When Morning Comes (37 page)

For some reason, Kara's statement annoyed Tristan. “You aren't happy with me?”

Kara turned, her smile tremulous. “Of course, but it's not the same.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

Kara threw an embarrassed glance at Cade and Sabrina. “We'll talk about it later.”

“No. I want to know why I don't make you happy,” he said, then only had to look at her tear-ravaged face for his answer. He muttered a curse, shoved both hands over his head. He recalled Kara saying that Sabrina never wavered and always knew. He'd made no secret that he'd wanted to get her into bed. He'd offered her nothing but good times between the sheets and she had given him so much more.

“This isn't your fault,” Kara said.

“It still tears me up inside to see you with tears on your face. I should be able to make things better for you, and I can't.”

“Yes, you can,” Kara said, taking his shoulders. “You gave me hope. No one, not even my father, was able to do that.”

“But it's not enough to replace the tears on your face,” he said, his voice ragged.

“Tristan, it's not your fault.”

“Whose then? A man who loves a woman as much as I love you should be able to keep her happy!”

Kara went still. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. She trembled all over. “You love me?”

Gently he took her into his arms. “I'm not sure when it happened, but you mean everything to me.” His hand brushed the hair from her face. “As much as I hate to admit it, I probably would have kept on denying the truth if your mother hadn't said you love me.”

“What!” Kara pushed out of his arms. “So you feel sorry for me?”

“That's so stupid I won't even answer.”

“Are you calling me stupid?”

“I'm calling you my heart, the air I breathe, the reason I wake up with a smile in the morning, the woman I want to grow old with. The woman I'd fight the world for.” He took her face in his. “Will you marry me?”

Tears crested in her eyes. Panic filled Tristan. “Please don't say no. I don't know what I'll do if you're not in my life.”

“I feel the same way about you. I didn't know what living and being loved truly felt like until you came into my life.” Her lips curved upward. “Yes, I'll marry you.”

“Kara,” he whispered, kissing her with a tenderness that caused tears to well up in her eyes again.

“Congratulations,” Cade said, extending his hand to Tristan. “You're going to have a lot to celebrate tomorrow.”

Kara smiled. “With the dresses, I won't embarrass you or your mother.”

He glared at her. “That could never happen. We're both proud of you. She'll be showing you off tomorrow as much as I will. What you wear doesn't matter.”

“Spoken like a man,” Sabrina said. “Patrice picked your shoes and accessories out in less than five minutes. She's awesome.”

“Not as awesome as you are,” Cade and Tristan said, staring at the women they loved. Sabrina and Kara melted in their fiancées' arms.

“We're lucky men, Cade,” Tristan said.

“I know,” Cade replied with a grin. “I'm sure they won't let us forget it.”

Sabrina laughed. “You're so right.”

“I still can't believe it,” Kara said, leaning against Tristan.

“I'll remind you of this on our silver wedding anniversary.” Tristan pulled her closer.

“Give me a hug so we can leave you two alone to talk,” Sabrina said. “We'll have a long talk when I get back. Tomorrow you'll be too busy. Maybe we'll lock ourselves in my office Monday once news gets out we're both engaged and about your success.”

“The hospital grapevine will be jumping,” Kara agreed, grinning back. “I don't know how you did it, but thanks for the dresses. I'll pay—”

Sabrina held up her hand to silence Kara and Tristan. “No to both of you. I helped my best friend and got to see her become engaged to a wonderful man on the same night I became engaged. That's a priceless memory.” Sabrina blinked back tears. “We're outta here. See you tomorrow.”

To cries of good night, Cade and Sabrina drove away. His arm around her waist, Tristan and Kara went back inside. “Let's call Vera and tell her the good news, then we'll go celebrate.”

“In bed,” Kara said, leaning into him.

“Why break a great tradition?” he said, his mouth finding hers.

*   *   *

“You sure you want to do this?” Tristan asked as he stopped in Kara's driveway a little after nine the next morning.

Kara grabbed his hand. “She's my mother. She might not feel the connection, but I do. No matter what, I can't turn my back on her.”

“I'm going with you.”

She squeezed his hand. “She can't hurt me anymore. I have you and a future.”

“You amaze me.” Tristan kissed her hand.

“It's because of your faith and love that I can do this.” She looked at the house she had grown up in, recalled the good memories, the bad. “Last night I was a miserable wreck.”

“I didn't realize until later that Cade held up Sabrina's hand to demonstrate the power of love,” Tristan said thoughtfully. “I get that now.”

“We both do.” Kara opened the car door and got out. At the hood of the car, Tristan reached for her hand again. They went up the steps. On the porch, she rang the doorbell and waited.

The door opened. Her mother's angry gaze went from Kara to Tristan beside her. “He get tired of you already?”

Kara felt Tristan tense beside her. “I tried to love you, tried to do what Daddy asked, but I can't. I can't live with hate.”

“You promi—”

“It's over, Mother. I'll set up a household account that should take care of the bills and give you a reasonable amount to spend,” Kara said calmly. “If you go over that amount, you'll have to live with the consequences.”

“Now that you're going to be rich, you want to forget about me,” her mother screeched. “That dress is new. So are the shoes and the jewelry. You ungrateful sl—”

Tristan said one precise word. “Don't.”

Fear widening her eyes, her mother grabbed the lapels of her silk robe and staggered back.

“Tristan and I are engaged,” Kara said, and watched the disbelief, the unexpected anger in her mother's face. She wanted Kara to be as unhappy as she was. Kara felt sorry for her. “Good-bye, Mother. I'll send someone for my things.” Turning, Kara went back down the steps and got into the car.

“You all right?” he asked, backing up and pulling off. “Kara?”

Her smile was shaky, but it was there. “With your love, I'll get there. My life is ahead of me, not behind me. I'll forever regret that we can't be close, but I thank God with every breath that I have you.”

“Always.”

She caught his hand. “Always.”

*   *   *

Half past ten Saturday morning Cade held Sabrina in his arms and thanked God for her. Sleeping on top of him, she stirred. He kissed the top of her head, murmured for her to go back to sleep. She had to be worn out. They'd made love most of the night. The thought brought a smile to his lips, and a hardening to his lower body.

He chuckled softly. Seems he couldn't get enough of the woman who had captured his heart, and made life fun.

“What's so funny?” Sabrina murmured, lifting her head from his chest to smile at him.

“A certain part of my anatomy can't get enough of you,” he told her, sweeping the hair back from her face. It was easy to talk with her.

She grinned, wiggled. “You notice I'm not complaining.”

“No.” She was always there for him. “I didn't know what living and loving really meant until you came into my life.”

Her smile trembled. She placed her hand over his. “Loving you is what I was destined to do.”

“I'm a blessed man,” he said, meaning it with all of his heart. “I've found what I wanted all of my life. I can't help but wonder…”

“About the others?” she asked.

He nodded. She understood him so well. “I was going through the motions of living. Zachary was lucky, but what if the others were like me? I want to know the answers, but I realize it just doesn't involve me.”

She tenderly palmed his face. “Together we'll figure this out.”

“Together.” He had so much and it had all begun with the woman in his arms. “I love you. You fill my days with love and my tomorrows with happiness.”

She blinked back tears. “The best is yet to come.”

“And I'm looking forward to every incredible second.” He kissed her, loved her, eagerly looked forward to every precious moment ahead of them.

 

Epilogue

Carlton James was a happy man. He'd waited over thirty-eight years for this moment. His family was finally intact. With his wife by his side, his grin widened as he looked around the hospital room.

Stephen, looking almost like his old self, sat up in bed holding a Texas Rangers baseball cap that Cade had given him. At the moment Cade stood at the foot of the bed holding Sabrina's hand as she held her mother's. His son-in-law was beside his wife. The initial awkwardness when Cade and Sabrina first arrived had slowly disappeared. It was clear that love—Cade's for Sabrina, and hers for her family—would help them get past the mistakes and pain.

“Cade, I hope you know what you're getting into,” Stephen said with a teasing grin. “She's bossy, opinionated, and can't cook.”

“He knows and loves me anyway.” Sabrina gazed adoringly up at Cade. “And I love him.”

“I think you forgot stubborn,” Cade said easily. “I certainly have my job cut out for me and I'm looking forward to every incredible moment.”

“Just as I am,” Sabrina said.

“I'm happy for both of you,” her father said. “We appreciate you bringing her home, and asking for her hand.”

“I love Sabrina. She loves her family, and I hope…” Cade paused. His gaze moved from Sabrina's father to her, then to her mother. “Her family will possibly become my family.”

Sabrina's mother brushed tears from her eyes and faced Cade. “You
are
a part of this family. My bad judgment doesn't negate that.” She lifted her hand toward his shoulder, paused, then lightly grasped his arm. “I always hoped and prayed that Sabrina would find a man who would love and honor her, a man she could trust and be proud of. You're that man. I'll never have to worry about her because I know she has you.” She swallowed. “And although you have her, I-I hope you don't mind me still worrying a little bit about you.”

Cade stared at his mother, watched tears slide down her cheeks, felt the warmth and strength and love of Sabrina by his side. His mother had given him away, he had suffered because of it, but in adopting Sabrina, she had done what he couldn't, protected and loved her and kept her safe until his heart found her. Priceless. His hand lightly covered his mother's. “I don't mind at all.”

Sabrina hugged Cade and her mother. Sabrina's father joined in. Stephen gave a thumbs-up.

Carlton pulled his wife closer, wiped away her tears, and then his own. His family still might hit a bump or two, but they were going to be all right.
His family.

Finally, his firstborn grandson had come home.

 

ALSO BY FRANCIS RAY

AGAINST THE ODDS SERIES

Trouble Don't Last Always

Somebody's Knocking at My Door

INVINCIBLE WOMEN SERIES

Like the First Time

Any Rich Man Will Do

In Another Man's Bed

Not Even If You Begged

And Mistress Makes Three

If You Were My Man

THE GRAYSONS OF NEW MEXICO SERIES

Until There Was You

You and No Other

Dreaming of You

Irresistible You

Only You

GRAYSON FRIENDS SERIES

The Way You Love Me

Nobody But You

One Night with You

It Had to Be You

A Seductive Kiss

With Just One Kiss

SINGLE TITLES

Someone to Love Me

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

Rockin' Around That Christmas Tree

ANTHOLOGIES

Rosie's Curl and Weave

Della's House of Style

Welcome to Leo's

Going to the Chapel

Gettin' Merry

Let's Get It On

Twice the Temptation

 

About the Author

Francis Ray is a
New York Times
bestselling author and a native Texan. She is a graduate of Texas Woman's University and has a degree in nursing. Currently, she has more than forty books in print. You can visit her at
www.francisray.com
.