“DO YOU SEE the server anywhere?” Wendy asked Tom, who was sitting beside her at their large round table for fourteen at the Snaggle Tooth. Friday night meant the pub was packed and between the white noise of conversation and the sounds of cooking food and drinks being served it was a bit hard to hear. “I need a refill on my water.”
“Anything for you, asik,” Tom said, kissing her temple.
Sam, who was sitting on Wendy’s other side, wrinkled her nose. “Ew. No PDAs.”
“What’s wrong with public displays of affection?” Wendy asked, snagging a fry from Sam’s plate. She was eating for two now. That was her excuse anyway. Asik was a term of endearment in Iñupiat. Tom called her his dear one and he was her avu—her sugar.
Sam soon lost interest and instead focused on the friend she’d brought along, who was also spending the night at their house. She’d turned thirteen a month ago and so far, so good. After Tom’s short stint in the hospital back over Memorial Day weekend, their relationship had improved steadily. Sam and her father were finally opening up to each other and building a lasting bond.
Wendy and Tom’s relationship was moving right along too. They’d bought a house together after their leases were up. Things were good. Her life was a miracle if she’d ever seen one, but everything lately had seemed blessed beyond belief. Especially since her test results had come back negative for Huntington’s disease.
She’d actually not called that Tuesday. They’d waited until she could sit down with Sam one night and tell her about the disease and prepare her in case things didn’t go well. It had been hard, after all those years of not knowing, to find out the answer at last. Harder still had been watching Sam go through the same uncertainty and fears that Wendy had had herself with her mom, but Tom had been by her side every step of the way, his quiet support and gentle strength everything to her.
And when she’d made that fateful phone call and found out she was negative, she’d swear Tom’s shouts of joy could’ve been heard all the way across the Bering Straits into Russia and Sam’s high-pitched squeals of delight probably called to all the humpbacks currently swimming in Cook Inlet.
Afterward, they’d gone out as a family to celebrate, right here at the Snaggle Tooth. No more table for one, no more feeling like she was standing on the outside, looking in at the world everyone else inhabited. She was a part of it all now, thanks to Tom. He’d given her the courage to overcome her fears and face the future. She’d given him back his daughter.
And now they were having a child together. Such a lovely, unexpected surprise. She’d never expected to have a baby of her own and now she couldn’t imagine a world without a kid with her dark hair and Tom’s lovely blue eyes. Or his blond hair and her dark eyes. Either way, the child would be loved and spoiled to within an inch of its precious little life.
Even Sam was digging her new role as big sister, helping Wendy pick out furniture for the nursery and offering to babysit whenever they needed her. Her grades had improved at school and she was now on the honor roll. And she’d continued reading in the family lounge and had even volunteered to help other at-risk kids by sitting in on a new group the counselor had started once a week at the hospital.
Things had come full circle and Wendy felt more and more blessed each day.
“Refill on your water, ma’am,” the waiter said, setting a fresh glass down in front of her. It was the same guy who’d served her and Aiyana back in May, the day her sister-in-law had gone into labor. “Anything else I can get you right now?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
Tom was everything she’d wanted in a partner. And, yeah, he wasn’t perfect. He still got stressed and overly persnickety sometimes, but she was quick to put him in his place. They balanced each other out, since he called her out on her avoidance issues when things got too emotional. They were a great match, nungusuitok—eternal. Tom had even taken an Iñupiat language refresher course with her, for when their baby came. Wendy appreciated his efforts, even if he fumbled the words most of the time. She found his mistakes endearing.
True love indeed.
“Have you picked out names yet?” Aiyana asked from across the table. She and Ned were having a rare night away from the twins. They were enjoying all the alone time they could, since Aiyana had just found out she was pregnant again too. She patted her own belly. “We’re thinking Harry, of course, whether it’s a boy or a girl.”
“Well, since we’re definitely having a girl,” Wendy said, “we’re going with Beatrice Alice, after our moms. We can call her Trixie for short.”
“Or not,” Tom added, chuckling as he snuggled Wendy closer into his side. “I like Bibi better as a nickname.”
“You also like haggis and the Patriots. I don’t really think you get a say, avu.” She kissed him quickly then laughed. She liked the little moments of intimacy among the chaos of preparing for their upcoming wedding along with the birth in a little over three months.
Time had certainly flown.
Speaking of the birth, her midwife, Carmen, was at the dinner too, along with Zac Taylor. Wendy had always suspected there was more than friendship brewing between those two, but both denied any such thing. As she devoured another buffalo barbecue chicken tender, Wendy watched them banter and flirt with the best of them.
Yep. All those two needed was the right push and they’d tumble into love just fine.
Jake and Molly were there too, along with Wendy’s other two brothers, Jim and Mike, and their long-time girlfriends. Maybe the Snaggle Tooth would work its magic on them as well.
She hoped so. Turned out love was pretty darned grand after all.
Wendy traced her fingers over the slight scar on Tom’s left cheek from the accident, wanting to hold this moment inside and never let it go. To think she’d lived for years trying to shut all this out, all the love and the pain and the glory, thinking she was protecting herself, but instead she’d just been missing out. She’d almost lost the man she loved before she’d ever really had him.
“What, asik?” Tom looked down at her with such tenderness it took her breath away. He caught her hand and kissed her fingers, his expression concerned. “Everything okay?”
“Everything’s wonderful.” She smiled, tears in her eyes, and not because of her wacky hormones either. Jake teased her these days, saying she was getting sappy on him, but the truth was she felt filled to bursting with gratefulness. “Thank you.”
“For what?” he asked, the sounds around them fading as they focused on each other.
“For loving me when I thought I was too screwed up to be with someone normal.”
“If I’m normal, then the world’s in trouble,” he said quietly. “But now you have me, Wendy. The same way I’m there for you. We’re a team, you and me and Sam. And our baby, once she arrives.”
She leaned closer. He did too.
He buried his face in her hair and she breathed in his good Tom smell.
Things weren’t perfect. But they were right.
And that was all Wendy ever wanted.
Sam and her friend stood. “Is it okay if we go over and play video games?”
“Stay where I can see you,” Tom said.
His daughter gave him a quick kiss and a hug, before running off with her friend to the opposite corner of the pub where the other kids their age were hanging out.
Tom looked down at Wendy again. “What are you thinking? You’re awfully quiet.”
“Honestly?” She looked up at him. He nodded. “I’m thinking I love you and I want you around for a long, long time.”
The baby took that opportunity to kick hard against Wendy’s ribs. She winced then brought Tom’s free hand down to her belly, so he could feel their little gymnast flipping around inside her. Another dream she’d almost given up on because of her fear. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks for all this joy, then looked around the table at all their family and friends who’d be there for them and Sam and their baby. They were so, so lucky.
Miracles truly were all around them.
“Define a long time,” he said, nuzzling her temple, his hand warm and strong on her baby bump as he brought her back to the present moment.
“How about forever?” Wendy kissed him.
“Forever sounds perfect to me,” Tom murmured against her lips.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this other great read from Traci Douglass
One Night with the Army Doc
Available now!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Tempted by the Hot Highland Doc by Scarlet Wilson.
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