He kissed her again. This time it didn’t hurt. This time it was more like a humming bird flapping its wings against her lips. It tickled almost and then she drifted off thinking how much she’d like the three of them to be a family.
****
Brad had lied to Lucy about going home to rest. He had every intention of staying awake and sitting in a chair all night at the hospital and calling in every hour to check if there was any news of Presley. He knew he should be out there looking himself but his deputy had convinced him to stay put just in case Nevie had a change of heart and came looking for him.
He’d settled down in an armchair in the family waiting area and had been spotted by Sadie who seemed to know all about his true intention, and that he wasn’t even considering about going home. The lady really did have a sixth sense. She’d insisted that he go home and rest because his two girls would need him.
Brad threw his keys into the tray by the door and clicked on the light. For the last month or so the house had finally felt like a home. He had a baby and Lucy to come home to every night. There’d been the smell of something delicious cooking or baking each time he’d walked through the door. There’d been diapers, and baby toys scattered on the living room floor. And they’d been Lucy to eat with, watch TV with, and yes, make love to.
He pulled out a kitchen chair and slumped down upon it, quickly putting his head in his hands. He wanted to cry like he had when his mother had passed away several years ago, but his eyes seemed dry from all the crying he’d already done.
His stomach rumbled yet he didn’t think he could tolerate food or even a beer at this time. Maybe he should get some sleep because him walking around like a zombie wasn’t helping either Presley or Lucy. He got up, climbed the stairs and for the first time since he’d moved into the house, hated its peacefulness. He longed for the day when it would be once again filled with Presley’s crying and giggles, and Lucy’s voice and laughter.
Deciding not to even get undressed, Brad lay on the bed and shut his eyes.
He hadn’t realized he’d drifted off to sleep until his cell phone ringing woke him. He slapped the bedside table, knowing he’d put the phone there soon after he’d entered the bedroom. He finally found the edge and pulled it toward him, noticing it was the early hours of the morning.
Maybe they’d found, Presley. Maybe there were such things as miracles after all.
“Hello, Sheriff Ryan speaking.”
He didn’t hear everything because he felt sick when the words Lucy, blood clot, and knew he had to get to the hospital as fast as he could. If he lost her as well as Presley it would destroy him.
****
Lucy knew she wouldn’t complain about a simple headache ever again. She’d woken and called the nurse telling her she felt like her head was about to explode. The next few hours had been a blur when she’d been taken down to the X-Ray department, given a scan, and heard the doctor saying the words blood clot.
She was now on blood thinners and her prognosis was excellent, but she still felt like crap. Brad looked even worse as she sat slumped in the chair where he’d sat for most of the day and into the night until he’d finally given in and gone to sleep. They’d been no word of Presley and it made her feel sick and angry. Nevie didn’t deserve to be a mother and if there was any justice she’d be paid back big time for doing this to Brad.
He stirred and she was tempted to get out of bed and hug him. In fact, she knew she shouldn’t but if she managed to drag the IV stand over to where he sat she could be close to him.
She pulled back the covers and flinched a little when her feet hit the ground. She’d had enough experience as a nurse to know how to untangle IV lines and get the patient moving without risk of pulling one out. As she edged closed to Brad he suddenly woke up, looking startled and confused.
“What, hey, what are you doing out of bed?”
“I had to use the bathroom.”
“You’re telling lies because you have a catheter.”
“Okay, you caught me red-handed. I wanted to come and be with you.”
“Go back into bed and I’ll come and lie beside you.”
Lucy turned around, pulling the IV stand back to its original spot and eased her body back into the bed.
Brad rubbed his eyes and then kicked off his cowboy boots and got on it beside her, putting his arm around her so she could rest her head on his shoulder.
“Did I ever tell you that I love you?” asked Brad.
“I think you did but it’s nice hearing again. And you know I love you?”
“I guess this is a stupid time to talk about this but I don’t want you taking that job in Helena. And yes, I know, I’m a male chauvinist.”
“So what do you want me to do?”
“I’m selfish enough to want you to stay here in Pine Ridge and…”
“And do what?”
“Be my wife.”
“I see, and that’s a marriage proposal is it?”
“Yeah, I know it stinks right?”
“Stinks big time and where’s my ring?”
He hoped he knew that she was teasing him.
“At the Something Old antique store.”
“Oh, so you went shopping for a ring without asking me for my hand in marriage first.”
“Yeah, I’m a sneaky bastard.”
They both laughed and it felt good to be doing that for the first time in days.
“So what do you say Miss Lucy, do you want to be the sheriff’s wife? I should warn you that next year I’m up for reelection and there’s lots of campaigning to do. You have to be by my side constantly, and I might even have to get you in the family way just to get more votes.”
Lucy couldn’t laugh as much as she wanted to because her body still ached.
“I will but no wedding until we get Presley back as she’s got to be my bridesmaid.”
A tear ran down Brad’s cheek. “I should be happy but we can’t be until she’s home.”
“She’s coming home soon. I know it.”
****
Sadie knew she’d be in big trouble but these were desperate times. It had been five days since Presley had been taken by her mother and so far they seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
She walked to her cupboard and pulled out her mixing bowl and scanned the shelf for the right potions. If Presley’s mother wasn’t going to see reason by herself, Sadie would have to encourage her to do the right thing.
It was risky because if the council found out she’d been meddling and put this spell onto a mortal, she’d been forced to remain in the Witches’ Realm indefinitely, with no contact whatsoever with mortals, and therefore she would have to close Perfect Pairing.
Lucy, Brad and that cute baby were worth the gamble.
She poured two drops of the lavender potion, one of green, and then a hefty amount of yellow. She mixed them together and lifted the bowl into the air, chanting as smoke bellowed from its rim.
“We ask that the child’s mother be given the gift of reason and compassion. That she realizes that the child should be with her father and that she comes to accept that the universe wishes it to be this way.”
She raised the bowl up again as light shone from it and its beam played against the tiles in the ceiling.
It was brazen and she only hoped no one from the council had been monitoring her because Perfect Pairing was her life calling.
****
Lucy hobbled around trying to get the washing into the machine. She’d been home a day and couldn’t sit around the house doing nothing.
“Hey, what have I told you about doing stuff like this?”
She nearly fell over when Brad’s voice boomed behind her.
“I can do it, really I can.”
He snatched a shirt from her hands as the phone rang.
“Saved by the bell for now. Hello, Sheriff Ryan. I can’t believe it.”
She saw him slump down and wonder if something was wrong, but then saw him smilin
g.
“Sure, I’ll be waiting.”
He put the phone down. “They’ve found Presley. Nevie turned herself in to the police in Eugene, Oregon. Presley’s on her way home.”
****
Brad knew he was being sneaking but he couldn’t help himself. He stood in the doorway of Presley’s room and watched as Lucy leaned over and tucked the baby in.
He took a sip of the beer from the bottle in his hand and couldn’t believe how his life had changed in the last few months. He was a father, he’d fallen in love, and this coming Saturday he was getting married.
Lucy turned around and noticed him. She put her finger up to her lips warning him to be quiet as she tiptoed toward him. She encouraged into the hallway and pulled the door slightly closed.
“She has two front teeth coming through,” said Lucy.
“Perfect timing to be a bridesmaid to have her photo taken.”
He put his arm around her as they walked toward his, well, soon to be their bedroom.
“Don’t forget the wedding rehearsal dinner tomorrow night,” she said.
“It’s on my calendar. And how about we have a wedding night rehearsal right now?”
He put his beer down, picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.
****
Sadie held Presley as the happy couple had their photos taken by the fountain in the foyer of the hotel. She’d get a few snaps herself for the scrapbook. Her cell phone rang. She sat down, balancing the baby on her knee as she pulled it from her dress pocket.
“Hello Sadie Sutton speaking.”
“Hi Sadie, it’s Jake Harris.”
“Jake, how wonderful to hear from you. I got the wedding photos the other day. Is everything okay?”
“Sure is and I think I might have another client for you.”
“I’m listening.”
“He’s an old Army buddy of mine and Mitchell’s. He’s just been flown home because he was injured in the line of duty and he’s lost his sight. They don’t think it’s permanent but I’m helping train a dog to assist him so Nicky and me are going to take the dog to him and we have a young woman who’s also a dog handler who’s going to work with him for a few months.”
“And you also think love is what will heal him.”
“Sure, it healed my bitter heart.”
“Now the young woman who will be working with him.Any chance that she might be a match?”
“She came to stay with us for a few days and Gen was actually trying to get her cousin to take her out. Sweet girl but very insecure and shy.”
Sadie smiled and pulled a face at Presley who tugged on Sadie’s left earring.
She couldn’t wait to match another couple like the happy pair who was now kissing for the photographer.
The End
www.vanessadevereaux.com
Other Books by Vanessa Devereaux:
www.evernightpublishing.com/vanessa-devereaux
If you enjoyed this book, you may also like:
Burn With Me by Christle Gray
Sol and the Magic Fingers by Doris O’Connor
Stupid Cupid by Melissa Hosack
Evernight Publishing
www.evernightpublishing.com
Matters of the Heart Page 10
