“Show her what’s inside,” Granny said. “You held back before. You hid your deepest regrets from her because you were afraid she’d see you differently. You have nothing left to lose. I’d say open up, dear boy, and show her the mess in there.” She reached out and tapped his chest.
“I did. I told her how much I loved her—”
“No, no,” Granny shook her head. “Not just the pretty things. Show her all of it, Daniel. Remember those vows? It’s not just about health and wealth and happiness. It’s about sickness and poverty and pain, too. I know she loves you deeply, but she needs to trust that you won’t hold anything back again.”
Dan stood there in silence.
“You also need to forgive her,” Granny added.
“For leaving me,” he said sullenly.
“Yes.” Granny put her gloves back on. “And for whatever it is that she’s beating herself up about.”
Granny pulled open the front door, and Danny watched as she went back out onto the walk.
“What is she beating herself up about?” Danny called after her.
“I have no idea. I thought you might know. Merry Christmas,” she called over her shoulder.
It wasn’t fair to put all this on his shoulders. He had a son to worry about. He wasn’t enough for Luke—no matter how desperately he wanted to be. He was a single dad, doing the job of two, and he needed to be enough. Except Luke still longed for the one thing Dan could never be—a mom.
Dan watched Granny get back into the car, and Rick gave him a salute, then backed the car out of the drive.
Dan would wake tomorrow morning and watch Luke open his presents—a game console and a few games, some clothes he needed for school, a couple of books. And he was going to hope that it was enough, even though it wouldn’t be. Because presents might be fun, but they didn’t take the place of the heart-deep stuff.
They wouldn’t take the place of Lana. They wouldn’t take the place of a mom—the one thing Dan couldn’t be for his son. Like some cemented-on residue—Granny’s similes were practical to the core, but true. Lana was cemented into Luke’s heart, and Beth was cemented into Dan’s.
Unless there was something in Granny’s advice to win back Beth’s trust after all these years. Staring at the Christmas tree, the few presents underneath suddenly started to look a little more magical, and the lights on the branches sparkled with a twinkle of hope.
Forgiveness...
He knew what he needed to do. It might not work, but at least he’d give it one more try.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHRISTMAS MORNING, Beth changed Riley, amazed at how tiny a diaper could be. She’d been up several times during the night to feed and change the baby, and this morning she was tired but content. She had her daughter, and that was everything.
Present opening was later than usual—since everyone but Riley was an adult in the house, and they wanted some precious sleep. Linda was due to come for Christmas dinner today, and Beth was actually looking forward to seeing her ex-stepmother. They might never be best friends, but Beth had matured enough to accept that her father’s happiness was far more important.
Rick had bought Beth some memory books so she could record Riley’s milestones, and Granny had chosen some tiny dresses and sleepers. Granny loved the locket, and Rick put on his new sweater right away. Riley slept through most of the celebrations as she was passed from lap to lap to be cuddled and held. She was the favorite present that Christmas—the tiny girl who’d stolen all their hearts.
Rick held his granddaughter now, snuggled up against his chest, when there was a knock at the door. Neighbors, no doubt. Beth went to answer it, and when she opened the door, she saw Danny standing there, his son in front of him.
“Merry Christmas,” Luke said.
“Merry Christmas, Luke.” Beth stepped back to let them in, and as Danny passed her, his dark gaze met hers, and her heart sped up in her chest. Why couldn’t she turn off her emotions for this man? But she found herself feeling relieved that he was here...
“Daniel!” A smile split across Granny’s face. “I am so glad you’ve come! Should I take Luke to the kitchen—”
“No, no...” Danny licked his lips, then his gaze dropped down to Beth again. “Luke’s a part of this, too. Could we talk, Beth?”
She nodded, and Danny and Luke took off their boots. Luke crossed the living room to look at the baby in Rick’s arms, and Danny reached forward to tuck a tendril behind Beth’s ear.
“I love you,” he said softly.
“Danny—” Love wasn’t the problem, here. If love were all they needed, she had enough to cover the both of them.
“Beth, hear me out,” he pleaded. “I’ve had to accept the fact that I’m not going to stop loving you. I’m stuck. But I think there’s hope for us.”
“Is there?” If only he could be right, but she didn’t see how. They’d been through this before.
“You need to know that I won’t hide anything from you again,” he said. “So here’s what I’ve got.”
He pulled a file folder out of his jacket and handed it to her. Beth turned it over in her hands. “Loving you isn’t the problem, Danny... I love Luke, too. He’s a sweetheart...but life gets hard.”
“Open it,” he said.
Beth opened the file and looked down on what looked like some banking documents and a sheet of paper with a phone number and a Vancouver address.
“That’s it—all of it,” he said. “That’s Lana’s contact information, and that’s all my banking info. No more surprises. You can see what debt I’ve got, what assets... You can contact Lana anytime you feel is necessary. I don’t have anything else hidden away, Beth, except for this love for you that I just can’t seem to get over. So I’m going to take Granny’s advice and recognize when I’m beat.”
“Danny—”
“Beth, you’re going to mess up,” he went on. “We’ve both made mistakes, and I think you’re scared that any more in the future will affect the kids.”
Beth was silent. She was afraid of that...and she was afraid that whatever challenges arose would prove too much for them if Danny clammed up and stopped talking.
“I’ll mess up, too,” he went on. “So will the kids. We’ll all mess up, probably on a regular basis. So here’s what I can offer you. We’ll forgive you.”
Beth blinked, searching his face for the punch line. “What?”
“I’m serious,” he said. “Luke messed up big-time last night, and you know what I did? I forgave him. Because he’s my son, and I love him. And I’ve messed up with him before, and Luke forgave me. Like when I yell at him, or he gets in trouble for something he didn’t do. Mistakes happen—a whole lot. Welcome to being a parent, Beth.”
“It’ll be complicated sometimes,” she said. “I’ll need you to level with me—about everything!”
“Can you love us?” Danny asked.
“Of course!” A tear escaped and trickled down her cheek.
“I can love you, too,” Luke added from across the room.
“And if I mess up, Luke?” she asked, turning toward the boy. “If you think I’m horribly unfair?”
Luke shrugged. “I can forgive you for stuff.”
“Here’s the thing, Beth,” Danny said. “I’m going to love you for the rest of my life, whether you marry me or not. But I want to be a family. I want to face all of these hurdles together—you and me. And I want to love our kids and give it our best shot. I want you to be my wife, and I want you to be Luke’s mom.”
“You want—” She didn’t dare finish the sentence.
“To marry you,” Danny concluded. “Yes.”
She stood there, his words washing over her, and she longed to say yes.
“Granny isn’t a huge fan of original vows,” Dan
ny said with a small smile. “But here are mine—I’ll love you no matter what. I’ll tell you everything. There will be no secrets, and I’ll stand by you whatever comes our way. I’ll be yours, Beth. And that starts now—not at a wedding.”
“What do you think, Luke?” Beth asked, looking back to the boy whose glistening eyes were now fixed on them. “Could you love a baby sister?”
“Yeah!” Luke grinned. “I’d take him, too!” The boy hooked a thumb toward Rick, and Beth couldn’t help laughing.
Beth turned back to Danny, and he looked at her expectantly.
“Yes?” he whispered hopefully.
“Yes.”
Danny’s lips came down onto hers and he slid his arms around her, pulling her closer. His hands moved up to her face, and then he broke off the kiss and reached into his pocket. Between his fingers he held a tiny ring—but she recognized it immediately. It was the ring he’d proposed with six years ago.
“Danny—” Her breath caught. “You still have it?”
“It wasn’t worth much to anyone else,” he said with a shrug. “And I’ll get you a better one, but I hoped that for now—”
“No!” Beth held out her hand, and her fingers trembled. “I want this one! It’s ours.”
Danny slid the ring onto her finger once more. It was small—just a tiny diamond on a simple band, but it was perfect.
“I’m not sure if I should have consulted with you first, sir,” Danny said, shooting Rick a wry smile. “But I didn’t want to take any chances.”
Rick’s expression remained grim, and he came forward to shake Danny’s hand, the other hand holding Riley against his shoulder. “If you break her heart—”
“I won’t, sir.” Danny met Rick’s gaze. “I’ll take good care of them. That’s a promise.”
Luke slid between them, and Beth bent down to give the boy a hug. This was her family—she could hardly believe it... Would her love be enough for them all? She could give it her best shot—open her heart and love them all so hard that she’d never have regrets.
But looking up into Danny’s dark gaze—the tenderness there, the depth of love—she felt a settling, a peacefulness.
“I love you, Beth,” Danny said quietly.
“I love you, too.”
He kissed her once more, then Danny turned to Rick.
“Mind if I hold her?” Danny asked hopefully. Rick passed Riley into his arms, and Danny looked down into her tiny face. He brushed the back of one finger down her hand, then pressed his lips to her forehead. He closed his eyes, breathing her in, then he opened them and met Beth’s gaze.
“Yep,” Danny said, his voice tight with emotion. “I can do this, Beth. This is my little girl.”
Danny exhaled a sigh that sounded like relief, and she understood all too well. It was a risk—love always was—but it was a relief to simply take the leap. She loved him—she loved them.
This was home.
EPILOGUE
BETH STOOD IN the kitchen of what used to be Danny’s house but now was theirs. She held a small bowl of cooked sweet potato, and she was mashing it with a fork. Riley was in the high chair, slapping her hands against the plastic tray. This would be her first try with solid food—a big day! But Beth had something else she needed to do today, too.
Outside, spring was in full swing, and Luke was digging a hole in the garden. He’d been playing out there all morning in a sunny patch where the snow had melted. He was mining, he said. Looking for diamonds. Beth squeezed the phone receiver between her cheek and her shoulder as she mashed the sweet potato.
“Lana, here’s the thing,” she said, turning her attention back to her conversation. “Luke needs to know you.”
“I’m not much of a mom,” Lana replied, her voice low.
“But you’re his mom,” Beth replied. “And I can’t take your place. I’m here, too, and I adore him, but that doesn’t erase you. I’m here every day and I always will be. I take care of his needs and keep him safe. I love him with all my heart, but that doesn’t mean he’ll ever stop wanting to know you.”
“What do you want from me?” Lana asked uncertainly.
“Danny and I will pay for a week in a hotel here in North Fork,” Beth said. “We want you to come and visit your son.”
“And you’d be fine with that?” Lana asked, her tone slightly less respectful. “You’d be okay with Daniel and me spending time with our son together?”
Lana was trying to scare her, but it wasn’t going to work. There was no chance that Danny would stop loving Beth, and she knew that. She had his heart—this wasn’t about their relationship or about her security.
“I’ll be here,” Beth replied evenly. “I’m a part of this family, too, you know. And no, I’m not threatened. This isn’t about you or me, Lana. This isn’t about turf. This is about Luke and what he needs. He’s been asking to meet you, and I want to make that possible.”
“You want me to come visit?” Lana repeated dubiously.
“Please.” Beth softened her tone. “Luke loves you and wants to know you.”
Lana was silent for a moment, then she sighed. “I’ll think about it. I’ll call you back.”
“Okay,” Beth replied. “That sounds good. I’ll talk to you later.”
As Beth hung up, she saw movement in the doorway, and she turned to see Danny standing there, his dark gaze locked on her. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, and she was struck anew by just how good-looking he was.
“That right there,” he said gruffly. “That’s why I married you.”
Beth shrugged weakly. “She didn’t promise anything.”
“But you’re trying,” Danny replied. “And it means the world to Luke.”
Danny crossed the room and bent to catch her lips with his. Then he took the bowl of mashed sweet potatoes from her.
“Mind if I do the honors?” he asked.
Beth laughed. “Sure.”
Danny grabbed a baby spoon and crouched in front of the high chair.
“Oh, this looks so delicious,” Danny said enthusiastically, scooping a tiny bit on the end of the spoon and popping it into Riley’s mouth. Her eyes opened in surprise, and father and daughter stared at each other while Riley spit the orange dribble back out.
“No?” Danny looked hurt. “You sure?”
He tried again, and Beth laughed as Riley spat it out once more. Maybe sweet potatoes weren’t going to be a favorite. They’d try something else. Beth slid her arms around her husband’s neck and leaned her cheek against his hair.
They were the Brockwoods, and they might not be the perfect family, Beth knew, but they were patched together with love. It filled the gaps. It smoothed over the rough patches, and it made all the difference.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this story,
check out Patricia Johns’s earlier stories from Harlequin Heartwarming,
A BAXTER’S REDEMPTION
and
THE RUNAWAY BRIDE.
And look for her next book in 2018!
Keep reading for an excerpt from COWBOY ON CALL by Leigh Riker.
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Cowboy on Call
by Leigh Riker
CHAPTER ONE
OLIVIA WATCHED HER ex-husband dance with his bride.
From the deep shadows along the driveway, in view of the ranch house where she’d once lived at the Circle H, she watched other people join the bride and groom and listened to the soft strains of the ballad the band was playing. And felt her eyes fill. She always cried at weddings, but this reception held special significance.
Overhead the stars twinkled like ornaments just for this summer night. Strung through the nearby cottonwood trees, fairy lights winked as if someone had matched the two displays, heaven and earth.
She wasn’t really part of this. Olivia had been invited to the wedding earlier that day, but as Logan’s former wife, it had seemed inappropriate to accept the invitation and she’d skipped the ceremony.
Carrying a large box wrapped in white with a silver bow, she stopped here and there to say hello to someone but didn’t linger. She planned to leave her gift—a quilt in the classic wedding ring design from her antiques shop—collect her seven-year-old son, who’d been his dad’s ring bearer, then go home.
What’s done is done.
A Boy's Christmas Wish Page 22
