Hometown Hero's Redemption

by Jill Kemerer

  She didn’t deserve forgiveness, this apartment, her health, her parents, Wyatt, Drew—anything! She never had deserved them. Never would! But God gave them to her because He loved her.

  He loves me.

  She sobered up at the word love. She loved Drew. And she’d thrown him out. Literally kicked him out of her apartment. She’d driven him away.

  Out of fear.

  Out of shame.

  Out of guilt.

  He’d made her a promise, and she’d told him she was letting him out of it. Had she driven him away for good?

  She would have to apologize. Beg. Get on her knees if necessary. But she had to tell him how she felt—how she really felt.

  Drew had to be mad at her. She didn’t want to tell him she loved him in front of Wyatt if things got heated. The kid didn’t need more drama in his overly dramatic life. And, frankly, she’d been so awful earlier, a simple apology and “By the way, I love you,” weren’t going to cut it.

  How could she get Drew alone?

  An idea formed. A wonderful, scary idea.

  God, give me the courage.

  * * *

  Drew dangled his legs off the edge of the dock and into the warm lake. Stars blinked overhead, and a crescent moon reflected off the water. He’d tucked Wyatt in an hour ago, and after tidying the living room and trying to avoid the tangled web of thoughts in his head, he gave up and came out here. What was he going to do about Lauren?

  He’d told Wyatt earlier he’d done a lot of dumb things as a kid. He’d done them as an adult, too. And God had forgiven every stupid thing he’d done.

  Had Drew really done anything that dumb with Lauren? So he’d pushed her. He’d probably do the same again. It drove him nuts she was missing all the great parts of herself by focusing on what she perceived as her failures.

  Kind of like I’ve done since I moved back here.

  Lauren was kind, generous, strong, courageous and compassionate. She had a lot of great parts to focus on. Unlike him.

  Says who?

  Why was he still defining himself by his past?

  He was doing a decent job raising Wyatt. His coworkers were accepting him. So he’d acted like a jerk in high school. He’d outgrown that. And big deal he’d gotten kicked out of college. He’d been blessed with a career doing something he loved.

  Were he and Lauren doing the same thing? Clinging to regrets for no reason?

  Her early years had done a number on her. He frowned, thinking of the things she’d told him. She probably hadn’t felt worth loving.

  Did she still not feel worth loving?

  Didn’t he feel the same? Was he worth loving?

  Leaning back, he rested his hands on the deck. If he’d learned anything from his mistakes, he’d learned not to give up on himself.

  He didn’t want to give up on this. On her, on them, on what they could be.

  If he was really the man he thought he was, he wouldn’t give up because she told him to leave during an emotional meltdown. That would be like not showing up to those team meetings in college. Or getting halfway into a burning building and calling it quits.

  He’d been trained to see things through.

  She was worth fighting for. He wasn’t giving up on her. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not next year.

  Whatever it took, however long it took, he would fight for her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “What would I do without you, Megan?” Lauren lugged the stack of doughnut boxes from the trunk of her car. Closing it, she took a deep breath. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

  “Are you kidding me? I feel like we’re on a secret mission. For love! Aah!” Megan clapped her hands, her eyes shining. “Don’t worry. Ben and Tony will get Drew and Wyatt to the station. And then you can whisk Drew away, and we’ll take care of Wyatt.” Megan gave her a knowing stare. “For as long as it takes.”

  Lauren walked toward the station door. “It might not take long. I was obnoxious yesterday. I can’t believe how rude I was.”

  Megan waved her hand as if her words meant nothing. “We all say stupid stuff when we’re upset. He’ll get over it. He probably already has.”

  Maybe. Maybe not. “Thanks for all your help with this. You’re brilliant.”

  “I’m glad you asked me! Oh, look at the time—we’d better get in there.”

  “I’m nervous. He’s going to reject me. I can feel it.”

  “That’s your nerves talking.”

  “But what if—”

  Megan placed her hand on Lauren’s arm. “Calm down. If it doesn’t work out, I have the whole day off, and we’ll get through it. Together. But you don’t have to worry. He likes you.”

  Likes? Or loves? There was a big difference.

  They arrived at the doorway too soon. Maybe she should leave. She hadn’t had time to talk herself out of this, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt like she was going to throw up.

  Telling Drew she loved him? Asking his forgiveness? Bad idea.

  Bad.

  But Megan had already gone inside, and Tony was holding the door open.

  Lord, I can’t do this. I’m a coward! My parents chose me, but I’ve never chosen anyone. I’ve been too afraid all this time. How can I do it now?

  Tony frowned, letting the door close behind him. “You okay?”

  “I don’t know.” She shook her head.

  “I’m impressed you’ve helped Drew out with Wyatt all this time. And, hey, it’s nice of you to bring all these doughnuts. Don’t worry, I called him this morning. Three times. They’re on their way.”

  Her nerves settled the tiniest bit. She didn’t make a habit of sharing her feelings with anyone, but she was desperate. “Tony?”

  “What?”

  “He’s pretty great, isn’t he?”

  Tony grinned and patted her shoulder. “He is. Why don’t you collect your thoughts out here, and I’ll make sure Ben and Megan aren’t getting too cozy inside.”

  She let out a nervous laugh and sat on the bench near the door. Chewed on a fingernail as she crossed one leg over the other, kicking nervously. Her stomach couldn’t be any more rowdy. It was as if the national cheerleading competition was taking place in there.

  What if this didn’t work? What if he never wanted to see her again? What if...

  “Lauren?” Drew approached her with Wyatt next to him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I had to talk to you. To both of you.” She rose, holding her arms open to Wyatt, hugging him tightly for a long time.

  “I’m sorry, Lauren,” Wyatt said. “I didn’t mean to scare you yesterday. I feel really bad.”

  She pressed her lips to his soft hair. “I forgive you. I’m so thankful you’re safe.” She stepped back, peering into his eyes. “You scared me to death, though. Don’t you know how important you are to me?”

  Wyatt blinked rapidly. “I guess I do now.”

  “Well, don’t forget it. I love you, Wyatt. Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

  He grinned. “I won’t.”

  “Come on—let’s go inside. Megan and I brought doughnuts for everyone. We wanted to thank them for helping us find you.” Wyatt opened the door, and Lauren put her hand on Drew’s arm. “Can we talk in a little bit?”

  His face was unreadable. “Sure.”

  She wished she could decipher his tone. They went inside to the kitchen. Everyone was munching on doughnuts, laughing and sipping juice or coffee. Ben put his arm around Wyatt’s neck and was pretending to rub his head. Wyatt laughed.

  “Thanks for helping us out yesterday.” Drew pulled Tony into a half embrace.

  She couldn’t help thinking Tony and Drew had more in common than they realized. Now if she could
just get Drew to view her differently...

  “No problem, man. Um, I think someone wants to talk to you.” Tony widened his eyes, nodding at Lauren.

  Drew rubbed the back of his neck. “Will you guys watch Wyatt for a minute?”

  Megan scooted to his side. “Ben and I want to take Wyatt for a pontoon ride later. Would that be okay with you?”

  “Let me ask Wyatt.”

  While Drew discussed the plan with Wyatt, Lauren pulled Megan to her side and whispered, “I can’t do this. I’m going to hurl.”

  “You can do it,” she whispered back. “You walked the streets of Chicago. You’re tough.”

  “But that was just drug dealers and gangs. This is Drew.”

  “Go.” Megan took her by the shoulders, turned her and marched her down the hall to the garage, where the fire trucks and ambulances were parked. “I’ll send him out there.”

  The garage doors were open, letting in the brilliant sunlight. Lauren walked on shaky legs to the ladder truck and sat on the front bumper.

  And when she looked up, Drew stood in front of her, legs wide, arms crossed over his buff chest. The man was dangerously good-looking. And his personality clinched the deal. Her heart did a double back handspring. She rose. Swallowed.

  “I’m sorry.” She forced herself to look into his eyes. They didn’t seem to hate her. “I’m sorry I threw you out. I’m sorry I acted like your promise meant nothing to me. It wasn’t nothing. It’s not nothing. Besides the day my parents told me they were adopting me, it was the best thing I’ve ever heard.”

  Drew’s mouth had opened while she spoke, but she didn’t give him a chance to respond.

  “I kind of flipped out yesterday. Like everything that had been building inside me my entire life snapped. I never realized I was trying to make up for my early childhood by being perfect. Mom told me some stuff that hit home with me. And I wanted to believe it, but I couldn’t let myself.”

  Drew inched closer. The muscle in his cheek flexed.

  “I got a letter from Treyvon. It helped open my eyes to reality. I’ve thought I had to be in control all this time, making the right choices, helping anyone I could, but I had it all wrong. God is in control. He’s led me to situations where I could help, but ultimately, it wasn’t up to me.”

  Drew moved closer. So close she could smell his aftershave and see the pulse in his throat. “Lauren—”

  “I’m not done.” She looked up into his eyes, took a deep breath. “You’re right. We have choices. And I chose to push you away, but I don’t want to anymore. I’m grateful for you. You don’t let anything stop you from achieving your goals. I’m amazed at how good you are with Wyatt. I’m dumbfounded you’re so good to me. I don’t deserve it.”

  Drew hauled her to him, the warmth of his chest seeping into hers, and claimed her lips. She had more to say, but his arms surrounded her, protecting her, cherishing her, and she forgot the rest of her speech. None of it mattered, anyhow. She kissed him back.

  “Drew, thank you for believing in me, for allowing me to get close to you and Wyatt. You made me a promise, and now I’m making one of my own. No matter how messy or difficult life gets, I won’t run away. Because I love you.”

  * * *

  “Are you about done, woman?” With his forehead against hers, Drew stared into her eyes, keeping his arms locked around her waist.

  Lauren Pierce had just told him she loved him.

  It seemed inconceivable. For years, he’d had to fight for everything he wanted. He’d fully expected to wake up and fight for her today. Two dozen pink roses sat in his truck. When Tony had called this morning, he’d refused to come to the station, but by the third call, he’d given up. Decided when he got here, he’d ask someone to watch Wyatt for an hour while he tried to convince Lauren they were right for each other.

  The magnitude of God’s blessing filled him with wonder.

  He held her hands. “There is nothing to forgive. I knew you were upset yesterday, and I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

  “Yes, you should have. I needed it. You were right about all of us having choices.”

  “I went home last night and had a long talk with Wyatt. He knows he made the wrong one. I think part of him did it to get back at Chase, if that makes sense. And the other part wanted to impress some kids.”

  “It does make sense. Those bruised and bloody parts inside us make us do things we know aren’t smart. I should know.”

  “I know, too. I’ve been stuck in regrets. You helped me see I’ve changed. Before I moved here, I’d been hiding from my past. Let’s face it—I avoided Lake Endwell for more than a decade. But you didn’t see me the way I saw myself. And if anyone should have, it was you. Lauren Pierce, I love you.”

  “You do? But I—”

  “Yes, I love you. I couldn’t love you more than I do right here, right now. I’ll get on the speaker system and announce it to the entire fire station if I have to, but I want you to be one hundred percent certain of this—I love you, and I’m never giving up on you.”

  Tears slipped down her cheeks. “You really love me? I didn’t think you could—”

  He silenced her with his lips. He couldn’t believe his dream girl was in his arms. Genuine—Lauren was genuine.

  With a contented sigh, she pulled away. “If you change your mind—”

  “Will you be quiet for one minute?” he asked. She blinked. “I’ve loved you for a while, but I didn’t want to admit it.”

  She grinned, tracing his cheek with her finger. “Same here. So you’re not mad? I don’t have to get on my knees and beg?”

  The only way to get her to stop talking seemed to be kissing her. He pressed his lips to hers again. She tasted like forever.

  Reluctantly, he ended the kiss. “You made me see I’m capable of more than I thought. I was clueless about raising Wyatt through all this drama before you had mercy on us. You’ve given me confidence. Not just in being Wyatt’s father, but in myself in general. I don’t know how I got so blessed to have you, but I’m not letting you go. Ever.”

  “Good. I don’t want you to let me go. Ever.”

  He got lost in her eyes, smiling in understanding.

  “So yesterday you said you were withdrawing your application to be the high school counselor.”

  She shook her head. “Not anymore. I think for the first time in my life I’m truly prepared to help emotionally damaged kids. It’s not all on my shoulders anymore. It’s on God’s.”

  “Smart woman.” He loved the way she felt in his arms. “Do you still want to babysit Wyatt? You don’t have to. I can find someone else if it’s too much.”

  “I want to. I’ve always wanted to. I love Wyatt, and the thought of losing him scared me so much.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, then added, “Do you still want me to babysit?”

  “I clearly haven’t convinced you.” He claimed her lips, but the sound of applause made him lift his head. What in the world?

  Everyone who’d been in the kitchen stood in the garage and whooped and hollered.

  Wyatt ran to Drew, and he scooped the kid into his arms. “So, buddy, I kind of fell in love with your babysitter.”

  “She’s really pretty, Uncle Drew.” He smiled, all teeth, up at Lauren. She laughed.

  “She sure is.”

  “I have a confession, too, Wyatt. I kind of fell in love with your uncle.”

  “Well, he is a firefighter.” Wyatt made it sound as if that explained everything.

  “He sure is.”

  “Are you two going to get married?”

  A hush fell over everyone.

  Drew glanced at Lauren, her eyes shining bright, and he smiled. “Let’s take it one day at a time, okay?”

  “Hey, Wyatt,” Megan said. “Let’s let th
e two lovebirds have some privacy. We’ll go out on the lake.”

  “Yes!” Wyatt pumped his fist in the air. “Can I drive the pontoon?”

  “You’re way too young.” Ben put his arm around Wyatt’s shoulders, leading him away.

  Drew took Lauren’s hand and dragged her out of there to where his truck was parked. He pulled the bouquet out of the backseat and handed it to her. “I was on my way over to convince you to give us a chance.”

  “Too late. I’m convinced.” She lifted the pink roses to her nose, beaming, and inhaled their scent. “All these beautiful flowers for me?”

  He wrapped her up in his arms. “Everything for you. That’s a promise.”

  Epilogue

  “Stop fidgeting.”

  “I can’t help it.” Drew clasped his hands as he stood next to Tony at the front of the church. Today was the day. Lauren Pierce would soon be Lauren Gannon. Thank You, Lord.

  They’d dated all summer, and he’d asked her to marry him at halftime during the homecoming football game at Lake Endwell High. Her cheerleading squad had helped him plan it. All he’d known was she’d said yes. And now here it was, almost Christmas, and he couldn’t be happier. Or more nervous.

  He glanced over at Wyatt at the end of the line of his groomsmen. Wyatt gave him a thumbs-up. Drew winked back. He wished Chase could be there, but it would be a few more years before he’d be out of prison. Surprisingly, Chase had started writing Treyvon after Drew had mentioned the kid’s situation. Chase had become Treyvon’s mentor and planned on working with at-risk youth when he was released.

  The prewedding music stopped, and everyone stood. Drew’s breath caught at the sight of Lauren. The organ began playing as Lauren walked up the aisle on her father’s arm. Drew hadn’t thought she could be more beautiful, but today she positively glowed. Her white gown had short cap sleeves, lace overlays and intricate beading. It showed off her slim waist, and her hair was piled on top of her head. She carried a bouquet of pink roses. After handing the bouquet to Megan, her maid of honor, she hugged her dad, and he placed her arm on Drew’s.