A Sense of Guilt ✔

Chapter 44

Shannon winced as Kelly got in the back of Joe's car and slammed the door behind her. She could well imagine what he'd think of her treating his pride and joy so roughly.

'What the hell is that in your purse?' Beth gasped, and Shannon twisted around from the front seat to look. Her eyes widened when Kelly's pomeranian poked its head up, looking around curiously.

'Kelly you can't bring that,' Shannon said. 'It's a dog!'

'It's my furbaby,' Kelly cooed fastening her seatbelt. 'Drive carefully Joey, I don't want Lola to get carsick.'

'Carsick,' Joe said looking grim. 'I swear if it pees in my car you're getting it valeted.' Shannon held in a snicker as Joe merged into the traffic, muttering under his breath about Kelly's dog.

'So how long have you guys been back together?' Beth piped up from the back of the car.

Shannon turned around again. 'A little while,' she said noncommittally, and Kelly faked coughed. 'It's true, and don't be telling everyone at the shower that we're together.' She saw Joe's jaw tighten. 'What?' she mouthed at him, it was far too soon for them to be going public and why did they have to anyway?

They continued the drive mostly in silence, Beth occasionally complaining when Kelly's dog got its nose a bit too close to her. Shannon kept smiling but as they approached Amber's house the knot of anxiety in her stomach grew, and she was beginning to wish she'd backed out of the whole thing.

'So what time do you want picking up?' Joe asked as she unclipped her seatbelt.

'Oh, it's okay, we'll get a cab back. I'm not sure how long this thing will go on for.'

'Call me when you're done, I'm only meeting up with Donnie.'

'See, I told you it's love,' Kelly giggled to Beth as they got out of the car.

'I thought you guys were going for a drink?' Shannon said to Joe once Kelly was out of hearing.

'I'll stick to soft drinks,' Joe said. 'It's no big deal.'

'That kinda puts a downer on things.' She couldn't see Donnie being impressed with a teetotal drinking partner.

Joe shrugged. 'I might not meet him anyway, I can do without another lecture.'

Shannon frowned wondering if that was the real reason. Joe hadn't seemed too impressed that Donnie appeared to have struck up a friendship with Katherine, if anything he was positively resentful.

'You are okay, aren't you?' Joe asked interrupting her thoughts.

'Sure,' she said as Kelly tapped the window, gesturing for her to hurry up. 'I'd better get going.' She leaned over to quickly kiss him goodbye before she tested Kelly's impatience any further.

                                                          ~~~

'I guess she's having a girl,' Shannon whispered as they stepped inside Amber's living room which was festooned with pink streamers and balloons. A table set out at the back of the room overflowing with pink cupcakes.

'It's kinda tacky,' Kelly whispered back as Amber's sister gestured for them to sit down.

'The whole thing is,' Beth said her brown curls bouncing as she shook her head. 'This is her second child, it's not like she needs any more stuff. Did you see the gift list?'

'Yeah, me and Shannon went halves on a spa day.'

'I got her a voucher for baby massage classes. It was one of the few things on the list that was the for baby.'