The first thing she did was sell most of her furniture and move into a flophouse taking only one room for herself and the bare necessities. She worked through her pregnancy until delivery and only took off a few days before going back to work. Her elderly neighbor sat with the new baby while Gina earned as much money as she could. Her whole world revolved around Fisher and she was determined to give him a better life than she’d had herself.
She pushed the memories away and concentrated on the here and now. With the basket under her arm, she took Fisher’s hand and walked him back outside to the clothesline where he played with the bucket of pegs while she hung out the washing.
Chapter Eight
Rory looked forward to seeing Gina in town today. He’d all but invited her in since she’d resisted every day so far since they’d arrived, insisting she go to the cottage. Preferring to spend her time working, she’d taken a bit of convincing to meet him for a coffee after she’d done what she considered were her chores. Hopefully she would let Callie look after Fisher and they could have some time alone together. He’d decided to take her into the jewelry store and buy her a ring, making his intentions clear. Chance was right, he was going to marry her regardless of his initial reaction and she deserved to know that. It might make her relax and trust him more too. He got the feeling that she was waiting for the axe to fall and he hated the unsettled look in her eyes when she thought nobody was taking any notice of her.
Last night he’d made peace with himself and Cindy’s memory. She wouldn’t want him alone for the rest of his life and it was over three years since she’d died. It was time to move on but it had taken him days of arguing with himself to finally come to the realization that if he let Gina go, he might not be so lucky next time.
He’d lain in bed, looked at the ceiling and spoke to his wife for the last time.
“I’ve missed you every single moment since you left. You were my first big crush, my first love. Seeing you walk into the room would make my day brighter, Cindy.” His throat thickened as he said her name. “But I can imagine you looking down on me with a scowl on your face, saying how stupidly I’ve been behaving.” Rory swallowed.
“I know you’re right but that doesn’t make it any easier. I lost big part of myself when I lost you and the baby. I’ll never forget you or the life we’d started but I know I have to make the effort to move on, to live again. Gina, well, she needs someone. Her and Fisher need saving, almost more than I do.”
The sound of a baby giggling in his sleep came from next door. Rory smiled, amazed at how quickly he’d fallen for the toddler. “Thing is, I think we all deserve a chance so I’m going to go for it. Since she’s been here, she’s worked harder than I think is necessary but she’s not the kind to sit back and wait for life to happen. I admire that about her. She’s a doer. I think we’ll be good together.”
Emotion clogged his throat and he cleared it. “So, this is the last time I’m going to do this. I’m letting you lie in peace while I try to get my life back together. Don’t think I’ll forget you, because I won’t. That I promise you.”
Rory wiped his hand across his eyes and sighed. Had he done the right thing or was there still some doubt in the back of his mind? Time would tell. He rolled over and slept, the burden of survivor’s guilt lifted from his shoulders.
*
The following morning, Rory walked out past the front desk and spoke to the officer on duty. “I’m going for a walk around town, see what’s happening on the streets today. Call if you need me.”
“Sure thing, Rory.”
The sun shone bright and he tipped down his hat over his eyes. He spied Milly Forester, their father’s neighbor, over feeding the birds in the park as was her daily habit. He checked the road and crossed over to say hello to her.
“Mrs. Forester. Nice day for a sit in the park.” He walked over and sat down on the picnic stool, watching her crumble up the bread she’d brought from the bakery as she did every day.
“That it is, young man.” She threw the handful of crumbs and the sparrows squabbled over it like noisy children. “Hear tell your daddy is keen to see you. Been back home for long enough to make the effort if you ask me.”
“Don’t pull any punches, do you?”
“Why would I do that? Known you long as you’ve been on this earth. Smacked that butt of yours a time or two as well.” She laughed and nudged him with her elbow.
“That so? Not sure I remember that.” He smiled as he remembered the quick slap of her hand when he’d thought he’d gotten away with something. It was always a shock to find he wasn’t a smart as he thought he was.
“Yeah, well, only had to do it a couple of times and then you got yourself sorted out. Stopped you giving your poor father a hard time and got you to do what you should have done in the first place.”
“From what I remember growing up, not sure he deserved too much from his sons. I figured he thought more of his bottle than us boys.” Rory sighed. He hadn’t meant to get into this conversation with her today, he had only intended giving her a respectful hello.
“Now you listen to me, young man. When your poor mother passed over, well your daddy almost died along with her. Not saying it’s right or wrong, just the way it is. Broke his heart and he couldn’t function no more. Lucky you had your big brother to help out when he did.”
“So I hear.”
“He’s done well the last few years, you know. Your daddy’s been to AA and kicked the bottle. Starting to get himself sorted out.” She threw more bread to the birds before she looked up at him. “You should know what it feels like, son. You’ve been though it yourself. I thought of you when I heard the news, Rory. Wish I’d been closer to help out; sadly what’s done is done.” She screwed up the paper bag the bread came in and pushed herself to her feet. “Don’t go making the same mistake your daddy did either. You’ve got a chance at making a go of it with that lovely little girl I met last week when she came into town. Don’t blow it.”
“How the heck do you know what’s going on?” Rory stood up and looked down at her.
“Not blind, Rory.” She patted him on the hand. “Bring her to see me soon. Rather partial to that little one of hers, a right little cutie he is. He helped me feed the birds the day they arrived. Knew there was something going on in her head. Two of a kind you are, both needing something and not sure if you’ll ever find it. Perfect match if you ask me.”
“Don’t rightly know if I was asking, actually.”
“Still got that smart mouth of yours, Rory. It suits you somehow though.” She started to walk away.
“I’ll be sure to tell her you asked after her then.”
“And don’t forget to go see your daddy. Man’s still hurting.” She waved a hand in the air and tottered off, leaving him standing alone in the park.
“Hurting,” right. He crossed the road and started walking toward the old house he’d grown up in. He’d meant to come sooner but something always got in the way. The front fence badly needed of a coat of whitewash and the gate lay tilted, broken on one hinge. He wondered when the lawns were last mowed and the thought of offering crossed his mind. Rory stepped onto the cracked path and headed up to the front door. His mother’s old rocking chair still sat on the front porch. The cushions were now faded and threadbare, but it still held place of pride. Memories of her sitting there looking out over the front garden hit him in the gut and he hurried up the stairs to the open door. The button hadn’t worked for years so he raised his hand and knocked on the door frame, rattling the peeling timber.
“Come in.” The crackling voice wasn’t how he remembered his father sounding. Rory stepped into the hallway and the memories washed over him. Being twelve years old and watching his big brother slam out the front door with a satchel over his shoulder carrying everything he owned in the world, hurting him beyond measure. The growl of his father when the brothers made too much noise in the morning when he was suffering from a headache, as he did most mornings
after a big night on the bottle. The dirty clothes piled up beside the washing machine and dishes nobody wanted to clean before they went to school in the morning.
“In here.”
Rory stepped into the kitchen and saw the bent old man leaning over the sink, his hands in hot soapy water as he did his dishes.
“What can I do for you?” His father turned and his eyes widened when he saw who was standing there. “Rory, is that you, son?”
His father wiped his hands on a tea towel, dropped it on the counter, and walked over. His eyes shone with wonder and he held out a hand to touch the face of the boy he hadn’t seen for almost ten years. Rory held back. He needed a good reason to forgive his father for the lost years before they were back to the loving relationship they had before it all went bad.
Over a cup of tea, he listened to apologies and regrets for the way his father had treated them. “I totally lost it, I’ll freely admit it. I loved your mother so much my world fell apart without her.”
“You had us, Dad. We lost her too.”
“I know that, but there was nothing I could do. There was no reasoning with me. I’ll never be able to forgive myself for ignoring you boys and thinking of myself first. It was wrong of me.”
“You know what I can’t forgive you for?”
The watery eyes glanced down at the table as if dreading what was coming.
“I can’t forgive you for making Chance leave. For not stopping him.” Rory cleared his throat, pushing down the emotion that rose and threatened to cut off his air supply. “And you never once told us it was him that kept us fed and clothed while you wallowed inside your bottle. How could you do that to him, to us?”
His father’s hand started to shake, spilling tea on the old, scarred Formica table. He put the cup down and gripped his hands together, steadying the shakes. “He made my life easier. Meant I could drink my troubles away and forget about everything for a while.”
“It wasn’t a while, Dad. It was years and years.”
The old man nodded his head. “You’re right. I didn’t give him any credit for what he did. He kept this family together while I distanced myself from everyone I loved, everyone I still love. He deserves a medal for that. He was more of a father to you boys than I ever was.”
“Yeah, he was.”
Rory sipped at the almost-cold tea, the taste bitter in his mouth. How long was he going to hate his father for what happened? It seemed a waste of time when life was so short. He knew that from losing Cindy. Hate and regret were emotions he didn’t need in his life. Perhaps it was time for forgiveness and mending bridges. Tyson, his younger brother, seemed to have moved on, so why not Rory? It was time for families to come together and build new relationships now he had Gina and Fisher in his life. It would be nice for them as well to have more. He wondered if Chance would think the same way eventually.
“Tell me what’s happening with you. Milly Forester said you’re the new deputy sheriff now.” The clearness of his father’s eyes told the story. He wasn’t drinking anymore and the house, although old and worn, was clean, unlike when he was growing up. Rory made the obvious decision to move on and forgive.
“Yes. After I lost my wife I didn’t know what to do, bit like you I guess. I wandered around aimlessly for years until Chance managed to get hold of me. He wanted me to come home and I was thinking about it myself to tell the truth. I even got so far as to put in for a transfer. Then I received a call from Tyson. Chance’d had a bad accident so I came back here early.”
“Chance? I hear he’s on the mend, thank goodness. Do you think he’ll ever forgive me?” His father’s lips trembled.
“Who knows? Give him time and we’ll see. It was good to talk to you again, but I really have to get back to work.” He stood up, the years melting away. “Call me if you need anything, okay, Dad?”
Tears rolled down the wizened cheeks and Rory wished he could take back the missing years. He knew exactly how his father felt when he lost his wife. If Rory were any other person, he could easily have gone down the same path of destruction losing himself in a bottle. He reached for his father and held the frail shaking body close.
“Thanks, son. Appreciate it and I’m doing okay now I’m sober. Took me awhile. I have things under control.”
Rory put his hat on and hugged his father again. “See you around.” He walked out, thankful he’d had the chance to make peace with that part of his life.
As he turned into the main street, a familiar car drove past and pulled up in front of his office. Gina opened the door and slid her legs out, climbed out, and smoothed down her skirt. His heart raced as she stood there looking around, so timid but so lovely. He hurried back, waving as he crossed the road.
“Hi. Glad you decided to come in. Where’s Fisher?”
Her eyes widened when she saw him and a small hint of pink tinted her cheeks which made his chest tighten. “Callie insisted on taking care of him. I think he has her wrapped around his little finger.”
Rory reached her and put his arm over her shoulders. “I know how she feels. He’s got me sorted too, and Chance. Now that I have you here, how about a quick tour of the town before we have a coffee. There’s something I want to show you.”
“Sure. I said I’d be a couple of hours so I’m all yours.” She smiled up into his face and let him lead her down the street. He kept up a running commentary as they passed each shop. When they got to the jewelers, he pushed the door open and guided her in. Her mouth dropped open and she paled.
“I think it’s about time I let you know how I really feel, don’t you?”
“Are you sure, Rory? Really sure about this?” She stared at him, hope in her eyes and also fear that it would all come crashing down around her ears. Once more doubt tapped him on the shoulder but only for a fleeting second.
“Yes, I’m sure. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and Fisher, and whatever life throws at us. I’m sick of being alone and I want you if you’ll have me.”
He ignored the gasps of the sales lady watching them and sank down on one knee. “Gina Taylor, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He held his breath and waited for her to answer.
*
She licked her top lip and swallowed the sudden fear racing up her throat. His eyes beseeched her to answer him. This was what she’d been waiting for, working for, and now that he was asking her nerves were all over the place. “Yes, if you’re sure it’s what you really want.”
He stood up and leaned into her. Gina took a step back, her butt hitting the wall as he dipped his head down to her mouth. She sank into the kiss, letting her body take over. Starved of love and affection, she wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her heart to him. His tongue pressed between her lips, opening her mouth so he could twist his tongue with hers, sending a need to her stomach that thrilled her to the core. If it wasn’t for the lady watching them, Gina would have raised her leg and wrapped it around his hips to get her body closer still.
When he moved back, she almost cried out in distress at the distance between them.
“That is so romantic, Deputy. You sure know how to sweep a girl off of her feet.” The sales assistant clapped her hands, their one-person cheer squad in full flight. “I do hope you’re here to let me help you choose a ring. Heaven forbid you’re just using the inside of my little shop to create shenanigans with the young lady.”
Rory gripped her hand and pulled her to the counter. “Sandra?” He looked at her name tag and smiled with a charm that made her blush. “My fiancée and I would like you to help us choose a ring.”
“Well, it just so happens that you’ve come to the right place. What does the lady prefer? Diamonds?” Sandra looked eagerly at Gina.
“I don’t have a preference actually.” Gina looked at the trays in front of her and shuddered. How on earth did anyone choose between all of this stuff?
“Well now, let me get out some that I think will suit your hand and we can take it from th
ere. Do you have a budget, Deputy?”
Rory shook his head.
For the next hour and a half, Sandra showed them ring after ring until Gina was ready to pull her hair out. Nothing stood out as the one for her. Ready to give up, she turned away. “Gina, how about this one?” Rory pointed to a small block-set ring on a plain gold band.
She glanced at it, ready to shake her head when she caught herself. “It’s perfect.” When it was on her finger, a happiness she had never know settled upon her shoulders. How had she gotten so lucky? All the years of hardship drifted away as she looked at the man who’d rescued her from a life of poverty.
“Happy?” Rory leaned on the counter watching her.
“Happy.”
Together they walked back toward his office holding hands. “Are you sure it’s what you want to do, Rory? I hate the thought that I might have pushed you into this.”
“No, you didn’t push me into it. You came here in good faith after we both decided to go ahead with this crazy idea. I realized I wasn’t being fair to you anyway, it was something I had to work out for myself. It was selfish of me to keep you waiting like that after I had you come all the way over here. I know you said you would do this for Fisher, but I wanted to do this for you, Gina.”
“That’s so sweet.” She squeezed his hand, a smile on her face and a spring in her step. “So long as you’re sure. I promise no more secrets between us. I’ll be a wife you can be proud of.” And I will make you proud of me because I’m falling so much in love with you day by day.
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles before pulling her into the Java Café. “Time for a quick bite to eat before I have to go back to work.” They took a table by the window and waited for someone to take their order.
The Sheriff's Mail-Order Bride (The Watson Brothers #2) Page 8
