Romance: New Beginnings (Young Adult and Adult Romance, Christian Christmas Fiction book as a Love Story) (Second Chances Trilogy 3) (5 page)

Grace shook her head, “Not me. But I just happen to know where you can find an expert in all things bling and tea party.”

“Oh, that’s perfect. I’ll take Daniella to the costume store with me!”

Grace opened the car door, “She’d love it. You do know she will expect to be invited to each and every tea party?”

“Of course. She will be the reigning Princess and in charge of making everyone else feel included. She does that really well already, and she’s only four!”

“She’s bossy! What you’re assuming is kindness is her manipulating you until you do what she wants,” Grace told him with a grin. “Are you coming back to the house to have dinner with us?”

“Yes. Brad and Teresa were stopping by to pick up a couple of take-and-bake pizzas before running the girls home. If Victoria’s feeling up to it, maybe you could convince her to join us for dinner.”

“I hope she is. She needs a change of scenery, that’s for sure. I’ll see you back at the house,” Grace told him before closing the car door and jogging over to her own vehicle.

She mused about the adventure Michael was getting ready to embark upon and offered up a small prayer for its success. He was a wonderful, compassionate man, who had taken those traits and used them to help sick and hurting children. He had been wonderful with Dani when there’d been a possibility that she had leukemia, helping calm her fears in the hospital and then calming her mother’s fears in the waiting room. As Grace drove home, she glanced in the rearview mirror to see Michael following right behind her. She relaxed as she replayed his comments about seeing where their relationship led. She couldn’t imagine a better plan than that.

Chapter 8

Castle Peaks, Montana …

“Mr. Mercer, what your architect has drawn up is amazing!” Jackson commented, still looking at the blueprints that had been delivered only moments before.

“Well, he had quite a bit of input from Sara and Dr. Baker. And I want you to feel free to make as many changes as you think are necessary. Oh, and call me Bill!”

Jackson nodded his head, still glued to the papers in front of him. The Mercer-Brownell Foundation was going to become the go-to place for respite care of cancer patients across the country. It would cater not only to their physical needs, but the focus would be on stabilizing their medical condition and pain so that they could get back to living. Whether that be in full remission, or only for a few more weeks. The center’s main goal was to improve the quality of whatever time its patients had left.

Jackson was a realist, and he had seen firsthand how devastating cancer could be on both the patient and their extended family. Having the resources to alleviate as much pain and suffering as possible, all located in one place, was an amazing feat. One he was proud to be a part of.

“Once you’re done looking at them drawings, I thought I drive you over to see the Beckett place. Dillon called this morning, and all of his siblings are in agreement to sell the place. I’ve already made him an offer and he’s accepted it.”

Jackson stared in wonder at the older gentleman standing next to him, “You bought a house?”

“Well, you can’t live in the B&B forever! And if you’ll remember, it is the only vacant house in fifty miles.”

Jackson nodded his head, still shocked that this man had purchased a house, sight unseen. “What if the house is all rundown?”

“It isn’t. Like Trent told you, the townsfolk have been keeping up with the yard work and such. It’s probably a little dusty on the inside, but Sara will have that problem tackled in no time at all. In fact, a group of ladies from the church should be there now starting to clean everything up.”

“Really? I mean…”

Bill chuckled and patted the young man on the back, “Son, you might as well get used to having lots of people up in your business. It’s kind of how things work around here. We’re a small community and we stick together. It’s just how we do things in Castle Peaks.”

“I guess I’d forgotten how close knit small towns were. The town I grew up in only had about two thousand people in it. It was the largest town in eighty miles, so we had a pretty large high school since kids came from all around the area.”

“Sara mentioned something about a small town up in Oregon. Do you mind my asking why you left?” Bill asked.

“I went off to med school and realized that I could help more people if I got more training.”

“Sounds reasonable. Well, you ready to go see your new house?”

“Sure,” Jackson replied, still trying to adjust to how quickly his life was changing. Seven days ago he’d arrived in Castle Peaks for a personal interview with Sara Harding, the director of the new Mercer-Brownell Foundation.

Since that time, he’d agreed to become the facility’ medical director, had agreed to move to Castle Peaks by the first week of March, and now he was in the process of purchasing the only available house in town.

He was still musing about these things when Bill pulled his truck into the driveway of a big sprawling house. The thing was huge!

“Bill, I can’t live here!” he told the older man as they both exited the truck.

“And why not?” Bill asked, seeing Sara wave at him from the large picture window. Smoke rose from the chimney and he headed towards the front porch, stamping wet snow from his feet one he reached the top.

“Well, I mean look at the place. It’s way too big for one person.”

Bill gave him an enigmatic stare that Jackson didn’t even try to interpret and then pushed the front door open and entered.

Jackson stomped the snow from his boots and followed him inside, stopping to stare at the sight before him. A staircase, with ornate wooden rails rose on his right to the second story. A hallway led to the back of the house, directly in front of him, and to his left, a doorway opened up into a large room where a massive fireplace and hearth filled the entire far wall. Moss rock had been used to create the fireplace wall, instead of brick, giving the room a rustic feel and bringing part of nature inside.

Large log furniture was placed strategically around the room, and a large pile of white dust cloths lay on the floor near the window, having been removed by Sara and her crew of cleaning ladies.

“Jackson, what do you think? We haven’t started on the upstairs yet, but everything seems to be in good condition, just a little dusty is all.”

There were wooden floors throughout the house, with large area rugs in each room, underneath the furniture, and in the walkways. A large bolt protruded from the rocks in the middle of the fireplace, and Jackson pointed to it, “What’s that for?”

Bill laughed when he saw where he was pointing, “You really have been in the city too long. That, my friend, is where a Bull Moose mount used to hang.”

“You mean, an animal head?” Jackson asked curiously, not having thought about hunting since he was a teenager.

“Yep. Hunting’s pretty big up here, but not something you have to do.”

“You know, I used to hunt deer with my dad when I was younger, but then I started playing high school basketball and there was never any time.”

“Well, if you want to go, we’ll make time for it. I haven’t been out in quite a few years, but there are some avid hunters in the town who wouldn’t mind taking you along.”

Jackson shook his head, “You know, I think I’ll pass. I’d much rather watch them in the wild, than pull them from the freezer.”

“To each his own,” Bill added, “Either way, those that do hunt will be sharing their spoils with you. Being single and all, the women of the church will see it as their God-given duty to keep you fed and put a few pounds on you.”

One of the women who were busy polishing the wooden railings on the staircase overheard him and hollered back, “Bill that reminds me. I made an extra loaf of banana bread this morning. It’s out in the car. Be sure you take it home with you when you leave.”

Bill whispered to Jackson, “See what I mean. And I have a housekeeper. They’re always bringing me sweets and such. Why, if Cora wasn’t around, I doubt I’d starve.”

“Cora’s your housekeeper?” Jackson asked, still trying to put all of the names and faces together.

“Yes, and more of a friend than anything else. I don’t know what I would have done without her helping me take care of Miriam. She’s a true blessing.”

“I am glad you had someone there to help you. It sounds like your wife had a hard time.”

“It was so much better once Sara came along. Miriam tried so hard to hide the fact that she was hurting from everyone, but Sara knew. That pressure stuff she did worked like a charm and my Miriam spent the last few days of her life lucid, smiling, and enjoying having her family around her. I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”

“Sara was telling me about the technique she used. I can’t wait to try it out for myself and see it in action. The ability to take pain away is a miracle in itself.”

“That it is,” Bill murmured.

“Hey, Jackson, come on over here.”

Jackson followed the sound of Sara’s voice to find her standing in front of a set of double doors that led to a backyard covered in snow. There was a huge tree in the middle of the yard, and in that tree was a colorful treehouse, complete with a ladder, swing, and … box?

“What’s with the wooden box?” he asked, feeling silly for asking.

“That’s so the kids don’t try to climb with stuff in their hands. Trent explained it all to me earlier today when he let us in. There’s a pulley system in the floor of the treehouse, and the kids can raise or lower the box with the rope so they can use both hands to climb the ladder.”

“That’s a great idea! This backyard is kids’ paradise!”

“That it is.” She pointed out several other features of the backyard, hidden from view by the three feet of snow that still blanketed everything in white. “So, what do you think?”

“I can’t believe I’m going to live here. The largest apartment I’ve lived in since leaving home was about six hundred square feet, and came with neighbors on all side except one. It was noisy, there was no privacy, and no room!”

Sara smiled at him, “Glad you like it. Now, I’m going to leave you in Bill’s capable hands. Trent asked me to stop by the office before I head home, and I haven’t quite mastered driving on these roads in the dark.”

“Drive careful,” Jackson called to her as she said her farewells to the other ladies and Bill. He looked around the small treehouse and then began to explore. An hour later, he came back down to the main floor to see Bill sitting at the kitchen table, having a cup of coffee and eating a slice of pie with the other ladies.

“This place is simply amazing. And the furniture is fantastic. Do you think Dillon would be interested in selling some of it?”

Bill looked up, “What? What are you talking about?”

“The furniture. I’m interested in buying some of it.”

Bill laughed, “Son, you own
all
of it. It came with the house.”

Jackson was stunned once again, “Really? They don’t want any of it?”

“They took everything they wanted right after the funeral. A moving company came in and packed up all of their parent’s personal affects, and the rest was to be sold with the house when the time came. That time is now.”

Jackson sat down in a vacant chair at the table, nodding his thanks when one of the ladies placed a slice of pie and a cup of coffee in front of him. He couldn’t believe the blessings that just kept coming his way. He turned and looked back at the large living room once more and then grinned. He was the proud owner of a fabulously furnished house.

Bill had informed him on the drive over that the house was to be considered part of his compensation and bonus package. Jackson had never been treated so well in his life, but he wasn’t about to start complaining. His future was in Castle Peaks and even though the sky outside was grey with more snow clouds, the sun was shining up ahead and spring would be arriving soon.

The circle of life was about to give birth to a brand new chapter in his life and bring hope to countless others. He truly was blessed and couldn’t wait to pass those blessings along to the needy souls that would be making use of the clinic’s resources.

He waited to call his family until he returned to the B&B and was happy to see how excited they were for him. He’d always had the support of a loving set of parents and several siblings. He was the only one that had left Oregon, but it was all going to pay off now. The only thing that would make this move perfect was if he wasn’t still going to be alone, once it was completed.

Chapter 9

San Diego, California, one week later…

“Close your eyes,” Michael said as he steered Grace along the sidewalk. He’d picked Grace up for lunch, making her close her eyes before he’d taken the highway out of town, which led to their current destination. A sense of déjà vu swamped Grace as she did what he requested.
What does he have up his sleeve this time?
Anticipation had a soft smile forming on her lips as she relaxed into the soft leather of the car seat. Now, they had arrived at their destination, and she still had her eyes closed, trusting him to see to her safety and her happiness as she let him move her along the soft ground.

Over the last week, Michael had been busy making plans for the new pediatric cancer clinic, and Grace had been consumed with the children’s choir and helping out her new neighbor. Tori and her daughter had become part of Grace’s family, eating several meals a week with them, and Emily and Dani were becoming very close.

Grace smiled as she thought about the afternoon the day before. She’d gone looking for the girls after having helped Tori try on one of the wigs that had arrived earlier that day. She’d found both girls in the backyard, sitting on a blanket, surrounded by nine bundles of fur.

Emily had been reading Daniella one of the many books she had brought home from the school library and Dani had been gazing up at her in pure admiration. There was a five-year age gap between the two children, but Daniella didn’t seem to mind. Emily had become her newest idol and she imitated her every action. It was cute and really drove home the fact that Daniella needed a little brother or sister of her own.

Grace had been so lost in her thoughts, she almost opened her eyes when Michael stopped walking and turned her around to her left. He positioned her carefully, wanting her to see everything at first glance, and then quietly murmured in her ear, “Open your eyes.”

Grace cracked her eyes open and then gasped. She looked at the scene before her and felt tears come to her eyes. Michael had brought her back to the spot by the lake where they’d had their first lunch date, but instead of a blanket and a picnic basket, an elegantly set table set for two awaited them. “Michael…how did you do all of this?”

Deep red roses graced the center of the table, and soft music floated around them, coming from a hidden stereo. Grace approached the table in wonder, seeing the covered dishes and the bottle of what looked like champagne chilling in a bucket of ice upon the table.

Turning back, she saw Michael watching her with a smile upon his face, “How did you do all of this?”

“I had some help,” he offered, approaching her with a gleam in his eye. He pulled her into his arms, he kissed her for several moments before releasing her and suggesting, “We should eat before it gets cold.”

Grace was still in shock, but allowed him to lead her to a chair where he helped her be seated. He popped the cork on the bottle, and she was pleased to see that instead of champagne, it was only chilled sparkling cider. Grace didn’t really care for the taste of champagne, having not even finished the glass at her first wedding.

Michael poured them both a glass, using the crystal goblets on the table and then handed her one. “To the future.” He touched his glass to hers and then watched as she slowly brought the glass to her lips and took a sip.

He was watching her so intently, she was starting to wonder why, when something caught her attention. Taking her glass away from her lips, she held it up at eye level and then gasped. Sitting in the bottom of the glass was a diamond solitaire ring.

When she looked up to find Michael, he was on bent knee, watching her intently, “Grace, would you do me the honor of agreeing to be my wife?”

Grace stared at him with an open mouth and then whispered, “Isn’t this too soon? I mean, we’ve only known each other a few weeks.”

Michael looked at her with love shining in his eyes and then took the glass from her trembling fingers. He tipped the glass, retrieving the ring with the tines of a fork and then rinsed it off in the carefully concealed bowl of ice water sitting on the side of the table.

Drying it off with a napkin, he held it up for her inspection, “Grace, I don’t need months, or even years, to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. I want to be a father to Daniella. I want to raise a family with you.”

Grace couldn’t keep the tears from overflowing her eyes and running down her cheeks. “Michael, I…I don’t know what to say.”

“Say ‘Yes’ for now. Everything else can be worked out, just say that you’ll be my wife.” Michael searcher her eyes, willing her to give him some indication she was of the same mind.

Grace couldn’t speak as the tears clogged her throat so she nodded her head.

Michael whooped once and then pulled her from her chair, tumbling backwards as they both fell to the soft grass in laughter. “You won’t regret it. I’m going to make you the happiest woman in the world.”

“I already am,” Grace informed him as she watched him place the diamond solitaire upon her left hand. “You know Daniella is going to be ecstatic, right?”

“I hope so. And you don’t have to answer right now, but sometime in the future, I would love to become her father. Legally.”

Grace’s heart was so full of love for the man in front of her. “You know, after Alec died, there was a part of me that wanted to die as well. But then I had Daniella to keep me waking up each morning, and going through the motions of life, and slowly things went back to normal.

Up until a few weeks ago, I hadn’t realized I needed something else for me. When I saw Samuel and Jane growing closer together, I was jealous. Just a little bit. I missed having that connection with another adult; being able to share the day’s accomplishments and challenges with someone else at the end of the day.”

Michael caressed a hand down her hair; giving her all of his attention. “I want those same things. It won’t always be sunshine and roses. There are days when I want to raise my fists to the sky and scream at God for taking yet another child from this earth.”

“I’ll be there to share your sorrow when that happens,” Grace promised him, sealing her words with a tender kiss. As they broke apart, the dampness of the grass penetrated her mind and she shivered, “You are going to have a gigantic wet spot on your backside.”

Michael grinned at her, giving her a push to help her rise from the ground and then standing up himself. He dusted his pants off to the best of his ability, and when he looked over his shoulder, he was indeed sporting a giant wet spot on the back his dress pants and down his right leg. “It’s a good thing I wore dark pants today. Let’s eat.”

Grace resumed her seat, and they spent the next forty-five minutes consuming the delicious meal that Jane and her new staff had prepared for them. “So, did Jane know what you were up to?”

Michael blushed, “Yes. I had to take her into my confidence, otherwise, I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to get the ring into the glass.”

“Thank you for making this moment so special,” Grace told him, reaching across the table and taking his hand in hers.

Michael lifted their clasped fingers to his mouth, kissing her fingers lightly before setting her hand back down on the table. “So, I was thinking of a way we might tell Daniella the good news.”

“Really? I’m all ears,” Grace told him, finishing her meal and then pushing the plate back on the table.”

“I was thinking of getting her a locket and having both Alec and my name engraved on it. One on each side. I don’t want her to ever forget Alec.”

Grace burst into tears again, “Michael that is the sweetest, most caring thing I think I’ve ever heard.”

Michael looked at her indulgently and then leaned forward to whisper, “Are you going to cry every time I do something nice for you?”

Grace promptly nodded her head, “Yes!”

Michael sighed and then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket; Grace had already used the napkins to wipe up her tears from earlier. “Well then, I guess I better invest in some more of these,” he said as he handed it across the table to her.

Grace laughed through her tears, “Either that or I need to start carrying a big box of tissues around with me.” She wiped her tears, pleased when she didn’t see any mascara marks on the white linen.

“So, the locket is a go?” Michael asked.

“Definitely.”

“Good, let’s go,” he said, standing up from the table and then leading her back to the car.

“Where?” Grace asked, laughing as he hurried them along.

“To the jewelry store. I want to give it to her tonight, and if we’re there before 2 o’clock, Tom promised to have it engraved before he closes this evening.”

“My, my,” Grace told him as he helped her into the car, “You have been busy.”

“Just covering all of my bases. Why don’t you start going over that very busy schedule of yours and pick a wedding date.”

Grace opened her mouth and then promptly closed it as he shut her door and jogged around to the driver’s side. “Really? You want me to just pick a date out of thin air?”

“No. I want to take a two week vacation with Daniella after the wedding, so pick a date when you can get away for that long.”

“That’s easy then. June. Anytime in June. I usually take the entire month off to decompress between one choir season and then next.”

“Done. June it is. I should probably warn, you – my mom is going to make a big deal out of this. Brad and Teresa have said numerous times if they had to do it over, they’d elope. I don’t have the heart to do that to my mom, so we might as well enjoy the fuss.”

Grace laughed, “I think I can do that. Alec and I just had a simple wedding at the base. A little fuss this time won’t be too much of a hardship.”

“I’m going to remind you of that a month from now when you’re ready to run off to Las Vegas.”

“Not going to happen. I want a church wedding with all of the trimmings. Do you think Pastor Harris would marry us?”

“I’m sure he would. Why don’t you call and ask him tomorrow?” Michael said, referring to the pastor of the small church Grace attended on a regular basis.

Michael and his family had been attending a larger church, but Michael had readily switched, saying he liked the feel of the small congregation and felt at home there. Grace smiled all the way back into town. Valentine’s Day was just two more days away, and for the first time in several years, she was actually looking forward to the holiday.