Trust My Heart

by Carol J. Post

  Jami slowed her pace and looked around. They had reached the point of the river walk where they’d started. She stepped off the path to sit on the swing, turning sideways so she could still keep the parking lot in view. Her interviewee was probably a no-show, but it didn’t hurt to watch for him.

  Grant sat on the other end of the swing and set it swaying with one foot. “You want to practice?”

  “Practice what?”

  “Your interview. You know, ask me the questions.”

  “I don’t need to practice. I already know what I’m going to ask.”

  He flashed her a teasing grin, the same one that had almost reduced her to a quivering puddle of Jell-O on the sidewalk when he’d arrived a short time earlier. “Just humor me.”

  “All right.” She took a deep breath and matched his smile. “Mr. Successful Chicago Businessman, I understand you’re considering opening a bed and breakfast and fine restaurant right here in Murphy. Is that true?”

  “Yes, I’m quite serious about it.”

  “And do you have a location picked out yet?”

  “In fact, I do. It’s a huge old house several miles outside of town, and although it’s pretty run-down, the place has a lot of character. I think it’s the perfect location for a venture like this.”

  They were only playacting, but Grant was so convincing her heart skipped a beat, and whatever question she planned to ask next slid from her mind. She took a long swig from her water bottle while she recomposed her thoughts. “That sounds appealing. How soon do you plan to get started?”

  “As soon as possible. I’ve got a few things to wrap up at home. Then I’ll be coming back to stay. I’d like to open both the bed and breakfast and the restaurant before next summer.”

  Longing stabbed through her, so intense she almost doubled over. She wasn’t so sure she liked this game, but Grant didn’t seem to have any problems. That warm, teasing grin held on the entire time. She pasted on her own smile and tried to focus on the soothing back-and-forth movement of the swing. No matter how much this playful exchange shredded her already-raw heart, Grant would never know.

  “That’s a pretty ambitious goal. So tell me something. Why would a successful businessman leave his life in the city and come to a quaint little town like Murphy to open a bed and breakfast?”

  “That’s a good question.” He paused. “A month ago, I never would have considered it. But once you experience the tranquility of nature, the clean mountain air and the friendliness of the local people, city life becomes less appealing.”

  Jami studied him. He didn’t look like someone who was playacting. Was it possible . . . Could he really be thinking . . . No, don’t get your hopes up.

  “Why Murphy?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, cold professionalism gone. “With all the quaint towns in the North Carolina mountains, why would you choose Murphy?”

  “It’s a beautiful area, popular with the tourists. There’s a lot to do, from hiking to horseback riding to whitewater rafting.” He turned toward her and took both of her hands. His knee rested against hers, and all teasing had fled his gaze. “And there’s this certain newspaper reporter who entranced me almost from the first moment I saw her. And now it seems I can’t convince myself to leave.”

  She stared at him, jaw slack, her heart pounding out an erratic rhythm. This was no act. He was staying, because of her. How was she supposed to hold on to her defenses?

  Finally, she found her voice. “Bernie wasn’t lying. I really am meeting a businessman planning to open a bed and breakfast. You’re not blond, and you’re definitely under forty.”

  He flashed her a teasing grin, accompanied by a mischievous glint in his eyes. “What about the hot part?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  She drew in a shaky breath. He was staying. It didn’t seem real and probably wouldn’t for a while. Over time, maybe it would sink in. Now it felt like a dream, one that would vanish like a vapor come morning.

  She looked up at Grant. “What do you say we check on Bernie and Hank?”

  “That sounds good. Do you think things are progressing back there?”

  “Truthfully? I doubt it.”

  Grant stood and took her hand to help her to her feet. When they approached Bernie and Hank, the two of them still sat on opposite sides of the table, but they were now facing one another. Bernie’s eager gaze dipped to their hands, still joined, and a knowing smile climbed up her cheeks. “Looks like you got the interview.”

  “I did. Grant is going to turn the McAllister mansion into a bed and breakfast. But I guess you already knew that.”

  “I might have known a little something.”

  “Admit it, Bernie. This assignment was nothing but a ploy to get Grant and me together. In fact, I think that’s all the other assignment was, too. You were plotting to get us together right from the start.”

  Bernie shrugged, but the devious grin gave her away. “Getting you the McAllister feature was completely innocent on my part. But when you told me you’d dumped Robert, I was so afraid you were going to change your mind. I’d set everything in motion with the assignment, but I had to jump in there a few times to keep the ball rolling in the right direction.”

  Jami shook her head. “Bernie, you’re a mess. And a little devious.”

  “I never said anything that wasn’t true.”

  “Yes, you did. You said he was from Chicago.”

  Bernie planted one hand on her hip. “No, I didn’t. I said he was from a big city up north, like Chicago or Philadelphia.”

  “Okay, you squeaked by on that one. But you also said his name was Edward.”

  Grant answered this time. “My name is Edward. Grant Edward McAllister.”

  Jami looked from one to the other. “Why do I feel as if I’ve just been snookered?”

  “Because you have.” Bernie grinned. “But I don’t hear you complaining.” She slapped her hands against the wooden slats of the bench and turned to Hank. “It looks like we both got stood up tonight. Are you okay?”

  Hank shrugged. “I’m all right. How about you?”

  “I’m good.” Bernie sucked in a deep breath and pushed herself to her feet. “Since both of our plans got messed up, what do you say we have a late dinner at the Waffle House? I’ll even treat you.”

  Hank stood, too. “Are you sure? I don’t mind paying.”

  “You can pay next time.” She looked up at him, uncertainty in her gaze. “I mean, if you want there to be a next time.”

  Hank smiled down at her. “I think I’d like that.”

  “You two want to join us?”

  Before Jami could open her mouth, Grant answered for them. “We might join you later.”

  She watched Bernie and Hank leave, then smiled up at Grant, happy for the choice he’d made. Dinner with Bernie and Hank would be fun. But nothing appealed to her more than time alone with Grant. He was staying. Planting roots. Deep roots—he was starting a business. It couldn’t get much more permanent than that.

  “So why did you do it? What made you decide to come back and pursue your dream?”

  “You planted the seed that one night at dinner. I kept thinking about it and finally decided it was time to make my dream a reality. The restaurant is definite, but the bed and breakfast is up in the air. It’s dependent on whether a certain spunky newspaper reporter is willing to work with me.”

  Her heart jumped to double time. “You want me to be your business partner?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  She began walking, mind swirling with questions and doubt settling in her chest. She would never be satisfied with just being his business partner, because she had fallen hopelessly in love with him. If that was all he wanted, she just couldn’t do it.

  But if he wanted more, could she do that? Would she be able to lower the walls around her heart and risk the ultimate rejection?

  He grasped her shoulder and guided her to a stop before turning her to face him. His eyes locked with hers, w
arm and tender, and he placed both hands on her shoulders. “I want you to be my business partner, but that’s not all I want. I want you by my side as I pursue my dream. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He hesitated but didn’t look away. When he spoke, his words were filled with emotion. “Jami, I love you, and I want you to be my wife.”

  Wife? Did he say wife? Grant McAllister, who was never going to fall into that trap again, never going to let a woman touch his heart? She studied him, afraid she hadn’t heard him right while at the same time scared to death she had. “Did you just ask me to marry you?”

  “No.”

  He let his arms fall, and her heart wobbled to a stop. Then he took both of her hands in his and dropped to one knee. “But I am now. Jami Carlisle, will you marry me?”

  Conflicting emotions tumbled through her, a love so powerful it almost took her breath away, with panic pounding close on its heels. She needed time. What if she was making a mistake? What if, after he thought about it awhile, he realized he couldn’t do it after all? Or even worse, what if he went through with marrying her, and then decided it was a mistake? The ring and marriage vows would mean nothing. He would still leave. Just like her father had.

  God, please help me to know what to do. If this is right, help me let go of my fears and grasp hold of your will for my life.

  She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and met his gaze. He was looking up at her, awaiting her answer, love shining out from eyes as dark as sapphires in the waning light. A silent plea floated on the air between them, begging her to drop her guard and let him touch her heart.

  Samantha had said life was full of uncertainty, that she needed to be willing to take some risks. If she allowed Grant to penetrate the barriers protecting her, there would be risk, the potential for heartbreak. But the alternative, life without him, was unthinkable.

  She gave a slight nod.

  “You’ll marry me?” His face filled with hope, and he straightened to his feet without releasing her hands.

  This was her second proposal with no ring, no elegant setting, no candlelight or romantic music. But it didn’t matter. Because it was coming from Grant, the man she loved with all her heart.

  She tipped back her head and drew in a deep breath. Actually, his proposal couldn’t have been more perfect. There was no fancy restaurant with white linen tablecloths, but all around them, trees stretched leaf-covered boughs skyward. Instead of flutes, oboes and violins, calls of whip-poor-wills punctuated a katydid serenade. And no candle ever compared to the dazzling display stretched across the horizon. Orange, pink and lavender colored the sky, painted in giant strokes.

  And the ring . . .

  Grant released her hands and reached into his pocket to pull out a hinged velvet box. “If you don’t like it, I can take it back, and you can pick out something you like better. I went to Paula’s Jewelry yesterday and bought something they had in stock. I had no idea when I might propose, but when the opportunity arose, I wanted to be prepared.” He slipped the ring onto her finger. “So, Jami, will you marry me?”

  She stared at the diamonds capturing the slanting rays of sunlight and reflecting them back in a glittery display. Two baguettes flanked a large center stone, all set in a yellow-gold band. She lifted her eyes to meet his. “It’s perfect.”

  He still stared down at her, brows raised. “So is the answer to my question yes?”

  “Yes.” She wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled him toward her until her lips met his. “Yes, yes, yes.” She punctuated each word with a kiss.

  Then Grant wrapped her in an embrace that left no doubt about how thrilled he was with her response. Love swelled in her chest, strengthened by the assurance that, after a whole series of heartbreaks and disappointments, this was the man God had for her. The last of her doubts drifted away on the gentle summer breeze.

  Grant had told her to hang on to her dreams. She had. And God was granting every one of them.

  Her novel was shaping up nicely. With Grant’s encouragement, she would see it through to completion.

  Sickness had snuffed out her mother’s desire to run a bed and breakfast, but Jami had claimed that dream as her own. Now she was going to be half owner of one, sooner than she ever thought possible.

  But she’d almost given up on the dream she’d clung to the longest—that Prince Charming would one day sweep in and turn her world upside down. She’d begun to believe he was nothing but a fantasy, a mystical figure that resided solely in the fanciful imaginings of starry-eyed young girls.

  She’d been wrong. He wasn’t a fantasy.

  He was real, flesh and blood.

  And he was standing right in front of her, ready to carry her away to her own happily ever after.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  My sincerest thanks to David Brown, publisher of the Cherokee Scout, for the informative tour and for patiently answering all my questions.

  Thank you to my wonderful sister, Kim Wolff, for driving me all over Murphy and helping me get the information I needed. You made researching this book a real joy.

  Thank you to my family for your unending support.

  Thank you to my critique partners, Karen Fleming and Sabrina Jarema. Your amazing insight always makes my writing better.

  Thank you to my editors, Erin Calligan Mooney and Colleen Wagner, and my agent, Nalini Akolekar. I am blessed to be working with each of you.

  And lastly, thank you to my husband, Chris. After thirty-five years, you still put romance in my life.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special-events decorating company, Carol J. Post’s résumé reads as if she hasn’t yet decided what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love of writing. She started as a child, composing poetry for family and friends, then graduated to articles for religious and children’s publications. Now she pens fun, fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense stories. Her books have been nominated for an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book award and selected as an RT Top Pick. When Carol isn’t writing, she enjoys sailing, hiking, camping—almost anything outdoors. She also plays the piano and sings with her music-minister husband. Their two grown daughters and their grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all her nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly spoiled dachshund.