“Maggie!” A male voice called from the direction of the house, and the beam of a strong flashlight sliced through the rain.
“Coming,” she shouted back at the top of her lungs. “We’re both coming.” She turned to Neil. “That’s Logan. Ruby must’ve called him as soon as I left. We’d better get back, or he’s likely to have half the sheriff’s department looking for us.”
“Hold on a second.” Neil leaned over and scooped the plastic flashlight out of the puddle. He stuck it carefully in his jacket pocket, then put one arm around Maggie, drawing her close. “All right. Now I’m ready. Let’s go home.”
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Maggie and Neil stood arm in arm in the doorway to her room. They watched Oliver, still peacefully asleep. Lightning flickered outside the bedroom window, but the rumbling thunder was much fainter. The storm was ebbing.
“So, he was here the whole time?” Neil asked ruefully.
“Apparently,” Maggie admitted. “He’s never come to my room during a storm before. I figured he’d slipped away again, and I panicked and called you.” She reached up and smoothed back a wet lock of his hair. Ruby had stripped them of their raincoats and thrown huge towels at them, but they were still dripping wet. Maggie knew she probably looked like a drowned rat, but she didn’t care. Oliver was safe, and Neil’s arm was around her, holding her close. Nothing else mattered. “I’m sorry for worrying you—and getting you soaked.”
“Don’t be. I’d rather be soaked and worried with you than safe and dry at home alone.”
What a sweet thing to say. Maggie’s eyes filled. “Same,” she whispered. She touched his face, feeling the roughness of his unshaven cheek against her palm. “That’s why I was so quick to call you tonight. I knew you’d do whatever it took to help me find Oliver, but I also just wanted...needed...you here with me.”
He tipped up her chin so that their gazes met fully. “I hope you mean that, because I don’t think the job in Virginia is going to pan out. I think—I hope—God’s still got some work for me to do right here in Cedar Ridge.”
“You’re going to keep teaching?” She smiled up at him. “Really?”
Neil laughed. “Exactly. I’ll be really teaching this time, not just going through the motions. I’m pretty sure once I explain that to Audrey, she’ll be willing to tear up that resignation I sent her. But that’s not all.” He paused. “The truth is, I was wondering if there might be a couple openings in that forever family you’re putting together.”
Her heart tripped on a beat, but she struggled to keep her voice light. “A couple?”
“Well, yeah.” He’d tucked his rain-splattered glasses into his pocket, so the twinkle in the depths of his eyes was easy to see. “There’s this cat, you see. We’re kind of a package deal.”
Maggie nodded slowly. “I’m a package deal, too, you know. Oliver comes with me.”
“I know that. In fact, I’m counting on it.” He paused a second. “So? What do you think? Are you willing to give this a shot?” He lowered his voice before adding, “Before you answer, fair warning. I’m pretty sure Ruby’s on my side.”
Maggie laughed shakily. “She definitely is. But—”
His smile dimmed. “But?” he asked gently. “It’s okay, Maggie. You should be honest. If you don’t think you could...care about me like that—”
“No, it’s not that.” Maggie’s mouth trembled into a shaky smile. “I...already care about you, Neil.”
The grin that spread across his face started a warm glow in the pit of her stomach. He was about to kiss her—she could see it in his eyes. She’d better say what she needed to say now. If she didn’t, she’d never get the words out.
“But I’m afraid that might not be enough.” She could feel her nose starting to run, and she sniffed desperately. “I’m afraid I might not be enough.”
“Maggie, of course you’re—”
“No,” she broke in. “Ruby said something earlier that made me realize... I really need to say this. That’s the thing about fear. The only way to get rid of it is to drag it out into the open and be honest. If you ignore it, it just grows.”
He studied her. “All right. Go ahead and say whatever it is you need to say. I’m listening.”
“Thanks.” Maggie swallowed hard. “I guess before this goes any further, I need to be sure—really sure—that you understand who I am. And maybe more importantly, who I’m never going to be. You told me Laura was a nurse.” She saw Neil start to speak and then restrain himself. “So that means she was smart, like you. That she went to college, like you did. And probably that she was a really great person, too. Most nurses are. Well—” she drew in a deep breath “—I bake cookies for a living, Neil.”
“There’s nothing wrong with—”
“I know that,” Maggie interrupted quickly. “I love my job. That’s exactly my point. Baking makes me happy, and that’s not going to change. Not only did I not go to college, I never even wanted to go. The minute I walked into Angelo’s kitchen, I knew I was right where I wanted to be. The truth is, I’m never going to be as fascinated by history as you are. My bedtime reading consists of cookbooks and romance novels. I’ve never won an award in my life, and if you take me to a fancy party, I’ll probably end up in the kitchen swapping recipes with the caterer. I’m nothing special, Neil. I’m just...me.” She shrugged helplessly.
He studied her. “Is that it? Are you finished?”
She blinked. “I guess so.”
“Good. Then it’s my turn. First off, you’re not just anything,” he said forcefully, his brows drawn together. “As for not being smart, do you know how many idiots have college degrees hanging on their walls? Going to college doesn’t make a person smart. Trust me. I’ve spent plenty of time hanging out with college graduates, and you’re one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met. Don’t give me that look. What about those recipes you’re always making up out of thin air? You think everybody can do that? More importantly, you’re the kindest person I’ve ever met. You’re generous to a fault, and you’re so beautiful—”
Maggie couldn’t help it. She sputtered a disbelieving laugh. “Oh, come on.”
Neil leaned closer, looking intently into her face. “You are beautiful, Maggie, whether you believe it or not. Sometimes when you turn a certain way or smile at me, I...” He shook his head fiercely. “See? I can’t even find the words to describe it. Most of the time when you’re standing next to me, I can barely catch my breath or remember my own name. Nothing special? You? You’re the most special woman I’ve ever known.” He stopped, and his fierce expression shifted into a gentle sadness. “One of the two most special women I’ve ever known,” he amended quietly.
“I understand,” Maggie started, but he shook his head.
“No, I think it’s my turn to be honest now. Laura, our baby...who we were together, it’s all part of my past—a part I never want to forget.” He rubbed his thumbs gently over her hands. “But the future... That belongs to you and Oliver, if you want it. I really hope you do, because I’m playing for keeps here. I won’t rush you. Take whatever time you need, but you might as well know how things stand on my end. I’ve fallen in love with you, Maggie. I don’t expect you to—”
“I love you, too, Neil.” Her answer came without conscious thought. Easily. Simply.
Because it was the only answer.
He kissed her then, and the world around them blurred for a few heart-stopping moments. And when her eyes finally fluttered open again, he was looking down at her, his expression dazed.
He started to speak, and she put a finger over his lips.
“Don’t say it.”
“Don’t say what?”
“I know that kiss was pretty amazing, but please don’t say whoa.”
“Okay, I won’t.” He smiled. “But I’m thinking it.”
She
sighed and smiled back at him. “So am I.” Then she tiptoed and kissed him again.
When they walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, Logan was seated at the table, watching Ruby pour steaming cocoa from a battered saucepan into his mug. As they came through the door, the sheriff’s sharp gaze lit on Neil’s arm draped possessively around his sister’s waist.
“So, that’s how it is now,” he observed, cocking one eyebrow.
Maggie smiled up at Neil. “That’s how it’s going to be always,” she announced softly.
“Praise the Lord,” Ruby said fervently, and then, “Oh, dear!” Cocoa had overflowed Logan’s mug and was spreading in a brown puddle across the table. The next few minutes were spent mopping up the sticky mess.
“Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused, Maggie?” Logan grumbled when they’d finally settled back around the table. “Now Ruby’s managed to get one of us matched up, she won’t be fit to live with.”
Ruby beamed as she poured cocoa for Neil and Maggie. “Oh, I can’t take credit. The good Lord’s behind this, same as every other blessing that comes our way.”
“That may be. Still, when you set your mind on something, you’re a dangerous woman, Ruby Sawyer,” Logan muttered as he sprinkled marshmallows into his cup.
“Not dangerous.” His foster mom cocked her head and looked at him speculatively. “Just a little bullheaded, maybe. And of course, I’ve always been a sucker for the real hard cases. Take you, for instance. You haven’t dated anybody for quite a spell, have you, son?”
An alarmed look spasmed across Logan’s face. “You leave me out of this.”
As Ruby chuckled, a movement caught Maggie’s eye. Oliver stood in the doorway in rumpled pajamas, scrubbing his sleepy eyes. “Mama? Neil?”
Maggie’s heart went still. Mama. He’d never called her that before. She and Neil exchanged looks, and he gave her a wink. “We’re right here, sweetie.”
Oliver toddled across the worn linoleum, and she lifted him into her lap. “Thunder?”
“That’s all over,” she reassured him.
The little boy’s face relaxed, and he looked around the table with hopeful interest. “Cocoa, Mama? Pwease?”
Ruby was watching him, happy tears puddling in her hazel eyes. “I’ll get you some, honey. You just wait right there.”
Oliver scooted over in Maggie’s lap so that he was closer to Neil and let out a contented sigh. He picked up the marshmallow his uncle Logan rolled in his direction. Ruby fussed over cooling the cocoa with extra milk, testing the temperature carefully before she put it into a sippy cup.
Look at us, Maggie thought joyfully. We’re just like an ordinary family.
Then she corrected herself. No, not ordinary. There was nothing ordinary about a family like this. She knew that better than anybody.
Neil leaned close and brushed a kiss against her hair. “Maggie,” he whispered in her ear.
She loved the way he said her name. “Yes?”
“I forgot about supper, and I’m starving. You wouldn’t happen to have anything to eat around here, would you?”
Maggie laughed. Oliver, not knowing what was so funny, set down his little cup of cocoa and belly laughed with her.
“Sure,” she said. “Let me get you a cookie.”
Epilogue
A year later, Maggie Hamilton sat in her new minivan, considering the latest house their long-suffering Realtor had suggested.
Neil came around and opened the door. “So? What do you think about this one?”
Maggie used her husband’s arm to lever her six-months-pregnant self out onto the gravel driveway. She squinted critically at the pretty home as Neil turned to get Oliver out of his car seat.
“It’s beautiful,” she admitted. She approved of the deep front porch, the wide windows and the way the sparkling white house sat back off the quiet road, sheltered by towering trees.
“It’s not new,” Neil warned, “so it’s going to need some work. The real-estate agent said the sellers are a married couple in their eighties. They built the house and raised their family here, but now they’ve moved to be closer to their kids.”
“I’m not afraid of work. You know that. But I’m going to need to—”
“—see the kitchen,” Neil finished with her. “‘The kitchen’s the heart of the home,’ I know. But please remember, sweetheart—there aren’t many properties for sale in Cedar Ridge right now, and this one’s the last in our price range. The cabin’s already straining at the seams with the three of us. Once the baby gets here—”
Maggie sighed. “I know. And Mrs. Darnell called again this morning, wanting to know when we might be ready to foster. There are so many children needing placements in this area. We need a bigger house, but it has to be the right one. Once we start fostering, we won’t want to disrupt the kids’ lives with a move. If this is it, I’ll know.” She headed up the brick walkway toward the porch. “Once I see the kitchen.”
“Wait up.” Neil hurried to walk beside her, Oliver balanced on one arm. He took Maggie’s elbow in his other hand. “Mind these steps,” he muttered. “The bricks look a little uneven.”
Maggie smothered a smile. Neil had been fussing over her ever since she’d discovered her pregnancy four months ago, and he wasn’t the only one. Ruby and her brothers and sisters were almost as bad, and Angelo...
Angelo was impossible.
At the wedding, her irritable boss had astonished them by handing over paperwork giving her half ownership in Angelo’s. A few months later, when she’d told him about the baby, he’d threatened to take the gift back if she didn’t cut her hours and hire more help.
Maggie and Neil wandered arm in arm through the spacious old house as Oliver raced through the echoing rooms. Neil smiled when he saw the expansive living room. “Plenty of room here for the history club to meet,” he pointed out.
Maggie laughed. “I’m not so sure. After the stunt you and Logan pulled last week with that World War II tank, Cedar Ridge High is the only school in the state of Georgia where History Club is as popular as the varsity football team.”
Neil’s smile broadened into a grin. “Not as popular,” he corrected smugly. “More.”
Maggie had to admit, the house seemed perfect—so far. It had plenty of bedrooms, generous living areas and pretty country views framed in each window. It was close enough to the school and the bakery and not too far from Ruby, who’d steadfastly refused to consider moving in with the newly married couple. It ticked every single item on the lengthy list she’d drawn up. There was just one last room to check—the most important one.
Maggie was holding her breath as she walked into the kitchen, but as soon as she caught sight of the stove, the air whooshed out of her in a heavy rush. She walked over and touched the elderly appliance with a gentle finger.
“I know,” Neil hurried to say. “It’s really old. This whole room needs updating. We can paint the cabinets—or I can. You’re not getting anywhere near paint for the next few months. And we can move that stove out and replace it with whatever kind you want. Well, within reason. We’ll have to budget, but—”
“Are you kidding me? It has two ovens,” Maggie said. “Two. And six burners. This stove leaves the kitchen over my dead body.”
“What?” Hope began to dawn over Neil’s face. “Do you mean—?”
“Look at that.” Her gaze had caught on a door frame, sporting lots and lots of little scratches, each with a pen-scribbled name over it. She walked over to examine it. “This must be where they kept track of the kids’ growth.” She opened the door and smiled. It was an old-fashioned pantry, nice and roomy.
She breathed in. Was it her imagination, or could she still smell a whiff of spices in here? Cinnamon, she thought, and maybe a touch of clove.
Neil ran a finger along the scarred door frame. “We could p
aint over this, I suppose, but it seems a shame. Like erasing a piece of the past.” He slanted her a teasing gaze over the top of his glasses. “You probably wouldn’t mind that, since you’re not a history buff like your husband.”
She smiled at him. “I just happen to like making history better than studying it, that’s all. There are two sides to this door frame, I notice, and the other one will do fine for measuring our own kids as they grow up. So, what do you say?” She smiled up at her husband. “Feel like making a little history with me in this house, Neil Hamilton?”
He closed the gap between them and kissed her soundly. “You’re on,” he murmured.
* * *
If you enjoyed this story, don’t miss
Laurel Blount’s next sweet romance,
available next year from Love Inspired!
Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com.
Keep reading for an excerpt from Chasing Her Dream by Jennifer Slattery.
Dear Reader,
I love a fresh start. Don’t you? And I’m especially excited about this one. Lost and Found Faith kicks off a brand-new series of books set in Cedar Ridge, a sweet small town nestled in the mountains of north Georgia.
Maggie, Neil and little Oliver’s story is such a special one for me because it deals with issues near and dear to my heart. Foster care and adoption have brought some very treasured children into my life. The road isn’t always easy—in fact, as Maggie and Oliver can tell us, it’s often heartbreakingly difficult. But with faith in God and plenty of love, things sure can work out in amazing ways.
I really hope you’ve enjoyed visiting Cedar Ridge with me, because I’m planning another trip to this little town soon. Now that Maggie’s found her happily-ever-after, Ruby’s casting a matchmaking eye toward her oldest foster son, straight-arrow Sheriff Logan Carter. Now, that should be fun to watch—I can’t wait!
In the meantime, let’s stay in touch! Head over to www.laurelblountbooks.com and sign up to be a part of my favorite bunch of folks—my beloved newsletter subscribers! Every month, I share photos, giveaways, book news and gotta-try-it recipes. And of course, you can always write to me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you!
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