Abbey woofed in greeting, then lay still.
A stunning, crashing relief poured through Jackson. Reese was hurt. But she was alive.
“The rocks,” Carla warned as he stepped past her.
“Yeah.” He tossed a glance at the small mountain of stones, none of which looked real stable. And even as he thought it, a scattering of pebbles smacked and danced their way down the mass. “It’s okay, baby,” he said, keeping his voice quiet. “You’re okay now. Daddy’s here. Everything’s fine.”
Two steps, three, and he was crouching beside his little girl. His thumbs brushed away the dirty tear tracks on her face and he stared into Reese’s big blue eyes as his heartbeat slowly returned to normal. Carla was there beside him, expertly running her hands over the child’s head and neck, her arms, her legs.
An eternity later, Carla looked up at him. “I think she’s okay, but we should move her away from these rocks.”
“Right.”
He picked his daughter up gently, moved her back from the rock wall, and set her down again. Then he hurried back to Carla and, after her nod of approval, helped her move the dog to safety as well.
Then he went to Reese again, wanting to reassure himself that she was fine. He knelt in front of her and she reached for him, catching his face between her small hands.
“What is it, sweetie?” Jackson covered her hands with his and gave silent thanks for the chance to be able to hold her again.
Her mouth opened and closed, slowly, awkwardly, like a creaky, rarely used door. Fresh tears coursed down her cheeks, her bottom lip quivered shakily, and she swallowed hard.
He watched her, wanting to help, not knowing what she needed. Frustration tore at him.
Then she inhaled sharply and blurted, “Daddy…”
Stunned to his soul, Jackson shuddered with the impact of that soft, scratchy voice. It had been so long, he’d nearly forgotten what Reese’s voice sounded like. Now it was raw and unsteady and beautiful. And the sweet sound of it nearly broke his heart. Tears stung his eyes, his throat closed around a knot the size of Texas, and he felt as though he couldn’t draw air into suddenly heaving lungs.
Miracles. He’d been blessed with miracles.
“Reese—” Grinning now, Jackson shot a fast look at Carla, saw his own surprise mirrored on her face, then turned back to his daughter. “Reese honey, you’re talking.” Dumb, Jackson. She knows she’s talking. “Are you all right?”
She ignored the question. “Abbey’s hurt.”
“I know, honey.” He glanced at the big dog and saw Carla was giving the golden the same careful check she’d given Reese. But the expression on Carla’s face told him she wasn’t happy with what she was finding. Torn now, Jackson’s heart ached for Carla and at the same time he wanted to celebrate. His little girl had come back from the darkness.
Giving him a small smile of understanding, Carla stroked Abbey’s neck, then eased backward, distancing herself from all of them as she pulled her walkie-talkie out and pressed the button.
“Daddy!” Reese patted his face insistently until he turned back to watch the sorrow in her eyes. She swallowed again and said, “I climbed the rocks so I could see. There’s too many trees an’ they’re too big an’ I’m too little so I got lost.” Jackson hurt all over at those three little words, but she wasn’t finished. “An’ I fell down and then lots and lots of rocks started falling and Abbey pushed me out of the way and then a big rock hit her and she … she … cried.”
“Ah, baby…”
“An’ it’s my fault!” Reese wailed, and the pitch her voice reached brought a chill to Jackson’s spine, lifting the small hairs at the back of his neck. “Just like when Mommy died.”
Everything in him went cold and still as he stared at Reese. Jesus. Guilt and pain shone in her eyes and she hiccuped around a fresh batch of tears as she kept talking. It was as if, silent for so long, now that she’d started speaking, she couldn’t stop. She had to say everything she’d been holding in for the last year.
“Baby, your mommy’s accident wasn’t your fault,” Jackson broke in, but she wasn’t listening.
“It was raining and Mommy told me to be quiet so she could consecrate an’”—she pulled in a jerky breath and hunched her shoulders as if trying to hide from her own words—“an’ I didn’t be quiet and I called her and called her and then she turned around to look at me and that big truck came and Mommy died. She died ’cause I didn’t be quiet and I’ve been real quiet since then, but she didn’t come back and now I hurt Abbey and—”
A knife blade of pain stabbed at him and Jackson pulled her close, felt her thin arms wrap around his neck and hang on as if she were dangling from a cliff. He patted her back and soothed her with the words he should have said so long ago. But he hadn’t known. Hadn’t even guessed that his child was torturing herself with the same guilt that had eaten away at him.
“You didn’t do anything, baby,” he whispered, and eased back so that she could look into his eyes and know he was telling her the truth. “It wasn’t your fault, Reese. The accident. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. Oh, baby, you had nothing to do with it. It was a terrible thing, but you didn’t cause it. Nobody did.” And as he tried to help his daughter, he saw and felt the real truth himself. “It just … was. It happened, baby, but not because of you.”
She let go of him long enough to run one hand under her nose. “Mommy’s not coming back, is she?”
“No, baby,” he said, and kissed her cheeks, her forehead, the tip of her nose. “She’s not. But I’m here. I’m right here with you. And you’re safe.”
She pulled in another long breath and let it go in a soft rush. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, too, baby,” he whispered, stroking her tears away with the pads of his thumbs.
She looked back over her shoulder and asked, “But what about Abbey, Daddy? Is Abbey gonna die, too?”
“I hope not, baby.”
God, he hoped not. But it didn’t look good. The big dog was lying still. Breath moved in and out of her lungs, but she’d made no attempt to get up. And a few feet away, Carla murmured into the walkie-talkie and paced, pushing her hand through her hair.
“We hafta help Abbey,” Reese said.
“We will.” He stood up and walked to Carla while Reese scooted over to take up position alongside the golden again.
Carla swallowed back her fear and said into the walkie-talkie, “Thanks, Tony. And hurry, okay?” When Jackson appeared beside her, she blinked back the tears crowding her eyes and tried for brave.
It didn’t work.
“Is she hurt bad?” Jackson asked.
“One leg’s broken. As for internally, I don’t know.” Her gaze drifted to where the little girl sat, patiently stroking the dog’s head, whispering words of comfort. “I called for help. Tony’s coming. Bringing a doctor. And a vet.”
“Carla…”
It was Jackson’s obvious pain that broke through her own. Even in his joy with his child, he worried about her. Taking his hand, she said, “Don’t feel bad, Jackson. Not now. You’ve got your daughter back. She’s safe. She’s talking again.”
“But Abbey got hurt ’cause a me,” Reese said, and Carla turned to look at the little girl’s tormented expression.
“No, sweetie.” Drawing Jackson along with her, Carla walked toward the dog she’d loved and worked with for years and the little girl who’d become a part of her heart. Crouching down, Carla took a seat opposite Reese, and as the child stroked Abbey’s head, Carla laid her own hand atop the girl’s.
Abbey whimpered, flopped her tail half-heartedly, then lay still again.
An ache pulsed in time with Carla’s heartbeat, but she needed to make sure Reese didn’t pick up another burden to carry on her narrow shoulders. “It’s not your fault.” She took a deep breath, steadied her voice, and put every ounce of conviction she possessed into her words. “Abbey did what she was trained to do, Reese. What her heart told her to do.
”
A single tear rolled down the girl’s cheek.
Carla felt Jackson’s hand come down on her shoulder and she welcomed the heat of his touch. It seemed to slip inside her to where the cold, scared child within her cowered.
“Abbey saved you, Reese. She loves you. She was taking care of you. Just as she’s always done.” Sweet, brave, gentle-hearted dog. “She wouldn’t want you to be sad.”
“But if she dies like Mommy did then I can’t see her anymore.” Sorrow glimmered in the child’s eyes and Carla didn’t try to erase it. Even children needed to grieve. To feel pity and pain. And to become stronger for it.
“No, you won’t,” she said softly, refusing to lie to Reese, unwilling to give her false hope. “But you’ll always remember her.” As I will. Always, Abbey.
“Uh-huh.”
“And you’ll have your daddy.”
“And she’ll have you, Carla,” Jackson said, his deep voice reverberating around them. He reached out and covered both of their hands with his. “You’ll have both of us, Reese. And no matter what happens, we’ll get through it, together.”
Carla just stared at him. Her heart breaking, mind spinning, she looked into his lake-blue eyes and saw the promise of tomorrow. “Jackson…”
“I love you, Carla,” he said.
Carla glanced at Reese and the little girl gave her a watery smile. Then she turned back to Jackson as he went on.
“You are the best thing that ever happened to me. To us.” He shifted a quick look at his daughter, then at their joined hands before shifting his gaze back to Carla’s. “I’m tired of living in the past. I want a future. With you. Here, in this place.”
Warmth fought past the chill in her bones and spread throughout her body, filling her with hope, love, and a joy she’d never known before. And despite the worry over her injured dog, that happiness blossomed within her.
“I love you, too,” she said, wanting him to know that, believe it—yet what if he was only saying this because of the emotions in the moment? “But—”
“No,” he said, and leaned forward to place a quick, hard kiss on her mouth. “No buts. No guilt. No running. Not anymore. Maybe this isn’t the most romantic proposal on record.…”
She blinked. “Proposal?”
He shook his head. “I must really suck at this if you couldn’t guess what I was trying to say. Yes, it’s a proposal. Because I need you, Carla. We need you.”
“Jackson,” she said, and he cut her off again.
“Marry me.”
“What?” She sat back on her heels, staring at him.
“Just say yes. Don’t think about it. We’ve both done too much thinking in the past. This time, just trust your heart. Trust my heart.” His gaze moved over her with a slow sweet stroke that touched her more deeply than any words could. Okay, maybe it wasn’t romantic. But it was real. She saw it in his eyes. Heard it in his voice. Felt it in the warmth of his hand atop hers.
And that made it perfect.
“I love you.” He said it again, emphasizing the words. “I want to marry you and love you for the rest of my life. Say yes, Carla, and help me build the kind of family that will keep us all safe. And happy.”
Carla swallowed back the lump in her throat and looked at Reese. The little girl was smiling through her tears and Carla’s heart twisted. Wasn’t this life, though? she thought. Reese safe, but Abbey injured. Things were so rarely good or bad, but more often a weird mixture of the two. Pain and joy came together and Carla knew it was important to grab happiness when the chance for it appeared.
In a few short weeks, her life had been turned upside down, shaken up, and finally, magically, set right.
And even a Candellano knew when not to argue.
She looked into those incredibly blue eyes of his and, smiling through her tears, said simply, “Yes.”
EPILOGUE
ONE MONTH LATER …
Violins sang on the soft summer air.
The sun hung over the edge of the horizon and stained the afternoon sky with brilliant slashes of red and pink and purple. A soft wind rushed in off the ocean and the ripples of water slapping against the shore beat a constant rhythm that kept the crowd moving.
Well, Carla thought, smiling, the rhythm of the sea and Mama standing at the head of the buffet table. She tore her gaze from the picture-perfect sunset long enough to glance at her family. The Candellanos and most of Chandler were too busy celebrating her wedding to take much notice of the bride. Which was okay, since she was sort of enjoying this moment of solitude.
“Do you know how gorgeous you look?”
Jackson came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. So, solitude could be overrated. Carla grinned up at him and felt her heart flip over at the smoky desire in his eyes. “Tell me.”
“Later.…” He dipped his head to kiss the curve of her neck and smiled as her curls danced across his cheek.
“Ah,” she murmured, tipping her head to give him better access. “The famed wedding night.”
He glanced to one side, where their guests danced to the trio hired to play for the reception. Sand and sea and laughter and love. It was perfect. Everything a wedding should be. Filled with family and friends and so much joy, Jackson felt his heart swell to the point of bursting. “It’ll be as perfect as today was, I promise.”
Carla turned in his grasp and threw her arms around his neck. Smiling up at him, she said, “I’ll hold you to it. But about the honeymoon—”
Jackson shook his head and laughed. “I already told you. It’s no problem.”
“You don’t mind postponing it until I get back?”
He smiled wryly. “I think we can wait until you’ve finished helping out at an earthquake.”
“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.…” Searchers had called and she was back on the job. She felt whole and confident and so damn happy, it was probably illegal.
“We’ll be here,” he assured her. “Your husband and both of your flower girls.” He slid a glance to their left, where Reese stood at the water’s edge, tossing rose petals into the receding sea. Beside her, Abbey, a cast on one foreleg, barked so hard, her flower-bedecked collar slipped drunkenly to one side.
The golden was well on her way to being as good as new. Of course, she wasn’t well enough to accompany Carla on this search-and-rescue mission. Carla would have to use one of the company dogs for now. But soon, she and Abbey would be working together again.
And coming home to Jackson and Reese.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“You’re worth waiting for. And I’ll keep busy setting up my new office.”
“And taking care of the puppies,” she reminded him as she went up on her toes.
“That, too.”
Behind him, Carla saw Abigail, Virginia, and Rachel huddled together, whispering.
Laughing, she told Jackson, “I think the Terrible Three are talking about us.”
He didn’t even bother to glance at them. Instead, he bent his head to hers and, just before he kissed her senseless, said, “Let’s give ’em something to talk about.”
Read on for an excerpt from another delightful book by Maureen Child
KNOWING YOU
Available from St. Martin’s Press
CHAPTER ONE
NOTHING LIKE A WEDDING to make you feel more … single.
But Stephanie, “Stevie,” Ryan wasn’t complaining. She liked being single. She was good at it. Although at the moment, she felt about as conspicuous as a stowaway on Noah’s Ark. Everywhere she looked, there were couples. From teenagers, clinging to each other like survivors of a sinking ship, to the Swansons, whose combined age would probably make a decent SAT score. Even the grade-schoolers were paired off, for a little hair-pulling and name-calling.
Yep, in a world of matched luggage, Stevie was a duffel bag.
Still, she was okay with that, most of the time. It was only on days like this when she really felt the
lack of a man in her life. Although the last time she’d had a man in her life, she’d ended up wishing she’d stayed single. So, what was the point, really?
Half the town of Chandler, California, had turned out for Carla Candellano’s wedding to Jackson Wyatt. And even though the bride and groom were long gone, off to their wedding night at a luxury hotel in Monterey, the reception had kept right on rolling.
In the open meadow at the edge of town, tiny white lights had been strung in the trees and across a makeshift dance floor in the clearing. Off to the left, the Pacific Ocean roared out a solid, steady beat as waves pounded against the shore and slammed into the rocks lining the beach. Moonlight poured down from a clear late-summer sky and the stars looked as though God had hung strings of lights through the night sky to help with the celebration.
The party was finally winding down—there were only a few diehards left out on the meadow. And though Stevie’s fingers were tapping to the music, she was ready to make her getaway. All she wanted now was a pint of fudge brownie ice cream, an old movie, and her jammies, not necessarily in that order.
She glanced down the length of the white-cloth-covered table. Grabbing her chance, she stood up and slunk away while most of the Candellanos were busy talking. Quickly she made her way along the tree line toward town. Music and the noise of the crowd faded into the distance, sounding almost ghostly as she moved farther away from the party. Humming along with the music, she heard twigs snap beneath her feet as a cool evening breeze drifted in off the ocean and skittered along her skin. She shivered but lifted her face into the wind, loving the feel of the sea-scented air surrounding her.
She sighed. It had been a good day all in all. Her best friend was married to a man who clearly adored her. And Stevie had managed to escape the maid of honor’s curse of being trapped with the most boring man in attendance. Which in this case would have meant Frank Pezzini.
“Oh, man,” she murmured. “Now that Carla’s off the market, I wonder if this means Frank will start turning his charms on me?” A sobering thought. Another shiver rippled through her, but this one had nothing to do with the wind. Ye gods, just thinking about having to sit and chat with a man who had shined up his best white patent-leather shoes for the wedding was enough to make her run for the hills.
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