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  “I fell in love with your dad the first time I laid eyes on him.” Irene smiled. “When he spoke to me, I thought I’d melt right on the spot. It wasn’t long before we were spending all our free time together. Six months into the relationship, I got pregnant.”

  “How did he react?”

  “He was happy about the baby and insisted we get married right away. Etienne was there when we told my parents. My father was furious, but your dad stood up to him. Things were good until we lost little Jon. That’s when things changed for us. When I couldn’t take the hurt anymore, I left. Deep down I thought he would come after me, but he didn’t.”

  “Why didn’t you go back?”

  “My pride wouldn’t let me,” Irene admitted. “Before the ink was dry on our divorce papers, Etienne started parading Eleanor around town. That was the last straw for me. I couldn’t stay in Charleston, so I left.”

  “Any regrets?”

  “I shouldn’t have put a wedge between you and your father.” Irene wiped her mouth on a napkin. “I owe Etienne an apology.”

  “Maybe you should reconsider talking to Dad.”

  “I’m considering it.”

  Austin picked up two paper cups. “Coffee or tea?”

  “Coffee, thanks.”

  He poured a generous amount into each mug, then handed one to Irene.

  Despair gripped Austin. He could live with the fact that Bree was disappointed in him, but he could not live with losing her love. He could live with co-parenting Emery with her, but Austin could not live with the idea of her not trusting him. Her love and respect meant a lot to him.

  But he was not going to give in to his desolation. Austin was going to win back Bree’s love, respect and trust.

  * * *

  Austin and his mother did some sightseeing the next morning. Irene wanted to visit the lake Bree talked about.

  “It’s beautiful out here,” she said.

  Austin agreed.

  The sprawling grounds of Lake Roseville beckoned to families and featured an assortment of rustic campsites and impressive villas. They glimpsed a couple of people riding through the wooded area by horseback.

  “It says that the water in Lake Roseville comes from Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.”

  “This is where Bree grew up?” Irene asked.

  “She lived here with her grandmother for a short time,” Austin said. “Bree ended up in the system after the woman passed away.”

  Irene snapped a few photographs before they left.

  Next, he took her to a boutique so that she could purchase a few souvenirs for friends back home.

  They drove the short distance to the house.

  “You go on inside,” he told his mother. “I need to make a couple of phone calls.”

  He called Jordin and filled her in on everything that had been going on.

  “Hey, I need you to do me a favor,” he said.

  “What do you need?”

  “I need to have a document drawn up regarding Emery.”

  “What do you want it to say?”

  After the call, Austin stepped out of the SUV and made his way to the porch. He heard laughter coming from the back of the house and followed the sound.

  He found them, together, on the ground with heads bent, pulling out weeds and depositing them in a basket while Emery played with a ball. Austin indulged himself and watched.

  They were laughing and chatting. His mother said something under her breath, and Bree’s laughter floated across the air to him.

  He smiled in response to the happy sound. He loved the sound of her laughter. Humor chased the shadows from her eyes, reminding him of the way they used to be with one another. Austin had missed hearing her laugh.

  When she spotted him, Bree gestured for him to join them.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said.

  “You’re not,” she responded, a glint of humor finally returning to her gaze. “You’re more than welcome to help us with the yard. Make yourself useful.”

  Austin turned up his smile a notch. “I was just looking at that rake and thinking that I should probably put it to use.”

  “I’m sure,” Bree murmured.

  Amusement flickered in the eyes that met his. “Emery, come help me get up the leaves.”

  “‘Kay...” The little boy ran over to Austin. “I help.”

  He could feel Bree’s eyes on him as he raked the yard. She still loved him; Austin was sure of it.

  She handed Austin a large plastic bag. “You can put them in here.”

  “Thank you.”

  He began raking, gathering up the leaves that had fallen. When Austin neared Bree, she glanced over her shoulder and said to him, “I don’t know if Emery’s helping or playing.”

  “I think it’s a combination of both.”

  They laughed.

  “Do you have a printer here?” Austin inquired after checking his text messages.

  “Yes.”

  “Jordin just sent you some documents in an email. I need you to print them out.”

  She swallowed hard, then as casually as she could manage, she said, “I’ll check to see if I have them.”

  “What’s this?” Bree asked when she returned minutes later.

  “Proof of everything I’ve been telling you.”

  She read over the legal document, then looked up at him. “Am I understanding this correctly? You’re not going to contest the adoption?”

  “No. I just want my name on the birth certificate and shared legal custody.” Austin paused a moment before saying, “I told you that I wouldn’t take Emery from you, Bree.”

  “Austin, I wanted you to be in Emery’s life,” she said, “but I was afraid of losing him if things didn’t work out between us.”

  “Regardless of what happens, we will always be his parents.”

  Her luminous eyes widened in astonishment. “Thank you for this.”

  “It was the right thing to do.”

  Bree wrapped her arms around him. “I can’t put into words what this means to me, Austin. I was so afraid of losing my son. I should’ve trusted you.”

  “It’s in the past,” he responded. “Let’s just move forward.”

  She and Austin took an afternoon stroll after lunch. This time Bree took him in another direction.

  “I want to show you something.” They crossed the street and stood in front of the steps of a church, staring up at the arched doorways and boarded-up windows. “St. Matthew’s...this is where my grandmother used to go to church. This building closed down a few years ago. They used to rent the house for guest pastors.”

  “Why did they close?”

  “The pastor died and I guess they just couldn’t get it together after his death.” After a moment, she said, “Austin...”

  He looked at Bree. “Yes.”

  “You look like you have something on your mind. Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine,” Austin responded. “I just want this tension between us gone for good.”

  She took his hand in her own. “I told you that I would try and I meant it. What you did for me today...this helps a lot.”

  “I miss the way we used to be.”

  “So do I,” Bree confessed.

  Austin checked his watch. “We should head back. It’s almost time to take Mom to the airport.”

  That evening they made the trip to Atlanta.

  He glanced into the rearview mirror and smiled. His mother and Emery were both napping.

  “I think they were asleep before we left Roseville.” Bree reached over and gave his hand a light squeeze. “I really enjoyed spending time with your mother.”

  At the airport Irene gave Austin a hug and whispered, “You need to marry this girl. She’s the one for you.�
�

  Emery and Bree said their farewells.

  On the way back to Roseville, Austin thought about his mother’s words. For the past couple of days, he had been thinking more and more about marriage. There was no doubt in his mind.

  Austin wanted to marry Bree. Not because she was the mother of his son, but because he loved her more than life itself.

  But how could he convince Bree of this?

  Chapter 20

  The next morning Bree and Emery met Austin at the hotel for breakfast.

  “Something’s come up with one of my clients,” he announced. “I’d planned to stay until the weekend, but I have to leave after we eat.”

  “Then Emery and I are leaving, as well,” she responded. “It’s time for us to go home. If you give me an hour, I can pack and be ready to go.”

  “I can do that.”

  They finished eating and went to their cars.

  Austin followed Bree to the house.

  He packed up Emery’s things while she emptied out the refrigerator.

  Bree moved quickly through the house.

  An hour later they were ready to leave.

  “So, what happens now?” Austin asked as he carried a sleeping Emery into Bree’s house in Charleston. They had been on the road for several hours. He was glad to be back.

  “We have the paternity test done and make it official,” Bree stated.

  “I still want us to be a family.”

  “I promise I’ll think about everything you’ve said.”

  “Yes.” He touched her cheek. “Our son deserves to have both parents in the home.”

  “Our son...” she repeated. “It’s going to take some time for me to get used to the idea of Emery as our child.”

  “I understand how you feel.”

  Bree glanced up at him. “I suppose you do in some way.”

  He looked at Emery. “When do we tell him?”

  “Once we’re back on solid ground.”

  Austin wrapped his arms around her midriff. “I have one favor to ask of you. Please don’t let this come between you and Jordin.”

  Bree smiled. “I’m not. I plan to give her a call later today. We’ll talk it out.”

  “I really do love you.”

  She put her arms around his neck. “I believe you, Austin.”

  He kissed her to satisfy his burning desire and aching need to feel her lips against his own. Austin drank in the sweetness of her kiss.

  * * *

  Although it was Thursday, it felt more like a Monday, Austin thought as he entered his office. Most likely because he’d been in Georgia for a little over a week and this was his first day back. He shifted his position in his chair, hoping to ease the ache between his shoulder blades.

  He’d spent the morning answering constant phone calls, new emergencies cropping up, and now that everything had been taken care of, he dropped into his chair.

  Austin breathed in the calm, hoping it wasn’t the lull before another storm.

  He was tired and his nerves throbbed.

  Pam, his legal assistant, knocked on his door and opened it.

  “I’m sorry. I know you didn’t want to be interrupted.”

  “It was inevitable,” he responded. “What’s up?”

  “The files just arrived from the district attorney’s office. You said you wanted them as soon as they arrived.”

  “That I did.”

  He stood, meeting Pam halfway across the spacious room, saving her a few steps.

  Austin knew that she’d had the same kind of day as his, so he suggested, “Why don’t you take off early? It’s almost four and you worked through lunch, too.”

  “I nibbled on something at my desk.”

  “Not good enough.” She was pregnant and Austin wanted to make sure she took care of herself. “Go on. You need to take advantage of any quiet time you can get. After the baby comes, who knows when you’ll be able to have time for yourself.”

  “There’s a mountain of work left fo—”

  “The firm won’t fall apart overnight,” Austin interjected. “I insist that you go home and put your feet up.”

  Pam smiled. “Thank you.”

  His eyes burned with weariness, prompting him to press his hands over them.

  Another hour passed before Austin gave in to his exhaustion, headed home and fell into bed.

  He opened his eyes and checked the time. It was barely eight o’clock. He’d slept for almost two hours.

  Austin went to the bedroom and stripped before stepping into the shower. Bowing his head, he let the water flow over his back.

  A short time later he was dressed and in the kitchen making a dinner salad. Austin felt much better than he had earlier.

  The telephone rang.

  “Hello, sweetheart,” he said.

  “Are you busy?” Bree inquired.

  “No, I left the office at five and came straight home to get some sleep. I was exhausted, babe.”

  “It was a rough day for me, as well.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’m just going to stay in tonight,” Austin stated. “I have court tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s fine. It’ll probably be an early night for me, too.”

  “Where are you?” he asked.

  “I’m on my way home. I had to meet with a support group and it had just ended when I called you.”

  He stifled a yawn. “How about I come by your place tomorrow after I leave work?”

  “I’ll see you then,” Bree said. “Get some rest.”

  Austin glanced down at the salad and sighed.

  * * *

  “The place smells delicious,” Bree said when she entered the house.

  She strolled through the tan-painted door that led into a warm kitchen, where Sara, wearing a flour-covered apron, was pulling a tray out of the oven.

  “Hey, sugar. You home earlier than I expected,” she said, setting the tray on a cooling rack. “Emery wanted some peanut butter cookies. I followed your recipe to the letter.”

  Bree set two large grocery bags on the counter. “Everything you bake comes out wonderful. I’m sure the cookies are fine.”

  Arms folded, Sara leaned against the counter. “We haven’t talked about this sudden vacation of yours yet.”

  “Where’s Emery?”

  “He’s in his room playing on that iPad.”

  “Austin is Emery’s biological father,” Bree announced.

  Sara’s mouth opened in surprise. “What you say?”

  “I was just as shocked. Then I panicked. That’s why I left town. Miss Sara, I didn’t know what else to do.”

  She began putting away the groceries.

  “You know that man loves you and Emery.”

  Bree nodded. “I believe that. I just don’t like the way he manipulated me.” She picked up the bag of apples and placed them in the fruit bowl. “Don’t get me wrong. I understand why he did it.”

  “I know a good man when I see one,” Sara said. “You have a good one, sugar. Focus on what’s most important here. A man that loves you and your son. That don’t come every day.”

  Bree helped herself to a freshly baked cookie.

  “They’re too brown, don’t you think?” Sara asked. “They’ll be dry.”

  “Miss Sara, this is delicious. They’re perfect.”

  “Thanks, sugar. I’m glad you’re enjoying them.”

  Putting away a loaf of bread in the pantry, Bree said, “He asked me to marry him, and I turned him down.”

  Sara gasped in surprise. “Now, why did you do a fool thing like that? That man loves you.”

  “I felt like he was mostly asking because he didn’t want to lose Emery.” Bree paused a moment, then said, “I was angry then. But after everything that�
��s happened, I still love him.”

  She put away the canned goods.

  “Does this mean that you two are working things out?”

  Biting her lip, Bree gave a slight nod. “Right now we’re waiting for the results of the paternity test so that Emery’s birth certificate can be amended. Emery will become a DuGrandpre.”

  “If you’d go on and marry that man—you’ll also be a DuGrandpre, sugar. One big happy family.”

  “We’re taking it one day at a time, Miss Sara.”

  “What are you and Emery doing for Thanksgiving? You’re welcome to come with me to my sister’s house in Columbia.”

  “We’re actually going to have dinner with Austin’s family.”

  “That’s great,” Sara said. “I didn’t feel too good about leaving y’all here alone.”

  Bree embraced the woman. “Miss Sara, you don’t have to worry about me and Emery.”

  “Well, I do worry about you. You’re like a daughter to me.”

  They hugged.

  “I’d better get out of the way. I’m sure Austin will be here soon.”

  “He’s not coming by tonight,” Bree stated. “I think the drive back from Georgia yesterday wore him out. He’s tired. I could hear it in his voice.” She reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of water. “Truth is, I’m exhausted and all I want to do is crawl into my bed and sleep.”

  “I’ll get out your hair then, sugar. I put a plate of food in there for you.”

  Bree walked Sara to the front door.

  She was tired and felt a bit sleep-deprived, but she wanted to spend some quality time with Emery.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Bree said as she entered his room. “Are you ready for some cookies and milk?”

  “Mommy...” He rushed over to her, wrapping his arms around her legs.” Bree felt the tenseness leave her body and she became more animated. Emery was just the fuel she needed to recharge.

  * * *

  The following Thursday they spent Thanksgiving with Etienne and Eleanor and the rest of the family. Austin and Bree decided to wait on telling the rest of his family until after the results of the paternity test came back. After settling Emery at the children’s table, Austin and Bree navigated into the dining room, where the others had gathered.