what she always wanted.”
“It’s all she ever wanted,” Matt muttered softly.
Laura winced. “Is that the sound of sour grapes being trampled? You know—” she pointed a finger at her brother “—they say you never forget your first love. Well, kids, I’m out of here.” She gave Cassidy a hug and Kenny a fist bump.
“You want to stay and eat?” Matt offered the invite as she moved to the door.
She winked. “Not this time. I’m booked for the evening. Oh.” Laura turned back to her brother. “Have you found someone to watch the kids yet? I hate that I had to bail on you so suddenly, but I couldn’t turn down the restoration job in Mobile. It’ll be a huge boost to my company.”
“Don’t worry about it. But to answer your question, no, I haven’t found anyone yet.” Matt ran a hand down the back of his neck. “Normally, I’d ask Mom, but since she’s running for city council, she doesn’t have the time.”
“What about Ellen Bower? Doesn’t she watch them for you sometimes?”
“Yes, but she’s so busy with her volunteer work I rarely see her. Besides, watching the kids for a short time now and again is different from watching them every day. It might be too much for her.”
Laura picked up her backpack, fishing out her truck keys. “Well, you could always ask Shelby. She’s right next door.”
Matt gritted his teeth and followed his sister to the door. “Yeah, but for how long? She’ll probably be gone before you can blink.”
Laura turned to face him. “What’s bothering you, big brother?”
“Nothing. Forget it.” Matt smiled at his baby sister. Looking at her, no one would ever guess the slim, petite woman was a skilled and licensed carpenter and builder. Her company specialized in restoring old homes and buildings. Laura couldn’t stand to see anything neglected and ignored.
Outside on the front porch, they both looked over at Ellen Bower’s house.
Laura, glanced sideways at her brother. “So. Are you going to go say hello?”
“Why?”
Laura shrugged. “She’s right next door. Aren’t you the least bit curious why she came back after all this time?”
“No.”
“You’re going to act like she isn’t there?”
He glared in response. It sounded like a good idea to him.
Laura hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder. “You’re being childish.” She turned and started down the front steps to her truck.
Matt stood on the porch after Laura drove off, staring at the Bower house. Why was Shelby back, and how long was she staying? She’d made it clear long ago that she had no interest in small-town dreams. He’d known Ellen was Shelby’s grandmother, but the subject of Shelby had never come up. Besides, the likelihood of her showing up in Dover was not great—or so he’d believed.
“Daddy, can we have mac and cheese for supper?”
Matt glanced down at his son’s face, and the eager smile chased away his concerns. “I think your aunt Laura left us some chicken and noodles. How does that sound?”
“With biscuits? Yum.” Kenny turned and raced back into the house, shouting the news to his sister. Matt took one last glance at the house next door and followed his son inside. He had more important things to worry about than Shelby Russell’s presence in Dover. Like who was he going to get to watch his kids for the next several weeks?
Matt barely heard what his children said as he prepared the evening meal. He was too distracted by the search for a babysitter to pay much attention. He’d made a few calls to women he knew at church and the mothers of a couple of Cassidy’s friends, but no one was available long-term. By the time he sat down at the table he was nearing desperation. He glanced down at his empty plate. He had no idea if the meal had been good or not.
“Can Chester sleep with me tonight?”
“No, Kenny, he can’t. You know the rules.” Matt rose from the table and carried his plate to the sink. He had only one option. Ellen Bower. If she turned him down, he’d be forced to look into a professional child-care service. Not something he felt comfortable doing.
“Okay, you two. Time to clean up the kitchen.”
“Daddy, now that we know that lady, can I have cookies if she asks?”
Matt gritted his teeth. He didn’t want his kids getting too chummy with Shelby. But then, he probably didn’t need to worry. Whatever her reason for coming home, Dover couldn’t hold her attention for long. She’d run back to her all-important career after a few days.
“I guess that would be all right. But I’m sure Miss Russell will be very busy. You probably won’t see her much.”
Kenny frowned. “But I like her. She likes Chester.” He bent down and hugged the dog’s neck.
Matt exhaled a huff of irritation. His son liked Shelby. It must be some sort of weird gene in the Durrant family that drew them to her. His father and brother had liked her, too. Fifteen years ago, Matt had been engaged to her. For twenty-four hours.
“Okay, kids, finish up your chores and then you can watch television while I run next door for a few minutes.”
“Are you going to say hello to Miss Shelby?” Cassidy’s smile reflected her delight.
“No. I have to see if Miss Ellen can watch you after school from now on.”
Cassidy emptied her glass into the sink. “Why can’t Aunt Laura stay with us?”
“She’s going to be working out of town.” Matt pointed at Kenny. “You make sure you feed Chester and give him fresh water.”
Matt made his way to the front door, mentally battling with his emotions. It would be easy to pick up the phone, call Ellen and avoid seeing Shelby. But his little sister was right about one thing. Trying to ignore Shelby, act like she wasn’t right next door, was childish.
A small voice inside warned him about being near Shelby. She’d always had a powerful effect on him. She’d made him feel strong and protective. He shoved the thought aside. He was a grown man. Not a lovesick college kid.
He’d speak to Ellen, acknowledge Shelby’s presence then come home. Besides, this wasn’t about him. He had to protect his kids. His children had spent only a few minutes with her and she’d already cast her spell over them. With Shelby right next door, his kids would likely grow deeply attached, and then what would happen when she skipped town without warning? Broken hearts, that’s what. He couldn’t let that happen. She needed to understand how emotionally vulnerable Kenny and Cassidy were since their mother’s death. All he was asking was that she keep her distance for the few days she was here. It wasn’t an unreasonable request. Merely a “good fences make good neighbors” conversation. Setting some boundaries. That’s all.
Cassidy stuck her head out the front door. “Will you tell Miss Shelby I said hi?”
