Chapter Nineteen
“Shh-h-h, Penny,” Michael said. “It’s you and me right now, kid. And we’ve got to keep the noise level down, or we’re gonna wake your mommy.”
He sat in the rocking chair in the kitchen with the baby lying against his chest. Amber was still asleep in the living room. She’d slept on and off yesterday, all through last night and, so far, most of this morning. “I could have called your grandma or one of your aunts for help. You know they’d have been here in no time.” Instead, he had managed on his own, dampening cloths with cool water for Amber’s forehead, making tea and toast when she could finally look at food, getting bottles ready and feeding Penny.
And cancelling his flight home.
Go or stay, he had said to the baby yesterday. She’d blinked in response, but he had already made his decision.
Now, near noon, the baby was squirming against him, dealing with another bout of colic. He rocked the chair and patted her back, rocked and patted, keeping the rhythm going.
Eventually, Penny’s cries eased up. When her legs rested quietly against him, he knew they’d turned a corner.
He felt glad for Amber’s sake. She needed the rest, and if her baby’s cries hadn’t woken her by now, she would probably continue to sleep.
Truthfully, he felt glad for his and Penny’s sake, too.
He set the baby on his knee, supporting her with one hand behind her head. “We’re a team now, aren’t we, kid. Who’d have thought it? And you know, there’s strength in numbers. Between us, we’ve got the power to convince your mommy of a few things.” He hoped.
She looked up at him, her blue eyes bright with tears—the way Amber’s had been on New Year’s Eve, when she’d told him about the missing money. And he had run off at the mouth and then walked out. He had let Amber believe she was responsible for what had happened, when ultimately, he was the one at fault. They had proof of that. The note she had handed him yesterday, the taunting evidence Derek had left behind, had been directed at him, not at Amber.
“I guess before I can convince her of anything, I’m going to have to apologize. You think?”
Penny squirmed, her face crinkling. The colic had given way to gas. He had enough experience with babies—his brothers—to know that. But he chose to take the reaction as a smile. As a good sign. “Yeah, I think so, too.”
The doorbell rang.
“Da—whoops,” he said, cutting himself off. In the future, he’d have to watch his language. For now, he could…well, he could swear Penny smiled again.
Laughing, he rose from the rocking chair and crossed the kitchen. “Dawhoops, baby. That’s the way it goes from now on. And we’d better go answer the door before whoever’s out there wakes up your mommy.”
Over on the couch, Amber looked as though she hadn’t moved a muscle.
He swung the front door open. Callie and Lyssa stood on the porch. When they saw him holding Penny, their eyes widened.
He clutched the baby to him. Dawhoops, all right.
“Is Amber—” Lyssa began.
“Shh-h-h,” he hissed. “Asleep on the couch.”
“Migraine?” Callie asked in a low voice.
He nodded and led the way to the kitchen.
While they stood taking off their gloves and jackets, he settled Penny in her carrier on the kitchen table. “Coffee? Cake?” he asked.
“You’re quite the host,” Lyssa said. “Nick should take notes.”
“Amber made the cake,” he admitted. “But I’m handy with the coffeepot.”
“And with babies.” Callie smiled.
“We’ll pass on the refreshments,” Lyssa said. “We’re not staying long,” she added as the three of them took seats. “Unless you need some help.”
He shook his head.
Callie turned to him. “Sorry for barging in on you, but Nick said you were leaving today. We tried Amber’s cell and the lodge phone this morning, but didn’t get an answer. Nick didn’t know when your flight was, so we tried you, too, but no luck.”
“I disconnected the lodge phone,” he explained, “and turned off both the cells so the ring wouldn’t wake Amber.”
The two women exchanged a glance. He tensed, but before he could continue, Lyssa said, “Has she been sleeping since yesterday?”
“Most of the time, yeah. I think it’s half from the migraine and half just from being the mom of a baby with colic. I’ve been keeping Penny occupied.”
Lyssa and Callie exchanged another glance.
“You’re one heck of a nice guy,” Lyssa said, “and much better than the one Amber married.”
“Why?” he blurted. Out of politeness, he probably should have protested some of that statement. Oh, well.
“The day her ex walked out on her,” Callie said quietly, “Amber started with a migraine. He knew how they affected her. He left, anyway.”
He swore, but under his breath. “What a louse.”
“We thought that, too.”
“Yeah.” He paused, then went for it. “As for being ‘better than the one Amber married,’ I have to tell you, I’m not—”
“Michael.” Lyssa rested her hand on his arm. “You don’t have to tell us anything. Neither does Amber.” She grinned. “But I need to inform you, if you two don’t settle things between you soon, the Barnett family is going to have another conference.”
“Or an intervention,” Callie said.
“We’ll be talking,” he promised.
“Good. Anyhow, we drove up, first of all, to find out if everything was okay.”
“It is,” he said firmly. “And I want to know how things worked out about the auction.”
To their credit, neither woman tried to evade him.
Lyssa said, “That’s the other reason we’re here.”
“Since my parents are co-chairs of the festival,” Callie said, “and the auction was an offshoot of it, we decided to keep what happened all in the family. We held a conference this afternoon.”
“Why am I not surprised?” he asked.
The women laughed.
“A conference minus Amber, of course,” Lyssa said. “But we’re sure we know her vote. And not one of us thinks you should be penalized for something Derek did.”
“I can afford to make the donation. Besides,” he muttered, “he’s my brother.” And I drove him to it.
Callie shook her head. “You’re not responsible for anyone else’s action, even a member of your family. As for being able to afford the donation…” She smiled. “We all agree that’s true, and we thank you for the offer. Which we’re happy to accept. The auction money will stay intact, the school will get exactly what we earned, and all will be well in Snowflake Valley.”
No. All wouldn’t be well in this town until he talked with Amber.
…
Amber woke to the sound of voices. Startled, she sat up.
No buzzing, no banging, no dizziness. Her migraine had subsided. She looked quickly at the playpen. It was empty. As she rose from the couch, she heard another voice. What was Callie doing here?
As she neared the kitchen, she heard Callie again.
“I think we all agree we’re done here. So if you’re still sure you don’t need our help, we’ll be on our way.”
“Thanks, but no, thanks,” Michael said. “We’re all doing fine. Penny and I have come to an agreement of our own. And Amber’s still sleeping. We’ll let her rest until she’s good and ready to wake up again.”
Amber cleared her throat.
Everyone in the kitchen, including Penny, looked toward the doorway.
“I’m awake,” she said.
“So we see,” Callie returned.
She and Lyssa looked at one another. Amber knew those expressions well. Her two oldest sisters were up to something. But to her surprise, they both simply put on their jackets and gloves and took turns leaning over the baby seat to kiss Penny.
Then they were gone in a flurry of words—good-bye and call you tomorrow and make sure you eat and get more rest—and Amber was left alone with Penny and Michael.
She wanted to sit near them but didn’t dare. Getting so close to Michael would make her lose her nerve. Instead, she took a seat opposite them.
“How about some soup?” he asked. “That’s about all I have here, besides your cake.”
“I’d love some soup. Even canned soup. Isn’t this where you came in last week?” she asked, hoping he would smile. He didn’t.
“Sounds like it. And judging by your packed suitcase in the living room, you intended to leave yesterday.”
She watched him move comfortably from cabinet to cabinet, knowing where to find the soup and the saucepan, the bowl and the ladle. And just think, until a few days ago he’d never cooked in this kitchen.
Until a few days ago, he’d never touched her or kissed her. And yet she’d loved him long before then.
He turned from the stove. “Is your electricity on again?”
“No.”
“So you can’t have been headed to your apartment. Not without heat. Where were you going to stay?”
“At home. With my family.”
“You didn’t want them to know about your financial situation.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then why were you leaving?”
“Because…” She’d planned to tell him calmly and quietly how she felt, but other, uncontrollable emotions took over and the words tumbled out. “Because I don’t want to stay here. I can’t. I can’t be with you, knowing I’m just your housekeeper and cook. Or just your fake date. I don’t want to be your fake anything, Michael. Because I love you.”
He took a deep breath. “Amber, I can’t—”
“I know. Don’t say it,” she whispered. She did know—all the reasons they couldn’t be “together.” Why he couldn’t love her. Why she had to get over loving him. “I can’t expect you to feel the way I do. But I hope you can at least forgive me about what happened. With Derek, I mean.”
“There’s nothing to forgive.”
“But if I hadn’t talked to him about the festival, he’d never have come here.”
“Yes, he would have. He wasn’t out for fun and games. He wanted money and then to get back at me. Just his good luck, he managed both at once. Considering the note he wrote throwing my words at me, I blamed myself, too. But when your sisters showed up this morning, Callie said something that made the truth kick in. She said we’re not responsible for someone else’s actions, even when it’s someone in our own family.”
“Callie’s very intelligent.”
“You are, too. You’d already told me the same thing she had, but in different words.”
“I thought the idea sounded familiar.”
“And somehow, I know you’re not going to take the credit for it.” He smiled.
He smiled.
Call her a fool, but a tiny shiver of hope ran through her. When he turned to stir the soup, she reached over to adjust Penny’s pajama cuff.
“Hey, baby,” she whispered. “Mommy loves you.”
And Mommy loves Michael.
In the past twenty-four-plus-hours, she had done more than sleep. She’d seen what Michael had been up to. Taking care of her. Looking after Penny. Staying in Snowflake Valley, when by now he should have been in San Diego. All that had to mean something. And it told her she couldn’t walk away without giving her hopes and dreams one more shot at success.
Michael set the bowl of soup in front of her. “I have to tell you, intelligence must run in your family. Lyssa’s pretty darned smart, too. And so is Penny.”
“Does that have something to do with the agreement you and she made?”
For a moment, his brows crinkled in a frown. Then he laughed. “You heard that?”
“Yes. Well…overheard it.”
“We did come to an agreement,” he said. “A few, in fact. We did a lot of talking while you were sleeping.”
She moved the soup bowl aside. How could she eat when her hopes and dreams hung in the balance?
Michael eyed the bowl but said nothing about it. “First, Penny and I decided I owed you an apology. I admit, I let the situation about Derek get away from me. Partly because he’d stolen the money, but mostly because I thought you’d arranged a reunion, even after everything I’d said about my family. I’m sorry.”
She nodded. “Apology accepted.”
“Good. Second, we concluded you nailed it with everything on my brothers. Not everyone is like Derek. Raymond and Lee are…good kids. They’re my only half-brothers, and just as you said, I was closer to them growing up. And they’re all different people.”
“You and Penny figured all this out together, huh?”
“We did. And the list goes on.” Shrugging, he stared down at the table. “I guess me going off to college was like you getting your apartment—a way to prove my independence. Being away from home made it easier to deny I had ties to any of my family.”
“That’s not my reason for wanting to live on my own.”
“Agreed. That’s not you. It would never be you.” He smiled briefly. “But for me, not admitting a connection meant that whenever Carmen’s kids got out of hand, it was okay to walk away. I’m sorry about that now, too. Especially because of Raymond and Lee.”
“It’s not too late. You’ve made a good start in building some bridges to them.”
“Again, thanks to you. I’m happy for that and plan to continue. But right now, I’m focused on building something with you and Penny.” With every word he spoke, more pieces of her broken heart mended. When he took her hand, she squeezed his fingers in silent encouragement. “Being around the baby, taking care of her, brought back a lot of memories of babysitting for the boys. But not just that. Remember I told you that when I was growing up, my dad worked almost all the time?”
She nodded.
“He needed the overtime to support us. I realize that now. Back then, I thought he just didn’t want to be a father. That, like me in college, he walked away by staying at work. I blamed him and I blamed my stepmother and her messed-up kids for a whole list of things. But now I—Penny and I—figured out the truth.”
“Which is…?”
“Some of my own thinking was messed up, too. Because I never had my dad around to show me the ropes, I thought I couldn’t be a good dad or raise a family. And because I never knew what a real family was like, I convinced myself I never wanted one of my own.”
Her rapidly healing heart raced. “And now?”
“Now, I’ve met your family and have seen some truths about mine. And just as you said about people, not every family is alike.”
Michael’s happiness was her happiness. Were his hopes the same as hers? “Are you planning to act on any of these insights?”
“Are you asking if I want a family of my own?”
“I’m asking if you want my family.”
He tilted his head, as if he needed to think about his answer.
“No teasing now,” she warned. “No pretending.”
“Does calling you my Queen count?”
“Michael.” She clasped her hands together. “Oh, pretty please…”
He laughed. “Fight dirty all you want, Amber. Nothing could distract me now.”
“Or me. Not when I’m fighting to win something I’ve wanted all my life.”
“Then, game over, sweetheart.” He came around the table and tugged her to her feet. “I love you, Amber. I love you and Penny. And I feel pretty good about the rest of the Barnetts.”
She laughed.
He slid his arms around her waist and held her close. “Thanks to you—and your brilliant daughter—I’ve realized the truth. I do want a family. A big, loving, supportive family. And what could be better than one that’s ready-made for me? So, the short answer to this long speech… Yes, I want your family.”
Suddenly, his expression grew so solemn, her heart skipped a beat.
“I want a family of our own, too,” he said quietly. “And I promise you, Amber, I’ll be the best dad I can be to Penny and the rest of our kids.”
Her eyes blurred and her throat tightened and she couldn’t manage a word. She couldn’t believe her luck. Her good luck.
As if Michael had heard the response she couldn’t make, he leaned down to kiss her—a long, sweet, satisfying kiss that sealed his promise.
When he finally raised his head and looked at her again, it took a while to find her breath, to realize she had just been handed her hopes and dreams, all wrapped up with a big red bow. “I want that big family, too. But…”
He stilled. “But what? If you’re not ready to get married yet, I’ll wait. I’ll wait forever if I have to.”
“Oh, it won’t take that long. I’d marry you today.” She smiled through her tears. “I’m just wondering how many kids you’d like to have.”