The girls ran to her and enveloped her in a hug.
Madison looked up and said, “You can stay at our house anytime.”
Later that night Sarah dropped Betty off at her home. Brandon had taken her by the fire station to pick up Liam’s vehicle, since Sarah’s and her mother’s car had been totaled when the ceiling fell in on them in the garage. One of many things that would have to be replaced, but she wasn’t going to think about her problems. The one thing she could do for Liam was take good care of his nieces as if they were her daughters.
Sarah entered Katie’s bedroom to say good-night to her. Hugging Blackie against her, the little girl fought to keep her eyes open.
She climbed into bed. “I want to pray.”
Sarah sat next to Katie, folded her hands together and bowed her head.
“God, take care of my daddy in Heaven and my daddy in the hospital. Amen.” She wiggled under the covers with Blackie still in her arms. The kitten didn’t seem to mind the attention at all.
“Good night, sweetie.” Sarah kissed Katie’s forehead and started to leave.
“Sarah, I love you. I’m glad you’re here.”
When Sarah left, shutting the door, she leaned against the wall between the girls’ rooms. Closing her eyes, she relished the words Katie had said. Her heart seemed close to bursting. She imagined Emma, who would have been near Katie’s age, saying those words to her. For a few moments she experienced what it felt like to be a mother and loved by a child.
Straightening, Sarah continued into Madison’s room. She had been quiet most of the evening since they’d come home. The girl sat on the edge of the bed while Buffy rubbed herself against Madison’s legs. Sarah cleared her throat and the child lifted her head, worry and sadness reflected in her gaze.
“He’ll be all right, won’t he?” Her blue eyes glistened.
“Of course. The doctor said so, and I know it in here.” Sarah placed her hand over her heart.
“I’m not mad anymore at Katie for calling him Daddy. He’s like a father. I don’t want anything to happen to him. I’ve already lost one dad. I don’t want to lose another.”
The child’s words were exactly what Sarah felt, except it wasn’t a dad but a husband. She’d already lost one and she didn’t want to lose Liam. She wanted him to stay. Somehow she had to make him see that.
Sarah covered Madison’s hand. “Time for bed. Or we’ll be so tired when we go to see your uncle tomorrow, we won’t be able to keep our eyes open.”
The girl rose and climbed into bed. She stopped, twisted back to Sarah and embraced her. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Hours later, staring up at the ceiling in the spare bedroom, Sarah came to a decision, and she intended to let Liam know.
* * *
On Wednesday, after visiting her grandmother in the hospital, Sarah hurried to Liam’s room. She should have some alone time with him. The girls had gone to school today, and she’d had Brandon make sure no off-duty firefighter came to visit Liam. If Brandon had to camp out at the elevator, he would to give her what she wanted.
At the door to Liam’s room, she waved to Brandon then headed inside.
Liam’s gaze shifted to her. “I thought you’d be at work, especially since your mother is taking some time off.”
“I’ve rearranged a few appointments. Everyone, even Beatrice, has been understanding. Mom intends to go back to work on Friday, but at least she’s listening to the doctor and taking a few days off. I’ll be heading to work in a while. I just dropped the girls off at school, and I promised I would bring them back this afternoon.”
“I should be leaving the hospital tomorrow, but I won’t be able to work for a couple of weeks. The doctor will have to clear me before the captain will let me go back.” He adjusted the bed so he sat up higher. “How are Madison and Katie doing?”
“Great. Since they have been able to visit you, they aren’t as worried as they were at first. Have you been getting enough rest?”
“Are you kidding? There has been a steady stream of people through here. I’ll rest when I get home. Did your mother take me up on staying at my house?”
“Only until you come home. Later we’re going to look for a furnished apartment. I’ll take the girls with us. They think we’re going on an adventure. They want us to rent an apartment with a pool.”
He chuckled then winced. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”
“I won’t stay long, but I wanted to talk to you alone before I went into work.”
“Why?” he asked in a wary tone.
“A couple of weeks ago you had your say, and now I’m going to have mine. I love you, Liam McGregory. That isn’t going to change, so how in the world would I ever marry anyone else and have that baby you think I want more than you?”
He blinked and looked away. “I’m sure you believe that now. But in five or ten years, you’ll regret not having children, and then you’ll begin to resent me. I can’t go through another marriage like that.”
“How long did it take your ex-wife to feel that way?”
He frowned. “A year after we got a second opinion about my condition.”
“Well, for your information, I’m not her. I don’t want you to leave. I want us to be together.”
“No.” He stared out the window. “I think you should go.”
She wanted to argue with him but instead decided to leave for the time being. At the door she glanced back at him watching her. “I need you to know, I love you and I love your nieces as if they were my own children.”
Then she left. She wouldn’t beg, but she would make him realize he was wrong about her.
* * *
At the bachelor auction, Sarah sat at the front table nearest the stage between Pastor Collins and Brandon, who had returned to his seat after being bachelor number fifteen. Now it was Liam’s turn. She’d been waiting all night for this moment.
Ever since he’d left the hospital, Liam had avoided her. Other than a quick glance at church last Sunday, she hadn’t seen him. Colt had brought the girls to the pool for their swimming lessons. She had no intention of letting their last time alone be their conversation in his hospital room.
“Liam McGregory is our last bachelor tonight. Recently injured while saving a woman from a burning house, he is dedicated to his job and his family. Let’s end the evening with a bang. We’ve already brought in more money for the summer day camp than any other fund-raiser in the past. Liam is offering to cook dinner for his date on a day of her choice.”
As Liam walked onto the stage, his cheeks were red. He looked dynamite in his tuxedo, but his blush told Sarah what he thought of his introduction by the mayor’s wife. As he strolled slowly across the stage the crowd went wild, clapping and cheering.
The auctioneer stepped up to the podium and opened the bidding with fifty dollars. Woman after woman stood and placed a bid. As it slowed down Sarah finally made her first one.
Britney held up her hand and upped the price by ten dollars.
Sarah felt everyone’s gaze on her as she rose. This was for charity. “Six hundred dollars.”
Silence filled the large hall.
“Going once. Twice. Sold to this pretty little lady for six hundred dollars.” The auctioneer pointed his gavel at Sarah.
She headed for the back of the room to pay for her date with the man she loved. It was worth every penny. He had to go out with her whether he wanted to or not.
After she wrote her check, she turned to leave and ran right into Liam. He steadied her then took her hand and tugged her out the door into the church hallway.
He swiveled toward her. “What are you doing?”
“Getting a date with you since you’ve been avoiding me. I get to pick the day for our date, right?”
Frowning, he no
dded.
“I pick tonight. Right now.”
“It’s after ten.”
“That’s okay. What I have to say won’t take that long. Let’s go.”
“What? Where?”
“The park. I’m driving.” She pulled her keys to her rental car out of her pocket.
“You had this all planned?”
“Yes. I don’t give up easily.”
“What about Madison and Katie?”
“Betty and Mom are taking care of them.”
“I feel a little ridiculous going to the park in a tuxedo.”
“Well, I’m not exactly dressed for the park, either. Most women don’t wear cocktail dresses and three-inch high heels there.”
Sarah pulled into the parking lot nearest the bench where he’d first told her about leaving Buffalo. She shifted toward him, the light from the parking lot illuminating the area. “Will you come with me?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Yes. Always.”
He opened the door and slid out carefully, being mindful of his healing ribs.
Sarah sighed. Lord, I need help convincing him I’m the best for him. Please help me to know what to say.
She climbed from the rental car and headed toward the bench silhouetted in the light from the security lamp. Liam had already taken a seat. He gazed at her as she walked toward him in high heels on the soft grass. She sat next to him, and everything she’d planned to say to him fled her mind.
“I’ve never been kidnapped before,” he finally said, breaking the long silence.
“And you still haven’t been. I bought you fair and square.”
Liam grinned. “So what do you want to tell me?”
“That you’re a coward.”
“Wow, that was blunt. Wasn’t I the one who saved your grandmother?”
“For that I will always be grateful. No, you’re a coward when it comes to your emotions. You tell me you love me, but we can’t be together because I might in the future leave you because of something your ex-wife did. Do you think so little of me? Of yourself?
“You have so much more to offer than your ability to father children. You’ve forged a family out of a difficult situation. You’ve run into burning buildings to rescue someone in jeopardy. You moved here to give your nieces a better chance to bond with you. You were thrown into fatherhood suddenly with no preparation. And you’re only wanting to leave in August because you’re afraid of what we have.”
“I’m not afraid to love. I’m afraid of losing love.”
She took both his hands in hers. “So am I. We’ve both gone through it under different circumstances, but that should also make us realize how precious love is and want to hold on to it even more.”
“From the beginning I’ve known you would be a great mother. Then when I heard the pain in your voice when you were talking about how close you came to being a mother and it was snatched away, I knew I couldn’t stand in your way of having that.”
“But you are. I believe we were brought together for a reason. You just happened to find my dog. I just happened to find your poster on the pole where I usually don’t go. I’m meant to be a mother to Madison and Katie. I want to be. I love them. I’ve discovered how much, taking care of them while you were in the hospital.” She squeezed his hands gently. “You are the man I love and want to spend the rest of my life with.”
“But what if—”
She covered his mouth with her fingers. “Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
“Then there are no what-ifs. Life is a risk, but the Lord tells us not to spend our time worrying about the future. A waste of time because we don’t know what the future will be. He wants us to give our worry to Him. He’ll take care of it. That’s how I want to live.”
He lifted her hand and kissed it. “I may need some help with that.”
“We’ll help each other.”
Liam wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, settling his mouth on hers. “I love you, Sarah. It should be an interesting journey with you.”
Epilogue
New Year’s Eve
In a cream-colored gown, Sarah held Katie’s hand and walked down the center aisle at Buffalo Community Church toward Liam with Madison in pink taffeta standing next to him. At the altar, Katie, in a similar dress as her sister but purple, stood on her tiptoes and kissed Sarah’s cheek then took her place next to Sarah.
Their wedding was a little unusual, but they had wanted to get married with the girls standing up for them. It had started out small, but Mom, Betty and Nana had turned it into a huge production with most of the members of the church in attendance, all the firefighters and other friends and family, even some of Liam’s from Dallas.
When Pastor Collins announced to the large audience that they were husband and wife, Liam took Sarah into his arms and kissed her as though he’d claimed her forever. From the beginning she’d given her heart to Liam and hadn’t regretted it one moment. Already she felt as though she were part of his family.
After taking Katie’s hand, Liam clasped Sarah’s, and she held Madison’s. Together, as a family, the four made their way down the aisle while the guests clapped. Out in the lobby, the guests engulfed them in well wishes as the doors to the reception hall were opened.
As Sarah moved into the cavernous room, memories of that June night after the bachelor auction overwhelmed her. Now her dream had come full circle. She’d gained a husband and two adorable daughters.
“I love the idea we’re starting a brand-new year as husband and wife,” Liam whispered as they made their way toward the table where the four-tier wedding cake sat, decorated in white frosting with pink and purple flowers.
“Mom and Nana outdid themselves with that.”
“Madison and Katie are both going to be master chefs between me and your mom and Nana.”
“On holidays we might have too many cooks in the kitchen.”
At the table Liam faced her, his golden-brown eyes twinkling. “And you’ll be outside in the garden with our pets.”
She touched Liam’s cheek. “You’re always welcome to join me.”
He dipped his head toward hers, about to kiss her, when Aunt Betty presented them with a silver knife to cut the cake. “Okay, you two, there’s plenty of time for that on your honeymoon. You’ve got some hungry guests.”
Sarah laughed. “Look who’s most eager?”
Beaming, Madison and Katie stood next to the table with their plates in their hands.
“And right behind them is Nana.” Liam stepped toward the cake with the silver knife.
Sarah covered his hand on the hilt. “Our first task together as a married couple.”
“But not our last.”
They pressed the blade into the wedding cake, cutting the first piece. A round of applause from the guests echoed through the reception hall.
Liam captured her gaze. “I guess I’ll be drummed out of the Single Dads’ Club now, but that’s okay. I have what I want the most.”
Then he kissed her.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW by Rebecca Kertz.
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Dear Reader,
This book is the start of a new series about single dads and the support group that they attend. Support groups are a wonderful way to help people cope with difficult or unfamiliar situations.
At times, we have all needed support. And we often turn to God, family and friends. But what if those people we usually seek support from haven’t gone what we’re going through?
That’s why support groups can be so important. The Lord wants us to band together to help each other. Going through a problem without support can sometimes overwhelm a person. Many communities and churches have created support groups for this very reason. If there isn’t one where you live, why not start one? You might be surprised how many others are going through the same thing.
I love hearing from readers. You can contact me at [email protected] or at P.O. Box 2074, Tulsa, OK 74101. You can also learn more about my books at http://www.margaretdaley.com. I have a newsletter that you can sign up for on my website.
Best wishes,
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Elijah and the Widow
The Firefighter Daddy Page 18