He turned her in his arms, searching her eyes.
She smiled back at him, maybe a little blandly. She wore no makeup, and yet she was still beautiful. Those almond-shaped green eyes, the long sweep of her lashes. Those barely-there freckles on her nose.
He brushed a stray hair behind her ear. “I didn’t say concerned. I said awkward.”
“Right.” She nodded. “Nothing to be awkward about.”
“Or concerned?”
“Of course not.” But she wasn’t quite meeting his eyes. She toyed with the sleeves of his T-shirt, biting her lip.
He’d never thought of her as shy, but maybe she was, just a little. Given the right circumstances. He tipped up her chin.
Her gaze climbed slowly to his, something softening in those green depths. He wondered if her thoughts were going back to the night before. To the connection they’d shared: emotional, physical, spiritual. He’d never experienced anything like it.
“I like having you in my life, Hope. In my arms. In my bed.” In my heart. He wanted to add that last bit, but he was still afraid she wasn’t ready to hear it yet.
“Me too,” she whispered.
He felt a sudden lightness at her admission. A tornado could’ve swept through the valley, and it couldn’t have stopped him from pulling her close. From brushing her lips with his. He’d never get enough of her.
Her arms roped around him, and she sank into his chest. Her response was gratifying and heady. It filled him with wonder and awe and gratitude. He might just be the happiest man alive right now. Hope had made him that way.
He was about to scoop her up into his arms when he heard Sam’s morning babbling coming through the monitor. Maybe his son would be content for a little while. He was usually pretty happy in the morning.
But apparently Hope wasn’t on the same page. She’d already pulled back, a hand sliding down to push against his chest. “I’d better go get our boy.”
He took solace in the fact that she was out of breath, that her cheeks were flushed with want as she pushed away. She was as affected as he.
“Maybe we can . . . ,” he began.
But Hope was already slipping from the room.
chapter thirty
Hope gave Sam a little push in the baby swing, tickling his bare feet as he swung forward. He chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling with laughter, his chubby cheeks bunching up.
“Gonna getcha!” She went for his tummy this time and got a belly laugh in reply. The sound was so infectious she couldn’t keep from laughing.
It had turned into a gorgeous fall day. The temperature was a pleasant seventy or so, the sun shining bright through the colorful canopy of leaves. The crisp air was heavy with the earthy scents of pine and decaying vegetation. It wouldn’t be long before winter arrived and then the holidays. Unsettled at the notion, she pushed away thoughts of the future.
Children’s laughter rang from the other side of Murphy’s Park, and the metal chain bearing Sammy’s weight creaked rhythmically with each whoosh of the swing.
“Ba-da-ba-ba!” Sammy cried, soliciting her attention.
“You want to go higher?” She gave him a gentle push, and he squealed in approval. “You’re going to be an adrenaline junkie, aren’t you? You’re going to start climbing up on everything and scaring Daddy and me half to death with all your antics!”
Sammy laughed at her silly face.
Taking him to the park had been a last-minute decision. Since the somewhat awkward scene in the kitchen this morning, she’d needed a distraction. She’d run some quick errands in town and decided to treat her little guy to some park time. He’d been so patient in the car. His front tooth had finally poked through his gums on Sunday, and he’d been in a much better frame of mind ever since.
“Only nineteen more teeth to go . . .” She grabbed the bucket seat and held on, bringing him to a sudden stop.
His eyes lit up, and he made a happy, guttural sound.
“Think we can make it? I think we can. Yes, I do.” She suddenly let go of the swing, and he laughed in surprise as he completed the backward arc.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she checked the screen. Her breath caught at the sight of Diana’s name. The oldies station. Oh, sweet heaven. They’d finally made their decision. She just knew it. The official start date was just one week away, and she’d all but given up hope.
“Oh, God, please let it be good news.”
She answered the call, her hands suddenly unsteady. Diana greeted her, and they exchanged pleasantries while bile climbed the back of Hope’s throat. She pressed her palm against her chest where her heart was threatening to explode. She wondered if it would be rude to beg the woman to cut to the chase.
As it turned out, that wasn’t necessary.
“Listen, Hope, I’m sorry this interview process has been so drawn out. The jock from Chicago, his schedule was so hairy, and he insisted on coming down to Atlanta to check out the station.”
“No problem, Diana.” Just my career hanging in the balance is all. “I totally understand.”
“Well, after much deliberation with Darren . . . I’m very pleased to offer you the position. We both feel you’re a better fit for the station.”
Hope’s breath escaped. She closed her eyes for a long moment and had to work to keep her voice calm and professional. “That’s wonderful news, Diana. I’m so glad to hear it.”
“I can take that to mean you’re accepting the position?”
As if she’d turn it down! “Absolutely. I can hardly wait to get started.”
“I’m so glad. Well, as you know, Dirk’s last day is Friday, so your start date would be next Monday. However, I can get someone to fill in if you need to make arrangements. We’ve dragged this out so long, we understand if you’re not quite ready to make the transition.”
“That’s all right. I’ll be good to go next Monday.” They’d talked to Miss Ruby about watching Sam, just in case. She was already taking care of Zoe and Cruz’s daughter and seemed more than happy to add Sam to the mix.
“Terrific.” Diana confirmed the details of the position, including salary and benefits, and stated that she’d be sending the offer via e-mail shortly.
By the time Hope finished the call, she was shaking. She let out a whoop. “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.”
“Ga-ga-ga-ga!” Sam called. He’d almost swung to a halt and was kicking his feet impatiently.
“I got the job!” she told Sam. “Can you believe it, Sammy? I got the job!”
“Da-da-da-da!”
She laughed. “You’re so right. We should go tell Daddy right away!”
She held her arms out to him, and he reached up for her so sweetly. “Let’s go see Daddy!”
Her heart pounding a mile a minute, she made her way to the car, suddenly so eager to see Brady she could hardly stand it. It was all she could do to keep herself from calling him. Only the desire to see his face when she told him the news held her back.
The drive home seemed interminable. When she got there she pulled right up to his garage. She was going so fast she had to brake a little hard. By the time she shut off the engine, Brady was striding toward her, concern on his face.
He met her at her car door, wiping his hands on an old rag. “What’s wrong? Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine.” She stepped out and hurried to get Sam, who wasn’t appreciating the monotony of the car ride after the fun at the park.
“You tore down the drive like you were being chased by a grizzly bear. And I didn’t expect you back for a while.”
She tossed a smile over her shoulder as she pulled the baby from his car seat. “Well, as it happens, while we were at the park I got a bit of good news.”
“Yeah . . . ?” Expectation lined his face.
She turned to face him, holding eye contact for a long, poignant moment. “I got the job, Brady. I got the job!”
His eyes lit up a second before a smile spread across his face. “Hey! Tha
t’s great news, Hope. The best.” He pulled her into a hug, Sam squished between them. “Congratulations, honey. I knew you’d get it.”
“Thanks. I was definitely losing hope there. I mean, the job starts next Monday. I thought for sure they’d given it to the other guy.”
“They’d have been crazy to turn you down.” He pecked her on the cheek as they parted. “I’m so happy for you.”
“And just a little relieved?” she teased.
His smile said, You caught me. “All of this has gone so well for me. I wanted things to go well for you too.”
“Well, they did.” She still couldn’t quite believe it. Her pulse raced, making her breathless. Keyed up.
“Is this really happening?” She laughed in wonder. “Maybe you’d better pinch me.”
He gave a flirty little smile, and she noted the streak of grease running across his chin. “If you’re giving me options I’d rather kiss you.”
She swept her thumb across the bristly surface of his chin, only managing to smear the grease. She suddenly forgot all the reservations she’d had last night. This morning. For the moment she felt high on life and blessed beyond measure.
“I like the way you think, Mr. Collins.”
chapter thirty-one
Hope couldn’t breathe. The scene in the gym came to a halt around her as she bolted across the floor. Her feet were heavy, as if she were slogging through air as thick as mud. She had to get to him. To where he lay as still as death on the wood floor.
Help him, God!
But the harder she tried, the slower she moved. She whimpered at her helplessness. When she finally drew near, a group of people was there, forming a blockade around him. Diana . . . Judge Alders . . . the Parkers . . . What were they doing here?
Her heart beat into her throat. “Let me through!” she screamed through a throat tightened by fear.
But they didn’t seem to hear her.
“Hope,” someone said from far away.
It went quiet. The people blocking her were dressed up, she saw now, and she suddenly realized they weren’t in a gym any longer, but in a courthouse. She found a break in the barricade and busted through, falling onto the polished tile at Aaron’s side. But it wasn’t Aaron who lay on the courthouse floor.
It was Brady.
His eyes were closed, his body still. He wore a suit, a blue striped tie, and his hands were folded across his body as if he were laid out in a casket. His hair was carefully combed, and his dark lashes lay lifeless against his pale skin. The only imperfection was a smudge of blood that streaked across his chin.
No, please, God. Not Brady! Please!
Her breath was trapped in her lungs. Her heart tightened painfully, her chest collapsing in on her.
“Hope.”
Someone was there, shaking her, but she batted the hands away. She couldn’t leave Brady!
She grabbed his arm, but he was as stiff and unyielding as iron. “Brady! Brady, wake up! Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me! Oh, God, please don’t take him!”
He was gone! He wasn’t coming back. Terror built in her throat, releasing in a guttural scream. “Noooo!”
“Hope!”
Her eyes popped open to darkness. Ragged breaths filled the room. Hers, she realized an endless second later.
The faint light of dawn crept through the curtains. Her heart pounded like a jackhammer, the bed feeling like it was shaking with the force of her heart beating. Brady’s bed. She was in Brady’s bed. At home.
He was leaning over her, alive and beautiful. Oh, so beautiful! He brushed a thumb across her damp face. “Shhh . . . Don’t cry, honey.”
Her dream—her nightmare—rushed back, making more tears flow. Making her heart rate accelerate. She gasped for air until dizziness swept over her.
“It’s okay now,” he said. “You’re safe. It was just a dream.”
She closed her eyes, wishing the nightmare away. But it was there in the darkness, reaching for her. Clinging to her with its long tentacles.
He murmured to her softly while he mopped up her tears. When she finally got herself under control he said, “You all right?”
She nodded, her throat choking off anything she might’ve said.
Anything she might’ve said. What had she said? What had she called out while she’d been in the throes of her nightmare?
“Must’ve been some dream,” he said. “What was it about?”
She wiped the remnant of her tears and sniffed. She couldn’t breathe through her nose anymore.
He got up and disappeared into the bathroom. A moment later he returned with tissues, the bed sinking under his weight.
“Thanks.” She sat up and blew her nose. More tears leaked out, and she hid her face, not wanting him to see she was still broken up over it.
Get a grip, Hope. For heaven’s sake, it was a dream. Just a dream.
He lay down beside her and reached out to her.
She crawled into his embrace, burying her face in his chest. Soaking him up. He was warm. Strong. Alive. She clung to him, listening to the beating of his heart. Maybe if she held tightly enough she could make the nightmare go away. Convince herself it wasn’t reality. That she hadn’t lost him just as she’d lost Aaron.
The tears were starting again, and she blinked hard, fighting to shake the nightmare.
“What was it about?” he asked again.
She shook her head.
“You don’t remember?”
She didn’t want to remember. “No. Did . . . did I say anything?”
He brushed back the damp hair at her temples and continued sifting her hair with his fingers. “You just whimpered and moaned mostly. You said no.”
She tightened her arms around him. “Hmm.”
“Does that happen often? Bad dreams?”
“No . . . No. I haven’t had one in years.” And man, oh man. She never wanted another one.
“Good. I don’t like seeing you so upset. You wouldn’t wake up. It was scary.” He tightened his arms around her. “The timing’s weird, huh? We’ve had two great days—banner days.”
“Yeah . . . Go figure.”
“You okay now?”
“Yeah . . . Just tired.”
“Well, let’s get a little more sleep. We have an hour or so before our little alarm clock goes off.” He kissed her on the top of the head. “And no more bad dreams.”
She closed her eyes, her mind. No more bad dreams.
chapter thirty-two
Brady gave April a strained smile. He’d agreed to meet his mother at the diner for breakfast, but he’d hated leaving Hope and Sam. He’d gotten used to spending those lazy Saturday mornings together, wearing their pajamas until noon if they wanted.
But April had called four times, asking. It seemed she wanted to make an effort to get to know him, and he wasn’t going to be cruel. He was trying to show her some grace. Trying to work on that forgiveness thing.
She was trying to get back on the right track. She’d come to church twice since she’d been in town, sitting in the back, holding herself a little apart from everyone else.
This morning there were no dilated pupils or frenzied behavior. But he’d caught a faint whiff of marijuana when he first joined her. And he’d called her on it.
She’d given him a wan smile. “I’m trying to give up the other stuff, Brady. But I need a little something, you know?”
When he said nothing, she took his hand across the table. “Be patient with me, all right? I’m trying. I really am.”
That was something, he supposed.
She’d changed the subject then, asking about the court hearing. She seemed thrilled that he’d gotten custody of Sam. She apologized again for getting in the way when the Parkers came to pick up his son. That had been her wake-up call, she said. She couldn’t bear the thought that she’d almost cost Brady his son.
They’d finished breakfast and were lingering over coffee. She was telling him a story about a trip to Disne
y that ended with a bout of food poisoning and an unfortunate incident that left her vomiting on Goofy’s floppy shoes.
She laughed. “It’s only funny now. Believe me, at the time I wanted to die a thousand deaths. All those poor kiddos watching . . .”
He couldn’t help but wonder if she’d really been suffering from food poisoning. “Not to mention Goofy.”
“Oh, yes . . . I’m sure I traumatized him—or her. Hard to tell who was under that getup.”
April wore no makeup and looked a little older in the morning sunlight streaming through the plate glass windows. There were laugh lines and hollow places under her eyes. The ever-present braid spilled over her shoulder.
“I’ve been thinking of moving back, you know,” she said out of the blue.
His eyes cut to her. News to him. “To Copper Creek?”
“Of course, silly. I have a son and grandson here. I’m looking for a job, so if you get wind of anything, let me know. I’m kind of hurting for cash. I’ve done all kinds of things over the years—waitressing, bartending, sales. I even worked on a farm, if you can imagine that.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for you,” he said. But everyone in town knew about April’s long history with drugs. He wasn’t sure anyone would give her a chance.
“I appreciate that. I need to get back on my feet. I’ve already put my application in at a few places. Can’t mooch off my friends forever, and funds are running low, you know?”
“Sure.” He was starting to feel baited, but he didn’t bite.
She took a sip of coffee and set it back on the saucer. “So, tell me more about you. Your business . . . your wife . . . anything you want to talk about.”
He didn’t want to talk about Hope. As great as the week had started out, things had gotten a little . . . strained. He’d hoped once they’d made love they’d only grow closer. Instead, he sensed a distance in her that he didn’t understand.
A little awkwardness the morning after, but more so in recent days. He’d asked if anything was wrong, but she just smiled and said, “Of course not.” In truth, he was afraid to press her too hard. Maybe she was just nervous about her new job. Or concerned about how they’d manage a long-distance marriage. It would be a big change. He’d miss her a lot through the week.
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