Mending the Widow's Heart

by Mia Ross

  “It would’ve been a lot quieter,” Holly pointed out as they walked downstairs arm in arm.

  “But that’s the problem. This place is full of memories of the two of you now, and I would have missed you terribly.”

  “And we’d miss you, too,” Holly assured her with a fond smile. Then, because now felt like the right time, she added a single word filled with meaning for both of them. “Mom.”

  The tears sprang up again, but this time they overflowed despite her efforts to blink them away. “Thank you, Holly. Hearing that from you is the most precious gift you could possibly give me.”

  Holly embraced her, sending up a silent thanks to God for helping her find a way to accept the truth and keep this quirky, loving woman in her life. Whatever mistakes she’d made in the past, Daphne Mills had always acted with her daughter’s best interests first and foremost in her mind. Holly suspected that she had some more sorting out to do to enable her to more comfortably exist in her new family structure, but she was confident she could make it happen.

  After all, she was her mother’s daughter. And the Mills women never quit on the people they loved.

  That thought reminded her that there was one more person she needed to share her good news with, and she gently pulled away. “Are you okay?”

  Nodding, her mom gave her a knowing smile. “Go talk to Sam. I’ll keep an eye on Chase until you get back.”

  Holly gave her another quick hug, then hurried out the front door and around the hedge that separated the two yards from one another. She found Sam under the hood of his work truck, and the muttering she heard alerted her that something in the engine was giving him a hard time. Not wanting to startle him, she stood on tiptoe and leaned over the radiator to look inside.

  When their eyes met, he gave her a wry grin. “Sorry. Too loud?”

  “No.” He tilted his head dubiously, and she laughed. “Got a minute?”

  “Sure.”

  And, as he’d done so many times since she first met him, he dropped what he was doing and gave her his full attention. When he pulled a rag from the back pocket of his jeans to wipe his hands, the very familiar action filled her with a rush of emotion for this kind, gentle man who’d fought his way out of his troubled past and had become her everyday hero.

  Suddenly, she didn’t know what to say. His expectant look prompted her to shove her brain back into gear and explain why she’d interrupted him. “Chase and I have been talking, and I was just wondering something.”

  “What’s that?”

  Struggling to sound reasonably mature, she waited a beat before continuing. “How you’d feel if we changed our plans about going back to Boston.”

  Hope flared in his eyes, quickly doused by a wariness that she knew was born of more anguish than anyone should have to bear. “If you’re asking my opinion, I think you should go wherever you and Chase will be the happiest.”

  Taking a step closer, she smiled up at him. “We both agree we’d be happiest right here.”

  “Here?” Sam echoed, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he’d heard. “In Liberty Creek?”

  When she nodded, he let out a whoop of joy and swept her into a hug, spinning her around as if she was a little girl. Setting her on her feet, he stole her breath with a long kiss filled with the same emotions she’d been feeling but hadn’t had the nerve to confess to him.

  Resting his forehead on hers, he let out a sigh so deep, she could almost feel the anxiety leaving his body. “I love you, Holly. I really didn’t want you to go.”

  Framing his weathered face in her hands, she kissed him lightly and then smiled. “I love you, too, Sam. And so does Chase. More than you’ll ever know.”

  Epilogue

  “Happy Thanksgiving!”

  At the sound of their Savannah visitors, Chase came bolting in from the living room, which was already full of Calhouns. Launching himself at their guests, he hugged them all fiercely, then stepped back and announced, “Mom burned the turkey.”

  Silence descended on the excited group, and they stared at Holly in disbelief. Rolling her eyes in the gesture Sam knew all too well, she laughed. “He’s kidding. Everything’s humming along, right on schedule. How was your flight?”

  “Just fine,” Don assured her as he and Sam shook hands. Holly made quick introductions, and Sam had to give the Frederickses credit for selling the idea that it was the first time they’d connected with him.

  “Your sisters wish they could’ve come along,” Gloria added, “but we’ll see them when y’all come down for Christmas. They both send you and Chase their best.” Another awkward silence, then she seemed to realize what she’d said and blushed in embarrassment. “Your cousins, I mean.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Holly said, hugging her around the shoulders. “We’ll get used to it eventually. We’re family, and that’s what really matters, right?”

  “Right,” Gloria agreed, clearly relieved to be let off the hook so easily.

  Daphne appeared in the graceful archway, a joyful smile lighting her face. “It’s wonderful to see you two. What do you think of my fixer-upper now?”

  “It’s beautiful,” her sister said, giving her a long hug. “Just the way you always knew it could be.”

  “Sam and Holly worked wonders with this place,” Daphne continued, beaming at her daughter and then him. “If it weren’t for them, I’d still be wandering around the design store, hopelessly confused.”

  “I doubt that,” Sam commented, grinning at his artistic consultant. “You Mills ladies have a knack for that kinda thing. I’m just the muscle.”

  “And me,” Chase added eagerly, tugging his hand.

  Sam chuckled and ruffled his hair. “And you. Speaking of helping, I could use some of it outside.”

  “Cool!”

  As he dashed off to find the mini work jacket Sam had bought for him, Holly said, “While you’re out there, could you bring in a couple of those squashes from the patio table? I’ll be ready for them soon.”

  “Which ones?” he asked. “There’s a whole pile of ’em.”

  Letting out an exasperated sigh, she shook her head in resignation. “Never mind. I’ll get them myself.”

  “Meantime, come in and meet everyone,” Daphne urged, linking arms with each of her visitors. “Sam’s family is joining us for dinner, and there’s a whole passel of them.”

  “She sounds more Southern all the time,” Holly murmured as she and Sam followed Chase out to the patio.

  “She sounds more like you all the time,” Sam clarified, dropping an arm around her shoulders as they went down the brick steps he’d finished building in the nick of time.

  “Yeah, I guess she does. Weird, huh?”

  “Nice,” he corrected her with a grin. “I always did like your accent.”

  “Did you?” she teased, draping her arms over his shoulders with a little smirk. “And what else did you like?”

  Sam made a show of thinking that over, then grinned back. “Everything.”

  “Ooo, good answer,” she approved, adding a quick kiss. “Just for that, you get a drumstick.”

  This was his opening, he thought, and he gathered up his courage for one of the most intimidating things he’d ever done. He’d been shot at, wounded, nearly destroyed by Nate’s death, but what he was about to do came with a different kind of risk. He really hoped he’d never have to do it again.

  “Chase, come here a minute, wouldya?” The boy loped over, and when they were all together, Sam took a moment to steady his nerves. Then, before he completely chickened out, he launched into the speech he’d spent days preparing.

  “When I first met you two, I was a real mess. Everything was hard for me, and I didn’t know how to make things better. But you did. You believed in me,” he went on, smiling at
Holly, “and you made me feel like a hero.”

  This smile was for Chase, who stared up at him with the trusting look he treasured from the boy who’d lost his own father so young.

  “You are a hero, Sam,” the boy assured him eagerly. “Me and the guys on the football team think you’re the best.”

  “I really appreciate that, bud.” Reaching into the front pocket of his one good pair of trousers, he pulled out a velvet box and closed it in his hand before kneeling in front of Holly. When he met her eyes, they were brilliantly blue and shining with emotion, and it struck him that those strong, unwavering feelings were for him. For a guy who’d convinced himself he’d never be able to have that in his life, it was a humbling feeling.

  “I’ve got work to do still, but I won’t stop until I’m the kind of man you both deserve.” Opening the box with a little creak, he lifted his gaze to hers and took the most terrifying leap of his life. “In the meantime, will you marry me?”

  Chase let out a delighted whoop, barreling into them for an exuberant hug that made it clear what his answer was. Holly was more reserved, but the joy lighting her features was all the answer Sam needed.

  “Yes, I will,” she said in a voice that didn’t hesitate even the slightest bit, nodding for good measure.

  Reaching out, she pulled her son in close while Sam slid the antique setting onto her finger. Holding her hand out to admire the sparkling ring, she kissed the top of Chase’s head and then brought Sam’s lips to hers. Drawing back, she bathed him in the beautiful smile he was looking forward to seeing every day for the rest of his life.

  “This is awesome,” Chase announced, fist-bumping Sam in approval. “We’re gonna make a great family.”

  “Y’know what?” Sam said, returning his fiancée’s smile with a confident one of his own. “I think you’re right.”

  * * * * *

  If you loved this tale of sweet romance,

  pick up these other stories

  from author Mia Ross’s

  OAKS CROSSING miniseries:

  HER SMALL-TOWN COWBOY

  RESCUED BY THE FARMER

  HOMETOWN HOLIDAY REUNION

  FALLING FOR THE SINGLE MOM

  Available now from Love Inspired!

  Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com.

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A BABY FOR THE DOCTOR by Stephanie Dees.

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  Dear Reader,

  Thanks so much for following me to Liberty Creek!

  Months ago, I stumbled across a picture of a quaint New England town, and the wheels in my head started spinning. My reaction to the back-in-time feeling became Holly’s, and her story began to take shape. Spunky as she was, she had a lot more to contend with than she realized, which is something many of us can relate to. Often, just when we think we’ve got a handle on what’s going on around us, things change, and we have to adjust to the new reality we face. It isn’t easy, but Holly’s determination and unshakable faith—along with her love for her son—kept her going.

  When Sam Calhoun appeared in that very first scene, I didn’t know his whole story yet, but I knew it was worth telling. Part of him was stranded in the past, no matter how hard he tried to reclaim control of his life. Once he found a way to forgive himself—and God—for Nate’s death, he was finally able to embrace a future with the family he’d given up hoping for. So many military veterans carry burdens like his, experiences that make it difficult for them to resume the lives they enjoyed before their service. The courage they display every day is inspiring. With this story, I hope I’ve honored the sacrifices they and their families have made to keep our country safer.

  This is the first of four books set in Liberty Creek, and I’m thrilled to be working on another series for Love Inspired. If you’d like to stop in and see what I’ve been up to, you’ll find me online at www.miaross.com, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. While you’re there, send me a message in your favorite format. I’d love to hear from you!

  Mia Ross

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  A Baby for the Doctor

  by Stephanie Dees

  Chapter One

  Jordan Conley’s phone rang for the third time in as many minutes. She gave her horse Bartlet one last scratch on the neck and nudged him out of the way. “Sorry, old boy. Three calls in a row is a distress signal.”

  She tossed the curry comb into the pail next to the stall and dug her phone out of her back pocket. It was her twin sister. “Claire?”

  “Oh, thank God you answered.”

  Jordan could hear the newest baby, the one they called Sweetness, screaming in the background. “What’s up?”

  “Sweetness has a double ear infection. And the principal at Kiera’s school called. She punched a girl in last period and they won’t put her on the bus. I have to pick her up right now.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  Claire sighed. “I just got a call from the county. They need someone to pick up a three-year-old boy at the hospital. I told them twice we couldn’t do it. They just called again and said they’re going to have to keep him at the office tonight if we can’t take him.”

  “Where do I pick him up?” Already Jordan’s mind was sifting through what she needed to do to make it happen. She didn’t have time for this. Of course she didn’t. She could barely manage the horses’ upkeep much less build her therapy practice, but there was a three-year-old in a hospital with no one.

  She had a therapy session at five she could postpone. Opening the door to the tack room, she grabbed a toddler car seat from the storage closet, hauling it out the door of the barn before heading into the big house, where Claire and Joe lived with their—at least for the moment—eight kids.

  A shuffling pause and Claire was back. “Sorry. He’s in Mobile in the Children’s Unit. The resource manager said he was hurt pretty bad but didn’t give me any details. No, Georgia, no Cheerios in your ears. Anyway, I don’t know what you’re going to find when you get there.”

  Jordan rummaged through a stack of children’s pajamas and pulled out trains in a size 3T and rocket ships in 2T. She shoved them in a spare diaper bag and grabbed a couple of diapers out of a basket labeled fives. “So basically, it’s situation normal.”

  “Basically. Okay, I just pulled in at the school. I’ve gotta go. Thanks, Jordan.”

  Even before her sister hung up the phone, Jordan was zipping up the diaper bag. She grabbed an apple on the way out the ba
ck door and tossed the diaper bag into the front seat of her old truck. The car seat, with its many hooks and straps, went into the back seat.

  She’d learned a lot of new skills since she and Claire started fostering. Things like the temperature a bottle needed to be and that all diapers weren’t created equal. That little boys didn’t really care how shoes looked, only that they were “fast.”

  She’d learned that she’d never met a night terror she didn’t hate. And kids who had been through what their kids had been through were rightly scared of the dark. She learned that parenting, especially foster parenting, was exhausting, exhilarating and humbling.

  When Claire and Joe got married and Joe and his daughter moved into the big renovated plantation house, Jordan had moved to Joe’s cabin on the other side of Red Hill Farm, which she and Claire had inherited from their biological father. This setup actually worked better for her, since she was working to build her equine therapy practice, Horses, Hope and Healing. But still, with eight kids, there was always a baby to feed, homework to help with, hair to be fixed.

  Her phone buzzed again. A text from Claire.

  Forgot to tell you the caseworker is meeting you at the hospital with the paperwork. Baby’s name is Levi Wheeler.

  Yes, a name was kind of important.

  Ash is on his way, too. We were in his office when we got the call.

  Her heart stopped beating for an almost imperceptible second. Ash was the town pediatrician and her brother-in-law. And he was the most perfect human being she had ever met. She wasn’t even sure she liked him because when it came to Ash, she turned into a klutzy teenager every time she got close to him. As if going through that stage once wasn’t enough.

  She pulled out of the driveway onto the highway and began to pray, one of those new skills she’d acquired. The children who came to live at Red Hill Farm brought heartbreak and grief and trauma. Since she couldn’t take it away from them, the only alternative was to walk through it with them, and to do that, she needed Jesus. That had become abundantly clear very quickly.