I can’t ask Larry to stay later than she already has since she came by at ten to open the store so I could get caught up on stuff in the back.

  “He’ll probably sleep through it,” she says as if it’s no big deal.

  “He’s usually out by nine, and it’ll be earlier once he’s in his car seat and I start driving.”

  “I think it sounds like fun.” She settles back as the light turns green. “Besides, I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t make you watch this movie.”

  Six

  I can’t remember the last time I was so excited for a date, not that I’m telling Jesse, of course. And, I don’t even care that Cam will be with
us. How could I? He’s the cutest little boy and part of Jesse.

  He stops in front of Kian’s house, and I hop out before Jesse can to open my door. He just shakes his head.

  “I’ll need to unload the boxes, then get Cam ready. How about if I get you in about an hour?”

  “I’ll come up there.”

  “I can’t make you do that,” he starts to argue.

  “You aren’t making me do anything. You’ve got your hands full. I just need to shower and change my clothes.”

  “Sure you don’t mind?”

  I just shake my head and close the truck door and turn to find Larry strolling up the sidewalk, pushing a stroller.

  She looks at Jesse’s truck as it pulls away. He probably didn’t see her since she was coming from behind us. Then she looks back at me. “I thought Jesse had to work setting up a display?”

  Did she think he lied to her for some reason? “He did. Alexia needed my car so Jesse gave me a lift home.”

  Larry slowly nods and her eyes narrow on me. “I hope you don’t intend on monopolizing his life while your home on break. He’s extremely busy and doesn’t need the distraction.”

  I take a step back. This child is trying to tell me what Jesse and I can and can’t do? “Of course not.” There is no way in hell I’m telling her about the movie, not that it’s any of her business anyway.

  “Good. It’s important that you understand that the most important thing to Jesse is Cam, and those who care for him. I just don’t want you getting your hopes up that there could be something between the two of you. Especially when you’re going to be gone in a week anyway.” With that, she pushes the stroller past me and continues up the street.

  I just watch after her. “What the hell?” Maybe I do need to mention Larry’s little crush to Jesse, though I don’t think it’s all that little.

  Cam is asleep before I stop the car beside one of the intercoms at the drive-in. I knew he would be and I hope he stays out. The movie is just about to start and Deidre is opening the bag that has the hot dogs and French fries as quietly as she can.

  “You don’t need to worry about waking him,” I tell her.

  She glances back over her shoulder. “Are you sure he’s comfortable in that thing.”

  I just chuckle. You’d think the car seat wouldn’t be the best place to sleep, but Cam has spent more time sleeping than awake in that thing. Sometimes I barely make it a mile and he’s out like a light. Of course, the car is moving. I’ve not tested the whole sleeping in the car seat theory while car is stopped for a few hours. “He’ll be fine.” At least I hope it will be fine and he doesn’t suddenly start crying when he realizes we aren’t moving.

  She hands me a paper sack of fries and a corn dog and then takes out her fries and hot dog as the movie starts. I like old movies. I always have. But I hadn’t bothered to watch this one. I almost watched it ten years ago, after my high school girlfriend and I watched Sleepless in Seattle while she was home with a bad cold. She tried to talk me into watching An Affair to Remember that weekend, but changed her mind after she and her friends decided that teenage boys were just not mature enough to understand the significance or appreciate it, so they bought it and watched it during a slumber party. Saving me and my friends from a night of watching another chick flick.

  It’s not a bad movie and I get why girls like it, but I can’t figure out where this is going. So, they meet on a ship. Fall in love and agree to meet again in six months, after they’ve had a chance to break from their significant other. Cary Grant is engaged but I’m pretty sure Deborah Kerr is a mistress or kept woman, whatever it is that they were called back then. It doesn’t come out and say directly, but a guy is paying for her apartment, I think, and helping her with her career but there’s no ring on her finger.

  This is almost too easy and I’m not getting the appeal, though I’m not about to argue when Jessica puts her hand on top of mine and squeezes as Kerr heads off to meet Grant at the Empire State Building. She tenses too. What’s going to happen?

  Shit! “Was she just hit by a car?”

  Jessica says nothing, just nods her head and tears are in her eyes. Crap, Kerr isn’t dead is she?

  Well, this does certainly change things.

  I sink further back into my seat. Sucked into the movie, though I turn my hand and weave my fingers with hers. I really like holding it. We’re at a drive-in and if my kid wasn’t in the back seat, I might consider doing more than just holding her hand. Why the hell did these things go out of style? It’s a lot better than a movie theatre with sticky floors. And if you do want to make a comment to someone, you don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone else around you or getting shushed. Not that I plan on taking Cam on all my dates, but certainly easy enough to take him along here, especially since he’s asleep.

  By the time the credits are rolling, I had to dab the corner of my eye. I sure as hell don’t want Deidre to know I got a little choked up. She, on the other hand, has not bothered to hide the fact that she’s crying, and brought along a small packet of tissues that were stuffed in her purse for this occasion.

  “Wasn’t it wonderful?” She sighs and looks at me.

  “Yeah. It was.”

  I don’t start my car right away. I could pull in line, but that doesn’t mean I’d get out of here any faster. Cam, thankfully remained asleep the entire time and now I can just focus on talking to Deidre until the drive has cleared some.

  “What are your plans for tomorrow night?”

  “I don’t have any. Just hanging out until the rest of my family gets here.”

  “Alexia said almost everyone was going to be home for break. Is everyone going to stay at Alexia and Kian’s?” Didn’t she say she had like six siblings?

  She laughs. “The house still belongs to mom, but since she’s back working in New York, she has an apartment there. I think Kian plans on buying it from her someday, but for now, it’s still our home.”

  “I can’t imagine having so many siblings. I was an only child.”

  “You know we are all adopted, right?”

  This surprises me. Not that I had given it much thought. But to adopted seven kids? The O’Brien’s must have been saints. “I had no idea.”

  “Kian isn’t though. The first born, but Mom couldn’t have kids after that.”

  “So they adopted six more?”

  “Yep.” She’s grins. “And none of us were babies either, but seven at the time. Except my sister, who was six.”

  “Wow!” most kids don’t get a chance at adoption after the cute baby stage. Especially after they’ve been in the system. I’m assuming Deirdre and her siblings were in the system until that point. Then it hits me. She said she’d been eight when he was killed. “So, you’d only been adopted a year when you lost him?”

  Her light brown eyes dim with sadness. “Yeah. We lived with them as fosters, for a year before the adoption, but it was really hard.” Then she smiles. “At least I got to have a real dad, even for a short time. He was wonderful.”

  “Tell me about them. Your siblings. I only know Kian.”

  “Aiden was first. He lives in New York, with mom, and is working on his masters in Fire Science.”

  I nod.

  “Then there is Brendan. He’s in the army, so he won’t be coming home.”

  “Alexia did mention the Army doesn’t have Spring Break.” I chuckle.

  “Finn and Neil are twins and away at school. Then there is me and my younger and biological sister, Rosalyn, who’s a year younger.”

  “It’s great the O’Brien’s adopted siblings.”

  “I refused to be adopted without my sister.” The smile slips from her face. “We were separated a lot, but at least we weren’t any longer, except when we went off to college.”

  I could sit all night talking to Deirdre, but the parking lot at the drive-in is almost empty. “Why don’t you come by for dinner tomorrow night?” I hate that I won’t be able to pick her up or walk her
home, but no matter what, I try to keep Cam on a strict schedule. If I hadn’t known he would sleep through tonight, I wouldn’t have left the house.

  “Great!” She grins. “What time and what can I bring?”

  “Sevenish?” I suggest. “Cam won’t go down until around eight-thirty, so if you want to make it later.”

  “Seven is good.”

  Inwardly, I breathe a sigh of relief. I was expecting her to either decline or wait until later so there was no interference from my son, but Deirdre doesn’t seem to care that with me you get a nine-month-old child too. This couldn’t be more perfect. “Give me your number so I can check in with you tomorrow.”

  She grabs her phone. “What’s yours?”

  I give it to her, she adds it to hers then sends me a text. “There you go.”

  “Perfect.” I start the car and pull in after the last one leaving the drive in, trying hard not to grin. “Anything you don’t like or allergic to?” I’d hate to make her sick the first time I cook for her.

  “I’m a starving college student.” She laughs. “Anything will be delicious to me. What can I bring?”

  “Not a thing. Your company is all I desire.” Actually, I desire a hell of a lot more but it might be too early in our relationship, if that is where this is going, to even hope for more.

  Seven

  I don’t date much. Okay, almost never, and have spent far too much time today, like all day, staring at the clothes in my closet and piled on the bed. Do I wear jeans and a t-shirt? It’s a casual dinner at Jesse’s place. Or, a flirty skirt and top? I’m not exactly the flirty, frilly type of girl, though I have a few outfits to pull from for occasions that call for such apparel. But, it’s not exactly what I’m comfortable in. Besides, in a skirt, I’d be so conscious of how I sit. Since Cam will be awake at first, can I really play with him, maybe even sit on the floor in a skirt?

  No. Jeans and cute top. That’s what I’ll wear. If Jesse and I have another date, where we actually go out somewhere like a restaurant, I’ll wear a skirt then.