October Joy (Moments In Paradise 1)

by Melanie Wilber

  Once they were in flight over the city, Andrew laid his arm across her waist and pressed his cheek on the side of her head. “I’m glad you’re coming, Sarah,” he said. “I know they’re going to love you.”

  She didn’t respond. How had she thought she could step into another man’s life, let alone someone like Andrew’s? Levi had been a very special man, but Andrew was like--a fantasy. He was incredibly handsome and had a beautiful family. She and Levi had always been in small to modest-sized churches, but Andrew had a congregation of 500, and it was still climbing. Who was she to even think about becoming his wife? Putting on the luncheon today had been peanuts compared to the tasks she would be facing there.

  “Sarah?”

  She was still looking out the window, and Andrew was still holding her. “What?” she whispered, keeping the tears inside, but not knowing if she could do so for much longer. She could feel them building and threatening to spill over any second.

  “Tabitha looks the most like Annika, but I think all three of my daughters are equally beautiful.”

  How does he read my mind?

  “There was a woman in my congregation a couple of years back who looked a lot like Annika. She was about ten years younger than me, and she was divorced, and I was never really attracted to her, but she always got my attention because of her appearance.”

  Sarah waited for him to go on.

  “I asked God to help me with it because it was distracting, especially when I was trying to preach.”

  Sarah turned to face him. She knew she was being rude by not looking at him when he was talking.

  Andrew smiled. “I didn’t know if I was only hearing things at the time, but as soon as I started praying, I heard God telling me, ‘Your next wife will not look anything like Annika, but she will be like her on the inside, and you will love her the same.’”

  Andrew had told her she and Annika were a lot alike, and Sarah didn’t know why Andrew would say so if it wasn’t true, but she felt worried his initial impression of her might be off-base and she would be a disappointment to him down the road. Maybe she was like Annika in the ways Andrew needed her to be, but maybe she wasn’t. She was letting all of this happen too fast. She and Andrew needed more time to get to know each other. How could she be so irrational about this?

  “You don’t look like Annika, Sarah. Absolutely nothing like her.”

  A pain entered her heart, but Andrew’s smile eased it some. She wasn’t beautiful, but he was willing to overlook it and love her anyway.

  “But you are incredibly beautiful to me, Sarah--as beautiful as Annika ever was. For God to bless me once with a special woman is one thing. But twice? I get to do this twice--have an incredible lifetime with an amazing woman, and then a second time too? I never thought--I didn’t believe Him, Sarah. I thought I might get married again, but I didn’t think I would love her like this.”

  For the first time since she met him, Sarah saw tears in Andrew’s eyes. He had never cried when he talked about Annika, but he was crying now--about God bringing her into his life.

  She kissed him gently. “Levi used to say, ‘We only get one lifetime, and I’m glad I get mine with you.’ And I always felt the same way about him.”

  “Can you love me like that too, Sarah?”

  “I already do,” she whispered.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Grace laughed when she saw James take a duffel bag out of the storage area of his truck she suspected had a change of clothes in it. They were returning from Hunter’s house where a family dinner had been held after the funeral this afternoon. Mr. Smith had invited them to come, along with Tabitha and Ryan, so they were getting back to the house later than they originally thought, but still before Dad and Sarah would be arriving.

  “What?” he asked. “You thought I was going to wear this all evening too?”

  “A girl can always hope. You look really nice in a suit,” she said, not honestly wishing he dressed this way all the time, but it was fun to tease him.

  “You get me this way for weddings and funerals, but that’s it,” he said, giving her a sweet kiss before they stepped inside the house.

  She went to the kitchen to help Drew and Kanani with dinner while James went to change. She’d had some chicken and steaks marinating in the refrigerator since this morning, and Drew was getting ready to put them on the grill. They had decided a fall barbecue was a good way to welcome Sarah to California since a nice day had been forecast for the central coast today.

  Seeing Drew had that pretty well in hand and Kanani was working on a salad, she went outside to find her sister and Tate who had been scheduled to arrive about an hour ago. Danae and John were sitting at the patio table along with her brother, and she gave them all hugs.

  “Where’s James?” Danae asked. “He’s going to be here tonight, isn’t he?”

  “Yes. He’s inside, changing out of his suit.”

  “Will Tabby be here soon?”

  “Yes, they were going to stay a little longer but said they will be here by five-thirty.”

  “What do you think of all this?” Danae asked. “Do you think Dad’s really in love?”

  “You know as much as I do. He sounds serious though.”

  “Have you talked to him today?”

  “Only this morning while he was waiting to board his flight to Minneapolis.”

  “So we don’t know for sure if she’s really coming?”

  “He sounded pretty certain she wouldn’t change her mind, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. He didn’t have much layover time, so he didn’t think he would call again unless there was a problem.”

  “Oh, God. Please don’t let her change her mind,” Danae said, as if a prayer at this point would change anything. But she explained her words. “He sounded so excited last night. I’ve never heard him like that.”

  “He sounded pretty excited this morning too,” Grace laughed as James came out to join them. Danae’s romantic side took on a new target then, smiling broadly as James approached them with a less-than-subtle look of, ‘I finally got her, Danae.’ Her sister had been after her for the last three years to give him a chance, and James knew it.

  Danae gave him a hug, and John shook his hand. Tate took the cake with his comment for his former youth pastor. “Pastor James, my man,” he said, giving him a mentor-student hug. “I can’t believe my sister has finally seen the light. But thank God. Now I can have you for my brother too.”

  They all laughed, and James stepped over to give her a loving squeeze and a brief kiss. “That’s my plan,” he said.

  Tabitha and Ryan arrived later, and everyone did their part to get dinner ready on time. Dad and Sarah were supposed to be here around six. This wasn’t a holiday, but it had the same feel. Grace began to get nervous as six o’clock approached, fearing her dad would arrive alone or Sarah would be with him, but her presence would be awkward and uncomfortable.

  She was in the kitchen, putting some salsa in a bowl for the chips, when she heard the front door open. Wiping her hands on a towel, she stepped toward the doorway and entered the hall that led to the foyer. Her dad was setting a couple of bags at the base of the stairs, and he glanced up when he heard her footsteps. Sarah was standing behind him, and he reached for her hand before stepping forward.

  “Hey, Gracie,” he said, giving her a hug with his free arm and stepping back to introduce them. “This,” he said with a happy, ‘I can’t believe it’ sigh, “is Sarah. Sarah, my oldest daughter, Gracie.”

  Grace didn’t consider herself to be a very social person. Unlike her sisters and her dad, it took her time to warm-up to new people, and she rarely took an instant liking to anyone--even those who became good friends down the road. She was nice and spoke friendly words, but she didn’t always mean them.

  But there was something about Sarah that brought an instant warmness to her heart. Maybe it was Sarah herself, her dad’s obvious love for her, or her own heart that had fallen in love this week, b
ut mostly she thought it was Sarah. There was a look in her eyes that said, ‘I can’t believe I’m here, but I want to be, so please say it’s okay. I’m not confident. Your dad likes me, but I have no idea why. And more than anything I want to make him happy.’

  And in Sarah, Grace saw herself.

  ***

  Sarah was greeted by some sweet words from Grace and a warm hug, which surprised her because Andrew said Grace would be the toughest egg to crack. Sarah hugged her in return and held on longer than usual when she met someone new. Grace seemed to be doing the same.

  “It’s nice to meet you too,” Sarah replied, stepping back and giving her a genuine smile.

  “Where is everyone?” Andrew asked.

  “Out back,” she said. “We’re having a barbecue. Are you hungry?”

  “I am,” Andrew said. “How about you, sweetheart?”

  “Yes,” she said, feeling loved by Andrew and welcome by his children, even though she hadn’t met them all yet.

  They followed Grace into the kitchen and toward the back patio where Sarah could see several people talking and laughing beyond the glass. Sarah was in awe of her surroundings. The house was modern and spacious. The kitchen had beautiful countertops and cabinets. The stone-tile floor had multiple colors of gray, white, and brown swirled together. The ceiling was vaulted with a fan and beautiful light fixtures, and the patio and lawn area resembled something out of a home and garden magazine.

  Andrew pulled her close to him for a moment before they stepped outside. “Are you ready for this?”

  “I think so.”

  “I love you, Sarah. I’m really glad you’re here.”

  “Me too,” she said.

  They went onto the patio, and Andrew took command of the moment like she hadn’t seen him do before. All week he had been around near-strangers, but now he was here as the head of his family, and it was obvious they were waiting to follow his lead. Those who were sitting at the table and in various chairs around the patio remained in place, and those who had been in the yard came over as soon as they heard his voice. His son was taking some chicken off the barbecue grill, but Drew set the platter aside. Sarah didn’t feel like all eyes were on her, but on them.

  “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Sarah Whitfield,” he said. “This is her first trip to California, but she agreed to come and meet all of you. Sarah, this is my family, plus a few extras who may be joining the family someday.”

  She smiled and wasn’t certain she could speak, but she did. “It’s nice to meet--all of you,” she laughed, feeling overwhelmed and welcome at the same time. “Really. I’m honored that you are here.”

  Andrew had been holding her hand, but he released it and slipped his arm around her waist. His smile was replaced with an unexpected grieving expression, and he pulled her into a needy-like hug as he whispered something in her ear. “Thank you for coming here. For being who you are. For everything, Sarah.”

  Perfect silence surrounded them until Andrew released her and looked into her eyes with tears on his cheeks. She smiled at him and knew he needed reassurance she wanted to be here and wasn’t going to be stepping out of his life tomorrow.

  She did the only thing she could think of. Words seemed inadequate, and she wasn’t sure she could speak anyway. A hug wasn’t enough, he’d already given her that. And no response at all was out of the question. He definitely needed something from her, and she was willing to give it to him.

  Touching his cheek with her fingertips, she kissed him softly. “I’m here, Andrew,” she whispered. “And I’ll be here as long as you want me to be.”

  He kissed her lightly in return and held her for a long time. She heard several people sniffling around them, and Andrew was holding on to her for dear life. She felt incredibly loved and needed in a way she never had before. And when Grace stepped over to hold on to both of them and others began to surround them too, she had a feeling she couldn’t describe, like she was a part of something this family had been missing for five years: completeness.

  Andrew said a spontaneous prayer of thankfulness, and a prayer formed in her own heart. Thank You for getting me here, Jesus. I had no idea they needed it this much, but You did. And I know I need it too.

  When Andrew finished praying, everyone began to step back and break up the huddle around them, but those on the inner circle introduced themselves to her and gave her individual hugs and said sweet words. She felt like they really saw her and welcomed her personally into their hearts.

  She tried to do the same in return, not lumping them all together as Andrew’s children, but as young men and women she wanted to get to know. She knew that would take time, but as the evening progressed, she got the feeling it wouldn’t take as much effort as she thought. They were all open, and Andrew knew each of them backwards and forwards. He asked them little details and shared honestly about himself in return.

  He seemed especially intent on having time with Danae and Tate who had been away at school since the end of August. They would be heading back tomorrow afternoon for classes on Monday, but they didn’t seem put-out for having to come all this way for a few hours at home. It was obvious they missed their dad and their siblings.

  Sarah had to share Andrew more than she’d had to thus far and didn’t have any time alone with him until later, but she didn’t mind. This was the most joy and laughter she had experienced since Levi’s death, and it felt really good to simply enjoy life again, instead of trying to make it from one day to the next.

  She slipped away to call her daughter before it got too late her time, and she assured Faye she was fine. Faye didn’t restate any of her concerns but said she was praying for her. Sarah asked her to call Chandler and let him know she had made it.

  After letting Faye go, she went in search of a bathroom and found one in the downstairs hallway. She was on her way back outside when Andrew came searching for her, and the concerned look on his face made her smile.

  “Hey, where did you disappear to?” he asked.

  “Oh, you know. Just packing my things. I can already see how unwelcome I am here.”

  “I know,” he played along. “Sorry my children are so reluctant to see me actually dating someone.”

  “You have a beautiful family, Andrew,” she said. “And I know they didn’t become who they are all on their own.”

  “What are you doing in here?” he asked. “I was worried about you.”

  “I called my daughter. I told her you actually do have five children and live in a big fancy house, so I don’t think you’re after me for my money.”

  He laughed.

  “Exactly how does a pastor afford a house like this?”

  “New houses in California come in one size: big. This is on the low end of the scale around here.”

  “Do you own it, or does it belong to the church?”

  “We own it. When we moved here, the church had sold the old parsonage because it was getting run down and required too much upkeep. They offered us two options: for us to rent and they would pay half, or for us to buy and they would give us a down-payment. We decided to buy because that was something we had wanted for a long time: a house of our own.”

  “It’s lovely,” she said.

  He kissed her in a more private way than he’d been able to all evening. “I hope you got from the way I fell apart earlier I need you to be here right now, Sarah. And I really do want you to stay as long as you want to. But I’m going to leave that entirely up to you.”

  “You’ll let me know if I’m outstaying my welcome?”

  “No such thing,” he said.

  They went back outside and joined the others until Drew and Kanani said they were going to head for their nearby apartment and the others began to disperse. Ryan and James left also, telling their girlfriends they would see them tomorrow at church.

  “We can take your things upstairs now,” Andrew said after they came inside from saying good-night to those who were leaving. “Is the room ready for
her, Grace?”

  “Yes. I took care of it this morning. But if you need anything, Sarah, let me know.”

  “Thank you, Grace,” she said, supposing there must be a guest room upstairs, or that one of the girls was giving up hers, but when they entered the room at the end of the hall, she knew immediately it wasn’t either. It was Andrew’s.

  “Where are you going to sleep?” she asked, seeing the king-sized bed and spacious master bedroom.

  “Downstairs,” he said. “It’s just for tonight. After Tate’s gone, I’ll take his room.”

  “Andrew. You can have your own bed. I’ll sleep down there.”

  “No, you won’t. You’ll have no privacy, trust me, and Tate’s room is small and has no bathroom. I asked Grace to change the sheets for you and put fresh towels out. This is your private suite for as long as you’re here.”

  She allowed him to set down her things. It wasn’t that late here, but it was the time she normally went to bed according to her watch still on Central Time. He asked if she wanted to turn in now, and she agreed that would be best.

  A thought seemed to occur to him, and he spoke again. “This used to be Annika’s room too. Does that bother you?”

  “No. I just didn’t want to take your room from you.”

  “Promise?”

  “Yes, I promise. But do you think it might bother your kids?”

  “No. I think they’ve wanted me to move on with my life even more than I have. That’s why I broke down earlier. I saw the looks in their faces that said, ‘He found her. The one we’ve all been praying for.’ And I know they’re right.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Andrew wanted Sarah to have some privacy and rest now, but after gathering the things he would need for the morning, he had to kiss her good-night, and he took his time. He hoped someday they could share this room as husband and wife. Someday soon. But he didn’t want to be pressuring Sarah into anything, and he hoped he wasn’t.