by Paula Mowery
“I have hardly slept.”
He did appear disheveled as well. “Were you ill?” I sat on the edge of the bed.
He turned until his knees were against mine. “No, I’m not ill. Far from it. Alex, these are terrific.” He held up my journals.
“Thank you. I’m flattered you would find them terrific.”
“I showed them to Lisa, the acquisitions editor at Carson you met, and she is ready to sign you today.”
I felt my eyes widen. “What? Publish my stuff?”
“Yes. What do you say? Will you become one of Carson’s up and coming authors?”
“I don’t know what to say.” I stood and paced for a moment, letting the shock wear off. “If I do this I want to stay anonymous, like Granny Olivia did. I’m just a small town girl.”
“I can arrange that.” He nodded.
I smiled. “I can’t believe this.” I paced a small path in front of him, rubbing my hands down my face. “You’re not just being nice?”
“No. Alex, your writing is amazing.”
I bit my lip and stared into his eyes.
Chase caught my hand and stopped me. “If you’re going to stay anonymous, we’ll have to come up with a pen name for you.” He stroked his chin. “How about your middle name and maiden name just like your grandmother?—Michelle Lyndon.”
“I can’t do that. I took my maiden name back after the divorce. Lyndon is my name.”
Chase rose to his feet and embraced me. “Not if I give you a married name.”
My pulse quickened. Could he really mean what I thought he meant?
“Will you marry me? Will you become a Carson?”
“Oh, Chase, I do love you and would love to be your wife, but I’m not sure how well I’d fit in around here.” My insides trembled.
“You don’t have to. I much prefer the incognito life back in Tennessee at your house. That is, if you’ll have me? I mean, I need to be there to look out for my new author personally, just like I did for Miss Olivia. I don’t do that for just anybody, you know.”
I flung my arms around his neck. “Yes, yes!”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
A wedding in Granny Olivia’s back yard seemed the perfect place. Granny’s pastor would do the honors, and all of the people whom she had touched were there to wish us well. I found a white lacy tea-length dress that resembled the pictures of Granny Olivia’s wedding dress.
Millie insisted on providing fresh flowers from her yard for a bouquet. She handed them to me and smiled approvingly. “Your Granny Olivia would be so happy for you.” Her eyes misted over, and she diverted them from me.
“Thank you, Millie.” I gave her a half hug.
I stood alone in the kitchen, watching out the door for my cue.
“Alex, dear?” I turned to find Chase’s mother.
“Mrs. Carson.”
She grasped my hand and squeezed.
“It’s Mom from now on.”
My eyes blurred with tears, and the lump of emotion in my throat prohibited me from speaking. I nodded.
“I’m so happy for you and my son. I’ve prayed for you since he was just a little boy.”
I finally managed to squeak out a thank you.
“I better get out there.” She moved toward the door.
I touched her arm. “Wait.” She turned around. “Will you walk with me?”
Her eyes widened.
I shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t have any family left to walk me to the altar.”
She caressed my cheek with the back of her hand. “Oh, precious child, you have a family.”
She offered her hand, and I took it.
We walked hand-in-hand across the yard. I could barely see my handsome groom for the tears.
After Chase kissed me and we were pronounced man and wife, I admitted something to him.
“I wish Granny Olivia was here to share this day with us.”
“For some reason, I think she knows. I know it is God who makes the plans for our lives, but I just feel like she helped Him author this happily ever after.”
I had to agree.
I thanked God for this happy ending and for giving me Granny Olivia, whose godly influence taught me to find my happily ever after.
Please read on to learn more about the author, Paula Mowery, and to read a sample from another of her Prism Book Group titles, Brave New Century.
Please enjoy this sample from Brave New Century by Paula Mowery, available from Prism Book Group!
Jessie Lee’s father rushed through the front door carrying a crying Margareet. His face was pale, and his eyes looked wild. He sat Margareet in a chair. “Watch your sister.” He grabbed her stepmother’s hand and pulled her down the small hallway into their bedroom and slammed the door.
Jessie knelt in front of Margareet and attempted to calm her. “Shh… What’s the matter? Are you hurt?”
Margareet shook her head, wide-eyed.
“Can you tell me what’s wrong?”
Her sister pressed her lips together and shook her head again. Her body shook uncontrollably.
Jessie was still trying to make sense of her sister’s behavior when her father strode back down the hallway. He thrust a suitcase at her. “Jessie Lee, take this bag and fill it with clothes for you and Margareet.”
Jessie stood. “But, Daddy…”
Father held up his hand. “Just do it,” he barked.
Jessie grabbed the suitcase in one hand and Margareet’s hand in the other. She went into the bedroom they shared and opened the bag onto the bed. She snatched sets of clothes and undergarments from each of their drawers. A bang on the wall caused her to jump.
“Let’s go,” her father called.
Jessie snapped the suitcase shut and carried it to the front door. Her stepmother was already in the carriage. Father picked up the luggage. “Get in.”
Jessie stomped her foot. Didn’t she deserve to know what was happening? “Where are we going?”
Father shoved her toward the carriage step. “Mind me.” His teeth gritted.
Jessie helped her sister into the carriage. They rode in silence for a very long time. Darkness had fallen, and Jessie didn’t recognize where they were. She spotted a large building up ahead with several lighted windows. Father stopped at the front door, hopped down, and took out the suitcase Jessie had packed. “Come on, girls.”
Inside they were met by a petite woman bearing a sweet smile. Father set the suitcase down and prodded Jessie and Margareet forward. “This is Jessie Lee and Margareet...Capelle.”
Jessie’s head snapped around. Capelle? That wasn’t her name. Her father’s gaze met hers. He set his chin and nodded. He turned on his heels and disappeared out the door.
“Jessie Lee and Margareet, I’m Miss Jane.” How could her voice hold such love when she didn’t even know them? “Let me show you to your new room.”
Margareet’s eyes still reflected sheer fright. Jessie stood straighter, trying to look more confident than she felt. They followed Miss Jane’s lead.
“It’s a little late, so we’ll go over the orphanage’s rules and schedule tomorrow morning.”
Orphanage?
“Here we are.” Miss Jane walked past one set of beds and patted the next two. “These will be yours. There are three other girls who share this room. You’ll meet them when they come to bed soon.” She smiled. “Do you have nightclothes?”
Jessie nodded.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
Jessie plopped onto her bed. How did her stepmother talk Father into this? He had actually thrown his daughters away to be with that woman. Tears threatened. She missed her mama. Everything changed the day she died. But, Jessie had to stay strong for Margareet. Her sister still stood with her arms hugging her own waist. Her bottom lip quivered. Jessie reached for her, pulling her to her side. She stroked Margareet’s hair. Suddenly, she recalled hours before when her father and Margareet had returned from town. She placed her hands gently on the girl
’s shoulders and pushed her away enough to look into her eyes.
“Margareet, what happened with Daddy today?” She kept her voice light.
Margareet’s body stiffened and her eyes again held terror. She shook her head. Jessie could feel her sister’s body trembling under her grasp. She pulled her back into an embrace. It didn’t matter now. They were orphans. She was glad he had changed their last name, because as far as Jessie was concerned, she had no father. Of course, she also had no hope of ever having a loving family either.
Look for Brave New Century at all major eBook retailers, or learn more at the Prism Book Group website at : http://www.prismbookgroup.com!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paula Mowery is a published author, acquisitions editor, and speaker. Her first two published works were The Blessing Seer and Be The Blessing from Pelican Book Group. Both are women’s fiction, and their themes have been the topics of speaking engagements. In November of 2013, her first romance released in the anthology, Brave New Century, from Prism Book Group. Legacy and Love is her first solo romance. Reviewers of her writing characterize it as “thundering with emotion.” Her articles have appeared in Woman’s World, The Christian Online Magazine, and the multi-author devotional blog, Full Flavored Living.
As an acquisitions editor for Prism Book Group, Paula particularly looks for romance stories with Christian values at its core. She’s especially attracted to those manuscripts that leave the reader mulling over the story long after turning the last page.
Having been an avid reader of Christian fiction, she now puts that love to use by writing book reviews. She is a member of ACFW and is on the author interview team.
Paula is a pastor’s wife and mom to a first year college student. She homeschooled her daughter through all twelve years, and they both lived to tell about it. Before educating her daughter at home, she was an English teacher in public school.
You can follow Paula at www.facebook.com/pages/Paula-Mowery/175869562589187. Learn more about Paula at her blog at www.paulamowery.blogspot.com or enjoy her monthly columns on www.christianonlinemagazine.com.
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