Gabe’s expression became intent on her, oddly serious, almost as if he didn’t agree.
Her pulse began to flutter in apprehension. She stared up at him, asking God’s help to fight off her old fear and uncertainty. “You don’t want thirty years with me?” she asked, somehow managing to keep her tone steady.
“I want at least sixty years with you, Zoe Gallagher, God willing.” Emotion roughened his voice. “Sixty years of choosing every day to love you. I wanted to wait, give you time to be sure before I asked, but I can’t wait any longer. Marry me, please?”
His question brought tears to her eyes. The sweet humility as he said ‘please’. Together, they’d learn to be sure of their love for each other.
“As if I’d refuse! I want to marry you more than anything else in life. God brought us together the day you placed that lock. It can be our lock too.”
Words weren’t able to express all she felt for Gabe in that moment, but she knew her love must be shining in her eyes.
With a grin like sunshine lighting his gorgeous face, he reached into his satchel and pulled out a matching painted lock. “No, we have our own.”
“Another lock? But how?” Joy and wonder flooded her. She felt light enough to float away like a balloon, if it wasn’t for Gabe, his firm hold her anchor.
He’d always be her rock, giving her the stability she needed.
“Mom had two. She wanted me to bring this one with me, as well as the one for her and Dad. I laughed, and told her I wasn’t looking to fall in love. I left it at home. But when it was clear God had other plans, I emailed a neighbour and asked him to ship it to me.”
“Oh Gabe.” Her heart contracted. “I wish I’d known your Mom.”
“She would have loved you.” His smile held sadness. She knew how much he still grieved for his parents.
Her arm tightened around him, offering him her love as comfort.
He nodded, as if he heard her silent message. “Let’s lock our love.”
Together, they placed the lock just above his parents’ padlock, and together, they clicked it shut. In that click, Zoe heard the echoes of the wedding vows they’d make some day. Gabe held the key in his hand for a moment, then flung it into the river.
“Until the day that key opens this lock again, I choose to love you.” He turned to her and kissed her, sweet as a benediction.
“And I choose to love you, Gabe Ross. I’ll keep choosing you. Again and again and again.”
As she said the words, she felt their truth, right through to her soul. God had given her this blessing, one she never expected and could hardly believe she deserved.
A lifetime of love. With Gabe.
Thank you for reading…
I hope you enjoyed reading Forget Paris, Book 4 in the Love in Store series. If you did, please consider telling other readers and posting a short review on Amazon, Goodreads, or anywhere else readers discuss books. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and it helps people find the books they want to read. Your opinion counts!
Thank you so much!
Books in the Love in Store series so far:
Book 1 – The Wedding List, a London fall/ autumn story;
Book 2 – Believe In Me, a London Christmas story;
Book 3 – A Model Bride, a Christmas/ New Year story set in London and Edinburgh;
Book 4 – Forget Paris, a Paris Valentine’s Day story (this story);
Book 5 – Teapots & Tiaras, a summer wedding in London and Cambridge.
Book 6 – Heart in Hiding is due to release later in 2016
The Macleans series follows a Scottish family as one by one they fall in love
Book 1 – A Model Bride (also Love in Store book 3), Mac’s story;
Book 2 – More Than Friends, Catriona’s story, summer in Edinburgh;
Book 3 – A Lesson in Love , Fraser’s story, a sweet Edinburgh spring romance.
Book 4 – Brodie’s story is due in early 2017
Huckleberry Lake, a new US set series, commences in September 2016 with Calm & Bright, available for pre-order now in the Candy Cane Kisses 8 author Christmas boxed set!
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All subscribers get the download link for Least Expected, a Love in Store novella featuring a 50-something couple, as soon as they confirm their subscription.
About the Author
Autumn Macarthur is an Australian writer of Christian romance living near London with her very English husband and three spoiled rescue cats. She loves reading, growing food, and writing deeply emotional stories to make you smile and remind you how big and wide and deep God's love and forgiveness can be.
When she's not writing, in her garden, or trying to herd cats, she can be found here: blogging at http://faithhopeandheartwarming.com, on Facebook as Autumn Macarthur, and on Twitter as @autumnmacarthur. You can sign up for her newsletter here, or at any page on her website www.autumnmacarthur.com !
She’d love to hear from you!
Faith, hope, & heartwarming –
inspirational romance to make you smile.
British English Glossary
As some of the British English terms the characters use may be new to readers, here are meanings for those most likely to be unfamiliar.
Please let me know if there are other British-isms in the book that you’d like defined!
Sister (nurse) – title given to the nurse in charge of a ward or hospital unit in Britain, dating from the days when nurses were often part of a religious order of nuns. In medieval times, hospitals were parts of convents and monasteries, so those in charge of care would be the brothers and sisters, monks and nuns, supervising lay staff. The modern revival of nursing began in the 1800’s with a group of Protestant nuns, and use of the term “sister” for senior nurses returned to England. In Australia, when I qualified as a nurse in the 1980’s, ALL registered nurses were known as Sister (male nurses were Mr Sister!). It was a huge and proud day when we completed our training, first wore a veil rather than a cap, and could be called Sister.
Bible verse references
Chapter 1 –
“And the Lord God said, “It isn’t good for man to be alone; I will make a companion for him.” Genesis 2:18 TLB
Chapter 4 –
“If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly.” Ephesians 4:26 TLB
Chapter 15 –
“Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.” Philippians 4:8 TLB
Chapter 18 –
“But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3:8 ERV
Acknowledgements
I’m grateful for so many things in my life.
First and most of all, for God, the source of all love, who never gives us what we deserve. Instead, He gives us what we need, and that’s always far, far better!
For Laurie Sanders, teacher and editor.
For Shannon, the best critique partner and friend any writer could have, though it looks like it’s going to be a longer wait before that pink fridge is delivered, unless Hallmark come to the party. Special thanks this time for all the extra crispy curly fries. My favourite!
For my darling husband Arthur, and his love and patience. Living proof God gives us what we need, rather than what we deserve.
And for you, dear reader. If you are reading this, thank you for sharing the ride with me. I hope you’ll stick around!
Copyright 2015 © by Autumn Macarthur
First Kindle Edition, March 2015
Published by Faith, Hope, & Heartwarming
http://faithhopeandheartwarming.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— for example, electronic, photocopy, recording— without the prior written permission of the author. The only exception is brief quotations in printed or broadcast reviews.
If you obtained this book in any other way than downloading it from Amazon or as a gift directly from the author, please be aware you are reading a stolen copy! Your support and respect for the work of this author by purchasing a copy instead is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places , and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental and unintended.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Living Bible (TLB) copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked ERV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: EASY-TO-READ VERSION © 2014 by World Bible Translation Center, Inc. and used by permission.
Edited by Laurie Sanders and Shannon Marie
Proofread by Trevor Jones
Forget Paris: Sweet and clean Christian romance in Paris and London (Love In Store Book 4) Page 18