Forever a Father

by Lynne Marshall

  He swallowed the thick knot in his throat, then tapped his knuckles over his heart. “I had a daughter once. Her name was Emma.” Bit by bit he shared his heart-wrenching story about Kathryn and the baby, laying out every mournful detail. It brought Keela to tears, and he held her as if she was his lifeline. They had each other now. That gave him the strength to continue.

  “The first day you asked me to watch Anna, I nearly fell apart.” It had seemed easier to repeat his bitter story with his eyes closed. But now that he’d moved on to the part where Keela and Anna came into his life, he swiped at his tears. For the first time in several minutes, he opened his eyes to see the woman he loved...who was pregnant.

  The most amazing expression of empathy was on Keela’s face. Of course there would be. Being a mother, she above anyone else could imagine the pain he’d been through. The despair. The anguish that grabbed hold and wouldn’t let go. Surely she could understand his loss, and knowing that meant the world to him as he held her near, feeling her cry along with him.

  Until now he’d never been able to fully grieve, because everyone and everything focused on Kathryn. He’d had to be brave for her. Take care of her. Let her deal with the loss in her own way, even when it meant leaving him. Then he’d had to pick up the pieces of his life and start over. Alone. A man who’d hoped for a family, had touched it and dreamed of a lifetime, only to have it ripped away.

  Then he’d met Keela.

  Finally telling her, confessing and sharing his pain, brought relief he’d never thought possible.

  “Not a day goes by without my thinking of Emma. Even now.”

  “Oh, Daniel, I had no idea.” She held on to both his hands and looked him squarely in the eye. “How you must have suffered around Anna.”

  “No. Well, at first yes, but she’s helped me in ways I could never have guessed.” Of all the odd times to smile... But thinking of the squirt in her pink tutu, Daniel found one tugging at the sides of his mouth. She’d been his kid vaccine, finally giving him immunity. “I should probably let you know I love her, too.”

  Joy sparkled in Keela’s teary eyes. “I’m so grateful, because you know she sure loves you. And I want you to know something I knew long before I got pregnant. I love you.”

  They were healing words. She loved him. If that didn’t prove she was the one, what would it take? Euphoric, he moved in for a kiss, sensing something he’d never felt before—pure love. He could feel it radiating from her, see it in her eyes. There was no guessing that she loved him as much as he loved her. The knowledge that their love was mutual freed him to finally let go. To give his heart completely. To Keela. And kissing her had never felt more perfect.

  But something more needed to be addressed. He pulled away. “You’re pregnant?”

  She gave her signature bright smile and let out a few notes of her musical laugh. “You okay with that? ’Cuz it bloody freaked me out.”

  “Ecstatic!” Without a doubt. He squeezed her close. “How far along?”

  “Not quite two months. I have an appointment with an OB doctor next week.”

  “I’m coming!”

  “It’s during work hours.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I want to go to every appointment with you. This is our baby.”

  He’d set her off again and she cried, those blue eyes glistening like the ocean on a sunny day. Knowing her history with Ron, Daniel understood the significance of him telling her he’d be by her side every step.

  Keela’s face crumpled with his statement as she buried her head on his shoulder. Yeah, Anna would finally have a father who wouldn’t let her down. Daniel would do his best to never let that happen again.

  “And we should talk about a wedding.”

  * * *

  Daniel and Keela waited to tell his family on the following Sunday night at dinner. It was a gorgeous end-of-summer evening with the promise of a spectacular sunset. But then every day had been incredible since Daniel had confessed his past, and had finally told Keela he loved and wanted to marry her.

  In the pub, Grandda sat proudly at one end of the long table and Sean at the other. Conor and Mark were on one side with Mom tucked between them, Keela, Anna and Daniel on the opposite side. The dishes of sweet summer corn on the cob, barbecue chicken, hot potato salad and mixed greens with strawberries were already on the table, creating a symphony of deliciousness. It seemed since Daniel had told Keela he loved her, every one of his senses had heightened. They waited for Grandda’s blessing before starting. But Daniel wanted to say something before the wild rumpus of food passing took over.

  He stood and used his fork on his water glass to get everyone’s attention. Happiness overcame any nerves he may have had about making his announcement. His mother had a particularly hopeful expression after glancing at Keela, then up to him, and his grandfather was already practicing his I-told-you-so grin.

  Well, Padraig Delaney didn’t know all the good news, that was for sure.

  “Dinner smells great, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. I’ve asked Keela to marry me.”

  The table erupted with cheers; even Anna clapped her hands and laughed. Keela broke out in the most beautiful blush, and come to think of it, his cheeks were feeling warm, too.

  “I knew it!” Grandda couldn’t help himself, staring down Mark, then Conor. “I knew it was a selkie. Do you realize what this means?”

  Both brothers studied their plates rather than feed into the old guy’s delusions about the day they’d saved that seal.

  “This one time maybe you were right, Grandda.” Feeling happier than he’d ever been, and supremely magnanimous, Daniel gave credit where it probably wasn’t due. Credible or not, the old guy got one thing right. Daniel had finally found someone to love.

  “When’s the date?” Maureen spoke up.

  “Next March.” Daniel realized his error instantly, having given the delivery month for the baby, which his family had yet to be told about, and cringed inwardly.

  “So you’re planning a long engagement, then.” Sean broke in, looking as happy and excited as his wife.

  “You’ve got to get married here.” Mom had jumped ahead with plans.

  Daniel glanced at Keela, still blushing over his accidentally letting the cat out of the bag, and she looked to him to handle the news all by himself. It was his family, after all.

  He motioned for her to stand, then put his arm around her. “Actually, I messed up. We’d like to elope as soon as possible.”

  “No!” Grandda led his parents in protest.

  “You can’t cut your family out of this great event,” Dad insisted.

  “You want a proper marriage, you have a proper wedding. That’s all there is to it.” Grandda backed up Sean, smacking the palm of his hand on the table for emphasis.

  Mark and Conor were the only ones sitting back, waiting for the story to unfold. Probably grateful they weren’t in the spotlight.

  Here goes nothing. “Keela’s pregnant.”

  “They’re having a bay-bee,” Anna explained, oblivious to the ramifications.

  For two heartbeats the table went perfectly still. If it were possible, Keela blushed more.

  Then Grandda gasped. Sean clapped his huge hands, and Conor and Mark joined in.

  “Baby’s due early next April.” Keela corrected Daniel’s mistake that had gotten his mother’s and grandfather’s hopes up for a long engagement and big wedding.

  “So the sooner we get married, the happier we’ll be,” Daniel added.

  “We’re going to be grandparents?” Maureen squealed gleefully, suddenly realizing why they wanted to elope. She looked at Sean. “We’re going to be grandparents!”

  He laughed, his eyes shining. “Great news, son.”

  “We’d be happy to have a real wedding here, too,” Keela said, “but if you don’t mind, I’d rather not look
big as a house in my wedding dress.”

  “How about having it here at Thanksgiving? The coast is beautiful in the fall.” Maureen wouldn’t let go about them getting married at The Drumcliffe. “And you won’t be showing much then. That would give me, I mean us, time to plan the perfect wedding.”

  Daniel understood where she was going with this. The Drumcliffe Hotel needed to claim its stake in special services; why not add this, too? Well, he didn’t want his wedding to wind up being a showcase for Hotel Marriage Packages, that was for sure.

  Nor was he about to let his mother or grandfather take over their plans. “Here’s the deal. We’re having a tiny ceremony next Friday in the judge’s chambers at the Sandpiper Beach Courthouse, and we can have a party after that, if you’d like. As for the rest—” he didn’t have it in him to break his mother’s heart “—well, how about after our baby’s born? We could make it a christening and a renewal of vows all in one.” He glanced toward Keela to see if she was okay with his spontaneous suggestion.

  She happily nodded in agreement. “And my parents could fly over, too.”

  “Of course!” Maureen chirped through her tears.

  Looking into Keela’s eyes, the woman he loved like he’d never loved before, Daniel’s heart filled with an ocean of feelings that would soon overtake him if he didn’t change course. “Now, let’s eat.”

  “Better yet,” Padraig said, breaking in, “let’s have a toast!”

  * * * * *

  Don’t miss out on the other Delaney brothers’ stories!

  Mark’s story,

  SOLDIER, HANDYMAN, FAMILY MAN,

  part of the AMERICAN HEROES miniseries,

  will be available in April 2018.

  And Conor’s story,

  REUNITED WITH THE SHERIFF,

  will be available in May 2018 and continue

  THE DELANEYS OF SANDPIPER BEACH

  miniseries.

  Keep reading for an excerpt of FROM EXES TO EXPECTING by Laurel Greer.

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  From Exes to Expecting

  by Laurel Greer

  Chapter One

  Sneaking out the back door is self-preservation, not bad form, right? Biting her lip, Dr. Lauren Dawson glanced at the clock on the wall of the Sutter Creek Medical Clinic’s staff lounge. Five-oh-one. Yup, skedaddle time. After working a series of six-day weeks, her body ached for the cushy lounge chair on her lakeside deck. Getting to start her long weekend while the late-May sun still had heat left in it was worth the faux pas of creeping out without saying goodbye. She threw her leather flats into her messenger bag and slid on her flip-flops.

  The door to the lounge creaked behind her. Her stomach sank and she stared into her locker, not wanting to turn around. If it was one of the nurses coming to nab her to treat another patient, she’d—

  “Lauren. Glad I caught you before you left. Do you have a minute?”

  Damn it. The longer she lingered, the higher the chance of getting asked to cover drop-ins for an extra hour or two. But no way could she slough off a conversation with the man who held the future of her career in his hand. Squeezing her eyes shut for a second, she forced a smile and faced her boss. “Hi, Frank.”

  The fluorescent lights of the staff lounge yellowed Frank Martin’s gunmetal-gray hair as he took a seat on one of the couches arranged into a conversation pit. “Quitting time?”

  Lauren nodded and pulled off her lab coat. “Yeah. Andrew’s still very understaffed at work, so I’m picking up some slack for him this weekend. He’s got his bachelor party, so he’s asked me to cover some zip-line tours, and I’m helping his fiancée with some wedding stuff.” As the Director of Safety and Risk Management and the head of summer operations for their family’s Montana ski resort, her older brother did more than his fair share of boosting their bottom line. Lauren pitched in where she could despite the clinic’s tendency to consume her waking hours. Once her summer holidays started in six weeks, she’d be subbing for her brother, letting him get away on his honeymoon. “Pretty sure I won’t get a moment to myself for most of the weekend. Though I’m hoping for a few hours to myself tonight. My dock is calling me.”

  His mouth curved in understanding. “Well, I won’t keep you. But I wanted to make sure you got the partnership papers from your lawyer.”

  Those cursed papers sat on her kitchen table, mocking her every morning as she ate her oatmeal and berries. Mocking her commitment to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Dampness bloomed on her palms. She’d wanted to have a practice in her tiny hometown since she was fourteen. Getting to buy in to the clinic her mother had founded was nothing less than her childhood dream. So why am I having so much trouble putting my signature on the contract?

  She mentally flicked away the doubt and nodded at her boss. “Yeah, but I’ve run into a glitch getting the funds released from my grandparents’ trust. My lawyer’s busy arguing with their lawyers.” She gripped the strap of her bag and took a centering breath. Ugh, what she’d do to have her vacation starting today. Both the wedding and working for Wild Life Adventures would be a welcome change of scenery. She would get outside for a few weeks and come back to the clinic refreshed and ready to make her plan a reality.

  “Did your lawyer indicate how long it would take to fix the problem?” Concern edged Frank’s words.

  “She wasn’t specific, no. I’m sure it’ll be dealt with by the time I’m back from my holidays in July.”

  “That’s two months from now.”

  Swallowing her nerves, she nodded. “It’s not affecting the work I can do, though. So I’m hoping the delay isn’t a deal breaker.”

  “No. Nothing you can do about banking complications.” He drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, Lauren. Having a Dawson as a partner again is going to fill a void. You’ll be a great permanent addition to the clinic.”

  Permanent.

  Normally a calming concept, but Lauren’s heart started to thud as if she were sprinting. She inhaled. Her mother had been proud of her calling. And Lauren was nothing if not a mirror of her mother.

  She’d almost given up on their dream once. Never again. She could do this. Was meant for it.

  Her heartbeat slowed, but the burn in her stomach refused to subside.

  One of the nurses poked her head into the lounge. “Dr. Dawson? Can you take one more patient before you leave? Sutur
es. Exam room two.”

  Son of a—Keeping her curse from spilling out, Lauren nodded to the nurse. She returned her satchel to her locker and shrugged back into her lab coat. “Count me there.”

  Frank touched his brow in a playful salute. “We’ll talk later, Lauren. See you Tuesday.”

  “Have a good Memorial Day.” Lauren changed back into her flats, straightened her khaki capris and rushed out of the lounge to her patient. Stupid long weekends and the abrasions and lacerations that came along with them. She picked the clipboard out of the Lucite holder and glanced at the patient file.

  Her already complaining gut lurched and the font blurred on the page.

  No. N-fricking-O.

  Feet frozen two feet from the door, out of view from the patient inside, she stared through the door frame. Only the patient’s legs were visible, golden-tan skin over defined calf muscles. Muddy biking footprints marked up the white linoleum. A two-inch-thick black tattoo ringed one ankle. At first glance, it looked like a series of interwoven spirals, but she knew closer study would reveal the second and third stanzas of Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night. Even marred by a fresh, index-card-size scrape, she’d recognize Tavish Fitzgerald’s legs anywhere. Difficult not to, given the nights she’d spent sliding her toes along those hard calves while he’d driven her out of her mind with ecstasy.

  She leaned against the hallway wall and swallowed. He must be in town for her brother’s bachelor party. So much for him not coming home until a day or two before the wedding. The wedding where Lauren would have to once again stare at Tavish across the aisle. But as the maid of honor this time.

  Not the bride.

  Lauren’s brother was marrying Tavish’s sister on the Fourth of July weekend, and Lauren was thrilled to be getting a sister-in-law. She just didn’t want to have to see her ex-husband in the process.

  Telling herself to get a Godzilla-size grip, she stuck the clipboard between her knees and took the time to redo her ponytail. After a quick wipe under her eyes to check for afternoon mascara remnants, she clutched her clipboard between both hands, threw back her shoulders and marched through the doorway.