by Melody Anne
“Well, there you are, boy,” Joseph called back, and then Joseph was standing before her again. Oh, my. She’d forgotten in just a few days how intimidating he was, standing well over six feet tall with shoulders that seemed to stretch on forever. Luckily, the well-trimmed white beard and mustache softened his appearance. “I don’t understand why it took so long for someone to call me. I was waiting for little Misty to arrive, and then I get a phone call saying she had an incident on the plane. It was like pulling teeth to get any information,” he said, his voice lowering as he approached her bed.
“Joseph, she’s Magnolia for now,” Damien said with a meaningful look.
Joseph’s tone quieted. “I’m sorry, Magnolia. I won’t make that mistake again,” he said, and he seemed honestly grieved over his mistake. Mistakes like that could cost everything they’d done to protect her.
“I’m fine,” she said. All this fuss was beginning to make her uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t mean to scare you with all my bluster. I was just worried, that’s all,” he said as he scooted Bryson out of his chair and took a seat. Bryson laughed at the old man’s antics.
“Everyone is fussing over nothing. I just…got dehydrated is all,” Misty said, not wanting them to know she’d panicked at the thought of actually meeting her brother face-to-face. She was grateful when they let her get away with her half-truth.
“It’s never nothing when you have to go to the hospital,” Joseph told her, “but they will take real good care of you here. If not, they have to answer to me, and I’m not pleasant to deal with when I’m unhappy.” He issued that warning just as the doctor walked into the room.
“I can vouch for that, Joseph,” the man said.
Joseph chuckled and leaned back. “How’s our girl doing?”
“Her vitals have improved greatly. She’ll be ready to go home in the morning.”
Everyone breathed a lot easier.
“It’s good to see you still do a fine job here, Carson,” Joseph said, and he stood up and patted the doctor on the back.
Misty’s eyes were growing heavy, but she was afraid that if she went to sleep, they’d all disappear and she’d lose them forever. It would be so much more painful now that she’d had a taste of what having a family was all about.
“My patient is exhausted and clearly having a difficult time keeping awake,” Dr. Carson said, “but I can see she’s far too polite to say anything, so I’ll say it. You head out and let her get some rest, and then you can pick her up first thing in the morning.” The doctor’s words earned him disappointed looks from both Joseph and Damien. But as they turned to look back at Misty, it was more than clear that the doctor was right.
“It’s okay,” Misty said weakly.
“We’ll go and let her rest,” Sierra interjected firmly. “Then we’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.” She leaned down and hugged her new sister-in-law.
“Fine,” Damien conceded. Then he surprised Misty by also leaning down and pulling her into his arms for his own hug.
It took all she had not to cry again. She refused to, just refused to, until they left the room. After all, they’d seen enough of her crazy emotions for one day.
“Fine, I suppose,” Joseph grumbled, then embraced her briefly but with surprising gentleness. “We’ll bring you to the place tomorrow and take good care of you while you recover.”
Then, just as quickly as they’d blown into the room, the three were gone, taking the doctor with them. Bryson also leaned down as if to leave, but she clutched his hand in hers like a vise to prevent him from going away, too.
He probably wanted to visit with the others, she thought, but she couldn’t seem to command her hand to let his go.
She held herself together for longer than she thought she could, but when Bryson looked into her face and then rubbed his hand along her cheek, she began to unravel, her body shaking with the emotion she’d been trying to suppress.
“It’s all right, hon. This meeting has been a long time coming. No one will think you’re weak if you shed a few tears,” he said, and that was all it took.
Her dry eyes prickled, and then she watched as Bryson’s face blurred, and then the tears welled over and rushed down her cheeks.
“It’s okay. Everything will be okay,” he vowed. He slid into the bed next to her, careful of her I.V. as he pulled her gently into his arms.
Bryson held her close as she sobbed out her relief, as she let go of all the anxiety she’d been carrying. And as she let go of the last walls around her heart and let him in.
When sleep finally took her into its sweet embrace, she had nothing left to give — she’d let it all go and now the fate of her love was in Bryson’s strong, capable hands. Meeting her family, knowing she belonged had opened her emotions up in ways nothing else could have.
Now, she was willing to hope, to dream, to want! She loved Bryson; now she just needed to be brave enough to tell him. She tried to without the words, by holding him tight.
It was up to him if he wanted her love for more than a night or a week. She wanted him forever.
Chapter Eighteen
“You’re not going to have another anxiety attack on me, are you?” Bryson asked as they rode in the back of the Jaguar that Joseph had sent to pick them up.
“I can’t promise anything. Look at what we’re being driven in,” she said with a nervous smile.
“I just want to give some warnings before you see the…um…house.” He was unsure whether the Anderson mansion, with its high towers and stunning stone walls, could be called a house
“I’m fine. They’re just people, right? It’s not like they weren’t born the same way I was. They are people. Okay, really wealthy people, but people all the same. I can do this.” Who was it she was trying to convince — herself or Bryson?
“Yes, we are all born the same way,” Bryson said with a chuckle.
“It’s ridiculous to be this nervous. I’ve already met them,” she said, frustrated with herself.
“Just because they are affluent doesn’t mean they’re snobs. Just remember that they want to know you. They’re excited about spending time with you, and they have a lot of love to give. I’ve known the family for a really long time, and I haven’t seen a bad side to any of them,” he assured her.
“So, why is this house so intimidating?”
“It’s pretty much a castle. No, there’s no pretty much about it. The place is a castle, but somehow Katherine has managed to make it warm and inviting, so don’t think of your everyday dungeon kind of castle,” he said with a smile.
“A castle — like a mote and all?”
“No, no mote. But there are high towers,” he said.
“I guess seeing will be believing,” she told him, and sat back as they covered the final mile of their journey.
When they pulled up the private driveway, and she got her first glimpse of the Anderson residence, her mouth dropped open. Bryson’s description hadn’t done the place justice, to put it mildly.
It towered above them all, looking far more suited to a hillside in England than a gentle slope in the state of Washington.
Wow! Just…wow!
The car stopped. When the driver got out, came around and opened Misty’s door, she was so awed that she didn’t even notice Bryson leaving the car. He magically appeared standing next to the driver, waiting for her to accept his hand and step out.
Her legs trembled when she finally managed to stand, and she was grateful that Bryson didn’t let go of her. They’re just people, she continued telling herself.
The huge front door opened and Damien walked outside.
“I would have come for you myself,” he said as he stopped in front of her, “but I wanted to give you a little time on your own. I thought the drive would be relaxing.”
He was far more perceptive than most men she’d known. But all she could manage to say was a rather shy thank-you.
“The entire family wan
ted to be here, but Katherine threatened them all if they showed up, because we have a lot of family and we didn’t want to overwhelm you. It will just be a small event today. Well, not even an ‘event.’ Just know that you have many family members eager to meet you. If you’re up to it, we can have them all gather tomorrow.”
Misty didn’t want to be rude, but she doubted she was ready for that. It was just too soon. Maybe if she and Damien got to know each other and it looked as if she’d be a part of his life, maybe then she could meet the rest of the clan.
“Can we…maybe…wait a little while?” She prayed he wasn’t going to hate her now for her reluctance to get to know people he obviously loved.
“Yes, of course. I’m sure this is all insanely overwhelming.” Damien’s eyes were kind and understanding.
He shocked her when he stepped forward and pulled her close for a brotherly hug, her second from him. “I know I should hold off and not be too clingy, but I have wanted to know you for so long, and I’m so devastated that I haven’t been able to always be there for you. I just want to be a big brother,” he said, making her eyes sting.
She wanted to believe him so badly. Her arms slowly came up and she hugged him back, something she hadn’t been able to do the night before in the hospital. She fought furiously not to release her emotion. In the hospital she’d still been a little loopy. She was now fully alert, and this was probably the most important hug she’d ever received. She found herself not wanting it to stop.
“Okay, I’ll back off now,” Damien told her, and he released her from his embrace.
“I’m afraid.”
“Of what?” he asked, reaching out a hand and taking hers.
“I’m afraid to love you and lose you. I’ve always known there was a possibility of your being real, but I’ve never been able to hold on to anything, and I’m scared that this is nothing but a dream.”
Would he think she was a fool now? Should she have waited to express her fears?
“If you will allow me to be a part of your life, I’ll never go away,” he vowed. “That’s not the way this family works.”
She couldn’t help but have real hope as she looked into his honest eyes.
But she was unable to break years of self-training. “Can we just take it a day at a time? I’ve found that’s easiest.”
“We will do it however it suits you best, Misty.”
She smiled, with her heart pounding but the tautness of her nerves easing up as she read his expression. If nothing else, he was being sincere. If somehow this didn’t all work out and have a happy ending, it wouldn’t be because he wasn’t trying.
“We have a special person we’d like you to meet today, though,” Sierra said as she stepped outside to join them with a bundle in her arms.
Misty’s eyes widened as she looked at the pink blanket. Her fingers shook as Sierra held the baby out to her.
As if she were taking hold of the most fragile and expensive antique, Misty was trembling as Sierra handed over her child.
“Her name is Samantha and she’s two months today.” Sierra shifted the blanket, and Misty looked down into the most precious little green eyes she’d ever seen.
“Oh, Sierra, she’s perfect,” Misty sighed.
Sierra beamed at Misty as she held her niece. “Yes, she looks so much like her daddy.”
“And she’ll be a knockout, considering there’s a mixture of her mother’s great beauty and her aunt’s,” Damien said with pride.
“Oooh,” Misty gushed.
“Let’s all go inside where it’s just a little warmer,” Damien said while Bryson stood at Misty’s side and, looking down at the pink bundle, ran a finger across her soft little cheek.
“You should take her in case I trip,” Misty said.
“You’ll be fine,” Damien assured her.
Misty didn’t have as much faith in herself as everyone else did, but with Damien and Bryson walking beside her, she figured that if she did begin to trip, one of them would catch her and the baby. She was so focused on the baby in her arms that she didn’t have time to be awed by the Anderson mansion’s massive entrance.
They ended up in a sitting room, where she got to meet Katherine, a beautiful, petite, kind, gracious woman, who made her feel right at home. Joseph was there, of course, and he was just as wonderful as he’d been when she first met him, and in the hospital the night before.
Over the next few hours, Misty got to know more about the people she was related to, and she was finding that keeping her distance wouldn’t to be an easy thing to do.
After only a few hours, she knew that to lose this family would be unbearable. Though she was used to loss, the hits came harder and hurt more as she grew older. Whatever it took, she decided, she would fight for this newfound family — fight for a happy ending for herself.
Chapter Nineteen
Small waves lapped against the shore as the morning fog clung to the sand in an attempt to anchor itself. As it rose slowly in the sky, the sun was doing a decent job of winning the fight against the cold.
As Misty walked along the shoreline, looking down at her feet and making patterns with her toes, she let her mind wander. The night before had been filled with talking, laughter, and more information than she could process.
Her new family was vast — vaster than she would have ever imagined. What she couldn’t understand was why her mother hadn’t taken her to them if she was unable to care for her and Damien.
Wouldn’t the two of them have had a much better life had they grown up where they’d belonged? Maybe her mother had simply been a selfish person. Misty had always had visions of her mother making the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter, doing what was best for Misty, or what she thought was best, by leaving her at the fire station.
Now¸ her reality was shifting. If her mom had really cared, she would have left her with family. It seemed now that her mom had only wanted revenge for her perceived hurts, and unfortunately, Misty had been the one to pay the price for her mother’s sins. She wanted to ask Damien about the woman, since he’d at least had several years with her.
But once she opened that door to the past, it could never be closed again. It was like having a double-sided coin. No matter which way it landed, it would always be the same, and only one person could win. And that wasn’t going to be Misty. She would learn the truth, but then she could never unlearn it. Was that what she really wanted? Wasn’t it better to not have all the answers?
Though she couldn’t find any fault with the company of the Andersons or her brother, she was enjoying the quiet calm of the sea at her feet, the solitude and peacefulness after a boisterous night.
Living in fear most of her life, she’d risen early for as long as she could remember. The last thing she’d wanted was to be caught unawares by some junkie while sleeping in an abandoned building. It was best to get up and keep moving, never let someone get a grasp on your routine, which meant she’d never developed a routine.
Her life certainly hadn’t been boring.
A bit of monotony wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Her biggest fear now was that she just wouldn’t fit in. How could she possibly be related to these people? Not only were they megawealthy, but they were also kind and humorous, and so accepting.
They were the exact opposite of her in so many ways. Even if Bryson thought she was a good person, enough other people had beat her down that what she believed about herself didn’t measure up, and yet the Anderson family still wanted to know her, still wanted to accept her with open arms, her faults and all.
She had to admit that she was proud of herself, because she had managed to keep her insecurities at bay, and she’d managed to keep a smile on her face rather than looking like a goldfish flopping around after the cat had swiped it from the comforts of its little bowl.
Family amusements had zoomed around her, with Joseph and the boys smoking a cigar after the meal, telling stories, each one topping the other. The women, so comfo
rtable with each other, spoke of activities they’d been involved in. Not once had the television clicked on; not once had there been silence. Her family members were comfortable in this amazing mansion, and though they had included her, she still felt as if she were on the other side of a glass wall, looking in. And yet she’d held it together, kept her anxiety from showing.
When it had come time for bed, she’d been disappointed when Bryson hadn’t shared her room. Maybe he’d thought she needed time to absorb it all; maybe he needed a break. She wasn’t sure of the reason, but she did know that she’d had plenty of alone time in her life, and she didn’t relish the thought of a lot more of it.
But she couldn’t allow herself to get too used to having him by her side. Yes, she was falling in love with him, but that didn’t mean he felt the same about her. Most likely, once the case against Jesse ended, so would her relationship with this wonderful man.
As she continued walking, her thoughts returned to the Andersons, and she wondered whether she could mold herself into a woman worthy of being part of her family. Could she somehow change into a person who belonged? Other people managed to change their circumstances, change their lives. She might be able to do the same.
Maybe she could even be the kind of woman Bryson would consider forever with.
This absolute need to belong was painful. But it offered her a light at the end of the tunnel. Once again, it was hope that was her biggest weakness. Most of the people she’d known from her days on the streets knew their lives wouldn’t improve, knew they were going to remain where they were for the rest of their lives.
They didn’t bother with school or work. Society had given up on them, and so they gave up too. As much as Misty tried not to hope, she’d never been able to kill thoughts of a better future, and when she was disappointed time and time again, it hurt a little bit more each time.
Hope could be great, or it could be devastating. In her case, it had usually turned out badly.
“I’ve never particularly liked Seattle, but I have to say that this piece of paradise Joseph has managed to cut out for himself isn’t too bad.”