A Special Kind of Love (19 page)

“I
hate to break it to you, but genetically your dark coloring would be dominant.
If we had a little girl she would have your black hair and beautiful big brown
eyes. I’d like a little boy, who looks just like his father.”

“Well,
then we’ll just have to have two, so we can get one of each.”

The
tears were rolling down Sharon’s cheeks, and Tanner kissed them away. “So
you’ll marry me?”

“Yes,
I’ll marry you,” she said and Tanner captured her mouth in a blistering kiss.
The kiss escalated into another round of lovemaking. This time the loving was
slow, gentle and thorough, and they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.

Epilogue

Sharon
and Tanner arrived at the hospital at nine o’clock the next morning. Aaron was
awake and they were discharging him today. He would have to be in a cast for
six to eight weeks, but he would be good as new when it came off.

Tanner
pushed Aaron’s wheelchair as they headed to his truck.

“We
have some news to share with you, Aaron,” Tanner said. “But we want to share it
with the whole family at one time. We are going over to
Kamani’s
.
Since you’re in a cast, I guess I don’t have to tell you not to take off again,
do I?”

“No,
you don’t. I’m sorry, Tanner. I know I screwed up.”

“That’s
the understatement of the year,” Sharon said. “And we may as well get this out
of the way before we share our news. You, young man are grounded for the next
three weeks. No Internet and no
Wii
or
Playstation
. Plus, I want you to write ‘I promise to follow
the rules’ one hundred times.”

“Five
hundred times,” Tanner said.

Sharon
looked at him and nodded.

“Okay,
make that five hundred times,” Sharon said.

“And
you won’t be allowed to come to the firehouse until your cast is off.” Tanner
added.

“Man,
that’s not fair!”

“I
think it’s more than fair,” Sharon said. “You scared Tanner and me half to
death. You got a broken leg and you’re lucky that’s the only thing that
happened. You could have died, do you understand that?”

Aaron
hung his head. “I know. I’m sorry. You’re right. I promise I won’t ever do
anything like that again and I accept my punishment.”

“Okay.
That’s settled and we won’t talk about it ever again. We’ll move forward with a
clean slate, okay, buddy?” Tanner said.

“Okay,”
Aaron said.

They
reached the SUV and Tanner lifted Aaron into the back seat sideways, so his leg
rested along the bench seat, and buckled him in. As soon as Sharon and Tanner
were seated and the SUV was in motion, Aaron asked, “So what’s the big news?”

“Not
telling, little man. You’re going to have to wait for the announcement at
Kamani’s
house.” It was only a ten minute drive to Tanner’s
mother’s house. Thank goodness for small towns because Sharon was bursting at
the seams. It was everything she could do not to blurt out their wonderful news
to her baby. She bit her tongue and bounced her leg and fiddled with the curls
in her hair until Tanner grabbed her hand and held it. He caressed the top of
her hand with his thumb and she immediately calmed. She looked down at their
clasped hands and smiled. She was going to have a lifetime with her hand in
his.

Jasmine’s
car was in the driveway when they pulled up, along with
Kamani’s
and another car Sharon didn’t recognize. There was barely room for them to
park. Before Tanner had even put the SUV in park, people were spilling out of
the front door.
Annebelle
and Josh ran up to the back
door of the SUV and pulled it open. They descended on Aaron with questions
about his ordeal. How was he feeling? Was he in pain? Was he scared when he was
in the fire? Could they sign his cast?

Tanner
came around the car and shooed them back. You guys can ask all your questions
when we get inside. He picked up Aaron and carried him up the front porch
steps. “Take him into the family room, Tanner,”
Kamani
said. “We need to keep that leg propped up we’ll sit in there instead of the
kitchen.”

The
entire entourage followed Tanner into the family room.
Kamani
already had coffee set out on the table along with some pastries and cake.
Jasmine and Anthony were
there,
and of course
Annebelle
and Josh, but there was also another man Sharon
didn’t know. He was tall and dark with features so similar to Tanner’s that
Sharon was sure he must be Jed.

Tanner
settled Aaron on the couch and sat down next to him, drawing Sharon down to sit
on his lap. Everyone found a place to perch, anticipation clear on their faces,
“Okay, you got us all together here, make with the announcement!”
Kamani
said. “Not that I don’t already know what you’re
going to say.”

“You
think you’re so smart, huh?” Tanner queried. “Well…” he paused dramatically.

“Tanner
Michael West!” his mother said in her
don’t
fuck with me
voice.

“Sharon
has agreed to marry me. So start planning a wedding!”

Cheers
erupted around the room and everyone rushed to hug the bride and groom. Sharon
was properly introduced to Jed and he kissed her cheek and welcomed her to the
family. When everyone had settled back into their seats, Tanner turned to look
at Aaron. “What do
you
think, Aaron?
Is it okay if I marry your mom?”

“Can
I call you daddy?” Aaron asked. “My daddy doesn’t like me. You like me and I’d
like you to be my daddy.”

This
time it was Tanner’s eyes that filled with tears. He set Sharon on her feet and
moved to kneel on the floor at Aaron’s side, “I don’t
like
you, buddy, I
love
you. And I would be the happiest man in the world if you called me daddy.”

Tanner
opened his arms and Aaron threw himself at him, almost falling off the couch in
the process.

Sharon
looked around the room and smiled through her own tears. There wasn’t a dry eye
in the room. Except for the children, who didn’t understand the significance of
what had occurred. Moving to Gaines had been the best decision of her life. New
home, new job, new life…she had found more than she ever dreamed of.
A new family and the love of her life, a special kind of love that
would last a lifetime.

*The End*

About the
Author

Tamara Hoffa lives in
central Tennessee, with her husband of 30 years, her three grown children, two
grandchildren, 5 dogs and 2 cats. Tamara started reading when she was four
years old and has rarely been seen without a book at hand since. At home you
will usually find her in “nana’s chair” with her kindle, her laptop or one of
her precious, precocious grandson’s in her lap. Tamara is a professional
reader, editor and can now add author to her repertoire.
 
Tamara is proof positive that it’s never too
late to reach for your dreams.

Tamara loves to hear
from her readers, you can contact her at

[email protected]

On
Facebook
at
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTamaraHoffa

On
Goodreads
at
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6537898.Tamara_Hoffa

Twitter at
https://twitter.com/TamaraHoffa

Or at her blog Smile
Somebody Loves You,
sslyblog
|
Smle
Somebody Loves You!

Other Books
by Tamara

Roping Love
Secret Cravings Publishing

www.secretcravingspublishing.com