“Hi,” she said, feeling unaccountably awkward. You’d think they would have perfected the exchange of Mikey by now, but it still felt strange every time.
“There’s something else in the bag,” Corbin said.
She frowned. “What is it?”
“Look.”
She did, hesitantly, and when she found a small velvet box, her heart hitched. What in the world?
“Go to Mom, like we talked about,” he said gently, and Mikey scrambled down the steps. Corbin took Mikey’s place beside Samantha.
Cheryl came out of the same bushes where Samantha had hidden all those weeks ago, watching over Mikey until Corbin found him. “Come on,” Cheryl said, holding out a hand to Mikey. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Cheryl was here?
But she couldn’t think about that because now Corbin was taking her hand, holding it in both of his. “Open the box,” he said.
She stole a glance at his face and then looked down at the box, withdrew her hand from his, and carefully opened it.
Inside was a beautiful square diamond in an antique setting.
Samantha couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. She just stared at it as the world seemed to spin around her.
“I want you to marry me.”
The spinning got faster as she looked from the ring to his serious, handsome face.
“Don’t answer. Just think about it.” He sank to his knees on the step below her. “I made so many mistakes, said such awful things, but I was wrong. I love you, Samantha. I’ve loved you since high school, and I’ll always love you. So I just had to try.”
“To...to try.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Samantha,” he said, his voice sounding dogged now, like he was getting to the end of a speech he’d rehearsed, “will you marry me?”
Now her heart was hammering so hard that she couldn’t have stood up if her life depended on it. She stared at Corbin’s dear face and didn’t dare believe that he was serious, that this was really happening. “But you’re angry with me.”
“I’m not, and I was wrong to feel that way even for a minute. You did what you had to do for Mikey, and I love that about you. I’m the one who was wrong.”
“And you really want to...to marry me?” He actually seemed to mean it, seemed to be proposing marriage, and underneath her shock, a thrilled kind of excitement was starting to rise. “Shouldn’t we date first?”
“Yes!” He eased onto the steps beside her and took her hand in his. “Yes, we should, and we will. We’ll go to movies and nice dinners and...and bowling and...”
“Bowling?” she asked, her mouth curving up into a smile. “Do you like bowling?”
“With you, it would be fun. Anything would be fun. Samantha, we’ve lived in the same house and eaten together and cared for a child together—”
“We’ve screwed up and lost him together,” Samantha interrupted.
“And found him together. And I want to keep doing things together. So yeah, let’s date. But I already know how I feel, and nothing’s going to change it.”
She stared at him, getting a little lost in his eyes.
“You can take as long as you need,” he repeated.
She sucked in a breath and finally let herself believe this was really happening. Joy exploded like fireworks in her chest. “I think I know, too.”
“You do?”
She nodded. “I’m saying yes. I’ll marry you.”
“All right!” There was joy on his face as he drew her into his arms. He held her against him for a moment, their hearts beating together, and then he took her chin in his hand and kissed her with all the tenderness and all the promise in the world.
A while later, there was a shout, and Mikey came running into the yard, Cheryl right behind him. “Gotta get truck!” he yelled as he ran into the house, accidentally letting Boomer escape. So Boomer ran around the front yard in circles, and Mikey came back out and zoomed around with his big plastic truck, and Cheryl laughed and tried to catch them both. Of course, Corbin and Samantha helped, and soon the whole crowd was safely on the front porch and they were able to tell Cheryl their good news.
It was fitting that she was there, because she had been instrumental in their getting together. Not that she intended it, but maybe God had intended it.
Whatever the case, they were going to be a family. A happy family, together.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Samantha walked into the Rescue Haven barn with Corbin’s arm around her. Mikey ran in front of them.
“I still can’t believe they don’t want me to do something. I feel like I should’ve helped set up, made some food.”
“They want to celebrate you, not work you to death,” Corbin said. “Besides, your aunt Becky was thrilled to do the food. Between them, Gabby and Sheniqua and Hannah are pretty well organized, and Mrs. Markowski ruled over the whole thing. Just relax and enjoy it. His arm tightened around her.
Samantha’s heart still pounded a little when she stood close to her new husband. They had gotten married at Christmastime, a little over four months ago, and being a married woman still felt new.
Mrs. Markowski swept over to them, dressed in her usual classy clothes, a maroon-colored blazer and slacks. “We’ve been waiting for you,” she said.
“Sorry. I wasn’t feeling well.” She glanced at Corbin.
Corbin looked at his watch. “I thought they were supposed to start at three,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I believe we’re actually two minutes early.”
“Oh yes, yes, it’s fine.” Mrs. Markowski drew them over to the table where a punch bowl full of something pink—nonalcoholic, of course—stood waiting. She filled punch glasses for both of them.
Gabby and Reese were giving tours of the barn to the guests and benefactors, many of them from the church. Gabby’s grandmother handed out flyers about the various programs Rescue Haven now offered, assisted by a wealthy church board member, Mr. Romano. Some of the louder dogs had been moved to their new second kennel, but the best-behaved ones had remained, and the boys were putting them through their paces for the entertainment of the guests. Mrs. Markowski had even brought her poodle, who was learning better socialization skills by spending a little time at Rescue Haven each week.
Sheniqua sat on the floor, a handsome, dark-haired man with a touch of gray in his beard beside her. They had a collection of toys, and Mikey, Izzy and three other toddlers were already playing, making exuberant noise.
Hannah came up beside Samantha as Corbin went off to talk with Cheryl. They both watched him approach his mother. “How is Cheryl doing?” Hannah asked.
“Better and better. It was tough on her losing her husband, but she didn’t fall off the wagon. I think she’s going to love living on the same street as me and Corbin and Mikey.”
“And you’re going to love having your mother-in-law there?” Hannah raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“I really will. She’s been a wonderful help with Mikey already.” She paused, then added, “I’m just so glad that Corbin was able to mend fences with his parents before his dad passed.”
“For sure.”
They stood watching the children. Hannah let out a sigh, and Samantha looked over at her cousin. “Something wrong?”
“No. Yes.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I’m so happy for you and Corbin. I really am. And I’m happy that Sheniqua has found someone she cares about, too.”
“But you’re lonely?” Samantha asked bluntly. She and Hannah had gotten closer in the past year, and Samantha tried to include her in lots of activities. Moreover, Aunt Becky had been dealing with problems with Hannah’s sister, so Hannah was spending a lot of time helping her mother at her bakery and generally calming her down.
Between that and her dog training business, Hannah was
plenty busy. But it would be nice for her to find love, too. “You know,” she began, “you could—”
“Don’t say it.” Hannah held up a hand. “I’m totally fine. Don’t go suggesting that I do online dating or some ridiculous thing like that. No way. I just...” She smiled a little crookedly. “I sure do like those kids. Wish I could take them all home.”
Mrs. Markowski clapped her hands, calling everyone to order. “No big speeches,” she said, “but I think we should all give our thanks to Samantha, who has worked tirelessly to get the Rescue Haven Learn-and-Play up to full capacity.”
They had started with a pilot preschool throughout the winter and spring, two days a week. Now, they would have the children every morning during the summer. The children got a farm experience, and learned about animals, and still fit in plenty of active play. Samantha loved planning the curriculum as well as working hands-on with the kids.
“In fact,” Mrs. Markowski was finishing up, “we may need to hire more staff and go to a full-day program come fall.”
Samantha raised her eyebrows and looked at Corbin, who’d returned to stand beside her. “News to me, but I guess I’m game,” she said.
“A full-day program for little ones will be just in time,” he said, smiling and brushing back a lock of her hair.
“Shh! Don’t tell anyone yet!” But she couldn’t restrain her own smile.
“I know. I’m just happy,” he said. “Mikey will have a little brother. Or sister. Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”
That was true, Samantha thought, putting a hand on her belly where new life was just starting to grow. Boy or girl, their new baby would be deeply loved, a wonderful addition to the family they had formed together.
She leaned into her husband and shot up a silent prayer of thanks.
* * *
If you enjoyed this story,
be sure to pick up the previous book in
Lee Tobin McClain’s Rescue Haven miniseries,
The Secret Christmas Child.
Available now from Love Inspired!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Raising Honor by Jill Lynn.
Dear Reader,
What do you think of nerdy heroes? Corbin is a real departure from my usual cop or veteran heroes, and I had so much fun writing him. I’ve taught at a university for many years, so I’m surrounded by professors, and I know the type well. Corbin is a lot like my male professor friends...just maybe a bit more muscular!
Corbin and Samantha have important lessons to learn as they care for little Mikey together. Samantha has to stop beating herself up for mistakes she’s made in the past. And Corbin needs to become more flexible and forgiving. Change is hard; Corbin and Samantha struggle with it, just as we all do. What helps is that they’re able to rely on their community of friends and on their faith.
My wish is that you, like Samantha and Corbin, have friends and faith to see you through. And books, of course!
Thank you for reading. And be looking for Hannah’s story next.
Lee
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Raising Honor
by Jill Lynn
Chapter One
Charlie Brightwood had never looked into the eyes of a child and known their livelihood depended on her...until now.
Until now, she’d only visited the park in the small town of Westbend, Colorado, with her friend’s little boy. Until now, she’d shoved down the ache inside her screaming for a child of her own. Until now, she’d planned to do the whole shebang in order—marriage and then the baby carriage.
But everything had changed when she’d felt the pull to foster a child. She had a loving heart and home. Why not fill that void with a kid who needed her as much as she needed them? Truly, God had laid the idea on her so heavily that she hadn’t been able to budge it loose. She’d prayed and prayed and prayed for direction and had finally begun the process. She’d taken the leap to foster still not knowing if it was the right thing to do but trusting God to show her.
She’d read all of the things and asked all of the questions.
She knew how hard it was going to be.
She knew she’d likely fall for a child and then have to give them back, shattering herself in the process.
She knew how scared she was.
She knew how easily she could mess it up.
The only thing she didn’t know was what was running through Honor Sloan Delaney’s head. The girl had been on lockdown since her arrival, only uttering eleven words in forty-five hours.
In the last year, Honor’s mom had lost her job and replaced it with a meth addiction. The girl had come to Charlie’s with only one outfit, no shoes and a stuffed bunny that had never seen the inside of a washing machine.
At three feet six inches tall and weighing thirty pounds soaking wet, a strong gust of wind could scoot the five-year-old a block. Her gorgeous, ocean-blue eyes haunted Charlie with the stories she’d yet to spill, and her shoulder-length dark chocolate hair fell in ringlets. It had been a mess of snarls when she’d arrived at Charlie’s and had taken three rounds of conditioner to untangle.
Charlie wanted to wrap Honor in a protective hug and never let her go back into the big, bad world that would land a little one in a stranger’s home, lost, confused, scared.
For the past few minutes, Honor had been cautiously swinging, the mountains rising clear and bright as her backdrop, the blue September sky filled with warm sunlight and littered with the occasional white cloud. Charlie hadn’t known anyone could swing cautiously until observing the girl’s careful movements and subdued enjoyment. But now her swing had come to a stop, as if she’d forgotten she was even on the thing. She stared off at nothing, misplaced, alone. Sealed in a realm Charlie had yet to break into.
After rising from the bench, Charlie rounded the swing. “Want a push?” She kept her voice gentle, hoping not to startle Honor. It worked, and she earned another nod. Nods were better than nothing, right? Or was her lack of response a sign that Charlie was a terrible foster parent already?
This was where a husband would come in handy. Charlie could ask his advice. They could pray together. She wouldn’t have tossed and turned for hours by herself last night wondering if she’d made a mistake.
“Higher?” Her question earned another affirmative bobble, and Charlie gripped the chain and dragged it back before letting go and earning the faintest hint of delight from Honor.
Charlie often wondered if she’d missed out on her elusive partner, best friend, husband, because she’d been too busy building a business. If they were like ships that had passed on a dark ocean and now it was too late to find each other.
For her thirtieth birthday, instead of wishing for a man, Charlie had prayed for a child.
If God didn’t have a partner for her, she would be okay. But she wasn’t sure she’d survive not having children. Fostering was her first step into that world, though of course she had no idea how this situation with Honor would end up. How long she’d have the girl. If she’d ever be available for adoption or if her mom would figure out her life and gain back custody.
So many questions.
Charlie had a successful garage and was working on opening a place next door that would serve coffee and sweets and some light fare. A place to wait and even work while your car was being diagnosed and fixed. Another stream of income. Charlie was good at business, but she’d never been good at love. Well...she didn’t even know if that was true, because she’d never had the chance to try.
But she had no doubts that she could love a child. Maybe too much.
An older Ram 1500
screeched into the parking lot adjacent to the playground, the driver slamming so hard on the brakes that the vehicle rocked in place for a few seconds. A man killed the truck engine and jumped out, boots landing on the pavement with a thud that raced across the ground and sent a shiver up Charlie’s spine.
Despite it being a Wednesday afternoon, the park was empty but for them. She hadn’t considered that dangerous until now.
Like something out of a nightmare, he beelined straight toward them. Charlie checked the pockets of her shorts. No Mace. Nothing to protect them if he was crazy. And based on the fact that there was no one else around and he was still coming at them...the thought wasn’t ludicrous.
The chain slid through her grasp, and Charlie rounded Honor and took a wide stance a few feet in front of her.
“Can I help you?” she called out, but he showed no recognition of hearing her.
He was within ten yards now. Late twenties in age, she would guess. Dressed in a wrinkled T-shirt that sported an outline of the state of Texas, jeans and boots, he had messy, dark roast hair and cobalt eyes that were reminiscent of Honor’s. Could this be her father?
No. The caseworker, Angela, had said the man hadn’t been involved in the girl’s life since birth.
Still, he continued their way like a freight train, brooding, laser focused—as if he could see through her to Honor. He didn’t acknowledge Charlie at all.
“Hey!” He was about to plow right by her when she grabbed his arm, fingers grazing a tattoo that scrawled across his forearm. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He paused, in shock, as if he hadn’t noticed her before this second.
Angry eyes met hers and held. “Who are you and why do you have my niece with you? Honor?” He peered around her. “It’s Uncle Ryker.”
His niece? If an uncle existed, then why wasn’t Honor with him? Charlie’s trust level regarding anything this stranger said was currently at not going to happen.
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