She regretted beginning Wade’s tailspin, but she couldn’t do anything about it. All she could do was share her blessing with Helen.
“Please sit down, Helen. I thought you might want to hold Chance, and I have wonderful news that will come as a bit of a shock.”
“Okay.” Helen sat in a rocker.
“Perfect, Chance loves to rock.” She kissed his chubby cheek. “Remember Miss Helen I told you about? Do you want to go see her?”
With a grin, Helen reached for him.
Chance didn’t shy away when Shell settled him in Helen’s lap.
“What a friendly boy you are.”
“He’s used to being passed around at our church in Conway.” Shell smoothed a curl away from his face. “Helen, I hope you won’t be angry with me.”
“Why would I be angry, dear?”
Shell took a deep breath and knelt beside Helen. “Because you’re just now getting to hold your grandson for the first time.”
A gasp escaped and Helen’s lips trembled. “Wade’s son?”
“I’m so sorry.” Shell’s vision blurred. “I should have told you long before now.”
Helen hugged Chance to her.
“It’s okay, Chance.” Shell patted his back. “Grandma Helen loves you. I told you she’d be excited to see you. She’s crying happy tears and she’s not trying to put you to sleep. No nap time.”
As Helen took the hint and loosed her grip on him, he settled back in her lap making a rocking motion.
With a watery laugh, Helen rocked the chair. “Grandma Helen is very happy. Happier than she’s been in years.”
Ten a.m. Shell checked each house again. Ryler and Collin still gone. She drove the seven miles to Rose Bud. Cars had cleared out of the B&B. Down the road, Laken’s car still wasn’t home.
She’d have to head to Searcy. Thankfully, Helen had insisted Chance stay with her for as long as Shell needed. She’d wanted to take him with her, but what if things didn’t go as planned? What if Ryler was still angry? Chance didn’t need to witness any scenes and this one could go past his nap time.
Plans had already been promised for a picnic in the park tomorrow. And it sounded like Helen wanted to completely stop working at the florist and be at the B&B daily. No day care needed. It felt really good to make a lonely woman’s day.
A red car met her. Hayden and Laken waved.
Collin’s black Lexus was next, with him and Jill waving.
Any minute Ryler would be along. Last to leave because Sylvie wouldn’t let go of him. With complete understanding, Shell thought of all the times she’d relinquished Chance to Savannah. Not anymore. Lord, please help Chance easily adjust.
Pulling onto the side of the road, Shell waited for a glimpse of a charcoal SUV.
A dark SUV came into view. She held her breath as it drew closer then huffed it out. Wrong model, navy blue.
Another dark SUV approached with a U-Haul on the back. Her breath caught. It was him.
Ryler slowed as he neared and pulled onto the shoulder across from her. He got out and jogged over. A deep frown marred his handsome features. “Car trouble?”
“You’re moving?” Her voice quivered.
“I decided not to support the kind of landlord who gets his kicks by manhandling women, so I’m staying with Sylvie and Martin until I decide what’s next. I’m headed back for the last load.”
She blew out another big breath. “That’ll be good for all of you. Make up for lost time and get to know one another.”
“Martin’s going into rehab for a month and Sylvie was nervous about being alone.” He splayed both palms upward. “What are you doing here?”
“I met Laken and Collin, so I figured you’d be along soon. We need to talk. The B&B or the park?”
“The B&B.” He ran a hand through his hair. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you all about it there.”
With a deepening frown, he jogged back to his SUV. He waited until Shell turned around in a driveway before pulling out behind her.
Her insides turned jittery. What if he’d changed his mind? What if she’d hurt him and he didn’t want her? What if he didn’t believe her about Darrell? Lord, please work things out for us.
She turned into the drive of the B&B and he followed. Her insides lurched as she stepped out of her car.
The green lush grass spread around the house like a carpet. Not a weed in sight. Roses and blossoms of every color surrounded each fountain, with benches in the midst and stone walkways leading to the house and the driveway. The miniature Romance Waterfalls splashed and trickled.
“Why didn’t you ever plant anything at your rental house?”
“I never planned to put down any roots there.”
Me neither. All she’d wanted was to finish the job and get out of town. Now all she wanted was to stay. With Ryler. Forever.
The balcony was empty. “Let’s go up there.”
“Sure.” Ryler slowed his pace to match hers.
He strode to the porch, opened the arched-window door, and ushered her inside.
The clerk at the desk looked up. “Hi, Shell. Eva and Darrell are so relieved you’re coming to manage this place.”
Ryler’s eyes widened.
“I’m excited, too. Nelda? Right? We’re just going to borrow the balcony for a few minutes.”
“That’s fine. I think all our guests are out sightseeing.”
Nerve endings buzzed with his nearness as Shell climbed the wide staircase and reached the landing.
Ryler opened the door to the balcony for her. “You’re staying here?”
She perched on the swing and patted the seat beside her. “I brought Chance with me.”
“Where is he?” Ryler shoved his hands in his pockets and remained standing.
“At Helen’s, getting acquainted with his grandmother.”
Ryler gasped. “I’m glad. She needed to know about him. I’m proud of you for doing the right thing.”
“Me, too. She’s so happy and Chance latched on to her. But I need to get back soon.”
“So that’s why you came back? For Helen.”
Chapter 11
Sit down.” She patted the seat beside her again. “Please.”
He sat and drew an imaginary line between them.
Her laugh came out watery. “Remember when you asked me why I left when you wanted me to move in with you?”
“I’m glad you didn’t now.”
Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard, loving him so much it hurt inside. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
“That’s not what I—”
“You said I was only looking for Mr. Right Now, but I found more than I was looking for.”
“You did?” His gaze stayed firmly on the floor.
“In my experience, men don’t stick around. So, I left before you did.”
“Why’d you leave this time?”
She sucked in a deep breath. “Once I found out your blood was blue, I didn’t think I was worthy.”
“Blue blood? Me?” His laugh echoed sarcasm. “Talk about not being worthy.”
“But we both are, don’t you see? I just needed to hear it from a higher source.” A yellow butterfly flitted about. Once a bumpy, wormlike caterpillar. Now a new creature. “Last Sunday, God told me I was worthy. Of Him and of you. Not directly, but through a Sunday school teacher. If Mary Magdalene can become a respected member of the community and Christ’s inner circle, through His love, so can I.”
“I tried to tell you that.”
She shrugged. “I know, but I was too beat down by my mother, jerks, and snobs to hear it.”
“I need to know about Darrell. What’s going on there?”
Grabbing his chin, she forced him to look at her. “Nothing. When I first moved to Conway, Darrell gave me a job cleaning apartments. His manager quit, so he trained me. Eva took me under her wing. If not for them, I’d probably be in some menial job, barely scraping by on
minimum wage.” Or following in her mother’s footsteps.
“You crossed the line.” He traced the imaginary line between them. “So Eva knows about you.”
Shell bit her lip. “There’s nothing to know about. Eva’s an interior decorator and realized I had talent in that area. She mentored me and allowed me to design and decorate the clubhouse and condos when they bought the golf course in Searcy. And the whole time, they invited me to church and witnessed to me, but I guess I wasn’t ready to hear it.”
“What about that day at the roasterie? Did it really require you and Darrell, without Eva, to order coffee?”
“Eva was in the roasterie watching a demonstration.” She rolled her eyes. “Do you really think that if Darrell and I were an item, we’d hang around together in public?”
Ryler’s eyes squeezed shut. “So there’s never been anything between you and Darrell?” A smile played over his lips and he turned them into her palm.
She shivered and her heart somersaulted. His gentle touch warmed her soul. “I spent my entire childhood watching my mother destroy marriages. A distraught wife even came to our house packing a gun and I think she’d have shot my mother if not for Savannah and me. Trust me, I would never get involved with married men. Besides, Darrell is one of the most honorable men I know and he’s crazy about his wife.”
“He treated you more honorably than I did.” Ryler hung his head. “I’m sorry for accusing you of that. I didn’t see Eva at the roasterie and when I saw you up here on our balcony with him at the grand opening, my old jealousy surfaced.”
Our balcony. Her heart danced.
“And I’m sorry for the things I said about Chance, too. You’ve obviously always put his needs first. I was hurt and lashed out with angry words.”
She traced his jawline with her fingertips. “Eva’s been running this place, but that was never their plan. They always hoped I’d stay here. I’m planning to. As long as that’s where you’ll be.”
“What about Chance?”
“We’ll work it out. Like you said once, I bet there are lots of landscaping jobs in Conway. I’m not going anywhere without you.”
He turned her hand over and kissed the back of it.
“There’s another reason why I left the first time.”
“What’s that?”
“I thought I could get over you.”
He grinned. “But it didn’t work.”
“I love you, Ryler.”
“Oh Shell. We’ve wasted so much time.” He leaned his forehead against hers.
“No more wasted time. I want you to meet Chance. With my sister and brother-in-law’s blessing, I’m going to bring him to live with me. Slowly at first, only if he adjusts well, and I’m going to tell him who his mommy is. If it works, we’ll talk about his daddy when he’s old enough. I have to do what’s best for him.”
“I’m glad. A child should be with his mother.”
She slid from the swing and knelt on one knee beside him. “Ryler Grant or Martin Rothwell Kroft Jr. or whoever you are, will you marry me?”
“I’ll think about it, only if you’ll drop the Martin Rothwell Kroft bit.”
Think about it? Her heart crashed against her ribs as she tried to play along with his humor. “If you insist, Rothwell.”
“Maybe you can call me that when I get on your nerves.”
“You’ll never get on my nerves.”
“Even after sixty or seventy years?”
“Never. So, is that a yes?”
“There’s just one little problem.”
“What?”
“We don’t have anywhere to live.”
She certainly didn’t want to live across the street from Wade’s old house where so many bad memories dwelled. “We need a fresh start, anyway. Darrell’s letting me stay in the apartment/honeymoon suite until I come up with something permanent.”
“I could live quite happily with you in a honeymoon suite. We’ll figure out something permanent together. Maybe buy land and build a house.”
Her heart sank. What about all his starting over and following the Bible’s principles?
“I won’t live with you, Ryler.” Her voice quivered. “Not until after the wedding.”
“I meant after the wedding.” He kissed her hand. “I’m glad you never moved in with me. I want us to build our lives together, with God’s blessing. I’ll marry you on our balcony on the Fourth of July.”
A relieved sigh escaped, but her eyes widened. “Less than a week away?”
“It’s perfect because from the moment I first kissed you, Shell Evans, I’ve seen fireworks.”
Her vision blurred. His lips sought hers and fireworks blasted through her veins.
Hand in hand, Ryler walked Shell toward Helen’s door. “What if he doesn’t like me?”
“He’ll love you and he’s not shy. Savannah and Jake attend a large church, so Chance is used to being passed around by the entire congregation.” Shell knocked.
Helen opened the door. The little towheaded boy Ryler had seen in Shell’s framed picture clutched Helen’s skirt.
Scooping him up, Shell kissed his chubby cheek.
“He was an absolute angel,” Helen gushed. “The entire time. Reminds me of—” Her eyes watered. “Please, come in.”
The humble little house was neat and tidy. Cozy, with pictures lining the walls. Chance favored the blond man in most of them.
Shell patted Helen’s arm. “I was afraid he’d get fussy as nap time neared.”
“Not a peep. Ryler, it’s nice to see you.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” His gaze riveted on Chance.
“Chance, this is Ryler. My fiancé. That means we’re getting married.” Shell bounced the child up and down on her hip.
“Hi.” Chance chewed on his fist.
“Hi.” Ryler’s vision blurred. Chance deserved a chance at a real family, at having a father who loved him. With this child, Ryler would make up for Shell’s rough upbringing and the last lonely twelve years of his life. This boy would be loved by two parents.
“Congratulations.” Helen hugged Shell then gestured them to the couch. “When’s the happy occasion?”
“Independence Day.”
Helen’s eyes widened. “This Thursday?”
“Know any florists who could whip something up?” Shell smiled as Chance clambered over to Ryler’s lap.
“I believe I do.”
“See, he loves you,” Shell whispered. “Just like his mommy does.”
Standing in her favorite gold and cream attic bedroom of the B&B, Shell smoothed her hands down her dress. Never had she imagined she’d wear a white wedding gown with everything it traditionally signified. But in God’s eyes, she was pure. And His opinion was all that mattered.
A knock sounded on the door.
“Ryler?”
“Eva said you wanted to see me.” He opened the door, wearing a navy pinstripe tuxedo. The red tie and cummerbund set off his dark coloring.
And her heart. “Hey, handsome.”
“Hello, beautiful.” He pulled her into his arms. “In approximately two hours, we’ll be on our honeymoon. Right here in this very room.”
“I can’t believe Darrell ran the guests out for the entire afternoon and appeased them with an extra night free. Especially on a holiday weekend. It’s like a fairy tale. But I don’t understand why we had to have the entire place.” She giggled. “All we need is one room and we could have stayed in the suite.”
“You’ll see later. Speaking of fairy tales, Sylvie wants you to wear these.” He fished a long box from inside his jacket and opened it to reveal a strand of pearls. “They belonged to my great-grandmother.”
Shell’s hand flew to her heart. “They’re lovely.”
“Not as lovely as you.” He stepped behind her.
Holding her hair up so he could fasten the strand, she shivered when his knuckle grazed her neck.
It seemed like as good a time as any. Maybe he wouldn�
��t get too mad. “I saw a lawyer the other day.”
“Funny. Me, too.” The pearls clasped into place.
“What for?” She turned to face him.
He fished an envelope from an inside pocket. “I want to adopt Chance.” Her vision blurred. “Oh Ryler.”
“He’s part of you. I love him, Shell, and I want to be his father. Legally and in every sense of the word.”
“I want you to be his father, too.”
“Is that why you went to the lawyer?”
Shaking her head, she gulped a deep breath and grabbed the envelope from the dresser. “I had this drawn up.”
Ryler unfolded the legal document and scanned it. “A prenup. You had a prenup drawn up without telling me?” His neck reddened.
She winced. “I knew you’d never agree.”
“Why, Shell? I don’t want this. You know I don’t want this.” His jaw clenched.
“I don’t want anyone to think I married you for your money.” Especially not you.
“Who cares what anyone thinks, other than God and us?” He ran a hand through his hair. “I thought you were past this unworthy business.”
“I am. But I want you and everyone else to know that your money doesn’t matter to me. That I love you. You know—rich or poor, in sickness or in health. Just humor me.”
He sighed. “Until death do us part. But that’s just it, Shell. If it’s until death do us part, we don’t need this.”
“I do.” She kissed him. “Please don’t be angry. Let’s go get married.”
She hurried to the landing to let Darrell know she was ready. Ryler hesitated a moment at the top of the stairs.
Her heart plunged to her toes. Surely, he wasn’t angry enough to leave her at the altar.
“Ryler?” Uncertainty echoed in her voice.
“Don’t worry.” He descended and kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m not going anywhere, my stubborn bride.”
Ryler winked then strode out to the balcony.
Blowing out a big breath, Shell’s hands shook as she clutched her red rose bouquet.
“Relax.” Darrell offered his elbow as the wedding march began. “You’re supposed to enjoy this day.”
The door opened and they joined Ryler standing with his best man, Collin. Savannah served as matron of honor. Chance fiddled with the satin pillow holding their rings and scattered crimson petals long after the music stopped. Guests stood between the house and the front garden.
ARKANSAS WEDDINGS: THREE-IN-ONE COLLECTION Page 49
