He slid his eyes over her, then grinned at her blush. “So you do.”
The blush deepened, and she grabbed a lightweight jacket from a hook by the door. “Are you ready to go?”
“Let me ask you something first. What are you going to do if your electricity doesn’t come back on before this evening?”
Confusion tensed her features. “It has to.”
“But if it doesn’t, it’ll make it hard for you to get ready for the banquet, right?”
“I hadn’t thought about it.”
“Fortunately for you, I did. So why don’t you bring everything you need and get ready at my place?”
Her eyes grew round from either shock or anxiety. He wasn’t sure which.
“I don’t think I can . . .”
“I thought you’d say that, so I made a backup plan. I called AJ—my cousin—and wrangled an invitation to Misty Willow for this afternoon.”
“What’s Misty Willow?”
“It’s this really old house out in the country where Shelby lives with her two little monsters.”
“Shelby?”
“AJ’s fiancée.” He feigned distaste. “The monsters are Elizabeth and Tabby.”
“Isn’t that being a little pushy?”
Dani rubbed her arms as if she were cold. Time to lay on the charm. He flashed his dimples.
“AJ and Shelby will be at the banquet tonight. The evening might be more fun if you met them at the farm first.”
Dani tilted her head as if considering his logic. “Are you sure they don’t mind?”
“Not at all. We’ll have a great time. Plus we won’t have to rush back here. We’ll drive straight to the banquet.”
“Okay. I’ll get my dress.”
“That’s my girl.”
He immediately regretted the too-casual phrase as Dani faced him, her lips tight. But instead of responding, she went to her bedroom.
Blowing out air, he rubbed the back of his neck. He needed to guard his silvery tongue with this one. His relationship with Tracie had begun when she’d approached him at the end of a workday with her blouse strategically parted in a blatant invitation. A move he’d been expecting since the day he’d hired her.
Dani would never do anything so obvious.
Not that it mattered. They’d spend the day together, then go their separate ways.
After all, he was on a dating sabbatical. And would be until his son was completely healed.
– 7 –
Meghan stood beside the hospital bed and pushed the pale hair away from her son’s forehead. His eyes seemed to move beneath the translucent lids, but she’d learned several weeks ago that the movement meant nothing.
“Happy birthday, Jonah,” she whispered. “I have a cupcake for you. Chocolate. Your favorite.”
The door to the room creaked open, drawing Meghan’s attention. Shelby Kincaid stepped inside. “Okay if I come in?”
Meghan returned Shelby’s smile. “Of course. Hi.”
“I brought presents for the birthday boy.” Shelby placed the colorful bags on a nearby table, then handed the smallest one to Meghan. “And one for you.”
“Why for me?”
“A new tradition. Celebrating moms on their kids’ birthdays. Do you think it’ll catch on?”
“I doubt it, but it’s a nice thought.” Meghan cradled the bag, then narrowed her eyes. “It’s not from Brett, is it?”
“Nope, and it’s not from AJ either. It’s only from me.”
“Thank you. This means a lot.”
Shelby turned her gaze to Jonah’s still body. “How is he?”
“Nothing’s changed.”
“How are you?”
“Tired.”
“You need a break.”
“I know. But it’s hard enough leaving the hospital at night. I’m not sure I can during the day.”
“I understand that. You need to take care of yourself, though.” Shelby tapped the gift bag. “Now open your present.”
Meghan removed a small jewelry box from the bag, then opened the lid to reveal a silver chain with a cameo pendant. The ivory profile of a woman and child appeared against a navy blue background. Silver filigree edged the cameo. “Oh, Shelby, this is beautiful. You shouldn’t have. But I’m glad you did.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it.” Meghan fastened the necklace and touched the pendant where it lay against her throat. “How does it look?”
“Lovely.” Shelby picked up a blue bag with yellow tissue paper. “This one is from the girls. They collaborated on a book. Elizabeth wrote the story, and Tabby drew the illustrations.”
“I can’t wait to see that.” Meghan took the bag and gestured toward the bakery box. “Have a cupcake?”
“Kind of early in the morning, isn’t it?”
“They’re chocolate.”
“Well, in that case . . .” Shelby opened the lid.
“I thought Jonah deserved a little party. Even if he’s asleep.”
“Of course he does.” Shelby perched on the edge of the sofa while she peeled the liner from the cupcake. “Now don’t get mad, but the green bag is from AJ.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Jonah is his only . . .”—she hesitated then laughed—“his only first cousin once removed. I think. Anyway, he cares about him.”
Meghan absentmindedly adjusted Jonah’s blanket. If not for AJ, her son wouldn’t be getting top-notch care at this premier children’s hospital. But even though AJ had apologized for what had happened in the past, she hadn’t quite forgiven him. And she definitely hadn’t forgiven Brett. When she banned him from visiting, it seemed best to ban AJ too.
But that had been only a few days after Jonah’s accident. She’d probably been too hard on both men, especially given her own treachery and deceit.
“Are you mad?” Shelby’s voice sounded so pathetic that Meghan couldn’t help but smile.
“No.” She drawled out the syllable, revealing a hint of her Southern heritage, then giggled self-consciously. “You’re the only friend I have here, so I can’t alienate you.”
“I’m glad of that. We all care about you, Meghan. You and Jonah both.”
“I know you do. And I’m thankful. Really I am.” She touched the cameo. “You’re a good friend.”
“I try.”
“So tell me,” Meghan said as she picked up a bag from the table behind her. “Do you know anything about this?”
“What is it?”
“It was here when I arrived this morning. The card says it’s from the Bless This Child Foundation. Have you ever heard of them?”
“Can’t say that I have.”
“Me either. So I googled it.”
“And?”
“It’s a foundation for kids, but they specialize in carved wooden toys. Nothing like this.”
“Then where did it come from?”
Meghan pulled out a stuffed monkey wearing an OSU shirt and wiggled it. “Kind of obvious, isn’t it?”
“Brett.” Shelby laughed as she reached for the toy. “Didn’t he realize the OSU shirt would be a giveaway?”
“Apparently not.”
“You know, Meghan . . .” Shelby hesitated as she straightened the tiny shirt. “Brett’s not the same guy he was all those years ago.”
“Why do I have so much trouble believing that?”
“Because he hurt you. But now he wants to do the right thing.”
“And what is that, Shelby?” Despite her strongest efforts, Meghan’s eyes misted. “What is the right thing?”
“I’m not sure any of us really knows. But he is worried about Jonah. And about you.”
“He didn’t care about me after I slept with him,” Meghan said quietly. All these years later, his rejection still hurt. More accurately, her susceptibility to his feigned interest still hurt. If she could have foreseen the ripples caused by her desperate actions, she’d never have lied to AJ. At least she hoped she wouldn’t.
“But that’s not who he is anymore.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Finding out he had a son changed him.” Shelby tilted her head in thought. “But I think it started before then. Maybe it was when his grandmother passed away. They were all deeply affected by her death.”
“I remember her.” Meghan returned the monkey to the bag. “She was kind to me at the Christmas party.”
“Where you met Brett?”
“I was so stupid.”
“You were young.”
“And stupid.”
“We all make mistakes. Do things we regret.”
Meghan glanced at Jonah. Beneath his translucent lids were eyes the same enchanting blue as his father’s. “Brett was so charming. So handsome. He took my breath away, and I just . . . I just let him.”
“Believe me, I know how attractive he is.”
“I bet you didn’t fall into his arms.” Meghan gulped. “Or his bed.”
“Not his. But someone else’s.”
Meghan caught Shelby’s gaze. “AJ’s? That doesn’t matter. You’re getting married.”
“It still matters, but I wasn’t talking about him.”
“Then who?”
“My husband.” Shelby sighed heavily. “He was like no one I’d ever met before. Strong and handsome. It wasn’t easy holding on to my beliefs, so we rushed into marriage. Less than a week later I knew it had been a mistake, but what could I do about it? And then Elizabeth came along and then Tabitha. I wouldn’t give them up for anything, but . . . I do understand how easy it can be to get caught up in something that seems so romantic. So wonderful.”
“Your husband. He didn’t . . . hit you, did he?”
“No, nothing like that. Just little things that added up to me not really knowing him as well as I thought I did. And him not being the knight in shining armor I believed him to be.”
Meghan’s face relaxed into a small smile. “What about AJ?”
Shelby’s expression immediately softened, and her eyes glowed. “He is my hero. And I love him with all my heart.”
“I guess you’re glad I ran away from him,” Meghan teased.
Shelby’s expression grew serious. “I’m so sorry for how he hurt you. You have to know how guilty he feels, how guilty he has always felt for not standing up to his grandfather until after you’d gone.”
“But I should never have deceived him.”
“We’ve all made a mess of things. In our own way. But now, God has brought us all together.”
“You don’t really think God made this happen, do you?”
“The accident? Of course not. But I believe God prompted AJ to look for you when you needed him most.”
Meghan crossed her arms, shielding her heart from the truth she didn’t want to face. It was easy for Shelby to talk about God. True, she had been through a lot. Apparently her marriage hadn’t been that happy, and then her husband had been killed, leaving her with two little girls to raise on her own.
But things were working out great for her. She was engaged to a man who had turned out to be a better guy than Meghan ever thought possible. If only she could be as lucky as Shelby.
Instead she’d been gullible. Naïve. Stupid.
If she had not given in to Brett, she might be happily married to AJ now. She glanced at Shelby.
Except that she hadn’t really loved AJ. Not like he deserved to be loved. She hadn’t loved Brett either. And she didn’t love her despicable ex-husband Travis.
Maybe she didn’t know how to love. Except as a mother.
“I detest Brett, you know.”
“I know.”
“But sometimes it’s hard. I have to work at it.”
Shelby gave her a quizzical look.
“I look at Jonah, and he fills my heart with such joy. As much as I regret what I did, how can I be sorry for it when I have this amazing little boy in my life?”
“See? God gave you a precious little soul to light up your world.”
“He has blue eyes. Did you know that?” She didn’t wait for Shelby to answer. “I had forgotten how much his eyes looked like Brett’s until he came here that night. It really shook me up. Anyone who saw them together would know Jonah is Brett’s son.”
“Brett knows it.”
“So I should let Jonah have the monkey?”
“I think so.”
Meghan smoothed the toy’s furry head and straightened its sweater. “It has an MP3 player inside. Brett loaded songs on it. Lullabies, country and western, pop, jazz. ‘Puff the Magic Dragon.’ ‘Jesus Loves Me.’ Quite an assortment.”
“That had to take time.”
“Unless he hired someone to do it.”
“Something tells me he didn’t.”
Meghan turned on the music and Kenny Loggins’s “House at Pooh Corner” quietly played. “I love this song.”
“Me too.”
She nestled the monkey beside Jonah’s pillow and glanced at the round wall clock. “I need to get to the arts and crafts room. They’ll be waiting for me.”
“Arts and crafts?”
“I volunteer there. Helping a few of the children pass the time. It passes the time for me too.”
“Is it okay if I stay with Jonah for a few minutes?”
“Will you pray for him?”
“I’ll pray for both of you.”
“Thank you, Shelby. For the gifts. For being my friend.”
“I’m always here for you. For both of you.”
Meghan smiled her thanks, then bent over Jonah’s bed and kissed his smooth forehead. With a wave to Shelby, she walked out of the room and leaned against the corridor wall. Maybe Shelby was right. Maybe God had a reason for bringing AJ and Brett back into her life. But why did he have to use Jonah to do it? Why was Jonah paying the price for all of her wrong decisions?
If only she’d stayed with AJ.
If only she hadn’t slept with Brett.
And having made both those horrible mistakes, why in the world had she allowed Travis McCurry into her life? Allowed him to have anything to do with Jonah?
None of those questions could be answered. And neither could the most important one of all. Why had Jonah been in Travis’s car? Her ex-husband had walked away from the accident. But not Jonah.
Because she hadn’t been there to stop Travis from taking him, Jonah might never wake up again.
– 8 –
Dani stared out the windshield as Brett drove along the rain-soaked streets. The thwack of the wipers echoed the beat of her heart.
Her initial plan had been to discreetly observe the guy in his own social sphere at tonight’s banquet. She’d be observing him, all right. Sitting right next to him. And not just tonight but the entire day.
She should be thrilled.
Instead, she felt like a fraud.
What would he think when he found out the truth? Who she really was. The reason she was skulking around the hospital taking photographs.
She’d expected, even wanted, to find an arrogant, conceited hedonist who thought only of himself. But Brett had gone out of his way on her behalf. Sure, he asked her to the movie because he didn’t have a date on a Friday night. But, as promised, he’d been a gentleman. And loathe as she was to admit it, she’d had a good time.
Now he’d rescued her from a dreary day of the “poor me’s.”
Today could be, figuratively speaking, the answer to her prayer. If she found out something awful about him, something he didn’t want anyone else to know, maybe she could coerce him into publicly retracting what he’d said about her mom.
She inwardly sighed. That hope was nothing more than a pipe dream. When had she ever forced anyone to do anything they didn’t want to do?
“Gutless.” Her stepdad’s voice slithered in her ear. “You won’t amount to nothin’ ’cause you can’t stand on your own two feet.”
Besides, the women who’d drooled over Brett’s interview video hadn’t cared what h
e had to say about the crash.
But Dani cared.
She’d pored over the few documents she could get her hands on—news accounts, investigative reports, transcripts of witness testimony. But no matter how often she reviewed them, she was left with the unsettling feeling that there was more to the story.
The Federal Aviation Administration first ruled the crash an accident due to a mechanical failure. But Sully Sullivan would not accept that as an explanation for the deaths of his son and daughter. The case had been reopened, and it seemed the second investigation had been rushed to an unsatisfactory conclusion. At least from her perspective.
“Something wrong?” Brett’s voice drew her from the past, a place she usually avoided. But his public accusation had thrown her back into its turmoil. The illusory respite she’d enjoyed during her college years had disappeared, and now her future appeared as dreary as the gray horizon.
“Dani?”
She started and glanced at him. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not nervous about meeting AJ and Shelby, are you?”
“Maybe a little.”
“No need to be.” He flashed a quick smile her way. “They’ll love you.”
Would they?
As he maneuvered alongside deep puddles, she studied his profile. Classically handsome cheekbones. Strong jawline. Self-confidence exuded from his every gesture, every movement. The perfect hero for a romantic love story. But only on the outside.
“You know, I don’t think you ever told me what you do,” he said. “Are you a photographer?”
“Not really.” She slightly twisted toward him. “I’m kind of between jobs right now.”
“Um,” he murmured.
Dani read his thoughts as clearly as if he’d said them. That explains the cheap place, the clunker. A charity case if ever I saw one.
“What did you do?” he asked.
“You go first.” She flicked a miniature OSU football hanging from his rearview mirror. It swung like a tiny pendulum. “I bet I know where you went to college.”
“Business admin, communications minor, and MBA all from . . .” He tapped out a drumroll on his steering wheel. “The Ohio State University.”
“Big fan, huh?”
“You know it. Ever been to a football game?”
“Not at OSU.”
When Love Arrives Page 5
