Harlequin Heartwarming December 2020 Box Set

by Cari Lynn Webb, Linda Warren, Mary Anne Wilson

  Ava sat in a chair across from him and he raised his head to look at her. With green eyes and blond hair, she didn’t look more than forty, but she’d turned fifty-three two months ago.

  Her whole life had been a struggle. Her parents had been killed in an accident and she had moved to Horseshoe to live with her older sister. That’s how she’d met Mason and they married right out of high school. They traveled with a band and lived out of suitcases until Bo started school, and then they stayed in a little apartment his dad had rented in town. Bo didn’t remember much about that time, but it couldn’t have been easy for his mother with two small children. He just wanted her life to be easy. She deserved it.

  “I’m sorry my temper got the best of me.”

  “You know, we never really talked about this. We just dealt with it the best way we could. But today, I want to talk about all the bad stuff.” Her hair was in a short bob and she brushed it back behind her ears. He noted that it was now streaked with a little gray. She was getting older. He just didn’t want to see it.

  “That first love is powerful, so powerful that it’s something you’ll never forget and you’ll never feel again. When I met your dad in school, he was always singing with his guitar, girls all around him. Once he looked at me my heart just filled with love, kind of like he wrapped my heart in velvet. It was warm, so warm that I’ve never felt anything like it again.

  “After a while, I needed that warmth. I craved it. Every time your father came back my heart filled with that warmth and I wanted him back in my life. I needed him. But the day I came home and my little boy was sitting on the couch with a shotgun across his lap, all that warmth I had inside for him turned cold. Icy cold. As I held my trembling boy I knew I would never feel that warmth again.” She paused and looked at him. “I will never take your father back again and I haven’t been with him since then. I don’t love him anymore.”

  “But he came back when I graduated.”

  “And he left soon after. He asked to come back, but I said no. I told him then that I didn’t love him anymore.”

  Bo frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me this at the time?”

  “I did, but you didn’t believe me, remember?”

  He remembered and a chill ran through him. He hadn’t believed her back then. Why? he asked himself now. Why was he so hell-bent on leaving everything he loved?

  “Oh, man.” He ran his hands up his face as so much of the past became clear. Everything was his fault. How did he go back and change things? Could he go back and make Becky love him again?

  The truth was…he couldn’t. He stood, walked over to the window and looked out at the Tullous house. He was beginning to see this week’s vacation as something good. Maybe now that they were in familiar surroundings he could get her to listen to him. But there was the kid. He had no idea who the father was, as Becky had divorced her husband a long time ago. It had been eighteen years since high school. Was there a way back? He honestly didn’t know, but if he was known for anything, it was his tenacity. He strolled across the street.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “WHAT. HAPPEN?” Becky’s bright-eyed baby girl asked.

  “Just two guys arguing. Nothing to worry about.” Unless you’re a member of the Goodnight family, and they weren’t.

  “Like. You. And. Grand. Pa.”

  Becky leaned down and said, “Say it in a complete sentence, baby.”

  “No. No. No! I. Can’t! You. Don’t. Love. Me!” Luci ran to the sofa and buried her face in a pillow, crying.

  Becky had to restrain herself from comforting her daughter. It was hard. Her child had been a preemie and had some developmental delays. They’d made so much progress, and she was catching up with other children her age in so many ways, except for her speech. She paused after each word and some days it was nerve-racking, but Becky wasn’t giving up on her daughter. She just didn’t have the strength to force her.

  Her dad, Craig, stood in the kitchen, watching her. With his brown hair, blue eyes and friendly face, she’d always thought her dad was super-cool and handsome. He’d been her hero until… She cleared her throat and looked away. Even though he was in his fifties he was still worrying about her.

  “Don’t say it.” She reached for a cup in the cabinet and filled it with coffee.

  “Luci needs to talk correctly. She does so in the therapist’s office and you need to make her talk the same way at home. I know it hurts you when she cries and says you don’t love her, but you have to be the adult. You have to do it, Rebecca.”

  She sat at the kitchen table with her coffee, feeling maxed out. The pediatrician and pediatric therapist were saying the same thing, and yet when Luci cried, Becky always caved. It just broke her heart to watch her child struggle and Becky was hoping against hope that Luci would start talking correctly on her own.

  She didn’t want Luci to be bullied when she went to school next year. She glanced to where her daughter lay with a pillow over her head. Purr, the cat, sat on top of the pillow. Becky immediately got to her feet, not wanting her baby to be smothered. Pink, the basset hound, licked Luci’s face beneath the pillow and she giggled. Everything was fine—except it wasn’t.

  Her dad sat across from her. “What was all the yelling about?”

  “Mason is back.”

  “Ava’s ex-husband?”

  “The one and only. Bo was kicking him out. Hence all the yelling.”

  “Was Ava upset?”

  Her dad had had an accident about four years earlier and had been in critical condition for a while. Becky didn’t know what she would’ve done if it hadn’t been for Ava, who had looked out for her dad and brought him food while Becky was at work. They’d gotten close, and so had her dad and Ava. But they never talked about Bo. That subject was off-limits.

  “I suppose, but I didn’t ask since Bo was there and quite angry.”

  “He has every right to be and I hope Ava refuses to see Mason.”

  Becky looked at her dad. “Oh, you’re on Ava’s side.”

  “She deserves better than that louse.”

  “I agree, but it’s none of our business.” She opened her laptop to update some charts.

  “Really, Rebecca? You came home for the weekend and you’re going to work?” He glanced to where Luci lay. “You need to deal with Luci and you need to talk to Bo.”

  “Talk to Bo? Whatever for?”

  “You need to talk about the past and tell him how you really feel. You need to air everything out, even if it hurts, that’s the only way you can heal. That’s the only way you can go forward.”

  “Dad, I’m over Bo Goodnight and I don’t need to talk to him.”

  Her dad got to his feet with a scowl on his face. “You were stubborn as a kid and you were stubborn as a teenager and you’re more stubborn as an adult.” Having had his say, he marched to the French doors and out into the backyard.

  Becky stared after him. What had gotten into her father? He was usually very supportive, but obviously he was upset about something. She still wasn’t talking to Bo. The past was best left in the past, along with the heartache and pain.

  She leaned back in the chair and allowed herself to think about Bo. He’d done very well for himself, but then, he liked living life on the edge. It suited him. Every day he did his job his way, regardless of the consequences. He’d always lived like that, a daredevil, a foolish, impulsive, inconsiderate daredevil. That’s what made him so appealing. That’s what she had loved about him at one time.

  She wasn’t a teenager anymore and his dark good looks didn’t move her like before. Oh, she was lying. When she had confronted him in the yard, she’d wanted to reach out and touch those hard muscles in his shoulders, to feel those strong arms around her. He wasn’t a lanky teenager anymore. He’d filled out nicely. Her pulse leaped at the thought and she knew without a doubt she couldn’t talk to Bo ever
again. He was her weakness—that was her secret. Bo would never be a part of her life again.

  * * *

  BO STROLLED ACROSS the street into enemy territory. A little blonde girl, pigtails tied with pink ribbons, sat on the porch. She wore pink shorts and a top that had balloons on it, and there were even pink shoelaces on her sneakers. The little girl liked pink. An orange tabby curled around her and a brown-and-white basset hound lay beside her. A frown marred her pretty face.

  He squatted in front of her. “What’s your name?”

  “Luci.”

  “And who are these guys?” He pointed to the cat and the dog.

  “Pink. And. Purr.”

  “Why are you frowning?”

  “My. Mommy. Mad. At. Me.”

  Why is she pausing after each word?

  “Why?” He didn’t know a lot about kids, but this one was as different as he’d ever seen and he didn’t want to upset her.

  “I. Can’t. Talk. Right.”

  He could see it was a real effort to get the words out and he wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Nobody. Likes. Me.”

  “I like you.”

  “You. Do?” Her blue eyes lit up as bright as stars.

  “You betcha. I love blue-eyed little girls. And big ones, too.”

  She giggled. “Can. You. Be. My. Friend?”

  “It would be my pleasure.” Bo had thought he wouldn’t like the kid because of the circumstances of her birth. He wasn’t her father. Bo realized at that moment that she was a sweet little girl with problems and in no way would he ever feel any differently about her. He actually wanted to help her.

  “Can. You. Play. With. Me?”

  “Sure thing.”

  The door opened and Becky stood there. “Luci, come into the house, please.”

  Luci got to her feet and obediently went inside.

  He stood. “What’s up, Bec?”

  “Go home, Bo, and leave my kid alone.”

  “Sorry, I can’t do that.”

  She was halfway through the door and she quickly swung back. “What?”

  “I promised Luci I would play with her.”

  “No!” Becky walked out onto the porch and her blue eyes were doing their usual thing, sending daggers his way. “Stay away from my daughter.”

  “What’s wrong with Luci?” he asked as if she hadn’t said anything.

  “It’s none of your business.”

  “Bec, I’m going to keep on keeping on. You know me. I never stop until I get answers so you might as well tell me.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Will you stay away from Luci if I tell you?”

  “Maybe.”

  “What does that mean? Oh, forget it.” She waved a hand at him. “If you want to know, I’ll tell you because, like you said, you’ll just keep on until you make me angry. Luci was a preemie. She was born six weeks early and she has some developmental delays. That’s all.”

  “Like what?”

  “She didn’t roll over until she was eight months old and she was a year before she could crawl. It took two years before she could walk, but she has slowly caught up with other kids her age, except for her speech and we’re working on that. I’d appreciate it if you would just stay away and not get involved.”

  “Why does it make you so nervous that I’m talking to Luci?”

  “It doesn’t.” Becky brushed a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear, belying that statement.

  Her hair used to be long, and one of his favorite things had been running his fingers through it. Today it was shorter, covering her ears, and tousled. When she worked, she usually wore it up in a knot at the back of her head, professional, prim and proper. But he knew the real Becky, all fire and brimstone with a big dose of heaven.

  “Who’s Luci’s father?”

  He thought the question would spike her blood pressure, but she was very calm, staring at him with cool eyes. “And that concerns you how?”

  “It doesn’t.”

  “Good, we’re clear on that. Now, please stay away from my daughter.”

  He strolled across the street and knew he wasn’t going to do as she’d asked. His interest was piqued. What was Becky hiding and who was Luci’s father?

  * * *

  BECKY WENT BACK into the house and straight to the sofa to talk to Luci. She pulled her daughter onto her lap and Luci snuggled against her.

  “I. Sorry. Mommy.”

  She kissed her daughter’s forehead. “I love you, no matter what, but we have to work on your speech.”

  Luci raised her head and frowned.

  Becky kissed the frown. She loved this kid with everything she had in her and she never wanted her to feel any pain. “Tomorrow we will start doing some exercises. The therapist says you can do them.”

  “To-morrow?”

  Make her do it now. Make her do it now! But the part of her that protected her daughter couldn’t make the leap to mean ol’ mommy. “Yes, tomorrow.” And hopefully by then Becky would have found a way to do what was best for Luci.

  After supper and getting Luci to bed, Becky took a shower and sat in her bedroom trying to face the monumental task before her. Knowing Bo was right across the street made it that much more difficult.

  She went to the window and cracked the blind with her finger so she could look at the Goodnight house. Bo’s bedroom window faced the street, just as hers did, and when they were teenagers she would blink her bedroom light twice to let him know that her dad was asleep and he could come over.

  Her dad had caught them necking in the living room and from then on Bo could only stay until ten o’clock. But Bo had had a job and sometimes he didn’t get off until eleven. He worked at the feed store and the hardware store, and bussed tables at the diner to help his mom pay the mortgage.

  But when they’d been teenagers there was no stopping them. When Bo got off, he would knock on her window and she would let him in. They’d found their way around the rules. Bo became her whole world. She had to breathe the same air. She had to be with him. It was all about Bo and a fairy-tale life. She’d been young but she’d known she wanted a big family.

  They talked and talked about the future and she’d thought Bo wanted the same things, but evidently that had been all in her head. He and his best friend, Cole, started talking about the army and how cool it would be to serve their country. She’d thought it was just talk.

  Then Mason came back for Bo’s graduation and the next thing she knew Bo and Cole had signed up. That last night she and Bo had made love in his truck by Yaupon Creek. She’d just known she could change his mind. After all, he loved her and she loved him. That should have been enough, but it wasn’t.

  Sitting in his truck at the curb in front of her house he’d told her that he and Cole were leaving in the morning and he would see her when he was home on leave. He’d made the decision without talking to her and that made her mad. She’d told him then that she wouldn’t be waiting for him. He’d tried to cajole her into taking it back, but she wouldn’t. She’d been hurt and had jumped out of the truck and run into the house.

  The next morning she sat at her window and watched the Goodnight house. She just knew Bo would come over and apologize, and everything would be the same. Ava and Bo had come out of the house, gotten into Bo’s truck and driven away. Not once did Bo look back. She’d fallen on the bed and cried, and she cried for many days afterward. She’d finally realized she had to get herself together and live her life alone.

  Her dad was president of the bank in Horseshoe and he’d encouraged her to go to college—he would help her pay for it. That first year she’d met Kevin, and for some insane reason she’d married him. It had only lasted a year because she wouldn’t sleep with him. She’s been so immature and so insecure, and she’d made many bad decisions. She eventually signed up for nursi
ng school and soon realized that what she really wanted to do was to work with breast cancer patients.

  Her mother had died from breast cancer. It had made Becky angry that her mother ignored the warning signs of the disease. All it would have taken was a mammogram or self-examination. When the doctors had finally discovered the cancer, it had been too late.

  Becky had signed up for the physician’s assistant program and was lucky enough to get an internship with Dr. Eames. She’d finally had her dream job and loved it. The scars of her youth had healed and she’d moved on to new friends and a new life. Without Bo. She didn’t want him back in her life in any way. He’d hurt her too deeply.

  But there was Luci.

  If she told Bo about Luci, he would take over and try to control her life. She would never let that happen. Getting over Bo once had been enough. Soon Bo would go back to work and forget about them. He was good at forgetting.

  * * *

  AFTER SUPPER, BO went to his room and pushed the curtains aside to look across the street. Becky’s light was on and in his mind he went back to the years he would stand there and wait for the blinks. They’d been teenagers on hormone overload, but he would treasure those years till the day he died. He’d screwed it up and there was no way to go back, so he had to go forward. The first thing he needed to know was—who was Luci’s father?

  A few years ago Craig had been in a car accident. What month had that been? Early October. Craig had been in bad shape and Becky spent most of her time at the hospital. His mom had offered to sit with Craig so Becky could go home and get some rest. He was visiting Horseshoe and had gone over to tell Becky how sorry he was about her dad. Becky had cried on his shoulder and it was the first time since he’d left for the army that she hadn’t pushed him away or told him to leave. One thing led to another, and before they knew it, it was morning and they were tangled in the sheets. But as soon as Becky had opened her eyes she’d started yelling, “Get out. Get out!”

  That rang in his head for months and he’d finally had to admit that he and Becky were not getting back together. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked dates and then he went to the laptop at his desk. Being a cop, he had access to a lot of information and soon he had Luci’s birth certificate in front of him. Mother: Rebecca Diane Tullous. The father line was blank. Nada. Zip. Nothing on the father.