The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing #5)(36)

“I didn’t say that so you’d say you love me, too. It took me a long time to even be open to the idea of loving someone. Sheila was stronger and better at moving on—she married an attorney who is much more like her. He’s a former cop, a smart and socially conscious man. They worked together, fell in love, married, had a couple of kids. One of them will eventually run for office, I’d bet my kidney on it. But when I met you and Noah, I knew in a day I had found a woman to love. I wanted to love and protect you both.”

“But would you love me if I didn’t have Noah?” she asked. “Because you lost a child and Noah is so vulner—”

“So smart and vulnerable and funny and sweet, and that’s the scariest part for me. Can you imagine what would become of me if we lost him? It’s almost enough of a reason to deny myself a relationship with you! But I can’t. I knew in twenty-four hours that if I could somehow manage to be the man you wanted, I was in. But I also knew you’d have to be willing to live with this ghost of mine. I believe it’s called baggage and it’s hefty. I’m damaged—”

“No, you’re not,” she said. “No more than any of us. In fact, I think it’s what makes you special. I’m so sorry for what you went through but I don’t think of you as wounded. You’re gentle and kind and stronger than anyone I know. You’re good for Noah but you’re also good for me. Still, I think giving it at least the summer is a good idea—who knows what we might discover about each other once we dig beneath the surface? We deserve a chance to see if we can be good for each other.”

“I know you’ll be good for me,” he said. “The question is, will this broken man weigh you down? Because I’m tired of feeling crippled and sore. I want to be good for someone. I want to be good for you.”

“You have been so far,” she said.

“Promise me,” he said, lifting her chin with a bent finger. “Don’t accept me out of pity or because you think you can fix me. I was quiet and a little moody before I lost Brayden. That didn’t bother Sheila. She said she was happy to do all the talking.”

Hannah smiled. “I can’t wait to meet this woman. Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

“Not that I can think of, thank God. I’m sure that was a big enough load.”

“Good. Then let’s go to bed and hold on to each other. I need some rest. I have to go into town tomorrow and get some referrals from Leigh Shandon. Even though I’ve kept up with Noah’s exercises the past few weeks, it’s important not to ignore his therapy protocol. We have to get back in the program.”

“Good. Even though we’ve been having fun, I haven’t forgotten he needs routine therapy. And listen, if you’d rather have some space tonight, to think over all the stuff I just dumped on you...”

“Don’t push it, Owen. Come to bed. Love me. I could use a little reassurance.”

He grinned at her. “Amazing. I didn’t scare you off.”

  It happened to her again—a missed call from Wyatt. Well, when you were having summer at the lake with your best guys, you didn’t look at your phone much. The only other calls she’d gotten were from Kate, Sharon and a couple of other friends who just wanted to check on her and see how she was doing. There were also a couple of numbers she didn’t recognize, which she chalked up to telemarketers. No messages, no texts. She’d looked at her email about once a week. She didn’t miss it at all.

Wyatt must have lost control of his phone. Another pocket dial. If he wanted to reach her for some reason, he could text or leave a message but he hadn’t. And she found she had no desire to text him, hear from him. She definitely had no desire to see him.

She’d been prepared to marry him and now, because of Owen, she realized she hadn’t had the depth of love and trust a lifetime commitment required. She had let it be enough that she usually felt happy when they were together. Usually.

Then Owen came along. Owen made her feel brand-new. Fresh, happy and utterly safe. She felt as though anything was possible.

With each passing day, it was easier for her to ignore Wyatt’s accidental call and not give him a thought. She was exactly where she wanted to be.

  Hannah took Noah into Timberlake to visit the doctor, giving Owen some time to work. Leigh was very encouraging by echoing what his neurologist had told her before they left Madison—his case was very mild and with the right therapy, possibly medication, possibly Achilles tendon surgery after puberty, he would probably walk without leg braces. He might have a lifelong hitch in his step...or not. But he was so fortunate that was all he was dealing with. A large percentage of those afflicted with CP had seizures, had full-body involvement, had other affected areas of the body from speech to mobility and would never leave a wheelchair. Leigh called Maggie Sullivan, Sully’s daughter, who was a neurosurgeon, to get her recommendations on doctors and therapists, and Maggie also suggested a counselor she knew—someone to help Noah with grief counseling and adaptation to relocating and dealing with a disability. “I’m prone to do too much as opposed to too little. We’ll drop out some of the players as we go along,” Leigh said.

“I agree,” Hannah said. “Let’s cover all the bases. Especially now, when it’s summer and school is out.”

Hannah thought that Romeo was probably the best counselor of all. What luck that was.