Double the Love

By Michelle Tschantre'

Successful realtor Randy Shaker returns home late in the evening, discovering it already occupied. His sister has allowed persons displaced by a fire in a women’s shelter to occupy his home as a temporary haven. Believing Randy would be out of town for the evening she didn’t bother to call him. After nearly being pepper sprayed, Randy agrees to the invasion on a temporary basis. But how will he feel about the situation the next morning when he first meets Teresa and Tracy, twin sisters, along with Teresa’s two small children? And, what about Teresa’s abusive ex-husband out there somewhere? He could pose a problem as the emotional connection between Randy and Teresa, at first a flickering light, starts to grow into a steady flame of attraction. Can Randy help Teresa stand on her own, build her confidence in herself, not with a handout but with a hand up? And once she is standing, then what? She is in his mind, and he is in hers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michelle Tschantre'
• Release date: Feb 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310255533

Michelle Tschantre'

Michelle Tschantre' has accrued years of "people" lore, mostly listening and encouraging, letting them find their own way past whatever issue prompted the conversation. The WINDMERE Series of fictional events uses some of those experiences, a little science here and there, some reality now and then, a belief that there may be powers greater than we know, and an everlasting belief in good outcomes for good hearted people. It is what the author has come to believe over the years: plan for the worst, hope for the best, deal with the reality. In “Laura's Big Win”, the foundation is built for the books that have followed, with some of the same people, some new faces and problems, and Windmere in there somewhere keeping it all going.

Book preview

Double The Love

WINDMERE series – book six

Michelle Tschantré

Smashwords Edition

Double The Love

Copyright © 2015 Michelle Tschantré

All rights reserved

{3nd Edition © 2017}

Cover Design & Formatting by: Laura Shinn Designs

http://laurashinn.yolasite.com

Smashwords License Notes:

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with other people, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this ebook without purchasing it and it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

Double The Love is a work of fiction.

Though actual locations may be mentioned, they are used in a fictitious manner and the events and occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the author. Any resemblance of characters in this story to any person living or dead is strictly coincidental.

Dedicated to:

The possibilities in life.

CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

About the Author

Preface

Successful realtor Randy Shaker returns home late in the evening, discovering it already occupied. His sister has allowed persons displaced by a fire in a women’s shelter to occupy his home as a temporary haven. Believing Randy would be out of town for the evening she didn’t bother to call him. After nearly being pepper sprayed, Randy agrees to the invasion on a temporary basis. But how will he feel about the situation the next morning when he first meets Teresa and Tracy, twin sisters, along with Teresa’s two small children? And, what about Teresa’s abusive ex-husband out there somewhere? He could pose a problem as the emotional connection between Randy and Teresa, at first a flickering light, starts to grow into a steady flame of attraction. Can Randy help Teresa stand on her own, build her confidence in herself, not with a handout but with a hand up? And once she is standing, then what? She is in his mind, and he is in hers.

Chapter One – Displaced

Hey, you; mister! Stop right there; you can’t come in here. This is for women and children only. How did you get in here? I’m calling a cop if you don’t get out!

Randal Lloyd Shaker stopped walking, looked at the house keys in his hand, and tried to understand what was happening. He couldn’t be in the wrong house; that wouldn’t make sense since his garage door opener worked, and the door key opened the lock into the house from the garage. But the woman in front of him was clearly and adamantly against him entering any farther than a few feet into the room, keeping the spray can pointed in his general direction. Maybe he was more tired than he thought and this was all in his head, or maybe she could explain. I don’t understand, lady. Look, this morning I still lived here, I’m sure I did, I think I did anyway. What’s going on?

You got any sort of ID, with a picture? And don’t come any closer or I’ll pepper spray you. Stay there and put the ID on the counter, then back away. Okay?

Sure. Whatever. Will this do? Randy fished in his pocket for both his driver’s license and his realtor’s picture ID. Placing them on the nearest counter, he stepped back a pace or two, almost back out into the garage; the woman took a couple of tentative steps, spray can at the ready, then reached out and took the cards. The look on her face changed almost instantly, from anger and hostility to one of perplexity.

I don’t understand. Sonya said you wouldn’t be home for a couple of days at least; I know that’s what she told us. She said that’s why we could use this house. I don’t know what to say, I don’t.

Randy realized some huge mistake was in process, but that still didn’t explain the woman’s presence in his house. At least for the moment she seemed much less confrontational, although it was apparent she remained far from apologetic. He pressed on. Look, you can see this is my place, my home. I don’t know what’s going on here but maybe I’m the one who should be calling the law. After all, I’m not the one doing the trespassing. I think you owe me some explanation, and quickly.

I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do. This is embarrassing. Should I call Sonya? Would you believe her if she told you what happened?

Look lady, right now I don’t have any reason to not believe you, but to tell the truth, if you’ll put down the pepper spray what I really want is a beer from the box and I want to sit down. I’ve had a really long day and mostly I want to go to bed, in my own house. So, how about it? You can call Sonya if you want, but at this hour of the night I suspect she might be a little cranky. How about you try your story on me first?

Although the confrontation was still in process, it was becoming clear Randy was gaining the upper hand. What was not clear was whether having the upper hand was worth anything or not. Time to find out, and taking a chance she would not open fire with the spray can, he took the few steps to the refrigerator, extracted a well-chilled bottle, sat down at his own table, and pointed to the chair at the other end as he twisted the cap off and took a long draw. Following his pointing finger, the woman sat, still armed with the pepper spray but seemingly much less hostile. Maybe she was finally coming to the understanding this really was his home, not hers, and he had every right to be in it.

I don’t know where to start, not really. I understand you do have a right to be upset, but I need you to accept that I have a job to do in protecting these people from any more harm, no matter what I have to do.

Okay, I’ll bite: what people? So far I see you and me.

It’s why we need to be a little quieter, please. My name is Vicki, and I work at the women’s shelter, you know, where women in mental or physical danger can seek protection. The Junior Welfare Association does a lot to provide support for the operation, fund raising and poking the politicians for support, things like that. Sonya is the JWA chapter president, but you probably already knew that. We had a fire on the stove while we were cooking some dinner tonight, and it got out of control. We called the fire department right away but the place is pretty much a mess. I called Sonya to let her know; they really have been so supportive of us and I felt so bad about the fire. It isn’t much of a house but we’ve been fixing it up and anyway it’s a lot better than being homeless. So, she came right over. It was pretty plain the place wasn’t habitable, and there we were with five women, two small children, and no place to go. Some of the other JWA ladies each took a resident home with them for the night, and Sonya said we could use this house because you were out of town for a few days. I thought we’d be long gone and maybe you’d never even find out. Vicki took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Clearly she was headed toward the defensive end of the conversation. I guess I owe you an apology, but that doesn’t get us past the problem with your being here. Please, we don’t have any other place to go, at least not at this hour of the night, but I can’t let you stay here either. I guess I don’t know what to do. I’m sorry, really.

The woman did indeed sound like she meant exactly what she was saying, but to recall her own words, that didn’t get past the situation in front of them. She had a shelter to run and Randy clearly could not stay there. On the other hand, it was his home, he was dead tired, and had no desire whatsoever to find some other place to sleep for the night. He needed to somehow find a way out of the dilemma. The house was huge, given only one person lived there, at least in the present circumstances. Randy had grown tired of his apartment and condo living, and when a bank with which he had frequently worked on endangered home loans approached him to take it off their hands for a mere song, Randy bit. There was no way he needed four bedrooms, lots of built-in expensive amenities, and a three car garage, but neither did the people who built the house in the hopes of making a killing and going on down the road. The collapse of the real estate market in the area had thoroughly cooked their goose. It remained a fact that the original cost of the house was well within his income means, but that had been blown all out of proportion as it was traded and traded. At the end of the day, the various and sundry mortgages collapsed back on one another as the parties bailed and ran for financial cover, leaving the bank looking at a loss less than the original cost to build the place. It was a fortuitous stroke of luck that the primary loan officer knew Randy and knew he was looking around a bit for new digs. The house was way past what Randy had in mind, but the price was right and there remained a promise that when the real estate market revived, as it was sure to do in eventualities, Randy could double or even triple what he had invested if he resold it. The deal was made and he moved in. That also did not get them past the present situation, or did it? As he briefly pondered the issue, it occurred to his tired mind that there were actually two houses, at least in many ways; maybe that was the answer.

I see your issue, and I’m not arguing with it, but how about this? Pointing to a door off the kitchen, Randy continued: I’ll go in there and stay there for the night. Technically I won’t be in the house proper, so that meets your present criteria, and it has a bed, so that meets my present criteria. Everything should make more sense in the dawn’s early light and by then maybe Sonya can explain things. She didn’t have any way to know I would be back this soon, and I didn’t bother to call her before I started for home because I didn’t see any reason to do so. Anyway, are we good to go now?

Vicki was unsure. Where does that door go? I’ll admit I didn’t open it but thought it was maybe a pantry or something like that.

It’s the nanny’s quarters. There’s a separate apartment in there, everything one would need to live in comfort. So, if you don’t mind, I’m outta here. And by the way, the door locks so I should be safe.

It was a reversal of what Vicki had been thinking and it took her a few seconds to realize the sleight of hand made her group the intruders from which Randy would be protected, not the other way around. It did occur to her the arrangement did not preclude him from reentering the kitchen if he so chose, but he had worked out a solution to their situation; besides if nothing else it was five to one against him and Vicki still clutched the pepper spray. It was also true she needed to get some sleep herself; the excitement of the fire and relocating had been enough to keep her going, but that was ebbing slowly now and exhaustion was setting in. How do I know you won’t come back in this part of the house?

Once I go through that door, give me five minutes and I’ll be asleep. But, if you want, prop a chair under the knob like they do in the movies. Okay? Besides, you look like you could use a little sleep yourself. The small bedroom doesn’t have any furniture in it, and I would guess the other two are already occupied, so use the first one on the left as you go down the hall. And don’t worry about it; the housekeeper was in here this morning so the linens are fresh, no cooties. Deal?

Vicki knew he was right, heard herself laugh at his cooties comment, and she readily agreed, bidding him a good-night in the process. As soon as Randy had closed the door behind him, and she heard the bolt to the nanny suite slide into place, she headed down the corridor without placing a chair under the knob as he had suggested. Vicki had come to the conclusion she owed him that much trust; after all, he owed none of the present guests anything, and particularly not after Vicki had given him so much of a problem up front. Turning into the first door on the left, Vicki discovered the one thing in which Randy had truly indulged himself: in the middle of the opposite wall was a double pillow top king size monster on a sleigh frame. It was all she could manage to actually climb into the bed, and once in, she sank into the mattress until the room side walls were barely visible past the mounds on either side of where she lay. Comfort, pure comfort, and her next thought remained unfinished as sleep overtook her.

In the nanny suite, Randy quickly walked through and back into the garage via a second door. It was a little something he had purposefully neglected to mention in the dialogue with Vicki, that even if she propped a chair under the door knob it wouldn’t keep him out of the house. But, that was irrelevant from his point of view. Retrieving his travel case from the SUV, he went back into the suite and within minutes was horizontal and out for the duration. The long day into night had taken its toll and the fact he was not in his own bed made little difference. Besides, had he elected to stay over where he had been working, he would have been in overnight accommodations anyway.

Chapter Two – Dawn’s Early Light

It was nearly eight hours later, with sunlight streaming in the window, when Randy returned to the conscious world. It took just a split second to realize where he was, and why; regardless, that did little to nothing about the growling noise around where his belt buckle would normally reside. Dressed in the emergency clothes he always carried with him when on the road, worn jeans and a moderately acceptable polo shirt, he slowly opened the door to the kitchen and looked to see what new scene might unfold before him. True to form, there were now five people in the kitchen, most all of whom looked up at him with various levels of apparent trepidation or, at best, a nervous interest. If there had been a chair under the knob, it was gone, and he stepped into the room to start the new day. Vicki was there at the table, along with two small children, and in a double take he realized the other two adults were look-alikes, most probably twins. Vicki opened the conversation.

Good morning. Sorry if we awakened you; we were just discussing the food situation. We had to bail in a hurry last night and didn’t bring anything with us; and, I’ll admit I’m still a little embarrassed after our meeting last night. Sonya called and said she would be over soon. She is really upset over how angry you might be with what she did. I’m sorry this has caused such an uproar, really I am.

And these people are…..?

Oh, gosh, where are my manners? There I go again. Pointing around the table, Vicki named names, but first names only: I’m still Vicki; this is Teresa, her children Ivan and Irene, and Teresa’s sister Tracy. You probably already know they’re twins.

Better. Hopefully it’s safe to assume you told them this is my house and it’s okay if I’m here. I’m Randy; that’s a name not a description in case anyone wonders. Back to the food issue. Please feel free with whatever you can find here, but it won’t be much. There’re some frozen things in the bottom freezer, toaster things I think, but little else. I won’t pretend to know what kids like or need. Guess I could call Sonya to bring things, but if you know her like I know her, you also know her ‘in a few minutes’ is not necessarily in the same day she said it. Randy paused for a moment, visually surveying the situation. The two women didn’t look bad, just wary, and the children had a somewhat sad look about them but otherwise appeared to be as expected. He knew the food situation was not good, and knew he could call his sister, but as well intentioned as she might be, Sonya had a way of getting sidetracked without much provocation. The other thing was, Randy was hungry and whether or not in his good graces these other people were fed, that did not answer his own physical need. I guess I need to know a little more about the situation here; I mean, I’m not exactly aware of the rules for operating as a shelter. Can you leave? Let me rephrase that: can someone go get groceries for breakfast, or would that break some sort of rule of which I am unaware?

Vicki responded: No rule, just no car and no money. Like I said, we had to bail in a hurry. Sonya drove us over here, knowing where this is and all, so my car is back at the shelter. Sorry I’m not much help this morning. Maybe she’ll get here soon.

Much as I love my do-gooder sister, I don’t think that’s gonna get it. First of all, there’s coffee in the island, so let’s get that started. Next, if I provide transportation and some cash, who wants to go to the store, anyone, preferably with a valid driver’s license? I could go, but I tend to just buy items at random and I’m rather sure you don’t want to take that kind of a chance.

With the coffee perking, and over Vicki’s feeble protests, Randy convinced the women it was in everyone’s best interest if at least two of them went to the store, bought food, and returned to the house. To that end, he produced a set of car keys, telling them it was the red vehicle closest to the house door, to please open the garage door before backing out, and dropped sixty dollars cash on the table. After some whispered asides, Teresa and Tracy elected to go, leaving Vicki in charge of the two children, and apparently Randy. They had quickly picked up on the fact that Vicki didn’t treat him as an adversary, nothing of the sort, and while they understood he would have been within his rights to banish them, he had not done that nor apparently did he plan to let them go hungry. Vicki did make one phone call before the two women left, and assured them things were all right for them to go to the store. The call had been to the city police department to ensure Teresa’s ex was still sitting in a cell and couldn’t harass the women if he ran across them in public. Randy had never been a party to such events but realized to some degree what a nitty-gritty situation the women were in. In the mean time, the two little children sat quietly, almost as though they were afraid to move; to some extent that was true. With a hunger in his own belly, Randy considered what it must be like for the defenseless children to be hungry and frightened, unsure of anything, and his heretofore unrecognized instincts told him it just could not be allowed to continue. Before their mother left for the store Randy suggested very quietly that he did have some reasonably good nutrition bars stashed away he could give to the children until more suitable provisions could be obtained. Teresa assured him that was not necessary, but he recognized her decline as the faint effort it was, and retrieved the bars from the other SUV in the garage. The morsels disappeared as though they had been atomized, and in the eyes of two children, Randy Shaker grew a bit taller.

In not much more than half an hour, the two women returned, lugging their procured comestibles into the kitchen. Randy had spent the interval looking for the utility stool he was sure he had seen somewhere in the house or garage, finally finding it in the unused #4 bedroom, and after wiping off the dust setting it at the kitchen table to be used by one of the children. The other child would be supported at an adequate level by a collection of books and things he located. Thirty minutes later, with the children grazing in cereal bowls, Randy was presented with an actual breakfast omelet plus toast and a coffee refill. Life became good for at least that moment. Sonya arrived ten minutes later, after a visit to the high-end bakery, carrying in sweet rolls, apple fritters, turnovers, and other assorted goodies she had purchased. Combined, it was a better breakfast than any of them had consumed in a long time. It was also true that in spite of her pre-knowledge, Sonya did a double take upon entering the room to find her brother sitting at the table when she believed him to be long gone for the moment. It took a little explaining, but neither Randy nor Vicki dwelled on the fact she had threatened to pepper spray him the previous night; it seemed irrelevant at the moment.

With breakfast consumed and the dishes cleared, at Randy’s suggestion and with his approval, the two children relocated to the space designated a family room and parked themselves in front of the cartoons on TV. He did pick up on the fact that now and then one of the two would peek around the corner into the kitchen, almost like they were ascertaining their mother was still there; in fact, they were making sure. The adults refilled their cups, and the discussion started in. Randy did not believe it was any of his business why anyone was in the shelter, but apparently there was some full disclosure rule in play and he learned more than he ever wanted to know or thought he would ever want to know about the place and the sisters. Among other things, he learned Teresa’s ex-husband was by nature a drunken lout. What she perceived in their courtship as a mildly unacceptable but only occasional bad habit was not that at all. It was an inherent family gene that had come to the forefront time and again in the family history. She had no way to discover the reality prior to their marriage, although between the births of her children she began to suspect there was a problem. Like many women, she believed with a lot of determination things could be changed; they couldn’t and wouldn’t. Worse still, his family saw no issue with the situation; but then, that was their normal way of life, the men being abusive and the wives living with those conditions as though they didn’t know the difference. Maybe they didn’t know, but Teresa knew and understood it was not for her.

The marriage dissolved into divorce, and although her ex was charged to pay support he was as neglectful about that as he was to his general sobriety. The other fact was that prior to the divorce it was not unusual he struck Teresa when his aspirations of personal satisfaction were not immediately fulfilled. She was embarrassed to go to her fairly good job with blackened eyes or other bruises showing, and the resulting missed days caused her dismissal. No job, non-existent child support, and she resorted to working for a temp agency when jobs appeared. To help with the situation Tracy had moved into the tiny apartment with Teresa and children, sharing the space and expenses. They were making it work, if only barely, when the ex arrived at the doorstep two days ago, incoherently drunk, demolishing things as he went, and demanding Teresa accept his advances if she ever wanted to see any of the missing child support. Rejected, he then turned to Tracy and attempted to force his attentions on her. By joining forces, the two women had managed to eject him from the apartment, amid his clear threats to arm himself and do them bodily harm. Gathering the children, they fled to the shelter as they called the police. While their actions managed to get the ex locked up for a while, the shelter fire had subsequently left them in the abode of one Randy Shaker. At the exact moment, their situation appeared to be a whole lot better