by Irene Hannon
Nathan focused on J.C.’s hand, still resting atop his. The seconds ticked by. His face contorted. And then he said the words J.C. had prayed he’d hear. “Look…I’m sorry about the bust.” The apology came out in a hoarse whisper. “I didn’t know the guy who asked me about you had an agenda.”
“I figured that was the case.”
“Two people died because of me.”
“It wasn’t deliberate.”
“That doesn’t bring them back.” His voice splintered.
“No. But ending your life, or wasting it, isn’t going to restore theirs. It’s just another life lost.”
Silence hung in the room for a few moments.
“You know, all these years…I thought it would be better for you and Marci if I distanced myself.” Nathan’s hand spasmed, and J.C. gave it a reassuring squeeze as his brother blinked away tears. “All I ever brought the two of you was trouble. I figured you’d be better off without me. So I did everything I could to push you away. But you never gave up.” He lifted his chin and studied J.C., his expression anguished and confused. “How could you keep loving me?”
“Love doesn’t come with conditions, Nathan. Jesus taught us that. We didn’t deserve His love, either, when He died for us on the cross. And we don’t deserve it now. But He gives it, anyway, no matter how many mistakes we make. I try to follow His example.”
Leaning closer, J.C. put his other hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “Besides, you’re my brother. I bandaged your scraped knees and cut your hair and loaned you my comic books, even if you did have a tendency to get bubble gum stuck on them. We have a lot of history. And I’d like to think we have a future, too.”
The sheen was back in Nathan’s eyes. “You know, I wouldn’t have survived in this place without your letters.” He choked out the words.
J.C. felt the pressure of tears behind his own eyes. “You better get a new box, then, because they’re going to keep coming. More often, now that I know you read them.”
“Promise?”
At Nathan’s plaintive question, J.C. was suddenly transported back to his kid brother’s kindergarten days. For the first few weeks, when J.C. had left him in the school yard and told him he’d pick him up at the end of the day, six-year-old Nathan had clung to him and issued that identical query in the same anxious tone.
“Promise.” J.C. squeezed Nathan’s hand. “Marci’s waiting. May I send her in?”
“Yeah. We have a few fences of our own to mend.”
“Would you consider talking to Reverend Taylor, too? He’s a good man. With a good message to share.”
Nathan gave a slow nod. “I will if it means that much to you.”
“It does.” J.C. rose. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
A whisper of a smile tugged at Nathan’s lips. “I’ll be here.”
That touch of humor did more to dispel the lingering knot of tension in J.C.’s stomach than anything else.
“Hang in there. We’ll get through this. Together.”
And as he left to get Marci, J.C. prayed Nathan would hold that last, hope-filled word close to his heart as a reminder that he would never be alone—no matter what challenges the future might hold.
Four days later, J.C. scanned the terminal, duffel bag in hand, for the woman he’d missed more than he’d thought possible. When he spotted her, dressed in a teal-green silk dress, her eyes warm with welcome, his pulse accelerated.
Erasing the distance between them, he rested his free hand on her shoulder and bent to brush his lips over hers.
“Hi.” He stayed close, enjoying the play of light in her hazel irises and the sweet curve of her mouth.
“Hi.”
“Thanks for picking me up. Are we still on for dinner?”
“Unless you plan to cancel again.”
“Not a chance.” Taking her hand, he guided her out of the terminal.
She fell into step beside him. “How’s everything in Chicago?”
“Better than I expected. I’ll fill you in on the drive.”
By the time they parked in front of the restaurant, high on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic, he’d brought her up to speed on his family situation. That meant he had the whole dinner to focus on them. Just as he’d planned.
As the waiter showed them to their ocean-view table on the porch, soft piano music drifted through the evening air. Cascades of blue hydrangeas spilled from bushes rimming the front lawn, and appetizing aromas wafted their way from the kitchen.
“This is nice.” Heather smoothed the white linen cloth with her fingers, touched the velvet-soft petals of the rose on the table, looked out over the sea. “What a great view.”
“I agree.”
She turned back to him, and her endearing blush when she discovered he was looking at her brought a smile to his lips.
Reaching for her hand, he entwined their fingers. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.”
“I had an interesting discussion with Burke at the station before I left.” He watched her eyes. “One of the detectives is retiring in the fall. The job is mine if I want it.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Are you interested in taking it?”
“That depends on a tearoom owner I know.”
A slight frown marred her brow, and J.C. stopped breathing.
“What if…” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “What if you give up your job in Chicago and things don’t…work out…between us?”
“Do you expect that to happen?”
“No. But the Anderson women don’t have a good track record with men.”
“I plan to be the exception. But if by some chance things don’t go as I hope they do, I’ll find a job somewhere else. Cops are always in demand. And for the record, I want you to know I’m not rushing you. We’ll take as long as we need to be certain. I just want to make sure you’re willing to give this a chance and see where it leads.”
A slow smile warmed Heather’s face, dispelling J.C.’s fears as surely as the sun chases away the fog on a Nantucket morning.
“I’ve never been much of a gambler…but I have a feeling this time the odds are in my favor. Take the job, J.C.”
Returning her smile, he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “I’ll express my feelings on this subject more thoroughly after dinner.”
And two hours later, as they strolled hand in hand along a bluff above the beach toward her car, as a canopy of stars twinkled above them, as a rising moon turned the sea to silver, he kept his promise.
Epilogue
Five months later
“So where are we going?”
At Heather’s question, J.C. gave her a quick grin before turning his attention back to the road. “It’s a surprise. Are you ready for your family to descend for the holidays?”
“You’re changing the subject.”
“Guilty. But humor me, okay? I’ll make it worth your while.”
“That sounds like a bribe.”
Mock horror suffused his face. “From a cop? Never.”
Shooting him a disgruntled look, she folded her arms across her chest. “You aren’t going to budge, are you?”
“Nope.”
Giving up, she settled back in the seat and cracked her window, enjoying the sixty-two-degree temperature and the cloudless blue sky, which made it feel more like spring than mid-December. The unseasonably warm weather, in fact, was what had prompted this unexpected outing. J.C. had come knocking at her door half an hour ago, and using that cajoling smile she loved, he’d persuaded her to set aside her baking for a few hours and take advantage of the glorious day.
It had not been a hard sell.
She took a deep breath of the fresh air. “To answer your question, yes, I’m ready for my family. Susan and Brian are arriving three days before Christmas. Dad’s coming a week early. He told me this morning that the latest MRI was fine.”
“That’s great news.” J.C. turned off on the road
to Bartlett’s Farm.
She grinned. “Okay. I’ve got it. We’re going to get some macaroons, right?”
“Nope. I had some good news this morning, too. Marci’s going to ace this semester despite working full-time. And Nathan expects to finish his GED by summer.”
Though his tone was casual, Heather heard the pride in his voice. And the contentment. Such a change from the early days of their relationship, she reflected, when worry about his brother and anguish over the drug bust had etched his features with dejection and grief.
“It sounds like everything is falling into place with your family, too.”
“Just about. I only have one more detail to work out.”
Before she could query him about that comment, he passed Bartlett’s Farm and turned onto an unpaved road. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “Are we going to Ladies Beach?”
“Yep.” The undercurrent of excitement in his single-word response and the half smile playing at his lips sent a tingle of excitement zipping through her.
Something was up.
A few minutes later, she caught sight of a uniformed Todd standing beside a police car, arms folded across his chest as he gazed out to sea. Like a sentinel.
When he saw them approaching, he lifted his hand in greeting, rounded the car and slid into the driver’s seat. As he passed, he grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
“What was that all about?” Heather swiveled her head to watch him drive away.
Instead of answering, J.C. pulled close to where Todd had been parked, set the brake and shut off the engine. “Your questions are about to be answered. Sit tight until I come around.”
She did as he asked, waiting while he lifted the trunk lid, then slammed it shut. When he pulled her door open, he was holding a wicker basket.
“We’re having a picnic on the beach? In December?”
“Why not? I can’t think of a better place to celebrate.”
She climbed out of the car and stood beside him. “What are we celebrating?”
Taking her hand, he walked her over to the edge of the bluff and positioned her toward the sea.
Heather stopped breathing.
Below her, a giant heart had been drawn in the sand. In the center were the words Will you be mine? Beside it a small lean-to had been erected, a towel spread on the sand inside it, a fire burning in a small grate in front of it.
“I’ve been waiting three weeks for a nice enough day to do this.”
At J.C.’s husky confession, Heather turned toward him. The warmth in his eyes was more than sufficient to dispel the slight chill from the ocean breeze.
Setting the basket on the sand, he took her hands in his strong, lean fingers, and his eyes softened with tenderness. “These past few months have been the happiest of my life, Heather. I didn’t come to Nantucket looking for romance, but God surprised me. He put you in my life—and I can’t imagine spending the rest of it without you. I love you more than I thought it was possible to love anyone.” He inclined his head toward the beach and swallowed. Hard. “I think I’ve already tipped my hand, but…would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Joy spilled out of her heart, suffusing her entire body with radiant warmth. “I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life without you, either.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Do I need to spell it out?”
He grinned. “That would be nice.”
Grinning, she tugged her hands free and scrambled down to the beach, grabbing a stick en route. Trotting over to the giant heart, she drew a smaller one beside it. Inside, she wrote one word.
Yes!!!
Tossing the stick aside, she planted her hands on her hips and grinned up at him. “Good enough?”
Instead of responding, he snagged the picnic basket, descended to the beach and took her in his arms. “Not until we seal it with a kiss.”
He leaned toward her, but she pulled back. “Wait. I have one question. What if this nice weather hadn’t happened on a day when the tearoom was closed?”
A smug smile lifted his lips. “Edith was going to fill in after I spirited you away on some excuse.”
Heather chuckled. Being clued in to the proposal would have been the proverbial icing on the cake for the Lighthouse Lane matchmaker.
“Why do I think there will be a message on my answering machine when I get home, offering me some sort of sweet treat?”
J.C. smiled. “There’s only one sweet treat that interests me at the moment.”
He pulled her close, into the shelter of his arms, and as the pounding of the surf mingled with the pounding of her heart, she gave thanks.
For this special man, who had taught her to trust—and to hope.
For new beginnings.
And for the gift of true love. The kind that endured, undimmed by adversity.
The kind J.C. had offered her.
For always.
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to LIGHTHOUSE LANE!
When I envisioned this series, I knew The Devon Rose would play a prominent role in one of the books. What I didn’t envision was a romance between genteel Heather, who inhabits the rarified world of high tea, and J.C., a street-savvy undercover cop who’s used to the gritty side of life. But as these two characters came alive for me, I discovered they were perfect for each other. I hope you enjoy watching them make that discovery, too!
To learn more about my books, I invite you to visit my Web site at www.irenehannon.com. Watch for Marci’s story, coming next in my LIGHTHOUSE LANE series.
In the meantime, I wish all of you a wonderful summer!
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
J.C. believes he’s failed to keep the promise he made to his mother to take care of his two siblings. Do you think he should feel guilty about this? Why or why not? Have you ever made a promise that you weren’t able to keep? How did you deal with that?
When her parents separate, Heather cuts all contact with her father, blaming him for the destruction of their family. In this story, however, she learns new information that makes her regret that decision. Have you ever followed a course of action out of anger or stubbornness and later regretted it? How did that affect your life? What does the Bible teach us on this subject?
J.C. blames himself for the death of his colleagues, assuming he made a mistake that cost them their lives. What advice would you give him to help him cope with his guilt? Have you ever made a mistake that had negative repercussions? How did you deal with it? What role did your faith play?
Order, predictability and control were important to Heather. Why? Was this healthy? Why or why not?
Infidelity has affected all of the Anderson women. Talk about this problem and how it impacts relationships. Why is it one of the hardest mistakes to forgive? Can trust be rebuilt in a relationship after a partner cheats? If so, what would it take to get a relationship back on track?
When J.C. arrives on Nantucket, Heather wants no part of him. Identify some of the things he does that convince her he’s a man worth loving and trusting.
After his parents’ break up, Heather’s nephew is angry and he starts down a dangerous path. Discuss some of the destructive behavior he exhibits. Have you ever had to deal with destructive behavior in a teen? How did you address it?
When Heather’s father is diagnosed with a brain tumor, he pays her an unannounced visit, setting a reunion in motion. Why does it often take a life-threatening emergency for people to rethink long-held positions? What lessons do such situations teach us that we should apply to our normal, everyday lives?
The news that the drug bust ambush was the result of information provided by his brother disheartens J.C. Yet he doesn’t want to believe he was deliberately set up because he still holds out hope of a reconciliation. Have you ever persevered in loving someone despite rejection? Why?
After he learns about the repercussions of the information he provided, Nathan tries to take his life. Talk about suicide, and the reasons people consider
it. What is the best way to deal with someone who has lost hope?
When J.C. arrives at the prison, he is presented with the dog-eared, much-read letters he’d sent to Nathan. What does this say about the power of love? Share some examples of redemptive or transforming love from your own life.
Near the end of the story, J.C. tells Heather about his Nantucket job offer and asks her if she wants him to stay. Do you think she was wise to be cautious? Why or why not?
At the beginning of the book, Heather and J.C. seem like an unlikely couple. How do they each change during the course of the story in ways that open the door to a relationship? Talk about a change, growth experience or insight you’ve had in your life that set you on a new path.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3845-3
THE HERO NEXT DOOR
Copyright © 2009 by Irene Hannon
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Steeple Hill Books.
® and TM are trademarks of Steeple Hill Books, used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.SteepleHill.com