Their Surprise Daddy

by Ruth Logan Herne

  Chapter Eight

  Rory had just gotten home from the preschool class with the kids when her cell phone rang with a call from Kimberly over at Kate & Company. She left the kids with their next-door neighbor and raced through three neighbors’ yards, four driveways and across the paved lot leading to the rear entrance of the event center. “Kimberly!”

  “In here.” Her sister’s assistant poked her head around the corner from the front entry. “But not for long,” Allison added cheerfully as Rory hurried her way. “I’ve called Drew, he’s on his way, and it appears we’re having a baby.”

  They couldn’t. Not today when there was already no one around to help with anything... Rosa was so sick. And Cruz was tied up at the Rochester hospital.

  “You can’t have this baby now.” Rory stooped low and faced her older sister. “It’s absolutely, positively the worst possible time, Kimberly.”

  “Sensible or not, the baby’s coming. And so is Drew,” Allison said, making a face as the sound of a police siren squealed toward the traffic light at Main Street and Route 20. “That siren’s got your name written all over it, darling.”

  “No siren.” Kimberly puffed out a breath of easier air, then grabbed Rory’s arm. “Call him and tell him no siren or I won’t go. I’ll have this baby right here in my office.”

  She meant it, and when Kimberly laid down the law, it was a pretty sure thing that it would be followed. Rory hit Drew’s number in her phone. “Kill the siren, Drew. If you don’t, I promise you the end result won’t be pretty.”

  He laughed.

  “Is he laughing? Is that him laughing?” Kimberly reached for the phone, but fortunately another contraction pulled her attention away from husbands and sirens.

  He pulled up to the door—without the siren—about thirty seconds later. In less than two minutes he had Kimberly in the car, and they were on their way to the hospital.

  Rory sank into one of the striped, upholstered chairs. “Tell me that didn’t just happen.”

  Allison made a face that said it did.

  Emily strode in, waving her phone. “Janet’s got the bridal shop, I’ll cover here, and, Rory, who’s got the kids?”

  Janet was Emily’s top salesperson at the bridal shop. She’d worked there for years before Emily bought the store, so the bridal shop was in good hands. “The kids are with Mrs. Wyatt, next door. Cruz is with Rosa at the hospital, Tee Tee has gymnastics class tonight, and Callan and Amy have a league game in Victor. I promised someone would deliver Amy to the hospital once the game was over.” Corinne’s son, Callan, played hardball for the town team, and Drew’s daughter, Amy, had won a spot on the team, as well.

  Allison raised her hand. “I’m free to help with whatever you need. If Corinne gets the kids to the game, I’ll pick up Tee and meet them at the ballpark when her lesson is done. That way Corrine can bring her kids back home afterward and I can drive Amy into the hospital to meet her baby brother or sister. With Janet on bridal store detail, you and Emily can go to the hospital to greet the baby while Grant watches the twins.”

  “You go.” Rory faced Emily. “I’ve got to watch Lily and Javi. I can’t hand them off no matter how much I’d like to be there. They’ve had enough crazy going on in their lives. I hate to miss the excitement, but honestly, the baby won’t know if I meet him or her on day one or day three.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive. What hospital needs that many Gallaghers at once?”

  “Good point.” Allison winked. “Hey, if you bring Lily and Javi to the baseball game, they can cheer on the team and have a quick supper at the park.”

  At least that would be easy. And taking Javi and Lily to the baseball game would keep their minds occupied while Cruz worked to get Rosa’s situation settled. Of course it meant no work on the grant again, but... She breathed deeply, pushing angst aside.

  Children should always come first. Work would have to wait.

  * * *

  Rory’s text came through as Cruz was leaving the hospital shortly after nine that evening.

  It’s a boy! David Andrew Slade, born at 8:57 p.m., 7 lb. 10 oz. All is well, we’re celebrating the happy occasion here at home!

  He called her right back, chagrined. She’d been so excited about this new baby, and what it would mean to their family. “You missed your sister’s baby being born? Rory, I’m so sorry, you should have called me. I’d have come back there straightaway.”

  Her quick reply eased his guilt. “This baby is going to be here for a long, long time. I will hold him, laugh with him, teach him funny things and rock him to sleep. I’ve got time, Cruz.” Her voice softened, and in that gentleness he felt her compassion. Her concern. “You don’t. I’ll see little Dave, and I’m pretty sure he’s not going to care if it’s today, tomorrow or the day when they bring him home. I’ll be here, waiting.”

  “You’re not upset?”

  “Not in the least.”

  “But I expect you’d like to go see him.”

  “Not at this hour.” She laughed softly. “Let’s see what tomorrow brings, okay? My guess is our little Dave is going to look pretty much the same tomorrow as he did today.”

  He wasn’t used to this kind of reaction. She wasn’t casual about the baby’s birth, he recognized the joy in her voice, but she handled things with a peace and contentment he didn’t quite understand, but admired. “You’ve had the kids all day, and you’ve probably been run ragged.”

  “It’s been busy,” she admitted. “But we’re doing all right. How was Rosa when you left her?”

  “Resting comfortably, and if we can get everything ready at the house, we can bring her home in two days.”

  “That would be wonderful, Cruz.”

  He felt that way, too, as long as being around him didn’t rile his mother up too much. Today she’d welcomed his time, his presence, but Cruz wasn’t sure if she’d feel quite that magnanimous when the medications were reduced. He hoped so. “I’m taking charge of the kids in the morning. You sleep in. I’ll come over and do breakfast and all the other stuff you pretend is so easy.”

  “That’s silly, I—”

  “It’s not silly. It’s a way of saying thank you for going the distance, Rory. I couldn’t have done this today without you, or any of the other days. And I know you’re balancing on your own tightrope, too, so let me do this. Please.”

  There was a moment of silence before she agreed. “All right. I would actually love an extra hour of sleep. Javi’s an early riser, and Lily’s a night owl, so by the time she’s actually asleep and I can go to bed, we’ve gotten pretty deep into the evening.”

  “Perfect.” He was glad to find a way to help her, something that wasn’t financial. She might be low on funds, but she didn’t value money like so many he knew. She valued time and self-sacrifice.

  Was he trying to impress her? When he knew he was leaving eventually?

  Maybe. He wasn’t sure. He knew that he liked to make her smile, that she was amazing with the kids and she was a calming presence around his mother.

  Yes, he was leaving. He had no choice; his work was in the city. And she’d be staying here, following her own dreams.

  As he took the thruway exit toward Grace Haven, the thought of uprooting Lily and Javi concerned him. Kids needed love, strength and continuity, didn’t they? Something solid?

  Rory would add faith to the list, and the longer he stayed in Grace Haven, the more relevant that seemed. If he assessed family, love and unity the way he did investment bundles, the faith element clearly made a difference. How could an intangible have such an impact?

  A text came in. He glanced down at the traffic light east of the toll and sighed.

  Presence required in office. Crucial negotiations, sensitive data. Return tomorrow as originally planned.

/>   Cruz turned off the phone.

  Rodney would be angry, but he lived his life angry, so that was nothing new. He wouldn’t understand a dying mother and two orphaned children. No, he’d understand...he just wouldn’t care.

  A week ago, Cruz would have had a similar reaction. Not now.

  He’d worked for years to attain this level of prestige. He was on the verge of being one of the best movers and shakers in the financial district. A bad move now could bring it all crashing down.

  But until things were settled here, he needed to remain.

  Until his mother was gone.

  The truth in that scared him, because for the first time in decades, he cared about his mother. No matter what Rodney threatened from his fiftieth-floor office...

  Cruz wasn’t going to leave his mother to die alone.

  * * *

  Cruz rarely set an alarm to wake himself in the mornings. He was a creature of habit, up late and up early, but tonight was different. He had two kids counting on him, and he’d promised Rory a chance to sleep late. He wasn’t sure why that seemed so important, but it did so he set his phone alarm, just in case.

  But he never heard it. Either that, or it never went off, so when he awoke thirty minutes after he was supposed to, panic set in.

  Cruz never panicked.

  Today was the exception. He threw on clothes, skipped the shower and raced to the Gallagher house. He let himself in and listened...

  Blessed quiet surrounded him, so the kids hadn’t woken up and disturbed Rory yet. He put a coffee pod in the brewer and pushed the button.

  Nothing.

  He stared, realized someone had turned the brewer off and fought back a growl.

  He never turned his brewer off. He was a New Yorker, and he was pretty sure turning the power off could be construed as un-American. He hit the power switch to warm the water, then tiptoed up the stairs to wake the kids.

  “A mornin’, Cwuz!” Javi jumped straight up in the bed as if he was part jack-in-the-box. “A morning!”

  “Good morning to you, too, little man.” He put a finger to his lips and lifted the boy out of the bed. “Can you tiptoe downstairs?”

  “Sure!”

  Clearly the kid didn’t know the meaning of the word because it sounded more like a small elephant dashing down the hall, then the stairs. He’d made it to the living room below when he hollered, “I found my cwothes!”

  Cruz grimaced. So much for letting Rory sleep late.

  He went to the second bed and put a hand on Lily’s shoulder.

  She shrugged him off and rolled over.

  He did it again and was pretty sure she growled.

  “Lily. Time to get up.”

  Her eyes blinked open, she saw him and squawked loud and long.

  “Hey, it’s me, Cruz, I’m taking you to breakfast this morning. Wake up, sleepyhead.”

  She stared at him hard as if trying to make sense of the situation. He expected her to grumble and want to curl back up to sleep.

  The last thing he expected was what she said next. “I didn’t want him to hurt my mommy.”

  Cruz’s heart paused. His hands went still. He stared at the innocent five-year-old in front of him, and couldn’t find words.

  “I told him not to. I told him again and again, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”

  What could he say? What should he do? Was it good for kids to remember bad things?

  He sank down on the edge of her twin-size bed. “Were you little?”

  She nodded. Her lower lip stuck out and her chin trembled. “Real little. And my mommy kept saying, ‘Hush, baby, hush. It will be all right. Don’t you cry.’” She wrapped her arms around a threadbare bunny and held Cruz’s gaze. “But it wasn’t all right, and Mommy cried and cried and so did I.”

  Devastation rose inside Cruz.

  What had this child witnessed? What had she been privy to as a tiny little girl at the mercy of heartless people? “Did he hurt you, honey?”

  She shook her head and Cruz released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. “I’m sorry, Lily.”

  He didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t know how to offer comfort, how to erase bad memories. But he did know how to hold a little kid to help them feel safe now, so he gathered her into his arms on the edge of that bed and snuggled her close.

  Her hair smelled like sweet cherries. Her cheek was pressed against his shoulder, and her heart thumped hard against her chest.

  She’d lived in fear. She’d witnessed something horrible. And as he sat there offering the scant comfort he could, he knew he and his mother would agree on one thing: these children would not be going back across the border.

  He’d do whatever was needed to keep them here. No matter what.

  A movement in the doorway drew his attention. Rory stood there, her arms crossed around her middle, her expression dark, and when his eyes met hers, he knew she’d heard.

  She recovered first. She pasted a smile on her face, stifled a yawn and said, “Good morning, sweet pea! Cruz, if you don’t mind, I’d love to come to breakfast with you guys. Is that all right?”

  “Yes,” he answered quickly, because she’d just thrown him a lifeline, and only a stupid man would refuse it. “I’d like that, Rory. Are Lily’s clothes downstairs?”

  “On the sofa, and from the sounds of it, Javier’s dressed and ready to go. I, on the other hand, need ten minutes. And coffee.”

  “I’ll take care of both.” He stood, still cradling Lily. “Come on, kid, I’m giving you a ride downstairs on the Cruz Maldonado shuttle.”

  “Okay.”

  One word, so soft, almost unheard.

  He passed Rory in the doorway. She laid her soft hand against Lily’s cheek, then leaned in and brushed the girl’s face with butterfly kisses. “Que todas las bendiciones de Dios sean el suyo el día de hoy y los que vendrán, mi preciosa.”

  She was wishing blessings on a precious child, all the days of her life. Cruz smiled at Rory as she straightened and stepped back. “Ciertamente el Señor te ha dado un espíritu de lucha.”

  It is certain that God has given you a fighting spirit. He spoke the phrase as a compliment. Rory Gallagher had a gentle side, but her expression indicated she was battle-ready to fight for these children. He respected that.

  Her smile said she appreciated his understanding and his reply. “Not everyone sees the fighting side of me, Cruz, but then I only fight as needed. When it comes to God’s little ones...” She lifted her eyes from Lily to meet his. “I take off the gloves.”

  He’d thought her sweet and kind, and she was both, but right now, gazing into Rory Gallagher’s eyes, he didn’t see the innocent kindergarten teacher he’d happened to meet.

  He saw a warrior, more like him than he’d have thought possible.

  “I’ll meet you guys downstairs.”

  “Yes.”

  He took Lily down and set her on the couch. Javier launched instantly into stories about last evening’s ball game and how he didn’t like to eat breakfast right away.

  His chattering seemed to help Lily. She smiled at him, got herself dressed, then joined Cruz in the kitchen. She’d brushed off the dream, or the surprise of waking to see Cruz in her room.

  He couldn’t.

  Her face and words had shocked him, but he shouldn’t have been shocked. He should have been forewarned and on guard. He knew that Elina’s brother had succumbed to the promise of cartel money. He knew that his aunt had liked flaunting rules, a quality she’d encouraged in her children.

  And look what it got them. Both gone.

  “I’m sorry I was scared of you this morning.” Lily came to his side and slipped her hand into his. “I wasn’t really scared of you. I was scared of the dream and you.”r />
  He knew what she meant, that waking up and seeing him had melded too well with her nightmare.

  “It’s all right.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, determined to help her heal and hope. “It’s all right, honey.”

  “I bet Sadie’s got blueberry pancakes this morning.” Rory kind of sang the words as she came into the bright, open kitchen wearing a sundress that made him wish summer would last forever. “With whipped cream. And yes, Javier my friend, you may have yours to go and eat it later at snack time.”

  The kid grinned like someone had just handed him a bag of candy. “Fank you, Rory!”

  “You’re welcome. Are we ready?” She looked at Cruz, and he had to hand it to her. She did all this way better than he did.

  “We are.”

  “Let’s do this.”

  Outside they started to cross the drive to cut through The Square, but Cruz made them stop. “Hang on. I forgot something.” He took the stairs two at a time, grabbed his electronic notebook, stuffed the charger into his pocket and trotted back downstairs.

  Rory noted the electronic tablet with a glance. “Getting a little work done with your pancakes this morning?”

  “No, ma’am.” When she looked puzzled he tapped the carrying case. “Early-morning box score updates.”

  “Nice.” When she directed a full-on smile his way, he was pretty sure the sun shone brighter and the air smelled sweeter.

  He held Javier’s hand in one of his and the tablet in the other. “I concur.”

  He held the door open when they got there. Rory let the kids go first, then followed them. He followed her, and when he did, three pairs of eyes watched them from the middle booth.

  “Did he bring it, Badge?” Jim Reilly’s poorly disguised whisper crossed the nearly empty eatery.

  Badge looked disappointed. “Nope.”