Steve somehow made it through the day but was reluctant to head for home. After what he’d seen that morning, he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to face Emily without revealing how he felt.
After he had pulled to the curb in front of her house, Steve took a moment to pray for the strength to accept Emily’s decision because he had a feeling that this was the day she would let him know her answer. After staring straight ahead for a minute, he took several deep breaths and rubbed his hands over his face before climbing out of the truck.
“Hey, Dad,” Kenton said when he answered the door. “Emily made us spaghetti for supper. You’re gonna love it.”
Steve looped an arm around his shoulders and gave him a quick hug. “That’s great, son.”
Kenton looked up at him, his brows drawn together, and Steve realized that perhaps his response lacked his usual enthusiasm.
“Why don’t you guys get your stuff together so we can go?” Steve said, not really wanting to linger around too long.
Emily appeared in the hallway, a broad smile on her face. Steve couldn’t block out the image of her in the arms of another man but hoped his smile was friendly enough.
“Hi Steve,” she said as she wiped her hands on the dish towel she held. “Do you have a few minutes to spare?”
No. No, he didn’t. Steve wanted to grab the boys and head for the sanctuary of his home. “Uh, sure.”
Her smile dimmed a bit at his response, and Steve realized that—like Kenton—she had picked up on his lack of enthusiasm.
“Kenton, why don’t you kids hang out in the living room while your dad and I talk?”
Kenton looked at him so Steve nodded then followed Emily into the kitchen.
“Would you like something to eat?” Emily offered as he sat down at the kitchen table.
The table that would have been big enough for all of them, if things were different.
“No, I’m fine, thanks.”
Concern crossed her face. “Did you have a rough day?”
“It’s been a couple of rough days, actually,” Steve said, more than willing to let her think his mood was caused by stuff at work. “We had issues at two of the job sites.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Emily filled a mug with coffee from the carafe and set it in front of him. “Did you want to talk about it?”
More than he could ever say, but instead, Steve shook his head. “It’s all been dealt with. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.”
Emily sat down across from him, a mug in her hands. He watched as she doctored it how she liked, but he didn’t make any teasing comments like he usually did. “I had an interesting day.”
Steve lifted his mug, hoping she’d continue without him having to comment.
She took a sip from her mug as well then looked at him over the top of it. Her blue eyes were serious and a bit sad. “I told you about my husband being in the military, right?”
Steve nodded, curious in spite of his certainty of where this was going.
*
Emily gripped her mug as she stared at Steve. Something was off with the man. She’d sensed it from the moment she’d laid eyes on him standing just inside her door, ready to grab the boys and go. His gaze was flat and his expression tense. Not to mention the slump to his shoulders. But as much as she wanted him to share what was weighing on him, she really didn’t have the right to press him to do that. Yet.
She had no idea how he was going to react to what she wanted to share with him, but since it would lead to her saying yes to his request that they go out, Emily hoped he’d be okay with it.
“I’m not sure if I told you that I had some questions about James’s death. There were things that didn’t add up. For the first year after we moved here, I was too caught up in the adjustments we were going through to think about it, but over the past six months or so, I just had the urge to find out more.”
“That’s understandable,” Steve said, his expression unreadable.
Emily took another sip of coffee. “I didn’t know who to turn to in order to get some answers. I knew his parents would be no help. The next best thing I felt I could do was to reach out to some of the guys he’d served with. So, a few months ago, I began to send letters to each of them, asking for them to get in contact with me.”
Steve’s expression had changed a bit, but overall the tension was still there. Emily couldn’t figure out what was going through his mind, but he hadn’t made any move to leave so she continued on.
“I didn’t hear anything back from the first couple of letters so I kept trying. It was important to me to close that door. I had to know the truth about what happened in order to finally put the past behind me and move forward.” Emily stared down at her mug and ran a finger along its smooth surface. “When you asked me about going out, I couldn’t say yes because I had already decided—before I met you—that I needed that door to be closed before I moved on with someone else.”
She looked up at him then. “It was very hard to not just say yes. I really wanted to, but I didn’t feel peace about it, so that’s why I told you I couldn’t answer you right away.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Steve asked.
Emily shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I was a little afraid that you’d pressure me to move forward even without that closure. And that I’d agree in spite of what I’d decided on months ago because…well, because I did want to go out with you.”
“I wouldn’t have pressured you, Emily,” Steve said, his voice low.
“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.” Emily took another sip of her coffee before sharing with him about Erik’s visit earlier that day.
Concern flickered across Steve’s expression as he leaned forward to rest his hand on her arm. “Are you okay? It must have been hard to hear those details.”
The warmth of his touch helped to ease the knot in her stomach. She hadn’t been certain if she should tell him about what had happened with James, but she’d needed to share it with someone.
“I’m okay.” She didn’t move her arm to lift the mug to her lips though her throat was suddenly dry, afraid that Steve would move his hand. Emily found that she needed that more than she’d realized. But she didn’t want that connection with just anyone, she wanted it with Steve. “It was hard to hear, for sure, but the reality is, I’d already imagined many scenarios. Not this precise one, though I had already figured out James wasn’t being faithful when he was stationed abroad. Still it was hard to hear.”
“You don’t think you’re to blame for how James changed, do you?” Steve asked, his brows drawn together over his concerned gaze.
Emily shrugged again. There was a part of her that wondered if she had somehow played a role in the downward spiral of her husband. Should she have done more when she’d started seeing things happening? It had been so hard to juggle four kids and James’s erratic behavior. But was there something more she could have done?
“I understand that being in the military can change a man—especially if he’s forced into situations that he’s not prepared to handle—but let me tell you that no one—man or woman—could change for worse after having you in their life. Your impact on people’s lives is for the better, Emily. Never doubt that.”
Emily felt her cheeks flush but kept her gaze on Steve. “Thank you.”
Though his hand still rested on her arm, Steve’s expression shifted from concern to some other unknown emotion. “So Erik came here in person to tell you what had happened with James?”
Emily nodded. “He flew in late last night then came over this morning to talk to me about it. I wanted him to stay and meet you—I told him about you—but he had a flight back to his family this afternoon.”
Steve’s eyes widened as his mouth dropped open slightly then closed, his jaw tightening. When he sat back from her, his hand slipping away from her arm, Emily wondered if maybe she’d been wrong to mention him to Erik. Had he changed his mind about wanting to go out? She gripped her mug tightl
y and lifted it to sip a little moisture into her dry mouth.
With a sigh, Steve rubbed a hand across his face. “I owe you an apology.”
Emily frowned. “An apology? For what?”
His gaze met hers. “I saw you with Erik this morning.”
“You did?”
Steve nodded. “I had to run home to get some papers I forgot. While there, I had an unpleasant conversation with my ex. Needless to say, my mindset wasn’t very good when I drove past your house and saw you hugging him.”
Emily sat forward in her chair. “We were saying goodbye. He’s a friend. A married friend.”
“I know that now. That’s why I’m apologizing.” Steve pulled his legs in and for a moment she thought he was going to get up, but he just leaned closer to her. “I got mad at you because I thought the reason you hadn’t said yes was because there was another man in the picture.”
If Steve hadn’t looked so serious, Emily would have laughed, but instead, she said, “I see you seven days a week, Steve. Don’t you think that if there were another man in my life, you’d know about it?”
Steve had the grace to look abashed as he gazed down at his mug. “Yeah, I know. I was in a bad state of mind, not that that is a good excuse for my thoughts. I really am sorry for letting that color my view of you.” He lifted his head and met her gaze. “The thing is, I know we haven’t known each other that long and haven’t even gone out on a date, but my feelings for you are already pretty strong.”
Warmth engulfed Emily even as butterflies took up residence in her stomach. “So, I guess you’ve changed your mind a bit since our first meeting?”
“Just a bit.” Steve scooted his chair closer then he reached out and took her hand. “I’m not even sure you’re aware of the impact you’ve had on our lives. And I’m not just talking about how you’ve been with the boys. You’ve impacted me too.”
Emily tightened her grasp on his hand. “I have?”
“You helped me to see that not all women run when things get rough. When I agreed to your offer to watch the boys, I thought you only had Ryan. I was shocked when Kenton told me you had four kids.” Steve chuckled as he shook his head. “I honestly expected a call from you to say you wouldn’t be able to handle my four in addition to your own, but that call never came. I admire your strength and love. I’ve never seen anything like it before. And then you invited me to church, showing that you cared as much about the state of my heart as you did for my boys’ hearts. You’re my angel.”
Emotion welled up within Emily at Steve’s words. He admired her. She wasn’t sure that James had ever admired any part of her that didn’t directly impact him. Too often, especially in later years, she’d heard criticism and the reminder that his parents had told him that she wasn’t good enough to have married him.
“Your what?”
“My angel.” Steve lifted his hand and brushed his fingers along her temple before cupping her cheek. “Gentle but so strong. Firm but so loving. You’re everything I need in my life. And lest you think this is just because I need someone to help with my boys, it’s not. You bring out the best in me and challenge me to want to be an even better man for you. A better father. A better Christian. Honestly, I want to see you seven days a week for the rest of my life.”
Emily felt the last bit of her heart that she’d been hanging on to, slip free at Steve’s words. His boys had already found their way into her heart alongside her own children, but there was still plenty of room for their father. She pressed her hand to his and turned her head to brush a kiss to the palm of his hand. “I can’t think of anything I’d like more.”
Steve smiled. “So what do you say, my angel? Should we go on the first date of the rest of our lives?”
“Definitely.” Emily lowered their hands from her cheek and held his in both of hers. “But just because you’ve already captured my heart doesn’t mean you are not going to have to woo me.”
“Well, brace yourself, the wooing is about to begin,” Steve said, his love for her clear in his gaze.
Chapter Fifteen
Fifteen years later
Steve’s wooing had started that night and hadn’t stopped since. He had made sure that each week they had time for just the two of them. It would have been easy to get lost in the schedules of eight children, but Steve hadn’t let that happen. And now they were getting ready to celebrate their fifteenth wedding anniversary.
Emily enjoyed the peace and quiet of the house knowing that it wasn’t going to last much longer. But once it was filled with laughter and talking, she’d enjoy that just as much because, for the first time in three years, her family was going to all be together under one roof. Makayla had made sure that everyone was going to be there to celebrate their anniversary. She hadn’t accepted no from anyone, not even Kenton.
She heard movement behind her and smiled as a pair of strong arms slipped around her waist, pulling her back against him. Emily slid her hands to intertwine her fingers with Steve’s and rested her head back on his shoulder.
“Ready for the stampede?” Steve asked, his warm breath wafting across her cheek.
Emily took a deep breath, inhaling his familiar scent. “More than ready. I can’t wait to see Kenton and Ryan. I’ve missed them both so much.”
Steve turned her in his arms and gathered her close. Emily clasped her hands behind his neck and stared up at the man who had pledged to love her fifteen years ago. Like with her, the passing of time was evident on him. There was more gray hair at his temples than had been there even a year or two earlier and the lines at the corners of his eyes were more pronounced. But Emily didn’t mind. In fact, she liked them, because she chose to believe they’d deepened because he’d smiled so much over the years.
“You’re more beautiful today than the day I married you,” Steve said before he bent to press a lingering kiss to her lips. “I love you, angel.”
Emily had long given up arguing the point that she had definitely not grown more beautiful with age because Steve had managed to convince her that in his eyes, she would always be the most beautiful woman in the world. Together they had weathered some storms over the years, but instead of weakening their bond, it had been strengthened.
That first year after they’d married they’d tried to adjust to ten people living in a house that hadn’t been made for that many, and Emily had worked hard to make it a home for everyone. They’d moved into Steve’s house since it was set up a bit better to accommodate them all. Upstairs, the girls had shared a bedroom and the younger boys had taken over Steve’s office. The older boys had been given a bedroom in the basement.
When Danica had arrived just ten months after the wedding, the baby girl had shared a room with her parents. As had baby Dalton when he’d arrived just eight months after Danica. He’d spend the first six weeks of his life in the hospital since he had been a preemie, but he too had taken up residence in his parents’ bedroom when the hospital had released him. That house had been literally bursting at the seams with twelve of them in residence.
Steve had spent every spare minute he had getting her old house ready to sell, and they’d taken the money from that sale along with the money they’d saved up and they’d built a house big enough for all of them. Even now, the only ones not living at home were Kenton—who’d been drafted into the NHL at the tender age of nineteen after a spectacular performance at the World Junior Hockey Championships with the Canadian team—and Ryan, who had gone into the US military right out of high school.
Through all those ups and downs, Steve had been by her side and they had faced them as a team. Together they had been stronger and though there had been some bumps along the way, their family was a cohesive unit. The boys had begun to call her mom almost right away and her kids had followed not long after with calling Steve dad. She had taken Kenton to hockey practice. Steve had taught Bennett about construction. They had truly created a blended family and then added two more. Emily would do it all over again in a heartbeat
if she could do it with the man who held her so tightly against himself.
“I love you.” She cupped his cheeks as his hands slipped down her back to lift her up just enough for their lips to touch. The feel of his lips against hers was familiar, and as Steve tilted his head to deepen the kiss, warmth spread through her.
“Ah, man. Seriously?” The familiar voice of their youngest child dampened their rising ardor, but it wasn’t anything that couldn’t be picked up again later.
Emily felt Steve’s lips curve into a smile against hers as he gave her a couple more leisurely kisses, just for the sake of their audience. As she settled back on her feet, Emily turned to see her three youngest standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
“Hey, guys. How was your day?”
Tristan had gone into the city to meet up with a friend and had picked up the other two from a friend’s house once he was done. He was silent as he took the glass of milk Emily poured for him, but before moving away, he bent to press a kiss to her cheek. “Thanks, Mama.”
He’d been quiet as a child, and he was still the quietest of the bunch even after all these years. Emily made sure to seek him out every few days for a chat. He seemed to do better one on one than trying to get a word in edgewise when everyone else was around. Tristan certainly fit the definition of still waters running deep. She watched as he disappeared out of the kitchen after snagging a couple of cookies.
When Steve settled down at the table with the other two, Emily started up the coffee pot before she poured milk for Danica and Dalton. “How was your visit with Devon?”
Both kids began to talk at once, but eventually Danica fell silent. There was just no way to outtalk Dalton. It was an odd relationship between the two. They often called them the Irish twins because they’d been born within twelve months of each other. Because of their birthdays, they were in the same grade at school but there never appeared to be any competition between them.
And then there was the music. No one could deny for a minute that Dalton was amazingly talented. He’d taught himself to play both the piano and guitar before the age of ten. He loved music and thankfully, it made people tolerate his somewhat out-there sense of style and personality.
Love Blossoms: 7 Spring-Fresh Christian Romances Page 10