Falling for the Single Mom

by Mia Ross

  Instead, he’d apologized. Simply, and without prodding from her, without asking what he’d done wrong. Instinct told her that he wasn’t totally onboard with why she was so upset with him, but that he understood it was somehow his fault. And, because he cared about her, he was sorry for what he’d done. The stunning honesty of it was almost more than she could process, and she did what she usually did in a situation when she didn’t know how to react.

  She took a step back and asked for clarification. “For what?”

  “For being a moron. Cindy blindsided me, showing up like that, and I didn’t handle it right.”

  His heartfelt confession broke through her lingering anger, and the courage he’d shown made her more generous than she might have been if he’d rattled off a long list of excuses. “I didn’t, either. Guys haven’t always treated me very well, so I’m sensitive about that kind of thing. At the dance, it felt like you wanted to be with her instead of me, and I thought that was why you didn’t tell her about us.”

  “Not a chance. Cindy and I were done a long time ago, and she’s got no place in my life now. I told her that Friday night.” In his eyes blazed an intensity she hadn’t seen there before, and he went on. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen with us now, but no matter what, I wanted you to know that you mean a lot to me. So does Bailey, and I’d never intentionally do anything to hurt either of you.”

  “I know,” she said without thinking. Then, because things were even more of a mess than he realized, she sighed. “You’ll find out sooner or later, so I should tell you now. I accepted the job offer from that animal hospital in Louisville.”

  “Why?”

  The dejection in that single word knifed through her heart, and she felt as if she’d just kicked a loyal hound for being in her way. “The usual reasons—large clinic, large salary, great schools for Bailey. We can have a nice house, and I can pay off my loans before they drown me. In six years, I’ll be a full-fledged partner in the business, and that will give us the security I want.”

  Refusing to honor the barrier she’d intentionally placed between them, Josh circled around her desk and stepped directly into her personal space. “What about us?”

  “What about us?” she echoed tartly, glaring up at him. “Friday night, it was like I didn’t even exist.”

  Again, she waited for the excuses. And again, he surprised her. Hanging his head like a shamed little boy, he heaved a sigh before meeting her eyes. “I know. I’m not good with drama.”

  It struck her as being an odd thing to say, and she frowned. “What does that mean?”

  “I’m from an Irish family, and we lay everything out on the table, whether someone’s gonna like it or not. Being ambushed like that really threw me, and I didn’t know what to do, so I froze. I know it sounds stupid, but it’s the truth.”

  And hard to argue with, she thought. “Okay, I get that. But why are you telling me this now? Didn’t you hear me say I’m leaving for Louisville soon?”

  “Things can change,” he reminded her gently, taking another step toward her. He didn’t touch her, but the emotion blazing in his eyes warmed her from head to toe. “You can change ’em if you want to.”

  Did she want to? she wondered. Part of her did, the hopeful girl who still lived inside her and had found a place in the light when Josh’s playful nature had gradually encouraged her to come out and enjoy herself. But the other part, the responsible adult who had a lot of obligations to meet, hesitated.

  As if he sensed her confusion, he slid his arms around her and drew her close enough to catch the fresh scent of soap and hay on his T-shirt. “Y’know, I just remembered something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I still owe you a dance.”

  The mischief twinkling in his eyes was infectious, and she couldn’t resist playing along. “Yes, you do.”

  “I’d never go back on my word to a lady. Hang on a sec.” Picking her phone up off her desk, he cued up something from her playlist.

  When the song they’d first waltzed to came from the small speakers, she laughed. “There’s not a lot of room in here.”

  “Then we’ll have to get cozy,” he replied, reeling her in for a gesture that was half smile and half kiss. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “Not a bit.” Breaking all the rules of proper ballroom etiquette, she snuggled against him with a blissful sigh. “I love you, Josh.”

  “Love you, too,” he replied, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “And I promise that if you’ll take a shot with me, I’ll do everything I can to make sure you never regret it. Would that work for you?”

  “Yes,” she murmured against his chest. “That works for me.”

  Epilogue

  Heather soon discovered that autumn at Gallimore Stables was even more hectic than the rest of the seasons.

  Of course, this year the Kinley clan had welcomed two new cousins into the mix. Drew and Bekah’s son, Caleb, had arrived a week early but perfect, and a few weeks later, Erin’s request for another girl at the farm had been granted. Seated around the large table that always seemed to have plenty of space for everyone who came by for Sunday lunches, Lily was rocking Grace, staring down at her with pure love shining in her eyes.

  “She’s such a good baby,” big sister Abby informed them proudly. “She only fusses when she’s hungry.”

  “Yeah, don’t we all?” Josh commented from his place on the opposite bench. “Everything smells great, Mom. Can’t we start now?”

  “No, you can’t,” she scolded, smacking his hand as he reached out to snag a roll from a towel-covered basket. “I’m still pulling things out of the oven, which you can see perfectly well.”

  “Okay.” But when she turned her back, he sneaked a biscuit and broke off a piece for each of the dogs before popping the flaky evidence in his mouth.

  “I saw that,” Heather warned in a hushed voice.

  “I know you can keep a secret, though.”

  “Another one?” she complained in a fake whine. “How many is that now?”

  “I dunno. I’m not really a numbers guy.” Grinning, he kissed her cheek as he slid over to make room for Bailey. “Let’s just say I’ll pay my debt in a couple of weeks at the Oaks Crossing Harvest Dance.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  Her stern tone made him laugh. “You don’t have to threaten me, sweetheart. I offered.”

  “That’s so nice,” Bailey chimed in, pigtails bobbing as she looked from one of them to the other. “You call Aunt Heather sweetheart and me sweetness. They kind of go together.”

  “They sure do,” he agreed, giving her a fond smile. The one he trained on Heather had a more romantic vibe to it, and she felt her cheeks beginning to warm.

  Fortunately, she was distracted by an unfamiliar car pulling into the turnaround out front. After glancing around the kitchen and seeing the entire crew, she looked out the window in confusion. “Did your mom invite someone else today? I thought everyone was already here.”

  “Almost everyone,” Josh replied in a cryptic tone that was totally unlike him.

  Standing, he went to the door and strolled out toward the driveway. When she saw whom he was going to meet, Heather bolted after him like a shot.

  “Mom! Dad!” she called out, overjoyed to see them so unexpectedly. She gave them each a hug and then added, “What a wonderful surprise! I thought you weren’t coming back from Italy until just before the holidays.”

  “Well, we decided we couldn’t stay away that long,” her father said, trading a look with Josh before they shook hands. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, son. We’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

  “Same here, sir. Mrs. Fitzgerald.”

  He flashed her one of those infernal grins, and she laughed. “I see
what my daughter meant about you being a shameless charmer.”

  “No shame in being friendly,” he assured her smoothly. “You’ve had a long trip from the airport, so you must be parched. Come on inside and meet the rest of us.”

  Heather had learned early on that extra guests didn’t faze the Kinleys at all, and places were quickly set for her parents. Maggie got the conversation started easily enough. She sat down beside them and asked about their tour of Ireland. They put their heads together over their phones to flip through pictures from their adventures, and it turned out that they’d been exploring the same area where Maggie’s family originally emigrated from when she was a baby.

  “Small world,” Josh murmured to Heather as he passed along a platter of roast beef so tender, it barely held together on the serving fork.

  “Smaller all the time,” she agreed. “Isn’t it great how well they’re getting along? It’s like they’ve known each other for years.”

  “We Irish are a friendly people. It’s genetic.”

  She gave him a wry smile. “Some of us more than others.”

  “What? You liked me well enough when we met.”

  “Have you ever met a woman who didn’t?” He looked up at the beamed ceiling as if searching for an answer. When he came back to her with a slow grin, she rolled her eyes. “I’ll take that as a no.”

  “Good plan.”

  Since she’d made the decision to put roots down in this lovely little town, her relationship with Josh had blossomed into more than she’d ever dared to hope for. Their amusing bouts of sparring had become high points of days that were fulfilling but could be long and emotional at times. Bailey was happily attending the Oaks Crossing preschool, and Cara had shown herself to be the kind of fun and loyal best friend every girl needed.

  In the end, the path that Heather had chosen out of desperation had proved to be the right one for them. And, while she was proud of the difficult choices she’d made, she now recognized that those decisions hadn’t been hers alone.

  God had led her here, to a place where she felt valued and appreciated. On that same path, He’d placed a good-hearted country boy who had the wisdom to let her be who she was, all while standing solidly behind her in case she needed his help. That someone like Josh had come into her life at precisely the right moment was the greatest blessing she could have asked for.

  While the rest of the family was lingering over their meal, Josh leaned in and murmured, “I’m stuffed, but if I don’t eat dessert, Mom’ll think I’m sick or something. You girls wanna take a walk with me?”

  “Sure!”

  Bailey hopped up and raced out the door, while Heather excused them both and followed after her at a more leisurely pace. Josh stopped only long enough to put on the jean jacket that he’d hung on the back of his chair, and joined her to go down the porch steps. Once they were outside in the yard, he draped an arm around her shoulders, not seeming to be in much of a hurry. They trailed behind Bailey, who’d made a beeline for the white fence that enclosed the front pasture.

  Heather had visited here enough throughout the spring and summer to know that the scenic farm was beautiful all year long. But fall was her favorite season, and the Kentucky hills that surrounded the Kinleys’ acreage were even more breathtaking dressed in their autumn colors. Leaves on the trees were turning in a blaze of red and gold, a vivid contrast to the ever-present bluegrass that had given this part of the state its nickname. Unlike Detroit, which was already getting frosty at night this time of year, the Southern climate was still warm, and she had to admit that she was looking forward to a winter that didn’t involve her breaking out her arctic gear.

  “So,” Josh said as they strolled along, “I took in the last load of ethanol corn yesterday.”

  “And?”

  “Well, we’re not exactly rich, but it was enough to bring Mike’s blood pressure down. Next year, we’ll expand that crop and it’ll be even better.”

  “That’s wonderful, Josh. You took a chance, and it paid off.” Thrilled by his success, she smiled up at him. “I’m sure your father is really proud of you.”

  “I hope so. Anyway, now that I’m back down to regular farmwork, I’ve got time on my hands.”

  His leading tone made her laugh. “Does that mean you’ll be starting on my new office soon?”

  “Cam finished the plans a few days ago, so how does tomorrow sound?”

  “Fabulous. I’ve got my network of college friends hunting up used equipment for me. Sometimes larger clinics replace perfectly good things because they want the latest and greatest, and that means they have stuff collecting dust in their storerooms. I’ve already got a lead on an X-ray machine and some lightly used surgical lights.”

  “Awesome,” he commented in typical Josh fashion. “At this rate, you’ll be running your own practice in no time.”

  “It’s pretty amazing,” she agreed, reaching around to give him a sideways hug. “But without you, it would still just be a dream.”

  Smiling down at her, he dropped in for a quick kiss before they joined Bailey near the fence. When two of the ponies realized that they had company, they came over to the rail to see what was going on outside their grassy home. They sniffed at Bailey through the boards, then gave her what Heather could only describe as accusing looks.

  Apparently, they were expecting to be fed, and her niece made a regretful sound. “Oh, that’s too bad. We didn’t bring them anything.”

  “Didn’t we?” Josh fished some carrots from a front pocket of his jacket and offered them to her. “Now, hold your palm out flat when you’re feeding them, like Mike showed you. That way, they won’t nip your fingers thinking they’re vegetables.”

  She nodded eagerly, taking the chunks from him and following his instructions. “Here you go, Sparkle and Tinkerbell.”

  After a cautious sniff, the animals daintily took their treats from her. As they munched, Bailey giggled. “I think they’re smiling at me.”

  “’Course they are,” Josh assured her. “Ponies appreciate getting a little extra attention just like anyone else does.”

  He gave Heather a nudging look, and she shook her head. “All right, you’ve convinced me. Bailey can start taking riding lessons with Mike on Saturdays.”

  “Really?” Eyes glowing joyfully, she gave Heather an exuberant hug before beaming up at Josh with a grateful expression. “I promise to work really hard in the barn with you.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a second. But before we get to that, I need to ask you ladies something.”

  His normally laid-back drawl held a tinge of something she hadn’t heard in it before, and Heather’s mind ticked through a list of possibilities as he led them to a nearby picnic table. Once she and Bailey were seated, he stared down at them for a long, thoughtful moment.

  And then he went down on one knee.

  He gazed up at them with so much love in his eyes, Heather gulped back a rush of emotions that had rushed to the surface and were threatening to choke her.

  “The day when I first met you two, my life got better in more ways than I can count. Every morning, you give me reasons to get up that have nothing to do with the weather or how much work I have ahead of me.”

  Pausing, he reached into the other pocket of his jacket and pulled out two identical blue velvet boxes. Handing one to each of them, he went on. “I’m not great when it comes to putting the right words together, but I love you both more than I ever imagined possible. Will you ladies marry me?”

  “Marry you?” Heather squeaked, opening her box to find a lovely filigree setting of gold around a sparkling diamond.

  Beside her, Bailey did the same and held hers up for Heather to see. “Look, Aunt Heather! Mine is just like yours, but a little smaller.”

  “Well, your hand is smaller,” Josh explained as he galla
ntly put the ring on for her.

  Meeting Heather’s eyes, he gave her a hesitant look that was rare for him. “What about you? Do you like yours, too?”

  Heather blinked to be sure that she was seeing straight, then smiled and slowly nodded. “Yes, I do. But I like the man giving it to me even better.”

  Pretending to wipe nervous sweat from his forehead, he took the beautiful setting from the box and slid it into place on her finger. He punctuated the romantic gesture with a mischievous grin. “Yeah? How much better?”

  In answer, she gave him a long kiss that she hoped would answer him better than any words ever could. And then, the odd sequence of events on what should have been a regular Sunday afternoon hit her, and she gasped. “You brought my parents home from Europe early, didn’t you?”

  “Not exactly.” Chuckling, he explained. “I got their number from Erin, because she had them listed in your employee file as your next of kin. Then I called them to ask for their permission to propose to you, and they asked me to wait so they could be here, too. Longest two weeks of my life.”

  Now the tears welling in her eyes were more than she could blink away, and she didn’t even bother trying. Framing his handsome face in her hands, she kissed him. “Joshua Kinley, you are without a doubt the sweetest, most thoughtful man ever born.”

  “Isn’t that what you love most about me?”

  “Yes,” she replied with a grateful smile. “It certainly is.”

  * * * * *

  If you loved this tale of sweet romance,

  pick up these other stories

  in the OAKS CROSSING series

  from author Mia Ross.

  HER SMALL-TOWN COWBOY

  RESCUED BY THE FARMER

  HOMETOWN HOLIDAY REUNION

  And check out these other stories

  from author Mia Ross’s previous miniseries,

  BARRETT’S MILL.

  BLUE RIDGE REUNION