Vicki's Gift: Rose Island Book 4 Read online

  Vicki’s Gift

  Rose Island Book 4

  By Kristin Noel Fischer

  Copyright 2020 by Kristin Noel Fischer

  All Rights Reserved

  Kindle Edition

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. No part of this work may be reproduced in any fashion without the written consent of the copyright holder.

  All characters in this book are fictitious and figments of the author’s imagination.

  www.KristinNoel.com

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Prologue

  PART 1

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  PART 2

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  PART 3

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  Excerpt from A Mother’s Choice

  Prologue

  Vicki

  As I watched my sister and her fiancé twirl around the wooden dance floor at the Pelican Pub, I realized two things. First, Bianca and Daniel were made for each other. Never in my life had I seen a couple more in love. Their devotion to one other was both inspiring and sickening. Not that I was jealous or anything.

  The second thing I realized was downright terrifying. As soon as Bianca married Daniel, I would officially become the last remaining member of the Morgan Sister Spinsters’ Club.

  Bianca had created the club as a joke back when all four of us were single. Anna, my brother’s widow, had been the first to drop out when she married hunky army officer, Nick Peterson. Jillian followed by remarrying her heroic ex-husband, Keith. And now, Bianca was engaged to the dashing Daniel Serrano.

  So, where did that leave me, the youngest Morgan sister?

  Glancing across the dance floor, I spotted my mother flirting with the island’s most popular firefighter, Seth Watson. Seth’s dimples deepened as his beautiful eyes danced with amusement at something my mother said. The tenderness of their interaction scraped a part of my soul I tried to keep protected.

  Seth had always been good to my mother. Despite everything, I couldn’t deny the fact that he was a good person.

  As if knowing I was watching him, Seth turned his gaze on me. My breath hitched, and for a moment, I remembered.

  Then, I came to my senses. Before Seth and I could break each other’s hearts again, I turned away, forcing my attention back to Jillian and Anna.

  “Aren’t cloth diapers a lot of work?” Anna asked my sister. “I’m sure they’re better for the environment, but disposable diapers are so much easier.”

  Jillian went off on her soapbox. While I agreed with her and even admired her commitment to decrease her environmental impact, I wasn’t interested in discussing the benefits of cloth over disposable diapers. I wasn’t interested in discussing anything baby related.

  Shuddering, I pushed the horrible memory away. Would I ever be able to look at a baby or think about a baby without remembering Allie and her brothers? Would I ever find the courage to—

  A firm hand landed on my shoulder. “Care to dance, beautiful?”

  Looking up, I saw Mac Baumguard, my brand-new sort-of-kind-of boyfriend. Or rather, my brand-new sort-of-kind-of man-friend. Mac and I were both in our thirties. A little too old to call each other boyfriend and girlfriend.

  Mac was textbook gorgeous—tall, aquiline nose, muscular arms, and sturdy legs. Basically model gorgeous. Honestly, if he wasn’t a brave army officer, he could’ve easily earned his living as a model. He was a good guy too. Spending time with him was . . . well, it was nice. Good. Great. I mean, it was truly wonderful.

  Standing, I walked to the dance floor with Mac. When he took me in his arms, I waited to feel some thrill of excitement. As usual, I felt nothing.

  What was wrong with me? Any normal woman would be wildly attracted to someone as handsome as Mac. Yet, I felt nothing but deep admiration for the man.

  My sisters often harassed me, insisting my expectations were too high when it came to men. Maybe my expectations were a little ambitious, but shouldn’t I at least feel more than a twinge of desire around a possible future husband?

  Perhaps I was simply destined to remain single for the rest of my life. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing, would it? I could continue running my bakery, volunteering, traveling, and being an outstanding aunt to my nieces and nephews. Well, being an outstanding aunt to the older nieces and nephews. I’d leave the babies alone until they were past that vulnerable, scary age.

  Peering down at me, Mac interrupted my thoughts. “What are you thinking about, Vicki?”

  “Nothing.”

  He pursed his lips. “You looked a little bored back there at the table.”

  “Did I?”

  “You did. I’m sure it’s not easy for you when Anna and Jillian talk about their babies.”

  I froze. “What do you mean?”

  Mac frowned at the alarm in my voice. “Nothing. Just that it’s probably boring for you to listen to all those monotonous details. Your sister is very particular when it comes to her kids.”

  “Oh, yes. It is a little boring.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Mac didn’t know anything about Allie and her family. Nobody did because I’d never told anyone what’d happened. And I never would. I was too ashamed.

  Mac smiled down at me. “I’m sure we’ll be just as obsessed when we have kids.”

  “When we have kids?”

  He nodded. “Don’t you think that’s where we’re headed? I know we haven’t been together long, or even talked about our future, but I’m crazy about you, Vicki. Eventually, I see us getting married and starting a family. Don’t you?”

  My heart stopped. Oh, Mac.

  The line between his brow deepened. “What’s wrong?”

  Forcing a smile, I shook my head. “Nothing. I’m fine. Just . . . just a little cold.”

  He rubbed my arms in a sweet effort to warm me up. I didn’t deserve Mac. Seriously, he was a great guy. But I would never be able to love him the way he deserved to be loved. I would never be able to give him kids and raise a family with him.

  “Did I scare you off by talking about children? I know our relationship is new, but—”

  “I thought you didn’t want kids.” In order to better see him, I took a small step back.

  “What?” Mac made a scoffing noise. “Why would you say that? Of course, I want kids.”

  “But last week at the bakery, you were a horrified by the Kempner boys.”

  “Sure. Those boys were licking the display cabinet, pretending they could actually taste the pastries through the glass. They shouldn’t have been allowed to do that. I’d never let my kids get away with something
so disrespectful.”

  Inwardly, I winced. How had I completely misread the situation? I should’ve known Mac wanted kids. I should’ve known he wanted to pass on his flawless genetic code to his offspring. I’d once wanted the same thing after all.

  Mac stopped talking and looked at me with a wounded expression. “Don’t you see a future for us, Vicki?”

  My heart thudded. How was I supposed to answer that?

  Suddenly, Seth Watson appeared at my side. Before I could ask what he wanted, Bianca swooped in, looping her arm through Mac’s. “Come on, Mac. Come dance with the future Mrs. Daniel Serrano.”

  Mac started to protest, but my sister waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll bring you back to Vicki. Don’t worry. It’ll be fun.”

  Surrendering to her will, Mac allowed Bianca to cart him off, leaving me alone with Seth. My heart pounding, I stared at the man who’d once captured my heart. What was he doing here? What did he want from me?

  Without a word, Seth closed the gap between us. Taking my right hand in his left hand, he placed his other hand on the small of my back. When he pulled me against him, I was lost. My heart thudded so hard it hurt.

  Why, why, why couldn’t I get over him? Why couldn’t I just move on from this man who was so wrong for me?

  Gathering all my indignation and injury from the past, I squared my shoulders, distancing myself. “What do you want from me, Seth?”

  He tightened his grip, something I didn’t entirely mind. Looking right into my eyes, he said, “I want you, Vicki. I just want you.”

  “You want me?” Anger shot through me. “How can you say that? You’ve barely spoken to me since we went to the concert. You haven’t come into the bakery in ages. You never acknowledge me in church anymore, and when I saw you at the bookstore the other day, you turned away.”

  “I’ve been trying to give you space.”

  “That’s not how someone acts when they’re in love with someone else.”

  He looked at me, really looked at me for a long time. “Maybe not, but that doesn’t change my feelings for you. I’m still in love with you.”

  I gave a sarcastic laugh. “You’re not in love with me, Seth. You aren’t.”

  “I am. I know I’ve hurt you in the past, and I’m truly sorry. But I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  Tears pricked my eyes. “How can you say that?”

  “Because it’s true.” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “I thought time and distance would change things. I thought I could get over you by sheer will, but I can’t. I still love you.”

  I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not changing my mind about—”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “You’re going to sacrifice what you want most in the world?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I’ll give up whatever it takes so we can be together.”

  My tears overflowed. “Why would you do something like that?”

  “Because—”

  Unable to believe him, I turned and ran off the dance floor, determined to put as much distance as I could between us.

  How dare Seth work his way into my heart again. How dare he.

  PART 1

  Eleven Years Earlier

  Chapter 1

  Vicki

  I was twenty-four and a complete mess the first time I fell in love with Seth Watson. After leaving my nanny job and flunking out of grad school, I was sleeping on a friend’s couch, trying to pull myself together.

  “We’re not giving you any more money,” my father barked into the phone when I called my parents to ask for help. “You can move home and work on the island while you pay off your credit card debt, but it’s time for you to grow up, Vicki. It’s time for you to take responsibility and get off the party train.”

  Get off the party train? Did my father honestly think my life was one big party? Believe me, nothing could be further from the truth. What I’d been through recently had nearly destroyed me.

  “Vicki, honey.” My mother’s voice was thankfully more compassionate than my father’s. “Have you thought about talking to your professors? Maybe they could give you some extra credit.”

  Tears burned my eyes. “It doesn’t work like that, Mom.”

  “You never know until you ask.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried not to cry. I’d made such a mess of my life.

  Completely broke and devastated, I moved home a week after that phone call with my parents. My mother found me a job working with Mrs. Delacroix at the bakery, and my dad signed me up for a finance class at church.

  Then, as if I didn’t already feel behind in life, my little brother and his wife became parents to a beautiful baby boy they named Travis. Marcus and Anna were just nineteen, so needless to say, their son was not planned. Nevertheless, my parents welcomed baby Travis like he was the most incredible gift in the world.

  On the spring day Travis was born, I didn’t leave the bakery until dark. Usually, I left right after we closed at two. That day, however, Mrs. Delacroix needed me to stay later so we could discuss an important matter.

  When I finally made it to the hospital, I ran into my parents in the lobby as they were leaving. “Don’t stay too long,” my mother said, shouldering her purse. “Anna and Marcus are exhausted. It’s been a long day for them, and they’re going to want to spend some time alone with the baby.”

  I glanced around the deserted lobby, which was decorated with colorful seascape mosaics created by a local artist. “Should I come back tomorrow?”

  My mother shook her head. “No, just keep your visit short, okay?”

  I nodded and took the elevator to the second floor. In the room, I said hello to my brother and his wife. Then, I glanced at the tiny newborn in the strong arms of a man I didn’t first recognize.

  “Look, Travis. It’s your Aunt Vicki.” The man’s tanned forearms flexed as he tilted the tiny infant toward me.

  My gaze lifted from the baby to the face of my brother’s best friend. “Seth?”

  Seth grinned. “Hey, Vicki.”

  It’d been a while since I’d last seen him, and I was caught off guard by his appearance. No longer was he some scrawny high school kid. Instead, he had broad shoulders, a solid chest, and stubble along his jawline. He still had his signature dimples, but when had he become such a manly man?

  Stepping toward me, Seth adjusted the newborn’s little hat. “I think Travis wants his Aunt Vicki to hold him.”

  Without warning, my heart whacked against my chest. Looking down at the baby, a wave of panic consumed me as I remembered the first time I’d held Allie. I tried to speak, but the words got caught in my throat.

  Seth began to place the baby in my arms, but I stepped back. “No. I can’t.”

  Everyone stared at me like I was a horrible freak for rejecting an innocent baby. Blood sloshed against my brain. Knowing I had to say something, I swallowed hard. “I’m all dirty from the bakery. I’ll hold him later, after I’ve showered and gotten cleaned up.”

  Propping the newborn on his shoulder, Seth gently rubbed the baby’s back, which rose and fell with steady breathing. I slowed my own breathing and tried not to think about Allie. Tried not to think about the ambulance and Mrs. Quinn yelling at me. Tried not to think about the twins and the horrified expressions on their little faces.

  I pressed a hand to my racing heart. “I need to go. I’m sorry, but I haven’t eaten, and I’m tired and . . . Congratulations.”

  “You just got here,” my brother said.

  “I know, but . . . I’ll come back later. I’ll—” I glanced at the precious infant sound asleep in Seth’s arms.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Seth said.

  “No, it’s fine.”

  As Seth handed the baby to my brother, I bolted out the room and down the hallway. Not bothering to wait for the elevator, I took the stairs and raced outside. In the parking lot, I blinked back tears. Oh, Lord. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.

  If I�
��d had any clue that seeing my nephew would trigger memories of Allie, I never would’ve come to the hospital. But the thought of holding little Travis caused everything to come back.

  “Vicki, wait up.” Seth ran and caught up with me. “Hey, are you okay?”

  I swiped at my tears. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

  “What is it?” His voice was compassionate, and he looked at me with deep concern.

  Embarrassed and ashamed, I pushed out a slow breath. “I’ve just had a really long day. I’m tired, and I have to be up early for work, so I’m just going to go home.”

  “Let me drive you, okay?”

  “No. I have my car.” I gestured at my dependable but ancient Toyota.

  Seth shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I don’t mean to tell you what to do, but I don’t think you should drive right now. Let’s take a walk, okay?”

  “A walk?”

  “Yeah.” He gestured toward the beach, which was so close I could hear the seagulls squawking. “We can walk along the seawall or down by the shore until you feel better. You don’t want to get into an accident on your way home.”

  His concern touched me, and for some reason, I agreed to his suggestion. In silence, we crossed the street and followed the sidewalk that ran along the seawall. As I inhaled the salty sea air and felt the wind against my face, all my tension slid off my shoulders.

  Gazing out at the ocean, I watched a sailboat with red, white, and blue decorative lights bobbing on the water. If only I could climb aboard, sail away, and forget all my problems.

  Seth cleared his throat. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Talk about what?”

  “About what’s bothering you. You don’t have to, but . . .” He gave a wry chuckle. “My grandma made me go to counseling after my parents died, so I know all the right questions to ask.”

  I smiled sadly. “Did it help?”

  “Counseling? No. Not really.”

  A beat of silence passed. Seth had been a freshman in high school when his parents died in a tragic airplane accident. I supposed nothing could help after losing your parents so suddenly like that.