Page 9

Three months later

J illian felt like a duck waddling around the house — a very swollen duck with a belly roughly the size of a hippo. “Three more weeks of this nonsense,” she grumbled as she made her way into the kitchen. She was too uncomfortable to wear maternity jeans this morning. She’d settled for a pair of gray knit leggings that gently hugged her blooming figure. Though it was April, it was still chilly, so she’d tugged on an oversized lemony sweatshirt. It wasn’t fancy, but being this far into her third trimester was the perfect excuse to elevate comfort over style.

Though she was dying to see Dave again, the self-conscious part of her half-hoped it wouldn’t be today. They visited as often as Lonestar Security could safely arrange for them to steal an hour or two together. They’d otherwise kept him out of sight and away from home. As far as the rest of the world knew, he was on an extended trip out of town. Working through Lonestar intermediaries, Dave had transferred his regular caseload to other attorneys around town. He’d also rented out the third floor of the office building he owned, where his private practice had previously been located.

It was a lot of change to absorb in such a short time. It was also a lot to keep secret from their small-town friends and neighbors. Rumors burned like wildfire around them. Folks speculated on everything from Dave’s practice going bankrupt to the possibility he was off indulging in some illicit affair. Man, but Dave hadn’t been kidding about no love being lost on attorneys! Every rumor she caught wind of about him was more brutal than the last one.

She was so ready to have her husband back to discredit every hateful word being said about him. Mostly, though, she just wanted him back! She was ready to have her body back, too. It would probably take a few months to lose the baby weight and return her waistline to its normal size, but she was going to be motivated to do it in record time once Dave was home. New-bride motivated. Delayed-honeymoon motivated.

“You’re almost to the finish line, hon.” Eloise was dressed and puttering around the kitchen when Jillian walked in. “It won’t be long now until you have that beautiful baby in your arms.” They’d fallen into the habit of eating breakfast together.

Eloise had taken over most of the cooking, which was fine with Jillian. If she’d been alone, she would’ve probably eaten much simpler fare like cereal and sandwiches. Instead, they dined on one delicious entrée after another, from spinach and egg quiches to grilled chicken and zucchini shish kabobs. She was really glad not to be alone right now, and not just because of the food. The combination of her and Eloise just worked .

“Thanks for the pep talk.” She accepted the veggie omelet Eloise handed her. “While I’m busy whining, I may as well admit that I’m already dreading the day you decide to return overseas. It’s been truly wonderful having you here.”

Eloise took a seat on the stool beside her. “Telling someone you enjoy having them around isn’t something I’d classify as whining.”

Jillian was pleased her mother-in-law had taken the compliment in the light it was intended. “I realize our relationship has been mostly giving on your part and taking on mine, but?—”

“How can you say that?” Eloise’s lips parted in indignation. “I’m the one who’s overstayed my welcome to the extent of smelling like rotten leftovers.”

Jillian’s mouth fell open. “If you were anyone else, I’d slap you for talking about my mother-in-law that way!”

Eloise gave a delighted cackle. “What a pair we make!”

“What a pair, indeed.” Jillian leaned an elbow on the counter and propped her cheek against it. “Please assure me you’ll at least stay until the baby’s born.”

Eloise gaped at her. “Nothing in this world would drag me away from Heart Lake before I lay eyes on my first grandchild. Nothing!”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to try to wrangle any free babysitting out of you.” Jillian had been wrestling with melancholy for days about bringing that up. “It’s just that having a baby is something you’d normally share with…” She hesitated, not wanting to sound ungrateful. She had it better than most people.

“With a mother?” Eloise supplied. “If you’re too nice to spit it out, I will.”

“Yes. That.” They’d never talked about her strained relationship with her family. She’d specifically avoided the topic. “I just want to say thank you for stepping into that role. You’ve done it so wholeheartedly and so well.”

“Listen.” Eloise glanced down at her half-empty coffee cup. “Though prying is one of my top skill sets, even you will agree I’ve been on my good behavior when it comes to talking about your family.” She drew a bracing breath. “But now that you’ve brought them up, I’ll say this. Anyone who didn’t want to be a part of our furniture shopping sprees for the past few months…or our baby blanket crocheting fests…or our failed attempts at sewing curtains for your nursery, it’s their loss.” Her voice was flat with conviction. “I’ve enjoyed every blasted second of having a daughter-in-law and every moment of anticipating becoming a grandmother.”

Her words sent a rush of emotion through Jillian. They’d truly been through the fire together. Even their furniture shopping sprees had been riddled with risks. To protect Dave’s name, their connection to him, and their collective whereabouts, they’d been forced to shop remotely and have Lonestar Security handle the deliveries.

On the bright side, Jillian had grown closer to her mother-in-law through every challenge they’d faced together. It was a closeness she was in no hurry to give up. “What if I’m not ready for you to return to Naples, Eloise? Even after the baby’s born? Or…ever?”

Eloise flushed with pleasure. “Jillian, hon, that may be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“I’m not trying to butter your corn, as Edward likes to say.” Jillian pushed her fork idly around her plate. “I only say it because it’s true.”

“Which makes it worth all the more to me,” Eloise returned warmly .

Since she wasn’t shying away from discussing their feelings, Jillian decided to press her point further. “I know Heart Lake isn’t Naples, and I would be lying if I said I understood how difficult it was for you to come back here, but…”

“You’ve made it less difficult, hon.” Eloise spun her coffee cup in a circle, making the dark liquid swirl against the sides of it.

Jillian straightened on her stool. “If that means there’s even the slightest chance you’d consider staying…” She hardly dared to meet Eloise’s eye. “For the long haul, that is…”

“Consider it?” Eloise pursed her lips. “Of course, I’m considering it! I’m considering a lot of things right now.” Whether she realized it or not, she glanced in the direction of Edward Wagner’s farm.

Hope welled inside of Jillian. “Has Edward asked you to stay, too?”

Eloise drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He’s dropped a few hints.”

A squeal of delight slid out of Jillian. “And?”

Eloise grimaced. “But all he’s done is escort us to church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday.”

“And join us for lunch and dinner countless times,” Jillian reminded. How could her mother-in-law forget that?

Eloise ducked her head over her coffee mug. “He’s never asked me on an actual date, though.”

Jillian had been wondering about that. “Maybe he’s waiting on a sign from you that you’d actually welcome such a thing.” Her mother-in-law possessed a strong personality. Though Jillian had grown closer to her in recent months, even she still found the woman difficult to read sometimes. “Maybe he doesn’t want to blow things with you.”

Eloise caught her lower lip between her teeth. “I feel like I’ve given him every opportunity. I’ve flirted shamelessly with him in the kitchen. I’ve made sure our hands brushed while drying and putting away dishes together. I’ve put myself out there, hon. I truly have.”

“Does he know about your other marriages?” Jillian asked gently.

“Oh, I’ve been brutally honest about my many failures in the arena of love.” Eloise’s voice grew bitter. “Enough that he’ll probably never take a woman of my caliber seriously.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Jillian tried to choose her words carefully.

“If you’ve got something to say to me, hon, I think our relationship warrants that kind of honesty.”

She’d never seen her mother-in-law look or sound so vulnerable. “Edward strikes me as a very wise man. If I were in his shoes, I’d be more worried about competing with your first marriage than any of the other ones.”

“Good gravy!” A whimper escaped Eloise. “Am I that transparent?”

“Only to someone who knows you and cares about you as much as I do,” Jillian sighed. “As much, I suspect, that Edward cares about you.”

Hope sparked in Eloise’s gaze. “What exactly are you trying to tell me?”

“That it’s difficult for anyone to compete with a ghost.” Jillian didn’t think a man of Edward’s character and integrity would even try. He’d keep his emotional distance and respect the fact that there wasn’t any room in Eloise Phillips’ heart to replace her first love. Or exist beside her treasured memories of him. “Unless, of course, you were to give him hope of lassoing a piece of your heart for himself.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Eloise’s voice was soft with apprehension. “What if the shoe is on the other foot, and there’s no piece of his heart left for me? He had a good marriage, Jillian. A good marriage to a good woman he’d still be married to if she hadn’t gotten sick.”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Jillian reached over to pat her mother-in-law’s hand. “And I never pegged you as a coward.”

I never pegged you as a coward. Eloise couldn’t get her daughter-in-law’s words out of her head. It was as if they’d been branded there. For the rest of the morning, she paced by the windows facing Edward’s home every chance she got.

His farm was so beautiful that it made her heart ache. The peeling paint and crooked shutters were long gone. What got to her the most was the fact that he’d sprung for a bucket of federal blue paint when it came time to spruce up his shutters. Plus, he’d hired a landscaping crew to plant a dozen of the reddest rose bushes he could find. Every time she looked out the window was like reading a love letter from him.

And yet…

He’s made no attempt to kiss me. Not even once!

She felt her face heat over the direction of her thoughts. Maybe seventy-three-year-old women weren’t supposed to feel this way. She’d run into plenty of gals in their seventies who were content to scoot through life while leaning on their walkers and chomping on their false teeth .

But I’m not one of them.

She was never going to be one of them. The good Lord had blessed her with too young of a heart. Maybe she was one of those souls destined to never completely grow up.

Or maybe I don’t deserve that kind of happiness.

Eloise paced past the window again, wallowing in her biggest fear of all. After attending months of church services, she’d come to the conclusion that her last four marriages had been horrible mistakes. She’d wasted years of her life grieving in unhealthy ways while trying to restore the happiness she’d found with her first husband. May he rest in peace. In the process, she’d fallen tremendously short of being the kind of mother Dave deserved. Hardly a day passed anymore that she didn’t send up a plea for God’s forgiveness. She’d made things right with her Maker, and she was ready to make things right with her son — just as soon as he finished helping put those thug gamblers behind bars.

Maybe that was the real reason she’d lingered for so long in Heart Lake. She could’ve easily slipped back to Italy for a couple of months and returned to Heart Lake closer to Jillian’s due date. But being here for Jillian had felt oddly equivalent to being here for her son. It felt like she was finally doing something right by him after all these years.

Her other reason for staying, of course, lived in the beautiful old farmhouse next door.

“Oh, wow! Look at what I found on the front porch.” Jillian glided into the room, looking ready to pop out a baby any second. It was hard to believe she still had three weeks left until her due date.

Eloise was dying to know the baby’s gender, but Jillian and Dave had decided they wanted to be surprised. It took her an extra second or two to register the fact that Jillian was clutching a crystal vase of roses. Red roses. Fiery ones just like the ones growing on the bushes next door.

Her breathing grew shallow. “Who sent those?”

“There’s no card.” Jillian looked like she was trying not to chuckle. “So I guess we’ll never know. Unless…” She paused and glanced suggestively toward Edward’s home.

With a strangled cry, Eloise dashed to the front door, flung it open, and left the house without taking the time to shut it behind her.

Jillian followed her, laughing. “Have fun,” she called after her.

As Eloise jogged across the wide green pasture separating her son and daughter-in-law’s property from Edward’s property, it felt like she was finally coming home.

Edward’s farmhouse, barn, and greenhouses were like a bright patch of the old Heart Lake she remembered, tucked in the middle of all the newer, more modern structures surrounding them.

As she drew abreast of the first greenhouse, the door to it opened. “Eloise?” Edward stood in the doorway, frowning. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she huffed, hating how out of breath she sounded. “I just came to say thank you.”

“For what?” He looked surprised.

“For the roses you sent over.”

“What roses?” He looked more puzzled than ever.

Her insides fluttered with uncertainty. She’d been so sure! “I, um…never mind.” She turned away from him dejectedly. I’m such a fool! Such a pitiful old fool! She no longer cared who sent the flowers. If they weren’t from him, it didn’t matter.

“Wait a sec.” Edward lunged after her, settling one large hand against her shoulder and slowing her escape .

She flinched and grew still beneath his touch.

“Come on, Ms. Italy,” he coaxed huskily. “You can’t just run up to a guy like that, lit up like a whole acre of Christmas trees, without more of an explanation.”

She spun around, choking out the words. “I thought you sent me roses, okay? But you didn’t, so I’m leaving.” She waved a hand dismissively. “In utter humiliation, in case you missed that part.”

Hope warred with the confusion in his eyes. “If I had any idea a fistful of thorny flowers would bring you running like that, I’d have done it a long time ago.”

“Really?” Water swam in her eyes. The way he was looking at her was making her feel eighteen again.

“Absolutely.” He reached for her hands. “Man, Eloise! Does this mean?—?”

“Yes,” she snapped, ignoring his outstretched hands and stepping closer. She tipped her head against his strong chest, feeling like she’d run an entire marathon to reach him. Make that ten marathons . Good gracious! Who was she trying to kid? She’d waited decades for a man like him to come into her life.

He gently wrapped his arms around her. “So help me, woman, the only thing I won’t be able to bear is if you kiss me and run back to Italy. I’m more of a kiss-and-stick-around kind of guy.”

“Then ask me to stay.” It was the most humbling feeling in the world to know that the way his heart was pounding beneath her cheek was because of her.

He slid a hand up her shoulder to cup the back of her head, holding her like he was never going to stop. “Will you marry me, Eloise?”

All the air left her lungs at once. “Ed?” She tipped her face up to him, hardly daring to breathe. Had she heard right? She’d been hoping he’d ask her to stay in town and date him, not…

“It’s a simple question, Eloise. Yes or no?” His dark gaze pleaded with her to get it right. “I think we’re old enough to know what we want without playing the dating game.”

Good gracious! Alright then. “Yes, you crazy farmer! Yes!” She stood on her tiptoes to close the distance between them.

His kisses were tender and filled with longing. The kisses of a mature man who knew a thing or two about loving and cherishing a woman. A man who wanted to love again. A man who was ready to.

She didn’t mind that his kisses dragged a few tears out of her. He’d managed to make her fall in love again, and that was something worth weeping over. She was probably going to weep all over again this evening when she knelt beside her bed and thanked the Lord for giving her a second chance at this kind of happiness. Or a sixth chance. She wasn’t too sure about God’s numbering system.

When Edward raised his head, his gaze glowed with happiness. “I have a question.”

She smiled joyfully at him. “Ask away.” Now that he knew she was in love with him, she had nothing more to hide from him.

“Who sent you flowers?” He arched a single eyebrow at her. “I’m trying to decide exactly how jealous I need to be.”

“Don’t know and don’t care.” She’d all but forgotten about them already.

A wrinkle appeared in the middle of his forehead. “Maybe we should let Gil know about them. Just as a precaution.”

Gil? Oh, dear! Her head whipped around toward the townhome where Jillian was currently all by herself. “ Speaking of Gil, I need to get back to Jillian.” Looking after her daughter-in-law was the one thing Gil had asked her to do. That, and call him for a security escort anytime they so much as ventured into the driveway. And she’d done more than that. She’d left the property and stayed gone for goodness only knew how long. She’d completely lost track of the time.

A wail of female distress met her ears as she hurried across the wide, green pasture. Oh-oh! Eloise broke into a jog.

Edward’s boots pounded the ground behind her. She hadn’t realized he was following her. They burst through the front door of the townhome together to find Jillian doubled over beside the sofa in the great room.

“I think it’s time,” she moaned, clutching her midsection.

“It can’t be!” Eloise’s knees grew weak. “You’re still three weeks from your due date.”

“I know, but that was an honest to goodness contraction,” her daughter-in-law panted. “A big one!”

Eloise glanced down and tried to take heart in the fact that there was no dampness showing on Jillian’s leggings. No pool of water at her feet. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? “Here. Let’s get you comfortable.” She guided her to the sofa and helped her lie on her side. “There now.” She brushed her long blonde hair away from her face. “Just breathe and try to relax. In and out like we’ve done so many times before.” It didn’t sound like Jillian was experiencing another panic attack, and a single contraction didn’t mean she was in full-blown labor. It was entirely possible they were only dealing with one of those Braxton-Hicks false alarms .

“What can I do to help?” Edward crouched down beside Eloise, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

When Jillian’s gaze latched on to the possessive way he was touching her, Eloise blushed, realizing they’d been caught.

“You two,” Jillian murmured, dragging in a shallow breath.

“Yes.” Eloise reached up to touch her fiancé’s hand. “We’re engaged.” Despite saying it out loud, it still felt like a dream, one she never wanted to wake up from. Please don’t wake up, Eloise!

“I’m so happy for you.” Jillian’s eyes shone. “And for me.” She blinked through a sheen of dampness. “It means you’re staying, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.” Eloise squeezed Edward’s fingers. “Our cranky neighbor informed me he has very strict rules against kissing gals who are on their way out of the country.” She hoped he didn’t mind her cracking a joke. It was either that or burst into tears.

“A man with standards.” Jillian’s smile grew wider. “I like it.”

“Water,” Eloise said, suddenly remembering her fiancé’s earlier question about what he could do to help. “She needs to get some fluids in her.”

Edward shot to his feet and headed to the kitchen.

“He didn’t send the roses.” Though Eloise honestly didn’t care, she wanted to see Jillian’s reaction to the news.

Jillian frowned. “If he didn’t, then who did?”

“I don’t know.” Eloise glanced over her shoulder at Edward. “Edward thinks we should tell Gil.” She didn’t want to upset her by making too big of a deal out of it. “Just as a precaution.”

“Tell me what?” Gil’s voice wafted their way from the front door. “While you’re at it, feel free to throw in an explanation why the front door was left wide open.” He stomped into the room, carefully shutting and locking it behind him. He threw the deadbolt for good measure, which made Eloise feel even more guilty.

“It’s my fault,” she admitted, reaching up to accept the glass of water Edward was handing to her. She held it to Jillian’s lips, helping her sit up to take a few sips.

“Not true. It’s my fault,” Jillian insisted. “I saw a delivery of roses on the front porch and brought them inside. We, er, assumed they were from Edward, but…” Her voice dwindled uncertainly. She nodded at Eloise, indicating it was her story to tell.

In for a penny. Eloise shrugged, knowing she was already in trouble. “I ran next door to tell Edward thank you, and?—”

“You left without telling me,” Gil accused, latching on to that part of her confession. There was no mercy in his gaze. No understanding whatsoever. “Leaving Jillian home alone.”

“I’m sorry.” She had no excuse to offer him.

“Who sent the flowers?” He glanced around the room in search of them. His gaze landed on the bar where Jillian had set them.

“We don’t know,” the two women chorused.

He strode across the room to peer more closely at them. “I’ll run ‘em over to Lonestar and have their forensics team take a look at them. Did both of you handle them?”

“No.” Jillian shook her head. “Only me. We were getting ready to call you about them.”

He glanced with concern at her. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I am now.” She gave him a weak smile, leaning back against the arm of the sofa. “A few minutes ago, I had my first contraction.”

He gulped and dove for his phone, dialing someone with the push of a single button. “Jillian had her first contraction, and there’s been a delivery of flowers to their home. No note. Sender apparently wishes to remain anonymous.” He listened for a moment. “Yes, I know what he’s gonna do, but we promised him we’d tell him everything.” He paused and listened again. “Maybe our forensics team will rule out any connection to the case. In the meantime…yeah, I got it.” He disconnected the call. “Dave’s on his way,” he said simply.

Jillian laughingly said something about not wanting her husband to see her like this. Eloise shook her head, wishing she knew a way to assure her daughter-in-law that her son wasn’t going to care how pregnant his wife looked. He was simply going to be kiss-the-ground-happy to see her again.

Dread filled her chest at the risks he was taking to pay her a visit in broad daylight, but that was Dave. He must have some non-negotiable parameters in place with Lonestar Security — boxes that when checked would result in his immediate transport to his wife’s side.

Gil stepped in Eloise’s line of vision, angling his head at her to follow him to the front door. He reached for a pair of napkins and used them to pick up the vase. He carried it to the door.

She stood and trotted after him. “I’m truly sorry, Gil.” She could only assume he’d called her away from the others for a well-deserved scolding. “If anything had happened to Jillian while I was next door…” She shuddered at the thought.

Gil halted in front of the door and pivoted to face her. “ I’m as worried about your safety as I am hers!” He scowled ferociously down at her. “If you think for one second that Dave’s enemies wouldn’t use you to get to him, just as quickly as they’d use her…”

She spread her hands, trying to make light of it in order to calm him down. “If that happens, y’all can just write me off as collateral damage.” She’d lived her life. More importantly, she’d finally made her peace with the Lord.

“You don’t get it, do you?” His scowl grew darker. “You’re his mother, Eloise. If they get to you, it will affect him. It’ll affect his will to keep fighting for justice. It’ll affect his ability to testify in the trial.”

She lifted her chin defiantly. “My son wouldn’t throw a case for me.” The very idea was preposterous. Dave was made of sterner stuff.

“He’d do it in a heartbeat,” Gil snarled, looking incensed that she would suggest otherwise.

Eloise was completely floored by his response. “He said that?” She shook her head, feeling dizzy.

“I’m his best friend. What do you think?”

So much for her attempt to lighten the mood between them!

Gil ducked his head to get eye level with her. “You’re one of two women in the world Dave would do anything for,” he growled. “No matter the cost to himself.”