“Dad, you’re stalling,” she said.
“Yes, I am,” he admitted. Then his face softened. “Justin stopped by.”
Emma didn’t know why that surprised her. Maybe because he’d been so abrupt and distant on the phone earlier. “What did he say?”
“He wanted to talk to you.”
“So, where is he?” She glanced around and could see into the living room and dining room from this vantage point. She was about to go to the kitchen when it sank in that her father had used the past tense. Her gaze touched on each of her brothers. “No one let me know he was here.”
“And there’s a good reason for that.” Kane looked at his oldest brother. “Tell her what it is, Zach.”
His expression said he was very unhappy to have been put on the spot, but Zach squared his broad shoulders. “We wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt.”
“And just how do you propose to do that?”
“Dad asked him what his intentions are.” Pierce obviously was aware that the front line had been breached and was singing like a canary.
Emma stared at her father. “Tell me you didn’t really do that.”
“I certainly did.” He slid his fingertips into the pockets of his jeans. “And I’d do it again. For my sons, too, if it ever becomes necessary.”
That was heartwarming and annoying in equal parts. She was going to hate herself, but had to ask. “What did he say?”
“At first nothing, but he could see we wouldn’t back down.” Zach looked extraordinarily pleased at standing their ground.
“At first? That means he said something eventually and I’d really like to know what it was.” This mattered so much and her heart was pounding.
“I’ll tell you, honey, but first I have a question.” Her father’s expression was half tender, half fiercely protective. “How do you feel about him?”
“Mom didn’t tell you?” Obviously the female members of the Crawford family could keep things to themselves better than the men. But there was no reason to keep her feelings a secret. On some level they already knew. “I love him, Dad.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive,” she said.
“Then we screwed up, boys.” He glanced at each of his sons.
“Dad was the one who shut the door in his face,” Kane said when she looked at him.
“Why would you do that?” she demanded.
“I told him that he wasn’t getting past us unless he could convince me that he wouldn’t hurt my little girl.”
“So he said nothing.” Since he couldn’t love her, there wasn’t anything he could say. The hurt of it smacked her again.
“Not exactly.” Her father rubbed his palm over the back of his neck. “He said that he thinks he loves you.”
“Really?” Thinking he did was better than being positive he didn’t.
“It was great, sis,” Kane said. “Dad told him to come back when he was sure and shut the door in his face. You should have seen it.”
She wished she had because she could have stopped it. If she had, her heart wouldn’t be breaking now. Just to think he loved her was a giant step for Justin. They could have talked about this. Now...
Emma wasn’t sure whether to be grateful for the family support or upset that they’d chased off the only man she would ever love. The choice was made when a single tear slid down her cheek.
“Oh, baby...don’t cry.”
Her father looked as if he would rather cut off his right arm than see her shedding tears. And her brothers were showing a similar tendency.
“He didn’t leave that long ago,” Zach said. “I’ll go get him.”
“I’m coming, too,” Pierce chimed in.
“They might need help. Three is better than one. Don’t worry, sis. We’ll bring him back so you can talk to him,” Kane assured her.
She shook her head. “If he discouraged so easily, there’s not really anything to say—”
A sudden knock on the door beside them startled everyone and they froze. Emma recovered first because she had a pretty good idea who was there.
“I’ll get it,” she said.
“Let me handle this.” Alan was closer and blocked the way as he opened the door.
Emma couldn’t see over her father’s shoulder but recognized Justin’s voice.
“Alan— Mr. Crawford— Sir,” he said. “I’m not leaving until you let me see her.”
“Okay, son.”
When her father stepped aside, she was face-to-face with Justin. She heard footsteps on the stairs and her mother’s voice asking what was going on. All the Crawfords were present and accounted for.
Then Emma tuned them out and focused on Justin. “Hi.”
He started to reach for her then let his hand fall to his side. “Emma—”
She studied his handsome face, the tired gray eyes and haggard expression. “You look terrible.”
“That’s what Camille said.” One corner of his mouth curved up. “She and Ben are watching Kyle. Just so you know.”
“How is he?”
“He misses you.”
“I miss him, too.” Moisture blurred her eyes again, but this time she battled it back, refusing to let him see. “Why are you here?”
Justin looked at the men behind her and pressed his lips tightly together. “To bring you home.”
Nothing about loving her. “Why should I believe you’re not just trying to keep your nanny?”
“I’m not a liar like the man who cheated on you.” He moved close enough for her to feel the heat from his body. “But it was a lie of omission when I used the wrong L-word. The truth is that I don’t just want you in my life, I want to make a life with you. I want more children with you. To spend holidays together.”
“He looks sincere,” Kane said behind her. Someone that sounded like her mother shushed him. “Just saying maybe you should cut him some slack.”
“I don’t deserve it,” he said. “But if you do agree to come back, this probably won’t be the last time we hit a speed bump. I don’t understand why, but I want that, too. I want to laugh and fight and make up.” He was looking at her father, his expression saying exactly how he planned on making up and didn’t care what any of them thought about that.
“Pretend they aren’t there,” she told him.
“Kind of hard.” His expression turned wry. “But I don’t care who hears. I drew a line in the sand because I was afraid to cross it and get personal. It was a stupid stand to take. My only excuse is that I was attracted to you from the first time I saw you. And I started falling for you when I could see how much you cared about your family. You were more worried about what was best for them than you were for yourself. I’ve never met a more beautiful, selfless woman.”
“Is anyone writing this stuff down?” Pierce asked and was shushed by his mother.
“I’m in love with you,” Justin said, then nodded at her father. “I don’t think it. I’m absolutely certain. Give me a chance to ask you to marry me. I swear it will be a proper proposal and I’ll do it right this time.”
“For goodness’ sake, Emma—” That was her mother’s voice. “Say yes and put the poor man out of his misery.”
“Not unless you love me,” he cautioned.
“I feel as if I’ve said it to everyone except the man who matters most.” She threw herself into his arms. “I love you so much, Justin. More than anything, I want to marry you. There’s no need to ask again because what you just said felt so incredibly right. It was truth straight from your heart. Being with you and Kyle feels right, too. I love that little boy as if he were my own. I want to be a mother to him.”
“I know you do.” He buried his face in her hair. “Thank God I didn’t mess this up.”
The
sound of applause, shrill whistling and very loud cheering made her smile. “I think that means you don’t have to ask my father for permission.”
“That’s a relief. He drives a hard bargain.” There was laughter in his voice. “I might have to give up my firstborn for his little girl.”
“Take good care of her, son.”
“Yes, sir. I plan to.” Then he looked into her eyes. “I know you’ve just started to get used to the last name Crawford, but if it’s okay with you and your family, I’d like to change it to Flint as soon as possible.”
“That works for me.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw her mother, father and three brothers alternately nodding and giving thumbs-up. She’d missed so much with them but was incredibly thankful that her family was there to see the beginning of the rest of her life with the man she loved. “Looks like it’s unanimous.”
Emma snuggled into Justin and smiled. She’d come to Blackwater Lake looking for her family, but it never crossed her mind that she would find the man of her dreams, too.
Now she had it all—family and forever.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from HER ACCIDENTAL ENGAGEMENT by Michelle Major.
Chapter One
Julia Morgan lit the final match, determined to destroy the letter clenched in her fingers. She was well aware of the mistakes she’d made in her life, but seeing them typed on fancy letterhead was more than she could take at the moment. She drew the flickering flame toward the paper but another gust of damp wind blew it out.
The mountains surrounding her hometown of Brevia, North Carolina, were notoriously wet in late winter. Even though it hadn’t rained for several days, moisture clung to the frigid March air this afternoon, producing a cold she felt right to her bones.
With a frustrated groan, she crumpled the letter into a tiny ball. Add the inability to burn a single piece of paper to her colossal list of failures. Sinking to her knees on the soggy ground, she dropped the used matchstick into a trash bag with all the others.
She ignored the wail of a siren from the highway above her. She’d pulled off the road minutes earlier and climbed down the steep embankment, needing a moment to stop the panic welling inside her.
For a few seconds she focused her attention on the canopy of pine trees below the ridge where she stood, her heartbeat settling to a normal rhythm.
Since she’d returned to her hometown almost two years ago, this love of the forest had surprised her. She’d never been a nature girl, her gypsy existence taking her from one big city to another. Thanks to her beautiful son, Julia was now rooted in Brevia, and the dense woods that enveloped the town gave her the sense of peace she hadn’t known she’d missed for years.
The makeshift fire hadn’t been much of a plan, but flying by the seat of her pants was nothing new for Julia. With a deep breath, she smoothed the wrinkled letter against the grass. She’d read it compulsively over the past week until the urge to destroy it had overtaken her. She knew the words by heart but needed the satisfaction of watching them go up in flames.
Unfit mother. Seeking custody. Better options.
Tears pricked the backs of her eyes. Burning the letter wouldn’t change the potential it had to ruin her life. She’d tried to dismiss the contents as lies and conjecture. In a corner of her heart, she worried they were true and she wouldn’t be able to defend herself against them.
Suddenly she was hauled to her feet. “Are you hurt? What happened?” A pair of large hands ran along her bare arms, then down her waist toward...
Whoa, there. “Back off, Andy Griffith,” Julia sputtered as parts of her body she thought were in permanent hibernation sprang to life.
As if realizing how tightly he held her, Sam Callahan, Brevia’s police chief, pushed away. He stalked several yards up the hill toward the road, then turned and came at her again. Muscles bunched under the shoulders of his police uniform.
She had to work hard to ignore the quick pull of awareness that pulsed through her. Darn good thing Julia had sworn off men. Even better that big, strong alpha men were so not her type.
Julia gave herself a mental headshake. “What do you want, Sam? I’m sort of busy here.”
She could have sworn his eye twitched under his aviator sunglasses. He jabbed one arm toward the top of the hill. “What I want is to know what the hell you’re doing off the side of the road. Again.”
Right. She’d forgotten that the last time Sam had found her, she’d been eight months pregnant and had wrapped her ancient Honda around a tree trunk. He’d taken her to the hospital where her son, Charlie, had been born.
That day a year and a half ago had been the start of a new life for her. One she’d protect at any cost.
Sam had been new to Brevia and the role of police chief then. He’d also been a whole lot nicer. At least, to Julia. He’d made the rounds of the single ladies in town, but ever since Charlie’s birth Sam had avoided her as though he thought he might be the first man in history to catch a pregnancy. Which was fine, especially given some of the details she’d heard about his history with women.
“Julia.”
At the sound of her name, she focused on his words.
“There are skid marks where your car pulled off.”
“I was in a hurry,” she said and swiped at her still-moist cheeks.
His hands bunched at his sides as he eyed her bag. “Do I smell smoke?”
“I lit a match. Lots of them.” Her chin hitched. “Wanna call Smokey Bear for backup?”
He muttered something under his breath at the same time a semi roared by on the road above.
“I didn’t quite catch that.”
Sam removed his sunglasses and tucked them into the front pocket of his shirt. He was almost too good-looking, his blond hair short but a little messy, as if he needed a trim. The effect softened his classically handsome features and a square jaw that fell just short of comic-book chiseled. His gaze slammed into hers, and Julia knew if ice could turn molten, it would be the exact color of Sam’s blue eyes.
“You were on your knees,” he said slowly.
Julia swallowed. “I lost a contact.”
“You don’t wear contacts.”
“How do you...? Never mind.” She bent to retrieve the bag of worthless matches.
His finger brushed the back of her arm. “What are you doing out here, Jules?”
Something about the sound of her name soft as a whisper broke through her defenses. She straightened and waved the letter at him. “I have a meeting in town and needed some fresh air to collect my thoughts.”
“At the salon?”
She shook her head. “No. Hair dye doesn’t require much mental fortitude. I have a real meeting, with an attorney.”
He didn’t ask for details but continued to watch her.
“It’s about Charlie,” she offered after a minute. “About my custody.” To add to her humiliation, she choked on the last word.
“You’re his mother. Of course you have custody.”
“I know.” She lifted the letter. “But Jeff and his parents think—”
“Who’s Jeff?”
“My ex-boyfriend.” She sighed. “Charlie’s father.”
Sam’s eyes narrowed. “The one who’s never set eyes on him?”
“He’s a college professor and travels the world doing research. His dad runs an investment firm in Columbus, Ohio, and his mom is a retired cardiologist. They’re rich, powerful and very intellectual. The whole family is off-the-charts smart. I guess they have...concerns. For Charlie’s future and my ability to provide the right environment. Jeff wants a new custody arrangement.”
“Have Jeff’s parents met Charlie?”
“No. They called a couple of times after he was born. They didn’t approve of me when
I was with Jeff, and since he didn’t want anything to do with the baby...” She paused then added, “I let my mom deal with them.”
That made him smile. “In my opinion, Vera is also off-the-charts smart.”
Julia ignored the shiver in her legs at his slow grin. Her mother, Vera Morgan, was a pit bull. But also keenly intelligent. Everyone in her family was smart. Everyone but her.
“Jeff’s mother is here with their family attorney to meet me. To make sure everything’s okay—that Charlie is in good hands.”
“Of course he’s in good hands.” Sam’s voice gentled as he repeated, “You’re his mother.”
“I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life, made a lot of mistakes. Jeff knows the sordid details and I’m sure his parents do, too.” Emotion clogged her throat.
Sam was not the man she wanted to have see her like this. She made a show of checking her watch. “What I could use is some damage control for my reputation. White picket fence, doting husband, pillar of the community stuff. It’s a little late for me to join the Junior League.” She shook her head. “Anyway, thanks for your concern today, but as you can see, I’m peachy keen.”
“You shouldn’t talk to anyone until you get an attorney of your own.”
“Frank Davis said he would help me, but I hope it won’t come to that. I’m sure the Johnsons want what’s best for Charlie. I should at least hear them out. That boy deserves everything this world has to offer.” She gave a humorless laugh and started back toward the road. “What he’s got is me.”
As she moved past Sam, his hand reached out, but she jerked away. If he touched her right now she’d be a goner, and she needed to keep it together. For Charlie.
“You’re more than enough,” he called after her.
“From your lips to God’s ears, Chief,” she whispered and climbed up to her car.
* * *
“Who are you and what have you done with my father?”
Sam shifted in his chair at Carl’s, Brevia’s most popular restaurant, still reeling from his unbelievable afternoon. From the bizarre encounter with Julia he’d been called to a domestic disturbance that ended up being a chicken loose in Bobby Royall’s kitchen. It had made him almost thirty minutes late to dinner with his dad. Now he wished the bird hadn’t been so easy to catch.
Finding Family...and Forever? Page 20