by Nerys Leigh
“Sorry,” Jesse called, manoeuvring his wheelchair around to follow his wife, “just carry on without us.”
Jo felt for Louisa. She didn’t miss those first few months of being sick almost every day. Hopefully that time would be coming to an end soon for Louisa, now she was almost three months into her pregnancy.
“The joy of having a growing town,” Pastor Jones said, laughing. “Would you all join me in praying for little Emily?”
Jo bowed her head and closed her eyes, slipping her hand into Zach’s.
“Dear Lord,” Pastor Jones said, “thank You for this precious new life. We ask that You would bless her, keep her safe, and raise her up to know You. Would you bless Jo and Zach and give them wisdom as they teach her about You. And enable her to grow into a healthy, happy little girl who knows Your love and blessings every day of her life. In the Name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.”
Jo glanced out at the congregation as they echoed his “Amen”, not sure what she would see. What she did see was smiles, and she relaxed.
They were going to be all right, she and her daughter. From the worst of beginnings, she had found the best that life could bring, and it had all started with being done with men.
All except for the one perfect man God had saved, just for her.
Chapter 41
The sound of a baby crying jolted Jo awake. She snaked her hands from beneath the covers and pressed them over her face, grimacing. Not that being woken like this was unexpected. Unbroken nights of sleep were a dim, distant memory.
Zach shifted behind her. “I’ll go. You go back to sleep.” His lips pressed to the side of her neck briefly before he rose and padded to the crib on the far side of the room.
“Don’t forget to watch out for the paintings I left drying on the floor,” she murmured, closing her eyes and pulling the covers up under her chin. “Mrs. Vernon won’t be happy if I have to do them again and she has to wait another month.”
“I’ll be careful.” The crying stopped as he lifted their daughter, settling her against his bare chest, and carried her from the room.
A minute later he returned, a lamp in one hand and Emily in the other, resting against his chest, her thumb in her mouth.
“She’s dry,” he said, placing the lamp onto the nightstand, “so you’re going to have to take this one.”
Jo scooted up in the bed, pushing the pillows up behind her, and he leaned down to pass Emily to her. One small hand was clutched around Zach’s knitted bear as usual. Nothing could pry her favourite toy from her. Her thumb remained jammed firmly in her mouth, although it popped out the moment Jo pushed her nightdress from her shoulder to expose her breast.
Zach climbed back into bed as she began to nurse, shuffling in close. She leaned forward a little to allow him to wind his arm around her then settled back against his chest, smiling when he kissed her temple. His free hand rested across her, cupping their daughter’s head as she fed, his thumb gently stroking her round cheek. Her tiny eyes closed in contentment and Jo relaxed into his embrace.
He often did this if he was there when she nursed, wrapping his arms around the two of them and sharing the experience. Jo couldn’t think of a deeper expression of his love for both of them than the way he wanted to be part of the closest bonding between mother and child. She’d been right about him all those months ago, he was the best father she could imagine. Thanks to him, she and her baby were safe, secure, and very, very loved.
An overwhelming sense of peace washed over her. She had a wonderful husband and a healthy, beautiful baby girl. Not a day went by when she didn’t thank God for all He’d done for her.
She turned her head to rest her cheek against Zach’s warm skin, closing her eyes and listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
There were a few seconds of silence before he answered. “I know.”
Her eyes snapped open. “‘I know’?”
His chest began to shake with silent laughter. “What?”
“You completely ruined the moment! There I was, pouring my heart out to you, and all you could think to say was, ‘I know’? No ‘I love you’, or ‘you make my life complete’, or ‘you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me too’? Just ‘I know’?”
He leaned his forehead against her hair, still laughing silently. “I’m sorry.”
She pressed her lips together, trying not to giggle. “You are not.”
When he eventually stopped laughing, he kissed her cheek and whispered, “You and Em are the best things that have ever happened to me too.”
She believed him, with her whole heart.
A smile crept onto her face. “I know.”
THE END
Get the prequel novella ‘The Blacksmith’s Heart’ for free! To get your free book and never miss a new release, sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/b-Gj2T. You will have the option to either receive emails monthly or only when I have a new book out.
More Than Gold
(Escape to the West book 6)
Does “second time lucky” apply to mail order brides?
Let’s just say that Gabriel’s first attempt at marriage didn’t go well. But his new bride, Grace, she has curves he can’t keep his eyes from, and he’s determined this time will be different. Until he ends up sleeping in the barn.
Why are women so difficult to figure out? All he wants is someone to cook, clean, and warm his bed. But Grace wants more. She wants respect and someone to care about her. She wants love.
So now Gabriel has to learn how to court his wife just so he can sleep in his own bed again. But as for falling in love, he just isn’t the type.
And he has no idea why he seems willing to do anything to make her happy.
Buy More Than Gold, the sixth book in the Escape to the West series, HERE.
Dear Reader
Thank you for reading The Truth About Love and I hope you’ve enjoyed Jo and Zach’s story. If you have a moment, I’d love to hear what you thought of it in a review on AMAZON. Reviews are very important for independent authors like me and they really do help other readers find my books. You will have my undying thanks!
If you haven’t yet read the other books in the Escape to the West series, Amy’s story, No One’s Bride, is HERE, Sara’s story, A Hope Unseen, is HERE, Lizzy’s story, The Wayward Heart, is HERE, and Louisa’s story, An Unexpected Groom, is HERE. If you have read them, I hope you enjoyed just a tiny glimpse into their future after the end of their books. Yes, I realise it was very tiny, but with more books on the way, you will hear more of them!
And that leads me to the future of the Escape to the West series. I originally planned to just write about the five mail order brides who arrived together, but I quickly realised there are many more stories to tell about the inhabitants of Green Hill Creek. So this is not the end! I have plans for several more books, and next up is Gabriel Silversmith’s story. When I started writing The Truth About Love, I intended to make Gabriel so awful you’d be cheering when he and Jo split, but then I started to feel sorry for him! So I’ve given him his own romance so he can learn what real love is. Although his new bride does have her work cut out for her! You can buy More Than Gold HERE.
I hope you are continuing to enjoy (or put up with!) the UK spelling for a story set in America experience. Being British, if I tried spelling otherwise it would all go horribly wrong. It’s better for all of us this way! If you’d like to contact me about anything, please do get in touch via my FACEBOOK page or WEBSITE or at [email protected]. I love to hear from readers.
If you haven’t yet, you can sign up for my newsletter HERE and receive the prequel novella The Blacksmith’s Heart for free (in which a very cute seven-year-old Zach makes an appearance). You will have the option to receive monthly emails or only news about new releases.
God bless you,
Nerys
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Bible Verses
The following are the verses either quoted or mention in The Truth About Love, this time from the New International Version (NIV) Bible.
Chapter 10 – “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgement.” Matthew 5:21-22
Chapter 11 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise. Psalm 111:10
Chapter 15 – ...because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6
Chapter 28 – Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 6:14
Chapter 28 – Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 2 Corinthians 6:15
Chapter 36 – “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:9-15
Chapter 36 – “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said. ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Matthew 18:32-35 (parable begins at verse 21)
Chapter 36 – When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals – one on His right, the other on His left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:33-34
Chapter 37 – No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. 1 John 3:6
Chapter 37 – Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18
Chapter 37 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28