Through Her Heart (Mind's Eye Book 6)

by Deborah Camp

  And then he’d felt another embrace. Lower. Around his thighs. He’d looked down at the top of Stuart’s head. He placed his hand there and Stuart had looked up at him with those innocent, honest eyes of his that gave new meaning to “true blue.” Stuart’s smile had been tremulous. But it had been the clutch of his hands in the fabric of Levi’s slacks that had gotten to him. Those fists, grasping him as if he were life itself . . . He swallowed hard as the memory swept through him again.

  “It hasn’t been that long since Stuart’s parents were taken from him,” he whispered, mostly to himself. When Althea didn’t comment, he glanced at her. She waited like a good psychiatrist and a better friend, allowing silence to speak for them. “I guess I’m surprised? Or maybe uncertain is a better word? Yes, uncertain that he could actually love me that quickly. I mean, he calls me Pop now.”

  “He’s seven, not two. He’s bright. He knows his parents were murdered and that he was homeless. It’s not unusual for a child like him to learn to love someone who provides him with security, with a home and acceptance. Of course, he wants to have a family again. Being alone is scary. He isn’t forgetting whose son he used to be. He’s dealing, day by day, with who he is now. Love is a more natural state of being for children.”

  “Is it?”

  “You know it is. How long did you cling to your love for your mother?”

  That rocked him back on his heels. Stole the breath from his lungs. He pushed his shoulders back against the cushions and sucked in air. Althea stared at him, waited for him to regain his equilibrium.

  “That hurt,” he mumbled.

  “Yes, I see that.”

  He shook his head and laughed at himself. “Sometimes I think that if Trudy could see what goes on in these sessions, she’d be appalled that I’m still so fucked up.”

  “I disagree. I think Trudy knows how far you’ve come and how far you have to go. You might think you’re hiding the worst from her, Levi, but you’re not.”

  He smirked. Damn, he hated that she was right about that. “Yeah.”

  “In session just now you said you believed you would have no trouble loving a baby if you and Trudy are so blessed. And yet, you’re having trouble loving Stuart.”

  “No, I . . .” He clamped his lips together to stop from babbling. Stuart’s seriously expressive face floated in his mind’s eye and feelings of protectiveness, pride, and compassion engulfed him. “I do love him.” He heard the words before he felt them soften his heart. “I do. I guess I’m afraid that he won’t ever love me like he loved his dad.”

  “Oh, he won’t,” Althea agreed, almost blithely, and then gave him a motherly smile when Levi looked at her in mild shock. “He’ll love you longer.”

  Duck Pond Park teemed with people, even though it was a blustery day that felt more like the beginning of winter than the end of fall. Runners in sweatpants and fleece tops jogged along the trails and bicyclists swerved to avoid them. City workers were unstringing rolls and rolls of Christmas lights on a stretch of lawn and sorting through other decorations.

  “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet,” Levi grumbled, propping his elbow on the back of the park bench and glaring over his shoulder at the workers.

  “It will be next week,” Trudy said with a happy sigh. “I’m so looking forward to Stuart meeting the whole Tucker bunch in Tulsa.”

  “He’s not a stranger, babe. They’ve visited with him by phone every few days.”

  “It’s not the same and you know it.” She rested a hand on his leg. “One has to experience a Tucker hug to be truly a Tucker family member.”

  He chuckled and laid his hand on hers. Just for kicks, he moved her hand up higher to the danger zone. She tensed and snatched her hand away.

  “Watch it. We’re in public.”

  He chuckled again, observing hot pink color make her cheeks rosy. They’d spent the day at the new house, directing furniture deliverers where to place sofas, chairs, ottomans, beds, tables, stools, and stuff, stuff, stuff. He’d been weak with gratitude when the last truck rolled down the driveway. They’d decided to visit the park and relax a little before driving back to the apartment.

  “So, we could be in the house at Christmas,” Trudy said.

  “We will be,” he corrected her. “I’ve hired an organizer to come in with a couple of her assistants next week to unpack and put things away for us. You can be there to supervise, if you want, or just leave it all to them.”

  “No, I want to be there!” She shifted to look at him in alarm. “When did you do that? Why did you hire people to do that?”

  He shrugged. “Because that’s what you do when you move.”

  “I’ve never done it!”

  He reached out and tapped her cute nose with his finger. “Well, now you will. Takes up less time and doesn’t fray your nerves. It’s all done efficiently and quickly. You’ll love it. Trust me.”

  “How much does it cost?”

  “Trudy.” He sighed and gave a roll of his eyes.

  “Okay, but it sounds expensive.”

  “Yeah, well I’m expensive.”

  She grinned at that. “And you’re worth it,” she tacked on, then faced the park again. They sat near the pond. Stuart had Mouse on a leash. He laughed when the dog growled at the ducks as they floated by. “I want to have my family here for Christmas, Levi. In the new house.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” She twisted her head around to look at him. “You won’t mind?”

  “Why the hell would I mind? I want them to feel welcome here. You think they’ll agree to come here for the holiday?”

  “It’ll take some begging, but I’m up for it. Derek and Sadie will probably want to spend Christmas in their own homes, so I was thinking it would be easier if we invited them to come here the day after Christmas and stay until after New Year’s Day.”

  “That sounds reasonable.”

  “They might be willing to close the pawn shops for that week. I’ll call them tonight and ask them to think about it.”

  “It’s only fair that if we spend Thanksgiving there, they should come here for Christmas or New Year’s Eve. Hey! I can hire a company to put on a fireworks display!”

  “Always thinking of ways to spend money, aren’t you?” She soft-punched him in the shoulder. “We could buy fireworks and do that ourselves.”

  “Not the kind of display I’m talking about. And fireworks can be dangerous.”

  “Oh, right.” Fret lines pinched her forehead as she looked toward Stuart. “Yes, we should hire professionals.”

  He smiled, loving the motherly concern that welled in her so effortlessly, so naturally. It was beautiful to behold. “We’ll have plenty of room for everyone,” he pointed out. “Your parents can stay in the guesthouse and Derek and Sadie’s families can have the east bedroom wing. It has a den and game room.”

  “They’ll love it,” she agreed. “It will be so wonderful to have room for everyone to visit. Oh! What about Quintara? She has to be with us, too!”

  “Oh, she will be. I’ll fly her in. Maybe she can be here at Christmas and stay all the way into the New Year.”

  “That would be lovely. It’s always a good time when Quintara is around.” She smiled, watching Stuart talking to a couple of boys who were sailing a small, motorized boat on the pond. “When we’re in the house, I want us to entertain more. Have couples over to play cards or to barbecue outside and have a pool party. Normal things.”

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Whatever you want, baby. I’m all in.”

  She turned her head and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Mr. Wolfe.”

  “And I’m eternally grateful, Mrs. Wolfe. But I do love you more.”

  Sighing, she shook her head. “Not this again. I’ve told you that’s impossible.”

  He started to continue to tease her, but Mouse’s ferocious barks caught their attention. Stuart held the leash and giggled, along with the boys he’d be
en talking to, as Mouse faced off against a goose. The goose swayed his head on his long neck and hissed. Mouse bristled and growled. She pawed at the ground as if she were preparing to charge. The goose honked at her, but she didn’t give an inch. In fact, she ran a couple steps forward, straining the leash.

  Knowing that the Chihuahua had the self-image of a Rottweiler, Trudy decided to end the confrontation. She stood up and Levi stood with her. “Stuart! Bring Mouse over here before that goose loses patience.”

  A couple walking past stopped to enjoy the standoff. The woman laughed and addressed Trudy. “That little dog is so cute. It’s a Chihuahua, right? Is it a boy or a girl?”

  Trudy laughed along with her. “It’s a girl.”

  It’s a girl.

  Her hand rested on her stomach, brought there by an instinct she couldn’t name. Butterflies flitted through her midsection and tickled her heart. She caught her breath and tears sprang to her eyes.

  “It’s a girl,” she repeated, turning slowly toward Levi. “Levi!”

  His gaze whipped to hers. “Present,” he said, giving her a bewildered smile.

  “Levi, my love. It’s a girl.” She looked down at her hand pressed against the front of her blouse, then back up to his cobalt blue eyes that had gone wider and brighter.

  “What? Are you saying . . .?” He wobbled and sat down on the bench with the grace of a drunk.

  She nodded and sat next to him. “Just now. It hit me. I’m pregnant and it’s a girl.”

  “You took another test and it was positive this time?” he whispered, reaching out trembling fingers to touch the buttons on her blouse.

  “No. But I know.” She slipped her fingers through his hair and held his gaze. “I know.”

  Tears swam in his eyes and he placed a hand over his heart as surprise lifted his brows. “I love her already!”

  Stuart ran up with Mouse, stopped in front of them, and looked from one to the other. “Are we leaving?” He craned his neck, eyeing them curiously. “What’s wrong? Why are you sad? Mouse is okay. The goose didn’t get her.”

  Levi swallowed and blinked away the moisture in his eyes, wetting his long lashes. He patted Stuart’s back. “We’re not sad, Stu. We’re happy.”

  “Why?”

  Trudy gave a little shake of her head, conveying that there would be time later to explain this to Stuart. For now, it was their news to savor. “Why not?” she challenged. “It’s a nice day. We accomplished a lot at the new place. And next week is Thanksgiving!”

  “Right, you little turkey, you.” Levi stood and put Stuart in a gentle headlock, ruffling his hair before letting the laughing boy go.

  “I’m not a turkey,” Stuart managed to sputter between giggles.

  Trudy took the leash from him, freeing him to playfully punch at Levi. He landed a solid one on Levi’s shoulder and his eyes got big. He started to dash away, but Levi roped one arm around his middle and hauled him up against his side. Stuart’s peals of laughter made Trudy laugh, too.

  “Turkeys are called gobblers and you gobble up food that’s placed in front of you,” Levi said, walking in the direction of their car. Trudy and Mouse followed.

  “You do, too, Pop,” Stuart charged. Held sideways, his head was in Trudy’s direction and he lifted his face to let her see his gap-toothed grin. “Doesn’t he, Mom?”

  “He does. Especially milk and cookies or any other sweets.”

  Levi let Stuart find his feet again. He reached for Trudy’s free hand and brought it to his lips. “My sweet.”

  Her heart did a flip, arousing the butterflies again. He didn’t have to say more. The look he gave her told her that he was so full of happiness he was about to burst. She glanced around at the fading fall colors and felt the bite of the wind. “This time next year,” she mused, finding the warmth of his gaze again.

  “Will be amazing,” he finished for her.

  Chapter 18

  One Year Later

  The Tucker-Wolfe house teemed with people. Laughing, joshing, talking people.

  Standing in the kitchen, Trudy surveyed the faces that filled her with joy. The Tuckers and spouses sat and stood around the center island. Her father tried to sneak of bite of the cornbread dressing her mother had just removed from the oven and got his hand slapped for it.

  “George, I swear!” Cleo admonished him. “Be useful and carve up that turkey. You girls put this food on the table. Where’s Levi?”

  “He’s picking up Quintara from the airport, Mother,” Trudy reminded her.

  “They’re not back yet?” Cleo propped her hands on her hips and glanced at the digital clock on the stove.

  Stuart bounced into the kitchen as if he were on a pogo stick. “Pop is coming! Pop is coming! And Quintara!”

  Cleo wiped her hands on a dishtowel and moved to where she could get a view of the front door. “Good! Did they just drive up?”

  “No, but they’re on their way! They’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  Cleo turned to Stuart, struggling to understand him.

  “Mother, he senses it,” Trudy reminded her. Her mother tended to forget that Stuart had ESP, too.

  “Oh, right.” Cleo nodded, then bent and kissed Stuart’s forehead. “Thank you for letting us know, Stewie. Are you ready to eat?”

  Stuart nodded, still bouncing. “Yes! The smells are making my tummy talk, Grandmom.”

  Sadie pointed at her two children. “Jill go wash your hands and help Clark wash his. We’re going to have our Thanksgiving supper in a few minutes.”

  “You, too, Stewie,” Trudy added. She bent and Stuart tipped up his face for her kiss. He had become an affectionate child. He loved it when she seized him in a fit of love and peppered his cute face with kisses while she tickled him. He’d beg her to stop, but then ask her to give him one more kiss “for the road.” She didn’t know from where he’d picked that up, but it always made her laugh.

  Sadie lifted a big bowl of English peas from the counter and took it into the dining room. She placed it on the long table that was already set for the meal. Trudy handed her two baskets of rolls.

  “Stuart is so cute with my kids,” she told Trudy. “He’s all ‘big brother’ with them. When Jill ‘accidently’ tripped Clark a while ago and made him fall – which she is prone to do – Stuart ran over to him to make sure he was okay. So sweet.”

  “He likes being the oldest grandchild,” Trudy said. “He takes that position very seriously.”

  Sadie patted her shoulder. “You and Levi are doing a great job with him, sis. He’s a wonderful little boy.”

  Trudy let go of a happy sigh. “He’s coming along. He hasn’t had a nightmare in a couple of months. He’s happy most of the time now.”

  “Lucy, we’re ho-ome!” Levi sang out as he stepped into the house.

  Quintara swept into the kitchen like she owned the place. “It is I, everyone! I haven’t brought a thing other than a big appetite, as usual. My mother would be ashamed of me if she were here. Luckily, she is not. This house is grand, isn’t it? And you’ve decorated it so beautifully for the holiday, Trudy dear.”

  “Auntie Quintara!” Stuart raced toward her and she leaned down to accept his big hug and kiss on the cheek.

  “Hello, lovey. Have you grown another inch? I swear, you have. I can’t let you out of my sight without you shooting up like a beanstalk!”

  He grinned, giving her a quizzical look. “What’s that?”

  “Remind me to give you that book for Christmas. Jack and the Beanstalk. It’s a classic and you’ll enjoy it. I know how you love to read, you smart child you.”

  “Perfect timing, Quintara,” Trudy’s father announced loudly as he walked back into the kitchen. “We’re starving. Let’s eat!”

  “Keep your voice down, George,” Cleo hushed him. “You’re going to wake up—.” A squeaky wail drifted in from the baby monitor sitting on the kitchen counter. “Too late, loudmouth.”

  Trudy headed for the elevator. “I’
ll get her.”

  “I’ll go,” Levi said.

  “Let me,” Quintara insisted.

  No one paid any attention to the other. They all crowded into the elevator and were whisked up to the next floor. Then they headed for the ivory and pastel pink bedroom with its cupids painted on the ceiling and the child’s name painted in gold calligraphy on one wall.

  Quin Tara Wolfe

  Levi squeezed past Trudy to get to the crib first. He reached in and gathered up the red-faced baby, who waved her fists and let out a pitiful squall.

  “There, there, my sweet baby girl,” Levi crooned as he bent over her so that his lips caressed her forehead with each word. “Your daddy is here. Pop has you now. Look! She smiled. You love your Pop, don’t you?” He held the baby so that Quintara could see her. “Her eyes are blue now, but they’re going to be green. I just know it.” He ran his hand over the baby’s head. “To go with this red hair. She’s a beauty like her mother.” He tore his gaze from his daughter’s face to send a loving look Trudy’s way.

  “Let me hold my namesake,” Quintara insisted. “You’re always hogging her, Levi.”

  Reluctantly, he handed her over. She made a goo sound as Quintara rocked her gently and took in every small feature.

  “Hello, Quin, my little darling.” Quintara looked from Levi to Trudy and back to the babe. “Look what you two have made! She’s a beautiful, little miracle. I wonder if she’s psychic. Oh! She smiled when I said that! It’s a sign.”

  Levi grinned and shook his head at Quintara. “Or she has gas.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Trudy said, then cleared her throat as the scene had choked her up a little. “She’s special, psychic or not.” Trudy stepped closer, completing the circle. Levi slipped his arm around her and kissed her temple. She gazed at her four-month-old daughter, remembering when she’d met her for the first time – outside her body, that is. A tiny bundle of squirming, frowning, fussing love. That’s what she’d thought when the baby had been placed on her stomach and Levi had cut the cord.