A Sheriff's Star, page 2
Hannah bounced in her mother’s arms. “Mac a chee, pease.”
Tess adjusted her child on her hip and shot him a narrow-eyed glance.
Before she could speak, he held up a hand. “It’s no trouble. Consider it a welcome to town meal. What would you like?”
“Nothing for me, thanks.” She set Hannah on her feet.
“Momma, packpack, pease.”
“Your backpack is in the car.” Keys jingled as she pulled them from her pocket. “I’ll get it, but you have to take a bath before Chief Curry gets back with your food.”
He winked at Hannah. Her giggle made him smile, but also struck a wounded place inside him. A place that longed for a little one of his own. He held the front door open and motioned for Tess to go out ahead of him.
After a moment of hesitation, she quickly stepped past him, keeping as much distance between them as possible.
This woman doesn’t even want to be near me.
She rushed ahead and unlocked a maroon SUV with an attached rental trailer.
“You’ll need help unloading,” he said.
“I’ll be fine. I got it packed into the trailer all by myself, and I can get it out.” She swung a pink sparkly backpack over one shoulder, retrieved a large suitcase with one hand and tried to grab a box off the floorboard with the other.
He rushed forward and lifted the box. “I’ve got it.”
“Please be careful with it.” Her tone altered from all business to concern.
Anson glanced at the neatly printed writing. Dad and Shawn’s flags and photos. Was Shawn her husband? Were they flags that had draped coffins?
When she had the front door open, she put down the suitcase, then turned and took the box from him. “Thanks.” She clutched it to her chest, gazed down at the names across the top, then turned away like she’d forgotten he was there.
“I’ll be back in about thirty minutes,” he called after her and closed the door.
Anson drove the three blocks to Oak Hollow town square and went inside The Acorn Cafe. “Hey, Sam,” he said to the owner. “How’s the family?”
“All good.” Sam glanced across the café and smiled at his wife, Dawn.
The love bouncing between the couple made Anson’s chest tighten. They had what he longed for. A real connection, not a temporary hook-up.
It took several minutes to greet various people before taking a seat on a stool at the old-fashioned soda counter. One of the new waitresses sidled up so close her breasts brushed his arm.
“Evening, Anson,” she crooned. “What’s your pleasure tonight?”
He shifted out of her reach. “Hi, Tina. I need to place a to-go order.”
“I’ll be more than happy to get you anything you want.”
Her emphasis of the word anything was not subtle, but he ignored the suggestive comment. “I need an order of mac and cheese with a side of fresh fruit and three orders of pot roast with mashed potatoes and green beans.”
“You and your grandmother have company tonight?”
“New neighbors.”
Once Tina wrote up the order and walked away, he called the station. “Hey, Walker. Need me to stop by before I go home for the night?”
“All quiet this evening, Chief. You work too many hours. You should call up one of those single ladies for a change.”
“Think I’ll leave that to you for now. See you tomorrow.”
The kitchen door swung open, giving him an eyeful of Tina undoing her top button and adjusting her breasts to swell even farther out the top of her uniform. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. None of the ladies who chased him piqued his interest. Not like the attraction that had slapped him when he met his prickly new neighbor with the rigid, full mouth he’d like to soften under his kiss.
Just my luck the first woman I’ve wanted in ages is repelled by me.
Chapter Two
Hannah Lynn stood with her arms crossed and shook her head, making long curls swing across her face. “No, no, no!”
Tess closed her eyes, searching for patience. The seemingly unimportant lack of a bath mat had thrown their evening routine into a tailspin, but she’d forgotten having the right bath mat was her daughter’s newest obsessive-compulsive trigger. “Hannah, they’re packed in the boxes in the front of the moving trailer. I can’t get to them tonight. Please, get into the water before it gets cold.”
“Can’t, Momma.”
Tess grabbed the towel she’d planned to use, folded it into the correct shape and placed it on the pale green mosaic tile floor.
Hannah eyed the makeshift mat, bent over to straighten one folded up corner, then finally climbed into the tub.
With that battle won, Tess grabbed the soap and sang the bath time song. “Bath time for my girl, bath time for my girl, bath time for my little bitty girl. Yee-haw.” After a quick washing, she dried her wiggly daughter.
“My sheriff back?”
“Not yet. His name is Chief Curry.”
“Chief, chief, chief.” Hannah tried out the name in a singsong voice.
Exhaustion pushed at Tess, but she had to keep going and get them settled in before she gave in to sleep. “Please stand still and put your leg in your pajama pants.”
Once she was dressed, the little girl ran down the short hallway, jumped onto the living room couch, and pulled dolls and books from her sparkly princess backpack. A knock at the door had her springing back to her feet.
“Hannah Lynn, do not open that door when you don’t know who’s on the other side.” She stopped her precocious child just in time and looked out the peephole. There stood a wall of muscle and temptation, just waiting to throw a twist into her perfectly laid plan to do the job she’d been hired for, then move on. Her sudden urge to brush her hair and put on makeup irritated her further.
I can’t be attracted to a man with a dangerous job. I won’t risk the pain my mother and I suffered, twice.
She steadied her breath and turned the knob.
“My chief,” Hannah cheered. “I hungry.”
He chuckled and held out a plastic bag. “Here you go, little one.”
“Tank you.” Hannah rushed to the table in the breakfast nook off the living room.
Tess shook her head. “I was trying to teach her to say Chief Curry so she won’t keep calling you sheriff.”
“She can call me whatever she wants. Anything else I can do for you before I go?”
“Toys, pease,” Hannah said as she took items out of the bag.
Tess crossed to the table and opened the container of mac and cheese. “They’re in the U-Haul, sweetie. We’ll get your boxes of toys in the morning.” She held a foam box out to Anson. “This must be yours.”
“I went ahead and got something for you, too.”
“For me?” She opened the container of pot roast with mashed potatoes and green beans. Her annoyance with his presence faded slightly. “Thank you. How’d you know my favorite comfort food?” The broad smile and laugh lines around his eyes heightened his already devastating appearance, and she forced herself to look away. Experience had taught her it was highly doubtful his true character and moral fiber matched up to his shiny exterior. Her ex-husband had put on a good face at the beginning, but it had rapidly tarnished after saying I do.
“Lucky guess. I can bring in her toys.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Hannah cheered.
Having this man around stole focus from her daughter, but she worked to keep the frustration from her expression. “I don’t want to keep you from your dinner. You’ve done enough.”
“Won’t hurt me to bring in a few boxes.”
A moan of delight came from Hannah as she took another big bite.
“I can’t leave her to eat alone. She sometimes eats too fast and chokes.”
“You stay with her. I’ll get them.”
This man is relentless. Still, she softened to him a smidgen more and held her keys out by the one that would open the trailer, admitting he was kind and helpful. But still off-limits.
He set a second bag on the table and took the keys. “I better leave my food inside. If I put it on the porch the neighbor’s dog will eat it.”
His nearness brought the scent of something woodsy and made her breath hitch. A flutter erupted to swirl in her belly, and she focused on her food in an effort not to watch him walk away. Her ex, Brent, never would’ve been thoughtful enough to see through her claim that she wasn’t hungry, or looked so delicious in a pair of uniform pants.
I’d like to see the chief in a pair of faded jeans and... She bit her bottom lip. Hard. Shut up, disobedient brain.
“Momma, eat.”
She sat beside Hannah, grabbed a plastic fork and savored a bite of tender beef dripping with gravy. “This is so good. Slow down, sweetie, and eat some of the fruit, too.”
A few minutes later the door opened and Anson stepped inside carrying a stack of boxes. “Which bedroom?”
“The first one, please.” She stayed seated beside her daughter and watched him haul his load down the hallway like it was nothing more than a pillow.
He walked back through the living room to the door.
“Wait. Don’t forget your food.”
“I’m going to get a few more boxes first. You have them well labeled and I saw some you might need before tomorrow.”
Three times he came and went, carrying a stack much bigger than she could’ve managed.
“I locked the trailer.” He hung the keys on a hook high on the doorframe.
Her ex-husband would’ve flicked his hand at someone else and told them to do all the work. “I appreciate your help, and the food. I was hungrier than I realized.”
“Thought you might be.” He picked up his bag and glanced at his watch. “I should get home before Jenny leaves. She stays with my grandmother during the day.”
“She lives with you next door?”
He adjusted his cowboy hat. “I moved in with Nan after she had a mild stroke. That’s when I decided to put my house up for rent.”
“I’m sorry to hear she’s been ill. It’s just the two of you in that big house?” Tess flinched, not even wanting to admit to herself that she was fishing to see if he was single.
“Yep. Lots of empty rooms.”
“How’s your grandmother recovering?”
“Better now, but...” He shrugged and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Why am I invading his private life and encouraging conversation? “I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay. Nan has always been such a strong woman. A fighter. But she seems to be giving up this time.” Light reflected off the face of his watch as he waved a hand like he could erase his words. “Didn’t mean to dump all that on you. I’m just worried.”
“I did ask. Sorry to hear she’s struggling.” Tears pricked the back of her eyes. “I went through something similar with my mom after—”
“Momma! I done.” Hannah tapped her spoon on the table, then tilted her head back. “Sleepy.”
Tess shoved aside painful memories of her mom’s unnecessary death. “Okay, sweetie. We have to brush your teeth before you fall asleep.”
“No, no, no.” Her repeated gesture looked as if she was conducting a symphony. “No teeth.”
“You won’t have any teeth if we don’t brush them.” She got no response and glanced at Anson. “The word ‘no’ is her current favorite.”
He did a poor job of hiding his grin. “I’ll get out of your way and let you get her to bed. You ladies have a nice evening.”
Tess followed him to the door. Before she thought better of it, she put a hand on his forearm, but quickly slid her fingers away. His shifting eyes and change in breathing told her he’d definitely noticed the primal flash. “I’m sorry we used so much of your time this evening. I promise things aren’t usually this crazy. I’ve never lost her before. Again, thanks for everything, Chief Curry.”
One brow rose along with one corner of his full mouth. “Call me Anson. We’re neighbors after all.”
“Okay.” But she couldn’t make herself say his name.
“Should I call you Mrs. Harper or Hannah’s Momma?”
“It’s Ms. Harper, but I think Tess is the best option.”
He touched the brim of his cowboy hat with two fingers. “Good night, Tess.”
“Good night... Anson.” She locked the door and rested her forehead against the polished wood. He was a temptation she couldn’t afford to indulge, but boy, was he one hard-to-resist man.
Hannah wrapped her arms around her mother’s legs. “I want Boo Bunny.”
Her baby girl’s hair was silky soft under her fingers and she couldn’t resist pulling her up into her arms. “You’re right. It will feel more like home if your animal friends are in your room. You can unpack them while I put sheets on the beds.”
Tess got to work while Hannah arranged her animals in a very particular order. Once the battle of the teeth brushing was won, she settled her sleepy-eyed child under the covers and they read Barnyard Dance and Goodnight Moon. She gave her a dose of liquid Lasix to help with fluid retention, then tucked her in with the usual routine of a kiss on each cheek, her nose and forehead.
“Good night, sweetie. Momma loves you.”
“Wuv you, Momma.”
The faint illumination of the last remnants of daylight faded from the window. Moments later, her precious child drifted into dreams. They were all each other had. It had been that way since she went to the hospital alone. Gave birth alone. Then brought her new, fragile baby daughter home to a tiny apartment.
Alone.
“Sweet dreams, my beautiful girl. I pray I can give you a long, happy, fulfilled life.”
Tess blew a kiss, got toiletries from her suitcase, then ran a bubble bath. With her long hair twisted up in a clip, she eased into the hot water, but her mind wouldn’t settle. Something about this move to a small, family-oriented town was pulling up painful memories of the day her ten-month marriage abruptly ended. Stripping her of the new family that was supposed to embrace her and make her feel part of something again.
She closed her eyes, and as much as she resisted, her mind replayed the evening a phone call changed her world...
* * *
“Good evening, Tess,” said her doctor. “I have the results from your amniocentesis. They tell us your baby girl has Down syndrome.”
It was the last thing she heard. She couldn’t remember saying goodbye or hanging up the phone. Shock left her mute and crumpled on the floor against the kitchen cabinets.
But I’m twenty-seven. Doesn’t this only happen to older mothers? She’d been sure the blood test had been a false positive, but it hadn’t.
Brent walked in, trailed by his overbearing mother. “What are you doing on the floor? Who was on the phone?” he asked. But even with his child growing inside her, he didn’t bend down to see if she was okay or pick her up.
“Doctor. Our baby...” Tess cradled her expanding belly and rocked. “Our baby has Down syndrome.”
He stared at her, sat in the closest chair and didn’t utter a sound.
As usual, his mother had no trouble expressing her thoughts. “Well, that’s unfortunate. But we can get this taken care of.”
She clutched tighter to the swell of her unborn daughter. “It’s not something you can take care of with medicine or surgery. No doctor can change it.”
Her mother-in-law rolled her eyes. “I know that. You can end this pregnancy, then try again.”
The matter-of-fact tone sliced like a blade.
“End it?” Tess blinked back tears. “I would never...” Each breath was a fight against the cloying pressure squeezing her chest. A new version of panic pushed at her mind, pushed at her heart, making each beat a hammer strike. “Brent, say something. Tell her we’d never do that.”
He stared at her, then glanced at his mother like a little boy begging for mommy to fix his problems.
Her look of authority bored into her son. “Brent, you know what has to be done.”
For a desperate second, Tess almost believed he’d do the right thing this time. He’d stand up to his mother. Just this once. He had to.
She was wrong, of course.
* * *
Tess splashed her bathwater, bringing herself back into the present. Bubbles slid down her cheeks as she worked to ease her ragged breath.
Marrying the son of a bitch had been her first stupid move, but she’d fallen for Brent Wilcott hard and fast. During the months they’d dated in grad school, he’d appeared confident and full of charm. When he’d gone on and on about how his family would love her and take her in as one of their own, it had been like icing on the cake. She’d longed to feel like part of a family again. Needed it. But the things Brent told her couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Once they married and moved into the family home, she got her first real glimpse of Brent’s true personality. And the family that had seemed so upstanding, so loving, wasn’t at all what she’d expected. Ever so slowly, she began to realize she’d mistaken control for affection. Brent’s parents cared more about status than anything else, and her wimpy pushover of a husband had let them tell him what to do and think.
Using their connections, they streamlined arrangements for divorce papers and a large check. Days later, they had thrust both into her hands. The coldhearted treatment shouldn’t have been a surprise, but had slapped her with bewilderment. They’d shut her and her unborn child out of their lives like an offensive book they’d just slammed closed. She hadn’t wanted a dime of their money but took it for the sake of her special needs child.
Brent’s abandonment had crushed the last part of her heart that was open to the possibility of loving another man. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. Once was more than enough. There was only room for Hannah now. Her baby’s love filled her up, and it was just the two of them against the world, while the Wilcott family lived the high life in a Beacon Hill mansion, pretending they were perfect.
Tess adjusted her child on her hip and shot him a narrow-eyed glance.
Before she could speak, he held up a hand. “It’s no trouble. Consider it a welcome to town meal. What would you like?”
“Nothing for me, thanks.” She set Hannah on her feet.
“Momma, packpack, pease.”
“Your backpack is in the car.” Keys jingled as she pulled them from her pocket. “I’ll get it, but you have to take a bath before Chief Curry gets back with your food.”
He winked at Hannah. Her giggle made him smile, but also struck a wounded place inside him. A place that longed for a little one of his own. He held the front door open and motioned for Tess to go out ahead of him.
After a moment of hesitation, she quickly stepped past him, keeping as much distance between them as possible.
This woman doesn’t even want to be near me.
She rushed ahead and unlocked a maroon SUV with an attached rental trailer.
“You’ll need help unloading,” he said.
“I’ll be fine. I got it packed into the trailer all by myself, and I can get it out.” She swung a pink sparkly backpack over one shoulder, retrieved a large suitcase with one hand and tried to grab a box off the floorboard with the other.
He rushed forward and lifted the box. “I’ve got it.”
“Please be careful with it.” Her tone altered from all business to concern.
Anson glanced at the neatly printed writing. Dad and Shawn’s flags and photos. Was Shawn her husband? Were they flags that had draped coffins?
When she had the front door open, she put down the suitcase, then turned and took the box from him. “Thanks.” She clutched it to her chest, gazed down at the names across the top, then turned away like she’d forgotten he was there.
“I’ll be back in about thirty minutes,” he called after her and closed the door.
Anson drove the three blocks to Oak Hollow town square and went inside The Acorn Cafe. “Hey, Sam,” he said to the owner. “How’s the family?”
“All good.” Sam glanced across the café and smiled at his wife, Dawn.
The love bouncing between the couple made Anson’s chest tighten. They had what he longed for. A real connection, not a temporary hook-up.
It took several minutes to greet various people before taking a seat on a stool at the old-fashioned soda counter. One of the new waitresses sidled up so close her breasts brushed his arm.
“Evening, Anson,” she crooned. “What’s your pleasure tonight?”
He shifted out of her reach. “Hi, Tina. I need to place a to-go order.”
“I’ll be more than happy to get you anything you want.”
Her emphasis of the word anything was not subtle, but he ignored the suggestive comment. “I need an order of mac and cheese with a side of fresh fruit and three orders of pot roast with mashed potatoes and green beans.”
“You and your grandmother have company tonight?”
“New neighbors.”
Once Tina wrote up the order and walked away, he called the station. “Hey, Walker. Need me to stop by before I go home for the night?”
“All quiet this evening, Chief. You work too many hours. You should call up one of those single ladies for a change.”
“Think I’ll leave that to you for now. See you tomorrow.”
The kitchen door swung open, giving him an eyeful of Tina undoing her top button and adjusting her breasts to swell even farther out the top of her uniform. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. None of the ladies who chased him piqued his interest. Not like the attraction that had slapped him when he met his prickly new neighbor with the rigid, full mouth he’d like to soften under his kiss.
Just my luck the first woman I’ve wanted in ages is repelled by me.
Chapter Two
Hannah Lynn stood with her arms crossed and shook her head, making long curls swing across her face. “No, no, no!”
Tess closed her eyes, searching for patience. The seemingly unimportant lack of a bath mat had thrown their evening routine into a tailspin, but she’d forgotten having the right bath mat was her daughter’s newest obsessive-compulsive trigger. “Hannah, they’re packed in the boxes in the front of the moving trailer. I can’t get to them tonight. Please, get into the water before it gets cold.”
“Can’t, Momma.”
Tess grabbed the towel she’d planned to use, folded it into the correct shape and placed it on the pale green mosaic tile floor.
Hannah eyed the makeshift mat, bent over to straighten one folded up corner, then finally climbed into the tub.
With that battle won, Tess grabbed the soap and sang the bath time song. “Bath time for my girl, bath time for my girl, bath time for my little bitty girl. Yee-haw.” After a quick washing, she dried her wiggly daughter.
“My sheriff back?”
“Not yet. His name is Chief Curry.”
“Chief, chief, chief.” Hannah tried out the name in a singsong voice.
Exhaustion pushed at Tess, but she had to keep going and get them settled in before she gave in to sleep. “Please stand still and put your leg in your pajama pants.”
Once she was dressed, the little girl ran down the short hallway, jumped onto the living room couch, and pulled dolls and books from her sparkly princess backpack. A knock at the door had her springing back to her feet.
“Hannah Lynn, do not open that door when you don’t know who’s on the other side.” She stopped her precocious child just in time and looked out the peephole. There stood a wall of muscle and temptation, just waiting to throw a twist into her perfectly laid plan to do the job she’d been hired for, then move on. Her sudden urge to brush her hair and put on makeup irritated her further.
I can’t be attracted to a man with a dangerous job. I won’t risk the pain my mother and I suffered, twice.
She steadied her breath and turned the knob.
“My chief,” Hannah cheered. “I hungry.”
He chuckled and held out a plastic bag. “Here you go, little one.”
“Tank you.” Hannah rushed to the table in the breakfast nook off the living room.
Tess shook her head. “I was trying to teach her to say Chief Curry so she won’t keep calling you sheriff.”
“She can call me whatever she wants. Anything else I can do for you before I go?”
“Toys, pease,” Hannah said as she took items out of the bag.
Tess crossed to the table and opened the container of mac and cheese. “They’re in the U-Haul, sweetie. We’ll get your boxes of toys in the morning.” She held a foam box out to Anson. “This must be yours.”
“I went ahead and got something for you, too.”
“For me?” She opened the container of pot roast with mashed potatoes and green beans. Her annoyance with his presence faded slightly. “Thank you. How’d you know my favorite comfort food?” The broad smile and laugh lines around his eyes heightened his already devastating appearance, and she forced herself to look away. Experience had taught her it was highly doubtful his true character and moral fiber matched up to his shiny exterior. Her ex-husband had put on a good face at the beginning, but it had rapidly tarnished after saying I do.
“Lucky guess. I can bring in her toys.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Hannah cheered.
Having this man around stole focus from her daughter, but she worked to keep the frustration from her expression. “I don’t want to keep you from your dinner. You’ve done enough.”
“Won’t hurt me to bring in a few boxes.”
A moan of delight came from Hannah as she took another big bite.
“I can’t leave her to eat alone. She sometimes eats too fast and chokes.”
“You stay with her. I’ll get them.”
This man is relentless. Still, she softened to him a smidgen more and held her keys out by the one that would open the trailer, admitting he was kind and helpful. But still off-limits.
He set a second bag on the table and took the keys. “I better leave my food inside. If I put it on the porch the neighbor’s dog will eat it.”
His nearness brought the scent of something woodsy and made her breath hitch. A flutter erupted to swirl in her belly, and she focused on her food in an effort not to watch him walk away. Her ex, Brent, never would’ve been thoughtful enough to see through her claim that she wasn’t hungry, or looked so delicious in a pair of uniform pants.
I’d like to see the chief in a pair of faded jeans and... She bit her bottom lip. Hard. Shut up, disobedient brain.
“Momma, eat.”
She sat beside Hannah, grabbed a plastic fork and savored a bite of tender beef dripping with gravy. “This is so good. Slow down, sweetie, and eat some of the fruit, too.”
A few minutes later the door opened and Anson stepped inside carrying a stack of boxes. “Which bedroom?”
“The first one, please.” She stayed seated beside her daughter and watched him haul his load down the hallway like it was nothing more than a pillow.
He walked back through the living room to the door.
“Wait. Don’t forget your food.”
“I’m going to get a few more boxes first. You have them well labeled and I saw some you might need before tomorrow.”
Three times he came and went, carrying a stack much bigger than she could’ve managed.
“I locked the trailer.” He hung the keys on a hook high on the doorframe.
Her ex-husband would’ve flicked his hand at someone else and told them to do all the work. “I appreciate your help, and the food. I was hungrier than I realized.”
“Thought you might be.” He picked up his bag and glanced at his watch. “I should get home before Jenny leaves. She stays with my grandmother during the day.”
“She lives with you next door?”
He adjusted his cowboy hat. “I moved in with Nan after she had a mild stroke. That’s when I decided to put my house up for rent.”
“I’m sorry to hear she’s been ill. It’s just the two of you in that big house?” Tess flinched, not even wanting to admit to herself that she was fishing to see if he was single.
“Yep. Lots of empty rooms.”
“How’s your grandmother recovering?”
“Better now, but...” He shrugged and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Why am I invading his private life and encouraging conversation? “I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay. Nan has always been such a strong woman. A fighter. But she seems to be giving up this time.” Light reflected off the face of his watch as he waved a hand like he could erase his words. “Didn’t mean to dump all that on you. I’m just worried.”
“I did ask. Sorry to hear she’s struggling.” Tears pricked the back of her eyes. “I went through something similar with my mom after—”
“Momma! I done.” Hannah tapped her spoon on the table, then tilted her head back. “Sleepy.”
Tess shoved aside painful memories of her mom’s unnecessary death. “Okay, sweetie. We have to brush your teeth before you fall asleep.”
“No, no, no.” Her repeated gesture looked as if she was conducting a symphony. “No teeth.”
“You won’t have any teeth if we don’t brush them.” She got no response and glanced at Anson. “The word ‘no’ is her current favorite.”
He did a poor job of hiding his grin. “I’ll get out of your way and let you get her to bed. You ladies have a nice evening.”
Tess followed him to the door. Before she thought better of it, she put a hand on his forearm, but quickly slid her fingers away. His shifting eyes and change in breathing told her he’d definitely noticed the primal flash. “I’m sorry we used so much of your time this evening. I promise things aren’t usually this crazy. I’ve never lost her before. Again, thanks for everything, Chief Curry.”
One brow rose along with one corner of his full mouth. “Call me Anson. We’re neighbors after all.”
“Okay.” But she couldn’t make herself say his name.
“Should I call you Mrs. Harper or Hannah’s Momma?”
“It’s Ms. Harper, but I think Tess is the best option.”
He touched the brim of his cowboy hat with two fingers. “Good night, Tess.”
“Good night... Anson.” She locked the door and rested her forehead against the polished wood. He was a temptation she couldn’t afford to indulge, but boy, was he one hard-to-resist man.
Hannah wrapped her arms around her mother’s legs. “I want Boo Bunny.”
Her baby girl’s hair was silky soft under her fingers and she couldn’t resist pulling her up into her arms. “You’re right. It will feel more like home if your animal friends are in your room. You can unpack them while I put sheets on the beds.”
Tess got to work while Hannah arranged her animals in a very particular order. Once the battle of the teeth brushing was won, she settled her sleepy-eyed child under the covers and they read Barnyard Dance and Goodnight Moon. She gave her a dose of liquid Lasix to help with fluid retention, then tucked her in with the usual routine of a kiss on each cheek, her nose and forehead.
“Good night, sweetie. Momma loves you.”
“Wuv you, Momma.”
The faint illumination of the last remnants of daylight faded from the window. Moments later, her precious child drifted into dreams. They were all each other had. It had been that way since she went to the hospital alone. Gave birth alone. Then brought her new, fragile baby daughter home to a tiny apartment.
Alone.
“Sweet dreams, my beautiful girl. I pray I can give you a long, happy, fulfilled life.”
Tess blew a kiss, got toiletries from her suitcase, then ran a bubble bath. With her long hair twisted up in a clip, she eased into the hot water, but her mind wouldn’t settle. Something about this move to a small, family-oriented town was pulling up painful memories of the day her ten-month marriage abruptly ended. Stripping her of the new family that was supposed to embrace her and make her feel part of something again.
She closed her eyes, and as much as she resisted, her mind replayed the evening a phone call changed her world...
* * *
“Good evening, Tess,” said her doctor. “I have the results from your amniocentesis. They tell us your baby girl has Down syndrome.”
It was the last thing she heard. She couldn’t remember saying goodbye or hanging up the phone. Shock left her mute and crumpled on the floor against the kitchen cabinets.
But I’m twenty-seven. Doesn’t this only happen to older mothers? She’d been sure the blood test had been a false positive, but it hadn’t.
Brent walked in, trailed by his overbearing mother. “What are you doing on the floor? Who was on the phone?” he asked. But even with his child growing inside her, he didn’t bend down to see if she was okay or pick her up.
“Doctor. Our baby...” Tess cradled her expanding belly and rocked. “Our baby has Down syndrome.”
He stared at her, sat in the closest chair and didn’t utter a sound.
As usual, his mother had no trouble expressing her thoughts. “Well, that’s unfortunate. But we can get this taken care of.”
She clutched tighter to the swell of her unborn daughter. “It’s not something you can take care of with medicine or surgery. No doctor can change it.”
Her mother-in-law rolled her eyes. “I know that. You can end this pregnancy, then try again.”
The matter-of-fact tone sliced like a blade.
“End it?” Tess blinked back tears. “I would never...” Each breath was a fight against the cloying pressure squeezing her chest. A new version of panic pushed at her mind, pushed at her heart, making each beat a hammer strike. “Brent, say something. Tell her we’d never do that.”
He stared at her, then glanced at his mother like a little boy begging for mommy to fix his problems.
Her look of authority bored into her son. “Brent, you know what has to be done.”
For a desperate second, Tess almost believed he’d do the right thing this time. He’d stand up to his mother. Just this once. He had to.
She was wrong, of course.
* * *
Tess splashed her bathwater, bringing herself back into the present. Bubbles slid down her cheeks as she worked to ease her ragged breath.
Marrying the son of a bitch had been her first stupid move, but she’d fallen for Brent Wilcott hard and fast. During the months they’d dated in grad school, he’d appeared confident and full of charm. When he’d gone on and on about how his family would love her and take her in as one of their own, it had been like icing on the cake. She’d longed to feel like part of a family again. Needed it. But the things Brent told her couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Once they married and moved into the family home, she got her first real glimpse of Brent’s true personality. And the family that had seemed so upstanding, so loving, wasn’t at all what she’d expected. Ever so slowly, she began to realize she’d mistaken control for affection. Brent’s parents cared more about status than anything else, and her wimpy pushover of a husband had let them tell him what to do and think.
Using their connections, they streamlined arrangements for divorce papers and a large check. Days later, they had thrust both into her hands. The coldhearted treatment shouldn’t have been a surprise, but had slapped her with bewilderment. They’d shut her and her unborn child out of their lives like an offensive book they’d just slammed closed. She hadn’t wanted a dime of their money but took it for the sake of her special needs child.
Brent’s abandonment had crushed the last part of her heart that was open to the possibility of loving another man. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. Once was more than enough. There was only room for Hannah now. Her baby’s love filled her up, and it was just the two of them against the world, while the Wilcott family lived the high life in a Beacon Hill mansion, pretending they were perfect.
