Love Redone (39 page)

Nick bounded out of the car with boyish enthusiasm
, beating Mr. Allen to his door-opening duties. He was around the rear of the car and pulling open Shannon’s door before she had a chance to catch her breath. Clearly excited, Shannon giggled at Nick’s obvious pleasure, placing her smaller hand in his much larger one when he reached out to help her from the limo.

Mr. Allen was unloading their bags as Nick pulled her along toward the back
-door entrance to the fabulous house. She enjoyed the sensation of his hand gripping hers as he threw open the door and hollered in greeting.

“Mom! We’re here
,” he yelled just like any boy would upon returning home. The controlled and serious business tycoon had vanished and been replaced by a relaxed, smiling, giant of a man with those seriously sexy dimples and a wide smile lighting up his face. Shannon didn’t know which was more appealing, the happy charming man pulling her further into the house or the house itself.

The back door opened into a modest
mud room that led to a charming kitchen decorated with glass-doored cabinetry and long marble-covered counters that overflowed with cooking tools and accessories. A wide, deep window was set above a double farm sink where a windowsill crowded with stoneware pots spilling over with all manner of herbs and succulents added a homey touch. There was a brass kettle on the big professional-looking stove underneath a low shelf crowded with spices and several bottles of cooking oils.

Whatever trepidation Shannon may have been experiencing at the prospect of being presented to Nick’s only parent was swept away by the down-to-earth charm of the wom
an’s welcoming and well-used kitchen.

She didn’t know quite what to expect next when a small-framed woman dressed in a simple silk blouse and straight skirt with a very chic bobbed hairstyle appeared in the doorway. Wearing a pair of stylish pumps that looked suspiciously similar to the ones Shannon drooled over in her own wardrobe, the woman was definitely well put together but not fussy or uptight in any way as far as Shannon could tell at first glance.

“Nicky!” the woman cried in obvious delight as she reached with open arms to embrace her clearly beloved son. Still clutching Shannon’s hand, he moved into his mother’s arms, bussing her noisily on the cheek with a son’s affectionate kiss of hello.

“Mom
,” he murmured gently. “I’ve missed you.” The heartfelt bear hug his mom bestowed on him brought tears to Shannon’s eyes.

The moment the hug relaxed
, Nick tugged Shannon forward and beamed at his mom while he performed the best introduction he could in the circumstances.

“Mom, I’d like you to meet Shannon Reynolds
,” he informed her with a wide smile in Shannon’s direction.

With that
, Alanna Barrett turned her full attention on Shannon where she stood nervously by Nick’s side, silently praying for the woman’s acceptance and approval.

Mrs. Barrett’s sweeping assessment of her and of the shining smile on her son
’s obviously happy face was quick and astute. Practically pushing Nick aside, his mother declared in a charming Southern drawl, “Oh, my dear. I’m so happy to finally meet you!” Taking Shannon’s hand, she drew her into a tremendous hug.

When she stepped back and smiled into Shannon’s anxious face, all the tension she’d been feeling evaporated under the force of the woman’s warm welcome.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Barrett,” Shannon shyly replied, to which Nick’s mother hooted with laughter at her formal tone.

“Now, now
, my dear, there will be none of that ‘Mrs. Barrett’ nonsense! I insist you call me Alanna, and I will call you Shannon. As soon as I can distract my obviously satisfied son and shoo him from the room with some imaginary chore, you will tell me all about yourself and explain why it took you so long to find your way here.”

“Mom…what?” Nick asked
, at his mother’s odd comment.

Pinning him in place with one of those looks
that only a mother can pull off, Alanna Barrett turned to her son and said, “I’m not a fool, Nicky. I’ve been waiting for this young lady to show up for a very long time.”

Nick looked back and forth from his mother’s smug grin to Shannon’s confused face and wondered what on earth his mom was referring to.

“Come now, Nick, surely you didn’t imagine that you could fall in love and I wouldn’t know. Or that I didn’t realize all these years the sacrifice you made for your family. When Annabelle called with news of the unexpected arrival in your life of a woman you had all but dropped everything for, I knew the long wait had come to an end.”

Turning back to Shannon
, she smiled gently and said, “I don’t care about the particulars, you two. Really. I’m only glad beyond anything you could dream of that somehow you’ve found the way back to each other, and no one could be happier or more overjoyed than I am at this moment.”

“Did you talk to Jules?” Nick asked
, convinced that his sister had spilled the entire can of beans about his and Shannon’s history and her demented but well-meaning attempts at matchmaking.

Guiding Shannon and Nick toward a huge kitchen table
, she answered quickly, “No, actually I haven’t spoken to her since we got back from our cruise. She texted me the other day, but you know how I am with all that nonsense. If you want to speak to me, then speak. I do not respond to all that new-fangled texting!”

Caught up in
Alanna’s sweet, Southern style of speaking, Shannon was trying, as was Nick, to piece together whatever was flying about in the woman’s mind. If she read the situation correctly, Nick’s mother had suspected for a very long time that her son had loved and lost many years ago. With Shannon’s sudden appearance in his life, she had rightly assumed that their relationship had begun long before recent weeks.

She was
moved by the woman’s shrewd assessment and felt a sense of rightness descend upon her. Even his mother had seen how alone he had been all these years. Her open, welcoming acceptance warmed Shannon’s heart.

They sat together at the big table while Alanna heated the teapot for her and Shannon while Nick indulged in his favorite single
-cup brew. With the introductions behind them, Nick and his mom chatted comfortably about her recent trip as Alanna made every effort to include Shannon in their lively discussion.

She made them both laugh with endless stories, all delivered in her quaint Georgia drawl, about the fabulous food and delightful spa treatments she and
Nick’s aunt had enjoyed while they scouted ideas and locations for the chain of high-end boutique spa hotels she was developing.

When Shannon inquired about needing to visit the bathroom
, Alanna rose from the table and escorted her to the powder room behind the butler’s pantry at the rear of the kitchen. Like everything else she’d seen of the charming home from Nick’s happy childhood, even the powder room was done to perfection with a surprisingly modern artisan bowl sink above rustic cabinetry that gave the tiny space classy elegance. Alanna Barrett clearly had a good eye as well as an open gracious spirit.

Returning to the table minutes later
, she found Nick’s mother standing by his side where he sat in relaxed repose as her loving mother’s touch caressed his cheek in clear affection. Approaching soundlessly, she heard Alanna murmur to her son, “You’ve made me extremely happy, Nicholas. She’s lovely.”

Then to her shock and surprise
, the woman brushed aside a tear when she choked up and added, “Your father would be so proud of you, son.”

That
comment brought Nick forward in his seat as he wrapped arms around his mother and pressed his face into her middle. “I love you so much, Mom,” he whispered as Shannon silently crept up and sat down close by his side.

Seeing how loving he was with his family had been an eye
-opener for Shannon, from his treatment of Jules, his open affection for Dom, even of the closeness he showed with Ned. She was moved by the deep integrity and caring he wasn’t afraid to display.

Turning brightly shining eyes her way
, Alanna smiled at Shannon and surprised her by saying, “My son tells me he has asked you to be his wife,” making Shannon’s eyes widen and shoot sideways to meet Nick’s. “And he also says that you’ve said yes.”

At Nick’s half-smile and small nod
, Shannon relaxed when he brought her hand from under the table, kissed it quickly, and then with boyish joy proudly showed his mom the stunning ring Shannon adored.

“Oh my word, honey!” Alanna barked with joy. “Look at that! You should have come prancing through my door waving that thing like a flag
, Shannon!”

Taking Shannon’s hand in hers while placing the other on her son’s shoulder
, Alanna Barrett fought back tears and said, “My dearest son, Nicky, and lovely, lovely Shannon, you have made this old woman unbelievably happy. Seeing your joy, both of you, has been a wonderful surprise.”

She pulled Shannon to her feet, wrapped her in a strong embrace
, and whispered, “Thank you,” in her ear.

Shannon struggled to maintain her composure
, swearing she heard a telltale sniff or two coming from the man sitting behind her. Shannon shyly smiled, first at her beloved and then at his mother, before clearing her throat, which had become thick with emotion.

“It would mean everything to us, Alanna
, if we knew we had your blessing,” Shannon choked out, bringing Nick swiftly to his feet to join in the women’s embrace.

“Shannon
,” Nick’s mother sighed, “that you would even think to ask.”

Hugging them both
, Alanna laughed and teased her son. “I knew I liked this young woman, Nicky! You get her to the altar before she realizes what a handful you’re going to be or you’ll have me to answer to!”

They all laughed and hugged a bit more, enjoying
the special moment when, after a short while, they heard Mr. Allen thumping his way into the kitchen.

“Did I interrupt?” he asked when first coming upon what essentially was a group
hug that didn’t want to end.

“Gregory Allen!” Alanna shouted. “You old coot! I’ll bet dollars to donuts that you and that nosey wife of yours knew before I did that these two were engaged!”

He laughed at that, as did Nick, while Shannon enjoyed the easy repartee along with the sensation of having her hand firmly clasped in Nick’s. She was tickled by his happiness and wanted to etch each and every one of these special moments in her memory.

When Mr. Allen held up the hamper his wife had packed with baked goods
, Alanna clapped her hands in delight, declaring, “Why this is the best day ever! I didn’t think anything could top the day that rascal Ned Stewart married my Julianna, but this!” She cried and waved her hands. “This makes perfect! An engagement
and
Anna’s zucchini bread!”

Shannon
snuggled closer to Nick’s side and beamed her happiness into his face when he looked at her with smiling, joy-filled eyes. Everything was going to be alright.

They all ate lunch together gathered around the big family table
, telling stories and swapping one-liners about everything from the upcoming World Series to the latest celebrity gossip. Shannon had deftly added a few choice nuggets to that topic, regaling her lunch partners with behind-the-scenes, firsthand observations about a socially clueless award-winning actor and a teen sensation with an annoying penchant for peanut butter and jelly. It was a pleasant hour that ended with Alanna suggesting to Nick and Mr. Allen that they make themselves useful by checking out the lumber that had been delivered during her absence for repairs to the backyard tree house.

“
Is this the tree house Jules mentioned?” Shannon teased as Nick and Mr. Allen made to go check things out. Leaning down, he planted a quick kiss on her parted lips, laughing as he pulled back.

“Yes,
it’s
that
tree house, and just to be clear…girls are not allowed. Ask Jules if you don’t believe me!” he teased.

“Look after her, Mom
,” he added as he squeezed his mother’s arm and headed out the door. The last thing Shannon saw as he exited was his magnificent rear end outlined to perfection in a pair of black jeans into which he’d tucked a casual button-down shirt. Even from the back, he took her breath away, making Shannon sit up a bit straighter while she attempted to slap a neutral expression on her face when she remembered where she was and who had almost caught her all but drooling and licking her lips over her son’s backside.

“Ah
, yes, I remember that look,” Alanna teased, making Shannon try desperately to adopt a look of innocence. Snorting with delight, Alanna patted her cheek and said, “Nice try, darlin’, but no points awarded!”

They made their way to the matching loveseats
that flanked a homey fireplace and a bank of windows where they would also have a bird’s-eye view of the backyard where Nick and Mr. Allen were currently conferring.

Shannon
wondered if she should feel nervous being left alone with Nick’s mother since she suspected something of a parental third degree was about to come her way. The woman had been nothing but extraordinary in her attitude toward Shannon, and she could see that her influence on her son was responsible for the man’s impeccable manners and moral compass. Yet another reminder that the Nick she knew, the real person, even with all his faults and foibles, was just not capable of being the monster he had pretended to be when they had parted.