Deal of a Lifetime

by T. R. McClure

  “You had other things on your mind.”

  Alex grinned, but let the grin fade away as he remembered his failed attempt with Sera. “Carrie asked if I minded taking over her cases sometime next year. I’m going to be in New York, so what does it matter?”

  “How long do you plan to stay in the city?”

  Busy inspecting the contents of the bakery box, Alex took a minute to process his father’s question. He lowered the lid so he could see Max’s face. “What do you mean? Until I come home for my next visit?”

  Max shook his head. “Someday. When Carrie goes back to work. When I decide to cut back. I mean, this is the girl’s home. Don’t you want to come back someday?”

  “If by girl you mean Sera, coming back in ten years won’t make a difference. She’ll still be running herself into the ground, still won’t want to marry, unless she decides to marry some local guy.”

  “Like Cyrus?” Max motioned with one finger for Alex to open the box, then reached in and withdrew a peanut butter cookie.

  “She doesn’t love Cyrus. Besides, I think Cyrus has his sights set on the new vet. He’s given up on buying Sera’s farm—” Alex raised one eyebrow and shot his father a hard look “—at least, ever since your bombshell with Shawn.”

  Max tilted his head. “So if she doesn’t love your cousin...”

  Alex threw a whole cookie in his mouth. He allowed his father’s comment to hang in the still air.

  “As I was saying, maybe in five or ten years I might be thinking about cutting back.” Max raised his eyes from the cookie on his plate to his son. “Do you think you might be thinking of making a change by then?”

  Alex met his father’s gaze across the kitchen table, over the pink bakery box, and thought about his father’s unfinished sentence. He nodded. “Yes. That might work out, Dad. Thanks.”

  * * *

  “RAINY MONDAYS. Good day to sit in the house and drink coffee.” Shawn sat at the kitchen table and smiled at his mother. A fire glowed in the old cookstove, the heat steaming up the windows.

  Sitting in the rocking chair, cup cradled in her hands, Hope returned his smile. “Without a doubt, son.”

  Sera couldn’t believe how in all the years she had lived on the farm, she had failed to see the resemblance between mother and son. Now the similarities could be seen as plain as day. Both were small and wiry, both had the Callahan turquoise eyes and their wide smiles were exactly the same. How had she ever thought to take their home away from them?

  “Listen to that boy.” Hope leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “He sings like an angel.”

  Sera looked toward the empty hallway, the sound of her brother singing a lullaby drifting in from the den where he sat with his daughter. Now that Shawn’s parentage was known, Sera understood Hope’s strong feelings about bringing Bella home. She was happy for them all. For Shawn and Hope, for Chance and Bella. But as she glimpsed into the dark recesses of her coffee cup, she felt the familiar ache in her chest. Everything had changed for her family. Nothing had changed for her. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of rich coffee. Enjoy the simple things. She could do that.

  “Are you still here?”

  Sera looked up at her brother’s voice. He stood in the doorway, his head almost touching the top of the frame. He and Bella shared the same questioning expression, both staring at Sera.

  She laughed at the sight, thinking, a woman, albeit a little woman, had finally tamed her brother. “Shawn said it’s a good day to drink coffee.” She raised her cup. “Sláinte.”

  Chance took Hope’s cup and set it on the counter and then settled his daughter in his great-aunt’s lap. He got a cup for himself and brought it over to the table, where he straddled a chair next to Sera. “It’s a good day to fly.”

  “Are you kidding?” Sera glanced out the window and back at her brother. “It’s a terrible day to...” At his warm, knowing smile she caught his drift. “Alex is flying out today.”

  “In Friday, out Monday.” Snatching Sera’s half-eaten toast off her plate, Chance finished Sera’s breakfast in one bite.

  Familiar irritation jagged her as she watched her breakfast disappear. “Do you mind?”

  Chance continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “The flight’s not usually full. Not many people from the area go to New York City on a Monday. You could probably buy a ticket last minute.” He glanced at his watch. “If you leave now, that is. Old Blue is fast, but you should be careful with the wet roads.”

  Sera took a breath and tried to interpret her brother’s sudden interest in flight schedules. “Are you leaving? Is that what you’re telling me?”

  “For a smart girl, sometimes you can be so slow, sis.” He glanced at Hope and Shawn and rolled his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere. You’d be a fool not to take that scholarship.”

  “How do you...?” Sera looked around the familiar kitchen. The dogs lay snoring on their beds. The fire burned in the cookstove. She looked at her brother, deciding the time to be honest had come. “I can’t trust you to stay here, Chance.”

  Her brother nodded. “I never told you about some advice I got from one of the old-timers at the Opry.” His gaze landed on his baby, who was talking gibberish, as if trying to contribute to the conversation. “He said I wasn’t ready, that I needed to find my voice, find out who I am. So that’s what I’m going to do. Sing local, maybe write some songs and raise my girl.”

  Sera looked up at the rooster clock over the sink. If she hurried... “No, it’s a bad idea.” She glanced at each of them in turn. “Isn’t it?”

  “I think it’s a great idea.” Hope’s eyes twinkled. “Catch him just before he gets on the plane? I wish I could be there to see that.”

  “What are you waiting for, sis? For once in your life, take a chance. Gamble your heart.” His face lit. “Hey, that’s a good song title.”

  Leaving her brother muttering lyrics, she grabbed her yellow poncho from the hook and opened the door.

  “Don’t forget your shoes,” her brother warned.

  She grabbed the nearest footwear, her bright green rubber boots. Hopping on one foot, she jammed her feet into the boots. Chance grabbed her big purse, put it in her hands and kissed her cheek. “Good luck.”

  Running across the open space between the trellis and the barn, Sera’s heart pounded in her chest. She was seriously short of breath when she jumped in the old truck. As if supporting her adventure, Old Blue started on the first try. She drove past the mock orange bush, past the big silver maple and down the long drive. At the end of the drive she hung a left. She gripped the steering wheel tightly. One thought on her mind. Finding Alex. The time had come. Her time had come.

  She pulled up to the departure gate and jumped out of the truck. Running through the doors, she threw her keys in a high arc over a trio of college students to Scooby. “Take my truck. I’m not coming back.”

  Smiling, Scooby scooped the keys out of the air. “Can I rent it out?”

  Passing a woman carrying an overflowing bag of knitting, she ran up to the ticket counter. “I need a ticket to New York.”

  The agent was new and looked at her with suspicion. “The next flight out is in four hours.”

  Sera looked up at the board. “I want the flight that’s boarding now.”

  “We don’t have time to process luggage—”

  “No luggage.” Sera dropped her driver’s license and credit card on the counter.

  The woman hesitated. Her eyes darted sideways as if looking for help.

  Sera leaned across the counter and lowered her voice. “There’s a man getting on this plane. He asked me to go with him and I said no, but now...” She looked sideways. The woman with the bag of knitting had one ear tilted in her direction. She looked back at the agent, whose eyes sparkled, whether with excitemen
t or concern Sera couldn’t tell. “I’ve changed my mind.”

  The agent suddenly straightened. “Well, why didn’t you say you needed to be on the love plane?” The machine chattered out a ticket and she handed it, along with the credit card and driver’s license, to Sera. “You better run, Miss Callahan.”

  Sera didn’t waste a second and ran down the hall to security. She bypassed the line for the flight to Detroit.

  “Hey, lady!” A husky man in the act of removing his shoes reached out for her.

  “Sorry. Emergency.” Sera tossed her boots on the belt, shoved her ticket into Al’s hands and stepped into the scanner. The woman with the wand glared at her. “What’s your hurry?”

  “She’s good, Gretta. Let her through.” Al gave her a smile. “The lady’s on a mission.”

  Gretta nodded grudgingly. “Go ahead.”

  Sera hurried toward the glass doors.

  “Sera, your ticket.”

  She plucked the ticket from Al’s fingers and kept going. When she stepped on a stone outside, she winced and realized she had forgotten her boots. But her objective was in sight. Alex stood at the base of the stairs leading to the plane, one foot on the first step and one hand on the railing.

  “Alex, wait.” Sera stopped. The men loading the baggage cart gave her a glance and then looked at each other nervously.

  Alex took another step.

  Releasing a deep breath, Sera shouted, “Alex, wait!”

  Her breath seized in her chest as did everything else. Like a freeze-frame, everyone except Sera and Alex seemed locked in place. He turned so slowly she was sure she would faint from a lack of air by the time their eyes met.

  But she was still standing.

  Alex released his hold on the railing and took one step toward her.

  Sera smiled. Tears sprang to her eyes, appreciating that this short distance between them was the distance from one life to another.

  Alex dropped his bag to the tarmac and ran to her.

  Sera held out her arms, and he caught her and swung her around before setting her back down.

  He looked deep into her eyes. “Sera, you’re barefoot.”

  Al came rushing out, holding the bright green boots in the air. “I’ve got them, Alex.”

  He handed them to Alex and then backed away. He waved off the baggage handler bent on disrupting the two.

  “I thought of something we have in common.” Sera tightened her arms around Alex’s neck. She had no intention of letting go.

  Alex held her close and smiled at her. “Thank goodness. I was afraid we were hopeless. What do we have in common, my love?”

  At his term of endearment, Sera almost lost her ability to speak. “I love you, too, Alex.”

  Alex bent down and touched her lips with his. The cold rain, the warm lips. All familiar. “You’re coming with me, then? You’re flying to New York? On a plane? In the rain?”

  “All of the above.” She beamed. “I’m not afraid to take a risk anymore, Alex. I guess gambling is in my genes after all.”

  “Some things are a safe bet.” He carried her over to the stairs and gently placed her on the steps. Then, kneeling, he slipped a rubber boot onto her bare foot. “You know, while I’m down here...”

  She was Cinderella. “Yes, Alex. A thousand times, yes.”

  * * * * *

  If you enjoyed this touching romance from author T. R. McClure, don’t miss her other terrific Harlequin Heartwarming titles:

  AN ALLEGHENY HOMECOMING

  WANTED: THE PERFECT MOM

  Available from www.Harlequin.com

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A FATHER’S PLEDGE by Eleanor Jones.

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  A Father's Pledge

  by Eleanor Jones

  PROLOGUE

  NEVER HAD LUKE TRAVIS felt such guilt before—guilt that sat so heavy on his heart it weighed down his every movement. Waiting there for Ben, his Ben, the nine-year-old boy he had abandoned so many years ago, to arrive at Flight—the special school where Luke worked—was both the best and worst experience of his life. He’d never expected and was totally unprepared for this. And the sad thing was that he had no excuse to give his son. Luke had just been young and selfish and irresponsible, simple as that.

  He sat rigid on the wooden chair, drowning in memories. Ben’s mum, Carly, so wild and so beautiful. When you’re young and impulsive, he told himself, sometimes you make crazy decisions, blame other people and just walk away. He knew he had and he wasn’t proud of it. But now he’d been given a chance to make amends, to prove that he could be a good dad. He intended, despite the self-doubt that haunted him, to do the very best that he could for his son.

  Luke glanced at the clock again and again as the time crept nearer, three thirty on a sunny afternoon. At any moment his son, the son he barely knew, the son he had left behind by persuading himself that it was the best decision for the child, would walk through the office door. And Luke had no idea what to say to him.

  Then the door opened, and there he was, walking determinedly behind his grandma, Mollie, his smooth, young face an echo of Luke’s own, but was filled with anger and aggression.

  “Hi,” Luke said awkwardly, offering his hand.

  Ben just stared straight through him, as if he wasn’t there. The boy was right to hate him because that was what he deserved.

  And then for one solitary, fleeting moment, Ben’s mask of anger slipped. His jaw quivered as his head dropped forward, revealing his vulnerability, and Luke swore to himself that from this moment forward his son would come first. It was time to make amends, to come to know him and to earn his love, no matter how hard it would be.

  Luke understood now, without a shadow of a doubt, that walking away from his son had been the worst mistake of his life.

  CHAPTER ONE

  A LOUD SCREAM took Kat Molloy’s attention and she ran across to where Tammy Nelson was rolling on the ground, clutching her knee. Huge tears rolled down the little girl’s cheeks as Kat gave her a hug. “It’ll be okay in a minute,” she promised. “Look, it isn’t even red.”

  Tammy carefully stood up, testing her weight on her injured joint. “See,” Kat said. “It’s better already.”

  Tammy smiled happily, rubbing away her tears. Then she pointed in horror toward the sea, her blue
eyes wide beneath their frame of ginger curls. “Miss!” she cried. “Ben’s gone right out into the water!”

  Kat’s heart leaped into her throat.

  “Ben!” she yelled, spotting the boy’s slight figure heading out into the waves. “Get back here...now!”

  Tammy and the two other children in Kat’s care, nine-year-old Johnny Cartwright and seven-year-old Angel Dunn, stood ankle-deep in the rushing foam that shimmered onto the sand, watching in awe as the blond boy with a wicked grin waded out until the water was to his waist.

  Ben had been at Flight for only a couple of weeks, arriving just a week after Kat herself, but he had always been in some kind of trouble since day one. Unfortunately, it had made him quite a hero to the younger ones. With a sigh, Kat stepped deeper into the water, dragging her legs against the current as the boy waded out even farther, waving cheekily. A prickle of alarm set in. The cool water might look enticing, but the undercurrents here were strong, and beneath the waves lurked quicksands, which could catch waders unaware.

  Ben splashed around, grinning mischievously as he lowered his shoulders into the rushing tide. “It’s okay, Miss. I can swim,” he called, his voice blowing away on the wind. “It’s easy—watch!”

  Kat struggled toward him. “No, the current is way too strong. Get back here, Ben! Just paddling, I said.”

  For a moment, the boy defied her, propelling himself through the water with flailing arms as the other children looked on in awe. Kat waded deeper into the rippling foam, calling his name with as much authority as she could muster, ignoring the icy water soaking her jeans.

  When a tall figure splashed by her, she was surprised to see Luke Travis making a beeline for Ben. The waves he made as he passed knocked Kat off balance, and suddenly the sand seemed to give way beneath her feet. The water closed over her head, taking her breath, and she felt a rush of raw panic before she lurched back up into the sunlight, swallowing seawater and coughing.