Sean Donovan (The Californians, Book 3) (35 page)

Charlie smiled at her understanding tone. "Marcail,
has anyone told you lately that you're wonderful?"

Marcail only smiled and then looked at the front door
as a knock sounded. She made a move to answer it, but
Charlie stopped her.

"I'll get it, Marc. I've been sitting too long as it is."

Charlie was a little stiff in her movements as she
waddled toward the door, and the person on the other
side knocked a second time before she could get there.
Charlie swung the door open and even though there was
plenty of light, it took her a few moments to respond.

Patrick Donovan's face broke into a huge grin as he
took in his daughter-in-law's startled face and swollen
form.

"Well now," he spoke softly. "I thought I would be the
one doing the surprising, but I can see that the surprise
is on me."

Charlie beamed and moved to hug Sean's father. The
door opened directly into the living room, so it only took
a moment for Marcail to see that her father had arrived.
Her happy shout brought the household running.

Patrick was not able to get a word in for some minutes.
He was hugged, pulled this way and that, and questioned until he could do nothing but laugh at the pandemonium. When the family settled down, Patrick's
gaze settled on his son. Sean smiled at him, but his look
turned curious when Patrick continued to stare.

"So tell us how you came to be here," Kaitlin asked
when the silence lengthened.

"I think Sean is the only one who can tell me that."

"What do you mean?" Marcail spoke this time.

"Just that I knew I had to come. I knew he planned to
be here from Katie's letter and that I had to see him."

This time it was Sean and Charlie who looked at each
other. Charlie's face lit with such a peaceful smile that
Sean felt his throat close. She knew Sean had written to
his father asking how he felt about their coming to Hawaii, but the letter had obviously missed him.

Father and son did not get a chance to talk just then,
because both Molly and Gretchen wanted their grandpa's attention, but the adults knew their time would
come that evening when the children were in bed.

Rigg kissed his wife and thanked her for supper
before asking her if she wanted him to play with the girls
or do the dishes. Kate was more than ready to give her
daughters over to their father, so Rigg ushered them into
the living room for games.

They started with "horsey" rides around the room,
and when everyone was flushed with laughter, they
settled onto the sofa with a book. Patrick and Sean were
still in the kitchen with Kate and Marcail. Charlie was in
the living room, enjoying the story along with the children.

It seemed like no time at all before the girls were
kissing everyone goodnight and being carted off to bed
by their loving, but somewhat tuckered, father. Kate
served coffee in the living room and when all was quiet,
Patrick spoke.

"Knowing how seasick I always become, getting on
that boat was the last thing I wanted to do," he admitted
softly. 'Although I must admit it seemed a little better
this time. But no matter; I had to come. I didn't even stop
to see Maureen. Now, Sean, tell me why I'm here."

"I wrote to you that we were leaving Visalia and coming here, and even though it seems you missed my letter,
you would have known that from Kate's." Sean went on
to explain how Charlie had come to grips with leaving,
Witt's unexpected visit to announce a buyer for the livery, and all the other details leading up to that moment.

"I laid it out in the letter, but the main point was not to
give you information, but to ask your advice. Charlie and
I value your opinion, and we want to know what you
think of our coming to Hawaii to work with you."

Patrick couldn't answer. Sean had shared with him
during the summer about this very desire, and Patrick
suspected this was the reason it had been so heavy on his
heart to be here, but hearing it with his own ears brought
him more joy than he thought possible.

"We've prayed for so long that God would send willing workers, Sean." Patrick's voice was thick with
emotion. "Come, Sean. Bring your family and come as
soon as God leads. I understand that you may want to
wait to travel with the baby, but come. We need you in
the islands."

Everyone tried to talk at the same time after that.
Above the conversation Rigg could be heard telling Sean
and Charlie that he wanted them to continue living at the
house until they left. When some of the excitement died
down, Charlie found herself to be the center of attention.

"Charlotte," Kate implored, "would you mind telling
us a little of how you and Sean met?"

Charlie chuckled. "It wasn't exactly what you'd call
conventional. In fact, until I came to know the Lord, I
couldn't have told you why I was at that hanging, but I
see now that it was all a part of His plan."

"When did you fall in love?" Marcail asked with a
teenager's curiosity about romance.

"I think it happened for me when Sean punched a
man in the face to protect me."

Every mouth in the room dropped open. Charlie and
Sean couldn't help grinning at each other, even though it
hadn't been at all funny at the time. Everyone in the
room was gawking at them. Sean finally took pity on his
family and explained. Katie looked ready to punch Murphy herself when she found out he had assaulted Charlie.

The conversation moved to how Sean had spent the
years prior to meeting Charlie. His family was at once
captivated and grieved for all he had been through
because of the choices he made. The last question of the
evening came from Patrick, and it was addressed to
Charlie.

"How did you come to know that you could move
away from your home?"

Charlie smiled at the eldest Donovan. "It was the Lord
again. For years I'd been so content, and then I suddenly
had this blacksmith to whom I happened to be married,
and one of the first things I noticed was how he looked
more natural with a Bible in his hand than a hammer. I
knew then it was just a matter of time." She paused
and turned her smile to Sean. "And now our going to
Hawaii-that too I think is just a matter of time."

The Christmas season passed with a full slate of activities and fun. Sadie's box of gifts was a little late, but it
arrived filled with clothes for the baby. Charlie was
delighted with each tiny handmade article.

With a prayer in his heart that Sean and family would
join him soon, Patrick said goodbye to his family two
days after the new year.

When February arrived and her due date was still two
weeks away, Charlie became discouraged. She was so
big and uncomfortable that it felt as if she would be
pregnant forever. She was poised to tell Sean just that
when the first contraction hit. Charlie's startled gaze
flew to Sean, who was already dressed for church and
reading his Bible. He did not immediately notice her
distress. She gasped softly as the pain eased, causing
Sean to look her way.

"The baby?" Sean's voice was instantly urgent when
he saw his wife's horrified face.

"I think so," Charlie said breathlessly.

Sean was out the door and down the stairs to alert his
sister before Charlie could make a move. Upon entering
the bedroom moments later, Kate hardly had to question Charlie before telling her to put her nightgown on and
get back into bed.

Rigg took the girls and went for his mother. On the
way home he stopped to let Dr. Grade know that Charlie's labor had begun. She was in the midst of another
contraction when May Taylor walked in. May's countenance was calm, and Charlie found her voice very soothing in the midst of her agony.

Hours passed. Thinking he would burst if he had to
watch his wife's suffering for one more moment, Sean
was in and out of the room often. He almost wished she
would cry out or rail at him, but she bore her pain
silently.

The sun was setting when Dr. Grade came for the last
time. He told Charlie her delivery would happen any
minute, and in less than five, a tiny baby boy slid into his
waiting hands.

The room buzzed with activity, and Charlie heard
someone calling down the stairs that it was a boy, but
beyond that she heard and saw nothing. Her eyes were
locked on the tiny, howling infant that was being wrapped
in a dry sheet and placed in the crook of her arm.

She ached from head to foot, but at the moment nothing mattered save her baby. She began to croon softly to
him and watched in fascination as he stopped crying and
turned his face toward hers. The room emptied of everyone but Sean before Charlie looked away from the little
boy-who-had captured her heart with just one glance.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Charlie breathed softly as she
held Sean's eyes with her own.

Sean's smile was infinitely tender, but he was actually
thinking that their little son was as funny-looking at
birth as Gretchen and Molly had been. He sensed immediately that he should keep this particular comment to
himself.

"What are we going to call him?" Sean chose a safe
subject.

"Ricky," Charlie answered softly.

"Ricky?"

"That's right. It's short for Patrick Sean Donovan IV."

"I like it," Sean said with a smile, thinking he would
never have thought of it. In fact, they hadn't even discussed names, and that struck him as being a little unusual.

Sean leaned and kissed his wife to thank her for their
son before pressing a kiss to the tiny dark head of his
namesake.

"I have a son." Sean said the words aloud as though he
was finally believing it. Charlie passed Ricky into his
father's arms and watched as tears flooded his eyes.
Neither of them spoke for some time after that. It was
enough just to sit and watch the tiny movements of the
little miracle God had placed within their arms.

In the next several weeks Ricky Donovan grew quickly
and seemed to take an unusual interest in his surroundings. He had occasional bouts of colic, but nothing
severe. Charlie seemed to have unfailing patience even
when he cried for no apparent reason.

Most nights he slept well, and having a good night's
sleep was always enough to send Charlie forward for a
full day of activity. Sean's family had thought she was
wonderful from the day they met, but nothing could
have prepared them for a post-pregnant Charlie.

She never sat still. If she wasn't taking care of Ricky,
she was mending clothes or baking bread. One day she
even went to the livery where Sean had found extra work
to lend a helping hand.

After watching Sean and Charlie move nonstop from
day to day at what appeared to be their normal activity
level, it came as no surprise to the family when Sean
announced their plans to leave. Ricky was only four
weeks old.

It was the first of March, and Sean said that he would
write a letter to Aunt Maureen relaying their plans to be
in San Francisco for one week at the end of the month.
Everyone understood then that the Sean Donovan family
had only three more weeks in Santa Rosa.