Lucy stared up at him. “God does work in mysterious ways, doesn’t He?” The moment seemed to last forever. Lucy could feel her toes tingle, and it wasn’t from cold or the sand. She was tingling all over.
Tom turned toward her and put his hands on her cheeks. He shook his head in disbelief, and leaned down to kiss her. When she dropped her armful of skirt and reached up to put her arms around his neck, he pulled her closer, lifting her off her feet.
It was, and it wasn’t, like the kiss they had shared last summer. That was an exploratory kiss, saying “I like you. Do you like me?” This was different. They had been through things together that some married couples couldn’t survive. Lucy knew there was no going back, for her, after this. She couldn’t think about anyone else as long as there was breath in a man named Thomas Sumter Livingston.
Tom pulled back and lowered her to her feet. She stared up into his eyes and said the only thing she could verbalize. “Wow.”
Tom threw his head back and laughed. He picked her back up and swung her around. “Wow is right.” He pulled her close and they stood there for a few minutes. She could have stayed there forever. In his arms was peace. In his arms was love. She didn’t feel alone now.
Tom held her close their foreheads touching, eyes closed. “Lucy, I love you.”
“I love you, too, Tom.”
He opened his eyes to see her beautiful blue ones looking into his. The sun was setting behind him as he faced the ocean and Lucy, the sun shining on her face making her hair glow. He wished he had a painting of her like this. Someday.
He lowered her once again to the sand. He couldn’t wait any longer. “Stand right there.”
“Okay. Are you going somewhere?” She giggled.
“No, give me a second.” He reached into his pants pocket for the box. This time he wasn’t making sure it was there. This time, he was taking it out of his pocket.
He knelt on the sand, looking up at Lucy for a change. “Lucy, I’ve been in love with you since last summer, but I thought, after all that had happened, you deserved more than being saddled with a cop for a husband, and not only that, but a cop with a family dependent on him.”
He stopped her when she would have interrupted. He’d better get to the point. Her hands were already on her hips in outrage. “Let me finish.” He pulled her hands to him with his free hand. “Luce, what I’m trying to say is that I love you, and, if you will consider it, I would like to ask you to do me the honor of marrying me.”
She stood in front of him, one hand still in his, and one hand covering her mouth. When she got over the surprise, she put both hands on his cheeks. “Are you sure, Tom? What if I can’t be a good cop’s wife? What if your mother doesn’t like me?”
Tom threw his head back and laughed. “Are you kidding me? I think she would disinherit me if I didn’t marry you.” He sobered. “Lucy, you’d make a good any kind of wife. I want you for my wife.”
She looked at him, eyes shining. “You mean it?”
Tom opened the box to reveal a vintage half-carat diamond solitaire, his mother’s engagement ring. He had taken it to be cleaned and reinforced and had been carrying it for over a week. He didn’t know when it would happen, but he depended on God to give him direction. Today was the day.
Lucy put her hands on his shoulders. “Oh, Tom. It’s gorgeous.”
“Will you marry me, Lucy Dixon?” He tilted his head. Would she?
She leaned down and kissed him full on the lips. “Tom Livingston, you try to stop me. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He pulled the ring out of the slot and put it on her third finger, left hand. It fit.
“It’s perfect, Tom. Was it your mother’s?” Tears beaded her lashes.
He stood and gathered her to himself. “Yes. She gave it to me a long time ago to give to my bride. I think she’ll be happy it’s you.”
She looked up at him. “She doesn’t know?”
He smiled and shook his head. “Nobody does, except your grandmother. I asked her for your hand.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you, Tom. That means the world to me. Daddy would have loved you, you know?”
“And mine would have loved you. Do you want to announce it tonight or wait until the wedding is over?”
“Do you seriously think I can keep this to myself?” She shook her head. “Let’s go tell Grandmommy and your mother. I’ve got to tell Sarah. She’ll be over the moon.”
Tom stood and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go and face the music. I’m ready to start planning our wedding and the sooner the better.”
“Amen.” She hiked up her long dress, and they sprinted to the boardwalk and back to the reception.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
One Year Later, in October
A 1956 Ford Thunderbird on four jacks had two sets of feet coming out from under it: one large set wearing work boots and one petite set wearing grease-smeared pink Converse high-tops.
“Could you hand me that oil wrench?”
Lucy felt around on the garage floor beside her. “Here it is.” She handed him the wrench.
“Thanks.” He tightened the filter and turned toward her. “I think that does it. Want to see if it’ll start?”
“Are you kidding? Let’s get out from under here.” They rolled out in tandem, although it took Tom longer to roll out than it did Lucy. She pulled a pink bandana from her back pocket and wiped a smudge from her nose and then cleaned her sparkling engagement ring and diamond-studded wedding band.
Tom took it from her and wiped another smudge from her chin. “There. That got it.” He leaned in and kissed her thoroughly.
“You taste like motor oil.” Lucy giggled and wrinkled her nose.
“So do you, sweetheart.” He looked to see if the key was in the ignition. “Would you like to do the honors?”
“Are you sure? It was your dad’s car, after all.” She was itching to get behind the wheel.
“I’m sure.” They worked in tandem lowering the jacks until the tires touched the floor of the garage and then removed them. He opened the door with a flourish. “M’lady.”
“Thank you, Thomas.” She used her best high-brow imitation and then wrinkled her pert nose when she looked at her dirty jeans and the white leather car interior. “Is there a clean towel over there to put down on the seat?”
Tom found it, and covered the seat. “Now you won’t hurt anything.”
She sat behind the wheel, reveling in the smooth, hard plastic under her fingers. How her dad would have loved working on this with Tom. She looked up at him and grinned. “Ready?”
He nodded and stood back. “Turn it over.”
She turned the key in the ignition, giving it a little gas, and squealed when it roared to life. “We did it!”
Tom looked as surprised as she did. “Hang on.” He got in the passenger side of the two-seater. “See if it’ll go anywhere.”
She reached for the gear, trying to get the hang of the floor-mounted gear shift. It was in the center, like her Mustang, but it still felt different. She looked at Tom, seeing the excitement in his face that mirrored hers.
Foot on clutch, she put it in first and eased out. It pulled forward slowly. When she put it in second, and then third, she was able to drive it around the circular drive. She stopped when they made it to the front door of the house.
“We did it.” Pride oozed from her, and she couldn’t stop smiling.
Tom reached over and kissed her. “I would have never done it without you.”
“Oh, sure you would.”
“Nope. It’s been sitting there for over ten years, and Dad didn’t touch it either.”
She scooted over on the bench seat and linked her arms around his neck. “We face things together, you and I. Things like cars, and houses, and hurricanes. There’s nothing we can’t tackle if we’re together.”
His kiss left her breathless. “I’m glad you didn’t want a long engagement. Life’s too short.” And he proceeded to sho
w her, once again, why a short engagement had been a good idea. After Sarah and Jared’s wedding last October, Tom and Lucy were married in December.
Lucy pulled back to look at him. “You think the car will be ready for a trip down the coast?”
“All we need is a good wax job and detail, and we’re good to go.”
Lucy smiled as they sat there in the car in front of their house. She had been thrilled to learn Tom was trading houses with his mother and sister. She didn’t want to sway him, but the thought of raising their children in the house where generations of Tom’s family had lived gave her a sense of permanency she had never known.
Now Mary Ann and Charly lived a mile or so away in the ranch-style house he had bought a few years ago, and they lived in the rambling plantation house. Lucy had used her love of organization to start putting together the family historical items in the house. They had never been cataloged, and some of the brittle paper was almost unreadable. She was not going to let it disappear.
“Do you miss teaching?” Tom still held her in the circle of his arms, enjoying the cool breeze.
“I really don’t. I get to use it at church, and who knows, someday I might want to go back or teach at a private school.” She began to play with the buttons on his shirt. “I think, for now, I’d rather take care of my own kids.” She twisted her lips, trying to hide her grin, and peeked up at his face.
His eyes were round as saucers, his face a total blank. As her words began to register with him, he continued to stare at her. “Are you . . . are we . . .”
She nodded her head as happy tears began to fall. “Yes.”
He pulled her close, holding her as she cried, his tears mingling with hers as they kissed. “I can’t believe it. Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I saw the doctor today, and he says I’m about six weeks along. In two weeks, we can see him . . . or her, if you can get off work.”
“If? Try keeping me away.” He kissed her again. “Aw, Lucy. We’re going to be parents.”
“We are. Now I get to decorate a nursery.” She laughed at his shaking head.
“Have you told Sarah?”
She shook her head. “Nope. You’re the first, besides the doctor. I wanted to be good and sure before I told even you. I didn’t want you to get your hopes up.”
“Let’s drive over and tell Mom and Charly.”
“And Sarah and Jared?”
“Yep.” He brightened even more. “I beat Jared to the punch.”
“What?”
“I’m going to be a dad first.” Tom had a very satisfied look on his face. He got out of the car and came around to the driver’s side. “Scoot over and I’ll drive.”
“Mr. Macho, much?” Lucy laughed and scooted to the passenger side. “Enjoy this now, because there’s no way we’re putting a car seat in this vehicle.”
He started the car. When he turned to look at his wife, he was still in awe. “Wow.”
“What are you thinking?” She grazed his cheek with her fingers.
“About how much we’ve been blessed.” He grabbed her fingers and kissed them. “God’s bent over backward to bless us, and I guess sometimes I wonder, why?”
“Because He’s our Father. We may have lost both our earthly fathers, but our Heavenly Father always had a plan for us, and He’s big enough to make it happen.” She wrinkled her nose. “My dad spoiled me so much I was beginning to think maybe I’d had all the blessings I was going to get, and now look at me.” She patted her tummy. “I’m going to be a mother. There is no greater blessing than that, but if my only blessing was marrying you, it would have been enough.”
“It’s like Micah said, ‘He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?’” She paused and looked down a minute, thinking. She reached up and placed her hand on the five-o’clock shadow she dearly loved. “You’ve shown me how to do that, Tom.”
He smiled at her, tears glinting in his eyes. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Mrs. Livingston.”
He started the car, smiling as he revved the engine. “Hey, maybe the baby will become a doctor.”
“Maybe. Why?” Lucy looked at him with a confused frown.
Tom laughed. “Then, every time he––”
“Or she,” Lucy interrupted.
“Yes, or she. Every time he or she comes over, I can say . . .”
She groaned and shook her head as they said in tandem, “Doctor Livingston, I presume.”
Acknowledgments
As a writer, there are more people to thank than there are pages in a book. I have an amazing support system.
Thank you, God, for giving me stories when I get stuck, and putting a piece of scripture in my head at just the right time.
Thank you, Todd, for giving me your office, loving, and supporting me every step of the way, even when I make you stop talking to me.
Thank you Emily and Ellen for encouraging me to keep plugging along.
Thank you, Kathy and Jerry Cretsinger and the Mantle Rock Publishing family for having confidence in me. They never questioned whether or not second and third books were in me.
Thank you, Richard and Wanda Rudd, James and Margaret Merrick, for being so excited and supportive of me and my writing.
And thank you to my church family, friends, and extended family, and all the people that I’ve met and sold books to at odd places – book events, restaurants, parking lots, funerals, etc. You know who you are, and I love you all!
About the Author
Regina Merrick began reading romance and thinking of book ideas as early as her teenage years when she attempted a happily-ever-after sequel to “Gone With the Wind.” That love of fiction parlayed into a career as both a school and public librarian, and more recently, as a full-time author. Married for nearly 35 years and active in their local church, Regina and her retired-teacher husband have two grown daughters who share her love of music, writing, and the arts. She resides in a 100-year-old house in Marion, KY with her husband and their dog, Cedric, whose late litter-mate, Oliver, was the model for Sarah’s Schnauzer-mix.
Also by Regina Rudd Merrick
An unexpected inheritance in South Carolina comes at the perfect time for Sarah Crawford. But will a dream about an antebellum mansion, many rooms to be explored, and a man with dark brown eyes give her the confidence to take a leap of faith, leaving friends, family, and her job behind?
Carolina Dream by Regina Rudd Merrick.
Also From Mantle Rock Publishing
Kyla Porter and Becki Hunley had been friends since childhood. They had grown up together and had graduated from the University of Tennessee. They parted ways when Becki entered the country music field in Nashville while Kyla moved to northern Mississippi to practice veterinary medicine. Each girl finds the “man of their dreams” and they become engaged within a few months of each other. They had always dreamed of being each other’s maid or matron of honor when they married, but their plans are in jeopardy when their wedding dates are in conflict. Will they be able to solve their dilemma, or will their dream die?
Smoky Mountain Brides by Katt Anderson and Pam Watts Harris.
Katie McGowan left her parents and their faith behind years ago. However, when faced with a devastating betrayal, Katie is ready to go back to Carbondale, Illinois to help her elderly parents despite their tempestuous relationship. Drained by the constant friction, Katie finds emotional support and encouragement in Austin. His practical, simple faith speaks to Katie, and she finds herself yearning for a new connection to God. As their friendship grows, so does the attraction between Katie and Austin. Before her fledgling faith and thoughts of romance have a chance to take root, Katie’s cheating fiancé returns, remorseful and promising change. Can her tentative faith strengthen their past love? And if her heart breaks again, will Katie’s journey to faith end before it has really begun?
Faith’s Journey by Heather Greer.
Rescued Hearts by Hope Tyler Dougherty.
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Carolina Mercy (A Southern Breeze Series Book 2) Page 23
