by Mia Ross
“I know.” Paul’s brave front wavered, and he glanced around the room with a grateful smile.
Then he was gone.
* * *
Tess had been staring at the TV suspended from the ceiling, not seeing much of anything. When the local news station signed off and the national anthem came on, a waving American flag told her it was midnight. They still hadn’t heard anything about the baby, and she’d lost track of Heath. She vaguely recalled him giving her a quick hug before promising to be back soon. She had no clue how long ago that was, but now she was starting to worry about him, too.
“Hey, cuz.” Scott threw himself into the chair beside her and angled a look over at her. “How’re you holding up?”
“Okay. How about you?”
“Same.”
Obviously out of topics to discuss with her, he glanced around the large niche Nancy had reserved for them. The walls were painted a mellow peach color that was probably meant to soothe visitors’ nerves, but for some reason it made Tess think of sherbet. Which reminded her that all she’d had to eat since lunch was part of a candied apple.
As if on cue from some unseen movie director, Heath backed through one of the closed double doors carrying a huge box labeled Paper Towels.
“When I told them you were all here, Molly and Bruce opened The Whistlestop kitchen and got busy,” he explained as he set the carton down on a low table. “There’s three more of these in my truck.”
Jason and Scott jumped up to help him, and before long Diane and Olivia had set out an impromptu buffet for their hungry crew. Molly had thought of everything, from meals in divided containers to coffee carafes filled with her heady brew.
“Aw, yeah,” Heath grunted his approval after gulping some down. “That’s the stuff.”
Famished as she’d been just a few minutes ago, now the sight of food made Tess queasy. She picked at her meal, waiting for her stomach to settle. As always, Heath noticed what she was doing, and he leaned in to murmur, “Start with the bread. It’s fresh.”
Grateful for the suggestion and the discreet way he delivered it, she dredged up a faint smile and buttered the roll. After a few tentative bites, her appetite returned, and she moved on to the chicken.
“Better?” he asked.
“A little, thanks.”
“Anytime.”
That was his usual response when she thanked him for something, and up until now, she’d assumed it was just a habit he’d developed. But now that she’d seen him in action during various crises, she realized that anytime meant he’d be there whenever she needed him, the way he’d been since she nearly crashed into him.
Somehow, through no talent of her own, here in the backwoods of Virginia she’d discovered a caring, dependable man who didn’t shrink away from trouble but rose to meet it. Despite the problems he’d faced, he approached life with strength and humor, relying on his faith to help him absorb the twists and turns that came his way. And as if that wasn’t enough, through his calm, steady example, he’d taught her how to do the same.
“Heath?” He looked up, and when those amazingly blue eyes connected with hers, she debated whether to share what she was feeling or keep it to herself. She’d been burned by her emotions often enough to mistrust them, but this was different. This was Heath.
So she gulped down her misgivings and charged ahead. “I just wanted to say that you’ve been really great, and my life got better the day we met.”
Something she couldn’t quite pin down warmed his gaze, making her feel like they were the only two people in the crowded room. Even though he must know people were watching them, he took her hand, threading his fingers through hers in an intimate gesture. “I feel the same way about you.”
To her, this felt much more serious than their lighthearted crush conversation at the diner. As they stared at each other, she wasn’t sure what had just happened, but she had a feeling things between them would never again be the way they were yesterday. And to her astonishment, she realized that was totally fine with her.
The feel of his hand grasping hers anchored her exactly the way she needed right now, so she held on as she rested her cheek on his shoulder and closed her tired, gritty eyes. She’d begun to doze off when she heard quick footsteps coming toward the waiting room. It was Paul, and just like that, she bolted upright, wide awake again.
Her cousin’s long, harrowing night had left him looking exhausted, but a joyful look brightened his haggard features. Without delay, he announced, “The C-section went well, and everyone’s doing great.” Holding out his phone, he smiled proudly at the screen before turning it for them all to see. “I’d like you to meet Aubrey Rose Barrett.”
The suddenly energized group all cheered, and despite his fatigue, Paul somehow managed to stand up under a barrage of hugs and enthusiastic backslaps. “Chelsea wants to see all of you, but it’s gonna be a little while before she’s ready for company. She said to tell you if you’d rather head home, she’ll be just as glad to have visitors tomorrow.”
“None of us have to go anywhere, honey,” Olivia declared confidently. “Tell Chelsea we love her and we’ll wait right here until you come back to get us.”
Paul chuckled. “That’s what I told her, but you know how she is.”
Thinking of others, Tess added silently. Even though the woman had been through such a heart-wrenching ordeal, it would be completely understandable if she chose to send them home and get a good night’s sleep instead. Tess had witnessed that kind of selfless behavior from other residents of this close-knit community, and she recognized that it was the major reason why she felt so comfortable here.
Looking around her, she saw a circle of down-to-earth people who treasured each other but didn’t care much about money. The contrast with her own upbringing was so stark, she finally understood why her father had turned his back on his humble roots. He’d wanted more luxury and had understood that he would never find it here. She felt exactly the opposite and couldn’t help wondering if as he grew older, he might wish he’d taken the other path.
Chances were she’d never work up the courage to ask him that, so she’d never know the answer. She put the pointless thought out of her mind and sent up a heartfelt prayer of thanks for the divine help her family had received tonight. Her own experience had taught her how fragile a new life was, and she was grateful this little one had been strong enough to make it through her difficult birth.
Paul accepted another round of hugs and promised to return as soon as the doctor gave Chelsea the thumbs-up for visitors.
Once he was gone, Heath turned to Tess, his eyes clouded with sympathy. “You okay?”
“Of course. Why?”
“You’ve been worried about Chelsea losing the baby all along, so tonight must’ve been real hard for you.”
That he’d picked up on her emotions was stunning enough. That he’d purposefully bring up such a delicate issue only proved how fearless he truly was. Other men she’d been involved with avoided confronting a woman’s feelings like the plague. But not Heath, she mused with a little smile.
Resting a hand on one rough cheek, she stood on tiptoe to kiss the other. “That’s very sweet of you, but I’m fine. Just a little tired.”
“Yeah,” he agreed with a yawn. “I know what you mean.”
“You don’t have to stay. Gram drove in with Jason and Amy, so I can catch a ride home with them.”
“Not a chance. I’ve been waiting for months to meet that little girl, and I’m not gonna miss out on seeing her just ’cause I’m a little bushed. That’s why that Colombian guy with the donkey invented coffee.”
She was pretty sure he had his facts wrong, but she couldn’t help smiling because she knew that was what he’d been after when he made the joke. Heath wasn’t a Barrett, and she marveled at the unyielding loyalty he felt to
her family. He’d shown it countless times over the past several weeks, and while it no longer baffled her, she still thought it was pretty amazing.
“Sounds good to me,” she commented, smothering a yawn of her own. “Let’s go find some. I’m sure everyone would appreciate a boost right about now.”
“We passed a coffee shop on our way here.” Pulling out his phone, he punched a few keys and grinned like a kid who’d aced a tough exam. “They’re open twenty-four hours. What say we grab some orders and head over there?”
She loved the way he included her in his plan, and she held up her hand for a high five. “Deal.”
Chapter Eleven
“No, Mom, I haven’t changed my mind. I’m staying here for Thanksgiving.”
That was the ominous phrase that greeted Heath when he arrived at the mill one cloudy November afternoon to look over yet another balky piece of machinery. Paul had decided to invoke his owner’s privilege and stay home on paternity leave for a couple of weeks. While out running some errands the other day, he’d stopped by the sawmill and left strict orders for his foreman Ike Donaldson to call him if anything needed his attention.
Scott and Jason had vetoed that almost immediately, and there was a stern code of silence among the crew about broadcasting any issues that might arise and threaten their holiday delivery schedule. According to Tess, they encountered at least one major problem and three minor ones a day, but so far they’d been able to handle them and keep Paul mercifully in the dark. Heath’s mission was to make sure it stayed that way.
“I know it’s next week,” Tess continued in an overly patient tone, “but this is the busiest time of year for the business.” She paused then said, “We talked about Christmas when I called you a couple weeks ago. I’m not going to meet you and your friends in Maui or anywhere else. Traveling out from the East Coast can be a nightmare that time of year, with them canceling flights for bad weather and all.”
Heath was dying to talk to her, but he felt awkward listening in, so he raised a hand to say hello on his way to the saw room. In response, she motioned for him to wait and circled her finger in the air to let him know she was almost done.
“I’m sorry you’re disappointed, but I’m sure you and your friends will have a fabulous time soaking up the sun. I’ll call you again soon.”
Her mother was still talking when Tess switched off her phone, and Heath scowled. “That was kinda rude, don’t you think?”
“I’ve been on the phone with her for the last hour,” Tess informed him curtly. “Which apparently was happy hour for her, because she repeated some of what she was saying word for word at least three times.”
Glancing at the schoolhouse clock on the wall, he frowned. “It’s one o’clock in California.”
“Tell me about it. That’s what happens when you count on someone else to take care of you and he goes poof.” Adding a sour look, she propped her elbows on her desk and rested her chin on her folded hands. “Over the past few years, Dad’s kept finding ways to extend his trips so he’s been around less and less. Even when he was there more often, she always decorated the holidays with martinis. It’s depressing, and I’m not suffering through that kind of drama anymore. If that makes me a bad daughter, I’ll have to live with that.”
“Is that what she told you?” It didn’t strike him as a very motherly thing to do, but out of respect for Tess, he managed to keep that assessment to himself.
“In those exact terms. My brothers are keeping their distance from her, to protect their wives and children from all her tantrums. So I’m all she’s got left, and she unloads on me.”
The dejected slump of Tess’s shoulders was nothing like the strong, assertive woman he’d become so fond of. It seemed like her old life had reached out a tentacle to haul her back into the misery she’d been working so hard to leave behind, and seeing her so down made him furious.
Keeping a firm rein on his temper, he strode through the door into her office. Settling on the edge of her immaculate desk, he searched for something helpful to say. Everything he came up with sounded judgmental in his head, so he kept it simple. “I’m sorry, Tess. Is there anything I can do?”
Those dark, miserable eyes held his for a long moment, and she shook her head. When her chin started trembling, he couldn’t take it anymore. Standing, he pulled her into his arms and rested her cheek on his chest. At first she kept her hands fisted on his chest, but gradually her arms slid around him and she melted against him like a child seeking comfort.
Her trusting action touched him deeply, and he strengthened his hold to let her know she wasn’t alone. Words had never been his strong point, but his embrace seemed to reassure her, and her shaking gradually eased. Raising her head, she gazed up at him with a tentative smile. “Thanks, Heath.”
“Anytime.” With the pad of his thumb, he brushed away the last of her tears and tapped her nose. “I just don’t wanna make a habit of it. No one should be that sad very often.”
This smile was a bit stronger. “So, when you got here it looked like you had something to tell me. What’s up?”
“Bruce called me this morning. Last night the town council approved my zoning variance for the house.”
“That’s awesome! Congratulations.”
She added a joyful hug, and he was pleased that she could so quickly put aside her own problems and celebrate his good news. That only made the next part even more fun to share. “There’s more.”
“I’m not sure I can take anything else, but shoot.”
“I got the house. The real estate agent called right after to say the sellers accepted my offer. The bank still has to go over everything, but I’ve got good credit, so it’s mostly a matter of signing a lot of paperwork. The loan officer I’m working with said there’s a good possibility I can move in just after Christmas.”
“That’s incredible,” she breathed, eyes sparkling with excitement. “You couldn’t ask for a better way to start the new year, could you?”
“Actually, I can.”
Before he had a chance to change his mind, he leaned in to kiss her. He went slowly, to give her time to pull free of him if that was what she wanted. But she didn’t.
In fact, when he broke the kiss, she pulled him back in for a longer one. Sharing that moment with her felt so right to him, he could have gone on like that forever. But if someone saw them, he knew their very personal encounter would be common knowledge around town before noon. And if that someone was Scott, he’d never live it down.
Breaking away, he gazed down at her in amazement. “Wow.”
“I’m sure you say that to all the girls,” she teased, mischief dancing in the eyes that had been filled with tears only a few minutes ago.
“Nope. Just you.” He knew he must be grinning like a lovestruck fool, but he couldn’t help himself. Didn’t particularly want to, either.
Still circled in his arms, she tilted her head with that curious expression he’d come to both admire and dread. “So what happens with us now?”
“What do you want to happen?”
“Oh, you’re good,” she said with a quick laugh. “Is that one of your best lines?”
The glimpse of her old cynicism wasn’t flattering, but considering the difficult conversation she’d had with her mother, he did his best to look past it. “It’s the truth. What I want doesn’t mean much if you want something else.”
She gave him a thoughtful look then took his hand and tugged him out to the porch where they could get some privacy. Glancing around, she said, “I haven’t told anyone in the family yet, but I’m seriously thinking about sticking around.”
His heart leapt, but he firmly tamped it down to avoid being disappointed. “You mean, past the end of the year?”
“I mean, permanently. When I was over there yesterday, Chelsea said she’d lo
ve to stay home with Aubrey for a few months, and maybe work part-time after that. Now that I know how this place functions, if I was here to keep everything running smoothly, sharing the job could work for both of us. Plus, that would give me time to take a marketing class or two, either at the community college or online.”
Heath knew just how important her independence was to her, and hearing her talk about her future in such concrete terms was fantastic. It also gave him hope that she might find a place in that future for him. “That’s a great plan, but this town’s pretty mellow most of the year. Are you sure you can handle all that quiet?”
“I get more attached to Barrett’s Mill all the time. I love the scenery and the people and all the sweet, homey stuff that goes on here every day. I’m not sure I want to give all that up to go somewhere else.” Giving him an urgent look, she added, “What do you think?”
This time he didn’t care who saw them. He swept her up into his arms for a long kiss, pouring into it every ounce of emotion her news had unleashed in him. With her feet still several inches off the porch, he grinned at this beautiful, maddening city girl who’d started out as a thorn in his side and had become the woman he’d been searching for all these years.
“I think it’s awesome.”
* * *
After kissing Tess, the rest of his morning had been a bit of a blur, but one thing Heath knew for sure—he’d never been covered in this much oil. Fortunately, he’d had the foresight to put a full set of coveralls on over his clothes. His boots were another story, though. To avoid tracking grease and sawdust through the mill house’s tidy reception area, he ducked out the loading dock door and jumped from the landing to the ground. Out of well-ingrained habit he always carried cleaning solution in his truck, so he headed that way.
He stripped off his filthy coveralls and started scrubbing away the worst of the mess that had soaked through them onto his skin. He was about halfway through when he heard voices and glanced into the side yard where the crew unloaded incoming salvaged logs from trucks and sorted them by species.