“Jo?” Ozzy didn’t hesitate. “From the second I saw her.”
“Then you’ll find a way to work it out. Just like you did with your computer motherboards and your D&D dungeon master challenges and losing half your body weight. If she’s worth it—”
“She is.”
“Then fight for her, Ozzy. And while you’re at it, think about making things legal.”
Ozzy snort-laughed. “She’s barely talking to me at the moment, so I don’t think we’re at the marriage threshold just yet.”
“She’s got a baby on the way, doesn’t she? Best pick up some speed. Especially since your mother’s realized she could easily become that child’s grandmother.”
The front door opened and his mom stepped onto the front porch. “Ozzy!” Her face glowed when she saw him. “Oh, how lovely. I just got off the phone with Leah Ellis. She said Jo’s going to be fine.”
“She is, yeah.” He didn’t realize how hard it had been to breathe the past few hours until now.
“Will you stay for dinner?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask what was on the menu, but it didn’t matter. “I’d like to, if that’s good?”
“Wonderful! I’ll go set another place.”
“Hey, Dad?” Ozzy called to his father when Lyle went to retrieve his tools and clean up. “You want to go fishing next Saturday morning? I’ve got a standing reservation on one of Monty’s boats. It’ll be early, around six.”
Lyle looked surprised for a moment, then smiled. “I’d like that. Come on. Let’s go get washed up.”
* * *
AFTER FOUR DAYS of being in the hospital, Jo was more than ready for a jailbreak. If she was going to be on bed rest, she’d rather be in her own home, with her things and surroundings and...her laptop so she could keep an eye on what was going on at the construction site.
Lancelot was being doted on, not only by his Auntie Leah, but by the entire town who had declared the ex-police pooch a hero and showered him with praise and affection. She couldn’t wait to get back to a schedule.
Not that she was going back to work yet, but she had no doubt there were hundreds of emails and details that needed attention. She’d had her share of visitors and updates from Jed and Kendall. And Alethea, too, who was putting the finishing touches on her solid marketing and business plan, which she would present to Jason Corwin when she got up the nerve. If Jo had to make a bet, she’d say Flutterby Dreams was about to get a new project up off the ground.
Despite the welcome visits from neighbors and friends—people like the Cocoon Club, who had made it their mission to teach her how to play bunco, bridge and canasta—every time she heard someone at her door, she found herself disappointed it wasn’t Ozzy.
He had, much to her dismay, listened to her request and left her alone. Probably all part of his evil plan, she grumbled to herself on more than one occasion. Absence didn’t make her heart grow fonder—it turned her into a sobbing sap who was too ashamed to admit she’d made a horrible mistake. She’d had plenty of time to think on it, and Leah had certainly helped her talk the subject into the ground. While she had no doubt that she wouldn’t have called Greg, she couldn’t fault Ozzy for being exactly the kind of man she’d fallen in love with in the first place. Making that call hadn’t been the easy thing to do. It had been the right thing to do.
And she was most definitely not in an enviable position having reacted the way she did. But it’s what she’d always done when she was scared or someone had hurt her. She withdrew and struck out. And did what she could to keep people away.
Well, Ozzy had stayed away. She sat on the edge of her hospital bed, dressed and ready to head home, Lancelot standing paws up at the window, looking outside.
She missed Ozzy so much that she ached. “What do you think, kidlet?” Her mind had been racing for the past two days. What was the best route to solve this? Would a simple mea culpa suffice? She needed to talk to him, one-on-one, in person. Except he wasn’t taking her calls, and when she’d contacted the fire station, either Roman or Frankie or Jasper told her they’d give him the message.
Clearly a stronger message needed to be sent.
She’d spent so much of her time reveling in being alone, she’d never let herself truly feel what it was like to be part of something bigger, part of a community. Maybe even a family.
For someone who prided herself on being able to pick up at a moment’s notice and move her entire life, the prospect of ending her nomadic ways felt oddly terrifying and...exciting.
She’d watched her mother lock herself and her heart away after they’d lost Jo’s father. Even all these years later, there was still a part of her that remained unreachable.
That wasn’t the kind of mother she wanted to be. It wasn’t the kind of person she wanted to be. She wanted to be the woman Ozzy saw. That Ozzy cared about.
That Ozzy believed her to be.
After all he’d been through and overcome and dealt with, she owed it to the man she loved to try to be as brave as he’d been.
Jo picked up her cell phone, stared at the contact name and number for a good while before she dialed.
Fifteen minutes later, she hung up, waiting for the regret or remorse or whatever came with changing the course of her life. But none of that appeared. If anything, that bubble of excitement she’d been longing to feel again burst to life.
Step one complete. Only a few more to go.
“Beep beep. Your carriage awaits!” Leah steered a wheelchair into the room and screeched to a halt. “I’ve always wanted to do this.”
“Don’t you have work or something?” Jo slid to her feet and took a seat in the wheelchair.
“I’ve got the week off. Been busy on a special project.”
“It must be special. I’ve never seen you in jeans before.” Jeans and a T-shirt. Had she really been out of commission that long that her friend had changed her style altogether?
“Yes, well, desperate times and all that. Oh, hey, Cheyenne.”
“Good afternoon.” Cheyenne Miakoda met them at the door. “Here’s your list of to-dos, Jo.” She handed Jo a stack of papers. “And your upcoming appointments. I’ll see you next week at my office, all right?”
“Yep.” She’d already updated her calendar on her phone. “Don’t worry. Me and kidlet will be on time.”
“Great.”
“Oh, hang on.” Jo called to her doctor before she turned away. “I was wondering if you could tell me one thing before I go?”
“If I can.” Cheyenne crossed her arms over her chest.
“I’ll grab Lancelot,” Leah said and gathered up the last of Jo’s things.
“What is it?” Cheyenne asked.
Jo’s pulse pounded. “I’ve been thinking, it might be best, after all, if I knew. About the baby.” She took a deep breath. “Do you know now if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“I do. Would you like to know?” Cheyenne asked.
“I guess I could ask Calliope when I see her, but I’d rather have it official.”
“All right, then.” Cheyenne bent down and whispered in Jo’s ear. When she stood up, she touched Jo’s shoulder. “Congratulations.”
Tears clogged Jo’s throat. “Thanks. Okay, Leah, let’s get this show on the road!”
* * *
“I SHOULD WARN YOU,” Leah said as they drove around the corner and headed up the hill to the sanctuary site and Jo’s house. “Things might look a bit different than the last time you were here.”
“Jed said they’d made some changes to the site.” Her hands were itching to get back on her laptop, but first and foremost was a shower. A nice, long, hot shower. Maybe followed by a nap. Then, then she’d get down to fixing things with Ozzy. “He’d normally be first on my list, but I’m letting my controlling self not get too far ahead,” she added when Leah glanced
at her. “Stop worrying so much. I know what’s important. I’ve got people I can rely on.” She had people she cared about. Equally nice, she had people who cared about her. “By the way, were you able to get those papers drawn up that I’d talked to you about?”
“The day you asked for them,” Leah said. “I had them overnighted to Greg. I’ve already got the signed ones back. You can officially put him behind you.”
“Good. Thanks.” It would always make her sad that her baby’s biological father would have nothing to do with her or the baby, but if things went as planned, Jo would be giving her child someone far superior in the parenthood department.
Leah drove up the final hill and had to pull the car over almost immediately.
“What on earth...?” Jo asked and peered out the windshield.
“Oh. We’re having a community get-together.”
“This isn’t for me, is it?” Yoga pants and a football jersey did not make her well attired for company.
“Depends on how you look at it. Come on.” Leah shoved out of her Mercedes and opened the rear door for Lancelot. The second he was on his home turf, he took off at about half his normal speed thanks to his still-sore rib.
“I’ve got your things.”
“Thanks, Leah.” Jo headed for her house and had to dodge dozens of people flitting through the construction zone heading to the eating area and the... Confused, she stopped and blinked. Her arms went slack and her bag hit the ground. How is this possible?
“Surprise,” Leah whispered from behind her.
“But, how...” She remained flummoxed by the sight of what she’d only imagined—and seen on her computer-generated designs. Before her, the playground she’d designed, the expansive custom-made structure of recycled materials, had come to life, from the cushioned platform base to the intricate winding and connecting platforms to the row of cool swings.
She saw the faces of all the friends she’d made. People she’d met from Holly’s barbecue to customers she’d seen at the diner to the Cocoon Club passing around bottles of water on a warmish summer afternoon in the middle of the week—Butterfly Harbor had turned out in droves.
“Welcome home, Jo.” Kyle approached slowly but steadily, her laptop tucked under his arm. “Surprise.”
“What did you do?” she asked, shocked, and for an instant, she saw he was afraid he’d done something wrong. “Kyle, this is amazing, but how did you know about my plans?”
“We networked our computers into the same system, didn’t we? And when you were in the hospital, I needed information I couldn’t find anywhere else. Sorry.” He shrugged.
“How are we paying for this? It isn’t in the budget.” She’d worked and reworked the numbers for hours trying to make it happen, but she’d given up, at least until after the rest of the sanctuary was complete. Now...in a matter of days, the playground was there and would be ready to open to the town’s kids in no time.
“Ozzy and Gil and Jed recalculated a few things,” Kyle replied. “There’s also been an offered settlement from the supplier that shipped us the faulty materials. Gil’s fed it back into the budget, which will allow for another ten hires if you decide we need them.”
“And everyone just turned out to do this?” She was in awe.
“I put out the call over the weekend,” Kyle said. “People rearranged their schedules so they could help. We should have it done by tomorrow.”
“You should be getting off your feet,” Leah reminded her.
“Right, uh-huh. In a minute.” Jo waved her off, having caught sight of the one person she wanted—needed—to speak to. “I’ll be right back.”
“Hey, boss! Welcome back!” one of her crew called from the sanctuary structure. He tossed her hard hat into the air. She caught it easily and plunked it on her head.
It took her longer than expected to reach the monkey bars that Ozzy was perched on top of. Power screwdriver in his hand, his dark T-shirt stained with sweat, Ozzy looked down at her, a slightly cautious expression on his face.
She stood there, hand on her hat, peering up at this man, this wonderful, beautiful, kind man, and wondered what she’d done right to deserve him. “I was hoping to talk to you,” she said in a strained voice.
“All right.” He jumped to the ground and handed off the screwdriver. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Mr. Lakeman.” Jo felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “I heard you and your wife came to the hospital. Thank you for that.”
“You’re family, Jo.” Mr. Lakeman reached out a hand to grip hers for a moment. “And it’s Lyle, please. My wife’s anxious to get to know you. And feed you.”
Jo laughed, acknowledging the woman Lyle Lakeman was gesturing to.
“So this whole thing is a family affair?” She pointed over her shoulder at the woman approaching his father. The affection in the older woman’s eyes as she handed over a bottle of water had Jo smiling.
“I think by now you’d know, Jo.” Ozzy touched a hand to her lower back. “This entire town is a family thing.”
She did know. It had taken her a long time to accept it, but it had been on full display from the moment she’d driven through town, towing her home with her. “You did all this? Even after what I said at the hospital.”
“I did.” He slipped an arm around her waist and drew her close. “You were right. I never should have gone around you like that.”
“We were both right,” she corrected. “You gave me something I didn’t know I needed. Closure. Thank you for that.” She could lock Greg away now, into the past, where he belonged. Because her future, the future she wanted more than anything, was standing beside her. “I want to be happy, Ozzy.” She turned into him, framed his face and looked into those breath-stealing green eyes of his. “I want everything I never thought I could have. I want you.” She took a deep breath and, as if jumping off the high dive, took the plunge. “I love you.”
The smile that split across his face lit up her heart. “Took you long enough.” He kissed her, slow and deep, and earned a deafening roar of applause from the onlookers. When he ended the kiss, she could still see the question in his eyes. “Does that mean you’re going to stay?” he asked.
“I called the company in Montana and told them I wouldn’t be taking the job. They countered and offered me consult work on a job-by-job basis. It might mean some traveling, but they’d be short jaunts and it won’t be for a while.” She traced his mouth with her finger. “I want some time to get settled with my family.”
“Are you going to be happy here? Once the sanctuary’s done—”
“I’m going to start my own construction company, focusing on small businesses and homes. Custom-design and remodeling work.”
“That’s a lot to take on.”
“It would be if I were doing it alone.” Jo looked across the way to where Kendall MacBride was hefting a stack of redwood two-by-fours over to the plank bridge being assembled. “Kendall’s going to be my partner. I hope to talk to Kyle and Jed about joining, as well.”
“I thought keeping your laptop away from you would stop you from working.”
Jo smirked. “I’ll slow down, but I’ll never stop. There is one more thing we have to discuss.”
“Okay.” He sounded confused as to what that might be.
“This bet going on as to who you’re taking to Monty and Sienna’s wedding.”
“Oh, that.” He grinned and tugged her closer. “That’s already been settled. Ursula paid the winner yesterday.”
“Oh? Who won?”
“Ursula. She put all her money on you the day after she saw us together at the diner getting takeout.”
“Well...” She patted his chest affectionately and smiled. “As long as they realize you’re off the market, I’m good with it.” She was so happy, she couldn’t stop smiling. “So, what do you say, Oz-man? You want to make this
official?”
Panic jumped into his eyes. “I’ve been a bit busy to think about buying a ring.”
“You don’t need to give me a ring. You need to give me a name.”
“A name?”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded and pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. “For our daughter.”
“Daughter?” He blinked. “It’s a girl? You’re going to have a girl?” He splayed a hand across her stomach. The baby kicked, swift and sure, as if recognizing him for who he was: her father.
“We’re having a girl,” she told him. “So? Do you need some time to—”
“Hope.” Ozzy didn’t hesitate, didn’t second-guess himself. “Her name is Hope.”
Yes, Jo thought as they joined the congratulatory crowd of coworkers, family and friends.
It most certainly was.
EPILOGUE
“LOOKS LIKE THINGS have turned out aces for all involved,” Gil Hamilton commented to Sheriff Luke Saxon as the two of them ordered lunch at the food truck. It had taken him far longer than it should have to see what working with people could accomplish, but adversity often bred results. The past few years in Butterfly Harbor were proof of that.
“For most of us, anyway,” Luke agreed. “Thanks, Alethea.”
“No problem.” Alethea focused her attention on Leah, her next customer who stood waiting to order.
Gil tried not to stare, but it was difficult where Leah was concerned. She was a stunning woman. Irritating, annoying, headstrong and tenacious to be sure. All the things he’d be looking for in a mayoral candidate if he wasn’t one himself. Too bad he was running against her.
“I heard from the lab that they sent the results about the lighter,” Gil said.
Luke smirked. “Should have known you were here for more than small talk and a bit of lunch. Yep. They came in this morning.” He pulled out his phone, tapped to open the document. “Fingerprint analysis came up with Christopher Russo. Age twenty-seven. Arrest record includes everything from vandalism to burglary to suspected arson. No current arrest warrants out, but I’m about to change that.”
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