by Heather B. Moore, Kaylee Baldwin, Annette Lyon, Jennifer Moore, Shannon Guymon, Sarah M. Eden
“But that means you won’t see Jack for two months.” Craig kept his tone calm, but only with a lot of effort. Carol was canceling Jack’s next three visits. She wasn’t a terrible person, and he knew she loved Jack. She just didn’t always think about their son’s feelings. Jack took the cancellations personally and carried the resulting pain around with him.
“I’ll take him to Disneyland or something before school starts,” she said.
“You hate Disneyland.” He didn’t want her making that promise to Jack and then changing her mind when she remembered how much she disliked theme parks. “Pick something you like to do. He’ll be happy just spending time with you.”
“I’ll think of something,” she said.
He eyed her doubtfully; she’d made these same promises before.
“I will,” she insisted. “I’m not a bad mom.”
She tended to get defensive, and pressing hard never got Craig anywhere. But he also knew he had to say something.
“I didn’t say you were a bad mom.”
“You said it with your face.” She took an audible and visible breath. Months of counseling during and after the divorce had gotten them to the point where they could keep their tempers intact for Jack’s sake. They hadn’t been very good at it at first. “I’ll think of something he and I can do together at the end of the summer. Something fun. I promise.”
He managed a smile. “Text me some pictures of you and your family while you’re visiting them. Jack would love to see them.”
“I will.” She stepped away from the door, but stopped before she’d gone more than a step. “I really am sorry about this weekend. Jack…” She didn’t seem to know how to finish the thought.
“Jack will be okay.” He’d make sure of it.
He closed and locked the door. Carol was about as solid as a breeze. He’d found her laid-back, carefree approach to life endearing when they were young and first dating. But her inability to see things through had become a huge problem later on. Craig was forever picking up the pieces.
He climbed the stairs to Jack’s room, not sure what he’d say to the boy. He refused to badmouth his mom.
“Maybe she just doesn’t like having me at her house.” Jack’s quiet question echoed from inside his bedroom.
“I’m sure she loves having you at her house, hon.” Ada’s voice was soft and kind. “She looked so sad when she dropped you off. She’s going to miss you this weekend. She really is.”
Craig slipped into the doorway, careful to keep silent. Ada sat on the bed beside his son, holding him in a one-armed embrace. Though Jack’s brow was still pulled with sadness and worry, he looked less burdened than he had in the doorway.
Bless you, Ada Canton.
“Did your dad miss you when you were at your mom’s house?” Jack asked her.
Ada nodded. “He wasn’t always good at saying it, but he did. And my mom missed me when I was with my dad.” She rubbed her hand over his arm. “It’s hard, huh?”
Jack nodded against her. “I don’t ever get to be with both of them. I’m always missing somebody.”
Craig’s heart dropped. His son was hurting, and he didn’t know how to fix it.
“But,” Jack continued, “when they’re together, Dad’s eyes get all scrunchy, and Mom’s shoulders go up by her ears.” He smiled a little. “I think I like them better when they’re apart.”
Ada laughed lightly. “I definitely liked my parents better when they were apart too.”
“And that didn’t make you a bad kid, did it?” Jack asked earnestly.
“Not at all. And it didn’t make my parents bad people, either.” She kissed the top of his head. “You remember that when things are tough, okay?”
“I will, Ada.”
“And one more thing,” she said.
Jack looked up at her.
She smiled down at him. “I think you and I need to play a game of Horse.”
“Right now?”
“We’d have to ask your dad, but I’m up for it if you are.”
Jack hopped off his bed. Only then did he notice his father in the doorway. “Can we, Dad? I know it’s past my bedtime, but can we play Horse?”
He ruffled Jack’s hair. “Sure, little man. You remember where we put the balls, right?”
“Sure do.” Jack was off in a flash.
Ada rose from the bed. “I hope I didn’t overstep myself. He needed someone to talk to, and I remember so well how that felt, not getting to be with one of my parents.”
“You’re amazing. You know that?”
His kissed her soundly and thoroughly. Meeting Ada really was the best thing that had happened to him in years. To him and to Jack.
Chapter Seven
Craig had made a habit of walking with Ada along the beach on Friday evenings. Even as summer came to an end, they’d kept at it. She’d become a necessary part of his life. He never wanted to be without her again.
Walking on the sand in the cool mid-December breeze as the sun dipped low over the Pacific, Craig was keenly aware of the ring box in the pocket of his windbreaker. He couldn’t deny the fact that he was more nervous than he could ever remember being. He knew Ada loved him. And there wasn’t even a hint of a doubt about whether he loved her as well. But asking her to marry him was a nerve-racking prospect, no matter how much evidence he had that her answer would be yes.
“You’re very quiet tonight,” Ada said, wrapping her arm around his. “Did something happen at work or with Jack?”
“No, nothing like that.” He shook his head. Quit being a wuss. He put his free hand in the pocket with the ring. He could do this. He could.
“So, we’ve… we’ve had a great six months, haven’t we?”
“Had?” She eyed him questioningly.
That came out wrong. “We’ve had a great first six months.”
“Much better.” She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked.
“The next six are going to be even better,” he said.
“I like the sound of that.”
He liked the sound of it too. He just needed to summon the courage to say what he wanted to say. “You didn’t freak out when I accidentally told you that I loved you after only six weeks, so I’m hoping you won’t freak out over what I’m about to say after only six months.”
“When have you ever known me to freak out over anything?”
True enough. She was probably the most mellow, levelheaded person he knew. “That’s one of my top ten favorite things I like about you.”
She smiled. “You have a list?”
On any other night, he would have tossed back something witty, but he was a little too stressed. He pulled her over to an outcropping of rocks. They sat, and he faced her.
“Ada, I— I love you.”
“I know you do.”
He took her hand in his, then took a breath. “I love you, and I can’t imagine my life without you in it. You are everything— everything— I could have hoped to find in a woman. With you, my life feels complete.”
“Oh, Craig.”
He swallowed against the lump in his throat. Willing his pulse to calm long enough for him to get through this, Craig pulled the ring box from his pocket.
Her mouth dropped open the tiniest bit, but he didn’t sense any sign of panic or horror.
“Ada Canton,” he said, opening the box. “Will you marry me?”
The words weren’t flowery, but they were all he could manage.
Ada didn’t grab the ring, didn’t stare at it. She didn’t looked shocked or disgusted. She gently set her hands on either side of face and closed the distance between them.
She kissed him, soft and slow, like a whisper. He couldn’t fully enjoy it, though, not yet having an answer.
“Ada?” He knew he sounded a little desperate, but he was starting to feel that way.
“Of course I will marry you, Craig.” She kissed him again. “Of course I will.”
“Beachfront for under a mi
llion that’s surprisingly spacious.” Ada did a decent Vanna White as she indicated the living room of the bungalow. She turned to Craig and Jack. “Am I good, or am I good?”
Two weeks had passed since his proposal, and they were looking for their first home together. Jack, as always, was part of their plans. Ada had included him from the very beginning.
“Three bedroom, one and three-quarter baths,” she said as they walked through the living room of the bungalow. “Smaller than Vincent’s clients demanded, but definitely not tiny. That’s why the price is so good. That, and it’s a short sale.”
The house was amazing. Enormous windows with views of the ocean. The vaulted ceilings made the room feel huge.
Jack tugged at Craig’s sleeve. “Can I go look at the beach?”
“Go ahead.” Craig motioned him to the French doors at back of the house.
Ada walked into the open kitchen. “Nice layout. The bedrooms aren’t huge, but the location can’t be beat. What do you think?”
“I love it.”
“We can use the money I’ve saved and the equity from the sale of your townhouse and my condo. The payments will be more than manageable.”
Always practical, his Ada. They joined Jack on the balcony overlooking the beach.
“This is the best house ever.” Jack wrapped his arms around her middle.
Craig set his arm around her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Do you know what would be the best part about this house?”
“What, Dad?”
“Yeah, what, Dad?” Ada echoed Jack’s question, a laugh in her tone.
“The best part is that we’d all be here together. The three of us.”
Ada leaned into his embrace.
Jack grinned up at both of them. “All three of us. I like that.”
“So do I, little man.” Craig ruffled his son’s hair.
“So do I,” Ada said.
No matter the size or location of the place they eventually called home, it would be perfect because they would all be there together.
Sarah M. Eden is the author of multiple historical romances, including Longing for Home and Whitney Award finalists Seeking Persephone and Courting Miss Lancaster. Combining her obsession with history and affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances. She has twice served as the Master of Ceremonies for the LDStorymakers Writers Conference and acted as the Writer in Residence at the Northwest Writers Retreat. Sarah is represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg at D4EO Literary Agency.
Dear Timeless Romance Anthology Reader,
Thank you for reading this anthology. We hoped you loved the sweet romance novellas! Heather B. Moore, Annette Lyon, and Sarah M. Eden have been indie publishing this series since 2012 through the Mirror Press imprint. For each anthology, we carefully select three guest authors. Our goal is to offer a way for our readers to discover new, favorite authors by reading these romance novellas written exclusively for our anthologies… all for one great price.
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