Read Matters of the Heart Online
Authors: Vanessa Devereaux
Matters of the Heart (15 page)
He stirred
and she was tempted to get out of bed and hug him. In fact, she knew she
shouldn’t but if she managed to drag the IV stand over to where he sat she
could be close to him.
She pulled
back the covers and flinched a little when her feet hit the ground. She’d had
enough experience as a nurse to know how to untangle IV lines and get the
patient moving without risk of pulling one out. As she edged closed to Brad he
suddenly woke up, looking startled and confused.
“What, hey,
what are you doing out of bed?”
“I had to use
the bathroom.”
“You’re
telling lies because you have a catheter.”
“Okay, you
caught me red-handed. I wanted to come and be with you.”
“Go back into
bed and I’ll come and lie beside you.”
Lucy turned
around, pulling the IV stand back to its original spot and eased her body back
into the bed.
Brad rubbed
his eyes and then kicked off his cowboy boots and got on it beside her, putting
his arm around her so she could rest her head on his shoulder.
“Did I ever
tell you that I love you?” asked Brad.
“I think you
did but
it’s
nice hearing again. And you know I love
you?”
“I guess this
is a stupid time to talk about this but I don’t want you taking that job in
I’m a male chauvinist.”
“So what do
you want me to do?”
“I’m selfish
enough to want you to stay here in Pine Ridge and…”
“And do
what?”
“Be my wife.”
“I see, and
that’s a marriage proposal is it?”
“Yeah, I know
it stinks right?”
“Stinks big
time and where’s my ring?”
He hoped he
knew that she was teasing him.
“At
the Something Old antique store.”
“Oh, so you
went shopping for a ring without asking me for my hand in marriage first.”
“Yeah, I’m a
sneaky bastard.”
They both
laughed and it felt good to be doing that for the first time in days.
“So what do
you say Miss Lucy, do you want to be the sheriff’s wife? I should warn you that
next year I’m up for reelection and there’s lots of campaigning to do. You have
to be by my side constantly, and I might even have to get you in the family way
just to get more votes.”
Lucy couldn’t
laugh as much as she wanted to because her body still ached.
“I will but
no wedding until we get Presley back as she’s got to be my bridesmaid.”
A tear ran
down Brad’s cheek. “I should be happy but we can’t be until she’s home.”
“She’s coming
home soon. I know it.”
****
Sadie knew
she’d be in big trouble but these were desperate times. It had been five days
since Presley had been taken by her mother and so far they seemed to have
disappeared into thin air.
She walked to
her cupboard and pulled out her mixing bowl and scanned the shelf for the right
potions. If Presley’s mother wasn’t going to see reason by herself, Sadie would
have to encourage her to do the right thing.
It was risky
because if the council found out she’d been meddling and put this spell onto a
mortal, she’d been forced to remain in the Witches’ Realm indefinitely, with no
contact whatsoever with mortals, and therefore she would have to close Perfect
Pairing.
Lucy, Brad
and that cute baby were worth the gamble.
She poured
two drops of the lavender potion, one of green, and then a hefty amount of
yellow. She mixed them together and lifted the bowl into the air, chanting as
smoke bellowed from its rim.
“We ask that
the child’s mother be given the gift of reason and compassion. That she
realizes that the child should be with her father and that she comes to accept
that the universe wishes it to be this way.”
She raised
the bowl up again as light shone from it and its beam played against the tiles
in the ceiling.
It was brazen
and she only hoped no one from the council had been monitoring her because
Perfect Pairing was her life calling.
****
Lucy hobbled
around trying to get the washing into the machine. She’d been home a day and
couldn’t sit around the house doing nothing.
“Hey, what
have I told you about doing stuff like this?”
She nearly
fell over when Brad’s voice boomed behind her.
“I can do it,
really I can.”
He snatched a
shirt from her hands as the phone rang.
“Saved
by the bell for now.
Hello, Sheriff Ryan. I can’t believe it.”
She saw him
slump down and wonder if something was wrong, but then saw him smiling.
“Sure, I’ll
be waiting.”
He put the
phone down. “They’ve found Presley.
Nevie
turned
herself in to the police in
home.”
****
Brad knew he
was being sneaking but he couldn’t help himself. He stood in the doorway of
Presley’s room and watched as Lucy leaned over and tucked the baby in.
He took a sip
of the beer from the bottle in his hand and couldn’t believe how his life had
changed in the last few months. He was a father, he’d fallen in love, and this
coming Saturday he was getting married.
Lucy turned
around and noticed him. She put her finger up to her lips warning him to be
quiet as she tiptoed toward him. She encouraged into the hallway and pulled the
door slightly closed.
“She has two
front teeth coming through,” said Lucy.
“Perfect
timing to be a bridesmaid to have her photo taken.”
He put his
arm around her as they walked toward his, well, soon to be their bedroom.
“Don’t forget
the wedding rehearsal dinner tomorrow night,” she said.
“It’s on my
calendar. And how about we have a wedding night rehearsal right now?”
He put his
beer down, picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.
****
Sadie held
Presley as the happy couple had their photos taken by the fountain in the foyer
of the hotel. She’d get a few snaps herself for the scrapbook. Her cell phone
rang. She sat down, balancing the baby on her knee as she pulled it from her
dress pocket.
“Hello Sadie
Sutton speaking.”
“Hi Sadie,
it’s
Jake Harris.”
“Jake,
how wonderful to hear from you.
I got the wedding photos the other day.
Is everything okay?”
“Sure is and
I think I might have another client for you.”
“I’m
listening.”
“He’s an old
Army buddy of mine and Mitchell’s. He’s just been flown home because he was
injured in the line of duty and he’s lost his sight. They don’t think it’s
permanent but I’m helping train a dog to assist him so Nicky and me are going
to take the dog to him and we have a young woman who’s also a dog handler who’s
going to work with him for a few months.”
“And you also
think love is what will heal him.”
“Sure, it
healed my bitter heart.”
“Now
the young woman who will be working with him.
Any
chance that she might be a match?”
“She came to
stay with us for a few days and Gen was actually trying to get her cousin to
take her out.
Sweet girl but very insecure and shy.”
Sadie smiled
and pulled a face at Presley who tugged on Sadie’s left earring.
She couldn’t
wait to match another couple like the happy pair who was now kissing for the
photographer.
The End
www.vanessadevereaux.com
Other Books by Vanessa
Devereaux
:
www.evernightpublishing.com/vanessa-devereaux
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