Her Unexpected Family

by Ruth Logan Herne

  “True.” Stella took a step toward the door. “If there’s anything we need to work out last-minute for my wedding, just call or text me. I’m going at this like I should have the whole time. Calm, well, mostly.” She lifted one shoulder. “And happy. Like it should be.”

  She walked out and Kimberly turned to face Emily. “‘Train wreck of a shower’?” she quoted. She thrust a brow of interest up.

  Emily winced. “A stunning debacle of the highest degree, but all’s well that ends well, right?”

  Kimberly burst out laughing. “Yes. In the end, that’s what matters. Were you going to tell me?”

  “Not in this lifetime.”

  Kimberly’s expression indicated she understood that choice. She crossed to the desk and eyed the photograph of Grant’s kids. “These two are beyond cute.”

  “I know.”

  “And yet?”

  She looked at Kimberly and Allison and wished she could give them a different answer. “I found out how difficult marriage can be through experience. Falling in love isn’t the hard part.”

  Allison nodded in understanding.

  “Staying in love is the test, and if I ever get married again, I want a husband who walks to church with me. With our kids. Who forgives, even if he can’t forget. Faith and a forgiving nature are the cornerstones of our parents’ marriage. I don’t want to settle for less than that, ever again. So that’s how it goes.” She studied the window and The Square beyond, the snow-dusted benches and snow-covered grass. “When my life fell apart, the last thing I wanted was to come back to Grace Haven.” She motioned toward the quaint winter town outside their windows. “But I’m glad I did. I love it here. And I want to stay.”

  “Well, you have no idea how happy you’ve made me, because I’ll be needing some time off come summer.”

  Emily turned, met Kimberly’s gaze and understood immediately. “You’re pregnant?” She didn’t mean to screech, but she kind of accidentally did.

  Kimberly put a finger to her lips as Allison hugged her.

  “It’s early, and we’re keeping it hush until we’re further along, but the fact that you’re staying here makes this so much easier to plan.”

  Emily hugged her, too. “I’m absolutely crazy happy for you.”

  “Us, too. It didn’t make sense to wait at my age. But we were a little surprised that it happened this quickly.”

  “‘God is good,’” Emily quoted softly.

  Kimberly finished the popular theme. “‘All the time.’” She moved back to the planning board and tapped a finger against it. “And now, dear sister? Back to work.”

  “Absolutely.” She picked up the photo Grant had sent and went back upstairs, determined.

  She was excited for Kimberly and Drew. The thought of a new baby made her happy. She had to work to push aside thoughts of Grant and those two children. Their beautiful smiles, their funny antics, their endearing hugs.

  She had fallen head over heels for Grant McCarthy. So much of who he was appealed to her. Strong, hardworking, tender, funny and focused.

  She appreciated those down-to-earth qualities, but she’d taken faith and trust casually once. Big mistake. And it was a judgment error she never intended to make again, but each time she looked at the picture of those two kids, her heart ached a little bit more.

  Marvelous kitchen scents accosted her when she walked into her parents’ home that evening. Rory was in the kitchen, and the combination of smells meant her cooking skills were improving. She stabbed a spatula toward the table. “A package came for you.”

  “Another one?” Emily peeled off her gloves, scarf and coat and slung them on the back of a chair. She pulled open the cardboard zip tab, and inside was another picture for her. This one was of Grant and the kids. He was on the floor, playing with them, and the three of them looked delightfully happy.

  A note slipped out and fluttered to the tabletop. Emily picked it up. The words made her heart go hard and soft all at once. “Something’s missing from this picture, Em. I think it’s you. With love, Grant.”

  Unfair tactics.

  That’s what he was employing right now, and days before she’d see him at Christa’s wedding.

  A text message came through about an hour later. Christa and Spencer have arrived. Need to check last-minute details of wedding. And possibly just need to see you. What time is good?

  There wasn’t a good time, but he was a client and she couldn’t say no. Should she ask Kimberly to step in?

  She texted back, Tonight at eight or tomorrow, midday.

  Tonight. Can you come here?

  She shouldn’t because facing Grant on home turf made her wish she could be on his home turf more often, but she knew it was tough to have someone come in and watch the kids. Yes.

  Perfect. See you then. Drive safe.

  Nothing crazy personal like the pictures intimated, and in a way, that was better. Then why did she feel disappointed?

  She helped Rory straighten up the kitchen, tucked her purse and tablet into the car and pulled into Grant’s driveway just before eight. The garage door rolled up before she got out of the car, and there he was, waiting for her.

  Her heart danced.

  Did his?

  Her breath caught, but she was determined to blame that on the sharp west wind. And when he stood there, rock solid, so she’d have to either approach him or go through him, she drew close. “I’m here.”

  His eyes searched hers in the glow of the garage lights, and then he touched his two big, strong hands to her shoulders and smiled. “I’m glad. Christa and Spencer are waiting, and I’ve just put the kids to bed.”

  All business, then. No sticky fingers to wipe, no spills to clean up. Four adults, talking about a wedding. She could do this.

  “Christa. Spencer.” She extended her hand to each of them in turn once she got inside. “So nice to see you both, and Christa, Caroline told me how well the dress fitting went. Everything’s in order, and I’ve got a checklist here.” She brought up a page on the tablet and let them scroll through the list. “The only thing I wasn’t sure of was your time frame, Grant.” She stayed almost calm as she met his gaze, as if she didn’t want to close the two feet between them and declare her feelings. “Are you bringing Dolly and Timmy home at some point when they get tired, and if so, are you able to return? I wanted to make sure with the DJ that you’re included in all of the special events that mark a wedding day.”

  “The current plan is to have their mother and grandmother pick them up around six forty-five. They’re going to bring them back here and watch them for the rest of the evening.”

  He’d made contact with Serenity.

  She held his gaze, but didn’t try to hide her smile of approval. “That’s good to hear.”

  He smiled at her, as if her approval meant something to him, but then his face went sober. He leaned forward slightly. “She’s sick, Emily.”

  Emily glanced at Spencer and Christa. The sorrow in Christa’s expression reflected Grant’s.

  “It’s cancer,” Grant continued, “and she doesn’t have a whole lot of time left. She and her mom are staying here in town so she can see the kids as often as possible.”

  “Grant.” She reached out a hand and gripped his. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Me, too.” He grimaced and ran his other hand through his hair. “But I’m glad you gave me a wake-up call, Em. That’s what pushed me to contact her, and you were right. Living in anger isn’t good for anyone. Because Serenity and Jacqueline will have the kids for the evening, anything you schedule with the DJ works for me.”

  “I’ll take care of it.” They noted a few more things, then she stood. “That’s it, guys. Everything’s in place. We’re good to go.”

  “Thank you.” Christa clasped her hand in both of
hers. “Spencer and I are so grateful for your help, for guiding Grant through all of this. You’ve made everything seem so easy, and so right.”

  “She’s got a gift.”

  Grant said the words casually, but when he reached out to help her get her coat in place, his hand brushed her cheek. And when she’d slipped her arm into the sleeve he stood right there, his hands on her shoulders, and then he repeated himself, softly. “A beautiful gift.”

  He stepped back then and swung the door wide. She walked through, wishing he’d walk out with her. Wishing for time, for words, for—

  “I’ll see you Saturday, Em.”

  She waved and fought the rise of disappointment. She was being silly. She’d walked away from him because he couldn’t or wouldn’t forgive. Now that he’d made a sincere effort, she should be happy for him. She was, but the sense of longing refused to fade. She backed down the driveway, sobered by his news about the twins’ mother, but glad he’d stepped forward to resolve things. That was a major step in the right direction, and she was downright proud of him for doing it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  In his years as highway superintendent, Grant had handled blizzards, nor’easters, squalls, floods and two road collapses, but none of that compared to the past few days of nonstop organizing. With Christa’s wedding just over three hours away, he was at the airport in a snowstorm to pick up the best wedding gift of all—Joe McCarthy and the rest of their Colorado family.

  He hoped he’d done the right thing. It felt right, and Grant hadn’t felt this way for a long while.

  And when his father, stepmother and two siblings came through the door, Grant’s chest went tight.

  His father. Joe McCarthy.

  Thin memories came back to him, of a big, tall man and a laughing little boy.

  Grant moved forward. He stopped, awkward, wondering what he should say, then finally stuck out his hand and said, “Dad?”

  Joe’s eyes watered above a grin that matched Grant’s. “Grant. It is so very good to see you, son.”

  He hugged Grant then, hugged him hard, as if he never wanted to let him go.

  Grant’s eyes smarted.

  He remembered this hug, the feel of it. The feel of his father, embracing him.

  “I’ve missed you, Dad.” He didn’t know he’d say those words. They tumbled out as if he was a kid, yearning for his father’s time, his embrace, and maybe that’s exactly what he was in this moment. A big, overgrown kid, finally in the arms of his father.

  “Me, too.” Joe hugged him tight, then kept an arm around him as he turned. “My wife, Linda.”

  “Ma’am.” Grant gave her a hug and wasn’t surprised to see her eyes water as she glanced from Joe to him and back again. “And this must be Maggie and Michael.”

  “Maggie’s in her senior year at Colorado State and Mike’s a sophomore at Oregon.”

  “And you’re a runner, Mike?”

  His younger brother nodded. “Middle distance. Oregon’s a great place for runners.”

  “An excellent place,” Grant agreed. “And Maggie, you’re majoring in education?”

  “A teacher, like Mom.” She smiled at her mother, then turned a more shy version his way. “It’s so good to meet you, finally. I hate family drama, and I love happily-ever-afters.”

  “She’s our romantic,” added Linda, smiling.

  Joe chimed in. “I expect we better pick up our bags and get going. Will the snow hold us up?”

  Grant cringed. “Well, we’re getting lake-effect snow off Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, on top of the general storm that hit about an hour ago. We’ll soon find out.”

  The SUV crawled across the expressway. Minutes ticked by far too quickly, erasing the opportunity to stop by the hotel and get changed into wedding clothes. Even with four-wheel drive, Grant couldn’t get his SUV around the other vehicles bogged down in the snow.

  He was running out of time. He made a quick call to Reverend Gallagher and explained the situation. Steve assured him that Joe’s family could get ready at the abbey once they arrived. That was good news, but as Grant approached the thruway exit finally, the line of stuck cars proved insurmountable. If they didn’t get these cars moved, and the exit cleared, a major thruway backup was about to occur.

  “Dad? You got boots on?”

  “I do.”

  “How about you, Mike?”

  “Tall sneakers, just as good. I’m in.”

  Grant undid his seat belt. “Let’s do this.” The three men climbed out of the SUV. Grant put in a call to his department, explaining the growing problems at the thruway entrance and exit. He’d dispatched his plow operators hours earlier, and Jeannie was running things from the office, but the wet, heavy snow was winning the race against time.

  He’d faced this before, and he’d lost a few of these snow-squall battles, but today he had to win. Today, the snow had to succumb to his timeline, because today his sister was getting married and her whole family was going to be there to celebrate. No stupid snowstorm was going to mess with his plans.

  Grant pulled out the short shovel he kept tucked in the back of the SUV. Two other drivers had shovels in their stalled cars. Another driver, an elderly woman, offered them a short broom. They commandeered two shovels from the appreciative tollbooth attendant and got to work with other stuck-in-the-snow drivers.

  Thirty minutes later, the exit was cleared of cars, and a plow truck was standing by, ready to open and salt the road. They climbed back into the car, tired and happy, with wet feet and pants.

  “We don’t look like wedding guests.” Mike brushed snow from his hair onto Maggie. She laughed and tossed him a bib from the backseat. “I expect this is Timmy’s because it says ‘Almost as cute as my dad.’ You can use it to dry your hair, Mikey.”

  Grant drove the SUV up to the main road, ruing the time lost. In good weather, the drive from here to the Abbey was about thirty-five minutes. With today’s weather conditions, it was going to take them much longer.

  As he was about to make the right turn toward town and the lake that sat beyond the town, one of his snow plows rumbled through the intersection. The driver paused, gave Grant a thumbs-up and then proceeded to plow the road literally in front of them.

  “Now there’s an escort for you!” Joe clapped Grant on the back. “Did you ask them to do that?”

  He’d have never asked, but Jeannie must have figured out the problem and launched a solution. He shook his head, but smiled. “We’ve got good people here in Grace Haven.”

  “I’ll say. At this rate, we should have just enough time to get inside, get changed and get into the chapel.”

  “Christa will cry,” Grant warned them. “She has no idea you’re coming, so expect waterworks.”

  Linda sat forward and touched Grant’s arm. “You’re a good man, Grant.”

  He shrugged, because he knew the truth. He’d been a jerk, plain and simple. He didn’t deserve her kindness or her praise.

  “And I’m sure I’m embarrassing you right now, but I wanted to tell you this.” He gave her a quick glance in the rearview mirror. She met his gaze and spoke with warm conviction. “I’m sorry about what’s gone on before. It left a lot of hurt feelings and lost time, but in spite of the rights and wrongs, your mother did a good job with you and your sister. Grown-up drama aside, she put her heart and soul into raising you both up right, and I hope we can all appreciate that.”

  Her words touched Grant in a special way.

  It would be easy for Linda to hate his mother for the decades of hurt she caused Joe. Her gentle example set a loving tone of forgive and forget. It had taken him a long time to see the worth in that, and now the examples seemed to shine all around him.

  Was that coincidence? Or God? And not the zealous, rigid way of God his mother espoused, b
ut the soft, gracious faith he saw in Emily. In Linda. In Christa and his father.

  He pulled into the far side of the Abbey at 2:40. Someone had plowed the service drive to the back door of the living quarters. Inside, the reverend’s daughter showed everyone to a room in the retreat center, where they’d have plenty of space to get changed. He called home quickly as he changed into his own suit of clothes. The intense snow had forced a change in plans. Instead of coming to the wedding, Timmy and Dolly were staying safely at home with Serenity and her mother. “Jacqueline, how’s everything going over there?”

  Serenity’s mother laughed softly. “The twins are napping. So is Serenity. And we’ve been having the time of our lives with them, Grant. They’re so sweet, so dear, so funny. And Timmy called Serenity Mommy this afternoon.”

  Mommy. A word that had never been in the twins’ vocabulary before. “I hope that made her smile.”

  “Smile and cry.”

  Of course. But then Jacqueline went on, “Happy tears, Grant. Your grace and forgiveness have given my daughter the chance I feared she’d never have. To see her children. To be a mother, if only for a short time. Thank you.”

  His heart went tight. His hands stilled over the half-tied tie, and then he sighed. “You’re welcome, Jacqueline.”

  “Go,” she urged. “Have fun and celebrate your family. Celebrate life. Celebrate love. It’s too dear and fleeting to take for granted.”

  She was right. He said goodbye, finished getting ready and moved down the hall. The chapel entrance was to his left. The bridal room was near Steve Gallagher’s office just to the right of the chapel. He walked down the hall with his father, and knocked on the bride’s area door.

  Emily opened the door, saw him and stood still. Her eyes met his, a gaze of sweet yearning, the same longing that rose within him, as if today of all days it was too hard to hold back. He smiled down at her, then motioned his father into the doorway. “Em, I’d like you to meet someone who’s come a long way to do a very special job. He’s here to walk the bride down the aisle.”