“You’re right. I don’t. But for you, I’d do anything.”
She suspected that if she could tear her gaze away from him, she’d see a puddle of women on the ground if their collective “awwww” was any indication.
“Sucker!” Some man called out.
Rogan ignored them all.
“You’re all in for a real treat,” Rogan joked as he placed the microphone in the stand and cued the band to play something fast.
Reed watched in disbelief as Rogan danced his heart out. He looked a little ridiculous, but she loved him even more for it. On the second chorus, his kids ran up to the stage. He whirled them around, tossed the little ones in the air, and dipped his daughter. At the end of the first song, the kids retreated, leaving him on the stage, the center of attention.
He removed his jacket and tossed it to the side. Reed laughed at the sight, then groaned when several women started waving dollar bills in the air.
“This is a family event, ladies,” Reed playfully chastised.
“If he’s gonna strip, Reed had better give us something to look at, too!” A bearded man shouted out.
Miss Molly wagged her finger at the unruly adults.
The band shifted back to a slow song, and Rogan knelt on the stage, holding his hand out to her.
“Please.” He said. “One more chance.”
She couldn’t deny him.
She ran toward him as he stood up to capture her in his arms.
“I don’t care that all the men want you,” he whispered, his forehead pressed to hers. “I know you’ll always honor our relationship. Our love.”
“Our love, huh?” She laughed through her tears.
“Yup. You love me. I love you. Care to deny it?”
“I couldn’t if I wanted to.”
“Hear that, guys? She’s all mine,” Rogan shouted to the crowd. Several men started booing, all the while getting slapped by their female companions.
“Rogan, you should know that I’m a damn good liar. How else would I have made it so far in the business world? But I couldn’t lie to you. I’d never dishonor you. Ever.”
He kissed her then—good and thorough—to the sound of squeals and cheers. Little arms soon encircled the affectionate pair, and Reed’s heart grew large enough to house the entire town.
This was what she wanted. This was what she had come to Healing Springs for.
She hadn’t known it when she spontaneously purchased the property online. She hadn’t known it when she first met the kids, or when she first started falling for Rogan.
Her mother had known. Her mother had led her here. Her mother’s spirit, the one Freedom had tried to channel, had made this happen.
As if their thoughts had melded together, they let go of each other at the same moment, stepping back a bit to allow the kids into their circle. A united family, they joined hands and whirled the kids around like a merry-go-round.
“Oh!” Reed gasped, remembering the surprise she had for Rogan. She had a feeling his kids would approve.
Rogan ignored her gasp, surprisingly, as he looked over her shoulder and visibly stiffened.
She stopped dancing and turned to see what had him so tense.
To the side of the stage, being held off by Miss Molly, stood two dark clouds. Clouds she hadn’t invited to the party.
The band fizzled out at the end of the song. Nicholas Bonadello, her creepy neighbor, wore a gloating grin on his face. Tim, the building inspector, waved papers over Miss Molly’s shoulder as he demanded to be let through.
“What’s going on?” Reed walked toward the negativity, tuning out the disappointed groans and shouts of the crowd.
“I have some paperwork you need to have immediately.”
“One minute,” Reed held her hand up, gesturing for him to stay put. She turned back toward the crowd. “If you’ll excuse me for one moment, it looks like I have a little business to attend to. Please help yourselves to the popcorn or cotton candy, but come on back in fifteen minutes for an exciting announcement!”
As people started to mill about and mumble to one another, Reed turned back to Tim. Rogan flanked her, his hand resting possessively on her hip.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he roared.
“You need to shut this thing down. You’re not authorized to open.” Tim held the papers out to Reed. She took them, studying them with laser-focused attention.
“We obtained the approval. We passed the inspection.” Rogan stated, his tone menacing.
“False. There was an error. The proper permits were not attained.” Tim nodded at his own declaration.
“So sorry to hear about your misfortune. I’m happy to extend another offer to purchase the property if you’d like to call an end to this circus.” Nicholas rocked back on his heels, thrusting his chest out like the pompous brute he was.
“Get off my property.” Reed ordered.
“Won’t be yours for long, now, will it?” Nicholas strutted around the stage. Rogan’s grip on her waist tightened.
Officer Jenkins appeared out of nowhere, his hand on his holster. “I heard the lady kicking you off her property, Mr. Bonadello. I suggest you listen.”
Miss Molly hobbled forward and grabbed the papers out of Reed’s hands. She perused them with her one eye, then thrust them against Tim’s chest.
“This is rubbish,” she chastised.
“Miss Molly, with all due respect—” Tim began.
“There’s no respect in what you’re pulling.”
Reed noticed the hush that had fallen over the crowd as people gathered closer. Probably didn’t want to miss the show. The downfall of the flatlander.
Sure, they had all been having a good time on Reed’s dime, but when it came down to the nitty gritty, she knew where their loyalty would be.
Miss Molly wagged her finger in front of Tim.
“I changed your diapers, boy. The least you can do is make an exception to your silly little rules.”
Tim puffed up a bit, his eyes darting around. “They’re not silly little rules. I can’t just bend them. I don’t have that kind of authority.”
“Are you telling me that someone in your position can’t backdate a little paperwork? It’s a permit, for crying out loud, not an execution notice.”
“Miss Molly, I’ll handle this,” Reed tried to involve herself, but Miss Molly waved her away. Reed stepped back, stunned that such a little old lady could make her feel like a freshman in a business class rather than the CEO. Thank goodness Miss Molly hadn’t been her competition in NYC.
Reed stroked Rogan’s arm. He was too tense—poised to attack the offense.
“You’re making me so angry, young man,” Miss Molly continued. “This whole town has rallied behind this young lady. They’ve volunteered their time because this is a worthwhile business venture. This place is good for our town. You go back to your car and dot all your I’s and cross all your T’s. Come back with the paperwork complete and legal and join in on the party.”
Miss Molly glared at Nicholas. “Not you. You can go home.”
“Tim—you can’t let her think she is in charge of you. You know what you need to do.”
Several big men from the crowd had worked their way onto the stage, while the rest of the crowd moved as close as possible, leaving no real room for movement.
Miss Molly gestured toward the gathering guests.
“This is your town. Show some loyalty. We want this.”
“Tim…” Nicholas’s voice waivered while beads of perspiration gathered at his temples.
“Mighty sorry. I, um, made a mistake. My apologies for interrupting your festivities.”
Shouts erupted, cups flung into the air. Officer Jenkins blew his whistle in an attempt to gain control of the crowd. The band started playing a celebratory tune, and everyone backed off to start dancing.
Rogan stayed focused on Nicholas’s retreat, nearly going after him when he kicked a chair out of his path, nearly knocking i
t into a guest. Officer Jenkins followed Nicholas, so Reed put her hand on Rogan’s wildly thumping chest in an effort to bring him back to the moment.
She leaned into him, wanting the closeness.
“I have a surprise for you,” she teased.
His attention returned to her.
“Does it involve you in my t-shirt?”
She laughed a throaty laugh.
“Maybe later, but I think some people in the crowd would be offended.”
“I can’t think of a single surprise that I could get excited about that would be appropriate in front of the guests.”
She delivered the most sensual peck on his lips that she could muster. If she gave him any more of a kiss, he’d have to haul her off into the woods.
She moved to the mic, dragging him along with her since she refused to let him go.
“I hope you’ve all enjoyed the incredible theatrics of this afternoon’s event.” The joy in Reed’s voice was not faked. The crowd responded with even greater enthusiasm than before. “Now that we’ve had our half-time show, I’d like to say a few words.
“I didn’t know when I moved to Healing Springs that my heart would receive the healing it needed. I didn’t know this town was filled with the kindest, most generous people on Earth. I am so happy that we were able to return this property to its former glory. I’ve heard great stories of the history of this property. I hope I’m able to honor that history from this day forward.
“As you can see, each cottage is unique. We have cottages to meet your every need—from small efficiencies to three bedroom deluxe cottages. I hope you enjoy the decorating we’ve done.”
Applause and shouts filled her heart even more.
Rogan shouldered his way to the microphone.
“Freedom Peterson has done a fine job delivering what this town really needs—a sophisticated, luxury adult resort. Three cheers for Freedom!”
Reed laughed, thrilled to her toes that he had accepted her vision for the place.
But he had known she was wrong long before she had.
She grabbed the mic again.
“Are you crazy?” she exclaimed, raising her voice to be heard over the thumping and roaring of the excited crowd. “An adult-only resort? No way will that work around here.”
More cheers erupted, piercing her eardrums. She didn’t mind.
“I invite you all to look around. In the front of the property, I hope you enjoy what we intended to be sophisticated and serene.” Reed gave a brief overview of some of the adult-oriented offerings.
“But if you’ll follow me, I’d like to show you my family offerings.”
Rogan’s expression turned quizzical, and Reed could hardly hold in her giggles. She reached her hands out toward his children, who came skipping forward. They formed a family chain, only missing the baby, who was with Grandma in the crowd.
Reed led the group down the nature trail and toward the area she was most proud of.
“Ta-da!” She exclaimed as the kids rushed forward to climb the renovated carousel.
“What the—”
Reed covered Rogan’s mouth with her finger.
“Shh, this is the family area.”
He dragged her forward with him as he examined the old, refurbished carousel.
“When did you do this?”
“Let’s just say I’ve had a lot of time on my hands while you were ignoring me. There’s also a mini-golf area and an area I plan to grow into a water park, and a—”
He interrupted her excited tirade with a kiss, deep and true. When he pulled away, she practically panted, clutching his arms for support.
“I’ll never ignore you again.”
She stiffened. She wasn’t looking to be suffocated. He needed to know that even though she was madly in love with him, she still needed her space.
“I’ll also never crowd you again,” he vowed, emotion darkening his eyes. “I’ve learned a lot from you. You need space—I’ll give it. As long as you promise to always come back to me as soon as you get a little lonely.”
“Thank you, Rogan. For understanding me.”
“Thank you for accepting me. You’ve taught me how to dream.”
“You’ve taught me how to reach higher. To want more.”
“Oh yeah? Like what? You’ve already conquered the world.”
Tears sprung to her eyes once again.
“Like family. Children. Hell, I even think I might like having dogs around.”
“Even a gaggle of children?”
She pinched his arm.
“There’s nothing better than a gaggle.”
He captured her lips in a fierce kiss.
When he pulled away, she thought she saw moisture gathering in his eyes.
“You make me feel whole again, Freedom Starshine. You don’t judge my manhood by my limp. You don’t tip-toe around me. You sure as hell don’t pity me. You don’t treat me like I’m less of a man because my wife cheated on me.”
She answered him in the only way she felt was appropriate—by pulling his head to hers for another kiss.
The magic between them made her feel like they were the only people in the world. For this moment, at least, they were.
“I judge your manhood in only one way.” Reed chanced a look around to be sure no one was paying attention, then cupped his burgeoning erection in her eager hands.
He jumped a little, then pulled her closer, inching off into a wooded area.
“Oh no you don’t, you young lovers.” Miss Molly pushed Rogan back toward the activity. “I need Reed to teach us how to flip the switch to get those horsies galloping.”
Reed did as requested, marveling that she could feel so much joy from something as simple as watching people rediscover their youth.
Rogan had been right. About everything.
When the maiden voyage came to an end, Reed shouted over the crowd, asking them to listen to one more announcement.
“In honor of Miss Molly and friends, I’d like to announce that the Victorian cottage in the front will be designated for the use of any senior citizen in Healing Springs, by arrangement, for a complimentary stay. This is my way of giving a little something to someone who has been nothing but wonderful to me since I moved here.”
Miss Molly hugged Reed tight.
Reed had never felt as much a part of a community as she did at that moment.
Later, when the party died down and the guests were all tucked in for the night, Rogan invited her down to the brook for a private celebration.
She slipped out while Simplicity made the rounds delivering freshly baked cookies from Tiana’s diner to each cottage.
Rogan didn’t give her time to question his motives. He pulled her to him, then watched her intently as he began to carefully remove each item of her clothing.
“You’ve become more patient,” she complimented.
“Nope.”
His eyes swept over her now-naked body as the moonlight danced across her bare skin. She shivered under his perusal.
“We have some unfinished business. A fantasy we never fulfilled.”
“Is Officer Jenkins around?” Reed teased.
“I’ll kill him if he is.”
“Truth?”
“You know all of my truths. And I was still able to con you into loving me. I must be good.” He smiled as he hovered above her lips.
“Oh, you’re good all right.” She pulled him in for the lip contact she craved, and then kissed all of his good places to punctuate her point.
Much later, after a scandalous ride on the carousel and a rocky ride on the side of the brook, she nuzzled into his sweaty neck.
“Hey, we still haven’t done it in the water.”
With a growl, he carried her into the cool brook and showed her the magic of a fantasy coming true.
Two Is a Lonely Number: Chapter One
Two lines.
Pregnant.
Karly opened the neatly folded insert once again, only valid
ating for the seventh time what had already been confirmed courtesy of her gynecologist.
The little blue lines announced their presence as brightly as the neon signs at Jake’s Lounge.
Pregnant.
Karly took a deep breath, refusing to look at her reflection in the mirror. She wrapped the test in toilet paper, carelessly discarding the life-changing tool in her wastebasket. Along with the others.
All different brands. All different days. All the same result.
Nausea threatened to overwhelm her, but not for the first time. The previous weeks had been testing the fortitude of her stomach, and she usually managed to lose the battle.
She should have known.
She had allowed herself to believe she had been stricken by a virus. Nothing a little chicken soup and some ginger ale couldn’t cure. She was always hanging around her best friend, Ava, and Ava was always bringing home illnesses from the kids she taught.
Kids.
Karly sunk into her over-stuffed chair, her hands settling on her still-flat belly.
If she spoke the news aloud, it would make this whole thing real. It would mean she truly carried a permanent souvenir from a reckless, drunken one-night stand. It would mean that her moment of carelessness had resulted in a life sentence. It would mean that the man she had slept with the night of her best friend’s wedding would have given her a party favor she could have done without.
She wanted kids someday. She did.
But she hadn’t imagined it like this.
Karly groaned. Working her way out of the stage of denial, Karly needed to talk about it.
Her hands shook as she picked up her cell and initiated the call to Ava.
Ava would know what to do.
Rational perspective. That’s what she needed.
Ava answered on the first ring.
“You must be on my wavelength, because I just picked up the phone to call you!” Ava’s excitement shot through the phone, piercing through Karly’s growing fog of misery.
“What are you so excited about?” Karly had no problem putting off the conversation for a few more moments. Reality had no place interfering with some good BFF news.
“I’m pregnant!”
Lead balls loaded down Karly’s already wavering hot air balloon. Thank goodness this news was delivered over the phone and not in person.
A Heart to Call Home Page 22