One Hundred Goodbyes (An Aspen Cove Romance Book 9)

by Kelly Collins

  “You see,” Eden said. “She buys what she wants, and she’s angry because for the first time in her life someone is pushing back.” She turned toward her sister. “Odd that it would be me, right?” She hugged Tommy to her chest. “He’s worth the fight.”

  Thomas was never so proud to be in her presence. He knew she was filled with rage and worry, but she talked calmly and from the heart. She said all the things he was thinking and couldn’t say. He knew without a doubt he loved her.

  The judge rose, as did everyone else. “I’d like to take a recess and resume this tomorrow.” He looked at his schedule. “I’ve got an opening at three.”

  Thomas was concerned about several things that had come out in the hearing today. Things he would put to rest right away. First, he needed Eden out of the house and occupied so he could call in some favors.

  She was right when she said it was time to circle the wagons.

  Once they were in the truck, he turned to her. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “In whose world? You heard him. ‘You have a part-time job. No permanent place to stay. No room for your child. No money.’ He’s going to give the baby to them.”

  “No. I won’t let that happen.”

  He pulled onto the highway. “You’re staying at the bed and breakfast tonight. Sage’s guests have cleared out and I think it’s best if you don’t stay alone while I’m on shift.”

  She knew he was right because she didn’t argue or maybe she’d given up completely and had no fight left in her.

  It didn’t matter because he had enough fight left in him for both of them.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Eden

  “Tea?” Sage asked. “I’d offer to cook you something, but I fear I’d kill you trying.”

  “Tea would be great. Decaf if you have it. It’s better for the baby.” She hadn’t put Tommy down since Thomas had dropped her off. She was so afraid that she’d have to hand him over tomorrow that she needed to memorize the weight of him in her arms. The smell of his baby fresh hair. The feel of his velvet soft skin.

  “Cannon is going to stop at Dalton’s and get something for dinner. The girls will be over soon. I thought a baby fest would be great. Marina will bring hers along in utero since the little bugger doesn’t want to come out. He’s a week late and Doc is threatening to induce. Katie will bring over Sahara which will make you second guess having children altogether. Why do they morph from angels to demons?” She walked to the kitchen and returned moments later with a cup of hot water and a tea bag. “Charlie … that woman thought having two at once would be wise.”

  Despite the somber situation, Eden giggled because she’d seen how harried Charlie could get. “She came to work in her slippers the other day. At least they matched because last week she had on two different shoes.”

  “Trig is a huge help, but I can’t imagine having a baby need me so much.”

  Eden looked down at Tommy. “Hold him while I make my tea?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She placed her baby in Sage’s arms. “I thought you and Cannon were going to try.”

  “Oh, we’re trying all right. They say practice makes perfect but jeez didn’t you hear me? I can’t even cook a meal. Kids want stuff like pancakes and pretty little crust-free sandwiches.”

  She sipped the warm tea and relished the soothing feeling of it going down. Each heated sip released some of the tension of the day.

  “No, all they want is to be loved. You would do that. I see that in everything you do, from the way you helped deliver Tommy to the way you look at your husband. All the other stuff is just stuff.”

  Sage held the baby against her and rocked. She was a natural, but then again, she was originally a labor and delivery nurse.

  When Sage frowned, Eden braced herself for the question she knew was coming.

  “What if they take him away?”

  She swallowed a lump the size of a boulder. “I have to believe they won’t, but if they do, I’ll figure out a way to survive. This was always supposed to be the way of it. I was having a baby for my sister. If that’s the way it pans out, then the original goal takes precedence.”

  “You make it sound like it’s easy, but I know you’re putting on a brave face. Do you think Suzanne will be a bad parent?”

  She thought about that. “No, I think she’ll do the best she can do. No one goes into parenting thinking they’ll be bad, but I imagine we all have days we’re not proud of. The trick is to do better the next time. I think Suzanne will be the best parent she can be, and she’ll fill in the gaps with others that can provide what she can’t.”

  The front door opened and in ran Sahara. Her pigtails bobbed with each unsteady step she took.

  “Baby,” she called out and raced toward Sage.

  Katie laughed. “She’s been crawling the walls to get here. I caught her sneaking out the back door twice. Didn’t think I’d need to worry about her sneaking out for boys for at least another decade.”

  Eden picked up Sahara and turned her around to face her. “You want to hold him?” The little imp nodded. “Maybe if you ask your Aunt Sage nicely, she’ll help you.”

  Sage moved to the couch. As soon as she was situated, Eden put Sahara down. The little girl sidled up to Sage in no time and half cradled Tommy, who woke up but was happy with the attention he was getting.

  “You hanging in there?” Katie put a tray of sweets on the table. “This is my go-to when I’m down, stressed, PMS, angry, happy. Oh hell, I just love sweets. Who needs an excuse?”

  “I’m falling apart on the inside but trying to hold it together on the outside.”

  Katie pulled her in for a hug. “I remember a scared woman who could have written any wish she wanted on a yellow sticky but only wished that everything would turn out right for her child. You’ve got a lot of wish makers in your midst. Let’s see what kind of magic we can pull together.” She picked up a cranberry orange muffin. “Let’s start with this.”

  A clatter at the door had Katie running to help Charlie in with her double stroller. “I swear this is more trouble than it’s worth. I need a backpack that can hold one baby on the front and the other on the back and I can twist it around with ease to care for them both.”

  “Or you can learn to drive your stroller,” Marina said from behind her.

  “Or that?” Charlie walked in pushing the babies in front of her. Through all the racket they remained asleep.

  Sahara lost interest in Tommy and ran for the twins. “Babies,” she hollered, but the little ones didn’t stir.

  “How is that possible?” Eden asked. “They sleep through anything.”

  “They take after Daddy. Besides, we followed the sage advice to live our lives normally. We’re noisy, and they’ve adjusted.” Charlie parked the stroller next to the plaid chair she kicked Otis out of and collapsed. “I’m exhausted.” She leaned forward and looked at the plate of sweets. “Is that a brownie?”

  “It’s yours.”

  “You eat chocolate?”

  Charlie laughed. “Only if I’m mad at Trig, and it’s his night to get up with the boys.” She grinned devilishly and snatched a brownie. “The man had the nerve to ask me if I ever wanted a girl.”

  Everyone laughed. “Not thinking with the head on his shoulders.”

  “He’s a man,” Sage said.

  Marina took up the other plaid chair while her daughter Kellyn joined Sahara ogling the babies. She’d heard Marina’s story and held a huge amount of respect for a woman who put the interests of a child before her own. The abuse she’d taken to protect Kellyn had to be like living in hell. If Marina could make it past that and come out on the right side, Eden had to hope that she’d do the same. At the end of the day, all she cared about was Tommy and that he was in the best place possible for him. In her heart, she knew where that was, but she hoped Judge Russell agreed.

  “Tell me, Eden. How did you go into labor? I’ve tried everything. Was it sex? They say it can push you into labor, bu
t my damn husband won’t play along. He thinks the baby should come when it’s ready. I’m ready. Doesn’t that account for something?”

  Eden shook her head. “I haven’t had sex in almost two years.”

  The room went silent. She had imagined everyone knew her story by now. It was no secret she was a surrogate situation gone wrong or actually in this case gone right.

  “None? Like no sex?” Sage handed Tommy to her and picked up a cookie. “You and Thomas haven’t?”

  “No, I’m just coming up on the six weeks and honestly, I didn’t know him well enough to have sex before. Not that I would have. I was pregnant and huge and unattractive.” She bit her lips after the words came out. Turning to Marina, she grimaced. “Sorry, I wasn’t inferring that pregnant women weren’t sexy. I never felt sexy in the last stage. I was big and cumbersome, but that’s just me. I didn’t mean to offend.”

  “No offense taken. I don’t want Aiden because I want him sexually, I need him or what he can bring to the sheets. I swear I’ve been pregnant for forty-two weeks.”

  “You haven’t. You miscalculated and you were actually less pregnant than we thought. You’re in week forty now.”

  “That’s your story but I tell you when he comes out, I’m forever going to call him my tenth month baby.”

  Eden warmed. “It’s a boy? What will you name him?”

  “We don’t know. We want to see him first.”

  Sage swallowed her cookie. “Let’s get back to sex.” She pointed at Marina. “The baby will come when he’s ready.” She pointed to Eden. “You’re good to go when you’re ready.”

  “Really?”

  “Take it slow. It’s a bit pinchy the first time after, but then it’s fine,” Sage advised.

  Katie sang out a loud rendition of “Like a Virgin,” just as Louise Williams walked in with two large takeout containers.

  “I’ve got food.”

  “I thought Cannon was bringing something from Dalton’s,” Eden asked. There was a lot going on in the house. It was as if they were all keeping her occupied for other reasons than only easing her worried mind.

  “The boys are busy tonight.”

  “What are you up to?”

  “Nothing.” They all flashed her innocent smiles. “Just doing what we do best.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Thomas

  Thomas was bone tired. He’d worked all night long with the help of his friends to make sure that no stone was left unturned when it came to Eden and Tommy. If they lost the war it wouldn’t be because they weren’t fit for battle.

  He looked around at what used to be his man cave. Where his big screen used to hang on the wall now held the hand carved wooden animals shaped into letters that spelled Tommy. Cannon had whittled away at them all night. The walls were painted a soft bluish gray to match Tommy’s eyes. Poor Bowie was left with more paint on him than he’d put on the walls.

  Mark Bancroft had enlisted the help of his photographer wife Poppy to lighten the place up with pictures she’d taken around town. The people who would impact Tommy’s life hung on the walls. Dalton supplied the food they needed to get through the long night.

  Even Doc stayed up until he couldn’t keep his shaggy brows from sagging. He mostly supervised and told the men how proud he was that everyone was pitching in.

  Wes Covington, the local builder, whipped up a few pieces of furniture like a changing table and a toy chest. He also helped Thomas put together a crib he’d run to Copper Creek to buy. Luke took his shift, so the town was covered while they tried to make a little magic.

  In his gut, he knew it would come down to what you had, not what the baby needed. They couldn’t compete financially, but he was damned if he’d let Eden stand up there and not be able to prove she could care for the baby. She was the right choice.

  Dressed in his uniform so Eden wouldn’t know what he’d been up to all night, he walked to the bed and breakfast to pick her up for their next court appointment. He debated on telling her, but he didn’t want to get her hopes up only to be dashed. Couldn’t imagine coming back to the house without Tommy and seeing the room. No, if that happened, he’d lock the room up until he could dismantle it. No use bringing her more pain than she was already drowning in.

  He didn’t need to knock. The door opened and she flew into his arms.

  “I missed you so much.”

  He held her and breathed her in. “I missed you too.” He stepped back and looked at her shadowy eyes. The dark circles were a testament to how much sleep she’d missed from worry. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “No, it’s not, but we can’t control what happens to us, only how we react to it. This is real life and it’s messy. How am I supposed to say goodbye if she wins?”

  “Hold on tight, Eden. It’s not time for goodbye.” He pulled her to the steps and sat on the top, then patted the space beside him. “Where’s Tommy? Can you spend a minute with me?”

  “Sage is fawning over him. I think she’s got the bug again.”

  He chuckled. “That would make Cannon happy. He’s dying to whittle away for his own child.” He thought about the detail he’d put into each piece for Tommy and knew that Cannon’s child’s room would be filled with his dad’s creative love.

  She cupped his cheek. “You look tired. Was it a tough night?”

  He leaned into her hand. “It was a busy night, but worth it.” He needed to tell her how he felt about everything before they left for Silver Springs. Needed her to know that no matter what the outcome was he’d be there for her. “I need to tell you something.”

  She tilted her head. Despite the uncertainness of the day, one look in her eyes and he knew without a doubt he loved her.

  “You okay?” She thumbed at the dark rings under his eyes. He had a look of a prizefighter when he glanced in the mirror. Bruised markings from a fight with worry and exhaustion.

  “Yes.” He took a deep breath. “Before we go, I need you to know something.”

  She went to speak and he brushed her lip with his thumb.

  “No matter what happens you need to know that you’ve changed my life.”

  “You’ve changed mine too. Thank you for all you’ve done. I know I’ve been a burden, and yet you’ve never complained.”

  “No, you haven’t. You were a shock and a surprise and exactly what I didn’t think I needed, and yet, you were everything I did. I love Tommy. How can I not? But he’s not the reason I want to talk to you. You are.” He took a fortifying breath because he never thought he’d utter these words to another woman in his life outside of his mother and yet they were so easy to say to Eden. “I love you. I’m so damn in love with you my insides ache from it. No matter how this goes down today, I’m going to be here for you. You and I will work it out together.”

  She let her forehead fall into his chest. “God, why does love have to be so hard?”

  He froze. Was she telling him she didn’t feel the same way?

  When she looked up at him with all the love he felt showing in her eyes he breathed a sigh of relief. “Sometimes the things we have to fight for are worth more. I’m fighting for you. For Tommy. For me. For us.”

  Her smile brightened the moment. “I’m so glad you scooped me off the ground. My life without you in it is less. I love you too.” She opened her mouth like she was going to speak but stopped.

  “Shall we claim our son?”

  “He’ll be happy to see his father.”

  It was funny how they hadn’t talked about long-term until that moment and yet the whole time they talked about parenting their child. Tommy was a gift to the world that they were allowed to experience.

  They rose to their feet and went inside the bed and breakfast.

  Sage rushed over and placed the swaddled baby boy into his arms. Everything felt perfect for the moment. He cooed at him and smiled and made silly baby noises and didn’t care how ridiculous he might look. All that mattered was that Tommy smiled back. Doc tried to tell
him a smile this early was merely gas, but Thomas knew better. Tommy felt loved and it showed in his happy face.

  Almost an hour later, they walked up the steps to the courthouse. The halls were busy, and he wished for the more laid-back atmosphere of yesterday. With all the suits moving through the corridors it became real in a way that hit him harder than before.

  Frank Arden saw them walking toward Judge Russell’s small courtroom.

  “We’re in the same room. It’s usually used for small disputes.”

  Thomas’s eyes lifted. “There’s nothing small about the custody of a child.”

  “I understand, but the atmosphere is better for everyone involved. Small intimate rooms make people feel less threatened.”

  “We feel threatened enough.”

  Frank opened the door to let Eden and the baby through. He stopped Thomas on the threshold. “I think what you did last night will help. I got your list of questions to ask. Thank you. I didn’t think we’d need to go at them from this angle, but you may be right.”

  “Over the years I’ve gotten good at reading people.” Thomas had to thank Sarah for that. Since her betrayal he analyzed people. He watched for changes in their mannerisms. Yesterday’s day in court gave him a lot to evaluate. Suzanne was not mother material. Her pleas to see her son might have twisted a lesser man’s heartstrings, but what came out of her mouth never showed up in her eyes. The same could be said of Sarah.

  Off to the right sat Suzanne and Brady. Her expression was as pinched as his was bored.

  When the judge walked into the room everyone rose. Including most of the town of Aspen Cove, who were seated in the back waiting for their turn to be called on if needed. The door flew open and Sage rushed in to take a seat beside her sister Lydia.

  “We have a crowd here today.” Judge Russel eyed the visitors and frowned. “Shall we get started?”

  “Your honor,” started Frank, “you asked a lot of questions of Eden yesterday but none of Mrs. Corning. As this is a court of law and law is based on the tilting of scales in favor of one person or the other, isn’t it fair that the same questions be asked?”