When I Fall in Love (Christiansen Family)

by Susan May Warren

Max grinned. “Yeah.” Then, with one quick movement, he swung her into his arms.

  “Max!”

  But he ignored her as he took the stairs all the way to the second floor, emerging onto a flat-roof deck that overlooked the Mississippi River. He set her down in an Adirondack chair.

  The sunset spilled across the rooftop, gold and amber.

  Max knelt in front of her.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Grace Christiansen, here’s the deal. I need a swim buddy. Forever. And I’m pretty sure that I’m never going to have this kind of courage again. I know I’m going to wake up tomorrow convinced that you’re making the biggest mistake of your life. But I promise to fight that fear, to stick around and not run away if you will agree to be my wife.”

  She leaned forward, her eyes shining. “That’s the craziest proposal I’ve ever heard.”

  “Listen, I have to work with what I’ve got.”

  She took his face in her hands, capturing him with her beautiful blue eyes. “Then you have me. I’m only giving my heart away once, and it’s to you, Maxwell Sharpe. Finally, completely. And forever. Yes, I’ll marry you. It’s time to live dangerously. It’s time to live abundantly.”

  He pulled her into his arms, kissing her under the golden haze of the sunset. And he knew her words would be gloriously, deliciously true for the rest of his life.

  “GRACE, HURRY UP—IT’S ALMOST ON!” Eden’s voice rose over the chatter of the commercials.

  Grace opened the oven, pulled out the taco dip. “Has anyone seen the serving spoons? Mom gave me a bunch.” She set the hot casserole dish on a cutting board, then began rooting through the boxes still lined up at the edge of the kitchen. She’d have the kitchen unpacked before Max returned from his road trip and conjure him up something tasty to help her and Raina christen their new apartment in Minneapolis.

  “Try the box marked ‘kitchen stuff,’” Eden said, getting up and grabbing a bag of chips. “Or we can double dip, Grace. It’s just us.”

  “And me,” Raina said, coming out of her room wearing an oversize Blue Ox fan shirt. Her belly protruded just enough to hint at the life inside her. “But I don’t mind sharing.”

  She’d relaxed since the move to Minneapolis, even in the short time since they’d arrived, a sort of easiness, even hope descending over her. Of course, that probably came from the fact that she’d left town without telling her aunt anything about her condition—that would be an interesting conversation. But until Grace and Max’s wedding, Raina planned on hiding out with Grace.

  Grace had no doubt Casper lingered not far from her mind. But she hadn’t spoken a word about either of Grace’s brothers since the night of Eden’s wedding. Not even to Eden, who’d discreetly noticed but hadn’t commented.

  Time. Raina just needed time and a friend. Family.

  Grace found the box, opened it. “Yeah, here’s my old apron and a bunch of plasticware. Mom gave me magnets off the fridge. And . . . a folder full of papers—weird.”

  “She was probably cleaning off her desk,” Eden said, piling her plate with the cheesy dip. She went back to the game, where the announcer had begun his between-period commentary. “You know how she likes to pile stuff. Look through it; you might find your second-grade report card.”

  Grace tucked the folder under her arm, then grabbed a plate with dip, giving in to the use of a chip as a spoon. Building her new business—Signature Weddings—took up all her spare time. It helped that one of Eden’s guests had signed on for her first event.

  She settled on the sofa next to Eden. She might have preferred to watch the game at Eden and Jace’s place, on the huge flat-screen in their family room. But her tiny apartment had a charming homeyness with the hand-me-down furniture from her parents, the blankets and quilts from home.

  On the television, the announcer showed highlights of Max’s goal, the way he raced around the back of the net and fell into the arms of his teammates.

  How she loved to watch him embrace life.

  They segued into bench shots, and she spotted Jace in one clip, his eyes dark as he yelled at the refs.

  “When did Max say it would be on?”

  “After the second period sometime.”

  Raina joined them, sitting in an overstuffed chair covered with a blue quilt. “I still can’t believe he agreed to do it.”

  “Why not? He’s so good with kids, and it’s a great opportunity to reach a huge audience.” Still, she knew he’d had to dig deep, trust God, to find the courage. It only made her love him more.

  Grace opened the folder, began to sort through it. Christmas cards from friends, a magazine offer in an unopened envelope. It looked like a smattering of old mail, lying on the counter for months. Oh, Mother.

  “When is your trip to Hawaii?” Raina asked Grace.

  “January. Max wants to scout locations for the golf tournament.”

  “Does he even play golf?” Eden asked.

  “I don’t know. Probably. He does everything.” And why not? Embrace life while you can.

  “You promise me you’re not going to do something crazy like elope while you’re there.”

  Raina looked up, her eyes wide.

  “No promises,” Grace said.

  “Well, I suppose it might solve the problem of Owen and his hatred for Max.”

  At the mention of Owen, Grace glanced at Raina. She didn’t look back.

  “Oh, here it is!” Eden picked up the remote and turned up the volume.

  A shot of Max scoring—one of last year’s clips—came on the screen. It freeze-framed and Max walked into view in front of it. “Many of you know me as Maxwell Sharpe, right wing for the St. Paul Blue Ox.”

  He wore an apron that bore the Blue Ox logo over his team sweater. It only accentuated his wide shoulders, his hockey physique. His hair hung below his ears, and Grace saw herself in his arms, twirling it between her fingers. Then he smiled, that Maxwell Sharpe signature grin, and she recognized the man who’d charmed her into the wide ocean of life.

  He stepped over to a kitchen, where a little girl about the age of six, with long blonde braids, wearing her own matching apron, sat at the counter. “But what you might not know is that someday, I won’t be fighting for a puck. I’ll be fighting for my life.”

  Max opened the oven, pulled out a tray of cookies, set it on the counter. “As the son of a father who died of Huntington’s and a carrier of the faulty gene that causes the disease, my fate is a near surety.” He scooped cookies onto a plate. Handed it to the little girl. “But hers isn’t. Research for a cure has made great progress, and if we can figure out a cure for Huntington’s, we may also be able to treat Parkinson’s, ALS, and even Alzheimer’s.”

  He picked up a cookie, leaned down, and smiled at the girl before taking a bite. Then he looked back at the camera. “Give the gift of a future. Donate to the Sharpe Foundation for Huntington’s Disease Awareness and Cure Research.”

  The PSA ended on a screen shot of the foundation’s website and a picture of Max in his hockey uniform, about age twelve, posing with his invalid father.

  The room went quiet even as the TV flipped to the Blue Ox players piling back out on the ice.

  “Wow,” Eden said, reaching up to wipe her eye. “Yeah, that’s—”

  “Eden, Max doesn’t want your pity. He wants your joy, your hope, your prayers. Okay?”

  Eden nodded despite her wavering smile.

  “Oh, my. I can’t believe it.” Grace pulled a crumpled envelope from the folder. “This is part two of the application for the Minneapolis Institute of Culinary Arts.” She opened it. “When did I get this?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s an invitation to send in a unique recipe.” She looked at the postmark. “It came right during all the rush of mail from Darek and Ivy’s wedding. It must have gotten mixed up with it and then set aside. But . . .” Grace set the application on the table.

  “So are you going to create a
unique recipe?”

  The Blue Ox took the ice. A close-up of Max showed his game face. Determination. Fierceness.

  The face of courage.

  The face she loved.

  “I think I already have,” she said and reached for the dip. “Now it’s time to eat.”

  A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  FOR BETTER OR WORSE. Richer or poorer. In sickness and in health. . . . I’ll be celebrating twenty-five years with my amazing husband this summer, and as I look back, it feels like time is but a blink. Just yesterday, I was walking down the aisle to his smile, wondering how I got so lucky. And life has been generous to me—four amazing children, a rich landscape of faith-building experiences.

  It’s not been without challenges, however. Many a day, as I lived in Siberia, I thought, What did I get myself into? And we’ve changed, become different people. Life and romance didn’t always measure up to what I imagined. Thankfully, we’ve had a long-term view of the game. But what if I’d been promised only five years or less? Or what if my husband had a terrible disease that required me to care for him all our days? Would I have said yes to this adventure? It’s one thing to pledge yourself to love and then endure through the unexpected challenges . . . completely another to look at life knowing that darkness is ahead.

  I came upon the idea for this book a few ways. First, I had a friend who married her sweetheart, knowing he had incurable brain cancer. He died three years later, and she said it was the best three years of her life.

  Then I had another friend who married young, and just a few years into her marriage, her husband came down with early onset Alzheimer’s. She nursed him until she couldn’t care for him any longer, then fell in love with someone else and, although it was painful, divorced her first husband and married the other man. It haunted her.

  I wonder if it was the perspective of knowing what lay ahead that helped the first woman rejoice, while the second felt robbed. Knowing her days might be few, my first friend feasted on every moment and ended well nourished, the taste of hope in her heart.

  So often, in this Christian life, when things don’t turn out as we hope or expect, we feel robbed. As if our promise to follow God, like our promise at the altar, guarantees happiness. Frankly, God promises us challenges, so we shouldn’t be surprised when they happen. But how, then, do we cope?

  Psalm 84:5-7 offers answers:

  Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

  whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

  As they pass through the Valley of Baka,

  they make it a place of springs;

  the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

  They go from strength to strength,

  till each appears before God in Zion.

  Pilgrimage. The journey . . . through life, toward heaven. God offers us refreshment in the desert and places of strength along the way. What if our happiness isn’t only in what is ahead of us but in embracing the now? In enjoying the moments God has given us, even in the midst of suffering? What if we lived with a mind-set of rejoicing in the strength and the springs of today . . . in order to bear the desert of tomorrow? Perhaps the annoying vices of our loved ones might not be so frustrating. Perhaps our faith wouldn’t seem so starved.

  I wanted to write a cooking story because we love food around the Warren house. My husband is a fantastic cook—he loves to follow recipes and create gourmet food on the weekends. I’m more of an “open the fridge and see what I can create” kind of gal. We could drive each other crazy. Max and Grace’s story shows me that perhaps we are, instead, a winning team, if we’re willing to embrace the moment, the current ingredients before us, and enjoy the mess we make together.

  Enjoy—no, feast—on the journey, one meal, one day at a time.

  Thank you for reading Max and Grace’s story. There are more Christiansen family adventures ahead! We still need to rescue poor Casper, and what about Raina? Then there’s Owen . . . oh, frustrating, angry, broken Owen. And don’t forget Amelia—she has a few surprises in store for her.

  God bless you on the journey,

  Susan May Warren

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  SUSAN MAY WARREN is the bestselling, Christy and RITA Award–winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a resort on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set.

  Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers’ prestigious Carol Award. Her novel You Don’t Know Me won the 2013 Christy Award, and five of her other books have also been finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women’s events about God’s amazing grace in our lives.

  For exciting updates on her new releases, previous books, and more, visit her website at www.susanmaywarren.com.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  In her letter, Ingrid describes Grace as her clone, both physically and in her personality, her fears. Who in your own family are you most like? How have those similarities helped you to better understand that person—or yourself?

  Several of the Christiansens encourage, maybe even push, Grace to step outside her comfort zone. Did you see their encouragement as helpful or bordering on meddling? Have you ever had to similarly “encourage” a loved one? How did you decide how hard to push and when to let go?

  Max and his brother, Brendon, face the same diagnosis but make different decisions about how to live in the face of their eventual illness. Whose approach did you most understand or relate to?

  Even though Raina believes Owen is different from men she’s known in the past, she finds herself falling into a familiar pattern of behavior with him—one she had sworn not to repeat. Do you think it’s possible for a person to avoid making the same mistakes over and over? How? If Raina came to you for advice, what would you tell her?

  Casper sees Owen leaving town and secretly envies him. Do you think Casper is doing the right thing by staying in Deep Haven? Have you ever felt torn between your responsibilities and your dreams? What did you choose?

  Grace’s fears of stepping outside her predictable life crop up in a number of ways, holding her back from chasing her dreams, traveling to Hawaii, even trying new foods. How do you see her courage growing throughout the story? Where does she still experience setbacks?

  Max wants to make it to the hockey Hall of Fame to leave his mark on the world and let people know he was there. But Grace argues, “People know you were there because of the people you’ve loved.” Whose perspective do you agree with? What would it mean for you to leave your mark on the world?

  While Raina believes that a “good person” like her aunt Liza has earned the right to ask God for an abundant life, she knows “a girl like [her] had to make her own future.” Do you believe some people are more worthy of God’s help and blessing than others? Are you more inclined to ask God to direct your life or to make your own future?

  John warns Casper that “[Raina’s] been hurt and I don’t want you to think you can fix her. . . . That’s Jesus’ job.” Casper agrees but secretly hopes that God will use him to help heal Raina. How did you react to John’s advice? Do you think Casper was ultimately used for good in Raina’s life?

  When Max leaves her in Hawaii, Grace is devastated, believing that “she’d reached out—no, flung herself out—on this great adventure, and God had dropped her. Hard.” Has there ever been a time when you felt “dropped” by God? How did you respond? Looking back, does the situation look the same to you, or has your perspective changed?

  In this story, members of the Ch
ristiansen family begin to learn that Max was the one who accidentally injured Owen, ending his hockey career. Were you surprised by their response? If you found yourself in their position, would you be able to forgive Max?

  Max finally shares about his Huntington’s disease with Jace, who tells him that Grace has a right to know the truth. Would you have given the same advice if Max had come to you? Do you think Max was being selfless in sparing Grace or, as Jace suggests, trying to reject her before she could reject him?

  Max’s uncle Norm, who has watched a devastating disease ravage his family, gives his nephews this perspective: “Without suffering, we don’t need more; we have enough. But when we suffer, we can’t help but reach out. It forces us into God’s arms, and that’s where we find not only what we need, but more than we can imagine. We find Him.” Do you think that’s true? What results have you seen from periods of suffering in your own life? How have these times affected your relationship with God?

  What do you think the future holds for Raina? For Casper? For Owen?

  Grace faces the difficult decision of whether to love Max when it means an uncertain future, one far different from what she imagined for herself. Do you think she makes the right choice?