A Sheriff's Star, page 20
“Dr. Clark made a few calls.” The pain in her eyes almost broke him. He walked around the bed and cradled one side of Tess’s face. “I’m here for you, too.” The soft slide of her palm over the back of his hand sent a shiver through him.
“I’m sorry about the way I left.”
He wrapped his arms around her, and his tension eased when she returned the embrace.
When he winked at her, Hannah smiled, picked up Boo Bunny and rolled over to play.
“I’ve had time to think and look at things from your perspective,” he whispered against Tess’s ear. “We’ve both been fooled by what we thought we were getting in a partner.”
“It’s not that. It’s...”
“My job?”
She nodded and looked up with troubled eyes. “My child has to be my focus.”
“I know. Nan and Jenny are here, too. They’re waiting for me to call them.”
She released a deep breath. “That’s good.”
“I’m here for Hannah. I’ll always be there for her. And you and I aren’t done either, but we can table that conversation for later. We’ll figure things out when Hannah is out of the hospital.”
She shook her head and pulled away, leaving his arms empty once again.
“I don’t know how to live with the daily fear that...you won’t come home from work.”
Just as he geared up to argue, a nurse entered the room with paperwork. Now was not the time for this discussion. He’d wait and find the right time to try and ease her fears.
* * *
Tess struggled to concentrate on the pages she was signing, while her daughter animatedly talked with her visitors.
Thank goodness they came. Shame washed over her. How could she have let her fear of heartache prevent her daughter from having the people she needed around her?
A nurse came in to do one of the many things Tess dreaded—putting in an IV. The numbing cream would hopefully do its job and limit the pain of the needle stick.
Hannah sat on her mother’s lap with one arm stretched out to the side.
Anson knelt before them and blocked Hannah’s view of what the nurse was doing. “I brought something for you.” He pulled his chief of police badge from his pocket and pinned it onto her hospital gown.
“Star safe.” Hannah’s smile beamed, and she put her free hand over the metal badge.
The young nurse looked up from her work. “Oh, she can’t—”
Tess stopped her with a shake of her head. She knew his badge couldn’t go into the operating room, but Hannah needed the comfort it would give her now.
The nurse gave a nod and finished her task.
Hannah frowned at the IV in her arm but watched in fascination as machines came to life with lights and sounds.
“My sweet girl, this nice nurse is going to give you some medicine. It will make you sleepy.” A sharp knot clawed at Tess’s throat. “While you are asleep, the doctor will make you all better.”
“Okay, Momma.”
She pressed her lips to Hannah’s forehead, both cheeks and the tip of her nose. “Momma loves you so much, precious girl.”
“I wuv you, Momma.” She turned her big smile on Anson. “I wuv you, Daddy Chief.”
Tess saw a tremor run through him before he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her daughter’s forehead.
“I love you, too, little one.”
The nurse injected medication into the IV, and within moments, Hannah’s beautiful eyes fluttered closed. And Tess almost screamed for her to open them. What if she never saw her baby blues again? “Please take good care of my sweet girl.”
“We will. It’s time for us to take her back and get started,” one of the nurses said, and unlocked the rolling wheels on the bed.
Panic rose with a painful lash, and Tess wanted to scream. She kept a hold of Hannah as they rolled the bed down the hallway, her heart riding painfully up her throat. Anson stayed right beside her.
Be strong. Do not fall apart!
Tess trembled violently when she was forced to let go of her baby’s tiny hand and watch them roll the bed through the double doors toward the operating room. Just when she took a step to run after them for one more kiss, Anson’s arms wrapped tightly around her.
“I’ve got you, honey. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“They’ve got my life in their hands. My whole world.” She clung to him and let the rise and fall of his chest ground her.
They stood locked in their embrace for several minutes as the hustle and bustle of the hospital went on around them. Anson led her into the waiting room, and they took seats near Nan and Jenny.
When she was able to swallow down the knot lodged in her throat, she met everyone’s eyes. “Thank you for coming. Even after the way I left.”
Nan clasped her hand. “Don’t you worry about that. We wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
* * *
The hours ticked by and everyone did their best to keep her occupied, but every minute was an agonizing bit of forever. Finally, the cardiac surgeon, Dr. Fraser, and his surgical nurse were walking toward them. Tess watched as the nurse sighed deeply and folded her hands in front of her. The expression and movement were like a punch to the gut.
Oh my God, no! Something went wrong!
She jumped to her feet, ready to scream, but before she could cry out or beg to know what had happened, Dr. Fraser smiled.
“Everything went beautifully and Hannah is in recovery.”
He continued with details, but all Tess could do was wipe away tears of relief and rest her head on Anson’s chest.
* * *
The ladies went home the following day. For the next two nights, she and Anson slept on couches in the large ICU waiting room with other scared parents. During those hours, they talked about many things, but they did not discuss their relationship or the future.
Once Hannah was in a private hospital room, Anson needed to return to Oak Hollow for a court date.
As he gathered his things to leave, she found the courage to open up to him. “I’m sorry about the way things worked out between us.”
“We’re not done.” He leaned over Hannah, kissed her forehead and whispered something in her ear.
“Anson, you’re not hearing me. There is no ‘us.’”
“Why, Tess? Why is that?”
“I’ve just never been...enough.”
His expression went blank. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Without my father and brother, I wasn’t enough for my mother to fight to live. I wasn’t enough for my husband to fight for our marriage.” She held up a hand when it looked like he’d argue. “And I certainly wasn’t enough for his parents. There will come a time that I won’t be enough for you.”
“Tess, honey, look at me.” He knelt before her chair and cupped her face between his big hands. “You are more than enough. More than I ever hoped to find in a woman. You and Hannah have become my everything.”
“You say that now, but—”
He captured her lips with a passionate, tender kiss. “I need you to hear what I’m saying. What I’m feeling. You might not need me, but I need you. I want to share a life with you and Hannah. Come back to me.” He kissed her once more, then rose to his feet. At the door, he glanced over his shoulder, tension etching his face. “I love you, Tess.”
Her heart jumped and fluttered, and she rushed to the doorway, but couldn’t make herself go farther. She watched through a blur of tears as he strode down the long white corridor. He stopped once, and she thought he’d turn around. Instead, he continued forward until he crossed a patch of sunlight then disappeared into shadows.
The truth hit Tess like Thor’s hammer, and she bit the inside of her cheek until the metallic tang of blood filled her mouth. She was completely in love with Anson Curry. And so was her daughter.
She was the only thing stopping them from being happy.
Chapter Seventeen
A few days later, arrangements were being made for Hannah’s release. Relief that her daughter had made a quick and successful recovery was an understatement. Now that the surgery was done and the rest of their lives could begin, Tess finally let herself consider their future with clear eyes and a brighter outlook.
“We go home. See my Daddy and my Nan,” Hannah told the doctor. “And my puppy.”
“That’s wonderful,” he replied, and winked at her. “You can go home today after lunch. Mrs. Harper, don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions or concerns.”
She shook his hand. “Thank you so much for everything. Have a Merry Christmas.”
“You, too. Bye, Hannah.”
“Bye-bye, doctor man.”
He chuckled on his way out the door.
Alone in the room once again, she watched Hannah chatter to Boo Bunny.
I could have lost her, but I didn’t.
Tess hadn’t allowed herself to chase after Anson, but she’d been thinking about his declarations. She picked up the photo he’d brought of the three of them on Thanksgiving and could no longer deny what she truly wanted. It was time to stop shutting love out and think about what she and Hannah needed. They had each other, but there was more than enough room in their hearts and lives for more people.
More family.
Even with the risks, a short time of magic was better than a lifetime of lonely days and nights. Better than a lifetime of regret for a chance passed up because of what might happen. Life was what you made of it in the time you had.
A burst of happiness pulled her cheeks into the biggest smile she’d felt in days. “Sweet girl, are you ready to go home to Oak Hollow?”
“I ready, Momma.”
* * *
The evening was cold but sunny as they pulled up in front of Nan’s big white Victorian house on Eighteenth Street. Before she could even get Hannah unbuckled from her seat, the front door opened, and Anson strode quickly down the walk. Still worried about the large incision on her daughter’s chest, she carefully picked Hannah up and cradled her, then turned to face the man she loved.
“We home!” Hannah yelled.
Anson’s eyes cut to her and she smiled. “We’re home,” she affirmed, and thought she saw a tear trickle down his cheek before he enveloped them both in a strong, but careful hug.
“For good?” he whispered against her ear.
“If it’s not too late?”
“Never.”
“Anson, I’m scared of doing something that might hurt my child, of having my heart broken. But most of all... I’m scared of living the rest of my life without you.” Tess pulled back enough to see his face. “I love you.”
He peppered each of them with kisses until they laughed. “I love you both. So much.”
“Down, pease,” Hannah requested. Once she was standing beside them on the sidewalk, she directed Anson and Tess to hold hands then took their free ones in hers. She held her arms wide and her eyes grew as big as saucers. “Circle! Momma, this my circle.”
“Is it the one you’ve been looking for?” Anson asked.
The little girl giggled and squeezed their fingers harder. “Yes. My circle.”
Tess’s heart filled to bursting, and she met his loving gaze.
“A family circle,” they said in unison.
* * *
On Christmas Eve, Anson led Tess and Hannah over to stand in front of the Christmas tree and dropped to one knee before them.
Tess’s pulse raced and her cheeks ached from smiling, especially when he faced Hannah and opened a small jewelry box.
He pulled out a silver charm bracelet. A star, surrounded by a circle of colored gemstones, dangled from the center of the chain. “Will you be my daughter and take my last name?”
Tess gasped as a burst of tingling warmth shimmered through her chest, instantly making her world feel brighter.
“My Daddy!” Hannah squealed, and clapped her hands against his cheeks.
“My little one.”
They hugged, and her daughter sat on her daddy’s knee.
He clasped Tess’s hand, pressed his lips to her knuckles and didn’t try to hide his tears. “You are more than enough. You’re the love I’ve been waiting for. Will you be my wife? Will the two of you be my family?”
“Yes, Anson. For as long as there are stars in the sky.”
He slipped Nan’s vintage, star-shaped ring onto her finger, and when she knelt to join them, he kissed her with the strength and gentleness of a man ready to become a family of three.
* * *
Don’t miss Makenna Lee’s next book, available June 2021 from Harlequin Special Edition!
And in the meantime, check out these other great single parent romances:
Home for the Baby’s Sake
by Christine Rimmer
The Long-Awaited Christmas Wish
by Melissa Senate
In Service of Love
by Laurel Greer
Keep reading for an excerpt from Their Christmas Baby Contract by Shannon Stacey.
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Their Christmas Baby Contract
by Shannon Stacey
Chapter One
“Nice day for a hockey game.”
Reyna Bishop would know that smooth, deep voice anywhere and, after tucking her debit card into her back pocket and accepting two steamed hot dogs from the vendor, she turned to face Brady Nash.
A ball cap with the minor league hockey team’s logo was covering his thick, dark hair, but the brim didn’t hide the blue eyes Reyna wished she didn’t find so attractive. They’d probably been in middle school when she discovered she had a thing for blue eyes and a hint of dimples, thanks to him. “Hi, Brady. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“No reason you would,” he responded, a not-so-subtle reference to the fact they hadn’t spoken beyond polite greetings in a few years, despite having been friends since childhood.
“But half the town’s here, at least, so I probably could have guessed.”
The game tickets had been sold as a fundraiser by the eighth-grade class, which was hoping to take a trip to Washington, DC, in the spring, so she’d seen quite a few residents of Blackberry Bay in the stands. It was a long drive, but everybody loved a school fundraiser.
“A soft pretzel and a lemonade, please,” Brady told the vendor, and Reyna was about to take the opportunity to make her escape, but he looked at her again. “Who did you come with?”
Her face warmed, which was ridiculous since nothing she did was any of his business. “Lucas. My boyfriend.”
“Right. The guy you brought to the Fourth of July fireworks?”
“Yeah.” That had been their first date, but Brady probably knew that since they had a lot of mutual acquaintances. It was hard not to when you’d gone to school with a guy since kindergarten.
“He looked...stable.”
She leveled him a seriously? look because she knew that was his way of saying Lucas looked boring. Maybe Lucas didn’t ooze charm and sex appeal, but she was looking for a life partner, not a fling. “I’m surprised you’d recognize stability, since it’s not something you’re familiar with when it comes to dating.”
He chuckled and put his hand over his heart as if she’d wounded him, but before he could say anything else, she turned and walked away. Lucas was waiting for her, and their hot dogs were getting cold for a conversation that was only going to keep going south.
It was always awkward when she ran into Brady, but she wasn’t sure how to fix it. About four years ago—a year before Reyna’s dad passed away from cancer—she’d run into him at a bar. She’d been out with friends, and so had he. Years of chemistry and flirtation had escalated pretty quickly, and they’d both ditched their companions and left together.
Falling into bed with him had been an utter disaster and they’d avoided each other whenever possible since. Blackberry Bay, New Hampshire, was too small a town to allow for much of that, though, and somehow they’d gone from awkward avoidance to straight up not speaking to each other unless they had to.
She couldn’t really do anything to fix it since she wasn’t sure she even understood it. So he’d been too quick on the draw, she’d been unsatisfied and they’d both been embarrassed. So what? They’d known each other their entire lives and it should have been the sort of thing they could laugh off and move past. Unless he couldn’t stand the fact she knew he wasn’t the ladies’ man everybody in town believed him to be.
“No mustard?” Lucas asked when she reached the empty seat next to him and handed him his hot dog.
“Sorry, I got distracted.” She didn’t really want to tell him what—or rather, who—had made her forget condiments, so she changed the subject. “Anything interesting happen while I was gone?”
“Some raffles and then some sort of competition for little kids.” She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she thought she heard a hint of irritation in his voice and she wondered again why he’d bothered coming with her to an event that clearly wasn’t his thing. “I was beginning to wonder if you were coming back.”
If he was that worried about how long it took to get his hot dog or not getting his mustard, he could go with her next time, instead of letting her go alone. “The line was long.”
“The game’s starting again,” he said with about as much enthusiasm as he’d announce he was making an appointment for a dental cleaning.
