A Dream To Share (Heartland Homecoming)

by Irene Hannon

  There was also the question of how she would adjust to the big city if she did go. She was a small-town girl and Oak Hill was her home. The very notion of living in some high-rise condo downtown turned her off. Not that she could afford those kinds of digs, anyway.

  A sudden click distracted Abby from her troubling thoughts, and she checked her watch again. Six forty-five. Harvey sometimes came in on Saturday to clean, but not at night.

  Still wary from her recent hate-crimes experience, she rose and skirted her desk, keeping the hall in sight. As she reached her office door, a tall, dark-haired man came around the corner, and she froze. Mark!

  He paused when he caught sight of her, and a slow smile lifted his lips and warmed his eyes, sending a crinkle of fine lines radiating from their corners. He was wearing jeans and a black leather jacket and his hair was windblown…and he looked so good, so appealing, that Abby had to muster every ounce of her self-control to keep from running down the hall and throwing herself into his arms.

  But Mark seemed to have no such compunction. Dropping his overnight case, he covered the distance between them in several long strides and pulled her close, burying his face in her hair.

  Wrapped in his embrace, his heart pounding steady and sure against her chest, Abby felt her tension dissolve. His ardent welcome chased away any fleeting wisps of doubt about the depth of his interest, dispelling them as surely as mist succumbs to the warmth of the sun.

  At last, with obvious reluctance, he released her. Even then, he kept her safe in the circle of his arms, smiling down at her while his gaze caressed her face as if he was reacquainting himself with every nuance of her features. “I stopped by your house. When you weren’t home, I figured you’d be here.” He stroked a finger down her cheek. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too.”

  His smile deepened. “That’s good to hear.”

  It was hard to be rational or practical when she was pressed this close to him, but Abby gave it her best shot. “How’s your dad?”

  “Much better. He should be going home tomorrow. He’ll need some therapy, but the stroke was minor and there shouldn’t be any lasting effects. In fact, he’s back in fighting form already. He and my brother and I had an impromptu business meeting in his hospital room this morning. Some of it concerned you.”

  Surprised, she gave him a quizzical look. “You talked about me?”

  “Uh-huh. And the Gazette.”

  A knot formed in her stomach. This was it. She’d known Mark was mere days away from finishing his review, and she was ninety-nine percent sure what his recommendation would be. While she’d tried to prepare herself for it, now that it was upon her, she didn’t want to know. Dropping her chin, she made an effort to pull out of his embrace.

  “Hey.” He tightened his grip, forcing her to look back up at him. “It’s not so bad.”

  She searched his tender, caring eyes. Eyes that said, Trust me. And she wanted to. But no matter what he said, no matter how generous Campbell Publishing’s offer was, the loss of the Gazette would be a failure she’d have to live with for the rest of her life.

  Giving up the struggle to pull away, she rested in his arms, but her expression grew bleak. “You’re going to buy the Gazette, aren’t you?”

  He could feel her trembling beneath his fingers. Moments before, he’d attributed her tremors to the emotion of their reunion. Now, he knew they were prompted by distress. And a sense of loss. He ached to pull her close again, to soothe away her fears.

  But she needed more than whispered words of comfort. She needed something concrete to cling to that would bring the light back to her eyes and help her realize that she hadn’t failed with the Gazette. He thought he could make that happen. He prayed he could. His own future, as well as hers, depended on it.

  “Let’s sit down for a few minutes. I have some things I need to tell you.”

  Draping an arm around her shoulders, he led the way back to her office. Since her desk took up most of the space, he propped one hip on the edge and entwined his fingers with hers as he surveyed the sturdy, battered oak surface. “I think this can hold us both. And I want you close.”

  In silence, Abby scooted beside him. And waited.

  The ball was in his court. Please, Lord, give me the words, Mark prayed.

  Taking a deep breath, he stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. “Do you remember when I came to Oak Hill? How you thought I was a lazy, stuck-up playboy?”

  Hot color suffused her cheeks. “I didn’t—”

  He pressed his fingers gently to her lips. “Yes, you did. And you were right. That was me for a lot of years. Too many. But after I came here I had some experiences that set me on a new path. I’m not the same man I was three months ago. And while a lot of people can claim a role in my transformation, you played the biggest one.” He gave her hand a squeeze, then raised it to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm before he continued.

  “Let me skip all the whys and hows for now and cut to the bottom line. First, I realized that I don’t want to be at the helm of Campbell Publishing. Instead, I want to create and direct a charitable foundation for the company that funnels our corporate donations directly to the grassroots level, to help families like the Langes that need immediate assistance. I put together a proposal for my father and he’s endorsed the idea. My brother will join the firm to prep for the CEO position, in my place.”

  Her eyes widened. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but his next comment erased it from her mind.

  “On a more personal level, I also realized that I need to take the padlock off my heart. I understand as well as anyone the risks of loving. But life without love is pretty empty. I know that firsthand, and I don’t want to live that way anymore. That brings me to us.”

  He angled toward her and took her other hand in his. “I recognize that there are risks with diabetes. Perhaps more in your case, given your mother’s history. But no one has a guarantee on tomorrow, Abby. I can’t let what might happen stop me from pursuing what can happen. And as someone reminded me recently, we never really lose the people we care about. Even when they’re gone, their love continues to shine in our lives—just as the stars do, though we can’t always see them, either. I don’t know how much time we’ll be blessed with, but I’ll treasure every day we have together. I love you, Abby. More than words can say.”

  His husky voice caught on the last word, and he cleared his throat. “You said once that if we ever got together, all the compromises would be on your side. That you were the one who would have to uproot yourself, leave the only home you’ve ever known. And you said you were afraid that you could end up resenting me, like your mother resented your father. I understand that concern. And I don’t want that to happen any more than you do.”

  He lifted his hand and skimmed her cheek with the back of his fingers, his touch soft, his eyes earnest. “Abby, you of all people understand family legacies. I want to be part of Campbell Publishing—in a different capacity than originally intended but a vital one nonetheless. To do that, I need to live in Chicago. But I don’t need the high-rise condo. I’m thinking more along the lines of a nice quiet suburb filled with big houses that have porch swings and white picket fences and flower gardens. And I also want to spend time in Oak Hill on a regular basis. This town will always be special to me.”

  His grip on her hands tightened, and she could feel the tremors in his strong fingers. “If you can live with all of that, I’d like to ask you to do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

  Abby stared up at him, her throat tightening with tenderness, and joy filled her soul with a radiant light, much as the fireworks had illuminated the night sky on the Fourth of July. She still didn’t know what path God had in mind for her once her tenure at the Gazette ended, but she now knew that whatever direction her life took, Mark wanted to be by her side. Loving her with a depth that took her breath away.

  And suddenly Abby also knew that if he could find the courage to
get past his own formidable fears about her condition and offer her his love, she could find the courage to let go of the Gazette and find new work to give her life meaning.

  A tear spilled out of her eye, and as it trailed down her cheek Mark released her hand long enough to wipe it away with a gentle, not-quite-steady finger. “This is too sudden, isn’t it?”

  “No.” The word was barely audible and she tried again. “No, it’s not. I feel the same way, Mark. I love you, too.”

  Relief refreshed his features as a sudden shower renews the earth after a long dry spell. “Does that mean you’ll marry me?”

  “Yes. I’m just trying to grasp the fact that despite the risks of my diabetes, you’re willing to—”

  He stopped her by once more pressing his fingers to her lips. “I’ve worked through that, Abby. I can live with the risks. Because I can’t live without you.”

  No matter what gifts Mark might give her in the future, Abby knew that nothing would surpass this moment, when he’d given her his heart despite his background of loss, despite the years he’d been running from commitment, despite his fears that their marriage could be short-lived.

  But now she had a gift for him in return.

  Reaching up, she tugged his fingers aside. “You won’t have to live without me, Mark. I have some good news. I talked to Dr. Martin. He researched my mother’s files and there were no contributing factors to her death beyond negligence. He said there was no reason I shouldn’t have a long life. Or a family of my own. I also saw Dr. Sullivan this week and he concurred.”

  As Abby watched, moisture clouded Mark’s eyes. Then he pulled her close, clinging to her in a fierce hug that spoke of relief, joy, gratitude—and hope for all the tomorrows to come.

  For a long time they held each other. But at last Abby eased back, far enough to look up at him. “How long can you stay?”

  “A few days. I’m almost finished here. With business, at least.”

  A shadow passed across her eyes. They hadn’t talked about the fate of the Gazette, and she didn’t want to mar this moment. But it had to be faced. Yet, much as she dreaded the final pronouncement, she felt better equipped to deal with it now that she had Mark’s love to sustain her.

  “You’re going to recommend the acquisition, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. Thanks to you—and your predecessors—the Gazette will be a tremendous asset for Campbell Publishing. Dad is very excited about it. But there’s more.” He brushed a stray strand of hair back from her forehead, his fingers lingering on her satiny skin.

  Clearing his throat, he let his hand fall back to her shoulder. “Anyway, Dad wants you to remain on board here and train a new editor for the next few months. But after that he’d like you to consider taking over as editorial director for all of the Campbell Publishing newspapers.”

  Stunned, Abby stared at Mark. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. He has great respect for your editorial integrity. Think of it this way, Abby—you could fight for truth in journalism on an even larger scale. Ensure that dozens of papers abide by the principles of honesty and integrity that have always been the hallmark of the Gazette. Your impact can be more far-reaching than that of any of your predecessors. This is your opportunity to take the Warner legacy to a new level.”

  Somewhere deep inside her the knot of tension that had been tightening for months began to uncoil. Could Mark be right? Was it possible that she hadn’t failed after all? That her forefathers would be proud, not disappointed? After all, they had dreamed big, with broad vision. Maybe it was time she did the same.

  As Abby looked at the man who had stolen her heart—and helped her find her future—she was filled with a joy unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Though she knew much change was ahead, she also knew that she had at last discovered God’s plan for her. And with Mark by her side, with a dream to share, and with God’s grace to guide her, she was ready to let go of the past and build a legacy of her own with the man she loved.

  Mark watched as new warmth stole into the green eyes he had come to cherish. Watched as this special woman finally made peace with the future God had designed for her. For them. And when she reached out to him, he didn’t hesitate. He folded her into his arms, where she belonged. Right beside his heart.

  And as he bent to seal their promise to each other with a kiss, he thanked God. For the wisdom to leave yesterday behind. For the courage to open his heart to love. And for the chance to reach for the stars.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-1297-2

  A DREAM TO SHARE

  Copyright © 2008 by Irene Hannon

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