Page 45 of The Maverick

“Got it. Let’s go find that blanket.”

“Yes, let’s.”

As she walked inside, she couldn’t help but wonder how many years had she and Nick missed out on because they’d been afraid to tell the other how they felt. If she’d known, she never would have married Greg, but then she wouldn’t have Jake, and he was her life. How would he react to having Nick and Bailey in his life permanently?

She wondered about her job and whether asking for time off when she hadn’t started yet would be a problem. Rachel knew she didn’t have to work any longer. Nick would always have enough to take care of them. But she did like being a doctor, though she supposed her new position wouldn’t allow her much time fordoctoring. Because of that, she now wondered if that was the position for her. She liked the hands on part of being a doctor. Making a real difference in someone’s life...there was nothing like it.

Rachel had only taken the job because it allowed her to move back to Colorado, but now she had more options. She could join a practice or even open a clinic of her own. That was something she definitely would rather do.

“Excuse me, darling, I have something I have to do.” She took her cell phone and went to her bedroom, where she made the call to quit the new position. Looking forward, it really was the only thing she could do. She refused to be unhappy in her job when she didn’t have to.

When she was done, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Between her and Nick getting married and now quitting the job she knew would make her unhappy, Rachel felt on top of the world.

* * *

Rachel was up,showered, and dressed before anyone else besides Sarah. That woman, no matter how late she was up, always had a pot of coffee ready. They had a Keurig Duo which used regular ground coffee for a carafe and the pods for a single cup.

She poured a cup of coffee, doctored it the way she liked, and sat at the island with her ereader but she was too anxious to concentrate. She and Nick were telling the kids today. How would they take it? She was fairly sure they would be excited to be together as part of a family, but what if they weren’t? What if they were angry?

Nick came up behind her, put his arms around her waist, and kissed her cheek. “How are you this morning, wife-to-be?”

“Nervous. What if the kids are upset? What if?—”

Nick spun the stool until she faced him. “Have you been worried about this all night?” He frowned, “I see the dark circles under your eyes. Did you get any sleep?”

She sighed. “Not much. I missed you, and I’m worried about how the children will feel. How can we get married if they’re traumatized?”

“First, love, they’ll be fine.” He ran a knuckle slowly down her cheek. “I know Bailey, and she’ll love the idea. She’s always wanted a brother or a sister. Now, she’s getting one and she already likes him.”

“Jake’s wanted siblings, too. But he was afraid of what Greg would do to me. Every time we talked about it, we got into a big fight, and Jake saw those as well as some others. I wasn’t a very good mother.”

He wrinkled his brow and took her chin in his hand. “You were...are...a great mother. You protected him in the best way you knew how. Why didn’t you want more kids?”

“How did you know it was me who didn’t want them?”

“You wouldn’t knowingly bring another child into that situation.”

“You’re right. Greg had gotten to the point he’d throw away my birth control pills to force me to get pregnant. I started hiding them from him. I’d keep them in Jake’s room because I knew he’d never look there.”

His eyes widened. “Weren’t you worried Jake would think they were candy?”

“I always put them on the shelf above the hangers in his closet, so he couldn’t reach them.”

Suddenly, she heard the sounds of children’s laughter and stomping down the stairs. She looked up at Nick. “Here we go.”

Nick placed his hands on her shoulders.

She reached up and laced her fingers with one of his.

Jake sat on her right.

Bailey sat next to him on his left.

Nick didn’t move his hands, which pleased Rachel.

“Hi, little mister and little miss. What do you plan on doing after school today?”

They looked at each other and then shouted in unison, “Riding!”