by Brenda Novak
Booker returned from the truck and peered over her shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“Mike just gave us our wedding present. Early.” Katie let a smile of hope and relief blossom on her face as she handed the waiver to Booker.
He read it, then looked from her to Mike, blinking several times. “This means I can adopt Troy.”
“That’s exactly what it means,” Mike said, his pleasure in the gift evident on his face.
“When I talked to Mike after Troy was born, I mentioned that I wanted to be sure Andy couldn’t come back and cause problems later,” Katie explained. “And he took care of it.”
Mike shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, I do expect a little compensation.”
“What’s that?” Katie asked.
“You’ve got to finish my Web site as soon as you get another computer.”
She grinned when he winked at her. “Of course. I love building Web sites.”
Booker gave her back the document and took Troy. “I’m already getting her a computer.”
“So is that what you’re going to do from now on?” Mike asked.
“Not exclusively,” Katie said. “I’ve decided I’d like to do hair one or two days a week, just to get out. The rest of the time, when I’m not taking care of Troy, I’ll build Web sites or help Booker with whatever paperwork I can do for him at the garage.”
“That’s the beauty of owning your own business,” Mike told Booker. “You can bring your wife and son to work with you.”
“Just wait until I have her changing oil and greasing hubs,” Booker said, giving Mike the keys to the red Nissan. “Thanks for looking out for her while she was here.”
Mike accepted the keys and shook Booker’s hand. “I’m just glad you’re off the market,” he said. “Maybe now I can get myself a girl.”
BOOKER COULDN’T BELIEVE he was bringing Katie home for good. She was going to marry him in a week, and they’d have more children someday. They already had a family. He’d never really been able to picture himself settling down, but he’d done a lot of settling in the past few years. This was just the final step.
Surprisingly, he wasn’t afraid of the commitment. The timing was right.
Reaching over Troy, who was sleeping in his infant seat, he squeezed Katie’s shoulder. She glanced at him and smiled.
“Happy?” he asked.
She nodded. “I should’ve married you two years ago.”
“Maybe we wouldn’t have appreciated what we have the way we do now.”
He turned into the farmhouse and was surprised to see a Toyota Camry sitting in the driveway.
“Who’s here?” Katie asked.
Booker hoped it wasn’t Chevy. She’d called him twice, even after he’d had Delbert tell her he was getting married. He hadn’t been there to accept the call either time. Had his lack of response precipitated a visit?
As he drew closer, however, he could tell his visitor wasn’t Chevy. “It’s Leah Small,” he said and looked around, wondering if Jon or Smalley or any of the rest of the Small clan had accompanied her. But he couldn’t see anyone else.
“What do you think she wants?”
“I have no idea.”
While they parked and got out, Leah waited at the front door, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.
“Hello, Leah,” Booker said as they approached.
Her eyes darted quickly to Katie. “Could I speak to you alone please, Booker?”
Booker handed Troy to Katie. “I’ll get the suitcases in a minute.”
She nodded and went inside, and he offered Leah a seat on the porch swing.
“No, thanks,” she said. “This won’t take long.”
He leaned against the porch railing. “What’s up?”
“I—” Her voice faltered, so she started again. “I’m afraid I owe you an apology.”
Booker felt his eyebrows draw together. “For what?”
“For all that business about the police thinking it was you who broke into my house.”
“You knew it wasn’t?”
She pulled her limp brown hair over one shoulder. “No. I thought it was you, or I wouldn’t have said so. But—” she took a deep breath “—I wouldn’t have thought it was you if I hadn’t been stirring up trouble between you and Jon.”
Booker had to work to keep his jaw from dropping. Mousey Leah Small had been stirring up trouble? For her own husband? She didn’t seem the type. “What kind of trouble?”
“It was me and Tripp Bell who called you that night and threatened Delbert. You know Tripp, don’t you?”
“Yeah, he brings his car in to have it serviced.”
“He’s my neighbor.”
“And he wanted to stir up trouble, too?”
“Let’s just say he’s sympathetic to me because of the way my husband treats me….”
“So it was the two of you who called here and threatened Delbert. Why?”
“After what happened in the park, I knew you’d think it was Jon. And I wanted you to teach him a lesson.”
“You mind explaining your motives?”
Her eyes had remained fastened on her feet, but now they met Booker’s. “I did it because he’s a mean son of a bitch, and I hate him.”
“Wow.” Booker jammed a hand through his hair. He would never have guessed Leah could feel so passionate about anything. “Why didn’t you simply leave him?”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds. I didn’t think he’d let me go. I’m still not sure he will. We’ve got the kids and…and there’s his pride. He’s not going to like being embarrassed in front of his family, in front of the whole town. But I’m going to marry Tripp and make a better life for myself. I refuse to put up with Jon’s abuse any more. Twenty years is long enough.”
The soul behind the eyes that looked up at him seemed to hold a world of painful memories. Booker immediately sympathized with Leah despite what she’d done. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I’m not like Jon. Once I found out it was Orton’s son and not you who broke into my house, I knew I’d been wrong to do what I did. I’d caused people to turn on you because of your past, and you haven’t done anything bad in a long time. I’m sorry for that.”
Booker shrugged. “It worked out okay.”
“I’m sorry about Delbert, too. I don’t wish him any harm.”
“I know, Leah.”
“That’s it, then,” she said shakily. “I just wanted to tell you the truth.”
“I appreciate it,” he said. “I know it couldn’t have been easy coming here.”
She nodded and headed to her car, and Booker watched her go.
“Leah?” he said as she was about to get in.
“Yes?”
“Good luck leaving Jon. I think it’ll be worth the fight.”
A brief smile touched her lips. “You’re twice the man he is, Booker,” she said, then drove away.
Katie stepped onto the porch as soon as Leah was gone. “What was that all about?”
He sighed. “Desperation.”
KATIE WAITED NERVOUSLY inside the entrance of the small whitewashed church to see if her family would show. Three days ago she’d called their house with the date and time of her wedding, but Travis had said their parents were in Boise picking up some new equipment for the bakery, and Katie hadn’t heard from them since.
Booker was standing next to her, wearing a shirt and tie for the occasion. He looked spit polished, but Katie liked him best in the more casual leather and jeans he typically wore. Leather suited his personality and highlighted his rugged magnetism. He wasn’t the indoor type.
“Will you be okay if they don’t come?” he murmured, kissing the back of her hand.
Katie brushed a wrinkle out of her new cream-colored sheath dress, which fell just past her knees, and nodded. She knew she could accept whatever happened. She was so in love with Booker that she wasn’t going to allow anyone to spoil this day. Besides, they’d filled se
veral pews already. Mona, Erma and Ashleigh were there from the shop. Rebecca, Josh and Mike from the ranch. Several of Katie’s hair clients. Her old piano teacher. Chase and Delbert. Delaney and Conner Armstrong. Millie and Ralph, the old couple who had raised Delaney. Mike and Josh’s parents. For a small, hastily planned wedding, the chapel was quite crowded.
But the day would be even more wonderful if only her family would make an appearance and at least try to help her close the gap that had sprung up between them.
Troy began to cry, and Katie turned to see Rebecca stand up and jiggle him gently on her shoulder. Rebecca had reached for him the moment she arrived and hadn’t relinquished him to anyone else yet, despite numerous requests for a chance to hold him.
“Look,” she told Booker. “Rebecca loves babies so much. I wish she could have one.”
Booker didn’t say anything, but he squeezed her hand, and she knew he felt the same way.
“Katie, it’s about time to start.” Pastor Richards had come up quietly behind them. “Do you and Booker want to take a seat now?”
“Can’t we wait just another few minutes?” she asked.
He smiled. “Of course.”
The door opened, and Katie caught her breath as afternoon sunlight burst into the cooler, darker church. But it wasn’t her family. It was Rebecca’s parents.
Mayor Wells smiled and shook Booker’s hand. “You did a great job on the Lincoln, Booker. It’s running like a charm,” he said, then he and his wife congratulated Katie.
Katie heard the door close as they moved away and decided her parents weren’t coming. Don and Tami knew Booker hadn’t robbed anyone or stolen any cars recently, but they’d held a grudge against him for a long time. Evidently, they weren’t able to let it go. Or perhaps they were embarrassed for judging him so harshly.
Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile onto her face for Booker’s benefit. “Let’s go ahead and start.”
“Are you sure?” he said. “We could wait a little longer.”
“No, they’re not coming.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he kissed her temple.
“It’s fine.” She pumped up the wattage of her smile. “Really.”
Pastor Richards stood when he saw them, and waved for them to take their seats on either side of the aisle. “Good afternoon,” he said. “I’d like to welcome you all to help celebrate the union of Booker Robinson and Katie Rogers this beautiful spring day. We have reason to be joyful, for—”
The door opened again. This time Katie didn’t even look around. She didn’t want the lump that clogged her throat to turn into tears if she was disappointed again. But Booker caught her eye and jerked his head toward the back. When she followed his gaze, she saw her mother, father and Travis filing in.
Her mother looked at her and smiled. Then her father smiled, too, and Katie felt a tremendous weight lift from her shoulders.
Rebecca immediately jumped up and led the Rogers family to the pew where she and Josh were sitting, and relinquished the baby for the first time—to Katie’s father.
EPILOGUE
Six months later…
TROY KICKED HIS LEGS and chewed his fist as Booker held him in one arm and stood back to see the effect of his new sign. Booker T & Son’s Automotive Repair. He liked the look of it, liked the sound of it, too. He’d paid Lionel off, and now he and Katie were expanding their business to the lot next door. They needed the space right away, because Katie had built a thriving Internet business selling tire rims through Booker T’s Automotive Web site.
“What do you think?” he asked Katie, glancing over at his wife.
It had snowed heavily last night. Katie was wearing a parka, jeans and boots, and her breath misted on the early morning air. “It’s great,” she said, smiling widely. “But we’re going to have to change it as soon as we have another child. You know that, don’t you?”
“We should have a couple of years yet. Troy isn’t even walking.” He kissed his baby’s cheek, and Troy immediately started babbling, “Da, da, da.”
Booker raised his eyebrows. “Hear that?”
Katie was still staring at the sign. “What?”
“Troy’s saying his first words.”
She turned her attention to their son, but Troy jammed a finger in his mouth and stopped talking. “He’s not saying anything.”
“He just said Dada. Listen.” Booker put his forehead to Troy’s, pulled the baby’s finger out of his mouth and met his eyes. “Say it again, Troy. Say ‘Dada.”’
Troy blinked, his round blue eyes staring innocently up at him, and Katie started to laugh. “You’re dreaming.”
“Wait. He said it a minute ago. Come on, Troy.”
“No!” Katie told their son, scowling playfully. “Say Mama…Ma-ma.”
Troy looked from Katie to Booker and broke into a drooly grin. “He’ll say it in a sec,” Booker told her, but a car pulled into the lot, distracting all three of them, and he turned to see Rebecca driving a new Jaguar. Delaney, who’d just had a baby boy three weeks earlier, was in the passenger seat.
“Whoa, early Christmas present?” Booker asked as Rebecca lowered her window.
Rebecca exchanged a look with Delaney. “It was going to be my Christmas present,” she said. “But I’m taking it back.”
He and Katie moved closer. “Why?”
Tears welled up in Rebecca’s eyes, yet she was smiling. “Because I just got a better one.”
“What’s that?” Katie asked, sounding as confused as Booker felt.
“The lab called yesterday.”
“The lab?” Booker repeated.
“I went there because I was afraid to trust the test I did at home.” A tear escaped and ran down Rebecca’s cheek. She wiped it away, sniffed, and gave them a watery smile. “I’m pregnant!”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3668-8
A FAMILY OF HER OWN
Copyright © 2004 by Brenda Novak.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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