by Force, Marie
“Yeah, he would’ve.” She nudged him with her elbow. “So how was Bermuda?”
“Terrible,” he said with a dirty grin. “We hated everything about it.”
“Sure you did,” she said with a laugh. “I can see married life is agreeing with you.”
“Best thing I ever did. I can’t believe I get to keep her forever.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Happy for you.”
He put his arm around her. “Happy for you, too.”
Nolan came into the NICU, his hair damp from a shower, his eyes red from exhaustion, and a joyful smile on his face. “Hey,” he said to Hunter. “Welcome back.”
“Thanks. You guys like to keep things interesting when I’m out of town.”
“Not on purpose, that’s for sure.” Nolan bent for a closer look at his daughter. “How’s she doing?”
“The doctor was here a little while ago,” Hannah told him, “and said she’s doing great.”
“Thank goodness.”
No kidding, Hunter thought. When he got the call from his mother that the baby had arrived eight weeks early, he’d nearly had a heart attack from the fear of something happening to the child Hannah had wanted so desperately. He’d been frantic with worry about what would become of her if the baby didn’t make it. Thank God little Callie was as strong as her mother.
“You’ll be her godfather, right?” Hannah asked him.
“Of course I will. I’d be honored.”
She glanced at Nolan. “We’d like to ask Megan to be her godmother. Do you think she’d be okay with that?”
“She’d be thrilled, Han. Thank you. That’s so sweet of you guys.”
“We picked the best people for the job.”
“She was so mad that she had to go to work while I got to come see baby Callie.”
“Bring her by tonight after work.”
“I will.”
A nurse came in to let then know that Amelia and Bob Guthrie were asking for them.
Hunter kissed Hannah’s forehead. “I’ll go so they can come in, but I’ll be back later.”
“Thanks for coming, and I’m so glad you’re home safe.”
“Good to be home, and I’m so happy to meet my niece. Great job, Mom and Dad.”
“It was all Mom,” Nolan said.
“Not all,” Hannah said with a saucy smile for her husband.
“And with that, I’m outta here.” Hunter hugged Amelia and Bob as he left, pulling off the special gown and shoe covers he’d been required to wear inside the NICU and heading for the exit, excited for Hannah to ask Megan to be the baby’s godmother. He knew how much that would mean to his wife.
Hannah hugged Bob and Amelia and stepped aside so they could take a closer look at baby Callie.
“Oh, Hannah, she’s simply gorgeous,” Amelia said, sniffling as she gazed down upon the baby.
“She sure is,” Bob agreed. “And we love the name Callie.”
Once again, Hannah looked to her husband, smiling with anticipation. She’d asked her mom to tell the Guthries only the baby’s nickname, so she could tell them the rest herself.
“Her actual name is Caleb Abbott Roberts,” Hannah said. “Callie is her nickname.”
“Oh,” Amelia said, seeming momentarily stunned. “Hannah… Oh my goodness.”
“It was Nolan’s idea.”
His arm came around her shoulders, always right there to support her no matter what.
“What a beautiful tribute that is,” Bob said gruffly, blinking back tears. “You honor us by honoring him. Both of you.”
“We hope you know,” Nolan said haltingly, “that even as we move forward together and start our family, we never forget him. Not for a minute.”
“We know that,” Amelia said. “We’ve always known that.”
“Callie is going to be so lucky to have you as her grandparents,” Hannah said.
“We couldn’t be more delighted to have her as our granddaughter,” Bob said. “And you, Hannah, as our daughter.”
She hugged them both and accepted a tissue from Nolan to wipe tears from her face. Unlike the grief-stricken tears of the past, these were tears of joy for the second chance she’d been given with her new husband and daughter.
Emma’s alarm going off at six in the morning was an unwelcome shock to her system. She had absolutely no desire to leave the warmth of Grayson’s arms to go to work, but she’d already had a week off. Besides, the office was open only until two, and the day would fly by because Saturdays were always extra busy.
She tried to slide free of Gray’s heavy arm, but he tightened his grip on her. “You’ve got to let me go.”
“Don’t wanna.”
“Just for a few hours.”
“All right. If I have to.”
Emma sat up and turned to look at him. “You’re absolutely sure you don’t mind having Simone today?”
“I’m a thousand percent sure. She knows where we need to be, right?”
Emma nodded. “And she can get you around on the subway, too.”
“Why am I not surprised?” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take good care of her.”
“I’m not worried. Just don’t spoil her rotten and undo ten years of my hard work in one day, you got me?”
“I’ll do my best to resist the temptation to spoil her rotten.”
Emma leaned in and kissed him. “Thank you.”
While she was in the shower, he relocated to the sofa so Simone would find him there rather than in her mother’s bed when she woke up. Wearing the scrubs that were her work uniform, Emma emerged from her bedroom to the smell of coffee percolating. So this is what it would be like, she thought, to have a partner in life and parenthood. They say you don’t miss what you’ve never had, and she’d made it all work somehow. But having him here made everything so much better, especially when he got up at six o’clock on a Saturday morning to make her coffee.
“This earns you huge, huge points,” she said as she accepted a travel mug from him.
He put his hands on her hips and took a good long look at her. “I’m digging the scrubs, babe. Sexiest office manager I’ve ever met.”
“Right,” she said, laughing.
“I mean it.” He gathered her in close to him and held on tight for a long moment. “How do I go about redeeming these points I’ve earned with the coffee?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“I’ll look forward to that all day.”
She looked up at him, studying his handsome face and wondering once again if it was possible for a life to change so completely in the span of one monumental week.
“What’re you thinking right now?”
“Still thinking I should pinch myself to make sure this is real.”
“I’d be happy to pinch you any time. Everything about this is real, especially the way I feel about you.”
“And how is that?”
“That’s a longer conversation than we have time for now.”
She whimpered. “So not fair to send me off to work with these questions.”
“I’ll make it up to you later.”
“I’ll hold you to it.” She kissed him. “I really have to go.”
“Okay.”
Emma stepped reluctantly out of his embrace and grabbed the lunch she’d made the night before from the fridge. Back to her same old boring routine, but with a twist. When she got home, Grayson Coleman would be waiting for her, and there was absolutely nothing boring or routine about him.
* * *
Chapter 24
There is no remedy for love but to love more.
—Henry David Thoreau
Grayson never did go back to sleep and was watching the news when Simone emerged from her room at around eight o’clock. She wore flannel pajamas that had little pink flowers on them. With her hair a mass of red spun silk around her head and her cheeks flushed from sleep, she was even more adorable than usual.
Then he noticed she was holding her sore elbow at an awkward angle.
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
“How’s the elbow this morning?”
“I think I slept wrong on it or something. It’s stuck.”
He grimaced. “Ouch. How about some breakfast so you can take a pain pill?”
“That sounds good.”
“What do you like to eat?”
“Cereal or whatever.”
“How about pancakes? You like them?”
“I love them.”
“You’re in luck. I’m a master pancake maker.”
They went into the kitchen, and she told him where to find everything he needed to make the pancakes.
“I’m glad your new uncle keeps you guys in the good stuff from Vermont,” Grayson said when he broke open a new jug of Colton’s syrup that he found in the pantry.
“He sends us a jug a month,” Simone said. “We love it.”
“There’s nothing like the real thing.” While he kept watch over the griddle, he said, “Tell me about this birthday party today. What’s the plan?”
She told him about the party planned for her friend Talia at a pizza place that also had indoor games.
“Your mom left some money for a gift. Where should we go?”
Simone’s green eyes sparkled when she said, “Can we go to American Girl?”
“Wherever you want.” He couldn’t miss the somewhat guilty look that crossed her expressive face. “What?”
“Mommy would say there’s no need to go all the way uptown when we have stores right around here where we could get something.”
“Hmm. Well, would your mom be mad if we went there?”
“No, but she’d tell me I took advantage of you.”
Grayson laughed, because how could he not? “If I know you’re taking advantage and I don’t mind, would that be okay?”
She thought about that for a long moment. “I suppose she couldn’t be mad at me for that.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
“Really?”
“Sure, why not?” He served up the pancakes, with butter and syrup. “You need help cutting?”
“I can do it, but thanks.”
Grayson leaned against the counter while a second batch of pancakes cooked. “Let me ask you something else.”
“Sure.”
“The night we met, you told me that your mom loves to dance but never gets to.”
“’Cuz of me,” she said matter-of-factly.
“She would say that she’d much rather be with you.”
Simone shrugged. “I guess.”
“So where does she like to dance?”
“I’m not sure, but I could ask Auntie Lu.”
“That would be great. And if I wanted to take her out tonight, do you think your grandpa would be willing to stay with you?”
“I bet he would. He likes when I sleep over. He says it’s more fun when I’m there.”
“I have no doubt about that.”
“You do know it’s New Year’s Eve, right? And that’s kind of a big night in New York.”
“So what you’re basically saying is I won’t be able to take her anywhere tonight because I didn’t plan it out months in advance.”
“Possibly.”
“Hmmm.”
“Do you need to go somewhere to dance with her?”
“Not necessarily.”
“You could get her favorite dinner from the Thai place down the block and dance right here.”
“That’s true. I suppose we could, but I wanted to do something special for her.”
“My mom doesn’t like to go out when it’s crazy in the city. She says the crowds make her ragey.”
“That’s some really good info. Thanks for letting me know.”
“You want me to ask Pop if I can sleep over?”
Endlessly amused by her, he said, “Are you really only nine, or are you actually nineteen?”
“Mom says I’m an old soul.”
Grayson nearly choked on a mouthful of coffee. “I can definitely see why. And yes, if you think your Pop wouldn’t mind.”
“He won’t.” She finished her pancakes, took the pain pill he gave her and loaded her plate into the dishwasher before running off to get dressed while he finished his own breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen.
He poked his head into her room where she was sitting among her doll collection. “I’m going to grab a shower and then we can go, okay?”
“Yep.”
Before he showered, he called up the American Girl store on his phone to see what he was getting himself into. Clicking around on the site, he noticed the café, made a reservation for lunch and hoped she would like the surprise. One of the things he enjoyed the most about both Emma and Simone was they were easy to please—and fun to surprise.
When they were ready to go, Grayson helped her put on the sling over her coat. “How’s it feel?”
“Better than it did when I woke up. Mom says I have to go to the ortho… ortho…”
“Orthopedic doctor?”
“Yeah, that, on Tuesday.” She looked up at him. “Will it hurt?”
“Nah. They’ll look at the X-rays and see how it’s healing. Your mom is being thorough to make sure there’s no permanent damage. Everyone needs two working elbows.”
“I just want to know when I can ski again. That was so fun.”
Outside the apartment, Grayson hailed a cab.
“Cabs are too expensive,” Simone said. “We can take the subway.”
“I don’t get to spend much time here, and I want to see the sights. How about we make an exception this one time?”
“Okay.”
He held the door for her, and she went in ahead of him. She kept up a steady stream of chatter as they made their way uptown, pointing out various landmarks along the way, including the New York City Public Library, which was one of her favorite places to visit.
The American Girl store was mobbed with little girls bursting with excitement. His biggest fear was losing track of Simone in the crowd, so he kept his hand on her shoulder as she led him through a sea of pink frills and lifelike dolls and every conceivable accessory.
She spent a full hour contemplating the dizzying array of gift possibilities for her friend, who had received a new doll for Christmas. “Sorry,” she said. “I’m taking way too long. Mom would be losing it by now.”
“I don’t mind. We’ve got until two to get you to the party.”
She looked up at him, seemingly prepared to say something that she apparently thought better of.
He nudged her. “What?”
“You’re just really nice.”
Touched by the compliment, he said, “You’re pretty nice yourself.”
“You like my mom.”
“I like her a lot.”
Simone bit her lip.
“Whatever you want to say to me is fine, Simone. I hope we can be friends.”
“We already are.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“It’s just my mom… She’s really special, and she does a lot for me. I just… I wouldn’t want…”
Around them, chaos ruled with delighted young girls and harried parents, but everything else faded away except her. He bent to bring his face down to her level. “I’m going to try my very hardest not to do anything to ever hurt her, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“That’s good,” she said, sounding relieved. “I want her to be happy.”
“So do I.” After the incredible week they’d spent together, that had become his top priority.
“Are you going to move here?”
Leave it to a perceptive nine-year-old to cut right to the chase. “I don’t know yet. Your mom and I are still figuring it out.”
She thought about that for a minute. “She smiles a lot when you’re around.”
“Does she?”
Simone nodded.
“I’m
glad to hear that, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure she has lots of good reasons to smile.”
“Okay.” Seeming pacified, for now anyway, Simone went back to shopping and finally made a decision on a dress for her friend’s new doll.
“I can’t believe they have a doll hospital here,” he said, noticing a sign. “What goes on there?”
“Repairs. Kids are hard on toys.”
“Wow. This is serious business.”
She giggled, and he fell a little deeper in love with her.
“I was thinking… I need something to remember my first time here. Maybe you could pick out something for me.”
“You want something from here?” The disdain dripping from her tone gave him a good preview of what her teenage years might be like.
“What’s wrong with that?” he asked, faking offense.
She giggled again and shook her head at his foolishness.
“What if you pick out something for me and hang on to it until I need it? Something you might want for one of your dolls. I’ll let you borrow it.”
Looking up at him with a baffled expression on her face, she said, “If you want.”
“I do. I never want to forget my first trip to the American Girl store.”
“You’re crazy, but okay.”
That was how Grayson became the proud owner of a ruby-red ball gown and matching slippers that would look “perfect” on one of the dolls Auntie Lu gave her for Christmas last year. He was rather proud of the way he’d convinced her to get something for herself while also dodging Emma’s rules on spoiling her.
After they waited in a line twenty deep to pay, Grayson directed her toward the café.
“Where’re we going?”
“Lunch.” He rubbed his belly dramatically. “I’m starving after all that shopping.”
Her eyes bugged when she saw where he was leading her. “Here? We can’t eat here! It’s ridiculously expensive!”
“Special treat to celebrate my first time. You wouldn’t want to deny me, would you?”
“Mom is going to flip out.”
“Let’s send her a selfie.”
“You’re going to get in big trouble for this,” Simone said with wisdom beyond her years.
“That’s okay. For you, I’m willing to risk it.”
