Hopeful Hearts

by Diann Hunt

  Abigail swallowed the tears that threatened. She hadn’t thought of that before. Somehow, it made her feel better to think her mother had shown a hint of caring by leaving Abigail with her real father and his wife. And how thankful Abigail was for that! She couldn’t wish for a better mother than Lavina O’Connor. “Thank you, Titus.”

  “For what?”

  “For reminding me how blessed I am.”

  He smiled. “No, I’m the one who is blessed.”

  She studied him. “And how is that?”

  He pulled the horses to the edge of the country road and turned to her. “Because you have forgiven me.”

  She felt her face grow warm.

  Titus grabbed her hands. “I don’t know if I dare presume further, but I can’t wait another moment.”

  Abigail heard the seriousness in his voice and looked up at him. “Titus, what is it?”

  “Abigail O’Connor, I have loved you from the moment I saw you in the mercantile. I tried to convince myself it wasn’t so, but I couldn’t deny it. With all that’s happened, I don’t know if you could ever feel for me—”

  Abigail reached up and pressed her gloved hand against his lips. “I feel the same.”

  He stared at her in disbelief. “You do?”

  She pulled her hand away, nodded, and smiled.

  Scooting closer to her on the seat, Titus reached one arm around her back and with his other arm pulled her to him. Beneath the twinkling stars, his lips pressed soft and moist against her own, his arms slowly pulling her tighter against him. Dizziness enveloped Abigail. White lights sparked behind her eyelids as she melted into the kiss. A distant train whistle blew softly into the night air while Abigail O’Connor prayed the moment would never end.

  After dropping Abigail off at her home, Titus warred with himself all the way to his house. He wanted to ask Abigail to marry him, but how could he? Being the family chauffeur could hardly appeal to a woman. No, he needed a good job that would provide for a family. But good jobs were hard to come by. He pondered the matter over and over in his mind.

  By the time he got the horses unhitched and put in the barn, he was worn out with thinking. His ma and Jenny were asleep when he slipped quietly into the house. His mind continued to work the matter over as he shrugged out of his clothes and pulled on his night clothes. One thing he knew for sure: when he went to the O’Connors’ in the morning, he would let them know he needed to get a different job. With that decision made, Titus climbed into bed and went straight to sleep.

  The next morning, Titus had barely stepped into the barn when Thomas O’Connor came out to meet him. “Titus, could you come into the house and meet me in my study, please?”

  “Sure, Mr. O’Connor,” Titus said, tethering his horse to a nearby post.

  Fear tugged at Titus as he took steps toward the house. Perhaps Abigail had told her parents what had happened last night and they didn’t approve. What then? Would he have to give her up again? No, he couldn’t do that. But neither would he want to cause strife between Abigail and her parents. His stomach churned. Abigail let him in. Her smile chased away his fear for the moment, but as soon as he entered the study and saw Mr. O’Connor, the fear returned sevenfold.

  “Close the door behind you, Titus, and have a seat,” Mr. O’Connor said, pointing to a chair.

  The leather chair squeaked beneath Titus as he sat down. He swallowed hard and looked at Mr. O’Connor.

  “Now, Titus, I want you to know we’ve appreciated having you help us out these past months as our driver, and you can continue on if you would like, but …”

  Titus could feel sweat forming on the back of his neck. Here it comes. The speech about leaving his daughter alone.

  “What I’d really like to do is get you to work at the railroad.”

  Titus almost choked. “What?”

  “I haven’t said anything before now because there just wasn’t a position available. But someone has recently moved on, and I’d like to see you get the job. You’d have to be trained, of course. It would be good pay, I can assure you. Enough to set aside a handsome sum for medical school, I would imagine.”

  Titus’s jaw dropped. Mr. O’Connor laughed. “I can see I’ve caught you by surprise. You don’t have to decide right now if you’d rather not, but just let me know—”

  “Oh, I can tell you right now. I accept!”

  The two men chatted on about the job vacancy and what Titus’s duties would entail. Finally, after mustering the courage, Titus asked Mr. O’Connor for permission to marry his daughter. The older man didn’t seem at all surprised, and after giving the appropriate fatherly speech, he gave his full blessing.

  With those matters behind them, they left the sitting room. Mr. O’Connor took Titus into the drawing room, where Abigail, Eliza, and Mrs. O’Connor sat in front of the fireplace.

  “Well, ladies, I have an announcement to make,” Mr. O’Connor proclaimed.

  They all looked at him. “Mr. Matthews, here, has agreed to take a position with me at the railroad.”

  Mrs. O’Connor clasped her hands together in glee. Abigail and Eliza shared a knowing smile. They all jumped up to congratulate him. When the commotion finally died down, Mrs. O’Connor got tea for everyone, and they sat down together.

  “You see, Titus, that has been Thomas’s plan all along. To get you in the railroad, I mean. He just had to wait for the opening to present itself.” She smiled and took a drink of tea.

  “You brought me here to work for you with that in mind?” Titus asked, amazed at God’s goodness.

  Mr. O’Connor smiled and nodded. “I knew the other man was leaving but wasn’t sure how soon, so I had to bide my time.”

  The next hour was spent with excited chatter over the news. When Titus caught Abigail’s look, he thought she appeared almost sad. Why wouldn’t she be happy for him? He finally said he needed to go outside. He got up and noticed Abigail a little ways behind him. She followed him to the door.

  “I left something in the wagon; I need to get it out,” she said as she stepped through the door just behind him. They walked out to the barn together. She reached into the wagon and pulled a book from the seat. Starting to turn, Titus grabbed her arm.

  “Are you upset?”

  Tears sprang to her eyes.

  “Abigail, what is it?”

  “I’ll miss you,” she said in a weak voice.

  He threw back his head and laughed.

  “Well, I don’t think it’s so funny,” she said, her nose pointing heavenward.

  He placed his hands on her arms. “No, you don’t understand. I thought something else was going on. You had me worried.”

  She looked at him, puzzled.

  “Look, Abigail.” He glanced around the barn. “This is hardly the place I wanted to do this, but I don’t think I can wait a moment longer. I feel as though I could burst.”

  “What is it?”

  “I want to marry you, Abigail O’Connor. I didn’t know how I could ask you on a chauffeur’s salary, but your father’s offer has made everything possible. Ma has agreed to work for Sophia, so I don’t have to worry about her being cared for.” He stopped and took a breath. A look of apprehension settled upon him. “That is, if you’ll have me.” His fingers lifted her chin until their eyes met. “Abigail O’Connor, will you marry me?”

  She gasped. “Oh yes! Titus, I will marry you!” Before she could take another breath, he scooped her tiny frame up into his arms and swung her around several times.

  They finally stopped to catch a breath. With a gentle touch, Titus’s arms encircled her as he pulled her to him. “Abigail, I’ve never been this happy in my life. I couldn’t have dreamed you’d be the one. Yet God knew.” He brushed a red curl from her eye. “The tiny baby in the basket was no secret to Him at all.”

  Abigail smiled up at him.

  “I love you, Abigail O’Connor.” He leaned toward her, his lips caressing her own with a passion that said she belonged to him.
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br />   When she pulled away, she looked into his eyes. “I love you, Titus Matthews.”

  She snuggled into him, and in the quiet of that moment, their declaration of love mingled with the morning air and lifted on the breeze toward heaven.

  Bestselling author Diann Hunt writes romantic comedy and warm-hearted women’s fiction. Since 2001, she has published four novellas, nineteen novels and co-authored a devotional for the CBA market.

  Her novels have placed in the Holt Medallion Contest, won the prestigious ACFW Carol Award, and served as a Women of Faith pick.

  Diann has five granddaughters and two grandsons whom she loves to spoil (hoping one day they will throw her a 50th anniversary bash in Hawaii) and she lives in Indiana with her real-life hero-husband of 37 years.