The Bachelor's Unexpected Family

by Lisa Carter

  He growled. And she had a sudden sympathy for the boy when Canyon got his hands on him.

  “Don’t do anything rash, Canyon.”

  “Oh, it won’t be rash. By the time I get over to the marina, I’ll have worked out a plan to tar and feather—”

  She resisted the urge to laugh. “I’m heading there now. Wait for me.”

  “Uh, Mrs. Montgomery...” Vincent tugged on her sleeve. “Gray took your car.”

  “But Gray’s only fifteen. He can’t drive.”

  Vincent shrugged.

  “I’ll swing by the high school and pick you up,” Canyon promised. “See you in ten.”

  But she’d no sooner punched Off than her cell buzzed again. Without stopping to check caller ID, she clicked On, supposing he’d forgotten to tell her something.

  “I’ll wait for you outside the—”

  “Mom? Mom?”

  Gray’s raspy whisper startled Kristina. Nodding her thanks to Vincent, she dashed toward the exit.

  She clutched the phone to her ear. “Are you all right?”

  “Mom, there’s no time. You’ve got to listen to me. Helmet Head is untying the mooring lines from the dock. He’s taking the boat and Jade out on the water.”

  She stopped midstride on the sidewalk. “Canyon is picking me up. We’ll head to the marina.” She was getting a bad feeling about the whole situation. “Where are you, honey?”

  A protracted sigh from her offspring. Over the phone, a motor cranked.

  “He’s going to be too late to help, Mom.”

  Kristina’s stomach muscles tightened. “Gray? What have you done?”

  “I’m not going to have cell service long, Mom. I can’t let him hurt Jade. He’s drinking. I know Jade’s scared, and she’s trapped on the boat. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

  “Gray, where are you?”

  “I’m going to jump on board at the last minute. He hasn’t seen me yet. He’s so drunk, if he wasn’t hanging on to the wheel, he couldn’t stand upright.”

  “Gray, I want you to wait for us—”

  Sounds of an altercation.

  “Gray, answer me. Gray...”

  The connection went dead. And her heart went cold.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Canyon was only a minute from the high school when Kristina called again. Her voice was thready with panic as she relayed the latest update.

  “The football player is twice Gray’s size. He’ll pulverize my son.”

  Canyon palmed the wheel as he turned onto the school campus. “We’ll find them. Don’t worry.” He clicked off as he pulled alongside the curb where Kristina waited.

  She tossed her phone into her purse and scrambled into the Jeep. “Don’t tell me not to worry. He’s my son.”

  Laying his phone on the console, Canyon steered out of the parking lot and onto the highway. “Jade’s not answering her phone, either. There’s no cell service out in the inlet. Let’s not assume the worst.”

  Her beautiful blue eyes went stormy. “What could be worse than our children on the open water with an out-of-control teenager at the helm?” She grabbed hold of the dashboard as he took the curve at heightened speed.

  “Buckle up, Kris. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” He rattled over the small Quinby bridge.

  “You worry about finding our kids. Let me worry about me.” But bouncing, she hit the roof. “Ouch!”

  “Seat belt, Kristina,” he growled.

  “What was I thinking?” Lines creased her forehead. “I can’t open a florist shop. My job is to be Gray’s mother first and foremost. This disaster is all my fault.”

  His gut tightened. Always putting herself and any hope of a future last.

  “This is not your fault, Kristina. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I should’ve trusted my instincts and never let Jade out the door with Randolph.”

  “If anything happens to my son—” her voice quavered “—I’ll never forgive myself.”

  “Gray can handle himself, Kristina. Teenagers make poor choices. That’s the way they learn.”

  She glared at him. “That’s assuming they aren’t beaten to a pulp and live to make other choices.”

  “Have a little faith in your son, Kristina.”

  She flinched as if he’d hit a nerve.

  “Gray’s a good, smart kid. Besides, haven’t you ever listened to airline safety instructions?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What has that got to do with anything?”

  “Flight attendants instruct parents to put their oxygen mask on first before attempting to help their children.”

  “Your point?”

  “It’s not about being selfish. It’s common sense.” He gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles whitened. “If you don’t take care of your need for air first, you won’t have the oxygen to give anyone else the help they require.”

  She throttled the seat belt strap. “So you’re telling me to breathe?”

  “I’m also telling you to buckle your seat belt.”

  She clicked the seat belt across her chest. “There. Satisfied?”

  He clenched his jaw as he veered past the road to Wachapreague. “When it comes to you, Kristina, not by a long shot. You can’t avoid the feelings between us.”

  A vein pulsed in her delicate throat. “I thought avoidance was your thing.”

  “I’d hoped after the other day on the sidewalk, we’d moved past this.”

  She lifted her chin. “I’ve never denied we have chemistry.”

  He fought to control the wheel and his temper. “You don’t kiss someone like you kissed me, Kristina, and expect me to believe you don’t feel something for me.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t talk about this with you. Not now.”

  “Then when?” He veered past the road to Wachapreague. “Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you’ve already put on your oxygen mask. Maybe you just need to be brave enough to take the first whiff of air.”

  Shaking, she balled her hands in her lap. He should’ve known better than to get into it with her. Neither one of them could think straight with the kids in danger.

  Entering Kiptohanock, he careened around the village square. With a screech of brakes, he rolled into an empty space in front of the small Coast Guard station. Thrusting open the Jeep door, he staggered out.

  Her Subaru sat in the deserted café parking lot, adjacent to the town pier. As did the flashy convertible.

  It didn’t take long to get Seth Duer’s son-in-law Braeden Scott—the Officer in Charge—up to speed.

  Braeden sighed. “You know how many creeks and barrier islands dot the coast. I’ll send out the patrol boat, but without GPS coordinates, it could take a while to locate them.”

  Kristina bit her lip.

  Braeden touched her shoulder. “Best thing for you to do is to go home. I’ll call you the moment I have any news, I promise.” He darted a meaningful look at Canyon. “Take care of each other.”

  Canyon hated the helpless feeling. One look at Kristina’s face, and he knew she felt the same. Her hands shook as she rummaged through her purse for her keys.

  He spotted the keys through the window of her car and opened the unlocked door. “Gray left the keys in the ignition.”

  Chewing her lip, she slipped behind the wheel. Under any other circumstances, he would’ve told her how beautiful she looked in her lacy black dress. She didn’t look like the mother of a teenage son.

  With her hair wavy and hanging to her shoulders, his old friend Hap Wallace would’ve said she possessed a soft beauty. Like a misty soft morning over the tidal marsh. But her face was strained. And the worry in her eyes probably reflected his own.

  She stared over the harbor as if she could spot one t
iny boat amid the darkness of the night. Her hands gripped the steering wheel in a stranglehold of frustration. The same frustration he felt.

  Jade should’ve called him the minute Randolph wanted to leave the dance. What was she thinking, going out on the water with that jerk?

  When Canyon got hold of her, he was going to...hug the daylights out of her. And then he’d lock her in her room until she turned thirty.

  “There is one other thing we should do, Kris.”

  “I’m open to any ideas,” she whispered.

  “We should pray.”

  “You’re right. In the old days, prayer was my go-to.” Breath trickled from between her lips. “You’re a good influence on me, Canyon.”

  He laughed. “That’s one for the record books. I’ve never been called a good influence before. Why don’t I follow you home?”

  “Thank you. For being here for Gray. And for me.”

  If only she’d allow him to show her how much he wanted to always be there for her. Every day. In every situation of life. But now was not the time.

  He retraced his steps to the Jeep. The time never seemed to be right for them. He had a sinking fear that somehow the timing would never be right.

  Midnight had come and gone. He kept her taillights in sight until she turned into her driveway. He also kept up a running prayer for God to watch over Jade, Gray and even the Randolph boy.

  It was incredibly humbling that the God of the universe listened to someone like Canyon. Though Reverend Parks had been quick to assure him it was true. That each and every time he prayed, God was eager to hear from His beloved, if wayward, child.

  Not unlike how he’d be glad to hear Jade’s voice. Though knowing Jade, her voice would probably include a great deal of sarcasm and attitude.

  He’d only been home about fifteen minutes when he heard a knock at the door. Surely Braeden would’ve called unless... His blood roared in his ears.

  Bad news was always delivered in person. His heart in his throat, he lunged for the door. But it wasn’t what he expected.

  It took his heart a moment to settle. Not a Coastie. Kristina.

  She’d changed out of her dress into jeans and a long-sleeved gray T-shirt. She’d scraped her hair into a messy ponytail at the nape of her neck. “Mind if I wait with you?”

  He’d wanted to be with her, but she hadn’t invited him to stop at her place. And with their emotions running high, he hadn’t wanted to push her any farther.

  Kristina’s eyes watered. “I couldn’t stand being alone.”

  Him, either. “So you dashed over without a coat.”

  That earned a smile. “Story of my life.”

  He ushered her inside out of the chill. “Let me get you something warm.” He lumbered toward his bedroom and searched his closet for something clean. He pulled out a blue-striped plaid shirt.

  Canyon returned to the living room to find Kristina huddled on his leather sofa. “Put this on.”

  She shrugged into the oversize shirt. It went without saying she looked way better in his shirt than he ever had. Shivering, she tucked her hands underneath her arms.

  He started for the hall closet. “I can get you my coat, too.”

  “No.” She swallowed. “I’ll be better once we pray.” She laid her upturned palm on the seat.

  He sank onto the cushion next to her. He leaned forward, placing his knotted hands on his knees.

  “Remember, I’m rusty at this,” she joked in a husky voice.

  But she closed her eyes and whispered an entreaty for God to bring their children home. He began praying where Kristina left off.

  His prayer was wobbly at first, but gradually the desperation and fear receded. To be replaced with a weird and—based on outward appearances—totally unjustified sense of calm.

  From time to time, both fell silent. Comfortable stretches of silence. At one point during the endless night, he made a pot of coffee. He grabbed clean mugs from the cabinet and poured two cups.

  She backed away. “I don’t need—”

  “Fully loaded with cream and sugar, it’s good for shock. You might not need it, but I do. Don’t make me drink alone.”

  She accepted the cup and took a sip. Reading the outside of the mug, her mouth curved. “Oh, really? Good to know.”

  “What?”

  She turned the mug so he could read the print.

  Helicopter Pilots Are Cuter.

  Canyon rolled his eyes. “Jade signed for the UPS package last week. Apparently, the delivery included more than office supplies.”

  Kristina pointed at the cup in his hand. “I like your cup, too.”

  He gave the cup a half turn.

  I Can’t Help Being Awesome—I’m a Helicopter Pilot.

  Kristina laughed so hard she had to put down her mug. “I love that girl of yours.”

  “Right back at you with Gray.”

  She twined her hand in his. “It’ll be light soon. I’d like to pray again, if that’s all right?”

  It was more than all right. He wouldn’t have believed it possible until tonight. But praying with Kristina had been like a soothing salve over the scabbed but never healed places in his heart.

  Sitting down, he bowed his head, all nervousness, doubt and self-consciousness gone. His voice deepened, and Kristina scooted closer until the side of her knee touched his.

  He stopped to take a breath. When the landline phone rang, he jumped up, Kristina at his elbow.

  Trying to absorb the information from Braeden, he made a frantic search on the cluttered coffee table for a pen and paper.

  She sifted through the day’s mail until she found a blank envelope and handed him a pencil.

  “Could you repeat those coordinates?” He wrote furiously, listening for a few seconds.

  “What?” she mouthed.

  “Thank you so much, Braeden, for letting me know. I’ll get the chopper in the air ASAP and stay in radio contact.” He clicked off.

  “What’s happening, Canyon?”

  She wasn’t going to like this. He didn’t like it, either. But now was not the time to go to pieces. He hoped as a former military wife, she was tougher than she looked.

  “The station received a mayday from Randolph’s boat.”

  Her eyes went large. “A distress call?”

  “It was Jade. Something’s wrong with the boat. It’s taking on water.”

  Kristina steepled her hands under her chin. “What about Gray?”

  “She didn’t mention Gray, just that they were in trouble and needed help.”

  Kristina’s fingers fumbled for the chain she wore around her neck. “The Guard has their coordinates. They’ll get there—they have to get there in time.”

  He grabbed his jacket. “There was only the one distress call, Kris.” He opened the door. “Radar lost contact. The signal simply vanished from the screen as if they’d never been there.”

  To her credit, she didn’t fall apart. But her eyes became luminous. “What does that mean?”

  He averted his gaze. “I think you know what that means.”

  She hung on to his arm. “I need to hear you say it. Please, Canyon. There’s nothing worse than not knowing.”

  “Not knowing is what I’ve got. We know their last known location, but losing the signal most likely indicates the boat has submerged.”

  She trembled. “Which most likely means our children are in the water.”

  “Braeden has launched the rapid response boats. But—”

  She tugged him toward the door. “But you could reach them faster in the chopper. What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

  “We?”

  She widened her feet to hip’s width. “You fly the helo, but you’ll need a spotter.”
/>
  “Are you sure? You’ve never been in the chopper before.”

  “You need me.” Her eyes bored into him. “Don’t you?”

  He needed Kristina in more ways than she could ever understand—or probably handle at this moment. But she was right. In a search-and-rescue operation, time was of the essence. More eyes made for a better outcome.

  “Okay,” he conceded with reluctance. Please, God, let this be a rescue and not a recovery of bodies.

  Truth was, he needed God more than he’d ever needed anyone. His splendid isolation was over for good.

  Chapter Sixteen

  First light broke over the horizon as they lifted off from the launch pad at the airfield. Beside him in the cockpit, Kristina latched on to the seat. But this was not the way she’d imagined enjoying a sunrise with Canyon.

  He shot her a worried look. “Are you sure—”

  “Go.” She nudged her chin. “Just go.”

  She didn’t miss the irony that her son’s life—her very heartbeat—depended on another man’s piloting skills. And on God’s grace. Her faith since Pax’s death had been woefully shaken on both counts.

  Her anger—like subterranean lava beneath an outwardly dormant volcano—flared. Would God let her down again? Would she lose everyone she loved for good this time?

  She ignored the urge to quiet her thoughts. To breathe. To trust.

  Where had believing gotten her? At the age of thirty-eight, a widowed single parent. She was tired of being alone. Fighting alone. Living alone.

  Then don’t be alone.

  Kristina turned toward Canyon. With a grim set to his mouth, he concentrated on clearing the trees. The chopper whizzed over the tin roof of her bungalow.

  She fitted the headphones in place. “Where are we headed? And if you ask me one more time if I’m okay, I’m going to deck you.”

  He cut his eyes at her. “But who would fly the chopper?” His eyebrows rose. “You?”

  “I might surprise you.”

  His features lightened for a second. “You never cease to amaze me, Kris.”

  She glanced away from the intensity of his gaze. From the warm hope in his eyes. “I wish I believed in myself as much as you believe in me.”