REGENCY: Loved by the Duke (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Short Stories) (44 page)

Chapter 6

Brian’s procedure was scheduled for next week.  Chemotherapy had to continue until all of the cells were killed. Thomas had to be the voice of reason and peace. He told Brian that he was going to be ok. He couldn’t tell him just yet that he was his father. Thomas cried when he saw him. He was bald and looked emaciated. 
No 11 year old should look like this.
  He continued to love and support Tina. When all of this was over, he would be the man that she deserved and would be a good father to his child.

Brian was prepped and ready for surgery. “One week seemed to fly by pretty quickly,” he said as he held Tina in his arms. He kissed her forehead.

“How’s the divorce going?”

Brian sighed, “It is actually ok. Katy and I were always friends. I mean she was attractive but my heart belonged to someone else.” He said as he kissed her. She kissed him back. They saw Brian being wheeled into surgery. They began to hope for the best. Her parents were also there. When Thomas came back into her life, they were appalled. How dare he just come back like that! But as the days progressed, they warmed up to him and understood why he did what he did. They still haven’t fully forgiven him though and sometimes shot dirty looks in his direction.

A few hours later, the surgery was over. One of the attending walked into the waiting room. He roomed the mask and faced everyone.

“I am here to tell you that the surgery was a success and that he is recovering now. The transplant was fine and he seems to be rapidly improving. I have never seen anything like this in my entire life.”

“When can we visit him?”

“You can visit him now if you’d like, be aware that he is a bit groggy so some of the words won’t make sense.”

“Great! Thank you doctor!”

They headed to the room. Thomas decided that the room that he was currently in was below what he deserved and had the hospital make the pediatric ward more comfortable for his son. There were toys in the room and Brian was surrounded by everything that he loved.

“Mom?” he asked as he looked for her. She immediately rushed to his side and held her hands. She began to cry.

“Mommy, can I go home now?” She began to stroke his head.

“They are going to monitor you for a few days and when that is over, you can come home.”

He looked around him and smiled. He realized that the room was personalized just for him. He smiled. Tina was so glad that he was happy.

“Wow! All of that for me!” He was delighted. “But who did this?”

Tina smiled at him and held his hand, “You father did all of this for you.”

Chapter 7

Brian was running around in the yard of his new home. He was now living in a mansion in Thornpike Avenue and was attending one of the best schools in the area. He loved his new life and most of all, he loved getting to know his father. He had all the toys that he could ever want. And his mother was glad that now he was completely healthy. Tina watched him run around in the yard and was pleased to have her son back. Thomas ran after Brian and Brian ran faster as he realized that he was being pursued. Thomas was finally happy. For the first time in a long time, he remembered what love is like. His wife ran after the both of them and they then ran faster. Thomas tackled Brian and then pulled Tina into the pile. They were finally all together and were a happy family.

“Dad?” he asked.

“What’s the matter, Brian?”

“Thank you,” he said as he kissed his cheek. He picked him up and began flying him like an airplane.  He spread his arms out and enjoyed the moment. He then put him down and Brian ran away.

Thomas walked up to Tina and kissed her. “Oh! I can’t wait for when he has naptime so then we can have our naptime,” he gave her a suggestive look and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheeks.

“Do we get to cuddle after we nap?” He turned her around and kissed her, “That’s the best part.”

At the end of the day, Tina finally got everything that she wanted. She was now her own boss and ran her own company. She was fired in the midst of her struggle because the company was losing clientele but now she could buy the company if she wanted to. Her parents were glad that she had someone who could finally take care of her and love her. It was also bonus that he was very wealthy and paid for their trips around Europe and the Caribbean.

Thomas ended up making more money now that he had the correct motivation behind him. He was a settled man who had it all. He loved Tina with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength and was grateful to be by her side once again. Their love grew with each passing day and he was able to make up for the many years that he missed.

“I am so proud of you! You are a great father and an excellent man to me. I love you so much.”

He looked at her and was moved by her words. He seemed to be bothered by something. He paced around in his steps and tried to find the words but they seemed to elude him. He then found the courage, cleared his throat and began to speak, “Tina, I still do not understand. From the first moment that I saw you, I was in love with you. You were different from any other girl that I had ever known and something just told me that you were right for me. I could never love anyone else, the way I love you.”

“Oh! Thomas! I am glad you feel that way because there is something that I want to say.”

“So, do I.” He got down on one knee, “It’s time that I make an honest woman out of you. Tina, will you marry me?”

“Yes! Yes I will marry you!”

Her face was painted with a smile, her eyes widened and sparkled. Finally, she would get to be a Mrs. In the middle of the excitement, she could not contain herself and blurted out, “I am pregnant again, Thomas.”

He walked up and kissed her, “That’s great! I will be there for you this time around. I am not going anywhere because I know that I have found what I have been looking for.”

THE END

Chapter 1

“Are you sure we’re going the right way, Mr. Fulbright? Not that I doubt your skills at the reins, however, we have been on the road for several hours now and still no sight of…”

 
 
 
A wrinkled hand waved in the air, interrupting Charlotte’s words. The hand pointed at a shape just visible against the bright California horizon. She knew it was December, almost Christmas even, but she would never get used to the balmy weather and blue skies. She looked around, missing the sight of snow, and sighed.

 
 
 
“And what were you saying, Miss Charlotte? No sight of what?” There was a hint of snark in Mr. Fulbright’s raspy old voice, and Mrs. Fulbright reached out with a gloved hand, tapping him lightly in mock censure.

 
 
 
“Hush, now, Jasper. Don’t tease the poor girl. She’s just trying to find her man. I think it’s just so romantic, remember when we were like that? So young and reckless and burning with love for each other.”

 
 
 
The look that they shared, so tender, so sweet, had tears pricking painfully at the corner of her bright grey eyes. They could be as soft as mist in the morning or as hard as steel, and at the moment, as they alighted on the shape of the city just barely visible in the distance, they carried hope.

 
 
 
It was true, she was here, hitching rides with strangers out to a strange city, in the hopes of finding her husband. Sawyer McCain. Just the thought of his name had her chest tightening painfully. It had been a less than conventional wedding, to be true.

 
 
 
She had been running from a past that seemed to be waiting for her around every corner, intent on dragging her down. Alone and penniless, she had seen an ad for a company that helped women find respectable husbands, and they were willing to pay. The only catch was that she would have to leave her home on the east coast and travel west.

 
 
 
Of course, Charlotte had heard the stories, everyone had. The rough wilderness, the savage Indians and even more savage outlaws. But when she had thought of the west, all she could hear was freedom, a fresh start, and a small part of her, adventure. It had to be better than living on the streets, ending up doing god knows what. She didn't want that type of life for herself.

 
 
 
So she had contacted the company, and within two weeks she had a bank note in one hand and a ticket in the other. She was heading out west, toward her new life and her new husband. Charlotte also knew what some people thought of that type of service. Mail order brides, they called them. But she had shaken her head at all that. It didn’t matter to her, as long as he was kind. And Sawyer had ended up being so much more than that.

It was so easy to raise his image in her mind, the only thing she’d had to keep her company the past two long and lonely months. His honey blond hair and laughing green eyes. He had always looked like he had a secret, and he might just be willing to let you in on it. The first time she had seen him, she’d been knocked speechless. He was nothing like the old man she pictured, bearded and more than just a little round, probably with several warts.
             

Instead she had been introduced to the most handsome man she had ever met. And he was her husband! They had gotten along right away, his cheerful optimism a natural foil to her slightly more cynical realism. Sawyer had made her see the world in a different way, in a better way.

He had always been tinkering with things, fixing things, or just taking them apart to see how it worked. She remembered last Christmas she had gotten him a fob watch engraved with their initials, and he had only been able to wait three days before all its parts had been spread out on the table. He had put it back together, but couldn’t make it work anymore, even though he had worn it every single day since then.

Charlotte sighed to herself. Her husband, who she had come to love so desperately over the past year, and here she was chasing after him in the back of a rickety old wagon. He had gotten gold fever, as people called it. Leaving everything and everyone behind in the hopes of striking it rich out in the mountains of California.

He’d been gone for almost two months and they had been the longest two months of her life. Especially now. Carefully, she placed one hand over her still flat stomach. But she knew. She had known for weeks now. She was pregnant. It must have happened right before he left, but now he needed to come home. And Charlotte was going to make sure he got there, even if she had to tie him up and drag him there herself.

A sudden sound interrupted her thoughts, had her looking up sharply as smoke cleared from the brush just off the road a few yards to the left.

“Mr. Fulbright, what was–.”

“Everyone, put your hands up, and no one will get hurt.”

Charlotte’s heart sank at the roughly spoken words. Bandits! She looked over and she could just make out the shape of the city, of safety.

A man materialized next to wagon, dressed all in black. He even had a black cloth tied around his face with small holes cut out for the eyes and mouth. Her eyes trailed down his body, appreciating the strength in his shoulders and broad chest.
Stop it. This is no time for that!
Charlotte thought frantically as a wicked looking gun was pointed in her direction. They all put their hands up and climbed off of the wagon.

“Now, just give me any money or valuables you have and we can all be on our way.”

Mr. Fulbright went to grab a small change purse but the robber had stopped, his gaze fixated on Charlotte. Something in his body language told her he was shocked, or surprised by something, but she had no idea by what. Finally, she shrugged.

“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t have anything to give you. I spent all my money to get out here chasing after my husband.”

“And... why would you do that?” he asked, his voice gruff behind the mask.

Charlotte shrugged. “I’m going to have his child, and it is about time he came home.”

The outlaw cleared his throat roughly before shaking his head. He took a hasty step back, and then another. Charlotte could see his skin go ghost white under the black fabric but he turned around, waving a hand toward them.

“Go.” The word was muffled.

“What? What did you say?” Charlotte asked, sharing a look of confusion with the Fulbrights.

“Just…go. I changed my mind.” He said, waving at them again. “I’m not going to rob you.”

“Um, thank you.” She said slowly, and took a hesitant step toward the wagon. When it was clear he wasn’t going to make a move toward the gun now holstered at his hip, they scrambled onto the wagon and took off with a snap of the reins.

Mrs. Fulbright cast one long look over her shoulder. “Well, that was the strangest robbery I’ve ever heard of.”

Charlotte just nodded, her hands once more wrapped protectively around her middle.