"Too Tall, Too Dark, Too Handsome"chap 10

Chapter 10

The sun rose in the sky, announcing Christmas morning, however Shea didn't want to open her eyes. Fear of what this day would bring nearly choked her, and she took a deep breath.

"Good morning, sunshine." Kent whispered, from beside her.

"Is it safe to open my eyes?" she wondered aloud.

"If you don't you won't see Miss Lilly, she's awake. Check out your Christmas miracle, Shea."

Slowly, she opened her eyes to see Lilly propped up in Kent's arms. Tears of joy burned her eyes, "But how? When? Why?" she asked, completely amazed as he lay Lilly in her arms.

"Dr. Sloan came in during the night, and we worked on Lilly. Come to find out this little fighter was not as hurt as she pretended to be." he smiled as he ran a finger down her cheek. "She has two broken ribs, and a broken arm. Other than that, Lilly will be just fine. Once the bones mend you can take her home, and celebrate Christmas again."

Shea looked at the man she now loved, watched as he struggled to stand and limped toward the door. "Kent! Wait!" she shouted, uncaring of the nurses were now watching her.

"What is it Shea?"

"Would you celebrate Christmas with us? I don't want you to leave." she said finally, looking at him hoping to convey every feeling that now welled up inside of her.

"Do you mean that Shea?" he asked, coming to kneel in front of her.

She nodded, "You're the one thing I'm certain of. You're the man I've waited for, the man I didn't think existed. If I didn't know that before, I know now. Watching you take care of Rick like that, seeing you with Lilly, knowing who you are, what you are. I cannot turn away from this now, you're it for me."

A smile stretched his face, "Good, then I won't have to return this..." he whispered, reaching into his pocket and producing a jewelry box. "O'Shea McMalley, would you marry me? I love you." With that, he opened the box to show a beautiful solitary diamond engagement ring.

She felt herself crying and smiling all at the same time, "Of course I'll marry you, Kent."

--

Kent sat surrounded by his family and friends, with Shea and Lilly at his side. It seemed a perfect way to bring in the new year. They'd made an agreement to tell the family once the countdown for midnight began. Now at 11:59, he smiled at Shea and tapped his glass with a fork. "Excuse me everyone? We have an announcement to make!"

"Oooo!" squealed his mother, winking at him.

He couldn't help but feel giddy, he was going to be married and somehow their relationship had come full circle. Within a few months Kent and Shea would be standing at the altar, instead of him ushering and her bursting in through the front doors.

"Give us the announcement already!" his sister yelled over the start of the countdown.

"We're engaged, Shea has agreed to marry me!"

The place errupted into congratulations, hugs and well wishes, and cheering as the new year came in.

Shea turned to him, "Thanks for everything, Kent. Somehow I didn't see this coming a year ago, when I ran into that church. I simply thought you were some guy, too tall, too dark, and too handsome for his own good."

He kissed her softly then grinned, "Maybe, just maybe I was too tall, too dark, too handsome and too for you Shea McMalley. I love you."

The End

"Too Tall, Too Dark, Too Handsome."chap9

Chapter 9

Shea sang "Jingle Bells" merrily, as she hung Lilly's first Christmas ornament beside Keely's. Somehow, she felt at peace with the entire situation as she listened to Lilly's babbling. It was like nothing she'd felt since Keely's death, the joy of being a mother wrapped around the joy of her favorite holiday. As she turned to tend to Lilly, the face she'd all but hoped to forget forever stared back at her.

"Merry Christmas, O'Shea." he snarled, his hand coming down to grasp her's. "I've seen you around lately, playing Mommy again, dating Dr. Perfect, living a nice life, huh? Well guess what? You're still mine! You've always been mine! This baby, this baby is just like the last one. She's nothing, a nothing that's going to distract you from being mine and mine alone."

His voice sent shivers down her spine as she did her best to shield Lilly with her body.

"Don't you try to protect her, she's going to be gone just like that other kid." he growled, snatching the carseat.

"Rick Harley, you put that baby down. She's not yours, I'm not yours. Get out." that was the best she could muster, yet her insides shook with a fury as she watched him take the baby from the seat and drop the seat.

"Oh you are right, about her. She's not mine, that's why she's expendible." With a look at her, he dropped the baby to the ground.

The crying, Rick's walking toward her, it all came back to her with a vengence, and soon enough she was on the ground reaching for Lilly. A swift foot to the head, had her grasping for something to keep her steady as she kept on advancing toward the sound of Lilly's cries. She was touching the soft skin of Lilly's cheek when he stomped on her hand, leaving her reeling in the pain of crunching bones. "Stop, please?" she whined, hoping he would feel something, anything and leave them.

It wasn't until her vision came back to her that she saw him lifting the baby up once again. She did her best to stagger to her feet, but once again it was no use, Lilly was flying. A cry errupted from her as she did her best to force her entire weight at Rick, but it did little to stop him. Now he was advancing toward her, his eyes flickering with anger and his hands reaching for her waist. It was going to be just like last time, this was the part that she'd blacked out in hopes to forget every man who'd done something such as this to her before.

Lilly had long sense stopped crying, and once again Shea could do nothing but close her eyes and hope to God it was over soon. Pain rippled through her body as she did her best to bite her lip, knowing that if she cried out it would only be worse.

Just as she was ready to scream, the door flew open. There stood Kent looking like a man of war, anger flickering in his eyes as he lunged for Rick. "Get away from her!" he shouted.

The two battled in the middle of the living room floor, Shea did her best to get herself together and go off to get Lilly. It wasn't long until she was looking down at the tiny limp baby, her brain overloaded with the magnitude of what had just transpired she let the tears fall.

"Call 9-1-1 Shea!" shouted Kent, his voice bringing her back to where she sat cradling little Lilly praying over and over for God to take care of the tiny angel he'd brought her.

--

Kent did his best to hold back from killing the man he now held in a choke hold waiting for the police to do their job. He wanted to kill Rick Harley above all else, when he'd heard the ruckus at Shea's house he'd gone over to check things out. Standing at the front window, he'd seen Rick hurting Shea in the worst way, and that was when he'd gotten ready to kill Rick. It wasn't long until the police finally relieved him of Rick, and he jumped in his car his destination the hospital. What would he say to Shea? Would she even see him? He knew precisely where he'd find her.

Walking in the door to the NICU, Kent sighed at the silhouette of O'Shea McMalley. She was hunched over in the rocking chair, her arm in a cast, her head bandaged. He knew she was hurt, but he hadn't expected the damage to be so extensive. "How is she?" he whispered, careful to keep his hands to himself. He knew how Shea was around men, now he wondered if she'd ever let him touch her again.

"Oh Kent!" she exclaimed, standing and hurling herself into his arms. She shook uncontrollably, and sobs wracked her body.

"It's okay, Shea, it's all going to be okay." he whispered into her ear, rubbing her back gently.

"It's not going to be okay, Lilly is dying, Kent. Do you know what he did to me? How can you even look at me?" she pushed against his chest with both hands, and his heart broke for the broken woman who stood in his arms still.

"I know what he did, Shea, I do. But that doesn't make me love you any less." he caught her eye, cupping her chin and turning her face toward his. "I'm only worried for you, not upset or revolted. Please don't push me away."

She swallowed hard, her eyes finally meeting his, and he could see there in the green depths the war that weighed within her heart. "I cannot push you away, Kentavious, you're all I want. I'm so sorry." she whispered, her voice hoarse as she lay her head on his chest.

"Don't be sorry, you're all I want too. I'm willing to wait for as long as you need, Shea. I want to make sure Lilly is okay, we're going to do everything possible to make her well. I promise there is nothing you can do that will make me love you any less, I'd never lay a hand on you like Rick did. You know that right?"

He watched as her eyes closed and opened again, she nodded, "I know that. You are the one I want, Kent, I don't want another man who'll hurt me. I want you."

With that, she collapsed against his chest, and he held her there as he monitored Lilly. Somehow, an odd peace found its way into his heart and he realized with stunning clarity that this was what he wanted for the rest of his life.

"Too Tall, Too Dark, Too Handsome" chap 8

Chapter 8

Months Later..

"It's going home day, Lilly!" Shea chanted brightly to her new charge, the baby cooed and regarded her with twinkling blue eyes.

"Well aren't you all a sight for sore eyes." Kent stood in the doorway, smiling at her.

"Are we?" she lifted the baby to rest beside her cheek, both looked at Kent as if waiting on bated breath for his answer.

"Incredibly beautiful, amazing, and both happy as ever. Makes me want to go home with you as well." he winked and ran a hand down Lilly's soft cheek.

"Well you do live next door." Shea was quick to fill the awkwardness with words as she always did, something about this man caused her to be nervous for a completely different reason. He turned her world upside down, made her heart dance and her head spin. There was nothing about him that she did not like, especially the fact that he treated she and Lilly like family.

"True enough, can I come and visit Lilly when she's gone home?" he asked, his eyes meeting her's with a spark of something she couldn't quite identify.

She was nodding before she could get her mouth to work again, "Anytime you wish, Kent, seriously. We're more than greatful for you, and I'd like to see more of you, to be honest." Her cheeks heated with a blush, as she looked down. It was impossible to meet his eyes after saying something like that aloud.

"I'll be sure to visit then, as soon as possible." he winked and stuffed a hand into his pocket. "I brought something for Lilly, to make her going home outfit complete." With a flourish, he produced a tiny santa hat from the pocket of his lab coat. "Happy first Christmas, Lilly."

"Oh! It's adorable!" exclaimed Shea, adjusting the hat to sit on her niece's tiny head. "It's just right. I cannot wait for her to see the tree, to see everything. I know she's too young to remember, but I worked so hard to get things to be perfect."

"How could things not be perfect with you, Shea McMalley?" he asked, pulling her closer, his lips meeting hers.

Her heart sped up it's beat, he was kissing her! Instead of pulling away as she might have months before, she leaned into the kiss and enjoyed every moment of it.

--

Kent relished the feel of Shea's lips against his, and he was not surprised in the least when the nurses clapped from their stations.

Whistles and cat calls followed by "I told you so!" echoed in the room of tiny beds and babies.

Smiling against her lips, Kent pulled away finally, "You're magnificent, Ms. McMalley." he whispered.

"As are you, Dr.Pharrell."

Together they walked out of the nursery, among many well wishes from the nurses and doctors. Kent helped Shea load little Lilly into her carseat. He tapped the roof of the car with his fingers, "So you're going right home?"

She nodded, "Yes, right home. We're going to bake cookies, would you like to join us tonight? Say around 8?"

He couldn't help but smile, she sure had come a long way in a few months. "I'd be delighted."

"Great, see you then!" she exclaimed, hopping into the driver's seat and taking off.

He stood watching her drive away, she was something else that woman.

"You sure are a lucky man." came a deep voice from behind him.

"I know." he replied, turning to get a good look at the man, who's dark eyes gave him chills up his spine. Something about the man made him want to punch him. Kent shook his head and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his lab coat, he was going mad. Maybe it was all of the stress and the love and everything combined.

"See you later, Dr. Pharrell." the man smiled at him and winked, before strolling back into the hospital.

Who was he? His mind raced as he walked in after the man, it had to be nothing.

--

Crouching deep in the bushes, Rick glanced at his watch careful not to make noise. It was going on 7 o'clock, it was time to move. He didn't want to run into Dr. Pharrell, not now not when he was about to do what he was going to. Through the window, he could see Shea talking to the tiny baby she'd adopted and hanging decorations on the Christmas tree. It was just like that night all those years ago, just as he'd planned. It couldn't have been any better, the set up not so hard to get, she'd set herself up yet again. His eyes set on the prize, Rick climbed into the basement through the window he'd left open last time he was taking a tour through Shea's house. It wouldn't be long until Dr. Pharrell got the message of his life, his woman wasn't up for grabs. Neither was the kid, he'd make sure the baby didn't mess anything up like the last one had.