© 2012 by Annalisa Daughety
Print ISBN 978-1-61626-740-7
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
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
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Epilogue
About the Author
Dedication
To Kelly Shifflett. God didn’t give me a sister, but He gave me you as a friend—and for that I am grateful.
Thank you for cheering me on and for offering insight as I wrote this book. We’ve shared so many adventures together and I have no doubt there are more to come.
Acknowledgments
Writing a novel can be a daunting task. Sometimes I learn many more life lessons than my characters do. This book in particular was hard for me on many levels and I am thankful for those who helped make it possible. Thanks to:
My heavenly Father. You continue to bless me even though I fall short time and again. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to write, and I pray my stories always glorify You.
Vicky Daughety. If not for you, I’m not sure this one would’ve gotten finished! Thanks, Mom, for “curbside meal service” and for being my first reader.
Jan Reynolds. For brainstorming and critiquing—and for always being honest about what is working and what isn’t. It takes a village to write a book, and I’m glad you’re part of mine!
Kristy Coleman. You gave me input on this book—and a ton of encouragement and prayers as I was trying to finish it. I appreciate that more than you know!
Vickie Fry. For the prayers, encouragement, and input.
I love knowing that no matter how crazy my questions are, you will answer willingly and honestly.
Dax Torrey. You believe in me even when I don’t believe in myself, and that means the world. Thank you for lending your grammatical expertise and the occasional character trait. Anyway…
Megan Reynolds. For checking on me even when I’m in scary deadline mode, and for always making me laugh no matter how stressed I am. Thanks, also, for “taking one for the team” and going with me to Hot Springs for a spa day.
Always be joyful. Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:16–18 NLT
Chapter 1
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Date: August 17, 4:45 p.m.
Subject: Mandatory Meeting
There will be a mandatory staff meeting on Monday at noon in the boardroom. I look forward to seeing everyone there.
Violet Matthews was usually the last to arrive to the office. But not today. Today was a special day. A life-changing day. She’d started counting down to noon as soon as her feet hit the floor that morning. She’d never looked forward to a Monday before.
Her iPhone rang as she pulled into an empty spot in the parking lot of her Little Rock office. “This is Violet,” she said, turning off the engine.
“Don’t ever get married. Whatever you do, no matter how cute he is or how tired you are of checking that ‘single’ box, don’t do it. Your life will never be the same,” Reagan McClure declared.
“Chad out of town again?” Violet grinned. Her best friend offered the same advice at least once a month, usually whenever her husband of ten years was traveling on business.
Reagan sighed. “Not only is he out of town. He’s in Vegas. Vegas. For a week. He’s at some conference, and as luck would have it, the kids are getting over the stomach flu. I’m pretty sure Dante may have had my life in mind in some of his writings.”
“That bad, huh?” Violet couldn’t help but chuckle. “I don’t recall the staying-home-with-four-sick-kids-while-husband-is-away part of the Inferno, but it’s been a few years since I’ve read it.” It did sound pretty awful, but she’d never say that to Reagan.
“Don’t make fun. I’m seriously losing it here. I don’t remember the last time I had on something that was clean, and earlier this morning I scared myself when I looked in the mirror. No wonder Chad wants to be in Vegas.”
Violet shook her head. “Chad loves you and the kids. I feel certain that he didn’t arrange this trip to purposefully get out of helping you.” She’d known Chad McClure since their freshman year of college. He’d doted on Reagan since he’d first laid eyes on her all those years ago, and from what Violet could tell, not much had changed.
Reagan groaned. “Don’t you know you’re supposed to be on my side even when I’m being unreasonable? Don’t take up for him.”
“I am on your side. I just hate to hear you so upset. Isn’t there someone you can call to come over and help out?”
“My parents are too far away to help, and you know how Chad’s mom is. Anytime I ask her to do anything, she uses it as an opportunity to point out all my failings as a mother and a wife.”
Chad’s mom was a piece of work, that was for sure. Violet had heard some of her “helpful advice” over the years, and it was no wonder Reagan didn’t want to call her. “I’ll do better, I promise. Do you want me to come over and watch the kids tonight so you can take a hot bath or go for a run or something?”
Reagan sniffed. “You’re so nice. But no. The last thing you need is to catch whatever awful virus they have. Thanks though.”
“The offer stands if you change your mind.” Violet climbed out of her SUV and slung her bag over her shoulder. “I’d bet
ter run. Today’s a big meeting, and I have a ton to do beforehand.”
“I totally forgot this was the big day. Call me later and give me the details, okay? Although I’ll never understand why you’d even want a promotion, seeing as how you don’t like your job at all.”
It was the biggest source of contention between them. Reagan had always thought she was crazy for not following her dreams, but Violet had opted for a safer route. “Don’t be silly. I’m thrilled. Besides, I’m kind of far along the path to change course now, don’t you think?” She said good-bye and hurried toward the multistory building.
“Nice dress,” Kelsey Klein said, giving Violet the once over as she entered the lobby. “But you look more like a forties pinup girl than a lawyer.” She glanced around the tastefully decorated lobby with its neutral colors and back at Violet’s emerald-green dress. “If it weren’t for you, I swear I’d drown in a sea of beige.” Kelsey had begun working as the office manager and receptionist after she’d graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in May. Only Violet knew she was biding her time and getting some experience until she could find a marketing position somewhere. “Where did you find that dress anyway? I could never pull off that look, but you sure do.”
Violet smoothed the full skirt of her latest vintage find. “A little shop in New Orleans. I was down there last month for a conference and managed to slip out for the afternoon and go to a vintage store Reagan told me about.” She grinned. “You’re right about one thing, though. It’s forties style. My favorite.” She gave a little twirl, and the skirt flowed around her. “Can’t you just imagine all the wonderful places this dress has been?”
Kelsey laughed. “You were definitely meant for a different time.” She raised her perfectly arched eyebrows that were just a shade darker than her blond hair. “Any idea what the big meeting is about today? When your dad asked me to schedule it in the boardroom, I tried to get him to tell me what was going on.” She shrugged. “He was totally closemouthed though.”
Sampson Matthews was definitely a man of few words, at least until you put him in a courtroom. “I’m not sure.” Violet almost shared her suspicion about the meeting with Kelsey, but thought better of it. The girl was nice and all, but she could give the town crier a run for his money. “Any calls for me?”
Kelsey shook her head. “Not so far. Want me to put them to voice mail?”
“Please.” She needed a few uninterrupted hours to go over the stack of paperwork on her desk.
“Oh, wait. There was one call for you. Your mom. Since you weren’t here, I sent her to your dad.”
“What did she want?”
“She mentioned something about your grandmother, but I’m not sure what she was talking about.”
Violet froze. Her only living set of grandparents lived in Hot Springs, a little more than an hour away from Little Rock. Surely everything was okay or else they would’ve called Violet on her cell. Still, though. They were in their eighties and not as spry as they used to be. “Okay, thanks. I’ll call her soon.” She stepped into her office and closed the door.
She sank into the leather chair behind her desk and picked up the framed picture she kept on her desk. It had been taken the day she’d graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law. Grandpa Matthews had still been alive then, and he beamed in the picture, thrilled that his oldest granddaughter had followed in his footsteps. She’d promised him on that day that she’d someday move back to Little Rock and work in the firm he had founded.
She carefully put the photo back on the desk. It was hard to believe it had been seven years since graduation. After two years of living and working in DC, she’d followed up on her promise to her grandfather and joined the family firm. The past five years she’d worked hard, rarely even taking a sick day—much less a vacation.
And all her hard work would soon pay off.
Violet grinned with anticipation. Noon couldn’t come soon enough.
Jackson Stratford had lost track of what the blond across the table was talking about. He forced himself to smile and nod at what seemed to be appropriate intervals, but mostly he just couldn’t believe he’d let his life get to this point.
Maybe his rule of never dating a girl over the age of twenty-three needed to be reevaluated.
“Are you even listening to me?” Whitney asked.
He nodded. “Of course. You were saying something about your last trip to the lake.” He took a stab, pretty sure he’d heard the words lake and boat at some point during the past twenty minutes.
She flashed a smile and a dimple. “Yes.” She tossed her hair. “So anyway. Megan had brought her dog with us, and it was not okay with being on a boat.” She rolled her eyes. “And I was like, are you kidding me? Your stupid dog is going to get all boat sick, and I just had it cleaned.” Whitney sighed. “Megan said it would be fine, but then the dog got sick. Needless to say, we’re not speaking now.”
“You and Megan or you and the dog?” Jackson asked, grinning.
Whitney giggled. “Megan, silly. Dogs don’t speak.”
Jackson took a sip of his Dr Pepper as Whitney rambled on. He deserved this. At least that’s what his friend Jeff would say. Jackson’s dating habits might be the only thing the two of them disagreed on. That and their running Braves versus Cardinals argument.
“Do you?” Whitney asked.
Jackson furrowed his brow. “Do I what?” This time he had no clue what she might be talking about.
“Want to drive to Dallas next weekend? There’s a really cool music festival going on.”
Outdoor music festivals used to be one of Jackson’s favorite things. But last year at Little Rock’s Riverfest, his date had thrown up on his shoes and then a drunk guy in the parking lot had dinged his new Range Rover, and his opinion of music festivals had begun to change. In fact, Jackson felt certain he wasn’t up for that kind of fun any longer. “I believe I’ll pass.”
Whitney frowned. “Are you sure? The weather is supposed to be great, and there are some awesome bands playing.” She grinned. “Maybe even some that you’ve heard of. You know, like, from the eighties.”
“Very funny.” Both times they’d gone out, Whitney had been appalled at the preset stations on his satellite radio. “For your information, music today is not nearly as good as it was in the seventies or eighties.”
“You sound just like my uncle. He’s always trying to get me to listen to some big-haired eighties band. The other day he asked me if I’d heard of Cinderella.” She giggled. “I totally thought he meant the Disney princess.”
Jackson groaned. He’d been a Cinderella fan back in the day. “Just out of curiosity, how old is your uncle?”
“Way old. Like in his forties.” She widened her blue eyes.
And that would about do it for this friendship. Jackson’s next cake would have thirty-six candles on it.
“Do you have any aunts?” he asked with a grin.
Chapter 2
Violet Matthews: SORRY YOU’RE HAVING A BAD DAY. WHEN CHAD GETS BACK, LET’S PLAN A GNO. (Text message sent August 20, 11:48 a.m.)
Reagan couldn’t remember her last girls’ night out. Probably before the twins were born, which meant at least ten months ago. A night out would be fun, but what she’d rather have was a nap. And a shower that lasted more than five minutes.
She responded to Violet’s text and tossed her phone onto the coffee table that had two little tooth-shaped chunks out of the corner, compliments of her oldest child, Izzy. Now that she was five, she no longer chewed on the furniture, but she found other ways to wreak havoc. Like last week when she finger painted a family portrait on the bathroom wall.
“Mommy, my tummy is grumpy.” Ava Grace peeked her blond head around the corner. “And Scarlett is crying.” She clutched her ever-present pink bunny. “But not Simon, he’s sleeping.” At three, Ava Grace was her mommy’s eyes and ears. She watched her younger siblings like a hawk, always happy to report what they were up to. Reagan susp
ected that someday they’d call her a tattletale, but for now she was happy to have her daughter’s reports.
Reagan frowned at the baby monitor sitting on the table. She hadn’t heard any cries. Had it stopped working? “Okay, sweet girl.” She picked up Ava Grace. No fever, so that was a good sign. “Do you want to eat a bite? Maybe some toast or crackers?” Izzy had been well enough to go back to school today, but the other three were still feeling puny.
Ava Grace nodded, her blond curls bouncing. “Goldfish.”
Reagan put Ava Grace in her booster chair and poured some Goldfish on a paper plate. “Here you go, sweetie.” She put the plate on the table in front of her daughter. “Do you want a drink?”
“Yes.”
Reagan grabbed the Dora the Explorer sippy cup from the fridge and put it on the table. “Here’s your drink. I’m going to run up and check on the twins.”
Ava Grace nodded, her mouth already full of Goldfish.
Reagan picked up the baby monitor and held it to her ear. Silence. Great. Something was wrong with the monitor. Just one more thing to add to the list.
She hurried up the stairs to the nursery. She’d complained when they first moved into the house that the master bedroom was on the bottom floor and all the rest of the bedrooms were upstairs. But Chad had been sure it wouldn’t matter much, and the house had been the right price.
Four kids later and Reagan was certain whoever had come up with the layout was somewhere laughing about the poor mothers having to go up and down stairs a million times a day to their kids’ rooms.
She peeked into the nursery. Even though she’d hoped to redo it after moving Ava Grace into her own room, it was still the same pink it had been since Izzy was a baby.
Poor Simon. The lone boy in the family deserved a room filled with baseballs and boats. But she’d been too busy with Izzy and Ava Grace, and then she’d spent the last month of her pregnancy on bed rest for high blood pressure.
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