An Unlikely Proposal

by Toni Shiloh

  “Did you have to look so shocked by saying three little words?”

  “We’re not like that!” Why was Trinity mad at him?

  “I know that. You know that. The girls weren’t even insinuating something romantic.”

  “It just caught me off guard since we’re married now.”

  “That doesn’t change anything, Omar. You know that. We entered this for a mutually beneficial arrangement. Don’t treat me like I have cooties.”

  “Trinity, come on. You mean to tell me it didn’t surprise you?” He motioned for her to walk down the stairs.

  “Of course not. I’m not falling in love again. Ever. And you...”

  “I’m still in love with Christine.”

  “Exactly.” She sighed, grabbing the end of one of her braids. “Sorry. I just don’t want our friendship to change and it seems like it has anyway.”

  “Still friends?” he asked, holding out his hand.

  “Yes.” She slid her hand into his. “Next time just say you love me. Remember, I already know it’s as a friend.”

  But as much as he didn’t want their friendship to change...for him, it already had.

  Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom and multipublished Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter, Toni loves connecting with readers via social media. You can learn more about her at tonishiloh.com.

  Books by Toni Shiloh

  Love Inspired

  An Unlikely Proposal

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.

  AN UNLIKELY PROPOSAL

  Toni Shiloh

  Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

  —Proverbs 18:22

  To the Author and Finisher of my faith.

  Acknowledgments

  There are so many people I would love to thank for helping this book go from idea to published novel. I’d love to thank my critique partners Andrea Boyd, Jaycee Weaver and Sarah Monzon for helping me improve the many drafts

  of this story. You ladies are the best!

  Thank you to Lana Parks for answering all my type 1 diabetes questions. I hope I did the story justice and apologize for any mistakes.

  I’d love to thank the Love Inspired team.

  Thank you to Dina Davis for loving my first draft and believing this story had potential. Thank you to the Art team, Marketing and everyone who made my story come to life.

  I appreciate it more than I can say.

  Last but not least, I’d like to thank my husband and kids. Glenn, thank you for listening to me talk about this story and the excitement of getting the contract. Thank you to my kids

  for sharing my attention with my characters.

  I love y’all so much!

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Epilogue

  Dear Reader

  Excerpt from Someone to Trust by Patricia Davids

  Chapter One

  “Let’s get married.”

  Trinity Davis gaped at her best friend. “Omar, you can’t be serious. I just came over to vent, not for you to suggest some harebrained idea.”

  Okay, not completely true. She did want a solution to her problem, but not that. Never that. She still had nightmares of standing in white all alone at the altar. Ever since that humiliating event—one that should have been the happiest day of her life—she’d steered clear of romance.

  Besides, marriage wouldn’t give her a new job. Wouldn’t provide the health insurance she so desperately—

  Okay, so Omar did solve that dilemma with his absurd suggestion.

  “Look, Trinity. Bluebonnet is a small town. What are the odds of you finding another job here? Would you want to move away just to find one?”

  She frowned, hating his sound logic.

  “You can’t mess around with your health. You need insurance.” His lips turned downward, and his goatee shifted with the movement. “Your insulin has to cost a pretty penny.”

  Another strike for logic. “They’re offering me a plan where I’d only have to pay the premiums.” Being a Type 1 diabetic meant going without insulin was not an option. Granted, she’d almost had a heart attack at the price of the insurance.

  “And how can you afford that if you have no job?”

  It was like Omar could read her mind, which was certainly possible considering they’d been friends for over twenty years. “I don’t know.” She shrugged, trying to keep her emotions at bay. Being laid off had never entered her thoughts as a possibility. “If I want to keep paying rent, something has to give.” She stuffed down a sigh as she mentally calculated her lack of income and growing expenses.

  “Exactly.” Omar sat back, giving the porch swing a gentle push. He sipped his sweet tea as if he’d done his job for the day and solved the world’s problems.

  She couldn’t help but notice his skin matched the liquid gold he’d poured in the mason jars. Focus, Trinity. What are you going to do?

  She settled into the decorative pillows on her side of the swing. “Marriage wouldn’t work, Omar.”

  “Why not? We’re best friends. You need health insurance, and I need help with Faith and Joy. It’s a solution to both of our problems.”

  Her heart melted. Those two girls were absolutely precious. Life hadn’t been the same since Omar’s wife passed away two years ago, and unfortunately, his mother-in-law, Nancy, who had been watching the girls since their mother’s death, died almost two weeks ago.

  Trinity looked at Omar. “Then you haven’t found someone to watch the girls yet?”

  “No. The home day care in town is full and the public one can’t accommodate my schedule.”

  That made sense. His firefighter schedule of twenty-four hours on and twenty-four off made normal childcare impossible.

  He twisted his tall frame, propping an arm on the back of the swing, and faced her. “If we were married, you could watch them. You’d live here so you wouldn’t have to worry about rent. And I could add you to my health insurance, effective the day we say, ‘I do.’” His lips curved. “Gotta love government insurance.”

  The summer’s heat had dampened her skin and sweltered the back of her neck. She wrapped her braids around the ponytail holder and tucked the ends under and into a bun. All this marriage talk is giving me hives.

  “You’re awfully quiet.” Omar’s warm brown eyes took in her movements.

  “I think it’s a horrible idea.” One that made her stomach drop and heave like a boat out to sea.

  “I’m not Jason.”

  Her breath shuddered out as an image of her ex battled for front and center in her mind. She swallowed. “You’re still asking me to make a commitment. To walk down a church aisle—”

  “Or go to a justice of the peace courtroom.”

  She shook her head and continued. “Say ‘I do
,’ and we’ll...what, live happily ever after?” That only existed in movies and fairy tales.

  “Are you saying a life with your best friend would be miserable?” His eyes twinkled at his attempt at humor.

  He always had to make a joke, but Trinity had to admit, part of her wanted to laugh just to keep from crying. “Omar, be serious.”

  He slid a hand down his face and took on a serious expression. “Is this better?”

  A bubble of laughter gurgled within. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “You want serious, you got it. List the reasons why this doesn’t make sense.”

  “People don’t get married for convenience anymore.”

  “Ehnt.”

  She laughed at his imitation of a game show buzzer.

  “You’re so wrong. I bet if we did an internet search right now, we’d see that’s not true.”

  She did not want to prove him right. “If you ever wanted to remarry—”

  Omar shook his head. “Christine was it for me.” His voice lowered and his gaze took on a far-off expression.

  Oh, Omar. He and Christine had been perfect for each other. She remembered how in love the two had been. How could he even suggest they marry? “How can you propose, then? You loved her so much. Wouldn’t anything else be a farce?”

  Watching Christine decline as the cancer ravaged her body had broken Trinity’s heart. She could only imagine what it had done to Omar’s.

  “No. We’re not marrying for love, Trin. It’s just a matter of convenience. Your problems would be solved by us tying the knot, and so would mine. We’re adults. We can still honor vows without making a mockery of them.”

  “How?” she whispered. Because all she could remember was the day her intended groom failed to show up.

  “By keeping God in the forefront. We’ll still seek Him first. We’ll raise the girls to do the same. The only question would be if you found someone to love.”

  “Ha.” Scorn ripped the words right from her throat. “No chance of that happening.” She wouldn’t let it. She refused to let love make a fool of her twice.

  “Trinity.” Omar’s voice coaxed her to look at him. “Not all guys are like him.”

  “I know that. You certainly aren’t.”

  “See.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Another reason to marry me.”

  She chuckled and leaned her head against his shoulder. “I love you for trying to solve my problems, but I don’t think it would work.”

  He wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. “Then we’ll pray about it. You pray, I’ll pray and God will direct us from there.”

  Trinity didn’t want to argue with him, so she nodded. Surely God would provide for her in a different way, one that made sense and would help her walk His plan for her life. Because marrying anyone, well, that was just asinine. She’d walked down that road—aisle—before and had been thankful, after copious amounts of tears, to roll the dice and move off that space.

  “Omar?”

  “Hmm?”

  “What if I have to move? I’ve lived here all my life.”

  Nowhere else compared to Bluebonnet, Texas. The vast sky that showed the wonderful colors of the sunrise or sunset. The precious bluebonnet flowers that graced the fields. And the ability to see for miles. It spoke to her heart, soothed her soul and reminded her this was where she was supposed to be.

  “You’ll handle whatever comes your way. You always have.”

  “But what about us? How will we keep in touch?”

  “Funny thing.” He paused. “There’s this technology that allows you to video chat. Your face will pop up in this screen right here on my phone.”

  “On a phone? Get out.”

  His body shook with his laughter. “That’s right. And my face will appear on yours.”

  “You’re pulling my leg.”

  “I’ll pull your hair if you’re not careful.”

  “Ha.” She sat up, moving out of his reach. “You’re not in first grade anymore. That is not the way to get my attention.”

  “Hey, every boy knows that’s how you get a girl to talk to you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, use that newfangled technology now. My scalp doesn’t appreciate your primitive ways.”

  Crinkles appeared at the corner of his eyes. “You’ll be fine, Trin. God’s got you.”

  “Thanks.” She let out a breath. She would have to pray and hold on to that truth.

  * * *

  Omar stared at the mess that was his living room. It looked like a tornado had ripped through, leaving bits of construction paper, stuffed animals and whatnot strewn about. How did two toddlers make such a mess? His eyebrows raised as he picked a dirty diaper up off the floor.

  What? How?

  He was pretty sure both girls had gone to sleep with a clean diaper on. Then again, his two-year-old, Joy, liked to shed hers at the most inopportune times. The stinky offender in his hands had to be hers. He searched his memory and sighed in relief. During their nap-time battle, she’d quickly escaped her clothing and ran from him, causing the diaper to slip off. Now he could recall carting her upstairs to put on a new one before he’d tucked her in the toddler bed for a much-needed nap.

  Making his way through the chaos littering his living room floor, Omar threw the diaper away in the kitchen trash can. He looked around and groaned. The mess in here was worse than the living room.

  “Why, Lord? Every day is the same. They make a colossal mess and then I clean it up.” It was like a sick version of the movie Groundhog Day.

  Maybe it had been a little selfish to invite Trinity to join his drama. Sure, she dealt with kids working at the elementary school as the librarian—or had, now that she’d been laid off—but they were potty-trained, coherent little beings. They didn’t scream at the top of their lungs if a repulsive food item landed on their dinner plate.

  Father God, I’m sorry if my proposal of marriage is out of Your will. And if it is, please give us a clear sign.

  Then he would have to find another way to get the help he so desperately needed. Joy and Faith had to have supervision. Better yet, they needed love and maternal guidance. The thought of them being raised without a woman’s nurturing ripped through him. If Trinity said yes, then they would be cared for, and he would have a partner who knew him and understood all his faults but called him friend regardless.

  He could also keep a better eye on Trinity’s health. Omar had learned to be subtle when checking on her because she didn’t talk about her diabetes a lot. Ever since her diagnosis their freshman year of high school, she’d been pretty mute about her health. Why would anyone want to focus on a chronic illness? Still, he couldn’t keep his concerns at bay. If they lived under the same roof, then he’d have a ladder view of her health. He could stop bugging her with the twenty questions and just enjoy her presence.

  My idea is ridiculous, isn’t it?

  Yet, fear didn’t strike him. The idea of marrying a friend brought comfort. Did that mean they should get married?

  A knock interrupted his musings. He rushed to the front door and opened it, smiling at his visitor. “Hey, Rock.”

  His father-in-law shuffled inside, shoulders stooped a bit. “Girls napping?”

  “Yes, thankfully. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “A Dr Pepper if you have some. If not, I could drink some sweet tea.”

  “I’ll grab that for you right away.” Omar took a soda out of the fridge and hurried back into the living room. He handed the can over and sat across from his father-in-law. Should he tell Rock about proposing to Trinity?

  It felt weird to ask Christine’s father for advice, but where else would he get it? His parents had moved to Arizona in hopes the weather would be better for his father’s health. His pop had more good days than bad. Omar didn’t really want to bother t
hem for advice. Of course, if he did marry Trinity, he’d tell them first. Just because they didn’t live nearby didn’t mean their opinions didn’t hold weight. He rubbed the back of his neck.

  “How’s your day going?” Rock eyed him over the top of the soda can.

  “Hectic.”

  Rock chuckled, although it sounded more like he needed to cough. “Them girls will run you ragged, I’ll tell you.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” He paused. “Trinity was by earlier.”

  “How’s she doing?”

  “Having a little trouble. The school won’t be hiring her back come this fall.”

  “That’s a shame.” Rock’s forehead lowered, making his eyes squish. “Does she have any job prospects?”

  “None.” And panic had filled her brown eyes. He shifted. “The public library will send someone over when the school needs assistance.”

  “Poor thing. I’ll be praying for her.” Rock took a swig of soda. “I’m surprised you don’t have some scheme up your sleeve to help out.”

  Ha! “Interesting you should say that, Rock.”

  “Uh-oh. Let’s hear it.” Rock raised his barely-there eyebrows.

  “I, uh, kind of proposed.”

  “Come again?”

  Omar let out a nervous chuckle, relieving some of the tension. His father-in-law’s opinion really mattered. Hopefully, Rock wouldn’t think he was foolish or that he had forgotten all about Christine. “She needs health insurance, plus she won’t be able to afford her place without income.”

  “Ri-i-ght.”

  “And I need help with the girls.”

  Sorrow filled Rock’s eyes.

  Omar wanted to kick himself. He knew what it was like to lose a spouse. How could he be so insensitive? “I’m sorry. I know how much you must be missing Nancy.” They all missed his mother-in-law.

  Rock waved a hand, though the frown lines etched across his face belied another truth. “Don’t worry about it. Those girls need a lovin’ hand.”

  “And Trinity does love them.” His voice came out hesitantly. Maybe he really had been too hasty.