Something had changed.
"Come on, Jonah," he told his son. "Let's see what's going on, then you get to go with Grandma for a while."
"I only see Uncle Noah hugging Mama. Where's Grandma?"
"We'll find her."
Just as the door jingled, he heard Noah saying, "You're going to give my brother hell, aren't you?"
"Hey," Caleb said. "Don't encourage her. I stay in enough trouble as it is."
Noah turned, and Caleb sucked in a deep breath at the lightness he saw in his brother's eyes. It transformed him from the bitter, demon-filled man who had returned from Central America a few months ago.
"Noah?" Caleb asked, but his brother shook his head.
"Come on, Jonah. Let's go find Grandma." Noah held out his hand and Jonah took it willingly.
In seconds, he was facing Leah with no one else around. Caleb wasn't sure what to do. This was a different Leah confronting him now. He hung his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.
"You okay?"
She took a deep breath. He could see she'd been crying from the slight redness around her eyes.
"I know he's your father, but if that man makes you cry again, I will pound him," he said roughly. "I should have been here."
"No. I needed to be able to do this on my own, Caleb. And I did. I stood up to him." She lifted her chin and smiled at him, actually smiled. It was brighter and more luminous than anything he'd ever seen from her before. "I flipped them the bird."
Caleb laughed. He couldn't help it. "You what?"
Leah shook her head as though she still couldn't quite believe it herself. "I gave them the finger, told them not to come back again. I was the owner of this place, and they were no longer welcome here."
"Come here," he growled and opened his arms to her.
She walked into his embrace—willing, smiling, and laughing.
Caleb kissed the shit out of her. This woman he held now reminded him of the Lee Jones who had so haunted his memory. Gone was the defensive, cowed shadow of a woman he'd first seen when he returned to Mountain Meadow. In her place was a combination of everything that was the best of Lee and Leah.
When he had to come up for air, Caleb rested his forehead against hers. "You amaze me, Leah. Straight up fucking amaze me."
"I'm not sure we've seen the last of them," A hint of worry colored her tone.
"Maybe not, but we're not going to worry about it."
"That's right," his mother's voice sounded from across the room. "You aren't in this alone. You've got a new family, Leah. Don't you ever forget it."
As she turned in his embrace, Caleb kept one arm over her shoulders. His mother was setting a tray with several mugs on a cleared expanse of the counter, Jonah shadowing her every move. Noah lounged in the doorway, looking more at peace than he had in a long time.
He let his gaze linger on everyone gathered. "I called George Mathis on the way over here. Leah and I can't stay too long. He wants to meet right before lunch. We should probably get Jonah's car seat moved and get going."
Noah straightened. "Drink some coffee first. I got this. It's something I can do one-handed now."
When his twin whistled on the way out the door, Caleb shook his head. "Lord, have you all undergone personality transplants? Leah's flipping birds and threatening to kick ass and Noah's smiling and whistling."
Mary handed mugs to both of them before adding cream and sugar to her own cup. "It's Mountain Meadow, Caleb. There's something about this place."
"I used to dream of getting away from here," Leah murmured, "but I'm beginning to realize it's not the places you go that matter, it's the place you can call home."
Mary tapped her mug against Leah's. "Well you got a place to call home. Y'all need to come to dinner tonight. We're going to get everyone together for a celebration."
"What are we celebrating?" Caleb asked.
"That the two of you have quit being stupid."
Leave it to his mama.
As he and Leah left a few minutes later, Leah shifted in the passenger seat to study him. "What did your mama mean that we've quit being stupid?"
"In Mama's mind, I think she's anticipating a happy ending to all of this." As Caleb said it, he realized how much his tension had ratcheted back up. The truth of the matter was that he and Leah hadn't really resolved anything at all. He knew what his feelings were, but he had no idea about her.
When she didn't say anything, just turned to stare out the passenger window, it was all Caleb could do not to slam on the brakes and demand that they talk right then and there.
But they had other things to do. They had to talk to Mathis, make this whole thing with social services go away.
Yeah, and somewhere in there, he was going to have to come out and admit he loved Leah. Hell, he'd beg if he had to if she would stay with him, give them a chance to truly become a family. He knew she might not love him right now, but that could grow. Couldn't it?
When Leah reiterated everything that had transpired with her parents while George Mathis took notes and asked additional questions, it was all Caleb could do to keep from grinding his molars. He wanted blood. Once this was all said and done, he wanted the legal system to go after her dad, but they needed to do what was best for Jonah.
Still, it rankled.
He stabbed the button on his key fob to unlock the car and started to stomp around to the driver's side until Leah stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Are you okay, Caleb?"
He halted in his tracks without looking at her, instead turning his face up to the bright blue of the fall sky. "I'm so angry at your parents, and I feel so impotent. I hate, absolutely hate, the hell that they have put you through. Listening to half the stuff you endured...Fuck!"
Tears pricked behind his eyes as he swung around to meet her gaze. "I'm so damn sorry I wasn't there for you."
Leah shrugged. "We survived it, Caleb. Maybe it was for the best."
He gaped at her. "How can you say that?"
"It made me stronger. I don't think I would be the person I am now if you had been here to ease the way." She stuck her chin up in the air, and he once again admired her graceful, unassuming beauty.
"I would be with you now because I needed you, not because I chose you."
His heart began to thump. "And do you? Do you choose me, Leah?"
Chapter 30
A tremor skittered through her, making her stomach flutter and her hands shake. There was no skirting around it, no denying it. Now was the time to take the risk. This day had been filled with risk-taking for her.
But this was the biggest one of all. She had only one heart, and she had to lay it bare. There could be no more hiding behind family or their son. Where they headed from here depended on what she said and how he responded.
"Yes. I do."
They both seemed frozen in place. Around them, people walked along the sidewalks of Mountain Meadow, making their way to Mercer's to lunch, to Tarpley's for some groceries, or over to The Secret Ingredient for a loaf of fresh bread to put on the table for dinner that night.
Leah didn't see any of those things, though. Her existence had narrowed down to the smile slowly dawning on Caleb's face, the bright light glowing from his forest green eyes. He appeared to be having as much trouble talking as she was, his breathing as fast and shallow as hers.
"If you don't tell me you love me, Caleb Allred," she whispered, "I think I'm going to shrivel up and die right here.
He snatched her against him, pressing her head against his chest where she could hear firsthand the wild beating of his heart.
"I love you so damn much, Leah. So damn much."
She ran her hands over the firm muscles of his chest. "Take me home, Caleb. I need to show you how much I love you."
She could never remember afterward quite how they had gotten from Mountain Meadow's courthouse square back to their house. Nor could she remember how quickly their clothes had come off or how they'd ended up on the big be
d in the master suite.
She did remember the slow push of him, sliding inside her, possessing her as if he had all the time in the world. As if they would be doing this for the rest of their lives.
"Marry me, Leah."
"Yes."
"Today?"
"What?"
Caleb thrust again. "We can go back to town, get a license, and go find Pastor Joe."
Leah was trying to think why that might be a bad idea, but all she could do was feel. At the moment, those feelings were sending her over the edge.
"Yes," she called out as she climaxed. Caleb grabbed her hips and followed right on her heels.
As they cuddled together, catching their breath, he said, "so you're okay with getting married right now?"
Leah leaned up on an elbow. "You're serious? Won't your family be angry? Isn't there a waiting period or something?"
"No. You pay the money, you get the license, you get married. No blood tests, no waiting. Look, if it will make you feel better, I'll call to make sure we can get the license today, and then give Joe a call. He owes me a favor because I let him win at pool the other day."
"This is crazy." And she wanted to do it. She wanted to do something that crazy and spontaneous in a life that had been proscribed by fear and unreasonable demands.
"Well?"
"Okay. Let's do it!"
It wasn't quite as fast as it had been getting into bed. Leah wanted to shower. They both decided to dress up some. Leah ended up in a flowing sundress with a sweater pulled on for warmth, and Caleb had located a suit he'd kept on hand for the few formal occasions he couldn't avoid.
"Ready?" he asked, bouncing the keys in his hand.
Leah's heart was beating double time. "I guess. Did you call Joe?"
"Yep. We're all squared away. The clerk at the courthouse is getting everything filled out for us so it should be ready to sign and pay for when we get there."
He whistled as they drove into town. Leah chewed on her lower lip.
"Do you think we should have let anyone else know?"
Caleb shrugged. "We can let them know tonight. Remember, we're going to my mom's for dinner."
"Okay. What about Jonah?"
"He'll be fine with it whenever we tell him, babe. All he cares about is the idea of having a mommy and a daddy...well, and cars."
Leah managed a nervous chuckle.
True to his word, they breezed right through getting the license. Caleb handed over the thirty dollars, they signed, and were on their way out the door.
"Next stop is the church."
"Really? I figured as quick as it was, Joe would do it, you know at the parsonage."
"Nah, he said to come on over to the church. He was there working anyway."
Several cars dotted the parking lot as they pulled in.
"There must be some ladies meeting today, or something," Caleb said.
Leah's eyes narrowed on the vehicles parked there. "Isn't that Mack's van? And Jake's cruiser?" She turned her head. "That's Luke's truck from the veterinary clinic. What's going on, Caleb?"
He pulled up out front, parked, and came around to open the door for her.
"Well, you know how word travels around these small towns. There's probably a good chance a few people we know will be here."
Leah's nerves were stretched taut. She didn't have any doubts about marrying Caleb, but she had figured it would be the two of them with Pastor Joe, maybe Tabby as a witness. As Caleb led her into the sanctuary, her steps faltered and tears flooded her eyes.
His entire family was there. Every. Last. One. Jonah and Noah stood at the front of the church. Noah had his hand resting on the little boy's shoulders. Jonah held a bouquet of fresh flowers, their stems tied with yellow and orange ribbon as bright as the colors of the leaves on the trees outside the church.
As if on cue, everyone stood and turned to look at them. Mary and John Allred stepped out into the aisle.
"Welcome to the family, Leah," John said.
"How did you manage this?" she asked as she and Caleb began walking down the aisle.
"I think someone might have put it on the town's Facebook page."
"Come on," Mary urged them. "The church ladies are downstairs putting the finishing touches on the reception."
In a few minutes, Joe was introducing them as man and wife. Leah looked up at Caleb, amazed at the emotion shining from his eyes.
"I love you," she told him. "You are all the family I will ever need."
Epilogue
Six months later
"Put down the shovel, Leah," Caleb said and snatched it out of her hand. "Doc Jenny said no more digging or heavy lifting."
Leah rubbed a hand over the long sweater covering her ripening belly. "I run a nursery, Caleb. All those mommy books say it's okay to keep doing things you're used to doing."
"Yeah, I don't think they had replanting shrubs and moving trees on that list."
"Spoil sport." She leaned back against him and stared up at the house they had built on the land not far from John and Mary's place. "It looks good, doesn't it? Jonah and the baby will have plenty of room."
"Are you ever going to tell me whether this peanut is a boy or girl?" Leah had been keeping it a secret, and Caleb was dying to know.
She smiled. "Maybe. At least the landscaping's almost done. I guess I'll have to hire someone to finish it."
She glanced over her shoulder "Look, someone's coming now. I believe you're going to get the answer to your last question."
Caleb glanced over his shoulder. His dad's truck was in front with all his brothers’ vehicles behind it, and all of them were sporting pink and blue balloons. What the hell?
"I thought you said I was going to get an answer. There are pink and blue balloons."
"Exactly, and that is precisely why Doc Jenny's freaking out."
His breath caught. "Twins? One of each?"
When she nodded, he picked her up and swung her around in a circle before kissing her like crazy. God it was good to be home.
The End
Ready for more from Mountain Meadow?
Check out Mountain Meadow Homecomings
Special Delivery – Welcome home to Mountain Meadow, Virginia—a small town with a big heart, where love is just around the corner...
All Holly Morgan wants is a safe place to have her baby. Nestled deep within the Blue Ridge Mountains, miles away from her abusive ex-fiancé, Spence, Mountain Meadow seems perfect. Holly can manage a few meddling church matrons if it means Spence can’t find her. Harder to handle is Jake Allred. He may be a dark-haired hunk, but he’s also someone Holly can’t trust: a cop.
Since his time in the military, Lieutenant Jake Allred has lived to protect and serve. And if anyone needs protection, it’s Holly. Having been let down by the law before, she’s wary of letting Jake into her life. But when an unexpected snow storm strands them together, their attraction is hot enough to melt the mounting ice. Just when Jake thinks he’s finally warmed Holly’s heart, Spence strikes. Now it’s up to Jake to save Holly’s baby and bring their fledgling family back together.
Lost & Found Love - Tabitha MacVie has come to Mountain Meadow to meet the sister she never knew, and find the family she longs for. What she discovers is a close-knit community determined to close ranks against the new art teacher, especially once she catches the eye of the town’s most eligible bachelor. Tabby tries hard to keep Joe Taylor at a distance. But staying away from the handsome preacher isn’t easy once he opens his arms to her....
Tabby is the answer to Joe’s prayers. Too bad the spirited beauty believes she doesn’t belong in Mountain Meadow—or with him. Still, Joe can’t resist offering her shelter against the local gossips, or giving her a strong shoulder to lean on when her family hopes are dashed. And when Tabby’s life is suddenly on the line, Joe will do anything to save the woman who stole his heart.
Erin’s Way - The town bad girl is back, and this time, Erin Richardson is in need of protection.
Years ago, her youthful crush on handsome older man Sam Barnes nearly led to scandal. Now she’s on the run from an entirely different kind of trouble: a criminal intent on eliminating his witnesses—including Erin. As the local sheriff, Sam’s duty-bound to provide a safe haven. Though tongues will surely wag once Erin is sharing a house with the sexy lawman....
Erin is still too young, too vulnerable, and too irresistibly beautiful. But when Sam lays eyes on her again, all he wants to do is shelter her in his arms. It won’t be easy keeping her out of harm’s way. But it’ll be even harder keeping the woman he never forgot out of his bed—and his heart...
Catch up with all the Allred family in
A Place to Call Home!
Healing Touch - Book 1 - It’s exactly what widowed father Luke Allred is looking for when he brings his son and daughter back to his hometown of Mountain Meadow, Virginia. Luke knows he needs to be a better daddy for his troubled kids, but his work as a veterinarian made it difficult in the past. He’s vowed to change, but he needs help while he settles into his new position with the local animal hospital.
Rachel Hastings is a woman with a healing touch. She takes in injured and orphaned animals, so helping out with two new-to-town children shouldn’t be tough. What she hasn’t counted on is their sexy father, her secret crush from back in their high school days.
Their attraction is immediate, but so many obstacles stand in the way. Luke and his family still grapple with the shock of the accident that killed his wife. Rachel carries baggage from her own failed marriage. Worst of all, Luke’s children hide a secret that is tearing them apart and may destroy any chance Luke and Rachel have of building a future together.
The Secret Ingredient - Book 2 - Becca Allred’s returning to Mountain Meadow with big plans. First, make her new bakery, The Secret Ingredient, a huge success. Second, steer clear of the complications that made her last job a pain in the butt. Third, manage to live her own life without family interference. Tough to do when you have too many older brothers keeping an eye on you. Even tougher when one of their best friends wants to put a lot more than his eyes all over you—but he thinks you're back to be his business rival, not his bed partner.
Last Call (A Place to Call Home Book 3) Page 19