About the Boy (20 page)

“’Night.” Katie slowly closed the door. Then leaned against it and closed her eyes, rubbing her throbbing temples. She couldn’t handle one more thing tonight, not one more. But her aunt’s words kept reverberating in her ear.

July.

A little girl named Savannah.

Oh God, just for tonight Katie wasn’t going to think about what her aunt said—the possibility she might be pregnant—until tomorrow.

Katie was waiting on the front porch when Lucas pulled into the driveway with Rusty. She was determined not to miss Lucas.

When they spotted her, they both grinned and waved. She walked to the car as Rusty got out, and Lucas rolled down his window.

“Lucas, I’m sorry to ask, but can you come in for a minute?” Sensing he was about to refuse, she hurried on. “I’ve got some information on the home invasions I think you need to hear.”

“Sure,” he said. “I’ll be right in.”

Katie followed behind Rusty, struggling mightily to hold onto her temper.

“Did you have a good time, honey?” she asked, forcing herself to behave normally as he bounded up the front stairs with his sleeping bag and clothes.

“Awesome,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “Just awesome.”

“Good. I want you to go put your stuff away and then meet me in the family room.”

“Why?” he asked, turning back to her, suddenly feeling jittery by the tone of her voice and the look on her face.

“Family meeting,” she informed him, and the mere mention of a family meeting had him hurrying through the house and to his room to put away his stuff.

She went into the family room to pace. Nerves kept her from staying still. When she heard the front door close, she knew Lucas had come in.

“Lucas, I’m back here,” she called, and a moment later he walked into the family room.

“What’s up?” he asked. “Did something happen while I was gone?” He was certain his deputies would have called him, and if they hadn’t someone’s head was going to roll.

“Have a seat, Lucas, and I’m sure Rusty will explain everything.”

“Ma, you…uh…wanted…to see…me?” Rusty, looking nervous and scared, hovered in the doorway, trying not to fidget.

“Come on in, Rusty. I think you have something to tell Lucas?”

“I do?” he said in surprise. His steps slowed when he saw his mother’s brow lift. The only time she looked like that was when he was in trouble. Big trouble. Still, he couldn’t resist asking. “Am I in trouble or something, Ma?”

“Or something,” she snapped, leaning against the fireplace. “Now, Rusty, I want you to tell Lucas exactly what you and Sean have been up to. And I want you to tell him everything.”

Rusty’s face paled. “Everything?” His voice squeaked upward and he flushed, looking from his mother to Lucas and then down at his shoes.

“Oh, yeah, every single thing. From the beginning.”

“Katie, I don’t understand—”

“You will,” Katie assured him. “Just listen to what Rusty has to say.”

“Uh…Lucas, me and Sean…well, we both think…actually all the guys think you’re really awesome.” Rusty swallowed hard. “And so I was just…uh…wondering what it would be like to have you for a…you know…dad.”

“A dad?” Lucas repeated, stunned. He had no idea Rusty felt that way about him. His own heart, filled with feelings for the boy, began to ache.

“Yeah, a dad.
My
dad,” Rusty clarified, staring hard at the toe of his sneaker, unable to look at Lucas. “But my ma said you guys were just…friends, so me and Sean figured if we did something…you know…something that would…kinda force you two to spend more time together, that maybe you’d like each other as more than friends, and that maybe then you’d want to be…like…my dad.”

Touched but confused, Lucas kept his gaze on Rusty’s. “I understand everything you’ve said, Rusty, and I’m honored, truly, but I don’t understand what this has to do with—”

“Tell him, Rusty,” Katie prompted, going to her son and putting her arm around him for support even though she was so furious with him she wanted to ground him until he was forty.

“Me and…Sean…we…uh…went into a couple of houses in town.” He rushed on at the look on Lucas’s face. “We didn’t mean any harm, but we thought if you thought someone was breaking into places, then you’d have to meet with my mom, you know because of her ‘Police Beat’ column, and then we figured you’d have to spend more time together, and I knew if you just spent more time with her, you’d love her, like…like I do.”

Lucas’s eyes slid closed for a moment, just a brief moment as his heart nearly burst with love, and he took a deep breath before opening his eyes, and his arms.

“Come here, son,” he said to Rusty, who shuffled slowly over to Lucas who wrapped his arms around him.

How could he not love this boy? This boy who’d wanted nothing more than what he himself had always wanted—the dream of his life—to have someone who loved him, wanted him. Not to replace the child he’d lost, nothing could ever do that, but there was no reason he couldn’t find the love in his heart to share with another child, another boy who loved and needed him.

And this child wanted him.
Him.
It both humbled and shamed him that he’d been so blinded by his own pain, he couldn’t see the boy’s.

“I’m…sorry,” Rusty sobbed, burying his face in Lucas’s shoulder. “We didn’t mean to do anything bad. I just wanted a father, that’s all. I never had one, not really…and I…I…just really wanted you to be my dad.”

Lucas held him and rocked him, saying nothing, his gaze closed so Katie couldn’t see what he was thinking or feeling.

When Rusty’s sobs subsided, Lucas lifted the boy’s shirttail and wiped his face for him, earning a grin because he knew his mother would have a fit about him using his shirt for a tissue.

“I want you to listen to me, Rusty,” Lucas said, pulling the boy on his lap, keeping his arms around him. “What you and Sean did was wrong. Very wrong.”

“I…know,” Rusty said, hanging his head. “But we didn’t think anyone would get this upset.”

“Rusty, you always have to think about everything you do. You have to think about the consequences. And you didn’t in this case. What would you have done if someone was home when you went into those houses? And what if they had a gun?”

“A gun?” Rusty’s face went pale. “Jeez, I never thought about that,” he said, shivering.

“That’s right. You didn’t think, and as much as I understand your intentions were good, that’s never enough. You always have to think of the consequences of every single decision. One wrong or bad decision could have changed your life forever.”

“You mean if we went in someone’s house and they had a gun and got scared and maybe…like…shot at us?”

“Or shot you,” Lucas said calmly and felt the responding tremor in the boy. Clearly this wasn’t something the boys had thought about. “Rusty, I want you to promise me right now, give me your solemn oath that you will never, ever do anything like this again. And I want your promise that you will never knowingly do something you know in your heart is wrong just because someone else encourages you to.” He pointed to the boy’s chest. “You are the only one who’s responsible for your actions, do you understand that? You must take and accept responsibility for everything you do, right or wrong. Now, do I have your solemn promise?”

Sniffling, Rusty swiped his nose on his arm and nodded. “Yeah, I promise.”

“Good.” Lucas nodded. “And I also want you to promise me that you will never again do anything or make a decision without thinking it through clearly so that you know all the consequences. Do you promise?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“And finally, I want your promise that you will never ever do anything that you know is illegal. Do you promise me?”

Rusty’s head nodded up and down. “I promise,” he said glumly.

“Good.” Lucas patted his back. “I mean think about how it would look if the police chief’s son was a juvenile delinquent. That wouldn’t be good for my reputation, now would it?”

“Nah…” Rusty said, then wild hope leapt into his eyes and that jittery feeling was back in his stomach. “Son?” he repeated, stunned. “You…uh…want me to be your son?”

“If you’ll have me.” Lucas held out his other arm. “That is if you and your mother will have me. You see, Rusty, if you would have asked me, I would have told you I didn’t have to spend any more time with your mom to love her.” His gaze met Katie’s as she came to him, joy on her face, tears in her eyes. “You see, I love your mother already, more than anything. And I love you, too, son.”

Tears filled Rusty’s eyes again and he brushed them off his face. “I…uh…love you, too, Lucas.”

Katie sniffled, kissed her son’s head, then bent to kiss Lucas. “I love you,” she whispered, and he grinned.

“And I love you, both of you.” Lucas closed his eyes and felt something fill his empty, aching heart. Love. Sweet and pure. It filled up the hole to almost overflowing, and he grabbed both Rusty and Katie tightly. “I love you both so much.”

“Uh…Lucas,” Rusty said, drawing back a bit. “Am I like…gonna be punished…or something?”

Katie and Lucas exchanged looks, then grins.

“Oh, yeah, son, definitely,” Lucas confirmed. “It’s called taking responsibility for your actions.”

“Are you…like going to tell…Sean’s parents?” Rusty asked nervously, then heaved a sigh of relief when Lucas shook his head.

“No, son, I’m not going to tell them. You are.” Lucas released Rusty and grabbed Katie’s hand. “Right now. We’re going over to Sean’s house, and then I think we need to go have a family dinner so we can discuss our wedding. Then we’ll discuss your punishment.”

“Cow cakes,” Rusty muttered, wiping his face again.

Later that night, after Rusty was sound asleep, Katie and Lucas sat snuggled on the couch together. “Lucas,” she asked, snuggling closer to him. “Are you sure about this? I mean about…us?” Her heart was so full, but she had to be certain, had to know that his own fears had been calmed.

He reached for her hand, kissed the tip of her fingers. “Sure?” He smiled. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” He hesitated. “Katie, sometimes life doesn’t turn out quite like we planned. That doesn’t mean we still can’t have all the things that really matter to us, if we work at them. And forgive,” he added softly, remembering what Miss Gracie had said about it being time to forgive himself. “I blamed myself for my family’s death. I’m sure it’s natural, but someone very smart and sweet once told me I deserved to be happy. That my family would have wanted me to be happy.” He grinned and kissed her fingertips again, tugging her closer. “And she was right although at the time I didn’t believe it. Now I do,” he added softly, looking into her eyes. “Love means simply opening your heart, and taking a chance and not being afraid to let yourself love someone else. Tonight, when Rusty was explaining his antics to me, I realized that I could have all the things I really wanted in life, love, a family, and all I had to do was forgive myself and open my heart. And you and Rusty have filled it. Totally.” He looked at her carefully. “Now what about you? Are you sure about this? About us?”

She chuckled. “Lucas, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, either. When Jed died, I was certain my heart and my dreams had died with him. I was so young, and had so much responsibility that I didn’t think I’d ever be able to risk loving someone again.” She shook her head. “I didn’t ever want to go through that kind of pain again, nor did I ever want to put Rusty through it again. But then, we met you, and it seemed as if all the pain and sorrow of the past few years melted away, slowly replaced by hope and love.” She snuggled closer, enjoying the comfort and safety of his arms. “I’d say we both got a wonderful deal.” Katie hesitated. “Lucas?” Nuzzled against his shoulder, she glanced up at him. “Can I ask you something?”

He chuckled, tightening his arm around her. “You sound like Rusty, now. Sure, go ahead. You can ask me anything,” he said, meaning it.

“Do you have…like, a favorite name for a little girl, I mean if you ever had one?”

“It’s funny you should ask me that, Katie,” Lucas said, kissing her forehead. “I’ve been thinking about that all night, about how wonderful it would be to have more children, especially a little girl.”

“So do you want more children?” she asked in delight and he nodded.

“The more the merrier,” he repeated her line back to her, earning a grin. “And I can’t wait to get started.”

“And what would you name this little girl?”

“You won’t laugh?” he asked, and she shook her head.

“Promise.”

“I’ve always kind of loved the name…Savannah.”

“Savannah,” Katie repeated, not in the least bit surprised. “Well sweetheart, I have a feeling your wish is about to be granted,” Katie said with a laugh, putting a hand on her belly.

She’d tell him later, when she was absolutely positive she was expecting. For now, Lucas loved her and Rusty, and they were going to be a family. A real family once again.

All the yearning in her heart was gone, finally, replaced by a never-ending, unconditional love, a healing love that was both deep and inspiring.

It was what they had needed all along.

ISBN: 978-1-4592-1371-5

ABOUT THE BOY

Copyright © 2005 by Sharon De Vita

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 editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

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