A Father For Zach (16 page)

“I’ll be there. But how about a little preview right now?”

The warmth in her eyes melted his heart. As did her whispered response: “I think that’s a great idea.”

As the surf crashed and the gulls circled overhead, Nathan reached over and gathered her into his arms, finding it hard to believe that this moment wasn’t some fairy tale or a figment of his imagination. For happy endings had never been his lot in life.

But when Catherine’s hands went around his neck, when he heard her soft sigh, when he felt the warmth of her breath on his cheek, when he inhaled the sweet scent of her skin…he finally believed it was real.

And as he claimed her sweet lips in a tender kiss filled with promise and possibilities, he knew that here, on this tiny speck of land in the Atlantic Ocean—a world away from the life he’d left behind—he would find the bright and shining tomorrow of his dreams.

Seven months later

“W
atch your step. We don’t want any more broken toes.”

As Nathan smiled and extended his hand, Catherine took it and stepped out of the car in front of Sheltering Shores Inn.

Home.

Warm, welcoming light spilled from the windows of the main house, and a heart-shaped cranberry wreath hung on the front door. As she tucked her arm in Nathan’s for the short walk past the banks of snow to the porch, she tipped her head back and inhaled a lungful of the cleansing, sea-kissed air. Above her, the night sky was crystal clear and studded with twinkling stars.

“What a perfect end to a perfect Valentine’s Day,” she murmured, her lips curving into a contented smile.

Nathan pulled her closer, his breath creating frosty clouds in the still night air as he spoke. “It’s not over yet. I’m assuming you expect me to stick around for a while after we relieve Edith and Chester of babysitting duty.”

She snuggled next to him. “That was my plan.”

“Good.” He leaned down to brush his lips across her forehead, then pulled back. “Wow! Your face is freezing!”

“But your lips are warm. How about warming mine up once we get inside?”

He chuckled. “That was
my
plan.”

As they ascended the steps and Catherine started to reach into her purse for her keys, the front door opened.

“I thought I heard a car drive up.” Edith, attired in white pants and a sparkly red sweater for the occasion, beamed at them. “Come in, come in. It’s too cold to linger outside.”

With Nathan’s hand in the small of her back, Catherine moved past Edith and into the foyer. As she shrugged out of her coat, she glanced into the living room. A fire was burning in the grate, soft music was playing and at least a dozen candles were adding a warm glow to the room.

She smiled up at Nathan as he took her coat, and his wink told her he’d noticed the romantic ambiance, too.

The matchmaker was still at work.

But Catherine didn’t mind in the least. And she was very grateful Edith had volunteered to babysit tonight. She and Zach and Nathan could have had dinner together here at the inn, as they had on many previous special occasions. But Nathan had insisted on a first-class Valentine’s Day celebration after all the years he’d spent the holiday alone, in a cell.

Catherine hadn’t argued. She’d wanted a night to remember, too.

So far, it was exceeding her expectations. He’d arrived with two dozen long-stemmed red roses. Plied her with designer chocolates. Treated her to an elegant gourmet dinner in town. And now a candlelit room awaited them.

“Here you go, Edith.” Chester appeared from the back of the house, toting Edith’s coat. His own was already on.

“You don’t have to rush out,” Catherine protested.

“Of course we do. It’s Valentine’s Day. We have some billing and cooing of our own to do.”

Chester’s cheeks flushed crimson as he helped Edith on with her coat.

“Zach went down an hour ago,” Edith relayed, oblivious to her husband’s embarrassment as she pulled on her gloves. “You two should have some nice quiet time together. And a cold night is always a good excuse to get cozy. Well, we’re off.” She tucked her arm in Chester’s and propelled him across the foyer.

“Thanks again, Edith,” Catherine called as the couple exited through the door, admitting a blast of icy air as they left.

“My pleasure. You two go take advantage of that nice fire.”

The door shut behind them.

“Subtlety isn’t her strong suit.” Catherine gave Nathan a wry smile.

“No. But she has a heart of gold.”

“True.” Tipping her head, she regarded him. He had one shoulder propped against the doorway leading into the dining room and didn’t appear to be in any hurry to remove his coat. “I thought you were staying awhile.”

“I am. But I have to get a present from the car. I just want to give Edith and Chester a chance to get away before I go back out.”

The warmth of his smile did more to chase away the evening chill than the fireplace ever could.

“You’ve already spent enough on me tonight, Nathan.”

“You’re worth it. And I can afford an occasional extravagance.”

That was true. Over the past seven months, he’d sold a dozen paintings. All had commanded sizeable prices. And his reputation was growing. A gallery in Boston had already approached him about doing a show in the fall.

But his financial resources weren’t the point.

“I already have the best gift.” She moved close and took his hands. “You.”

He dipped his head to claim a kiss, but as she reached up to put her arms around his neck, he backed off, holding her at arm’s length.

“Now you behave, young woman, or we’ll never get to the present.”

She sidled closer, loving the way their relationship had evolved into a comfortable give and take, filled with teasing and laughter and a joy so complete her heart sometimes ached with the sweetness of it.

“I’ll take the kiss instead.”

“No, you won’t. Trust me, you’ll want this present. Now, go wait in the living room.”

Heaving a put-upon sigh, she swiveled away, sending the skirt of her cranberry-red silk dress floating around her legs in a flirty flounce. “Hurry back.”

Nathan turned up his collar and wiggled his eyebrows. “Count on it.”

Grinning, she watched as he disappeared through the front door. Then she retrieved a red-foil-wrapped package from the kitchen and wandered over to the sofa. Thanks to Nathan, the rest of her home now looked as good as the two guest rooms that had been booked solid through the fall and were already being reserved for next season. He’d
labored over it with the same meticulous care he gave to every task he undertook.

That’s why she’d been able to recommend him without hesitation to several clients who had hired her to redecorate their homes. Not that he needed much of that kind of work these days. But he said it kept him grounded. And that it gave him a sense of security his painting didn’t yet afford.

Settling into the cushions on the sofa, she decided she liked Edith’s selection of music. Gershwin was always a good choice for romance.

The front door opened. Shut. She heard fabric sliding over fabric. The jangle of a coat hanger. And then Nathan joined her.

Empty handed.

She hefted the present in her lap. “I have yours. Where’s mine?”

“In the hall. Why don’t I open mine first?”

She smiled. “Anxious, aren’t we?”

“Presents are still a novelty for me.”

Although his tone was light, her throat tightened. They didn’t talk much about his dark days anymore. Or the childhood that had been stolen from him. But at unexpected moments, she sometimes caught a fleeting, shadowed glimpse of the innocent little boy he’d never had a chance to be.

She handed over the package without another word.

Tearing off the paper, he pulled out a glossy art book featuring the work of the classic Impressionist painters he admired.

“This is fabulous, Catherine.” He flipped through it, devouring the images as hungrily as the birds searched for seeds in the feeder outside her kitchen window on a cold
winter day. “I can’t wait to give this my full attention.” After checking out a few more pages, he set it aside and shifted toward her. “But for now, I plan to give
you
my full attention.”

At the undercurrent of excitement in his voice, her pulse accelerated.

“Wait here.” Rising, he retreated to the foyer. Half a minute later, he returned carrying a large, flat package wrapped in silver paper and tied with a large red bow. He sat beside her and passed it over in silence.

She could tell as he set it in her lap that it was a frame. With great care, she pulled off the paper—and as she gazed at the beautifully executed painting inside, her breath caught in her throat.

It was a portrait of her and Zach at the beach. But unlike the piece she’d seen at Blue Water Gallery, this one was filled with joy and love and optimism.

The two of them were standing barefoot at the edge of the water. Zach wore shorts and a T-shirt, and he was squatting down, preparing to dig a half-submerged shell out of the wet sand with a stick. She had on the floral print skirt and lavender knit top she’d worn at Great Point the day they’d shared Edith’s heart-shaped cookies, and she was brushing aside a few flyaway strands of hair with one hand. Her other hand hovered over Zach, as if she’d just let him go, her fingers still extended toward her son. Close enough to help him if he needed her, but far enough way to give him room to explore on his own.

Catherine was blown away.

Through a subtle use of body language, Nathan had captured the dilemma she continued to struggle with—how to give Zach space to breathe and grow yet still protect him.

But beyond that, he’d also portrayed her as a woman in love, her eyes joy-filled, her expression reflecting utter contentment and peace. The emotions Nathan had imbued her with in this painting were exactly the ones she’d felt since he’d come into her life.

It was masterful.

Angling toward him, she blinked away the sudden moisture that blurred her vision. “This is wonderful, Nathan. I can’t think of a better Valentine’s Day present.”

“I hope it’s more than that.”

The husky timbre of his voice and the soft light in his eyes played havoc with her respiration. “What do you mean?”

He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a small jeweler’s box.

She stopped breathing.

“This goes with it. I hope.” Flipping open the top, he revealed a huge diamond solitaire on a gold band.

Catherine gasped.

“Oh, my word…” She stared at the gorgeous ring, awed by its message, its beauty—and a price tag she couldn’t even begin to fathom. “Nathan…it’s too much. I know you’re doing well, but this is way too extravagant. You don’t need to ply me with diamonds to convince me to…”

He pressed his fingers to her lips. “Catherine. I bought this with the money from my second painting.”

The one of the little boy in the storm she’d surreptitiously viewed at Blue Water Gallery.

Her protest died in her throat.

Nathan knew she’d seen it. She’d finally told him about her impromptu visit, a few weeks after he’d shared the story of his childhood trauma. How fitting that the profit from that painting, which had been inspired by the pain and
darkness of his old life, would fund a symbol that represented a new and shining future.

She gave a slow nod of understanding as love and admiration for this special man overflowed in her heart. “That’s a good use for that money.”

“I thought you’d understand.” He removed the ring from the box, and when he took her hand she felt the tremors in his fingers. “So I’m hoping the painting can do double duty—as both a valentine and an engagement present.”

“What’s an engagement?”

At the question from the foyer, they turned in unison. Zach was standing on the threshold of the living room, trailing a blanket behind him, rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn.

Clasping Nathan’s free hand, Catherine found her voice first. “It’s a promise to get married, honey.”

On cue, Nathan dropped to one knee beside her and grinned at Zach. “That’s exactly what it is, champ. And now I’m going to show you how a man is supposed to propose.”

When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with a love so deep and abiding and tender that she, too, started to tremble.

“Catherine Walker, I love you with every fiber of my being. When I came to Nantucket to start a new life, I never expected to find love, as well. But God, in His infinite wisdom and generosity, gave me the greatest blessing of my life when He set me in your path. And I want to walk that path with you for all the days He grants us. So…” He swallowed. Took a deep breath. “Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

She smiled through her tears and opened her mouth to respond. But Zach beat her to it.

“Yes!” His joyous shout echoed through the house, and
he bounded over to stand behind the couch. “You did that really good, Nathan.”

Nathan grinned. “Thanks, champ.” He turned to Catherine, and his eyes searched hers. Hopeful. Tender. And—endearingly—just the slightest bit uncertain. “Your turn.”

She wasted no time putting his mind at ease. Leaning close, she draped her arms around his neck and gave him a teary smile. “I defer to my son’s very sound judgment. My answer is yes, too.”

Joy flooded his face, and he slipped the ring on her finger, then pulled her close for a chaste kiss.

“That’s to seal the deal,” he murmured against her lips. “I promise to do better later.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she whispered back.

“This is so cool!” Zach scampered around the couch and flung himself at the two of them.

As they accepted Zach’s exuberant hugs and pulled him into the circle of their embrace, their gazes met over his head. And all at once, as she basked in the warmth of Nathan’s smile, Catherine was struck by the irony of their happily-ever-after. For the past two years, since tragedy had destroyed her world, she’d lived with hate and fear, in a prison of her own making. Yet a man who’d spent ten years behind bars had set her free.

For with his courage and kindness and love, Nathan had shown her how to create her own tomorrow. And by example, he’d helped her rediscover the centering power of faith. To let hate and anger go. To love without smothering. And to trust once again.

Catherine knew that not all of their tomorrows would be smooth. But with Nathan by her side, she was confident
they’d triumph over every challenge. Because no power on earth was stronger than love.

As if reading her mind, Nathan tugged Zach close with one arm and pulled her near with the other.

“This is what I always wanted,” he said against her hair, his voice choked with emotion.

“Yeah. Now we can be a real family,” Zach piped up. “Isn’t this great?”

Indeed it was, Catherine reflected, listening to the steady, comforting beat of Nathan’s heart beneath her ear. And wrapping her arms around the two people who were the center of her world, she gave thanks. For the healing power of love. For a tomorrow filled with hope. For a son who was blossoming. And for the man from Lighthouse Lane, whose caring heart and grace-filled soul had transformed her life.