Kimberly Meter - A Man Worth Loving

“Not at all, he’s a wonderful baby,” Aubrey said, smiling at her easy and affectionate way with Ian. It was apparent Annabelle loved Ian deeply and it touched Aubrey to see that open fondness. “I wondered if you might be able to tell me what Dana was like,” she said, watching Annabelle closely for any signs that she might’ve stepped into forbidden territory. When Annabelle merely smiled, her eyes warm with the memory of her friend, Aubrey knew she’d come to the right source.

“Dana was strong,” Annabelle started, her voice nostalgic. “She overcame a lot from her childhood to build a better life. She was smart and funny, but she was allergic to bullshit. She didn’t dish it out and certainly didn’t let anyone give it to her. She’d be the first person to call you on it if you tried. She’s the reason me and Dean got together.”

“Really? How so?” Aubrey asked, tucking her feet under her in anticipation of a good story. Lord, she was a sucker for a sweet romance. “If you wouldn’t mind sharing…I’d love to hear what happened.”

Annabelle grinned and blushed a little but seemed open to sharing. “Well, Dana had already married Sammy when I came to Emmett’s Mill. She knew from the start that Dean was my perfect match even if we were both bound and determined to muck it up. I fought it pretty hard but in the end…he turned out to be my knight in shining armor and I couldn’t resist.” Annabelle got a dreamy look in her eyes but then must’ve realized how silly she looked and blushed deeper. “I must sound like a total sap. But it’s true. Those Halvorsen men…good stock. Every single one of them.”

“I heard that Josh punched Samuel…do you know why?” she asked, hesitant to bring it up, but her curiosity was burning a hole in her brain.

“Um, yeah, I did hear about that,” Annabelle said but seemed reluctant to elaborate. She caught Aubrey’s searching gaze and then said, “Well, you have to understand that Sammy hasn’t been himself since Dana died. He’s been…uh…regressing.”

“Regressing?” She frowned. “How do you mean?”

Annabelle looked conflicted. “Before he met Dana he was a bit of a skirt chaser if you know what I mean. But he changed his ways once he fell in love with Dana. She wouldn’t put up with his crap and when he realized she was going to walk away from him, he straightened up right quick and begged her to marry him. She told him to pound sand and made a point to go out every night and have fun. It killed him. But getting a dose of his own medicine was just the thing he needed to get his head together.”

“Sounds like Dana knew how to get what she wanted,” Aubrey murmured, silently in awe of Sammy’s deceased wife.

Annabelle sighed. “Yeah…but sometimes she went after what she wanted without considering the consequences.”

“Do you mean Ian?” Aubrey asked, almost holding her breath. All she knew of Dana’s death was that it was an unfortunate incident that occurred during childbirth.

Annabelle nodded. “Dana wanted a baby so badly she ignored what the doctors had told her. Sammy…he tried to talk sense into her but she desperately wanted a child with Sammy. And so she finally got pregnant.”

“Why couldn’t she have babies?”

“Dana was diabetic. It’s not something she ever talked about, in fact, for a long time she hid it from Sammy until he caught her giving herself an insulin dose early in their relationship. She didn’t like anyone to know about her private stuff and the diabetes was something she preferred to fight on her own with little interference. The pregnancy took everything out of her. She died from kidney failure.”

“Oh.” Aubrey’s eyes watered for a woman she’d never known but had a feeling she was beginning to understand. If she were given a chance to have a child…she’d do what she could to make that happen. She knew the pain of being denied something so badly desired. “Did she get to see him before she died?”

Annabelle squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment and Aubrey knew she was holding back tears. She felt bad for reminding her of such a painful memory but she hungered for glimpses into this woman’s life and she couldn’t bring herself to stop her. Annabelle drew a deep breath before answering. “Briefly. She opened her eyes long enough to make sure he was all right. She heard his cries and then she was gone.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said, not quite sure what to say. It was such a tragic story but it only made her want to know more about the woman who had managed to tame the wild ways of the youngest Halvorsen brother. “She sounds like a wonderful friend and I have no doubt she would’ve been a good mother.”

“Thank you,” Annabelle accepted the polite sentiment at face value and then, wiping at her eyes, she gave Ian another quick kiss and gently returned him to his toys. “It was nice chatting with you but I should get back to my own little one. Perhaps you could bring Ian over for a playdate sometime? Or maybe when Sammy is ready to pull his head out of his ass you could join us for a barbecue before the weather gets too cold.”

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