Minor Adjustments (20 page)

Knock-ety, knock, knock.

Stella waited. Then waited some more.

When no one answered, she turned the doorknob and pushed it open. Quietly, she let herself inside and slipped off her shoes to walk across the beautiful knotty wood floor on her way to the kitchen. New maple doors hung on the cabinets, and the hideous mantel and fireplace were gone—replaced by two wooden bookcases that now flanked a gorgeous stone fireplace.

The once dodgy house now felt like a warm and cozy home.

A home that would soon be hers.

Ryan’s voice floated through the open back door. Devon and Ryan were tossing a neon yellow football back and forth. Just like Lindsay had predicted. Once again, he touched Stella’s heart. She wished she had a camera to capture the moment.

Ready to rush out the door and greet them, Stella paused. Devon’s cell phone lay unattended on the patio steps. Stepping out of sight, she reached for her phone and called his number.

A few seconds later, the opening bars of “Danger Zone” from the
Top Gun
soundtrack rang through the air. Really? That’s what he’d set as her ringtone? Or maybe it was just the regular ringtone for all his calls.

Through the crack in the door, Stella saw Devon jog over and pick up the phone without looking at the display. “Hey, beautiful,” he said. “Seven days and counting.”

The ringtone was hers, and hers alone.
What a toad!
Stella stepped out from behind the door and stared at his back. “Make that zero.”

“What?”

“ ‘Danger Zone’? Really? That’s the ringtone you picked for your soon-to-be wife—the so-called love-of-your-life?”

Devon twisted around and a grin split his face. “If the shoe fits,” he said, taking a step toward her.

Stella stepped back. “Well, it doesn’t fit, whatever that’s supposed to mean. You keep forgetting I’m an Aussie and not familiar with all of your ridiculous colloquialisms. And don’t you dare take another step until you promise to change that song.”

“To what? ‘Ball and Chain’?” Another step closer.

A step back. “I’m not laughing. Try again.”

“ ‘Maneater’?” Another step forward.

Stella held up her hand. “If you keep that up, you might as well change it to ‘Where Were You on Our Wedding Day?’ ”

“Why are we still talking on the phone?”

“You tell me.”

Devon shoved his phone into his pocket. “There. Now if you come and kiss me in the next five seconds, I might change it to ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You.’ ”

“That’s a bit cheesy, isn’t it? No, I want something brilliant, classic, not insulting, and definitely not cheesy. What about U2’s ‘All I Want Is You’?”

“Deal,” he said. “And so true. Now come here.”

Stella ran into his arms. He drew her close and kissed her long and hard, making up for the eight weeks they’d spent apart.

“Stella!” Ryan squealed, wrapping his little arms around her legs.

She knelt to give Ryan a hug and kiss. “I’ve missed you, love. But now we never have to say good-bye again. I’m here to stay.”

Ryan grabbed her hand and pulled her to the backyard. “Come see Aussie’s new trick. I taught him all by myself.” He then demonstrated Aussie’s newfound ability to run after a stick and bring it back.

“Do you want to try?” he asked.

“I’d love to.” Stella heaved the slimy, slobbery stick across the yard. Aussie panted after it, and Ryan panted after Aussie.

Devon’s arms wound around Stella’s waist from behind. “We weren’t expecting to see you until next week. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming sooner? We would have picked out a balloon bouquet and met you at the airport. How did you get here anyway?”

“A cab. I wanted to surprise you.”

“You did,” he said. “And I’m glad. I was wondering how I’d survive another week without you.”

Stella rested her head against his chest and laughed when Ryan tried to climb on top of Aussie. The dog bounded away, leaving Ryan in a heap on the ground.

Devon nuzzled Stella’s neck. “Ryan wants me to make Aussie a saddle.”

“Why don’t you just upgrade to a pony? That way you can buy a saddle.”

“No way. And if you ever bring that up around Ryan, I’m going to paint the fireplace white again.”

Stella twisted and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him. “No worries. I love the fireplace too much. Besides, it’s not as if I want a pony either.”

“Good. At least we agree on that. No more pets.”

“I’m hungry,” Ryan called. “And thirsty.”

“Me too,” said Stella. “What should we make for dinner?”

Devon shrugged. “I had planned on ordering a pizza, but we could make hamburgers if you’d rather have that.”

Stella clapped her hands and rubbed them together. “Or better yet, Aussie burgers.”

“You’d better not be talking about our dog,” Devon said.

“Very funny,” she said. “Do you have pickled beets?”

Devon made a face. “No.”

“Pineapple?”

“Maybe in a can.”

“Bacon?”

“Of course.”

“Eggs?”

“Uh, yeah . . . why? This is starting to sound like something we could feed
to
Aussie.”

Stella reached for Ryan’s hand. “We have so much to teach Daddy, don’t we, Ryan?”

Ryan nodded happily.

“Just promise me the hamburgers don’t have Vegemite on them,” said Devon.

“Not on the burgers,” Stella assured him. “But in case you’re running low, I’ve brought several jars with me.”

Devon groaned but followed them inside. Together they grilled the hamburger meat and loaded their burgers with pineapple, fried eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon. In the end, Devon admitted to liking them, and Aussie didn’t complain either.

After they’d cleaned the kitchen, they snuggled together on the couch to watch Ryan’s favorite movie. Or at least most of it. Ryan fell asleep near the end, so Devon carried him to his bed. Stella followed and knelt beside the bed, tucking him in. She loved watching Ryan sleep. He was so precious and adorable. Did she really get to be his mum? It seemed too good to be true.

Devon sat on the back patio steps, staring up at the sky. Sinking down beside him, Stella laid her head against his shoulder. His arm wound its way around her, and he pulled her close.

“I still can’t believe you actually quit your job and moved to America,” he said, weaving his fingers through her hair. “Or that we’ll be married in just over a month. I feel like everything is too perfect, like a dam’s about to burst or something.”

His touch made Stella feel warm and cozy, like a cup of hot cocoa. “I think the fact that we’re both currently unemployed, with a house payment and a five-year-old boy to raise, is enough of a problem to deal with for now.”

“Actually, the house is paid for.”

“Really?”

He shrugged. “My share of the company was worth a lot. And although there’s no rush for either one of us to find a job, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do. The renovations are pretty much finished, and Ryan starts kindergarten next month.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Well, I’ve been doing some consulting with my former company, and Brady has referred a few other companies my way. I never really pegged myself for the consulting type, but it’s actually been fun. It would mean traveling, but I can be particular about the jobs I take and the time I’m willing to invest. If I start advertising, I’m sure I could build up a decent little business, and Brady’s interested in joining me if that’s what I decide to do. What do you think?”

“I think it sounds great.”

Devon’s fingers laced through hers. “What about you?”

“How would you feel about me going back to school? I’ve been looking into the certification required to become a school counselor, and I think I would really enjoy that. With any luck, I could work at the school where our kids might someday end up.”

“Kids? As in, more than one?”

“Yeah. Don’t you want any more?”

“Uh, how many are we talking?”

“I don’t know. Two, four, six, eight—”

“Whoa! Slow down for a second. You’re making a pony sound pretty good right about now.”

Stella smiled. “Well at least a few more, anyway.”

Devon appeared to consider the idea. “I guess Ryan could use a younger brother.”

“Or a sister.” An image of a toddler girl snuggled up on Devon’s lap appeared in Stella’s mind, and her smile widened. Yes, Ryan definitely needed a sister.

“But I don’t know anything about girls.”

“No worries. I’ll teach you everything you need to know—not that you’ll need much help. Whether you see it or not, you’re a pretty amazing father. I think all you needed was a little nudge.”

“It felt more like a shove, to be honest.”

Stella’s shoulder bumped against his. “It’s good to know I’ll be able to push you around. It means we’ll have a happily-ever-after kind of marriage.”

“Says who?”

“Me.”

Devon chuckled. “So long as you’re okay with me pushing back once in a while.”

“I’m counting on it.”

“Good. Now do you want to know what I think will make a happy marriage?”

“What?”

“This.” He kissed her gently, then wrapped her into a warm and snug embrace. Crickets creaked, a breeze rustled the leaves, and Aussie snored from his place in the corner. Up above, the darkened sky glittered with dimly lit stars. Peaceful. Beautiful. Perfect. Had Lindsay foreseen this day? Had she known the far-reaching effect her decision would have? Did she approve?

Carried through the air by a meandering breeze, it was more of a feeling than an actual voice, hugging Stella as it whispered to her heart,
Yes.

Thank you, Lindsay, thank you. For everything.

1. Do you think Stella should have been completely upfront and honest with Devon from the get-go, or was she right to withhold information until Devon had really gotten to know and love Ryan?

2. Would you be willing to take on the young child of a virtual stranger?

3. What would you do if you knew a child was being mistreated and possibly abused, and how far would you be willing to go to save a child from certain abuse? Would you be justified?

4. After the psychologist gave his recommendation, do you think Devon was justified in his decision to payoff Justin? Does the end ever justify the means? What would you have done?

5. The decision the court would have made, before Devon’s intervention, was actually very realistic—in both Australia and the United States. Is it fair that courts tend to side with the biological parent(s) in cases like these?

6. Today’s courts often favor the mother. Do you feel that the mother is usually the best guardian, or should that bias be eliminated?

7. What do you think about Stella’s decision to give up her life and move to Australia? Should she have done it, considering Devon was ready and willing to move to Australia?

8. If you could pick one place to travel to, where would it be? Would Australia make your top ten?

9. Would you ever try Vegemite?

When Rachael first saw
The Man from Snowy River
(and
Crocodile Dundee
, although she’s cringes to admit it), she dreamed of going to Australia. Over ten years later, she finally got the chance and immediately fell in love with the people, the wild birds that eat sugar from your hand, the kangaroos, the beautiful city of Sydney, and the gorgeous place called Byron Bay.

Rachael is the author of two previously published books,
Divinely Designed
and
Luck of the Draw
. She lives with her husband and children in Springville, Utah.

Rachael would love to hear from you and can be found online at www.rachaelreneeanderson.com.