“Does Grandpa have a girlfriend?” asked Win. “Does he like Ms. Blanchet?”
“It looks that way.” Derik said. “And that’s fine with us, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, she can be on my team when we go bowling,” D.C. said as he headed up the stairs.
“No, I want her on my team,” said Win as he caught up with his brother.
Chapter 25
Derik’s feet were propped on the corner of the desk, his hands cradling the back of his head. He’d been studying the photos on the shelf for several minutes. His eyes focused on one from the last vacation he and Mary Ann took. They had just returned from the slopes, where she spent more time in the snow than on it. She’d been a good sport about the trip but admitted the cold weather wasn’t her first choice for fun.
She didn’t learn to ski that winter, and they never went back. They got her diagnosis a month later. With her rosy cheeks and big smile, she was the picture of health. No one knew she only had a few months to live. Derik’s mind wandered to their life together.
They were high school sweethearts, married a year after Mary Ann graduated. He was employed full time at his uncle’s garage. The man had given him a job and been his mentor from the age of fourteen, when his parents divorced and his father left town. Derik planned to buy the business when his uncle retired. Everyone was surprised when the elderly man gave him the shop as a wedding gift.
Two years after they were married, an electrical problem destroyed the garage in a fiery blaze. Derik watched his business, and future, collapse in a pile of embers and ashes. He immediately went to work looking for a new location. By the time he received the insurance check, he’d found another shop, a hundred miles away.
D.C. had been a surprise. Derik remembered the fear on Mary Ann’s face as they waited to read the home pregnancy test. When the kitchen timer rang, she said she was too nervous and begged him to look. He found three strips on the back of the toilet, and they all shouted yes, positive, pregnant. When he walked out of the bathroom, she was waiting in the hallway, chewing on her thumbnail. “You better stop that, or the baby will be born sucking his thumb,” he said.
“I am? Oh no, what are we going to do?”
“We’re going to be terrific parents and love this child and all the others after him. That’s what we’re going to do,” he said.
“You aren’t upset?”
“Of course not. I’m ecstatic. We may not have planned this, but it’s in our plans now.”
D.C. was only four months old the night the condom broke and they knew there could be a second child. There was panic on Mary Ann’s face again, but Derik shrugged and said, “We’ll wait and see, but either way, it’s going to be all right.” A month later, another array of pregnancy tests announced the positive result.
Derik shook the memories from his head and walked to the shelf. He studied the picture more closely. He’d loved her as completely as he knew how, and always would. He loved her for teaching him how to work together to make a family, how to be a good father, how to give love, and how to accept it. And he would always love her for giving him two beautiful children. He replaced the photo and left the office.
Jack was sitting on the front porch when the blue truck pulled into his driveway. He watched Derik approach the house. Seeing his hands in his pockets, head down, and long strides, he knew the young man needed to talk.
“That looks like a mighty heavy load you’re carrying on those shoulders. You okay? Boys all right?”
“We’re fine. How about you? Are you still liking the place?”
“Oh yeah. No regrets here. I like it more every day.” He sat back in his rocking chair and took a long look at Derik. The man had serious written all over his face. “Do you want to talk now or wait a few minutes?”
Derik leaned against the porch rail and stared across the yard. “What do you think about Kelly?”
“That’s not the question you need to be asking.”
Derik looked over his shoulder. “It’s not? What’s the right question?”
“The question you need to ask is, what do you think about Kelly?” He rocked a few minutes longer then said, “So, what do you think about her?”
Derik sat down, propped his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. “I think she’s amazing. I think my life won’t be complete without her.” Jack remained silent as Derik struggled with his thoughts. “I think, no, I know, that I love her.” He raised his head and looked at the gray-haired man beside him. “Does that bother you?”
“Me? Hell, son, I’m just glad to hear you finally admit it,” Jack said. He laid his head on the back of the rocker as his thoughts wandered to the first time he heard of Derik Stone.
Mary Ann and Derik began dating when he was a senior in high school and she was a junior. He soon became a regular visitor in their home. Jack wasn’t surprised when he proposed a year later.
It took almost another full year for Mary Ann and her mother to book the venue, find the perfect dress, and order the cake. While the women immersed themselves in wedding plans, he and Derik bonded.
Jack remembered the nervous excitement over their first child. He also recalled the worry and doubts with the second one. He could tell they were overwhelmed to have two children so close together, but the stress seemed to strengthen their relationship. Mary Ann had said she never would have survived the first two years if it hadn’t been for Derik’s love and help.
He returned his attention to the young man in the chair next to him. “Derik, it would be a shame if you let all that love Mary Ann taught you to share go to waste. Now, if you love Kelly, and I mean really love her, and you’re sure she’ll be a good mother to those two boys, then don’t waste another minute.”
Derik looked at Jack. “She’ll be a great mother to the boys. They’ve already been asking me to marry her.” He sighed and sat back in the chair. “I don’t want them to forget Mary Ann, but I want them to embrace Kelly. What do you think about that?”
“I think that’s the way it should be. She’ll be the only mother they’ll remember when they’re grown. You can show them pictures and tell them about Mary Ann, but let them love Kelly as much as they can. If you force them to hold back on their emotions, it’s only going to make them feel guilty or confused. The boys will be just fine with the two of you raising them.”
“Thanks, Jack. You know I loved Mary Ann with every beat of my heart. And if it wasn’t for knowing what that felt like, I wouldn’t be sure of what I feel for Kelly.”
“Then go get her.”
Derik stood and slid his hands in his back pockets. “Thanks, Jack. Your blessing means a lot. I guess now I have to figure out how to ask her to marry me.”
He walked back to his truck with a much lighter step.
The next night, Kelly sat on the couch looking through a magazine while she waited to read to the boys and tuck them in. Derik had led them upstairs for their baths some time ago. She impatiently glanced at her watch.
A few minutes later, she heard them come down the stairs. The boys had on their pajama bottoms, and Derik still had on his jeans, but now all three wore white printed T-shirts. D.C.’s read, “WILL YOU BE OUR MOM?” Win’s said, “WILL YOU MARRY OUR DAD?” And Derik, who stood behind his sons, wore a shirt that read, “WILL YOU BE MY WIFE?” He was holding a black velvet box.
Kelly’s eyes filled, and she covered her mouth with her hands. She continued to look from one shirt to the other as the tears rolled down her cheeks. She turned toward Derik and slowly nodded.
D.C. looked at his dad. “You said she’d say yes. Isn’t she going to say yes?”
Win frowned. “Why is she crying, Daddy? Did we do it wrong? You said she was going to be happy.”
“She’s crying because that’s what women do when they’re happy,” Derik
said.
“Why?” asked D.C.
“I don’t know, son. No one does.” He walked to Kelly and knelt on one knee. He opened the small box then used his thumb to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “I can’t imagine going through life without you, and I can’t think of anyone I would rather be the mother to my children. It would be an honor to be your husband. I love you, Kelly. Will you marry me?”
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Yes, yes to all of you.” She held out an arm, and the boys joined in the hug.
That night two stories were required before the children fell asleep. Once they did, Derik and Kelly returned downstairs and planned their wedding. They agreed on a simple ceremony with a few family and friends and settled on a date two weeks away.
Chapter 26
As the truck drove under the iron archway, Kelly looked at the beautiful grounds. The stone paths were clean and neat. Several of the trees were surrounded by benches, and many had engraved plaques embedded in them. Derik stopped at the side of the gravel drive, and everyone got out. The boys ran forward, looked back at their father, and pointed. He nodded, and they stepped closer. Both children sat down and crossed their legs as they faced the large granite tombstone.
“Hi, Mommy,” Win said. “We brought someone to meet you. Her name’s Kelly, and she’s the lady I told you about, remember? We love her, and we’re going to get married. But that doesn’t mean we won’t talk to you anymore, because we will.”
D.C. said, “She reads to us, just like you used to. She gives lots of hugs, and she cooks real good, too. She even knows how to take a fish off a hook.”
“Yeah, she’s not afraid of worms, either. And she makes really good lasagna,” Win said.
“She added more flowers to the ones you planted in front of the house, and they look real pretty. When we pick one, she puts it in the vase and sets it on the table.” D.C. said.
“Grandpa likes her, and Daddy loves her, a lot. We can tell, because his eyes are smiling again.”
When the boys grew silent, Derik stepped forward. He placed his hands in his pockets and nudged a pebble with his toe.
“Hi, Mary Ann. The kids wanted to introduce you to Kelly. I hope you don’t mind.” He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “You made me promise that I’d find someone to love them and take care of them. Kelly does. She loves them, and she loves me. And I love her, too. We’re good together, and we’ll make a great home for the boys. Don’t worry about them. They think you sent her to us, since you had to leave so soon. I’m inclined to agree with them. You always did take care of us. And for that, I thank you.”
He stared at his shoes, and Kelly heard a slight sniff. D.C. and Win continued to sit and play in the grass.
She stepped forward and went to her knees at the foot of the grave. “Hello, Mary Ann. My name’s Kelly Hastings. I love your adorable boys, and I promise to take care of them and love them for the rest of my life. You gave them a wonderful foundation. I’m not you, and I won’t try to be. But I’ll do my best to build on what you started, just like in the flowerbeds.” She looked at the man standing beside her. “I also love Derik, with all my heart. I’ll be the best wife I can possibly be to him. Thank you for showing him how to trust, and to love. I won’t take that for granted.”
Derik helped her to her feet. The children joined them, and D.C. slid his hand into hers. A breeze fluttered, and the air wrapped around Kelly’s shoulders like a soft hug.
The boys waved goodbye to the headstone, and Derik led them to the truck. Neither he nor Kelly spoke while they buckled them into their seats. As they left the cemetery, she glanced back and saw the wind tossing leaves over Mary Ann’s grave as if someone were dancing in the air.
“Are you ready?” Derik said as he squeezed her hand. She nodded and squeezed his in reply. The lump in her throat kept her from answering.
Jack and Mikki were standing on the church steps when they arrived. As soon as Derik parked, the children spilled out of the vehicle. Jack said, “You boys look like you’ve been wallowing in the yard. Come here and let me brush you off.”
“We stopped at the cemetery, so Mommy could meet Kelly,” D.C. said as his grandfather straightened his tie. The old man looked over the boys’ heads at Derik.
Win said, “Yeah, and we told her how much we love her and how much Daddy loves her. We even told her that you like her, too. You do, don’t you, Grandpa? You said you did.”
“Yes, boys, I like Kelly very much. I love her like she was my own daughter,” he said. He looked into her eyes. “Just like one of my own. Now, let’s go inside. The sooner I get this noose off my neck, the better.” He slipped a finger between his throat and collar and pulled.
Mikki slid her arm in Kelly’s. “Come on, the guests are starting to arrive.” When they stepped inside the vestibule, Kelly could hear Mildred playing the organ and a low murmur of voices.
Jack said, “I’ll let the preacher know everyone is here. Derik, are you ready?”
Derik nodded and winked at Kelly before the two men led the boys through the large double doors.
“I put your things in the changing room,” Mikki said. The women went down the hall to a room furnished with two stuffed chairs, a vanity table, and a full-length mirror. Mikki pulled a curling iron and several bottles of hair products out of a canvas tote she had placed on the table earlier. “Do you want me to do your hair?” she said.
“Okay, as long as you don’t give me dread locks,” Kelly said with a laugh. She removed her t-shirt, sat down, and looked at her friend’s reflection. “Thank you for standing up with me.”
“Thank you for asking.” Mikki squeezed Kelly’s shoulders then began brushing her hair. “I know you must be thinking about your parents today.”
“Yeah. When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of my father giving me away. After he died, I just quit thinking about getting married.”
“Not even with Jarrod?”
“No, especially not with Jarrod. I never felt that way about him.”
“What did Jack say when you asked him to walk you down the aisle?”
“He said he was honored, and I think he really was. It meant a lot that he accepted.”
When she was done, Mikki stood back and looked at Kelly. “What do you think?”
Kelly looked in the mirror. Mikki had pulled her hair back in ringlets with soft strands at her temples. “It looks fantastic.” She stood and removed her jeans.
Mikki lowered the zipper to the garment bag hanging on the back of the door. “Wow!”
Kelly smiled. “Don’t you love it?” She stepped into the knee-length silk dress with the heart-shaped bodice and pleated skirt. Mikki helped her tie the wide satin ribbon around the natural waistline. When Jack knocked on the door, she slipped on the lacy bolero jacket. “One minute,” she said, then sat down so Mikki could attach the birdcage veil.
Jack knocked again. “Okay, ladies, it’s time.”
Mikki handed Kelly one of the two bouquets of white calla lilies, and they followed Jack down the hall. When he opened the door Derik and the boys had gone through earlier, she gave Kelly a quick hug then started down the aisle. Once she took her place at the altar, the sound of Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” filled the air.
Jack presented his arm to Kelly and smiled. She slipped her hand in the bend of his elbow. “Do you think you’re ready to be a part of this crazy family?” he said.
“Oh yes. I’ve wanted this all my life. I just didn’t know it until I met Derik and the boys . . . and you.” She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek.
He patted her hand then led her into the chapel. The morning sun peeked through the stained-glass windows, making the knotted pine walls shine. The guests stood as Kelly and Jack entered. Her eyes immediately focused on the front of the church.
Reverend Bridges stood under a white arch entwined with green ivy. Mikki was on his right, wiping her eyes and smiling. Derik was on his left, in a black dinner jacket. D.C. and Win stood beside him, in their Sunday suits. All three wore matching ties of deep red, the same color as the ribbon in Kelly’s bouquet.
As Jack led her up the aisle, Kelly looked at the small gathering of people. Several of Derik’s crew were there. She also saw their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Price. Sheriff Foster, in his khaki uniform, lifted his finger to his forehead as though tipping his hat. Stewart nodded while pulling at his striped tie. Stan Richardson stood beside Penny. Kelly smiled when she noticed they were holding hands. Near the back of the room were Max and Brenda, from the safe house. A movement at the front of the church caught her attention. D.C. was waving at Leslie.
When they arrived at the altar, the music stopped. The wooden pews creaked as the guests returned to their seats. Win tugged on Derik’s jacket. “Wow, Daddy, she’s beautiful.”
“Yes she is, son.” Derik said without taking his eyes off her. She saw tears on his dark lashes.
The congregation laughed. Reverend Bridges cleared his throat and read from the slip of paper Derik had handed him moments earlier. “Who accepts this woman into this family?”
“We do,” Jack said. Win and D.C. bobbed their heads. He kissed her cheek and placed her hand in Derik’s. Her eyes filled with tears.
The wedding was followed by a small reception in the church social hall. They served a light brunch of finger sandwiches and pasta salad, followed by dancing and champagne toasts.
An hour after the cake was cut, Derik walked over to Jack and Mildred. “We’re going to go. Kelly is saying goodbye to the boys now.”
An Unexpected Rescue (Oak Springs Series Book 1) Page 14