by Mae Nunn
Satisfied that he was presentable, Heath stretched tall and studied the room until he spotted Olivia’s profile. Her thick black hair perfectly framing her face, her head held high, her unadorned eyes crinkled by some interest, her lips curved by her always positive temperament. She laughed, turned to someone at her side, glanced up for a moment and spotted him. Her eyes opened wider, as if her vision couldn’t be trusted. He prayed the surprise in her face was a good thing. He prayed it would still be there by the time he squeezed through the bodies that separated them. He prayed it wasn’t too late.
She met him more than halfway, bringing him a flute of something pink with bubbles floating to the top.
“What’s this?” He took the tall skinny glass and held it suspiciously to the light.
“Truth serum,” she deadpanned.
“In that case—” He touched his crystal rim to hers. “Cheers.” The entire glass of fruity pink seltzer went down well, leaving a fizzy feeling in his mouth. “Want seconds?”
“That’s not necessary. Believe me.”
“How can I ever believe you again, Heath?”
“You have to give me another chance. I promise I’ll earn your trust, Olivia.”
“I don’t even know who you are.”
“Yes, you do. There was more truth than lies, but I was afraid to tell you everything.” He gave their glasses to a passing waiter, took her soft hand in his and guided her to a quiet corner of the gallery where a nook of her paintings offered them privacy.
“My amazing and kind Olivia.” Heath touched her cheek tenderly hoping she wouldn’t reject him. “My parents didn’t die together in an accident like I said. The truth is my two sisters and I come from a very violent home. Our father killed our mother and went to prison, where he died a few years ago. The three of us were split up in the foster care system. I was adopted, Alison and Erin weren’t.
“Ever since I discovered my history, I’ve been afraid it was also my legacy. I expected that I’d be lacking, so I never looked for fullness in life. But you helped me remember that God is a God of second chances. The department, my parents, and my sisters have all given me the opportunity to be a new man. But no human other than you can make me complete.”
He fished for the tissue in his pocket and dropped to one knee.
“Oh, no!” Olivia’s hands flew to cover her mouth.
“No?” Heath prepared to stand.
“No, I mean yes!” She pressed her palms to his shoulders pushing him back to his knee. “You just stunned and surprised me.”
“I’d like to surprise you for the rest of our lives, if you’ll let me. I love you, Olivia.”
“Wait.” Olivia pulled him to his feet and tugged him to the same bench where they sat on their first visit. “How will we do this? You know Table of Hope isn’t just my mission. It’s my life.”
“Work can’t be your life any more than it can be mine. I’m moving to Biddle’s division so I can focus on computer crime. Then you won’t have to worry about me being on the street. If you’ll delegate some stuff to Amos, you can take a couple of days off each week to paint. I’m sure there must be a great guy beneath the surface of that miserable old curmudgeon, so if you want we could hire him, give him your apartment.”
“If Amos had my place, where does that leave me?”
Heath smiled, unsure if he’d led her to this moment or she’d led him. Either way, he was right where he wanted to be. He got back on one knee and took her hand, offered her the twinkling diamond her mother had passed on from his grandmother. “In our home. Together we’ll become part of my family, whoever and wherever they are. That is if you still love me, Olivia. Please let me hear it from your lips again.”
“I love you, my darlin’.” Her eyes were bright with emotion, nothing held back. “I had to say it at least once that night in the doughnut shop and now God’s made a way for me to say it to you forever.”
Heath reached for her hand to slip on the ring. It fit. Just as her world would fit his. Perfectly.
Heath’s life with Olivia was a cup of new possibility, full and overflowing.
Dear Reader,
I trust you enjoyed Heath and Olivia’s Thanksgiving story. This unique holiday is not about giving gifts, but about giving thanks for the people God has used to bless our lives in ways we may never realize this side of eternity. The Thanksgiving meal truly is a table of hope.
This book wraps up my series on a brother and two sisters separated as children by family violence. Our culture might say they were collateral damage, casualties of a modern society. But through their faith Alison, Erin and Heath each overcame the world’s obstacles to become the people God intended them to be.
During this season of thanksgiving may you be grateful for those in your life who live in the belief that all things are possible with Jesus Christ.
Until we meet again, let your light shine!
Mae Nunn
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
On any given night in America between 70,000 and two million people are homeless. Have you ever volunteered at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen? Why or why not?
Families constitute about one third of the homeless population and are the fastest growing group of homeless people. How can your book club or community group work together to help a homeless family?
Olivia’s faith and Christian worldview impacted everything in her life. Are you able to look at the world through the lens of your relationship with Christ?
Heath was raised in a loving adoptive home but never felt fully connected with his parents. Do you believe there’s a hardwired need for a person to know their birth parents in order to feel complete?
Heath went into the foster care system as a small child and was lucky to be adopted. How much do you know about foster care in your city or state? Would you consider being a foster parent?
Even though she’d suffered loss and abandonment at a young age, Olivia was still very trusting of basic human nature. Could you be as trusting and forgiving? Why or why not?
Heath worked for so long as an undercover cop that he began to lose himself in his “characters” and wasn’t sure he liked his personality any longer. What could he have done to stay more in touch with his true self?
We all know someone with a glass-half-empty way of looking at life. What tactics could you use to encourage such a person to see the world from a more positive perspective? To count their blessings?
Amos was starting his life over at an age when he should have been enjoying his senior years. Can you relate to being in that situation? Do you know someone dealing with such a circumstance?
Nick thought he’d make a quick buck to jump-start his income. I know someone who paid for that kind of thinking by spending eighteen months of his life in prison. What makes a person risk their long-term freedom for the short-term payout?
Though Heath and Olivia had very different ways of looking at the world, it didn’t keep them from falling in love. Why do you think opposites attract?
The Christian teaching of Heath’s childhood came back to him in a practical way in his adulthood. Do you recall a time when Biblical principles you never understood as a child made sense to you as a grown up?
Heath was grateful to have a second chance for a relationship with his sisters. But even the best of sibling relationships can be trying at times. Can you think of a situation when a sister or brother almost made you lose your religion?
There are some extremely difficult family relationships that seem impossible to overcome. But nothing is impossible with our God. Was there ever a time when you sought spiritual guidance in order to resolve a dispute within your family?
Are you new to Love Inspired books or have you been reading them for years? Are you aware we now have historical and suspense as well as contemporary novels? Please visit www.LoveInspiredAuthors.com. We’d love to hear from you!
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7539-7
A SEASON FOR FAMILY
Copyright ©
2010 by Mae Nunn
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Steeple Hill Books.
® and TM are trademarks of Steeple Hill Books, used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
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