Brie returned with a stack of mail and tossed it onto the counter. “Why don’t I ever get any mail?”
Tessa lifted her brows. “You have to send a letter to get one back.” She picked up the pile and sorted through the bills and junk mail.
A thick white envelope caught her attention. She lifted it from the pile and studied the return address. Why would a lawyer in Oregon be writing to Matt? A chill raced down her back. Was this another legal problem from Matt’s business failure?
She’d warned him not to take on Patrick Stokes as a partner, but he hadn’t listened. They’d ended up losing their home and been forced to move into this small condo. All the money from the sale of their house and their savings had been used to repay the disgruntled investors and prevent any lawsuits. What more did those people want?
Tessa’s hand trembled as she recalled the terrible storm that had blown into their lives three years ago, nearly shipwrecking their marriage.
Matt walked back into the kitchen. He slowed when their gazes connected. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” She tossed the envelope onto the counter.
A perplexed frown settled over his face. “What is it?”
“A very heavy letter from a lawyer in Oregon.” She bit out each syllable and sent them flying at her husband like poison-tipped arrows.
Matt ripped open the envelope and pulled out the thick sheets of stationery. His gaze darted over the words as Evan and Brie gathered around.
“What is it, Dad?” Evan asked. “Are you in trouble?”
“No, I’m sure it’s not . . .” Matt sank onto the stool. “I don’t believe it.”
Tessa gripped the counter, bracing herself for the terrible news.
Matt burst out laughing. “This is incredible! Unbelievable!”
“Dad! What does it say?” Brie leaned over his shoulder.
“It’s the answer to our prayers. I knew the Lord would come through. I just didn’t expect Him to work things out like this.” He scanned the page, then looked up at Tessa. “Remember my uncle Don in Oregon?”
“The one who died last January?”
“Yes. I hadn’t seen him since our family moved out here when I was a teenager.”
“What about him?” Tessa wanted to grab Matt and shake him. Why couldn’t he hurry up and explain?
Matt smiled and waved the letter in the air. “It seems I’m in line to inherit my uncle’s property on Lost Lake.”
Tessa stared at him in stunned surprise.
“Where’s that?” Brie asked.
“In the Cascade Mountains in Oregon.”
“Wow, that sounds cool,” Evan added. “A house on a lake!”
“Not just a house,” Matt continued. “It’s twelve acres of virgin forest with a large lodge and seven guest cabins.”
Brie settled on the stool next to her dad. “So it’s like a camping place or . . . a motel?”
“Well, I haven’t been back there in years, but I’d say it’s sort of a mountain resort. Uncle Don lived in the lodge and rented out the cabins to vacationers. It’s a great place for fishing and hiking in the summer, and in the winter there’s skiing nearby.”
“But why would he leave it to you?” Tessa asked.
Matt glanced at the letter again. “He originally left it to his son, Charles, but he passed away before his dad, and the will was never changed. I’m the next closest relative.”
Excitement tingled through Tessa. “That property must be worth a lot of money. How many acres did you say?”
“Twelve. And it’s beautiful. Tall fir trees, cedar, vine maple . . .” Matt sprang from the stool. “Where’s the atlas? Let’s take a look at the map of Oregon.”
“I’ll get it.” Evan ran from the kitchen.
Tessa clasped her hands. “This is wonderful! I’m sure it will be enough.”
Matt turned to her, confusion in his eyes. “Enough?”
“Yes! We can buy a house and another car. And we can pay for Justin’s college expenses and Brie’s orthodontic bills.” The thought of lifting the burden of debt off their shoulders made Tessa feel almost dizzy with joy.
Matt frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Selling it, of course!”
Matt pulled back. “Tessa, you don’t understand. This is like a miracle. I’ve been praying for a way to get out of this dead-end job and change careers.”
“What?” Heat flooded her face, and her mind spun. “Matt, how could you possibly manage a resort in Oregon when we live here in New Jersey?”
“We’d have to move there.” Matt rubbed his hands together, the excitement of a new challenge glowing on his face. “If we lived in the lodge and rented out the cabins, all the money we’d make would be free and clear.” He stepped closer and took both of her hands in his. “Just think of it, this is our chance to start over, fresh.”
She pulled her hands away. “Start over?” Panic nearly choked off her voice.
“Yes, it would be a great opportunity for all of us.”
“How can you even think of moving? Our family is here. Our life is here.” Tessa shook her head. “No! We’ve got to sell the property and use that money to get back on our feet financially.”
Matt pulled in a deep breath and pressed his lips together. “Tessa, we can’t throw away a great opportunity like this.”
Fury built inside Tessa like a volcano about to erupt. “How could you even consider dragging us all the way across the country for another one of your harebrained business schemes?” Once she opened the vent on her anger, she couldn’t stop the flow. “You’ve been praying! Well, I’ve been praying, too. We’re barely scraping by on less than half the money we made before. And now you have the perfect opportunity to pay off all our debts and start rebuilding our lives, and you want to toss it all away on some silly childhood memory!”
“Tessa, come on.” Matt’s voice remained controlled, but she could see the color rising in his face and a muscle twitching in his jaw. “Look, I know this is a surprise, but I think—”
“Surprise! Oh no. What surprises me is that you care so little about what I want or what’s best for this family!”
Anger and hurt flashed across Matt’s face. He spun away and strode out of the kitchen. Her bitter words had hit their mark. Brie and Evan stared at her in frightened silence.
Guilt poured over her like hot wax dripping from a candle. It burned and coated her heart like a heavy weight. She tightened her fists and turned toward the stove.
Why should she feel guilty? Everything she said was true. This proved he didn’t love her or the children. All he cared about was running after some foolish dream. Well, she wouldn’t stand by and let it happen again. She had put up with more than enough from Matt Malone!
Chapter Two
Matt pushed open the door of the bagel shop. The jovial bell did little to lift his spirits. He scanned the small tables and soon spotted his friend Keith Stevenson.
“Morning, Matt.” Keith pushed a steaming cup of black coffee and a cinnamon raisin bagel toward him.
Matt settled into the chair on the opposite side of the table, thankful his friend knew what he always ordered. “I got some great news.”
“Really? You’d never know it by looking at you.”
“Thanks.”
Keith chuckled. “So what’s going on? Were you up late with the kids?”
“No, Tessa and I had a fight last night.” Matt took a quick sip of the hot brew. “Couldn’t sleep much after that.”
Keith’s smile slipped away. “Sorry. I take it she’s not responding to your plan to be more affectionate?”
Matt scoffed. “No, I’d say our relationship has gone from cool to below freezing.”
“Well, hang in there. You’ve got a lot to overcome. We’re not talking about a little sheet of ice that built up overnight. It’s more like an iceberg. And it’s taken three years to freeze that deep. It’s going to take awhile to melt.�
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Matt cocked his head. “You’re just full of encouragement today, aren’t you?”
“I want to give it to you straight.” Keith munched on his blueberry bagel and then looked back at his friend. “So what’s the good news?”
He told Keith about the letter he had received from the lawyer in Oregon. “I’m now the proud owner of Lost Lake Lodge.” Matt smiled in spite of his tired condition and the memory of his wife’s hurtful response.
“That sounds great.”
“Yeah. I want to move there. That’s why Tessa’s so upset. She doesn’t even want to consider it.”
Keith nodded. “Most women don’t like moving. And with everything that’s happened, I can see why she’s not too enthusiastic about the idea.”
“You should have heard her.” Matt shook his head, recalling the stinging words Tessa had flung at him last night. There was no way he would repeat them to his friend. They were too humiliating.
“So what are you going to do?”
Matt blew out a deep breath. “I don’t know. I want to win back Tessa’s trust and love, but that seems just about impossible with the way things are going.”
“Hey, come on. This is no time to give up. God is on your side. He wants your marriage healed, and He gave you this land for a reason. You just have to figure out how it all fits together.”
Matt nodded and tore off a bite of his bagel. He and Keith had been praying together for the past few months and looking for practical ways for Matt to renew his relationship with Tessa. So far his efforts seemed useless. Tessa hadn’t softened at all. But maybe this was all part of God’s answer—he just didn’t see it yet.
“Let’s do our Bible study, and then we’ll spend some time praying this through.”
“Sounds good to me.” Matt reached into his briefcase and retrieved his Bible. He might not know what to do about the Oregon property or how to convince his wife to believe in him again, but he knew this much—the answers he needed were in his hand between the pages of this book.
* * *
Tessa pulled the tray of apple walnut muffins from the large commercial oven. Their sweet, spicy fragrance filled the teashop kitchen. They were the fastest-selling muffins at Sweet Something, but she wasn’t even tempted to taste one this afternoon. Last night’s argument with Matt still tumbled around in her mind, setting her nerves on edge and stealing away her appetite.
Tessa’s sister, Allison, walked into the kitchen wearing a white apron over her long black skirt and white ruffled blouse. She had pulled her golden brown hair into a low ponytail and tied it with a bright red ribbon. They hardly looked like sisters.
Tessa’s olive skin and dark brown hair were like their father’s. She wore her hair in a short, carefree style with fringy bangs that framed her face and fit her petite stature. Allison was taller and blue-eyed like their mother, and her movements always reminded Tessa of a graceful ballet dancer.
Allison reached for a tray of delicate teacups and saucers. “What time is that group of ladies from the historical society coming in?”
“I think they said three o’clock.” Tessa absently laid the hot pads on the counter.
Allison studied her a moment. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Why?” Tessa picked up a knife and began tilting each muffin so they would cool without getting soggy on the bottom.
“Come on, I know something is bothering you. You’ve been distracted and moody all morning.” Allison stepped over and plucked a hot muffin from the tin. Peeling off the paper, she gave her sister a steady look.
Tessa released a slow, deep breath. She didn’t want to tell her sister she might be moving, but how could she avoid it?
“I’m waiting.” Allison took a bite of her muffin and leaned back against the counter.
“All right.” Tessa huffed and set aside her knife. “Matt inherited some property in Oregon, and he has this crazy idea we should move there.”
Allison’s eyebrows lifted. “You mean live there permanently?”
“That’s what he said. Can you believe it?” Tessa closed her eyes and shuddered. “I’m just sick about the whole thing. We had a terrible fight last night right in front of the kids. You should have heard him. He was going on and on about wanting to change careers and move out there like it was nothing more than a two-week vacation.”
“Maybe he’ll change his mind when he thinks about it a little more.”
“I doubt it.” Tessa thrust her hands into her apron pockets. “That man is so stubborn!”
“Funny, I never would’ve described Matt like that. He’s always seemed like a pretty reasonable guy to me.”
“Allison! How can you defend him? You know all the trouble his business failure caused us. Justin had to go to community college, the kids had to stop all their music lessons and sports, we lost the house and our savings. We almost lost everything!”
“Tessa. You had to move into a condo and get used to one car again. I wouldn’t exactly call that losing everything.”
“We lost a lot more than our house and savings. We lost our sense of security, and that’s hard to restore.”
“At least you have a family,” Allison said softly.
Immediately, Tessa regretted her hasty words. Allison and her husband, Tyler, had recently learned they might not be able to have children. “I’m sorry, Allison. I know you’re going through a lot, too.”
Allison wrapped Tessa in a comforting hug. “It’s okay.” Then she stepped back and looked at Tessa with a sad smile. “I know this seems like a huge issue right now, but let’s not let it rock our boat. Our anchor is firm. The Lord’s in control.”
But Tessa felt like a little boat tossed on a stormy sea. “Moving would be terrible. I don’t even want to think about leaving Princeton.”
“No one is moving today. This whole thing may just blow over. Let’s trust the Lord and see what happens.” Allison picked up her tray and headed into the dining room. “I’ll go set those tables.”
“Thanks.” Tessa chewed her lip as she considered her sister’s words. Sometimes Allison’s spiritual strength amazed her. How could she hold on when her prayers went unanswered? Her faith seemed like a rock, strong and unshakable.
Tessa shook her head sadly. I used to be like that. But the last three years had left her feeling weak and beaten down.
But whose fault was that? She was the one who had slipped away from midweek Bible study, and she rarely took time to pray or read the Bible on her own. Sunday mornings were no better. She struggled to get herself out of bed in time for church and only made it to services two or three times a month. Matt and the kids went every Sunday, with or without her.
Allison returned to the kitchen. “Tessa?”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t worry. This is all going to work out for the best.”
Tessa forced a small smile for her sister’s sake. But she couldn’t shake the turbulent feelings swirling through her stomach.
* * *
The phone rang in Matt’s office. He looked up from his computer screen and rubbed his eyes, thankful for the break.
Though he had a degree in accounting and was a CPA, he hated working with numbers all day long. But as a supervisor for Ampler, Madden, and Politzer in the auditing and accounting department, he had no choice. They serviced small to midsized companies in the pension, not-for-profit, and manufacturing industries. The job held little interest or challenge for him, but it paid the bills and provided for his family. So he kept at it, day in and day out.
Matt picked up the phone on the second ring.
“Matt, it’s Keith. You got a minute?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“I’ve been praying for you and Tessa all morning, and I think I’ve got an idea.”
“Okay, shoot.”
“I know you’ve been looking for extra things to do around the house to make it easier for Tessa, right?”
“Yeah, I spent all last Saturday cleaning out
the garage.” Matt turned his chair away from his desk. Outside his third-story office window, the first traces of golden-green leaves sprouted from the oak tree.
“What did she say?”
“Nothing. She’s been bugging me to do it for weeks, but she didn’t even notice.”
“Wow, she didn’t say anything?”
“No. She’s too busy with the kids and the teashop to notice anything I do, unless I make a mistake, like forgetting to give her a phone message or taking the car when she needs it.”
“I think it’s time to bring out the big guns.”
“What do you mean?” Matt spun back toward his desk and picked up a pencil.
“Plan something big, something she can’t miss.”
“Like?”
“Like a really romantic date. What does she like? French food, Broadway plays, classical concerts?”
Matt scratched his chin. “It’s been awhile since we did anything like that. Money’s been tight. We usually just rent a video or grab some pizza.”
“See, that’s what I mean. If you plan a really special date, that’s bound to get her attention. She’ll have to warm up a little.”
“You think that’ll work?”
“Yeah, women love romance. Trust me.”
“Okay, I hope you’re right, ’cause I’m in the doghouse and fresh out of ideas.”
Chapter Three
Matt hopped out of the van and hustled to open Tessa’s door.
She looked up at him with a perplexed expression, her dark eyes serious.
He smiled, glad she seemed to notice his gallant efforts. She looked great tonight. She wore a red and black flowered dress made of soft, gauzy material. It wasn’t a new outfit, but he hadn’t seen her dressed up like that in quite a while. Black beaded earrings dangled from her ears, and her lips were painted an inviting warm red. He had done a double take when she walked down the stairs at home, and he’d told her how great she looked. But she’d waved away his compliments as though she didn’t believe him. Regret hit his heart. He hadn’t complimented her often enough.
Where Two Hearts Meet Page 8