“Romance problems,” Kate whispered once Tee was gone.
“She’s twelve,” Corinne whispered back. “We’re not allowing her to think about boys for another four years. Do you think she missed the memo?”
Kate sent a rueful look toward the stairs. “Callan’s friend Brandon was here today.”
“She’s crushing on him.” Corinne scrunched her brow, because how did one handle this? She was out of her element, which meant she needed to figure this out. Quickly.
“He’s nice as can be and paid her absolutely no attention while he and Callan arranged to go to the batting cages and the opening basketball game at the high school. Without her. We offered to take her, but her feelings were hurt at being left out. She and Callan used to do everything together, so his quest for independence is a touchy subject right now.”
“I’ll go talk to her.” Corinne climbed the stairs. She found Tee in Kimberly’s old room, a longtime favorite place to be at Grandma’s house. “Hey. I didn’t want to leave before saying good night to my best girl.”
“G’night.” Tee muttered the word, eyes pinched closed, much like she’d done as a baby. Only she wasn’t a baby anymore.
“Tee.” Corinne eased down on the side of the bed. “I really am sorry about the boat and the water and the stupid boys.”
Tee’s eyes flashed open. “I don’t care about any of it. Not one speck. At all.”
Corinne weighed Tee’s declaration with a slight frown. “Even if you don’t care, I’m still sorry. I won’t let time get away from me again. I promise.”
“Why are boys so dumb?”
“Are they all dumb?”
Tee sat up partway, eyes flashing. “I believe so.”
Corinne had to laugh. “Oh, darling, they can be a frustrating lot, can’t they? Why didn’t you just go to the basketball game with your friends?”
Tee blew out a breath. “I was too mad. I had it all planned out.”
Corinne waited for her to go on.
“Brandon was coming over, I knew they’d want to go to the game, and I kept waiting and waiting for them to invite me. And they didn’t.”
“You could have invited yourself,” Corinne reminded her. “Or just gone along and then you could have gone off with your friends from school.”
“It wouldn’t have been the same.”
“The same as what you dreamed of?”
Tee flushed.
“If I say that Brandon’s a clueless lout, that might make you feel better. But sometimes the person we’re interested in just doesn’t see us the same way, at the same time.”
“The whole stupid ‘He’s So Not Into You’ stuff,” Tee declared. “So we wait?” Tee’s brows shot up at the futility of that. “I hate waiting.”
A trait from her father, absolutely. “Then don’t wait. Shrug it off until the timing is better, honey. Give yourself some space. I’d hate to see you waste junior high on crushes when there’s so much out there beyond boys. The romance thing will come, but I’d be okay if you gave it a little time. I think that would be the best thing to do, but not because I want to keep you a little kid. You only get one chance to be this age at this time. I’d like to see you enjoy it.”
“And when Brandon does notice me, I’ll ignore him completely and he’ll regret his inattention the rest of his days.”
“You’ve been reading Anne of Green Gables.”
Tee nodded. “Anne and I have a lot in common, it seems.”
“Oh, you do, darling.” Corinne leaned down and hugged her too-eager-to-grow-up daughter. “And Anne turned out just fine, didn’t she?” When Tee said yes, Corinne kissed her cheek. “And so will you. I’ll see you Sunday, okay?”
“Yes. And Mom?”
Corinne stood. “Mmm-hmm?”
“Will I always be nervous and weird around boys? Because I hate that.”
“No.” Corinne shoved her personal reaction to Gabe aside. “No, you will be confident and self-assured. Eventually. I promise.”
“Okay.” Her beautiful, spunky daughter sank back down into the pillow. “G’night.”
“Good night, darling.”
Corinne closed the door softly. Regret pinged from within. She’d been foolish to let the nice weather get away from her, and more so to not take time with Tee. She’d do better next year, mostly because she really couldn’t do worse.
* * *
Corinne.
Gabe shaved quickly the next morning, then called next door. “Hey.” He tried to sound casual when Corinne answered her phone, even though he felt anything but casual when thinking about her. “If we’re having supper together tonight, it’s silly to take two cars to the festival. How about we ride together?”
“What an absolutely sensible idea!”
Her teasing tone made him grin. “Can you be ready to leave in fifteen minutes?”
“I’m kidless so I’m ready now,” she told him. “I’ll walk over and see your mom and the baby for a few minutes.”
“Perfect.” He hadn’t thought anything would seem perfect again, but opening up to Corinne had dulled his shadowed thoughts. She believed in him. Now if he could just learn to believe in himself. “See you shortly.”
“I’m on my way.”
He finished getting ready, rued another weekend gone without putting his boat up for the winter and hurried downstairs.
He paused, midstep.
Corinne was holding Jessie. Her soft blond hair shone beneath the overhead kitchen light, and the baby’s pale skin made a contrast against Corinne’s forest green turtleneck. The snug sweater and the infant’s curve created a living portrait of motherhood.
She’d said she hated for this time in her life to be over. She’d rued that plans had changed without her consent, years before.
The image of mother and child ramped up his heart. Maybe it didn’t have to be over, for either of them.
She turned just then, spotted him and smiled. “This baby is intoxicating. I could snuggle her all day.”
“She gets under your skin, that’s for sure.” He finished coming down the stairs and kissed the baby. “I’m pretty sure she flirts with me.”
At that very moment, Jess peeked up at him and flashed a coy smile.
Corinne laughed. “She does! Oh, you sweet thing!” She nuzzled the baby’s neck, making her laugh out loud, then handed her over to Gabe’s mother. “Take her, Linda. Otherwise I’ll stay right here where it’s warm and cozy, just to get some baby time.”
“I’ve got her.” Linda shooed them toward the door. “Go make money for a good cause, and I’ll see you after your date tonight.”
“It’s not a date,” Corinne assured her.
Gabe grabbed his leather bomber jacket and gloves. “Thanks, Mom. Call me if you need me. And now that I’ve heard from the family court lawyer, I’ll call Adrianna’s parents. Might as well get things out in the open.”
“Then I’m staying on hand,” Linda declared, “just in case they make the drive over here. When they get their minds set on the right or wrong of anything, they dig their heels in. My sister has never seen a shade of gray she liked,” she added to Corinne. “She lives in a world of absolutes, and that can make a hard climate for raising children.”
“See you tonight.” Gabe kissed his mother, then the baby as Corinne went out the door. He shut the door firmly, made sure it was locked and climbed into the warming SUV.
“You heard back from the lawyer?”
He answered as he backed the car out onto the quiet road. “He sent me an email after examining the paperwork. He says Adrianna did all the right things. There is no father of record, and she acted responsibly in the best interests of her child. The fact that she revoked her parents’ rights to custody in writing weighs against them, but I’
m hoping they don’t have to know she did that. There’s been enough damage done already, from both sides. They kicked her out, knowing she was giving the baby up for adoption. I don’t want to add more emotional injury to anyone’s plate.”
“Then why the concern that they might react badly to this? If they turned their backs on her, why would they do a quick turnaround?” Corinne wondered.
“Because it’s me,” he admitted. “My aunt has always been competitive. If my mother does something well, Aunt Maureen has to do it better. My mother raised me on her own, under a cloud of family backlash. In their minds, I turned out okay while both of Maureen’s daughters have had successive problems. She’s not going to like that Adrianna picked me because that means my mother did the better job of parenting. Stupid, right?”
“That’s a competition with no winners, and too many losers,” Corinne answered softly. “My mom was like that. I think that’s why I bonded so well with Pete and Kate. They’re so normal. They’re strong but simple. And they’re never in your face about things. I love them, and when I’m faced with a dilemma, I never think, ‘What would my mother do?’ I think, ‘What would Kate do?’ So I understand perfectly.”
“Is your mother living?” He’d never heard her talk about family except the Gallaghers. There was so much he didn’t know about her, but not nearly as much as he longed to know.
“No.” She lifted her travel mug to sip her coffee, then didn’t. “She died eight years ago. My grandparents raised me off and on. When she was sober, she’d take custody back. When she fell off the wagon, she’d let me live with them. I like that Adrianna has made a very tough decision by making this a clean break. She’s put this baby first. My mother could never bring herself to do that, and it made for a wild ride when I was with her.”
“I’m sorry, Corinne.” He was, too. He’d gone into parenthood thinking it was a breeze when Grace was born. Life and experience had schooled him into a different reality. “But I’m glad you took the negatives and turned them into positives. It takes a lot of strength to do that, and you’re amazing with those kids.”
“Faith,” she said softly. “My faith in God has been my solid ground. I’d have crashed and burned without that, Gabe.”
He understood that, too. “It’s my rock and my fortress. I hear you. Although sometimes I wonder what God thinks when my name crosses his desk? Does he see the darkness? Or does he focus on the light?”
“Oh, Gabe.” She reached over and touched his cheek as he made the turn into a parking spot in the festival vendors area. “All he sees is the light of a good man who strives to be a better person, every day. He sees the pure light inside you, and I bet he wishes you could see it, too.”
And just for a moment, he could. Turning, looking into her eyes, seeing her pretty countenance, the look of trust...
In that instant he saw himself like she did, and it felt wonderful.
Chapter Twelve
She could do this, Corinne realized as they finished a quiet—and yes, romantic—dinner that night. With Gabe, she felt able to let her guard down. Maybe even to let go and let God rule the day, and cast her safety-first pledge aside.
The festival was over. The vendors had done well even with the shuttle buses running folks into the village. When she and Gabe had left to go to dinner, most of the vendors were loading excess goods into vans and trucks while wearing smiles of success.
That was good, but sitting here, having dinner with Gabe, laughing about funny incidents through the day...
This was wonderful and normal and she was pretty sure she’d be downright foolish not to grab hold of this man and then keep him, like say...forever?
The waiter brought their desserts in a to-go bag. Corinne shrugged into her coat as Gabe held it out. Then he tugged the sides together for her.
Her heart opened more, and she hadn’t thought that possible. She held his gaze and covered one of his hands with her free one. “This was marvelous, Gabe.”
He smiled down at her, his hands clutching the twin lapels of her coat. “Yeah?” His gaze dropped to her lips, and his smile grew. “I’m in total agreement.” He moved closer.
Then he paused, winked and handed her the take-out bag of tiramisu. “Let’s go check out that baby. I must be going soft on her because when I’m not there, I can’t get her out of my mind. Even with my mother there.”
“You’re not going crazy overprotective, are you?”
He began to shake his head, then frowned slightly. “Possibly. But I’m working on it. I promise.”
“Good.” He reached around her to open the car door for her, then didn’t. He paused instead.
Chill air surrounded them. The leaves had long since drifted from the trees, but twinkle lights took their place, marking the change of seasons and a month of holiday festivities.
He lowered his gaze again, and this time he didn’t wait. Didn’t hesitate. Didn’t tease.
This time he gathered her in and took his own sweet time kissing her. A kiss that offered love and support with no words needed. A kiss that spoke to promises and pledges and so much more. And when he drew back, he laid his forehead against hers and whispered, “My lips like getting to know yours. They’re so happy right now. Thank you for making them happy, Corinne.”
She laughed and ducked her head against the smooth leather of his rugged jacket. It felt good to laugh in this man’s arms, to be sheltered in his strong embrace, and when he kissed her again, Corinne was sure of one thing. She’d fallen head over heels for Gabe Cutler, and she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life showing him that. And she was pretty sure he felt exactly the same way. She let herself get lost in the moment, because in Gabe’s arms, she knew anything was possible, and Corinne hadn’t felt that way in a long time.
* * *
A wonderful evening, full of possibilities of a new today and a better tomorrow.
He’d kissed his beautiful neighbor. He’d taken his own sweet time kissing Corinne, and she’d kissed him back. He felt wonderful. Marvelous. Delightfully invigorated with new possibilities opening before him.
Corinne hit a Christmas music station on the radio as he pulled out onto the road. When she began to change it, he reached out a hand to stop her. “It’s okay. I don’t mind so much.”
She slanted a smile his way, and the rusty hinges on his heart crept open wider. Her expression held hope and promise and affection. His courting skills were as rusty as his heart, but Gabe wasn’t afraid to brush up on his skills with Corinne for however long it might take.
He’d been in love once, a long time ago.
Now he was falling in love again. He wanted everything right for her, and he was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.
His tires hit a patch of black ice.
The car skidded sideways, then recovered. He gripped the wheel tightly, watching ahead for more rogue patches. Damp days and quick-chilling nights left drivers susceptible to ice slicks on country roads. Just as he thought that, the car ahead of them spun out of control.
The lights careened in a full circle, slid left, then right, then shot off the road, into a copse of tall, broad evergreens.
“Gabe!” Corinne’s hand went to her mouth. She grabbed for her phone instantly and hit 9-1-1. She was offering direction and location before he’d come to a full stop on the icy shoulder of the four-lane road.
“Don’t stay in the car,” he warned as he jumped out. “Just in case someone else spins out. And have Grant call out salt trucks ASAP.”
Emily’s husband Grant was the highway superintendent for Grace Haven. “I will.” She climbed out of her side of the car as she made the call to her brother-in-law’s cell phone.
Gabe rushed to the most accessible door of the damaged car, but the sedan was wedged between the trunks of two trees. Branches
blocked his way and his vision. He’d grabbed his flashlight from the backseat, and wished it was the high-intensity model tacked to his service weapon. Still, it was better than nothing. He pulled branches back, but couldn’t make progress on the door and hold the wide, draping spruce boughs at bay.
“I’ve got these.” Corinne pulled the branches back, leaving him a clearer view. “I’ll hold, you figure out how we can help them.”
His light noted two passengers and a car seat.
His heart shoved up, into his throat. He pounded on the glass of the front door.
The air bags had deployed.
He detected movement on the far side. The driver was slumped, and the angle of the door’s damage didn’t allow Gabe access. He moved to the other side of the car.
Cars streamed by. A couple of them stopped. And in the distance, he heard the welcome sound of sirens. Backup was approaching.
The woman in the passenger’s seat reached over and unlocked the door.
He pulled her door open. She struggled toward him, crying and gesturing. “My husband. He’s not talking. He’s not talking to me. Help him!”
“We will.” Gabe guided her out. A man from a stopped car took Corinne’s place at the branches, tugging them away from the vehicle.
Corinne circled the car and took the woman’s arm. “Let’s have a look, okay?”
The woman pushed away. “We have to get my husband out. I smell gas!”
Gabe smelled it, too. He reached in the passenger side, shut the engine down and hoped it was enough to prevent a fiery explosion.
“Can you get him out? Please, you have to help him!” Her tone begged and her face pleaded, and Gabe knew exactly how she felt. He knew it too well.
“Is the baby with you?” Gabe asked.
The woman squinted hard. “I don’t think so.” She gripped her head. “My head hurts. It hurts so much.” Pain contorted her features as she tried to answer his question. “No, she’s with my mother. We were having a date night. Oh, no...” she wailed, as if re-realizing her husband’s state while Gabe searched the man’s neck for a pulse. When he felt the soft beat beneath the pads of two fingers, he sighed in relief.
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