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Chapter Three
Heath woke up the next morning wondering if he had dreamt the events of last night. Was Bella really having his child? Was he really going to be a father in a few months? Yes, he hadn’t been dreaming. The kiss they’d shared had been the real deal. He found himself grinning. It had been an impulsive act, but one that had paid off. Clearly, Bella wasn’t as immune to him as she was acting.
He hated that he’d put her through the ringer. She had been sick and scared for months and dealing with her pregnancy. In a perfect world, Heath would have been there to make her chicken noodle soup and buy her the sickly sweet cereal she liked to eat every morning. Perhaps that particular cereal had been scrapped from her pregnancy diet. It was pretty much junk although Bella had clung to it for years like a favorite blanket.
Bella. Seeing her again made him realize how much he’d been missing her in his life. He missed meeting up for lunch or walking along the beach with his dog, Bingo. There were certain places in Pelican Bay he avoided driving past because they reminded him of Bella. Although
a separation had been for the best so Heath could undergo treatment, that knowledge hadn’t eased the ache inside him. He’d missed her every single day for the last five months.
By the time Heath showed up for work at the construction site, he felt as if his head would explode. He was dying to tell someone about the baby, but he didn’t know where to start. Although he had been living with Caleb, he’d moved to his own place a few weeks ago. In simple terms it was a fixer upper. His siblings had been open-mouthed when he’d invited them over to see the place. Caleb, as usual was diplomatic. The youngest Donahue brother, Nash, was optimistic. His sister, Shayla, had been strangely silent. She’d walked around his house with her mouth wide open in shock. The rest of his siblings—Jason, Micah, Parker and Daniel had made a lot of jokes about the house’s state of disrepair. Heath had shrugged off the teasing.
Growing up in a house full of Donahue kids had taught him to shrug it off. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought of his newly purchased house. Heath had bought it in a foreclosure. He, more than anyone else, knew that it needed a lot of TLC. But home construction was his business. He was working for Ralph DeNunzio’s Home Improvement business, and with each and every day, Heath was learning more and more about the craft of home construction. He’d been working for DeNunzio’s since he was a teenager. It had been his part-time after school job in high school. Ralph DeNunzio had promised to hold a full-time job for him while he was in the military. Ralph had made good on his promise. Heath had returned home with a guaranteed job. And even though he had been struggling with PTSD and depression, he was good at it.
With a little time and effort and a small cash infusion, his house would be turned into a beautiful home. A home fit for a wife and child if he had his way. He had a long way to go in order to convince Bella to give him a second chance. He was determined to be patient and win her back. She was right about him withholding things from her—personal things that he’d held close to the vest for so many years. Lee Smalley, his therapist, had told him how important it was to break down his walls. Heath trusted Dr. Smalley. In five short months he had helped him deal with a lot of the things that were tormenting him. But there were still issues to grapple with, particularly the ones he’d kept hidden away for decades.
Heath spent the day working on a new home construction project for Bill and Janie Pearson. They were an older couple who had been devastated when a fire gutted their home. Due to limits in their home insurance, the couple had been in a real bind when it came to affording the rebuild. Enter the townsfolk of Pelican Bay. Funds had been raised through Pelican Bay church and in the local community. Ralph Denunzio had taken on the job, giving the couple a fabulous rate. Heath enjoyed helping to build something from the ground up. Each and every time it astounded him when he saw the final product. Today, it served as a good distraction from the events of last night.
At the end of the work day Heath headed home and stumbled into the bathroom for a hot shower. Even though he was exhausted, he’d agreed to meet his brothers at Caleb’s house for their bi-monthly sibling night.
Before Parker and Caleb got married, they’d tried to do it once a week, but since Parker had a toddler and Caleb was just settling in with his new bistro and being a newlywed, they had all agreed to cut back a little. Truthfully, Heath was relieved. Whenever he got together with his family, he had the feeling he was being placed under a microscope. Everyone was worried about him, which added pressure to an already tense situation.
He couldn’t imagine how they would all react upon hearing the news about Bella and the baby. Parker would understand, since he himself had been in a similar situation. His parents had been shell-shocked when he had stopped by the diner at lunchtime to tell them the news face to face. They had both been supportive and loving. His siblings would be no different. He didn’t think any one of them would judge. It wasn’t the Donahue way, although he knew the life his parents had always wanted for him. And it didn’t include having a baby outside of marriage. Truthfully, it wasn’t what he’d ever envisioned for himself, but he knew that children were blessings. He was excited about all of the possibilities. And he still hoped for a happy ending with Bella. It was still possible.
By seven o’clock he had arrived at Caleb’s home. As was his habit, he let himself in and made his way toward the deck, passing through the kitchen as he did so. Caleb’s wife Addie was in the kitchen, stirring something on the stove. She turned her head at the sound of his approaching footsteps.
Her beautiful face was lit up with a welcoming smile. “Hey, Heath. How’s it going? It’s not often I see you two days in a row.”
“Hey, Addie,” Heath said, reaching out for a hug. With her warm brown skin and twinkling eyes, Addie was a woman who radiated a bright light. She and Caleb were a perfect match. In the past few months, Heath’s relationship with Addie had blossomed. He knew when they’d first met he had been distant and borderline rude. His moods had been all over the place. He hadn’t really been living in the real world. His heart and his mind had been caught up in the past. He’d had to face the fact that he had a tendency towards depression, mainly because of his birth mother’s struggles. Facing up to his past was a work in progress for him. Although he’d been impatient to be cured of his issues, Dr. Smalley had reminded him that he needed to put in the work to make it happen. He hadn’t expected therapy to dredge up so many painful memories.
Heath sniffed the sweet yet savory scent hovering in the air. “What are you cooking?”
“Caleb made some meatballs and my contribution is a new sauce I want to try out at the bistro. I figure if it’s a hit tonight, he’ll give it a thumbs up.”
Heath patted his stomach. “You’ve got my vote.”
Addie’s tinkling laughter filled the kitchen. “You have to try it first. Thanks for the vote of confidence. It’s great seeing you doing so well. I’m proud of you for reaching out for help.”
A few months ago Heath would have been upset about anyone knowing about his therapy sessions with Dr. Smalley. But with each and every day he was moving forward and accepting that there was no shame in getting help. He was much better for it.
He shifted from one foot to another. “I have to admit, I never believed in therapy. I always thought it meant I was weak.”
“No!” Addie exclaimed. “Truthfully, it’s the very opposite. Getting help is showing strength. I hope you know your family is so proud of you.”
Heath grinned. Addie’s kind words meant the world to him. She was such a positive, gentle spirit. In that way, she reminded him of Bella. Sweet, beautiful Bella.
“You better go join the posse. They’re probably wondering where you are,” Addie said, nodding her chin in the direction of the deck.
“Are you heading outside?” he asked.
“No,” she said with a grin. “Cadence got a babysitter, so we’re going to see that new Agatha Christie movie. Ladies night out.”
“Have fun,” he said. It was nice to see his two sisters-in-law getting on so well. They had both been wonderful additions to the Donahue family, just as Bella would have been if things between them had gone in a different direction. Regret pierced his insides. He wondered if he would ever stop kicking himself for being so foolish?
Heath heeded Addie’s advice and headed outside through the sliding glass doors. Once he made his way outside, the raucous sounds of his siblings reached his ears within seconds. They were all gathered around the deck, enjoying the balmy November weather. Florida in Fall allowed for shorts and short-sleeved shirts. It was a far cry from what his Donahue cousins in Breeze Point, Cape Cod experienced. Those guys were probably bundled up in sweaters and cords, he thought with a smile.
“Hey! Heath is here!” his brother Jason cried out. Jason was Parker’s partner in crime. They both worked at Parker’s PI business and Jason had recently become a full partner. Jason had also been adopted at a young age by Jude and Penelope. Heath had a lot of respect for Jason, who had managed to claw his way out of drug addiction a few years ago. Although it was a constant struggle to stay on the straight and narrow path, Jason had shown them all he was dedicated to his sobriety.
By the time he made his way over to the deck, all of his siblings had called out to him in greeting. Clearly, he was the last one to arrive. His sister, Shayla—always super affectionate with her family members—launched herself against his chest and placed a big kiss on his cheek. “Heath! You’re here,” she said, as if surprised by his appearance.
