Season for Love (36 page)

“He’s very good at it.”

“Yes.” Sarah tugged at a string that had come loose on the quilt. “Unfortunately, he had no choice but to become good at it when he was far too young for such responsibilities.”

“He doesn’t blame you,” Laura said. The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“He should.”

“Well, he doesn’t.”

“I don’t deserve him or any of them. Somehow, they all turned out beautifully despite me.”

“It’s absolutely none of my business, but…” Laura stopped herself, debating whether she should finish the thought. Her situation was hardly comparable to what Sarah was dealing with.

“Please, speak freely. I have very little pride left.”

Hearing her say that broke Laura’s heart all over again. “Six months ago, I was on the verge of marrying the man I thought was the love of my life. Nothing since then has turned out like I’d expected, but somehow I seem to be exactly where I belong. And all of the pain and disappointment led me to Owen. I can’t help but hope the same thing might be possible for you.”

Sarah attempted a smile, but it turned into a grimace when her ribs protested the small movement. “What happened with your husband?”

“He failed to give up his dating life after we were married.”

When Sarah raised an eyebrow, Laura again caught a glimpse of Owen in the familiar expression. “Is that right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“How’d you find out?”

“He made a date online with one of my bridesmaids. She’d noticed his profile was still active, so she started talking to him, to see what he would do. One thing led to another, and he made a date with her. She went to the restaurant to see if he’d have the nerve to actually show up, and there he was waiting for her.”

“My goodness. How shocking that must’ve been for you.”

Laura could vividly remember the moment her two best friends from childhood had come to her new apartment to tell her what they’d learned about her new husband. “It was…awful.”

“You were lucky to find out early on before things got worse.” She glanced at the window, lost in her own thoughts. “I was too bullheaded. I didn’t listen to my parents or my friends who told me they didn’t like the way he talked to me. If he talked to me that way in front of people, they’d say, what will it be like when you’re alone?”

Laura stayed quiet and let her get it out.
 

“He was charming and persuasive and ambitious. I fell so hard for him. It didn’t take long to realize I’d married a monster. Back in those days, women with children and no way to support them didn’t leave. We stayed and did the best we could with what we had.” She returned her gaze to Laura. “I admire the courage it took for you to leave him.”

Laura covered Sarah’s cool hand with her much warmer one. “You have that same courage inside of you.”

Sarah closed her hand around Laura’s. “I’m not going back this time. I’m not sure what I’ll do, but I can’t go back to him. If I do, eventually he’ll kill me.”

“You’ll stay right here with us for as long as you like. This hotel is much more yours than it’ll ever be mine, and there’s a place for you here for however long you wish to stay.”

Tears sparkled in the gray eyes that were so much like Owen’s. “I can see why my son cares so deeply for you.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Laura said, squeezing Sarah’s hand before releasing it. “Get some rest, and call me if I can get you anything.”

“Thank you, honey.”

Laura got up to leave the room and was startled to find Owen standing in the doorway. She was relieved to see some color in his cheeks after the time outdoors. Her heart gave a pitter-patter at the intense way he looked at her as she moved toward him.

He stepped aside to let her by and tugged the door closed behind her.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

His shrug didn’t tell her much, but the pain she saw in his eyes told the true story.

She didn’t know if he’d welcome her touch, but she couldn’t contain the need to hold him and kiss him and care for him the way he’d cared for her. Tentatively, she wound her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

A long moment passed before his arms came around her in a looser than usual embrace. She realized he was so used to dealing with the pain on his own that he had no idea how to accept her comfort.
 

“I’m here, Owen,” she said softly, not wanting to disturb the fragile peace. “Whatever you need, whenever you need it, I’m right here. You don’t have to do it alone anymore.”

He released a deep breath, and with it, some of the tension began to leave his big frame. His forehead dropped to her shoulder, and his nose nuzzled her hair.

Laura ran her hands over his back, wishing there was something she could say to make it better for him.

“It was about an undercooked chicken,” he said many minutes later.

At first, Laura didn’t understand what he meant, and then it dawned on her. The undercooked chicken had sparked his father’s rage.

“It’s going to be different this time,” Laura said, hoping she was right. If she raised his hopes only to see them dashed, she’d never forgive herself. “She seems determined to leave him.”

“She has been before.”

“Have the police ever been involved?”

He shook his head. “She’s always managed to evade them and never filed a report before.”

“It’s a good sign that she’s taking that step.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Have you talked to your siblings yet?”

“I wanted to wait until she saw David and Blaine took the report.”

“Why don’t you go on out to the porch and call them now? I’ll stay close by in case she needs anything.”

He drew back from her but kept a firm grip on her hands. “I was on the beach just now thinking about everything that’s happened, and it occurred to me that maybe you’d be better off taking a step back from me. Things are bound to get ugly with my father, and the situation with Justin—”

With her heart aching at the thought of losing him, she shook her head. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”

“Think about it, Laura. Justin won’t give you the divorce as long as we’re together, and with everything that’s going on in my family—”

“We need each other more than ever,” she said firmly. “I told you I love you. Do you think that means
I
cut and run the first time things get a little difficult?”

He stared at her, incredulous. “A
little
difficult? Do you have any idea how my father is going to react to being
arrested
? If it goes to court, we’ll have to testify. All of us—possibly even you, too, if you stick around, since you saw her in this condition. It’s going to be a whole lot more than a little difficult for a long time.”

“If I stick around?” She made a huge effort to keep the panic out of her voice. She told herself he was reacting to the emotion of the situation, and it had nothing to do with them. “Where exactly would I go?”

He ran his hands through his hair, frustration rippling off him in waves. “I’m not suggesting you go anywhere. I’m suggesting that maybe this isn’t the time for us to be together.”

“When would the right time be? Can you tell me that?” Since he had no ready answer to that question, she bit back the panic and pressed on. “Our timing has been off from the very beginning, but that didn’t stop us from becoming friends or falling in love or making a commitment to each other.”

“Laura—”

“I’m holding you to that commitment, Owen. You made promises to me. You said you love me and that you’d love my baby.” Even though tears threatened to derail her, she forced them back, knowing she needed to be strong for both of them. “Didn’t you mean that?”

“I did.” He sounded so wounded and so desperately unhappy, and she knew that neither had anything at all to do with her. “You know I did.”

“Don’t let him take something else from you. He took your childhood and your sense of security and your chance to go to college. Don’t let him take me, too.” She stepped toward him to close the yawning chasm he’d tried to build between them and rested her hands on his chest. Under her palms, his heart beat hard and fast. “Don’t let him win, Owen.”

“It’s going to get so ugly, Princess. You have no idea.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle if it means I get to be with you.”

“You say that now—”

“I’ll say that forever.”

He leaned his forehead on hers. “You’re too damned stubborn for your own good.”

“You love that about me.”

“Yes, I do.” His arms came around her in the fierce embrace she’d grown accustomed to. “I love you so goddamned much. I don’t want you anywhere near the ugliness.”

“I want to be wherever you are—good, bad or ugly.”

“How’d I get so lucky to find you?”

“We both got lucky, and if we hold on tight to this precious love we have between us, there’s nothing we can’t get through together.”

“I’m going to take your word for that.”

“Good,” she said, relieved and overwhelmed to know that no matter what the future might bring, they’d face it together.

Epilogue

“One more big push, Laura,” said Victoria, the midwife, from her perch between Laura’s legs.

Behind Laura, Owen propped her up and wiped a cool cloth over her forehead as he had for hours now.
 

“So tired,” Laura said, panting between contractions.

“I know, honey,” he said, “but you’re almost there. I know you can do it.”

His calm, steady support had gotten her this far, and she’d be damned if she’d let him down now. As a blizzard howled outside the warm confines of the clinic, Laura bore down on the next contraction. The pain was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, and for an instant, she wondered if the baby was capable of splitting her in half.

“That’s it!” Victoria said. “You did it!”

The baby screamed in protest as it emerged into a world of bright lights and frightening noises.
 

“You’ve got a gorgeous baby boy,” Victoria said as she quickly cleared his airway and cleaned him up. “With all his fingers and toes.” She wrapped him in a receiving blanket and handed him to his exhausted mother.

“Oh, a boy,” Laura said as she took her first look at the scrunched-up face and the tiny mouth that formed a perfect O to express his outrage. She was so glad now that she’d waited to find out what she was having until he arrived. His head was covered in glossy dark hair that reminded Laura of Justin’s. She blinked back the torrent of tears that spilled from her eyes so she could see every detail of the little face.

“My God, look at him,” Owen said reverently. “He’s beautiful.”

“I’d say he’s pretty close to nine pounds,” Victoria said. “Well done, Mom.”

“We’ll give you a minute to get acquainted, and then I’ll be back with David to check on both of you,” Victoria said.

“Thank you,” Laura said, unable to tear her gaze off her newborn son.

Owen’s hand covered hers as she held the baby. With his free hand, he used a tissue to mop up her tears and then grabbed a second one to deal with his own.

“It’s true what they say.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“The minute you see the baby, you forget all about what you went through to have him.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever forget it. You were amazing, honey.”

“So were you.” She tipped her head back for a kiss. “I never could’ve done it without you.”

He caressed her face. “Yes, you could have.”

Victoria popped her head into the room. “We’ve got some anxious grandparents and an uncle out here waiting to meet the new arrival. Mind if I show them in?”

“Please do,” Laura said.

Her father and brother escorted Owen’s mother into the room a minute later.

“Oh, let me see him,” Frank said, leaning over the bedrail for a closer look at his new grandson. “He’s beautiful.”

“Your daughter was amazing, Frank,” Owen said. “A true warrior goddess.”

“I have no doubt,” Frank said, kissing Laura’s cheek. “She always has been. Are you okay, honey?”

“Never been better.”

“What’ll you name him?” Sarah asked as the baby curled a hand around her finger.

“I was thinking about Francis,” Laura said.

“Absolutely not!” Frank and Shane said together.

“Why not?”

“That’s an awful name to pin on a little guy,” Shane said. He’d joined them at the hotel right before Christmas and had become an invaluable member of the renovation team. He was also helping Mac and Luke with the installation of new laundry and restroom facilities at the marina and had committed to staying on through the spring to help out with the new low-income houses they’d be building on the Chesterfield property.

“I want to name him after you,” Laura said to her father.

“And I’m honored, honey. I truly am, but don’t do that to him. Give him a good, strong first name, and I’ll allow Francis as a middle name.”