by Force, Marie
“Right,” Elmer agreed. “But he does seem very…”
“Smitten,” Lincoln said. “He’s gone over the girl. That’s obvious to everyone who’s seen them together. Even Mrs. Hendricks said something to me about how happy they seem when I saw her at the post office earlier.”
“Mia is the most interesting person to land in Butler since Cameron hit Fred,” Megan said.
The two men laughed at her blunt assessment.
“That she is,” Lincoln said.
“Although we had plenty of interesting people around here before then,” Elmer said. “Take yourself, for instance.”
“Awww, you’re very sweet to say so, Elmer, but I’m nowhere near as interesting as Cameron and Lucy and Mia.”
“Why would you say such a thing?” a deep, familiar voice asked from behind her.
Megan spun around to find her husband standing behind her, his brows furrowed. “I just meant that they’ve been out in the world and I haven’t. That’s all.”
“That doesn’t make you less interesting than they are,” Hunter said.
“That’s right, honey,” Elmer said, patting her hand. “Look at what you’ve done with your little corner of Butler. You’ve created a spot many people think of as a second home. That doesn’t just happen. It’s because you make us feel welcome here.”
“I… I didn’t mean to start something. I was just making conversation.” Megan got up from the booth. “I’ll let you guys talk.” She took off toward the kitchen.
“I’ll, um… I’ll be right back.” Hunter went after his wife.
“Ah, young love,” Elmer said, watching Hunter go. “Never does run smooth, does it?”
“Sometimes it does,” Lincoln said. “Take me and Molly, for instance.”
“We have a deal,” Elmer said, scowling. “You are never to talk about my daughter in that context.”
“What? I simply said that young love ran smoothly for us.”
“I believe you’ve provided ample evidence of that in the ten hoodlums you produced.”
Lincoln smiled broadly. “We did, didn’t we?”
Elmer frowned. “That topic in relation to my daughter is off-limits.”
“Yes, sir,” Lincoln said, rubbing a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.
Hunter caught up with Megan in the office and was horrified to find her in tears. “Megan, honey… What is it?”
“I don’t know,” she said, wiping tears on her sleeve. “I have no idea what just happened. One minute, I was gossiping with your dad and grandfather, and the next, I was making myself feel inadequate, and now I’m crying because you heard me say that, and I don’t want you to ever think of me as anything less than—”
He kissed her until she stopped talking and went slack in his arms. “I don’t even know where to begin with this. Nothing about you is inadequate to me. In fact, you are very, very adequate, as you well know.”
“I think I might be pregnant. Why else would I be acting like this?”
“When can we take the test?”
“When I get home?”
“Let’s go home.”
“I can’t go now. I have to clean up and make the schedule and—”
“We’ll come back later. I’ll help you with all of it.”
“I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“What if I’m a bad mother?”
“Megan, oh my God. Where is this coming from? You’re going to be an amazing mother. Our kids will be so lucky to have you. I’m lucky to have you. No more beating up on my wife. I love her so much. I can’t bear to hear anyone speak poorly of her. You got me?”
Nodding, she wiped away more tears.
“Let’s go.” He untied her apron and raised it over her head and relieved her of the half-empty coffeepot she still had in her hand. Then he bundled her into her coat and led her out the back door to her car, which was closer than his, parked across the street at the store.
Hunter drove them home, taking occasional glances at her. “Hey,” he said.
She looked at him.
“No matter what, it’s all good. Okay?”
“Okay.”
He pulled into the driveway and had the driver’s door open before he shut off the engine. Reaching over, he released her seat belt. “Come on.”
They went inside, and Hunter directed her straight upstairs to their room.
“Am I allowed to take my coat off?” she asked, amused by his haste.
“Only if you do it quickly.”
She took off the coat and tossed it on the bed.
“Do you need my help?”
“I think I can pee by myself, but thanks for the offer.”
Smiling, he kissed her and nudged her toward the bathroom.
They’d been trying for a while and had stocked up on pregnancy tests. They’d done this a few times, so he knew he needed to wait only a few minutes, but this was the first time she’d thought she might actually be pregnant. That few minutes might as well have been hours as far as he was concerned.
He was on the verge of hyperventilating when she said, “Hunter.”
“What?”
“Come here.”
Hunter went into the bathroom where Megan stood looking down at the counter. He remembered installing the slab of slate with the vessel sink. He’d never imagined that one day that slab of slate would figure into one of the most important moments of his life.
“Do you see?” Megan asked, her voice higher than usual.
“I see.” The gigantic plus sign was hard to miss.
“We did it,” she said softly.
“We did it and we did it and we did it, and now…” He couldn’t seem to stop looking at that plus sign, until she tugged on the sleeve of his shirt.
Then he looked at her, and the punch of love that hit him was so big, it nearly consumed him. He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. “We did it,” he whispered.
“You’re gonna be a daddy.”
“And you’re gonna be a mommy. Best day ever.”
She nodded. “Best day ever.”
“In case I forgot to mention it on the best day ever, I love you so much.”
She smiled up at him. “I love you, too.”
Chapter 25
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” —Lao Tzu
“I’m scared,” Mia confessed as they drove into Boston in rush-hour traffic that moved so slowly, it only added to her hyped-up anxiety.
“Of what?”
“Meeting him. What if he doesn’t like me?”
“Mia, honey, he’s going to love you, at first because he doesn’t have to look for you or miss you anymore. And then when he gets to know you, he will love you for you. How could he not?”
“And you’re not at all biased.”
“I’m super biased. I love you best of all. I’m afraid you’ll forget all about me when you meet your dad.”
“I won’t do that.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, Wade. I promise.”
“I’ll be right there with you. There’s nothing to be afraid of. He’s going to be thrilled.”
“This has been the weirdest day of my life, and my life has had a lot of weird days. When I woke up, I’d planned to finish unpacking and then stop by the store to see if you wanted to have lunch.”
“I’ll always want to have lunch with you.”
“How do you know that?”
“How long will it be before you believe that I’m in this for keeps?”
“I don’t know. No one has ever wanted to keep me before—at least not for the right reasons.”
“Well, now someone does.”
“I’m still getting used to that.”
“That’s okay. Take all the time you need.”
The GPS took them to the address Grayson had given them. He’d told them it was in Beacon Hill, one of the swankier neighborhoods in Boston.
“I’ve never been here,” she said, taking in the sights of the city.
“No?”
She shook her head. “I’ve hardly been anywhere. We didn’t have much money growing up, and since I’ve been on my own, all I seem to do is work and scrape by.”
“We’ll go anywhere you want. We’ll see it all.”
“What about that farm you want to buy?”
“We’ll do that, too.”
“And how will we afford all these things we’re going to do?”
“We’ll work hard and save our money and do a lot of the work to the house ourselves. We’ll make it happen, babe.”
“You make me believe it.”
“You can believe it. It’s all happening. It’s already happening.” He leaned forward for a closer look at the numbers on the brick-fronted town houses. “That’s it right there. Now to find a parking place.”
They circled the block twice before Wade found a spot and parallel parked. He shut off the engine and turned to her. “How’re you feeling?”
“I’m a mess.”
“No, you’re not. You look beautiful, as always.”
“Thank you, but I’m a mess on the inside.”
“Look at me.”
She shifted her gaze toward him.
“It’s going to be great. I promise.”
“Stay close.”
“Nowhere else I’d rather be than close to you.”
Wade held her hand while they walked around the block to her father’s house. Her father… Oh God, she was actually going to meet her father!
As they approached the stone stairs to his house, the door flew open and a man let out a shout that startled her. He charged down the stairs and had her in his arms before she could begin to prepare herself.
“My baby girl,” he said between sobs. “You’ve finally come home.”
He smelled the way a dad should, like aftershave and starch. That was the first thought she had.
With his hands on her shoulders, he stepped back and took a long look at her. His eyes were red and his face puffy, as if he’d been crying for hours. He had gray hair and a youthful, handsome face. She thought he looked kind, if that was possible.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said, still staring at her.
“Thank you. Um, this is my husband, Wade.”
“Oh, you’re married! My goodness.” He shook Wade’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too, sir.”
“Please, call me Cabot.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“Where’re my manners? It’s freezing. Come inside. Please.” He led the way up the stairs and ushered them into the house.
Only when she entered the warm house did Mia realize she was freezing.
A woman joined them, covering her mouth as tears ran down her face.
“This is my sister, Emily,” Cabot said. “Emily, meet your niece, Mia.”
She had an aunt. Mia hadn’t considered that her father would come with a family. Her family.
“I’m sorry, but I have to hug you,” Emily said. “I hope that’s okay.”
“Oh, um, sure,” Mia said, accepting the other woman’s embrace.
“We’re making you uncomfortable,” Cabot said, “but you have no idea how hard we’ve prayed for this day.”
“Is she here?” a young woman called as she came from the back of the house, skidding to a stop when she saw them in the foyer.
“This is my daughter, Caroline,” Emily said. “Caroline, this is your cousin, Mia.”
“Nice to meet you,” Caroline said, shaking Mia’s hand. She had dark hair and big brown eyes.
A cousin! She had a cousin. “You, too.”
“Let me take your coats,” Cabot said.
She and Wade took off their coats and handed them to him.
Mia grasped Wade’s hand, and he gave her a squeeze that helped to calm her. All her life, her family had been her, her mother and her late grandfather. And now… “Is there more?” she asked. “Family, I mean?”
“I also have two brothers.” Cabot led them into the kitchen, located in the back of the long, narrow town house. “Fischer is in Philadelphia, and Morgan is in DC, or they’d be here. Fischer has two kids, and Morgan has three.”
“Do you have others?” Mia asked Emily.
“Just this one,” she said, putting an arm around her daughter.
“What about you?” Mia asked her dad. “Do you have other kids?”
He shook his head. “Only you.”
“You can’t know what he’s been through,” Emily said, giving her brother an empathetic look.
“Don’t, Em,” he said, his mouth set in a hard expression. “It’s not her fault.”
“I’m sorry for everything that happened,” Mia said. “I had no idea. If I had known, I would’ve gotten in touch long before now.”
“It’s not your fault, and you have nothing to be sorry about. I want you to know… I never stopped looking for you. I can’t believe you were as close as Vermont all this time.” He seemed to try to rally, forcing a smile. “So how long have you been married?”
“Not even a week,” Mia said, smiling at Wade.
“Oh my goodness! You’re newlyweds. Did you have a big wedding?”
“No, my grandfather is a JP, and he married us. We were in a bit of a rush.”
Cabot covered his heart with his hand. “Don’t tell me you’re already going to make me a grandfather,” he said with a teasing smile. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
Mia glanced at Wade.
He nodded, encouraging her to share with her father what she’d been through.
“I met Wade almost two years ago, and a lot has happened since then.”
Three hours later, they checked into the Westin Copley Place, a gift arranged by her father for the newlyweds.
Mia exclaimed when she saw the suite he had reserved for them. “This is crazy! I’ve never seen a hotel room this nice except on TV!”
Wade took pleasure in her delight, as he had during the evening they’d spent with her family. Her father had hung on her every word and wanted to hear the details of her life, no matter how insignificant. It had pained him to hear of her ordeal with Brody and that she’d been abused by him.
“He’ll never get near her again,” Wade had assured Cabot when he’d asked Wade what was being done to keep Brody away from Mia.
Emily had ordered pizza, and Mia had spoken to her two uncles on the phone. She’d heard about her grandparents and her father’s life and had gotten to know Caroline, who was a recent college graduate.
It had been quite a day, to say the least. When Hunter had first told him about the phony Social Security number, Wade’s imagination had gone in unsettling directions, but he couldn’t have imagined the series of events that information had triggered. He couldn’t begin to know how Mia must feel.
She stood at the window, gazing out at the view of Boston, the Charles River and Fenway Park. “My dad has been here all this time, searching for me. My mom knew that. She knew he would be devastated to lose me.” Mia glanced at Wade. “How could she do that to him or to me?”
“I don’t know, honey.”
“Losing me broke his heart. Emily said he’s hardly been on a date since my mother left him and took me. It’s so sad.”
He held her from behind, his chin propped on her head. “It really is.”
“Can we promise each other that, no matter what happens between us, we’ll never do anything like that to each other?”
“I can make that promise.”
“Me, too. I could never do that to you.”
“I could never do it to you either.”
“I’m glad we have that resolved.” Her smile was reflected in the window. “Thank you for making this trip with me. I never could’ve done it without you with me.”
“Yes, you could have. You don’t give yourself enough credit for how strong you’ve been for such a long t
ime.”
“I like the way I look to you.”
He pressed his cock against her ass. “I like the way you look to me, too.”
She laughed. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know,” he said, chuckling. “I’m a newlywed. I can’t help it.”
She turned to face him. “What a week this has been. I got a husband, more in-laws than I can count, a father, an aunt, two uncles and six cousins.”
“Don’t forget a niece and a nephew,” Wade said, amused by her inventory.
“How could I forget them?”
“Ella told me this morning that she’s expecting, too, but they’re keeping it secret for a while longer.”
“That’s great news. I’m so used to being on my own, and suddenly I have a huge family.”
“You’re definitely not alone anymore.”
She kissed his neck. “My new husband is my favorite new family member.”
“Is he?”
“Uh-huh. He’s been so sweet and supportive and understanding of the insanity I brought into his well-ordered life.”
“His well-ordered life was kind of boring before you showed up.”
“Was it?”
Nodding, he gazed down at her, drinking in every detail of her sweet face. “Your dad said it’s going to be like a spring day tomorrow. What do you say we stick around so you can spend more time with him and we can enjoy some warm weather before we head back to the frozen tundra?”
“That’d be okay with me if you can be gone that long.”
“It’s fine. Ella will cover for me, and I’ll pay her back when she takes off to have the baby. That’s how we roll in my family.” He checked his watch. “Speaking of my family, I should check in. They’re probably going nuts waiting to hear how it all went.”
“Use my phone.” She handed it to him. “Do you know how?”
“Yes, smartass. I do. Max has one.”
She shook her head and laughed. “I can’t deal with this cell-phone-free planet you people live on.”
“Us people? Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but you’re one of us people on that planet, and this thing is no good to you in my world.”
“That’s gonna take some adjusting.”
“No worries.” He kissed her. “I’ll keep you so busy, you’ll never miss it.” Wade dialed the number, sat on the bed and waited for one of his parents to pick up.
