by Annie O'Neil
Kirri’s chest filled with a tangle of emotions. She understood what he was saying. All work and no play was making Kirri an unhappy bunny. But was she prepared to drop all those years of hard work—years of wearing her research as a protective shield—to try something new?
“So...you think I shouldn’t go to Vienna?”
“I’m trying to say this doesn’t have to be a black and white scenario. We have options.” He looked Kirri square in the eye. “The main question is, do we explore them or stick to what we know?”
Kirri began putting together what her brother had said with what Ty was trying to communicate.
Give this new life a chance.
“What was it that finally clicked for you? When you decided to start the Piedmont Women and Baby Pavilion?”
Ty answered solidly. “No matter what I did, or how I behaved, I wasn’t going to get to live the life I thought I would be living with Gemma because there was nothing I could do to bring her back. My only choice was to stop craving what I couldn’t have and get busy living the life I had.”
The penny dropped—and as it did, the tears began to fall.
Ty pulled her into his arms. “Everything’s going to be all right, darlin’. I promise.”
“I know!” she sobbed. “It’s just so hard.”
“What is?”
“Letting go of the crutch I’ve been holding on to for so long.”
“Your research?”
“Yup.” She swept away another sheet of welcome tears. Welcome because for the first time they felt healing. “You’re absolutely right. I’ve been avoiding my own life because I’ve been trying to live the one I’d never have.”
She looked into Ty’s eyes and saw encouragement and love. He was proof that joy could blossom out of sorrow. That there was life beyond a devastating blow. She had a cornucopia of blessings, and all she had to do was open up her arms and embrace them.
Eventually her breathing steadied. “I can’t believe I’ve been so blind...”
Ty stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I wouldn’t say blind. Let’s call it ‘not entirely focused’.”
She giggled and wiped away yet more tears. A shift was happening inside her. One that would change her for the rest of her life if she was brave enough.
“So. What I need to do is live the life I have, knowing I’ll never have a child of my own.”
He nodded. “As cruel as it is, you won’t get that life. You know that.”
“I know...” she hiccupped. “I just thought... I thought if I worked hard enough...made a different kind of baby...”
“The baby grow bag?”
She nodded. “I thought if I made that and got my name on a door, or a plaque, or a trophy to put on a shelf, then the hole in me would be filled. But the truth is nothing will fill it. The same way, I suppose, that nothing will ever replace the love you had for Gemma.”
“True. But there’s no point in looking at the emptiness. What matters is what I do have.” He went on with a big old smile on his face. “I have Lulu. I have the nuttiest family this side of the Mississippi. And, if you’ll have me, I sure as hell would love to have you in my life. Whichever way we can do it. I’d far rather try to make it work than give up now.”
She nodded. “I would love that. But on one condition.”
Ty’s eyes narrowed. He was listening.
Kirri could hardly believe she was hearing the words that came out of her mouth. “Did you mean it about having me on the surgical staff?”
“What about your research?”
“I think I need to let that go.”
“I would never ask that of you...”
“I know. But it’s time.”
A lightness she hadn’t expected to feel filled her chest.
“To give it up completely?” Ty looked astonished. Happy. But amazed.
She tipped her head back and forth. “I think what I’d like to do is fly over to Vienna and share my findings with the team, then leave it with them.”
There was an edge of doubt in his voice. “If that’s what would truly make you happy...”
“You and Lulu make me happy.”
Her answer elicited a broad, gorgeous smile. She steadied herself before asking the big question. The one that counted the most.
“Are you one hundred percent sure you’ll never resent me for not being able to have a child?”
He shook his head. “Darlin’, I never thought I’d fall in love again, let alone have another child. Having you in our lives is miracle enough. I love you exactly the way you are. If having more children had been an issue I never would’ve taken things as far as they’ve gone. We have Lulu. We’re perfect as we are. A family.”
We. A family.
Her heart skipped a beat. “Is adoption something you’d ever consider?” she asked.
Ty brushed his thumb along her cheek. “In all honesty, I hadn’t thought of it because I didn’t have you. It’s not something I’d rule out, though. Or fostering.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Listen, there’s a whole world of possibilities that can open up for us, but I think we need to do this as clear-eyed as possible. You need to go to Vienna and see what’s there, and then we’ll get on with living our lives the best we can.”
He was right. It was time. Time to trust. Time to love.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“RIGHT, THEN.” TY hung up his phone and gave Lulu his best reassuring smile. “He hasn’t heard from her since she left for the airport.”
Lulu’s eyebrows dove together. “But she’s coming back, right?”
She was. She’d sent him the itinerary. But he was feeling a bit like his daughter right now. Seeing was believing.
“Lucius said she was.” He ruffled his daughter’s hair, much to her annoyance. Fair enough. They were both edgy. “Lucius said she was very clear about the fact he should hire a replacement, so...”
“So that means she’s coming to Atlanta to stay!” Lulu beamed. “And did you ask the question?”
“I did.”
“Did he say yes?”
“He said...” Ty cleared his throat and put on an appalling version of an Australian accent. “It wasn’t his place to say yes, and his sister would do as she jolly well pleased.”
Lulu clapped her hands. “I’m going to have an uncle who lives Down Under!”
Ty laughed and pulled her into his arms for a quick cuddle, so she wouldn’t see the nerves that were tugging his forehead closer to the bridge of his nose.
He and Kirri had agreed not to speak whilst she was in Vienna. It seemed insane now, given the fact he’d told her he wanted nothing more than for her to be in their lives each and every day. But showing her he would support her even if she did suddenly decide she needed to work in Austria had seemed paramount.
He’d been shocked when she’d rung him after a week to say she needed to go to Sydney. They’d tried to talk again, but with the time difference and his work, and childcare demands, their conversations had never got beyond some quick I’m fine... I love you chats.
“Not yet, you don’t. Right, then, little one. Shall we go get some barbecue?”
Lulu heaved a dramatic sigh. “It’s more fun when Kirri’s there.”
“Only one more sleep until she’s back, sweetheart.”
And he hoped to God all the sleeps from there on out would be together.
“Okay, Daddy. Let’s get this show on the road!”
Lulu marched out of the house and down to the car as if she were in a parade.
He smiled at the doorframe as he locked up. The last time he’d carried Kirri through this door he’d had no idea whether their futures would intertwine or not. The next time he carried her through it he hoped more than anything she’d be wearing a white dress.
* * *
Kirri l
ooked at her phone. She was fifteen minutes early, but that didn’t mean Ty wouldn’t arrive any minute now. It was Tuesday night and that meant only one thing: barbecue, biscuits and bowling.
“Checking your watch every five seconds isn’t going to make him come any faster, honey.”
Kirri grinned sheepishly at Chuck, and then at the house specialty, a plate of fried green beans with a bit of ranch dip on the side he was slipping onto the checkered-cloth-covered table.
“You trying to give me a heart attack while I wait?” she asked.
Chuck laughed and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Nah, honey. I’m giving you some extra special soul food to keep that smile on your face. Good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be here.”
She meant it, too. Her week in Vienna had been absolutely amazing. The team there had been astonished at how far she’d come doing research on her own and with limited resources. They’d said if she wanted to stay they’d find a way to make it happen. What had amazed her had been her response.
“No, thank you. I’m busy with a new project now.”
A project that involved relocating to Atlanta to see if she could build a new life with a man who’d made her see that she was worth loving just as she was.
She glanced at the doorway, willing him to appear.
“You been away to Australia?” asked Chuck.
She nodded. “And Vienna.”
“Vienna!” Chuck looked impressed. “What on earth were you doing there?”
“Finding out that I wanted to live here.”
Chuck laughed. “Honey, I coulda told you that the first day you walked in here.”
Kirri’s eyes widened.
“Oh, don’t give me those big ol’ blue eyes of yours. He was looking at you the same way you were looking at him. And don’t try to deny it. I’ve been round the block enough to know lovey-dovey looks when they’re right in front of me.”
Kirri held up her hands with a grin. “Guilty.”
He was right. The moment she’d handed her research over to the elite team of scientists in Vienna her heart had told her exactly what she wanted to do. Get on a plane and come back home.
She’d swung by Sydney, to wrap things up there, to sell her apartment. Help Lucius hire a replacement. Give him the big old hug she’d been dying to give him ever since they’d had their heart-to-heart.
And then she’d packed up a few bags and got on a plane.
She crossed her fingers and stared at the door. Just a few more minutes and she’d know if she’d made the right call.
* * *
Lulu ran out of the car and into the restaurant the second Ty parked outside of Chuck’s. Before he had locked the car door he could hear her sweet little voice whooping, “She’s here, she’s here, she’s here!”
Ty’s heart bashed against his chest as his keys jammed against the little black box in his pocket. He’d picked it up earlier and had been going to triple-check with Lulu that she was happy for Kirri to come into their lives permanently—but it looked like things were moving ahead of schedule.
He shifted his keys to the other pocket. He didn’t want a single thing to get in the way. There had been enough hurdles. Enough wondering. Enough emptiness in his life to know he’d finally found a woman worth taking a risk for.
Kirri and Lulu appeared in the doorway.
“Daddy...?” Lulu was looking at him curiously.
Kirri’s eyes were sparkling with the exact same glint of recognition they’d had when they’d very first met. Soulmates.
“How was your trip?” he asked.
Kirri grinned at him. “It was great.”
“The I’m-returning-to-Vienna kind of great?”
She slowly shook her head, that smile of hers spreading from ear to ear. “The I’m-returning-to-Atlanta kind of great.”
Words failed him. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close, her sweet citrusy scent filling the air around them.
He dropped a soft kiss onto her lips. “I love you. I missed you so much it actually hurt. Lulu and I—” He pulled his daughter over by his side and gave her a squeeze. “We didn’t really know what to do with ourselves when you were away, so we went shopping. Ring shopping.”
Kirri’s eyes glossed over with tears as Lulu jumped up and down with excitement. “You did?”
Ty nodded. “We did.”
“Do you want to know what I did?” Kirri asked.
The look in her eyes and the warmth in her voice told him he definitely did want to know.
“Lay it on us,” he said.
“I packed.”
He twirled his finger around. “More information please, darlin’. You’re killing me here.”
She laughed and gave Lulu’s head an affectionate scrub. “I handed over my research and I packed up my apartment in Sydney... To move here. If the offer still stands?”
Ty pulled out the small black box and flicked the lid open so she could see the ring they’d chosen. “Would this answer your question?”
Kirri’s hands flew to her mouth. “Oh, Ty! It’s amazing.”
They all looked at the ring. White gold, with a halo of diamonds around an Australian black opal.
“It’s absolutely beautiful.”
Ty smiled as Lulu explained. “We went to all of the jewelers and said it had to remind you of home.”
“Oh, it definitely does.”
Kirri held out her hand as Ty slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. And when she looked into Ty’s eyes she saw nothing but love in them.
“So...can I take that as a yes?” he asked.
“You most definitely can.”
Lulu squealed with delight and ran into the restaurant, where they could hear her announcing the happy news that her daddy was going to have a wife.
“You’re a hundred percent sure?” Ty asked.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” Kirri said, tilting her face up to seal their engagement with another perfect kiss.
* * *
Look out for the next story in the Miracles in the Making duet
The Neonatal Doc’s Baby Surprise
by Susan Carlisle
And if you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Annie O’Neil
Making Christmas Special Again
A Return, a Reunion, a Wedding
The Doctor’s Marriage for a Month
Tempted by Her Single Dad Boss
All available now!
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Neonatal Doc’s Baby Surprise by Susan Carlisle.
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The Neonatal Doc’s Baby Surprise
by Susan Carlisle
CHAPTER ONE
AMANDA LONGSTREET PULLED her large suitcase behind her as she exited the Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney, Australia. The heated air touching her skin put the winter weather of Atlanta, Georgia, well behind her. She enjoyed traveling but she had never gone this far. Twenty-two hours in a small seat flanked by two strangers hadn’t been as much fun as she’d envisioned, but still the excitement of coming to Sydney grew within her.
She was counting on the destination making up for the discomforts of the flight. The Piedmont Women and Baby Pavilion, where she worked back in Atlanta, would have probably paid for a first-class ticket for her, but she was too practical to ask. She’d much rather see the money spent on helping a couple wanting a baby.
Making her way across the street to the pick-up area, she remained mindful that in this country they drove on the opposite side of the road
. Some people called it the wrong side, but it really wasn’t—it was just different. She located the sign for airport pickup and stood beneath it, waiting for her car to arrive.
She scanned the area and harrumphed. Dr. Kirri West had told her Sydney was an amazing city. So far it looked like any other big airport.
Jet lag was no doubt affecting Amanda’s attitude. Given a few days, and a chance to explore, she’d surely agree with Kirri’s opinion. Right now, all she wanted was to get to her apartment—home for the next six weeks—and crawl into bed.
Still, excitement sizzled in her. She anticipated checking out the city, but only after she’d had some rest and started her job at the clinic. After all, the experience of working at the Harborside Fertility and Neonatal Centre had been the reason she’d come here.
Sighing, she looked up and then down the paved area. Where was the car? Her contact at the clinic had said there would be one coming for her. She was past ready for it to arrive.
Patience wasn’t her virtue. More than once her mother and friends had told her that her life plan wasn’t the be all and end all of existence. That she should lighten up a little.
Even with that advice in mind she’d tucked into her purse a list of things she wanted to do and see in Sydney. As a child, she’d been just as focused on her goals. She had a plan for her life. So far she’d remained on track. In every aspect but one.
Amanda pushed her hair out of her face. Having the chance to work with Kirri had been a real pleasure, but to be under the tutelage of Kirri’s brother would only help Amanda rise in her profession. She’d heard enough about Dr. Lucius West from Kirri to know he was a focused and exacting doctor, who had little time for anything but his work. He sounded like a doctor who liked things done by the book. They should get along well.
Where was this car? Was she waiting in the wrong place?
Amanda checked the sign once more. She paced down the sidewalk and then back again, squinting into the sunshine. Had she misunderstood the instructions?
