The baby secret, p.1
The Baby Secret, page 1
Clay tilted his head toward Emma. “Want to take a walk?”
She shouldn’t say yes, shouldn’t encourage this to continue with everything that was still unsaid. And even if everything was out in the open between them, she wasn’t sure if her heart was ready. It had been so bruised and battered, she didn’t know if it would ever heal.
Yet...she wanted to walk alone with him. Wanted to explore the possibilities and feel something again.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
Clay stood and offered his hand to her. She took it and he helped her stand, but he didn’t let it go as they moved around the fire and toward the lake walk.
Neither spoke for a few moments, though Emma had so many things she wanted to say.
It was Clay who finally broke the silence. “I know we just met, but I really like you, Emma, and I don’t think I’m hiding it well. I hope we’ll be able to see each other after the wedding.”
“I hope we can see each other, too,” she said.
But she had a secret that would tear at his heart, just as it had hers...
Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River with her husband and four young children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people and events. Gabrielle can be found at www.gabriellemeyer.com, where she writes about her passion for history, Minnesota and her faith.
Books by Gabrielle Meyer
Love Inspired
A Mother’s Secret
Unexpected Christmas Joy
A Home for Her Baby
Snowed in for Christmas
Fatherhood Lessons
The Soldier’s Baby Promise
The Baby Proposal
The Baby Secret
Visit the Author Profile page at LoveInspired.com for more titles.
The Baby Secret
Gabrielle Meyer
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
—Psalm 30:11–12
For Elliot Gosiak and Oliver Gosiak,
two sweet boys who mean the world to me.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
Dear Reader
Excerpt from The Widow’s Choice by Lorraine Beatty
Chapter One
Sunshine sparkled off the glimmering water of Lake Madeline as Clay Foster stepped out of his SUV to survey Lakepoint Lodge. The sound of children laughing and playing at the beach mingled with the wind as it blew through the tall pine trees surrounding the massive resort.
Taking a deep breath, Clay stood for a moment, allowing the knowledge that he was finally on vacation to sink into his weary mind and heart. It had been a long, devastating year, and he was ready for a little rest and relaxation. If taking a six-month-old baby to a resort was relaxing.
“Welcome to Lakepoint Lodge.” An eager teenage boy in khaki shorts and a green polo shirt with a name tag reading Alex approached Clay. “Can I help you with your bags?”
Clay smiled at the bellhop. “You don’t know what you’re offering. I think I brought half the house with me.” He nodded toward the back of his vehicle. “There’s a lot.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” Alex grinned and went around to the back of Clay’s SUV to lift the hatch. “Is this your first time at Lakepoint Lodge?”
“Yes.” Clay closed his door and went to the other side of the SUV to open the back door. Willow had slept all the way up to the resort, which had made for a quiet ride. She was still sleeping, though he didn’t expect that to last for long. After he unlatched her car seat, he grabbed the backpack that doubled as the diaper bag and closed the door.
“How long are you staying?” Alex asked.
The boy was trying to make small talk, but Clay was tired. It had been a long week at the clinic where he had recently started his medical practice, and Willow hadn’t slept well the night before. However, he was on vacation now and he was sure to get a lot of questions.
Raising a baby as a single father often caused curiosity.
“I’ll be here for eight days.” Clay took a deep breath, appreciating the fresh air. “My cousin is getting married here a week from today, but I thought I would come early and take a little vacation before the celebration begins.”
“Are you here for the Holt-and-Conner wedding?” Alex asked, his affable personality contagious.
“That’s the one.”
“You’re not the only one who came early.” Alex grabbed a couple of suitcases, though there was also a portable high chair, activity station, stroller and pack and play crib that would still need to be unloaded. “The maid of honor just came in about an hour ago. She’ll be here for the whole week, too.”
“Oh?” Clay couldn’t help glancing around at the dozens of people meandering around the resort, though he didn’t know who he was looking for. He’d never met the maid of honor and only knew she was the bride’s sister and her name was Emma. The engagement had been so quick, Clay hadn’t had time to meet many of the bride’s friends or family. “I’ll have to find her and introduce myself.”
“I’ll come back for the other stuff later,” Alex said as he closed the back hatch and led the way to the lodge.
They entered the main doors, and Clay felt transported back in time. The lodge had a placard that said it had been built in 1947, with a historic photo of the resort near the front doors. The lobby had high ceilings with thick beams, a massive rock fireplace, pine-plank floors and board-and-batten walls made of pine and darkened over time. Oversize furniture flanked the fireplace, and a registration desk stretched across the back of the room. A few people were sitting in the lobby, playing games, reading or just visiting.
“Here she is,” Alex said to Clay.
“Who?” Clay asked, turning his attention away from the architecture of the building.
“The maid of honor.”
Clay looked around the room and finally saw an attractive woman walking down the wide staircase. At first, he thought it was the bride, Carrie—but as she drew closer, the differences between the sisters grew more obvious. Emma was small and cute, with large brown eyes, a round face and a dimple in her chin. Her dark brown hair was long and thick, and she wore it up in a high ponytail.
She was beautiful, a fact that didn’t fail to register in Clay’s trampled heart. It had been almost five months since his ex-wife, Sadie, had left him, and in all that time, Clay hadn’t let himself notice whether or not another woman was attractive. Until now.
His life was too complicated to even think about romance.
Emma looked like she was on her way to the beach. She was wearing a long sundress over a swimsuit and carried a beach bag on her shoulder. When she glanced at Clay, she offered him a smile but didn’t appear to know who he was. It didn’t surprise him, since he wouldn’t have known her, either, if the bellhop hadn’t pointed her out.
Should he introduce himself? Or let her go and make introductions later?
“Miss Holt,” Alex called out to her with a big grin. “This man is here for the wedding, too.”
Emma stopped and looked at Clay a bit closer, a curious smile on her face.
They were going to be introduced after all.
“Hi,” Clay said, extending his right hand to shake hers. “I’m Clay Foster, Jack’s cousin and best man.”
Emma’s curious smile turned into a beautiful grin. If he’d thought she was attractive before, seeing her smile made her even more so. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Emma Holt, Carrie’s sister and the maid of honor. Or matron of honor—I’m not sure how that works.”
Matron of honor? That probably meant she was married. For some reason, the thought disappointed Clay.
Willow began to fuss, and Clay glanced down, remembering to introduce her. “This is my daughter, Willow.”
Emma smiled at the baby. “Hello, Willow.” She looked up at Clay. “She’s beautiful.”
“Thank you.” He couldn’t take credit for Willow’s beauty—but it seemed the appropriate thing to say. “I didn’t know you’d be here early.”
“It was a last-minute decision.” Emma glanced at the baby again, frowning just slightly, as if something puzzled her, though she seemed to put the thought aside quickly and met Clay’s gaze again. “I thought it was time I took a little vacation. And I promised Carrie I’d get a few things done for the wedding while I’m here. I’m going to meet with the wedding planner, and I have a whole bag full of wedding programs that need to be folded and place cards that need to be filled out.”
Clay glanced at Emma’s bags and then out the windows toward the sparkling lake. “Are you headed
“I am. You’re more than welcome to join me, if you’d like. I’ll be there for a while.”
Clay’s pulse beat a little harder than normal at Emma’s invitation—a strange sensation he hadn’t been expecting. For five months, he’d been mourning the loss of his wife and caring for their daughter single-handedly. He hadn’t thought about dating or relationships, and though Emma’s invitation wasn’t romantic in nature, was it wise to spend time with the first woman who made his pulse skitter? Especially when she might be married?
“Thanks for the invitation,” Clay said as he looked toward the registration counter, where he needed to check in. “I’ll see how long it takes us to get settled. I’m sure we’ll be bumping into each other a lot this week.”
“I hope so.” Emma smiled again and then left the lodge.
Clay forced himself to walk toward the counter, where he was greeted by an older woman with a name tag that said Marilyn Butler.
“Welcome to Lakepoint Lodge,” Marilyn said.
“This gentleman is here for the wedding.” Alex set Clay’s bags down by the counter.
“Oh.” Marilyn smiled. “Dr. Clay Foster? I have you checking in for eight nights?”
“Yes.” Clay returned her smile. “That’s correct.”
“Both you and Miss Holt are here for the wedding—the woman you were just speaking to.” Marilyn started typing something into the computer. “Since you’re both here for the wedding, I’ve put you in neighboring suites on the second floor with a beautiful view of the lake. I’m sure the two of you have some things to get ready for the wedding. My daughter, Liv, is the wedding planner, and she said she’ll be meeting with Emma on Monday morning.”
Clay’s curiosity about Emma was piqued. Marilyn and Alex had called Emma Miss Holt. Did that mean she was single after all? Then why the comment about being a matron of honor?
“Will your wife be joining you, Dr. Foster?”
“No.” Clay shook his head, not interested in sharing more information than necessary, though he had come to expect questions. “My ex-wife and I are divorced. It will just be Willow and me here this week.”
“Are you raising that baby girl all on your own?” Marilyn’s eyes grew round. “You poor man.”
Clay hated pity even more than he disliked people prying into his personal affairs.
If Marilyn knew the truth, she’d give him more than pity. She’d be appalled on his behalf.
Clay had learned about Sadie’s infidelity a year ago. They had worked through the affair and she had promised it was over, but then he’d learned she was pregnant.
With the other man’s child.
It had taken everything in Clay to stay and fight for his marriage. He couldn’t give up on them, and he couldn’t blame the baby. But a month after Willow had been born, and Clay had been coming to terms with raising another man’s child, he had arrived home from work to find that Sadie had moved out. A babysitter had been with Willow and a handwritten note had been on their bed. Sadie was leaving him and the baby. She had fallen in love with someone else and the new boyfriend hadn’t wanted the child, so she had chosen to abandon them.
To this day, Clay didn’t know the identity of Willow’s biological father and he didn’t want to know. It was easier to raise her as his own that way. On the day Sadie had left, he’d decided that he and Willow would write their own story. They’d both been abandoned and deceived by Sadie, but it didn’t have to define their lives.
“Do you have a nanny or some other childcare provider with you?” Marilyn asked.
“No.”
“We have a childcare program here. You’re welcome to use it both day and night, whenever you’d like—just let me know. You deserve some relaxation, too.”
“I’m sure I’ll take you up on the offer.”
“I hope you do.” Marilyn completed the registration process and then said, “Alex will take your bags up to your room.” She motioned for the bellhop to grab Clay’s bags. “There’s a dance in the ballroom downstairs tonight, so get rested up this afternoon.”
A dance? Clay had no desire to go to a dance with a bunch of strangers. Attending the wedding next week was going to be hard enough with all his family and friends there. He hadn’t felt much like dancing or celebrating in the past year, but he would for Jack and Carrie.
“Thank you,” Clay said as he took his key. It was connected to a key chain shaped like a pine tree with the room number 202. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d stayed at a hotel or lodge with a real key.
Clay followed Alex up the set of stairs and across a long hallway. They stopped at his room and he opened the door. After Alex deposited his bags, he told Clay that he’d be back with the rest of Willow’s stuff and then left the room.
The suite had a small kitchenette and a living room with a gas fireplace. A door led into the bedroom, but it was the large window and sliding glass door in the living room, looking out at the lake, that drew his attention. A little balcony beckoned him. He unlocked the door and slid it open and then stepped out onto the balcony, still carrying Willow in her car seat.
Lake Madeline spread out before him in all its glory. It was one of the largest and prettiest lakes in Minnesota and a perfect location for Carrie and Jack’s outdoor wedding.
The main lodge dominated the property, sitting on a point on Lake Madeline. There were dozens of smaller log cabins along the shoreline and other buildings dotting his view. One looked like a boathouse, another had a sign that said Bait Shop and another that said Candy Shop.
The beach was close enough that Clay could make out at least twenty people in the water and on the sand. One person, in particular, drew his attention.
Emma was sitting on a large beach towel and wearing a floppy hat.
Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to join her for a little bit and get to know the maid of honor. After all, they were going to be seeing a lot of each other, and what was the harm in making a new friend?
And finding out if she was married?
After he fed and changed Willow, they’d head to the beach.
* * *
Emma closed her eyes and allowed the sound of the water lapping against the shore to ease her mind. It was so peaceful here at the resort. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought about getting away before now. The past twelve months had been the hardest of her life, and she was ready for a vacation.
It had begun a year ago when Tyler had revealed his affair to her. A month later, while they’d been separated, he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He’d only lived for three more months, making her a widow eight months ago. It had happened so quickly, she was just now coming to terms with it all.
“Hey,” said a male voice. “Mind if I join you?”
Emma glanced up and saw Clay Foster standing on the edge of the beach in a pair of swimming shorts and flip-flops. He held his daughter on one hip and had a bag slung over his shoulder.
Her pulse ticked up a notch at seeing him again, but she managed to smile.
“Sure.” She sat up and motioned to the empty spot next to her. “Pull up a beach towel and have a seat.”
Emma watched as he wrestled a towel out of his bag and laid it down with one hand.
“Here,” she said as she helped him settle it on the sand.
“Thanks. It’s amazing what you can—and can’t—do with a baby in your arms.” He set the baby on the towel and then took a seat next to her, pulling toys out of the bag to place near Willow.
Clay was tall, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. His dark brown hair and eyes were attractive, but it was his smile, and the dimple in his right cheek, that instantly made Emma like him. That and the way he cared for his baby.
She glanced around, looking for his wife, but saw no one in tow.
He must have seen her curious gaze because he said, “I’m here alone.”
Warmth filled her cheeks. “Sorry—do you get that question a lot?”
“More than you can imagine.”
“So, it’s just you and the baby, then?”
He nodded. “I’m a single dad—not something I ever thought I’d say.”
