Chapter 23

“Shelley!” The three children bounded into the kitchen and launched themselves at Shelley, who laughed in delight at the exuberance.

“Hello you lot!”

Patsy grinned, “They knew that you were calling round today, and have been waiting impatiently for you all morning.”

“I’m honoured.” Shelly laughed again as she looked at the three of them, and then reached out to hug them all.

She handed the bag across and they snatched it up eagerly.

“Wait!” Patsy said firmly.

The three children stopped immediately and looked at their mother. “Let me get the cards out; then you lot are free to go and hang your treats on the tree.”

The oldest of the three – Lisa, handed over the bag, and then took it back from her mother and led the other two into the living room, using her big sister bossy tone to tell the other two that she would hang the decorations if they wanted her too – or she would lift them up to place them their selves – but absolutely no climbing.

“Lisa is certainly growing up fast now,” Shelly grinned at Patsy.

“Yes,” Patsy rolled her eyes but they shone with pride. “Fourteen next birthday, and she mentioned a boy the other day that she quite liked.”

“Ahh,” Shelly sympathised. “But she has always been sensible, and I know that she takes her school work seriously – so I am sure she will be fine.”

“Yes, I think – hope so too,” Patsy sighed and then her eyes slid past Shelly to Dean who was standing in the kitchen doorway with a half-smile on his face.

“It’s very nice to meet you too – I was not able to make Aunt Mary’s do, but someone mentioned that you were there as well, with Brian and Kelly and our Shelly here ... but no one seemed to know who you were quite with.”

Dean gave a light laugh. “Well, I went there with Brian, but left – sort of with Shelly.”

“Ahh that’s nice – and just in time for Christmas too!”

Shelly and Dean, spent the Saturday morning delivering Christmas cards and gift bags, and it was the most entertainment he’d had in a while, as he met young families, young couples, older couples and the odd single relative as well – all preparing for Christmas with an air of excitement about them.

Shelly’s family was big and extended and not shy about poking their noses into everyone else’s business!

They stopped by at ‘Aunt Lorraine’s - a middle aged lady who confirmed that Shelly was attending her upcoming birthday – and also that she would be bringing ‘her good friend, Dean’ with her; as the older lady discretely put it.

As she was seeing them off, she gave Shelly a warm hug, and then turned to Dean to do the same.

As he returned her hug she whispered into his ear. “You just be good to our Shelly, here; she has had a rotten time of things lately and could use a little tender loving care.”

“I will,” he promised solemnly, and she smiled up at him approvingly, even as she mentally reviewed her top shelf of hats.

Next summer, she thought to herself. Summer is always such a nice time for a wedding.

Shelly’s last visit of the morning, was to another cousin, by the name of Pauline, a round rather plain looking woman, but with a warm smile and soft brown eyes, and real world of mumsy about her; reinforced by the four children whose ages ranged from four to twelve according to their mother.

She was a placid woman in her early to mid-thirties, he guessed and he wondered when the last time was, that she had thought to get her hair done, or buy a new dress, paint her nails – anything to remind her that she was still a young attractive woman.

He noticed that Shelly’s cheerful chatter, was cautiously searching, and he watched in silent fascination as she gently probed her cousin on her health, her children and anything that she might need help with.

By the time they left, he could see that Shelly was plotting and planning.

“What’s the score?” he asked with a half laugh as he switched the car engine on.

“What, oh that was the last one, we are all done now and thank you for driving me around and giving up your morning like this.”

“That was not quite what I meant but I would not have missed this for the world so do not feel the need to thank me ... No, I meant with your cousin Pauline, what’s the score there – what am I missing?”

Shelly sighed. “Oh, it’s nothing really, just that ... well Pauline has never really had good taste in men;” she cut off with a harsh laugh. “I guess it’s in the genes,” she muttered under her breath. “Any way Pauline is the softest kindest gentlest person that you might ever meet, and that is mostly her problem. She can’t see when someone is taking advantage of her, or treating her badly, and she always ends up being hurt by the way they just leave her.”

“Oh,” he said softly. “And is that where she is at the moment – with the latest one just leaving her?”

“I think so, but I do not believe that it has dawned on her yet ... not yet.”

“But soon?”

Shelly sighed again and stared out of the window for a moment.

“Robert is her latest – disaster to be; he has been living with her for almost twelve months; taking all her money and never giving back, and when she had nothing left to give; well, he’s moved out; a few days ago, I guess, and left her and the kids with nothing until the new year.”

“And what will you all do about that?”

She smiled a little sadly. “Pauline and the kids will be fine, she always is – eventually, Aunt Lorrain will have them all in hand and they will spend Christmas at her house as they do every year anyway. “And at some point, Pauline will realise what a... ‘dog’ Robert was and her heart will break and Aunt Lorraine will be there to pick her up again, and then she will begin to rebuild – again.

“Aunt Lorraine is Pauline’s mum?”

“Yes, sorry I thought I had mentioned that,” she laughed apologetically, but there was an edge to it.

“No, but I am glad that she is; that Pauline and her children have someone like that in their lives.”

Shelly nodded and as she settled into the car seat, she became lost in thought.

It was a more subdued Shelly he took home, and as she let them into her mum’s house, she looked up at him. “Do you mind if we don’t go back to your place tonight?” she asked hesitantly.

“No, of course; whatever you want – whatever you need, Shelly.”

“Thank you,” she smiled gratefully at him.

They spent the afternoon at her mum’s house and Dean helped Shelly put up her Christmas tree and decorations and then to wrap her Christmas gifts. By the time they were finished, she seemed to have regained her sparkle and enthusiasm.

They cooked a simple meal together and sat at the table chatting about Christmas’s past, present and even a hint of the hopes for the future as they ate, and afterwards they cleared up together, before settling down in the living room.

“I know that you said that you did not want to go back to my place tonight,” Dean said as he gently stroked her cheek. “But is that because of the way it is set up? I mean I can easily and quickly remove the restraints and any other items, and we can just enjoy a good night’s sleep together?”

Once again Shelly smiled at him gratefully that he seemed to understand her mood, without her having to explain it all.

“I would like that very much,” she whispered.

They spent the rest of the weekend together which was what they had been doing pretty much since first meeting, but the major difference with this weekend was that it was not about sex – not at all.

They spent the time together simply enjoying each other’s company and Dean found it the nicest time that he had spent with her to date.