Three Reasons to Wed

by Helen Lacey

  Just thinking about her set his blood on fire.

  Three days after his disastrous attempt to ask her out, Grady was still thinking about how beautiful she’d looked in the girls’ playroom, dressed in his mom’s old wedding gown. There’d been a vulnerability in her eyes and he wanted only to comfort her. Instead, he’d made some vague pass and glossed over what he really meant to say.

  Mostly because he didn’t know what the hell to do with what he was feeling.

  And since he now knew the truth about Rex, it added a whole new level of complication to the situation. He felt she needed to be told, but Rex insisted it wasn’t the right time. Only, Grady wasn’t so sure. Marissa wanted a family and Rex was her father. But it still wasn’t his place to tell her...despite how much he was compelled to let her know the truth.

  He’d given her space for a few days, but he had Breanna’s school play on Thursday afternoon, and since his mother was on the drama committee for the school, Grady called Marissa and asked if she’d look after Tina for a few hours. She agreed without hesitation and he dropped his daughter off just after two o’clock.

  She came to the door in long denim shorts and a bright red T-shirt that molded her curves like a second skin. She had bright red loafers on her feet and her hair was caught up in a ponytail. She looked vibrant and healthy and too sexy for words.

  “Thanks for doing this,” he said and walked into the house with a sleeping Tina in his arms. “I didn’t want to take her to the school as she’s been a bit cranky this morning and has been dozing off and on for the past hour or so.”

  Marissa nodded and ushered him into one of the small bedrooms, and he gently placed his daughter on the bed while Marissa shifted pillows around her. He dropped the bag with Tina’s things by the door.

  “She’ll probably sleep for another hour or so,” he said and passed Marissa a small food carrier. “Her favorite snacks and drinks and her toys are in the bag.”

  “Okay...no problem.”

  Grady lingered by the door. “Any problems, send me a text and I’ll call you back.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. It should have just been a friendly peck, but when it came to Marissa, his feelings had gone way beyond friendship. But she didn’t flinch. Didn’t react.

  Tempting offer...but no, thanks...

  Her words from a few days earlier were now indelibly imprinted in his brain.

  No, thanks...

  Right. She’s not interested. And she’d accused him of being egotistical, which he’d never considered himself to be. A healthy ego, maybe. But he could have sworn she was as wrapped up in the attraction between them as he was. Maybe not.

  He left without another word and spent the next few hours helping set up the staging in the school gym for the play, and then the following hour watching his eldest daughter perform the role of a dancing sunflower in a costume his mother had fashioned. Milly sat with him and he’d even dragged Brant from his usual hibernation to spend some time with the family. It was intermission before he had a chance to check his phone and saw three messages from Marissa.

  He left Milly with his brother and headed outside the gymnasium. He spent precisely twenty seconds on the phone with Marissa before he ended the call and headed inside to find his brother.

  “I have to bail,” he said when he found Brant. “Can you make sure Milly and Breanna get to Mom’s tonight?”

  Brant nodded and frowned. “Sure...what’s wrong?”

  “Tina’s sick. I gotta run.”

  Fifteen minutes later Grady was back at Marissa’s, wondering how he hadn’t gotten a speeding ticket along the way. Marissa met him at the front door, looking pale and worried.

  “She has a fever,” she said as he strode through the doorway. “I tried cooling her down in a tepid bath, but I don’t think it helped.”

  Grady was by his daughter’s side in seconds. She moaned and called him Daddy, and his heart just about broke in two. He pressed his hand to her forehead. She did have a fever and her cheeks were hot and pink. The swiftness of the fever concerned him and he quickly bundled her up in a soft cotton blanket.

  “I think I’ll just take her straight to the ER,” he said and stood. “The fever came on quickly, so better to be overcautious.”

  Marissa nodded. “I’ll come with you,” she said and followed him down the hallway.

  Once they were at his dual cab truck, Marissa ducked into the backseat. “I’ll sit with her,” she said and held out her arms. “You drive.”

  On the way to the hospital she held his daughter as if she was the most precious thing in the world, and seeing the love she had for his child turned him inside out. No one, he realized, no woman he might ever become involved with, would ever love his children with the depth that Marissa did. By the time they reached the small community hospital, it was after eight o’clock. Grady parked illegally in the loading bay but didn’t care, and he quickly carried his daughter into the emergency room while Marissa kept pace at his side.

  He was relieved to see Dr. Monero on duty. He’d known Lucy since they were kids and trusted her. Years ago her parents had owned a neighboring ranch, which had been sold off when her father died and Lucy and her mom moved into town. Tina, he was sure, was in the best of hands. It was barely minutes before Tina was laid out on a bed in triage to be examined. Grady was allowed to stay by her side, and he held his daughter’s hand as tests and consultations with other doctors were done. She cried and moaned and he experienced such an acute sense of helplessness it was almost excruciating to breathe. Marissa remained close by, and he was grateful for her silent support.

  But when Tina’s fever spiked again and she convulsed, he was quickly ushered out of the cubicle while a medical team attended to her. It was the longest five minutes of his life. And Marissa, quiet and stoic at his side, grabbed his hand and squeezed his fingers as they waited.

  When Dr. Monero came out to see him, she looked calm but concerned.

  “Tina suffered a febrile convulsion,” she explained, and he heard Marissa gasp as she squeezed his fingers tighter. “It often happens when an infant has such a high temperature. A fever occurs when the body is trying to fight infection. This appears viral rather than bacterial, but we’ve done a few swabs just to be sure.”

  Viral. Bacterial. Swabs. Grady’s head felt as if it was going to explode.

  “Is she going to be okay?”

  Lucy Monero nodded. “I think so. The convulsion is kind of like a coping mechanism against the fever. We’ll monitor her here for the next six hours, and if I’m not happy with her response to treatment we’ll look at moving her to the hospital in Rapid City,” she said, calm and matter-of-fact. “Their pediatric department has a number of specialists and is better equipped than ours. But for the moment we’ll wait and see.”

  “Can I see her now?”

  “Of course.”

  Grady spent the following five hours by his daughter’s bedside, sitting in an uncomfortable chair, not speaking. Marissa sat at his side. Together. Hands linked and sharing the distress of seeing his child so ill and vulnerable. Medical staff worked around them, not saying much, but offering concerned and sympathetic looks.

  Dr. Monero returned after midnight and informed them that they had decided to transport Tina to the bigger hospital in Rapid City.

  “It’s more precautionary than anything else,” she explained. “Her temperature is still high and if she convulses again I think having a pediatric specialist on hand will be an advantage.” She patted Grady’s arm reassuringly. “But I’m sure she’s going to be fine.”

  Grady trusted Lucy’s judgment and agreed with her decision. While they prepared Tina for the journey in the ambulance, he stood back—and Marissa remained at his side. His hand was numb from holding hers, but he didn’t release the grip. It soothed him. Calme
d him. Her presence made an unbearable situation almost endurable.

  “I’ll drive your truck,” Marissa said quietly. “You travel in the ambulance with her.”

  He nodded and twenty minutes later they were on their way to Rapid City. When they arrived at the hospital, he called his mother, knowing she would still be awake and worried, even though it was nearly two in the morning. He felt better once he knew Breanna and Milly were okay and reassured Colleen that Tina would be fine.

  Marissa met him in the children’s ward and they were quickly shown to Tina’s room. She lay asleep, her tiny chest rising with every breath. Grady stalled in the doorway, his lungs so tight and his throat so choked with emotion he could barely breathe. Marissa must have sensed his apprehension, because she placed a hand on his shoulder and urged him forward.

  Walking toward his sick child...those were some of the hardest steps he’d ever taken. The whole situation reminded him too much of the last precious hours he’d spent with Liz...of Breanna’s despair and Milly’s confusion...of his mother-in-law crying in the hall...of the pain in his heart.

  He pushed the memory away and sat in the chair by the bed, while Marissa took a seat on the other side. The room seemed eerily quiet. The echoes of footsteps over the floor outside the room and the methodical beep of a monitor next door were all he could hear. That and his child’s breathing...haunting him, amplifying his helplessness.

  Half an hour passed. A doctor came and went. A nurse returned every ten minutes to place cool compresses on Tina’s skin. Once the nurse left the room, Marissa stood and moved to the window. It was still dark outside—dawn was a couple of hours away. Grady was tired but knew he’d never sleep—not until he was sure his baby was out of danger.

  He got up, stretched his legs and went to join Marissa. She had her back to him, arms crossed, staring out into the street below.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She nodded, stilled and then shook her head. “I feel so responsible.”

  Grady’s chest ached and he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Why? This isn’t your fault.”

  She turned and he saw tears in her eyes. “Tina was in my care. I was supposed to be watching over her.”

  Grady took a deep breath, grasped her chin and raised her gaze to his. “Marissa, you did everything right. You tried to cool her down as soon as you realized she had a fever. You called me straight away. You did nothing wrong,” he assured her. “Okay?”

  Her lower lip wobbled. “But I—”

  “Nothing,” he said, and then before he could talk himself out of it, he kissed her softly.

  It was comfort and sweetness. It was about finding solace for a few brief moments. Her lips moved over his, tentative, but searching, seeking. Something stirred within him, the knowledge they were two people drawn together, needing one another, needing closeness.

  Grady finally pulled back gently and held her against him.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” he said softly.

  She sighed against his chest. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

  Her words gave him inexplicable comfort. Peace. And something else.

  Hope.

  Chapter Nine

  When Marissa woke up, her neck was stiff and her arms were numb. The narrow hospital chair wasn’t designed for sleeping. She sat up and stretched and then got to her feet. Grady was in the chair opposite, eyes open, watching her.

  She looked at Tina, still asleep. “How is she?” Marissa asked and stepped close to the bed.

  “Better,” he said and stood. “Her fever dropped this morning around eight o’clock.”

  Relief coursed through her and she managed a smile as she gently touched Tina’s forehead and felt it cool against her palm. “What time is it now?”

  “Ten.”

  Marissa met his gaze, saw his weary expression and frowned. “Did you get any sleep at all?”

  He glanced at the chair by the bed. “Not really. I couldn’t sleep until I knew she was out of danger. And since then...” His words trailed off and he sighed heavily. “I’ve just been looking at her and thanking God that she’s okay.”

  The baby stirred and opened her eyes. “Daddy.”

  He stepped closer to the bed and cupped Tina’s head with his palm. “Daddy’s here, honey.”

  Marissa’s heart flipped. Grady’s love for his child was profound, and if she hadn’t been sure that she was falling in love with him, it was confirmed when she watched him soothe his little girl—and when he’d held Marissa close and comforted her in the small hours of the morning. His strength had seeped through her as they’d kissed and she knew, right then, that she was in love with him. Wholly. Utterly. Irreversibly.

  She offered to get him coffee and a sandwich from the café downstairs and came back fifteen minutes later carrying a small tray and found him in the same spot, eyes open, watching his baby girl sleep.

  “My brother is coming a little later,” he said and drank some coffee. “He’s bringing me a change of clothes and some things for Tina. I also told him to grab one of Liz’s dresses for you,” he said and shrugged. “I hope that’s okay.”

  “Sure,” she replied. “I didn’t realize you still had her things.”

  “I moved them into one of the spare rooms. I thought that when the girls were older they might want some of them.” He shrugged again. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea...you know, holding on to the past.”

  “She was their mother,” Marissa said quietly. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate it when they’re old enough to understand.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  The doctor arrived a few minutes later, and after checking Tina’s temperature, she assured them that Tina was going to be fine.

  “We’ll keep her in for today and tonight and you can take her home tomorrow.”

  Marissa saw palpable relief on Grady’s face. It was the best news they’d had in what felt like an eternity.

  Tina slept off and on for the next couple of hours and Marissa returned to her chair by the window and watched silently as Grady sat by his daughter’s bed, her tiny hand in his, talking to his child in a soft, low voice each time she stirred.

  Brant arrived a few hours later. He dropped two small bags by the door, one for Tina and one for them, took one look at his older brother, tapped him on the shoulder and told him to get some rest. “You look shattered,” Brant said and then nodded toward Marissa. “Go and get some sleep.”

  Grady shook his head. “I’m fine. And I’m not leaving.”

  Brant held up a hand. “She’s out of danger now, right? I’m here and I’ll stay until you get back. There’s a hotel on this block. Go and get some rest for a few hours.” He looked at Marissa again. “Both of you.”

  “He’s probably right,” she said softly. “You haven’t slept and won’t be able to drive her home tomorrow if you don’t get some rest.”

  It took a couple more minutes to convince him, but finally he agreed. But only after Brant assured him that he’d call if anything changed. They both kissed a sleeping Tina, grabbed the bag of fresh clothes Brant had brought with him and left the hospital.

  The afternoon sun was warm and Marissa blinked a few times to adjust to the different light when they reached the pavement outside. The parking lot was busy and she spotted Grady’s truck easily. “We should walk,” she said and turned right on the path.

  “My truck is—”

  “Walk,” she said again. “I don’t want you falling asleep at the wheel, even if it’s a few hundred yards.”

  He rubbed his hand over his eyes, nodded and followed her.

  The hotel had only a suite available, and he didn’t quibble about the ridiculous price. Marissa followed Grady to the elevator without a word. The room was opulent and comfortable,
with a kitchen, a lounge and two bedrooms—one with a king bed, the other with twin singles.

  “I’ll take the twin bedroom,” Marissa said as she dropped her tote on the sofa while Grady placed the bag in the hall and then called his mother to check on his eldest daughters. He spoke to Colleen for several minutes, and when he ended the call he stretched his shoulders out and took a deep breath.

  “The girls are okay. They’re looking forward to having their sister home. It’s been a long eighteen hours,” he said.

  She nodded. “Yes, it certainly has been. I’m so relieved that she’s going to be all right. And you look exhausted,” she said, taking in his weary expression, ruffled hair and five-o’clock shadow. “I don’t know how you got through the night without sleeping.”

  He shrugged. “You didn’t make out much better. And I would stay awake as long as I needed to for one of my children.”

  “I know you would,” she said earnestly. “It makes you a great dad. Probably the best one I’ve ever known. Not that I have a lot of experience with fathers,” she said with a rueful smile.

  His mouth curled at the edges. “Then it has even more meaning.” He paused for a moment, meeting her gaze. “I know you’ve missed having a father of your own, Marissa...but, you know, it might not be too late to change that. You could always try to find him.”

  She shook her head. “No. I wouldn’t know where to start. And I wouldn’t want to get my hopes up only to come to a dead end, so to speak. For all I know he’s probably married with a family and I would just be one huge complication.”

  “But what if he’s not?” Grady asked, his stare intense. “What if he wants exactly what you want? Connection? Family? What if he wants his daughter but isn’t sure how she’ll react if he reaches out?”

  Marissa swallowed the heat in her throat. “It’s a nice pipe dream. But he was a drifter, Grady. He doesn’t even know I exist.”