CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Stan straightened his jacket and walked inside Nick’s gallery.
“I was wondering when you’d make an appearance.” Daniel stood beside him, looking far too happy.
“Holly’s home, isn’t she?”
“Am I that easy to read?”
“Where your fiancée is concerned, you are. Did she come with you tonight?”
Daniel shook his head. “Holly sends her best, but jet lag is messing with her body. She would have fallen asleep halfway through the night if I’d brought her.”
The main reception area had been transformed into a forest. As they walked between miniature pine trees, Stan remembered the concept drawings Mia had shown him. He couldn’t believe that had been only three months ago.
“Wow.” Daniel stopped to admire the mural that Claire and Hannah had hung on Thursday afternoon. It stood eight feet tall and was at least twenty feet wide. They’d framed the entire backdrop with more trees, more fairy lights, and more pine needles than anyone would guess.
“Claire and Hannah did a great job,” Stan said. “I hope everyone enjoys the fundraiser.”
Daniel looked around the gallery. “They already are. Where are Mia and Nick?”
“In San Francisco. Mia’s exhibition is tomorrow night. She had interviews with the media today.”
“How did that go?”
Stan sighed. “I’m trying to distance myself from her, not get more involved.”
Daniel’s eyebrows rose. “And?”
“I saw the photos that Mia emailed Annabelle,” he muttered. “Her paintings look incredible.”
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Daniel took two glasses of wine off a woodland nymph and passed one to Stan. “What else did Mia say?”
“Not a lot.” Stan wasn’t going to mention the gallery owner who was standing beside her in most of the photos. He had assumed John Williams would be the same age as Nick. Wrong. John Williams, it turned out, was in his mid-forties, good-looking, and single. Not that Nick had mentioned his marital status on Facebook—he’d found that out himself on the Internet.
Across the room, Hannah and Claire were circulating amongst the guests, making sure everyone was happy.
“You should mix and mingle before the auction starts,” Daniel said from beside him. “You might not get a chance afterward.”
“I was just thinking the same thing. Save me a seat beside you.”
“Okay, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up on the stage. See you later.”
Stan moved into the center of the room, shaking hands with the people he knew from the hospital or other events. He spoke with more than one couple whose children had been admitted to the neonatal unit and others who knew children who had been through tough times. It was humbling and gratifying to know that what they achieved tonight would help so many people.
An hour later, Stan was stunned by the generosity of the community.
Claire ran up to him and gave him a hug. “How do you feel?”
“Shocked.” The charity auction had just raised forty-nine thousand dollars for the new neonatal unit.
“Well, don’t be too shocked. Hannah wants you on the stage. We have some more surprises for you.”
“What do you mean?”
Claire held onto his arm and pulled him forward. “You’ll see.”
A hush fell over the room as Hannah beckoned him forward. “I’d like to welcome Stan Lewis, the director of Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, and Gina Rossi, his secretary, to the stage.”
Everyone clapped as Stan and Gina stood beside Hannah.
He looked at Gina, wondering if she knew what was happening.
“You’re going to like this,” Gina whispered.
Stan wasn’t so sure.
Hannah pushed a button and a large screen rolled down from the ceiling. “As you all know, Stan has been working hard to make the new neonatal unit a reality. As part of the fundraising project, Stan asked Gina to interview the families of the children who have been admitted to the neonatal unit. Some of those stories have appeared in the newspaper and on social media sites. Other stories, like the ones we will show you tonight, pay tribute to the staff at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. Because of their compassion, determination, and courage, the babies who need specialist medical help are provided with exceptional care. After the construction of the new unit is complete, Bozeman will have the best neonatal facilities in Montana. This video presentation is dedicated to Stan Lewis, the driving force behind our new neonatal unit.”
As the guests clapped and cheered, Gina led him across the stage to two chairs. “These are for us. There’s a box of tissues under the seat if you need them,” she whispered.
“You knew about this?”
“Of course I knew about it. So did Mia. We’ve been working on the video for the last month.”
The lights dimmed and the video began playing.
If he’d known Mia had been helping with the video, he would have found someone else to work with Gina. She’d had enough to do without…Mia appeared on the screen. She was standing in the neonatal unit, holding a baby in her arms.
His heart pounded. A longing he’d never felt before washed through him and left him stunned. When Mia smiled into the camera, all of the air squeezed out of his lungs.
She introduced Brittany-Rose, one of their miracle babies. Brittany-Rose had been born with a heart defect similar to Annabelle’s. As soon as she was born, she was flown to Billings to receive life-saving surgery. Without the quick response of the staff at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, Brittany-Rose wouldn’t have survived.
Mia spoke to Brittany-Rose’s parents, to the nurses and doctors who had saved their little girl’s life.
He reached under his chair and found the tissues.
For the next ten minutes, Mia introduced the staff in the neonatal unit. They explained what they did and how much they cared about the babies they were helping.
By the time the video ended and the lights came on, there weren’t many dry eyes in the gallery.
Hannah dabbed her eyes before speaking into the microphone. “I’d now like to introduce some of the children who have been admitted to the neonatal unit in Bozeman over the last five years.”
A side door opened and more than twenty children and their parents came onto the stage. As they were saying hello to Stan, Hannah introduced each child, told the guests why they had been admitted to the hospital and how long they had stayed.
When the last child left the stage, Stan was emotionally exhausted. He’d met all of the parents before. They were part of the focus groups that Gina had organized. After the architects had provided the concept plans, they had fine-tuned the layout of the unit and family accommodation. He knew their stories, the stress and worry that had almost crippled them when their children had clung to life.
“Are you okay?” Gina whispered.
“I will be.”
“Dig deep. There’s one more surprise.”
Stan was almost afraid of what would happen next. If anyone gave him a baby to hold, he would burst into tears.
Hannah smiled at the guests. “It is now my pleasure to welcome three men onto the stage. Daniel Sullivan, Ryan Evans, and John Fletcher.”
Gina nudged him. “Go and stand beside John.”
Stan shook all three men’s hands before standing beside John. Although he hadn’t met Ryan until a few weeks ago, he’d met John at a couple of Daniel’s barbecues. All three men owned large properties around Emerald Lake, an exclusive subdivision not far from Bozeman.
Hannah handed Ryan the microphone.
“Good evening, everyone.” The guests went a little crazy when the country music superstar grinned. “Thank you. Tonight is an important milestone in the fundraising efforts of Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. When Daniel told us what the hospital needed to achieve to make sure the new neonatal unit opened, we wanted to help. We know how much the community needs this facility and how hard everyone has worked to make it happen. So Stan, on behalf of myself, Fletcher Security, and Sullivan Enterprises, I would like to donate a check for two million dollars to the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital’s neonatal fundraising project.”
“Breathe,” Ryan whispered as he presented Stan with the check.
Stan took a deep breath and fought to keep tears out of his eyes. “Thank you.”
Daniel was next in line. “Stay beside me,” he whispered. “You look as though you’re about to fall over.”
John must have thought the same thing. “You never did have a good poker face. If you need a doctor, there are plenty here.”
Stan should have been excited that they’d raised the money they needed, plus some, for the neonatal unit. But all he felt was overwhelmed. It had been a stressful month and an even worse few days.
Hannah handed him the microphone. “Would you like to say a few words?”
Gina, God bless her forward thinking, handed him a copy of his speech.
He cleared his throat, sipped the water that Daniel thrust in front of him, and prepared to thank everyone for their generous donations.
***
Stan parked his truck at the airport. For the tenth time in as many minutes, he checked his watch to make sure he wasn’t late for Mia’s flight.
For most of the day, he’d been prowling around the house, trying not to think about this afternoon. He’d called the airline forty minutes ago, then called Claire to make sure he had the correct flight number.
Annabelle had wanted to know where he was going, but he couldn’t tell her. Not yet. Not when he didn’t know if this would be a day he would sooner forget.
He looked around the airport terminal, surprised at how quiet it was for a Sunday. The electronic arrivals sign was still showing Mia and Nick’s flight as being on time.
With half an hour left until they landed, he needed to do something. Otherwise, he’d wear a hole in the carpet with the amount of pacing he was doing.
“Is that you, Stan?”
He turned and smiled at the woman walking toward him. He’d met Kathy at some charity events in Bozeman, never realizing she was Nick’s friend until he’d introduced them. “Hi, Kathy. Are you here to meet Nick and Mia as well?”
A soft blush warmed her cheeks. “Nick doesn’t know I’m here. Sometimes, he’s too independent for his own good. It doesn’t hurt to have someone welcome you home after you’ve been away.”
Stan agreed with her, but Mia would need as much convincing as her grandfather. “Did Nick tell you if Mia’s paintings sold?”
“For record prices,” Kathy said with a smile. “And there was more good news. The person who bought all three paintings is happy to lend them to another gallery in New York. It couldn’t have turned out better for Mia’s career. Didn’t she call you?”
“Mia and I aren’t…we aren’t seeing each other anymore.”
Kathy’s smile fell. “I’m sorry to hear that. You seemed so happy. How about I buy us both a cup of coffee before their plane arrives?”
“That sounds like a great idea. There’s a small restaurant around the corner that sells good coffee.”
“Lead the way,” Kathy said. “You must be feeling happy. The fundraising gala was a huge success. Did you know about the two million dollar donation?”
“I didn’t have any idea. It was very generous.”
Kathy shrugged her shoulders. “Daniel, Ryan, and John are all young men. One day, they might need to use the neonatal unit for their children.”
Stan had said the same thing to Daniel. He’d laughed, telling him it was bad enough finding a date for their wedding without planning when they would have children.
After they were seated and had ordered their coffee, Kathy sat back in her chair and frowned. “I have to be honest with you, Stan. You didn’t look well last night and you’re not much better today. Is everything all right?”
“I’m not sick, if that’s what you mean.”
“It wasn’t, but that will do for now.”
He’d known Kathy long enough to know that whatever they discussed wouldn’t be repeated, even to Nick. “I miss Mia.” Three words. Three small words that shook him to his core.
Kathy reached across the table and patted his hand. “It’s okay to miss someone. Love can be the hardest thing in the world to understand.”
Stan looked into her worried blue eyes and nodded.
Kathy moved her bag off the table and onto the seat beside her. “After my first husband died, I thought I would be a widow for the rest of my life. I was down to one income with two teenage children and a big mortgage. I worked hard to provide for everyone. Somewhere along the line, I forgot about me.”
“How old were you when your husband died?”
“Forty-five. I loved my husband dearly, but he was hopeless when it came to finances. I wasn’t much better. So, after he passed, I worked two jobs to pay our bills and put food on the table. My friends told me someone else was waiting to love me, but I needed to slow down and let them find me.” Kathy’s mouth turned up at the edges. “They were right, but it took twenty years for Nick to find me.”
“Can I ask if you’ll ever get married?”
“Of course you can.” Kathy smiled at the waiter as he left their drinks on the table. “We talked about marriage, but decided it wasn’t for us. I could tell you that Nick loved his first wife in a way that doesn’t leave room for someone else. And when his daughter and son-in-law died, it was another blow to his heart. All of that would be true, but the real reason we decided not to marry is because we’re happy as we are.”
“How long did it take you to realize that Nick was special?”
“A lot longer than you might think.” Kathy laughed. “He has a very strong personality. Nick can be as stubborn as a mule, but his sweet, Greek heart always finds some kind of compromise. He believes in true love and we were lucky to find it twice in our lives.”
Stan stared at the star-shaped froth on the top of his cappuccino. “I thought Sandra and I would grow old together. I never imagined losing her and falling in love again. How do you let go of the past and move on with another person?”
“It’s the fear of the unknown. If we could look into a crystal ball and see the future, our lives would be a whole lot simpler.”
“But not as interesting,” he murmured. If someone had told him three months ago that he was about to meet a five-foot-three brunette who would knock him off his feet and pulverize his heart, he would have laughed at them.
“No, not as interesting.” Kathy sipped her coffee. “Sometimes the only thing you can do is believe in what your heart is telling you. The Good Lord didn’t put us on this planet to be lonely, Stan. We need to celebrate life. Loving someone is such a big part of being alive.”
“What if the person you love doesn’t feel the same way?”
Kathy smiled. “You’ll never know unless you ask. It seems to me that we have two choices. We can wallow in our misguided fears or meet them head-on. I have a feeling you’re ready to meet them head-on. Am I right?”
Stan nodded. “I don’t know if it will do much good, but I have to try.”
“It’s better than not saying anything. Here’s to facing our fears.”
He clinked his coffee mug against Kathy’s. “We need to meet at the airport more often.”
Kathy laughed. “Don’t tell Nick that. He’ll put his Greek foot down and tell me the airport is no place for a lady.”
Stan smiled, until he heard someone say the flight from San Francisco had arrived. “This is it.”
Kathy picked up her bag. “You’re on a mission, Stan. A mission of the heart.”
He held out his arm. “We might as well face my mission together. Are you ready?”
“I am. Let’s go.”
***
Mia stood on her airplane seat and lifted her carry-on out of the overhead locker. “I’ll get your bag down, too, granddad.”
“Be careful, little one. It is heavy.”
One of the worst things about getting off a plane was jostling around everyone else to remove your luggage. Luckily, this flight was only half full, so there was more room to move.
Mia handed Nick her carry-on. With one bag out of the way, she held the back of her seat, peering into the locker. Nick’s carry-on was on the far side. If she were careful, she’d be able to pull it toward her before lifting it down.
“I’ll get the bag.”
Mia turned and smiled at the man who had been sitting opposite her. “Thanks, Sean.” She stepped off her seat and waited for the carry-on. Sean Gray’s family owned a ranch about thirty minutes out of town. He’d been in San Francisco at a friend’s wedding and like her and Nick, was looking forward to seeing Bozeman again.
“There you go. Is there anything else you need?”
Mia looked at her jacket and the two bags. “No. We’ve got everything.”
The people in front of them started moving.
“Do you want me to carry anything off the plane for you?” Sean asked. “I only brought a backpack on board with me.”
“We’ll be okay. But thanks—”
“That would be very helpful,” Nick interrupted. “Mia, give Sean your carry-on. He is a good man to offer his assistance.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I can carry my own bag, granddad. But it was nice of Sean to offer.”
Nick sighed. “I am only trying to help.”
“Don’t worry,” Sean whispered. “My sister has four older brothers. Sally can’t stand it when we tell her what she should be doing.”
“I’ll have to find out how she survives,” Mia murmured.
“I heard that,” Nick said from his seat. “I might be seventy-four, but my hearing is as sharp as the day I was born.”
Mia smiled at her well-meaning grandfather. “Yes, granddad.”
“It’s time for us to go.” Sean stood in the aisle behind their seats, blocking anyone from pushing past them.
Mia let Nick go first, then followed him off the plane.
As they walked into the arrivals area, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her exhibition had been wonderful, but it was tiring meeting the media and the gallery’s VIP guests. It was good to be home.
“We’re lucky with the weather,” Sean pointed through a large window. “Bozeman’s had a lot of snow.”
Just looking at the clear blue sky and white snow-capped mountains made Mia smile. “I love winter. The more snow, the better.”
“It’s not so great on a ranch, but I know what you mean.”
Mia stopped a short distance from the baggage claim area and pulled on her jacket. “When you’re next in town, come and visit granddad’s gallery.”
“I will. Congratulations on your exhibition.” Sean looked over her shoulder. “My bag’s on the carousel. Are you okay with your suitcases?”
“I am. Enjoy the ranch.”
“I will. Bye.” Sean rushed across to his bag, lifting it clear of the other suitcases before it disappeared.
“Hello, Mia. How was San Francisco?”
Mia smiled at the woman behind her. “Hi, Kathy. It was better than I thought. I didn’t know you were meeting us.”
“Neither did Nick. It’s a surprise.”
“Granddad should be here somewhere. He’s probably waiting for our suitcases.” She searched the baggage claim area. It wasn’t easy to see her grandfather when he wasn’t much taller than she was.
A family wheeled three luggage carts away.
“He’s over—” Mia’s gaze landed on Stan. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him speak to Nick, then nod at something her granddad said.
Kathy touched her arm. “Stan wanted to meet you, too.”
“He told me he didn’t want to see me anymore.”
“Give him a chance to explain, Mia.”
She pulled her gaze away from Stan and looked at Kathy. “It’s not as easy as that.”
“It never is. How about we go and say hello?”
Mia took a deep breath and followed Kathy. After saying goodbye to him on Thursday, she didn’t expect to see him again.
Stan raised his head. His eyes locked on hers and followed her across the room.
With a pounding heart, she stood beside her granddad. “Hi, Stan.”
“Hi.” He didn’t smile, didn’t move from where he stood.
She didn’t know why he was here, except…She looked at the dark circles under his eyes, the frown on his face. “Has something happened to Annabelle?”
He shook his head. “She’s fine. Mrs. Dodds is looking after her while I’m here.”
Mia lifted a hand to her chest. “Thank goodness. I thought…” She looked at the concern on her granddad’s face. “It doesn’t matter what I thought.”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh.” She stared at Stan. Of all the things he could have said, that was the worst.
Nick cleared his throat and gave Kathy a hug. “It is good to see you. But you should not have come here to meet us. It is not good weather to be driving.”
“Nonsense,” Kathy said sternly. “If I’d driven through a snow storm it would have been different. I know you left your car here, but it’s always nice to know someone is waiting for you.”
Mia looked at the carousel, desperate to focus on something other than Stan. “Our bags have arrived.”
She moved quickly, stepping between the people in front of them before their suitcases disappeared.
“This one?” Stan leaned down and grabbed the handle of her bag.
“Yes, but I can—”
“It’s okay. I’ve got it.”
Mia wrapped her fingers around the handle of Nick’s bag. Another pair of arms lifted the bag higher.
“You can let go, Mia. I’ll put it beside yours.”
Stan’s face was close to hers. A spark of awareness raced along her spine, crashing head-first into her pounding heart.
“The bag’s heavy,” he muttered.
She blinked and let go of the handle.
Stan sighed as he lowered it to the ground.
“Granddad packs everything except the kitchen sink.” It wasn’t much of an explanation, but it was enough to make Stan smile.
“I thought that was supposed to be a female trait.”
“You can’t be serious?” Mia spluttered. “Granddad always takes twice as many clothes as I do.”
“I was joking.”
She watched his face relax and something inside of her unraveled. “Is everything okay? You look tired.”
Stan ran his hand through his hair. “I’ll be okay.”
Nick came behind them with a luggage cart. “We will place the bags on here. Where is your truck parked, Stan?”
“Across the road from the terminal. I can take the suitcases with me and drop them off to you.”
“That is a good idea,” Nick said. “Kathy and I will go back to my house. You can take Mia to hers, then bring my suitcase around later.”
Mia looked at her grandfather, then at Stan. “I don’t understand.”
Nick tutted. “A man cannot have a conversation with a woman if she is not beside him. You will talk to Stan, offer him coffee and cookies. That is the polite way to say thank you. Afterward, if you would like to bring me some cookies, I would not say no.”
Mia shook her head. “One of these days, granddad, you’re going to realize that I’m all grown up.”
Nick wrapped her in a hug. “I already know this. Thank you for sharing your exhibition with me. Now go with Stan. He does not have all day to stand around the airport.”
“Are you happy to take me home, Stan? We could always talk here if it’s easier.”
“I’ll take you home.” He shook Nick’s hand and gave Kathy a hug. “Thank you.”
Kathy smiled. “You’re welcome. Remember what we talked about.”
Mia gave her granddad and Kathy a quick hug before following Stan outside. She didn’t know what he wanted to tell her, but it must be important. She only hoped it had nothing to do with her broken heart.
***
Stan drove out of the airport parking lot. His hands gripped the steering wheel as he thought about what he wanted to say to Mia.
“Did Annabelle see the photos I emailed her?’
He glanced across the cab. “She did. Your paintings looked stunning.”
“John spent a lot of time deciding where he would hang them. He changed the lighting three times before he was happy.”
“He sounds like he knows what he’s doing.”
“He does. He wants me to exhibit again next year.”
From what Mia had said, being asked to exhibit once was hard enough, but twice must be nearly impossible. “What type of paintings will you give him?”
“I’m not sure. I like painting portraits or scenes with people as the focus. I’ve already started another series.”
“What’s the theme?”
“Family. After speaking with the parents of the children in the neonatal unit, it made me think about what makes a family. Then I thought about my parents and grandparents, and other people who have been adopted or fostered. There’s a bond that ties families together, whether they share the same DNA or not. That’s what I want to explore.”
“Sounds complicated.”
“It is.” Mia ran her fingertips over the scar on her hand. “I told Nick that I felt responsible for my parents’ death.”
“What did he say?”
“The same thing you did. That it wasn’t my fault. Mom wasn’t angry at me, just annoyed that I hadn’t asked if I could go to Penny’s house.”
“Did that make you feel better?”
“In a way it did. I’m like one of my paintings at the moment—a work in progress. Were you happy with the gala?”
“More than happy. I can’t believe we funded the entire project. Did you know about the donation that Daniel, Ryan, and John were making?”
“I knew it would be big, but not how big. They’re amazing men.”
Her smile lifted some of the weight off Stan’s shoulders. When he stopped in front of her home, the weight slammed back down.
She unbuckled her seatbelt. “I can offer you coffee, but I’m not sure if there are any cookies left.”
He let go of the steering wheel and flexed his fingers. “Coffee would be fine.”
Mia looked through her side window. “My neighbor must have cleared my driveway. I thought I’d have to wear cross-country skis to get to my front door.”
Stan unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of his truck. “You’re lucky to have good neighbors. They make a difference when you’re living on your own.” He clamped his lips closed before more words tumbled from his mouth. He didn’t want to talk about her neighbors or about the snow or even about coffee. He wanted to talk about them, but he didn’t know where to start.
Mia rolled her carry-on to the front door while Stan followed with her suitcase.
“You can leave my case in the hallway. Come into the kitchen. I’ll put on the coffeepot.”
He took off his boots and walked into the kitchen behind Mia.
“Granddad was funny at the exhibition. He introduced me to so many people that my head started spinning. I think he—”
Stan held Mia’s waist and pulled her into his arms. Before he could second-guess himself, he kissed her.
He poured everything he wanted to say into the kiss; the longing, the need, the apology, and the knowledge that he loved her more than he ever thought possible.
Mia’s hands wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him close. She deepened the kiss and he groaned, achingly aware of every point of contact between their bodies, every movement of her hips against his.
Meow.
Somewhere, in the only part of Stan’s brain that was working, he realized they weren’t alone.
So did Mia.
Meow.
Her body stiffened and she dropped her head to his chest. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
He hoped like crazy that she meant the interruption and not the kiss.
Meow.
He looked at his feet. A cat of unknown pedigree had wrapped itself around their legs, rubbing its whiskers on Stan’s jeans.
Mia smiled. “Stan Lewis, this is Mr. Renoir, the scruffiest cat in town.” She cleared her throat and looked around the kitchen. “I’ll make the coffee.”
He picked up Mr. Renoir and scratched him under his chin. He would have preferred to have Mia in his arms, but it was just as well he didn’t. He could still taste her on his lips, feel her moving against him, scorching him from the inside out.
With a frustrated sigh, he lowered Mr. Renoir to the floor. He needed to tell Mia how he felt, not smother her in kisses before she’d taken off her jacket.
“Mia, I need to tell you something.”
She poked her head around the pantry doors, waving a metal container in the air. “I found them.”
“What did you find?”
“My secret stash of cookies. They’re for emergencies.”
Stan’s eyebrows rose. “And this is an emergency?”
Mia’s cheeks turned pink. “You could say that,” she mumbled.
She handed him the container and he tried to pull off the lid. “It isn’t easy to get into.”
“That’s the point,” Mia said. “What’s inside are the wickedest cookies in the world. They’re guaranteed to add five pounds per bite and you can’t stop at one. The sticky lid is supposed to give you time to consider whether you really need one.”
He popped off the lid. “And your verdict?”
Mia stuck her hand inside and pulled out a lump of chocolate. “I really need one.” Her hand reached inside again. “Or two.”
Stan frowned at the cookies. “They’re that good?”
“They’re really good.”
He bit into a cookie and sighed. Mia was right. The crunchy outside melted into sweet chocolate heaven on the inside. “Wow.”
“I know.” Mia licked her lips and took another bite. “I’m up to ten pounds. Stop me after this cookie or I won’t be able to fit into my jeans tomorrow.”
Stan wasn’t the best person to help Mia with her self-control. He was having a hard enough time keeping his hands off her.
She finished the first cookie, dropping the second into the container. “That’s enough sugar for now. My legs don’t feel like jello anymore.”
A crumb caught at the back of his throat and sent him into a fit of coughing.
Mia rushed to the faucet and poured him a glass of water. “Are you all right?”
“I will be,” he croaked.
“I guess we should talk about what happened. Before the cookies.”
Stan wiped his eyes and took another sip of water. “I made a mistake.”
Mia’s face fell.
“I don’t mean about kissing you. That was…” He struggled to find the words to describe how much he needed to be close to her. “…better than one hundred cookies.”
Her eyes widened.
“I love you, Mia. I made a mistake when I told you I couldn’t be your boyfriend. I never thought I’d love another woman after Sandra died. But I love you. I love the way you light up a room with your smile. I love your determination and your courage. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
Mia didn’t move. Her eyes were as big as a full moon, as dark as the deepest ocean.
A sinking feeling hit Stan in the stomach, left him winded when he realized he’d made a mistake. A big mistake. The kind that even Mia’s cookies couldn’t cure. He needed to leave, now, before he made an even bigger fool of himself. “I’ll go. I didn’t mean to—”
Mia’s mouth landed on his lips, swallowed his words whole, and left him hungry for more of everything.
She pulled away, holding either side of his face in her hands. “Are you going to change your mind again?”
Tears stung his eyes. He knew he’d hurt Mia, but what she didn’t realize was that he’d hurt himself, too. He’d denied himself the right to love another woman, a woman who made him happier than he’d ever been.
“I’m not going to change my mind.”
She lightly kissed his lips. “Even if you do, always remember that I love you. Do you think Annabelle will be okay with me spending more time with you?”
“She’ll be more than okay. Especially if she can spend more time with Nick.”
“That won’t be a problem.” Mia leaned forward and whispered, “I love you, Stan Lewis.”
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “I love you, too.” And he knew he always would.
Ten months later…
Annabelle walked into the workroom of Nick’s gallery with a huge smile on her face.
“Come, little one,” Nick said proudly from beside her. “It is time to show us what you have been doing.”
For the last month, Annabelle had been working on a special project. Three days a week, Mia had taken her to the gallery after school and Stan had picked her up when he finished work.
It was hard to believe that ten months had passed since he’d told Mia he loved her. Warmth filled his chest when he thought of all the time they’d spent together. They’d shared laughter and tears, and taken huge leaps of faith in each other and the happiness they’d found.
Throughout everything, Nick and Kathy had been beside them, becoming an important part of everything that had happened.
“Wait! I need to take a photo.” Kathy rushed across to her bag. With her cell phone in her hand, she focused on Annabelle and Nick.
“Say cheese.”
“Cheese!” Annabelle and Nick said together. Their smiles were wide and contagious.
Kathy smiled. “Very nice.”
Nick patted Annabelle’s shoulder. “I have a little speech to make for my dear Annabelle.” He cleared his throat. “I am very proud of Annabelle. She is a good girl and a wonderful artist, but more than that, she is a brave and courageous young lady. I am lucky to call her my friend.” Nick’s bottom lip trembled as Annabelle’s hand slipped into his.
Mia’s eyes filled with tears and Stan wrapped his arm around her waist.
Nick took a deep breath. “I wish nothing but the best for my little Annabelle as she grows into a woman. I know that whatever she does in life, it will be done with kindness and compassion. Now, it is my pleasure to ask Annabelle to say a few words about her surprise.”
Annabelle stood beside an easel. Someone had draped a red cloth over the wooden frame, hiding the painting that was underneath.
Stan’s heart pounded. No one, except his daughter, knew what was going to happen next. He was terrified that it would all go wrong, that Mia wouldn’t want to become a permanent part of their lives.
“Are you okay?” Mia whispered.
He nodded and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be fine.”
Annabelle looked across the room at him and smiled. It had never occurred to her that Mia wouldn’t want to marry him. Even as he’d tried to remind her gently that it was Mia’s decision, and she could say no, Annabelle’s faith in their commitment to each other had never wavered.
Annabelle opened the speech she’d written last night. “As you all know, I’ve been working on a project for the last four weeks. Even Mr. Costas hasn’t seen it.” She grinned at Nick before looking back at her notes. “Before my dad and Mia started dating, Mr. Costas asked if I would like to add a picture to his memory wall. I thought about what I’d like to put on the wall for a long time. I wanted it to be special, just like Mia’s paintings.”
Annabelle looked uncertainly at Mia.
Stan had a feeling that the enormity of what was about to happen had just hit her. He started to move toward her, but she shook her head.
He took a deep breath and stayed where he was. He wiped his hands on his jeans, felt the edge of the ring box in his jacket pocket, and tried to think positive thoughts.
Annabelle’s grip on her speech notes tightened. “Until I met Mia, I didn’t know what it was like to have someone special in my life—apart from dad and my cousins. But now I’ve got lots of special people that I love. Nick is like a grandpa to me. He makes me cookies and lets me help him in the gallery. Kathy has taught me how to knit and play poker. And Mia has taught me how to paint and how to be a better person.”
The look she sent Mia was filled with such longing that Stan’s eyes filled with tears.
“The project I’ve been working on is a painting called, Coming Home. I called it that, because…” Annabelle swallowed deeply. “…whenever I think of everyone here, I get a warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach. And I get the same feeling when I’m coming home from somewhere. I hope you like it.”
Nick smiled through his tears and helped lift the cover off the painting.
Stan had seen the canvas not long after Annabelle had started, but he’d never seen the finished painting. His eyes widened as he absorbed what she’d created.
Annabelle had painted a family portrait, but it was different to anything she’d painted before. Nick, Kathy, Mia, Stan, and Annabelle were standing in a circle with their arms wrapped around each other. They were looking up at the canvas as if a camera lens were hovering above them.
He was amazed that Annabelle had captured each person so clearly and what they meant to each other.
“Little one,” Nick said in awe. “This is beautiful. There is so much love, so much life. This is an extraordinary painting.”
Kathy kissed Annabelle’s cheek. “It’s lovely.”
Annabelle looked at Mia. “Is it okay?”
“It’s more than okay. I’m so impressed with you and your painting.” Mia wrapped Annabelle in a hug and held on tight.
Annabelle looked over Mia’s shoulder at Stan and smiled.
He stepped forward and his daughter moved away.
Mia wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “I can’t believe…”
Stan got down on one knee and held her hand.
Mia’s eyes widened, then filled with more tears. “Oh, Stan.”
The words he’d spent all week practicing dissolved like cotton candy. All that was left was the way Mia made him feel, the way she’d become as important to him as the air he breathed.
“I love you, Mia. I’ve loved you for so long that I can’t imagine our lives without you. You’ve helped me see that love is a precious gift. That it’s possible to love more than once in a lifetime.”
Tears fell down Mia’s face as he took the small black box out of his pocket. She bit her lip as he opened the lid, showing her the solitaire diamond he’d chosen with Annabelle.
He took a deep breath. “I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you. Will you marry me?”
Mia smiled through her tears and his heart leaped.
“I love you, too, Stan. I’m so happy that I…” She wiped her face and pulled him to his feet. “I’m glad you decided to give our love a chance to grow. I would be honored to marry you and be part of your life.”
He pulled Mia close, holding her against his chest and never wanting to let go.
“Dad!” Annabelle whispered. “You forgot to put the ring on Mia’s finger.”
“How about we do it together?”
The smile Annabelle sent him made his heart clench tight. He opened his arms, pulling her into a group hug. It felt right and so good.
“Time for another photo,” Kathy said as she stood in front of them.
Stan looked at Annabelle and she nodded. He took the ring out of its box and together, they slowly slipped it over Mia’s finger.
“It’s perfect.” Mia sighed.
And as everyone smiled for the camera, Stan knew he was the luckiest man in the world. For the second time in his life he had found his happily ever after.
THE END