A Father's Vow

by Tina Leonard

  “I know. Where’s Mommy?”

  “She went to the house to shower.”

  “I’m ready to go home, too.”

  “I know you are.” He put his forehead down on his folded hands, thinking. “One day, when you’re very strong, I’m going to teach you how to ride a horse. Maybe even barrel race when you get older.” In his mind, Lucy was going to get well. She was going to graduate from college; marry a man she loved.

  “I like horses. They’re pretty.” She held the stuffed pony his brother had left for her. “I really like this one.”

  “Yeah. I know.” One day, he would thank Ryan for the wonderful gift to Lucy. It had meant a lot. One day, he would also tell Lucy she had an uncle.

  Life had changed beyond anything he could have imagined. He’d thought losing his mother would shatter him, but so much good had happened recently that he knew she had to be smiling with joy.

  And that thought gave him courage to proceed with his question. “Lucy, can Daddy ask you something?”

  “Yes,” she said, kissing her pony on its mane, not really paying attention to him as much as enjoying her toy.

  “I think I’d like to get married.”

  Lucy’s gaze flew to him, her eyes wide. One day, she’s going to have eyelashes on those big eyes, he thought. One day, she’s going to pin some guy with those amazing eyes, and never let him go—and I hope he’ll realize how lucky he is.

  “I think I’d like to marry Miss Carolyn, but I thought I’d discuss it with you first.”

  She smiled at him. “What about Mommy?”

  “Mommy will always be your mommy. And she’ll always visit just like she does when she’s not working. She won’t stay in our house anymore, because Miss Carolyn will.”

  “Oh. Does Miss Carolyn want to marry you?”

  “I think so. But she said I had to ask you first.”

  Lucy smiled at that. “I like Miss Carolyn.”

  “I know you do. And she likes you.”

  “And my dogs and cats?”

  “And your dogs and cats.”

  Lucy nodded. “Then I guess you’d better ask her, Daddy. But tell her she has to read me bedtime stories at night.”

  Ben kissed his daughter’s forehead, his heart lifting. “We’ll read them to you together, baby doll.”

  * * *

  BEN COULD HARDLY wait to drive to Carolyn’s apartment. This time, he took a bottle of champagne and a small box, which he kept hidden in the bag of Chinese food in case she somehow had changed her mind.

  He didn’t want to think about that.

  “Chinese food,” Carolyn said with a grin as she opened her apartment door. “Yum.”

  “Well, I know I already brought you Chinese once, but frankly, it’s the closest, the fastest and the easiest to reheat once I get here.”

  “You’re right. I don’t even need mine rewarmed. I’m going to eat it as is.” Carolyn dug into the bag before he was through putting the champagne into the fridge, and pulled out the box he’d carefully hidden. Her eyes twinkled at him as she held up the box. “New kind of fortune cookie?”

  He took her in his arms. “After everything we’ve been through, I sure hope so. I hope there’s a forecast for a lifetime of happiness in there.”

  She opened the box and gasped at the heart-shaped diamond in a platinum setting. “Oh, Ben! It’s gorgeous!”

  Slipping it onto her finger, he said, “Lucy suggested the shape before I left the hospital. She thought you’d like a heart-shaped diamond the best, but if you don’t like it, I can—”

  “No, no! I love it. I don’t want anything else.” They kissed long and slow, savoring their love for each other.

  “So,” he said when the kiss ended, “Carolyn St. Clair, I received my daughter’s permission to ask you to marry me on one condition—we have to read her a bedtime story every night.”

  Carolyn laughed, hugging Ben around his neck for all she was worth. “Yes, Ben Mulholland, I would be overjoyed to become Mrs. Ben Mulholland. Yes. Oh, my stars, yes,” she said happily as they drew together for a kiss that bridged the past to the future—forever.

  * * *

  “WE’RE NOT inviting anyone,” Carolyn told Christine on the phone. “We can’t invite anyone to the wedding because we’re going to have a small ceremony in Lucy’s hospital room, which we’re hoping will cheer her up. She’s improving so much, but this should give her an even greater reason to get well. She’s very excited to be a flower girl. So please don’t be offended that you’re not invited, Christine, but we can’t risk infecting Lucy.”

  “She’s all that matters. I’m way too happy that this has happened,” Christine said with a squeal. “End of September weddings are lucky.”

  “Why?”

  “All weddings are lucky.”

  They laughed together before Carolyn said, “This would never have happened without you.”

  “Maybe not,” Christine said, her typical attitude in place. “But then again, I think you and Ben were destined to be together. The road just took some unexpected turns. By the way, how is Marissa taking all this?”

  “She seems fine. She actually seems relieved, to be honest. I don’t think she’s all that happy here. And she said that when Lucy gets well, really well, she wants to do some traveling with her. I think Marissa felt guilty because she couldn’t be what she thought Ben needed her to be.”

  “Sounds like someone else I know.”

  “In a funny way, it is kind of the same, I guess.” Carolyn smiled, her heart full of happiness. “I’ll be moving out to the ranch house with Ben and Lucy, and Marissa will hit the road when she has a job again. I think that’s what’s really weighing on her. It’s tough being away from what makes a person feel energized.” Carolyn thought about Lucy and Ben, and how drained she’d felt during the time they hadn’t seen each other.

  “Well, call me when you pick out a dress. I’ve got to run, but I love ya,” Christine said.

  “I know you do. I love you, too. You have no idea what a wonderful wedding present you gave us, Christine.”

  “You just keep telling that sweet little girl that I’m her fairy stepaunt, and I’ll be happy knowing that I live on as a legend in someone’s mind. Bye, Sis.”

  “Bye.” Carolyn hung up the phone, her happiness complete. She had gained a sister, a husband and a child—she had never been so happy.

  * * *

  CHRISTINE SAT tapping long fingernails for a second. “Big sisters are allowed to interfere every once in a while,” she murmured. “Especially in matters where everyone is going to be happy. I hold an important key here.”

  She dialed the phone, and called her TV producer. “You should book Marissa Mulholland on the show. She’s a famous model, and she’s just been through a difficult time with her daughter who had acute lymphocytic leukemia. Marissa is well versed with the disease and how it affects a family, as well as with the procedures, and the website www.marrow.org, and the fact that there’s a Marrow Messenger bulletin,” she said, building her case. “Marissa would be an excellent spokesperson for this disease, and would be received well with our audience. The extra hook is that I donated marrow to Marissa’s daughter while I was on vacation. Wouldn’t that make a great, heartwarming segment?”

  Her producer gushed with ideas for the piece, and Christine hung up the phone, delighted. Marissa would enjoy being in the limelight, which would heighten her visibility, and no doubt many offers would come her way. She would be happy—but she would also not be a huge part of Ben and Carolyn’s newly wedded life. “Making Marissa into a spokesperson was a stroke of genius only I would have come up with,” Christine said out loud. “She’ll love it, and will like helping Lucy and other kids. Ah, it’s great giving the perfect
wedding gift,” she said, completely satisfied with herself.

  * * *

  IN THE HOSPITAL, Carolyn waited for the minister to put on a surgical mask and position himself at the foot of Lucy’s bed. Lucy herself wore a new set of pink pajamas Carolyn had bought for her, and a pink satin ribbon around her head. Ben looked very handsome in a black suit, one that highlighted his good looks. Carolyn wore a short white skirt on Christine’s advice, high heels and a pretty blouse, and held a small bouquet of pink and white flowers.

  “I couldn’t be any happier,” Ben told Carolyn.

  “I couldn’t, either,” she said, smiling up at him.

  They stood together and said their vows, then kissed quickly, which made Lucy clap her hands. Carolyn gave her tiny bouquet to Lucy, and then she and Ben kissed the child who was the center of their existence.

  “We’ll be back soon,” Ben told his daughter.

  “Very soon. And you’ll be home soon,” Carolyn told her. “And when you come home, you and I are going to start baking Christmas cookies.”

  “Christmas cookies in October! I come home on October third,” Lucy reminded them. “Can I eat the dough?”

  Carolyn and Ben laughed. “A tiny bit,” Carolyn said, “but mostly, you get to decorate with sprinkles and red hots and chocolate chips. And the week before Christmas finally gets here, we’re going to talk Aunt Christine into coming and seeing you, because you’re very special to her.”

  Lucy smiled. “I love you, Carolyn.”

  “I love you, too.” Carolyn glowed inside, her heart fuller than she could ever have imagined. “You have no idea how much I always wanted a little girl just like you.”

  “Really?” Lucy asked, her eyes big.

  “Just like you,” Carolyn told her with a heartfelt smile. “And now, all my dreams have come true.”

  She smiled at Ben, who took her hand in his. Together they walked out of the room, blowing kisses and waving goodbye to Lucy. Suddenly, pink, white, silver, and lavender paper hearts rained down on them, showered by Lily, Dylan and Emily.

  “Congratulations!” they exclaimed, tossing more of the fancy confetti. Behind them, Lucy clapped her hands in her hospital bed, clearly enjoying the surprise.

  Carolyn and Ben linked arms and smiled at each other as the hearts floated down on them.

  It was a perfect wedding.

  Suddenly, Carolyn moved, reaching up to catch a handful of the paper hearts midair. She carried them back inside the hospital room to Lucy, who exclaimed with joy over the pretty decorations. Ben smiled to himself as he watched his wife and daughter, deeply grateful for all of the miracles he’d been given.

  * * * * *

  Isabella Trueblood made history reuniting people torn apart by war and an epidemic. Now, generations later, Lily and Dylan Garrett carry on her work with their agency, Finders Keepers. Circumstances may have changed, but the coal remains the same.

  ISBN: 9781459222915

  Copyright © 2001 by Harlequin Books S.A.

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