Acting with all caution and a share of superstition, Boone had waited to call his parents with his news. He’d actually dodged three calls from his mother during the past two days. Still, since the message she’d left asking him to return the call indicated no emergency, he hadn’t phoned home. He didn’t want to lie to her or spoil the surprise he had planned.
“I figure I’ll wait until I’m ten minutes out. Then I’ll call and tell her that I have some news to share and am dropping by,” Boone told Hannah as he exited the courthouse carrying his new daughter. “That’ll be just enough time for Mom to get all worked up imagining what the surprise is, but not so much time that it’ll stress her out.”
“Sounds good, but Boone? You’re about to run into a parking meter. I suggest you look up from Bree’s face and watch where you’re going.”
He looked up and veered, saying, “Yikes. It’s just hard not to look at her. She’s so pretty. Isn’t she pretty?”
“She’s beautiful.” And you are too cute.
Boone had used the remote to start the engine and get the air conditioner running in his new Mercedes SUV. The car seat base was strapped into the middle of the back seat, so getting Bree all set for the trip took little effort. Hannah sat in the back seat with her, and within minutes, they were on the highway headed west. The baby drifted to sleep.
“Maybe I should go ahead and call my folks,” Boone said after they’d passed the city limit sign. “Now that I think about it, giving an hour’s notice is probably a good thing. It’d be just my luck that they’d choose today to go into town for supplies.”
“You’re looking for excuses,” Hannah pointed out. “You can’t wait to call them.”
“I’ll cop to that. I’m excited. And scared. I think I need my mommy to reassure me that I can handle this.”
“I can’t imagine anything that would be beyond your ability to handle. You are the most capable person I’ve ever met.”
“I’ll admit that ordinarily, I’m squared away. Tackling new projects and experiences doesn’t intimidate me. This is different.”
“You’ll do fine, Boone. You know why I know that? It’s because you want this. You want to be a great dad, and you’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. Your actions since the first day we met have proved that to me.”
“Thank you, Hannah. I appreciate that.”
“Now call your mother. Make her day.”
His silver eyes gleamed with excitement when his gaze met hers in the rearview mirror. “I’ll do that. Now, while Bree is still asleep.”
Utilizing the Mercedes’s hands-free dialing, he placed the call. After two rings, Quetta McBride’s scolding voice emerged from the speakers. “Well, it’s about time you returned my calls.”
“Hi, Mom. Sorry. I’ve been tied up with something.”
Hannah could see his profile well enough to note the broad grin. His eagerness to share his news with his parents was so appealing. So charming. So much about this man was fascinating.
She could fall for him so easily. If she still fell. If she wasn’t not in the market to fall.
“Well, I’ll try not to take it personally that you ignored my calls. I don’t know that I’ll succeed.”
“Mo-om. I didn’t ignore you. I’m calling you now, aren’t I?”
“It’s a good thing you aren’t twenty minutes later, or you’d have missed your chance.”
“Oh, yeah? How come? Was I so slow that you decided to block my calls? I promise you, Mom, I had a good reason, a great reason, and you’ll be so happy when you find out what it was.”
She sniffed audibly. “Unless you pulled a Tucker and eloped, I’m not impressed.”
“You know about that? How did you find out?”
“The good, attentive family member answered my call.”
Boone laughed. “Okay, Mom. I get the hint. I apologize. Forgive me?”
“Of course. All I wanted was the apology.”
“So were you calling to chat or for something specific?”
“I have news! Big news.”
“Oh, yeah? Me too.” His gaze flicked up and met Hannah’s in the rearview mirror. He grinned as he said to his mother, “You first.”
“Dad surprised me with a trip. For our anniversary! It’s a cruise!”
“Way to go, Dad. Your anniversary isn’t until next week, right? He gave it to you early? So, where are you going? When do you leave? How long will you be gone?”
“He gave it to me early because we’re leaving today. It’s the trip of a lifetime, Boone. That’s why I said you almost missed your chance to return my call. We’re at DFW, and they’re about to start boarding our plane. We fly to Hawaii and then Asia and the South Pacific. We’ll be gone for two months.”
“Two months,” he repeated, deflating. “Wow. That is big news. I’m happy for you, Mom.”
“I’m ecstatic.”
“I’m shocked. Dad always said you would have to drag him onto a cruise ship kicking and screaming. And now he’s going for two months?”
“In for a dime, in for a dollar, he says.” Quetta laughed. “I have to tell you, Boone, when I opened his gift, I almost fainted. This is the most excited I’ve been since, well, since forever!”
They were approaching an exit from the interstate and Boone put on his blinker and took it. “That’s just awesome, Mom.”
“I’ve wished that your dad would make a grand romantic gesture all my life—especially since you moved to Eternity Springs. I met all your friends and learned how so many of the husbands in town tried to outdo one another with grand romantic gestures. Now I get my own, not in small part due to you because your dad heard me go on and on about the romantic men of Eternity Springs!”
“I’m really happy for you, Mom.” Boone pulled into a Dairy Queen parking lot and shifted into park.
“Thank you. I’m like a little kid at Christmas.”
Boone turned his head and gave Hannah a wry look. “I know what you mean.”
“Now it’s your turn. You said you had big news for us too? What is it?”
“No, this is your and Dad’s big day. Your concentration needs to be on each other. My news can wait until you’re home.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I’m sure, Mom. Go get on the plane and order a glass of champagne. Send pictures when you can.”
“We will. Love you, Boone! Touch base with your sisters from time to time.”
“I always do.”
He rang off and sighed heavily. “Well, that was unexpected.” He released his seat belt and twisted around to look at Hannah. “A two-month cruise? My father, who always said he’d rather spend his retirement unclogging toilets than getting on a cruise ship, is putting on his boat shoes and sailing off to the South Seas for two months? Now? How’s that for bad timing.”
“I’m sorry, Boone.”
“Talk about a letdown.”
“You could have gone ahead and told her about Bree.”