by Linda Turner
The heartfelt emotion in her eyes touched a cord deep inside him, releasing the last lingering strains of guilt he hadn’t, until then, been able to let go of. Peace settled over him, and for the first time since Victoria died, he felt a joy he hadn’t felt for a very long time. He loved Janey, and there was nothing wrong with that.
“Thank you,” he told Sara huskily. “You don’t know how much you’ve helped me.” Rising to his feet, he waited until she did the same, then pulled her into his arms for a surprise hug that lifted her off her feet.
“Reilly!”
Laughing at her gasp of surprise, he only hugged her again. “You’re a good woman, Sara McBride. When I get you for a mother-in-law, I’ll be one lucky man.”
“See that you remember that,” she instructed him with a teasing grin. “Now that we’ve got that settled, would it be terribly rude of me to cut this short? You’re not the only one planning a wedding. Dan’s getting married and he doesn’t even know it yet.”
“You haven’t told him you’re accepting his proposal?” he asked incredulously. “Good Lord, what are you waiting for?”
“The right time, and I think this is it. If you don’t mind showing yourself out, I’ve got a marriage proposal to accept. That’s where I was headed when you arrived.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? We could have talked later.”
“Sometimes later never comes,” she said wisely. “And this was important. Take good care of Janey. She deserves the best.” Tears of happiness shining in her eyes, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Lock up for me, will you? I’ve got to go.”
“Tell Dan I said congratulations,” he replied with a grin, and with a gentle push, sent her hurrying out the door.
Depressed and lonelier than he had been in years, Dan threw down the medical journal he was trying to read and rose to pace the length of his den. He couldn’t concentrate, dammit, and it was all Sara’s fault. Why was it taking her so long to make up her mind? Maybe she really was trying to find a way to let him down easy.
“No!” he growled. He refused to accept that. She loved him—he’d bet his life on it! It was just the idea of marriage and all the changes it would bring to her life that was giving her pause, and that was understandable. She’d been on her own for a long time. She just needed some time to adjust.
Clinging to that thought, he picked up his journal and settled back down to read, but he was fighting a losing battle. His concentration shot to hell, all he wanted to do was call Sara and assure her that everything was going to be all right.
“Don’t be a baby,” he muttered to himself. “She’ll be here in a couple of hours for supper, anyway. You can wait until then to talk to her.”
Resigned, he forced himself to ignore the phone, which was within easy reach, and keep his eyes focused on his reading. Not a single word registered. Then the doorbell rang.
Surprised, he frowned and pushed to his feet. Who could that be? Most people still thought he was at Sara’s, and that was just fine with him. Until she gave him an answer, he wasn’t going to be very good company.
Scowling, he strode through the house to the front door and jerked it open, only to blink at the sight of Sara standing there. “Hey, you’re early!”
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“No, of course not. I was just thinking about calling you.” Pleased, he started to reach for her when she stepped inside, only to notice her somber expression. And just that easily, he knew she’d come to turn him down.
Pain lanced his heart, but he never so much as winced. Keep it light, he ordered himself sternly and quipped, “If you’ve come to turn me down, you should know that my doctor has warned me that I can’t handle the stress of any disappointments.”
“Oh, really?”
Raising his hand like a Boy Scout taking a pledge, he said, “Scout’s honor. I wouldn’t lie to you about a thing like that.”
Another woman might have been fooled by his lighthearted, teasing tone, but Sara knew him better than most. Her early arrival worried him and he’d already assumed the worst—she’d come to turn him down. Love flooded her heart. How, she wondered, could he think that any woman could turn him down?
Tears stung her eyes, but she quickly blinked them back. No, this wasn’t the time for tears. He would misread them, and she was too happy for that, anyway. So she cocked her head at him and retorted with a grin, “I’ve talked to your doctor and have no memory of him saying any such thing. So don’t think you’re going to pull a fast one on me when we’re married, mister. I know you.”
“A fast one!” he sputtered, pretending to be insulted. Then her words registered. Going perfectly still, he just looked at her. “What did you say?”
“I’ve talked to your doctor—”
“Sara!”
At his warning tone, her smile softened, and the tears she’d sworn she wasn’t going to shed flooded her eyes. “When we’re married,” she said huskily. “You do still want to marry me, don’t you? Because I want to marry you—”
That was as far as she got. “Thank God!” he groaned, and reached for her.
Later, neither of them could have said how long they’d been in each other’s arms when they drifted to the couch. There, in between kisses, they talked about the future and the life they planned to spend together, and they couldn’t seem to stop touching and caressing. Happier than either had been in a long time, they could have stayed there for the rest of the day and night and been perfectly content.
When the phone rang, Dan almost didn’t answer it. The only person he wanted to talk to was in his arms. He’d just let the machine get it and call back whoever it was later.
But even as he tried to ignore the persistent ringing, he knew that he couldn’t. Someone might need him. “I’d better get that,” he told Sara ruefully. “Wait right here.”
Striding into his study, he snatched up the phone and growled, “Hello?”
“Dan? Thank God!” Merry breathed out in a rush. “I tried calling you at Mom’s but nobody was home, then I remembered Mom said you were going home today, and I was so worried, I didn’t know what to do. I want you to deliver the baby but I know you’re not supposed to work yet but the baby’s not going to wait—”
“Whoa, whoa, honey,” he cut in. “Are you saying you’re in labor?”
“Yes,” she sobbed. “And I want you to deliver my baby. Is it okay? Can you do that? I know Dr. Jones is a good doctor, but he’s not you and I want you there—”
She would have rattled on, but Dan stopped her with a quiet shush. “It’s okay,” he said gently. “Of course I’ll deliver your baby. Reilly and I will do it together. Where’s Nick? He’s there with you, isn’t he? Good. Your mother’s here with me. I’ll call Reilly, and we’ll meet you at the hospital. Okay?”
She sighed tremulously, and even over the phone he could hear the tension drain out of her. “Okay. Thanks, Dan.”
“Don’t mention it, sweetheart. I wouldn’t miss this for anything. I’ll see you at the hospital.” Hanging up, he hurried into the den, a broad smile lighting his face. “It looks like we’re going to have to talk about the wedding later,” he told Sara. “Merry’s having her baby.”
“What?” Alarmed, she jumped to her feet. “Is she okay? Is Nick with her? We’ve got to get to the hospital!”
“We certainly do,” Dan chuckled. “Because I’m delivering the baby!”
Chapter 12
Merry’s birthing room was like Grand Central Station. Janey hovered close by, and Zeke and Joe wandered in and out, giving their sister encouragement and love. Lizzie and Angel would have been there, too, but they were at home, watching the children.
Impressed, Sara couldn’t help but marvel at the way things had changed since she’d had her babies. Back then, no one had been allowed in the labor or delivery rooms but the husband, and even then, the majority of fathers-to-be preferred to spend their time in the waiting room, pacing. Gus, thankfully, had be
en right there by her side the entire time, and she was glad to see that Nick was there for Merry, as well. Not leaving her side for a second, despite the fact that she’d been in labor for four hours already, he held her hand and wiped her brow and murmured loving encouragement to her with every contraction.
“You’re doing just fine, Merry, dear,” Dan said as he checked the monitors. “It won’t be long now.”
Panting to help relieve the pain, Merry had to laugh. “You said that two hours ago, Dan. Define long.”
Grinning, he chuckled. “Oh, no. First babies can be notoriously unpredictable. I learned a long time ago that they won’t be rushed unless it’s their idea.”
“Sounds to me like he’s giving you the runaround, Mer,” Zeke told Merry with a grin. “Make him give you a time so we can narrow down the betting.”
“You’re betting on my baby?”
“Don’t get your grundies in a bundle,” Joe said. “The winner buys the baby a special present with the pot. Right now we’ve got enough to get junior a good used car.”
“Good Lord!” Reilly exclaimed, keeping a close eye on Merry as Janey gave her some ice chips, then began to check her vital signs. “How much is a ticket for this pot?”
“There’s no standard amount,” he said with a shrug. “Whatever you want to put in. Nick started it off with a thousand.”
“It’s my first kid,” Nick said proudly.
“Then put me in for fifty bucks,” Reilly said. “I haven’t delivered that many babies, but I’d say this one’s going to put in an appearance at 9:36.”
“Done,” Zeke said promptly. “How about you, Dan? You want in? Give us a time.”
“Ten-o-five,” he retorted, grinning. “That okay with you, Merry?”
Glancing at the clock, she groaned. “What’s wrong with eight o’clock? That’s a nice round number. And only ten minutes away. I like it. Can’t we strive for that?”
Exchanging glances, Dan and Reilly shook their heads sympathetically. “Sorry, honey,” Dan said. “You’ve got two more centimeters to go. That’s not going to happen in ten minutes.”
It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but she didn’t cry about it. She only sighed ruefully and waited for the next contraction. Feeling for her, Sara stepped over to the bed and took her hand. “While we’re waiting, dear, I have some news that might help distract you. And since the entire family’s here, this seems like a good time to tell everyone.”
“Uh-oh,” Zeke said, his blue eyes dancing. “Sounds serious. What’s going on, Mom? You didn’t sign us all up to sell magazines for the church again, did you? Because I’m telling you right now, I’m not calling Martha Hoffsteader again. Last time she chewed me out royally for calling her when she was watching COPS on TV. My ears burned for a week.”
Grinning, she had to laugh. “No magazines, I promise. This is something much more important than that.”
Her smile lighting her face, she held out her hand to Dan and linked her fingers with his when he joined her. Turning back to her family, she said huskily, “Dan and I are getting married.”
For a moment the only sound was the buzz and whirl of the monitors hooked up to Merry and her unborn baby. Then Sara’s words registered, and her children reacted just as she’d prayed they would. Joyously.
“What? That’s fantastic!”
“Oh, Mom! When did this happen?”
“When’s the wedding? You are having one, aren’t you?”
“Of course she’s having one!” Joe retorted, grinning broadly. “When you’ve waited twenty years to get married again, you don’t run off to the justice of the peace.”
Merry gave her the first hug, then she was passed to Joe and Janey and Zeke for hugs and kisses. Then it was Dan’s turn to be congratulated and welcomed into the family. Laughing, he accepted kisses and hugs from the girls and slaps on the back and handshakes from the boys and Nick.
Distracted by the celebration, no one but Merry noticed that her contractions had intensified. Her teeth clenched on a groan, she tried to smile through a particularly strong one, but the pain was too much for her. Reaching for Nick, her fingers clutching tightly around his, she moaned softly as silent tears slid down her pale face.
Their smiles fading, Janey, Reilly, and Dan were at her side in a heartbeat. “Okay, folks, that’s it,” Reilly said, frowning at the monitors. “It looks like it’s going to be an early evening, after all. The baby’s decided he’s waited long enough.”
“Joe and Zeke, you can wait in the hall, boys,” Dan told them. “No one but mama, daddy, and granny allowed inside now.”
“What about Janey?”
Grinning, Janey answered for herself. “I’m here as a nurse. I’ll let you know when the baby gets here.”
Snorting, the boys, as Dan called them, were left with no choice but to make a quick exit.
Things happened fast and furious after that. All her concentration focused on her breathing, Merry hardly noticed the quick preparations Janey and the other delivery room nurse made. Then, before she expected it, she heard Dan say excitedly, “He’s crowning, Merry! Push!”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. With an instinct as old as time, she bore down…and pushed her son into the world.
“Oh, Merry! He’s beautiful!”
“Just like his mother!”
“Don’t forget his daddy,” Janey said with a grin. “He’s no slouch himself.”
Nick never noticed the compliment. With tears running down his face, he leaned over and gave Merry a long, loving kiss.
Her own eyes misting, Janey glanced away to give them privacy, emotions she’d never felt before tugging at her heartstrings. Cradled in Merry’s arms, the baby was so sweet and beautiful, and for the first time in her life, Janey let herself imagine what it would be like to have a baby of her own. Her heart constricted, tears stung her eyes, and before she could stop herself she found herself looking for Reilly.
The second her eyes met his, something passed between them, something that caught at Reilly’s breath and wrapped tightly around his chest. His heart slamming against his ribs, he told himself not to get caught up in the emotion of the moment, but it was too late for that. There was just something about delivering a baby that made people go goo-goo, and he was no more immune to it than anyone else. He watched Merry and Nick together, saw the love that throbbed between them as they admired the baby they’d made together, and all he could think of was that he wanted what they had—with Janey.
He loved her so much. Now that he’d let his barriers down and gotten past the guilt that had torn him apart, he could freely admit that he loved her with every fiber of his being. And he wanted to give her a child. His child. Just thinking about it brought a broad smile to his lips. That was something he’d never shared with Victoria, but he would with Janey. Some things were just meant to be.
But as much as he wanted to share that with her right there and then, he couldn’t. This was Nick and Merry’s moment, not his and Janey’s, and not the time to think of another child when a beautiful baby had just been born and deserved his moment in the sun.
The baby was cleaned, then weighed and measured, then promptly given back to his mother, who was glowing with happiness. Janey slipped out into the hall to give her brothers the good news, and within moments they were all back, and the hugs and kisses started all over again. To Merry’s delight, she was the one who had come the closest to guessing the time the baby would put in an appearance, so she was the one who was awarded the pot of money. Laughing, she assured everyone that it wouldn’t be used for junior’s first car. Instead, it was going to be the beginning of his college fund.
It was a time of celebration, of family, of an engagement and a new baby, and now that he was no longer needed to assist Dan, Reilly knew it was time for him to leave. His work here was done and he had things to do at home. So while the family was gathered around Merry and the baby, he moved to Dan’s side and said quietly, “I’ve got to go, Dan. I just
wanted to tell you congratulations on everything. I know you and Sara are going to be very happy together.”
Beaming, Dan shook his hand. “I haven’t been this happy in a long time. But don’t leave just yet. We’re all going to go over to Ed’s in a little while to celebrate—just for a little while,” he said quickly, before Reilly could remind him that he was supposed to be taking it easy. “We’d love for you to join us.”
Tempted, he hesitated, then shook his head. “I’d like to, but I’ve got something I need to do, and I can’t put it off. Thanks, anyway. Maybe next time.”
Understanding, Dan let him go, and Reilly took advantage of the others’ preoccupation with their family celebration to slip quietly outside to his car.
During the four and a half hours he’d been in the hospital waiting for Merry’s baby to put in an appearance, darkness had fallen, and the temperature had turned chilly. There was a hint of snow in the air, and twinkle lights decorated just about every house and business, but Reilly hardly noticed. Driving through the narrow streets, his mood was somber as he turned toward home.
Nestled under pines that stood as tall and straight as soldiers in the night, the cabin was dark and quiet, yet still somehow welcoming after a long day. The second Reilly stepped inside and turned on the lights, his eyes found the end table next to the couch…and Victoria’s picture. Drawn like a magnet to it, he crossed the living room and reached for it as he sank down onto the couch.
She’d always been a beautiful woman, but never more so than on her wedding day. Tracing her smile, Reilly could remember all too clearly that moment when she’d started down the aisle to him on her father’s arm. She’d had a glow about her that had dazzled everyone in the church. Reilly had taken one look at her and forgotten to breathe.
Looking back on their marriage, he knew now he’d taken it all for granted. Love, happiness, happily ever after. He’d thought they had forever, when they’d really only had mere moments out of a lifetime together. He’d hardly had time to pledge his love to her before he found himself staring numbly down at her grave as the minister prayed that she would rest in peace for all eternity.
