“And I’m the one who has her faith, Doc,” Chase called from the sofa, so may the best man win.”
Sam froze with his hand on the knob, the preacher’s words stabbing right through the heart.
May the best man win.
He hung his head because deep down Sam knew that wasn’t him. And as much as he hated to admit it, Chase was right. Shannon did deserve a man of faith and not some player just going through the motions. He expelled a loud blast of air, fraught with frustration before he slowly returned to where Chase sat, face void of the smugness Sam had expected. Instead, all he saw was quiet concern that, knowing Chase Griffin’s reputation as a standup guy, he suspected was as much for him as it was for Shannon.
Chest rising and falling in a show of surrender, Sam dropped into the hewn log chair and reached for the coffee, downing a long swallow before he clunked the mug back down. Slapping his palms on the arm of the chair, he met Chase’s gaze with a steady one of his own. “Okay, Rev, you’re right—Shannon does deserve a man of faith, and because I love her, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get to that place. But I gotta tell you, man, I never expected bribery to be in your bag of tricks.”
With a steady air of calm, Chase reached to pull two battered Bibles from the shelf beneath the coffee table, his faint smile somehow disarming the rest of Sam’s resistance. “Well, I take my cue from St. Paul who said, ‘I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.’” He slid one of the Bibles across the table, his smile easing into a grin. “Which in my book, Doc, may occasionally include a little arm-twisting.”
Sam snatched the book up and flipped through the pages, his mouth skewing to the right. “No kidding. But I’ll agree with you on one thing—Shannon’s definitely worth it.” He unleashed a heavy sigh of resignation. “So I guess that means you win.”
“Not me, Doc, you,” Chase said with a faint smile, opening his own Bible on the table before nailing Sam with an understanding gaze that somehow promised adventure. “In every possible way.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ting-Ting-Ting.
Tess held her breath when Ben stood up at the other end of her wrought-iron patio table, clinking a spoon to his iced tea glass while her family and his glanced up. Happy and full from a BBQ feast in celebration of Lacey and Jack’s one-year anniversary, everyone stilled as Ben’s eyes met hers with a smoky look that tumbled her stomach. “First of all, I’d like to propose a toast to Lacey and Jack on their one year of marital bliss.”
Glancing at Lacey and Jack, Tess’s eyes immediately flooded with tears, Ben’s words reminding her of all the miracles God had wrought in the last year. Her eyes flicked back to Ben, and her heart swelled with a pulse-pounding love she’d never expected to feel again. But feel it she did, to the depth of her soul, for the man at the end of the table with whom she would soon share a name, a home, and a life. A tingle shivered her skin. Not to mention a bed, she realized with a flush that toasted both her body and her cheeks. The thought compelled her to upend her own iced tea with shaky hands before Ben could even finish his toast.
“So here’s to a lifetime of joy to the best daughter and son-in-law a man could ever have—may your many years together be exceeded only by the happiness they bring.”
“And the babies they bear,” Cat piped up with a lift of her glass.
“Hear, hear,” Shannon said with a wide smile.
“Wish I could second that,” Jack said with a grin, “but then Lace and I’d be too tired to take care of them.” Arm looped around Lacey’s shoulders, he pressed a kiss to his wife’s head before he raised a Red Bull in the air, a definite sparkle in his eyes. “But we are hoping to get a jumpstart on a houseful of kids soon, beginning with one precious little girl …”
“Oh my gosh—you’re pregnant?!” Cat’s eyes all but bugged out of her head while Tess caught her breath, hand to her heart.
“In a manner of speaking,” Lacey said with a sheen of joy in her eyes, clutching Jack’s hand. “We’ve applied to adopt Debbie.”
Whoops and hollers circled the table as everyone congratulated Jack and Lacey, plying them with questions that elicited both laughter and tears.
Jack hoisted his Red Bull once again. “Miss Myra says everything is in order so barring any unforeseen glitches, which is highly unlikely, it’s just a matter of time. So here’s to the perfect adoption along with the perfect house since we haven’t had much luck finding it yet.” He shot Ben a sheepish grin. “And I’m pretty sure Ben would like his back.”
“Well, you and Lace could always move in with us for a while …” Cat bumped shoulders with Lacey. “But I’m not giving Jack’s bathroom shelf back, just saying …”
“Don’t worry, Cat,” Ben said, pinning Tess with a possessive look, “you won’t have to.” He carried his iced tea to where Tess sat welded to her chair, hands sweating more than the glass in her hand. With a calm and steady smile, he gently hooked her elbow to lift her to her feet, shoring her up with a firm hand to her waist—completely necessary given the wobble of her legs. She and Ben had announced they planned to date at a family BBQ over a month and a half ago, but marriage was something else altogether. Especially since none of her family except for Lacey and Jack had even a clue how deeply Tess and Ben felt about the other.
Depositing a kiss to Tess’s head, Ben tightened his hold with an awkward grin. “I’ve asked your mother to marry me.”
“I knew it!” Cat shouted, jumping up with an I-told-you-so grin.
“You knew?” Tess gaped at her daughter, the flush in her cheeks burning more than the heat of Ben’s hand on her waist.
“Knew what?” Davey wanted to know, glancing up from his Power Ranger action figures long enough to blink at his sister.
Ben left Tess’s side to squat next to Davey’s chair, squeezing Davey’s shoulder like she’d seen him do a dozen times over the last few months as he made an effort to bond with her son. An effort that had paid off with Davey’s instant attachment to the former grump next door through games of catch and a lucrative job walking Ben’s dog, Beau. “That your mom and I want to get married,” Ben said gently, “that is, if it’s okay with you and your sisters?”
Davey’s eyes expanded, as wide as the moon pies Ben had introduced him to and supplied weekly. “You mean you’re gonna be my dad?” he whispered, the hope in his eyes a testimony to the grace of God. Not only in changing a bitter recluse like Dr. Doom into a man now treasured by his family and hers, but in healing Davey’s heart over the loss of a father he adored, forging the way for Ben to step into the role.
“Nobody can take the place of your dad, bud,” Ben said quietly, his voice suddenly as unsteady as Tess’s stomach, “but I would love to be your stepdad because I love your mom and I’ve always longed to raise a son. That is, if you’ll have me.”
Saltwater sabotaged Tess’s eyes all over again at the crack of Ben’s voice, the sight of Davey launching into Ben’s arms almost more joy than she could bear. “You bet, Dr. Carmichael,” he shouted with a tight squeeze, and Tess would have laid odds there wasn’t a dry eye at the table.
“Oh, Mom, I couldn’t be happier for you!” Shannon said with a soggy hug, a toss-up as to which of the females was weeping the most.
“Well I sure could be happier,” Cat said, a tease in her voice despite its nasal tone from crying. “As long as you don’t get married till after Thanksgiving, that is. Shan bet you’d tie the knot before the holidays, but I bet her fifty bucks you wouldn’t till after.”
“Wait …” Tess paused in the middle of wiping the wetness from her eyes, jaw sagging. “You not only knew we’d be getting married, but you bet as to when it would be?”
Cat gave a casual shrug. “Come on, Mom, we figured you and Ben had to be more than friends as early as last summer because, duh … you’re like the Queen of Obvious.”
“I’ll second that,” Ben said with a grin, cuffing Davey’s shoulder before he rose, hand still f
irmly anchored to her son’s shoulder.
Tess blinked, her brain on overload. “But … but how on earth did you guess?” she said, too shocked to acknowledge Ben’s remark. Her eyes lighted on Lacey and Jack, the only ones who knew she and Ben were totally smitten. “Wait a second, you two didn’t spill it, did you?”
Jack raised a palm, his grin as guilty as Lacey’s. “And suffer the wrath of Dr. Doom and Tess O’Bryen?” He slanted back in his chair with a lazy smile. “I have a medical degree hanging on my office wall, Mom, so give me some credit, will you?”
“Us, too,” Cat said with a bear hug of her own, pulling away to snatch a tissue from a box Lacey had retrieved from the kitchen. “I thought Shan was awful at being sneaky, but you take the prize, Mom.” She blew her nose, then dabbed at her face with a grin. “I mean how many walks can one person take at night when she works at home and can work out during the day?”
Tess could only stare, dumbstruck.
Shannon kneaded her mom’s shoulder. “And really, Mom, how many batches of monster cookies can one mother make before a daughter gets a tad suspicious?”
Tess stared at Ben. “Do you believe this?”
He slipped an arm around her waist again. “Unfortunately, yes, because you’re an open book, Teresa O’Byren.” He deposited a kiss to her head, scooping her close. “Deceit just isn’t in your DNA, sweetheart, which is one of the reasons I fell in love with you.”
“So …” Cat handed her mother the box of tissues and sat back down, idly licking the spoon from her empty dessert plate. “Let’s start with the most important thing, shall we?” She pointed the spoon at her mother with a determined squint. “When are you getting married, because I have fifty badly needed bills riding on this wedding happening after Thanksgiving, people, and not a day before.”
Ben gently nudged Tess to sit, claiming Lacey’s chair beside her when Jack tugged his wife onto his lap. Shifting closer, Ben casually circled Tess’s waist with one hand while he wove his fingers through hers with the other, jumbling her thought process when his thumb slowly skimmed back and forth on her palm.
“No offense, Cat,” Ben said with a lazy smile, his smug tone indicating he was completely aware how his touch could muddle Tess’s mind, “but if I win this debate, young lady, you’re going to take a loss.” His fingers nipped at Tess’s waist. “But your loss is my gain.”
“Ben’s right, Mom—why wait?” Slipping back into her chair, Shannon offered an innocent smile, which now held a touch of mischief. “The way I figure it, you and Ben have had a close relationship since Lacey came back, at least based on the upsurge of monster cookies and bacon. And you’ve known each other forever, so it’s not like that’s an issue,” Shannon reasoned, “so I say the sooner the better.”
“The better for you, you mean,” Cat said dryly, the twinkle in her eyes meeting the glaze in Tess’s. “And Mom, apparently, given the loopy look on her face.”
Ben leaned in to press a kiss to Tess’s ear, his words husky. “And trust me, Teresa Catherine, there are more loopy looks from where that one came from,” he whispered, fingers lightly skimming from her hip to the side of her thigh.
Tess blasted to her feet, suddenly in dire need of more tea.
Cold, cold tea …
“Who needs a refill?” she asked, painfully aware her smile was way too bright.
“Sit, Mom, I’ll get it.” Shannon rose with her usual sensitive efficiency, snatching Tess’s glass up before Tess could grab it for herself. “Anybody else need anything?”
“I’ll take more chocolate milk, sis,” Davey said with a swoop of his favorite Power Ranger action figure while Cat rose to follow Shan.
“Thanks, Shan,” Tess said with a tight-lipped smile aimed directly at Ben. “And bring Ben more ice water, will you? Heavy on the ice.” She ignored the grin he gave her, along with the knowing look in his eyes.
By the time the girls were back with drinks, Tess had scooted her chair a safe distance from Ben, who now focused his attention on Lacey and Jack, grilling them on their house-hunting status. “What about that house you liked on Loon Lake?” he asked, “the one without a dock?”
Jack sighed, arm limp over Lacey’s shoulder. “Mold.” His lips skewed with disappointment. “Which is more hassle than we want to deal with right now, plus cleanup would cost a fortune.”
Lacey sagged back into her chair, her tone as glum as Jack’s. “There’s just not anything decent on the water within our price range, Daddy, which means we either give up our dream to own a home on the water or move into an apartment for a few years.
“Or maybe you could rent to own …” Ben said slowly, idly reaching for Tess’s hand on top of the table, giving it a light press to signal the subject they’d already agreed upon.
“Ha!” Lacey issued a grunt. “As if those kind of opportunities grow on trees.”
“They do on family trees, sweetheart,” Tess said with a misty smile, shock registering on both Jack and Lacey’s faces when realization dawned in their eyes. She squeezed Ben’s hand back. “After all, your dad and I only need one house to live in, and Davey, the girls and I are rather partial to ours.”
Lacey sat straight up, saucer eyes trained on her dad. “B-But … but … when I was at your office last week, your colleague Dr. Morris said he made you an offer you couldn’t refuse,” she stuttered.
Ben grinned over the rim of his ice water, Adam’s apple glugging as he watched his daughter. “That’s what he thought, but turns out I could.” A muscle suddenly flickered in his jaw, and Tess knew he was battling the onslaught of emotion when his voice wobbled into a near whisper. “That house didn’t provide you with much joy in the past, sweetheart, but I’m determined it will in the future—if you and Jack want it.”
“If we want it?” Jack gaped at Ben, struggling with a few emotions of his own as he blinked hard to dispel moisture from his eyes. “It’s more than we ever dreamed possible, sir, but your house is worth a fortune, and this just wouldn’t be fair.”
Ben lost the battle when a sheen of tears glazed in his eyes. His jaw quivered as he reached to squeeze his daughter’s hand. “It wasn’t fair how I treated Lacey and you in the past either, Jack, but God’s given me the chance to try and make it up to you, so don’t deny an old man his one shot at making amends.”
“Amends aren’t necessary, Daddy,” Lacey whispered, flinging herself into her father’s arms. “Your love is all I ever need.”
“You have it, sweetheart, always, but I’m afraid amends are necessary for me,” he rasped, eyes closed as he held her tight. “That is, if you and Jack actually want the house, because I don’t want to twist your arm.”
“No arm-twisting needed, sir, I assure you,” Jack said with a hardy pump of Ben’s hand before coming over to swallow Tess up in a big hug. “Mom, we can’t thank you enough.” His voice cracked, and Tess clung with all of her might, throat too thick with emotion to do anything but cry.
Cat’s chuckle helped to temper the tears. “Gosh, Lace, this means I can keep raiding your closet.”
“Not after I change the locks,” Jack said with a grin. “With a key for Mom and Shan because at least I can trust them not to erase my scores on the Xbox.”
Cat delivered a mischievous smile with a toss of her hair. “No sense in keeping the lowest scores when a superior gamer is in the house, now is there, Jack?”
He grinned and pelted her with a balled-up napkin before facing Ben again, his smile fading into a determined clamp of his jaw. “Sir, Lacey and I can’t thank you enough, but the only way we would even consider this is if we agree on a fair-market price with interest.”
“Agreed,” Ben said with a counter thrust of his chin, reminding Tess that her future husband was no slouch in the stubborn department. “On the fair-market price, Jack, but not on the interest. The loan will be interest free or nothing.”
“No, sir.” Jack’s jaw rose to meet Ben’s. “I wouldn’t feel right about that, so I insist
on interest of some kind.”
A faint smile shadowed Ben’s lips. “Now I know one of the reasons I always gave you so much grief over the years, Jack—you remind me of me.” He huffed out a sigh as he dragged Tess’s chair closer to his, draping an arm over her shoulder. “Fine. One percent interest, take it or leave it.”
Jack’s temple twitched briefly before he extended his hand, the determined glint in his eyes not unlike that of the man Tess was about to marry. “I’ll take it, sir—for now.” They shook in agreement. “But as soon as Lacey and I are financially able, we renegotiate the interest in your favor, agreed?”
“And if I don’t?”
Lacey joined the fray with a jut of her own chin. “Then we keep looking for a house.”
Ben shook his head, his smile veering off-center. “You two deserve each other,” he said with a chuckle, planting a kiss on Tess’s head. “All right, deal.”
“Eeeeeek!” Lacey squealed as she jumped up to hug her dad again and then Tess, finally plopping back onto Jack’s lap. “We have a house, Brye, can you believe it?” She settled in with a giggle, grabbing her Diet DP. “So I guess that brings us back to the question of the hour, you two—exactly when are you tying the knot?”
Ben’s satisfied smile told her he thought he had the edge for his choice of an immediate ceremony with a few family and friends rather than a more official December wedding for propriety’s sake. “The sooner, the better, as far as I’m concerned,” he said with a kiss to her cheek, deliberately brushing his mouth against her ear in a loud whisper. “You know, so the kids can finally be on their own with me out of their hair?”
Smile tipping, Tess shot him a narrow look out of the corner of her eye. “Why, how thoughtful, Dr. Doom.”
“You have no idea, Teresa Catherine,” he breathed softly, his low chuckle purling warm in her ear, “yet.”
Giving up the ghost, she shook her head, her laughter as soft as his. “All right, Dr. Carmichael, you win—the Saturday after Thanksgiving.”