His One And Only Bride

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Yes, he did. It served him well when he went hunting for big profile stories to document.

“I suppose I should hear him out. See what he has in mind. You’re right. I can’t run from this. Now that Mitch knows about Leo, he’ll never let me keep him out of his son’s life.”

“And you shouldn’t.”

True. But she couldn’t stop the worry and the excuses filling her mind since she’d laid eyes on him yesterday.

“Can I risk him taking Leo off on his own? In his current condition?”

“Do you think he’s even gotten that far in the process? From what you said, he’s dealing with physical limitations. Mitch may have taken off at a moment’s notice to cover an event or a story, but he isn’t unrealistic. He’s got to know that becoming a father to Leo will take time.”

Guilt washed over her. She’d been so overly concerned about how Mitch’s return would impact her and Leo’s life, she hadn’t really focused on him. The man who needed a cane to walk. Whose scalp looked like a jigsaw puzzle of scars. Who needed serious medical support. If she’d let herself dwell on his condition, she’d probably have broken down on the spot. Her once healthy, vivacious husband had been reduced to a shadow of the former man. Why hadn’t she been more sympathetic?

Because you don’t want him to hurt you again.

Maybe. But what person didn’t at least try for a little more compassion in a situation like this? Certainly not a selfish person. Is that who she’d become?

“I should ask him more questions when I see him again. He mentioned he had a referral to a local doctor.”

“Zoe, you guys have a long history together. I witnessed the crushing hurt you went through while trying to make things right with Mitch and it wasn’t working. The agony of deciding to divorce. I get that you’re afraid to remotely consider laying your heart on the line with him, either by co-parenting or helping him get through the recovery process.” She paused and met Zoe’s eyes. “But you have a big heart, my friend. No matter the personal stuff between you two, you can’t keep yourself from pitching in to aid those in a bind.”

At that moment, Leo rolled onto his knees and pushed up. Zoe held his hand when he staggered and plopped down on his diaper-clad behind.

“He’s going to be running before you know it,” Bethany said.

“Like his father,” Zoe whispered and just like that, the reality of their current situation hit like a ton of bricks.

Her husband was home. Alive. Injured. Wanting to know his son. It was all too much.

Bethany asked, “Hey, you okay?”

Zoe blinked and took a breath. “I’ll be fine.”

“Good. I don’t want to have to worry about you while I’m gone.” Bethany glanced at her watch. “And on that note, I have to run. I’ve got calls to make, then brunch with the family before I head to the airport.”

After she rose, Bethany scooped Leo into her arms.

“I’m going to miss you,” Zoe said as she stood. “Who else can I talk to about all this?”

“Mitch?”

Zoe shot her an annoyed look.

“Just a suggestion.”

“Which I will take under advisement. Now—”

The doorbell cut off her next words.

“Who could be here this early on a Sunday morning?” she wondered out loud, walking to the door while Bethany cooed her final baby goo-goos.

When the door opened, her eyes went wide to find Mitch on the porch, a white bag in one hand, a white-knuckle grip on the cane in the other.

“Good morning, Zoe. Hope you don’t mind that I stopped by.”

“Without a call first? Why would I mind?”

He winced at her sarcasm.

“If you’d asked you would have known.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. When Leo squealed from the living room, his shoulders slumped. Along with her displeasure. What a shrew she’d turned into.

“C’mon in,” she said, opening the screen door to let him in.

“Sorry. Next time, I’ll make sure to check with you first.”

As she closed the door, Mitch hobbled into the room. Leo hid his face in the crook of Bethany’s neck, but Bethany’s lips curved into a big smile.

“Mitch. I wanted to see you before flying out again.”

“Same here.”

Zoe came around Mitch and took Leo from Bethany’s arms. Once her godson was taken care of, Bethany wrapped Mitch in a gentle hug.

“I’d say you’re looking good, but...”

Mitch responded with a startled bark of laughter. “Truck wrecks will do that to a person.”

Bethany stepped back. “Really, it is good to see you in one piece.”

Leo squirmed and kicked. Zoe set him down among his toys.

“Good timing. Bethany was just about to leave.”

“Yep. Places to go. People to see.” Bethany hugged Zoe, then grabbed her purse from the couch. Pointing a finger at them, she said, “Play nice, you two.”

Silence mingled with crackling tension after Bethany closed the door behind her.

“I brought breakfast.” Mitch held out the bag. “Bagels and cream cheese.”

As if understanding the bag held food, Leo grabbed Zoe’s leg and tried to stand, one hand turned up as if reaching for the tasty treats. Zoe lifted him into her arms again.

“Would you like some coffee? I made a fresh pot.”

“Thank you.”

With Mitch following, she entered the kitchen, grabbing two empty mugs from the cabinet with her free hand. Leo bounced on her hip, a sign he wasn’t happy with his current location, so she settled him in the high chair and sprinkled cereal on the tray.

“Your mother remodeled,” Mitch commented as he set the bag down and leaned a hip against the counter.

“The kitchen was hopelessly outdated when I moved in. Mom finally decided to get the work done.”

The golden seventies look had been replaced with crisp white Shaker cabinets, a bold granite countertop and a dark floor.

He gazed around the room. “Samantha always had a flair for colors.”

“Actually, I picked out the color scheme. She wanted to go with red and black.” Zoe shook her head. “Too dark. We battled over that decision.”

A fleeting smile curved Mitch’s lips. “Your battles were pretty epic.”

Mitch shifted his weight from the one leg that Zoe noticed he favored. He sagged a bit, then straightened before moving to the high chair to shove some of the cereal closer to his son’s chubby hands. Leo grabbed Mitch’s finger and tugged, his nonsensical babble catching Mitch off guard. He froze, as if not sure what to do. Her breath caught in her chest as she watched. When Leo dropped his finger to capture the cereal, Mitch backed up to his original position, looking pleased.

“I did some thinking last night,” he said.

Zoe resumed pouring steaming coffee into the mugs and brought Mitch’s to him. He didn’t reach out to take it, still distracted by the interaction with Leo, so she set it on the counter, ignoring the subtle spicy cologne that she associated with him. How many times had she sniffed his pillowcase after he went missing, hoping for the sensory connection that triggered her memories? Making her feel he was still with her. Right up until the day it faded completely, leaving her bereft and filled with renewed sorrow. After that, she didn’t like to go into his closet for fear the scent on his clothing would bring her to her knees.

She hadn’t been sure how to process her life back then. She still wasn’t sure today.

“And what did you come up with?” She grabbed her mug and carefully sipped the too-strong brew.

“I agree that physically I can’t take care of Leo.” He glanced at his son and smiled before turning his attention back to her. The smile disappeared. “I’ll call and make an appointment with a local doctor first thing tomorrow.”