Her Texas Hero (18 page)

Audra's focus was no longer on the call she'd made, but on the man standing next to her. “You love me?” she said in a surprised whisper.

“Mommy!” Her son's terrified scream filtered in through the open window.

Audra's head snapped around, her gaze searching the yard outside. She'd never heard Mason sound so panicked. In the distance, she heard Boone's frantic barking. So many things went through her mind all at once. None of them good.

“Lily!” her son's wail from somewhere beyond the pines had all the breath leaving her lungs.

Audra felt as though her legs were going to buckle beneath her. “Something's happened to Lily,” she gasped.

Carter was out the door in an instant.

“Audra?” her ex-husband said on the other end of the line.

“I have to go.”

Audra raced after Carter, whose long legs already had him disappearing into the small cluster of pines that grew in her backyard. Her heart was pounding and she still had the phone clutched in her hand.

“Where is she?” she heard Carter demand from somewhere near the pond.

She broke through the trees to see her wild-eyed son looking up at Carter, his face as white as a ghost.

“In the pond,” he sobbed, pointing toward the small body of water with its long-stemmed cattails and vibrant yellow patches of water lilies. “I only left her for a minute. When I came back she was paddling real hard. I thought she was coming out, but then she just stopped.”

Carter didn't wait for Mason to finish his explanation of what had happened. He shot past her son, charging into the water.

“No,” Audra said in a low, keening moan. Not her baby girl.
Dear God Almighty, please don't take my baby from me.
A few feet away from the grassy bank, the red ball her daughter had been kicking around the yard all afternoon bobbed up and down atop a cluster of bright yellow water lilies. Her gaze moved ahead of Carter, searching frantically for her daughter. And then she saw her. Facedown, long, golden brown hair fanning out around her. Boone was in the water with her, paddling around her.

Then Carter was there, reaching past the pup for her daughter, his deep voice calling out Lily's name as he turned her over. He checked to see if she was breathing, his tormented expression telling Audra that she wasn't. She watched, as if through a fog, Carter carrying her daughter out of the water. As he lowered Lily's pale, lifeless body to the deep green grass below, Audra prayed harder than she had ever prayed in her life.

* * *

“Call 911!” Carter shouted out as he bent over Lily to begin the CPR he'd been trained to do years before as a volunteer firefighter.
Please God, let her live.
Because at that moment there was no life in her tiny body.

Boone had followed them out onto the bank and was now pacing around them in worried whimpers. Carter began counting compressions. Behind him, Audra choked out her plea for help to the 911 operator. Mason stood a good distance away, sobbing loudly. At the end of the compressions, he gave two rescue breaths.

Breathe, baby girl, breathe, he thought in desperation as he paused to see if she'd begun to breathe on her own yet. She hadn't.

“Carter,” Audra pleaded as she sank onto her knees beside him.

He recalled the words she'd spoken that day he'd offered to teach her children to swim once the water warmed.
I trust you to keep my children safe.
Why hadn't he made the time to teach them sooner? Learning to swim in cold water was better than this. He began compressions again, silently praying for God's good grace.

Suddenly, Lily coughed and sputtered. Carter tipped her head to the side as water spilled from her blue-tinged lips. While she wasn't completely out of danger yet, she had a pulse and was breathing once more. Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer of heartfelt thanks to the good Lord for giving Lily back to them.

* * *

The second Carter stepped into the hospital room, Audra was in his arms, clinging to him like a lifeline. He ran a hand up and down her back, holding her tight as she sobbed against him. Then he saw the empty hospital bed and his heart dropped. “Lily?” he said, forcing the word out.

“They took her for some tests.”

Relief like he never knew it spread through him. “How is she?”

“Alive,” she said, looking up at him with her tear-streaked face. “Because of you.”

Tears bit at the backs of his eyes as he struggled to remain strong for her. “I love her,” he admitted. “Like she was my own flesh and blood. And I would do anything within my power to keep her safe.”

She nodded. “How is Mason?” she asked worriedly.

“All settled in at Millie's,” he replied with a tender smile. “She'll see to it he has all the coddling he needs while you're here.”

“Thank you.” She bit at her bottom lip. “I'm worried about him. I know he blames himself for not being able to save Lily.”

“We had a man-to-man talk about that on our way to Millie's. He understands now that accidents happen and that his sister is alive today because of his getting her help so quickly. He's gonna be just fine.”

“Thank you for that.”

He nodded. “Will you be okay if I step out of the room to call my brothers? They'll be wanting to know how Lily is.”

“You don't have to stay at the hospital,” she said, biting at her bottom lip as if holding back a plea for him to do otherwise.

“Darlin', I wouldn't be anywhere else. My place is right here by your side. And I'm not leaving until Lily can come home with us, however long it takes.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks. “You are so good to my children.”

Reaching up, he brushed a tear away from her damp cheek. “I'm really hoping they can be my children, too, someday very soon. But we'll have plenty of time to sort things out once we get Lily home. For now our focus needs to be on her and her alone.”

She nodded in agreement. “I used to pray Bradford would come to his senses and realize what it was he was giving up, but his actions led me to you.” She looked up into his eyes, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “And I couldn't love you more if I wanted to.”

His heart swelled with her admission. “That goes both ways, darlin'.” His daddy's words came back to him in that moment.
There's always hope beyond the storm.
His daddy had been right. Lowering his head, he brushed a sweet kiss over her lips. “You are my heart. That's why loving you comes so easily. And together we're gonna weather this storm and find that big, bright rainbow on the other side.”

“Go call your brothers,” she said, giving him a gentle shove, “before you have me bawling my eyes out all over again.”

“Can't have that now, can we?” he said with a teasing smile. “I won't be long.”

Carter made his way to the family waiting room, which was, at that moment, currently empty. He needed a moment alone. Needed to take a second to breathe now that he knew Lily was in good hands. Knew he needed to stay strong for Audra. But Lord help him, emotionally he was being pulled apart at the seams.

Sliding his cell phone from pocket of his still damp jeans, he frowned. He'd forgotten he'd had it with him when he'd gone into the pond after Lily. Calling his brothers would have to wait.

“Carter?”

He turned from pacing the waiting room to see his brothers standing in the open doorway. Emotion knotted up in his throat, making it hard to respond. He'd remained strong until the ambulance arrived and took Lily and Audra to the hospital. Even after he'd dropped Mason off at Millie's place on his way to the hospital. But now that the adrenaline had worn off and the reality of what had happened settled in, he was as shaky as a newborn foal.

“How's Lily?” Nathan asked as they stepped into the room, a brown paper bag clutched in one hand.

“They're monitoring her closely,” he said, his words raspy. “Because of the water she had in her lungs, she's at risk for pneumonia. They also need to see if there was any neurological damage done as a result of her...” The remainder of his words caught in his throat as the memory of Lily lying before him, lifeless, played through his mind.

Nathan stepped into the small family waiting area with Logan right on his heels, pulling Carter into a firm bear hug. Logan joined in, wrapping his long arms around them both.

“She's gonna be all right,” Logan said with more conviction than Carter had ever heard from him before.

They stepped apart and Carter dragged the sleeve of his shirt across his damp eyes. “I know she will,” he said with a nod, wanting desperately to believe it. “Because we were able to reach her immediately after it happened, thanks be to God, and to Mason, her odds of a full recovery are much better.”

“And to you,” Nathan reminded him. “I understand you had to do CPR on Lily.”

Carter nodded. “I've never been so scared in my life,” he admitted without shame. “It's been years since I've had to perform CPR and that had only been on a dummy. I was afraid I might not remember what to do and the life of Audra's little girl depended on my putting what I'd been trained to do back then into action. I knew I couldn't let her down.”

“And you didn't,” Logan said with an empathetic smile. “Audra has her little girl.”

Carter had to take a seat, settling himself into one of the beige, modular chairs that lined the waiting room wall. “She's gonna be my little girl, too,” he said as he sat back, dragging a hand down over his face. He looked up at his brothers, who were staring at him as if trying to process how he would manage that. Taking pity on them, he said, “When we get Lily home safe and sound, I'm gonna ask Audra to marry me. And, if she'll allow it, I'm gonna legally adopt Mason and Lily and be the daddy they both deserve.”

“Just when I was considering asking Audra to marry me,” Logan said with a playful sigh.

“Gonna have to get in line behind me,” Nathan added.

Carter knew better. Marriage anytime in the near future was the furthest thing from Nathan's mind. And with all his talk about this female and that, Carter knew his younger brother was still hung up on his first love. But their teasing jests helped to ease some of the emotional tension gnarled up inside him. “I know Momma raised us boys to share, but that's not happening in this case. You're gonna have to go find your own women to propose to.”

“But you're getting yourself a package deal,” Logan protested. “A sweet, beautiful wife and a couple of really great kids all in one shot.”

“That I am,” Carter answered with a widening grin.

Nathan placed the bag he had in his hand onto a nearby table. “You'd best make use of these if you wanna keep Audra thinking fond thoughts of you.”

He looked to the bag. “What is it?”

“A change of clothes. Figured you could use it.”

“No doubt about it now,” Logan said, screwing up his face. “He smells like he bathed in a mixture of fish and muck.”

“I do?” Carter said, frowning as he looked down at his sodden clothes. And to think he'd been holding Audra in his arms smelling that way.

Nathan chuckled. “He's only yanking on your reins. You don't smell
that
bad.”

He certainly hoped not. Smelling like pond muck and fish was not the way to make a woman want to spend the rest of her life with you. And that's exactly what he intended to do.

Chapter Twelve

W
ith Lily home recovering from what could have been a tragic accident, Audra's thoughts turn to the man who had saved her daughter's life and the words he'd spoken to her at the hospital.
I'm really hoping they can be my children, too, someday very soon.
Another man's children, yet Carter loved them, protected them, as if they were his very own. He loved her.

Yet, she couldn't forget that she had trusted in love once and it had gone so terribly wrong. Her choices had caused her children emotional pain. But Carter wasn't Bradford. Not even close. He would never abandon her or her children. She believed that wholeheartedly. And, more importantly, she trusted him. Not only with their lives, but also with her carefully guarded heart.

True to his word, Carter had been at that hospital every single evening of Lily's stay, even after that stay had been extended by the onset of pneumonia. She was certain he would have been there more, but Audra had insisted he not miss any work, that she and Lily would be fine. After a good amount of grumbling, he finally conceded.

Millie, bless her dear, giving heart, didn't just offer to keep Mason for her, seeing him off to school each day, but Boone, as well. It worked out well, because Katie came there every day after school and stayed until Nathan finished working and came to pick her up. Carter did the same with Mason, picking him up after work and bringing him in to the hospital to spend time with Audra and Lily, sometimes with a carryout from Big Dog's to give her and Lily a break from hospital food. Then he'd take her son back to Millie's to get ready for bed and he'd return to the hospital to sit with her and Lily couple more hours before finally going home. Even when her daughter's stay ended up lasting longer than expected as Lily came down with pneumonia, Carter was there for her.

She'd gone from seeing him every day during Lily's recovery to only two times that past week as he and Nathan were in the opening phase of construction on the rec center. And oh, how she missed him. Did he feel the same? Or had everything they'd gone through with Lily had him rethinking what it was he really wanted?

Audra pushed those niggling doubts away. If she didn't have faith in what she and Carter had together, then she didn't deserve him. But she did long to see him. Maybe, just maybe...

Pulling her phone from her purse, she dialed Carter's cell and waited to leave him a message, asking him to call her back whenever he had time. Only, much to her surprise, he answered her call.

“Afternoon, darlin',” he drawled.

His greeting brought a smile to her face. She had become quite fond of hearing him call her that. Even if
darlin'
was quite commonplace in Texas. There was still a world of difference in hearing Carter call her that as opposed to the butcher in the grocery store.

“I'm sorry to bother you while you're at work.”

“No bother,” he said. “As a matter of fact, you can call me anytime it suits you. I like hearing that sweet voice of yours. Everything okay?”

“Yes,” she said, blushing. “Everything's fine. I was just wondering if you might be free for dinner tonight. If not, it's okay. I know you and Nathan have been putting in some long hours this week.”

“We have, but a man needs a good home-cooked meal every once in a while. Dinner sounds great. I was gonna stop by this evening anyhow. Been missing you like crazy, darlin'.”

“Same here,” she said softly.

“I have a few ends I need to tie up before I can get there. Does six work for you?”

“Six is perfect. I'll see you this evening.”

* * *

Carter made his way up to Audra's house, a large bouquet of red roses in one hand, a smaller version of them in the other. He'd no sooner stepped up onto the porch when the screen door flew open and Mason, Lily and Boone raced outside to greet him.

Kneeling, he accepted their welcoming hugs as well as a couple of wet puppy kisses to his cheek. Holding the smaller bouquet out to Lily, he said, “These are for you. They're get-well-soon flowers.”

She smiled and brought them to her nose, giving them a big sniff. “They smell good. And they're pretty, too.”

“Pretty girls should have pretty flowers.” He glanced around. “Speaking of which, where can I find your momma?”

“You can find her right here,” Audra called out to him from the other side of the screen door. Pushing it open, she said, “Mason, why don't you go help your sister find a vase to put her flowers in? I think there might be a couple under the kitchen sink.”

“Okay.” He turned to Lily. “Come on.”

Lily followed, admiring her fragrant bouquet as she went. Boone trailed behind them, tail wagging happily.

“That was sweet of you,” Audra said.

“Yep, that's me,” he said with a teasing grin. “Sweet yet manly cowboy.”

She laughed as she held the door open for him. “I'm so glad you could make it tonight.”

So was he. Straightening, Carter moved toward her, feeling like a man who'd been lost in the desert and had just found himself a cool drink of water. The second he stepped foot inside the house, Audra threw her arms around his neck in a welcoming hug. “I've missed you.”

“Darlin',” he murmured, returning her embrace. When the hug ended, he chuckled. “Now that's the kind of greeting a man could get used to after a long day's work.”

“I'll have to keep that in mind,” she said with a smile.

“These are for you,” he said, pulling the much larger bouquet of red roses from behind his back. Flowers that he'd had bound with a delicate lace ribbon. “I have it on good authority that red's your favorite color.”

“It is,” she said, her smile widening. “Carter, they're beautiful!”

“No, you're beautiful.”

“A girl could get used to such lovely flattery.”

He chuckled. “I'll keep that in mind. What do you think of the ribbon I chose?” he said, nodding toward the bouquet. “I picked it out special just for you.”

He watched as her gaze dropped to the delicate lace fixings at the base of the flowers. The moment he knew she'd seen the gold band with its single solitaire diamond tied to the bouquet with a strip of that same delicate lace ribbon, he dropped down onto one knee.

“Carter,” she gasped as he reached out to untie the ring from the lace, holding it up to her.

“I know we haven't known each other all that long, but I've come to love you. I find myself counting the hours until I get to see you again and then resent how quickly time passes whenever I'm with you. I wanna be able to spend each and every day with you and your children and that overzealous pup of theirs. Audra Marshall,” he said, reaching for her hand, “will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Before she could answer, a car pulled up the drive, drawing their gazes that way. “Oh, no,” she gasped as the car came to a stop in front of the house.

“Darlin'?”

“It's Bradford.”

He shot to his feet, his brows furrowed into a frown. “Your ex-husband?”

“Yes.”

“What does he want?”

She shrugged, biting at her bottom lip. “I don't know.”

They watched as Bradford stepped out of a sleek, red sports car and walked with an overinflated confidence to the porch.

Audra reached for the door.

“I'm going out there with you,” Carter muttered unhappily.

“I'd rather you didn't,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “This is something I need to do on my own.”

“I don't like it.”

She rose up to brush a kiss over his lips. “Trust me, Carter. Please.”

He gave a reluctant nod, wanting to respect her request, but it wasn't easy. So he waited there in the entryway while the woman he loved went outside to talk to the man she'd once been married to.

“Hello, Audra,” he heard the man say.

“What are you doing here, Bradford?” she replied, lacking her usually welcoming tone.

“I came to check on my daughter.”

“We've been over this before. She's not
yours
any longer. Lily nearly died almost a week ago. You knew that because I left you a message telling you so. I should've learned my lesson the first time when our daughter nearly died from that burst appendix and you couldn't spare her a minute of your time.”

Carter pressed a hand to the wall and hung his head, fighting back the rage at hearing what Bradford had done. Or not done, as was the case. Lily could have died. How could the man not have been there when his daughter needed him the most?

“I had no choice. I had to work to keep a roof over our heads back then,” he heard Bradford reply. “But I've moved up at the firm and have the ability to rearrange my schedule, if need be. I did just that so I could fly down here and be with you and our children during Lily's medical crisis.”

“A week after the fact,” she said coolly. “Nothing's changed.”

“I know you're angry with me, Audra, but you have to believe me when I tell you I have changed. It took your walking out of my life to realize what I'd lost. I've cut back on the time I spend working. I even stopped drinking for you.”

“You stopped drinking
for me
?” she repeated.

Carter couldn't get a read on her feelings at that moment. Audra had been so torn over breaking her wedding vows and divorcing Bradford. Would guilt, maybe even some deeply buried feelings, carry her back to him if he truly were a changed man? His fingers moved over the diamond ring he had clutched in his hand.

“I'm ready for us to be a real family,” her ex went on. “You and I both know it's what God would want.”

Carter's jaw clenched. The man was using her faith to try and influence Audra's decision. If he stood there any longer, he wouldn't be able to keep from giving in to the urge to step outside with Audra and wrap a possessive arm around her waist to let her ex know her heart was no longer his. It belonged to Carter.

But it didn't. Not completely. Audra had yet to accept or reject his proposal of marriage. Turning away from the door, he strode through the house and past the kids, who were busy filling up a vase with water in the kitchen. Slipping out the back door and down onto the patio, Carter dragged in a deep, calming breath.

Trust me, Carter.

After long moments of pacing, he stopped and lifted his face to the sky. “Lord, give me the strength to let her go if that's what Audra chooses.”

“Audra chooses you.”

His head snapped around to find her standing there on the porch, a deep tenderness in her pretty amber eyes.

“And Bradford?”

She smiled. “Is on his way back to Chicago.” She stepped down from the porch, moving toward him. “I never truly knew what love was until I met you. Bradford will always be a part of my past, but you, Carter Cooper, are my future. So in answer to your earlier question, yes, I would love nothing more than to be your wife.”

“Darlin',” he said as he drew her into his loving arms, “I want the whole package, as my brothers would say. You and the kids. How would you feel about my legally adopting Mason and Lily and giving them my last name?”

“Oh, Carter,” she said, thick tears springing to her eyes.

“Am I gonna have to fetch a bucket?” he teased with a loving grin.

“Most definitely.”