by Judy Baer
She and Danny would have an apartment of their own at Lily’s. She already knew that her son would be ecstatic to remain close to his adopted grandmother. He was calling Lily “Grams” just as Ty did.
What’s more, it was far past time to push Trisha out of the nest. Without the burden of the house, Hannah could still pay for her sister’s education, but Trisha would have to be responsible for the rest. She’d stumble, no doubt, and Hannah would have the wherewithal to bail her out if it were necessary, but she wasn’t going to tell Trisha that. It was time to cut the apron strings that Hannah had tied so tightly after their parents had died. She wanted Trisha to blossom into independence and begin to live her own life. Her only regret was that she hadn’t allowed it sooner.
She helped Lily out of the car but was oblivious to her surroundings until Lily pointed an arthritic finger toward one of the flower beds. “What’s that?”
Hannah’s gaze followed Lily’s pointing finger.
Her garden gnome, the one she’d taken from her house and stored in Ty’s garage, was tucked neatly next to a shrub, moss roses scattered at his feet. He looked as if he had belonged there all the time, happy in his new setting.
She didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Even the gnome was more flexible than she’d been. He looked perfectly satisfied with his change in location. In fact, he looked right at home.
Irene met them at the door and whisked Lily off to the kitchen for a reviving pot of tea. That left Hannah to greet Ty when he appeared at his office door.
“What do you think?” he asked. He sounded excited and oddly nervous.
“It’s fantastic. The perfect place for what Lily has planned.”
“Will you do it? Work for her, I mean?”
“I’d be a fool to turn her down. It would be a bridge, a place for us to live after I sell my house, and the perfect job for me. It’s more than I ever dreamed.” She heard her voice break. “It’s a God thing, Ty. He’s given me the desire of my heart.”
“Good. I was hoping you’d accept.” Ty sighed in relief. “I didn’t want you to leave our lives.”
She looked. “You didn’t?”
“Not at all.”
“I didn’t want to leave either, not really.” She refrained from adding not ever. “By the way, why is my garden gnome sitting in your flower bed?”
“About that...” Ty took a deep breath. “I’d like him to stay there, if you don’t mind.”
“But he’s my gnome.”
“Maybe I could adopt him.”
She stared at him, confused.
“You know, when I marry his mother. Then he could stay in my flower bed forever.” He stepped forward and circled his arms around her. “Hannah, will you marry me?”
She felt the sweet warmth of his breath on her cheek and succumbed to the urge to lean against his chest. This, she knew as he kissed her hair, was truly the biggest and best thing for which her heart had ever longed. She’d simply never dreamed that deep, true love could strike her twice in a lifetime.
A slow, wide smile spread across her face as she buried it in his chest. “I could manage that. Anything for the children—Danny and the gnome, I mean.”
“Do you think Danny would agree to be my best man?” Ty whispered through a cloud of red hair, his lips near her ear.
She tipped her face to his. “Only if Lily will be my bridesmaid. I’m sure she and Trisha can find lovely matching dresses.”
“I can answer for her, Hannah. It’s a definite ‘yes.’ Lily’s been asking me when I was going to get around to proposing. She’ll be relieved to know I finally got up the nerve.”
“Nerve? Since when have you lacked nerve?” Hannah teased.
“Just since your answer was the most important thing in my life, that’s all.” He put a gentle finger beneath her chin and tipped it up. “You aren’t the only one God has blessed, Hannah. He’s given me things I didn’t even know were missing in my life.”
Then he lowered his lips to hers.
Just as he did so, Lily burst into the room, her cane tapping on the floor. “Well, it’s about time! Can I assume we have a wedding to plan?”
Ty broke the kiss and sighed. Hannah felt his warm sweet breath on her cheek. “Yes, Gram. Now leave us alone.”
Lily cackled with glee. “Of course! You lovebirds take the day off. Have fun. I’m going to get on the internet. I’ve been dying to research flowers for the wedding.”
Even though Ty groaned softly near her ear, everything was going to work out now, Hannah realized. Every little thing.
Epilogue
Ty’s gaze scanned the church as he waited at the front for the moment to arrive. His collar itched and the cummerbund was unfamiliar at his waist. He caught Lily’s eye as she stood across from him. She’d been over the moon when Hannah had asked her to join Trisha, the maid of honor, at the altar as Hannah’s matron of honor.
Packages from prominent department and specialty stores had begun arriving at the house almost immediately—bridesmaid dresses in every color and style. Lily and Trisha had spent hours in front of the mirror modeling garments until not only his, but Hannah’s eyes glazed over. It would have appeared that Lily was going to be the center of attention had she not accompanied Hannah to Denver’s most exclusive bridal shops to choose her wedding dress.
At first Hannah had protested, insisting she wanted nothing more than a simple, inexpensive sheath, but Lily—as usual—had prevailed. The dress had become the subject of many secret conversations to which Ty was not privy.
“You can’t see the dress until she walks down the aisle,” his future sister-in-law had told him. “And she’ll blow your mind. Just wait and see.”
Hannah already blew his mind—in fact, his entire life.
Then Ty fixed his eyes on the back of the church, unaware of anything but the empty arched doorway through which his bride would come.
Suddenly she was there, a vision in cream-colored lace that skirted her curves and sparkled with elaborate beading. Danny was at her side in his pint-size tuxedo, looking very self-important in the role to which he’d been assigned—giving his mother away at the altar. Tyler Matthews, cool, calm international businessman, forgot to breathe.
* * *
Bless his heart, Hannah thought as she looked at her broad-shouldered, dark-haired, incredibly handsome groom-to-be. He’d taken to fatherhood like a duck to water. In the days since their engagement, Ty and Danny had lived in a constant flurry of playing catch, improving golf swings, playing board games and watching old television reruns that they both loved.
Loving her son was the quickest way to her heart, and that was only one of the ways Ty had embedded himself there. Sometimes she thought her heart might burst with joy. God had worked a miracle in bringing them to this day.
She felt Danny tug on her hand and heard the music swell. Hannah took a small step forward.
It was time to become Mrs. Tyler Matthews.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed Judy Baer’s book, be sure to check out the other books this month from Love Inspired.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt of The Promise of Home by Kathryn Springer!
Dear Reader,
I grew up as an only child of older parents. It was perfectly natural for me to hang out with people a generation or two—even three—older than myself. My parents’ friends were my friends and I thought they were wonderful.
Spending time in the company of my elders taught me that even though the body may age, the mind and spirit remain young. Someone is not less appealing or exciting because they are “old.” Wrinkles and gray hair may hide a young, playful mind. Tyler Matthews, hero of The Bachelor Boss, understands this very well. He is responsible for the care of his independent, feisty and stubborn grandmother Lily when she breaks her foot. Lily hates being bored and expects Tyler to keep her entertained. That’s when Tyler hires Hannah St. James to relieve some of the pressure on him. He invites her an
d her eight-year-old son to live in his home while she is caring for Lily. Widowed when her son was young, Hannah hasn’t let herself fall in love again, but living under the same roof as Ty awakens something in her that she hasn’t felt for a long time. Ty has suffered his own loss, and neither of them cares to have their heart broken again. Lily, however, ready for great-grandchildren, has other ideas.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing the character of Lily and her interaction with the “younger” generation. The elderly can teach the young and certainly the young can teach the aged. God has given us the gift of family so that we may hear the stories and learn the lessons of generations. I hope you enjoyed Ty and Hannah’s journey to love.
I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to write to me at Love Inspired, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, New York, 10279.
Judy Baer
Questions for Discussion
What are your experiences with your own grandparents? Did you have the privilege of knowing them or were they already gone when you were born? What was your relationship to them? What are your memories?
What is the most unforgettable trait about each of them?
Have you known anyone like Lily—bossy, endearing, meddling and lovable all at once? How do you handle someone who drives you crazy one moment and melts your heart the next?
Tyler is an adoring grandson. Do you think he goes too far to keep his grandmother happy—or not far enough? What do you think he should be doing instead?
Hannah raised her younger sister after their parents died. Do you think she did a good job? Imagine how it might be if at twenty-four you became the parent to a much younger sibling. What would you do differently?
Hannah’s son, Danny, and Lily become the best of friends. What do you know about relationships between the very young and the very old? Do you imagine yourself someday befriending young people in that way?
Lily buys Danny a puppy without asking the permission of his mother. Hannah, who knows that she might lose her house, was unhappy but unable to break her little boy’s heart by sending it back. How would you handle such a situation?
Trisha has no idea how to handle money. She has little concept about what income vs. expenses mean for her until she gets herself and her sister into financial trouble. As a young adult, how were you with money? What do you know now that you wished you’d learned then?
God is woven into the fabric of these characters’ everyday lives. How does He fit into your life right now?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.
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Chapter One
“Please follow the highlighted route—”
Jenna Gardner tapped the tiny screen on the GPS and silenced the voice of her invisible navigator once and for all. Not only because the high-tech gadget seemed to be as confused as she was by the tangled skein of roads winding around Mirror Lake, but because Jenna was tempted to take its advice.
She wanted to follow the highlighted route right back to her condo in the Twin Cities.
“You passed it, Aunt Jenna!”
A panicked cry reminded her that going home wasn’t an option. Not for awhile, anyway.
Jenna glanced in the rearview mirror. Once again, she experienced a jolt at the sight of the two children in the backseat.
Silver blond hair. Delicate features. Wide blue eyes.
Jenna had met Logan and Tori for the first time only three days ago. The children were practically strangers.
Strangers who were the mirror image of her younger sister, Shelly, as a child.
For a split second, Tori met Jenna’s gaze. Then she buried her face in the tattered scrap of pink flannel that doubled as a blanket.
Jenna pressed her lips together to prevent a sigh from escaping.
One step forward, two steps back, she reminded herself. The five-year-old girl was adjusting to the idea of having an aunt the same way Jenna was getting used to the idea of having a niece and nephew.
“You have to turn around,” Logan insisted.
“Are you sure?” Jenna tipped her Ray-Bans down and tried to peer through the hedge of wild sumac that bordered the road. “I don’t see anything.”
“Uh-huh. It’s back there.” Logan, the self-appointed spokesman for the two siblings, nodded vigorously.
Under the circumstances, Jenna was willing to give the boy the benefit of the doubt. She put the car in reverse and began to inch backwards.
In Minneapolis, a dozen horns would have instantly chastised her for the move. But here in the north woods of Wisconsin, the only complaint Jenna heard came from a squirrel perched on a branch near the side of the road. More than likely voicing its opinion on her presence rather than her driving skills.
She spotted a wide dirt path that could have been—if a person possessed a vivid imagination—a driveway.
Pulling in a deep breath, Jenna gave the steering wheel a comforting pat as she turned off the road. Her back teeth rattled in time with the suspension as the vehicle bumped its way through the potholes.
Logan leaned forward and pointed to something up ahead. “There it is.”
Well, that explained why Jenna had driven right past it.
She’d been looking for a house.
The weathered structure crouched in the shadow of a stately white pine looked more like a shed. Jenna’s gaze shifted from the rusty skeleton of an old lawn mower to the faded sheets tacked up in the windows.
Oh, Shelly.
Why hadn’t her younger sister admitted that she needed help? Why hadn’t she accepted Jenna’s offer to move in with her after Logan was born?
Throughout her pregnancy, Shelly had claimed that she and her musician boyfriend, Vance, planned to marry before the baby arrived. But when Jenna had visited her eighteen-year-old sister in the maternity wing of a Madison hospital, there hadn’t been a ring on Shelly’s finger. Not only that, she’d been alone. Faced with a choice, Vance had decided that a gig at a club in Dubuque was more important than being present for the birth of his child.
Shelly had made excuses for him—the same way their mother had made excuses for their father every time he’d walked out the door.
While Jenna was pleading with Shelly to return to Minneapolis with her, Vance had sauntered into the room. The guy might have been a mediocre guitar player, but his acting skills were nothing short of amazing. He’d apologized to Shelly for not being there and promised that she and the baby could travel with the band as their “good luck charms.”
When Jenna had asked her sister if she was willing to sentence her child to the nomadic lifestyle they’d experienced while growing up, Vance had turned on her. Accused her of being a troublemaker. He’d convinced Shelly that Jenna was jealous of their relationship and didn’t want them to be happy.
The stars in Shelly’s eyes had blinded her to the truth. She had embraced Vance—and turned her back on her only sister.
Jenna hadn’t seen or heard from her again. Had no idea where Shelly was or even how she and Logan were doing.
Until last week.
She’d been sitting at
her desk, sipping an iced vanilla latte and working on her next column for Twin City Trends, when she received a telephone call from a social worker named Grace Eversea.
It didn’t matter how gently the young woman had tried to break the news, each piece of information had punctured a hole in Jenna’s heart.
A house fire. Shelly in a rehab center for prescription drug abuse. Seven-year-old Logan and Tori, the niece Jenna hadn’t even known existed, in temporary foster care.
As the children’s closest relative, Jenna had been asked if she would be willing to help. She could think of a dozen reasons why she shouldn’t get involved and only two—very small—reasons why she should.
Forty-eight hours later, after being granted a temporary leave of absence from the magazine, Jenna had packed her bags and driven to Mirror Lake, a small town where people knew each other’s name and each other’s business.
The kind of place she had deliberately avoided for the past ten years.
Her plan had been to take her niece and nephew back to Minnesota. But when Jenna met with Grace Eversea, the social worker had explained it would be in Logan and Tori’s best interest to remain in familiar surroundings for the time being.
Jenna could see the wisdom in Grace’s suggestion—especially after learning that Tori and Logan had run away when they’d heard that she was on her way to Mirror Lake to meet them.
Jenna and the children had already spent several days at the Mirror Lake Lodge at the invitation of Abby and Quinn O’Halloran, the couple who owned the charming bed-and-breakfast, but she didn’t want to impose on the newlyweds’ hospitality any longer than necessary.
Until Shelly returned, Jenna decided that her only option was to move into the cabin where the family had been living before the fire. She’d been assured there had been only minimal damage to the interior and the local fire chief had pronounced the structure safe and sound.