“Who cares what other people say?” Graham, Mick’s stepfather, grunted.
“Graham!” Lorraine shushed her husband. “They’re perfectly capable of making their own decisions.”
Carly let out a small laugh.
“Well, I say, it’s your life. If you two are happy with one another, then to hell with all the naysayers!”
Lorraine gasped. “Mind your language, mister!”
Mick grinned at Carly. “I have to say, I’m with Graham on this one.”
Carly nodded, tears streaming down her face. “Me too.”
“Are they going to kiss?” Jenna’s son, Rory, asked loudly the way that children often did. “Eww! Why do grown-ups always have to kiss?”
“Rory, hush now,” Jenna scolded.
“Are we?” Mick asked.
“Are we what?” Carly asked.
Mick smiled, as handsome as ever. “Are we going to kiss?”
Carly smiled and glanced over at the room. Mick’s mother was looking on at them with her hands clasping Graham’s. Ethan stood next to Mallory, who carried their daughter on her hip. Jenna had her kids sitting by her feet, and Dave stood by the kitchen doorway with a chef’s hat on. Charlotte squeezed her hand. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come to me...I don’t want to trip over anything and hurt myself,” she said with a shy smile.
Mick weaved across the room, stepping over throw pillows and a children’s board game, to where Carly stood. Gazing into Carly’s eyes, he took her face in his hands and asked, “Have I told you lately that I love you?”
Carly nodded. “Every day.”
“I love you, Carly Matthews,” Mick said.
The words warmed her and filled her with renewed hope. He loved her, and she loved him. In the end, that was all that mattered. “Ditto,” Carly said as Mick kissed her gently on the lips.
“That’s just gross!” Rory moaned, while everyone around them laughed and cheered.
Epilogue
Two years later
Mick got out of the car and locked it. Carly was expecting him to pick her up at three o’clock when the gallery closed. He checked his watch. It was two minutes to three.
He pushed the door open, and it was as if he had magically stepped out of Willow Oaks and in to another world altogether. The sound of soft music playing featured a piano and the faint chirping of birds.
In the middle of the room was a small water feature. It was, in Mick’s opinion, the best part of the store. Goldfish swam freely, and the small water fountain provided a sense of calm. Carly had designed the gallery to look as if it was a greenhouse, just like the one at the White Willow B&B where they had spent that one afternoon painting. And amidst the plants hung all her paintings.
“There he is.” Carly beamed when she spotted Mick.
Mick smiled to find Carly sitting on the white couch feeding the baby with a bottle. She looked serene... happy. “How are my favorite girls?” Mick approached mother and daughter and leaned in for a kiss. “How was Ava today?” He looked at his daughter, who was nestled in the crook of Carly’s arm, snuggled against her chest.
“Absolutely perfect.”
Mick was taken by Carly’s radiance. “Even during the class?” Carly had begun teaching painting classes, and Mick enjoyed listening to all the stories she shared with him.
Carly nodded. “I had her in the baby sling and she was snug as a little bug.”
Mick smoothed little Ava’s head with his finger. “She is perfect, isn’t she? Just like her mother.” It warmed his heart every time he saw Carly with Ava. “Did the class go well?”
“Oh, Mick, it was such a wonderful class. I had some people from out of town too. Can you believe it?”
“Never doubted it.”
“They’re staying at the White Willow, and Amy and Sam had suggested they take the class while they’re in town.”
“Oh now, speaking of the White Willow, what time are your sisters arriving?”
“Caitlin’s family arrives tonight. And Courtney and family should be here by tomorrow morning.”
“So who’s staying at the B&B?”
“Courtney’s family. Caitlin’s staying at Mom and Dad’s.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if they stayed with us, rather than the B&B?” Mick asked.
“I didn’t think of that. You don’t mind?”
“Of course, not. They’re family.”
Carly smiled. “I’ll give her a call and let her know.”
“I’m really glad to see you guys getting closer.” Thinking about his own journey, rebuilding his relationship with his family has been a gift. He never thought he’d see the day when he was back in Willow Oaks.
“Me too. I really think the sessions with my therapist have helped me to move forward.”
“We all need a hand sometimes.”
“Anyway, I can’t believe how big their kids have gotten. They’re really looking forward to seeing Ava.” Carly cooed to her baby. “How was your day?”
“It was a good day—until now.”
Carly frowned. “Until now? What happened?”
“Now, it’s perfect,” Mick grinned. “Oh, and you’ll never guess who called me today!”
“Who?”
“You didn’t even try to guess!”
Carly laughed. “Was it Oprah?”
“Why would Oprah ever call me?”
“Wishful thinking, I guess.” Carly laughed and took the near-empty bottle from Ava’s lips and put the cover back on. She wiped Ava’s little mouth with a baby cloth and then kissed her baby’s cheek. “Okay, so who called you?”
“Jodie Ann Keller.”
CARLY LOOKED UP AT Mick in surprise. “Jodie Ann Keller?”
“Well, it’s Jodie Ann Cooper now, it seems.”
“What did she say?” Jodie Ann Keller—that was a name she hadn’t heard in a long time.
“I don’t really know. It was a surprise to begin with. But then we got to talking about what we’ve both been doing. I told her about you and Ava. And she told me about her husband, Richard. They have three children and they’re talking about moving back here.”
“Here? To Willow?”
“Mm-hmm,” Mick gathered Ava’s baby bag from under the coffee table, where Carly kept it most days. “Ready to go?”
“What else did she say?”
Mick slung the bag over his shoulder and smiled. “You’re not jealous, are you?”
Carly twisted her mouth. “Should I be?”
Mick put the bag back down and took Carly’s hand, helping her up. “Come here, you.” He pulled Carly close to him and kissed Ava’s cheek. Then, gazing in to her eyes, Mick kissed Carly. “Never.”
Carly melted in to Mick’s kiss. She closed her eyes. They’ve been married two years now and still, Mick’s kisses had a way of making her weak in the knees. Going to see Mick that day when he was at his mother’s house had been the best decision she had ever made in her life. “Who knew that life could be so wonderful?” she whispered against Mick’s chest.
“I did,” he said. “I knew life with you would be wonderful.”
“I’m glad you chased me and didn’t give up.”
Mick looked at her, his eyes smiling. “May I remind you, Mrs. Myers—it was you who chased this gorgeous specimen.”
Carly laughed. She liked the way he made her laugh. She liked the way he laughed.
“So, did you sell anything today?”
Carly nodded. I had an online order come through. They bought my painting of the greenhouse.
“Really? That’s brilliant, darling! You’re an absolute star. It won’t be long before your paintings replace those of van Gogh.”
Carly shook her head. “No one can ever replace Vincent van Gogh. And besides, I’m just grateful to be able to do what I love.” If anyone had told her that one day, she would be married to the most amazing man in the world, mother to the most perfect little baby, and owner of the coolest little art gallery in Willow Oaks, s
he never would have believed them.
“You know,” Carly continued, “I never thought that I’d ever be able to share my paintings with the world.” The secret was out. After she and Mick had opened the gallery, the townsfolk recognized her painting style. They knew instantly that she had been the one leaving anonymous paintings around town.
“I really am so proud of you.” Mick brushed a finger across her cheek.
Carly gazed at her husband. “I love you, NYJedi.”
“I love you too, Willow Girl,” Mick said, “today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life. My love for you is timeless.”
Ava let out a little cry.
“And I love you too, my princess,” Mick bent down and kissed her on the head.
While Mick kissed Ava on the head, Carly kissed him on his. Life really did have a funny way of working out. And as for her relationship with God, Carly had found a renewed faith in him. She was ever so grateful that God had ignored her challenge to just take her from the earth on the day of her double mastectomy. It seemed that he had other plans for her. And so far, his plans had been so much better than hers ever were.
“Ready?” Mick asked.
Carly nodded. “Always.”
THANK YOU
Thank you for reading Love Me Timeless – A Willow Oaks Sweet Romance. I hope you enjoyed following the journey of Mick and Carly, as they learned about life, boundaries, and true love.
If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review.
This is the final book in the Willow Oaks Sweet Romance series. I have truly enjoyed dreaming up the town of Willow Oaks and all of its residents. Bringing the town to life has been a truly amazing experience. Thank you for being with me every step of the way. I hope you will follow the next series, Mulberry Lane.
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SNEAK PEEK OF TEA FOR THREE – A MULBERRY LANE NOVEL
Keep reading for a sneak peek of Tea for Three – A Mulberry Lane Novel.
The next series casts a wider net across to inspirational women’s fiction. For this book, I explored the issues and hidden burdens that many women carry as daughters, mothers, wives, and partners.
Tea for Three is an inspirational story about three very different women who come together in the face of adversity and despair.
ABOUT TEA FOR THREE – A MULBERRY LANE NOVEL
Three women
Three cups of tea
Three new beginnings
Sarah Gardner's husband went to sleep one night in November and never woke up. At forty-years-old, the new widow is left to care for their three children, all of whom are under the age of five.
Twenty-five-year-old Filipina, Kate Morgan, thought she had met the man of her dreams during what was a perfect summer vacation. Now married to the handsome American who had swept her off her feet, and over 8000 miles away from home, Kate soon realizes that her mother was right: vacations end and people change.
Louise Delaney couldn’t ask for anything more. At fifty-nine, she had enjoyed almost four decades of blissful marriage to Warren—may his soul rest in peace. But Louise’s seemingly perfect world is upended when she gets a visit from a sixteen-year-old who says she is Warren’s daughter.
Three exceptional women—each of whose hearts are broken into a million pieces—come together in this extraordinary tale of life, love, and true friendship.
Prologue
Sarah Gardner
Three weeks earlier, November 23rd
Sarah watched as a white butterfly landed on her husband’s casket as it was lowered into the ground. She couldn’t believe it. Adam was dead. His heart had failed him in his sleep and he never woke up.
The butterfly idly flapped its wings—one, two, three—before slowly taking flight. Sarah sat up straight and rubbed her left wrist with her hand. She felt for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when she’d found it.
Sarah could still remember the feel of Adam’s skin when she rolled over for a cuddle. The morning alarm was yet to go off and she’d woken from the sun’s rays pushing through the curtain. His skin was cold—like ice. Only it didn’t melt like ice.
Just the year before, Adam had insisted on planning their funerals. The idea came after their youngest child was born. He thought it the prudent thing to do. “We don’t want to burden the kids with having to make decisions about our funerals,” he’d said. It was what Adam had to do when his own parents died ten years ago. It was a car accident that took them; sudden and unexpected. He didn’t want Liam, Noah, or Zoe to go through that. So the Gardners met with their insurance company, updated their wills to include funeral arrangements, and even went as far as choosing their caskets. Well—Adam did. Not Sarah. It felt macabre and unnatural to her.
It came as a surprise to Sarah how easily one could buy a casket. She ordered Adam’s online from Costco. During the planning phase, Adam had scoured the internet to find affordable, but ‘stylish’, caskets and showed Sarah the impressive range that Costco had online. “See?” he had boasted. “Take a look at this one, Sarah. It’s perfect. I told you! People waste money when there’s just no need to. We all still end up six feet under—fancy casket and all. Those funeral guys are all crooks!”
Adam meticulously jotted all the details down in the Moleskine notebook she’d bought him for Valentine’s Day earlier that year. If Sarah had known he was going to use it for that specific purpose, she’d have just given him a stack of cheap composition notebooks.
He’d kept the notebook in the top right-hand drawer of his desk. “If anything ever happens to me,” Adam said, “open this drawer and you will find everything you need.” So when the time came to plan his funeral, Sarah opened the top drawer. There it was—just as he said it would be. Adam was always so organized. So much more than she ever was.
Sarah flicked through the pages and ran her fingers over the ridges of Adam’s heavy handwriting. Item 1345273 - The Hampton Casket by Prime - Costco.
She turned the computer on and went on the Costco website. On the search bar, Sarah typed in the item number and hit enter. Sarah’s eyes stung as she read through the product description. For the price of $999.00, Adam would be buried in a casket made of Poplar wood finished with a mahogany gloss. Tears streamed down her face as Sarah continued to read. The casket had a light cream velvet interior.
It had started with a small chuckle. Sarah wiped her tears and smiled. Trust Adam to find a casket that had an adjustable eternal rest bed (both head and foot) and included a matching pillow and throw. Her chuckle turned into a laugh. Hours later, she was still laughing. And when the babysitter returned home with the children, she’d found Sarah laughing hysterically in the study—on the floor. The poor girl called her mother, who then called 911.
The event must have been traumatizing for the babysitter, because after the funeral, she resigned. Immediately after. “There’s no good time to tell you,” she’d said. “So I’ll just go ahead and say it.” And so she did. She’d said it and ended with, “I’m so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Gardner.”
That night, Sarah found herself without both a husband and babysitter. One might joke that they’d ran off with each other; sadly, that wasn’t the case. It was funny, but not funny. No.
Despite her mini-breakdown, however, Sarah had to give it to Adam. His forward planning had helped her get through the toughest challenge of her life to date. The funeral had been well-attended and if Adam could see how many people were at his own funeral, he’d have been pleased and would have given a toast. Thank you all for coming.
Back at the house, everything was perfect—as far as funeral receptions went. From where she sat, Sarah looked around for her children. She had no idea where they were. But she could hear them and took comfort in knowing there were, at the very least, safe at home.
Charlotte, Adam’s cousin and their closest family member in the county, had ca
tered the event. She was the owner of a small cafe in Willow Oaks, which was the next town up from Carlton Bay. If it wasn’t for Charlotte, Sarah would not have known how to cater for a funeral reception. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Charlotte had said when Sarah told her that Adam had specifically wanted her to cater at his funeral. Sarah had even asked if she wanted to read his notebook. Charlotte—bless her sweet heart—had declined.
With everything being managed by Charlotte and her staff, there wasn’t much that Sarah had to do. She performed her widow duties as best as she could by sitting, listening, and nodding when people offered their condolences even if they all said the same things. “He will be missed. Adam was a great guy. Everyone loved him.” Unfortunately, to Sarah, none of what they said mattered. Adam was gone. He didn’t run away with the babysitter. He died and left them for good.
Kate Morgan
KATE’S HUSBAND, EVAN, supplied all of Adam Gardner’s needs when it came to eggs and milk. Adam was the deceased. Adam didn’t buy a lot, mind you; but that was one of the things that the locals of Carlton Bay liked about Evan. He was happy to cater to the needs of anyone, whether they were a big business or a small household.
Adam liked to support the local businesses and farmers alike, and those were the people who’d turned up to his funeral. Kate imagined that they were all thinking the same thing, wondering if they had lost another client—or if the bereaved wife would continue the business relationship.
Being new to the town—and the United States—Kate didn’t really know anyone at the funeral reception. For better or worse, she had gotten used to standing around and being ignored at these small events that her husband, Evan, took her to.
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