She gave a wave and left.
Kelsey drew in a deep breath, relaxed her shoulders and turned off the light. The summer sun had reappeared from behind the morning clouds, and she longed to be outside. Home was more like it. They’d left the two girls at her house alone.
Ross gave her a wave when she stepped outside. He shook hands with the other father and strode her way. “Don’t tell me. You’re worried about the girls.”
She chuckled. “Not worried exactly. Just anxious to get home.”
Since they’d met, Ross could somehow read her mind. Maybe it was her face. But he seemed to know what she was thinking. She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.
He opened the car door for her and she slipped in. Their talk had grown easy in the past month, since she’d shaken the fear that had paralyzed her. Ross’s words often filled her mind. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. Both girls were doing great. Lucy had healed well from her surgery, and her hair had already begun to grow back. It was all more than she could have wished for, and she rejoiced with Ross that Peyton had made great strides, as well.
“I should never have listened to people’s fears about us.” She gazed into his beguiling eyes. “And my own irrational fears.”
“Huh?” He gave her a questioning look. “Where did that come from today?”
“I was thinking how well the girls are doing now. And they’re friends. Better friends than we had ever hoped.” He smiled, and her heart soared.
Ross squeezed her hand. “I’m going to drop you off at the house and then run a quick errand.”
“Errand? I’m going to make lunch. Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes. I know you’re anxious to get home.”
She eyed him, her curiosity piqued. “Don’t do that. I can spare a—”
He swung down her street. “No, it’s fine. I’ll drop you off.”
She slipped from the minivan, wishing she had the knack he did for mind reading. Something was fishy. She waited as he drove down the street, stymied as to what his secret mission was all about.
The house sounded empty. “Lucy?”
Nothing.
She dropped her purse on the sofa and strode into the kitchen. No mess. That was odd. She snapped her fingers, walked to the breakfast nook and pushed back the curtains. She relaxed. The girls were sitting on the new glider Ross had bought for the backyard after Lucy complained that she had nowhere to sit and read. Kelsey wondered what was wrong with a lawn chair, but Ross coddled her. Coddled. She shook her head and chuckled.
Lunch consisted of tuna and egg salad, bread, lettuce and homemade cookies for dessert. She didn’t plan to fuss. As she pulled the items from the refrigerator and grabbed plates from the cabinet, she heard Ross come through the door. He slipped to her side, drawing her into his arms.
Before she could speak, his lips met hers, and she indulged in his amazing kiss. His arms held her close, his mouth moved on hers as soft as a summer breeze.
He eased back and grinned. “How would you like to be greeted like that every day?”
“By you?”
He ruffled her hair. “Who else?”
She chuckled. “I’d love it.”
“Good.”
She paused, trying to dig into his thoughts, but failed. “Call the girls.” He stepped toward the bedrooms. “They’re in the back, languishing on the glider.”
He grinned and did what she asked.
The clomping footsteps told her the girls had come inside.
“Mom, this is the best book.” Lucy waved her novel in the air. “It’s about this girl who wins a contest and gets to have her dream-come-true vacation.”
“I’ll go for that.” Peyton waved her hand in the air. “When do we leave?”
“Not for a while yet,” Ross said.
All eyes turned to him. Kelsey’s heart felt ready to burst. “What does that mean?”
“Sit.” He waved to the island where she’d set out the food. “I want to show you something.” He walked into the living room.
The girls each jumped up on a stool, and Kelsey passed around the plates. As the girls began to build their sandwiches, Ross came in carrying a white box and set it on the breakfast table.
Kelsey craned her neck. “What’s that?”
“That’s second. This is first.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a smaller box.
Her heart skipped, and she pressed her hand to her chest. “Don’t tell me…”
“I won’t have to if you open it.” He handed it to her.
The girls lost interest in their sandwiches. They both slid off the stools and drew closer, their eyes shifting from Ross to the box.
“Open it, Mom.”
Kelsey’s fingers shook as she lifted the lid, knowing what she would see. She held her breath and gazed inside at the small, velvet, blue ring box.
“What is it?” Peyton shifted to look over her shoulder. “I think it’s jewelry.”
Lucy clapped her hands. “It’s a ring, isn’t it?”
Kelsey grinned at Ross, his face beaming.
He arched his brows. “She’d know if she’d open the lid.”
She did and gazed at the magnificent diamond, the gold band adorned with diamond baguettes. “Ross, it’s beautiful.”
The girls’ eyes were as large as the saucers beneath their sandwiches. “It’s an engagement ring.” Their voices blended as one.
Ross applauded. “You’re right.” He moved closer to Kelsey and removed the ring from the velvet. “You’re pretty high up on that stool, but here goes.” He knelt on the kitchen tile, his gaze locked with hers. “Kelsey Rhodes, would you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Ross Salburg?”
She slipped from the stool and knelt beside him. “Absolutely.”
Their lips met as the girls squealed and jumped around them. Peyton’s voice cut through Lucy’s cheers. “Now we’re really sisters.”
Lucy’s squeal subsided. “We are.”
They threw their arms around each other and spun around the room until Kelsey had to call their antics to a halt. “You’ll break your necks.”
“Anyway, I have something else for all of us.” Ross walked to the breakfast table and returned with the box.
The girls dropped their embrace, their gazes flitting from Kelsey to Ross.
Kelsey eyed the logo on the cover from a florist shop. While Ross lifted the lid, she and the girls waited. Her heart swelled with happiness.
Ross reached in and pulled out a Hawaiian lei and draped it over her neck. Then he slipped one over Lucy’s head and another over Peyton’s. They eyed the lovely circle of baby orchids and stared at him. “Dreams Come True has offered to give our daughters a special trip to—”
“Hawaii.” Peyton’s and Lucy’s voices split the air.
“Dad, really?” Peyton tugged on his arm.
Lucy stood looking at him, her mouth gaping. “But what about Mom?”
Ross gazed at Kelsey and closed the distance between them. He slipped his arms around her. “She has to be there. It’s her honeymoon.”
Her mind spun. A honeymoon in Hawaii—and with the girls. “You couldn’t have planned anything better.”
He held up his hand. “But I refused the offer.”
The room silenced.
“I thought the money could go to a child whose parents can’t afford a trip.”
“Really?” Peyton’s sad eyes gazed at him.
Kelsey leaned toward him, her mind snapping. “You really did this?”
He nodded.
“Did you talk with the donor? Do you know who he is?”
“No, I spoke with Ethan. He understands. And why would I know the donor?”
“You’re friends with Ethan. Maybe he knows and just won’t say.”
Ross shook his head. “No one does as far as I know.”
Kelsey acknowledged that he was telling the truth. The elusive donor. Would anyone ever know?
“Dad, then we’re not going?” Peyton’s plaintive voice tugged at Kelsey’s heart.
He chuckled. “Sure we are.” He bent and kissed Kelsey’s hair. “All we need to do is set the date.”
“Now.”
“Soon.”
Kelsey gazed into his eyes. “Very soon.”
The girls ran to them, the four of them surged into one giant embrace and Kelsey reveled in the gift. God, as always, guided their paths. She’d learned the hard way. And she knew that two were much, much better than one. Four, even better.
“I love you, Kelsey.” His whisper feathered her ear.
She brushed his lips with hers. “I love you, too, and I promise this from my heart.”
Dear Reader,
This series has been a challenge to bring you a story that you can enjoy with a happy ending and yet tell the story of parents dealing with seriously ill children. But this is life for many people who face each day with hope and fear. I decided to challenge both Kelsey and Ross with a romance that added another challenge—two children with debilitating diseases. I researched these serious illnesses and hope I have presented them accurately. If not, I apologize. Life often brings problems to each of us—illnesses, death and losses of all kinds in our distressed economy—but we have one constant assurance. We are never alone. The Lord is by our side with love and mercy, carrying our burdens when we ask and offering us life eternal. No matter how difficult our troubles are on earth, we have God at our side. We are forever blessed.
Questions for Discussion
Kelsey and Ross met for the first time and felt an immediate connection. Have you ever met someone and liked that person right away? How can this happen?
Kelsey and Ross seemed destined for each other. He’d shown an interest in MOSK, he knew Ethan and he was the best man at Ethan’s wedding. They questioned if this was God’s doing. If it was, why would the Lord guide two people together like this?
What strengths do Kelsey and Ross have that support each other?
“Two are better than one” from Ecclesiastes 4:9 is a theme in this novel. Have you found this to be a truth in your life? If so, in what ways?
If a person has never married, how does “Two is better than one” still fit into the person’s life?
Have you or someone you know had to face life with a severely ill child? What keeps people going in this situation? What gives them strength?
Ross struggled with Peyton’s new medication. It offered him both pros and cons. Kelsey sometimes felt the same way about her situation with Lucy. What fears did they struggle with?
Have you experienced a situation in your life when learning the truth frightened you as much as not knowing? What kind of circumstances would arouse these fears?
Kelsey felt gullible and stupid, not realizing that her husband was cheating on her. How can someone miss the clues? Have you missed clues in your relationships?
Peyton and Lucy were typical preteens. What characteristics did you see in them to prove this?
Peyton was a lonely girl in the beginning of the novel. When you were young, did you ever feel the way she did in school or when it came to making friends?
Were you surprised when Ross decided not to take the Dreams Come True trip, but pay for it himself? Why would he do this?
Ava Darnell, a member of MOSK and a secondary character in this novel, will be the heroine in the next book of the Dreams Come True series. What do you know about Ava that could make her an interesting character?
Have you found any plot threads in this series that have yet to be answered? What are they? Do you think you might learn the answer in the final novel in the series?
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1278-7
A FAMILY OF THEIR OWN
Copyright © 2011 by Gail Gaymer Martin
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Love Inspired Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Love Inspired Books.
® and TM are trademarks of Love Inspired Books, used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.LoveInspiredBooks.com
* Loving
† Michigan Islands
** Dreams Come True
A Family of Their Own Page 20