Chapter 7 Proposals #3
She climbed inside and pulled her seatbelt over her. “Am I ever glad to see you guys!” She twisted around in her seat to drink in the sight of Ryder and Cooper thumb wrestling in the backseat. Waves of protectiveness rolled through her at the thought of Blaire Aspen coming anywhere near them.
“Dad took us out for pancakes,” Cooper informed her cheerfully, “but they weren’t as good as yours. We voted, and yours won. Three to zero!”
“Thank you so much!” She pressed her hands to her heart, genuinely flattered.
“The restaurant ones weren’t shaped like animals,” his brother grumbled. “We liked the chocolate chips, though.”
“Basically, you ate cookies for breakfast,” she accused with a smile.
He gave a happy bounce in his seat. “Then we went on a long drive. It was kinda boring.”
Owen reached for Halle’s hand. “Only because you weren’t with us. The Tolliver men are lost without you.” He tapped a few buttons on the dashboard to turn on a movie for the boys.
They cheered and quickly became engrossed in the antics of their favorite dog detective.
Owen squeezed her fingers. “There’s been a new development in the investigation.
Two, actually.” He drove them away from the downtown area and set their course for home.
Though he’d mentioned a coffee date or early lunch, she didn’t comment on the direction they were taking. Home was where she preferred to be.
“I have news as well, but you go first.” Her absence from school would soon be noticed.
For all she knew, Blaire Aspen had already reported that she’d left campus in the middle of the workday.
Halle was in no hurry to return, either.
The further she got from the school building, the easier it was to breathe.
Owen was silent for a moment. “The sheriff verified my findings a couple of hours ago—right after you left for work. There’s no easy way to tell you this, Halle.”
“Then just do it.” She doubted it would make her feel worse. She was already on edge.
“Your ex is married to Brooke Aspen. Different last names. International marriage certificate.”
“Married?” The air whooshed out of her. She hadn’t seen that one coming. On top of all the other horrible things her ex had done to her, it was cruel and hurtful to discover he’d offered her a bigamous marriage. Not that he’d gone through with it, but still! Fury quickly replaced her initial shock.
“Puts things in a whole new light, doesn’t it?” Owen sounded as angry as she felt.
“I…” She struggled to find the right words.
“You didn’t deserve this.” He squeezed her fingers again. “Any of it!”
“Why would they do such a thing?” Her mind worked feverishly to put the pieces together and make sense of them. “Since Brooke owns the property next door, why do they need Garrett Farm? Why do they need me?”
“I have a theory.” Owen turned onto the driveway leading home. “Before I tell you what it is, you deserve to know your ex’s father is also in town.”
“Let me guess.” Her heart raced sickeningly. “His name is Gavin House. Dr. Gavin House.”
Owen nodded gravely. “I take it you’ve met him?”
“It was unavoidable.” Her summons to his office had been no accident. It was all part of whatever James and his twisted associates were planning. “He’s the new elementary school principal. I just left his office.”
“Are you alright?” Owen’s voice was agonized.
“I lived to tell the tale.” She filled him in on everything that had transpired between them. “It can’t be a coincidence,” she concluded, “that James’ dad and Brooke’s sister have converged on Heart Lake.
“It’s not.” Owen pulled into the garage and parked. “The father-son team and the Aspen sisters are linked to financial fraud allegations in multiple states. What’s more, we have reason to believe they’re working together.”
Though she’d been expecting him to say something like that, it didn’t make it any easier to hear. “Why haven’t they been arrested?”
“That’s a good question.” His jaw tightened. “When the sheriff prepared his affidavit and submitted it to the judge, the Feds reached out and told him to stand down. Whatever is going on is apparently bigger than any of us imagined. It’s now a federal case.”
Unbelievable! “Leaving the local authorities to do what, exactly?”
“Wait for justice to be served.” Owen didn’t sound any happier about it than she was. Before turning off the show his sons were watching, he leaned over the seat to get their attention. “How about you finish watching this in the living room?”
Their heads immediately swiveled toward Halle. “Will you make us more pancakes?” Ryder begged, trying to look pitiful.
“You just ate!” She couldn’t believe he was ready to eat again. She reached over the seat to ruffle his hair.
He leaned into her touch. “I’m always hungry.”
She glanced at Owen for his input, but he merely shrugged. “Okay. New plan.” She smiled at Ryder. “This calls for more protein.” It would stay in their bellies longer than fluffy pancakes.
He looked fascinated. “What’s protein?”
“Eggs,” she supplied. “Bacon, ham, sausage—”
He gave a whoop of approval. “Yes, please!”
“Omelettes coming right up.” She mentally added some diced spinach and cheddar cheese shreds to the list of ingredients. “Who wants one?”
To her amusement, Owen’s hand shot up along with his boys. “You’re bottomless pits,” she marveled. “All of you.”
Ryder and Cooper raced inside. She and Owen followed at a slower pace. He slung his arm around her. “In case you missed it, we can’t get enough of your cooking…or you.” He paused at the door to nuzzle her temple. “You make everything better, Halle. You’ve brought the color back into our lives.”
She was so moved by his words that she wrapped her arms around his middle, lingering in the garage with him.
“I feel the same way about you guys. Getting to be a part of your family is the happiest I’ve been in a long time.
” She wasn’t simply referring to the loss of her parents.
Growing up as an only child had been lonely. “I’ve always wished I had siblings.”
“Siblings with an S?” The look he gave her was both searching and teasing.
She nodded shyly. “A classic case of wanting what you don’t have, huh?” Her biggest, most heartfelt dreams had always revolved around family.
“Do you want more children, Halle?” He scanned her features. “Beyond my two ragamuffins, that is?”
“I do,” she whispered, feeling her face grow warm.
“Me, too.” He brushed his mouth against hers. “I always have. The thought of the twins growing up without knowing what it feels like to be older brothers...” He shook his head. “I want more for them.”
She smiled dreamily. “Can you imagine their reaction?”
“I don’t want to imagine it.” His voice grew rough with emotion. “I want to live it.”
So did she—right after they figured out what her ex-fiancé and his crooked family were up to. The Houses and Aspens deserved to be behind bars. “I’m so ready for the bad stuff to be over,” she sighed, “so we can focus on the good things.”
“Speaking of the good, the bad, and the ugly,” he said slowly, “what’s your opinion about homeschooling?”
The rapid change of subject caught her by surprise.
Was it something he was considering for Ryder and Cooper?
Because she had a long list of opinions to share on the topic.
Favorable ones. “I think it’s a great option for families who can pull it off.
There are more resources out there for homeschoolers than ever before.
More curriculum choices. More support groups.
More umbrella schools for credentialing and accountability.
More accommodations at public schools for clubs and sports.
Parents no longer have to wing it or worry about teaching to their own strengths.
It’s seriously the best of both worlds.”
His eyes glowed into hers. “You’re a wealth of information on the topic, Miss Garrett.”
“It comes with the territory,” she reminded, chuckling. “My dream classroom is a small homeschool group in a flexible workspace that could easily spill outdoors.”
“A chicken farm, for instance?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.
“A chicken farm would totally fit the bill.” Was he seriously considering it?
“It would be the perfect place to engage half a dozen well-vetted students with a hands-on curriculum—everything from science experiments in the kitchen to nature walks to stargazing. Education isn’t contained by textbooks or classroom walls.
It’s something to be experienced. To be lived.
” Her enthusiasm for the idea welled up and threatened to bubble over.
There was no limit to the number of field trips she could coordinate for a group that size—in town, out of town, everywhere!
The possibilities for learning were endless.
“Sold!” Owen hitched her closer. “I would give anything to provide my boys with the quality education you just described.”
Her brain swam with ideas. “You don’t want Ryder and Cooper in Blaire Aspen’s classroom any more than I do, huh?”
“You know me well.” He drew a finger down her cheek. “It’s a lot to ask of you. It’s a lot to ask of anyone, but after hearing you describe your dream classroom…” He left the question hanging between them.
“I would homeschool the twins in a heartbeat, Owen.” She didn’t have to think twice about it. “If we include a few more students in the venture, it would more than pay for itself. It would also go a long way toward replacing the income I’d be giving up at the elementary school.”
It was a good thing she’d requested Dr. House to put the changes to her job description in writing, essentially forcing him to renegotiate her teaching contract.
He’d inadvertently paved the way for an early termination of her contract.
Even if he didn’t like her decision to resign, she instinctively knew he wouldn’t contest it.
A man in his shoes couldn’t afford the scrutiny of a lawsuit.
“Let’s do it,” Owen declared exultantly. “We’ll pick out a curriculum, draft a budget, and take it from there. If you prefer to start small with a class of only two boys, that’s fine with me, too. You have my full support with whatever you decide.”
“It’s sweet of you to say that. Really.” Her heart was floating with excitement and anticipation. “But socialization is important, too. Children learn so much from each other about sharing, teamwork, and so many other things.”
“I trust you with the details.” He raised her hands to his lips. “My only request before jumping into the homeschool venture is this. Let’s set a date for our wedding and make it quick.”
She caught her breath. “How quick are we talking about?” They’d tossed around a few dates, but hadn’t penciled anything on the calendar yet.
“Yesterday,” he joked.
“Owen!”
“Fine.” He kissed her fingers. “What’s the absolute soonest you’d be willing to marry me?”
“The absolute soonest?” Her thoughts danced dizzily. “For a small family wedding, a week should be enough to order a cake and apply for a marriage license.”
He lowered her hands, keeping their fingers intertwined. “How does next Saturday sound?”
“Like we finally have a wedding date.” She stood on her tiptoes to seal the all-important date with a kiss.