“Never,” he said as he easily glided to the side of the frozen pond with her in his arms. When he stopped, he looked down at her. “Do you feel better now?”
“Jah.” To be truthful, she wasn’t sure how she felt at the moment. She was relieved and stunned. Astonished and happy. “You can put me down now.”
Carefully, he repositioned his arms, then let her slide to the ground. “You’d best put your boots on, Christy.”
She nodded, then did as he suggested as he switched out his own boots.
At last there was nothing else to do but talk. “What did you want to say?” he whispered.
“That I meant it when I said I loved you.”
“I meant it, too. You’re my girl now, Christina. You know that, right?”
“I know,” she whispered. Because she’d always known it from the start. From the moment they’d met, he’d always had her heart.
She was just thankful that at long last their love was out in the open.
So very thankful.
Hand in hand they walked back to the house. Christina couldn’t help noticing that the snowflakes no longer seemed ominous. Instead they were simply pretty reminders of the miraculous changes that had taken place between them.
Aden kept her hand nestled in his when they stepped inside. When they walked into the kitchen everyone was there waiting for them.
Her brothers looked at her and Aden curiously, as if they couldn’t understand what the fuss was about. Leanna, being twelve, had stars in her eyes. Christina could practically read her mind—Leanna was eagerly planning their wedding already.
Even Treva looked bemused. Christina knew her sister was going to be genuinely happy for her and Aden. Well, she would be, as soon as she got over the fact that Christina had kept her in the dark.
Her parents, on the other hand, were a different story. Her father seemed unable to look away from their linked fingers. And her mother was practically biting her tongue. It was obvious she had much to say.
She barely waited a full minute. “Do either of you feel compelled to tell us what’s going on yet?”
Aden smiled. “Today is the very best day of my life. Christina here has just agreed to be my wife.”
“I knew it!” Leanna announced. “Can I help you plan it, Christy?”
“Of course you can,” she said softly. “Mamm, Daed, I am mighty happy. Will you join me in my happiness?”
Her mother crossed her arms over her chest. “And all this just happened? Just like that?”
“Hardly,” Aden said.
“Your eyes might be full of stars, but we need more of an explanation, daughter,” her father said. “We raised you practically as siblings.”
“But I never thought of Aden that way,” Christina said. “I’ve loved him forever. The truth is that this day has been years in the making.”
Her mother raised her eyebrows. “That long?”
Carefully, Aden wrapped an arm around Christina, showing them that he felt exactly the same way she did. That they’d waited long enough. And that they were old enough to make up their own minds. “It’s the happiest day of my life,” he said, taking time to look each person in the eye. “I’d love it if you would be happy, too. Because, at long last, I would have it no other way.”
“And you, daughter?” her mother asked. “What do you have to say about all of this?”
Christina took a breath, considering all the things she could say, then finally decided to speak from the heart.
“Only that I am thankful,” she said at last. “I am so very, very thankful.”
Turning away from her family, she looked into Aden’s eyes. She saw love there, and the promise of a beautiful future together.
And that was when she realized that being thankful summed up her feelings.
In fact, it was almost more than enough.
Epilogue
With a gasp and a cry, she opened her eyes, breathing deeply, taking in fresh, fortifying breaths like the counselor had taught her.
Bit by bit, the last remnants of her dream slid away, letting Christina Reese blink and focus on the present. As she became more aware of the soft flannel sheets that surrounded her, the faint scent of roses from the bouquet on her chest of drawers, and the warm sense of security that now glowed inside her, she knew she was at home, not in dark, brackish water.
She was sitting in her bed, warm and cozy in her favorite nightgown, the one that Treva had embroidered tiny pink flowers on.
She stretched her legs, happy that her breathing had already almost returned to normal. Her episodes were getting better and better.
Now, if she could only convince her husband to stay by her side through the night.
She knew where he was, of course. After slipping on her robe and slippers, she walked to the kitchen—and found Aden almost exactly where she’d imagined him to be. He was standing at the kitchen counter, contentedly buttering two slices of bread.
“Aden, I thought you were going to try to stop your middle-of-the-night wanderings.”
“I would, if I didn’t get so hungry.” Setting his knife down, he examined her face more closely. “Another dream tonight?”
“Yep.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t next to you.”
The last time she’d had her nightmare he’d held her for hours afterward, whispering over and over that she was all right. “It’s okay, it wasn’t too bad this time.”
“Really?”
“I woke up before things got too bad. And,” she added proudly, “I didn’t even start hyperventilating. I’m making big strides.”
“That is good news.” Walking over, he kissed her brow. “Congratulations. You’re right, love. That is wonderful-gut progress.”
“Now all we have to do is cure you of your need for grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches,” she joked.
Her raised his brows. “So, wife, would you care for one?”
By now they almost had their own script. “Do you have mustard?”
Eyes sparkling, he picked up the jar of Grey Poupon. “Got it right here.”
“Then my answer is yes, of course.”
He grinned as he pulled out more bread and began making two sandwiches. She sat at their small kitchen table and contentedly watched Aden make yet another sandwich.
It had been a busy month. After finally admitting their love to each other—and to her family—things had moved forward like a roller coaster. Wedding plans began in earnest, with Leanna spearheading the arrangements.
They’d decided to move into his little apartment instead of building onto the main house, wanting to spend their first year of marriage in relative privacy.
In the middle of everything Aden and she talked more and more about that skating accident all those years ago. He forced her to tell her parents about her nightmares. And then, much to her dismay, all of them encouraged her to talk with one of the counselors at Aden’s hospital.
Talking about things helped. All it took was a couple of sessions with the counselor to learn some ways to help her cope with her darkest fears.
And now, here they were, newlyweds, living on their own and enjoying the novelty of setting up their own home. And realizing that while so many things were different between them, much was basically the same.
“Here you go, Christy,” Aden said as he slid a plate in front of her before sitting down with his own.
Just as it had always been, the first bite was the very best. “It’s a good one tonight.”
“Danke.”
They chewed in silence for a few minutes, then Christy pushed her plate to one side. “So, why were you up tonight? You didn’t have a bad dream, too, did you?”
“I just couldn’t sleep.”
“Oh? Were you worried about something?”
“Not at all.” Standing up, he took her hand and pulled her up against him. “I woke up wide awake, and then made the mistake of counting my blessings as a way to get back to sleep.”
“W
hat was wrong with that?”
His expression turned bemused. “It just happens, I have a lot to thank the good Lord for. It takes a while. By the time I was done I got hungry.”
Christina chuckled as she turned off the kerosene lamp. “I’ve never heard of someone having trouble sleeping because they were too happy.”
“What can I say?” he quipped. “I’m a man in a million, Christina.”
“That is true,” she murmured as she led her husband out of the kitchen. He was a man in a million. The only man she’d ever wanted. “It’s time we went to bed, Aden.”
Smiling slowly, he nodded. “Christina dear, you read my mind. I just happened to be thinking the very same thing.” She giggled as she led the way in the dark, knowing that even if he couldn’t see her, he would follow.
Knowing she would never want it to be any other way.
P.S.
About the author
Meet Shelley Shepard Gray
About the book
Letter from the Author
Questions for Discussion
Peanut Butter Pie
Read on
A Sneak Peek of Shelley Shepard Gray’s Next Book, Joyful
About the Author
Meet Shelley Shepard Gray
PEOPLE OFTEN ASK how I started writing. Some believe I’ve been a writer all my life, others ask if I’ve always felt I had a story I needed to tell. I’m afraid my reasons couldn’t be more different. See, I started writing one day because I didn’t have anything to read.
I’ve always loved to read. I was the girl in the back of the classroom with her nose in a book, the mom who kept a couple of novels in her car to read during soccer practice, the person who made weekly visits to the bookstore and the library.
Back when I taught elementary school, I used to read during my lunch breaks. One day, when I realized I’d forgotten to bring something to read, I turned on my computer and took a leap of faith. Feeling a little like I was doing something wrong, I typed those first words: Chapter One.
I didn’t start writing with the intent of publishing a book. Actually, I just wrote for myself.
For the most part, I still write for myself, which is why, I think, I’m able to write so much. I write books that I’d like to read. Books that I would have liked to have in my old teacher tote bag. I’m always relieved and surprised and so happy when other people want to read my books, too!
Another question I’m often asked is why I choose to write inspirational fiction. Maybe at first glance, it does seem surprising. I’m not the type of person who usually talks about my faith in the line at the grocery store or when I’m out to lunch with friends. For me, my faith has always felt like more of a private thing. I feel that I’m still on my faith journey—still learning and studying God’s word.
And that, I think, is why writing inspirational fiction is such a good fit for me. I enjoy writing about characters who happen to be in the middle of their faith journeys, too. They’re not perfect, and they don’t always make the right decisions. Sometimes they make mistakes, and sometimes they do something they’re proud of. They’re characters who are a lot like me.
Only God knows what else He has in store for me. He’s given me the will and the ability to write stories to glorify Him. He’s put many people in my life who are supportive and caring. I feel blessed and thankful . . . and excited to see what will happen next!
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
About the Book
Letter from the Author
Dear Reader,
It wasn’t my finest moment. One afternoon, just a few days before Easter, my husband and I took our two children to one of the nicest malls in Dallas. The whole purpose? To have lunch at Neiman Marcus.
It sounds silly now, but back then, well, I needed a fancy lunch out. We had two kids under two, and I spent my days carting kids to day care, teaching school all day, and then doing laundry way too late at night. We didn’t have a lot of extra money, and it seemed that every bit we did have went toward diapers and the hundred things two tiny children need. I was tired and stressed and pretty sick of wearing clothes with stains on them.
And so, one Saturday, my husband suggested we get dressed up and go out to a fancy lunch. We walked around the mall and window-shopped and daydreamed about actually getting a full night’s sleep. All the while people looked into our double stroller at our cute kids. And then they did a double take.
Every time I saw someone look at our children just a little longer than normal, I lifted my chin a little higher. Yep, I was a mom, but I was still Shelley. I could still get dressed up and go out and about with the best of them!
Then, just as we were about to enter the café inside Neiman Marcus, a woman stopped me and said ten words I’ll never forget. “Did you know your baby spit up all over herself?”
With a feeling of doom, I looked into the stroller. And yep, there was little Lesley squirming and covered in baby goop. The moment she realized she had my attention, she did what babies do. She let out a piercing shriek. Loud enough to grab the attention of just about everyone in the middle of Neiman Marcus.
Minutes later, I was sitting in our red minivan changing Lesley’s clothes and giving Arthur a couple animal crackers to tide him over. My husband saved the day by going through the drive-thru at McDonald’s. Our trip to the mall was over.
Every time I think about that botched lunch at Neiman Marcus, I have to smile. It’s the kind of thing that happens to everyone at one time or another, I think. Sometimes the best-laid plans just aren’t meant to be!
Now I realize that that afternoon was simply life and that my desire to have lunch out was perfectly normal. I was thankful for my two tiny blessings, to have a good job, and to be a mom. All I needed was a little break! Perhaps that is what life is all about? Strollers and missed lunches and the ability to laugh at a situation that isn’t perfect . . . but not wanting it any other way.
Years later, when my daughter was twelve or thirteen, we finally made it to Neiman Marcus. While we ate finger sandwiches and sipped tea, I told her all about her first trip there. She said she was glad I’d waited to return until she could actually enjoy the meal.
And of course, she was right. God’s timing is everything.
Thanks for picking up the book. I hope you enjoyed Thankful. And, if you’re a little bit like me, I hope you, too, take a moment to count your blessings. Even the not-so-perfect ones!
With blessings to you,
Shelley Shepard Gray
Questions for Discussion
1. Much of Thankful revolves around one incident that changed both Christina’s and Aden’s lives. How might their lives have been different if Christina had never fallen through the ice? Do you think they would have stayed so close?
2. Is there an incident in your life that has acted as a turning point for you? What happened?
3. Another theme in Thankful is adoption, both literally and figuratively. Is there a person in your life whom you’ve “adopted”? Or have you become an honorary member of another family? How did that come about?
4. The moment I read the Amish proverb “If you can’t have the best of everything, make the best of everything you have,” I knew it fit Jana’s story line. She had so many blessings, but she needed to give herself permission to do something new. When have you given yourself permission to “make the best of everything you have”?
5. Years ago my agent sent me a news article about Mennonite families fostering prisoners’ children and it really struck a chord. I particularly have enjoyed writing about Judith and Ben’s quest to have a family as well as their journey toward becoming foster parents. What do you think will happen next with them? How do you think their experience with James will change them?
6. I loved the Scripture verse from Psalm 50: “Call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you and you will give me glory.” Has there been a time in
your life when you called on God when you were in trouble? How do you think this verse relates to Christina and Judith?
7. Aden’s grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches come directly from my kitchen! I make grilled ham-and-cheese with Dijon mustard in a cast-iron skillet, and my kids always ask for them when they come home from college. Is there a comfort dish that is a particular favorite in your house? Who in your family makes it?
8. Which character in Thankful would you like to read more about in a future book? Why?
Peanut Butter Pie
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
1¾ cups milk
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
⅓ of (8 ounce) tub of nondairy whipped topping
¼ cup peanut butter
⅔ cup powdered sugar
1 baked pie crust
Mix instant pudding with milk according to directions on box. After pudding sets, beat in softened cream cheese and ⅓ tub of whipped topping. In a separate bowl, blend peanut butter and powdered sugar until crumbly. When crust is cool spread ⅔ cup peanut butter crumbles on bottom of crust. Fill with pudding mixture and top with remaining nondairy whipped topping. Garnish with remaining peanut butter crumbs.
Taken from Simply Delicious Amish Cooking by Sherry Gore. Copyright © 2012 by Sherry Gore. Used by permission of Zondervan. www.Zondervan.com
Read On
A Sneak Peek of Shelley Shepard Gray’s Next Book, Joyful
Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.
PSALM 97:11
A house is made from walls and beams . . . a home is made of love and dreams.
AMISH PROVERB
RANDALL BEILER wasn’t happy.
Perhaps that was putting things a bit harsh. Or maybe, rather, it was putting things a bit mildly.
Whatever it was, he needed something better in his life. A reason to be happy, a reason to be content. Or, as his little sister Kaylene was fond of saying, he needed something to be joyful about.
Thankful Page 20
