by Candis Terry
“Some things never change.” Kelly turned the car into the hospital parking lot. “She’s still pretty fiery.”
“Yes. And you’re still the patient big sister.”
The air shifted within the car and when her mother spoke again it was right over her shoulder.
“I apologize for taking advantage of that, honey. I never meant to shut you out. Your sister was just a handful. And your brother, well, he wasn’t much easier. But that doesn’t mean your daddy and I didn’t love you just as much. Or that we didn’t get just as excited for you. We’re very proud of the woman you’ve become. And I know, on good authority, that the life you are about to live will be as wonderful as you’ve always wanted.”
“I appreciate that, Mom. But I know there are no guarantees. And I’ve long passed the fairy-tale stage of believing in happily-ever-afters.”
“Well that’s a bunch of crap.”
“It’s the truth.” Something flicked her ear. “Ouch. Did you do that?”
“Yes. Don’t you dare stop believing.” Her mother’s tone took on the same gruff quality she used when any of her kids got out of line. “Your daddy and I proved that we could do anything—we could make magic—as long as we did it together. Love is out there waiting for you. Don’t you dare give up on him. You grab hold of that happiness with both hands, and you’ll find that together there’s nothing you can’t do. You love him, don’t you?”
“Are you talking about James?” Kelly glanced into the rearview mirror to find her mother’s glow had turned hot pink. “You think he’s the one?”
“Don’t you?”
Kelly stopped the car and shifted around. The backseat was empty. Her mother had disappeared. And Kelly was left to answer the question all on her own.
Second stop on James’s list was Matt and Kate’s lakeside cabin. When no one answered the door, he jumped back in his truck. As he drove toward town, in his head he played over and over the rotten things he’d said to Kelly. He thought of what she’d said in response. And he thought of what his suddenly wise little brother had said. James didn’t know if he’d ever be enough for a woman like her, but if she’d give him the chance, he’d do his best to be the man she wanted him to be. He certainly planned to choose his words more carefully in the future.
On Main Street he drove toward the Sugar Shack. Hopeful, he pulled around to the alley but was disappointed when he discovered Matt’s company car and Kate’s minivan. Not the old Buick. He knocked on the back door to see if his friends knew where he could find her.
When the door opened, Matt stood there with a bemused look on his face. “You sure you want to come in here, buddy?”
James peeked over Matt’s shoulder. “Kelly in there?”
“Nope.”
“Kate?”
“Yep.”
“She loaded for bear?”
“She’s loaded for you.”
Shit.
Matt moved aside, and James stepped into the line of fire.
“Well, well. Look who’s here.” Kate dusted her hands on her pink apron and strolled toward him.
Judging by the look on her face, he wasn’t sure whether to move backward or run. Kate scared him more than Dean.
“How are you, James?” Kate patted his shoulder. “Broken any hearts lately?”
Obviously. “Do you know where your sister is?”
“Hmm.” She tapped her chin. “Let me think. She could be at my dad’s house. Or she could be at Dean’s.”
“I already went by there.”
“Or . . . she could have bought a one-way ticket back to Chicago. How much of a guessing game are you willing to play?”
Since he was the one usually doing the razzing, he knew the time had come for him to get a taste of his own medicine. But when his entire future was at stake, he wasn’t much in the mood to accommodate. “I take your sister very seriously, Kate. So joke all you want, but I’d really like to find her.”
“Why?” Kate folded her arms and studied his face intently. “Because you love her?”
“Yeah. I do. And now I’ve told you and Dean, so I’d really like to find Kelly and tell her.”
“Check Mercy.”
“The hospital?” His heart squeezed.
Kate nodded.
“Is she okay?”
“Why don’t you go find out for yourself?”
Seconds later he put the truck in gear and exceeded the speed limit to reach Mercy Hospital. Still, the wheels didn’t turn fast enough.
Why was she at the hospital? And why wouldn’t Kate tell him? Jesus, he knew he could be a dumbass once in a while, but he tried to be a good guy most of the time. He might have fallen short in recent days, but he could still prove himself. If Kelly would only give him the chance.
He pulled the truck into a parking space near the hospital entrance. Visiting hours were almost over, and the lot was nearly empty. But there, at the end of the aisle, sat Letty Silverthorne’s bomber of a Buick.
As he passed through the hospital’s sliding doors, he discovered the information desk was empty, as were the carpeted halls. No one to ask to have Kelly paged. Where would he look for her? The building may only be three-stories high, but what if he was looking for her on the second floor while she went down to the first floor?
He ran a hand through his hair.
The elevators.
He’d just park himself between the lobby and the elevators on the first floor. There would be no way he could miss her.
If there had been anything wrong with Kelly, he knew Kate would be at her side. Which meant she had to be here as a visitor.
Anticipation rattled through his nervous system as he leaned back against the wall and waited. When an elevator door slid open, he perked up, only to be disappointed when an elderly couple exited. He gave them a smile and wished them a good night, then went back to his watch.
Over the intercom, a voice announced that visiting hours were over. He saw that as a good sign. Well, for him anyway. If Kelly was there visiting someone, she would be leaving soon. The elevator doors slid open several more times while occupants unknown to him exited and made their way to the parking lot. He glanced at his watch, sighed, and leaned back against the wall to continue the wait.
When a half hour had passed, he walked to the window and looked out into the parking lot to see if she’d somehow slipped past him. The Buick remained in the same space, so he headed right back to his command station. He heard the elevator doors whoosh open. His head came up, surprised when a clown, pre-occupied with searching the bag slung over her shoulder, exited and began to walk toward him.
Beneath a lavender top hat adorned with a purple feather, a red-and-white dress that flared out from the waist with layers and layers of petticoats, torn jeans, and pink cowboy boots, the jester was hard to miss. Around her slender throat, a carnival-colored necklace flashed and jingled as she walked toward him. The sparkly tassels on her boots swayed.
He’d seen this clown before and thought back to the day a whole Volkswagen full of painted faces passed by him when he’d been on patrol. This clown had thrown him a kiss.
At that moment she looked up. Her dotted pink nose wrinkled. Her smile slipped.
No. Way.
“Kelly?”
Kelly forgot to breathe. Her heart slammed into her ribs when she looked up, surprised to see James standing there. She wasn’t ready to talk to him. But by the determined look on his face, it didn’t appear she would have a choice.
The points of the car keys pressed into her palm as she marched past him. “I’m sorry you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
“Then tell me your name.” He followed her down the hall.
“My name is Sprinkles.” She stopped, turned, and dug into her bag again. “Would you like me to make you a balloon animal? Perhaps a dog? I’m very good at making poodles.”
“I like your name, Sprinkles.” He took a step toward her, and her heart gave another hard knock. “It reminds me
of a very special night in the Sugar Shack.”
“I don’t know anything about that.” Her hand came out of the bag holding several long colorful un-inflated balloons. “I’m really only good at a few animals, but I’m learning to make hats.”
He took her hands, curled his fingers over hers, and held on before she could make an escape.
“I’ll pass on the poodle, Sprinkles. But I do have a request.”
She lifted her gaze to his dark, soulful eyes, and any remaining chill in her heart melted.
“Forgive me?”
“Why should I?” To her surprise her voice remained steady, even while everything inside her rattled.
“Because back at the house I acted like a total ass. Instead of thanking you for your help with Alex, I got tangled up in the emotion and said all the wrong things.” He squeezed her fingers.
“I know I’m not very good with words, but one thing is very clear. I love you,” he said. “And I need you. You’re the calm in my storm. You fill the emptiness in my heart. You bring the smile to my face.” He sighed. “I didn’t know what I wanted until I found you. And when I thought I lost you I couldn’t bear it. I’d never resent you. I respect you. I think you’re an amazing woman.”
His big hands slid up her arms to cup her face. “I want more than a one-night stand with you. More than a few stolen moments. I want to wake up every morning with you in my arms. I want to hold you until I’m old and gray and crotchety because I can’t hook up my suspenders alone.” He inhaled a big breath. “I’m so sorry. Please, Angelface, say you forgive me.”
The smile in her heart burst up to her lips. “You love me?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“Then I think you’re doing just fine expressing how you feel.”
His smile equaled her own. “I can make you happy, Kelly. If you’ll just give me the chance.”
“This isn’t just about me. Or you. Or even us. What about your brother? If we’re going to be together, he’s a part of it, too. And I’m not sure I can stand to see you two going at it all the time.”
He nodded, took a breath. “Alex and I have traveled a tough road together. You were right. I made a huge mistake when he was a helpless baby, and I’ve felt guilty ever since. I didn’t know what to do with him, and I didn’t know how to overcome all that guilt. I didn’t know where I fit in his life. So I ended up yelling. A lot. After you left, he and I talked.”
“You did?”
“Yes. He told me you were the best thing that ever happened to me. To us. And I couldn’t agree more. Everything is going to be okay between him and me from now on. No more yelling. Better communication. I know where I fit in his life now.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
“Then I forgive you.”
A rush of thankfulness pushed from his lungs. “Alex told me something else too.”
“What’s that?”
“He told me that you were in love with me.”
“Alex is a pretty smart kid.”
“Yeah. He is.” A smile burst across his beautiful mouth. He wrapped his arms around her and lowered his forehead to hers. “Say you love me.”
She hummed a little sigh. “I love you.”
“Even though I can be really difficult at times and often stick my foot in my mouth?”
“Yes.” She chuckled. “Even though.”
“Then will you please stay here in Deer Lick? Because I’m not sure I could stand it if you went away. If you do need to go back to—”
“Shhhhhh.” She pressed her fingers against his soft lips. “Why would I want to go anywhere when my heart is happy right here? I love you. And you don’t just run out on someone at the first sign of trouble. I contacted the state attorney’s office this afternoon and resigned.”
“You’re kidding.”
She shook her head. “That’s not who I am anymore. I like it here. I like being near my family. Being a part of the community. Enjoying life instead of letting it pass me by. I like being with you.”
“Then don’t just stay. Marry me.”
“Marry you?”
He took her hand and pressed it against his heart. Beneath her fingers she felt the strong, steady beat.
“I know a hospital hallway isn’t the most romantic place to pop the question,” he said. “But I love you. And I really don’t want to imagine what my life would be like without you. I’ve been waiting all my life for somebody like you.”
Her shoulders lifted. “Then why would I want to go anywhere else?”
“Does that mean you’ll marry me?”
“Yes. That means I’ll marry you. We can be a family—you, me, and Alex. Poppy and Princess, too.”
“That would make me very happy.”
She sighed. “Me too.”
When he lowered his head and kissed her, hope and happiness swelled in her heart. Everything he put into that kiss verified he was a man she could count on. He may not always have the right words, but he was a man who would protect her. A man who would love her through thick and thin. In that kiss Kelly discovered that they could make magic—do anything—as long as they did it together.
More than just falling in love with the town and community, she’d fallen in love with the man who’d taken the time to open her eyes. And her heart.
When the kiss ended, he lifted his head and his dark eyes glittered with pleasure. “So what’s with the clown thing?”
“It’s my hidden talent.” She looked down, fluffed out her petticoats, and grinned. “You challenged me to do something that makes me and others smile. So I invented Sprinkles. She reads to the kids upstairs. She makes them laugh and forget their pain for just a little while. She gives me a feeling of accomplishment. She makes me smile.”
His long fingers caressed her cheek. “She makes me smile, too.”
She grinned. “Hey wait a minute. Didn’t we make a bet on that?”
“Doesn’t matter. I already won. I got you.” His strong arms curled around her, and he held her close to his heart. “I love you, Kelly.”
Kelly’s heart swelled.
I love you.
Only three little words. But for Deer Lick’s newest funny girl they were three words that took all the wonderful things she believed about life and made them even better.
EPILOGUE
18 months later
On Valentine’s Day, Kelly had planned for a romantic candlelight dinner with champagne, flowers, chocolate syrup, and her hunky husband. To bring in an extra dollop of fun, she’d bought a sequined heart bra and ruffled thong panties. And an aerosol can of whipped cream to cover all those special places the bra and panty didn’t hide.
On Valentine’s Day, Kelly had never planned on being sardined into her mother’s rusty Buick alongside her siblings and their spouses on the way to Mercy Hospital. With Dean at the wheel and Matt riding shotgun, a very expectant Kate sat in the middle puffing through a contraction. Beside her, Matt held her hand and sweetly talked her through it, even when she threatened to withhold sex for the next fifty years.
In the backseat, with their mother’s quilting materials and pastry cookbooks removed, Kelly was sandwiched between James and an also-expectant Emma, who thankfully still had a few months to go. Outside the fogged windows, a light snow drifted from the sky while inside the car heavy winter coats made the ride even less comfortable. The radio blasting an old tune from The Supremes didn’t help.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Kate?” Emma asked. “I mean, it is awfully crowded in here and any one of us has a bigger SUV we could have driven.”
“No worries. I’m going to get us all there safely,” Dean said as he turned the corner at Reindeer and Mule Deer. “You and my baby girl okay back there, honey?”
Emma shook her head and chuckled. “We’re just fine.”
Between contractions, Kate laid her head on Matt’s shoulder. “I wanted us all to be together in this car. It’s important.”
James too
k Kelly’s hand in his and gave it a knowing squeeze. They’d had a conversation on their Disney honeymoon, where the entire family, including Alex and her father, had joined in the fun after a few private days. With his near-death experience, Kelly had felt safe in telling James about her mother’s ride-along visits and her preoccupation with her Tom Jones grand-entrance theme. Kelly knew that Kate had wanted them all together for a very important reason—for a very important person whose visits had become almost non-existent in recent months.
Kelly gripped James’s hand, hoping their mother wasn’t too busy earning her wings to come pay a quick visit. “Alex is going to be disappointed he missed this,” she said.
James kissed her forehead. “He’ll be home for spring break.”
Life with the Harley men had smoothed out, and Kelly found herself fiercely protected by both until Alex graduated from high school and went off to college in Idaho. She missed him. The dogs missed him. And James, who’d taken back his big-brother position, seemed a little lost without him. With any luck, after college Alex would move back to Deer Lick. If not, there was a great big world out there for him to conquer. Then again, wherever Chelsea Winkle settled, Kelly had a feeling Alex would settle there, too.
They’d found a wonderful facility for James’s mother, where she was able to play cards and eat meals with three other ladies the staff had nicknamed the Golden Girls.
With one empty house and one that was a bit too small, Kelly and James sold both houses and had recently moved into a four-bedroom log cabin. Big enough, with room to grow.
Two blocks from the hospital, Creedence Clearwater abruptly stopped chooglin’ and Tom Jones began to wail “It’s Not Unusual.” Mid-contraction, Kate puffed out a “Yes!,” which garnered an odd look from Matt and Emma, who apparently had never been apprised of Leticia Silverthorne’s delayed journey to the other side.
Moments later Dean stopped the car in front of Mercy’s entrance, and everyone piled out. Their father, who had semi-retired, and Edna Price, who continued to create mischief amongst the community, met them at the door with a nurse and a wheelchair.