“You’ll see.” Spencer turned the ignition and revved the engine, and they were off.
She pressed herself into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and letting her head fall on his back. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she’d be giving up a prestigious job to ride around a farm clinging to the back of an ATV. But she’d never felt more at home.
The creek was low this time, barely splashing them, and after ten minutes or so, Spencer throttled the vehicle down. The trees were in full leaf now, and she couldn’t see through to the clearing. But she knew where they were.
They were going to have lunch under the hidden blossom tree. A flutter of nerves tickled her stomach. The location felt significant after all Spencer had told her about his family’s history here.
She waited for Spencer to unfasten the picnic basket, then they walked hand-in-hand through the trees.
When they emerged into the clearing, she caught her breath. Red burst from every inch of the hidden blossom tree, and the branches swept low to the ground, heavy with cherries. The ripened fruit was almost more breathtaking than the delicate blossoms had been in spring.
Spencer parted two branches and gestured for her to duck into the tree’s shade. Inside, light dappled the ground and fell on—
“The bench!” Sophie gasped and lunged for it, running her fingers over its smooth surface. “How did you—”
But Spencer took her hands and spun her so her back was to the bench, then gently lowered her to sit.
The moment felt familiar all at once, and her hand flew to cover her mouth. Was this really happening?
“Sophie—” Spencer’s whisper caressed her. She could feel the love in it—see the love reflected in his eyes.
He reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a small, black box.
Sophie’s eyes filled before he’d even dropped to one knee in front of her.
Spencer opened the box.
The ring inside sparkled at her, but Sophie only glanced at it for a moment.
She couldn’t take her eyes off Spencer’s face.
“Sophie Olsen.” Spencer’s voice was strong now, sure. “You are everything I have ever wanted. Everything I have ever imagined. Everything I could ever need. Will you let me be the same for you? Will you marry me?”
Sophie remembered the last time he had asked. How her insides had quivered with fear. How she’d felt the need to run. To hide. How she’d known she could never live up to the perfect wife he deserved.
She still knew she couldn’t. But this time she knew he’d love her anyway. Just like she’d love him.
“I will.”
Spencer laughed out loud and pulled her to the ground next to him, crushing her against his chest.
He leaned back slightly and slipped the ring onto her finger.
“I will never stop loving you.” His voice told her it was true.
She watched the light dance off the ring. “Not until forever?”
Spencer lowered his head toward hers.
His words were a breath against her lips. “Not even then.”
The End
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And if you’re not ready to leave Hope Springs yet, I have good news: you don’t have to! You can read more sweet, emotional stories of faith and second chances in the other Hope Springs books. Get them in print or ebook on Amazon, or read free in Kindle Unlimited today! And if you haven’t gotten your free copy of Not Until Christmas yet, be sure to join my reader group to get your free book now. Click here to join.
A sneak peek of Not Until This Moment (Hope Springs Book 2)
Peyton wiped her frosting-smudged hands on her apron and eased the kitchen door open to peek into the empty ballroom. Her eyes roamed the elegant table settings, the tall vases filled with amaryllis and orchids, the fairy lights that floated above the room like stars. The bride and groom were at the church, probably exchanging their vows at this very moment, but soon they’d come into this perfect room. Peyton could picture exactly how the bride’s face would look. She’d seen that look on every bride’s face at every wedding she’d ever been to. It was the look that said this was the happiest day of her life.
Peyton pulled her head back and let the door close, barely suppressing a sigh.
A year ago, she’d thought her own happily ever after was just around the corner. But now it seemed further away than ever.
Leah bustled past with a stack of serving bowls. She shuffled them and reached over to pat Peyton’s arm, the same way she had at every wedding they’d worked together in the past year.
Peyton straightened her shoulders and marched to the counter. Standing here dwelling on regrets wouldn’t get the cake done.
She surveyed the four tiers she’d already stacked and grabbed her bench scraper to smooth the spots where her fingers had left impressions in the buttercream, exposing the red velvet swirl underneath. It was exactly what she would have picked for her own wedding cake—if Jared had ever proposed.
She blinked against the sting behind her eyelids. She had to stop feeling this way every time she set up a wedding cake. It’d been almost a year since he’d told her he never intended to get married. Almost a year since she’d decided she couldn’t be with a man who couldn’t commit to a future with her. Almost a year since she’d pulverized her own heart when she’d broken up with him.
Time to move on.
With a sudden decisiveness, she grabbed her piping materials and filled them with the buttercream she was becoming famous for. Okay, maybe not famous, but well-known enough around Hope Springs to keep her busy most weekends of the summer and even a few in winter—like this one. She set to work adding the delicate beading the couple had requested for the edges of their cake. She let the noises around her fade as she concentrated on making each tiny circle perfect, just barely connecting it to the next one. The intense focus was soothing.
“You’re coming to Tamarack with us next weekend, right?” Leah’s voice right next to her made Peyton jump, and she almost yanked the piping tip back from the cake. Fortunately, years of practice had given her a steady hand, even in the face of Leah’s enthusiasm. She finished the last four beads, then pulled the tip away and spun the cake to examine her work. Not too bad.
“It’s perfect.” Leah pretended to swipe a finger toward the frosting, but Peyton batted her hand away.
“Tell me you’re coming, or I’ll do it.” Leah held a finger toward the cake again, her eyebrows waggling as if daring Peyton to tempt her.
Too bad Peyton knew it was an empty threat. Leah didn’t have an unkind bone in her body, and she’d never ruin Peyton’s work—or a couple’s wedding cake.
“I don’t think so.” Peyton couldn’t meet Leah’s eyes. She hated to disappoint anyone, least of all the friend who’d come to feel like a sister, but there was no way she could go on the annual skiing trip. Not if Jared was going to be there. And anyway, he was the only reason she’d been invited in the first place. Now that they weren’t together, it would be awkward if she tagged along.
“Sawyer specifically told me to make sure you knew you were still invited.” Drat Leah’s ability to read her mind.
“I’m sure he was only being polite.”
Unlike the others who went on the trip every year, Peyton hadn’t grown up in Hope Springs. She’d only met Sawyer a few years ago when she’d gone with Jared and his friends to the ski resort Sawyer’s family owned.
“Well, if he was, then saying no would be rude.” Leah gave her an impish smile, obviously certain she’d won the argument.
But Peyton was tougher than that. “I have another wedding that weekend.” Which also happened to be Valentine’s Day. Not that she cared about her former favorite holiday anymore.
“I know. I’m catering that o
ne, too. But we’ll be back by Wednesday. Try again.”
Peyton reviewed her mental calendar. Why couldn’t she come up with something else?
“So it’s really about Jared.” Leah gave her the same half-sympathetic, half-stern look she did every time Jared’s name came up.
Peyton snatched her scraper and smoothed a nonexistent dent. Of course it was about Jared. “Don’t you have a wedding dinner to get ready?”
Leah planted a hand on her hip. “You said you were over Jared.”
She had said that. Multiple times. She’d told it to herself every day, hoping that one of these days it would be true.
“I am over him. I just—”
“Then prove it.” Leah crossed her arms in front of her. “If you’re over him, you won’t have a problem coming skiing with all of us. Maybe you’ll meet someone new.”
Peyton studied her friend. She should say no. Leah was intentionally pushing her buttons. But her friend knew her well. Knew she was incapable of backing down from a challenge.
“Fine,” she huffed. “I’ll come. Now let me finish this cake.”
Leah gave her a triumphant smile and a quick squeeze. “Gotta run. I have a wedding dinner to prepare.” She rushed to the other side of the kitchen, where the rest of her crew worked to unload carts filled with chicken, potatoes, and all kinds of food that made Peyton’s mouth water.
Peyton shook her head and tried to force her concentration back to her work. This was one challenge she should have walked away from.
Keep reading Not Until This Moment ― Get it from Amazon (or read free in Kindle Unlimited)!
More Hope Springs Books
While the books in the Hope Springs series are linked, each is a complete romance featuring a different couple and can be read in any order. Want to catch up on any books you may have missed? Visit the Hope Springs series page on Amazon to grab any of the books you don’t yet have with one click. Or learn more about each book below:
Not Until Christmas
A fudge shop owner dumped a week before her Christmas wedding. The best friend who has sworn never to risk his heart. A Christmas tragedy that could tie them together or pull them apart.
Christmas isn’t looking so merry and bright for fudge shop owner Ariana when her fiancé walks out of her life only a week before their Christmas wedding. As she turns to her lifelong best friend Ethan to help her pick up the pieces, she’s careful not to let the feelings she once harbored for him surface. He’s made it more than clear that he doesn’t think about her that way.
Volunteer firefighter Ethan has kept his heart in a steel cage for the past ten years—ever since his entire family was killed in a car accident. But when Ariana needs him, he knows he has to be there for her. Even if the thought of risking his heart to her leaves him quaking in his fire boots. He knows what happens when you love someone: they can be snatched from you.
Just as he finally works up the courage to take the leap, the unthinkable happens. Now Ethan has to decide: Can he trust that all things—including his relationship with Ariana—are in God's hands? Or will he be spending another Christmas alone?
Not Until Christmas is a short story in the Hope Springs series. If you love fast-paced, emotional stories filled with faith and love, you’ll love Ariana and Ethan’s story.
Get it FREE at
www.valeriembodden.com/free-book
Not Until This Moment
She’s looking for “the one.” He knows it can never be him. Unless God has other plans for them . . .
Peyton has been looking for “the one” forever. She thought she’d finally met him when she started dating Jared. But when he told her he never planned to get married, she had to face the facts: maybe he wasn’t the one God intended for her after all. Now, she’s just trying to survive the annual ski trip with her bones—and her heart—intact.
Jared wishes he could give Peyton everything she desires. But marriage is the one thing he can never offer her. Not that it makes it easy to let her go. Especially when everywhere he turns on this ski trip, he sees her with another man—a man Jared knows can’t be trusted.
Jared may not have any business worrying about Peyton anymore. But he promised himself long ago that he’d never again stand by and watch a woman get hurt. And he’s not about to let anything happen to the woman he still loves. Even if that means losing her forever.
When a crisis rocks the trip, both have to reexamine what they want. But are their hopes for the future still too different, or can they trust that God has a plan for them?
If you love emotional stories filled with faith, hope, and the promise of second chances, Not Until This Moment will find a place in your heart.
Buy Not Until This Moment on Amazon (or read free with Kindle Unlimited)
Not Until You
She clings to the past like a treasured antique. He’d rather toss it in the trash. But if they can learn to trust in the God of second chances, they might just discover a future together.
The past is all she has… Since her husband’s death three years ago, Violet has struggled to keep their antique store afloat and her grief at bay. She knows it’s time to move on, but she’s not sure she wants to. So when Nate moves in next door, she tries to ignore the feelings he stirs in her—feelings that were supposed to have died with her husband.
The past haunts him… Nate’s star was rising in the world of Christian music. But all that was erased with a single, life-shattering mistake. One he doesn’t deserve to be forgiven for. One that means he doesn’t deserve a future—and definitely not with his beautiful new neighbor.
Can they have a future? As the two work together to save her store, neither can deny the feelings that are starting to develop. But when Nate’s secret is exposed, they have to decide if they should walk away—or trust that the God of second chances has a plan for their future.
Filled with faith, hope, and second chances, NOT UNTIL YOU will touch your heart and leave you breathless with the power of true love.
Buy Not Until You on Amazon (or read free with Kindle Unlimited)
Not Until Us
Town bad girl + local pastor = a match made in heaven?
When Jade agrees to return to Hope Springs for the summer, it’s with the hope that she might finally be able to escape her past. But small towns have long memories—and Jade knows she deserves every one of the judgmental looks the townspeople direct her way. What she doesn’t understand is the handful of people who see past her reputation, including her ex-almost-boyfriend Dan, whom she left without so much as a word of explanation eight years ago.
Newly appointed as head pastor of Hope Church to replace his deceased father, Dan is under pressure to prove he’s up to the task. He doesn’t need any distractions. Not newcomer Grace, who on paper would make a perfect pastor’s wife, and especially not Jade—who, well, wouldn’t.
But as Dan and Jade get to know one another again, they can’t deny that their relationship has grown from childhood crush to once-in-a-lifetime connection. When Jade learns a secret that could destroy both of their reputations, they have to decide: Trust God to see them through this, or walk away again?
A fast-paced, emotional story of love, forgiveness, and second chances, Not Until Us is a clean Christian romance that will touch your heart and leave you feeling uplifted and hopeful.
Buy Not Until Us on Amazon (or read free with Kindle Unlimited)
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Acknowledgements
As in all things, my first thanks must go to my heavenly father, who has so richly blessed me in every way—and most of all in his assurance that my worth is found not in myself but in Christ. What a rich promise! And what an amazing blessing to be able to write books that share his word with you, my wonderful readers. I am fully aware of what a privilege he has given me in this writing life, and I thank him for it every day.
And a super huge thank you to my husband, who
proposed to me on a park bench and who later made me a bench engraved with our initials. It makes me smile every time I see it. I’m so grateful for the life God has given us together—and for the four children he has blessed us with. This mama is so thankful to have kiddos who cheer her on and support her.
A heartfelt thank you also goes out to my amazing Advance Reader Team: Josie Bartelt, Jennifer Ellenson, Rachel Kozinski, Connie Gronholz, Jamie Lee, Janice Petersen, and Korin Thomas. These ladies provided priceless feedback and encouragement as I prepared to send this book out into the world, and I am forever grateful to them.
And, of course, thank you to you, dear reader. I’m grateful that you have chosen to spend your time with these characters who have become so dear to my heart. I look forward to sharing more stories with you.
May God bless and keep you.
About the Author
Valerie M. Bodden has three great loves: Jesus, her family, and books. And chocolate (okay, four great loves). She is living out her happily ever after with her high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband and their four children. Her life wouldn’t make a terribly exciting book, as it has a happy beginning and middle, and someday when she goes to her heavenly home, it will have a happy end.
She was born and raised in Wisconsin, and aside from a short stint in Minnesota while her husband trained for the pastoral ministry, has lived there her entire life, in spite of an aversion to all things cold and snowy (except Christmas—a snowy Christmas is good). She periodically tries to coax her snow-loving husband and children to pack up and move to a warmer climate with her but so far has had no luck. So she tolerates the snow for them. That’s some kind of love, if you ask her.
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