My dad surprised me when he took out a business card from his wallet and handed it to me. He had spoken with his friend at the bank already. He told me they would help me obtain a business loan. Since I had a large down payment I could wrap the cost of a new vehicle in for Cat with no problem.
He clapped me on the back and kept his arm around my shoulder. He told me about this time a young guy, barely out of college, fell in love with a beautiful Hispanic woman who captivated him in a way no other had. It was his way of telling me he understood on a deeply personal level where I was at in life. I was relieved to know he would always support me, no matter what I chose to do for a living, and who I chose to share the rest of my life with.
By the time I got to see Cat four hours later, they had repaired the laceration on her head and removed the piece of disc compressing the nerve. They removed the jagged piece where the disc broke and replaced it with a new synthetic disc. Within a few hours she was awake and sitting up. Since she couldn’t walk, the physical therapist used a standing brace they strapped her in to get her upright. She had to use it four times a day for as long as she could before it became painful. She had progressed quickly and now she used the device four hours a day at home. It had a large tray which allowed her to draw while she stood. The last week I’ve witnessed her blossom since the pain in her back dissipated. She’s vivacious, upbeat, and ready to take on the world.
Since the stander was on rent from the hospital I asked her physical therapist to help me locate one to purchase for the house. They called a few days later to tell me they had one someone had donated. If I was willing to pay the cost to repair it, I could have it. I jumped at the chance and when they delivered it yesterday Cat clung to me with tears in her eyes. The joy on her face knowing she wouldn’t have to give up such a simple independence once she healed was like no other feeling in the world.
As suspected, her van was totaled. The insurance company wouldn’t pay her much for the twelve-year-old van, but since her hand controls and lift system were salvaged, I could afford to buy her a smaller van with only a few thousand miles on it. I installed the hand controls and lift system with the help of my dad and she was back in business. She insisted she would pay me back someday, somehow, but I told her seeing her sleep through the night without worrying about how she would get around town the next day was all the payment I needed.
Noah called me the day after the carnival to tell me Monica had confessed to the whole sordid affair. Apparently, she had been stalking me for months, which meant the person who put Cat at risk wasn’t Xavier, but me. The idea was hard to swallow, but Cat smiled, caressed my cheek, and told me I was still her hero. It was enough for my heart to forgive itself, because I haven’t thought about it much since. Monica pleaded guilty to a basketful of charges and would only have to appear before a judge for a sentencing hearing.
Noah let me read her written confession where she wrote she had been stalking me for years, as far back as my last year of college. She moved to Little Ivywood after the guy she ran off with had been killed in a skydiving accident. Whatever happened was more than she could bear because it stole her mind. The psychologist believes the trauma was too much and her mind took her back to a time when she had been happy. She would receive intensive therapy in a mental institution before being transferred to a women’s prison, if she could ever be transferred. All I cared about was she would never impact my life again. I had too much to look forward to, and didn’t need to focus on the past.
The last week together had cemented Cat and mine’s relationship. She learned to trust me with her needs and I gained confidence in knowing how to take care of her. She has changed in many beautiful and wonderful ways since the day we reconnected. She has confidence now, not only in her professional life, but her personal life. She believes in herself and her ability to live whatever life she wants. She knows I will love her forever and trusts she deserves my love. The changes in her heart show up in everything she does from painting to lovemaking. She’s also come to realize she deserves a family. And boy, does she have family. As always happens, when a Dalton is in need, the rest of the family steps up to the plate. Tabitha moved the rest of my things into Cat’s while she was in the hospital, cleaned the house, and even made some meals for the freezer. Those were a lifesaver for me the first few days home.
Cinn and Foster made sure her van was towed and notified the insurance company. They met the adjuster, so I didn’t have to leave the hospital, and Foster even negotiated a bit more money out of the insurance company since the van was totaled because of a crime. It was an unforeseen circumstance even the insurance guy couldn’t ignore.
My parents have come around, too. It took me awhile to see the reason they balked at the idea of me being with Cat had nothing to do with her. It had everything to do with me being their baby, and once I became a husband, I wouldn’t need them anymore. All the kids were truly on their own now, and they both had a hard time letting go. Cinn, Tabitha, and I got some cash together and paid off the rest of their Alaska trip. They would leave next month for a four-week vacation, something they’ve never had, and more than deserve.
The door to the bathroom opened and I rubbed my hands together, nervousness filling my belly as I strode to the bathroom door. She was flipping off the light when I arrived.
“Hi,” she said, gazing up at me. “I’m exhausted, but I’m thrilled we were able to go tonight.”
I rubbed her cheek with my thumb. “Me too, baby. It was beautiful to see Mabel’s legacy come alive.” I pushed her into the bedroom and helped her into bed, positioning her legs to take the pressure off her back. “Not just in the building either,” I said, kissing her forehead, “but in the people who have joined our family since she left us, and the things we’ve learned about her the last few years.”
The grand opening for Dalton’s Doggy Daycare was tonight instead of two weeks ago as originally planned. When word got out Cat had been injured, not only did we have an influx of well wishes from the community, but Foster pushed the opening back so we could both attend it together.
She nodded as she ran a hand down my cheek. “The framed images of Mabel and the dogs you hung over each daycare stall was a beautiful tribute.”
I laughed softly. “It was all Cinn. I can’t take credit for it.”
“Aren’t you coming to bed?” she asked and I glanced out the door and back to her again.
“In a minute. I picked something up tonight and I want to give it to you. Would it be okay?”
She cocked her head at me. “Lorenzo, you’ve given me so much already. The stander and the van. I’m already indebted to you more than I can ever repay.”
I shook my head a little bit. “You’re not indebted to me. We’re a team, and I love you. I want to help you feel better and stay independent.” I picked up her hand and kissed the knuckles. “Besides, this gift is something we’ll both be able to enjoy,” I promised. I held up my finger and left the room, going to the small porch at the back of the house. I lifted the gift into my arms, then closed and locked the door.
I took a deep breath. “It’s now or nothing,” I murmured, carrying the bundle down the hall to the bedroom. Cat had closed her eyes, but when she sensed me by the bed she opened them, her lazy smile turning into shock and then awe.
“Lorenzo, what have you done?” she asked as she held her hands out for the wiggly pup in my arms.
I sat the golden retriever puppy on her lap and tears fell from her eyes as the little girl licked them from her face. Cat laughed with each lick of her tongue. She put her arms around the dog’s neck and hugged her, burying her face in her soft fur. “I can’t believe you got me a dog,” she said softly.
I sat on the bed and stroked the dog’s back. “I noticed how this little girl gravitated to you tonight. Did you notice she never left your side?”
She nodded, new tears falling as her lips quivered. “She wanted to be under my wheels until I taught her to jump up on my footplate. S
he’s such a doll.”
“I asked Foster about her and he told me she was the runt of a litter from a neighboring town. She had only been at the shelter a few days, but all the girls were already in love with her. I asked him if we could adopt her and do you want to know what he said?” She nodded her head and I grinned. “He said, ‘You better adopt her, I’ve been saving her for Cat.’”
She put her hand to her chest after she wiped her eyes. “She’s perfect. What’s her name?”
I rubbed the dog’s ears and she licked my hand. “She doesn’t have one, though the girls at the shelter have been calling her—”
“Mabel,” she whispered.
I laughed and fought back tears at the same time. “You guessed it. They said this little girl reminded them of her, because she liked to be naughty, but her heart was pure and she would help anyone who needed it.”
“I guess that about sums it up, doesn’t it?” she asked.
“As far as I’m concerned it does, but it’s up to you. She’s your dog. Foster hopes you’ll take the three-month course he’s going to offer with another shelter for service dog training. She won’t learn everything in those three months, but she’ll get a good start on how to behave, how to help you around the house and when we’re out. She’s already quick to pick up commands. I think she’ll be the perfect service dog for you.”
She had her hand on her chest again as the dog laid down on her belly. “I would love to. Would you love to go too, Mabel?” she asked the pup.
The little girl sat up and barked once, making us both laugh. Cat stopped laughing when she noticed Mabel’s collar for the first time. She lifted her chin and gasped, looking at me and then back to the dog. “Is that supposed to be there?” she asked slowly.
“You mean the diamond ring?” I asked and she nodded.
“No, it’s not supposed to be there,” I said, grasping the ribbon so the ring fell into my hand. Mabel lay down on the side of the bed, her head resting on Cat’s chest. “It’s supposed to be on your finger.”
Her hand shook as she held it over her mouth. “Ren?” she asked, her voice disbelieving.
I picked up her left hand and held it in mine. “There comes a point in every man’s life when he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt the woman he loves is the one he’s meant to be with. For me it was the day you wheeled toward me at the shelter. My life finally had purpose. Your eyes showed me the future I’d been searching for. The first time I made love to you, our souls connected in a way no outside force could ever change. When I couldn’t find you, but could feel your pain as if it were my own, I’ve never been as afraid of losing someone as I was then. It wasn’t only your fear I felt, but my own. Fear I might lose you forever. I told my heart once you were safe, the waiting was over. Cat, I want you in my life, by my side, holding my hand, and loving me for the rest of our lives. I’ve given you a lot of material things the last two weeks, but you have given me three gifts greater than anything I could ever buy you – your trust, your body, and your heart. Say you’ll be my wife, Cat. You’re all I’ll ever need, now and forever.”
She swiped a tear from her face, but the smile she wore told me my wish was about to come true.
“Yes, Ren. I want to be your wife,” she whispered. I slipped the ring on her finger and the last bit of fear drained from my shoulders.
She drew my face to hers and when our lips touched, the light in her eyes told me I had finally found my way home.
About the Author
Katie Mettner writes inspirational romance from a little house in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. She's the author of the four-part epic family saga - The Sugar Series, The Northern Lights Series, The Snowberry Holiday Series, and The Magnificent Series. All her series are set in the Midwest and are a mix of new adult and romantic suspense. Katie has a slight addiction to Twitter and blogging, with a lessening aversion to Pinterest now that she quit trying to make the things she pinned.
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Inherited Life
A Dalton Sibling Novel 3
Coming Spring 2019
Prologue
I kept my head bowed so I didn’t have to make eye contact with anyone in my family. I spent the next ten minutes wishing I could be anywhere but here. Outside the doors of this funeral home in Little Ivywood, California, was a beautiful Saturday being wasted. Why am I here pretending to grieve for a woman I hardly knew? It was a required family obligation, or so they told me. My grandmother, Mabel Dalton, bought the farm a few nights ago while doing the nasty with a guy four years closer to the grave than she was. Since Mabel was eighty-five, you understand why I called it nasty. For the first four years of my life, the only time I heard the name Mabel was when it was used as a swear word. She claimed to be an assassin for the U.S. government back in her heyday. It sounded like a hideous way to spend your youth, and I’m glad I grew up during peacetime. I don’t know how many of the stories she used to tell were true and how many were conjured in the name of reputation, but my dad swears everything she said was the God honest truth. I suppose he would know, since he was raised by the crotchety old woman.
Mabel was about as loved as a racoon in your garbage can at one a.m. The truth is, the guy she was riding like a Harley did the world a favor. Even my dad, her only child, was tired of her crankiness. He would have sent her to assisted living, but Mabel refused to leave her home. She may have been eighty-five, but there wasn’t a thing wrong with her. Maybe her crankiness worked like a pickling agent and kept everything running in pickled symmetry. She died of a heart attack, but I don’t think it was a natural occurrence. Something big is going down. The visions I see almost daily now tell me as much, but I can’t get a firm handle on it. All I know is, the entire Dalton family is in the crosshairs of some unknown entity. I could see the trouble coming, but there was nothing I could do about it. Being a predictive psychic isn’t easy. Some people would call my ability precognition, or having foreknowledge of an event before it happens. While true, that definition dumbs it down a lot. I know what you’re thinking. Psychics aren’t real and they’re full of crap, which I can’t argue with when it comes to a lot of psychics. The image of someone sitting by a crystal ball and reading your future, however, isn’t what I do. I spend a lot of time pretending the kinds of visions I have are bad dreams, even when the vision comes at ten a.m. and I’m wide awake. All of the controversy aside, the visions I’ve had lately tell me saving my family is going to be up to me, and I’m not entirely sure I’m up for it. I’ve been a screw-up most of my life, at least in the eyes of my family. I can’t seem to find a job to keep me interested for longer than a few months at a time. Why? After months of reflection I think I finally figured out the reason. I’ve been living the life everyone expects from me instead of living the life I want. By being the screw-up of the family they’ve given me permission to never do anything more than be lazy and take instead of earn. Up until now that’s been the honest truth, with a heavy layer of misunderstanding, but I’m hoping my new job changes all that.
I paused to whimper and squeeze out a fake tear so I could wipe my eye. I don’t know why. It seemed like the right thing to do. No one in the family truly grieved for this woman other than my sister. I suppose everyone can tell my tears are fake, but at least I’m trying.
Mabel may have been my grandmother, but she had a mean streak a mile wide. When my dad fell in love with my maḿa, who happens to be a beautiful Hispanic woman, Mabel had a canary. She didn’t want her only son marrying a girl from Mexico, regardless of the fact the girl from Mexico was a legal US Citizen. Mabel refused to go to the wedding, so my dad refused to acknowledge her existence. I can’t say for certain, but I think she regretted her bigotry. The reason she didn’t apologize was she didn’t know how to, or pride got in the way. Mabel wouldn’t even have anything to do with my dad and his new bride when I was born. A few years later, my sister Cinnamon was born and
Maḿa and Dad gave her the middle name Mabel, hoping to extend an olive branch to the cantankerous old woman.
Cinn is…a rare gem. She’s all about the power of positive thinking. When she got sick at sixteen and had to give up her dream of playing with nationally renowned jazz bands, she had to make a decision - be angry and spiteful or do something with the hand she was dealt. Since Cinn doesn’t have a negative bone in her body, she chose door number two. She’s a musical genius, meaning she can play any instrument known to man. After years of heartache and pain, she now teaches band to musical geniuses like herself. She and I aren’t close the way sisters should be. It’s too difficult for me to put aside my childhood pain and anger. She monopolized the family’s time and resources, and it caused hurt and discord in me. When I was scared and needed someone to talk to about the horrible things I saw, no one was there for me, they were too busy with Cinn. It’s probably immature, but it’s also the truth. I struggle with those feelings, and it makes spending any great amount of time with her nearly impossible for me. My latest visions told me I was going to have to protect her, though. I vowed even with the issues I harbor, I would do whatever it took to keep her safe.
Of the three of us, Cinn formed the closest bond to Mabel, well as close as you could get to a woman who once said she didn’t need anyone in her life who didn’t have fur and four paws. When our parents named her Cinnamon Mabel Dalton, something triggered inside her and she was determined to convince Mabel being part of a family was a good thing. She insisted on weekly family dinners on Sunday nights, but by then I was nearly graduated and out of the house. I probably should have tried harder with Mabel, but when the woman makes it clear she’s not interested in investing anything in your life, why should I invest anything in hers?
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