Author's Note: This story is a sequel to Bundle of Memories and picks up immediately following the POstables' dinner at the Mailbox Grille. I have a lot more planned for this story but thought some of you might enjoy reading this first scene now. Thanks in advance for your support!
Disclaimer: The main characters belong to Martha Williamson/Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and are based on the Signed, Sealed, Delivered television movie series. Any resemblance of other characters that are introduced in this story to any living or deceased person are purely coincidental.
Monday, June 20, 2022
The bright city lights of Denver were casting a soft glow into their vehicle, and as Oliver O'Toole shot a sideways glance at his wife, he could see her stifling a yawn. Upon leaving the Mailbox Grille, Shane was full of energetic chatter. Within the last couple of minutes, however, she had appeared to have lost her adrenaline rush and was already fighting to keep her eyelids open.
Oliver smiled slightly to himself and reached for Shane's hand. She offered it without hesitation and shook her head in an attempt to ward off her drowsiness.
"I thoroughly enjoyed our date night with the Dormans," Oliver declared.
"That was really special," Shane responded, squeezing his hand. "I think I'm still in shock. It all just feels so surreal."
"It certainly does," Oliver agreed, then added sincerely, "I am sorry you're feeling fatigued, sweetheart."
Shane gasped. "Did you slip a sleeping pill in my drink?" she asked in a mocking tone.
Oliver laughed heartily. "I will take the blame for your lethargic condition, but I assure you no drugs were involved."
Shane grinned. "I'm not blaming you. But you do get full credit."
"Well, I should hope so," he retorted, and they chuckled. "Would you prefer that I take you directly home?"
"Absolutely not, Oliver. I'm a little tired but I'll make it. I love supporting your dad in his sport, and I have never been so excited to deliver a package!"
The way that Shane lovingly addressed his father and her excitement warmed Oliver's heart.
"We could just...mail it," he replied in a teasing tone.
"No!" Shane laughed.
"Okay, okay. I concur." Oliver smiled broadly. Joe would certainly be overjoyed, and neither of them wanted to miss out on seeing his face when they broke the news to him.
A few minutes later, Oliver parked the car in front of a local bowling alley. They spotted Joe's truck in the lot and proceeded as planned. Oliver gave Shane a brief but loving kiss before rounding the front of the vehicle to open her door. He held out his hand and helped her out of the car, then they made their way to the bowling alley's entrance, her arm linked in his.
Oliver was relieved that the establishment was non-smoking, as he did not want Shane to inhale dangerous vapors. However, that meant that the half dozen patrons who wished to smoke were now standing outside the front door, causing puffs of cigarette smoke to infiltrate the air between the couple and the front door. As they came closer to the building, Oliver hesitated, momentarily considering leading them back to the vehicle.
"Come on, Oliver!" Shane tugged on his arm like a child who was excited for the next ride at the amusement park, yet Oliver was not feeling quite as adventurous in that moment. He knew, though, that if they were going to see his dad and arrive home at a decent hour, there didn't seem to be a better option.
Shane closed her lips together tightly and shielded her mouth and nose with her hand as they rushed through. Oliver pulled the door open and ushered her inside as quickly as possible, his hand on the small of her back.
"Of all the nerve," Oliver sputtered as they walked into the building.
Shane giggled at his overreaction. "You'll live."
"I am not concerned about me, Shane. Secondhand smoke is dangerous, and I don't want you breathing it, especially in your co—" Oliver stopped himself and glanced around.
"Oliver, will you please calm down? I didn't inhale any of that smoke. But even if I had, two seconds of breathing it can't possibly be life-threatening."
Shane secretly loved this protective side of Oliver—to a degree—but she knew he didn't need any encouragement in that department. The last twenty-four hours had proven that Oliver himself might just be her biggest challenge over the next several months.
"Oliver? Shane?"
The couple turned to find Joe standing a few feet away, looking at them questioningly.
"Is everything okay?"
"Hi Dad!" Shane exclaimed. "Yes, everything is fine."
"Are you sure? Oliver, you're looking a little uptight." Joe furrowed his brows in concern.
"I'm fine," Oliver spat out, not too convincingly.
"It seems he inhaled a bit of cigarette smoke on the way in. His lungs will clear shortly and he'll get over it." Shane rolled her eyes and Oliver glared at her, but he realized that a truthful explanation at this point would spoil their surprise.
Joe laughed. "Well, it's all clear in here. So what brings you two to this fine establishment?"
"Our purpose is twofold," Oliver stated. "We came to offer you our support during your league game, and we have a package to deliver."
"Here? To the bowling alley?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Yes," Oliver responded confidently.
"Norman and Rita are supposed to meet us here," Shane informed him. Just then, her phone dinged and she pulled it out of her purse to take a look. "Right on cue. Rita said they will be here in about five minutes or so."
"Do the four of you always hand deliver packages together?" Joe inquired, chuckling.
"Not all of them," Oliver replied.
"Just the really special ones," Shane added.
"Huh. There must be an interesting story behind this package," Joe commented, eyeing the bundle Oliver held in his hands.
"It's my favorite, actually," Oliver said, winking at Shane, who grinned in return.
"Oh wow—now that says a lot. I can't wait to hear all about it. As a matter of fact, Bill and I just finished up a game and we still have the lanes on the end." He gestured to the far wall as Shane punched at her phone, anticipating Joe's suggestion. "Why don't you all get some shoes and bowling balls and join us in the next game?"
Shane's face lit up as she looked up from her phone, while Oliver began to look slightly uncomfortable. "Oooh, I'd love that!" she responded without hesitation.
"Great! Norman and Rita could bowl with Bill against the three of us," Joe suggested.
"That sounds fantastic! I'll let them know," Shane said, beginning a text to their colleagues.
"Uh—I'm not sure about this," Oliver interjected. Shane stopped and cut her eyes up at him curiously. "We were not intending to participate as bowlers," he continued, turning to address his father. "Are you not bowling your league game this evening?"
"Nope. The other team had too many players out tonight and had to forfeit. So, Bill and I decided to do a little open bowling."
"Ahh, I see. As intriguing as it sounds, it is Monday night and we are expected to be in the office bright and early in the morning. I think it's best we get this package delivered and be on our way home."
"Oh, come on. Please, Oliver?" Shane flashed him a bright smile and pleading puppy-dog eyes.
It might have worked in the past, but Oliver had a little more to consider now, and bowling seemed to be a risky activity. He stood his ground.
"Shane, it's getting late," he declared assertively.
"Oliver, it's eight-thirty." Shane emphasized the time and glared at him with annoyance. What was his problem?
Joe looked on, perplexed, as his son and daughter-in-law began to bicker.
"Yes. And by the time we finish the game, it could be ten-thirty or later. I could even be pushing midnight getting you home."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that I have a curfew," Shane spouted.
"Shane, you nearly fell asleep on the way over here. You need—" Oliver halted, remembering that his father was hearing this whole discussion. Oliver turned and sheepishly looked at Joe.
"I'm going to let you two hash this out," Joe declared, holding up his hands in mock surrender and then pointing to his left. "I'll just be over there...stayin' in my lane."
"And we'll be there in a few, with our bowling shoes on," Shane assured him. Joe nodded with a smile and began heading toward his lane as Shane added, "I haven't bowled in a long time, though, so I might be a little rusty!"
Once Joe was out of range, Shane turned to find Oliver staring her down. "You're also a little delicate," he reminded her in a hushed tone, then added firmly, "and you're not bowling."
Shane smiled sarcastically at her husband. His annoyance at the cigarette smoke was cute. Now he was just pushing her buttons, and she had almost had enough. She was a grown woman and would do just as she pleased—within reason, of course.
Spinning quickly on her heels, she approached the counter and requested bowling shoes in her size. Oliver followed her, frustrated but knowing full well that he needed to let this go, especially now that he had angered her. Although he didn't believe he was wrong for feeling the way he did, he mentally reprimanded himself for being harsh and searched for the words to apologize. Why couldn't he have simply expressed his concern without being so authoritative with her?
Without a word to one another, they put on their bowling shoes and headed for the bowling balls. Oliver grimaced as Shane lifted and tried a few out before finally settling on one. She didn't admit it to him, but Shane chose a lighter one than she wanted because she was already feeling a little guilty about upsetting Oliver. She considered obliging him and not bowling at all, but she had to set a precedent or she would lose her independence entirely for the next eight months. Once they were ready, Oliver silently insisted on carrying her bowling ball as well as his own, and she didn't attempt to argue with him on that matter.
Shane spoke up first as they made their way back to Joe. The last thing she wanted was for them to be at odds with each other when they officially shared the good news with Oliver's father.
"Oliver, I'm sorry."
They stopped just out of earshot from Joe and Oliver sighed. "Perhaps I'm the one who should apologize. I am sorry for my tone. I'm still...adjusting...to our new circumstances. However, I am not sorry for my intentions. I always feel a certain responsibility for you, Shane, but even more so now."
Oliver's innocent, boyish expression and openly honest words warmed her heart. Any bitterness that had remained melted away.
"Oh, Oliver." She bit her lip to keep from crying, then took a deep breath. "That's really very sweet. But I need you to trust me to make good decisions, too." Shane placed a hand on his arm, holding the package in her other hand.
Oliver sighed and nodded. "And you think...bowling...is a good decision?"
"Yes. It's perfectly safe. I googled it as soon as your father suggested we bowl with them." She raised her eyebrows and grinned proudly, holding her phone up to show him the search results. "See?"
Oliver wasn't entirely convinced, but he relaxed a little knowing that his wife had taken it seriously enough to at least do a little quick online research. "Google is not a doctor."
Shane laughed. "Fair point. But I promise you, I'll be careful." She narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a lopsided smile. "You know, you're going to make such a fantastic disciplinarian."
"And undoubtedly, you will be the one to teach our child how to bend all the rules," Oliver responded with a smirk.
Shane giggled as he leaned his upper body in to kiss her, arms still by his side, a bowling ball in each hand.
"So—are we bowling? Or do you two need some alone time?" Joe teased from a few feet away, and they broke their kiss.
"We're bowling," they replied in unison, with a chuckle, Shane's face turning slightly pink.
Joe grinned and began setting up their screens for scoring. As they waited for the Dormans, they chatted about their day, minus Oliver and Shane's highlights, as the couple was saving those for later. A couple of minutes later, Rita's familiar voice broke through their conversation.
"We're here!"
The O'Tooles turned to find the Dormans approaching. Bill was right behind them, a couple of beverages in hand. He greeted the O'Tooles and handed Joe a drink.
Norman looked down at Shane's bowling shoes then flashed a questioning look at her and Oliver. "So, uh...we're all bowling, huh?"
"Yes! Yes, we are, Norman."
"We already got our gear, but I wasn't sure if I should bowl," Rita stated, then caught herself. "Uh, I mean, because I'm a little out of practice." She awkwardly pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
"Don't worry, Rita," Shane said, eyeing her friend confidently. "I am a little out of practice, too, but we can do this. I assure you there is no harm in trying, as long as we're careful."
After a moment, understanding dawned on Rita's face. "Oh! Well, that's good to know." She chuckled nervously then looked to Norman. "I suppose we're bowling then."
"I suppose we are!" Norman repeated with a forced chuckle. His disapproval was evident to Shane and Oliver, while Bill and Joe were simply confused by the whole exchange.
"It's not exactly the most dangerous sport out there," Joe remarked.
"Just watch for flying bowling balls," Bill piped up, and the others laughed while Norman's eyes grew big. "It was a joke, Norm."
"Ahh," Norman replied, chuckling forcefully.
"And this is just for fun, so there's no pressure," Joe added.
"Right!" Shane agreed. "We have decided to make this interesting, though. We're facing off—the Haywith-Dormans team against the O'Tooles."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Bill said, and they all agreed.
"Yes! And you two can be our anchors. This will be fun!" Shane clapped her hands together in excitement.
A few minutes later, the teams were ready to begin. Shane bowled first, with Oliver handing the bowling ball to her at her starting position.
The others watched as the ball hit the pins perfectly and Shane earned a strike on her very first throw.
"Oh, my goodness!" Oliver exclaimed.
"Wow!" Joe chimed in. "A little rusty?" He shook his head and laughed.
"Ahhh...just beginner's luck, I guess." Nevertheless, Shane was beaming proudly.
"Luck is—" Oliver started.
"Don't you dare call me lazy, Mr. O'Toole." Shane placed her arm on his as she walked by, cocking her head at him, her face only a few inches from his. "Your competitive drive is really kicking in now, am I right?"
Oliver raised his eyebrows and lowered his voice. "I believe we are on the same team, Mrs. O'Toole?" He cleared his throat and turned his head a little, still feeling slightly uncomfortable flirting with his wife in front of family and friends in a public place.
"Always." Shane flashed him a sultry smile that made him wish they were at home.