“I feel so bad for him. What a freak accident,” Claire said, thinking of the car crash he’d been involved in.
“He hasn’t said anything, but it’s not looking like he’ll ever be able to operate again,” Jake said, voice trailing off as he looked over to the door. Claire heard voices coming from the corridor too. There was a knock followed by the exuberant entry of Quinn, Holly, Ella, and Evan.
Little Ella immediately wanted to be held by Jake, and Jake obliged, gently handing Michael over to Claire.
Holly gave a muffled squeal, jumping up and down. “Congratulations, I’m so happy for you guys,” she whispered. Holly raced over to Claire’s side, giving her a big hug, and then looked at the baby.
“Claire, congratulations,” Evan said, bending down to give her a kiss. He reached out to touch the baby’s face with his right hand and then quickly lowered it, stuffing it back into the pocket of his jeans, but not before Claire saw the blistering, red scars, the tremor in the hand that should have been steady. She pretended not to notice, knowing he wouldn’t want her pity.
“Thank you, Evan,” she whispered, looking into his blue eyes, so similar to Jake’s. She saw the pain in them and almost felt guilty for being so happy.
“Congratulations, he’s a beautiful baby. Looks nothing like Jake,” Quinn said, breaking the tension, making her laugh as he gave her a kiss. She loved her brothers-in-law. They had welcomed her into the family with such warmth that she immediately felt like part of the group.
“You’re really funny, Quinn,” Jake said, smiling. Claire laughed, her eyes filling with tears as her friends and family filled the room. Michael would know how very much he was loved, Claire thought as everyone’s excited, hushed voices bounced around.
“Okay, I must officially say this is the cutest little boy I have ever seen,” announced Holly in a theatrical whisper, as she held out her arms. Claire handed her best friend the precious sleeping bundle. “And, I’m going to say it. Only once, but I’m going to say it. I told you so,” Holly announced smugly, looking around the room, making sure she had everyone’s attention.
Claire raised her eyebrows, waiting for her friend to continue.
“I told you everything happens for a reason and…”
In the midst of the chaos, in the midst of Evan cutting into Holly’s speech, Jake handed Ella over to her dad and leaned forward, smoothing the hair from Claire’s face, his lips hovering a few inches from hers, and Claire’s heart still skipped with glee and excitement at his nearness, at the feeling glittering in his eyes. “I love you more than you’ll ever know, Claire,” he said, bending down to capture her lips in a sweet, gentle kiss.
She looked into his eyes, knowing she had found the best man she could have ever dreamed of. Claire smiled. “I know how much I’m loved. I know it every day I’m with you, Jake. You’ve made all my dreams come true,” she said, her chest tightening as she watched her husband’s eyes become clouded with emotion before he kissed her again.
Look for Evan Manning’s story in Indulgence this winter, book three in the Red River Series! We even have a sneak peek for you.
… turn the page!
Prologue
Grace Matheson needed to grow up.
It was time to face the facts—she couldn’t be a single mom, hold down a job, and pursue her dreams of becoming an artist. Her paintings weren’t bringing in any money, so she couldn’t afford to spend the time on them anymore.
“I promise it will never happen again. My babysitter canceled at the last minute and I had no one to watch my son,” she whispered into her phone. Her eyes focused on the road ahead, cringing as the office manager gave a long sigh on the other end of the line.
She cursed herself for staying awake almost the entire night to finish a painting. When she’d finally stumbled to bed at five in the morning, she’d forgotten to set her alarm, and had woken up two hours late for work, in a complete panic.
“Grace, this is the last time. I think you’re a very nice person, but I need a reliable receptionist in Dr. Harris’s office. One more chance. We’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Thank you, Cynthia.” She breathed a long sigh of relief, easing her foot off the gas as she approached the turnoff to the highway. Her heart squeezed painfully as she glanced in her rearview mirror at her son, who was sleeping soundly. Being a single mother was harder than she ever could have imagined, and she’d naively thought she could still pursue her art, hold down a job, and take care of her son. Christopher had never been planned, but there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he was her first priority.