by Ginny Aiken
Cooky had retreated to her kitchen, but Eli still stood at the foot, a grin brightening his face. With a nod for her, he began to clap. “Bravo, Mrs. Whitman. I’m proud of all you’ve accomplished.”
She took more from his statement than his mere words expressed. In spite of the twinges of pain at her arm and back, Olivia couldn’t remember a better moment in her life.
Hours later, however, Eli managed to eclipse it by a mile.
After supper, he accompanied the children to their rooms. Soon, he returned to the parlor, and took a seat on the sofa at Olivia’s side.
Her heartbeat kicked up.
He reached for her hand.
She slid her fingers between his.
“This is as good a time to ask your forgiveness as any,” he said. “Everything you said was right. Not only did you suspect Holtwood’s betrayal, but also, and more important, you saw through my stubborn determination to hold you at arm’s length.”
She blushed but couldn’t eke out a word. Even her breath seemed to catch in her throat. Expectation put her in a heightened sense of awareness, a clear recognition of the magnitude of the moment.
Every crackle of the fire in the hearth seemed magnified to where she couldn’t miss hearing it. From the corner of her eye, she caught each flicker of the candles. She smelled the crisp fragrance of the greens still strung across the ceilings and mantel, mixed in with the pine and the bay rum Eli used in his grooming routine.
Most important of all, she sensed the warmth of the leg pressed close to hers, the strength of the man at her side, the admiration in his blue eyes, and the tenderness in his smile.
“Nothing to say?” he asked, disappointment in his words. “That would be a new experience, I suspect.”
Those words broke through and Olivia laughed. “I’m sure you know you’re forgiven. By the Father, as well as me.”
“I needed to ask, and even more, I needed your words.”
“You have them.” She covered his hand with hers. “As you always will.”
“About a week ago,” he continued, “I feared you were about to leave.”
“I did give the possibility a good deal of thought.” She shrugged. “I couldn’t imagine life without trust.”
“By God’s grace, you chose to stay.”
“You chose to trust.”
He breathed deep. “I can’t promise I’ll never fall back on the stubbornness again, but I can give you my word, Olivia, that I’ll never question your loyalty again.”
“Thank you, Eli. I needed to hear those words, too.”
“I’d be a fool to forget how you and your family saved me from ruin a second time in my life.”
She smiled. “Goodness knows, you’re no one’s fool, now are you?” She took a deep breath. “As long as we’re discussing forgiveness, I need to ask for yours.”
Alarm widened his stare. “What have you done now?”
“Oh, don’t fret. Nothing new, of course. I… well, I failed you just as much. I didn’t find the patience within me to wait for you to come around and see the truth. I made light of your experience and wanted you to trust me right from the start. No one can do that. Not with a stranger. Not without sufficient time.”
“I trust you now.”
“Trust needed to grow, and it has.”
“All the emotions in a man’s heart need time to grow, to go deeper, and enrich his life.” Then he stole her very ability to think. Eli slipped off the sofa and knelt at her knee.
She only felt… she felt overwhelming love for him. Tears filled Olivia’s eyes.
He took her one hand, folded a kiss in the palm. “There’s something else I’ve failed to do, but I refuse to let another moment go by without changing that.”
He met her gaze. “I’ve never told you how much you mean to me, Olivia. I still can’t quite understand how I’ve come to love you so deeply in such a short time. But that’s the truth, and I’m proud to tell you. I’m sorry I kept silent when instead I should have told you right away.”
A trembly sigh escaped her lips. “Like trust, love takes time.”
“I hope it won’t take you long to come to love me back.”
Olivia did something she’d longed to do during their most awkward moments. She slipped the fingers of her free hand into his silky, shiny black hair, and pushed a disobedient lock back from his brow.
“I suspect I’ve been ahead of you on that,” she said. “I can’t remember the precise moment when I realized how much I cared—actually, I think I can. It was the night you were shot. I’m sure that was before the first kiss we shared.”
He caught both hands, brought them to his lips. “I love you, Olivia.”
Tears rolling down her cheeks, she leaned close. “I love you, too. I always will.”
Eli pulled her into his arms, careful not to bump her wounds. Then, with the tenderness and passion that never failed to melt her heart, he kissed her. Over and over and over again.
Their breaths mingled, their tears blended as well, and in the quiet of the night, two hearts truly became one.
Epilogue
The next day, Olivia and Eli got precious little done in the way of work. As soon as the bank employees arrived, including Stephen Moore, the newlyweds returned upstairs, this time to Olivia’s lonely room.
Amid laughter, kisses, and tender stares, they gathered her belongings, packed her clothes, shoes, books, toiletries, Bible, and hats, and one by one found a home for each in Eli’s much larger room.
From behind, Eli wrapped his arms tight around his wife’s waist. “I like the looks of my shoes right next to yours.”
“You must admit my pretty hats look better than your dull brown and black felt ones ever could. Especially now that we can compare them side by side.”
He turned her in his arms, never letting her go. “I hope you’re not suggesting some outlandish sort of swap. I’m the first man to encourage Bountiful’s businesses with my patronage, but no one’s about to persuade me to shop at our new, fashionable millinery. Not even you, my dear.”
She laughed. “There aren’t enough silk roses or peacock feathers in the land to make one of Mrs. Selkirk’s confections look right on you.”
He grew serious. “Are you happy, Mrs. Whitman?”
“As never before, Mr. Whitman.”
“Is the room to your liking?”
“Oh, perhaps white curtains will look cheerier at the windows. Other than that, I can’t think of a place I’d rather be.”
While they knew perfection didn’t exist, they now knew they could face anything together. As long as they stood on their love for each other and their faith in Christ, they would overcome.
Their blessings were too many to count.
And yet, those blessings continued to mount. A year later, David Moore Whitman came to make their joy ever more full.
Two years after that, young Amelia Hope Whitman made their family complete.
Through the years, Olivia rested on the knowledge that the God she served had once led her to Eli’s side for such times as the ones they came to share.
Acknowledgments
Writing is a lonely endeavor, but it becomes less so when you’re blessed with good friends. Lynette Eason, Margaret Daley, Pamela James, Michelle Sanders, and Julie Ward, thanks for being the glue that holds me together. Pastor Ryan and Rebecca McDowell, thanks for the welcome, the friendship, and the anointed teaching. I’m also privileged to work with some amazing people. To my agent, Steve Laube, my editor, Christina Boys, the art department and the rest of the team at FaithWords, a heartfelt thank you.
Also by Ginny Aiken
Remember Me When
She Shall Be Praised
PRAISE FOR THE WOMEN OF HOPE SERIES
For Such a Time as This
“[A]n engaging tale of duty, romance, family, and love… I’ll be eager to see what character Ms. Aiken chooses next to feature in this exciting new series.”
—Serena Chase, USAToda
y.com
“FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS offers readers all of the elements they love in one beautifully written Esther-themed tale. Highly recommended!”
—Janice Hanna Thompson, author of
Love Finds You in Daisy, Oklahoma
“Courageous and level-headed, Olivia is a heroine readers will love, and Aiken does a masterful job of evoking life in a small Oregon town in the 1870s. Readers won’t want to miss this first book in Aiken’s Women of Hope series.”
—Marta Perry, award-winning author of
the Pleasant Valley Amish series
“The suspense writer in me loved the thread of mystery she skillfully wove into the plot. This book should come with a warning: Before you start to read, make sure you don’t have anything else to do for the next several hours because you WON’T want to put this book down. Eagerly awaiting the sequel!”
—Lynette Eason, bestselling, award-winning
author of the Women of Justice series
“Aiken in FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS has created a well-crafted story with humor and characters you will care about.”
—Margaret Daley, author of Saving Hope in
the Men of the Texas Rangers series
Remember Me When
“In this engrossing second installment of her Women of Hope historical series, Aiken delivers a beautiful, inspirational slice of life set in 1880s Oregon… Rich with detail, the events unfold very naturally.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Aiken’s second Women of Hope novel connects nicely to the first… The 1880 Oregon setting is accurately illustrated and the heroine’s journey to renewed faith in God is nicely depicted.”
—RT Book Reviews
She Shall Be Praised
“Ginny Aiken takes readers on a delightful, heart-warming adventure in She Shall Be Praised… every word is pitch perfect.”
—Marta Perry
“She Shall Be Praised is an incredible story of love, faith and hope… Be prepared for your heart to be engaged.”
—Lynette Eason, bestselling author of
the Deadly Reunions series
“Ginny Aiken captures the flavor of the late 1800s perfectly and brings her readers on a lively adventure.”
—Trish Perry, co-author of
The Midwife’s Legacy
Novels of faith, humor, and romance by award-winning author GINNY AIKEN
More from the Women of Hope series
Remember Me When
Inspired by Abigail in 1 Samuel.
Faith Nolan suffers an abusive marriage, but still she risks her safety for others in need. When her perpetually irate husband suddenly turns up dead, Faith is accused as his murderer. One by one, the townsfolk turn against her. She’ll have to rely on the help of handsome local logging camp owner Nathan Bartlett, her new friend Olivia Whitman, and her faith in God to see her through the trial.
She Shall Be Praised
Inspired by The Perfect Wife of Proverbs 31.
Young socialite Emma Crowell is kidnapped on her way to Portland by a band of sheep-rustling thieves. When rancher Peter Lowery comes to retrieve his flock, he offers a distraught Emma refuge until he’s able to take her home. In the meantime, she’ll have to work for her keep—a lifestyle Emma knows nothing about. But the help she needs will be found in a Bible Peter’s late wife left behind.
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Also by Ginny Aiken
Praise for the Women of Hope Series
Newsletters
Copyright
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 by Ginny Anikienko
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First ebook edition: August 2012
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ISBN 978-1-4555-1074-0
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