“Yes,” Dr. Stein said with a nod of his head. “But let’s start out with just one until Luke gets his bearings. He hasn’t woken up yet from the anesthesia. I’ll send a nurse in to bring you to his room.”
“I’d like to see him, Davinia, if it’s all right with you,” Lionel said to his wife, Davinia, who nodded through her tears. She was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue and sniffling. Relief was etched on her beautiful features.
Callie tugged at her father’s sleeve. “Daddy. Morgan needs to be the one to sit with Luke.”
Lionel frowned. He looked at Callie, then swung his gaze toward Morgan. “Morgan? I know you’re old friends with my son, but at a time like this, one of the family needs to see to him.”
“Daddy, you don’t understand,” Callie said. “It’s so much more than friendship.”
Morgan tugged at Callie’s arm. For so long now she’d stood in the shadows. She’d hidden herself away so that she didn’t have to face rejection or abandonment or pain. She’d been running from the love of a lifetime. And in the process she’d let go of Luke a second time. Fear had ruled her. She wasn’t going to do it anymore. Callie would fight her battle for her at this very moment if she allowed her to. But she couldn’t. Part of reaching out and grabbing ahold of her dreams was to step up and claim them. Right here, right now she was claiming Luke.
Morgan stood up straight and met Lionel’s gaze head-on. “Mr. Duvall, I’m not just Luke’s friend. I’m the woman who loves him. And he loves me too. I was supposed to have dinner with you and your wife and Luke, but I kind of blew it. I hope to still have dinner with you as soon as Luke is feeling up to it. And if God grants me the opportunity, I’m going to be Luke’s wife. I’ll be your daughter-in-law.” Tears welled up in her eyes. It didn’t feel comfortable to lay herself bare in front of everyone, but her heart wouldn’t allow her to walk away from this moment. She owed this moment to Luke. He’d always been so brave and forthright about his feelings. So incredibly honest and loving and true. She had been the one who had wanted to hide in the shadows. She’d lacked faith and courage and conviction. She’d wavered while he’d been as sturdy as an Oak tree.
Her insecurities had led them down the wrong path. Only she could make things right.
“Two years ago I ended things with Luke because I lacked courage. I was so consumed by the past that I couldn’t believe in our future. I didn’t trust what we felt for one another. Luke and I were fortunate to be granted a second chance and I almost blew that too.” She shook her head, her long hair whirling about her shoulders. “Life is too short for that. Luke’s blood clot proves that without a shadow of a doubt. Tomorrow isn’t promised, Mr. Duvall. We have to make the best of today and step up. That’s what I’m doing right now.”
Something flickered in Lionel’s eyes. Morgan chose to believe it was understanding. As rigid as Lionel Duvall could be, he also was a man who fiercely loved his children. There was nothing more powerful for a parent than to know that their child was loved in abundance.
“If you’re the woman he loves, then you belong by his side.” Lionel’s words were straight to the point. “I know Luke would want to see you.”
“Go ahead and sit with Luke, Morgan. He needs you more than anything.” Callie’s gentle encouragement spurred her on. Lionel nodded in agreement.
With a nod of her head she turned toward the nurse, who led her down a long, stark hallway to Luke’s room.
“You can sit by him for a little bit. We’re still waiting for him to awake from surgery. It should be any time now,” the nurse informed her.
Morgan nodded and entered the room. Pain seized her chest at the sight of Luke lying helplessly in the hospital bed, with tubes attached to him. She let out a wounded cry, then clapped her hand over her mouth. Strength. She needed to be brave. For Luke. For his family. For everyone who loved him.
His condition was stable. His prognosis was good. The Lord had watched over Luke and blessed them all.
She made her way to his bedside. His complexion was pale. With his eyes closed he looked incredibly vulnerable. This strong, beautiful man could have been lost to her today. Never again! She was going to cling to Luke as tightly as she could. Morgan reached out and squeezed Luke’s hand.
“Luke. It’s me, Morgan. You’re going to be fine according to your doctor. I’m so sorry for not believing in us. Because the truth is, you’re the center of my world. I love you, Luke Duvall. I’ve loved you for most of my life. Yet a part of me was always afraid. Most of all I think I was afraid you wouldn’t love me in return. Or that you’d leave me. When you come from a broken place it’s hard sometimes to feel whole. I struggle with that, but I promise you from this moment forward I’m going to be a different woman.” She began to cry quietly. “I know what you said is truer than anything. Tomorrow isn’t promised. So we’re going to make the most of every day and love each other like there’s no tomorrow.”
She watched Luke intently, praying for him to open his eyes. Although she could hear his light breathing, he was still out.
“I love you. I love you. I love you.” If she had to say it a million times, she would gladly do so. She needed to make up for lost time.
Luke’s lashes fluttered. Morgan let out a startled gasp. Luke’s unforgettable hazel eyes flickered open.
“Luke! Oh my wonderful Luke,” she cried out, wiping away a river of tears.
“W-what happened?” he asked, his voice raspy.
“You had a blood clot. They think it was from the accident. You’re very lucky, Luke. They managed to get to it in time.” She let out a sob. “We could have lost you.”
“You’re here,” Luke said, his eyes full of questions.
“Yes, I am. And I’m not going anywhere either, so if you’re thinking that you’re going to toss me out on my ear, then think again. I love you, Luke Duvall. My love for you is greater than anything I’ve ever known. It’s greater than pride or fear or self-doubt. I don’t ever want to be away from you. Not ever again.”
Luke flashed a shaky smile in her direction. “Wow. I think it’s almost worth it to be hospitalized just so I could hear you say those three little words to me so many times in a row.”
Morgan began laughing and crying and sniffling, all at the same time.
“You scared us all to death. And I made a bit of a speech to your father so I could be the first person to come in here.”
“Really?” Luke asked. “I wish I’d been a fly on the wall for that one.”
“It was fairly brilliant. And I was very brave.”
“I’ll bet you were,” he said with a grin. “Morgan, can you do something for me?”
“Anything.” And she meant it.
“Can you just say it one more time? Just one more time,” he whispered.
“I love you,” she said in a firm voice as she leaned over his bedside and placed a tender kiss on his lips.
“Hallelujah!” Luke cried out in a rousing voice that caused the nurse to poke her head into the room and shoot them a warning glance.
Morgan and Luke burst into laughter. Luke reached out and pulled her closer to his hospital bed. He laced his fingers through hers. “Thank you, Morgan.”
“For what? I didn’t do anything.”
“Yes, you did. You made all my dreams come true simply by loving me.”
“Oh, I do love you, Luke. Wholly. Unabashedly. Without reservations. Thank you for giving me a second chance to get it right.” She placed a tender kiss on his cheek, joyful in the knowledge that together she and Luke would use their love to light a path through the darkness and extinguish all the shadows.
EPILOGUE
Morgan raced around the cottage in a frantic fashion. Luke would be arriving at any moment and she still had a few small things to figure out. Every last detail had to be right. There wasn’t any room for error. So much was resting on these romantic details. Their entire future for starters.
Lord, I know I’ve been asking for a lot favors late
ly. But this one is pretty important. I just need a favorable answer from Luke. A huge, resounding YES would be wonderful.
The doorbell dinged and she looked around her to make sure everything was set up perfectly. Morgan took a deep breath and pulled the door open. Luke stood there looking tall and handsome. “Hey, beautiful,” he said, flashing her a pearly smile.
The moment he entered the cottage Morgan’s nerves got the best of her.
All of a sudden, Morgan forgot every single last thing she’d planned.
“I have something for you,” she blurted out. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a ring box.
“What is it?” Luke asked, clearly not catching on that she was about to do something over-the-top.
“Oh, Luke. All I want from this moment forward is to spend the rest of my days loving you. Cherishing you. Honoring you. Say yes, and make me the happiest and most grateful woman in the world.”
She opened a blue velvet box. A candy ring pop sat inside.
Luke’s hazel eyes went wide. “Are you asking me to marry you?” Luke asked.
Morgan nodded. “Yes, Luke, I am. Marry me. Love me. Trust and believe that I will never again doubt what we share. Walk through life with me.”
“Wow,” he said, seemily bowled over by her proposal.
She squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to answer right now. Think about it. And don’t forget that I’m a chef. Being married to a chef totally rocks. You’ll never have to cook another meal in your life,” Morgan teased.
Luke dramatically swiped his hand across his forehead. “Phew. Because we both know I can’t boil water.”
“No pressure,” she blurted out, feeling anxious all of a sudden about Luke’s answer.
“There’s only one answer, baby. Yes. Of course I’ll marry you. Gimme that ring.”
“It’s not official until you put it on.” Morgan took the ring pop and slid it on his finger. “Oh, it looks great on you.”
“You really shouldn’t have gone all out on the ring. This must have cost a fortune.” Luke held his hand up high and wiggled his ring finger.
“It’s a family heirloom,” she teased. “Consider yourself very fortunate.”
Luke stroked his jaw. “In a very strange coincidence, I was going to pop the same question to you tonight.”
Morgan’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?”
Luke reached into his pocket and pulled out a cedar wood box. He got down on bended knee and looked up at Morgan. He flashed her a brilliant smile, then flipped the lid open. A gorgeous, sparkling emerald cut diamond winked up at her.
“This was my grandmother’s ring. I inherited it when she passed away. She was a strong, loving woman, much like yourself, Morgan. She’d be proud to have you wear her ring. And I’d be even prouder to call you my wife.”
Morgan squealed, then covered her mouth as emotion took over. Tears slipped down her face and she couldn’t speak for a moment. She had prayed that she and Luke would have a happy ending. There was no man in this world she could imagine being more loving or loyal or God fearing than Luke. And she vowed to never take him or his love for granted. She was in this until death parted them.
“I love you, Luke Duvall. There is nothing in this world I want more than to be married to you. I will happily be your bride. Yes, Luke.” She shook her head as her raven hair swirled around her shoulders. “I’ll joyfully marry you.”
Luke reached for her ring finger and placed the sparkling gem on it. Morgan looked down at her ring finger and let out a sigh. “Oh, it’s stunning.”
Luke leaned down and placed his lips on hers in a touching, tender kiss. “I’ll never get sick of hearing you tell me that you love me.”
“After everything I’ve put you through, I need you to know in no uncertain terms how I feel and what I want for us.” She smirked at him. “I assure you, Luke, my intentions are honorable.”
“My mother will be very pleased to know that. She’s pretty crazy about you. And you should hear the way dad raves about you. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but he’s pretty much referring to you now as the most celebrated chef in Savannah. Then he casually drops in the conversation that you’re his son’s girlfriend.”
Morgan giggled. “Oh, he’s too sweet. What a teddy bear.”
“How are you feeling about your own father now that the dust has settled?”
“I have to admit, I’m still a little confused and hurt about it. I have no idea if we can ever mend that relationship, although I’m happy that I got swabbed for my DNA. If I’m a match I have no qualms about giving bone marrow to my sister.”
“Love doesn’t fix everything. I’m going to help you work through the things that are still bothering you. If you want to seek out a relationship with your father, I’ll support that. If you decide it’s too painful for you to pursue it, I’ll support that also. That’s what marriage is—a partnership. It doesn’t erase our pain or our pasts, but it gives us each other to walk through life with.”
“I’m so blessed to have you.” Morgan sniffled as a wave of emotion crashed over her. They were getting married! She was the luckiest woman in the world.
“We are blessed,” Luke said with a nod of his head.
“I don’t need a fancy wedding or a bazillion guests. I want our families and closest friends there. I want to walk down the aisle to you, secure in the knowledge that nothing can ever tear us apart. I want our joy to radiate in the church like a beacon.”
Luke palmed her cheek. “We’ve been through the fire. And we may have gotten a little bit singed by the flames, but we’re here, loving each other and ready to dedicate the rest of our lives to one another.”
“I can’t wait to tell everyone and show off my ring,” Morgan said, spinning around like a ballerina. “They’ll be so surprised, especially Mama.”
“I can’t wait to wake up with you each and every morning,” Luke whispered.
“Me too. Oh Luke, we really are so incredibly favored. I feel as if I might burst with happiness.”
Morgan reached up and drew Luke’s head down so she could plant a celebratory kiss on his lips. From this point forward there would be no looking back at the past. Their future stretched out before them like a colorful banner—joyful, vibrant, hopeful. No doubt there would be ups and downs, challenges and triumphs, joys and sorrows—but they would face their obstacles head-on and always remember to love and honor one another.
THE END
Falling in Love – August 2016
Charlotte and Marc
“Isn’t life funny? When you least expect it, that’s when trouble rears its ugly head.” Miss Hattie Alexander
Chapter One
Charlotte sat down at the long table in the parlor, her eyes sweeping around the table to get a glimpse of the five other women gathered nearby. All of the owners of Savannah House were assembled at the summons of Mr. Mayhew, the executor of Miss Hattie Alexander’s will.
Her cousin, Callie Holden. Her dearest friends—Olivia Rawlings, Hope Matthews, Fancy Tolliver and Morgan Lucas.
“Ladies, thank you for granting my request for this emergency meeting.” Mr. Mayhew looked perturbed. He was a serious man who wasn’t prone to laughter or frivolity. That being said, he looked even more severe than usual.
What was going on to bring him to Savannah House at the crack of dawn?
“The frantic tone of your voice when you called earlier was a red flag.” Callie’s voice bristled. She leaned forward in her seat, her nerves clearly on edge. “What’s going on?”
Mr. Mayhew swung his gaze around the table. “There’s no simple way to say this, but an individual has come forward to challenge Miss Hattie’s will. He’s claiming to be the sole heir to Savannah House.”
“What do you mean someone is challenging our ownership of Savannah House?” Charlotte asked in a raised voice. “The resort belongs to us.”
“Is this some sort of sick joke?” Fancy slapped her hand down on the mahogany table.
“What exactly is the claim?” Olivia asked.
Mr. Mayhew shuffled through his papers. “A man, approximately 30 years old, is claiming that he’s Miss Hattie’s grandson.”
“Ha!” Hope cried out. “Miss Hattie never had any children.”
Mr. Mayhew nodded. “Not that we know of.”
“Do you actually think this claim has any legitimacy?” Charlotte bit her fingernail, a bad habit she resorted to whenever she felt nervous. Savannah House was their inheritance from Miss Hattie, their beloved benefactor. They had renovated the historic bed and breakfast and spend a great deal of money to modernize it. Savannah House had opened a few weeks ago to sold out rooms. So far, the resort was a smashing success. It would be horrific if someone came along and spoiled their exciting enterprise.
“I have no way of knowing,” Mr. Mayhew said. “My first piece of advice is to retain the services of an attorney. One who specializes in probate matters.” He adjusted his glasses. “If I were in your shoes I would also retain the services of a private investigator. This man, Grayson Holloway, needs to be investigated. Vetted. You’ll save yourselves a lot of attorney’s fees and time and stress by cutting to the chase. A P.I. might be able to discover some red flags that would undermine his claim right from the get-go.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Olivia said with a fierce nod of her head. She looked around at the other ladies. “What do you guys think?”
“I’m in agreement. I’m going to call Mac and ask for his cousin Parker’s number. Even though he’s in Pelican Bay, Florida, he travels for jobs. He’s the P.I. who helped Mac track me down, so I’m a big believer in his work.”
Mr. Mayhew closed his briefcase and stood up from the table. “I’ll let you ladies discuss this amongst yourselves. My work here is done.”
For Love Alone (Secrets of Savannah Book 4) Page 15