Almost a Family (26 page)

"We could never hate you, Chad," she said quietly. "You're our boy—we love you, no matter what. Just tell us."

"I s-stole your l-locket," he said, "and th-threw it in the p-pond with my s-slingshot."

Anguish barbed through her chest at the loss, but she didn't react.

"What's this about your locket?" Bailey asked. "I didn't even know it was missing."

Chad looked up at her, his eyes miserable. "You didn't tell him?"

She shook her head.

"But you knew I took it, didn't you?"

She nodded.

Chad's face crumpled again. "I was feeling bad about it anyway, and then I got home from the camping trip, and you'd made me that neat picture box, and said nice things even after I broke you and Bailey up—"

"You didn't break us up, son," Bailey injected with a smile. "We're adults, we make our own mistakes."

"Well, I know I caused your fight. And I know it made Ginny sad." His lower lip trembled again. "And that letter was there saying you have to take me to court—I'm too much trouble."

"Hey," she said softly, planting a kiss on his temple, "you let us be the judge of that. Why did you leave your skateboard in the park?"

"I figured if you thought someone had kidnapped me, you'd be glad I was gone and wouldn't come looking."

Horror bolted through her, and she pulled his chin up to look directly in his eyes. "Chad, if I ever lost you again, I would never stop crying, do you understand?"

"I'm sorry," he said, tears sliding down to wet her fingers. "I wouldn't blame you if you still wanted me to leave, but I want to stay with you, Ginny."

Amazed, she exchanged a glance with Bailey, then wiped a few of Chad's tears with her thumb. "But I thought you wanted to live with Bailey."

Chad straightened his shoulders and sniffed, then jutted out his chin. "Sons are supposed to take care of their mothers."

Joy ballooned in her heart and filled every cell of her body. She smiled through her tears. On the other side of Chad, Bailey cleared his throat, then winked a glistening eye at her in the flashlight beam.

She clasped Chad's hands with hers. "I'm honored you feel that way, but you've got it turned around—it's my job to take care of you." Smiling wide, she said, "Besides, it'll be the two of us for only a little while."

Chad frowned, confused.

"Your father and I are getting married," Virginia said with a grin.

Chad's eyes widened, then he looked back and forth between them. "Really?"

Bailey's gaze flew to hers. "Really?"

"Really," she said, laughing. Bailey reached over to squeeze her hand, smiling at her from the shadows.

"Hm," Chad said, suddenly thoughtful. A small frown furrowed his brow.

"What?" she probed.

"Well, with all the kissing you two do, I guess you'll be having babies and stuff."

Exchanging glances with Bailey, she ventured carefully, "And how would you feel about that?"

Chad shrugged and grinned, clearly happy at the prospect. "Whatever."

Epilogue

Virginia smoothed the slim skirt of her short wedding dress, taking a deep, calming breath. The music had started, her mother and Rita had just left the dressing room, and she had all of five minutes before once again becoming Mrs. Bailey Kallihan. She was as nervous as she'd been all those years before. Unlike her first wedding day, however, she wasn't plagued with doubts about Bailey's level of commitment, and the child growing within her then was now the joy of her life.

A small knock sounded at the door. She turned away from the mirror. "Yes?"

"Mom?" Chad asked, poking his head and shoulders in the room. "Can I come in?"

She smiled. "Absolutely. You can help me tame these butterflies."

"Wow, you look great." He walked toward her with his hands behind his back.

"Thanks," she said. "You don't look so bad yourself." She straightened his bow tie, her heart swelling with pride at the sight of him in his small black tux. "Are you excited?"

He nodded. "We're almost a family."

Tingling with happiness, she stroked his cheek. "We always were, sweetheart, we were just a bit... scattered."

"I got something for yon," he said shyly, withdrawing a small package from behind his back.

She took it, swallowing the lump in her throat. The paper, silver with white wedding bells, had been mangled a bit, then repaired with yards of cellophane tape. A big white bow sat crookedly on top.

"I wrapped it myself."

"It's so pretty," she whispered.

"Open it."

Carefully, she tore away the paper to uncover a jeweler's box. She glanced at her son suspiciously, but he was wide-eyed with anticipation.

"Hurry, you don't have much time."

She lifted the hinged lid to reveal a shiny gold locket on a gold chain. She pressed her lips together to stem her welling tears. "It's lovely," she whispered, pulling the necklace from the box and fingering it lovingly. She slipped her thumbnail into the groove and opened the case to reveal a recent picture of Chad. Her heart swelled.

"Do you like it?" he asked. "I bought it all by myself."

She reached for him and gathered him in a powerful hug. "I absolutely love it, but you didn't have to do this—it must have cost a lot of money."

He shrugged. "I took my new Nintendo back to the store and got a refund."

"Oh, Chad."

He bit his lip. "I didn't deserve a new one. I left my game lying on the floor. What if you'd tripped on it and fallen down the stairs?"

Ah—now she knew why he'd never played with the new game, because he'd felt guilty. "But I didn't," she said lightly, and kissed his nose. "You never cease to amaze me, you wonderful boy. Do you know how much I love you?"

He blushed happily. "Yeah, Mom, you only tell me ten times a day."

Another knock sounded, and Rita stuck her head in. "Ginny, everyone's waiting!"

"Be right there," Virginia said. She handed the necklace to Chad. "Will you put it on for me?"

He nodded, lifting the chain over her head, lowering it carefully to avoid messing up her hair.

"How does it look?" she asked.

"Beautiful," he breathed.

"I'll never take it off," she promised.

He grinned.

"I think they're ready for us," she said.

He straightened, then cocked his arm out, elbow bent, just like he'd practiced. She tucked her hand inside, and they walked out into the hall.

Jerry and Detective Lance opened the doors to the chapel, smiling and nodding. Virginia and Chad stepped to the back of the church, the wedding march chiming louder to announce her arrival. The small congregation stood as she entered, and at the altar, Bailey turned toward them. She saw her future in his eyes, hers and Chad's. She squeezed her son's arm, smiling, and they walked toward him together.

The End

Page forward for more from Stephanie Bond

Excerpt from

License to Thrill

Author's Cut Edition

by

Stephanie Bond

Originally published 1997 in the U.S. by Bantam Books under the pen name Stephanie Bancroft.

The digital version has been updated by the author.

Chapter 1

"Testosterone," Kat McKray said, viciously squeezing a dribble of juice from the lemon wedge into her water glass. "Testosterone is the root of the world's problems."

"Mmm," her best friend, Denise Womack, agreed as she sipped her tea.

"Overbearing men, everywhere I turn." Kat pounded her fist on the cafe table. A waiter who had stopped to refill their drinks eyed her warily and moved on. She pushed her wire-rimmed glasses higher on her nose. "If you ask me, hormone therapy would be the surest route to global peace."

Denise arched an overplucked eyebrow. "Speaking of hormones, Kat, yours are running high today." Then she nodded knowingly. "You need a man."

Kat's mouth fell open. "You're delirious—that's the last thing I need."

But her red-haired friend only grinned. "You, my friend, are horny."

Flustered, Kit could only gasp in outrage. "That's ridiculous—just because I've had it up to my eyeballs with pushy men, doesn't mean I'm... anything."

"Let me guess—Napoleon's being a pain in the ass again?"

"Again? He didn't stop long enough to
resume."

"So why do you put up with the little dictator? He couldn't run the museum without you."

Kat sighed and tore off a chunk of buttered roll. Her friend didn't know it, but she was planning her escape in two months, she just hadn't yet chosen a destination. "I've been giving serious thought to leaving Jellico's."

"Good. There are dozens of museums and galleries in San Francisco that would pluck you up in a minute." Her friend popped a cherry tomato into her mouth for emphasis.

Kat cupped her hand behind her ear and tilted her head.

"What are you doing?"

"Listening as my father turns over in his grave for me even thinking about leaving Jellico's."