California Homecoming (25 page)

She studied him for a moment and then smiled. “I guess you’re right. Now where were we?”

He lowered his mouth toward hers and whispered, “About here.”

The ferry landed near the tree-lined parking lot. Once they disembarked, Hunter led Sarah past the small shops to a cafe for lunch. They sat outside and watched the dance of ships and boats in the bay, the sounds of clanking guy wires and bells an accompaniment to their conversation.

“I’m still not sure about this,” Sarah said, her chicken-stuffed croissant in her hand. “I could wait down here and window-shop while you see your mother.”

“I’m not sure about giving my mother the letters, either,” he said. “But I do need to let her make her own choices. Gertrude was right about that.”

“But — ”

“Let it be.” He rubbed her arm. “I don’t think my mother has much time left. I know it would please her to meet the woman I love before she goes.”

Sarah blushed, adding to the healthy color the salt air had already brought to her skin. “You’re going to tell her that?”

“Of course I am. I’m telling the whole world that.” He raised a finger to summon a waitress.

“Yes, sir?”

“I needed to tell you that I’m in love with this woman right here.”

“Hunter!” Sarah’s eyes widened in horror.

“That’s nice, sir. Is there anything else?” the waitress asked.

“I don’t think I need anything else, do you?”

That finally brought a smile from the harried woman. “No, sir. I guess you don’t.” She looked over at Sarah. “Lucky girl.” Then she bustled off.

“You’re outrageous!” Sarah said.

Hunter grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

After they finished their lunch Hunter hailed a cab to take them to his parents’ house. When Sarah protested that she could walk he shook his head. “It’s all uphill and I’m not taking the risk. Remember, the doctor said ‘no strenuous exercise’ and climbing the Sausalito hills certainly qualifies as strenuous. The stairs from the street will be bad enough.”

When they reached the glass-fronted house that overlooked the bay, Sarah drew a sharp breath. “Wow. And you wanted to leave this to go back to Costanoa?”

“Definitely.” He took her hand and led her up the stairs to the front door and opened it. “Mom,” he called. “It’s Hunter.”

His mother’s thin voice called from the living room. “In here.”

“Mom, I’ve brought someone with me. This is Sarah.” He kissed his mother on the cheek.

“How do you do, Mrs. Evans,” Sarah said and extended her hand.

“Good heavens, don’t call me that. I’m Loretta.” Loretta took Sarah’s hand with two of hers while she studied her. A frown crossed her face when she inspected Sarah’s slightly rounded stomach. “You’re pregnant,” she said flatly and let her hands go.

“Yes.”

Loretta flicked a glance at her son. “Yours?”

Hunter shook his head. “In every way that matters, Mom. Why don’t I make some tea?”

“I’ll help you.” Sarah’s voice was eager.

“
I’d
like you to sit over there and tell me the story,” Loretta said, gesturing to a nearby chair. “Hunter is practiced at making tea and can manage on his own.”

Hunter glimpsed fear in Sarah’s face and he smiled reassuringly at her before he left the room.

As he went through the familiar ritual of tea-making, he wondered about the best way to tell his mother about the letters. He also hoped she wasn’t grilling Sarah too much, although he knew Sarah could handle it. He grinned. If she had the bravery to face a loaded gun, she could handle his mother.

When the tea was ready, he returned to the living room, set the pot on the tea table, and poured his mother a cup. He looked askance at Sarah, but she shook her head. Still full from lunch, he settled into the other nearby armchair.

“Sarah has generously told me her story,” Loretta said. “That young man doesn’t deserve her, or the baby, that’s for sure. How do you feel about dating someone pregnant with another man’s child?”

Her directness startled him. All her life his mother had been someone who had avoided conflict, often fading into the background.

Then he realized he’d never thought about Sarah’s pregnancy in quite those terms. Now that they had a chance to be together, how did he feel about watching someone he loved give birth to another man’s child? He glanced at Sarah, his heart swelling when he remembered her courage in the face of his insanity the night before and her total affirmation of him exactly the way he was — wounded in body and soul, but still willing to do his best.

He smiled at her. “I’m fine with it.”

Sarah smiled back. “It takes a special kind of man to accept another man’s child. And Hunter’s a special kind of man.”

Loretta joined their happiness. “That he is.” She put down her teacup. “I’m proud of you, son. I’ve never said it often enough, but I wanted to make sure you knew before I kick the bucket.”

“Mom, you’ve got — ”

“Hush. There’s something about knowing you’re going that makes you braver. There’s nothing anyone can do to you anymore worse than what cancer’ll do. It’s my last chance to speak my mind — something I should have been doing all my life. Don’t interfere.”

His heart was breaking, but Hunter slapped a grin on his face and said, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Now what do you have in that bag you keep hoping I won’t notice.”

Hunter glanced at Sarah.

“Go ahead,” she said. “Your mother deserves to know.”

Hunter pulled the envelopes from the bag and handed them to his mother.

After one glance, she hugged them to her chest. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Where did you find them?”

“Tucked away in an upstairs closet. They were in a cardboard box.”

“I think I remember putting them there. Your father must have deliberately left them.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t burn them.”

His mother smiled. “So am I.” She glanced at the ribboned papers. “Did you read them?”

Sarah nodded. “I’m sorry. We didn’t know who they belonged to at first, and then … well, I wanted to know how it ended.”

“It ended because I was too chicken to fight Hunter’s father.” She shook her finger at both of them. “Don’t you ever be too scared to stand up for what’s right for you. Understand?”

Hunter smiled. “Yes, Mom.”

Loretta leaned back in the chair, put the letters in her lap and caressed them.

Hunter stood. “I think it’s time we left so you can read them again if you want. Do you have a safe spot to keep them?”

She nodded. “Bottom of my knitting bag. Your father never touches it.” She reached her hand up to him and he bent down to kiss her cheek. “Thank you, Hunter. And thank you for bringing me your girl. She’s a good one.”

“I know, Mom. I know.”

Sarah said her good-byes while Hunter called a cab. They walked to the street in silence and remained quiet until the vehicle reached the wharf.

They held hands as they walked out onto the boat. This time Hunter led her to the upper deck.

“Nothing to drop off this time?” she teased him.

He smiled at her and pulled her into his arms. “Have I told you I‘m the luckiest man alive?”

“Not in so many words.”

“I’m telling you now.” He put his mouth on hers and savored the taste of her, allowing his hands to explore the curve of her back, wishing it could be more. He deepened his kiss, his tongue teasing her in a slow waltz of intimacy.

She pulled back after a few moments. “I love you, Hunter.”

“And I’m grateful for that. I know there’s a lot more I need to do to recover and I’m going back to counseling tomorrow. I’m still not on my feet financially, but I know I can contribute enough until I get my business up and running. Then watch out, Sarah Ladina, because I’m going to treat you like the princess you are.”

She laughed. “I could get used to that!”

The lights on the Golden Gate Bridge flicked on as he lowered his lips to kiss her again.

June

Sarah and Hunter sat in the last row of the chairs as Annie and John took their vows. The June weather had cooperated and Gertrude’s garden design had come to life. Sarah glanced around, checking to see if Mandy needed anything for the wedding feast.

Her friend was leaning against a tree behind the set up, her lips twisted up in a bittersweet smile.

“Will you relax?” Hunter whispered. “Everything will be all right.”

“Something’s wrong with Mandy.”

Hunter glanced at Mandy. “How can you tell from here?”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Girl genes.”

Her mother turned around and glared at her.

Hunter squeezed her hand and she could tell he was trying to hide a laugh.

Elizabeth stood and went to the front. As her mother read the familiar words about love from Corinthians, Sarah’s heart beat stronger with the passion she felt for Hunter. He’d been true to his word and gone back for more counseling. Joe had helped him sell his first cabinet and the piece had gotten far more than Hunter had thought it would.

Cal Poly had come through with the surfing adapted prosthetic and Hunter was scheduled at the next AmpSurf adaptive surfing clinic in August.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride,” The minister said.

John swept Annie close to him and kissed her while everyone cheered. He clapped his cowboy hat on his head, took his wife by her hand, and began the slow process down the aisle, accepting the congratulations of friends and family. Annie’s son David, who had escorted his mother down the aisle, picked up the hand of a cute girl with cocoa skin and corkscrew hair.

Hmmm. That’s interesting.

Before the throng could reach them, Sarah pulled at Hunter’s hand. “Time to get started. We can say our best wishes later.”

She made her way to the buffet table and cornered Mandy. “What’s up with you?” Sarah asked her friend.

Mandy shrugged. “Paul told me while we were setting up that he’d fallen in love with someone up at the university.”

Sarah put her hand on Mandy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Mandy flashed her a grin. “I’ll be sad for a while, but life goes on, doesn’t it?” She made a gesture that included Annie, John, Elizabeth, Marcos, Hunter and Sarah. “Look at all the examples I have in front of me. I’ll be okay.”

The friends hugged and got to work.

The next few hours passed in a blur as Sarah helped Mandy lay out the food and serve buffet style. Her chef had outdone herself: tender salmon steamed with capers and lemon, garlicky pesto pasta, and grilled vegetables served as the centerpiece to the feast. Sarah knew Mandy had thrown in her labor for free to showcase her talent. A stack of business cards advertised her new business “Momentous Meals by Mandy.”

Hunter came up to her after everyone had been served. “Sit. Now. Remember? Rest. Your mother has been asking for you.”

He led her to a table where Annie, John, Marcos, and Elizabeth were seated. “I’ll get you a sparkling water.”

Annie smiled at her. “It was perfect. I don’t know how to ever thank you.”

Sarah grinned. “Spread the word. That’s all I ask!”

Her mother grinned at her. “Spoken like a true businesswoman.”

It was time for the tables to be turned. “So when are you going to make an honest woman of my mother?” she asked Marcos.

“Sarah!” Her mother’s horrified voice was overridden by Annie’s peals of laughter.

Marcos shook his head. “Alas. I have tried to get the beautiful Elizabeth to marry me, but she does not wish it. She says she likes to be an independent woman.”

“Really?” Sarah arched her eyebrows at her mother.

Hunter sat down and handed her a drink. “What did I miss?”

“My mother thinks it’s okay to live in sin.”

“Now, Sarah, I didn’t say that.” Elizabeth protested.

“You didn’t have to,” Sarah retorted.

“It’s not that,” Elizabeth protested. “I’m just not ready.”

“Oh! I see there is hope. I will redouble my efforts,” Marcos said. “Thank you, Miss Sarah.”

Hunter interrupted the thread of conversation. “I had a buddy in the war. He was Italian — well, Italian-American. His name was Marco and he got very upset if someone called him Marcos. Said it was Spanish.”

Marcos rolled his eyes. “I have had to deal with this all my life. My mother’s family migrated from Spain through France to Italy. ‘Marcos’ appears every other generation, a tribute to the ‘old country’.” He shrugged. “It is annoying, but it is my name.”

Hunter smiled. “I see.”

“And you? I have never met a man named Hunter before.”

Hunter chuckled. “My mother claims we have Native American blood. She thought ‘Hunter’ sounded more authentic than Malcolm, which was my father’s choice.”

Marcos laughed. “We are victims of our mothers, then?” He raised his glass.

“Yes.” Hunter clinked.

Mandy came over and whispered in Annie’s ear.

Annie stood up and reached her hand to John. “Mandy says it’s time to cut the cake.” She started to walk toward the three-tiered cake displayed on a side table. Elizabeth and Marcos followed.

Hunter took Sarah’s hand and looked straight into her eyes. “When the time is right, I’m going to ask you to marry me, Sarah Ladina. I will do everything in my power to convince you to say ‘yes’ so we can build a home together.”

Sarah smiled at him. “I’ll take that under consideration.”

“See that you do.” Hunter helped her to her feet, drew her close to him, and kissed her.

Two issues confronting the United States right now sparked the idea for this book. With the great numbers of wounded veterans coming home, looking for work, and not always able to get the treatment they deserve, I knew I wanted the hero of the book to be a disabled veteran trying to regain his footing. As I wrote about Hunter, I knew he had to stand for everything that was right about the brave young men and women of our military.

The second issue is more controversial — the great debate about children — born and unborn. I’ve known women in Sarah’s situation, women who have become accidently pregnant and who must make adjustments in their lives. I’ve been a single mother with a full-time job in Corporate America. Fortunately, the company and the boss I worked for gave me a great deal of flexibility and for that I’m grateful. With Sarah, I tried to build a character that had to face the decisions and challenges of an unanticipated pregnancy.