The Gift of Love (Finding Love Book 9)

by Delaney Cameron

  “I don’t feel right having you pay my rent and utilities. I can easily find someone to sublet the apartment.”

  Stratton leaned back against the cushions. “I’m sure you can, but it’s a husband’s privilege to pay his wife’s expenses. Since I’m asking you to quit your job, it’s my responsibility to ensure you don’t suffer financially during the time you’re married to me. And from a practical standpoint, we don’t know the exact timing of when you’ll be moving back to your apartment. For those reasons, I believe it makes sense to do things my way.”

  His points were valid. To continue to protest would be nitpicking (which wasn’t her style) and make her appear difficult (which she tried to avoid). “Does it ever make sense to do it any other way?”

  His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Oh, dear. I came across as too bossy, didn’t I?”

  “I was thinking dictatorial, but don’t worry. I can help with that. Consider it a bonus.”

  Stratton laughed so hard he had to wipe his eyes. “I’ll do that. Is there anything else we need to discuss?”

  “Not at the moment.”

  “Good. I just heard Maria come in through the back door. I can’t wait to see her reaction to you.”

  “Is she expecting the bearded lady from the circus?”

  He grinned as he rose to his feet. “No one can accuse you of being boring.”

  Leah allowed him to pull her up. “According to my Aunt Anita, that’s something no woman can afford to be. With men being what they are, I have to agree with her.”

  Stratton didn’t step back as she expected. This left them standing close enough for her to notice the pulse beating in his throat as well as the fact that he smelled really nice. Sort of musky with a scent of evergreen.

  “I’d like to meet Aunt Anita,” he said after what seemed like a long time. Behind them came the clattering of pans. “Right now, let’s go meet Maria.”

  The auburn-haired woman tying a colorful apron around her waist didn’t look old enough to have gone to visit a grown-up daughter. When she saw Leah with Stratton, her lips parted in a wide smile.

  “Querido, is this the senorita the little one has been talking about?”

  “Yes, Maria. This is Leah. You’ll be seeing a lot of her in the near future. We’re going to be married.”

  Maria squealed with delight, a torrent of unrecognizable Spanish streaming out of her mouth. Leah found herself embraced with an enthusiasm that couldn’t help but make her feel welcome.

  “English, Maria,” Stratton said, laughing.

  She patted his cheek. “I can’t help it, querido. This news makes me very happy. Your novia is muy guapa. She will make you smile again.”

  Leah didn’t know the meaning of all the words, but that didn’t stop her from blushing all the way to her toes.

  “I believe she will,” Stratton agreed without hesitation.

  “And the pequeño. He will have a madre, and perhaps a brother or sister when the time is right.”

  Leah hadn’t thought her face could get any warmer, but she was wrong. It didn’t help that her mind conjured a picture of herself surrounded by children with dark hair and green eyes. She had to stop this nonsense. She also had to get better at handling these kinds of comments. There would be plenty of them coming her way in the days to come.

  “We’ll have to see about that,” Stratton said. “How’s your daughter doing?”

  Maria sighed dramatically, her hands cutting through the air. “Loretta has taken that worthless Diego back again. I keep telling her that he’s no good for her.”

  “You know what they say: love is blind.”

  “Sad, but true. I was the same way when I was her age.” Her glance returned to Leah. “But you will have no worries, mi vida. Stratton is a good man; the best you will find.”

  “Yes, he is,” Leah agreed, keeping her eyes on Maria. “I’m a very lucky woman.”

  As they walked back to the living room, she couldn’t help thinking that along with being blind, love evidently turned its victims into eternal optimists, confident that with enough time and effort the object of their affections would finally see the light. That was the only explanation for why she thought she had any chance of changing Stratton’s mind about love.

  Chapter Ten

  Stratton inserted the final wicket and stake into the ground. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d played croquet, but apparently it was something of an obsession with Leah’s family. Behind him, his soon-to-be father-in-law was prepping the grill. Denver was getting acquainted with Jeeves, an overweight Persian cat who was clearly a much-loved pet.

  Everything was calm and peaceful now. It hadn’t been that way an hour ago when Leah announced their plans to marry. Her parents had been surprised and understandably concerned not only by the decision to forego a traditional wedding, but also by the need for haste. Stratton hadn’t known whether to laugh or what when Leah’s mother glanced at her daughter’s slim figure for a possible motive.

  That was the point when he decided to take matters into his own hands, explaining in his best bedside-manner voice that the idea of a courthouse wedding had originated with him. He’d embellished his explanation with a story about ‘love at first sight’ and their mutual impatience to start their new life together. This impromptu piece of fiction had been based on a movie Jade dragged him to see a few years ago. Combined with Leah’s admission that she didn’t want all the fuss of planning a big wedding, they managed to satisfy her parents.

  This was, however, merely a break in the action. The remainder of Leah’s family (with the exception of Lance) would be coming over after dinner. Stratton found the idea of performing this act again under a half dozen pairs of eyes more unnerving than giving his first presentation in front of three hundred physicians. Pretending to be in love with Leah wasn’t difficult, especially when she played her part so convincingly, but he’d be glad when they were back in Myrtle Beach.

  “How’s it going?”

  He swung around to face the object of his thoughts. “Pretty good. I think I set this up right.”

  “It wouldn’t be the end of the world if you didn’t.” She handed him a glass. “Here’s some tea. I thought you might be thirsty.”

  “You read my mind. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Instead of returning to the house, Leah headed toward a garden running along the back fence. Stratton fell into step beside her.

  “My dad grew up on a farm so we’ve had a garden for as long as I can remember.” Leaning over, she picked two cherry tomatoes and handed him one. “There’s something about home-grown fruits and vegetables. They always taste better than the ones at the store.”

  She bit into hers, unfazed by the juice running down her chin. Stratton avoided the problem by putting the whole thing in his mouth.

  “The closest I ever got to gardening was planting lima bean seeds in baby food jars for science class.”

  She nodded as she finished the last bite of tomato. “I did that, too. We changed things like the amount of sunlight and water they got.”

  “I couldn’t figure out why mine weren’t growing until Sullivan admitted that he’d poured soda on them when I wasn’t around.”

  Leah laughed. “That reminds me of April and Summer. They were always pulling pranks on each other.”

  “But not you, huh?”

  “Not anything on their scale. By the way, your story about how we met and fell in love impressed my mother. Apparently, she’s never seen From That Moment. I’m a little surprised you have. You don’t strike me as the romantic movie type.”

  Stratton nearly choked on the tea he’d been in the process of swallowing. “I’m not, and never have been, the romantic movie type. Jade’s boyfriend at the time refused to go to a chick flick, so I went with her.”

  “You’re a good brother.”

  “I try to be. Hopefully, I’ll be a good husband, too. I didn’t do very well the first time.”

&
nbsp; “You’re not taking the blame for your ex-wife’s choices, are you?”

  He shrugged. “If she’d been happy with me, she wouldn’t have sought the attention of someone else.”

  Leah’s frown reminded him of the one he received nightly from Denver when it was time for bed. “If your ex-wife was unhappy, there were other things she could have done rather than break her marriage vows. Nothing you did forced her to take that route. Everyone has a choice. It comes down to what a person does when the opportunity to do something wrong presents itself. Some people don’t possess enough integrity, self-control or moral character to resist temptation.”

  “I agree, but according to her psychologist, who gave a lengthy deposition during our divorce proceedings, it was my neglect of Eva’s needs combined with my destructive preoccupation with my career that drove her to have an affair.”

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake! I’ve never heard such nonsense.”

  “The judge didn’t agree. She ruled in favor of Eva.”

  “I don’t understand it.”

  “I didn’t, either, but my attorney advised me to quit while I was ahead.”

  “This is the kind of thing that makes me lose faith in our legal system.”

  “I shouldn’t be telling you all this,” he mused as he watched her pick one of the dandelions growing in the yard. “You still believe in love. I don’t want to do anything to change that.”

  She rubbed the bright yellow petals against her cheek. “If you don’t believe in love, why do you want me to keep doing it? You should be showing me the error of my ways.”

  She’d turned the tables on him very neatly. “You only get out of love what you’re willing to put into it. I don’t have anything left to put in. That’s not the case for you. You have so much love to give, and one day you’ll meet a man who can love you the same way.”

  Her eyes, as blue as the sky above them, looked right into his. “What if the man I fall in love with doesn’t want my love?”

  He tugged the flower from her fingers and tucked it behind her ear. “Only a fool would deny himself paradise.”

  She smiled uncertainly. “Is this where I say ‘only fools fall in love’?”

  “Daddy!” Denver yelled from the other end of the yard. “Can we play the game now?”

  Stratton grinned at Leah. “That’s my cue.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll be right there, buddy.”

  “What color do you want to be?”

  “I’ll be green.”

  “Do you wanna play, too, Mommy?”

  The special smile Leah reserved for Denver formed on her lips. “I can’t right now, darling. I have to help Grandma Lily with dinner.”

  By mutual consent, they started walking back in the direction of the house. When they reached the place where Denver was impatiently waiting, Leah held out her hand for Stratton’s empty glass. “I’ll take that for you.”

  “Can I expect this kind of service when we’re not performing for an audience?”

  Instead of answering, she reached into her glass, grabbed an ice cube, and dropped it down the front of his shirt.

  “Thanks,” he said as the ice slid past his navel. “I needed that.”

  “Glad to be of service, querido.”

  Without giving him a chance to reply, she turned on her heel and walked away. It was a good thing, too, because he’d been about to perform an ice cube trick of his own.

  * * * * *

  “You’ll never finish cutting up that pineapple if you don’t stop looking outside.”

  Leah glanced guiltily over her shoulder. “Sorry, Mom. I was thinking.”

  “I can guess who you’re thinking about, and I don’t blame you. Stratton is the kind of man any mother would want for her daughter. He’s polite, charming, smart (how else could he be a doctor), and so handsome.”

  He’s also patient, caring, dependable, self-sacrificing, and too hard on himself. “I hope you and Dad aren’t upset about not being at our wedding.”

  “I won’t deny that I would have liked to see you walk down the aisle, but all that really matters is that you and Stratton have the kind of wedding day you want. With that being said, I would like some pictures. I’ve been saving a spot on the piano for you.”

  Pictures weren’t necessary for a marriage that wasn’t intended to last. “Here’s the pineapple.”

  “Thanks. Once I finish cleaning the mushrooms, we can start assembling the kabobs.”

  “What are we having with them?”

  “Scalloped potatoes and black-eyed pea salad. I wasn’t sure if Denver would eat any of this so I picked up some chicken nuggets and applesauce.”

  “Good call. That gives us some options.”

  Her mother reached into the refrigerator for the cubed sirloin and sat it next to the pineapple, zucchini and mushrooms. “I think that’s everything.”

  “Is there a certain order to this?”

  “Alternate the meat with the vegetables and leave some space between them.” She handed Leah some skewers. “Denver has taken to you in a big way.”

  “I’ve taken to him, too.”

  “Has he been ill? He’s very thin and pale.”

  Not to mention the fact that his hair still hadn’t grown back. “Denver has a rare form of cancer.” She heard her mother’s swiftly indrawn breath, but forced herself to go on. “He just completed a round of chemo and radiation. It takes time to bounce back from that.”

  “The poor dear. He’s so young. Did they…I mean, will he need more treatment?”

  “Probably not, but we’ll know more after he sees his pediatric oncologist.” It wasn’t an accurate picture, but Leah had thrown enough at her parents for one day.

  As if on cue, both women glanced through the window. The croquet game had ended. Denver was back on the deck trying to coax Jeeves into his lap. The cat clearly had other ideas. Stratton was leaning against the railing smiling at something her father was saying.

  “You’ll be good for him,” her mother said slowly.

  “I hope so. Being a mom is the most important job on earth. I don’t want to mess up.”

  “You’ll be a great mother, Leah, but I wasn’t talking about Denver. I meant Stratton. If the worse happens, he’s going to need someone to hold on to.”

  Leah wished that were so, but although they enjoyed each other’s company and would have no trouble living together as friends, it didn’t change the fact that she was a means to keep Denver happy. When that was no longer necessary, she would cease to be part of Stratton’s life. He’d made that very clear.

  Knowing this didn’t make her regret her decision. When you love, there’s no room for self-preservation. It’s all or nothing. In spite of the pain waiting for her at the end of this journey, it was impossible to do anything else and unthinkable to let Stratton go through this alone.

  Her father’s appearance at the window asking if the food was ready for the grill put a temporary end to these thoughts. The evening that followed was especially meaningful. With the exception of Lance, Leah had all the people she loved most in one place. She hugged this moment to herself, determined to wring the last bit of pleasure from it. The chances of it being repeated were slim.

  Stratton proved to be very good at pretending to feelings he didn’t have. This brief glimpse of how things could be between them if he actually loved her was unsettling to say the least. It was also bittersweet because, like everything else between them, it was transient.

  Shortly before ten, things began to wind down. Leah gathered empty coffee cups and dessert plates and headed to the kitchen. She was joined there by Violet, the youngest of her three sisters.

  “How long will you be in town?”

  “We’re heading back to Myrtle Beach tomorrow.”

  Violet grabbed a towel and began drying the dishes. “I had a feeling you’d end up with a doctor, but you’re the last person I expected to elope.”

  Leah smiled as she handed Violet a wet plate. “Do you kn
ow what eloping is? I’m not getting married secretly in some remote location.”

  “You know what I mean. You’ve had a subscription to Brides magazine since you were in high school.”

  “Which came in handy when my sisters and friends got married. Speaking of that, you and Jackson played a role in bringing me and Stratton together. I was late getting back from your wedding and ended up falling asleep during his lecture.”

  “That’s one way to get a man to notice you. Not that you ever needed any help with that.”

  Her so-called attractions hadn’t helped with Stratton. “How are things at Second Time Around?”

  “We set up an online store for our website. It was like pulling teeth to get Summer to agree to it, but extending our reach beyond Columbus has increased sales by twenty percent in only a few months. I expect to double that by the end of the year.”

  “Summer has always been resistant to anything new.”

  “Unless it has to do with fashion. She’s always ahead of the curve in that area. It’s too bad you didn’t come last weekend. Devon, Holly, Jordan and Rebecca were in town.”

  “I’m sorry I missed them. How are they doing in St. Marys?”

  “Devon went into business with his brother-in-law, and Holly’s thinking about opening a consignment shop.”

  The appearance of Jackson interrupted this conversation. The glance he sent Violet brought a lump to Leah’s throat. She’d give anything to have Stratton look at her like that.

  “You said you’d be right back.”

  “It’s only been ten minutes,” Violet told him.

  He slid his arm around her waist. “Felt more like thirty to me.”

  Violet laid her head against his chest. “Leah and I were getting caught up. She’s been noticeably absent from social media lately which is understandable now that we know about Stratton. With her getting married, we’ll have to start working on Lance.”

  Leah rolled her eyes. “Our brother is the definition of a confirmed bachelor.”

  “All men are bachelors until the right woman comes along. I think Jackson’s sister Willow would be perfect for Lance. We just have to find a way to get them together.”