“Don’t be afraid, Aunt Andy,” he said. “Church is fun.”
“Am I that obvious?”
His smile made him look like small version of Dan. “Mom said your old church was mean to you. Everyone’s nice here. You’ll like them.”
“Well, how could I be afraid with that kind of reassurance?” Andrea squeezed Casey’s shoulder. “Why don’t you show me where we have to go.”
They made their way to the sanctuary in fits and starts, stopped by clusters of people that knew Becky’s family. Becky introduced Andrea as her sister, and no one showed anything but pure welcome as they shook her hand. Gradually, some of the tension eased from her shoulders.
“I’ll take the kids to Sunday school,” Dan said. “Why don’t you and Andrea find seats?”
Andrea smiled at Dan’s departing back as he led the twins away, Casey trailing behind. “You’ve got a good one there.”
“I absolutely do.” Becky walked her down the center aisle of the small church. She chose a pew near the back and slid in. Not long after, the rest of the seats began to fill. Dan reappeared and sat on the other side of Andrea. They were flanking her for protection, determined that no one do anything to scare her away. Or maybe they were just blocking the exits so she couldn’t make a run for it.
Andrea joined in the worship songs, but once the pastor took the pulpit, her mind began to wander to the envelope in her purse again. She drew her attention back to the sermon, which was based on the story of the prodigal son. She bowed her head and smiled. Of all the services she could have attended after coming back to her faith, it was a story of how God rejoiced when lost souls were restored to him. Becky reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly.
Then they were back on their feet, singing the closing song, and Becky slipped her arm around Andrea’s waist. “Thanks for coming, sis.”
“Thanks for bringing me.”
Their exit was just like their entrance. More people who knew Becky and Dan, more friendly introductions. When they finally made it to the walkway, Andrea slipped away from them and reached into her purse for the envelope.
Was she ready to see what it said? Her pulse raced, and fear spiked through her middle. She slid her finger beneath the seal and broke it with a crack.
“You’re a difficult woman to track down, Andrea Sullivan. Or should I say, Andrea da Silva?”
Andrea froze at the distinctly Scottish voice behind her. A chill rippled through her body. She shoved the note back into her purse and took a deep breath before she turned. James stood several steps behind her, his hands resting casually in his pockets and looking so handsome she momentarily forgot to breathe.
He walked toward her with the boyish grin that always made her knees go weak. “Do you know how many art deco movie houses there are in Ohio?”
“How many?” Even to her own ears, her voice sounded breathless.
“Thirteen. And every single one of those towns now has a stoplight.” His blue eyes bored into hers, and for a minute, she forgot she was standing in a crowd of people. “But I did tell you I enjoyed a challenge.”
Before she could say anything, he looked past her, and his smile reappeared. “You must be Becky. I’m James.” He brushed past Andrea and took Becky’s hands, then kissed her on the cheek.
Andrea stared at Becky in amazement. “You knew?”
“He called a couple days ago,” she said sheepishly. “He wanted to make sure you were here before he flew in from London.”
“May I steal your sister for a little while?” James asked.
“Have her home before dark.” Becky beamed at Andrea, and she wondered how her sister had ever managed to keep the secret for the past few days.
James reached for her hand. “Take a walk with me?”
Andrea hesitated, but the minute her fingers intertwined with his, her world shifted with a satisfying finality, like the pieces of puzzle clicking into place. “A walk would be nice.”
She felt eyes on them as they walked hand in hand down the front path, but she was far too stunned by the presence of the man next to her to care what anyone thought. They moved down the street toward the park in silence until Andrea finally found her voice.
“What are you doing here?”
“You promised me a tour. Where else would I go for a spring holiday but Ohio?”
“Be serious.” Her pulse raced so frantically she thought she might faint onto the sidewalk.
“All right, seriously then.” James stopped abruptly and tugged her into his arms right there on the street, so close she could feel the pounding of his heart. “I’m here because I’ve not been able to stop thinking about you since you left. I’ve called myself every name I know for letting you go. I wasn’t looking for this, but now that I’ve met you, I can’t imagine my life without you.”
“Jamie, I—”
“Don’t say anything. I know it’s fast. I know after all you’ve been through, you’re afraid of making a mistake, and the idea of being in the public eye is the last thing you want. If it bothers you so much, I just won’t renew my contract with the network. I don’t need the program. I’m busy enough with my restaurants and the hotel. And if I can’t convince you to come back to Scotland with me, then … I guess we’ll work something out.”
Andrea stared at him, stunned speechless. He was offering to give up his TV show for her, without any assurance of her love, without any plans for the future. “Why would you do that?”
He brushed the hair away from her face as he had done that night outside the door of her cottage. “Because now I know what’s important to me. I love you.”
She stared at him in amazement and waited for panic to rush in at the words. Instead, the glow of certainty flowed into her, warming her body like sunlight on a cold day. “I love you, too.”
Then his lips were on hers, sweet and warm and filled with the promise of the future. She twined her arms around his neck and held him close, not caring who saw them or what they thought. She had resisted this for so long, thinking herself unworthy of love, unworthy of forgiveness. And now all she’d ever wanted stretched out before her for the taking. She kissed him back with abandon, pouring every last bit of her joy into her touch, until her head spun and the only thing keeping her on her feet was his arms around her.
When they parted, James laughed, a low throaty sound in her ear. “If you keep kissing me like that, I won’t be able to get you to the altar soon enough.”
Andrea stiffened, alarm flaring in her head. “Jamie … I can’t. I love you, but I can’t marry you. Not yet. We need time to get to know each other first. Get used to being a couple. Just … make sure. Can you understand that?”
To her relief, he only smiled. “I think you better read the note then.”
She retrieved the envelope from her purse. Her hands quivered as she bent back the flap and withdrew a folded sheet of paper. Tears pooled in her eyes, but this time she didn’t try to wipe them away. A smile came to her lips as she read the single line on the page.
I love you, Andrea. I can wait.
If you enjoyed Five Days in Skye, I would be honored if you would tell others by writing a review. Go here to write a review on Amazon.
Thank you!
—Carla Laureano
FIVE DAYS IN SKYE
Published by David C Cook
4050 Lee Vance View
Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.
David C Cook Distribution Canada
55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5
David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications
Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England
The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes,
no part of this book may be reproduced or use
d in any form
without written permission from the publisher.
This story is a work of fiction. Characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.
ISBN 978-0-7814-1042-7
eISBN 978-1-4347-0701-7
© 2013 Carla Yvonne Laureano
The Team: John Blase, Tonya Osterhouse, Nick Lee, Karen Athen
Cover Design: Amy Konyndyk
Cover Photo: Shutterstock
First Edition 2013
Photo by Amy Drown / Waverly Photography
CARLA LAUREANO has held many job titles—professional marketer, small-business consultant, and martial arts instructor—but writer is by far her favorite. She currently lives in Denver with her patient husband and two rambunctious sons, who know only that Mom’s work involves lots of coffee and talking to imaginary people.
If you enjoyed this title, visit DCCeBooks.com for more great reads.
What people are saying about …
Five Days in Skye
“From page one, Five Days in Skye captured my imagination and every minute of my pleasure-reading time. With enviable finesse, author Carla Laureano weaves romance, hope, healing, and faith into a spunky and sparkling tale that made me sorry to say good-bye to the characters and the alluring Isle of Skye. I look forward to reading more from this author.”
Tamara Leigh, author of Splitting Harriet and The Unveiling, book one in the Age of Faith series
“After reading Five Days in Skye, I wanted to pack my bags and catch the first flight to Scotland to discover Skye for myself. In her debut novel, Carla Laureano brought Skye alive with vivid detail, drew me into the main characters’ budding romance, and kept me turning the pages late into the night. I’m looking forward to more books from Carla!”
Beth K. Vogt, author of Catch a Falling Star and Wish You Were Here
“Five Days in Skye swept me away to Scotland! Against the craggy beauty of the Isle of Skye, author Carla Laureano weaves a story of love between an American businesswoman and a Scottish celebrity chef. Fans of the movie The Holiday are sure to enjoy this contemporary romance. Laureano’s voice is deft, seamless, and wonderfully accomplished. An exciting newcomer to the world of Christian fiction!”
Becky Wade, author of My Stubborn Heart and Undeniably Yours
Five Days in Skye: A Novel Page 27
