Destiny's Wish (9 page)

The hour was late, but Nora sat on the sofa with a book in hand, her eyes fluttering shut. She was determined to wait up until she could talk to Brian. When he’d admitted his love for her, she wasn’t sure what to say, and was relieved when Destiny called for her. When she had be able to get her thoughts together and get Destiny asleep, she came downstairs to find he’d been called back to the hospital for an emergency. Now, as the minutes ticked by, she waited for him to return. With each passing second, her nervousness grew.

She thought she knew what she was going to say to him but as the hours rushed past she respectively questioned her plan. Whatever came out of her mouth when he walked in might very well surprise them both. One thing was for sure, she needed to say something to ease the mounting tension left between them. There was so much of it he didn’t even bother to tell her he had to go back to the hospital; instead he’d scrawled a note for her that she’d found in his office when she went to look for him.

Unable to keep her eyes open any longer, she set the book aside and scooted down on the sofa until she could rest her head against the armrest. She’d sleep there until he came home, with the light on so he’d see her when he came in. She didn’t feel right going to bed in his room without him, especially after the way they had left things earlier, and sleeping in the guest room would give the wrong impression.

Invisible weights pulled her eyelids shut and sleep called to her like a distant friend. Her body begged her to give in, to sleep for a little bit before the dawn of a new day. The only thing that stopped her was the sound of the front door opening.
Brian.

“It’s late. You didn’t have to wait up for me.” He stood in the doorway, his face drawn with worry.

“Is everything okay?” She pushed herself up into the sitting position.

“Only time will tell.”

“Are you talking about something at the hospital or about us?”

“Both.” He untied his tie, sliding the silky material free from the collar of his dress shirt. “Look, Nora, I’m sorry for earlier.”

“Sorry for what you said…or how you said it?” She tried to swallow past the lump that had formed in her throat, but the fear of his next words made that nearly impossible.

“I shouldn’t have said it like I did.”

“So, you
do
love me?” She needed to hear it again to know it was true.

He nodded. “I should have eased into it, instead I blurted it out, catching you off guard. You’ve got a lot on your mind right now and I realize you need time, but I want you to know that I’m here for you, even if you don’t return my feelings.”

She rose from the sofa, stretching out her muscles from curling up in one position for so long. “I do.” Her voice broke and she took a deep breath before regaining control. “After Jim died I was sure I’d never love someone again, but then you came into my life. You’ve proven to me that I can love someone without dishonoring Jim’s memory. He’ll always be a part of my past, but I can still have a future. A future with you.”

“Nora…”

She came to stand in front of him, placing her finger in front of his lips, cutting him off. “I’m saying that I love you, and I hope you can accept that no matter my feelings for you, my love for Jim will always be there, too. Destiny is his daughter and there will come a time she’ll want to know more about him. If you’re okay with that, I think we can build on what we have here.”

“I’m not trying to take Jim’s place in your heart, or in Destiny’s. I just want to be with you, in whatever way you can accept. I love you, Nora, and I love Destiny.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I want you in my life and here. Don’t move out.”

“I can’t stay here forever.”

“Why not?” He raised his eyebrow in question.

“What will everyone think? It was one thing to come here temporarily while I searched for a place.”

“Then throw caution to the wind and marry me.”

“What?” She leaned back, nearly breaking his hold around her waist.

“You heard me, marry me.” He gave a light, heartfelt laugh that caressed over her skin. “There I go blurting things out again, but I’ve never been happier than I am now with you and Destiny in my life.”

The wall clock struck two in the morning and she smirked. “A Valentine’s Day proposal. How can a girl say no?”

“Is that a yes?”

She nodded. “Yes. I’d be honored to be Mrs. West.” He leaned in close, claiming her mouth as if sealing the deal.

Here’s to new beginnings.

The father-daughter tea party went off without a hitch and Brian’s time with Destiny had an ease to it. They had meshed together, and even without Nora there to accompany them, they had gotten along fine. Now, on the ride home, she seemed in a better mood than she had been since the treatments had begun.

“Mommy said she’s marrying you. Will that make you my husband, too?”

A smile pulled at the corners of his lips. Husband? That was too sweet, and reminded him that kids had a way of saying the cutest things. Sometimes it was more embarrassing, and other instances were just so innocent as this had been. He glanced in the rearview mirror at his soon-to-be daughter. The way her brown hair was pulled back from her face in a braid, and the pink and white dress, made her look like any other six-year-old girl.

Thankfully he had already discussed with Nora how they’d handle things with Destiny. They had planned to file the adoption paperwork so she’d legally be his daughter as well, and have her name changed to West. That had been Nora’s idea to make them a complete family, so if they had children of their own there would be no differences in their names. They were going to be open with her, letting her know he’d be her father. She’d be lucky and have two daddies, one there in person and the other with angel wings.

“No, I’ll be your mom’s husband and your dad.”

“My wish.” She leaned forward. “I’ll have a real daddy like other girls.”

He nodded. “You’ll always have a date for the father-daughter tea parties.”

She bounced in her seat. “Does that mean I can call you Daddy?”

“If you want.” That wasn’t something they had thought about in the early morning hours when they were going over Destiny’s possible questions, but if he was going to raise her as his own daughter it only seemed right she’d call him Daddy.

“I finally got a Daddy. It’s the best present in the world.” He pulled into the driveway, put the car in park, and she unhooked her seatbelt. “I’ve got to tell Mommy.” She opened the door and skipped toward the house before he had managed to get his own door open. It was nice to see her energy back, even if it was only for a little while. He got out of the car and followed after her, just as Nora opened the front door.

“Mommy!” Destiny sped her pace. “Guess what?”

“What, sweetie? Did you have a good time?” She knelt before her daughter.

“Yeah, but it got better on the car ride home. Did you know he’s going to be my daddy? My wish came true.”

“I did know that.” She nodded to her daughter, while her gaze found his.

“I’ve got to tell Greta.” Destiny rushed past Nora, straight into the house.

“Well, she’s certainly excited.” Nora stood back up.

“At least I got her corrected before she came running to you to tell you that I was going to be her husband.” He let out a deep laugh and laced his arm around her.

“What?”

“On the car ride home she wanted to know if I would be her husband, too, since I’m marrying you.” They stepped inside, and he shut the door behind them before he turned back to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “It was so cute.”

“Kids say the damnedest things.”

“That they do. So, when are we going to make it official? I want you as my wife as soon as possible.”

“I was thinking about this while you were gone.” She took his hand and led them toward the living room. “I just want something small. You friends from the hospital, Chelsea and Kingsley, and your family, so I was thinking maybe we could do it here. If we wait until summer we can do it outside in the garden.”

“Or we can do it sooner, inside. There’s enough room for the people who matter.”

“That works, I just wasn’t sure if you wanted everyone inside or not.”

He sat down on the sofa and drew her down to sit on his lap. “I host a Christmas party each year, this wouldn’t be any different. How about the last Saturday in March? That will give you six weeks to plan it.”

“Give me four weeks. One month from today.”

He leaned closer, his face hovering next to hers. “I can’t wait.” He pressed his lips to hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth, and she returned his kisses with the same eagerness until the doorbell rang. He pulled back and sighed. “Why do I think whoever’s at that door isn’t bringing good news?”

“Could it be about Destiny? Or one of your patients at the hospital?”

He shook his head. “I have a feeling it’s even worse than that. My parents.”

Just as Brian had suspected, he opened the door to find his mother standing there. The morning had gone so perfectly, and now this was happening before he could even prepare Nora for what to expect. His good mood soured. His father wasn’t around, which only made it worse. Dad was always good at keeping Mom in check.

“It’s cold out here, aren’t you going to invite me in?” his mother snapped.

He stepped back, letting her pass. “What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at Jason’s tonight for Faith’s birthday party.”

“We were, until I spoke to Liz and she let me know that you’re bringing someone.” His mother eyed him. “It seemed to be some big secret because when she realized I didn’t know both Liz and Jason refused to speak any further on the subject. Who is this woman?”

“My name’s Nora Horton,” she announced as she came up behind his mother.

Lillian spun on her heels to face Nora. “Horton…
Jim
Horton?” The women eyed each other for a long moment. “You’re his wife. What are you doing here?”

He stepped around his mother to stand by Nora’s side. He slipped his arm around her shoulders, tired of explaining she wasn’t his wife. “Widow, and she’s my fiancée now.”

“Your what?” Lillian stepped forward.

“Mommy, Mommy.” Destiny came running toward Nora. “Greta said we could make cookies. Can I please?”

“Sure, sweetie, but why don’t you change first? I don’t want you to get anything on your pretty dress. That way, you can wear it tonight to the party.” She tucked a stray hair behind Destiny’s ear.

“Mommy, who is the lady?”

“She’s my mother,” Brian explained. “Now run along and change so you can make one of those cookies especially for me.”

“Okay, Daddy.” She skipped from the room toward the staircase.

“Daddy?” Lillian spat the word as if it was poison.

“I told you Nora and I are to be married. We’ve set a wedding date for one month from today. That will make Destiny my daughter.” He tipped his head toward the living room. “Why don’t we have a seat?”

“Nora, I think you should excuse us. I need to speak with my son
alone
.”

“Mom, there’s nothing you can say or do that will change this. Nora and I are getting married, so be supportive or not…that’s your choice.” He kept his arm around Nora and went to the sofa. “Where’s Dad?”

“He’s at the hotel room. After finding out there was an unknown woman moving in on his son, he became ill.”

He highly doubted that, but his mother always had a way of turning things around to make him feel bad. It was more likely that his father had been ill because he refused to listen to his doctors. He wouldn’t cut out the spicy foods, so his ulcer always flared up until he was miserable.

“I hope he’ll be well enough to attend Faith’s party tonight.”

“That’s the second thing I came over here about.” Lillian took a seat across from the sofa. “Jason has an emergency surgery so they’ve postponed the party.”

“If this is because you found out about my engagement and threw a fit—”

“No, you can check. Jason’s performing surgery tonight, a heart transplant. He was leaving for the hospital when I came over. Though, you’re right about one thing…I’m not happy about
this
.” She waved her hands at them. “You haven’t seen each other in years and suddenly you’re getting married.”

“These last few weeks with her have been the happiest of my life.” He placed his hand on Nora’s leg. “I know the woman she is and I love her. That should be enough for you.”

“Mrs. West, I realized this happened quickly.”

“Damn right it did.” Lillian eyed Nora. “How do I know you’re not just after his money?”

“How dare you?” Nora scooted forward as if she was going to take off, but he held her there.

“Mom, I will not stand for you coming in here and insulting her.”

“His finances have nothing to do with the love I have for him,” Nora snapped. “Jim and the military made sure I would be able to provide for myself and Destiny. I’ll sign a pre-nuptial agreement if that will make you happy, but please don’t come here and accuse me of something you know nothing about.”

He took hold of her hand, proud that she’d stood up to his mother. He needed someone with a backbone, someone who wouldn’t let his mother try to control things. “A pre-nuptial agreement is out of the question,” he said firmly.

“Are you out of your mind, Brian?” Lillian hummed. “Make her sign one.”

“No, it’s about trust and love. Mother, this has nothing to do with you.”

“If she’s not after your money, then why is she living here? She’s been here for a while.” Lillian smirked at them as if she’d thought of the perfect argument.

“This is my home and I asked them here. There’s no reason for them to move when we’ll be married in a month’s time.” He rubbed his thumb along the contours of Nora’s hand, trying to ease the tension he could see building within her. “I want you to respect my fiancée, our relationship, and our decisions, without trying to add your stance on it.”

“You are my son. I have a say when you’re making a disastrous mistake.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Still keeping his hand in Nora’s, he leaned forward. “You’ve never approved of my life or the career path—”

“You would have made an excellent surgeon.”

“See what I mean.” He let go of Nora and stood. “I went into medicine just like you always wanted. That should have been good enough, but it never was. Jason enjoys his specialty, but he has to deal with more stress. It’s noticeable in the way he carries himself, how he deals with his family, and in every aspect of his life. I never wanted that. I thought you’d be happy enough that I became a doctor, but it was never enough for you.”

“You could have been better, done more.”

“You’ve always pushed for more and more.” His heart pounded, his stomach churned. He wanted to scream at her, but he wouldn’t. Not in front of Nora. “I’m happy with my career. I make a difference in my patients’ lives. I’m happy with Nora and Destiny. It’s time you accept this is my life and stop pushing. I’m not like Jason, I won’t keep working my ass off to make you happy. I learned a long time ago it was never going to happen.” He shoved his hands into his pockets in agitation, his body rigid. “Jason became a surgeon to make you happy. He’s a damn good one, maybe even the best at Cedar Grove Children’s Hospital. Now you’re pushing for him to make head of surgery when the position comes available at the end of the year. When he does that, you’ll start pushing for the next goal you have in mind for him.”

“What’s wrong with having goals for your children?”

“There’s a time when enough is enough. You can’t keep pushing and pushing. I’ll never give you that kind of control over my life. What I do is to make
me
happy.”

“You proved your independence when you chose to become a pediatric cardiologist.” Lillian spat out the words as if they caused a bad taste in her mouth.

“Obviously not enough.” He stood next to the fireplace, placing his hand on the mantle. “Mom, we’re family and I love you. I’ve accepted that my decisions will never make you happy and I’m fine with it. Now I ask you to accept that Nora and Destiny are going to be a part of this family, and for you to welcome them with open arms. None of us need the extra tension, and you should welcome another grandchild.”

“Not a biological one.”

“If Brian can accept my daughter as his, why can’t you?
”
Nora shot up from the sofa, her face red with fury.

“Darling.” Brian let go of the mantle and stepped closer.

“No, I’ve been sitting here quietly and listening as she puts down your career and even me, but I won’t have her making Destiny think she is less important just because she wasn’t born into this family.” Nora turned back to Lillian. “Faith was adopted and she’s not biologically either Jason’s or Liz’s, but from the way your eyes lit up when you spoke about her, I don’t think you care.”

“That’s a different situation.”

Brian came to stand next to Nora. “Why? Because Liz couldn’t produce a grandchild for you, due to the cancer treatments she had as a child? Or because Jason has always been your pride and joy?”

“When Jason chose to marry her, we knew they’d never be able to have children of their own. You, on the other hand…I had hoped you would at the very least give me one grandchild to carry on our bloodline.”

“Just because I have a daughter doesn’t mean we won’t have other children.” Nora slipped her hand into Brian’s.

“I’m filing the paperwork to officially adopt Destiny so that if and when we have other children they will all have the same last name. There will be no differences in how the children are treated by
anyone
.” Brian stressed those words, hoping his mother would get the idea.

“Seems like you have it all figured out.” Lillian rose from the chair and ran her hands down the front of her dress. “I wish you all the best. Taking on a child of that age, a child who is clearly sick, will not be an easy task. Your marriage will have a battle before it even gets started.”

“One we’ll fight together and win. Destiny’s a special little girl.” Brian eyed his mother, not sure if he had won this argument or if she she’d just given up.

“How did you know she was sick?” Nora questioned.

“It’s clear from her body size and the way she carries herself. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a heart issue which led you to finding Brian after all this time.”

“Actually, it’s cancer,” Nora explained. “She’s going through treatment and will be fine.”

Lillian just nodded and strolled from the room. Instead of seeing his mother out, he listened until they heard the front door opening and shutting. He turned to Nora and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m sorry about my mother.”

“That’s not your fault. Parents sometimes never seem able to let go.” She laid her head against his chest. “Your mother doesn’t seem supportive of this.”

“No surprise there, she’s never been supportive of my choices, but that doesn’t matter. Just hang in there and I promise she’ll come around.”

“Don’t worry, she doesn’t scare me. I just feel bad that she’s against us, and I’m serious if you want me to sign a pre-nup—”

He tangled his fingers in her hair, using his gentle grip to tilt her head back just enough so she would look up at him. “Stop, I’ll hear nothing of it. I love you, and I know if you were marrying me for anything else it wouldn’t be for my money but to have an in-house doctor.” His lips curled into a smile.

“Your doctor skills come in handy.” She replied to his tease with one of her own. “So, yeah, I think that’s a good reason to marry you. Plus, I think I could find a few more uses for you.”

“I feel so cheap.” His chuckle was light, laced with a hum of amusement.

Nora was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Where once only darkness and work resided in his life, Nora had brought laughter and joy. He had never been happier than he was with her by his side. Love made him a different person, a happier one.