Falling for the Single Dad (17 page)

Epilogue

O
n the beach six weeks later, Caroline scanned the ocean waves off the lighthouse point. With the cottage lights darkened, she, Izzie and Weston waited for Turtle Mama to emerge.

She glanced over to Weston stretched out beside her on the beach towel. Legs extended, he leaned back on his elbows, his face upturned to the moonlight.

“Wake me when Turtle Mama gets here, Turtle Lady.”

“Hush, Daddy,” Izzie hissed, sitting cross-legged between them.

Caroline stifled a laugh. “Yeah, Daddy...”

His eyes opened and he sat up. Wrapping his arm around Caroline's waist, he tugged her closer. “I'm not your daddy.”

“No.” She kissed his chin. “You're not. You are my heart's desire.”

“Shhh...” Izzie rounded her eyes at them both.

His smile fluttered Caroline's insides.

“Better enjoy the silence,” he whispered in her ear. “Egg laying is about the only time we can get your new daughter to stop talking.” His mouth brushed across Caroline's earlobe.

Caroline giggled, which earned another glare from Izzie. Her brand-new, beloved daughter. As for her brand-new husband? Life with Weston was more wonderful than she could've imagined.

She'd surprised and pleased Weston by not wanting to wait more than a few weeks to get married. Which, Honey mock-complained, put her and Amelia in a bind if they were going to throw together the wedding of Caroline's dreams.

But her dreams were simple. Her dream had already come true in this man now at her side. Still, she thought her heart would burst from joy when her father walked her down the clamshell path to where Reverend Parks and Weston awaited. Another dream realized, the restoration of a relationship with her father.

In a white sheath dress that trailed in the sand, she and Weston pledged their love for each other forever on the lawn beneath the towering lighthouse amid the sounds of the surf crashing on the rocks below.

Her sisters acted as her bridesmaids. Her brothers-in-law stood as Weston's groomsmen. Izzie had her big moment in a frilly sundress as she scattered flower petals to the wind. Max served as ring bearer—when he wasn't chipping seashells into the ocean.

Caroline had been nervous meeting Weston's parents for the first time. But his mother had taken Caroline aside at the rehearsal dinner.

“Thank you for loving my son,” his mother whispered with tears in her eyes. “And for loving Izzie, too. I was so afraid he'd never allow himself to love anyone ever again. That he'd always be alone.”

But it was Caroline who was grateful. Grateful for Weston loving her. Grateful most of all to God for the second chance He'd given them to love each other and Him.

She'd come full circle. Back to the most enduring of family legacies—her heritage of faith. Back somehow where she'd begun. Home on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Reconnected with her family and, of all things, a mom. A title she'd never imagined could be hers.

As for the future? She faced each new dawn hand in hand with God.
Praise God, from whom every blessing flows.

It was quite a party afterward with their Kiptohanock friends, church family and Roland, her new boss at the Kiptohanock Marine Rescue Center.

A smile tugged at her lips as she thought of that splendid day only a month ago. Sweet tea, hush puppies and beach music. Nothing better. A real Eastern Shore–style celebration.

Something glimmered on an incoming wave.

“Look, Izzie.” She gestured toward the sea creature slowly rising from beneath the foaming surf. “Turtle Mama has returned to lay her final eggs for the season. We probably won't see her again for a few years. But when it's time, she'll come home.”

Izzie wormed her way into somehow being in both Caroline's and Weston's laps. “Like us.” She let out a sigh of contentment that Caroline could feel all the way to her own toes.

She kissed the top of Izzie's red head. “Yes, Ladybug.”

Weston hugged both his ladies. “Home just like us.”

* * * * *

If you loved this tale of sweet romance,
pick up these other stories from author
Lisa Carter:

COAST GUARD COURTSHIP
COAST GUARD SWEETHEART

Available now from Love Inspired!

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Keep reading for an excerpt from
THE SOLDIER'S SURPRISE FAMILY
by Jolene Navarro.

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Dear Reader,

Years ago, a teacher friend gave me a nautilus shell. This friend struggled against the darkness and battled sadness, but told no one. Tragically, one day he chose to end his life. I've since pondered the meaning behind the unique design of the nautilus. This story is an outgrowth of that takeaway. I believe it is important to talk about depression to combat the lie that we are alone. I hope this story illustrates the truth that it's okay to ask for help. Life is often hard, but God is always good.

Like King David, the prophet Elijah and the Apostle Paul, Caroline struggles with depression. She grapples with the implications of her family heritage. If Caroline's story describes your current situation, I pray you will seek the advice of a medical professional and wise, spiritual counsel, too, so that you might take partake of the richer, fuller, abundant life God desires for you to experience. Life is worth living.

During the writing of this story, I've cared for my aging father, who suffered with advanced Alzheimer's, and I've pondered the legacy I will one day leave my children. My father's homegoing occurred on February 12, 2016. I don't know what the future holds for you or for me. But I've learned that I must trust in the God who holds us—our hopes, our dreams, our loved ones and our lives—in the palm of His hand. The safest place we can rest.

Why? Because you and I, we are His beloved, cherished, always precious children. Ultimately, a heritage of faith is the best legacy I've inherited from my family. Like the multichambered nautilus, I hope the cross section of your past will encourage you as to how far you've traveled. And inspire you as to how far you may yet go.

I hope you have enjoyed taking this journey with me, Caroline and Weston. I would also love to hear from you. You may email me at
[email protected]
or visit
www.lisacarterauthor.com
.

Wishing you fair winds and following seas,

Lisa Carter

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The Soldier's Surprise Family

by Jolene Navarro

Chapter One

T
exas state trooper Garrett Kincaid scanned the yard, hoping to find it empty. The afternoon sun had gone into hiding as the breeze carried the aroma from the overabundance of flowering plants. When he arrived home from a long shift, sleep was the only action item on his agenda. Ha, he was funny.

His garage apartment offered sweet seclusion a few steps away. He might actually avoid a conversation or another offer of a meal from his energetic landlady, Anjelica Ortega-Garza. She threatened his resolve to stay out of relationships. There was too much to like about her. He even liked the way she said her name with the Spanish pronunciation. It rolled off his tongue so smooth. He shook his head and made himself stop playing with her name. It was just a name.

It took so much effort to tell her no. He had to admit he'd never eaten so well. According to his mother, pushing buttons on a microwave counted as a home-cooked meal. And during their short marriage, Viviana's favorite dinner came in a to-go bag.

Another scent mixed with the flowers and he knew coffee and bacon were close. The lady could cook. She seemed to have an overdeveloped need to feed the entire population of Real County and every resident within a hundred-mile radius.

“Stop right there. Don't even think about it!”

Firm and sharp, the command stopped Garrett midmotion. He turned to find the lady who had just been in his thoughts. Standing with her hands planted on her hips. Petite and lovely, she looked in charge. A purple scarf got caught up in the wind before she tucked it back into place.

He groaned. His resolve not to think of her in a personal way took a hit every time he saw her. So much for avoiding her.

Her normally friendly smile was gone, replaced with a glare, but not at him. A few feet away from her, a silky mop of a dog lay on its belly. Big brown eyes darted between Anjelica and a small herd of colorful chickens. Maybe they were a flock.
What do you call a group of chickens?

He'd grown up in the city surrounded by noise, not hills and odd farm animals. A month ago he would have told anyone who asked that he was a city boy. But living fifteen miles from a town that was in the middle of nowhere, Texas, he discovered a new side of himself. And a new plan, to build a home of his own where people wouldn't bother him, especially an overly friendly landlady.

The one-room cabin would sit on the edge of the Frio River. He could see the waters running so clear it washed all the grime away from life.

He sighed. After his disastrous marriage, the biggest part of his plan was to stay single, no ties and no family. There was a sign over Anjelica that screamed Hero Needed and he vowed to never play that game again.

A small whine sounded from the silky mop with a pink bow. Maybe he could still make it up the stairs to the apartment over her garage. He glanced to the door, estimating how long it would take to—

“Officer Kincaid!”

He dropped his head before turning to face her. The woman made him nervous with her whimsical smile and dancing movements. Fragile and naive, someone else who needed to be protected from the real world.

Her golden-brown eyes found him, bright and eager. The commander of a moment ago vanished as she made her way toward him. The fluff of a dog that Garrett had never seen before followed, deciding to chase her flowing skirts instead of the chickens. “How was work? I always pray nothing happens.” Her eyes slipped to the gun he had holstered at his hip. “Uneventful night in your line of work is a good thing, right?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“I saved a couple of extra soft tacos. Egg and bacon along with fresh coffee. I can bring them to you.”

“I—” Before he could find a good excuse, Sheriff Torres's patrol vehicle pulled into the drive and parked behind his SUV. An unexpected visit from the local sheriff usually brought bad news.

Anjelica's smile vanished. She clutched her scarf with one hand as the other held her stomach. She displayed all the signs of someone who knew to expect bad news. In a few steps he closed the gap between them.

A woman in a fitted business suit and low heels got out of the passenger side. She was tall, with her dark blond hair forming a neat bun. In his cowboy hat, Sheriff Torres approached with the woman close behind.

“Morning, Anjelica. Kincaid.” He nodded to each of them and shook their hands.

Garrett watched as Anjelica took a deep breath, in and out.

“Kincaid, this is Sharon Gibson. She's with CPS.”

Child Protective Services. Relief loosened the muscles he hadn't even noticed had tightened. So it was work related and they were here for him, not her. He gave Anjelica a reassuring smile. Her shoulders dropped a notch and her smile returned. She moved to the woman and shook her hand.

The woman turned to him, offering a greeting. In her free hand, she carried a couple of folders. “Nice to meet you, Officer Kincaid.”

“Likewise. So, what can I do for you?” The one thing he dreaded the most was domestic situations involving kids. He turned to Torres. The sheriff shook his head. Garrett's brows crunched inward. Now he was confused.

Sharon Gibson cleared her throat. “We're here because of your son in Kerrville.”

“Excuse me?” There was no way he'd heard that right. He glanced at the sheriff's grim face. “I don't have any children. I've never even lived in Kerrville.”

“You were married to Viviana Barrera Kincaid while in Houston, correct?”

“For a short time.”

She tilted her head. “Are you saying her son is not yours or that you are unaware of the boy, Garrett River Kincaid Jr.?”

The world stopped spinning. Where had his blood gone? Glancing down, he noted that his body looked intact. Muscles pricked as if drained.

The woman looked around. “Is there somewhere we can sit and talk?”

His mind had gone blank. Sit? She wanted somewhere to sit? Behind an invisible wall, he watched Anjelica pick up her dog. Words were exchanged.

She walked to her porch and disappeared into the house. The woman, Sharon Gibson with CPS, followed her onto the porch and sat on a rocking chair.

Commands from his brain went unheard by his body. Nothing worked. Frozen. Viviana had found a way to pull him into her drama all over again.

Torres stopped next to him, placing a firm hand on his upper arm. “I take it you didn't know about the boy. No one likes being blindsided.” The sheriff patted Garrett's tense shoulder. “Come on—we'll get this worked out.”

A son, no way. There had to be a mistake. Viviana, for all her faults, would have told him about a child. It had to be Ed's, her boyfriend she kept going back to. How could they know for sure that the boy was his? He was going to be sick. Deep breaths.

He followed Torres up the steps, not seeing anything but the folders on the low table between the chairs.

Anjelica pushed open the screen door. The hinges needed to be oiled. She sat a tray on the small table. “I have sugar and cream. Does anyone need something else, like water?”

Sharon smiled. “This is perfect, thank you.” She poured cream into her cup.

Garrett stared at the swirls of the white getting lost in the black liquid.

“Garrett?” Anjelica's voice brought him back to the present. The warmth and smile were gone. Now he got the same glare the chicken-chasing dog earned. He was a dog.

He shook his head. If he tried to drink or eat anything, it wouldn't stay down.

At the end of the porch, across from Sharon, Sheriff Torres sat on the swing and took a drink from his cup. “Sure you don't want coffee? Maybe some water?”

“I'll get you some water.” Anjelica disappeared into the house.

Sharon took a sip before she looked at him, a soft smile on her face. “So you were married to Viviana Barrera?”

Breathe, Garrett. You have to breathe.
He nodded. His throat too dry to make a coherent sound.

“Her son's name is Garrett River Kincaid Jr. You're listed as the father on his birth certificate. Family members also say you're the father.”

“Are you sure?” What kind of man didn't know he had a kid? Even his loser of a father stuck around for the first few years. “I didn't know.” His jaw hurt, but he made sure to keep his face calm. A clear mind and facts, that was what he needed to sort this out.

“This is an emergency situation. You can challenge with a DNA test if you want to, but the state uses the name on the birth certificate and acknowledges you as the legal father.”

Garrett looked at the curve of the rocker resting on the worn boards of the porch. What had Viviana done now? He cleared his throat, the need to explain, to make them understand, burning his gut.

He heard the creak of the screen door again and looked up. Anjelica handed him a water bottle. Fighting the urge to press the cold bottle against his neck, he rolled it between his palms. His landlady vanished inside the house again. “Why are you the one telling me this? Are they in trouble?” If CPS was involved, something had to be wrong.

Sheriff Torres leaned his elbows on his knees and Sharon took a deep breath. He wanted to yell at them to stop messing with him, but he sat and waited. He pressed his right thumb into the center of his left palm. He could hear the chickens in the yard and music playing somewhere in the house. None of it seemed real.

“There's a history of domestic violence with her current boyfriend.”

Viviana's life was a history of domestic violence, from the time she was born. The need to save her had eaten him for years.

“Yesterday a neighbor called to report shouting and gunshots. Two bodies were found. It looks as if he shot her, then turned the gun on himself. It's under investigation. The officers found the boy, Garrett, his baby sister and a dog hiding in the backyard.”

All the blood left his body. If Sharon kept talking, he didn't hear it. Viviana was dead. Grief and regret swamped him. She was dead and she had left children behind. Not just the one boy named Garrett Kincaid, but a daughter, too.
Oh, Viviana.

He ran his hands through his hair. “More than one?” He didn't understand. “How many children did she have? Are they Ed's?” This couldn't be real. “I can't imagine he allowed her to put my name as the father. This isn't making sense.”

The caseworker's brow drew closer and she gave him a questioning look. “Ed? I don't know who that is. The current boyfriend was James Barrow. He is the father of the little girl. She's ten months old. He was an auto mechanic and had a job in Kerrville until about a month ago. His family lives in Houston.”

He rubbed his face. “She moved on to someone worse?” Trying to figure out Viviana's love life wasn't important right now. Her children were now orphaned. What a mess, a living nightmare.

He took in one long breath, counting to seven. “Tell me what you know.” He looked Sharon in the face. If what she said was correct, the boy wasn't an orphan. Garrett's stomach rolled.

No, the boy had a father, and that would be him. Maybe. Just because Viviana put his name on the birth certificate didn't mean the boy was his, but he couldn't just leave them, either. From the first time he met her at the age of ten, he had been desperate to rescue Viviana from her life. Taking her children would be a way to do that, since she never allowed him to help her.

“The boy, Garrett River, just turned five. Pilar is the girl—she's ten months old. With the birth certificate, letters from the mother and other family members' statements, we have enough evidence to immediately place them with you if you're willing. It doesn't mean you're taking permanent custody of the girl. There will be a hearing for temporary placement that needs to happen rather fast. The courts will decide on that first, then permanent in six months.”

Custody and court dates? Garrett leaned back and closed his eyes. “I gave her an ultimatum. Viviana picked Ed. I left Houston, blocked her from my phone and filed for divorce.” He jolted from the rocking chair and paced along the edge of the porch. His muscles jumped under his skin, restless and tight.

Oh man, what if she'd tried to call and tell him about the pregnancy? He covered his eyes with his hands, pressing the palms hard against his eye sockets. He had been so set on not allowing her to use him again. His stubbornness could mean he had left a son behind. “What do I need to do now?”

“We need you to take immediate custody of the children.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Because you're a state trooper, a veteran and the state-acknowledged biological father of the first child, we could place Pilar with you if you're willing to take her. We would still have to go to court, but my hope is you agree to be the temporary solution. We still need to follow up with home inspections and parenting classes.”

Looking at the horizon, Garrett cleared all thoughts and concentrated on breathing.

Torres cleared his throat. “So he doesn't need a DNA test to claim the boy? Where are they now?”

“No, as far as we're concerned, he's the father. He'll only need the DNA test if he wants to challenge the birth certificate. Right now the kids are in an emergency shelter in Kerrville. We'd like to get them out of there as soon as possible. It's not designed for the care of infants and small children. There's no one that's capable of caring for the children on the mother's side of the family, and the father's side refuses to take them.”

“So you want me to take both of them.”

“We do prefer keeping them together whenever possible.”

He nodded. A baby needed a crib and a car seat... Well, he wasn't even sure what all a baby needed. The boy was only five. Did he need special equipment? “What timeline are you looking at for me to take the kids?”

“So you're willing to take both of the children?”