A Discovery of Hope (A Coming Home Again Novel Book 3) (26 page)

I lean in and place a kiss on his nose playfully. “Good. Now let your right-hand finish up.” Hopping off his lap, I set up shop to finish off the filing. Today, I should finally wrap it up.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be in the workroom. I’ve got a few canvases to frame.” He stops long enough to comb his fingers through the back of my hair before disappearing out the door.

Smiling happily, I plow through the first batch relatively quickly. I had already started this file last week, so all I have to do is add. After that file is done, I pull a new folder out along with another envelope and make quick work of completing it. It’s done in only fifteen short minutes.

Normally there is a date or some indication written on the envelopes, but this one is blank. I’ve pushed it to the side a few times, knowing it won’t be a simple file. It stares at me from the bottom of the container, so with eagerness to finally have this task behind me, I swipe it up to get started.

Pulling the photos out, confusion overtakes me. The images are oddly familiar. Flipping through them several times, I feel the circle of the past year complete before I understand it.
Why would JP have such pictures?
An eeriness creeps along my back and tingles spread all the way to the top of my head. Clutching the photos to my chest, I stumble into the workroom. My mind feels a bit foggy as I approach him.

Without looking up from his work, he asks, “What’s up?”

I try, but I can’t speak.

Finally he looks over at me and his eyes widen. “Willow, what’s wrong?”

I try again, but still no voice. I can only shake my head, so he pulls my hands away from my chest and spies the photos I’m holding.

The photos…

Shadowy images with emergency vehicle lights flashing in and out of the scene…

Everything soaked in rain and shrouded darkness…

A cloth saturated in blood and rain abandoned on the pavement…

Crushed metal and shattered glass…

“Those aren’t supposed to be in there,” he whispers as he pulls them away from my trembling hands. “I’m sorry you had to see them.”

“Please tell me about them,” I strangle out, barely able to breathe.

Sighing heavily, JP flips somberly through the stack. “I don’t think I can.”

“Please.”

Shaking his head slowly, he mutters, “No. I just don’t think…”

I place my hand on his shoulder. “Please, JP, I need to know.”

He sniffs back unshed tears and remains focused on the poignant images. “I was in this accident. Walked away from it.” He pauses to clear his throat. He pulls the photo of the blood-stained cloth, that on closer inspection, I see it’s a shirt. “I held a woman and helplessly watched her die.” Sniffing again, he continues. “I begged God to let her live.”

The weight of his words slams into me and the room spins. I cling to JP’s arm for support when my knees buckle, but JP catches me before I fall.

“Willow!” Familiar concern weaves through his tone.

“She didn’t die,” I whisper.

JP looks at me with confusion deeply furrowing his brow. “Yes, she did, Willow. I held her. There was no pulse… She had a deep head wound… Lost too much blood.” His words feel like they are slipping in and out of volume over my thunderous heartbeat pounding in my ears.

I grasp his hand and press his fingertips along the scar. I start at the beginning and ease them along the pucker up to the crown of my head where the wound ends. As I do, JP’s legs give away and land us both on our knees. I feel the tremors quiver through him and on along my own body.

Shock registers in his blue eyes. Several beats pass with only him shaking his head in confusion. Leaving his hand firm on the scar, he says, “But she… you
died
.”

“You begged God to save me and He did.” Our tears plummet as we are overwhelmed by this revelation. “I heard you begging Him.”

“I’ve been haunted by that night, reliving your death, and all this time you were right here…” The words choke off in a sob as JP crushes me in his embrace.

Time carries away unnoticed as the impact of that fateful night collides into us a second time. Eyes closed, I allow him to hold me while I listen to his sobs that match the ones from my clearing memory perfectly. All this time…

“God gave me you,” he manages to say after a while.

This moment is too surreal and the emotions filtering through me are almost unbearable. The moment is a divine one. I know beyond knowing, this was predetermined and set in motion after God answered JP’s prayer. Love has healed us. This thought moves me to motion. I quickly yank JP’s shirt up and over his head. Tossing the shirt to the side, I run my hand over his now perfect skin. No evidence of the bite remains. Placing a kiss in the spot, I whisper, “Love heals.”

I feel JP work his fingers over my scar once more. Parting my hair, he strings a long line of kisses over the jagged contour. “Yes. Love heals.”

After a long spell of holding and just loving each other, JP pulls me slightly away from him so that I meet his watery gaze. “Willow, do you believe in fate?”

“After this past year, how could I not?”

His smile is full of appreciation and I know he is looking at me with a renewed view. “I believe sometimes you are given an opportunity and just have to take a leap of faith.” He pauses to gage my reaction. I nod in agreement.

“Sweetheart, whataya say to taking a leap of faith with me?”

“I think I’d be insane not to say yes.”

With this answer, JP pulls me into his lap and kisses me confused. It’s the first time in over the last year, I absolutely don’t mind having all of my thoughts jumbled up.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Snuggling in the warmth of the bed in this incredible man’s arms, everything feels right with the world until there’s a knock at his door. Well, more like a pounding on the door.

“John Paul, you in there?”

He pulls me closer and burrows us deeper under the covers. “Go away!” he hollers towards the closed door. This seems to make it open automatically.

We both peep from the edge of the blanket to discover a red-faced sister glaring in our direction.

“She’s your intern! Not your play toy!” Savannah yells furiously at her brother.

“She’s not either one! She’s my wife,” JP barks back. “Now get out!”

Anger radiates off of Savannah as she slams the door shut with an incredible amount of force, but reopens it immediately. “This is one of your tall-tales and it ain’t funny!”

JP holds our wedding-ring adorned hands up for her to see. “Ask Julia and Greyson, if you don’t believe me.” He tucks my hand back under the cover protectively.

“What? Why did Julia know and not me?” She’s still red-faced and yelling.

JP sits up and rubs his face in aggravation. “Before you get all whiny on me, let me explain. They live closer and we needed witnesses.”

“When?” She pops her hand on her hip and narrows her eyes at him.

“Last night. Now stop pouting so I can thank you.”

“Thank me for what?” she shoots back, her voice finally softening.

“For forcing the love of my life
into
my life.”

I watch the anger fade from her face as a tender smile takes over. Before she can mutter one word, JP throws a pillow and clips her shoulder with it.

“We’re on our honeymoon. Now get out!” he says sternly while pointing towards the door.

With a grin, Savannah slams the door once more. We listen until her stomps fade downstairs. Laughing, JP eases back down and snuggles me close to his chest with my back towards him. A tingle works contently along my body, responding to the soft kisses he places on my shoulder and up until he reaches the scar on my scalp.

The last three whirlwind days have completely blown me away. While JP held me on his lap in the workroom, he called Crowley saying he needed a marriage license pronto. Yesterday morning, Greyson and Julia showed up wearing uncontrollable grins with a marriage license and two silver wedding bands.

“I need to take a picture of this to send to Julia.” His voice muffles out from my hair as he grazes a kiss along the scar. In the last few days, JP is either brushing it with his fingertips or placing gentle kisses along it. It’s as though he needs reassuring. I think we both do after such a surreal revelation.

“Why do you need to do that?”

“Babe, our scar totally out-does her and Greyson’s.” There’s actual pride in his voice.

Closing my eyes, I release a lazy laugh. I’m pretty sure they feel the same way about Greyson’s scar on his chest as we do about the one on my head. My phone beeps with an incoming message. I pluck it off my nightstand and grin at the message.

Duke –
What’s this mean???

I sent him a picture of our entwined hands, showing off the wedding bands.

Me –
It’s means you need to change my last name to Thorton in your contacts.

He doesn’t respond right away. I’m guessing it’s taking a few minutes for the news to sink in.

Duke –
Ha! Ok, AUNT Willow. Tell the UNCLE I said congrats.

I hold the phone over my shoulder so JP can read the text. Chuckling, he takes the phone, powers it off, and places it on his nightstand before going back to placing soft kisses along my neck.

I shake my head. “I can’t believe I’m in your bed.”

His lips leave my skin. “No. It’s
our
bed. And I think after you graduate, we need to move to Bay Creek. That’s where we should make our home.”

With this man, holding me and loving me, I know I’ve found my home. A place won’t define that for me, so moving to Bay Creek sounds promising.

“What about this gallery?”

“Tori has been drooling over this place since I purchased it. It won’t take but one conversation and she’ll be packing her bags.” JP turns me towards him and allows me a sweet lingering kiss. “After your graduation, the two of us have a fine arts camp to build.”

I snuggle closer. “Okay, my husband.”

“Great. Now kiss your husband.” No need in saying that twice. I could spend my days doing nothing but that!

I’m in pure wonder of God. He took that horrific night, turned it around and made plans for me with it. Plans that neither me nor JP Thorton could ever comprehend. He’s showed me that life can go on, and can go on beautifully at that. Discovering Hope has changed me. I see the world differently now.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Change is constant and this world is ever evolving. Willow had to finally open her eyes to come to terms with this undeniable fact. Although people do not fit a certain cookie cutter mold, they each are wonderfully and beautifully made by our Creator to be loved. Willow finally became aware of a world starving for compassion and she eventually served up the portion she had been blessed to give.

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:40

Willow also went on a journey for something we all need and it led her to a discovery of hope. Such a powerful thing hope can be, and an endless journey of wonder when truly discovered. Hope can change everything. You only need a spark of it to lead to a blazing wonder.

God said, “I Am.”

And He is…

Love, Compassion, Grace, Mercy, Faith, Hope…

Your dreams can be endless just as His love for you, if you only allow yourself the pleasure of hope. An abundant world is waiting. Take God by the hand and ask Him to lead on!

A Discovery of Hope Playlist

“Believer” by American Authors

“Feel Again” by OneRepublic

“Hope Can Change Everything” by Various Christian Artists

“Overjoyed” by Matchbox Twenty

“Broken Man” by Rhett Walker Band

“I Wanna Get Better” by Bleachers

“Multiplied” by NEEDTOBREATHE

“Stolen Dance” by Milky Chance

“Left Hand Free” by alt-J

“Ain’t No Rest For the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant

Acknowledgements

Jesus Christ, I owe it ALL to you. Thank you for this gift and allowing me to share it with the world. I am humbled and honored that you would use a lowly woman as me.

Bernie, Nate, and Lydia… What can I say? You are my world. Love you to the moon and back a trillion times. Thank you for standing by me and encouraging me.

To the lovely Christina Coryell. You are such an unexpected gift God blessed to me this past year. Thank you for your honesty, and much-needed humor, with helping me become a better writer. I know that I am because of you, my author sister!

Lynnette Bonner, thank you again for the superb job you did with the cover design. I’m amazed how close you came to capturing JP Thorton perfectly.

To my honorary beta reader, Mrs. Laura Spivey. I can only hope I conveyed to you how much your support meant to me. Thank you for always inspiring me on this newly discovered writing path. A lot of times I’ve been scared or simply just wanted to give up. You always seemed to know when that doubt clamped down on me and were quick to give me a pep talk to keep going. I was nervous,
so nervous
about the release of Coming Home Again with having addressed the brutal topic of rape. You said, “This book will touch the right lives.” Thank you for that. I love you and truly miss you.

My awesome beta readers, aka My Favs, Sally Anderson, Trina Cooke, Lynn Edge, and Jennifer Strickland. You ladies are a support team that I couldn’t live without. Thank you for your valued opinions and comments about this book. Thank you for cheering me on continuously. You ladies rock!

To my younger brother Jamie Ray, thank you for showing me the world through your eyes. You live with Autism heroically and you’re an inspiration.

My daddy Jerry and my stepmom Brenda, my in-laws Kimber and Frank, thank you for being proud of me. No matter how old a child grows, knowing their parents are proud of them really means a lot. Thank you for that.

My church family at Bethlehem Baptist Church, I love you and am so thankful to be a part of this amazing family.

To my school family at Kingston Elementary for always cheering me on. The outpouring support is so appreciated. Thank you for believing in this PTO President when she went chasing her dreams.