They couldn’t have asked for better weather for the 4th of July parade. Dean rolled the bill of his ball cap to help cut the glare of the sun. He slipped his mirrored shades off his t-shirt and put them on. He was starting to refer to this as his standard uniform. Pathetic. Why couldn’t he be like the other guys who had been in the band? They didn’t care who recognized them.
What would it hurt, really? People might come up to him and ask for his autograph or a picture with him. No big deal. But it had gotten more complicated than that. There was more at stake. Dean was starting to fall for Shannon, and her kids. He couldn’t ruin the possibility of a relationship, not when he was just starting to realize that he actually wanted one.
Hoping to catch a ride with Shannon and the triplets to the parade, Dean had strolled next door. Her smile was apologetic as she explained that her mother and Roger were riding with them and there was no extra room. Still she made no move to invite him in.
It was almost laughable, really. Dean was used to women who couldn’t wait to show him off to their friends and family. She may not admit it, but Shannon was making a concerted effort to keep him and her mother apart. Waving a hand in farewell, Dean spun on his heel and headed back the way he’d come.
“Dean?” He paused, glancing over his shoulder. “Thank you for cleaning up the kitchen and putting the cookies away for me.”
“It’s what neighbors do for each other.” He winked.
Shannon had told him they planned to watch the parade from in front of her friend’s business, Tumble Tots. He found a parking spot at the elementary school and now strolled down Main St. looking for the brightly colored building, or three carrot-topped munchkins, whichever he spotted first.
Folding chairs of every style and size lined the parade route. Not all of them were filled yet. The parade started in the harbor, about two miles from this end of town. It wasn’t due to start at that end for another half hour, so there was plenty of time to find his neighbors and settle in.
Dean had to do a double take when he noticed someone grilling out of the back of an old pickup truck. Now that was some serious partying spirit! He grinned, wondering if the police on duty would have anything to say about the red plastic cups the grilling group sported. He highly doubted they were filled with lemonade.
Up ahead he spotted the bright yellow building that housed Tumble Tots. Tiny monkeys cavorted in a painted mural on the plate glass window. The window frame had been painted a bright, cherry red. The door was royal blue, with more monkeys on the glass inset. Dean had to admit, monkeys seemed quite fitting.
“Mr. Dean, Mr. Dean!” Brian waved wildly from his spot on the curb. His brother and sister turned and the group jumped up, as one, to race over for hugs.
“Hey there, monkeys. You ready to see some cool fire trucks?”
They bounced around, squealing and giggling. Then they were joined by a pair of identical twins who looked a couple of years younger than their friends. What did they put in the water supply in this town? Dean tried not to let his surprise show.
“We’re gonna ride on the fire twuck! Mommy said you can come wiff us,” one of the twins hollered.
Brady muscled his way to where his mother stood, under the blue striped awning that shaded the doorway. She was speaking to another young mother and dropped a hand on Brady’s head, letting him know, without words, that he needed to wait his turn. Dean nearly laughed as he watched the boy twitching with excitement.
She turned to address Brady and the other children. Dean knew the exact moment she spotted him, her jaw dropping slightly, cheeks turning that cute shade of pink. The smile she offered was just for him. Dean wanted to jump up and down just like the kids.
“Who wants to ride on the big fire engine in the parade?” Shannon asked her brood. Dean watched her wince at the shrill response.
“Can Mr. Dean come with us?” Brady had slipped a possessive hand into Dean’s.
“I don’t see why not.” Shannon looked to her friend for verification. “By the way, Dean this is Talia. Talia, Dean.”
The woman shook his hand as she watched him closely, the same look on her face as when she had spied him on the boardwalk. The wheels were turning. She knew she knew him from somewhere, but where? Though he wore his standard disguise, ball cap and mirrored sunglasses, Dean swallowed nervously. He ducked his head and tried to resist the urge to dart off into the crowd.
“Hey kiddos, I think I’m going to hang out here. You have a blast, though! I want to hear all about it when you finish the parade route.”
Their disappointment was a bitter chorus to his ears. Dean reached out to ruffle each silky head. He wanted to go with them. He really did. But the idea of putting himself out there, for everyone to see, made him want to hurl. His heart squeezed even tighter when he looked up to see the sad look on Shannon’s face.
“Well, we can’t have Mr. Dean watching the parade all by himself. This is his first Scallop Shores 4th of July parade, after all.”
Dean turned to see another small hand thrust out, waiting to be shaken. He blinked. This little tornado must be Shannon’s mother. Her grip was strong, her expression warm and welcoming. He found himself surprised that the woman was not a redhead, like the rest of her family. Her long, wavy hair was quite dark, peppered with strands of silver.
“Catherine Fitzgerald. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Dean grinned openly when she shot her daughter a look that said she, too, thought Shannon remiss in not having introduced them sooner.
“Shannon, darling, you enjoy the parade with Dean. Roger and I will join Talia, here, in child wrangling. Talia, have I introduced my fiancé, Roger?”
The group started to head for the parking lot at the back of the store. They needed to hurry if they were going to get the kids to the fire trucks, lined up and ready at the other end of the parade route. Brenna tugged her hand from her grandmother’s and dashed back to Dean.
“We get to throw out kisses to the people watchin’ on the ground. I’m gonna throw mine right to you. So you catch ’em, okay?”
“You’ve got it, Princess.” He resisted the urge to gather her up and settled for a wink. He laughed when she returned it with one of her own.
“You’re going to have your hands full with that one.” He nodded at the little girl jogging off, pigtails jiggling as she went.
“She only has eyes for you, you know?” Shannon looked up at him from beneath her lashes.
“She’s got good taste for someone so young.” He feigned pain when she punched him in the shoulder. “What? It’s my cross to bear.”
The lighthearted repartee was cut short when Shannon suddenly frowned. Her attention was focused somewhere across the street. Dean tried to see what was causing her distress. Leaning against a lamppost was an older gentleman, a green plaid sunhat clashing with the salmon colored polo that stretched across his ample middle. To say that he was sneering was putting it mildly. This guy was definitely looking right at Shannon, and the hatred on his face was unmistakable.
“Come on. Let’s find a better place to view the parade. I want to be closer to the school when the kids get off the fire truck.” She grabbed his hand and began to walk quickly.
“Shannon, who is that guy? ’Cause, first impression? He looks like a jerk.”
“That is my ex-father-in-law.” She kept walking, her eyes looking straight ahead, shoulders rigid. “And, yes, he is a jerk.”
• • •
It felt like a huge cloud now blocked out the sun. Shannon shivered. She stopped walking, closing her eyes when Dean drew her close, rubbing her bare shoulder. He knew just how to make her feel better. For the briefest of moments, she let herself lean into his touch. If she were a cat, she might have purred.
“What was that all about back there?” His voice was soft in her ear.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re supposed to be having fun, right?” She flashed him a smile that she hoped looked genuine. Dean’s frown told her she’d missed the mark.
“I’m not trying to be pushy. I know it’s none of my business. But, Shannon—” He tugged her off the sidewalk, into the shadowed doorway of the real estate office. “That guy had hate written all over his face.”
“You noticed that too?” She leaned against the door, trying to brace herself against the nerves that threatened to rattle her teeth loose.
“How did things end? Do you mind talking about it?”
“To be honest, it didn’t really involve Hollis. I don’t know what that guy’s issue is.” She reached for Dean’s hand again. “Let’s go snag that spot under the big oak.”
Their end of the parade route was finally beginning to fill up. Children lined the sidewalks, waving small flags. Behind them were rows of chairs, two deep. Then there were the shop owners and their families, hanging out in their doorways. For a small town, the 4th of July parade had an amazing turnout.
Shannon and Dean sat beneath the mighty oak, digging their heels into the soft grass, so as not to slide down the slight hill into the crowd in front of them. She took off her backpack, rummaged inside, and drew out a couple bottles of water. Dean took his and tapped it against the other bottle in cheers. She took a few swallows, gathering her thoughts.
“We were high school sweethearts. We didn’t think anything would tear us apart. Then college acceptance letters started coming in.” Her smile turned wistful. “I got into Lyndon State in Vermont. Vince got into USM, just an hour away.”
“You gave up your own dreams to help him follow his.”
“All I wanted to do was be a teacher. Not exactly a lofty career ambition. Vince was going to be a doctor. He was going to be somebody.” Shannon was surprised to realize that her voice still held that same touch of pride, defensiveness for her old flame.
“By the time we found out we’d be in different states, it was too late for me to apply for the fall semester at USM. When he found out I was willing to drop my college plans and follow him up to Portland, Vince melted. He said he felt so honored.” Shannon plucked a blade of grass, rolling and unrolling it over her finger.
“We got married that summer, just before school started. My mom was happy for us, but a little worried that we were starting life so young. Vince’s parents didn’t care for the fact that their son was marrying so early, but as long as he remained focused on his studies, they let it go.
“I got a couple of jobs waitressing so we could afford an apartment just off campus.”
“And what did Vince do?” Dean’s voice was gruff, low.
“He studied. He kept his grades up.” Shannon shook her head, raising her shoulders in silent question.
“So when was it your turn? When did you get to start your college career?” Dean turned her to face him. Shannon tried to laugh off the question, but the laughter got caught in her throat when he slipped a finger under her chin and forced eye contact.
“We never had enough money for me to take classes. It was all earmarked for Vince. Vince had the future. I could always go to college once he got his career established. Then I found out I was pregnant. We were thrilled. He was thrilled—really. It was May and Vince had just gotten out of school for the summer. We were looking forward to bonding over the summer with my growing belly.” She smirked.
“He came with me to the ultrasound. I was ten weeks along. We were hoping to hear the baby’s heartbeat.” Dean seemed to sense that this is where things started to get rough for her. He pulled her into his arms.
“The technician found a heartbeat, then another . . . then another. I was in shock, completely blown away. Multiples didn’t run in either family. I looked up at Vince. I was scared. I needed his reassurance that we could do this.” Shannon scooted ever closer, wanting nothing more than to climb inside Dean’s skin and share it with him for a while.
“The look on his face, it was like Vince had completely shut down. I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. But the man who had been looking forward to a baby, a single baby, was just . . . gone.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Dean dropped a kiss on top of her head and rubbed her back. He would have continued to hold her like that, but Shannon needed to finish. She pushed against his chest and wiped at an errant tear. His expression was so compassionate. She dropped her gaze, knowing if she continued to look at him she was going to completely lose it.
“Anyway, I had a shift that afternoon. I got home late, after midnight. Vince was gone, all his stuff cleared out. He’d left a note. He said he just couldn’t do this. He had plans, a future. He couldn’t let anything get in the way.”
“Wonder what his future patients would think of their fine, upstanding doctor if they knew his backstory.” Dean scrunched up his nose. “Wait. Is he still studying to be a doctor?”
Shannon thought for a moment. “I’m not sure, to be honest. He’d have his undergraduate degree, for sure. He should still be in medical school. Frankly, I have no idea where he is now.” She took another swallow of water and tried to wrap up her sob story.
“I came home and had the babies here. I tried to reach out to Hollis and Eden, Vince’s parents. I thought they might want to be a part of their grandchildren’s lives.” Her cheeks flamed as she remembered that particular exchange.
“Hollis accused me of trying to pimp my children for money. He told me that if I contacted them again, that he would take out a restraining order on me. That there was no way I was going to get my greedy hands on his family money.”
“Ah, so that winning personality definitely runs in the family.” Dean looked inordinately pleased that he’d gotten a smile out of her.
Shannon heard the first faint whoop of a fire engine. She scrambled to her feet and hauled Dean up beside her.
“Okay, now that I’ve vomited up my past, let’s just drop it.” She flashed him a pained smile and swung her attention to the road in front of her.
They moved in close with the rest of the crowd. Shriners in their little maroon fezzes drove by in impossibly small cars, looping around in crazy figure eights. Shannon watched Dean’s face light up with delight. It was fun experiencing something that had been an annual event for as long as she could remember with a person seeing it for the first time.
Local Boy Scout troops filed past. Daisies, Brownies, and Girl Scouts were interspersed with marching bands, Veterans from as far back as WWII, and a collection of muscle cars. Dean clapped for everyone, but Shannon could almost see the drool starting to form when a vivid yellow Corvette purred by.
“I bet I know what you’re going to ask Santa for this Christmas.” She giggled.
The antique models of fire trucks began to roll past and Shannon stepped a little closer, trying to get a clearer view of the road. The triplets would be passing them any minute now. She bounced on her toes, eager to see her excited children.
“Hurry, hop on.” Dean had crouched down in front of her to offer a piggyback view.
Giggling girlishly, Shannon wrapped her arms around his neck and sprang up onto his back. Dean held tight to her thighs, both of them laughing so hard they nearly toppled. The largest engine drew up close and Shannon waved her arms high in the air, hollering each triplet’s name. She saw the moment they spotted her, their bright smiles dazzling. Her mother waved from behind them, one arm around Roger.
“Mommy, Mr. Dean! Have a kiss!” Brenna’s aim was spot on and Shannon reached out and caught the taffy without losing her balance. She blew them a kiss of her own.
The fire engine signaled the end of the parade, volunteer firemen following behind with a long, thick rope. Shannon slid down Dean’s back and they hurried off to the elementary school, where the group of children was to be unloaded.
Seeing Hollis Bainbridge had put a damper on the day for Shannon, but talking about her past wasn’t as difficult as she would have thought. Maybe time was healing those old wounds. Or maybe it was the quiet, patient way Dean had listened to her story, never judging her choices. He jogged alongside her, clearly just as eager to meet up with the children as she was. A tiny, hopeful part of her wondered if this is what it was like to be a family. The idea was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.