Return of the Prodigal Son (19 page)

“Was he the other guy?”

Donovan merely winked at him.

Taylor, sitting on her mother’s lap, turned her head. “Does this mean we can go back home now, Mama?”

“I don’t see why not. All your old friends will believe you now. And your schoolmates won’t have anything to tease you about anymore.”

“But where’s our home now?” Cory looked as unhappy as he had the first day Donovan had met him. “In the city or in the country?”

Andi glanced at Donovan, but it was impossible to read anything in his shuttered expression. She gave a sigh. “We agreed that we’d just stay for the summer, until it was time for school to start.”

“Don’t they have any schools in the country?”

“Of course they do, Cory, but…”

Andi was distracted when Taylor climbed down from her lap and walked over to Donovan. Like her mother she framed his big face with her pudgy little hands. She seemed fascinated with his swollen eye and bloody lip. “Does it hurt?”

“Not much.”

She was so serious. “If you’d like, Mama and I could take care of you until it’s all better.”

He experienced a quick tug on his heart. “Thank you, Taylor. That’s…very generous of you. But I think your mama’s got her hands full already.”

“No, she doesn’t.” Cory stood with his hands fisted at his sides. “She likes having you around. I can tell. And so do—” he stared down at the floor “—so do I.”

“Me, too,” Taylor said with a nod of her little head.

“Let me get this straight.” Donovan reached over and tilted Cory’s face up. “Are you saying you want me around? All the time?”

The boy met his eyes. “I know you’re used to being alone, but Taylor and I wouldn’t bother you much.”

“That’s right. Except when we’re chasing my woodchuck.” The little girl scrambled to stand beside her brother, closing her hand in his for courage.

If they were going to take a stand, they’d take it together.

“I told you earlier, Cory. I’m not your father.” Donovan was so intent upon choosing the right words, he failed to notice Andi slip from the room, blinking back tears.

Cory swallowed back his disappointment. “I know you’re not my dad. But I thought…I was hoping…”

Donovan dropped to his knees in front of the boy and girl. “I can’t ever take the place of your father. But I’d be proud and honored to marry your mom if she’d have me, and to be the best stepfather I could be. But only if that’s what the two of you want, as well.”

Cory’s eyes lit. “I wouldn’t mind if you married my mom.”

Taylor was nodding. “Then we could be like a family again.”

“That would mean you’d have to become part of my family, too.” Donovan glanced around the room to see his entire family watchful and silent. His sister Bren’s jaw had dropped. Cameron was grinning like a fool. Micah and Pru were holding hands and smiling.

“Wow. That’s neat.” Cory looked over at the smiling, handsome men who all resembled the man he’d begun to worship. “Would they be my aunts and uncles and grandparents and stuff?”

“They would. And Pop would be your great-grandfather.” Donovan was startled to see Kieran wipe a tear from his eye before walking deliberately toward him.

“There’s something I need to say, boyo.”

Donovan got to his feet, prepared to face whatever complaint the old man was about to make. “Sorry, Pop. I know I didn’t have any right—”

“Enough of that now.” Kieran cleared his throat. “I know you can’t talk about what you’ve done for all these years. But I’m so…” He cursed himself for the way his voice shook. “I’m so glad you’ve come home. You’ve put the light back in your mother’s eyes. And you’ve made this old man so proud of you.”

He caught his grandson in a fierce bear hug. Soon the two men were surrounded by the rest of their family, who took turns embracing first Donovan, then Kieran, before breaking into shouts and cheers.

It was, Donovan realized, the homecoming he’d always envisioned. A little late. But having Andi and the children here to share it made it even better.

Andi.

He glanced around and realized she was missing from the celebration. While the others milled about, laughing and talking in almost giddy tones, Andi was nowhere to be seen.

He turned to his family. “Has anyone seen Andi?”

Kate pointed. “I saw her heading out back to shoot some hoops.”

Cory looked puzzled. “Mom doesn’t play basketball, Donovan. What does it mean?”

“It means your mother has some rather deeply rooted aggression she needs to resolve. Or maybe I should say we need to resolve.” Donovan kissed Taylor’s cheek, then turned to Cory. “You and your sister stay here. I think this calls for some tactical maneuvers.”

“Yes, sir.”

The children watched as he walked from the room. As soon as he was gone, the entire Lassiter family gathered around Cory and Taylor and led them toward the kitchen windows overlooking the backyard, where they could watch and listen.

Donovan tucked his hands in his back pockets as Andi tossed the ball toward the basket. It fell far short, and she charged forward to retrieve it. Ignoring him, she tossed it again and missed.

“I don’t think basketball’s your game.”

She shot him a killing look and tried again. This time the ball rimmed the basket before rolling away. With a hiss of annoyance she charged forward once again and caught it, before giving a furious toss.

When it sailed through the hoop, Donovan chuckled. “Okay. Maybe it isn’t your game, but at least you’re getting the hang of it. Still, I think I like playing baseball with you better.”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes. Leave me alone, Donovan. I came out here to be by myself.”

“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

She turned, clutching the ball to her chest. “What isn’t?”

“Being alone. I ought to know. I’m the expert on it.”

She studied him a moment before dribbling the ball and running up to toss it in for another basket.

“Maybe I was wrong.” When she turned he was directly behind her. “Maybe this is your game.”

“Wrong. Games aren’t my thing.” She thrust the basketball against his chest and started away.

He tossed the ball aside and grabbed her arm, turning her to face him. “And relationships aren’t mine.”

She shrugged off his hands. Before she could open her mouth to protest, he added, “But I’m willing to learn.”

His words stopped her cold. “What are you saying, Donovan?”

“What I never thought I’d say to any woman. I’m in love with your kids, Andi.”

“Right. So much so that you don’t want to be their father.”

“Is that what you think?” He smiled as understanding dawned. “I get it. You heard me say I wasn’t their father, and then you left, before I told them how proud I would be if they were mine.”

“You said that?”

“Yeah. Right after admitting that I’m desperately in love with their mother.”

“You’re—” She blinked. “When did you come to this conclusion?”

“It took me a while. Probably a full minute after I met you. But I’m not sure when lust turned to something deeper. Maybe when I tasted your potato salad.” His smile faded. “Or maybe when Summerville had the kids snatched. I was afraid my heart would never be the same. And when you turned into Wonder Woman and came charging up to rescue me, I knew I’d met my perfect match.”

“So.” She gave him a long, slow look. “What do you intend to do about this?”

He shrugged. “That’s up to you. You need to know that I’m not an easy man to live with. I’m moody. I can spend hours at my computer, lost in my work. What’s worse, I’m a slob.”

“I’m compulsively neat. I’m happiest when I have a list of chores I can cross off when they’re completed every day.” She sighed. “Now tell me something I don’t know.”

He tensed. “All right. Time for some honesty here.” He stared into her eyes, willing her to understand. “There are dark places inside me that you’ll never understand, Andi. Places you can never go.”

He saw the look of concern in her eyes and wondered if his heart might stop beating entirely.

Slowly she reached a hand to his face. “I’ll miss you when you pull away from me. But I’ll try to be patient until you come out of the darkness.”

He took in a long, deep breath. “You’re an amazing woman, Andi Brady.” He had been, he realized, scared to death at the thought of his honesty driving her away.

A smile curved his mouth. “I’m thinking that we could keep our place in the country, and maybe buy a second house around here, so the kids could have the best of both worlds. You know. Aunts and uncles. Grandparents. A big noisy family. What do you think?”

She took a step back. “Are you talking about a long-term commitment here?”

“Well, yes. I was thinking—” he swallowed “—marriage.”

“Marriage. And you’re busy making plans without saying the words?”

“What words?”

Her lips turned into a pout. “The words a man uses when he wants to ask a woman to share his life.”

“Oh.” He grinned. “Those words. Andi, would you…”

She was already shaking her head. “I think you should get down on your knees. It’s so much more romantic.”

“You want romance? Find yourself a movie star.” Without warning he grabbed her by the upper arms and hauled her against him, covering her mouth with his in a kiss that curled her toes and sent heat rushing through her veins. Then he took it deeper, until she was breathless and clinging. “I love you, Andi Brady, more than life itself.” He spoke the words inside her mouth and she felt them all the way to her heart. “I want to grow old with you.” He kissed her cheek, her forehead, the tip of her nose. “I want to carry your daughter on my shoulders to her brother’s soccer games. I want to build a tree house in the woods, and spend nights up there with Cory and Taylor. I want your beautiful face to be the first thing I see every morning when I wake and the last I see every night. For as long as I live.”

“Oh, Donovan.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, knowing he’d just described heaven. “I can’t think of anything that would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you.”

She held on tightly as he lifted her off her feet and swung her around and around. By the time he set her down she was giddy as a child.

It was then that they heard the sound of cheering and looked up to see their family at the windows, laughing and waving. Cory and Taylor were jumping up and down with excitement.

Donovan drew her close. “I forgot what a pack of busybodies my family can be. Let’s say we pack up the kids and head on back to the woods.”

“Are you serious? It’ll be past midnight before we get there.”

“Yeah.” He gave her that heart-stopping smile that she’d come to love. “We’ll tuck the kids in and we’ll have hours of privacy before they wake up.”

She was laughing. “I love the way you think.”

Just then Cory and Taylor rushed out the door and down the steps, unable to contain their excitement any longer.

“If we’re getting married,” Taylor shouted, “are we going on a honeymoon?”

Cory’s eyes lit. “Yeah. Maybe someplace exotic. Like…Fiji.”

Donovan winked at Taylor. “I was thinking something more adventurous. Like Disney World.”

Andi saw the look of adoration in her daughter’s eyes and marveled at the feelings rocketing through her.

A year ago she had felt condemned to a life of sadness and loneliness. And now, in the space of a few short weeks, her life had been forever changed. And all because of this tough loner with the heart of gold, who had managed to win her over completely.

With a laugh she brushed her lips over his and felt the familiar rush of heat. “I think it’s a wonderful idea, Donovan.”

At that his mother blew a kiss while his sister, Bren, wiped a tear from her eyes. Kieran gave his grandson a thumbs-up, and his brothers were both grinning and nudging each other.

Andi tucked her hand in his and gave him a look of blinding love. “Let’s go home, Donovan.”

Home.

He looked around and realized that home wasn’t a place but a feeling. After a lifetime of wandering the world in search of his, he had found it right here. In these children’s eyes. In this woman’s touch. And finally, at long last, within his own mended heart.

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ISBN: 978-1-4603-5194-9

Return of the Prodigal Son

Copyright © 2002 by Ruth Ryan Langan

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.