Patrick's Promise (Cloverleaf #3) (4 page)

“No, you guys had a long day. That’s quite a drive from Portland. You will be helping me soon enough anyhow.” Her mother winked at her before she turned to grab two glasses for them.

“So, you’re going to cook and stuff here, Mom?” Dylan asked once his grandmother was out of earshot.

“That’s the plan.” Amber had grabbed a laminated menu and started to scan it, knowing full well what was already listed on it. “What do you feel like eating?”

A happy, boyish grin appeared on his face, making him look less like a soon-to-be-teenager. He eagerly looked at the menu. “It all looks good.”

“Well, how about a cheeseburger and fries?” His grandmother suggested as she returned with two glasses filled with water. “Maybe a chocolate shake for dessert?” she offered, and Dylan nodded excitedly.

“Mom, are you sure you don’t want me to help?” Amber felt guilty being waited on as she surveyed the busy diner.

“Hon, trust me, your ol’ ma has everything under control.”

Amber didn’t doubt that for a minute and smiled as she watched her mother head down the counter, coffee pot in hand, to check on a customer. Lynn Herrick had been waiting on these people since they’d bought the diner so many years ago. Amber’s father, Dean Herrick, had turned this failing business around and created it into something of a landmark in town. People were constantly gathered here, the food was great, the service was out of this world, and you were sure to run into someone you knew. Amber remembered growing up in the diner, where she’d helped clear tables and wash dishes. She had spent so many hours beside her father by the grill, assisting him with more meals than she could count. All good memories filled her mind, but then they turned ugly as she recalled her sudden desire to leave Birch Valley and her father’s disappointment. Most of her friends had left for college, which wasn’t something her family could afford, though they offered to help with the costs if she truly wanted to go. She didn’t. Amber didn’t quite know what she wanted. She knew only a couple things: that almost all of her friends had left Birch Valley, and that she didn’t want to work at the diner for the rest of her life.

“Here you guys go,” Lynn Herrick announced as she balanced two plates, both of them covered with golden French fries piled high next to enormous and juicy cheeseburgers.

“Thanks,” Dylan and Amber replied in unison, which made them to look at each other and grin.

***

Patrick

He had followed Amber’s car until they had reached Herrick’s diner. He was relieved that the spare tire was working out just fine for now. As he drove the couple of blocks to his childhood home, where his mother had been watching the twins for the day, he couldn’t help but feel out of sorts. The small interaction with Amber and her son had thrown him for an unexpected loop. He had just been looking for a little quiet time—a sliver of solitude just to clear his mind of the all the thoughts that had been pestering him over the last week. Patrick loved going on drives on that old, deserted country road, which was lined with trees and fields that seem to go on forever. It was one of his favorites. Just being alone, away from everyone, seemed to set things right. He found himself wondering when he would see Amber again. He wanted to look into her penetrating eyes, and worse, he wanted to kiss her soft pink, rosebud lips. What had gotten into him?

Lost in his thoughts, Patrick arrived at his parents’ house. He tried to shake away the images of a voluptuous Amber, which were dominating his mind: the way her legs looked in those snug jeans, or her soft, red cotton shirt that clung tightly around her full chest. Patrick had towered over her compact frame, and he couldn’t help but wonder how she would feel next to him…under him even. He swallowed back the unexpected wash of desire. Guilt had found a way to creep in, causing a sudden battle of conflicted emotions.

“Daddy!” Connor shouted. He ran toward Patrick when he entered the house. As he spotted Connor’s blonde hair and blue eyes, he saw Beth, and his guilt cut him a little more deeply.

“Hey, buddy.” Patrick scooped him up and carried him toward the kitchen, in search of Finn and Mary.

“We’re in here,” Mary called out from the dining room. Patrick came in to see Finn and Mary seated at the table. Finn munched on some graham crackers, and seated next to him was Mary sipping tea. “Just finishing up a little snack, aren’t we?” Mary looked over at Finn as a giant, crumb-covered smile appeared on the little boy’s face. Mary turned back to Patrick, who was still carrying Connor, but the little boy was now resting his small head on Patrick’s shoulder. She had a serious look in her eyes that told him that she needed to speak with him later, when the children weren’t around.

“Well, I will go load this guy into the car. Finn, you almost done, buddy?”

“Yes, Daddy.” Finn hopped off his chair and sped toward Patrick.

Mary followed them out to the car and waited patiently as Patrick secured each child in their large booster seats. Closing the door, he turned to her. “What’s up, Mom? Everything okay?”

“Well, son, today was kind of an interesting one. The boys were asking questions about their mother,” Mary said softly. Patrick felt as though he had been punched in the gut. It wasn’t as though he had kept Beth’s death a secret, but the boys hadn’t been able to fully understand or miss something they had never known.

“What happened?” he asked, leaning against his SUV. His gaze searched his mother’s, and there was sadness behind her eyes.

She offered him a tight-lipped smile before speaking. “Well, we had been having a really lovely day, as usual. I noticed that Finn seemed a little down, though, so I asked him if anything was the matter. He asked why he didn’t have a mommy.” Mary’s voice grew weak as emotion started to choke her.

“Oh, Mom,” Patrick said as he took her in his arms.

Pulling back, Mary looked up at him. “It makes sense that they would wonder. Rachel and Maggie had stopped by earlier, and I’m sure the boys are hearing them talk about babies all the time now. I know that Mel is excited and probably talks about it with them.”

“These are the cards we were dealt. There isn’t a whole lot we can do,” Patrick muttered.

“I just feel bad for those little boys. Beth really would’ve enjoyed them, and they are the highlight of my day.” Mary’s eyes were red as she wiped away the tears that streaked her cheeks.

“I’d better get them home. Thanks again, Mom.” He hugged her once more before getting into his car. It bothered him to see his mother hurting, but he was used to the pain; it was with him every day.

Patrick started the engine and headed home. He lived only a few blocks away. When they arrived, he let the boys out of their seats and trudged into his home. Immediately, he was bombarded by how much this house was filled with Beth’s essence. Everything from the decor to where things belonged, he hadn’t changed a thing. Of course, when the boys came home from the NICU, Beth had already set up where all their baby stuff was to go. As they grew older, Patrick figured out where to put things and had tried to organize their lives as closely to how Beth would have wanted it. But the home was still hers—exactly how she had left it. Patrick still had her clothes hanging in the closet, though they no longer held her scent. But he didn’t have the heart to donate or throw them out. How was he ever going to be able to move on? Sneaking thoughts of Amber crept in, and he couldn’t erase the guilt he felt. Patrick remembered the promise he had made, as Beth lay dying. Of course during that moment he would have agreed to anything she had requested, but he just didn’t know how to go about living up to the promise he swore to her.

Chapter Four

Rachel

“It’s okay, baby.” Liam held Rachel as she surfed another wave of pregnancy-induced emotions.

“No, it’s not. I hate the way she acts.”

“It’ll all work out, I promise.” His voice was soothing, his long arms cradling her as they lay in bed. She had just gotten off the phone with her mother, Evelyn Montgomery, who was not very happy with Rachel at the moment.

Rachel looked up at Liam and stared into his gorgeous eyes. Rachel asked, “How do you figure, Liam? She’s so pissed that we won’t push the wedding back.”

“Well, that’s too bad. It’s not her wedding, it’s ours.” Liam planted a kiss on top of her head.

Life during the past couple of weeks had been wild, as if things hadn’t been hectic enough with finding out that she was pregnant, planning a wedding, and wrapping up the end of the school year. But to make matters worse, her mother was hellbent on driving her crazy.

When Liam had proposed to Rachel, he told her to choose the wedding date. She had decided, after careful consideration, that the Fourth of July seemed like the perfect date. Not only would Rachel not look noticeably pregnant, but everyone had promised that the weather would be amazing. Liam was the man who had completely changed her opinion about love, and it seemed fitting for their ceremony to have fireworks bursting brightly over the lake they resided by. She had consulted with Maggie and Mary about the details for her and Liam’s nuptials, and they had had some fantastic ideas. Rachel couldn’t help but feel excited. After plans had been made, she contacted her mother and told her the game plan for the wedding. That’s where the problems started. She could understand some of her mother’s concerns. After all, her parents hadn’t even met Liam yet. But with the wedding quickly approaching, Rachel didn’t want to bicker with her mother.

“What about your dad? What did he say? Does the Fourth work okay for him?” Liam asked as he began feathering soft kisses along her brow. “Don’t be so stressed out.”

Rachel sighed. “How can I not be? My mother is trying to make it seem like I’m the one being unreasonable.”

“And your dad?”

Rachel rolled her eyes. Did she dare go there? Saying that her father was pretty upset with her was a complete understatement. He had not been thrilled when Rachel left Newport Beach to accept a position as principal at a school in the rural community of Birch Valley, sight unseen. When he learned that she had wound up pregnant, he had been livid, and they were barely speaking. She called and asked if he could come up to walk her down the aisle, and he’d said he would need to check his schedule. As a plastic surgeon for some of the most elite people in southern California, Robert Montgomery had always placed his family low on his list of priorities, which was partially why her parents were no longer married.

“He’s going to get back to me on if he can make it up.”

“Get back to you?” She could hear Liam’s tone turn angry, and he looked at her with shock. “So you mean to tell me he needs to see if he can pencil in his only daughter’s wedding? Oh, geez.”

“Are you all that surprised after everything I have told you about my family?” Rachel faced Liam again.

He cupped her face delicately, his mouth meeting hers as he kissed her softly. “It just makes me a little sad, that’s all,” he said after releasing her lips.

This was why she was marrying Liam; love and tenderness came easily to him. He never hesitated to show her affection, to comfort her, and she didn’t understand how she had gotten so lucky.

***

Liam

He hated seeing Rachel upset. He felt a responsibility for her, and Liam wanted to do everything in his power to protect her, even if that meant protecting her from her family. He knew that the circumstances weren’t ideal. He tried to imagine how upset Rachel’s family must feel, but she was still their daughter. Liam just wanted to hold her, to cradle her in his arms for the remainder of the day.

“We probably should get up,” Rachel interrupted his thoughts, her blue eyes still sad, but she looked at him with longing. “As fun as it would be to lay in bed with you all day, we need to go over to your parents’ place for lunch.”

It was Sunday, and the following weekend would be Father’s Day. They would be married two weeks after that; the thought had settled well into his mind. Liam wasn’t the least bit nervous and had never been surer about anything in his entire life. Granted, the wedding was still over three weeks away. With the added stress from Rachel’s family factored in, he might be more of wreck, but knowing that he would get to grow old with the beautiful woman next to him, well, that made it all worth it.

As Rachel attempted to slip out of their bed, he pulled her down toward him. They still had a little time, and he knew exactly how he wanted to spend it.

***

Maggie

Maggie brought out a large glass bowl of potato salad to the table that been set up in the backyard. The family was gathered outside. No one could resist the temptation of the warm weather. It just beckoned them to the massive deck right outside the O’Brien kitchen. After setting the dish down, she gazed out at the lush yard, which was a remarkable shade of green. Melanie and the twins were playing, their screams of happiness a little louder than Maggie would have liked, but they were kids. She felt a sudden, hard kick in her belly.

“You okay?” Michael came up behind her and asked.

“Yes, just getting beaten up by your child.” Maggie and Michael both laughed as he placed his hands on her growing belly.

Dropping his head a little lower to her waist, he whispered, “You be nice to your mother.” His words were met with another powerful kick, causing them to both laugh again.

Maggie was finally starting to enjoy the pregnancy. The start had been anything but perfect; she had been overcome by wicked morning sickness, her marriage had been on shaky ground, and she had left Seattle. Now life was moving along smoothly, as was the pregnancy. These were the good months, the second trimester, when she felt like an actual human again. She was almost six months along and starting to show. Maggie looked over at Rachel, who was a little over four months along. Rachel and Liam were seated in patio chairs and appeared to be lost in their own world. She couldn’t believe that Liam and Rachel were getting married in three weeks; there was still so much to be done. Maggie couldn’t have asked for a better future sister-in-law and was thrilled they were also pregnant together, and it seemed to cement their already strong bond.

Maggie saw her other brothers, Daniel and Patrick, who were also seated out near the yard, looking completely relaxed as they chatted loudly with their father and Grandpa Paddy. Their animated expressions were met with laughter as Daniel told one of his tales. Her brother was always exaggerating everyday occurrences and was the teller of many legends. You never could quite tell if the stories he was telling were true or not, but if nothing else, they were always entertaining.

“You probably should go sit for a while,” Michael said, his hand perched on the lower curve of her back.

“I’m fine, I need to go help my mom in the kitchen. Don’t worry about me so much.” She reached up on the tips of her toes and placed a kiss on his cheek. Maggie was met with rich, mocha-colored eyes that were filled with concern.

“Sorry, I can’t help it.” He moved his head down, his lips brushing against hers as his arms pulled her closer to him.

Maggie was thankful that their life was on the right path. They had been so close to losing their deep connection and love, they almost hadn’t made it. But now, they were enjoying their new home, which Michael had insisted they purchase, and they were decorating a nursery with muted neutral tones since they wanted the gender of the baby to be a surprise, just as it had been with Melanie. Michael still hadn’t really opened his practice in town; he had taken on a couple of clients here and there, but overall he spent the majority of his time with his family. He was able to finally relax. He’d discovered he truly loved fishing and spending time with her brothers. Maggie thanked God daily for saving her marriage, and she couldn’t wait for them to add more children to their family.

***

Michael

He watched Maggie walked back inside the house, and he turned to join the rest of the men that were seated outside. Michael was growing comfortable in their new life and wondered often why he had ever resisted the idea of moving to Birch Valley. It had been the best thing for their family. Melanie was happy and thriving, Maggie was glowing, and their marriage felt stronger than ever. When they lived in Seattle, the thought of being surrounded by her family had scared him a little. Maybe it was because his family was hardly like hers, and the constant feeling of togetherness at first seemed odd to Michael. Now he wanted his own family to feel the same way.

Michael plopped down into an empty chair. He inhaled the sweet scent of lilacs that filled the air. Beautiful trees were lined up against the fence in the back yard, their delicate flowers withered and dying. The unusually warm weather was the culprit. Michael had chatted with some associates back in Seattle. It was hot and borderline miserable. If weather was the only thing to complain about, that suited him just fine. He relished his new life; no more insanely long hours at the office, missing everyday moments, and having Maggie upset with him. He learned that simple was sometimes best, and he was getting used to the much slower pace of life in Birch Valley, but he was happy. The one thing he still missed about Seattle was coffee. He still hadn’t found anything that compared to some of his favorite coffee shops.

“It’s a little warm today,” Michael commented as he took a long, leisurely sip of his canned soda.

“It’s a wee warm, I agree. But better than rain,” Grandpa Paddy replied, raising his own drink.

“Can’t argue with you there, Grandpa Paddy.” Michael lifted his can slightly.

One thing Michael had discovered about living in the eastern side of Washington state was that the weather was temperamental. He thought Seattle had a funny weather pattern, but that was nothing compared to Birch Valley. The sun could be shining brightly one moment, pouring down buckets of rain the next, possibly even hail, and then go right back to be down right warm and balmy. So far with the beginning of summer of approaching it had mainly been warm, far hotter than Seattle, and Michael was trying to acclimate.

“Everyone ready to eat?” Mary called out from the deck. The entire family, children included, hurried toward the long table, where a platter of fried chicken sat in the middle, along with large dishes filled with several cold salads, and a basket of homemade biscuits. That was another thing Michael was grateful for; they hardly had to eat take-out now. Maggie was learning how to cook like her mother, and then with all the shared family meals, Michael was starting to consider joining the small gym in town.

***

Patrick

Patrick carried Finn out of the SUV and planted him on one of the couches in the living room, and he quickly went back outside to retrieve a sleeping Connor. Sundays always wore the kids out; all the playing and eating just tuckered them out. The boys were usually fast asleep before they left the driveway of his parents’ home. Patrick went back to his car to bring in some leftovers his mother insisted that he take home, like every Sunday. He wasn’t sure why he even bothered trying to argue with her. She had been giving him leftovers every Sunday since he had moved out. But he was thankful, because it usually meant he didn’t have to cook for a day or two, and it made the start of his work week a lot smoother.

After tucking away the various plastic containers filled with chicken and cold salads in the fridge, Patrick grabbed a beer and went out to his back deck. He sat down on the porch swing and absorbed the quiet. The sky was a pale tint of violet as night and a few twinkling stars began to emerge. He glanced at his watch and noticed the time was nearing nine. This was one of the great things about summer; it got dark late. He raised the bottle to his mouth and took a long leisurely sip and noticed a deer silently walking into his yard. It stopped to look at him briefly, before gnawing away at the grass, unconcerned with his presence. The area was full of wildlife that made themselves quite at home in everyone’s yards. He had seen deer use the crosswalk in town, and the thought made him laugh. Only in a place like Birch Valley would you see something like that. As Patrick swung slowly on the swing, he felt himself being lulled to sleep. He felt relaxed, almost content, which wasn’t a feeling he got to experience often. His mind was tame, and that’s when visions of Amber decided to appear. He could see her sea-green eyes, which were like small lagoons, clear and bright but filled with mystery. Patrick had a hard time believing that he never really noticed her before, that they’d gone to the same school. Granted, she was in Liam’s class, and hadn’t run in the same social circle as Beth and Patrick. But how could he not have noticed such a beautiful girl? Because he had been madly in love with Beth, the blonde goddess of Birch Valley.