Baby It's You (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Book 6)

by Calhoune, Belle

  Baby, It’s You

  By Belle Calhoune

  Seven Brides, Seven Brothers Book 6

  Seven boys adopted from the foster care system by Alec and Maggie Donahue, a loving Irish couple living in Breeze Point, Cape Cod. Now grown men, the brothers are making their way in the world in their chosen professions, each hoping to find a love to last a lifetime. Faith. Family. Honor. The ties that bind them together. And an abundance of love.

  The Heartbreaker

  Wyatt Donahue has always been a ladies’ man, even though his heart has never been touched by love. Blonde and blue-eyed, Wyatt is a short-stop for a professional baseball team, The Bay State Bombers. Sidelined by a knee injury, Wyatt is devastated when a car accident further damages his baseball prospects. Wanting nothing more than to get back to his pro baseball career, Wyatt finds himself sinking into a depression when his condition doesn’t improve. When a stunning beauty from his past offers him a lifeline, will Wyatt take it?

  Kaitlyn O’Malley is a beautiful, dedicated physical therapist who experiences great joy in helping people recover from their injuries. Back in high school she tutored Wyatt when he was the golden boy athlete and she was the quiet bookworm. Although Wyatt still makes her heart flutter, Kaitlyn is determined to stay professional and help her client get back on the baseball diamond. But one look into those big blue eyes might send Kaitlyn right over the edge and into Wyatt’s loving arms.

  Seven Brides, Seven Brothers Series

  Book One: The Way Home http://www.amazon.com/Home-Seven-Brides-Brothers-Book-ebook/dp/B00KTCBXSC/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426610534&sr=1-6&keywords=the+way+home

  Book Two: Still The One http://www.amazon.com/Still-Seven-Brides-Brothers-Book-ebook/dp/B00M0EUU22/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1MWZ28MFM28FB4MNWTY9

  Book Three: Until You Loved Me http://www.amazon.com/Until-Loved-Seven-Brides-Brothers-ebook/dp/B00N15TPFC/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0T6VDS9STKWJHSQ9E0FK

  Book Four: Love Me Tender http://www.amazon.com/Love-Tender-Seven-Brides-Brothers-ebook/dp/B00OFAVB1I/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0G19K0SNMN0FP3TGZG1Y

  Book Five: If Only In My Dreams http://www.amazon.com/Only-Dreams-Seven-Brides-Brothers-ebook/dp/B00R6U2PZK/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0XQJASA3RXQMD3MAG14Z

  Prequel: When You Believe (Alec and Maggie’s story) http://www.amazon.com/When-Believe-Seven-Brides-Brothers-ebook/dp/B00T52CK1G/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=04HYEX4FPSR7XQKKTJ6Z

  Acknowledgements:

  A big thank you to Joelle Hawkins Teague for letting me borrow the name Kaitlyn. What a terrific name. It’s perfect! A big thank you to all the readers who have been asking for this story and patiently waiting for it. I appreciate all the emails and messages. I put my heart and soul into every book. I am so grateful for all my Donahue fans. You continue to lift me and this series up! I couldn’t do any of this without your love and support.

  Dear Reader:

  Thank you for joining me on another Donahue adventure. As this journey winds down with the Donahue boys, I find myself getting both emotional and nostalgic. What a journey it’s been so far. A wonderful journey that has enriched me as a writer, and more importantly, as a person. I’ve had sales all over the world, received heartfelt messages and wonderful feedback from lovely readers who are passionate about the Donahues. I always get a kick out of hearing which book a particular reader might like the best or which Donahue brother is their favorite.

  Wyatt Donahue is a man who feels as if he’s lost the most important thing about himself. What is his worth if he’s not playing baseball? Who is he? As a child born into dysfunction, there is a part of Wyatt that always feels he has to prove himself. Kaitlyn sees something in Wyatt that he doesn’t even see in himself. That’s really the power of love. It shines a light on us. It transforms us.

  As a side note, I had originally planned to use the name of a certain Boston pro baseball team for this book, but the legalities became too onerous. I got permission to use the team name but they wanted me to guarantee no overseas sales. And since I proudly have Donahue fans all over the world, I couldn’t bear the thought of restricting my books to the United States. I think the Bay State Bombers works just fine!!

  I hope you enjoy Kaitlyn and Wyatt’s love story!

  Blessings,

  Belle

  Look for me at www.bellecalhoune.com or on Twitter @BelleCalhoune. Join me on Facebook at Author Belle Calhoune.

  Copyright 2015 by Belle Calhoune

  All Rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher and author, except where permitted by law.

  Cover art by Niina Cord http://niinascoverdesign.weebly.com

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Wyatt McCarthy looked up at the clock hanging on the wall above Miss Simpson’s desk. Three minutes till the lunch bell rang. His stomach twisted painfully, making a low rumbling noise that drew the attention of a few of his fellow students. He ducked his head down out of embarrassment. He was starving. And there was nothing to look forward to with the lunch period. He hadn’t brought a lunch today. Not that he’d had a choice. There hadn’t been a single thing in the fridge to bring. All he had was a crumpled up dollar bill in his pocket that his father had given him after telling him to stop pestering him about lunch.

  No breakfast. No lunch. His insides rumbled like thunder. Would he even have dinner tonight? He didn’t have a clue. Lately, things at the house had been crazy. Even though he was only nine years old, he knew something wasn’t right. His dad had lost his job and all his mother did was sleep. There was a pile of unopened bills sitting on the table. Two days ago the cable and phone had been turned off. At night when he lay his head down on his pillow he felt scared. And every single night he went to bed hungry.

  When the bell rang he made his way to his locker and fiddled around until his homeroom teacher, Mrs. Bartlett, instructed him to head to the cafeteria. He walked down the hall, his feet feeling as if they were made of lead as he walked toward the hot food line. The smell of French fries made his belly do somersaults. He watched as the kid in front of him ordered two servings, then popped a few into his mouth before reaching for a cheeseburger. He knew the fries were a dollar, but he was also thirsty. He didn’t have enough money for both.

  “What are you having?” the lunch lady barked.

  “Umm. Not sure,” he mumbled.

  She rolled her eyes, then motioned to him with her hand. “Then move aside so someone else can order.”

  Wyatt moved aside as his eyes darted around at the choices. What could he get for a measly dollar? Cookies and milk. A side of veggies. Yuck. A banana and a milk. He could afford that. He grabbed the banana and the small carton of milk, handing the cashier his crumpled dollar bill. He looked around the cafeteria, hoping to spot his best friend, Billy. When he didn’t spot him at their usual table he went over and sat down anyway. Mary Ellen Lassiter was sitting there. Everyone teased him about Mary Ellen having a crush on him. On Valentine’s Day she’d even given him a box of caramel chocolates. He’d never even admitted it to Billy, but he’
d had a crush on Mary Ellen ever since first grade. He liked the way she laughed at his jokes and she always let him borrow her pencil when his wasn’t sharpened.

  “Hi Wyatt.” Mary Ellen smiled at him. The smile made him feel better. She had the prettiest smile he’d ever seen. He sat down next to her, trying not to stare.

  “No lunch again?” Brad Higgins sneered as he sat down across from him at the table. Brad was the meanest kid in his grade and he was always riding him. Wyatt made a point never to sit with him. More times than not, Brad sought him out to give him a hard time. Wyatt knew Brad like Mary Ellen too. It was so obvious by the way he always followed her around. Too bad, he thought. Mary Ellen likes me.

  Brad pointed at his milk and banana. “That’s just pathetic. That’s not lunch.”

  “I do too have a lunch,” Wyatt said angrily. He made his hands into fists, then took a deep breath.

  He couldn’t afford to get in trouble again, not when he’d already had to stay after school last week after getting in hot water with his homeroom teacher. The school had even sent a letter home about it, but he’d crumpled it up and thrown it in the trash. He’d saved himself a beating for having gotten in trouble. His father would have lost it for sure.

  “Then where is it? Did you leave it in your locker?” Mary Ellen’s wide green eyes stared back at him. She was the prettiest and most popular girl in fourth grade. It still surprised him that she liked him. She was so pretty and perfect, way more perfect than he could ever be.

  “Ate it on the way to school,” he fibbed. “I must be going through a growth spurt. I just bought the milk and banana ‘cause I’m still hungry. And for the vitamin D.” He didn’t want the other kids to know that no one had fixed him a lunch. And the cupboards were bare so he couldn’t fix one for himself. He’d die of embarrassment if anyone found out had bad things were at home. Some things he couldn’t hide though, like sneakers that didn’t fit or last year’s clothes.

  “You should tell Miss Simpson. She’ll get you something to eat,” Mary Ellen said, right before taking a dainty bite of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Mary Ellen’s parents must love her a lot, Wyatt figured. Every day she brought the most perfect lunch to school. Her sandwiches were always cut into different shapes. Hearts. Circles. Flowers. And she brought the best cookies to school, along with the twisted pretzels that he’d always wanted to try. The best part of her lunch was the little carton of chocolate milk she brought instead of the juice boxes everyone else brought to school. Except him. He was lucky if he had a sandwich and a snack most days.

  “No!” he said in a loud voice. Mary Ellen’s eyes popped and her cheeks turned red. “Sorry. I mean..no,” he said in a softer voice. “I don’t wanna tell Miss Simpson. I’m good.”

  Charity. He didn’t like the idea of it. It meant getting something for nothing just because people felt sorry for you and thought you were poor. That happened to his family all the time. It drove his father crazy. And he didn’t like it himself. It made him feel small and not good enough.

  “Suit yourself,” she said with a shrug. “I was just asking.” For the remainder of the lunch period Mary Ellen turned her body away from him so she wouldn’t have to look at him. Mary Ellen’s anger toward him made everything else feel twice as bad.

  The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur until it was the last period of the day. It was a free period but he’d been sent to the library to work on his homework. All he could think about was how hungry he was. He pressed his eyes closed and imagined a juicy cheeseburger with pickles and catsup. Not being able to stand it any longer, he jumped up from his seat and headed out of the library. Looking all around him to make sure no one was in the hallway, he pushed open the exit door that led to the playground.

  Once he was outside, the warm sunshine washed over him. He pressed his eyes closed and let the brilliant rays of the sun make him feel better. Now his tummy didn’t ache so much from hunger. He felt better about things. He didn’t even care if he got in trouble for going outside during school hours. This feeling was worth it. When he opened his eyes he noticed that the high school baseball team was gathered on the lower field. They sometimes used it for their home games.

  The Tigers were the state champs. Ty Burton, a senior, had been signed by one of the minor League teams. It had been in all the papers. Even his Dad had been impressed. And nothing ever seemed to impress him, not even when Wyatt washed all the dishes or cleaned his room. Wyatt hadn’t told a single soul, but he wanted to be a famous baseball player when he grew up. He wanted to be popular and famous and rich. And he wanted to have as much to eat as he liked. And his kids would never go to bed hungry. And he wouldn’t ever give his wife a black eye no matter what she did to make him mad.

  He pressed his nose up against the fence and watched as the high school players warmed up for the game. The blue and white uniforms were awesome. And the way the players were clapping each other on the back made them seem like the best of friends. Billy was his best friend but lately he’d made friends with another bunch of guys who didn’t include Wyatt in any of their activities. On the sidelines the cheerleading team watched the players and began to yell out chants.

  “Someday,” he whispered. “I’m going to be out there making school records. And the cheerleaders will be screaming my name.”

  For the next ten minutes he stood and watched the team. He couldn’t think of anything better than being a baseball player. He’d done a little T ball and his coach had told him he was the best on the team. Coach Franklin told him that if he practiced really hard he could be great one day. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him in his entire life.

  As soon as he headed back into the building, he heard his name coming over the PA system. “Wyatt McCarthy. Please report to the principal’s office.” The loud voice of the principal’s secretary blared over the intercom.

  Ugh. What had he done now? Had they figured out that he’d left the building when he was supposed to be in study hall?

  Instead of heading back to homeroom, he quickly made his way to Principal Minskey’s office. Maybe he could say that he’d had to throw up and he hadn’t wanted it to make a mess of the floors. Wyatt grinned. He was a quick thinker. As soon as he entered the office, the secretary, Mrs. Duggan, told him to go straight into the principal’s office. The look she sent him was full of pity. Warning bells were going off in his head. Trouble.

  Mr. Minskey sat behind his desk with his hands crossed prayerfully in front of him. He met Wyatt’s gaze and then looked down at his desk. He fidgeted with his glasses.

  Uh oh. A strange feeling passed over Wyatt. His mother always said he wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box, but he knew something was very wrong. He could feel it.

  “Am I in trouble?” he asked, his pulse racing with fear.

  “No, Wyatt. You’re not in trouble. Why don’t you take a seat?” Wyatt sat down as a feeling of dread went straight through him. Mr. Minskey was being too nice.

  “Son, I have something to tell you. Something rather shocking.” Mr. Minskey cleared his throat.

  “D-did someone die?” Wyatt asked, his voice squeaking with fear. Maybe his father had been drinking and he’d run his car off the road. Or his mother had swallowed too many of the pills that kept her in bed all day.

  “No, Wyatt. No one has died.” He heaved a tremendous sigh. “Your parents…they’re gone, Wyatt. Your landlord noticed this morning that the door to your apartment was wide open. When he went inside, pretty much everything inside was gone.”

  “Gone?” Wyatt asked. His mind was whirling as he tried to process what Principal Minskey was telling him. Gone? No, it couldn’t be true. It was a lie!

  “Maybe we were robbed,” he suggested, knowing there had to be some reasonable explanation. “They wouldn’t just leave like that. Not without me.”

  “Wyatt, I know this is hard.” Mr. Minskey’s voice softened. “I can’t imagine how hard it is.”

  “No. It’s
not true. It’s a mistake. They just went on a day trip or something.” He shook his head, refusing to believe they’d left him. Maybe they’d headed to the casinos to try and win some money. But you had to have money to play the slots, Wyatt realized. And there never seemed to be any. Or at least that’s what he heard his parents fighting about. No jobs. No money. No food.

  Principal Minskey got up from his seat and walked around his desk. He leaned against the front of his desk so that he was close to Wyatt.

  “Wyatt. We were contacted by the local police department after the landlord made a complaint. There’s a warrant out for their arrest which may be why they left. Everything is gone, except for the things in your room, son. Those were left behind.”

  Wyatt swallowed painfully. His mind was a wild jumble with the information being thrown at him. He knew Principal Minskey was trying to be nice, but it wasn’t working. He was scared. Where would he go? What would he do? Why had they left him behind?

  He fought back tears. His father hated it when he cried. ‘Be a man,’ he always said. ‘Stop sniveling like a little girl.’

  “Son, we’ve had to contact child protective services. What your parents have done is child abandonment and it’s against the law. Someone is gathering your stuff up as we speak and someone will be coming here to take you to foster care.” Mr. Minskey cleared his throat. His eyes watered. He looked incredibly sad. “Wyatt, I’m so sorry.”

  Foster care! He didn’t know what it was exactly, but it sounded horrible. If anybody really cared they would just find his parents and work this whole thing out.