“So tell me about Elena’s mother. Kelly, you said?”
Where to start. “She’s beautiful. Amazing. And you can tell what a good mom she is by watching her daughter.”
Dad chuckled. “So it wasn’t my imagination. There’s something going on then? Already?”
And that was the problem. He’d known Kelly not much longer than a month, even though his mind and heart had agreed weeks ago that she was what they’d been waiting for. “You think it’s too soon?”
“I don’t know. Is it?”
He glanced into his dad’s dark eyes. “I’m not sure I trust myself after Maria.”
“Are they anything alike?”
Ian’s head was shaking before his dad’s question was complete. “Not in any way that counts.”
“Son, if you were on the rebound, I’d be concerned. But you’ve made a life for yourself and Sophie. You’ve been content to raise her by yourself, if need be. I know you’ve avoided women who tried to get close to you since Maria’s death, though it didn’t seem there was a shortage of willing candidates.”
Ian winced. There had been plenty of opportunities, including the woman who’d sent him scurrying for Riverbend.
“But no one caught your eye. So, I repeat. What’s different with Kelly?”
“Those two little matchmakers started it.” Ian poked his chin toward Sophie and Elena. “Kelly is pretty self-contained. She was definitely not on a manhunt. Just the opposite.”
Dad chuckled. “So she presented a challenge. I hope there’s more to it than that, for your sake.”
“The biggest challenge is not letting those two push too hard and fast. They decided from the beginning that we were destined to be one big happy family. The girls share a birthday, you know. So they decided they’re twins.”
“Kids are a poor reason to get married. I guess that was sometimes a valid motive in pioneer days, but not now. You’ve done very well with Sophie on your own.”
Kids might be a poor reason not to get married, too. “Having your support made a big difference, but you’re right. Kelly had to drop out of college when she got pregnant. I respect her for taking classes online while caring for a baby and working retail, but she wasn’t able to complete her degree. She got a much better job with the town two years ago, but she still needs to live frugally. And she does.”
“Sounds like your mother and I need to meet this paragon of virtue.”
“That would make her laugh. She’s not perfect, Dad.” Though at this instant it was hard to remember in what way she might fail that test. “You guys are coming to Riverbend for Sophie’s birthday, right?”
“Your mother wouldn’t miss it for the world. Especially if it means meeting the woman who stole our son’s heart.”
~*~
“We went to the zoo today and there were lions and giraffes and, Mommy, you should have seen the hippopotamus! His mouth is sooo big!”
Kelly clutched her cell phone Saturday evening. When had Elena stopped saying hippotamus? It had been so cute. Her little girl was growing up and experiencing things without her. Things like the zoo, and lots of time with Ian.
“Did you have fun with Sophie and Mr. Ian?” Kelly’s own Saturday had been far from entertaining. Even though Good Friday was in the rearview mirror, many of the services needed to prepare a funeral would remain closed all weekend in a town this size.
“I did! And Sophie has her very own bunk bed at her grandparents’ house. I slept on the top, and I didn’t even fall out.”
Kelly’s throat closed. “Is Sophie’s grandma nice?” Maybe she was really asking what Ian’s mom thought of him bringing home a stray. What had he told his parents about her and Elena?
“She is a nice grandma. She came to the zoo, and so did her grandpa. Then we went to Pete’s Drive In and had a milkshake. Mr. Ian got me a whole chocolate shake all to myself!”
The zoo and a milkshake sounded better than spending the day with her mom, who alternated between guilting Kelly and crying on the phone with her sister. These few minutes hiding in Lorraine’s basement talking to her daughter were the brightest part of the day.
“Mr. Ian wants to talk to you, Mommy.”
Maybe the day had brightened even more. Kelly heard distant voices then the Calgary phone clattered to the floor. “Sorry,” said Elena.
Ian’s deep, rich voice came on the line. “Kelly?”
She leaned back against her pillows. “Hi.”
“I sure missed you today. It was strange showing Elena all our favorite places when I really wanted to be in Castlebrook with you. To be there for you.”
If only he had been. “Elena elsewhere and having a good time makes all the difference.” Maybe not all, but a lot.
“My pleasure. You doing okay? When will the funeral be?”
About that. “It will be next Friday. I’m sorry, Ian. I tried to get Mom to pick Thursday instead, but with this being a holiday weekend, we couldn’t get all the arrangements made. When out-of-town family insisted on Friday, my mother agreed.”
“It takes time to arrange everything. Would you... would you like me to come with you, or will being surrounded by your family be best?”
“Ian...” She choked on his name. How could she say the words she wanted to? Tears flowed down her cheeks.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Cry if you need to.” He paused for a moment then his voice cracked. “I wish I were there to hold you. I hate that you have to go through this alone.”
She clutched the phone even tighter. “I wish you were here, too.”
“Kelly, I’m putting on my town hat for a minute. Do you need this week off work? You’ve got two days bereavement leave coming to you.”
“Just Friday,” she whispered. “My aunt will be here Tuesday from Toronto, and she and my mother can handle things all week.”
“Okay. Do you want Elena to come to the funeral?”
“I don’t think so. I know some will say she’s old enough, but I don’t think it’s necessary.” Her voice broke again. “I don’t know how to do this, Ian.”
“I’ll arrange for someone to meet the girls after school and take them to either your place or mine. And — unless you really don’t want me — I’m coming with you. Giving you a ride and being there for you.”
Meeting all her relatives. Maybe that was okay. Ian was a keeper.
Chapter 13
“How are you doing?” Ian asked Kelly in a low voice. She seemed to be flagging after the funeral, the graveside service, and now a lengthy luncheon at the church her grandmother had attended.
She cast him a wan smile and squeezed his hand. The thrill that gave him wasn’t lessened by the number of times it had happened that day.
“We can leave anytime,” she whispered. “I just need to say goodbye to my mom.”
He was a fan of leaving the chilly church basement and getting Kelly to himself. Feeling a wee mite daring, he put his hands on either side of her waist and steered her between groups of chairs to where Roberta Bryant and her siblings sat together.
Kelly bent closer to her mother, and Ian feasted his eyes on his beloved, also not for the first time. She looked incredible in a calf-length black dress and a string of pearls she’d said her grandfather had given her for her sixteenth birthday. With blond hair swept into an up do and a bit more makeup than she normally wore, she looked older than the twenty-six he knew she was. While he was honored to escort this version of Kelly Bryant, he preferred the woman in faded jeans and a fitted T-shirt. The woman who was casual, rode a bicycle, fixed tea, and tickled little girls. Thank the Lord they’d had time for all those things this past week.
Roberta’s gaze flicked to Ian, and she rose, stretching out both hands. “Thank you for bringing Kelly. It was wonderful to get to know you a little, even at such a sad occasion.”
Clasping her hands meant letting go of Kelly. He could probably stand that for a few seconds if it would charm her mother. “My pleasure. Your daughter is a lovely
woman, and I’m honored to accompany her.” He’d heard a bit of whispered speculation throughout the day from various relatives. A thumbs-up directed to Kelly from one of her female cousins had caused a grin he’d needed to swallow.
Roberta smiled and air-kissed both his cheeks. “I’ll be back in Riverbend next week, and we’ll get to know each other better then.”
“I look forward to it.” Maybe his first impression had been uncharitable. He’d give Kelly’s mom the benefit of the doubt. After all, her mother had just passed away. “You’ll be back before the girls’ birthdays?”
“I wouldn’t miss Elena’s seventh for anything.”
“And my parents are coming from Calgary for Sophie’s. I’m sure we’ll all see plenty of each other then.”
Roberta searched his face then glanced at Kelly, whose baby finger had already snagged his. “That sounds good.”
She didn’t sound completely convinced, but he could hardly blame her. She’d been so busy with her own mother in the past month it was not shocking she hadn’t been able to keep up with his relationship with her daughter. He could barely keep up, even with the two-week gap. He knew his parents would love Kelly but, in some ways, it was more important that Roberta find room for Sophie and him in her heart. After all, she lived in Riverbend, not far from Kelly’s place.
“Kelly and I are headed out now,” he told Roberta. “See you soon.” He nodded around the small circle of Kelly’s aunts and uncles. “Nice meeting you.”
“Drive safely and give my munchkin a kiss for me.”
Kelly leaned over and brushed her lips on her mom’s cheek. “Will do.” She waved at the others then tugged Ian away. “Whew,” she whispered when they were out of earshot. “Let’s get out of here.”
Ian was happy to oblige. Happier still that her finger remained tangled with his as they wended their way to the exit. Once outside, he slipped his arm around her waist.
Kelly turned to face him within the curve of his embrace, giving him the opportunity to lock both hands behind her back. He gazed down into her blue eyes, choking up at their intensity. “You’re amazing.”
A smile creased her cheeks. “You are more.”
Ian grinned but shook his head. “Impossible.” He pulled her closer, and she didn’t resist, but laid her cheek against his shirt. Then her arms slid around him beneath his suit jacket.
This. He wanted it, every single day for the rest of his life. He knew it with blinding certainty. He rested his cheek against the top of her head, but prickly pins from her bun stabbed his face. “Allow me?” he whispered, lifting his hands.
She chuckled. “Go for it. I’m all done being formal.”
Ian released her hair and tucked the pins in his suit pocket before wrapping her tight once more. This time the waves of her hair lay soft beneath his cheek. Much better. “I think this is where you belong,” he whispered. Amazing as it was to hold this gorgeous woman, it was equally amazing to do so without two pint-sized matchmakers high-fiving each other around the corner. He couldn’t help chuckling.
“What’s so funny?” she murmured against him.
He caressed her back and dropped a kiss to her hair. “The girls would have a heyday with this.”
Kelly tipped her head back to look at him with dancing eyes. “They would. It didn’t take them long to get back in stride, so it’s a good thing they’re not here.”
He bent toward her slowly, giving her plenty of time to send signals. The only ones he needed were her languid-lidded eyes and parted lips. He covered her mouth with his, gently, and tightened his arms around her. If only he didn’t ever have to release her again. Of course, a church parking lot might not be the best place to hold her forever. But he could certainly think of a worse place to start.
~*~
Ian glanced over at her from the driver’s seat of his Jeep. “Want to talk about the girls’ birthday?”
This was a place Kelly’s misgivings had found a resting place before. “We can talk,” she replied cautiously.
His fingers twined around hers against her thigh. “Will you allow me to do something special for both of them together?”
She swallowed, staring down at their hands. What should she say? She hated being dependent on anyone. It had taken her years to create an income she and Elena could live within. But Ian... well, didn’t he change everything? Yes! But was she sure? “What do you have in mind?”
“You suggested the hobby farm. I looked it up, and it seemed reasonable. I think they’d both enjoy it.” He glanced her way then back at the highway. “They have a package deal for up to fifteen kids. Is that enough? We can add a few more, up to twenty total.”
“Ian... I don’t know.” She pulled her hand free and tucked her hair behind her ears.
“Why not?” His jaw tensed, but he didn’t look at her.
“I don’t know how to give up control,” she whispered. He probably knew a bit about that himself.
Ian snapped on the turn signal then swerved into a roadside pullout. He put the Jeep in Park before giving her his full attention. “You’ve carried a heavy burden by yourself for years.”
She bit her lip. “So have you.”
“But I was able to finish college before Sophie was born.” He ran his fingers through her waves of hair. “I want to make it up to you.”
“I-I don’t understand.”
“Okay, that was a bad choice of words. I know I can’t undo your past, or mine either.” His fingers found her chin, turning her face toward him. “All I can offer you is a future filled with love and respect.”
What did he mean by that? She lifted her eyes and saw his rueful grin.
“I’m bungling this. For right now, I’d be honored if you’d allow me to bless you and Elena with a birthday party.” His brown eyes darkened as his fingers fanned across her cheek. “There’s more I want to say — much more — but this isn’t quite the moment.”
She swallowed hard, unable to tear her gaze from his.
“Soon.” His eyes promised her the world as he undid his seatbelt and leaned closer, kissing her thoroughly across the console. Time held still, the promise in his words demonstrated in his caress.
Kelly was safe with Ian. Her heart was safe in his hands. “Okay,” she whispered when he gave her a chance to breathe.
“Okay what?”
She grinned. “You’ve forgotten your question?”
“Straight out of my head.”
“The birthday party.”
“Oh, right.” Ian’s gaze held hers as surely as did his hands. “I’ll take care of everything. Thank you.”
She trailed her fingertips across his face. “No, thank you.”
He caught a ragged breath then touched her lips with his again with a slight groan. “I think we’d better head home.”
“You’re probably right.” All those promises. There’d be time to bring them to pass. She’d been self-contained and patient for the better part of eight years. She could manage a little longer.
~*~
Ian set the Jeep back on the road to Riverbend. He’d come so close to asking her to marry him. She had to know those words had nearly spilled out. But that wasn’t a question to blurt out without careful planning, without the perfect ambience. Even so, he could barely think of anything else to talk about, and they still had an hour to drive.
He glanced her way for the millionth time, memorizing her features, imprinting them on his mind. “I don’t think I ever asked you what you were taking in college.”
Kelly gave a half-hearted chuckle. “I wanted to be a teacher.”
“You’d be good at it. What grades?”
“Lower. K through four. Before they get as much attitude and lip as older kids.” She shrugged. “Public Works is good to me, though. Decent pay and benefits.”
Ian couldn’t keep his fingers away from hers, but gave them a squeeze. “Would you go back to college?”
She laughed. “In a perfect world.”
&nb
sp; Maybe he could make her world perfect.
“I’m okay with reality,” she went on. “It looks a lot better than it did for a few years.”
“You’re welcome.”
Kelly gave him a startled glance. “I didn’t mean—”
“I know.” He couldn’t help laughing as his thumb caressed her palm. “Teasing you. But I hope it’s at least a little bit true, even so.”
She met his gaze for a second then shook her head and grinned. “Yes, you’ve helped make my life better, too. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“Only if it’s true.” Oh, she was distracting, this one. It was hard to keep enough attention on the road.
“It’s true.”
“Kelly—”
She put her finger on his lips. “Don’t. Today’s not the day, remember?”
He caressed her finger with his lips for a few seconds before she removed her hand. This might not be the right day, but it had better be soon. He needed her in his life every day, to wake up beside her and pamper her like a princess.
Chapter 14
Kelly couldn’t take her eyes off her daughter as Elena spun in a slow circle at Holiday’s Hobby Farm. Elena clutched Sophie’s arm. “Look! Baby chicks!”
Sophie grabbed her back. “Horses! Are we going riding, Daddy?”
“Good choice of venue,” Mom said to Ian as he nodded at Sophie.
He smirked at Kelly. “This is right up their alley.”
Kelly held up both hands and laughed. “You were right. Of course you were.” He also knew why she’d resisted... and why she’d relented.
Sophie’s grandparents were here, too. They’d come for the weekend to celebrate both girls’ birthdays. Ian’s mom, Joyce, had been none-too-subtle in making sure Kelly knew Elena’s joy in her day was just as important as Sophie’s. Kelly had felt welcomed within minutes of meeting both of them. Now her mom and Joyce were thick as flies as they herded a dozen first graders toward the hay-filled wagon that would give them a tour of the farm before the horseback riding.
Pinky Promise (Riverbend Romance 2) Page 8