He fell in step beside her. “Are you missing a rooster?”
“No, we don’t have any chickens. We buy eggs from Mr. Mason. Why?”
“One showed up in town on Saturday and is waking everyone up at sunrise. I promised Ava I’d ask if anyone is missing a rooster.”
She tried to hide it, but he saw the grin that had filtered across her face.
“How are the girls doing?” he asked. “How are Lora and her new baby, Chester, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. She and Chester are fine. Joyce and Meg are delivering flowers today. Gretchen stayed home because—” She gave her head a slight shake and sighed. “Because you were coming over.”
“How was Emily this morning?”
“Fine, and fully prepared to tell Toby Turner exactly what you said about books.”
“That’s good.” They’d arrived in one of the fields, where green plants of various heights grew. “Which ones do we need to check?”
She let out a sigh. “None. I just—”
“Didn’t want an audience?” he finished for her.
She rubbed the back of her neck. “I—I don’t know what more we have to say to each other. I thought about it all night, and I don’t know, I just don’t know.”
He’d thought about it all night, too. “If we are still interested in putting the past behind us, we need to put it to rest.” He dug a rock out of the ground with the tip of his shoe. “We both made mistakes, Jenny, but how long are we going to let them define our future? Truth is, I have a phone company because of you. I was distraught when I found out you’d left town, but I couldn’t let anyone know that. So I did the only thing I knew how to do. I pretended that I was happy and I focused on telephones. Just like when I was a kid. Everyone thought it was because my father had died, and that I was working so hard because he’d been so proud of me and my telephone inventions. It wasn’t. It was because I needed a reason to get up in the morning.”
She laid a hand on his arm.
Huffing out a breath, because there was more to the story, he looked at the house, looked at the driveway. “That’s what I was still doing when I drove up this driveway for the first time.” He turned, looked at her. “And saw you again. That’s when I started living again, Jenny. It’s been complicated and muddled, but it’s been real. Because that’s what life is. Complicated, muddled and challenging at times. Days where you don’t know what to think, if you’re coming or going, and others where you’ve never been happier. I don’t want to go back to pretending, to working all day, every day, because that’s not really living.” Shrugging, he finished, “I don’t know what we need to do, how we can figure this out, but I want to try. And I want to keep on trying.”
* * *
Jenny pressed a hand to her mouth. She didn’t want to go on pretending, either, but there wasn’t anything that could fix what she’d done. “I’m sorry,” she said. That was a terrible beginning, but she couldn’t start at the beginning. She had to start at the end, because if he couldn’t accept that, there was no use going any further.
Taking a deep breath, and then holding it as if she was diving in the deepest of oceans, she said, “Before we left the city yesterday morning, I went to see Donald. I told him that if the governor didn’t sign that bill, I would tell the governor all about Sarah and Stephanie, the other children he’d fathered. He didn’t believe me at first, but he did by the time I left.”
“You told him about Emily?” he asked tersely.
“No.” She met his gaze, eyeball to eyeball. “I didn’t tell him about Emily. And I never will. You may think that’s wrong, but she’s my daughter, and I don’t believe she needs to know, and neither does he. It won’t benefit anyone. If someday, that changes, I’ll tell her.” She held up both hands. “I wish I could change my story, Connor. I wish there was a way I could say it wasn’t true, but I can’t.” Her throat burned. “I can’t regret it, either. Because to say that would mean I regret being a mother, regret having my daughter, and I don’t regret that. I never will.”
“I would never expect you to regret having Emily,” he said quietly as his shoulders slackened. “She’s a wonderful little girl, and you’re an amazing mother.” He looked at the ground, kicked aside the rock he’d uncovered earlier. “I don’t think Forsythe should know about her, either. He’d use that information against her, against you.”
“That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’ve stayed here, hidden. For Emily.” She had to hold her breath for a moment to quell the tears. “For years, I blamed my mother, told myself that I’d never be like her, pit my daughter against a man.” She wiped at stinging in her nose. Her mother held blame, too, but that was her mother’s problem, not hers. “I should have been telling myself that I never want to be the person I used to be. Emily taught me it’s not about receiving love. It’s about giving it.”
She had no excuses, only the truth, and it hurt, because the one person she’d thought she’d loved back then, she’d hurt the worst. Him. “I knew Donald hated you, and that’s why I let things go as far as they did. Because I wanted to hate you, too.”
“Because you thought I’d lied to you,” he said gruffly.
The pain inside her just kept mounting, like shovels full of dirt dumped on top of one another. “I thought you’d left me, found someone else, just like my mother had. That’s all I had to compare it to, and I retaliated just like I did with her.” If only she’d been wiser back then. “When Donald called me, told me that you were at Pinion’s, I didn’t believe him at first, but the idea that you might be there had me agreeing for him to pick me up, give me a ride there. I don’t know how he knew, or how he timed it so perfectly, but we’d just pulled into the parking lot when you and a girl ran out of the door, to a car.”
“My cousin, Beth,” Connor said. “Donald worked at the train station, probably saw me arrive and knew I had a return ticket for the night train.”
She nodded, believing it had been his cousin, and that probably was how Donald knew. “I was ready to jump out of the car, chase you, but he stopped me. Said there was a better way. That I could make you jealous. Let you know what you’re missing out on.” The ache inside her was nearly crippling. “I don’t know why I believed him, but I did, and I agreed. We drove down to the park, talked about how mad you’d be if you saw us kiss, and then...” There was no need to say more, other than, “I hated myself, wanted to forget it, and didn’t want anyone to know. Especially you. Less than a month later, I was delivered to the home.”
Connor touched her arm, and then stepped forward and fully engulfed her in a hug.
Even knowing that he had to hate her, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on as all the emotions inside her exploded, releasing the tears she’d fought to hold back.
“Shh,” he said, holding her tighter and rubbing her back. “It’s all in the past. All in the past.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry I caused you such pain.”
“You didn’t, Connor. I did. I should have trusted you. Believed in you.”
He lessened his hold, took a step back. “Do you trust me now?”
Jenny felt another layer of the past drift up, slip away. Without any doubt, she nodded. “Yes.”
His smile was so tender, her heart somersaulted.
“I trust you, too,” he whispered, “and I believe in us. Believe we can have a wonderful future together.”
She wanted to believe that with all of her heart and soul. “Even after—”
He pressed a finger to her lips. “It’s in the past. Today is what matters.” He cupped her face with both hands. “Today is the first day of the rest of our lives.”
A blessedly wonderful tremor zipped through her at the shine in his eyes, the smile on his face.
“And,” he whispered, “I know how I want to start it.”
“How?”
Connor star
ted out by kissing her forehead, then the sensitive spots at the corners of her eyes, one at a time, then the tip of her nose. By the time his lips were in front of hers, happiness was busily working its way through her.
“By kissing you.”
The breath of his words mingled with the sigh that escaped her lips. A wonderful sigh because that was exactly what she wanted, too. “That sounds like a good start to me.”
In the next instant, they were kissing and hugging, sharing something she’d never dreamed she’d be able to share with him. Love so strong and real and complicated, and wonderful. Most infinitely wonderful.
Jenny rejoiced in how free that felt. She was completely free to love him. Love him without having to hold anything back, keep anything hidden.
When their lips parted and she opened her eyes, she declared, “I love you, Connor McCormick, and always, always, will.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, because I’ll be right there, loving you back the entire time.” He threw his head back and laughed. “For the rest of our lives.” Lifting her off the ground, he spun around and around.
While kissing her.
She was dizzy when her feet touched the ground again, but that could have been from happiness.
“When are we getting married?”
Jenny wanted to shout right now, but couldn’t. She traced the side of his face with one fingertip. “I need to talk to Emily before we set the date.”
“May I?” With a hint of a smirk, he added, “I’d like her to become a McCormick as soon as possible.”
Tears of happiness struck. “Adopt her?”
“Yes. Adopt her. I want to be her father, and I hope she wants that, too.”
Her vision was blurred by tears, but her heart could see clearly, and it saw a beautiful future for all of them. “Yes, you can ask her.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Talking to a six-year-old shouldn’t make a twenty-five-year-old man nervous, but Connor was nervous as he watched the bus approach. He was also excited, and happy, and lucky. So lucky.
He loved his life.
Truly did.
“Still waiting on those phones,” Mr. Whipple said out his window as the bus rolled to a stop.
“Next week we’ll be putting in poles,” Connor replied while walking toward the back of the bus where the only door was located.
“Yeehaw!” the driver shouted. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened around here!”
Upon opening the door, Connor lifted Emily off the bus so she wouldn’t have to jump, but didn’t put her down right away because she’d looped her arms around his neck.
“That’s Toby Turner,” she whispered in his ear while looking into the bus.
Connor caught sight of a good-sized, blond-haired boy slouching in the seat next to the door. “Did he believe you?”
Emily shook her head. “He said books aren’t magical, they’re stupid.”
“Do you want me to talk to him?”
“He said he doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Connor gave her a wink, and then said into the bus, “Hold up a second, Mr. Whipple, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind,” the driver replied.
Connor leaned in through the door. “You Toby?”
The boy slouched a little lower in his seat. “Yeah.”
“Toby Turner?”
“Yeah.”
Taking a chance on remembering the locals that had signed up for service, Connor asked, “Is Kent Turner your father?”
Sitting up a bit straighter, Toby said, “Yes, why?”
Connor was glad to see the boy’s reaction. It said Toby’s father wouldn’t be impressed by his son’s actions. The universe may never figure out why some kids felt the need to pick on others, but Connor had a good idea of how he could nip this in the bud before it went any further. “Just curious,” he said. “I’ll be installing a phone at your place soon and will have to mention that you and Emily know each other. That you’ve talked about books. I’ll be talking to your father about books, too. The phone book that will be printed for this area. He’ll probably like seeing his name in the book. Most people do.”
Toby sat up straight. “He will. I’m sure of it.”
“Then I will mention that you and Emily talked about books, and that you agreed with her,” Connor said, giving the boy a look that said more than his words.
Red-faced, the boy smiled at Emily. “Books are magical, Emily. You were right.”
“And they aren’t stupid,” Connor added.
“No, sir, they are not stupid.”
“Nice meeting you, Toby. And I appreciate you looking out for the younger kids, making sure no one picks on them.” Connor gave him a wink. “That’s what a true man does. Respects everyone.”
Toby’s chest puffed as his face lit up. “Nice meeting you, too, sir.”
Still holding Emily in his arms, Connor stepped away from the opening, closed the door and carried Emily toward the driveway. “Thanks, Mr. Whipple!”
With a wave, the bus driver shifted gears, and the bus rolled away.
Emily’s arms tightened around his neck again. “Mr. McCormick! Toby doesn’t think books are stupid anymore!”
“No, he doesn’t, and you tell me if you need me to talk to anyone else.” In his heart, she was already his daughter and he would protect her and love her with everything he had.
A thoughtful expression crossed her face, then she shook her head. “I can’t think of anyone else.”
He set her down on the ground and knelt in front of her. “I’d like to talk to you for a minute, if that’s all right?” Not wanting to worry her, he pointed up the driveway. “Mommy is right there, by the curve in the driveway. She’ll wait there while we talk.”
Emily looked at Jenny and waved a hand over her head. “Hi, Mommy!”
“Hi, sweetheart,” Jenny shouted back, waving.
“I’m going to talk to Mr. McCormick,” Emily shouted.
“I know,” Jenny replied.
“I need to talk to you about something real important,” he said.
“What?” Excitement shone in her eyes.
Like her mother, Emily made his heart sing. He already loved his new life, knew it would get better and better every day. “Do you know what being married means?”
“Yes. Mommies and daddies are married.”
“That’s right.” He glanced down the road at Jenny. Two for one, he really was a lucky guy. “I want to marry your mommy, and am wondering if that would be all right with you.”
She put her hands over her mouth as it opened in an O, then held her arms out at her sides, palms up. “Mr. McCormick, that would mean you would be my daddy.”
The sense of awe in her voice boosted his happiness up another notch. “Yes, it would, and I would like that very, very much.”
Giggling, she jumped up and down, “Me, too!”
Her response was one he was looking forward to seeing on a daily basis. His mind was already making up a list of all things they would do together.
“I’ve never had a daddy before,” she said in a whisper.
“You do now,” he whispered back. “And you have a grandma who is going to love you as much as your mommy and I do.” There was no doubt his mother was going to be over the moon with Emily.
“A grandma?” she said so quietly he read her lips more than heard her.
“Yes, a grandma, and an uncle and an aunt,” he whispered.
She threw her arms around him again and held on tight. “Mr. McCormick, this is the best day of my life!”
“Mine, too, sweetheart. Mine, too.” He could have dwelled on all that Jenny had told him, but he wasn’t. He was the winner, all the way around, and was going to make the most of it every single day.
Emily�
��s giggle was soft, secretive, before she asked in a whisper, “Can I go tell Mommy? She’s going to be happy.”
“She is?”
Emily nodded, and then as if it was the biggest secret in the world, she whispered, “She likes you. She told me so when you gave me my teddy bear.”
“I like her, too.” Laughing at how Emily giggled, he said, “Let’s go tell Mommy.”
“Can we run?”
Clasping her hand, he said, “Yes.”
* * *
Less than two weeks later, Jenny stared at herself in the mirror, blinking back tears of happiness. Everything about her life was nothing shy of wonderful. Perfect. Including her cornflower-blue wedding dress. The same shade of blue as her soon-to-be husband’s eyes.
A faint ringing entered the room, and that made her giggle softly. She’d forever love the sound of a phone ringing. It was the reason she’d been reunited with the love of her life.
“Mommy, you look like a princess!”
Jenny turned as Emily bounded into the room. Wearing a frilly dress the same cornflower-blue as hers. The heart-shaped diamond necklace around her daughter’s neck sparkled in the sunlight as brightly as the one around her neck. A gift from Connor, signaling how special this day was for Emily, too. “So do you,” she said, fluffing the curls that Tina had put in Emily’s hair for their special day.
School had ended for the summer yesterday, and Emily was as excited as Jenny to get their new life started. “Is Daddy going to pick us up soon?”
Emily had switched from calling Connor Mr. McCormick to Daddy almost instantly, and the sound of it never failed to make Jenny’s heart overflow with love. “No. He will meet us at the church. Remember, he said Mr. Whipple will give us a ride there?” Because they all wouldn’t fit in Gretchen’s truck, Connor had arranged for Mr. Whipple to pick most of them up in the school bus.
“I remember! You’re going to like riding on the bus,” Emily said. “It’s bouncy and makes you laugh.”
Gretchen entered the room. “Mr. Whipple just called—he’s on his way.”
Emily clapped her hands, then ran for the door, “I have to get my bear. I promised he could go to our wedding!”
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