The phone was on its third ring and Corrine couldn’t find the damn thing.
Four.
"Nick!"
Five.
"Gus!"
Where the hell were those guys anyway?
Six. She was getting close.
She lunged across the kitchen for portable phone when she spied it under a newspaper, stubbing her toe on Nick’s backpack full of books as she went. "SHIT!"
"Hello?" she ground out, while hopping on one foot holding her injured digit and silently promising herself to kill Nick the very next time she laid eyes on him.
"Corrine, is that you?" asked the concerned voice on the other end of the line.
"Yeah, it’s me. Are you looking for your brother?" she asked, knowing it was a stupid question, but she was in too much pain to care at the moment.
"Yes, I am, but are you OK? You sound kind of strange."
Huffing out an injured sigh as she settled herself on a stool at the counter to examine the damage she said,
"I’m fine Toby. I just plowed into ‘Nick the Slob’s’ bag of books in my mad dash to find the phone and I think I broke my goddamn toe."
Toby chuckled softly on the other end of the phone remembering the last time he had stopped by his brother’s apartment unannounced. The scene that had greeted him had not been pretty and he was fairly confident that Corrine’s pet name for Nick was accurate. Though he would venture to say his brother wasn’t completely innocent where the mess was concerned, Corrine and Gus seemed to agree that Nick was the main culprit. Toby snapped back to the conversation and offered what little comfort he could while trying not to laugh as he pictured the "discussion" that would ensue once she found Nick.
"Is Angus there? I really need to speak with him," Toby asked after he confirmed that Corrine’s injury was not life threatening. She attempted a half walk, half hop toward the living room while she answered him. "They were both here when I got in the shower, but now they seem to have disappeared without a trace--and they left the fucking TV on again!" she screeched as she rounded the corner. Apparently this was a pet peeve of hers and even though Toby knew she was furious with her housemates, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud this time. "What do you expect when you live with two college boys?" he asked her.
"Apparently too much," came the sharp retort.
"Sorry Toby, but your brother seems to be MIA," Corrine said as she finished her quick search of the apartment.
"Well, now what am I going to do?" he asked no one in particular.
"About what?" came the response from the phone that he had temporarily forgotten about.
"Oh, sorry I forgot you were still there," he quickly recovered. "I have a client cocktail party and dinner tonight at seven o’clock and I need someone to watch Holly and Harry for the evening. I gave the nanny the weekend off and completely forgot to find a sitter."
"How well do you pay?"
"Excuse me?" he asked obviously confused. "Pay for what?"
It was Corrine’s turn to laugh now. "For babysitting. How much?"
Toby finally got the point, "Are you serious?" he asked her a hint of desperation in his voice.
"Well, it’ll cost you, but yeah, I’m serious. What time should I be there?"
"What the hell was I thinking?" Corrine muttered under her breath as she hailed a cab and gave the driver Toby’s address. How long had it been since she had watched kids other than her niece and nephew? Holly and Harry were seven and five respectively and mischievous as all hell according to their uncle. "They can’t be that bad if Gus can do it, right?" she reasoned with herself. "After all, these kids will have bed times I hope." The real reason she had volunteered to help him out was that she had a soft spot when it came to Tobias Beecher . He had helped the three of them find the beautiful apartment that they shared near the NYU campus last year and he always included her and Nick in the dinner invitations that he extended to his brother. He was even helping them secure full-time positions for the summer with his father’s law firm so that they could remain in the city until the fall term started. Corrine owed him and she knew it, hence the reason she was going to spend her Friday night babysitting for him instead of out at the bars with the boys. A cell phone ringing somewhere close brought her back to the present and she looked at the caller i.d and smiled.
"Hi Sean," she answered sweetly.
"Hey Corie! What’re you doing?" asked Detective Sean Murphy.
Corrine explained the babysitting adventure she was about to embark on to her brother-in-law and he started to laugh.
"What’s so funny?" she demanded.
"Well, I was actually calling to ask you the same favor."
"Gee Sean, where’s my sister?" she asked sarcastically.
"Well, would you like the long version, or the abbreviated one?" Sean asked as he rubbed his hands across his face wearily.
Corie sighed, "Not again?"
"Yeah, she said that she would be back in town in time to get the kids from the sitter, but she called and said that she had missed her flight and she can’t catch another one until tomorrow."
"Is this ever going to stop Sean?"
"I don’t know kiddo, you know your sister..." he trailed off.
"Yeah, unfortunately."
"Corie," he said sharply. "You don’t mean that."
"You know what, maybe I do. I’m tired of her running off every time SHE calls! What was her story this time?"
"Something about her arthritis and her new medicine. She said she needed some help for a few days so Maggie insisted on going. She didn’t tell you because she knew you’d be upset."
"I have a right to be upset! That bitch uses my sister and she lets her do it!" Corie said loudly. The noise earned her a curious glance from the cab driver and she chose to ignore him.
"Cor, calm down. Since your dad died you guys are all she has left."
"Sean, I do not want to get into this now. She is a horrible person and deserves the pain. I feel no sympathy for her and neither should you," the driver was making a mental note not to mess with this passenger.
"Ok, calm down. I shouldn’t have called you, but you were my last hope. My folks are out of town and I have to work late tonight. Michael and Molly are with a neighbor right now, but I promised I’d pick them up by 6:30. The case we’re prepping for is pretty involved and it’s taking a lot longer that we thought it would so we’re gonna be here for awhile. I knew it was a long shot to catch you on a Friday night, but I thought I’d give it a try," he said trying to sound nonchalant. " I’ll see if one of the other neighbors can take them."
Corrine was wondering how her Friday night had turned into a bad episode of "Romper Room" and she couldn’t believe her ears when she heard herself say, "Listen, I’m just getting to Toby’s now. Let me check something with him and I’ll call you back O.K.?"
"Thanks Corie! You’re a doll."
"So?" Detective Christopher Keller asked as he settled himself on the edge of Sean’s desk and offered him one of the steaming cups he was holding.
"She’s actually babysitting for one of her housemate’s brothers tonight, but she’s going to try to figure something out," Sean answered as he sipped his coffee.
"How pissed was she when you told her where Maggie was?" Chris asked as he loosened his tie and headed for his desk to resume studying his notes.
"Pretty pissed. She really hates Teresa, and I can’t say that I blame her. She just can’t understand why Mags feels sorry for the old woman."
"Neither can I."
Sean nodded, "I know, neither can I."
Both detectives settled in with their coffee and their notes while Sean waited for his sister-in-law to call him back.
Sean Murphy and Chris Keller had been friends since their first days in the academy. After eight years on the force they had both ended up assigned to the Homicide Division as detectives and they had become inseparable. Sean had been there for Chris through his four failed marriages and numerous relationships. Chris had been Sean’s best man when he had married Maggie and was godfather to their son Michael Christopher. Long nights on stakeouts, Sunday dinners and late evenings at the cop bar around the corner had provided ample time for the two men to discuss almost everything. Chris knew that Sean adored his wife and children, but felt cheated when Maggie would drop everything to run back home and care for her mother. Sean knew that Chris had loved his all three of his ex-wives in his own way, but couldn’t make any of the marriages work no matter how much he had cared. The two men were as close as any brothers and Chris knew all about the horrible stories of Maggie’s and Corie’s childhood. Sean had needed to talk to someone about it when Corie had arrived unexpectedly on their doorstep eight years earlier, black and blue and in need of a home. He and Maggie had been expecting Michael at the time, but they couldn’t turn her baby sister away. The look in Chris’ eyes as Sean had recounted the girl’s story had told him all that he needed to know about his friend’s painful childhood memories. Sean knew that Chris probably understood Corie’s bitterness better than he ever could.
Corinne jogged up the steps instead of waiting for the elevator once she got through the foyer of Toby’s building. She raised her hand to knock when the door swung open. She was greeted by giggles and the sight of the three Beechers in a tangle of arms and legs. Toby had his hands full with Harry clinging to his right leg and Holly attempting to squirm out of the precarious hold he had on her. "Hi Corrine. Come on in. The doorman called up to tell me you were on your way. Sorry that I can’t take your coat for you, but as you can see I have two monkeys here who are in need of a severe tickling." This brought screams of laughter from the children and Corrine couldn’t help but laugh along with them. As she watched the Beecher kids attack their father her mind wandered and she thought about the two people who were missing from the cozy family scene before her. Gary and Gen.
According to Angus, Toby had married Genevieve the summer after his graduation from Harvard Law School and had taken the position at his father’s law firm just like his parents had always planned. They had planned a great deal for their oldest son and that included Gen. She was a good girl from a nice family and it seemed only natural after all the years that they had been forced together that they would marry. They had seemed to have a perfect life on the surface. Gen had gotten pregnant right away with Gary and then came Holly a few years later. They had seemed happy enough in the beginning, but over the years they had drifted further and further apart. Toby worked too hard and drank too much, and Gen had been constantly annoyed with him. Just when she thought she couldn’t stand it anymore she found out that she was pregnant again. The fact that they were expecting their third child hadn’t changed Toby’s behavior at all. He had managed to find excuses to stay in their penthouse in the city during the week and would only come out to the Long Island house on the weekends. Of course he always brought work home and had managed to avoid spending any real time with Gen and the kids. He loved his family, but he loved his work and alcohol too and there really wasn’t room for all three in his life. He drifted further and further away from his family and he had figured that it was only a matter of time before Gen asked him for a divorce. Fate stepped in before she had the chance and twisted their lives into a storm that no one had ever anticipated.
Gen hadn’t believed in nannies. She had been raised by one and had always promised herself that when she had children they would be raised by their parents---not by someone on the family payroll. She was a wonderful mother and her children adored her. She had made it a point to spend individual time with Holly and Gary each week so that when the new baby finally arrived they wouldn’t feel quite as jealous. The baby was about a month away from making his appearance so she had known that this was one of the last times that she would be able to do this for awhile. On a beautiful Tuesday afternoon she had picked Gary up early from school making an excuse that he had a doctor’s appointment and had arranged for Holly to go to the Beecher’s for the afternoon. Gen knew that Gary loved to go get ice cream and sit in the park watching the ducks in the pond so that is exactly what they had done. On the way back to Harrison and Victoria’s house something had gone drastically wrong.
According to the police report the other car had crossed the center line into Gen’s lane and hit her Lexus SUV head on. She didn’t usually allow the children to sit in the front seat, but that day Gary had somehow managed to get his way and was seated next to his mommy. The paramedics had done all they could at the scene, but Gary was gone. Gen was clinging to life, but it didn’t look good. They had airlifted her to the city and worked feverishly to save her and the baby. The trauma had triggered premature labor and if they didn’t manage to get the baby out soon, they might lose them both. By the time that Harrison and Toby got the message at the office and arrived at the hospital it was too late. Toby’s father held him upright as the doctors quietly delivered the news that no one is ever prepared for. "Mr. Beecher, your wife’s injuries were severe. The trauma and the loss of blood were too much for her. We did everything that we could, but were unable to save her. We’re so sorry for your loss."
"My son?" he choked out in a strangled sob.
"The baby is in the neonatal intensive care unit and we’ll know more in an hour or two. Would you like to see him?"
What?" Toby looked confused and the doctors realized that he hadn’t been asking about the baby. He had been asking about Gary. For the second time in ten minutes they had to find the words that would further shatter his world.
As Corrine forced her mind back to the scene before her, she wondered how Toby had managed to go on after that much tragedy. On the surface he seemed to be fine, but there was still a lurking shadow of sadness in his soulful blue eyes. He rarely talked about Gen or Gary and Angus said that he blamed himself for their deaths. Even though he had been a great provider, Toby had been far from a model husband or father and he had allowed Gen to pick up his slack with the children. The "if onlys" had almost overwhelmed him after their deaths, but somehow he had managed to pick up the pieces and go on. Corie supposed that the majority of his strength was rooted in the two blond miniatures of him that were hopelessly wrinkling their father’s tuxedo by wrestling with him on the living room floor.
Remembering her promise to Sean, Corrine called to Toby above the screams, "Hey, I have to ask you something."
"Twenty dollars an hour," he responded a little breathless as he finally disengaged himself from his children and pushed his tousled blond hair out of his face.
"What?" Corinne asked obviously perplexed.
"You want to know how much I’m going to pay you right? Twenty an hour OK with you?" asked Toby as he made a feeble attempt to smooth out his shirt.
"Hey, I was kidding with you about that on the phone you know," Corrine sniffed. "I mean, you always buy me dinner whenever Nick and I tag along with Gus, you found us a place to live and you’re helping me out with a job so this is the least I could do."
"Forget it. I know all about being a poor college student and I would never think of asking you to watch these monsters for free," Toby gestured at the kids who were quite intent on hauling every toy that they owned into the living room and winked at her. "Besides, you are literally saving my ass by helping me out on such short notice and I really do appreciate it."
"Yeah right. What do you know about being a ‘poor’ college student?"
"I know that they exist and I don’t want you to be one, so I’m paying you, end of story! Don’t even think about arguing with me Corrine Cavanaugh!" he said in his best lawyerly tone and stuck his finger in her face.
"OK, Toby! Jeez you sound like a dad," she giggled. "I’ll take your goddamn money if it means that much to you."
They were both laughing and the kids not wanting to be left out of the joke started climbing their father’s legs as if he was a human jungle gym. Realizing that she had almost forgotten for the second time to ask him about the Murphy kids she tried again. "Toby, I really do have to ask you something. Listen, my brother-in-law called me just before I got here and asked me to do him a favor, but I told him I had to talk to you first."
It was Toby’s turn to look befuddled and he turned his confused gaze away from the mirror and the mess that was now his tie to look at her.
"Why do you need my input on a favor for your brother-in-law?"
After explaining the whole predicament to Toby, he had agreed to the plan that Corrine had laid out for him. She assured him that her years of babysitting had prepared her for evenings like this and she really did want to help Sean out. Toby gave her a dubious look, but didn’t have time to contradict her since he really needed to see if his other tux was hanging in his closet as his darling children had effectively ruined the one he was currently wearing. As he left the living room he hoped that he was making the right decision allowing Corrine’s niece and nephew to come over for the evening. Two kids kept him hopping most of the time so he couldn’t imagine watching four of them at once. He had known Corrine for three years now and he knew that she had a good head on her shoulders so he shouldn’t be worried. After all, if she could keep Nick and Gus in check, four youngsters should be breeze for her. Toby chuckled to himself at the thought and shoved the worry to the back of his mind as he started stripping out of his wrinkled clothes.
"Hi Sean. Listen, Toby is cool with Mikey and Molly coming over here for the evening. If you want to bring them over I can watch all of the kids here and then the adults will be able to be wherever it is that they need to tonight."
Sean motioned for Chris to grab their coats and said, "Cor, that’s great news! Give me the address and I’ll drop them off by seven o’clock."
"Get them where?" Chris asked quirking an eyebrow at his partner as he hung up the phone.
"157 East Twenty-Seventh," he said consulting his hastily scribbled note. "Corie is watching the Beecher kids and their dad said it was OK for her to watch my kids there too."
"Beecher, Beecher? Why do I know that name?" Chris mused as he shoved his arms into his coat sleeves.
"Tobias Beecher, of Beecher, Hargrove and Faraday." Sean supplied as he grabbed his coat and quickly downed the last gulp of his coffee.
"No shit! How does she know him?"
"His younger brother Gus is one of Corie’s housemates," he explained as they waited for the elevator.
"Great, so that means that your kids are going to some fancy east side penthouse for the evening," he said double-checking the address Sean had written down. "No worries there! You’d better tell them not to touch a thing! Remember, I’ve seen your kids in action. That’s all you need, some socialite wife kickin’ your ass when your kids smash a priceless knickknack," Chris chortled.
"Hey, I’m just happy that he’s letting them come and that Corie can help me out on such short notice! Oh, and don’t worry about the wife – there isn’t one."
"Yeah? Maybe we should form a club," Chris muttered as the elevator arrived.
As they got into the elevator Chris punched in their destination and Sean studied his partner furtively. He knew that the most recent breakup was taking its toll and secretly wondered how Chris managed to hold it together so well on the surface. It was evident only to those who knew him well that Bonnie leaving him for the second time had actually surprised him. Sure, the marriage had been rocky for awhile, but Chris never really thought that she would leave. He had confided to Sean that he thought that the second marriage to his first wife was going to be the one. "I know it’s gonna work this time," he had confidently declared when he had called the Murphy’s from Vegas late one night to share his happy news. Sean had hoped for Chris’s sake that he was right this time, but eight months into the marriage the old patterns had resurfaced. Chris was restless and Bonnie was resentful. The fighting got worse and eventually she had had enough and Chris arrived home one day to an empty apartment and a note.
As the elevator came to a stop Sean tried to focus on what his partner was saying. "Let’s grab the car and we’ll swing by my place. I’ll change and then we can head over to your place. We’ll grab the rug rats and drop them off at Beecher’s. We’ll pick up dinner on the way back here and spend another cozy night at our desks."
"Sure, that works for me but we’ll never make it to the east side by 7:00," Sean said as he consulted his watch.
"Wanna bet dinner?"
"Absolutely! You better have deep pockets Keller, I’m starving."
"Ever heard of lights and sirens?" Chris asked with a mischievous grin and a wink.
"Oh shit. The last time we did this we..." Sean was interrupted by his partner.
"Get in!"
Toby checked the clock on his nightstand as he laid out the new tuxedo. Six o’clock. Thank god he had told Corrine to get there early. He still hadn’t given her the run down of emergency numbers and possible tricks that his children might play on her. A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he remembered the last time he had left them with a "virgin". Holly had managed to convince her that her father allowed them to finger paint at the formal dining room table anytime that they wanted. Unfortunately for Toby the carpet in that room would never be the same, and the sitter had told him to lose her number when he had returned home.
He turned to the mirror as he buttoned his shirt and studied his reflection. It was times like these that he missed being married. Whenever he had to attend a client function by himself and fend off the overly attentive women who made themselves readily available, he always got a little depressed. Gen had been gone for five years now and he really hadn’t dated much since her death much to the disappointment of his mother. He had tried to tell himself that it was because of the children, or because of his workload but he knew deep down it was because he hadn’t found anyone that piqued his interest enough to bother with. Of course, his mother was always trying to introduce him to another country club girl of some sort, but it never went any further than drinks and pleasantries at yet another boring social function. His mother had pretty much arranged his marriage to Gen and he would be damned if he would allow that to happen again. Sure, he had loved her in his own way, but more like a really good friend than a lover, and in his heart he had always longed for something more. Theirs had been a pleasant relationship in the beginning, but never passionate. He had never been able to admit that fact when Gen was alive, but five years alone and a great deal of therapy had changed that. Recently he had come to the conclusion that if the accident hadn’t happened Gen would have divorced him or he would have ended up drowning himself in alcohol, or maybe both.
Toby dragged himself out of his reverie and realized that it was too quiet in the living room and that made him nervous. He hurriedly put his shoes on and quickly ran his fingers though his hair as he checked his reflection one last time. He grabbed his tie and jacket off the bed and headed down the hallway. He stopped on the threshold of the living room to absorb the scene that greeted him. Corrine sat in the middle of the floor surrounded by a sea of toys, books and videotapes. Her dark head was bent close to the two small blond ones snuggled close on either side. Toby listened carefully and could hear that she was reading one of Holly’s favorite books aloud to them. The children sat in rapt attention and Toby surmised that she had either bribed them or hypnotized them since they never sat that still when he read to them. He watched silently until she finished, drinking in the site of the two little people whom he loved more than life itself and felt a familiar ache in his chest.
He must have made an audible sound because the children noticed his presence and both started babbling at once.
"Daddy, can we have ice cream?"
"I want macaroni ‘n sheez."
"Can we stay up ‘til you get home?"
"Whoa, slow down guys," Toby instructed holding up his hands defensively. "Why don’t you find something to do while I talk to Corrine for a minute and then we’ll get you some dinner, OK?"
The children raced off in opposite directions as Toby half-heartedly called them back to clean up the toys that seemed to be multiplying by the second.
"Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of the mess after they go to bed," Corrine assured him.
"*IF* they go to bed," he said and smirked at her surprised look. "Don’t worry Cor, I’m just teasing you," his blue eyes twinkled. "Bedtime is nine-thirty no matter what they try to tell you," he said firmly as he started toward the kitchen with her in tow. "Listen, here is my cell number, the number at the house where the dinner is being held and my father’s cell number. The doctor’s names and numbers are on the refrigerator and the doorman’s name is Jack. Give him a call if you need anything and he’ll be up here in a flash."
"What are you so worried about?" she asked him as she hopped up to sit on the counter while he stood staring inside the fridge like he was waiting for dinner to magically appear before him.
"Don’t you know whose children you’re watching here? Hasn’t my brother recounted enough of their escapades to make you even a little nervous?"
"Hey, if Harry sticks something up his nose again, I’ll call Jack and if Holly tries to escape out her bedroom window again I’ll call your mother OK? " she said referencing two of the more obnoxious stunts his kids had pulled recently.
"You really are a smartass aren’t you?" Toby laughed.
"You know it," she agreed as she grabbed his cell phone.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"What every great babysitter does—I’m ordering pizza!"
Sean sprinted up the steps to his front door, glanced at his watch and mentally calculated how much time he had. "Hey guys, are you ready?" he yelled as he burst into the living room. He had called Mrs. Neubauer from the car and told her what was going on and she promised that she would have the kids ready when they got there. She was grabbing her keys and jacket and paused barely long enough to give him a quick run down of their afternoon as she ran out the door. He moved quickly up the stairs dodging his son who was on his way down. "Hey kid, where’s your sister?" he asked as he dropped a quick kiss on Michael’s forehead.
"Molly’s in her bedroom," he told his father. He was intent on stuffing a book into his already bulging backpack.
"OK champ, I’ll be down in a sec."
Sean knocked on Molly’s bedroom door as he ran by and yelled to his daughter, "You have about five minutes to grab your stuff and get downstairs."
He heard muffled protests, but couldn’t make them out since he was busy looking for his favorite sweatshirt. It was going to be a long night of reviewing files and going over witness statements and he wanted to be comfortable. He snagged his shoes with one hand and a belt with the other and headed for the stairs. Still not hearing Molly he rapped on her bedroom door again. "Let’s go!"
The sullen twelve year old turned to face him and pouted, "Why do I have to go Dad? Just take Michael, I can take care of myself."
"Nice try, but no. You’re goin’, end of discussion."
Molly wasn’t happy with his response, but she knew better than to argue with her father when he sounded like that. She slowly slipped her shoes on and picked up a magazine from her desk to help her pass the time wherever it was that her father was taking her.
"Did I mention that Aunt Corie is watching you guys tonight?" Sean asked as Molly sauntered into the living room.
Instantly the pout was replaced by a smile and Sean could see the relief wash over his daughter’s face.
"Cool Dad! Are we going to her apartment? Are Gus and Nick gonna be there?"
"Slow down! You’re going to the Beecher’s; Gus’ brother’s house. Corie is watching Mr. Beecher’s kids and he said it was OK for you and your brother to come over there too." The last sentence was wasted since Molly had already bounded out the front door to the car. He heard her squeal and knew that she had discovered Chris waiting in the driveway. Next to her Aunt Corie, "Uncle" Chris was Molly’s favorite person. Sean shook his head and smiled as he took a mental inventory to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything --- kids, keys, gun, badge, wallet, cash ---Shit! He had given the rest of his cash to O’Reilly when they had ordered lunch that afternoon. Another quick look at his watch told him that there was no way Chris was going to let him stop at an ATM, after all a bet was a bet. He shrugged into his coat, locked the door and was on his way. They were halfway to their destination when Michael reminded his father that they hadn’t eaten yet.
"Great," Sean smacked his forehead. "I’m father of the friggin’ year."
Chris and the kids laughed hysterically while Sean glared at his partner.
"You think this is funny?"
"Yeah," he drawled.
"You’ll think it’s funny someday when you have kids."
That remark garnered more laughter from Chris and Sean just continued to glare at him.
Toby checked his watch for the hundredth time and wondered where the hell the car service was. He had told them six forty-five and it was now ten minutes past that. His father would not be thrilled if he was late for this dinner and he was not in the mood to get a lecture. He was trying desperately to get his tie straight when the doorbell rang. "Thank Christ, that must be the car." He gave up on his tie and just draped it around his neck and unbuttoned his top button. He would take care of it in the car. Toby grabbed the kids and planted quick kisses on their upturned faces and admonished them to be good. He opened the door to find a pizza delivery boy holding two steaming boxes and he was obviously in a hurry.
"Hey mister, that will be thirty dollars and twenty-two cents."
"Jeez Corrine, are you hungry or something?" he joked as he returned to the living room holding the pizzas.
Corrine stuck out her tongue, "No, I have two more people joining me and if I know Sean he forgot to get them dinner." She took the pizzas from him and headed to the kitchen with Holly and Harry close on her heels bobbing with excitement.
The doorbell rang again and according to Toby’s watch it was now seven o’clock on the nose.
"That had better be the car or the driver can forget his tip," Toby grumbled as he headed to the door for the second time in ten minutes. He swung the door open as he called goodbyes to his kids and Corie over his shoulder and ran out the door and directly into a solid form. Strong arms reached out to steady him and he looked up and into the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen.
Chris couldn’t believe his luck as he pulled up alongside the curb at the address Sean had given him. "This is way too easy," he thought double-checking the clock on the dash. It was six fifty-eight and he had snagged a great parking space. Sean was definitely buying dinner tonight. The kids grabbed their stuff and tumbled out of the car. When they got to the door and found no attendant, Sean searched the names on the buzzers and punched the one that read "T. Beecher." The door lock released and the little group filed into the elevator. When they arrived at the door of what was supposed to be the Beecher residence Chris automatically reached for the door bell while Sean was busy giving his children last minute instructions in a stage whisper to be good for their aunt and not to touch anything that they shouldn’t. The door flew open and a blond man in a tuxedo came barreling out in an obvious rush. He was calling to someone over his shoulder and he didn’t turn around in time to see Chris standing in the doorway. Before Chris could back out of his way the blond man ran right into his arms. Chris’ reflexes kicked in and he reached out to steady the man. When the man looked up at him Chris looked into his eyes and had the strangest sensation that he was looking directly into his future, and for just a moment time stood still.