Her Husband’s Partner

by Jeanie London

  The kids took off for the guest bedroom, leaving Riley to relay the adult version of the situation to Rosie and Joe.

  Then she was sitting between her kids in the back seat of Joe’s Cadillac heading south on the Jersey turnpike.

  The correctional facility turned out to be barely more than an hour outside of the city. She called the chief when they arrived in town to find that Scott had already gone to the funeral home to finalize burial arrangements. When Joe wheeled into the parking lot, Riley spotted his car immediately.

  “Why don’t you all wait here for a few minutes,” she suggested. “Give me a chance to find him.”

  “You got it,” Joe said. “Wouldn’t mind getting out and stretching a bit.”

  Riley kissed his cheek. “Just a few minutes.”

  “Take your time.”

  Steeling herself with a few deep breaths, Riley hurried inside. The foyer had been decorated in standard upscale funeral home style, and she couldn’t help but remember the last time she’d been inside one—when life as she’d known it had ended. Ironic she’d be back inside one today, hoping that her life as she’d come to know it would change again.

  Fortunately she didn’t walk in on any services, but a gentleman in a suit emerged from an office to greet her.

  “Good afternoon,” he said. “May I help you?”

  “I’m looking for Scott Emerson. I was told he’s here.”

  “Right this way.” The man extended an arm toward a long hallway, and Riley followed him. She found Scott seated at a conference table with paperwork spread out in front of him.

  Riley drank in the sight of him, glossy dark hair, broad shoulders, cheeks drawn and tight in a carefully blank expression that revealed nothing and everything all at once. She knew that look, could visibly see what it cost him to keep detached from the task at hand.

  “Mr. Emerson,” the funeral director said. “Someone here to see you.”

  Scott glanced up absently, then did a double take. “Riley?”

  “Will you give us a few moments?” she asked the funeral director, who was already retreating from the room. He closed the door behind him.

  “What are you doing here?” Scott rose slowly to his feet, clearly rattled.

  “I came so you wouldn’t be alone.”

  He stood there, hands hanging helplessly before him, the pain in his expression practically breaking her heart. “Riley, you don’t understand.”

  “No,” she admitted. “But I want to.”

  “You shouldn’t have come.”

  “Can’t it be enough that I didn’t want you to be alone right now? That I wanted you to know how much you mean to me? Not only to me but to all the people who love you.”

  He scowled, and she came face-to-face with that stubborn pain in the ass the chief had mentioned.

  “I appreciate what you’re trying to do,” he said. “But you shouldn’t be here.”

  “Tell me why not? You’re burying your father, Scott. That’s difficult under the best of circumstances. From what I understand, these don’t even come close.”

  He looked stricken, and Riley ached for his pain, pain she was causing him. Stepping forward, she took his hands in hers, felt the warm strength she’d only just gotten to know.

  “I want to be here for you,” she said. “The way you’re always there for me.” She meant it. She wasn’t sure how it had happened, but she’d come to care so deeply about this man.

  He pulled his hands away. “You shouldn’t—”

  “Yes, I should. You care about me, too. Don’t bother denying it. I’m not stupid. I can’t explain why this is happening between us. And I don’t have any answers about where it might lead. But I do know how I feel.”

  “Not here. Not for this.” There was a broken boy inside that gruff plea, and Riley recognized him, couldn’t resist the need to comfort and love him.

  Slipping her arms around his waist, she pressed close, rested her cheek against his chest. Then she held him. He didn’t move, stood so still he might have been carved from stone.

  She held her breath, refusing to let him frighten her off, only wanting to help, only wanting him to accept her help.

  “When I was in that ambulance,” she whispered, “the only thing that kept me from going to pieces was knowing you wouldn’t stop looking until you found me. Don’t ask me to stop looking for you.”

  He responded then, arms anchoring her tight, his whole body contouring to hers, such a perfect fit. They stood there, holding each other in the silence, proving without words how much they cared.

  And when Scott pressed soft kisses into her hair, down her cheek and finally caught her mouth with his, Riley knew they’d weathered this storm, knew they’d be okay.

  “Thank you,” he whispered against her mouth.

  She had no words, only had emotion to guide her. Rising up on tiptoes, she kissed him until there could be no doubt she meant everything she’d said. Then she stood behind him, with her hand on his shoulder as he finished signing the papers. He set the pen on top of the stack and pushed away from the table.

  “Done?” she asked.

  He met her gaze and didn’t try to shield the emotion there. “No viewing. No service. There’s no one to come.”

  She placed her hand in his and held on while the funeral director reviewed the formalities.

  Then they left hand in hand, Riley smiling at Scott’s surprise when he recognized who awaited him in the parking lot.

  Two generations of Angelicas descended on him. Joe shook his hand and said all the right words, and Rosie hugged him fiercely. Jake must have thought Scott didn’t need another hug because he mimicked his grandpa, shaking Scott’s hand so stoically that Scott’s expression twitched with suppressed laughter.

  But Camille sealed the deal when she circled Scott on her wheeled sneakers and asked, “Pizza will make you feel better, won’t it, Uncle Scott?”

  Scott’s smile broke free then, and he ruffled her blond head fondly. “You know. I think pizza’s just the thing.”

  Camille wheeled around her brother with her hands outstretched in an I-told-you-so-gesture. And as they walked to the cars, working out seating arrangements for the ride to the nearest pizza place, Riley found herself beside Joe.

  He took her hand and whispered, “Mike would be very proud of his family today.”

  Riley felt that familiar emotion well in her throat, but today it was a full, good feeling. She knew Joe was right. Mike had always understood what she was now just accepting.

  Life was meant to be lived.

  And her beloved husband would have wanted nothing less than that for the people he loved.

  She kissed Joe’s cheek. “I think you’re right. He would be very proud of his family. All of them.”

  EPILOGUE

  Two years later

  SCOTT SWUNG DOWN from the tree, where he’d been stringing streamers in the branches the way kids toilet-papered houses at Halloween. He stepped back to survey his handiwork. “What do you think, guys? This what you had in mind?”

  “It’s perfect, Uncle Scott.” Camille breathed an excited sigh, eyes sparkling like her mother’s when she gazed around the scene at the fishing hole with undisguised delight. “Mommy’s going to love it.”

  “Too much pink, Camille.” Her brother screwed up his face in distaste. “It looks like someone puked strawberry Kool-Aid. I told you to get blue balloons.”

  “Mommy doesn’t like blue, Jakie.”

  Camille was the only one nowadays who could get away with calling her brother by that name. To the rest of the world, this eight-almost-nine-year-old man wanted to be known as Jacob.

  “We’re never going to catch any fish,” Jacob lamented.

  Scott wasn’t sure the decorations would scare off any fish, but he did have a point. “We need to tie the horses farther downstream just in case the balloons pop. They’ll spook.”

  Two impish faces spun around to stare, clearly curious about what spooked ho
rses involved, and Scott realized he might have made a mistake giving them any ideas. “Come on, guys. Give me a hand. Jacob, you lead Shadow. Camille, take Baby.”

  He led Charger downstream himself, until they found a place where the horses could graze and drink while the rest of them got about this day. They’d been planning this for weeks now, and Scott didn’t want the kids to forget anything important to them.

  Riley knew something was going on—how could she not when they’d abandoned her with the picnic basket at the house? She didn’t know what and played along anyway, telling them she would check the picnic basket again to make sure they had everything for their afternoon of fishing.

  That had been an hour ago.

  “Are we ready to call your mom?” Scott asked. “Can you think of anything we missed?”

  “Call Mom, Uncle Scott,” Jacob said. “I’m starving.”

  No news there. “You ready, too, Camille?”

  “Ready.”

  Scott flipped open the cell phone and hit speed dial.

  Riley picked up on the first ring. “Hey, you. I was getting worried.”

  “Just a few logistical things to work out.”

  “I can’t imagine what you’re doing. I’m excited.”

  “Me, too,” he admitted.

  “Not one hint?” she coaxed in a voice that made him smile.

  “Not even one. We want you to be surprised.”

  “Okay then.” She strung the words out, but he could hear the amusement in her voice. “Ready for me?”

  “Always ready for you, gorgeous.”

  She laughed, and the sound spiked his growing anticipation, a feeling of contentment he’d never known before and welcomed fiercely. Life had been so good, in fact, that he was determined never to take one second for granted. “See you in a few, then. And don’t go straight to the fishing hole—meet us downstream. We’ll be waiting.”

  “Will do.” She blew him a kiss over the line, and Scott disconnected, turning to the kids. “She’s on her way.”

  “Got the blindfold, Jakie?” Camille asked.

  “Check.” Jacob produced the bandanna he’d rolled up for just this occasion.

  “Got the ring, Uncle Scott?”

  “Check.” Scott patted the pocket of his cargo pants, where not one but three jewelers’ boxes were concealed.

  “Decorations?”

  “Check.”

  “Flowers.”

  “Check.”

  “Mom has the food, right?” Jacob asked uncertainly.

  Scott inclined his head. “Check.”

  It wasn’t long until Jacob cocked his head to the side, and his eyes widened. “I hear her. She’s coming.”

  Sure enough, Riley rode into the clearing on Sugar, her eyes sparkling as she glanced around curiously. “Is this where we’re picnicking today?”

  Scott reached up to take the basket. “No, ma’am. This is the parking lot. Here you go, Jacob. One full picnic basket.”

  Jacob didn’t have to be asked twice. He took the basket so Scott could help Riley dismount.

  “Where is it?” Camille hissed to her brother. “The blindfold?”

  Jacob wasn’t relinquishing his hold on the picnic basket, not even to perform his prescribed part in this drama.

  Camille snapped the bandanna out of his back pocket and told Riley, “Kneel down, Mommy.”

  “You’re blindfolding me?” Riley gasped, but she did as asked and submitted to her daughter’s ministrations, which turned out to be a fairly haphazard job at best.

  “No peeking,” Camille instructed. “Ready, Uncle Scott?”

  “Ready. I’ll grab one side and you grab the other.”

  With them acting as honor guard, they carefully escorted Riley back to the fishing hole and led her into the center of the clearing where she couldn’t possibly miss the full effect of all their hard work.

  “Ready?” Scott asked Camille, taking a step back and folding his arms over his chest so he could enjoy the scene.

  She exchanged a glance with Jacob, then shook her head. “Okay, Mommy, you can look now.”

  Riley peeled away the blindfold then opened her eyes. She brought her hands to her mouth and twirled, taking in their carefully executed decorations.

  “Ohmigosh,” she exclaimed with exactly the perfect amount of surprise for the occasion. “This is amazing. Did it rain pink fairies today?”

  Camille giggled.

  “But it’s not my birthday. It’s not even any of your birthdays.” She glanced suspiciously at them. “So what are we celebrating?”

  Jacob, still hanging on to the picnic basket, glanced Scott’s way. “Go on, Uncle Scott. Do it.”

  Scott made a great show of unfolding his arms and pushing away from the tree. He gave an exaggerated cough to clear his throat, ready to play his part. But he obviously wasn’t moving quickly enough because Camille took his hand and led him to Riley.

  “Go on,” she said. “Do it right. Like we practiced.”

  Riley met his gaze above the kids’ heads. He winked, knowing that in that instant, her surprise wasn’t feigned.

  Slipping his hand inside his pocket, he felt around for the appropriate box. Then he knelt in front of Riley. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth formed a delightful O at the exact time he flipped open the jeweler’s box and held it out to her.

  “Riley Angelica, I love you, and I love your kids. I want us to be a family.”

  “A real family,” Camille said.

  “A real family,” he repeated. Then he removed the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger.

  The ring fit perfectly, as he’d known it would, and he pressed a kiss to her fingers and smiled up at her. Those gorgeous blue eyes were glinting suspiciously, and he knew she was too overcome to reply.

  He bought her some time by motioning for the kids. “Come here, you two.”

  He pulled the remaining boxes from his pocket, and when they saw there were more gifts, they were flanking Riley before Scott could take his next breath.

  “For us?” Camille gasped, a mini-version of Riley as she brought her hands to her mouth in surprise.

  Scott nodded and knelt before them. “Camille, Jacob, I love you both, and I love your mom. I want us to be a real family.”

  He opened the other jeweler’s box to reveal a little-girl-size ring with a pink pearl and two tiny diamonds. He slipped it onto Camille’s finger.

  “Oh, I do,” she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. He caught her delicate body in a big hug, laughing.

  “You didn’t get me a ring, did you, Uncle Scott?” Jacob slowly set down the picnic basket, clearly worried.

  “Will you turn me down if I did?” Scott laughed.

  “Uh, yeah.” He sounded as if that should have been obvious.

  “No ring. I didn’t want to risk it.” He handed Jacob the remaining box, waited while he opened it to find one top-of-the-line Swiss Army knife.

  “Too cool.” The box hit the ground at his feet and he started prying out the equipment for inspection. “Screw-driver. File. Whoa. Look at this knife.”

  Riley found her voice. “No missing fingers today, please.”

  “Mom, I have an axe, remember?” This blade was small by comparison.

  Camille shifted around to sit on Scott’s knee, and he looped his arm around her waist to hold her steady and asked, “So, what’ll it be, Jacob?”

  “Oh, yeah.” He held up the knife with a gleam in his eye that would have made most folks nervous.

  Scott wasn’t entirely sure that yes had been for him, but he’d take it.

  “Oh, no.” Camille brought her hands to her mouth in horror. “You’re the only one who didn’t get a present, Uncle Scott.”

  “That’s not true. I’m getting the best present of all. You guys as my family.” He glanced up at Riley, whose eyes were sparkling. “That is if your mom accepts.”

  Camille hopped off his lap and went straight to Riley. “Mo-om, you’re su
pposed to say yes.”

  Scott got to his feet, suddenly breathless. His future hung in the balance as he awaited an answer from this woman he loved more than life itself. The woman who loved him unconditionally in return and had helped him recognize that, though he’d loved her forever, he’d never betrayed Mike’s trust with those feelings. An honorable choice worthy of the people he loved. He had nothing to be ashamed of and a life filled with love to look forward to.

  “Yes,” Riley said simply.

  One word and his whole life changed, was suddenly complete. Then she was in his arms, her laughter breaking against his mouth as they kissed.

  “Yes.” She breathed the word again. “Yes.”

  “What are we going to call you, Uncle Scott?” Jacob asked. “You won’t be our uncle anymore after you marry Mom.”

  “That’s true.” Scott abandoned his attempts to kiss his new fiancée—he should have known better by now—and twisted Riley in his arms so they could both face the kids. “I’ll be your stepfather.”

  Jacob screwed up his face in that look that said more than words ever could. “That’s not working for me.”

  “He’s Lieutenant Emerson at the station,” Camille said.

  “That’s stupid, Camille.” Jacob earned a look from Riley that should have made his ears dry up and fall off. “We can’t call him Lieutenant Emerson.”

  “How about we refrain from the name-calling and brainstorm,” Scott suggested. “I could use some help here.”

  And he got his help from the beautiful young girl who looked so like her mother that he melted inside when she turned sparkly eyes up to his and said, “Daddy’s Daddy, so you can be…” Her words trailed off as she cocked her head to the side, considering. “Pop. You’ll be Pop, Uncle Scott. It’s just right.”

  And it was.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-5560-3

  HER HUSBAND’S PARTNER

  Copyright © 2010 by Jeanie LeGendre.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.