Your Hand in Mine: A Heartwood Novel

by Brea Viragh

  “Excuse me?”

  “This space. The possibilities here. The golf course spans a good ten acres. I’ve been talking to the county about revitalization.”

  “You’re out of money. Especially since you’re refusing to sell your last property. You can’t keep collecting. You’ll be a property hoarder.”

  “I won’t be out of money for long. And that’s where you come in. We can do this together. No matter what I might have said, I’m better when I’m with you. You, Shari, make me better. We’re a force when we put our heads together. I can’t think of anyone else I would rather tackle this with.”

  “Tackle—”

  “Life. I’ve found my partner, and even though it took me way too damn long to figure it out, I found you.” He leaned to bump my nose with his. “I see you.”

  “What…” I stammered over my words. “W-what about the bed and breakfast?”

  “Some things you have to let go full circle before you understand the importance of the journey. Sometimes you change things. I think we should do both.”

  “Nu-uh. No we. Just you.”

  “We,” he insisted, “will make our bed and breakfast the best in the county. Find someone great to run it for us while we find our next project. I already have someone in mind. And when the kids come along, we can take them for picnics here and make new memories.”

  My head felt light and my blood was rushing through my veins. Had someone replaced my insides with machinery? Was I on the fritz? “Whoa, you are wearing me out with the daydreams. You might want to keep all the talk of kids on the hush. Dammit, Fenton—”

  “I’m trying.” Then he locked me in his arms. Drew in a deep breath and rested his chin on my head. “I missed doing this.”

  “Holding me?”

  “Absolutely. And this time I’m smart enough not to let you go.”

  “I kind of want to know what changed your mind. But I’m afraid to hear the answer. I’ve got something to say to you.” I tried to keep calm and steady.

  He laid his lips on mine in a kiss. One I refused to break. It was sweet, sumptuous. Everything I wanted.

  Mmm, cinnamon.

  “Please, let me hold you, Shari. I’ve missed holding you. We’ll get to your gripes in a bit, but let me do a little talking and explain some things.” Fenton eased away and stood so I could see his face. “I’m stubborn. A terrible and stubborn man. Which is why I stayed at the bar instead of getting a better job. It’s why I’ve used taking care of my brother as an excuse to blame the world for my issues. I’ve done things my way, which I now see is the wrong way.”

  “Which is why you called me in.”

  “Shush.” He silenced me with a kiss. “You made my life pretty damn complicated. You came in with your hard head and confused things. Irritated me with the same pizzazz and ease with which you balanced the books. My life is upside down and you did nothing but push. I’m not sure what to do anymore.”

  “Fenton, I’m more interested in the punch line.”

  “No more worries about might be. I’m more focused on what will be.”

  “I’m not the only one who has a hard head,” I replied.

  “It’s one of the things you love about me. One of the many things I love about you, to the point where I’ve lost count. And before you say it, no, it’s not the way you balance my books or the way you can perfectly complete a room with a single picture on the wall.”

  “Keep saying all these pretty things and you’re going to be stuck with me.”

  “I want to be.”

  My heart swelled, heat building beneath my chest. “Fenton.”

  “I’ve got a lot of people I cared about. A lot of relationships in the past I cared about. The hell of it is, I’ve never felt this. The way I feel when I’m with you. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you. Period.”

  “It could be a park.” I let my lids flutter closed and this time, when the fantasies came in my mind, I let them. I embraced the images of a stunning expanse of green. Manicured trees and a communal garden to rival what they’d started in town. Maybe a pool, although I’d have to check with the town about insurance issues. And there, walking the paths with their hands clasped together, were two very familiar people.

  “What?” Fenton asked.

  “The abandoned country club and golf course. It could be a larger park, bigger than the one in town, perfect for families to come in and spend the day. We can talk to the county about insurance and legalities. You know, I might know the perfect family to try it out.”

  He glanced over, his face lighting at my answer. “I am going to make you happy. I know it.”

  “You better. I know where you live.”

  “I love you. You want to get married, or what?” he asked.

  “How about we go on a real date first,” I parried.

  “You make my head spin. The future is ours to make, Shar.” He slid my arms around his neck before lowering his lips. I moaned his name, my body immediately stiffening into a bowstring under his touch. Then dissolved under his careful ministrations.

  I wanted, as I’d wanted nothing else, to make this stunning moment last forever. And I knew if we took this step together then he would be there for me. To give me everything I needed, wanted, and more. Just as I would be there to do the same for him.

  Unconditional love. What a concept. I was skeptical as anyone else when I first began the journey, content to be stuck in an endless looping pattern. I’m glad I waited for him. Glad I could now hold the man who’d given me this precious gift.

  I smiled against his mouth. “I already have some ideas.”

  “You can tell me on the drive home.”

  Home.

  “I decide on a name, you know. For the B&B.”

  “Oh yeah?” One eyebrow rose. “Please tell me it’s something good.”

  He took a breath, held it, then slowly released. “Another thing you were right about. The feeling for the space. Somewhere people could come to get away, where they know they will always feel welcome. A place they can come anytime they want. A home away from home. We’re going to call it Open-Door Retreat.”

  “You’re going to make me teary,” I said with a sniffle, and I wondered if a human heart could actually burst. Mine felt so full at the moment I wasn’t sure I could take another minute.

  “I’ll make it up to you later. I promise. You like the name?”

  “I love it. It’s perfect.”

  Still holding me close, he drew me underneath his arm and made for the pickup truck. I didn’t mind when Fenton swung me off my feet and kissed me. I knew, this time, we were moving forward in the right direction.

  THE END

  EPILOGUE

  It was a damp August, with biting winds and a chill in the air that didn’t want to let go. Fenton removed the coffee pot from the machine, glad he’d thought to make the entire thing instead of just a few cups, and grabbed an extra-large mug from the cabinet next to the sink. He used his elbow to nudge open the sliding glass door, checking to make sure there was nothing—and no one—under his feet. He’d been tripped too many times before to make the same mistake again. Or a third, fourth, or fifth time.

  “You said you wanted coffee?” he called out.

  Shari looked up with a cookie sticking out of the side of her mouth. “What do you think?”

  He was used to her grumbled replies by now and didn’t miss a beat. He smiled and held out the pot. “I think I know you too well by now.”

  She leaned back into the seat, her feet kicked up on the patio table, fuzzy socks drawn up around her ankles and a blanket across her chest. “You are my hero.”

  “So you’ve said before.” He set the pot down on the table. “I’m not sure why you want to sit outside when it’s forty degrees.”

  “Fifty-five, silly.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “This is decaf?” Content when he nodded, she poured her cup full and took a long sip.

  “Still, wouldn’t you be more comfortabl
e in the house?”

  “I would be more comfortable if you checked on Tyler.”

  Fenton pointed over his shoulder. “He’s in his playpen completely engrossed in whatever make believe game he’s playing with his blocks. Trust me, he’ll be fine for another minute. It gives us a little alone time.”

  She raised her eyebrows with a faint smirk. “I think we’ve had enough alone time to last us.” Beneath the blanket was the swell of her growing belly. “I don’t know why I let you convince me to have children, but this is ridiculous. The next time you come toward me with that look in your eyes, I’m going to run away.”

  “Honey, be reasonable. You can’t run.”

  He took his time sitting across from her, staring. It seemed like he couldn’t stop staring at her. Even after five years of marriage.

  The thought took him by surprise. The warm, melting sensation around his heart did not. He’d moved past surprise at his good luck and was fully engrossed in appreciation. Appreciation for everything his life had become, the people in it, and how he’d almost missed out on this opportunity.

  He reached across the table and gave his wife’s hand a squeeze. “We’re almost ready to close on the property.”

  “Really?”

  “Everything is going according to plan. Your former boss is going to wish she’d never let you go.”

  Shari eyed him. “You know it was pure dumb luck that landed us such a good deal on the building.”

  “I like to think it was fate,” he replied. “But then again, you always knew something was going to happen.”

  “It’s not like I wished for her to go under,” Shari insisted.

  Still, from the look on her face, he knew the thought had crossed her mind probably more than once.

  “I’m sure you didn’t, sweetie pie. Although I can tell you’re happy.”

  “I’m happy we finally have an opportunity to own a historic building in the heart of downtown Heartwood,” she said, trying to cover her own pleasure. “And hopefully we can find a way to get the gallery on its feet again. It really is the perfect space.”

  He smiled before pushing to his feet. God, he couldn’t keep away from her. Even pregnant with their second child, Shari had fire in her blood. A spicy whit and sarcasm he found undeniably attractive. Not to mention she was gorgeous.

  He moved around the table in two steps and pulled her up, careful not to jostled her too much. She squealed and he muffled the sound with his lips, bending to sample her, the bitterness of the coffee combining with the sweetness of the cookie.

  She made no objection when he pinned her in his arms and deepened the kiss. Fenton nibbled his way along her bottom lip, down her chin, pausing to savor the softness of her neck.

  “Isn’t this the part where I’m supposed to run?” she murmured.

  “I would rather you didn’t. Then I would be forced to chase after you. I’m not sure I have the energy to handle that, the kid, and running the three other construction projects we’ve got.”

  The B&B was doing amazingly well, better now since he’d taken Shari’s advice to hire a manager to live on site. They had other avenues to focus on, she’d reasoned, and although the place was close to their heart, it was time to hire extra help. It broke his heart a little to hand the reigns off, but he had to admit, once again, Shari was right.

  They’d found a wonderful woman from up north to manage. Which left the schedule open for multiple renovations, preschool interviews for their toddler, and visits to the doctor for Shari’s prenatal checkups.

  His schedule was tight. His heart was full. He couldn’t wish for anything better.

  It had been a whirlwind since their wedding, quiet and private among the maple trees on the back of his property. Would he change a moment? Absolutely not.

  Shari smiled and sent his heart into palpitations. “What do you want to do now, Mr. Novak?”

  “Whatever you’d like, Mrs. Novak.”

  She pushed against him. “How about we grab our son out of his imagination and take a walk? Sound good?”

  “The best suggestion you’ve had to date.”

  He moved his hand down to her stomach, fingers splayed. Yes, he thought. He wouldn’t change a thing.

  AFTERWORD

  Thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned to learn about upcoming releases, available titles, teasers, and more. Be sure to check out my other steamy romances HERE.

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  Also by Brea Viragh

  Contemporary Romance

  The Promise Me series

  Hold Me

  Touch Me

  Kiss Me

  Love Me

  Heartwood Novels

  Sugar and Gold

  Your Hand in Mine

  Paranormal Romance

  Pike

  The Cavaldi Birthright series

  Fate Walks (Book One)

  Morning’s Light (Book Two)

  In the Dark (Book Three)

  Twilight Sun (Book Four)

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  A special thanks to Teri, my awesome friend who is always willing to help a girl out!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  BREA VIRAGH is a contemporary and paranormal romance writer based in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is a proud Gryffindor, a graduate of Brakebills, and a member of Fairy Tail. When she isn’t writing and daydreaming about her newest project, her hobbies include binge-watching HGTV, scouring thrift shops for goodies, and maintaining her alpha status among her boyfriend, puppy, and three cats.

  Feel free to stalk her online on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads