The Harbour...Chapter 26: Mommy!
"He was angry,” she said steadily, holding his gaze. “I told him it was none of his business.”
He felt a trickle of relief.
She smiled almost ruefully. “So you’re concerned that Kyle is upset, and I’m concerned that Nina is upset.”
“Don’t be!” He said, grabbing her hands, an alarmed look on his face.
She gave him a crooked smile, and cleared her throat. “I’m working through some trust issues,” she said tilting her head on the side.
“I understand. Just don’t run away from me.”
She shook her head vigorously.
“Although...” he continued. “If you try that, I will run after you.”
She blinked as though to stop the tears in her eyes from falling.
“Carolyn...” he said softly. “Please don’t worry about Nina. I want nothing to do with her. You heard me tell her to...to...where to go.”
She smiled. “Yeah. I told Kyle the same thing.”
He broke into a big grin.
Then her expression grew serious, and she gently let her hands fall from his, resting them across her distractingly pretty knees.
“Marco, are you concerned that I still have feelings for Kyle?”
Before he could answer her phone rang. It was a designated ring she had for calls from the children. She reached for it in the tangle of clothes on the floor, her brow furrowed as she answered.
“Hi...” she trailed off.
Marco could hear Caitlin on the other end, she sounded hysterical. Carolyn was climbing to her feet even as she listened, her face twisted in concern.
He jumped up too, his heart racing.
“Okay sweetie. Okay. Mommy is coming home. It’s okay. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
She clicked off the phone and began pulling off his sweater as he helped her retrieve her clothes from the pile near the sofa.
“Maya and Joel are fighting,” she said sounding breathless as she reached for her skirt.
“Fighting? Like fist-to-cuffs?” he said, his heart sinking into his stomach.
“No, no...arguing. Maya and Joel never argue. Caitlin is very upset.”
He reached for his jeans and began tugging them on. “I’ll come with you.”
“No...no...it’s best if I...”
“Of course,” he said, running his hand roughly through his hair.
He followed her to her car, where she kissed him hurriedly before slipping behind the wheel.
“Call me when you can,” he said softly.
Suddenly she stepped back out of the car and flung her arms around his neck.
“You look so forlorn!” She cried, hugging him tightly. “I love you Marco D’Angelo. More than I’ve ever loved another man in my whole life,” she whispered.
His heart felt like it was going to leap out of his chest and do a dance right there on the sidewalk.
“Well that’s good, because I love you more than...” he pulled away, holding her hands and looking into her eyes.
“I can’t remember not loving you, and though I didn’t think it was possible, I love you more every minute that I’m with you.”
She smiled warmly her eyes filled with tears.
“Now go see what our crazy daughter is doing to her brother,” he said.
His heart was banging against his chest. He has never said those words before, our daughter. They were the sweetest words he had ever uttered.
She was smiling but her eyes showed her anxiety.
She leaned toward him brushing her lips against his. He shivered.
“You really should’ve put a shirt on,” she said touching his chest lightly.
His pulse quickened.
“Call me as soon as you can,” he said, as she slipped back into her SUV.
He stood on the sidewalk barefoot and shirtless, his thick, usually well-groomed hair hanging into his eyes, watching her SUV glide down the street. He stayed there for a minute, even after it had pulled out of sight.
He sighed again.
Then he turned, looked right at the living room window of the house across the street and gave a big wave. He saw the shadow jump, and dart behind the curtains in a flurry of fabric.
“Goodnight Mrs. Wright,” he said chuckling softly under his breath, turning away to head back inside.
He felt a trickle of relief.
She smiled almost ruefully. “So you’re concerned that Kyle is upset, and I’m concerned that Nina is upset.”
“Don’t be!” He said, grabbing her hands, an alarmed look on his face.
She gave him a crooked smile, and cleared her throat. “I’m working through some trust issues,” she said tilting her head on the side.
“I understand. Just don’t run away from me.”
She shook her head vigorously.
“Although...” he continued. “If you try that, I will run after you.”
She blinked as though to stop the tears in her eyes from falling.
“Carolyn...” he said softly. “Please don’t worry about Nina. I want nothing to do with her. You heard me tell her to...to...where to go.”
She smiled. “Yeah. I told Kyle the same thing.”
He broke into a big grin.
Then her expression grew serious, and she gently let her hands fall from his, resting them across her distractingly pretty knees.
“Marco, are you concerned that I still have feelings for Kyle?”
Before he could answer her phone rang. It was a designated ring she had for calls from the children. She reached for it in the tangle of clothes on the floor, her brow furrowed as she answered.
“Hi...” she trailed off.
Marco could hear Caitlin on the other end, she sounded hysterical. Carolyn was climbing to her feet even as she listened, her face twisted in concern.
He jumped up too, his heart racing.
“Okay sweetie. Okay. Mommy is coming home. It’s okay. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
She clicked off the phone and began pulling off his sweater as he helped her retrieve her clothes from the pile near the sofa.
“Maya and Joel are fighting,” she said sounding breathless as she reached for her skirt.
“Fighting? Like fist-to-cuffs?” he said, his heart sinking into his stomach.
“No, no...arguing. Maya and Joel never argue. Caitlin is very upset.”
He reached for his jeans and began tugging them on. “I’ll come with you.”
“No...no...it’s best if I...”
“Of course,” he said, running his hand roughly through his hair.
He followed her to her car, where she kissed him hurriedly before slipping behind the wheel.
“Call me when you can,” he said softly.
Suddenly she stepped back out of the car and flung her arms around his neck.
“You look so forlorn!” She cried, hugging him tightly. “I love you Marco D’Angelo. More than I’ve ever loved another man in my whole life,” she whispered.
His heart felt like it was going to leap out of his chest and do a dance right there on the sidewalk.
“Well that’s good, because I love you more than...” he pulled away, holding her hands and looking into her eyes.
“I can’t remember not loving you, and though I didn’t think it was possible, I love you more every minute that I’m with you.”
She smiled warmly her eyes filled with tears.
“Now go see what our crazy daughter is doing to her brother,” he said.
His heart was banging against his chest. He has never said those words before, our daughter. They were the sweetest words he had ever uttered.
She was smiling but her eyes showed her anxiety.
She leaned toward him brushing her lips against his. He shivered.
“You really should’ve put a shirt on,” she said touching his chest lightly.
His pulse quickened.
“Call me as soon as you can,” he said, as she slipped back into her SUV.
He stood on the sidewalk barefoot and shirtless, his thick, usually well-groomed hair hanging into his eyes, watching her SUV glide down the street. He stayed there for a minute, even after it had pulled out of sight.
He sighed again.
Then he turned, looked right at the living room window of the house across the street and gave a big wave. He saw the shadow jump, and dart behind the curtains in a flurry of fabric.
“Goodnight Mrs. Wright,” he said chuckling softly under his breath, turning away to head back inside.