A McKaslin Homecoming (The McKaslin Clan)

by Hart, Jillian

  After she hung up, she found that Caleb had already signaled for the check and, with wallet in hand, was counting out enough cash to cover things. She tucked the phone back into the purse. “We’re cutting your evening short, too. Are you disappointed?”

  “My plans are flexible and what could be more important than family?” He didn’t look upset at all.

  Her opinion of him soared. If it got any higher, she’d be able to float over the peaks of those tall mountains.

  He kept his hand on her elbow as they wound through the restaurant. She liked how he protected her from the bustle of the crowd at the front door. Once outside, they were blasted by the bright sun and baking August heat, but did she notice it?

  No. Not even the ground at her feet. The crowded parking lot and couples and families coming and going didn’t register. Everything faded into the background. Caleb meant so much to her, he was all she could see. He opened her door, helped her onto her seat and buckled her in. All it took was his smile and her soul calmed.

  This man could make her feel as if all was right in the world. No matter what was wrong, he’d do his best to fix it. She’d never trusted anyone so much. She knew he would keep her safe and protected and cherished. She didn’t need another date to know that.

  “We’ll be there in a jiffy.” He started the engine and put the truck in gear.

  Just like that, between one quiet moment and the next, in the middle of traffic, with the air conditioning blasting, she was not strong enough to hold back her heart. Like a blessing settling over her, moving through her, pure sweet love for Caleb filled her soul and she was forever changed.

  Danielle lived in a newer house with brick accents and arched windows on the wide part of a cul-de-sac. A lush, neatly trimmed lawn surrounded the house and flower baskets flanked the front door. Before Lauren could ring the bell, the door flew open and there was Tyler, wearing his plastic fireman’s hat, a wet T-shirt, denim shorts and his galoshes.

  “Aunt Laura! I put out lotza fires with my new hose!”

  Lauren spotted Danielle in the entryway and waved. “That’s great, Tyler. I get to come stay with you this evening. I don’t know anything about putting out fires. I was hoping you’d show me.”

  “Sure.” Tyler looked her up and down as if he were doubtful a girl was up to the job. “It’s hard, though.”

  “I’ll try my best. I don’t know if Caleb is interested in staying—”

  He filled the entryway behind her, solid and unyielding. “You bet I am. I never shirk my duty. If there’s a fire to put out, I’m here to help.”

  Tyler nodded, as if that made better sense to him. After all, Caleb was a lawman like Tyler’s dad. “I’ve got some hot spots to mop up,” he said. “C’mon back.”

  “Yes, sir, captain.” Caleb cupped his hand on Lauren’s shoulder and it was good to know he was going to stay. “I’ll keep him busy so you and Dani can talk.”

  Sweet affection filled her right up. Brimming over, she watched him go, the big man trailing after the little boy. They rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

  “Caleb is a lot like my Jonas.” Danielle’s voice sounded thin with pain. “A good man through and through. I think he’s sweet on you.”

  “I think so, too.”

  “The feeling is mutual, is it?” Danielle took her purse from the small side table and hooked it over her shoulder.

  Lauren nodded, feeling the truth all the way to her soul. She was definitely sweet on Caleb Stone. And that reminded her of Jonas. “I’ll keep your husband in prayer.”

  “Thank you. That means a lot.” Danielle’s eyes filled with tears that did not fall. “Madison is busy in the living room. I can see her from here. I left a note on the refrigerator with her routine and the rules, and all the emergency numbers, including my cell phone and anything else I could think of. I’ll check in later, in case I forgot something.”

  “I have a lot of years of babysitting under my belt. I can handle it. Don’t worry.” Not knowing what else to do, she put her arms around Danielle and was surprised by how tightly her stepsister held on to her, the need for comfort she must have. “Are you okay to drive? I could—”

  “I’m fine. I just need to know things are taken care of here, so I can be there one hundred percent for my husband.”

  “You can be.” Lauren released her and felt helpless. If only there was more she could do. “Drive safely and I’ll take good care of your children. I promise.”

  More tears filled Danielle’s eyes and she swallowed, nodded and hurried out the door.

  Lauren peered around the corner and there was Madison, holding a play cell phone to her ear, head cocked as if listening. “Bup! Bye-bye!” And hung up.

  What a sweetheart. The long row of living room windows looked over the deck and backyard. The leaves of the young trees gave a broken view of Tyler showing Caleb the best way to put out imaginary hot spots in his mother’s petunia bed.

  “Bip!” Madison held up the plastic phone with a cherub’s grin on her face. She posed, as if certain she were beyond adorable with her light brown curls, sapphire eyes and chubby pink cheeks. “Bip?”

  Melting, Lauren settled onto her knees. “Is someone calling for me?”

  “Yeh!”

  “I can tell you spend a lot of time with Aunt Ava, don’t you?”

  “Oop!” Madison held out her hands in a helpless pose, probably the cutest thing Lauren had ever seen. The little girl was dressed in pink overalls. Her white ruffled T-shirt was sprinkled with printed pink lambs. Perfect pink shoes with daisies on the toes completed the outfit.

  “Hello?” Lauren said into the phone and pretended to listen while Madison clapped her hands together in glee. “Oh, no, really? Madison, it’s for you.”

  The little toddler preened in delight and gladly took the phone. “Oh? No-gup-op.”

  Leaving Madison to her conversation, Lauren took a glance around the room. Toys were piled in the corner, comfortable and upscale furniture invited a person to sit right down and relax. The TV was off and books were piled on the side table next to the couch.

  Pictures were everywhere, in collages or single frames. Pictures of tiny baby Madison and baby Tyler, and wedding photos of a younger, joyful Danielle and a friendly looking, handsome man with dark hair and eyes. Their hands were joined, and their joy sparkled more brightly than the stunning diamond wedding ring Danielle wore. There were more posed and casual family snapshots all around the room, radiating happiness.

  Real love made all the difference. She kept an eye on the little girl babbling merrily away and walked over to the windows. There was Caleb, looking up at her. He’d taken off his jacket and tie, rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt and was waving at her.

  Dazzled? Yeah, absolutely. As if Caleb wasn’t perfect enough, he looked even more like her own personal dream come true next to the little boy. The big man was watching over the little guy and encouraging him and his fireman dreams.

  There was a hope she didn’t even know she had. Before Caleb, she’d never imagined there might be a man she could trust one hundred percent. But now that she’d met him, she knew she could trust him with everything precious and important. Not just her heart, but with her future, her dreams and more.

  It had to be a sweet life, she thought, living like this. She bowed her head in a heartfelt prayer for Danielle and her husband Jonas. For the man in those photos with the kind smile and obvious love for his family. He looked like a man who knew what was truly valuable in life. He deserved to get well so he could return home to his wife and children.

  When she was done praying, Lauren held out her hand to the cute toddler. “You want to go outside and see the boys?”

  Madison stared at her as if considering a grave request. She then brightened and placed her hand in Lauren’s. “Go gup!”

  That seemed to say it all, so they headed outside.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Caleb padded down the dim hallway o
f Danielle’s house, following the low, dulcet tones of Lauren’s voice. Once they’d convinced Madison to wind down and go to sleep, he’d put water on to boil for some herbal tea. Now the faintly spicy scent of apple cinnamon trailed behind him as he stopped just outside the open door to Tyler’s room.

  Seeing her there on the edge of Tyler’s twin bed, gilded by the touch of the bedside lamp, made him see the future. She sat with the book open in her hands and her head bent as she read to the little boy. What a sight. It made every tender feeling he had rise up from the quiet, honest places of his soul. Not even the star shine painting the slats of the window blinds was as grand as the emotion rising through him. Never before had he wanted so much. Never before had he seen his future in such a rare light.

  This is the start of the real thing, he realized, of real love. It was different from any other love he’d ever felt—vast, reverent, as strong as tempered steel. The pure, noble urge to protect her and take care of her, to make her happy and keep her safe left him weak in the knees. But his heart, it was strong, and its every beat deepened his love for her.

  “Okay.” She closed the book and slid it onto the night table. “That’s the end of the chapter.”

  “One more. Pleeease?” Tyler’s eyelids were heavy and he fought a yawn.

  “You’ve got two more chapters than your mom said in that note she left, so count yourself lucky. Okay, we’ve got your prayers said, so it’s off to sleep with you.”

  “Awl riiight.” Tyler’s resignation was swallowed up by a gigantic yawn.

  “Good night, sleep tight.” She tucked the covers to his chin and padded toward the door. She must have known he’d been there watching all along because she didn’t seem startled that he was standing in the shadows, watching her.

  She gave him a half smile and closed Tyler’s door. “He was already asleep before I walked two steps. We tired him out with all the fireman play in the backyard. Thanks for helping. You didn’t have to stay.”

  Like he could pry himself from her lovely presence. Not a chance. “It was fun. Besides, I’m not the kind of guy who takes off when things don’t go according to plan.”

  “I’ve noticed that about you.”

  Yeah? Well, how good was that. Content, he followed her into the glow of the kitchen lights where the tea was waiting for them on the table.

  “This is nice.” She smiled her approval.

  There went his heart again, swelling up with love for her. What was he going to do about that? He’d gotten a good view of her tonight, but was it wise to let his heart get ahead of things? Right now, she had a life in California. He’d made the mistake before of falling in love with a woman who had bigger-city dreams and, in the end, a different vision for her life.

  Lauren moved with that quiet grace he liked so well and eased onto one of the dining room chairs. “Whew. I’m worn out.”

  But she was smiling. “Me, too. Tonight I’m counting my blessings that I went into law enforcement instead of firefighting.”

  “Madison was the smart one, talking on the phone instead of being recruited into fire work.”

  “At least we can sleep in peace knowing Danielle’s back lawn and flowers are well watered. No need to turn on the automatic sprinklers with Tyler on the job.”

  Lauren upended the bear bottle of honey over the steaming mug in front of her. She’d had fun tonight. It hadn’t been easy to keep from imagining herself in this kind of life. When she did, the man she wanted in it was Caleb.

  This must be love I feel, she thought, afraid because she felt so vulnerable. She’d never trusted anyone this much. And admitting her feelings for him would take even more trust.

  She hoped she was up to that challenge. She handed over the bear bottle to Caleb, but before she could give her tea a good stir, the phone rang.

  “Must be Danielle.” She’d been expecting a check-in call, and stretched to reach the cordless phone on the breakfast bar. “Hello?”

  “You’re not Danielle.” A gruff man’s voice sounded very stern. “Who is this?”

  It took only one guess to figure out who the man could be. “Spence? This is Lauren.”

  Dead silence.

  Uh, oh. That can’t be good. Lauren watched Caleb straighten up. He arched one eyebrow in a silent question. It was strange that she knew just what he meant. She shook her head. No, she could handle Spence. “Danielle needed someone to watch the kids, she—”

  “She left them with you?” Spence growled. “She left a message on my phone to call her. What happened? Where is she?”

  Remember he’s the big brother, she told herself, willing the image into mind of how Tyler watched over little Madison with big-brother pride. That kind of devotion probably strengthened proportionally with time. “Jonas’s blood pressure suddenly dropped, and she wanted to be with him.”

  “I’m coming over—”

  “But the kids are asleep and I’m here with Caleb.”

  “Caleb’s there? Put him on.”

  Surely, there had to be something to like about this man. Lauren handed over the phone to Caleb, who looked half amused and half worried on the other side of the table. More than glad to let someone else deal with Spence, she took her teacup and got up to study more of the family pictures hung on the wall.

  Caleb continued to answer brief broken replies. “Yes”, “no,” “yep,” “all’s fine.” He seemed a little uncomfortable.

  She concentrated on the pictures. There were snapshots of vacations at Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons and Zion. On the wall by the pantry door were penned markings detailing Tyler’s height over the past five years and Madison’s much shorter ones. This house, like Gran’s house, was full of loving touches that quietly spoke of the sacrifice and rewards of loving well.

  “Yep, okay,” Caleb was saying. “Bye.” And immediately the phone rang again. “Hello? Hi, Aubrey. No, we haven’t heard. Lauren and I are here— Wait a minute. It’s call waiting. Hello? Hi Rebecca, I’ve got Aubrey on the other line—”

  The movie must have gotten out, she thought, or everyone remembered to turn back on their phones. The security system chimed a notice that the garage door was opening and sure enough, there was Danielle, closing and locking the door behind her.

  “Hi,” Danielle whispered, so her voice wouldn’t carry down the hallway. “The kids are in bed?”

  “Fast asleep. How’s your husband?”

  Danielle’s face crumpled. Tears filled her eyes. “He’s fine. They think it was only a reaction from a new medicine. No internal bleeding. No stroke. No blood clot. No crisis. He’s stable and he’s still coming home in a week.”

  Lauren thought of that kind man and how he’d looked in the wedding picture, proud and glad to be married to Danielle. “You must be so relieved.”

  “Yes. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him. He’s my everything.”

  She’d never understood what that meant, but she could see it in Danielle’s eyes, how she placed her hand over her heart as if she couldn’t hold in all her love for her husband. Lauren blinked away tears, too. “I’ve heard how you’ve stayed at Jonas’s side through all of this.”

  “How could I leave him? He should have died from his wounds—every doctor who’s seen him has said so—but he held on to life and I know why. For our life together, for our kids. How could I leave him to face the pain and fear he must be going through alone?”

  Now, that’s love. Lauren’s throat ached and she could only nod in understanding.

  Danielle swiped at her eyes. “Look at me, falling apart now that the crisis is over. Well, thank you for coming. All’s well, so if you want to head home—”

  “Not until I make sure you’re all right.” There was no way that Danielle looked all right. She had bruised shadows beneath her eyes as if she hadn’t slept a night through in a long, long time. She seemed suspended by her bones, by her hope and faith. She was a lovely woman, with a loving heart. She needed a little TLC. Lauren offered the only thin
g she could. “I can get you a cup of hot tea. Maybe something to eat? I’m a fair cook.”

  “No, you don’t have to—”

  “I want to. Why don’t you go check on the kids and I’ll have your tea ready when you get back. What’s your favorite comfort food?”

  “Grilled cheese.”

  “You got it.”

  By the time Lauren entered the kitchen, Caleb was still on the phone, with Dorrie this time. He rolled his eyes as he assured Lauren’s stepmother that all was well and that Danielle was home.

  “Jonas is fine,” Lauren said, so Caleb could relay the message. She found a small frying pan in one of the lower cabinets and then went in search of butter, cheese and bread. By the time she had the sandwich made and heating on the stove, the lock was turning in the front door. There was Spence, standing in the entryway, studying her with a hard frown.

  “Would you like a sandwich, too?” she asked.

  “No.” His frown softened the smallest amount. He closed the door and pocketed his ring of keys. “Dani’s okay?”

  “She said Jonas is fine now.”

  Relief carved into his hard face and the intensity of it was surprising, given his gruff exterior. Maybe she could understand why. She remembered the teenage boy in the photograph on the carriage house’s wall. Their mother had probably treated him the way she’d treated her. After awhile it was safer, it hurt less, to put up shields to keep everyone away.

  I don’t want to live that way any longer, Lord. She wanted a full life, to live with her heart in a way that mattered.

  The night was dark and a half moon hung low in a cloudy sky when the truck turned the final corner in Gran’s driveway. The main house and the shadowed carriage house came into view.

  In the passenger seat, Lauren struggled with the regret that not only was the date over, but so was her time here in Montana. She was leaving tomorrow afternoon. She hadn’t let herself think of it, but the truth loomed like the bleak sky overhead. She wasn’t sure what to say as Caleb pulled to a stop at the far side of the garage. As soon as she opened the truck door, silence stretched like a reverent hush. She would miss this quiet. This land. The people here. And, especially, Caleb.