The Fine Line Book One Between Worlds Series (11 page)

Surprise

After the night Robin confessed everything
to Matt about her past with Brett, their bond strengthened. They
spent even more time together. Matt knew exactly what it took to
earn and maintain Robin’s trust. Gifts became a regular occurrence,
ranging from necklaces to bracelets to flowers to candy. The
support and affection he offered was unmatched. Robin saw the
sincerity behind every gesture.

Mid-August brought intense heat. The
softball games coming quickly to a close with the start of school
also meant an influx of cases at the agency. Robin hoped this year
might be different, but she sincerely doubted it.

After the Thursday night softball game,
Robin drove home looking forward to a nice, hot shower. As she made
her way across town, she thought about the transition she had made
from her intake position to being the supervisor of the entire
department. It exhausted her, raising her stress level far beyond
anything she’d experienced before. So much needed to be done and so
many of the employees seemed angry. She knew she needed the trust
of her workers to keep the team working cohesively.

One of the positive things that came from
her promotion was a new car. She financed a Jeep Cherokee. It was
silver and equipped with heated leather seats, a touch screen radio
and navigation system, and sun roof; she finally owned the car she
had dreamed of. As she pulled into her parking place at the
apartment building, she noticed an unfamiliar white Saturn parked
in the lot. She stepped out of the Jeep and slung the duffle bag
over her shoulder. As she walked closer, she noticed a tall blonde
woman getting out of the car. She didn’t recognize her.

The woman, very stylishly dressed, remained
expressionless as Robin flashed a sociable smile and started up the
stairs.

“
You must be Robin,” the
woman said, her voice shrill and intense. “I could tell just by the
way Olivia described you.”

Robin turned and then continued up the
stairs as the woman followed.

“
You must be
Sheryl.”

She wanted to be nice to Sheryl and invite
her into the apartment. She wished no ill will on her. However, her
gut told her that pleasantries would not happen.

“
Yes, Sheryl Gregory,” she
replied as she puffed out her chest.

“
You mean Sheryl Winston?
Isn’t that your married name?”

Robin continued walking to the apartment as
Sheryl followed closely behind.

“
I came to tell you that
you need to quit seeing Matthew. He isn’t interested in you. You
also need to understand that his daughter will always come first.
You’re not a mother, so naturally you wouldn’t
understand.”

Robin inhaled and then breathed out,
releasing all of the negative energy built up inside of her.
Remaining positive would be the key to this conversation and Robin
knew that. Nevertheless, assertiveness seemed of equal importance.
When she turned, Sheryl was toe to toe with her.

“
Let me explain something
to you,” Robin began calmly and quietly, “the way I see it you have
no control over this situation Sheryl.”

“
Oh, now see, that’s where
you’re wrong. I have one thing you don’t; his daughter.”

“
I know everything,” Robin
continued speaking in a low, determined tone. “I know Olivia isn’t
Matt’s. I know that he stayed by your side when he clearly
shouldn’t have. Do you know why? It’s because he is a respectful,
good, honest man.”

“
How dare you!” Sheryl
replied, as hate shot from her eyes.

Robin’s positivity quickly flew out the
door.

“
How dare I? You come to
my apartment to have a pissing contest? It’s none of your business
what Matt does or doesn’t do; who he sees or doesn’t see. You gave
up that right when you divorced him. I won’t have anyone assume the
right to order me around either. So if you thought you could
intimidate me into not seeing Matt, you can think again. This sort
of behavior has obviously worked for you in the past. But it won’t
now.”

“
He still loves me, you
know?” Sheryl spit out insistently.

Robin stood firmly and confidently with her
shoulders back, a very strange feeling to her to be so secure in
her actions.

“
You think so?” she said
calmly. “I knew this day would come. I was going to be nice; try to
work things out with you. I can see now that isn’t going to work.
It isn’t my fault you gave up the absolute best thing that ever
happened to you. Do you even know how gentle and kind he is? He is
the most understanding and selfless man I’ve ever known.

“
So, here’s the way it’s
going to go, Sheryl. If you continue with your reckless behavior,
assuming you can tell me what I can and can’t do with your
ex-
husband, I’m going to file a restraining order against
you and if you violate it, I’ll have you arrested. So, keep going
Sheryl and see where this ends up.”

Coolly, Robin walked into the apartment and
closed the door behind her. With her back against the door, her
heart pounded. She closed her eyes to collect herself. Taking deep
cleansing breaths, she released all of the negative energy gathered
from the encounter. She knew she needed to meditate to gain her
balance, but before she could, her cell phone rang. Looking at the
screen, Matt’s face appeared.

“
Did you tell my ex-wife
off?” he asked without saying hello.

Hurt and disgusted, Robin felt as if he may
be defending Sheryl.

“
Yes I did,” she answered
curtly.

“
Good!” he shouted. “It’s
about time someone put her in her place.”

“
Really? You’re not mad?”
Relief swept over her.

“
Hell no, I’m not mad,” he
said with a chuckle. “I’m glad you did it.”

“
Glad?”

“
You’re the first woman
that hasn’t been intimidated by her. Most women are terrified of
her. I just thought maybe she’d scare you off, too.”

“
Nothing will scare me
off.”

“
That’s good,” he
laughed.

****

Saturday morning, Matt clocked out at the
hospital and jumped into his truck bound for Robin’s apartment.
While driving, he took time to be thankful for their relationship.
He felt so lucky to have found her. Still, he hadn’t told her that
he loved her yet. He still waited for the perfect time to say
it.

When he arrived, he quietly walked into
Robin’s room and shut the door behind him. She slept soundly. He
took off his jeans and t-shirt and crawled into bed beside her. He
pulled her close, listening to her breathing as she stirred for a
moment. He kissed her back.

“
Morning beautiful,” he
whispered.

“
Mmm,” she uttered
groggily. “Morning.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and
drifted off to sleep quickly. When he woke, she wasn’t beside him.
He heard the shower running. He put on the cotton shorts he kept at
her apartment and made his way to the bathroom listening carefully
for Wendy and Terri’s voice. He knocked on the bathroom door to
make sure it was Robin. Her voiced answered back.

He walked in, slipped off his shorts, and
stepped into the shower. The water running off her skin instantly
aroused him. Her back was to him as he stood watching her. He saw a
patch on her hip. Gently, he touched it.

“
You’re wearing a birth
control patch,” he said as he continued tracing it with his
finger.

“
I’ve always worn one.
I’ve just always made you wear a condom.”

“
I don’t mind,” he
lied.

“
Well, I’m not making you
anymore,” she said assertively.

He touched her back soothingly.

“
Matthew,” she scolded,
“we don’t have time. We’re already running late.”

“
We can do it fast,” he
answered.

“
I don’t want you to be
quick,” she said as she turned and put her hands on her
chest.

He smiled, “Well neither do I, but I know
we’re racing against the clock here.”

He stopped and pushed her away for a
moment.

“
Have I ever told you just
how gorgeous you are? I mean, look at you. You’re built like a
goddess.” His eyes swept over her as his hands found her supple
breasts.

He stepped closer to her and kissed her
lips, then took her wrists in his hand and held them behind her
back. He kissed her neck and collar bone with the intent of
exciting her. Luckily, it worked. He felt her hands as they cupped
his face and her warm breath as they kissed. He turned her so her
back faced the shower wall. His hands raced madly over her wet
body.

Matt pushed her up against the shower wall
and lifted her up. She leaned against the wall to steady herself as
he slipped into her. His thrusts were deep and quick.

He continued kissing her neck overpoweringly
as he held tightly to her bottom, his hands balancing her. He
stopped suddenly and looking deeply into her brown eyes. He saw the
wrinkle in her forehead as her eyes narrowed.

“
What? What’s wrong?” she
asked quietly.

“
I love you,” Matt
whispered.

She smiled. “I love you, too.”

He felt her hands wrap around his neck and
her fingers lock together. The electricity between then frightened
him at times, but he craved it. He watched with accomplishment as
her head leaned back against the shower wall and he felt her
tighten around him. Her moans were music to his ears. He pumped for
a few moments longer and climaxed, too. He held her for a few
moments, kissing her ear and again, whispered,

“
I love you so
much.”

****

The picnic with Robin’s family held one
purpose: introducing Matt. The three hour drive to her brother’s
house gave Matt the opportunity to sleep as Robin drove.

The plan included a cook out. They planned
to stay with Robin’s brother, Corbin, and his wife, Shelley. Robin
didn’t doubt that her stepdad, Richard, and her mother Amy
excitedly awaiting meeting Matt. Her younger sister, Maria, still
lived at home. Significantly younger than Robin and Corbin, Maria
was finishing her senior year of high school.

Once they arrived, Corbin quickly put Robin
to work helping Shelley prepare potato salad, coleslaw, and other
delicious sides while he cooked steaks on the grill. The food
smelled delicious.

Shelley had met Corbin in high school. She
seemed more like a sister to Robin because she had been around so
long. Her red hair had lightened over the years. Still as thin as
she was in high school, her skin looked like porcelain and her big
blue eyes reminded Robin of the ocean. Shelley worked as a
pediatric nurse at a local hospital.

It wasn’t easy to miss the fact that Corbin
and Robin were related. They looked very much alike. Of course,
Corbin was taller, but their coloring was the same: dark hair and
brown eyes. A farmer at heart, he worked hard in the fields, which
kept him pretty buff. The southern mannerisms were bred into him,
too, as he always used “ma’am” and “sir.”

Corbin’s in-ground pool was one of the
reasons Robin loved visiting in the summer. She loved the water
because it calmed her.

Robin stood at the kitchen counter in her
black bikini chopping up lettuce. Her hair pulled back in her usual
messy bun, she wore her sunglasses on top of her head and smelled
of sun tan lotion.

Shelley began, “Robin, you are glowing.” She
walked to Robin and put her arm around her shoulders. “You simply
look radiant.”

“
Thank you. I feel great,”
Robin replied.

“
He seems like a good guy,
your Matthew.”

“
He is like no one I’ve
ever met before, Shell.”

“
That’s how I feel about
Corbin. No one like him on earth, you know?”

“
Yes. I know.”

The front door slammed. It wasn’t long
before they heard Richard’s southern drawl.

“
Anybody home?”

Richard had been a part of Robin’s life
since the age of two. Shortly after she was born her biological
father died of cancer. Once her mother met Richard, they quickly
fell in love. Wedding bells followed.

Robin loved Richard and trusted him fully.
He was the only father she had ever known. She admired him for
taking on two children that didn’t even belong to him. She knew he
had substantial character to do something like that.

He walked in with a smile, carrying a
casserole dish. His white hair glistened and his rosy cheeks always
made Robin smile.

With arms outstretched she took the
casserole dish from Richard and put it on the counter. She turned
back to him and embraced him. “Hey there daddy,” she said.

“
Ladybug,” he said with a
smile. “You look good; healthy and smiling. Just the way I like to
see you.”

“
Where’s mom?” she asked
curiously.

“
She’s coming with Maria
and Fred. They had to stop by the grocery for a few more things.”
He looked around and shrugged. “So where’s this feller you can’t
stop talkin’ about?”

“
He’s outside with
Corbin.”

“
Oh Lord. You didn’t leave
him out there with him, did you?” he joked.

Robin smiled and looped her arm through
Richard’s as they walked onto the patio. Corbin and Matt’s laughter
echoed as they stood by the grill.