Maggie joined the laughter that rippled through the crowd.
“Before the toasts begin, I’ve been told that Rylan wishes to say a few words.”
Rylan came forward with Colleen, Delia, and the baby. “It’s grand to be here for this wonderful occasion.” He smiled out over the room, then gazed at his wife. The intimate look they shared made Maggie tingle down to her toes. “We hope Brianna and Gil don’t mind us stealing their thunder with good news of our own. In addition to our beautiful daughter, Delia, Colleen and I are adopting this lovely girl—Ivy Kathleen Beatrice Montgomery.”
When the crowd stopped clapping, Rylan grinned again. “I must say God has a most interesting sense of humor. Not to mention incredible timing.” He gave a low chuckle. “We’ve just learned we’re expecting a baby of our own next spring.”
More applause erupted, and Maggie squeezed Adam’s hand, her heart overflowing. “God is so good to us, Adam.”
He dropped a kiss on her head. “That He is, my love. Now, excuse me, I need to say a few words myself.”
Adam pushed back a rush of nerves as he picked up a glass of champagne from the table. “As best man, it is my duty to toast the bride and groom. Before I get to that, I hope you’ll indulge me for a moment.” His hand trembled slightly while he paused to collect his thoughts. “Most of you know about the recent time I spent in prison. While there, I met a good Christian man who helped me face a few harsh truths about myself and who urged me to reconcile with my family.” Adam swallowed hard, picturing John’s face. “With his guidance, I have learned to appreciate the true importance of family.” Adam looked to the place where he’d seen his parents standing. To Adam’s astonishment, his father had pushed through the crowd and now came forward to wrap Adam in a tight hug. The unexpected action caused a host of emotions to riot through Adam’s system. He clamped his jaw tight so as not to break down in front of everyone.
His father faced the guests. “As most of you know, we’ve been through some trying times of late. Almost losing my Kathleen has made me appreciate all that God has given us.” He glanced at Adam. “I’m very impressed with the way Adam has turned his life around . . . and I’m proud to call him . . . my son.”
He shook Adam’s hand, and they embraced once more. Adam glanced over at his mother, smiling through her tears of happiness. He didn’t dare look at Maggie or he might lose his last thread of control. Instead, he raised his glass. “To Gil and Brianna, may your love endure forever, and may God bless your marriage with great joy and many children.”
“Amen.” The guests applauded and lifted their own glasses.
Adam added a silent prayer of thanks for the second chance he’d been given with his father. For the first time in his life, Adam felt he truly belonged.
Some time later, when the party began to wind down, Adam sought Maggie in the crowd and pulled her off to an alcove for a little privacy. He’d been waiting for the right moment to give her his surprise.
She nestled into his arms with a contented sigh. “Brianna loved her cedar chest. Will you make me one as a wedding present?”
He gazed down at her, wanting to promise her the world. “I’ll do better than that. I’ll build furniture for our whole house.”
“Just where do you plan to find space for more furniture?”
He chuckled at her incredulous expression. “You don’t imagine I’d let you live in that tiny room over the shop, do you?”
She regarded him with a serious stare. “I’d live anywhere with you, my love. As long as we’re together.”
He caressed her cheek. “I love you more than the air I breathe, Maggie, and I hope one day to be worthy of your heart.”
She smiled tenderly. “You don’t have to earn my heart . . . or my love. They’re yours—now and forever.”
Adam’s heart soared with a magnitude of love and tenderness he never dreamed possible. “I have something for you.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope. “An early wedding gift.”
Fascinating creases wrinkled her nose. “But our wedding’s not for months.”
He only smiled. “Open it.”
His pulse rate sprinted as she pulled up the flap and removed the contents. The paper shook in her hand. “Tickets to Ireland?”
He grinned. “I thought we might honeymoon in Cork, and you could show me your hometown.”
“Oh, Adam. This is the most wonderful gift ever.” Moisture shimmered in her eyes. “But how can you afford this?”
“Because of the war, steamer tickets are not much in demand at the moment, and I got a good price.”
She opened her mouth as if to object, but he held up a finger.
“One more thing.” He made sure he had her full attention. He’d seen Maggie’s sadness when she’d thought he wasn’t aware and knew she missed her mother terribly. “If your mother is willing, I thought we could bring her back here . . . to live with us.”
With a strangled cry, Maggie threw her arms around him.
He held her as she wept on his shoulder, satisfaction warming his insides. Happy tears he could handle. “Of course, our trip will depend on the war. After what Gabe went through, we may have to wait.” He pulled back to look at her. “In the meantime, how would you feel about moving up our wedding date?”
Her beaming smile fairly knocked him over. “Will tomorrow do?”
Adam laughed at the light in her eyes and then bent to kiss her again. He gave thanks to God from the depths of his being for the precious gift of her love, for freeing him from the shackles of his past and bestowing on him the promise of a bright future ahead.
With Maggie by his side, he would continue to build the O’Leary legacy and create a most worthy heritage—one that would make his family and his God very proud indeed.
A Note from the Author
A Worthy Heart was a challenging story to write—and even more challenging to edit. Yet in some ways, it makes the end result even sweeter.
First of all, I have a confession to make. In the beginning, I did not like Adam O’Leary, not one little bit. In fact, during the writing of Irish Meadows, I had initially intended for him to play more of an antagonistic role in Gil Whelan’s story. Instead, I basically banished him from the book altogether, hinting that he was on the outs with his father and was potentially involved in some “less than legal” undertakings.
How on earth was I going to make him the hero of A Worthy Heart when I didn’t even like him?
But then an amazing thing happened. The more I delved into Adam’s backstory and his true nature, the more I came to love Adam! I only hope I did his character justice and that readers will fall in love with him, too. It took a strong woman like Maggie to see past his mistakes and love him anyway, mirroring the way God loves all His children unconditionally.
I want to thank the wonderful team at Bethany House for all their hard work on my behalf. In particular, thank you to Dave Long and Charlene Patterson for their excellent editorial input and advice! Thank you also to Noelle Buss and Amy Green for helping this newbie navigate the promotional aspect of publication. Their patience and generosity are greatly appreciated!
Once again, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my wonderful critique partners, Julie Jarnagin and Sally Bayless, who went above and beyond the call of duty with many quick turnarounds! I am most grateful for their friendship and support.
And of course, I have to thank my family—my husband, Bud, and my children, Leanne and Eric—for their continued love and encouragement!
I am so happy to be a part of the Bethany House team of authors. I feel blessed to be able to share my stories with you all!
Warmest wishes,
Susan
About the Author
Susan Anne Mason describes her writing style as “romance sprinkled with faith.” She loves incorporating inspirational messages of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness into her characters’ journeys. A Worthy Heart is her second novel in the COURAGE TO DREAM series
, which features the O’Leary family. The first book in the series, Irish Meadows, won the Fiction from the Heartland contest sponsored by the Mid-American Romance Authors chapter of RWA.
Susan lives outside Toronto, Ontario, with her husband, two children, and two cats. She loves red wine and chocolate, is not partial to snow even though she’s Canadian, and is ecstatic on the rare occasions she has the house to herself. In addition to writing, Susan likes to research her family history online and occasionally indulges in scrapbooking. Learn more about Susan and her books at www.SusanAnneMason.com.
Books by Susan Anne Mason
COURAGE TO DREAM
Irish Meadows
A Worthy Heart
Resources: bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook
Website: www.bethanyhouse.com
Facebook: Bethany House
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