“We’ve both experienced something no one should have to,” Corrine said. “And we’ve come out ahead this time, so I’ll be damned if anything will keep us apart now that this is finally over.”
When the prosecutor returned and ushered them into the courtroom, she noticed Ian and all their friends were already seated and waiting. She stayed right by Aunt Corrine’s side as they approached a podium facing the judge. The older woman pulled a handwritten note out of her pocket and carefully unfolded it, grabbed Courtney’s hand and began to read.
“Hatred is like having a hole in the bottom of your boat when you are far from shore. Once you let a little of it into your heart, it becomes a geyser that will eventually sink you. You will suddenly find you’ve started to hate all kinds of things that never bothered you before and all that negativity will take you down right along with your boat. To hate based on how someone looks or the things that make them unique, such as race, nationality, or gender—it doesn’t harm that person…it sinks you.
“I never hated those men for what they did to me that day. I figured they obviously hated themselves enough already if they had to harm another to ease their own pain and anger. I’ve forgiven them not because I’m a saint or a martyr, but because I needed to in order to move on, in order to row my own boat to shore. Though I don’t wish them any harm, I also don’t wish that another woman suffer as I did at their hands. Please consider what is in the best interest of society when punishing these men, because not everyone can recover from such intolerance and violence. Some may carry it with them for years…maybe even a lifetime,” Corrine read and then glanced over at Courtney. Then looking back at the judge, she said, “Thank you for letting me speak my piece.”
The judge thanked Aunt Corrine for sharing her thoughts with the court and apologized for the length of time it had taken to bring the two men to justice. Then the judge looked to where Courtney stood. How could she begin to explain how badly witnessing this crime had impacted her? Glancing to Aunt Corrine, Courtney felt the woman squeeze her hand. This was their time to be heard.
“It’s taken me quite a few more years than Aunt Corrine to learn that lesson, Your Honor, and I’m not even the victim! I didn’t hate those men, either. I hated that I was unable to stop them from doing what they did to someone I adore. She’s right that loathing of any kind will drown you if you let it. I let the guilt, anger and hate over not being able to save her drag me down to the point where I was no longer able to function like a normal person. Being given the chance to stand up for her after all these years has done a lot for me. I’m gaining back my sense of self and finally feeling safe again in my own skin. What a conviction will never do is give me back the years I spent treading water after my boat went down. I would ask that the court consider that I lost a little bit of myself that day, a bit of myself that I may never fully get back, as did my aunt. I beg the court not to let these men do this to another woman…another family. Thank you,” she managed to say around her tears.
The judge handed down a sentence that would likely see both men die in prison, as the attack on Aunt Corrine was just one more heinous crime to add to a pretty significant list for both of them. Courtney squeezed Aunt Corrine’s hand and smiled upon feeling the reassuring pressure returned. When court was adjourned, Courtney turned to find Ian right behind her. Never had anything felt as good as his strong arms wrapping her in a hug.
Having Ian’s support through this whole ordeal had given her the added confidence to fight for justice and work on repairing her relationship with the woman who had raised her and treated her as her own. After hugging Aunt Corrine and her husband, Neil, goodbye in the parking lot outside the courthouse, Courtney watched them drive away with tears in her eyes.
“We should get you home. You look like you could use a nap.” Ian smiled at her.
“Actually, I was thinking of pub fries. We’re awfully close,” she replied, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.
After an early dinner with their friends and a small dose of nostalgia from visiting the restaurant where it all started for her and Ian, they headed back to her house. The sound of the car shutting off startled her awake. Glancing over at Ian, she noticed a look of concern on his face.
“Sorry, I’ve just been so tired lately. Things should get back to normal now that the trial and sentencing are over, and I’ll have more energy,” she said and then yawned.
“Come on let’s get you inside. I still think you should go see a doctor, just to be sure you didn’t catch something being around all those people in the courthouse,” Ian said.
“I’ll be fine but can you stay over tonight? Please?” she asked as they got out of the car and headed up the front walk.
The stress of the trial process and the sentencing had really gotten to her. It left her physically drained by the end of each day and sometimes made her so tired she even had to take a nap. She also had developed really bad headaches, and on a couple of occasions her nerves had gotten the better of her and she’d been sick to her stomach. Now that the trial was over she could only hope that she would feel better both physically and emotionally.
Since the first week they had spent together it was hard for her to let Ian go home. He’d stayed with her almost every night up through testifying in front of the grand jury. Since then she’d tried to give him some space and let him go back to Rusty’s house, but he still ended up staying over three or four nights a week. She loved him and enjoyed waking up beside him.
The following morning she awoke so nauseated she barely made it to the bathroom in time. She could hear Ian downstairs in the kitchen and the overpowering smell of scrambled eggs and bacon wafted up the stairs making her gag. Though she prayed he would remain in the kitchen, it wasn’t long until she heard him at the door.
“I’ve got a warm washcloth and a glass of water out here on the counter for you. Are you going to be okay?” he asked quietly.
“Can you please turn off the eggs and especially the bacon?” she asked, gagging again just from mentioning the bacon.
She sighed with relief when she heard him walk away from the bathroom door. After she managed to get her stomach under control she cleaned herself up and then immediately showered in an effort to eliminate the last bits of breakfast smell. Maybe Ian was right. Maybe she’d caught the flu or something. She did ache, at least her back did. Ian wasn’t sick, though.
As she finished drying off and stepped out of the shower, a single thought made her freeze. She couldn’t remember her last period. The trial had consumed every waking minute when she wasn’t at work, spending time with Aunt Corrine or helping Ian study. Life had been so crazy for the past few months it had completely slipped her mind but she knew it had been a good while. Yet she couldn’t seem to back track to figure out just how long.
A small thrill went through her at the very thought. What if she was pregnant? She wanted to run downstairs and share her building excitement with Ian, but what if she was wrong? The immediate fear of another miscarriage entered her mind and suddenly she had to know. Digging around in her medicine cabinet she found a second pregnancy test from a two-pack she had purchased after being inseminated. She hadn’t really needed the test then, but some crazy and overly excited part of her had wanted to double-check even after April confirmed it.
Taking a deep breath, Courtney read over the directions and did as they suggested. Then she waited. It took no more than a few seconds for the test to indicate she was pregnant. She could only stare at it in disbelief as the test results became more and more prominent.
Ian’s baby.
Courtney jumped when he knocked on the door. “Beautiful, you’re scaring me. Are you okay in there? Can I call the doctor and make you an appointment now?” he asked, gently pushing the door open.
How to tell him? After a few moments she finally looked up and said, “Yeah, can you call April and make me an appointment? For tod
ay if at all possible.”
She heard his heavy footsteps walk away from the door to take care of making an appointment for her only to stop and come back. Once again, the bathroom door opened until she could see his handsome face.
“April?” he asked. His face registered the same shock she felt. “As in Dr. Franklin?”
“Yeah,” she said breathlessly and held up the pregnancy test.
April promised to squeeze her in and within an hour she and Ian were both showered, dressed and on their way. As they neared the office building, he looked over at her and said, “I love you, Courtney.”
“I love you, too.”
Suddenly he pulled over, put the car in park, flipped the emergency blinkers on and turned to her. His face told her that he had something important to say.
“I had planned to do this right, but I need you to know now…before this appointment,” he started. “I mean I really love you, and I want to be with you all the time, not just a few nights a week. Marry me, Courtney, whether you’re really pregnant or not, whether we ever have kids. Be my wife. That’s enough for me. I’d love to have babies with you, but mostly I just want to be with you…with or without kids. I need to know that you would be okay with just me, too…regardless.”
This was surely the best day of her life. She felt in her bones that she was carrying Ian’s baby and knowing he loved her and wanted to spend his life with her was an even bigger blessing. Happy tears spilled onto her cheeks.
Reaching over, he wiped them away with his fingertips and then kissed her. “Say yes, Courtney. You and me…and whatever life has in store for us. Say yes.”
“Yes, Ian. I love you so much. You are everything to me,” she choked out before catching his face between her hands and kissing him until they were both breathless.
* * *
Courtney felt truly blessed. After having her suspicions confirmed, she lay back on the exam table, waiting for April to check to see how far along Courtney was. She and Ian hadn’t really talked about trying for another baby since before they’d become intimate. This pregnancy kind of felt like destiny, and she couldn’t stop smiling at him. He simply grinned back at her.
“Okay, I’d like to start with checking the heartbeat and then we’ll go from there,” April said as she entered the room.
This time there was no searching around for a heartbeat that wasn’t there. The sound filtered through the machine loud and clear, and Courtney sighed with relief. Looking at Ian, he was obviously relieved as well and his handsome smile widened until he got a look at April’s face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his smile quickly fading.
“Nothing is wrong. Everything’s fine. Right here we hear the heartbeat,” April said. “Over here, though, I’m hearing…another heartbeat. I’d like to do an ultrasound to be absolutely sure, but I believe we are dealing with multiples here…twins.”
Courtney didn’t hear any more of what April said after that because Ian had his forehead pressed against hers and they were smiling, laughing and stealing kisses from each other. Thanks to one overly large fighter with smoke-filled eyes she was not only going to finally be a mother but a wife, as well. There was nothing normal about their love. It was extraordinary…and made just for them.
eISBN: 9781508811909
MAID TO LOVE
Copyright © 2014 by Paula Eby
This is work was originally published through Harlequin-E
Reversion of rights to the works reverted back to author in October of 2014
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are being used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.
Maid to Love (Man Maid Book 3) Page 18
