“Right. So why are you here?”
“Like I said, I love you.”
He scooted up further on the bed and Tori adjusted until he was lying next to her, facing her, and holding her hand.
“Does this hurt you?” he asked as he rested his hand on her hip.
“No.”
“Good.” With his other hand he brushed back her hair and then rested his head on his hand and looked down at her. “I did this all wrong. You paid for it.”
Her tears seemed to be drying. That, he thought, was a good sign.
“Tori, I don’t want to live my life without you or Ali or Sam. I love those kids. And I love you. This year taught me something. I’m very selfish and I’m horrible at facing things I don’t want to face.”
She chuckled and she wiped away her tears. “I never pegged you to be that guy.”
“Me either. Though Ed was always the stronger one. I remember when mom had cancer and dad shaved her head.” He smiled at the memory. “When they were done, dad stepped in and told her to shave his head. And then Ed did the same.”
The vision was as clear in his mind as the day it had happened. “I’ll never forget Dad looking at me and Clara in the bathroom door asking us which one was next.”
He looked back at her. “I ran away that day too. I was never good at this.”
“You’ve done okay the past few weeks.”
“Yeah, well I would like to keep trying. I’m going to stumble and I’m going to fall—a lot.”
“I missed you when you weren’t with me,” she said softly the tears now dry. “It was as if a part of me had been torn away with my sister.”
“I know.”
“And this baby—it was my chance to have that part of you I was always supposed to have.”
“We’ll have that again,” he promised her as he rubbed her exposed arm. “Will you keep me?”
“I come with a lot of baggage.”
“Yeah, well I like your baggage. I’m a T-ball coach now, you know?”
She smiled wide. “You are?”
He nodded. “Some great kid wants to be a ball player like his dad.”
Her eyes began to moisten again, but the tears weren’t sad. “He is a great kid.”
Christian reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the little ring he’d bought for Ali. “There’s a sweet little girl who said I could marry you too if I bought her a ring.”
Those happy tears began to fall. “You bought her a ring?”
“Looks like something she’d love, doesn’t it?”
Tori nodded and then looked up at him. “I saw the ring on the table.”
“Yeah, I was setting up a romantic night that you’d find it hard to turn down a marriage proposal.”
Her body began to shake and Christian pulled the blanket up over her. IVs always made him cold too.
She licked her lips. “I was going to propose to you,” she said looking up at him through tear soaked lashes.
“Me?” He pulled back and looked at her. “Why?”
Tori chuckled. “I wanted to have our baby together and I thought if I asked you then you’d know you were wanted.”
“I knew I was wanted when I came to your house and you were wearing my clothes.”
“They are my favorite.”
“You can have them. I brought a suitcase of others with me. It’s just the first load. I’ll bring the rest of my stuff over the next few weeks.”
Tori reached up and touched his cheek, the IV line following. “You’re going to move in with us?”
“We’re a family right?”
She nodded. “I think we are.”
“Well, I’ll move in, but you have to do me a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“When they pull all this crap off of you, you have to wear this.” He reached into his pocket again and pulled out the ring he’d picked out for her.
“Oh, Chris.”
“My mother picked it out. One stone for Ali, one for Sam, and she said the other was for me, but I figured it was for the baby.”
Her tears came back and he brushed them away.
“Don’t be sad. That baby will always be our first and he or she will be waiting for us on the other side.”
That seemed to resonate with her and she nodded as she wiped away the new tears.
Chris handed her the ring and she looked at it and then back at him.
“Be my wife. Take my name. Let me be there to raise Ali and Sam and keep the spirit of their parents alive. Have another baby with me. And another, and another…”
“Okay. Okay,” she laughed as she took the ring and fisted it in her hand.
“T-ball coach, really?”
“Yeah. I just landed the biggest home run ever, now it’s time to teach that little man how to hit one too.”
Epilogue
There was a pep-band in the stands and twenty suited T-ball players on the field. It had taken some arm twisting, but Christian had somehow worked his charm so that the first game played in the new stadium was his team.
Sam had on his jersey which read HORTON 3, in honor of his father.
Ali had convinced Avery to buy her a cotton candy and she sat next to Victoria, who waved. Her wedding ring sparkled in the sunlight.
The sight had Christian looking down at his own hand at the gold band on his finger. He never thought a piece of jewelry could say so much.
No other babies had come along yet, but that’ hadn’t stopped the newlyweds from trying their hardest.
Christian placed the helmet on Sam’s head and gave it a tap on the top.
“You got this?”
Sam, who had just turned four, winked. “I got this.”
“Hit it out of the park kid.”
Sam took his bat and walked up to the tee. Christian watched as he eyeballed each base and then looked to the outfield. It’s a move Christian had seen Sam’s father do, and mimicking Babe Ruth, he pointed to the outfield.
With all his might Sam took the bat back behind his shoulder and gave it a mighty swing. The bat hit the whiffle ball off the tee and it flew through the air—out to the field where he’d pointed.
Christian’s heart began to race and he could hear Tori and Ali and the rest of his family shouting Sam’s name as he passed by first base, and second base, and third base, and all the way home where Christian was there with his arms wide open to catch him as he scored his very first home run.
5 Prince Publishing and Bernadette Marie hope you’ve enjoyed
Home Run
Please enjoy the first chapter of the upcoming 8th book in
the Keller Family Series
The Acceptance
Coming May 2014
Chapter One
There was something about an airport. People were coming and going. Some were heading out for adventure and some were heading home—just like Tyler Benson.
Nashville would always be home. He’d taken nearly three years to see the world and think his life through. He wasn’t sure he had a better grasp on it yet, but he knew one thing—he missed his family.
Why had he let his mother’s choices affect him so much? Things must have been pretty bad for her if she gave up a child and never spoke of it again.
The man in him understood. She was protecting him and his brother from what had happened to her when she’d fallen in love with an abusive man who tried to kill her. But the boy in him was still hurt.
Heading back wouldn’t fix everything. He assumed there’d be a lot of late night talks over the kitchen table as there had been when he was a teenager. His father had already offered him a good job in the construction firm which had been in the family for generations. And—he needed to finally get to really know his sister.
Darcy had been as shocked as Tyler when she’d learned who her mother was. After all, she’d fallen in love with Tyler’s cousin—that had to have been a little odd. But the Keller family was eclectic. It was made up of lots of adopted child
ren, but they were still one big family.
His cousin Ed and his sister Darcy had been married over a year now. Their wedding had been the only time Tyler had been home in three years. Now it was time to face his parents and ask for some forgiveness, though he was sure they’d give it to him. Everyone understood his need to find himself.
They called his flight from New York to Nashville and it was time to board the plane. He stood and moved toward the line as a woman ran right into him.
“I’m so sorry,” she said quickly.
“It’s no problem.” He looked down and noticed she’d dropped her scarf. “You dropped this.” He bent down to pick it up and hand it to her.
The woman only held out her hand, but didn’t reach for it. Tyler placed it in her open hand.
“Oh, thank you. I lose more things.” She gave a casual laugh and continued on. It was then he noticed the cane in her other hand.
“Do you need an arm to get on the plane?”
She smiled at him, though her eyes were shielded behind big sunglasses. “Are you a nice man or do you feel sorry for me?”
That was quite a question, he thought. “Well, I’d like to think it was because I was raised right.”
“You’re from the South.” She thought a moment. “Tennessee?”
“Yes. Born and raised in Nashville.”
She leaned in closer to him. “I guessed from your accent and since we’re getting on a flight bound that way.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Offer still holds.”
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Tyler. Tyler Benson.”
“Courtney Fields and, Mr. Benson, I’d love to have you guide me if you don’t mind.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
He let her take his arm, though she didn’t interlock elbows, instead she held the back of his arm just above his elbow.
When they approached the door Courtney held out her ticket and the woman scanned the ticket and placed the stub back in her hand. She then did the same for Tyler.
Once checked in, they walked down the jet bridge.
“Do you travel a lot, Mr. Benson?”
“It’s Tyler, and I’ve been doing my fair share the past few years. How about you?”
“I’ve been seeing the world, though not intentionally. So yes. I travel quite a bit. But this is a special trip back home.”
He desperately wanted to ask her why she said she’d been seeing the world. Could she see? Was it just a figure of speech?
“Hello, Ms. Fields.” The stewardess greeted her as they walked on board.
“Celia.” Courtney smiled having obviously recognized the woman’s voice. “I didn’t expect you on this flight.”
“I’m state side now.” Celia took Courtney’s hand which still held her cane and patted it. “I’ve heard we have your brother on board,” she said softly.
Courtney nodded. “Finally.”
“Your family has been in my thoughts for a long time.”
“Thank you,” Courtney said. “Oh, Celia, this is Tyler. My arm candy for the walk down the jet way.”
Celia looked at Tyler and then back at Courtney. “I thought you had an escort.”
“It’s always good to make a new friend. How’s he look?”
Celia scanned another look over him. “You did good.”
Tyler forced a smile. “Thank you?”
Celia laughed. “Courtney, can I help you find your seat?”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll use my arm candy.”
Tyler looked at her ticket. “You’re in 3A.”
“Yep, that sounds right. Where are you?”
“I’m in 4F.”
“You like the window too?”
“Luck of the draw really.”
Courtney stopped and turned back to Celia. “Can you see if you can arrange my escort to trade to 4F?”
The smile on Celia’s face and the look she casually gave to Tyler made him a little nervous. His good deed had warranted him a seat change?
“Do you mind sitting by me on the flight? I could use some good company.”
Tyler thought about the past three years and wondered if he could be good company. But, like he’d told her before, he’d been raised right. And if the woman wanted to sit by him, who was he to turn her down?
“If the other passenger doesn’t mind changing I’d be happy to switch.”
“I still like the window. I hope that’s okay,” she said as she walked toward her seat.
Once they were seated Courtney turned to him. “Thank you for picking up my scarf.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Thanks for keeping me company. This trip home is a hard one and it’ll be nice to have a handsome man to talk to.”
He wondered what made her trip so hard, besides the obvious hindrance of not being able to see the world around her.
“How do you know I’m so handsome? Celia might have been lying to you.”
She smiled. “Oh, I can tell you’re handsome. And you’re not married. I would guess you’re in your mid to late twenties. You were well educated. You’re about six-two. And I’m going to guess that you have blue eyes.”
He knew that staring at her with his eyes wide open wasn’t going to make her aware of how stunned he was, but for some reason he was sure she knew.
“How do you know all that?”
The smile on her mouth turned into a playful pucker forcing her cheeks to dimple on both sides. “You handed me my scarf with your left hand. You don’t have a ring.”
“You felt for a ring?”
“I dropped the scarf on purpose. You smelled good.”
That made him laugh aloud. “Okay, keep going.”
“I’ve held the arms of many people. I’m five-five, so I know my heights from there.”
“I’m six-three.”
“I was close.”
“My education?”
“You have an accent, but your words have a refined quality to them. I’d guess you can speak more than one language.”
“My father speaks French, and so does my aunt. I’ve always known both.”
She nodded slowly as though she were collecting her reward for knowing so much.
“Okay, those are all logical. How do you know I have blue eyes?”
“That one was a guess, but I was right. You just told me.”
“You have quite a talent.”
Courtney turned her head toward the window. “You also seemed lost.”
“I beg your pardon. How would you know that?”
“I could feel it. It felt as though you could use some company and I sure know I could.”
He wasn’t sure how this woman could tell so much about him, but she had a keen sense of the world around her.
The last passenger to board the plane was a soldier in uniform. As he passed by their row, he looked down at Courtney as if he knew she’d be there and then he continued to his seat which Tyler noted was the seat he was to have occupied.
As the doors were secured, the pilot came over the speaker.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be starting our flight shortly. I wanted to inform you that we have the honor of flying home a vet to his final resting place today.”
The air in the plane grew thick and Tyler could hear the many gasps and even sobs which had come from that announcement. He turned toward Courtney who had gripped her hands in front of her and pressed her forehead to her white knuckles.
“Are you okay?”
She lifted her head and he could see the tears streak down her cheek from under her sunglasses. Hesitantly she nodded.
“I’m finally getting to make the journey to take my brother home.”
Tyler let out a long breath and watched as this woman he’d just met turned her face toward the warmth of the sun coming in through the small window.
He’d gained a sister and felt like his world had ended.
Courtney had lost a brother and yet was thankful t
o be with him on his final ride home.
Tyler rested his head against the back of his seat. His life didn’t make any more sense than it had three years ago when he’d left Nashville. But at least when he got there his brother, sister, and his parents would be there.
What was there for Courtney?
Meet the Author
Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011, along with her other series and single title books. The married mother of five sons promises Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it, because she lives it.
When not writing, Bernadette Marie is shuffling her sons to their many events—mostly hockey—and enjoying the beautiful views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains from her front step. She is also an accomplished martial artist with a second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.
A chronic entrepreneur, Bernadette Marie opened her own publishing house in 2011, 5 Prince Publishing, so that she could publish the books she liked to write and help make the dreams of other aspiring authors come true too.
Visit Bernadette Marie at www.bernadettemarie.com
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