Back to the Heart (25 page)

“I don’t think so. If we’d actually hit the semi, then I would have been unlucky. Then we would have been dead.”

It was a grim possibility, but one that put everything in Ana’s life into perspective. She took a deep breath and said, “Yes.”

“It’s a scary thought, isn’t it?” He glanced over at her.

“That’s not what I meant.” She shook her head, feeling a new queasiness in her stomach, though this one was more from excitement than anything else.

“Huh?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Brennan’s mouth dropped open in surprise, and Ana was sure that if they hadn’t almost gotten into a wreck, he might have pulled to a screeching halt on the side of the road to recover.

“You’ll marry me.” A smile creased his lips.

“Yes. We shouldn’t wait. Life is too short. In an instant, it can be over, and I don’t want to have any regrets.”

“Well, I guess that gives us some good news to tell my parents then.” He reached over to squeeze her hand, and she entwined her fingers in his, looking down at the engagement ring she’d been wearing ever since Matt had given it to her in the hospital.

They reached Brennan’s parents’ house without any more incidents. In fact, they were so happy that the near wreck was already a distant memory. Brennan couldn’t wait to tell his parents, especially his mother, who would be thrilled.

Ana’s mouth fell agape as they pulled up in front of his parents’ Georgian Colonial–style house. They had originally owned a ranch-style home like Ana’s parents, but once Brennan had come into money, he had built them a new one. This was what they had decided on, a large two-story structure with white walls and a matching guest house.

“Sweetheart,” Mary said as she walked out the front door to greet them.

“Mother.” Brennan still used a cane for safety’s sake. They met on the steps and embraced, then she quickly moved to hug Ana, looking down at her stomach.

“Any day now, huh?” she asked with a smile.

“There are still a few more weeks,” Ana told her.

Brennan was pleased to see that his mother was already treating Ana like family. It was obvious she approved of Ana wholeheartedly. Then again, she’d had a lot of time to think about the two of them getting married.

“Come inside. I made some lunch. Your father is watching television.” Mary ushered them in.

Ana glanced around as they walked through the house, quickly feeling at home. The décor was much like her mother’s house. The walls were covered in Western landscape paintings, and there were knickknacks and pictures all over the place. She couldn’t help but wonder where Brennan had gotten his contemporary sense of style from. It definitely hadn’t come from his parents, not that she didn’t appreciate the clean streamlined look.

“Sit down and tell me all about what’s been going on with the two of you.” Mary gestured to the dining-room table, and Ana and Brennan promptly seated themselves.

“Not a whole lot to report.” Brennan grinned at Ana, knowing that wasn’t true. They locked hands beneath the table, and he rubbed his thumb over the engagement ring, sending a warm shiver down Ana’s spine.

“We almost got into a wreck on the way over here,” Ana told Mary.

“Oh, no.” Mary covered her mouth with her hand. “Are you two all right?”

“Yes. Brennan tried to protect me.”

“The car hydroplaned,” he explained. “There really wasn’t much I could do.”

“Would the two of you like something to drink?” Mary’s expression suggested she thought she had forgotten her manners.

“I think we’re good for right now.” Brennan turned to Ana, but he still spoke to his mother. “If you could get Dad in here, we have something we’d like to tell the two of you.”

Mary gasped, quickly figuring it out on her own. “You two are getting married.”

“Mm-hmm.” Ana nodded, fighting back the urge to squeal. Mary did it for her, though, running around the side of the table to hug them both.

“Congratulations!” she told them, her blue eyes twinkling with excitement.

“When’s the food going to be ready?” Brennan’s father peeked his head into the dining room.

“They’re getting married.” Mary held Ana’s hand up and pointed at the ring.

“Oh? Well, that’s wonderful.” He smiled broadly, coming to congratulate the happy couple.

Once the well wishes were over, Brennan and his father went to the living room to watch television and talk while Ana and his mother headed to the kitchen to finish preparing lunch and set the table. It was nice that Ana and his mother were close enough to spend this time together. Had she been a stranger, this meeting and announcement might have been a bit more awkward.

“So, you’re finally tying the knot?” His father took a seat in his favorite recliner, and Brennan sat on the sofa. Football was on the television, though Brennan was too amped up from telling his parents the news to concentrate on anything else.

“Yeah. It feels like ages since I proposed to her. Actually, I never got the chance to do it officially. Not like I had planned.” Matt giving Ana the engagement ring in the hospital had messed things up a bit, but Brennan understood. Originally, he had wanted to do the whole down-on-one-knee proposal, probably out in the barn where they had first made love.

“Life doesn’t always work out like we expect it will,” his father said.

“No. It doesn’t.” Brennan had never expected to meet Ana on his journey to escaping his life. Hadn’t expected to lie to her. Hadn’t expected that he’d be in a plane crash that would change him forever. And he certainly hadn’t expected Ana to accept his proposal after a near-death experience. He hoped she was certain this was what she wanted, and that she hadn’t just said it in the heat of the moment. Either way, if she wasn’t sure, they could extend the engagement. As it was now, she didn’t want to wait long. Six months after the baby was born, wherever that fell.

“She’ll make a good wife. She loves you. Anyone with eyes can see that.” Brennan’s father smiled at him, and Brennan was thankful for the sentiment.

“Lunch is ready.” His mother rounded the corner.

They gathered in the dining room together. The table was set with a big bowl of salad, a bowl of spaghetti, and a plate of garlic bread. It looked more like dinner than lunch to Brennan, but he knew his mother was trying to impress. He couldn’t help but grin as they all joined hands to say grace, bowing their heads to give thanks for the blessings God had bestowed on them.

When they were done with the prayer, Mary went to get them all something to drink while they made their plates. Brennan squeezed Ana’s hand under the table, and she smiled at him warmly. This was his family, and soon she’d be a part of it. By the way that everyone was acting, it was as if she always had been. The missing piece of the puzzle.

He was just about to let go of her hand and start eating when her grip tightened. Ana gasped, her eyes widening as she stared forward.

“What’s wrong?” Brennan turned to her in concern.

A mix of embarrassment and disbelief filled her expression as she said in a whisper, “My water just broke.”

There was no worse time to go into labor. The past several hours played in Ana’s head like a nightmare. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever get over the mortification of knowing she had gone into labor in the middle of Sunday lunch. Though she was the only one who seemed to care that she had just left a mess all over the dining room.

They had rushed Ana into their car without a second thought and driven her to the hospital with Brennan sitting in the backseat beside her, making sure she was all right. He had held her hand like a champ, doing his best to calm her while pain ripped through her and she cried about how early the baby was. Something must be wrong. She was certain of that until they had her in the delivery room and the doctor assured her everything would be all right.

The accident. The almost collision with the semi was what had caused this. A delayed reaction.

There was no going back now, though. The baby was coming, and nothing was going to stop it.

Ana lay in the delivery room, screaming and crying and cursing Rick Fasken. Even with Brennan by her side, knowing that he was going to be her husband soon, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go through this again. The pain was at least ten times worse than she ever could have imagined . . . until they gave her an epidural.

Her labor was intense and long. It wasn’t until almost seven o’clock at night that Ryan Lee White came screaming into the world at six pounds and three ounces. He was so tiny, and Ana was in love. It was like her entire world had been whittled down to just him. Nothing else mattered.

The doctor rested the newborn baby on Ana’s chest, and she marveled at how tiny his little fingers were. He was the most gorgeous infant she had ever seen.

“My son,” Brennan said with a smile. Her heart bloomed, because he was, after all, Brennan’s son. Rick Fasken might have given Ana his seed, but he certainly wasn’t a father.

“Your son,” she told him, and though she didn’t ever want to let little Ryan go, it was important for him to bond with the man who would be his father for the rest of his life. Hesitantly, she offered the baby up to Brennan, and when he took the child into his arms with such wonder and appreciation, Ana knew for certain everything that had happened to her in the past six months had been for a reason. They were meant to be a family. For the first time in Ana’s life, she was right where she belonged.

Six months later . . .

Ana was certain that when her father built the barn on their ranch, he’d never envisioned a wedding taking place inside it. There was no better place for her and Brennan to tie the knot, though, since the barn held so many memories for them. And Ana could swear she felt her father looking down on them as they said their vows. It was the perfect venue for their small gathering of family and friends.

All of Ana’s life, she’d thought she would want a huge wedding, but when she and Brennan had sat down to discuss the details, this was the first place that came to mind. They could have an extravagant honeymoon, but she wanted to get married where it all began, in a surrounding that meant something to her.

And here they were side by side. Brennan slipped the ring on Ana’s finger, a finger that felt naked without it. They said their I-dos, kissed to seal their marriage, and walked down the aisle together as husband and wife.

When the ceremony was over, they went back up to the front of the room to take pictures. Ryan was dressed up in the most adorable little baby tux, and they held him together, smiling and laughing and having a wonderful time.

It was hard to believe that a whirlwind romance, a handful of lies, a tragedy, and a baby had led them to this place. They’d recovered from everything, though. Well, almost everything. While Brennan now had full mobility, he still suffered with headaches from time to time. The doctor said it was likely he’d never be back to one hundred percent, but Ana was fine with that. Even at ninety-nine percent, he was one hundred percent better than any other man she’d ever met. And now that they were able to make love the way they used to again, most of his self-confidence issues had disappeared. Ana thanked God that Brennan was there to help her raise the baby. All the assistance she had given Brennan when he was recovering from his injuries, he paid back tenfold as a father. For the first few months of Ryan’s life, he was the parent waking up in the middle of the night to do feedings and give Ryan care, insisting that Ana get her beauty rest. Even as parents, they complimented each other.

The intimidation factor of Ana being with Brennan had been enough to scare Rick Fasken away from trying for custody. Once he’d found out that Ana and Brennan were a couple, he’d known he had no chance. Brennan had contacted him after the baby was born and made it very clear that he’d put all of his money and power behind keeping Ana and the baby safe. Ana wished she could have seen the look on Rick’s face.

After the pictures were taken, they danced and laughed and made memories. Ana grinned contentedly as Molly and Mary chattered together like two hens. Their families merged perfectly, and everyone had a great time.

When the festivities were over, a driver took them to the airport. They had decided to go to Paris for their honeymoon. Brennan hadn’t flown since his accident. Even when he had to go on business trips, he drove.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” she asked as she clasped his hand, thinking about how dashing he looked in his tuxedo.

After the wedding, Celia had asked Ana if she could have ever imagined that she’d marry the famous billionaire Brennan Demars, saying that it was like something out of a fairy tale. Oddly, Ana didn’t think of it that way. Because Brennan had never been famous to her, he had always been a man, a very handsome and charismatic man, but a man nonetheless. Even after she had found out who he was, his fame and fortune had never gotten to her. She would have married him even if he was broke.

Brennan squeezed her hand. “No. I’m not sure I’m ready to get on a plane again, but if I don’t do it now, I might never do it. What I am sure of is that I want to make you happy. For that, I’m willing to get on a plane and pray that it’s the final bit of healing I need to put the crash behind me.