“Scottie?”
His mother’s voice was like a vise around his heart. He met her eyes. “What?”
“What about Christmas? I’d like your father to come for lunch.”
The seconds beat with each dangerous thump of Scott’s heart. He looked to Bianca and she shrugged; he looked to Ella and Lucy and they nodded in unison. Shit. He faced his mother. “Do what you want. I’ve got more important people to worry about at Christmastime than him.” He dumped his glass in the sink and made for the door. He needed to get out of there so he could breathe.
“Where are you going?” Bianca’s question halted him.
Scott turned. “I’m going to see Carrie. My time with her is too precious to waste.”
Bianca smiled. “You really like her, huh?”
He nodded, cursing the gleam of satisfaction in his sister’s eyes. “Yes.”
“I heard on the grapevine she has a kid too. A little girl.”
Scott tensed and cast a glance around the kitchen before meeting Bianca’s gaze once more. “Who told you that?”
“Oh, the wonderfully delightful Miss Arnold, of course. She was practically peeing her pants with excitement when she caught me at Marian’s yesterday.”
The weight of his mother’s, Ella’s and Lucy’s stares pressed down on Scott’s chest. Unasked questions hovered like an unexploded grenades around him. “Yes, she has a daughter. Her name’s Belle.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but Bianca got there first. Her steady gaze pinned him to the spot like the accused in the box. “Is she yours?”
His heart picked up speed as he stared at his eldest sister, her tone as calm as it always was, but her gaze told him in no uncertain terms she wanted the truth.
He pulled back his shoulders. “Yes.”
The collective gasp of his mother, Ella, and Lucy bounced from the kitchen tiles and smacked him right in the gut. He focused entirely on his mother. It was her feelings he cared about the most in that moment. This was not the way he wanted her to find out about her very first grandchild.
“How can you be so sure?” Bianca demanded. “The woman hasn’t been in town more than a few days.”
Swallowing the need to apologize to his mum, to go to her and put his arms around her, he turned to his eldest sister. “Kevin rushed through a DNA test. Belle’s mine. I have a daughter.”
He looked back to his mum.
Her eyes glistened with tears and she pressed a hand to her heart, her mouth stretched to a grin. “You’re a daddy?”
In spite of everything and everyone in the room, including his father, Scott smiled. “Yes, Mum. I’m a daddy.”
A sob caught in her throat and she immediately left his father’s side, her arms coming around Scott in an embrace. “I’m a grandma. Oh, Scottie, this is the happiest day of my life.”
Closing his eyes to his father’s smile, Scott grinned. “You’re going love Carrie, Mum. All I want is her and Belle.”
“I am so happy for you, sweetheart.” She pulled back and held him at arm’s length. “When do we get to meet Carrie? Could you invite her over now?”
Scott tensed and shot his gaze to his father. “Not now, but soon.” He smiled to ease the worry that immediately clouded his mother’s happy gaze. “I love her, Mum. I’ve loved her since the moment I first laid eyes on her. I waited for her to come find me instead of going to find her. I was an idiot to let that happen and waste every damn minute we could’ve had together.” He stole an arm around her shoulder and met his father’s eyes. “You and I share the same gene pool, have made similar mistakes but from here on in, we have a lot of work to do. No more playing around. No more women. You and I are going to do it the right way from now on and not lose the women we love. Deal?”
His father smiled. “Deal.”
Scott nodded, his heart beating hard. He pressed a kiss to his mother’s temple before stepping back, only to be embraced in a family hug by Bianca, Ella and Lucy. When they released him, he exhaled. “Right, I’m out of here. Christmas doesn’t wait for anyone, including Carrie, and she’s desperate to get home in time to be with Belle. I’ll see you later.” He glanced at his father for a final time. “And I’ll give some thought about Christmas lunch.”
* * *
CARRIE REACHED FOR her third latte of the day, her mind busy with the words and ideas flowing through her brain like the snowflakes running down the bakery window. She grinned as her pen flew over her notepad. She hadn’t been this creative, this energized or excited about her work in months. It was as though the darkness since Gerard died had lifted and a sliver of light for a possible, happier future had kick-started her heart and mind.
She sucked on the end of her pen and stared across the bustling bakery toward Marian and Stacy as they worked behind the counter. Carrie smiled and her heart swelled with fondness for the good people she’d met in Templeton. When she arrived, her defenses were high and her mind set on nothing more than clearing the air with Scott. She hadn’t expected to feel like anything more than a stranger visiting an even stranger town.
Yet slowly, the pull of this small town with its beach and promenade, quaint shops and restaurants and colorful characters were seeping under her skin and making her understand Scott’s reluctance to leave.
Templeton Cove was his home. Her smile dissolved as Marian blurred in her vision. Carrie hastily swiped at her eyes and turned back to her work. She was leaving. The receptionist had rung Carrie’s cell an hour before, telling her the Cove was now open to incoming trains but as yet hadn’t given the all-clear for departures. She would call again as soon as she knew more.
Carrie closed her eyes and prayed God stopped throwing snow down on them and let her go home to her baby for Christmas. The alternative, to be stranded here without Belle, was something she couldn’t contemplate. Tears threatened and she blinked. It wouldn’t happen. No God would be so cruel as to bring her to Templeton to find Belle’s father and not let her return in time to sit with her by the tree and open their presents together.
As soon as she got the call from the hotel, she’d book a cab for first thing the next day. Christmas Eve. Carrie blew out a breath. In the meantime, she needed to call her mother and explain the reason for the delay. She snatched up her cell and dialed home.
Her mother picked up on the second ring. “Carrie, I’m so glad to hear from you. Any news from the station?”
Belle’s delighted laughter resounded in the background, along with her father’s bad impersonation of a train. She smiled. “They’re allowing incoming trains but no departures. The hotel will call as soon as anything changes.” Her breath caught. “Mum, I need to be there for Christmas. I can’t be without Belle—”
“Come hell or high water, you’ll be with her. You mustn’t think that way.”
“What if nothing changes? What if the line is still closed tomorrow?”
“Then your father and I will bring Belle to Templeton.”
Carrie snapped her eyes open. “What? You can’t. It’s too soon for Scott to meet Belle. We’ve got so much to talk about.” But, oh, God, it would be wonderful. She dropped her shoulders. “It’s too soon.”
“Sweetheart, if he wants to see his child, how can Christmas not be the perfect time? Your father and I can bring Belle to Templeton and we’ll be there with you the entire step of the way. I’m not suggesting for one minute Scott sees her alone, but by having us bring her to him, with you, it will prove how serious you are about making up for lost time.”
“Maybe.” Her stomach quivered with anticipation. “But we won’t go there yet, not until it’s definite I can’t get home. Okay?”
“You call me as soon as you hear anything.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Carrie ended the call and slid her p
hone back onto the table. Please, God, get me home to my baby. Shaking off her melancholy, Carrie drew in a long breath. Everything would work out how it was supposed to, but for tonight, she’d be with Scott.
She owed him some time to tell her what happened with his family when he’d told them about Belle. If he wanted her to speak to them too, she would. Nerves rolled through her. Belle was her daughter and as much as she feared her new extended family encroaching on what Carrie thought she’d always view as her territory, she understood Scott came as a package, and his family had every right to know their granddaughter and niece.
She glanced at her watch and frowned. She’d expected him to call by now but her cell had remained ominously silent all day. She picked up her phone.
“Hey.”
Carrie’s stomach flip-flopped as she looked up and met Scott’s smiling face. She grinned. “Hey. How did you know I was here?”
“A little bird told me they saw you come in here.”
She laughed. “Once again, Templeton’s residents show their talent in knowing everything and everyone.”
His gaze slid from hers to the notepad in front of her, and his smile faltered. “What’s that?”
“This?” She put her hand on the notebook. “Just some ideas I’m working on. It seems Templeton’s a lot more inspiring than I ever thought it would be.”
He slid onto the chair opposite her and nodded toward the notepad. “May I?”
“Of course.” Apprehension rippled through her. His face was devoid of humor and his shoulders stiff. “Is everything okay?”
He didn’t answer and instead scanned the pages she’d filled with ideas and lines of dialogue, his eyes manically flitting back and forth. Carrie frowned as his cheeks reddened and his jaw grew tight.
“Scott?” She covered his clenched hand with hers. “What is it?”
He looked up. “Your work’s important to you, isn’t it?”
She glanced at the notepad, trepidation rippling through her. “Yes, but yours is important to you too.” She took his hand. “Please don’t worry about our work. It’s Christmas.”
He raised her fingers to his lips and kissed her knuckles before meeting her eyes. “I just saw my dad. In my kitchen.”
Carrie grimaced. “Oh.”
He drew in a long breath and exhaled. “They know. They know about you, about us...and Belle.”
Nerves knotted her stomach and her heart picked up speed. “Were they...happy?”
He smiled. “More than you could ever imagine.”
Relief pushed the air from her lungs and Carrie grinned. “Good. That’s really good. And your dad? How did things go with him?”
He released her hand and ran it over his face. “Better than I expected, I suppose. We’ve got a long way to go and I don’t trust him, but we’ll see.”
“You’re willing to give it everything you’ve got, though? For your mum.”
His gaze focused on her mouth. “And you.”
Carrie frowned. “For me? This has nothing to do—”
“You were right. I can’t let my resentment toward him control my life anymore. I’ve done everything over the last ten years because I love my family so much. This, us, is new to me.” His fiery gaze bored into hers. “You loved Gerard and you know how much real love can hurt. I’m still learning. So just promise you won’t turn away from me while I stumble.”
She trembled, his words rolling over her and into her heart. Tears pricked hot behind her eyes. “We can work through any problems as they come. Do you trust me, Scott? Trust yourself?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
She leaned forward and he met her halfway across the table. Taking his jaw in her hands, Carrie pressed a long lingering kiss to his lips before pulling back and dropping back into her seat, her body hot. “Good.”
“So are you ready to meet Mum, Ella and Lucy, talk to Bianca again? They love Belle without even meeting her.”
Carrie briefly closed her eyes. “How could I have forgotten you have three sisters?”
He dropped his chin, his eyes glinting with mischief. “I have every faith they’ll be putty in your hands.”
Carrie’s heart beat with fear of the unknown, fear for how much she loved this passionate, strong and caring man. “I love you, Scott.”
He smiled and slid from the booth, his eyes still on hers. He took her hands and pulled her to her feet, his gaze drifting over her face and hair as he pushed some strands from her face. “I love you too.”
He pulled her into his embrace, his lips touching hers and Carrie melted against the man she longed to love for the rest of her life. The man she suspected Gerard knew all along was her destiny.
CHAPTER TWENTY
SCOTT RELUCTANTLY EASED her back. He needed to see her eyes, her face. “When I told my family about Belle, all hell broke loose, but they were so damn happy. The questions and reproofs will come, but for now, neither my mother nor sisters can think past the potential of having a two-year-old little girl to spoil.”
She smiled, but her anxiety was clearly reflected in her dark brown eyes. She took a deep breath. “Then I guess we’d better go and say hi.”
They stood and Scott pulled some notes from his wallet and pushed them under her plate. “I’ve got this. Let’s get out of here.”
Hand in hand, they left the bakery and Scott carefully watched Carrie as she glanced along the street. She exhaled. “I really didn’t expect this to happen quite so fast.”
“Hey, you’re going to be fine.” He brushed his lips over hers. “They’ll love you. You make me happy. They know that already.”
She nodded. “Did you bring your car?”
“It’s parked just along the road. Let’s get the introductions to my mum and sisters out of the way, and then we can decide how best to spend tonight.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
She laughed. “Hmm...like you haven’t already thought that through.”
He grinned and tucked her hand into his elbow. There would be no more times that he doubted her or himself. They would stumble and fall, hurt and love, but Carrie and he were meant to be together. He’d never felt surer of anything in his life. In less than half an hour, Carrie would meet his mum and sisters before she left Templeton to spend Christmas with their baby.
He had every intention of being on that train with her.
They reached his car and got in. The atmosphere grew more fraught with tension as they neared his house. The fifteen-minute drive passed in silence, but Scott constantly glanced at Carrie and squeezed her hand in way of encouragement. When he met her parents, he’d be full of nerves, needing them to like him. Carrie’s self-assurance usually came from her in waves, but the clenching and unclenching of her hands right then told him this meeting was something equally as terrifying for her as being without Belle on Christmas day.
He pulled into his drive, relieved to see his father’s sedan had now gone. He parked his car behind Bianca’s, cut the engine and turned in his seat. “You okay?” Carrie stared at his house and he followed her gaze. “Sorry about the decorations. Mum’s like a kid at Christmastime.”
She smiled. “It looks amazing. Belle would love it.”
He cast his gaze over her profile. She looked amazing. Her skin glowed from the flickering white and red bulbs covering his porch and windows, not to mention the lights strung all over the trees and bushes in the front yard. “Maybe next year she’ll get to see it.”
She met his eyes and smiled. “Maybe she will.”
He leaned closer and kissed her, inhaling the soft scent of her skin and gliding his fingers through her hair to hold the back of her head and pull her closer. He poured his entire heart and soul into the kiss, hoping it gave her the strength and tenacity to believe in him and whatever the future might hold for them.
Eventually, they parted and she blew out a shaky breath. “Okay. I’m ready. Let’s do this.”
With a final kiss to her cheek, Scott yanked on the door handle and got out of the car. Carrie met him in front of the hood and slid her hand into his. Together, they approached the front door. Before he had a chance to push his key into the lock, the door swung open.
Scott didn’t know whether to laugh or curse.
His mum and sisters stood in a line, their faces identically drawn into comical expressions of complete ecstasy, each frozen to the carpet and not speaking.
Scott cleared his throat, “Mum, this—”
“I know who she is.” Her paralysis broke and his mum came forward and took Carrie’s hands in hers, urging her inside. “Welcome, Carrie. Welcome to Scottie’s home. You are...” She pressed a hand to her breast. “Just beautiful.”
Carrie laughed, albeit shakily as she allowed his mother to drag her over the threshold and into the throng of his now chattering sisters. If he hadn’t put his foot in the door, Scott could’ve sworn it would’ve been slammed in his face.
He shut the door and fought his smile into a frown. “Mum, won’t you at least let Carrie take her coat off?”
His mother laughed. “Of course. Sorry, Carrie, it’s just so exciting to have you here. I’d like to say I’ve heard a lot about you...” She flicked a meaningful glare in Scott’s direction. “But all I’ve heard has been secondhand. I can’t wait to get to know you better.”
Carrie smiled. “You’re very kind to have me here, Mrs. Walker.”
“Mary, please. Here, let me take your coat and bag.”
Scott exchanged a series of facial expressions and wide-eyed glares with each of his sisters before his mother practically threw Carrie’s coat and bag into his arms. “Here, Scottie. You take care of these, will you?”
Glaring at his mother’s turned face, Scott did as he was bid and was just about to tell them all to let Carrie have a bit of breathing space when Carrie spoke. “I love how you’ve decorated the house, Mary. It’s amazing.”
His mother beamed with pride. “Fit for a little one, don’t you think?”
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