Coming Home (Crystal Lake Series Book 3)
Page 14
Big news traveled fast in a small town. “Yes, but I’m okay.”
“Hey, Doc, don’t you think Merry should get another X-ray of her collarbone, just to be sure she didn’t injure it further?” Zack asked.
Gabe nodded. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
She tried not to roll her eyes. “But my collarbone doesn’t hurt that bad,” she pointed out.
“But you don’t want the bone to heal crooked, either,” Zack argued.
“He’s right, Merry,” Gabe said. “Dr. Katy is on today. She’d sneak you in for a quick X-ray, no problem. You’d be in and out in a matter of minutes.”
Since it was three against one, she gave up. “Okay, I’ll go in and have another X-ray, but it will only prove that I’m fine.”
“Good. We’ll go there first, and then we can stop in at Rose’s Café for lunch.”
“Three days in a row?” she joked. “You’re a brave man, Zack Crain.”
“I can take the heat,” he joked back. “Besides, we didn’t eat much for dinner last night and I’m still hungry.”
Her smile dimmed a bit as she remembered why they hadn’t eaten their leftovers. Not just because of Blake, but because Zack had kissed her.
And she’d kissed him back.
But he couldn’t give her what she wanted, a relationship with a future.
“Up!” Kayla demanded, holding her arms out to Zack.
He stared at the little girl in surprise, but then reached down to pick her up, holding her in the crook of his arm.
“You should feel honored,” Larissa said. “Kayla is normally afraid of strangers.”
Little Kayla rested her head against Zack’s shoulder, and Merry couldn’t help but think about what a great father he must have been to Amelia.
And what a great husband and father he could be again if he allowed himself to fall in love.
____________
Stopping off at the hospital for an X-ray didn’t take long, although Merry quickly discovered that Devon Armbruster was still a patient up on the same neuro floor she’d been on.
“Do you think we should go up to visit him?” she asked Zack.
“Maybe we should wait for a while. I think his concussion was worse than yours. Besides, Blake might be on the same floor. He’s under guard, so you wouldn’t be able to visit him.”
Merry nodded, thinking about how terrible she’d felt during the first twenty-four hours of her brief hospital stay. “Your right, I’ll have plenty of time to stop in to see him tomorrow or the next day. And I have no plans to visit Blake. I’m hoping at some point he’ll forget all about me.”
Zack frowned but didn’t say anything as they walked back out to his truck.
When he headed toward Main Street, she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Could we pick up something and eat at home?” she asked. “I’m just not up for all the questions about last night.”
“Sure, what would you like? Sub sandwiches? Or a pizza?”
“Let’s get a pizza.” She could almost smell the tangy sauce and the melted cheese and her stomach rumbled with anticipation. “I haven’t had one in ages.”
“Sounds good.”
Zack pulled up in front of the pizza joint in town and picked up a ready-made pizza. She held it on her lap, trying not to drool as he drove back to the townhouse.
He took the pizza from her hands and carried it inside, holding it high enough that Ace couldn’t get to it. “Down boy,” he said.
Ace dropped to his feet and she remembered how well the dog had listened to her last night. “Good boy,” she said, giving him a good rub.
She let Ace outside and brought out paper plates and napkins so they could enjoy their meal on the patio in front of the lake. Zack put the umbrella up for shade, and then sat down next to her and bowed his head.
“Dear Lord, thank you for this beautiful day and for the food we’re about to eat,” Zack said. “Please heal Blake Caruthers and bring him the peace he deserves. Please help Merry and Devon Armbruster heal from their injuries, Amen.”
“And please watch over Zack when he returns to work,” Merry added. She was touched by the way Zack prayed for Blake, the same way she had last night. “Thank you, Zack.”
He reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze. “Thank you for taking me to church with you. I really enjoyed it.”
She wanted to ask more but he released her to take a big bite of his pizza so she helped herself to a piece too. “Mmm, pepperoni, my favorite.”
“Mine, too,” Zack said between bites.
Being with Zack was wonderful and she wished the day would last forever. When they’d finished the pizza, managing to eat every slice, she sat back in her seat gazing out at the lake as Zack threw the garbage away.
“It’s a great day for a boat ride,” she murmured.
“We’ll go in a little while, once our stomachs have had a chance to settle,” Zack said, sitting beside her.
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have eaten so much,” she said.
He grinned. “You managed to eat your fair share.”
She laughed softly, knowing he was right. “Zack, I feel bad you didn’t get to enjoy a full weekend off work.”
He looked surprised. “What do you mean? This was a great weekend for me. You’re the one who didn’t get to enjoy it very much. I got to swim, ride the boat, play softball and spend time with you.”
Her heart stuttered and she took a deep breath, knowing he didn’t mean that the way it sounded. “I had a great weekend, too. I’m just sorry about everything that happened with Blake.”
“You can’t hold yourself responsible for what happened,” he said gently. “Blake was a sick man who did this on his own. I’m glad he’s been arrested and that he won’t hurt you again.”
“Do you really think he killed that other man, Reynolds?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Me too,” she confessed. “And as terrible as it sounds, I’m glad he’ll either be in prison or in a psych hospital for a long time.”
“It’s not terrible at all, I feel the same way.” Zack paused. “Merry, I’d really like to see you again. After this weekend, I mean.”
She tried not to let her shock show on her face. “Really?”
Zack nodded. He turned in his seat so he was facing her. “Today in church, I realized that you were right about everything. God never turned away from me. But after losing Suz and Amelia, I couldn’t seem to find my way back to the church and my faith. Until now.”
Her heart swelled with hope. “Oh Zack, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.”
“Merry, I care about you. But I need to know, do you have feelings for Devon Armbruster?”
This time she couldn’t prevent her jaw from dropping open. “What? Why on earth would you think that?”
“The thought of you dating other men makes me feel sick,” Zack mumbled. “You seemed so worried about him, I just thought maybe…”
“Of course I was worried about him. Blake almost killed him!” She couldn’t believe what Zack had thought and, for a moment, she wasn’t sure if she should trust him with her heart.
But then she realized she’d already given Zack her heart. She just hadn’t told him that, yet. “I don’t have any interest in dating anyone other than you. Don’t you know that I’ve liked you since we first met at Julie and Derek’s wedding? I knew you were hurting so I didn’t let my true feelings show.”
“I thought about you, too, Merry. More than I had any right to. And I’m relieved to know that you’re not harboring secret feelings for Deputy Armbruster, and hopefully not for anyone else, either.”
“Anyone else?” she echoed. “You act as if I’ve been dating men all over town.”
He scowled. “You might not realize it, but there are a lot of men around here who are secretly dying to go out with you. But please don’t. I know I’m asking a lot because I still live in Madison, and it won’t be easy to mesh our schedules,
but I’m asking you to give me a chance. Give us a chance.”
Tears burned her eyes as she struggled to smile. “Zack, I’m not interested in seeing anyone but you.”
“Really?” He looked so happy and surprised she couldn’t stop herself from baring her soul.
“Zack, I don’t want to rush you, and please know that you can take all the time you need. But I’m already in love with you.”
His mouth dropped open and she hoped she hadn’t said too much too soon. But then suddenly he was standing and drawing her to her feet. “Merry, sweetheart, I don’t deserve you,” he murmured before lowering his mouth to kiss her.
This time, pulling away wasn’t even on the radar screen. She gave herself up to his kiss, trying to show him with actions how much she loved him.
And there was a tiny thrill when he pulled her closer, showing her how much he cared, too.
After what seemed like an eternity, Zack lifted his head, breathing heavily. She snuggled into his embrace, unwilling to let him go.
“Merry, I’m not sure I deserve your love, but I know that you deserve mine,” he whispered. “You told me that love was God’s greatest gift and I know that’s true. I love you, too.”
“I know.” She lifted her head and gazed up at him. “We have plenty of time, Zack. There’s no rush. We’ll be together as often as possible and give our love time to nourish and grow.”
He smiled and gave her another quick kiss. Ace butted his head between them, making sure that they hadn’t forgotten about him.
Maybe one day, she and Zack would have a dog of their own. And a family.
But for now, she was content to wait.
Epilogue
Zack stood at the front of the church, tugging on the necktie of his tux, more nervous than he cared to admit. Derek, his best man, put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”
“I know.” Zack wasn’t worried about getting married to Merry. He was concerned that he’d somehow mess up the best thing that had happened to him in a long time. He’d spent every bit of free time he had with her, showing her how to train King, the black lab puppy he’d bought. They’d tried to take things slow, but within a month he’d applied for a job with the Hope County Sheriff’s Department, and once he secured the position, he’d moved back home.
And he’d proposed to Merry the night he’d accepted the job.
He loved her more than words could say, and he was ready to have a family with her.
The music swelled and the people packed in the church rose to their feet and turned to watch Merry walk down the aisle. His sister Julie came down first, the gentle swell of her abdomen showing her early pregnancy. Behind his sister came Derek’s daughter, Lexi, an old pro at being a flower girl.
And then, finally, the tightness in his chest eased when Merry came forward, escorted by Mr. Abe Caruthers, Blake’s father. Zack was thrilled she’d reunited with the Caruthers family and amazingly, none of them held everything that had happened with Blake against her. Especially once they heard he was being tried for murder.
Blake’s father kissed Merry on the cheek, and then handed her over to him. Zack took her hand and turned to face the pastor.
He was the luckiest man in the world to be given a second chance at love. And he silently vowed to be the husband and father Merry and their future children deserved.
THE END
Dear Reader,
I hope you’re enjoying my Crystal Lake Series. First let me say, that Ace is a real black lab belonging to my brother-in-law’s family and I enjoyed dog sitting for him while they were on vacation. Sometimes there is nothing like a pet to help break through the loneliness and that was one of the main reasons I decided to use Ace in my story.
I’m hard at work on the next book in my series which will be Dr. Katy Albrecht’s story. I’m hoping to have her story finished in the next few months so please keep an eye out for it.
Thanks to those of you who’ve written such wonderful reviews of my previous stories, Healing Her Heart and A Soldier’s Promise. I also love hearing from my readers and can be reached through my website at www.laurascottbooks.com.
Until the next book,
Yours in Faith,
Laura Scott
Other Books by Laura Scott
Crystal Lake Series (listed in order)
Healing Her Heart
A Soldier’s Promise
Coming Home
Worth The Wait
Christmas Reunion
Other Love Inspired Suspense Books
The Thanksgiving Target
Secret Agent Father
Lawman-in-Charge
Proof of Life
Identity Crisis*
Twin Peril*
Undercover Cowboy*
Her Mistletoe Protector*
Wrongly Accused (SWAT Series)
Down To The Wire (SWAT Series)
Under The Lawman’s Protection (SWAT Series)
*Stories with Linked Characters
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Dear Reader
Books by Laura Scott
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Dear Reader
Books by Laura Scott