Pastor Ruiz stood on the front porch. She couldn’t be rude and pretend not to be home. He’d always treated her like a daughter.
“Holá, Gracie,” he said as she pulled the door open. “Gloria called. She said you might need a sympathetic ear today.”
She closed the door behind him. “I don’t feel much like talking right now, Pastor.”
“I understand. Maybe I could do the talking, then.” He sat down on one of the chairs in the classroom.
Gracie pulled out a chair nearby and slumped into it. “I don’t think there’s anything you could say that would make my heart stop hurting, Pastor Ruiz.”
“Do you remember the story of Jeremiah?”
She nodded. “He’s a prophet from the Old Testament, right?”
“Exactly. And much like what’s happened to you now, Jeremiah didn’t like the situation he found himself in. One day, God had him write a letter to the other exiles like him. In it, God reminded the people that even though they weren’t living in their lands, He still had a plan for their lives.”
Gracie straightened in her chair. “What are you trying to say?”
“Well, Gracie, God has brought you to this place, a long way from your homeland. You’re here for a purpose.” The pastor leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. “I don’t know what God has in store for you, but He hasn’t forgotten you, and the work you’ve been doing is not in vain.”
Slowly, she could feel her heart begin to inch back to its rightful place. “But what about Jake, Pastor? I trusted him. I’ve prayed about him, and this wasn’t the way I thought it was supposed to work out.”
“Trusting others isn’t a bad thing, Graciela. But above all, you have to trust in God. Even when His timing is not our own.”
Gracie knew Pastor Ruiz spoke the truth. “Easier said than done.”
“Most of the important things in life are, hija.” He reached out and gave her a reassuring pat on the knee. “I have some boxes in the church office. I’ll go get them and then come back to help you start packing.”
“Thanks, Pastor. I appreciate your stopping by.”
They both rose and walked back to the door.
“Anytime. I’ll be back in an hour or so.” He opened the door and left Gracie standing in the front hallway, alone again with her thoughts.
Suddenly, Gracie felt very small. She’d been raised to have faith. But in the toughest afternoon of her life, she’d forgotten all about it. How could she rebuild on a foundation that proved to be so easily shaken?
Maybe some hot tea and quiet time with her Bible would do the trick. She began to walk down the hallway to the kitchen. An insistent knock on the door stopped her in her tracks.
“Gracie!”
She knew that voice. It haunted her thoughts.
Jake’s fist connected with the door again. “Gracie, please open the door. Your car is parked out front. I know you’re here.”
Every fiber of her body wanted to stay put. But Gracie knew she couldn’t hide. Not from Jake or from whatever lay ahead in her now-uncertain path.
She retraced her steps back to the door, then slowly turned the doorknob.
He looked as disheveled as he had at the hospital. His shirttail wasn’t tucked in and his khaki shorts—the same ones he’d worn Saturday on the boat—were wrinkled almost beyond recognition. A dark stain marred the hemline on the right leg.
She clearly wasn’t the only one who had been dealt a one-two punch recently.
“Gracie. I have something for you.” He stood on the porch, not pushing to come inside.
“I think you’ve given me enough, Jake.” She didn’t mean to be harsh. The words just came out of her mouth before she could think them through.
He held up a goldenrod-colored envelope, the size of a sheet of paper. “Take this. It’s yours.”
“But I didn’t leave anything behind on Saturday.” She took the envelope and held it gingerly, as though it would scorch what little she had left to her name.
“It’s not from Saturday.” His green eyes focused on her with the intensity of a bear trap. “Please open it.”
A slight tremble ruffled her fingers as she tore the flap of the envelope. Inside rested two pieces of paper. One, a sheet from a yellow legal pad, the other a blue rectangle.
Gracie pulled out the yellow page first. A short paragraph was shakily handwritten in black ink. Gracie’s voice faltered as she read aloud.
Dear Ms. Garcia,
It gives me great pleasure to award you a grant from the Peoples Family Foundation in the amount of $25,000. It is the foundation’s hope that you will be able to continue your work educating the citizens of Port Provident in a new location and to begin your GED program. The foundation’s new director, Jake Peoples, will be able to assist you should you have any further needs beyond this initial grant.
Sincerely yours,
Diana Powell Peoples
Digging back in the envelope, Gracie found the blue rectangle. As the letter said, it was a check written in the sum of $25,000—$10,000 more than the grant she’d hoped to receive but hadn’t.
Gracie tried to get a tight grip on her feelings, even as they began to take flight. She felt as if she were grasping at dangling strings from balloons rising on the breeze. “What is this?”
“I had a heart-to-heart with Nana about what’s happened the past few days—if you’ll pardon the pun, considering why Nana’s been in the hospital. The subject of you and me and El Centro came up. She reminded me that she and Jenna happen to be in charge of a foundation that makes charitable grants to worthy causes in the Port Provident community. But with Jenna about to start a family and Nana recovering from her heart attack, there’s a position open at the Peoples Family Foundation—and there’s no board of directors and DNA isn’t a job requirement.” Jake cracked a smile. “She also asked that I apologize for the informal letter, but the nurses wouldn’t let me bring her laptop into the ICU.”
She scanned the letter again, still unable to believe she held a grant check in her hands. “So you have a new job here in Port Provident after all?”
“One where I can work with people and help them achieve their dreams—just as you and I talked about on the boat. Just as my great-grandfather did after the 1910 hurricane.”
Gracie leaned against the doorframe for support, overwhelmed. “Pastor Ruiz was right. God does have a plan, even when we can’t see it. I don’t know how to thank you—or Him.”
“I have that praise and worship CD you accidentally left in my truck Wednesday night after church. He might like it if we drove down to the beach and sang along. We both have things to show our thanks for.”
Gracie liked the sound of Jake’s plan. Gratitude continued to wash over her with the repetitive force of one cresting wave after another.
“As for me,” Jake said, taking one measured step in Gracie’s direction, “I’d settle for a kiss. I want to know everything’s okay between the two of us. We had a misunderstanding the past few days, but I had to tell you...I love you. I’m not some shallow, narrow-minded guy from your past. I want to be with you. Forever. Please don’t ever question that.”
Acting on pure emotion, Gracie leaped forward and threw her arms around Jake’s neck. Together, she knew they could weather any storm life threw in their direction.
“Teacher?” Jake brought his head low to Gracie’s ear.
“Yes?”
“How do you say I love you in Spanish? I seem to have forgotten.” His breath stirred her hair.
“Te amo,” she whispered.
“Te amo, Graciela Garcia de Piedra. Remember that, maestra. There’ll be a quiz later.”
Epilogue
The sun shone brightly for the ribbon-cutting at the new downtown location of El Centro por las L
enguas. Gracie had spent the past two months fixing up the school and her loft upstairs. She not only had the Peoples Family Foundation grant money to work with, but getting to know Jake’s grandmother opened doors to other prominent citizens of Port Provident, who generously made donations as well.
“Gracie, I want you to meet Dr. Gary Stone.” Diana Peoples hadn’t kept her vow to settle down after her heart attack. She used all her event-planning skills to make sure the school’s opening was a success.
Gracie extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Stone.”
“The pleasure’s all mine, Ms. Garcia. I’ve known Diana for years, and anyone she speaks this highly of has to be very special.”
Gracie felt the mild heat of blushing creep into her cheeks at the unexpected compliment. She’d spent a great deal of time with the matriarch of the Peoples family during the past eight weeks. Gracie loved hearing that the affection she held for Jake’s grandmother was mutual.
“Dr. Stone is the new president of Provident College, Gracie.” Diana’s friendly smile made Gracie feel as though she, too, belonged to this circle of friends.
“Welcome, Dr. Stone. Several students of mine have gone on to study at PC, and I myself attended several years ago.”
Gracie loved that God had provided her with students from day one of opening El Centro, but regretted that her difficulties with David kept her away from furthering her own education.
“But you aren’t a graduate of our institution, correct?” Gracie noticed a sheen of perspiration begin to pop up on the college president’s brow as they stood in the afternoon sun.
“No, in addition to working full time, I haven’t really had the money to pay for school.”
Dr. Stone grinned. “Well, you do now. I’m here to provide you with a full-tuition scholarship to Provident College. When Diana told me about your school, as a fellow educator, I knew how important education had to be to you. I want you to have the same opportunity for advancement you provide your own students.”
“Oh, gracias!” Excitement caused Gracie to slip into her native tongue.
Jake tugged at his novia’s elbow before she could say anything more. “I hate to interrupt, but everyone from the Chamber of Commerce is here. We should probably cut the ribbon so everyone can get inside to the air-conditioning. No one wants to stand outside in a Texas summer.”
Gracie allowed Jake to lead her up to the front of the crowd. His strong arm around her waist kept her jitters at bay.
“Here are the scissors, Gracie.” Laura Allen, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, handed over a pair of scissors the size of an elementary-school student. Gracie felt as if she’d joined a clown skit in a circus.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming today to celebrate the grand opening of the new location of El Centro por las Lenguas. Your support means so much to me.” Gracie turned and tried to hold the scissors in the least-awkward way possible.
Her first attempt at cutting barely nicked the fluffy red bow.
“I think you need to get a little bit closer,” Jake said as he gently pushed her forward.
Gracie readied herself for another try. As she settled herself, the sunlight glinted off something in the ribbon.
“Hold these, please.” She handed the scissors to Jake. “What is that?”
Standing next to the giant bow tied in front of her school’s front door, Gracie noticed a small diamond ring tied to the top of the crimson loops.
“Jake? What is this?” Her heart began to pound, giant thumps that had to be obvious to the gathered crowd.
Instead of replying, Jake dropped to one knee. “Before we cut the ribbon to start the next phase of your school, I want to start the next phase of your life. Graciela Garcia de Piedra, will you marry me?”
Gracie looked deep into Jake’s eyes and saw an ocean of love in their depths.
When she left her home in Mexico as a child, she could never have imagined this day. Tears as clear as the diamond before her ran down her cheeks. Without hesitation, Gracie answered Jake with the language of her youth.
“¡Sí!”
* * * *
If you enjoyed this story by Kristen Ethridge, be sure to check out the other Love Inspired Books this month!
* * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt of Reunited for the Holidays by Jillian Hart!
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for spending time with Gracie and Jake—hope you enjoyed meeting them. Their story really spoke to me for a number of reasons. As a native Texan, I’ve lived on both the border and the Gulf Coast, and feel a strong connection to the area where the story takes place and the people represented within.
Rebuilding is an issue I think we all face in some form or fashion, especially now in tougher economic times. We may struggle to hold on to a dream or a business or a home, only to find out in the end that our best efforts aren’t enough. But in those times, we are given a unique opportunity to trust in the plans that God has for us. I know in my own life, some valleys have been tough to walk through, but it’s given me the opportunity to truly learn that God will see us safely to the other side if we remain faithful.
I hope you enjoyed my debut book in the Love Inspired line. I’m looking forward to bringing you more stories of faith, family, friends and a forever love. One of the joys of being a writer is the opportunity to hear from readers like you! You may reach me by email at [email protected].
You can also connect with me online in a variety of places:
www.kristenethridge.com
On Twitter @kristenethridge
Or at www.facebook.com/Kristen_Ethridge_Books.
All the best,
Kristen Ethridge
Questions for Discussion
What did you see as the theme of the book? Has this theme ever touched your own life? How?
Who was your favorite character? What traits made them stand out to you?
What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
The story begins when Jake informs Gracie that she will soon lose her lease. How does this affect her? How would you have reacted in a similar situation?
Jake has recently returned to town after the death of his father, but he’s driven by a past he doesn’t completely understand. Do you feel as though he is more focused on building his future or correcting his past? Where do you prefer to focus your attention—the past, present or future?
When Jake visits Gracie’s church, he sees a church operating much differently from what he is used to. How does the atmosphere of La Iglesia de la Luz del Mundo contrast with the church Jake grew up in? How do their churches contrast with your own experiences?
Secondary characters show Jake that there’s more to Gracie than just a struggling teacher. How do Juan and Pablo help Jake better understand Gracie? Have you ever had someone placed in your life to help you in a certain situation?
Gracie is relying on a grant to help fix her financial shortfall at the school. Not receiving it shook her faith and made her doubt that the plans she was making would work out. Have you ever had a setback like that? How did you overcome it?
At the board meeting, Jake learns he’s not who he thought he was. Many families keep secrets. Do you feel like the Peoples family could have handled theirs differently? How would Jake’s life have been different if he’d known the truth while growing up?
Family members play key roles in both Jake’s and Gracie’s lives. How are their families different? How are they similar? Who in your family or circle of close friends serves as a sounding board for you? Why do you value that person’s guidance or support?
Gracie’s family came to America in search of a better life, and she opened her English as a Second Language school to pay that forward. Jake learns his f
amily company was established to do the same, but over the years, it lost sight of that goal. What do you think caused the disconnect over time? How do you keep your dreams and goals fresh?
In the end, a grant does come Gracie’s way, and Jake does get to make an impact in a family business. How did their journey make them appreciate the outcome more? Think about a time in your life when things worked out in an unexpected way or at the eleventh hour. How were you affected? What lessons did you learn?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.
You believe hearts can heal. Love Inspired stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.
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Chapter One
Dr. Brian Wallace plucked the ceramic frog out of the flower bed, tipped it upside down and shook hard. The spare front-door key fell onto his palm as he squinted into the watery afternoon sun. It was good to be home. Late November air crisped over him and he shivered, goose bumps traveling down his arms. Weak from an extended illness, he gripped the railing to steady himself. The long trip from rural Texas had taken a toll on him.
Saving Gracie Page 19
