Cullen offered his hand and Teresa took it with a smile. “I am pleased to meet my sister’s husband.”
“Pleased I am to be her husband and grateful to you for taking care of our son.” He drifted over to Sara and slipped his free arm around her waist, still holding his son in the other arm.
Alexander leaned over, opened his mouth and gave Sara a wet, sloppy kiss on her cheek. She near cried again, and almost did so when Cullen leaned down and followed his son’s actions, kissing her cheek.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
It was no simple thank-you. It was heartfelt. He was thanking her for saving his son’s life, knowing he would not have had this moment of sloppy kisses if not for her courage at sneaking his son out of the abbey and sending him to safety.
Sara smiled at Cullen. “It was all worth it,” she said, understanding him.
Teresa laughed. “She can say that now, after the pain is but a faded memory.”
Cullen hugged Sara close. “She’s a courageous woman; I’m proud of her.”
“You’ve got yourself a good man,” Teresa said.
“A very good man,” Sara confirmed, smiling while her heart ached. This was all make-believe and she wished it were real.
“I was about to set the outside table,” Teresa said. “It’s such a fine warm spring day. Shamus will be returning soon. You can join us and we can catch up on things. In the meantime, why don’t you and Cullen taken Alexander for a walk. This is the time of day we go to the creek so he can throw pebbles in and laugh at the splashes they make.”
Sara hesitated, not having seen her sister in two years and wanting to spend time with her, yet knowing she had little time to spend with Cullen and his son.
“We’ll have time to talk,” Teresa said with a gentle nudge at her sister. “Alexander needs to get to know the both of you.”
As they walked in the direction Teresa had pointed, Cullen said, “Your sister is an understanding soul. I can see why you sent my son to her.”
Sara smiled at Alexander, who giggled as his father bounced him in his arms. “She’ll do what she can to make this an easy transition for Alexander. She had planned for this day, for she knew I would return for him.”
He was an adorable child, the image of his father, with the same dark brown hair, Teresa having braided the sides to keep the strands out of his face. He wore a blue linen dress that reached to his pudgy knees, with a dark blue sweater atop it that hugged his chubby little belly, while his feet were bare.
“He’s a strong one,” Cullen said with pride. “Look how he grips my plaid.”
“He is like you, strong and determined.”
Alexander poked his father in the chest repeatedly while singing, “Da. Da. Da.”
“I cannot believe I’m holding him.” He shook his head. “And I fear letting him out of my arms.”
“The safest place for him is with my sister.”
“I know, but—”
“You finally have him and you don’t want to let him go,” Sara said, anticipating his thought. “I know how you feel.” She didn’t want to let father or son go, especially now, seeing them together, being here with them, sharing this moment as a family.
“You’re right. I don’t want to let him go. Not ever.”
“You won’t have to,” Sara said, squeezing his arm reassuringly. Father and son had a right to remain together. Their reunion had been a long time in the making, and a life had been lost in the process. They had lost time to reclaim, starting now.
“Da! Da!” Alexander cried out, his tiny hand waving at the creek then shoving at his father’s chest.
Cullen swooped him up and out of his arms, placing a laughing Alexander on the ground. The little boy near tumbled over searching the ground for stones.
Sara joined him in the hunt and followed as he toddled to the creek and flung a stone in. He screeched with joy and clapped his hands when the stone made a splash, then reached his hand out to Sara for another stone.
Cullen plopped down beside him with a handful of stones and joined his son in throwing stones.
Sara fell in love at that moment with father and son. She tried to convince herself that she didn’t know either one of them long enough to fall in love, but it didn’t work. Her heart was lost to them. Actually, she realized, she had lost her heart to Alexander from the first time she held him in her arms and fought to save his life. He had been such a precious little bundle and so trusting, but then, he was new to the world then. What did he have to fear? That was what a mother and father were for, or a woman who could do what his mother couldn’t—save him.