“Yes, you do. You make me feel that my life is destined to be pretty special.”
“Starting with the fence?”
“Starting with the fact that in my experience few men ever make such a beautiful confession of love as you did the other night—especially without expecting something in return.”
“I'm not through with you yet,” he said, waggling his eyebrows, Groucho Marx style.
I laughed... I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.
“Speaking of confessions, I have another one I want to make,” Sam said.
“I'm all ears,” I teased, taking a sip of champagne.
He twirled the stem of his glass between his fingers and leaned forward. “I didn’t tell you this, because I didn’t want to upset you. But someone else was involved in the fence project.”
I stared at him. “Someone else?”
“Yeah. There’s one conversation I had with Graham that I’ve never told a soul about. It was a week before he went into the hospital for the last time. He and I were sitting out here, talking about his need to feel that you'd be able to move on. In that uncluttered way he had, he confronted me with the fact that he knew I was in love with you. I tried to deny it, but he saw right through me. He said he wanted his wife and his best friend to be happy, and if he could do anything a to help things along, he would.”
My throat tightened, and I stared at him. “Help things along?”
He nodded. “Graham was the one who came up with the idea of a fence. He said you couldn’t be won over with showy presents or fancy dinners, but you loved your gardens. He said that making plans for something related to our adjoining gardens was the perfect way for us to get together. I thought he was nuts, but I didn’t say so. I did remind myself that no one knew you better than he did. I waited, hoping for an opportunity to bring up the subject. Little Graham’s arrival seemed like the right time to take a chance.” He sighed deeply and took a gulp of his champagne, then glanced over at me, a wry expression on his face. “The dance lessons were my backup plan.”
I was about to open my mouth when Jonathan and Linda arrived.
They got out of the car and walked up the path, Jonathan’s arm around Linda. “Hi, Mom. Hi, Sam,” Linda said, a huge smile on her face as she entered the porch. “How’d you manage with Megan the last couple of days?” she asked, tucking her fingers into Jonathan’ s hand.
“Just fine. I dropped her off at Amy’s on the way back from taking Connor to the airport.”
I wanted to ask about their relationship, but decided to see what they had to say. But of course, with Sam here, they might feel reluctant to talk. Obviously sensitive about the situation, Sam stood up, preparing to leave. “Nice to see both of you, but I should get going.”
“Beautiful fence,” Jonathan said. “A joint project of the Bannister and Ellison families?”
“Yes, Sam made all the arrangements. Isn’t it gorgeous?” I interjected, wanting to be sure Sam got credit for the job.
“And doesn’t it add a pleasant touch to the grounds,” Linda murmured, still holding her husband’s hand as she gazed lovingly into his face.
They were acting like two people in love. I wanted to jump up and down with happiness.
“Why don’t the four of us celebrate the installation of the new fence,” Jonathan said. “Dinner’s on me.”
“Oh, no. You need to enjoy being together as a family. Plus I should tidy up around the new posts, put the tools away, that sort of stuff,” Sam said.
“Sam, I haven’t had an opportunity to say this before, but I want to thank you for mowing the lawn and helping my mother when you could. Living so far from home, I’m glad I can rely on you.”
Sam beamed. “You’re welcome.”
“So, as part of my thank you, I'd like you to join us for dinner.”
Sam glanced at me. I nodded, happy to be going out with my family and my friend.
“I'd love to go with you,” Sam said, holding his arm out to me. “Where to?”
“Someplace that serves champagne, obviously,” Jonathan said, gesturing to the two champagne flutes and winking at Sam.
We had a wonderful dinner. Jonathan and Linda couldn't keep their eyes off each other. And I'm happy to say, we all got along like old friends. But best of all, Sam and I got to have a Scotch at his house. I told Jonathan and Linda not to wait up for me as I left to cross the yard to Sam's place. Truth is, I don't think they heard me.
Chapter Seventeen
“Hurry!" I yelled at the taxi driver as I braced myself for the I-5 turnoff to Meridian Street in Seattle. “I don’t want to miss this arrival,” I muttered to myself.
“The hospital's a few blocks away, I can’t go much faster, but if you’re sick, we could stop at a clinic.”
“I'm late for my grandchild’s birth...again.”
All my plans had been trashed when the flight from New York to Seattle was delayed. When I landed at Bellingham International Airport, Jonathan called me on my cell to say that Linda was in the delivery room. He was excited to be her labor coach; they’d spent hours in class, and were looking forward to bringing their son into the world. They'd decided to name him Connor Graham Ellison.
“I wanted to be there when they got out of the delivery room. I tried to stay calm as the taxi made its way toward the hospital. “How much farther?”
“A couple of blocks.” The driver slammed on the brakes as a pedestrian stepped off the curb.
“What next?” I mumbled, clutching my purse to my chest as the air freshener dangling from the rear-view mirror swung wildly. I grabbed the door handle and did my best to relax in the lumpy seat. There was nothing I could do but wait.
The past seven months had been better than I could ever have imagined. Amy was happily settled in Atlanta with Thomas and Graham. And Graham was growing so fast I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’d been to visit their new home once and they’d come to my house for a few days at Christmas, but mostly I relied on Facetime, which allowed me to see Amy, Thomas and little Graham every day. Before she moved to Atlanta, Amy had arranged for an assessment of Phillip, resulting in an improvement of his reading...with a little help from me.
Connor and I had a fabulous trip to Chile, but I was never so glad to get home in my life—because of Sam.
I missed him so much I nearly left early. But of course I couldn’t do that, since it would’ve hurt Connor’s feelings. I settled for calling him every other night. We’d become very close these past few months, and we shared so many interests other than gardening—our love for our families, reading—and Sam was the best cook on the planet.
But most of all I’d grown to love him, and last Sunday, he’d proposed to me. I hadn’t given him my answer yet, because I wasn’t sure if marriage was right for me at this point in my life.
After all, Sam and I had our own lives, and we had the luxury of being next door to each other. We were both independent and liked our own space. And where would we live if we got married? I couldn’t leave my house.
There were so many things to consider.
Sam, being Sam, just smiled his enigmatic smile when I said I hadn’t decided about marriage. And when the call came from Jonathan, I packed my bags and headed out the door.
As he drove me to the airport, Sam said he was planning a surprise for me. With Sam, you never quite knew what to expect. All those years I’d believed he was simply an eccentric professor, but I'd also discovered that his eccentricities were among his best traits.
Who would’ve thought there could be so many changes in my life in so short a time? And all of them positive.
“Here we are, ma’am. St. Joseph Hospital main entrance.”
I passed him the fare plus tip, then followed him to the back of his car, where he extracted my suitcase.
I shouldered my purse and moved quickly toward the doors, the hurried thump and clack of my suitcase wheels accompanying me. And wouldn’t you know? Another one of those dreaded revolving doors!<
br />
But nothing could deter me. I swept into the hospital, my suitcase at my heels and went straight to the elevator. Jonathan had given me instructions on how to find their room. Once on the maternity floor, I scanned the various signs as I checked my notes.
“Mom!”
I turned and there walking right behind me, was my son, his face beaming. “He’s here, and Linda’s fine.”
He broke into a run, his arms out, drawing me into a bear hug that swept the air from my lungs. “He’s beautiful. Seven pounds, four ounces. Linda was great, and I’m so proud of her.”
“Your good coaching made a difference, I’m sure.”
“It did, and I wished I'd taken the coaching course when Megan was born. I wouldn’t have missed a moment of it. There aren’t many things as beautiful as being with your wife when your child is born,” Jonathan said, his tone muffled by tears as his arms tightened around me.
Standing together like this, holding my son in my arms, I was reminded of another day not so long ago when I'd held him, fearing that his marriage to Linda might be over.
We all had so much to be thankful for.
Jonathan let me go, looking straight into my eyes, with an unmistakable expression of joy on his face “I'm beyond happy.”
He took my suitcase and we walked toward Linda’s room, Seeing Jonathan's delight at being a father again, I was suddenly aware of how much Graham would have enjoyed this.
“Dad would've been happy, too, wouldn’t he Mom?” It was as if Jonathan had read my mind.
“He would've loved seeing his new grandson.” The thought was sweet, the pain of loss now softened to a feeling of exquisite tenderness.
Jonathan stopped outside Linda’s room and put his arm around my shoulder. “You still miss him.”
“Always. But it’s easier now.”
“And Sam’s part of why it’s easier, isn’t he?”
“He is.”
“I'm glad for both of you.”
“Me, too,” I whispered.
With his arm still on my shoulder, Jonathan asked, “Are you ready to meet your new grandson?”
I smiled up into his eyes, my heart bursting with joy at being here with the son I’ve loved for over thirty years. “I can't wait to see your baby boy.”
As he opened the door, I saw Linda sitting in the bed, her son cradled in her arms, her face shining with an inner glow. She smiled at me, tears flowing unfettered down her cheeks. “He is so perfect.”
I moved toward the bed, then remembered the hand-washing policy of the hospital and took a short detour to the sink. Ready for the moment I'd been waiting for all these months, I took baby Connor in my arms.
A sense of union as unfathomable as it was impossible to describe seemed to flow between us. I stared down into his tiny face, wanting to feel this way forever.
“The baby pursed his tiny lips and squinted in my general direction. I smiled at him, raised his body to my face and held his cheek to mine, drawing his baby scent deep into my lungs.
“You’re right. He’s absolutely perfect,” I murmured, glancing at Linda, my gaze connecting with hers. As her eyes left mine and moved to her son, I saw the naked love in her eyes.
“Would you like to hold him a little longer?” Linda asked.
I would have, but I remembered those early moments with my own babies, holding them in my arms, how precious they were. “I believe he needs his mom,” I said.
“Yes, oh yes,” she said, eagerly reaching for him. She took him from me, kissing his forehead as she cuddled him.
“Is Megan here?” I asked, wanting to see my granddaughter and hear her version of today. I was sure there’d be one—a child’s point of view was always so delightful.
“My friend Elaine is bringing her over in a little while. I can’t wait for her to see her little brother,” she said as she held Connor.
A sudden bleat, his tiny fists pressed to his cheeks. “Look at that,” I said, seeing his face grow pink as a frown took shape on his tiny forehead.
“Oh, Jonathan.” I looked at my son as he moved to stand next to the bed, a small frown on his face. “I remember when you did that. Your father and I used to chuckle at how you’d press your fists to your cheeks and howl. We thought it was so cute,” I said, over the wails of my grandson.
Watching the way Jonathan and Linda moved to comfort their son, I realized that staying here right now would be an intrusion. These hours were so precious for the two of them. Tiptoeing out of the room, I went down the corridor to the waiting room to call Sam. I needed to tell him I got here safely, and that everything was fine. He answered on the first ring.
“You're not going to believe this,” I told him, “but Jonathan’s little boy looks and acts just like Jonathan.”
“That makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“Stop kidding with me. I’m serious. He's gorgeous.”
“How are you doing?”
“I'm excited...and a little tired.”
“And lonely perhaps?”
“More than perhaps. I miss you, Sam. You should’ve come with me to see this little boy and to experience a room full of happiness. Megan will be here any minute. Oh, Sam, why don’t you change your mind and fly out here? Bellingham is a lovely place and we could have a mini-vacation together.”
“You think so?” Sam said, his voice on the phone echoing in the room.
“There must be something wrong with the connection. I'm hearing an echo,” I said.
“No echo. Turn around.”
“Where are you?” I asked, searching the waiting room.
“Remember the surprise I promised?” Sam said, coming toward me from the corridor by the vending machines.
“You’re the surprise?”
“Do you like it?” he asked, then kissed me thoroughly.
“I love it but you could’ve warned me.”
He leaned back, grinning in that way of his. “And spoil the surprise? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“We should tell Jonathan and Linda that they have another guest.”
“No need to. We’re not saying. I've booked us on a flight to Honolulu.”
“Honolulu?”
Raising one eyebrow, he nodded. “With Jonathan’s encouragement.”
Stalling for time while I thought about it, I said, “What about Fergus? And Bouncer? I'd actually gotten to like his dog.
“Taken care of, so stop looking for excuses.”
“I'm not.”
“You are, but here’s the plan. We’ll visit overnight with your family, then we’re going to Seattle and taking a morning flight to Hawaii. We'll visit Jonathan and Linda again on the way back. After that, we’re going home and getting married. I’ve decided I can’t wait any longer. Any questions?”
I looked at this man who'd taken such a role in my life seven months ago and made me feel happier than I'd ever dreamed possible. He understood when I had sad moments over losing Graham. He understood how much I loved my family and he supported me in every way he could.
Now he wanted to marry me... “Sam Bannister, I accept your proposal of marriage.”
“That’s the right answer,” he said, his arms encircling me again.
“When is the ceremony? Should I buy something?”
“You can buy a whole new wardrobe in Honolulu. Although I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you.”
“About what?”
“About wearing very much of it for long.” He kissed me again, only this time I heard clapping.
“Way to go, Sam,” Jonathan said.
I unlocked my lips from Sam’s and turned to my son. “You knew?”
“Yes, of course. And I approve. So do Amy and Connor.”
I allowed my gaze to linger on Jonathan before glancing at Sam. “What’s a girl to do?”
“Exactly.”
Hours later as the cab drove us to a lovely little B and B that Sam had booked for the night, I decided to come right out with it. “Sam, I don’t think we
should wait to get married. I mean, life’s too short.”
“Whoa! What brought this on?”
“Something you said about second chances. I don’t want this one to slip away.”
“It won’t. I promise.” He drew me close to him, his lips brushing my cheek. I breathed in his scent, the warmth of his skin on mine. Live life to the fullest.
THE END
About Stella MacLean
Stella MacLean is the author of fifteen works of fiction and one of non-fiction. She has given workshops throughout North America, served on the board of Romance Writers of America, and was Writer in Residence at Vancouver Public Library in 2018. The Good Daughter is her sixteenth work of fiction.
You can contact Stella by:
Website: www.stellamaclean.com
Twitter: @Stella_MacLean
Facebook: facebook.com/stella.maclean.3
Books by Stella MacLean
The Good Daughter
Desperate Memories
Desperate Acts
Unimaginable
Finding Mr. Wrong
Finding Mr. Gorgeous
Finding Mr. Valentine
Heart of My Heart
Baby in Her Arms
A Child Changes Everything
The Christmas Inn
The Doctor Returns
To Protect Her Son
Sweet On Peggy
Unexpected Attraction
Bringing Emma Home
Remembering You Page 17
