A Baby Under the Tree

by Duarte, Judy

  “So how can we work this out?” she asked.

  “Are you willing to compromise?”

  “That’s what I came here to tell you. I should have said something earlier, but my fears got in the way, even though you’ve given me nothing to be afraid of.”

  “Are you saying you’d consider marrying me?” Shane asked. “Maybe someday?”

  “That’s the problem.” She bit her lip, then sought his gaze, his understanding. “Marriage is hard enough when people love each other.”

  “And you don’t think you could ever love me?”

  She tilted her head slightly. “I do love you, Shane. I’m not sure when it happened—maybe that night at the hotel. All I know is that my feelings for you continue to grow, and I don’t know what to do, other than face them head on.”

  She loved him? Shane couldn’t believe his ears. He wasn’t the only one wrestling with those feelings, with that mind-spinning attraction.

  He reached out and cupped her beautiful face, skimming his thumbs across her cheeks, breathing in her lilac scent, basking in her presence. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, Jillian, because I love you, too.”

  “You do?”

  He nodded. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to accept me and the lifestyle I wanted to provide for you. But if we love each other, maybe we can come up with a compromise that will work out without either of us having to give up our dreams.”

  “I’d like that. And while I wasn’t sure how this conversation was going to turn out, I did some thinking about possible solutions on my drive across town.”

  “So what’d you come up with?”

  “Since school is out, and the baby is due in December, there’s no reason for me to be in Houston, other than my grandmother. And maybe, if I tell her I’m moving to Brighton Valley and taking the baby with me, she’ll consider relocating.”

  “No kidding?” Shane had hoped she’d feel that way, yet it had all seemed too much of a stretch.

  “I’d have to make some phone calls, but I might be able to do my student teaching at the new high school in Brighton Valley—or even the old one in Wexler.”

  If she was willing to compromise, to go to that extreme for them to be together, then he’d do the same for her. “If it doesn’t pan out, if you can’t get the position, then I’ll do whatever I have to do—even if it means moving back to Houston or taking a desk job. I want us all to be together—as a family.”

  “It just might work out,” she said. “I’d have some meetings and classes I’d have to attend at the university sometimes, but not every day. So I can probably commute.”

  “I know it’ll work out,” he said. “One way or another. We’ll find a way.”

  Then he lowered his mouth to hers, sealing the commitment they intended to make with a kiss that began sweet and precious, then deepened into something soul stirring and filled with promise.

  When they came up for air, he drew her tight, amazed at his good fortune.

  “I don’t know when I’ve ever been so happy,” he said.

  “Neither do I.”

  “I don’t know about you,” he said, “but Christmas came early this year.”

  “Speaking of Christmas…” She broke into a radiant smile. “There’s going to be three of us by then. Can you believe it? We’ll be writing letters for Santa and leaving cookies under the tree before you know it.”

  Shane thought of Joey, of the first Christmas after his birth. And while the memory was bittersweet, it wasn’t nearly as painful as it might have been—before he’d met Jillian and had realized that time really did heal, that life went on.

  “I can’t wait,” he said. “Come on, let’s go back to the house and tell my family. We won’t have to stay long, but I’d like them to know. I think it’ll make them happy.”

  “All right.”

  He reached for her hand, then she gave it a tug. “Wait a minute. I have something I want to confess.”

  “What’s that?”

  “After I found out I was pregnant, I looked you up on the internet. I was curious and wanted to know more about you.”

  “I can understand that. I actually did some checking of my own.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, knowing what she’d probably learned and ready to deal with it now. After all, with her in his corner, he could handle anything. “So what did you find out?”

  “An online newspaper account reported the trouble you had with the police department. At the time I read the article, I wondered if you had a violent side. But the more I got to know you, the more I realized you weren’t the kind to snap like that. Not unless provoked.”

  He couldn’t blame her for being concerned. And he was glad that she’d come to the conclusion that she and the baby would always be safe with him.

  “You don’t have to tell me what happened that day if you don’t want to. It doesn’t matter to me anymore. But I want it to be out in the open, since I want us to always have an open relationship.”

  He remained silent for a while, rewinding that scene and watching it all over again as it played out in his mind. Then he let it go, wanting the honesty, too.

  “His name was Lyle Bailey. And he brutally murdered a little boy. My partner and I had been looking for him, and when we found him, he ran. I took chase, knowing that there’d be no way in hell I’d let him get away. No way I’d let him hurt another child again, ruin another family. And when I caught him… Well, I snapped. All I could see were two little boys in small caskets, the boy he’d murdered and Joey.”

  Jillian reached up and cupped his cheek, then she drew his lips to hers, kissing him softly, sharing his grief. “I understand.”

  “I don’t have a temper,” he explained. “Although I’ve got to admit that I’m not sure what I would have done to that guy if my partner hadn’t stopped me.”

  It seemed like a dark and horrible thing to share, yet because of the intimacy and honesty that stretched between them, it was the perfect time to set it out there.

  “I was suspended, with pay,” he added. “You probably read that, too.”

  “Yes, and I also know that they reinstated you.”

  His lips pressed together, and he nodded. “But after that, after I assaulted Bailey, I thought it would be a good idea to take a leave of absence to wait until Joey’s death wasn’t so fresh on my mind.”

  “Do you ever want to go back to work as a cop?”

  “Would it bother you if I did?”

  “No, I’m going to support you in whatever you want to do.”

  Shane couldn’t believe his good fortune. How lucky he’d been when he’d spotted Jillian in that bar, when he’d gone back to her hotel room. And he couldn’t wait to start their life together, to get ready for their Christmas baby.

  “Come on,” he said, taking her by the hand. “I need to introduce you to my family before they come looking for us. They might get a little loud and boisterous. And they’ll be full of questions. But if you can handle it for a little while I’ll follow you back to your place, where we can be alone.”

  And where they could seal their love with more than a kiss.

  “I hope they like me,” she said.

  Shane reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as they headed back to his parents’ house. “Don’t worry about that. They’re going to love you. I’m more concerned about you liking them.”

  “Why? What’s wrong with them?”

  “They can be a little quirky at times. And intrusive. And generous and loving, too. You know what I mean?”

  “I think so.”

  As they reached the house, he spotted movement near the shutters, realizing that someone had been peering into the street.

  So as he opened the door for Jillian he said, “Okay, you guys. The gig’s up. No need to be snoopy, we have an announcement to make.”

  His mother swept into the room as though she’d just now become aware of their return, although Shane had a feeling she’d been the one d
oing the peeking out the window.

  “This lovely woman is Jillian Wilkes,” he said, “and she’s expecting my baby—a little girl. We’re going to get married, although we haven’t decided when.”

  As the family closed in on them, their smiles revealing their happiness and their willingness to welcome Jillian into the Hollister fold, Shane’s heart filled with love—for her, for their child and for the family that only wanted him to be happy.

  Jillian opened the door to her small apartment and let Shane inside. She wasn’t sure why he’d felt so uneasy about her meeting his family. Sure, they were a little loud and outspoken, but their love for each other was apparent and seemed to spill over into everything they did or said.

  They’d ended up staying nearly an hour, since Jillian had felt so welcome and had wanted to join them for dinner.

  Now they were back at her apartment, where she scanned the small living area, realizing that this place was only a temporary abode. She had no idea where she and Shane would end up living, but she knew that as long as they were together, anywhere would feel like home.

  “Did you get enough to eat?” he asked.

  She laughed. “More than enough. Your mom and sisters kept offering me seconds.”

  Shane slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “They mean well.”

  “I know they do.” Jillian turned to face him and stepped into his warm embrace. “But there’s something you need to keep in mind.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m not anything like Marcia. And while I’ve never had brothers or sisters of my own, I’m actually looking forward to being a part of the Hollister clan—even if they’re a little quirky or become intrusive at times.”

  Shane kissed her, and as her lips parted, as their tongues began to mate, she drew him close, relishing all she’d found in his arms, in his heart.

  Somehow, some way, this was all going to work out beautifully.

  As she threaded her fingers in his hair, she leaned into him, relishing the feel of his mouth on hers, wanting more. Needing more.

  Would she ever get enough of him—the man she loved? The man who offered her everything she’d always wanted in life—a family, a home?

  As the kiss intensified, as the physical hunger that always simmered between them kicked into high gear, she reached for his belt buckle, letting him know she was ready for more than just a kiss, that she wanted a replay of the first night they’d met.

  He followed her lead, undoing his jeans and tugging at his shirttails.

  This was what they’d been waiting for since that night in March, when two lonely people met and set about to heal each other.

  She reached for his hand and led him to the bedroom, where she began to undress, removing her light jacket and letting it flutter to the ground, unzipping her slacks, pushing the fabric over her hips.

  As Jillian shimmied out of her pants, Shane stood transfixed, caught up in an arousal of epic proportions and mesmerized by the provocative way she removed her clothes.

  When she stood before him in a pair of lacy white panties and a matching bra, the swell of her pregnancy added a sweet innocence he hadn’t quiet expected. He swallowed hard as the woman he loved bared herself to him, offering herself as a gift he would cherish the rest of his life.

  With his heart pounding in both love and need, he eased before her, slowly. Reverently. “You’re beautiful.”

  “So are you.” She unbuttoned his shirt, sliding the fabric off his shoulders. Then she skimmed her fingers across his chest, sending a shiver through his nerve endings and a shimmy of heat through his blood.

  As he removed his shirt completely, he watched as she reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, releasing her breasts. He bent and took a nipple in his mouth, tasting, suckling, taunting until she gasped in pleasure.

  Then he scooped her into his arms and laid her on top of the white goose down comforter, where they began to work the magic that had been sparking between them ever since the first time they’d spotted each other at El Jardin, the upscale bar in Houston.

  Then, after removing the rest of his clothes, Shane climbed beside her on the bed, never missing a beat, as they picked up right where they’d left off.

  When their breathing grew ragged, when they were unable to wait any longer, he entered her, giving her everything he had, loving her fully—with his body, heart and soul.

  As they reached an incredible peak, as she gripped his shoulders and cried out with her release, he let go, too, riding the waves of an amazing climax.

  When it was over, they continued to hold each other, basking in their love and in the amazing chemistry they shared. Finally, Shane rolled to the side, taking Jillian with him. As they faced each other, drawing sated smiles, she placed her hand on his chest, over his heart.

  “I can hardly believe this,” she said, “but making love with you was even more amazing than I remembered.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing.” As he ran his hand along the slope of her hip, a slow smile stretched across his face. “And the best part about it is the fact that it’s only going to get better.”

  She knew he was right, although it was hard to imagine how they could improve perfection. She brushed a hank of hair from his forehead, amazed at the depth of her love for him.

  Somehow, it seemed as though they’d always been meant for each other.

  “It’s too bad we didn’t meet each other before we fell into bad first marriages,” he said.

  “I’m not so sure about that. Maybe all those struggles we dealt with before made us into the people we are today, people who can fully appreciate and love each other.”

  “Maybe so, honey. But I promise you this. I’m in this for the duration.”

  “So am I.”

  With that, he kissed her one more time, with everything he had, everything he was, everything he ever hoped to be.

  Epilogue

  Three weeks after Jillian and Shane brought Mary Rose Hollister home to their four-bedroom tract house in Brighton Valley, they hosted the family Christmas party as a way to welcome their new daughter into the Hollister fold and to show off their new digs.

  Outside, while storm clouds gathered overhead, a December breeze stirred the dried leaves still on the trees. Yet inside, the flames of a small fire in the hearth cast its warmth throughout the living room.

  A Christmas tree with blinking white lights and colorful ornaments stood near the bay window that looked out into the street, while the faint scent of pine mingled with the aroma of a turkey baking in the oven.

  Along the mantel, adorned with small boughs of pine and a nativity scene, hung three handmade stockings, each filled with goodies that Santa had brought the night before.

  Jillian’s grandmother, who’d decided to move into the apartment over Carolyn’s Diner after Shane and Jillian had found a larger place, was seated on the new rocking chair near the fireplace. As Gram held the eight-pound baby girl, who’d been dressed in a red-and-white sleeper, she marveled over the tufts of dark hair and blue eyes.

  “I swear to goodness,” Gram said, “Mary Rose is the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.”

  Jillian thought her daughter was adorable, too, although she and Gram were probably just a wee bit biased.

  “Honey?” Shane called, as he came in from the backyard. “Did Jack get here yet? He called a while back, and I gave him directions.”

  “Not yet,” she said. “Do you think he’s lost?”

  “Maybe not. But he should have gotten here by now.”

  Dan and Eva Walker had been the first to arrive, along with both sets of twins and Catherine Loza, a friend of theirs who’d been living in Manhattan.

  According to what Eva had told Jillian earlier, Catherine had gone through a recent breakup and had wanted to get away. Jillian didn’t know the details—and she wouldn’t ask—but she couldn’t imagine a better place than Brighton Valley to heal a broken heart and to get one’
s life back on track.

  She’d come to love this town and looked forward to starting her student-teaching at Washington High School in Wexler when the winter semester began in mid-January.

  Shane, who’d been appointed sheriff when Sam Jennings retired, was happy with the position, saying that it allowed him the best of both worlds.

  When the doorbell chimed, Shane announced, “I’ll get it. That’s got to be Jack.”

  All of the Hollisters would be arriving within the next twenty minutes or so, but Jack had started out sooner than the others. And Jillian couldn’t wait to see them. Shane’s family had been wonderfully supportive, accepting her as a new daughter-in-law and going so far as to include Gram in all of their family gatherings.

  Jillian wasn’t sure who was happier to hold the family Christmas dinner—her or Shane. They’d been decorating and planning the meal since Thanksgiving.

  “Come in,” Shane told his brother, who entered along with his wife and two sons.

  “Trevor,” Shane said to the oldest boy, “why don’t you take Evan out to the backyard? The Walkers are back there, checking out the swing set that came with the house.”

  As the Hollister boys dashed outside, Jillian met Shane at the door to welcome her brother-in-law and his wife. “Thanks for agreeing to have Christmas in Brighton Valley this year. I know it’s a long drive for you.”

  “We wouldn’t have missed it,” Cindy Hollister said. “Now, where’s the baby? I can’t wait to hold her. They grow up so fast.”

  As Jillian pointed to Gram, Jack scanned the living room and said, “Nice house.”

  “Thanks.” Shane slipped his arm around Jillian and pulled her close. “We like it.”

  And they truly did. Their new home might be miniscule in comparison to the estate in which Jillian had once lived with Thomas, but it resonated with the love and laughter she’d been longing for during those sad, lonely years.

  As Jack and his wife followed the kids out to the backyard, Shane drew Jillian into a warm embrace. “Thank you for making this Christmas my best ever.”