The words warmed her as surely as the Sterno flame on a chafing dish. “Well, it’s official. I’m head over heels in love with you, Scott Matthews.”
When he looked at her, his mouth curved up. “Good. That tips the scale in my favor for the question I’m about to ask.”
“Ask away,” she said, sniffling.
“Since you’re officially in love with me, and I’m officially in love with you, what we need here is an official proposal of marriage.” He got down on one knee and lifted a jeweler’s box from the cradle. He took her left hand, then slipped the ring on the appropriate finger. “Will you marry me?”
She saw the hope and sincerity in his eyes and had no more doubts. There was only one right answer to his question. “Yes,” she said without hesitation.
She borrowed hope from him and transplanted it in her own heart to grow again. For a while, hers had been lost. Not anymore, thanks to Scott.
Epilogue
Scott stared into the cradle he’d made and watched the month-old baby boy squirm and squeak. Glancing at the clock on Thea’s side of the bed, he read 2:00 a.m.
“Right on time, T.D.,” he whispered, stroking a finger over the infant’s perfect head full of downy dark hair. “But your mom could use a little more sleep, so I’m on diaper duty. Maybe I can hold you off just a little bit before she feeds you.”
Gently, he lifted the child and carried him into the other bedroom of the house he’d sold to Thea. He chuckled as he thought about the nightmare of paperwork they’d gone through to change the title on this house and the condo into both their names after getting married. Now they rented out the town house and set up a home in the bigger house where he’d raised T.D.’s two sisters.
“Kendra and Gail are coming home tomorrow. Your sisters wouldn’t come home for your mom and me, but they can’t wait to see you on the weekend,” he said to the little guy.
When he was finished changing the baby, he put his hand on the boy’s belly and stared in awe at this beautiful child, truly a miracle. Scott was more grateful than he could put into words that Thea had let him into her life. Not only that, she loved him. God knew why, but he was glad she did and wasn’t going to question her judgment. He was a lucky man, he thought, remembering the man who would never see his son’s face.
“David,” he whispered into the night, “I love Thea and this child with all my heart. I’ll be the best father I know how to be and guide him with all the wisdom Kendra and Gail gave me. Granted, they’re girls, but—”
When he felt a small hand on his back, he looked into his wife’s warm brown eyes. At that moment they were suspiciously bright.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he said. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t. I guess it’s a mom thing, but I sort of know when Thomas David needs something.”
He pointed to her chest. “It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that you’re ready to breast-feed T.D.?”
She laughed. “Maybe. And about those initials—”
“It means touchdown,” he defended.
“So you’ve said. But we spent many hours picking an appropriate name for our son.”
Scott remembered. They’d teased about Hildegard for a girl or Ichabod for a boy. “And your point?”
“We picked the middle name David for the man who gave him life. And Thomas for the man who gave you life and raised you to be the special man you are.”
He leaned down and kissed her nose. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But if T.D. sticks, all those hours spent agonizing over his name will be a waste of energy.”
“And if you insist on calling him Thomas David, he’ll get beat up every day after school.”
“You’re right,” she said, sighing.
He blinked. “That easy?”
“It’s not easy. It’s all about balance. And thank goodness you’re here to do that for us. T.D. is very lucky to have you.”
“He’s more lucky to have you for a mother.”
Leaning her cheek against his arm, she put her hand beside his on the baby who was dozing on the changing table.
“You and I are so lucky,” she said. “To have such special children. We met thanks to Kendra, who was reaching out for the mother she missed. And now we’re raising this little guy who won’t have to reach out for a father he doesn’t have.”
“I’m not perfect,” he reminded her, not for the first time.
“Perfection is highly overrated.” She gazed up at him. “Do you know why I fell in love with you?”
“No.” He couldn’t resist asking. “Why?”
“Because you were such a good father to the girls.”
“But I made so many mistakes.”
“To be sure. In spite of that, you kept trying, doing more right than wrong. I love and admire you more every day.”
“Do you know why I fell in love with you?”
“No. Why?”
“Beats the heck out of me,” he teased.
She slugged him playfully. “I take back everything nice I said.”
“Okay. Seriously. I fell in love with you because you’re hot.” He braced himself for another assault.
But she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “That’s the nicest thing you could have said to a woman who recently gave birth and has the postpartum body to prove it.”
He shook his head. “Not once have you ever done what I expected,” he said, shaking his head. “And I really think that’s why I fell in love with you.”
Gazing up at him, she smiled the sweet smile he loved so much. “It doesn’t really matter why. The important thing is that we do.”
“Yeah.”
“I thought I loved you before, but sharing this child with you, watching the way you care for him, makes me realize the capacity for love is endless and forever.”
“Amen,” he said. “But I’m not ashamed to admit that I love you because you’re hot, too.”
The sound of her laughter warmed his heart. As he looked up, he thought of David. A feeling of peace settled over him and he knew all was right in the universe. And he knew his love for this woman was eternal. Just as he knew that Thea Bell Matthews would forever ring his chimes. Once upon a time, he’d thought she was all he needed to be happy. But her special brand of love showed him it takes three.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6783-5
IT TAKES THREE
Copyright © 2004 by Teresa Ann Southwick
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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*The Marchetti Family
†Desert Brides
††If Wishes Were…
**Destiny, Texas
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