Rekindling the Widower's Heart

by Glynna Kaye

  “Did his wife give that to you?”

  She handed him the tape measure, glanced down at the card, and then tucked it away in her purse. “No, actually Sunshine Carston gave it to me.”

  “How come?”

  “He makes jewelry.”

  “You intend to buy some of his stuff?”

  “No.”

  What was this, a game of twenty questions? “I’m not saying it’s a crime to have his business card. I was curious as to why Sunshine would give it to you.”

  She leaned back against the counter, her hands gripping the edges on either side of her, then met his questioning gaze with an uncertain one of her own. “You’re the one who told me I shouldn’t give up on my dreams.”

  “Right.”

  “When I first met Sunshine, she suggested that my next step might be apprenticing under a mentor. But feeling like I’d been kicked in the teeth at the Co-op’s rejection, I’d turned down her offer to help me find someone.”

  He didn’t like where this was going.

  She offered an uncertain smile. “You—and that conversation about Anna’s poetry—convinced me to change my mind.”

  “Benton Mason is going to be your mentor?” What was Sunshine thinking, setting Delaney up with him? He still couldn’t believe Dad and Grady had decided to hire him part-time.

  She gave a quick nod, excitement lighting her eyes. “Tomorrow’s my first lesson.”

  For a long moment he stood speechless. How could he get her to see that this was a bad idea? “Look, Delaney, I know this is none of my business—”

  “You’re right,” she said almost cheerfully. “It’s not.”

  He paused, digesting her quick response. “You don’t know the story behind the Masons. I wouldn’t advise—”

  “It’s already settled. Sunshine had earlier arranged studio space and a room at the co-op for him and Drake to stay until the house is done. That’s why we’ve seen his son around. To pay for my lessons I’ll work in the gallery to fill in for him when he can’t meet his Co-op volunteer obligations.”

  “He’s dumping his responsibilities on you?”

  “It’s only a handful of weekly hours. I suspect he has rehabilitation out of town, so he’ll only be here a few days a week. But we need to get this place fixed up by the deadline so his family can be under one roof again.”

  Delaney seemed more than determined to make that happen, not even considering that the family might be better off without Benton. Or at least better off moving to a more affordable community and getting real jobs like regular people.

  “If he’s back in town even part-time, it seems to me he should be the one over here getting this place in shape. Not giving art lessons and making you and a group of high school kids do the dirty work.”

  For a moment, his words hung, supercharged, between them.

  Then, eyes narrowed, Delaney’s words came softly. “For whatever reason, Luke, you’ve let the Masons get under your skin, haven’t you? You may want to consider showing more compassion for a family experiencing some hard times.”

  She was reprimanding him based on perceptions of Benton Mason’s hard times? He could tell her about hard times ten times over. But he’d long ago resolved not to play the pity card.

  “You might,” he said slowly, “feel less kindly toward them if you knew that ninety-percent of their so-called problems are of their own making.”

  Her gaze didn’t waver. “Isn’t that the truth for all of us?”

  As her words sunk in, an invisible vise tightened around his chest. Believing that, if she knew of his situation she’d undoubtedly assume he’d brought down on himself and his family the hardships of the past six years.

  And, despite Grandma’s insistence to the contrary, very likely he had.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Delaney stood, frozen, staring into Luke’s stricken eyes. Why had she made that insensitive comment? How could she have forgotten, even momentarily, that Luke’s wife had killed herself? That survivor’s guilt would naturally haunt him?

  An almost uncontrollable urge to slip her arms around him and beg his forgiveness shot through her. But what explanation could she offer for such brazen behavior? He didn’t know she knew the truth of his tragic loss and any attempt to apologize for her thoughtless words would have to touch on that. Which was exactly the thing Garrett had warned her not to do.

  The doorbell echoed loudly through the empty house, a death knell on the opportunity to make things right with Luke.

  “Anybody around?” a hearty male voice called through the screen door.

  “Kitchen countertop installation,” she moaned. She’d forgotten workmen were coming from the home improvement store in Canyon Springs. So much was going on that she’d gotten mixed up on her days. Torn, Delaney hesitated, loath to leave her conversation with Luke hanging, but he motioned her forward.

  The installer didn’t have good news. When he’d gone to unload the countertops, he discovered a worker had packed the van with the wrong order. A call back to the store confirmed hers hadn’t arrived yet after all. In fact, there had been a mix-up and it would be delayed.

  When the apologetic installer left, Delaney couldn’t stifle a giggle as she turned to the handsome man standing in the middle of the living room floor. It was either laugh or cry.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “A week’s delay. That’s on top of discovering this morning that the gallons of paint I picked up yesterday—a special mix—are the wrong color and I’ll have to drive to Canyon Springs to take them back. And the guys who are to put in the new fence can’t schedule it in until the week of our deadline. And—”

  “I think you need to give it up, Delaney.”

  She laughed. But he wasn’t smiling. Her smile faded, too. “You’re not serious.”

  “I am. You’re knocking yourself out on this project and every time you turn around something goes wrong. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

  “You mean every time a goal is challenged, you’d advise throwing in the towel? Is that what you tell your kids?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying.”

  “I don’t understand, then. What are you saying?”

  “You’re running out of time here. The kids are starting to feel pressured. Their summer is slipping away. This was supposed to be a part-time volunteer job for you, too, remember?”

  “I admit I’d hoped for more free time, but the primary reason I’m in Hunter Ridge is to provide support for the youth group and for this project in particular.”

  “Nobody would fault you for saying, ‘Hey, with the setbacks we’ve encountered—the asbestos scare, the rain, the delays—it’s not going to happen.’ I’m not saying not to follow through, but maybe that early-finish bonus just isn’t realistic. It’s out of your control.”

  “Being in control is the most important thing to you, isn’t it?” It seemed to be his all-driving force. “You need to loosen up, Luke.”

  “And you, Delaney...” Luke’s brow furrowed as he weighed his words. “Need to get your feet back on the ground. You’ve let your Pollyanna outlook affect your better judgment when it comes to this project. You’ve known all along the deadline is tight.”

  “Luke—” But despite the protest forming on her lips, the truth of his words pierced. Deep. She’d ignored nagging doubts, focused on the positive. Refused to listen to anything contrary to her hopes. Her throat tightened. She wasn’t going to make the deadline. And no amount of optimism or personal effort was going to change that. She’d run out of time.

  “It doesn’t matter how much you and the kids put into this,” Luke continued, his tone now coaxing as if recognizing in her eyes that reality was hitting home. “The bonus will be lost, so why not back off and give yourself and the kids a
n additional four weeks? Or better yet, admit you’ve done all you and the youth group can do and let High Country Hope recruit other volunteers to finish things up. Putting any more time in on this will only be in vain.”

  But she desperately wanted the youth group to receive the bonus. They’d worked hard and had plans to meet with Garrett and the church board to present ideas on how to spend it. Amazingly unselfish ideas. And most of all, she wanted the Masons—especially little Samantha—to have a home sooner rather than later.

  She’d only met the girl once. But somehow she’d become the heart and soul of this project. Like family.

  “No, it’s not in vain,” she said quietly, as renewed determination rose in her. “Samantha Mason will have her family living together by the end of July even if...if it’s the last thing I do.”

  Her fingers fisted at her sides as tears pricked her eyes.

  Luke stepped closer, his concerned gaze searching hers. “Why’s getting Samantha’s family back together so important to you?”

  “Because families deserve to be together.” Her lower lip quivered. “Just as my family deserved to be together. But we aren’t. We can’t be.”

  Confusion filled his eyes. “I don’t understand.”

  As she tried to regain control, memories of those she’d loved most flashed through her mind. Please, God. Let him understand. “My grandma, my parents—and my little sister—were killed in a car accident when I was fourteen.”

  Surprise flashed in Luke’s eyes, but she rushed on. “That’s why I moved to Canyon Springs to live with my aunt Jen. My sister was only twelve, Luke. The same age as Samantha. Samantha even reminds me of her in more ways than I can count. There’s nothing I can do to bring my family back again. But I can give Samantha’s family a second chance.”

  * * *

  Heart aching, Luke stared into the eyes of the beautiful, hurting woman before him. “I didn’t know, Delaney. I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

  She blinked rapidly, her fists still clenched. “You wouldn’t. Couldn’t. I didn’t tell you.”

  “Why not?” There had been many opportunities when she could have explained why this project was so important to her. When she could have enlightened him rather than leaving him with the impression that her deciding on the Mason house project was an ill-thought-out whim. But she hadn’t.

  She pressed her lips together, as if gathering energy for her next words. “I know it may sound silly to you, but I’ve had to live with that burden, that shadow of loss since I was a teen. With having my aunt introduce me to people with a somber aside—‘Her parents were killed in a car accident, you know. Her grandma and sister, too.’ It was repeated so often, that it formed my identity, became how people related to me.”

  She clenched her fingers even tighter. “I was hurting inside, but I didn’t want to be an object of pity. So I didn’t talk about it. I didn’t want strangers prying into my pain uninvited.”

  So she thought of him as a stranger? The ache in his chest increased.

  “But can’t you see now why keeping this family together is important to me, Luke? My family was splintered apart. I can’t bring them back. But I’ll do almost anything to do that for this family—for Samantha.” She drew a deep breath, her gaze piercing into his. “And I won’t let you or anyone else stop me.”

  He stared into the resolve sparking in her eyes, then down at those determined fists. Like him, she’d suffered unspeakable loss. Buried the anger. But where he’d withdrawn from life, purposefully focused on his children to the exclusion of all other things, she’d opened her heart to others. Like the Masons.

  Reaching for one of her hands, he raised it to hold in both of his. Warm and fragile, yet at the same time remarkably strong. Like Delaney. Tenderly he unfurled each tightly clamped finger. The hand of an artist. The hand that sought to give a family the second chance she’d never get. He silently traced his finger along her palm, her citrusy scent filling his senses. Then with a shaky breath he raised his eyes to look at her. “I won’t stand in your way, Delaney. I promise.”

  She blinked back tears, her hopeful gaze searching his as if for confirmation. His beautiful Delaney. A woman with a sensitive heart and gentle eyes that saw the hurts of the world and wanted to heal them.

  “Luke...”

  Releasing her hand, he placed a silencing finger to her mouth. And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he leaned in to brush his lips against hers.

  Soft. Sweet.

  He caught the sound of her quick intake of breath, then his heart swelled as her arms hesitantly encircled his neck. He drew slightly back and for a long moment they stared into each other’s eyes. Those big beautiful Delaney eyes he’d come to...love?

  He swallowed. Then buried a hand in that silky softness of her hair—and lowered his mouth once again to hers. As he deepened the kiss, feelings he’d too long denied crashed through him like waves upon a rocky shore. Powerful. Inevitable. So right. How could he not have seen it coming?

  Delaney. His Delaney. He slipped his arms around her, pushing aside the protest his mind clamored to force to the surface. He didn’t want to think about the past. The future. He wanted only to savor now. This moment. The woman in his arms.

  And yet... What now, God?

  A flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder brought them reluctantly back to reality, the scent of rain now strong on the cool breeze that forced its way through the open screen door.

  Delaney drew slightly back, breathless, her eyes questioning. “I didn’t expect that.”

  He leaned his forehead against hers, loath to let her go. “Me, neither.”

  For several silent minutes they stood, arms entwined. Were a million unanswered questions pelting through her mind as they were his? How he wanted to make things right for her. To protect her, keep her safe. To have her be a part of his life.

  But how was that even possible? A weight settled into his chest. “We’ll get this house done by the deadline. Whatever it takes.”

  She looked up at him. “Do you think we can?”

  He nodded. “We’ll give Samantha a house. But then...”

  “Then what?”

  “Then it’s up to her parents to give her a home. Or not. That’s one thing neither of us can control. You can’t take on the burden of ownership for that, Delaney. But we can help them open a door to a second chance. It’s up to them whether or not they walk through it.”

  “Thank you, Luke.” An impish smile surfaced. “See? You are a superhero just like you always wanted to be.”

  Yeah, right. Like he believed that. But nevertheless, he kissed her forehead, cherishing these moments of closeness. How long it had been since he’d held a woman in his arms. Felt a connection. A bond. Love? He’d committed to helping Delaney and he would. He’d do everything within his power to bring her dream for the Masons to pass.

  But anything else?

  No, he wasn’t the man she thought him to be. No superhero by a long shot. He hadn’t been strong enough, faith-filled enough, to stop his wife from harming herself and shattering his children’s lives.

  How could he risk breaking another woman’s heart, too?

  * * *

  “He kissed you days ago and I’m not hearing about it until now?”

  Paris, breathtaking in a simple, floor-length white lace dress, turned from the mirror at Canyon Springs Christian Church on Saturday afternoon to face Delaney. Her voice took on a lightly scolding tone. “So why isn’t he here with you at my wedding? I put ‘and guest’ on the invitation, didn’t I?”

  “I think a first date at a wedding is too much pressure on both of us. I wouldn’t want my friends overwhelming him. Making assumptions. It’s not like we’re engaged.” In fact, she wasn’t quite sure what they were. But God knew, right? That’s what counte
d.

  “Yeah, our friends might be a bit much. But when Cody and I get back from our honeymoon, we’ll invite the two of you to dinner. Promise you’ll get Luke there?”

  “Promise.”

  Throughout the ceremony and on into the reception, Delaney could hardly keep her mind on her maid-of-honor duties. When her best friend and the handsome groom had sealed their vows with a kiss, it was all she could do not to put her fingertips to her own lips and relive every precious moment of Luke’s unexpected embrace.

  While standing in the Mason house living room—broad daylight in the middle of a workweek—hadn’t been the most romantic setting for a first kiss, somehow it seemed appropriate considering the project had brought them together. No, there had been no promises or even hints of promises, but he had vowed to help her make the deadline. Knowing how Luke felt about the Masons, that was as good as a commitment, wasn’t it?

  Still bubbling over with wonder at how their relationship had taken such an amazing turn, following the wedding she’d spent the night at her aunt’s in Canyon Springs and gone to church there in the morning. There was evidence upon her return to Hunter Ridge that Luke had overseen the workday in her absence as promised. But, to her disappointment, he hadn’t put in an appearance at the youth group meeting Sunday evening or at the Mason house when she’d been there. Just like the fabled elf who came in the night to assist a shoemaker, he’d obviously been there before she arrived or after she left.

  “But it’s Monday, Lord,” she said aloud as she selected a few pieces of jewelry from her earlier efforts to drop off at the Echo Ridge Outpost. “Five days after that amazing kiss, and not even a phone call.”

  How tempting it was to call him. But maybe he needed time to pray about their relationship, to contemplate where it might be headed. He had children to consider, too. Nevertheless, it took every ounce of self-control not to let her imagination run far ahead of where they actually were—to wedding bells and motherhood and happily-ever-after.