“Him?” Kenzie repeated. “You don’t mean . . . it can’t be . . .”
Carter turned to her, his eyes once again filling with tears. “It is. I don’t know how it’s possible, but it is.”
Kenzie looked down at her son, turning him in her arms so she could look into his face.
“Hello, Brady,” she said, her own voice cracking with emotion. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you, sweetie.”
“Brady,” Carter breathed, his heart nearly bursting with the realization that the son he thought he’d left behind . . . that he had begun to doubt ever really existed at all, was right in front of him. “I missed you, buddy.” He touched the little boy’s hand, and Brady wrapped a chubby fist around Carter’s finger. Carter grinned through his tears, suddenly sure that in a couple of years he’d be back in a room like this, meeting a little girl with crazy blond hair and hazel eyes like his.
“Mrs. Reed?” A nurse walked into the room tentatively. “Your family’s asking to see the baby. Is it all right if I show them in?”
Kenzie smiled brightly. “Yes, of course. He needs to meet his family.”
They came in with bright smiles and tears, passing little Brady around from aunt to uncle to grandpa to a very possessive grandma. They welcomed him to the world with gift shop flowers and balloons and a huge teddy bear. And before they left in the early morning hours to try and get some much deserved sleep, they each said goodbye with a gentle touch to his little head or a kiss to his cheek.
The boy would be loved.
When the room was quiet again, Kenzie drifted off, and Carter picked up his son and carried him to the windows overlooking the city.
“We’re going to have so much fun,” Carter promised him. “I swear you can count on me. I won’t let you down.”
Another thing Carter was grateful for—among the many things Carter was grateful for—was that he still had his grandfather’s cufflinks in this life. He hadn’t given the heirlooms much thought when he’d impulsively jumped on that plane two years earlier. Not that he wouldn’t do the same thing again, but he was happy he remembered about them once they landed. A quick call to the hotel had secured his possessions until he returned to New York—including the little box he kept tucked deep in his duffle bag. One day, he’d pass the cufflinks on to Brady, along with the pocket watch . . . and a certain little silver bell.
Brady fussed, his mouth rooting around, and Carter turned to wake Kenzie.
She opened sleepy eyes, holding her arms out to take the baby and settling him against her breast.
Carter stood with his hands in his pockets, looking down on his wife as she nursed his infant son. He fingered the little bell he now kept on his key ring, a constant reminder that sometimes life took funny turns . . . that love was always worth fighting for . . .
And that miracles happened every day.
Outside Room 665 at Lenox Hill Hospital, a blond man and a pink-haired woman stood together in the hallway, watching the events inside the little hospital room with smiles on their faces. People passing by avoided bumping into them, kept away by an unseen force, although they didn’t really see them.
They could have seen them, if they were looking. But people so rarely really looked.
“Brady?” Tess questioned, turning to the man standing next to her. “Did you do that?”
Henry shrugged. “That’s above my paygrade,” he said simply.
Tess smiled, her attention drawn back by a laugh inside the room. Carter had settled on the side of the bed, playing with his son’s fingers, and smiling at Kenzie.
“I’m glad we came back,” she murmured quietly. “It’s nice to see things are working out for them.”
“Yeah,” Henry replied. “There’s something special about them, isn’t there?” He watched for a moment before tilting his head toward the exit. “Come on. It’s time to go.”
Tess turned to walk down the hallway, taking one last look at the happy family before she stepped away.
“You did a good job,” Henry stated as they made their way to the stairs.
Tess’s gaze snapped to him. “Thanks,” she said with a bright smile, reaching out to loop her arm through his. “Does that mean I’ll get my own assignment soon?”
Henry rolled his eyes. “You tired of working with me already?”
“No, it’s not that,” she said playfully, hugging his arm as they walked out onto the streets of New York. “It’s just . . . after all the training I’ve had, it would be nice to know that someone has some confidence in my abilities. Get a chance to spread my wings, so to speak.”
Henry laughed, taking a deep breath of the crisp winter air. “Like I haven’t heard that before,” he said. “You know it’s not up to me. I’m sure you’ll get your chance when it’s time. Just be patient.”
“Like I haven’t heard that before,” Tess muttered.
“Look,” Henry said softly, distracting Tess from her thoughts. She looked to the horizon, where the first light of dawn was peeking over the skyline. “No matter how many times I see it, it always takes my breath away,” he added.
They stood quietly amidst the bustling city streets, ignoring the crowds and the cars. Their eyes were on the sky, watching the twisting and twirling ribbons of color—pinks and oranges and yellows finally giving way to pale blue as the new day broke.
Their minds were on the little family back at the hospital that was just starting a new life together.
Henry took a deep breath. “Perfect,” he said, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of Tess’s head. “Merry Christmas, Tess.”
She smiled sunnily back up at him.
“Merry Christmas, Daddy.”
The MORE Trilogy
“Reminiscent of the Mortal Instruments Series... only better!”
- Penny Dreadful Reviews
MORE
The Guardians
TWELVE
The How to Survive High School Series
“Looking for a sweet first love tale? This is your book. You won’t be sorry.”
- Laurie A., Amazon Reviewer
How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You
Coming Soon - How to Get Viney Palmari a Date for the Prom
Standalones
“It's a rollercoaster ride from start to finish - with treasure maps, sword fights, and of course an enemies-to-lovers romance that made me swoon. Beautifully written, it kept me hooked right until the end.”
- Carrie, Amazon Reviewer
Cutlass
Short Stories
Short and sweet romances with a mystical touch.
A Piece of Cake
Unscheduled Departure - Free for Newsletter Subscribers. Join the mailing list HERE and get your free copy!
Many thanks to my wonderful editor, Kathie Spitz and my proofreader, Rose David. I couldn’t do any of this without you!
Thanks also to the T.M. Franklin Book Club for helping to spread the word about my books, and to the many bloggers and readers who do the same.
Thanks to the awesome authors of Enchanted Publications - Jeanne McDonald, Sydney Logan, Lindsey Gray, Jennifer Locklear, Melanie Moreland, Carrie Elks, Jo Richardson, Jiffy Kate, Jami Denise, Ayden K. Morgen, Alexix Riddley and Cara Dee. Be sure and check out their books!
And thanks most of all to my family for their unceasing love and support.
T.M. Franklin writes stories of adventure, romance, & a little magic. A former TV news producer, she decided making stuff up was more fun than reporting the facts. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days. MORE was well-received, being selected as a finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards, as well as winning the Suspense/Thriller division of the Blogger Book Fair Reader's Choice Awards. She's since written three additional novels and several best-selling short stories...and there's always more on the way.
Connect with T.M. Franklin at her website: www.TMFr
anklin.com.
Or for all the latest news on upcoming releases, giveaways, and exclusive content, subscribe to T.M. Franklin’s newsletter at bit.ly/TMFranklinSubscribe.
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