Loving The Country Boy (Barrett's Mill Book 4) (12 page)

That didn’t even come close to expressing the emotions churning through her right now, and she laughed. “Heath Weatherby, ladies and gentlemen. Master of understatement.”

“You have the greatest laugh. Seems like you do it a lot more now than when you first got here.”

“I have more reason to these days. I really like it here.”

“Yeah? What do you like best?”

“The people,” she told him with a fond smile. “They’re the best.”

Their lovelorn waitress returned with their desserts and the check, which she plunked down in front of Tess. With a dismissive flounce of her shoulder, she pivoted away to greet her next customer in a syrupy voice that left no doubt about her opinion of Tess.

“Something tells me we’re not going to be best friends anytime soon,” she muttered as she dug into a lemon meringue pie that stood several inches high.

“Don’t let her get to you, darlin’. You’ve always got me.”

If that smooth Southern line had come out of anyone else’s mouth, she’d have cut him off at the knees. But since it was Heath, she laughed it off. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Dunno,” he replied around a mouthful of pecan pie. Swallowing, he winked at her. “I guess we’ll have fun finding out.”

Chapter Ten

“H
ow’s this?”

Grinning like a little kid at the fair, Tess plucked the fishing pole from Scarecrow Will’s hand and slung it over her shoulder like a pro. The annual Harvest Festival was in full swing, and the town square was crammed with people from all over the area. Heath could hear the clang of the Strong Man game and the sound of scattering pins as a guy in a letterman jacket threw a strike to win his cheerleader girlfriend a life-size stuffed unicorn.

Over it all wafted the scents of fresh popcorn drenched in butter, and sugar and cinnamon from stands selling fried dough and Helen Morgan’s prize-winning pralines. The weather had cooperated, and the clear sky was dotted with stars that brought to mind the display of diamond rings on black velvet he’d once seen in a jewelry store. He didn’t know why he was thinking of that now, but when Tess did a model’s turn and laughed, the reason was as clear to him as anything had ever been.

Not that he was planning to propose anytime soon, of course. But spending a fun evening with a beautiful woman tended to make a guy start considering the possibilities.

Chuckling, he lined up the shot in the viewfinder of his camera phone. “If I didn’t know better, I might think you were one of those tomboys who baits her own hook.”

“Ewww!”

She scrunched up her nose just as he snapped the picture, and he saved it because he knew every time he looked at it, he’d bust out laughing. “Sorry, bad shot. Let’s get one more.”

This one was better, and just in time, too. From out of nowhere, several Barretts crowded around, eager for a look at this year’s contest entry. Tess had kept her idea secret from everyone but Heath, and he stepped back to let everyone get a closer view.

“Granddad would love it,” Jason announced confidently, patting the straw man’s baseball cap.

“He’d have laughed himself silly,” Olivia agreed with a fond smile. When she reached out to straighten the collar on the flannel shirt, the touching gesture made Heath stop and think. She and Will had been married for more than sixty years, and while he knew there had been some tough times, they’d faced them together. Even in his final days, Olivia had stayed by Will’s side, tirelessly caring for him, making sure he was as comfortable as she could make him.

Heath wanted that kind of love. The kind that took a beating and still stood tall, the way his parents’ had. That was why he was still single, he recognized soberly. Judging by the number of divorces among his friends, not every couple could make that till-death-do-us-part promise and keep it.

But tonight was for celebrating, not brooding. Heath pushed aside the serious stuff and said, “How ’bout we get all the Barretts in there? We’ll give Paige a family photo for her new town newsletter.”

“Make sure you get my good side,” Scott warned.

His wife angled a bemused look over her shoulder at him. “Do you have one?”

The others laughed at that, and Scott made a face at her. “Ha-ha, very funny.”

“I thought so,” she replied with a satisfied smirk.

“Good evening, everyone,” Pastor Griggs greeted them as he hurried past, a huge blue pin that read
Pie Judge
flapping against his chest. “Don’t forget to come by and cast your votes for the scarecrows.”

And with that, he was gone, spreading his message to a group of people milling around a tent sporting a sign for
Tastes of Autumn
. It smelled like every kind of pie and cake you could imagine, and Heath made a mental note to check it out later. All the proceeds went to local charities, and he had every intention of taking full advantage of all the talented Southern cooks who’d donated their best work to this year’s festival.

As if she’d read his mind, Tess popped up beside him with a candied apple in one hand and a corn dog in the other. “Take your pick.”

“Which one did you buy first?”

“The apple.”

“Then I’ll take the dog.”

While he was chewing, she tilted her head at him with a curious expression. “Why did you ask me that?”

Swallowing, he answered, “I figured you bought your favorite thing first, so I left it for you.”

“That’s really sweet. And totally accurate,” she added with a bright smile. Biting into the apple, she glanced around at the crowd. “I thought I’d pretty much met everyone by now. I had no idea there were so many people living in Barrett’s Mill.”

“Some of ’em are from other towns. There aren’t a lot of places that do this kind of thing anymore.”

“I’ve only seen stuff like this in movies,” she commented. “It’s really nice.”

She had a bit of red candy on her cheek, and he almost reached out to wipe it away for her. Instead, he tapped his own face. “You’ve got a little right here.”

“Thanks.” She swiped at it with her fingertip and gave him a questioning look. When he nodded, she said, “I’ve been to lots of great events over the years, but I can’t remember ever having a better time.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Any take on how the contest is going?”

“Paige is probably gonna win,” Tess admitted without a trace of envy. “I mean, really, who could beat the
American Gothic
couple done up as Bruce and Molly Harkness?”

“American Scarecrow. It’s a classic.”

They both laughed, and he barely heard the ringtone on Tess’s phone. When she pulled it from the pocket of her denim jacket, she abruptly went still. “It’s Paul.”

Suddenly, the lighthearted evening took on an ominous chill, and he gently tugged her to a quieter spot amid the chaos. She answered the call then listened in stony silence for a few seconds.

“I’ll round up everyone here and we’ll meet you at the hospital. Give Chelsea a hug from me.”

Her hands were shaking when she ended the call, and she gazed up at Heath with eyes that were rapidly filling with tears. “Chelsea’s not doing well.”

That was all he needed to hear. Wrapping his arms around her, Heath felt her leaning against him as if she couldn’t stand on her own. After a few moments she regained her composure and drew back. “I have to tell everyone and get to Cambridge.”

She was still trembling, and she dropped her phone into the grass. Heath picked it up and tucked it in his own pocket before texting Scott.

Baby in trouble. Hospital now.

“We walked here,” Tess said in a dazed voice. “I have to go get Gram’s car.”

“Not a chance,” he corrected her sternly. “You’re in no shape to drive anywhere. I’ll take you.”

“You don’t have to—”

“You gonna stand here arguing with me or get moving?”

The woeful look she gave him drove deep into his heart. “Heath, I’m scared. What if she loses the baby?”

“She won’t,” he assured her, taking her hands to steady them. “Chelsea’s strong, and this is just a few weeks early. The baby might be a little small, but they’ve got a top-notch maternity unit in Cambridge. They’ll know what to do.”

He recognized he was saying that as much for his own benefit as hers, but his words eased some of the terror from her eyes. “Okay. We should get going, then.”

Seeking to avoid a lot of awkward questions that would only slow them down, he put an arm around her shoulders and cut across the green to where he’d parked his truck earlier. Several other cars were already running, and he fell in line behind the procession of Barretts hurrying toward Cambridge.

Please, God
, he prayed as he turned onto the highway.
Let everything be okay
.

When they arrived at the hospital, Uncle Tom and Aunt Diane led them to the maternity ward. Paul must have warned the staff that the family was on its way, because the large group of near-frantic people was met by a plump redheaded nurse wearing rubber ducky scrubs and a name tag that said Nancy.

The first thing she did was pull Diane into a fierce hug. Then she grasped her friend’s shoulders and said, “You know we’re the best around, right?”

Diane swallowed hard but somehow managed to nod. “Thanks, Nan.”

“Oh, don’t even.” Holding out her arms, she gave the rest of them a reassuring, motherly smile. “I know you’re all worried, and I’ve cleared a spot in the family waiting area for you. Paul and Chelsea are in with their doctor right now, and we’ll get you some news the second we have it.”

Her white shoes squeaked on the freshly buffed floor as she pivoted and escorted them down a hallway whose walls were painted with pink and blue clouds and decorated with pictures of happy mothers holding their infants. Motioning them into an empty alcove dotted with comfy-looking chairs, she continued through and out the far door, leaving the Barretts to settle in as much as they could. Worried looks flew from one person to another, even though Heath could see the guys were doing their best to keep everyone calm.

“It’ll be fine.” Jason’s optimism didn’t match up with the concern he was obviously feeling, but Heath gave him credit for trying. “This way, little William Henry can catch his first Thanksgiving football game now instead of having to wait for next year.”

“That’s the spirit,” Diane approved, rubbing his shoulder. “We have to think positive.”

After about half an hour of waiting and trying not to stare at the clock, Heath noticed some motion in the hallway Nurse Nan had gone down earlier. Through the narrow window in the door, he saw a familiar figure all but running toward the room where they were sitting. “There’s Paul.”

The father-to-be was dressed in blue scrubs, and a nurse stopped him, pointing to the floor. Clearly agitated, he stripped off the booties covering his shoes and just about blasted the door off its hinges when he flung it open.

“It’s bad,” Tess whispered, her face white with fear. “He looks terrified.”

Heath didn’t know what to say, but he took her cold hand in his and offered what he hoped was a comforting look. When Paul reached the family huddle, he held out his hands in a silencing gesture.

“This has to be quick. Chelsea’s stable, but the baby’s in major distress. They’re keeping an eye on things, but if they don’t improve, Dr. Weber’s doing an emergency C-section.”

Standing, Tom embraced his son and then gently pushed him away. “Go and take care of Chelsea. We’ll be here praying.”

“I know.” Paul’s brave front wavered, and he glanced around the room with a grateful smile.

Then he was gone.

* * *

Tess had been staring at the TV suspended from the ceiling, not seeing much of anything. When the local news station signed off and the national anthem came on, a waving American flag told her it was midnight. They still hadn’t heard anything about the baby, and she’d lost track of Heath. She vaguely recalled him giving her a quick hug before promising to be back soon. She had no clue how long ago that was, but now she was starting to worry about him, too.

“Hey, cuz.” Scott threw himself into the chair beside her and angled a look over at her. “How’re you holding up?”

“Okay. How about you?”

“Same.”

Obviously out of topics to discuss with her, he glanced around the large niche Nancy had reserved for them. The walls were painted a mellow peach color that was probably meant to soothe visitors’ nerves, but for some reason it made Tess think of sherbet. Which reminded her that all she’d had to eat since lunch was part of a candied apple.

As if on cue from some unseen movie director, Heath backed through one of the closed double doors carrying a huge box labeled Paper Towels.

“When I told them you were all here, Molly and Bruce opened The Whistlestop kitchen and got busy,” he explained as he set the carton down on a low table. “There’s three more of these in my truck.”

Jason and Scott jumped up to help him, and before long Diane and Olivia had set out an impromptu buffet for their hungry crew. Molly had thought of everything, from meals in divided containers to coffee carafes filled with her heady brew.

“Aw, yeah,” Heath grunted his approval after gulping some down. “That’s the stuff.”

Famished as she’d been just a few minutes ago, now the sight of food made Tess queasy. She picked at her meal, waiting for her stomach to settle. As always, Heath noticed what she was doing, and he leaned in to murmur, “Start with the bread. It’s fresh.”

Grateful for the suggestion and the discreet way he delivered it, she dredged up a faint smile and buttered the roll. After a few tentative bites, her appetite returned, and she moved on to the chicken.

“Better?” he asked.

“A little, thanks.”

“Anytime.”

That was his usual response when she thanked him for something, and up until now, she’d assumed it was just a habit he’d developed. But now that she’d seen him in action during various crises, she realized that
anytime
meant he’d be there whenever she needed him, the way he’d been since she nearly crashed into him.

Somehow, through no talent of her own, here in the backwoods of Virginia she’d discovered a caring, dependable man who didn’t shrink away from trouble but rose to meet it. Despite the problems he’d faced, he approached life with strength and humor, relying on his faith to help him absorb the twists and turns that came his way. And as if that wasn’t enough, through his calm, steady example, he’d taught her how to do the same.

“Heath?” He looked up, and when those amazingly blue eyes connected with hers, she debated whether to share what she was feeling or keep it to herself. She’d been burned by her emotions often enough to mistrust them, but this was different. This was Heath.

So she gulped down her misgivings and charged ahead. “I just wanted to say that you’ve been really great, and my life got better the day we met.”

Something she couldn’t quite pin down warmed his gaze, making her feel like they were the only two people in the crowded room. Even though he must know people were watching them, he took her hand, threading his fingers through hers in an intimate gesture. “I feel the same way about you.”

To her, this felt much more serious than their lighthearted crush conversation at the diner. As they stared at each other, she wasn’t sure what had just happened, but she had a feeling things between them would never again be the way they were yesterday. And to her astonishment, she realized that was totally fine with her.