“Now, Lexie, do you know why we’re here?”
“Because my mama is dead and you’re gonna say where I can live. Which is silly. I live with Melissa and the tosters at the big house.”
“The tosters?” the judge asked, looking quite puzzled.
“Uhm, it’s short for testosterone, your honor,” Melissa stood and said. “That’s what she calls the teenage boys living at the Westen House. I’m afraid she heard that from me. I call them the testosterone crew.”
The corners of the judge’s lips rose, and he nodded. “Good description. Thank you.”
Melissa sat back down.
“Do you like living at Westen House?” the judge said, turning and leaning in closer so Lexie could see him.
“Yes. Melissa is a good cook. She also helps me learn math and reading, and we play fun games. The tosters tease me.” She leaned in and faux whispered. “They call me Shrimp, but when mean Gary tried to take me, they helped to keep me safe, like a big boy fortress.”
“They did?”
“Yes, right after Melissa hit him with my new pink baseball bat. It took two hits for him to let me go, and I got a skinned knee.”
“I’m sorry about your knee. What did you think of Melissa hitting him?”
“She was like a super-ninja warrior hero.” Lexie grinned across the room at her, then back at the judge. Everyone in the courtroom chuckled.
“I bet she was.” Judge Rawlins grew serious once more. “Is there anything else you want to tell me about Melissa or living at Westen House?”
Lexie’s face dropped a little and Melissa’s heart clenched wondering what she was going to say next.
“Mr. Judge, I know I’m supposed to miss my mama and I did love her, but I was always scared. And she had mean friends, not good ones like Melissa. There’s Miss Chloe and her wolf Wöden, he’s my best friend. And Deputy Cleetus and Sylvie, she has costumes with real wings. And then there’s Miss Bobby and the Sheriff, he’s kinda scary, he’s so big, but Miss Bobby says he’s a softie.” She giggled and looked at Gage along with everyone else. He just winked back at her.
Lexie turned back to the judge. “Then there’s Daniel. Sometimes he’s Deputy Daniel. He found me in the house and made me pink sock mittens and took me out in the cold. And he taught me about grilled cheese sandwiches dipped in tomato soup. And he’s teaching me to play baseball just like the tosters. That’s when he’s Coach Daniel.”
“But mostly, judge, there’s Melissa.” Her face got sad and she leaned in closer. “Is it bad of me to love her as much as I did Mama?”
Melissa sucked in her breath and clenched Daniel’s hand tight, tears spilling over her cheeks, her heart breaking and bursting with joy at the same time.
“No, it’s not bad of you at all,” Judge Rawlins said with a smile. “It shows that you have a big heart and that you can feel love for lots of people.”
Lexie smiled.
“Thank you very much for being honest with me,” he said. “You can go back to your seat.”
She jumped down the steps and walked very seriously through the front of the courtroom, then wiggled past Chloe and threw herself into Melissa’s opened arms.
“I love you, too, sweetheart,” she said, hugging Lexie in tight a moment.
Once Lexie was back in her seat, Judge Rawlins faced the group. “Having listened to all the testimony here today—”
“Your honor?” Daniel stood and interrupted him.
“Deputy Löwe?”
“Before you give your ruling, may I approach the bench?”
“You may, but keep it brief.”
He started to move past a puzzled Melissa. “Trust me?” he asked in a whisper.
She nodded and moved her feet out of the way.
As he went to the judge’s bench and spoke quietly, a low buzz of curious conversation filled the spectator’s area.
Chloe tapped her on the shoulder. “What’s he doing?”
Melissa shrugged, wide-eyed. “I have no idea.”
Daniel turned and smiled at her, but didn’t return to his seat.
“I’m granting a five minute,” the judge paused to question Daniel. “Five minutes long enough?”
“I hope so,” he said with a bit of a grin.
“We’ll take a five-minute recess and Miss Davis, will you please join Mr. Löwe in my chambers?” He stood.
“All rise!” the bailiff said.
Everyone rose. Melissa nervously made her way to the front and took Daniel’s hand as they followed the judge out of the courtroom into his chambers behind it. Before she asked what was going on, the judge went to the other door that led into the main hallway. “I’m going to go get a coffee while you two chat.”
Then he was gone.
“Daniel?” she asked turning towards him. “What is going on?”
He took both her hands in his. “I haven’t much time, but if you’ll have me, I think we should get married and adopt Lexie.”
She pulled her hands away and stepped back, the big oak desk blocking her from distancing herself more. “I’m not marrying you just to get the judge to let Lexie live at Westen House.”
Surprised at her refusal, he put both his hands on his hips. “It’s the most logical solution. She wants to live with you. You want to live with her. Adoption is much easier for a married couple.”
“That’s the point,” she said, mimicking his stance with her hands on her hips. “I married once for the wrong reason. I’m not doing it again for convenience sake.”
Understanding settled on his face. “I’m not asking you to marry me for that reason only.”
“Well what reason?” Her heart took an extra beat as he stepped closer, once more taking her hands in his.
“I’m asking because I’ve fallen in love with you.”
“You’re just saying that to get your way.” She tried to tug her hand out of his.
He held them fast, moving in closer until she had to look up at him. “I’m saying it, because it’s true. I love the way you love Lexie and the boys. I love how you have rules posted in the same kitchen where you have family meals. I love how you’ve learned to stand up for yourself and are a super-ninja-tiger-cat-mama when it comes to protecting others weaker than you. I love how grumpy you are in the morning before you have coffee and how you think socks are a sign of love.” He kissed her softly. “I want to buy you socks for Christmas.”
“Oh, God,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for another kiss.
A knock sounded on the door, breaking them apart.
“One more minute,” the judge said through the wood.
Melissa stared into his blue, blue eyes filled with honest love for her. “I want to buy you socks for Christmas, too.”
“That’s a yes?” Daniel asked with a hopeful smile.
“That’s an I-love-you-too-and-will-be-happy-to-marry-you-and-adopt-Lexie-yes.”
Epilogue
It was the last game of the season. They had already won their local conference. Next weekend they’d start playing in the state championship tournament.
“Come on, Duncan!” Glenna yelled.
Her son stood sixty feet away from the plate, ball in hand inside his glove as he read the sign from Bryan, playing his now usual position of catcher behind the plate. Tre, playing shortstop shifted closer to second base, sneaking in behind the runner for the other team who’d taken a couple more steps away in hopes of stealing or scoring on an infield hit. One more out and the Westen team would win the game.
Bryan made a sign.
Duncan nodded, came set, then suddenly, whirled and threw to second base.
Tre caught the ball, swipe tagged the runner diving headfirst to the bag, desperately trying to tag back up. The glove caught his hand before it touched the second base.
“Out!” the ump said at the same time making the out sign.
The stands for the home team looked deflated, while all the Westen crowd who’d trave
led twenty miles to see the game cheered for their boys.
Over in the away team’s dugout Lexie, Sadie and Gavan jumped up and down with the team. Then started gathering up the loose balls and bats as their job.
“I can’t believe your husband corralled those three into being batgirls and batboy for the team,” Glenna said as she, Maggie and Tyson, and Melissa all made their way out of the stands. “Wait, should we call them batpersons?”
“Nope,” Melissa said. “Lexie was adamant that she was a batgirl.”
“So was Sadie,” Tyson said. “She said only batgirls could wear pink hats.”
They all laughed. All three kids wore uniform shirts matching the team’s, but while Gavan had the team’s matching hat, the girls had insisted they get pink ones. Daniel caved like a molten lava chocolate cake.
She’d always heard that dads and daughters had a special relationship. Hadn’t believe it until she’d witnessed her husband and daughter together.
Husband and daughter. Two things she’d never believed were in her future when she’d gotten divorced. One she hadn’t wanted again, one she’d thought impossible.
After Daniel had asked her to marry him, and she’d happily agreed, they’d accompanied Judge Rawlins into the courtroom, where he agreed that Lexie would stay at Westen House. A week later, in a small ceremony in his chambers he married Melissa and Daniel. Their witnesses were Lexie, the four boys—all sporting matching t-shirts with the name Tosters crew arched over a little pink shrimp—Chloe and Wes, and of course Wöden. The reception was held at Maggie and Tyson’s Christmas tree farm with half the town showing up.
It took two more weeks before Lexie could be formally adopted. A party at the Peaches ’N Cream followed that ceremony.
“How’d we look out there, Melissa?” Geoff asked when she stopped just outside the dugout, keeping an eye on Lexie and Sadie as they ran around the bases with Gavan.
After the wedding she’d told the boys she thought they should just call her Melissa, as Mrs. Löwe was too formal and she was no longer Miss Davis. Two of the boys still had mothers, so mom was out. Lexie decided mama was for her birth mother and she’d like to call Melissa mom and Daniel dad.
“I think you guys are ready for the tournament, that’s for sure.” She shifted her attention to him. “Will your parents be at any of those games next weekend?”
They were playing in Columbus where Geoff’s parents’ home was.
He shrugged. “I told them in my last email letter. Neither one replied. They might be busy with work.”
Melissa wanted to shake some sense into his parents. Geoff might not be following the plans they’d set up for him, but he was a great young man. Responsible, kind, artistic, and a leader.
She laid one hand on his arm. “I hope they do, but remember, you have come a long way and have a family here who loves you.”
Suddenly, the young man turned and hugged her tight. Just as suddenly, he let her go. “Hey, Coach.”
Melissa grinned as her husband draped one arm over her shoulder and tossed the car keys to Geoff. “How about you get the car and I’ll hug my wife?”
Geoff broke out in a grin. “You got it. Hey Shrimp, let’s load up that equipment,” he called waving her his direction. Bryan, Trent and Colt trailed behind as the rest of the team left with their parents.
“I worry about him,” Melissa said.
“Geoff’s going to be okay. After graduation, Joe’s going to offer him a full-time job at the Knobs & Knockers. Says the kid already has a good head for business.” Daniel slid his hand down her back, brushing her buttocks where no one could watch, then took her hand in his.
Since they’d been married, he took every moment to sneak in a touch or a kiss, letting her know he loved her. Just as he had before, he continued to treat her with respect, listened to her and even when they disagreed, it was never in anger or violence.
“Have I told you how much I love you?” she asked as they strolled to the parking lot.
“Yes, but I’ll never tire of hearing it, not if we live to be a hundred.” He leaned down to kiss her ear. “And when we get our family home, and tucked in for the night, I’m going to show you just how much I love you.”
She grinned, knowing he’d follow through on that promise. He’d already given her so much.
Home.
Family.
Love.
All those things she held close to her heart.
Newsletter sign-up
Thank you for reading
CLOSE TO THE HEART
Want to know more about my books and new releases?
Please consider joining my newsletter mailing list.
I promise not to SPAM you.
Your email will NOT be sold to other sites
and is only to be used for the purpose of sending
out my newsletter.
Afterword
Dear readers,
While what I write is always fiction there are often timely topics used in the plots. Sadly, the heroin and opiate addiction epidemic in the Midwest, and particularly my home state of Ohio is all too real. If you, someone you love or someone you know has an addiction to these drugs, please seek help. Below is a link provided by the city of Columbus with helpful information and links to things like emergency numbers, treatment centers and options, support groups for addicts and family members, access to Naloxone and more.
https://www.columbus.gov/publichealth/programs/Alcohol-and-Drug-Abuse/Opiate-Crisis-Information/
Suzanne
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author, Suzanne Ferrell discovered romance novels in her aunt’s hidden stash one summer as a teenager. From that moment on she knew two things: she loved romance stories and someday she'd be writing her own. Her love for romances has only grown over the years. It took her a number of years and a secondary career as a nurse to finally start writing her own stories.
The author of 16 novels and an Amazon best-seller for both her series, the Edgars Family Novels and the Westen series, Suzanne's books have been finalists in the National Reader's Choice Awards--SEIZED (2013) and VANISHED (2014). Suzanne was also a double finalist in the Romance Writers of America's 2006 Golden Heart with her manuscripts, KIDNAPPED (Long Contemporary Category) and HUNTED (Romantic Suspense).
Currently working on more books for her Edgars Family series (KIDNAPPED, HUNTED, SEIZED, VANISHED, EXPOSED and Capitol Danger) and the Westen Series (Close To Home, Close To The Edge, Close To The Fire, Close To Christmas, Close To The Mistletoe, Close To Santa’s Heart and Close To Danger), Suzanne hopes to bring readers more passionate and suspenseful books to fill your reading moments.
Suzanne's sexy stories, whether they are her on the edge of your seat romantic suspense or the heartwarming small town stories, will keep you thinking about her characters long after their Happy Ever After is achieved.
You can Find Suz at:
Website: http://suzanneferrell.com/
Also by Suzanne Ferrell
WESTEN SERIES
Close To Home, book 1
Close To The Edge, book 2
Close To The Fire, book 3
Close To Danger, book 4
Christmas Comes To Westen (book bundle):
Close To Santa’s Heart
Close To The Mistletoe
Close To Christmas
EDGARS FAMILY NOVELS
Kidnapped
Hunted
Seized
Vanished
Unmasked
Exposed
NEPTUNE’S FIVE
(EDGARS FAMILY PREQUEL SERIES—WWII)
Shanghaied
HISTORICALS
Cantrell’s Bride
Turner’s Vision
Close To The Heart (Westen Series Book 5) Page 28
