Redeem

by Janice M. Whiteaker

  He pushed Liza’s wet, matted hair off her face and checked to be sure she was still breathing. Her eyes blinked up at him as her chin quivered from the cold. He rubbed her arms, doing all he could to get some warmth going into her body. “You scared me to death.”

  Don scooped her into his lap, curling around her small body, trying to work up the strength to stand up and get back to his car. She tucked against him. “Y-y-you s-s-saved m-m-me.” She struggled to speak as her body quaked.

  He smiled down at her as he forced himself to get up and start moving before they both froze to death. “Thank God because I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”

  Liza stared at him for a second. “D-d-does th-th-that mean I’m-m-m yours n-n-now?”

  He thought back to that moment at the museum. How much he hated to say those girls weren’t his.

  “I believe it does.”

  TWENTY-THREE

  Beth curled in tighter, needing to be closer. She closed her eyes.

  “Are you sure you’re warm enough?”

  Don’s chuckle vibrated his chest under her cheek. “I’m sure.”

  Beth pulled at the hem of the electric blanket, trying to tuck it higher under his chin. She rested her palm on his cheek. “You still feel cold.”

  Don turned his head her direction. It was probably the only part of his body the man could still move. “I promise you. I am far from cold.” His blue eyes twinkled in the light flickering from the television. He pulled her tighter against his side.

  Beth stared at him. The tip of Don’s nose was still barely pink. It was the only remaining evidence of the horrible events of the evening. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

  When Don called to tell her he and Liza were stuck in the field she’d barely been able to understand him through the chills controlling his words. By the time she and Thomas got back to the old sedan Don’s lips were still barely blue from his icy dip.

  Liza though. Liza was pink and snuggly warm, with all the heater vents blowing on her blanket wrapped body as she peeked out at Beth from the passenger seat of Don’s car.

  Don rubbed his hand up and down her back. “I’m fine.”

  Beth raised an eyebrow at him. “I feel like I’ve heard that before.”

  Like the whole time he insisted on helping Thomas get his car hooked up. Like when he would only let Beth focus on getting Liza taken care of even though her daughter was dry and warm and he was still walking around in his soaked clothes.

  It was as if Don didn’t realize Beth almost lost two people she didn’t want to live without.

  Beth leaned the side of her head against the couch, almost nose to nose with Don. It was time for him to hear some pretty important things she had to tell him and where better than inside the blanket burrito she’d first used to capture him against his will.

  She imagined she’d have to hold him captive for this too.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Don’s brow lowered. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

  Beth snorted. “I absolutely do. What happened last weekend was my fault. I shouldn’t have been upset with you for doing what you thought was best for me.” She held tight to the blanket as Don started to squirm. “Even though you were wrong.”

  Don shook his head. “No. I—”

  “Shut up.” Beth kissed him to soften the blow. Gently letting her lips move across his. It was what she’d wanted to do all night but the call she made to Thomas ended with more than she bargained for.

  Thomas brought Mina and the kids. Mina called Nancy. Nancy brought Paul.

  On the plus side, Liza was lectured by no less than five people.

  And a certain someone was able to see just how much he mattered. As great as it was to watch the people she loved most tell Don how much they appreciated him and what he did, she couldn’t help but be a little jealous.

  But now he was all hers. It was her turn to tell him exactly what she thought of him.

  In just a second after she kissed him a little more.

  “I missed you.” Her words were muddled. Beth sighed and broke their kiss. Looked like she couldn’t do both at once.

  Beth leaned her head back just a little. “I need to tell you something else. Something important that I was going to tell you even before you saved my daughter.”

  Don stayed quiet, his eyes on hers. His chest stopped moving under her arm.

  Beth studied his face, dragging the moment out, wanting to savor it. “You are the best man I’ve ever known.” She let her fingertips skim across the roughness of his shadowy cheek. “And that’s saying something because I know some great men.”

  Paul and Thomas ranked right up there with her own father in the greatness category. But Don knocked them all down a spot. The best part was he did it without even trying.

  Beth swallowed. This was the tricky part. Even though she was pretty confident Don might be feeling the same way, putting it out there would change everything.

  But risking his life to save her daughter’s earned Don her complete honesty. He deserved to know before, but now…

  “I just want you to know that I love you.”

  The blanket wasn’t as confining as Beth thought because in a second, she was rolled to her back with Don’s body pressing down on hers. His elbows rested beside her shoulders and his thumbs gently stroked the skin along her temples. His face was serious, the twinkle gone from his eyes as he looked down at her.

  She bit her lip, trying to keep the words trying to rush out of her mouth contained. Forcing herself to wait for him to say something.

  But he didn’t. Don just looked at her.

  Finally he took a breath. His voice was quiet, ragged. His words measured and slow as they softly passed his lips. “Beth. You and the girls mean everything to me.”

  His thumb moved to brush across her lips. “I never in a million years thought I would find you.” His eyes moved across her face. “I didn’t think you existed.” He brushed his lips across hers slowly, his eyes still open, watching her. “After everything I’ve been through I never thought I would have this.”

  Beth blinked up at him, not wanting to ruin this perfect moment crying and blubbering. “That makes two of us.”

  EPILOGUE

  “Is your belly gonna get even fatter?”

  Mina looked down at her well-rounded belly and then back at Liza giving her a smile. “Probably.”

  Thomas appeared at his wife’s side, a heavy duty paper plate piled high with food balanced in one hand, and spread the other over Mina’s stomach. “Absolutely it will. She’s got a big strong Richard’s girl growing in there.” He nodded to the chair at his side. “Why don’t you sit down angel?”

  When Mina was settled into the armchair, Thomas handed her the plate of food. She looked down at it and back up at him, raising one eyebrow. “Really?”

  He kissed her on the head. “I wanted to be sure you had whatever you wanted.” Thomas pulled a napkin and fork out of his back pocket and held them out. “I’ll be back with a drink for you.”

  Mina rolled her eyes as he walked back to the kitchen, an almost non-existent lag in one leg. “I’m going to end up with more than a fat belly if he keeps it up.” She held out a roll to Liza. The little girl snatched it up, giggling as Mina held one finger to her lips.

  “Does it feel weird?” Don looked down at the little blond-haired boy stuck to his side like glue. He and Levi stood in the doorway to the kitchen taking it all in. An entire family getting together was something neither of them ever experienced. Especially one with so many mismatched parts.

  But you’d never know by watching them.

  “Kinda yeah, but kinda no too.” Levi watched as Nancy helped Kate fill her plate with all the beige carbohydrate laden food the little girl could find on the impressive spread laid across Beth’s kitchen island.

  Don nodded in agreement. “Me too.” The crowd around the island was thinning with most of the family s
itting in the living room. “You hungry?”

  Don and Levi were filling their plates with ham and potatoes and macaroni and cheese when Beth came in, smiling. “How are my boys?”

  Levi beamed at her. “Good.”

  Beth wrapped an arm around the little boy, tugging him into a sideways hug as she dropped a scoop of mixed vegetables onto his plate. “Are you wanting to hunt eggs with the girls or do you want to hide them with Maddie and Charlie?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never done it before.”

  Beth’s jaw tightened, just a little and just for a second before her smile was right back in place. “In that case I say hunt eggs.”

  He looked around the kitchen, then back at Beth and whispered, “I’ll go slow so the girls can find most of them.”

  Beth held his face in her hands. “You are the best kid I know.” She kissed him on the forehead before going back into the living room with a plate of vegetables in hand. “Girls, I have something for you.”

  Levi watched until she was gone.

  So did Don.

  “She’s pretty great huh?” Don scooped some veggies on his own plate.

  “She’s better than anyone I know.” Levi looked at Don, his eyes wide. “You’re great too.”

  Don laughed. “You don’t ever have to worry about offending me buddy.” He grabbed a can of soda out of the fridge and handed it to Levi then pulled out another for himself. “Let’s go figure out how to act.” He elbowed the little boy as they went to join everyone else in the living room.

  Nancy hovered over the kids, all seated around a card table set up on the other side of the farmhouse’s long room. She looked up when he and Levi walked in and waved at Levi. “Come on honey.” Nancy pulled out the remaining empty chair at the table, sitting him between Charlie and Liza.

  Levi sat down and looked up at Don. Don gave him a thumbs up as Nancy held the little boys shoulders and leaned in, talking in a low voice. He nodded which must have satisfied her because she stood up, smiling, patting him gently before going back to take her spot between Paul and Hazel on the long sofa.

  Don started to walk toward the other couch to sit beside Beth who was chatting with Mina about her plans for the nursery. He barely made it two steps before Hazel caught his eye.

  She patted the two foot section on couch remaining on her other side. “Hey handsome, I saved you a seat.” She wiggled her painted on eyebrows at him.

  Don sighed.

  Beth spent most of the morning running around the house trying to get everything ready for Easter lunch while he kept the kids entertained. All he wanted right now was to sit beside her, even if she never said a word to him, he just wanted to be near the woman who never stopped amazing him.

  Unfortunately, saying no to Hazel wasn’t really an option. She’d just chase him around in her walker and give him a hard time the rest of the afternoon. Besides, it was Easter. Might as well give the old bird what she wanted.

  “That’s awfully nice of you.” Don set his soda on one of the limestone coasters scattered across the coffee table and started to settle into the spot she claimed to have reserved just for him.

  He let out a yelp and jumped back up, nearly losing his plate of food in the process. Don turned to look at Hazel. She smiled at him sheepishly.

  “Guess I forgot to move my hand.”

  Nancy leaned forward and gave Hazel the evil eye. Hazel opened her eyes wide in feigned innocence. “Must be getting a touch of the Alzheimer’s. I’ll have to go get it checked.”

  Don checked to be sure the path was clear this time before sitting down. Hazel talked his ear off while he ate his food, nodding and dropping in the occasional ‘really?’. It made it sound like he was paying attention, and he was, just not to her.

  Beth sat on the couch, one leg tucked under her behind, telling Mina about the most recent set of cooking classes she’d signed up for at a high end grocery store in the next town over. Once Beth started to get the hang of cooking she’d taken off full speed ahead, making any and everything from cedar planked salmon to homemade pizza dough.

  Thank God it was almost time to get back out in the fields. If not, the tractor wouldn’t be the only thing rolling across the ground.

  Beth caught him watching and her cheeks pinked just a tiny bit. She gave him a smile before Nancy stole her attention away asking about how she made the ham.

  Don finished his lunch and collected his plate and Hazel’s, taking the pile to the kitchen and dropping it in the trash. He was filling the sink to start washing dishes so Beth wouldn’t have to when a pair of arms snaked around him.

  “Hazel, that better not be you.”

  Beth giggled into his back as she rested her head against him. “I can probably go get her if you’d rather.”

  Don wiped at a fork that was already clean, not wanting to do anything that would take away from enjoying the feeling of her arms around him. Her body pressed against his. “I think I’ve had enough close encounters with Hazel for one day.”

  Maddie and Charlie came through the back door and into the kitchen. “All the eggs are out.” Charlie grabbed a chocolate chip cookie as he went to announce the egg hunt to the smaller kids.

  Beth pressed her lips against his neck, just below his ear before pulling away. Don watched over his shoulder as she went to the small laundry room just inside the back door and grabbed the stack of loop handled Easter baskets off the dryer. She stood in the doorway as Kate, Liza and Levi came rushing through the kitchen.

  “There are seventy-five eggs out there for you guys to find.” She gave each child a basket and opened the door, letting the kids run past followed by Paul, Nancy and Hazel bumping along with her walker. Don brought up the rear hoping it would keep Hazel away from his.

  Nancy helped Hazel get situated into a chair on the deck while Paul pointed out some of the trickier eggs to the kids.

  Don leaned against the deck railing, watching as the kids filled their baskets with brightly colored plastic eggs. Levi stuck close to the girls, making sure they had twice as many eggs as he did.

  “He’s such a good kid.” Beth stepped to his side and leaned into him.

  Don wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in tighter. “He is one hell of a kid.”

  Levi laughed as Liza pretended to fall and dumped her eggs onto her sprawled out body. He carefully collected all her discarded eggs and set them back in her basket. By the time Levi tried to hand it back to her she was already onto the next thing, rolling across the greening grass, stopping at the edge of a flower bed to pick a handful of daffodils.

  She rolled back to Levi and handed them to him.

  “I think Levi is finally happy.” Beth’s hair blew around her face with the soft breeze moving over the still empty fields, the light brown strands catching in the light of the spring sun.

  “I know he is.” Don tucked the straying hair behind her ear, letting his thumb stroke across the soft skin of her cheek.

  “He’s not the only one.”

  Thank you for reading Don and Beth’s story. I hope it was all you were hoping for. If it was (even if it wasn’t) I would love an honest review from you. Click here to leave yours.

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