Storybook Romance (9781460320433)

by Manley, Lissa

  “This is what’s best for your family, right?” she asked, looking, he was certain, over his shoulder rather than at him, as if she was trying to keep herself from connecting visually. Or in any way, really. Something shriveled inside him.

  “Maybe,” he said in a noncommittal way, floundering.

  “I mean, you have to have a job, right?” she said offhandedly, as if she was discussing the weather.

  “Right.” The word felt bitter on his tongue. He already had a job that he liked and wanted to keep. But that was out of his control.

  “Then moving to Florida is what’s best.” Her voice had become uncharacteristically monotone, and it grated like sandpaper on his heart.

  He fisted his hands. This was wrong, just standing here, watching her slip away. He said the first thing that occurred to him. “Will you even miss us?” he asked, trying to keep his voice even and failing. Because he’d sure miss her. His heart clenched.

  “Of course,” she said. “But I’ll be really busy at work and with the creative-writing group, so I’ll be fine.”

  He frowned. “That’s it?”

  “I guess so,” she replied brightly. He’d never seen her like this, so…impersonal. So distant. This wasn’t Allison. A numb sense of loss froze up his insides and suddenly his hopes for love washed away, leaving him empty and hollow, as if someone had filled him with ice cubes.

  He’d lost her. Had he ever really had her, though?

  “Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” she asked stiffly. “I…have to get to work.”

  Work. What mattered to her. Not him. Happy Endings. He shouldn’t be surprised; she’d made it clear what her priorities were. He’d been an idiot to think she’d ever love him. “No, I think we’ve covered all the pertinent details.”

  “Okay, then. Bye, Sam.” She blinked several times. “Um…I think I’ll just…keep walking this way for a while, if you don’t mind.”

  He couldn’t even speak, could barely stand upright. As he turned to walk away and she went the opposite direction, he let his shoulders sag. Allison didn’t love him. He’d lost her. And all he had to show for it was a broken heart and a job he didn’t want waiting for him in Florida.

  *

  Allison walked away from Sam. Tears burned her eyes, with panic building inside her so quickly she could barely think, much less speak.

  Fool. Fool. Fool. She’d known she shouldn’t have let Sam under her skin, into her heart, into her very soul. This pain was what she’d wanted to avoid, what she’d been so afraid of.

  She’d meant to tell him she loved him—oh, she had!—until he’d thrown her a curve with the job offer. But now, would it be right to tell him she loved him if it might throw a wrench into his plans? She wanted what was best for him and the kids. Who was she to take that away from him by flinging her feelings at him?

  But…she loved him, and Nicky and Rosie. With everything in her. Could she really keep that to herself? Could she really let him walk away without telling him the truth?

  Her love had turned into a double-edged sword, capable of cutting her from both directions.

  What do I do, Lord?

  She heard Sam’s footsteps pause. She stopped, too. Soon he’d be miles away, and so would the twins. A profound sense of loss roared through her and it felt as if she’d been kicked in the ribs.

  She pressed a shaking hand to her chest, holding back a sob. No, she couldn’t walk away. She had to tell him, she couldn’t second-guess him, not about something so important. So life changing. She’d kept her feelings for him secret once before, and she regretted that. There would be no more regrets.

  She wiped her damp cheeks, and then spun around. “Sam, wait.”

  From thirty feet away, he turned. “Yes?”

  “I…I have to tell you something.”

  He hesitated. “And…I have to tell you something.”

  A good thing or a bad thing? She drew in a shaky breath. Either way, she had to level with him or she’d never know what might have been. With determination she raised a hand and gestured toward herself, trying to ignore her trembling knees. “Come here.”

  He walked slowly back, and then, just about the time she wanted to scream at him to go faster, he stood before her, his brown eyes gazing right into hers.

  “I…well…I haven’t been completely honest with you,” she said, bowing her head. “See, the thing is, there’s a reason I told you I was happy for you about the job offer.” She opened her mouth to tell him she loved him.

  He silenced her with a finger pressed to her lips. “Shh.” He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. Warmth spread downward. “First, before you talk, I need to tell you why I was upset by your reaction to my news.”

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  “I’ve been so afraid to tell you the truth. But I’m through letting my fear call the shots. I love you, Allison True,” he declared, cupping her jaw. “And as long as you’re here in Bygones, this is where I want to be.” Allison hesitated, her blue gaze fixed on him, her lips trembling and her eyes wide.

  And all at once, Sam felt the constraints of his past unwind from his heart. He took her soft, small hands in his. “My dad told me not to make the same mistakes he did with my mom, that I would regret it if I did, and that that would be a terrible price to pay.”

  “Go on,” Allison told him, her hands shaking in his.

  “From there, I realized the twins deserved a father who would do everything in his power to keep a woman like you in all our lives.” He drew in a rough breath. “Think how different my life would have been if my dad had been more open with my mom.”

  “Oh, Sam,” Allison said, tears welling in her eyes. “You’re braver than I am.”

  “No, I’m not. I had to take this leap.” He touched her cheek, loving its velvety smoothness. “No matter what happens, you’re worth the risk, and I’ll know that I did everything possible to keep you in my life.”

  Allison stared at him for a few agonizing moments, tears brimming and running down her cheeks. “You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met, and I adore your kids.”

  He waited, his heart thudding harder than it ever had.

  She touched his cheek with trembling fingers. “I love you, too,” she said, her voice breaking. “With all my heart.”

  Relief and happiness and joy slammed through him. He hugged her hard, burying his nose in her peach-scented hair. “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”

  She pulled back and touched his cheek. “Try.”

  “This happy,” he said, bending his head and kissing her.

  She kissed him back, and everything was right in his world. After a while, he nibbled his way to her ear and said, “Were you really okay with us moving to Florida?”

  “I was trying to be.”

  He settled back a bit, but kept his arms around her. “Why?”

  She wiped moisture away from her face. “Because I love you enough to let you go and do what you have to for your family.”

  Her love humbled him. Completed him. Thank You, God.

  He kissed her forehead. “So you were trying to be unselfish?”

  “Yes. I knew I loved you, and I didn’t want to lose you, but I wanted you and Nicky and Rosie to be happy and fulfilled most of all.”

  “You didn’t want to stand in my way.” She was truly one of the most giving, unselfish people he’d ever known. How had he ended up with someone so perfect?

  She nodded. “It was a sacrifice I was willing to make.”

  Warmth and peace moved through him in a healing tide. “You’re what’s best for us,” he said. “For now and always.”

  “I see that now.” She smiled shakily. “But note the word try. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to keep myself away for long. I’m going to visit you guys as often as I can.”

  Once again, she amazed him. Whether he was here in Bygones or there in Florida, she’d love him and stand by him.

  Suddenly, ano
ther decision was made easy. “About that. I’m going to turn down the job in Florida. It’s too soon to take it, really. If I lose my job here—which I don’t think I will because you and the other SOS shopkeepers are doing a great job and things are on the right track—then I’ll start looking. Until then, I’m staying put, here with you.”

  “Are you sure? Because we could do long distance for the foreseeable future.”

  “You’d do that?”

  “For you and the twins? Yes. Anything.”

  Again, this woman humbled him. “Well, I don’t want to be away from you at all, so I’m staying. We’ll cross the job bridge when we need to, together, but not before.”

  “Good.” She looked at him from under her lashes. “I like the way you think.”

  “And I like how you always seem to have our best interests at heart,” he said, again awed by her love and willingness to put him and the twins ahead of everything else.

  “I love you, and the kids, so you’re going to have to get used to me wanting good things for you guys.”

  “I think I can find a way to adjust to that,” he said, pulling her closer.

  “Good. I’m glad.” She kissed him tenderly and laid a soft hand on his cheek. “So it looks like we have a perfect ending to our own storybook romance, don’t we?”

  “We sure do.” He grinned against her lips as a profound sense of contentment and bliss bubbled through him. “Too bad I didn’t realize I should have been with you all along.”

  “I’m glad you finally figured it out.”

  “I know a good thing when I see it.” Though it had taken him many years to get smart. “Better late than never.”

  “You’ve got that right, Mr. Franklin,” she said, moving closer, her gaze on his lips, her eyes soft with love. For him.

  That look did him in. Without waiting another second he kissed her right, slowly and deeply, with all the love in his heart, with everything he had.

  A car horn sounded. He broke away and looked over his shoulder, his arms still around Allison. Coraline’s well-kept blue sedan rolled to a stop next to the curb. Coraline was driving, and Miss Mars, who always rode to and from church with Coraline, sat in the passenger seat.

  Coraline rolled down her window and regarded them with a smile. “So it looks like the two of you have worked things out.”

  Allison’s arms tightened around him. “You could say that.”

  Miss Mars leaned over. “Goo-goo eyes all over again.”

  “And heart,” Sam said.

  “Yes, I definitely have a goo-goo heart,” Allison said.

  “Wonderful,” Coraline said. “God is good.”

  “Yes, He is,” Sam said.

  “Would you like a ride back into town?” Coraline asked.

  “No,” Sam said. “It’s only a few blocks.”

  “You two probably want some alone time, don’t you?” Miss Mars said, nodding her head so vigorously the small blue hat she wore bobbed down onto her forehead.

  Allison smiled up at him. “Yes, I think we do,” she said.

  “All right, then,” Coraline said, smiling brightly. “Carry on.” With that, she drove slowly away.

  “Coraline had it right all along,” Sam said.

  “Yes, she did.” Allison moved her hands to his shoulders. “I only wish I’d realized that sooner.”

  “Me, too,” he replied. “We have a lot of kissing to catch up on.”

  “You read my mind,” Allison said. And then she pulled him down for a long, sweet kiss that made his toes tingle and his heart perfectly complete.

  And that would be all he and the twins would ever need.

  *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from WHITE CHRISTMAS IN DRY CREEK by Janet Tronstad.

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed book four in The Heart of Main Street continuity series. Bygones was a wonderful setting for a love story, and I enjoyed writing about Sam and Allison and how they found faith and love in the most unexpected yet wonderful way. Love isn’t always easy or obvious, and it is gratifying to write stories that bring two people together through their mutual faith, shared values and love for the Lord, despite conflicts along the way. I think this story shows that if we trust in God’s plan, we will always find love.

  I want to thank my fellow Love Inspired authors Arlene James, Carolyne Aarsen, Brenda Minton, Charlotte Carter and Valerie Hansen. I loved working with these talented ladies, and as the newbie on the block, I learned so much from all of them. I hope we get the chance to work together again.

  Please be sure to look for the next two installments of The Heart of Main Street in the next two months.

  May God bless you always.

  Lissa Manley

  Questions for Discussion

  Have you read any of other books in The Heart of Main Street continuity series? If so, how did this story connect to the others? Did the other books make you want to keep reading the series? Which was your favorite book so far? What did you like about it?

  Allison loved Sam from afar in high school but never told anyone, not even her best friend, Lori. Discuss how you have kept something to yourself in the past, and whether or not you wished later you had shared it with another person.

  Lori discouraged Sam from asking Allison out in high school. Was this justified, and if not, what might have been a better way for her to react? In your opinion, was she selfish, or merely trying to protect Allison?

  Sam took his lawyer’s advice and didn’t date in case his ex-wife might use a romantic relationship against him in a custody battle. Was he weak for giving in, or was he just being a good father? What might have been some of his other options? Should he have called Teresa out on this? Discuss.

  Do you think Sam was using the custody issue as the wrong way to keep his heart safe? Why or why not?

  What was your favorite scene in the book and why? Who was your favorite character? Discuss.

  Discuss how Nicky and Rosie served to bring Allison and Sam together, and how and why children can bridge the gaps in relationships.

  Allison wanted to prove to herself, and her parents, that she could run Happy Endings. Have you ever felt the need to do this in your life? Were you successful?

  Sam continued to see Allison because the kids loved being with her. Discuss why you do or do not think he was using this as an excuse to see Allison. Was he being honest with himself?

  Was Allison too ambitious, too hung up on making Happy Endings a success? Why or why not? Did her ambition make sense given her parents’ doubts?

  Were Allison and Sam believable characters? What did you like or dislike about each? Did the romance build believably?

  Sam doubted his skills as a single father. Was this justified, given Teresa’s opinion of him? Should he have been more confident? Or was he simply struggling with a difficult situation?

  The bible verse in the beginning of the book was: “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.” Discuss the meaning of this verse and how it relates to the book.

  Allison’s mom and dad neglected their daughters for work. Given their background, was this understandable? Was Allison’s mom’s turnaround believable? Discuss how someone’s life experiences can affect their lives down the road.

  Allison was going to walk away from Sam and let him go to Florida because she wanted what was best for him and the kids. But then she realized she loved them too much to walk away. Discuss whether you think her first reaction was reasonable, and whether she did the right thing by stopping him.

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.

  You believe hearts can heal. Love Inspired stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.

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  Chapter One

  A blizzard swept across the empty fields outside of Dry Creek, Montana, freezing the night air and throwing snowflakes against the two-story house that stood in the middle of the sprawling Elkton cattle ranch. Inside the home, Renee Gray knelt on the hardwood floor, one hand gripping a phone and the other frantically searching for a pulse in the neck of the unconscious stranger lying in front of her. She was still in shock at finding him slumped over the porch railing a few seconds ago, a saddled horse close to him and what looked like a wolf barely visible some yards behind him in the falling snow.

  The wolf hadn’t looked menacing, but the man did.

  After the scary times she and her five-year-old daughter, Tessie, had endured with her ex-husband, Renee had been careful not to let any man who looked like this one—virile, strong and maybe dangerous—into their lives. And yet, here he was right on the floor in front of her and in desperate need of help.

  With relief, she found his heartbeat. It was weak but steady. She’d already called 911 and the operator was off-line connecting with the ambulance company, so Renee relaxed enough to glance over at Tessie. It was past the girl’s bedtime, but she didn’t show any sign of fatigue as she leaned over the strange man protectively, her frail frame trembling with excitement.

  “Is he a prince?” Tessie whispered in awe as she peered down at him. She wore cardboard angel wings on her shoulders and one of them tipped precariously. That didn’t stop Tessie from reaching out to the black hair that curled against the man’s forehead. Equally dark stubble covered his face. His skin was so white from cold that it almost matched the color of her wings. “Did Santa bring him for Christmas?”