Happily Ever Afters Guaranteed (5 page)

“Not directly? What does that mean?”

She touched his hand and nodded toward
another path they hadn’t tried yet. When she started to move away,
Jesse tangled their fingers together and held on. And she let
him.

“Do you remember graduation night?”

“Of course I do. It gave this nerd hope that
I could date a pretty girl someday.”

She half-laughed, half-snorted. “You weren’t
a nerd.” Then, seriously, “You were the first man who ever made me
feel like I was valuable. As a person.”

He swallowed the knot of hope that suddenly
formed in his throat. “Because I talked to you instead of making a
move? I really wanted to kiss you that night.”

She nodded. “You know what my reputation was
like back in high school. The fastest girl around.”

He squeezed her hand. “I never believed those
rumors.”

“You should have. Before I met Christ, I was…
a mess.” She inhaled deeply. A tremor ran through her arm and down
her hand. “When I left Peaceful, I was three months pregnant.”

Jesse’s breath froze in his lungs.

Olive pulled her hand away and turned to face
him. The setting sun cast long shadows, and he couldn’t read her
closed expression.

“That’s part of why I left. I couldn’t stand
it if your reputation suffered because of me. Everyone in town knew
you, loved you. No one even cared when I left.”

He had.

“Mommy!” A high-pitched cry came from nearby,
breaking the trance that seemed to surround them.

A little girl walked into view seconds later.
The missing child.

PART FOUR

Olive escaped Jesse’s presence after
returning the missing little girl to her very relieved mommy. She
made her way to the trick-or-treat booths she’d set up this morning
to make sure the farmers, people from church, and her neighbors had
enough candy.

She greeted her friends and forced a smile
she didn’t really feel. Her thoughts ran over and over Jesse’s
reaction.

She hadn’t seen the censure she’d been so
sure of all these years. But his eyes had still darkened, something
had changed in the way he looked at her when she’d admitted her
reason for leaving Peaceful. And he didn’t even know she’d given
the baby up for adoption.

It hurt more than it should.

She found Gran’s still on the porch and stood
with her to watch the kids parade by in their costumes. Her eyes
kept straying to Super-Josh and his daddy, and each time she caught
herself watching them, she berated herself for wishful
thinking.

She wanted Jesse to love her. Wanted to be a
part of his and Josh’s life.

Jesse had wanted to be her friend in high
school – and more, according to him – when her reputation had been
questionable at best. Now that he knew the truth, was there any
chance of a future together? She just didn’t know.

When Olive couldn’t bear the ache in her
chest anymore, she took a small gas lighter and snuck out behind
the house where nearly five hundred jack-o-lanterns lined a path
down to the small pond and the bonfire that would be lit at
twilight. It was almost dark, she might as well start lighting. Sue
Ann would be arriving to help her in a minute.

Dark fell just as she lit the last of the
jack-o-lanterns. The extra stadium-type lights they’d rigged up
near the house went dark, and all that remained were the twinkling
jack-o-lantern lights and the bonfire crackling behind her. Olive
slipped behind the table laden with s’more-making supplies,
intending to hide there until the evening was over.

She watched people meander down the lit
pathway in groups and clumps, parents often toting their smaller,
exhausted kiddos. A pang of jealousy speared her. She wanted a
family of her own.

As much as Olive tried not to watch for Jesse
and Josh, her eyes kept drifting through the new arrivals anyway.
Maybe they’d already gone home.

Then something caught her attention, a leaf
crunching under his boot? a soft sound from the sleeping bundle he
carried? It didn’t matter, because Jesse was there, Josh conked out
and held protectively on his dad’s shoulder.

“Come sit with me,” Jesse murmured.

She started to shake her head but he nudged
her elbow with his and nodded his head toward an empty pair of lawn
chairs at the back of the crowd gathering around the fire.

Heart thundering in her ears, she followed.
She would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t at least
see what he had to say. She perched gingerly on the edge of the
chair next to Jesse, careful not to bump the booted legs he
stretched out in front of him.

“I know how he feels,” Jesse whispered,
jerking his chin toward Josh. “I’m pooped.”

“You should’ve gone home.”

“Can’t. Not done with our talk.”

She didn’t want to have this conversation
here, out in public. A blush heated her cheeks. Then again, they
were talking so quietly to keep from waking Josh that probably no
one else could hear. She hoped so anyway.

“Josh wants a mom,” Jesse said. “And I think
he’s picked you.”

It was so not what she expected him to say
that her mouth fell open.

“He talks about you all the time,” Jesse went
on.

“That doesn’t mean he wants me to be his
mommy!” Olive hissed.

“No, I know—we just… read a lot of books
about mommies. He chooses them, not me.”

“Jesse…” Olive couldn’t help the tears that
sprang to her eyes. He was talking about one of her most cherished
dreams… “I can’t—”

“Just hear me out.” He shifted Josh in his
arms, freeing up one hand that quickly slid over and grasped
Olive’s. “I think it’s clear that we both have…” there was that
cough again, “feelings for each other.”

She smiled a soggy smile. “Are you trying to
say you love me?”

Jesse cleared his throat. “Yeah. I’m not that
great at talking about mushy stuff. Do you love me back?”

She nodded, shaking all over now. He loved
her. “But, Jesse, my past—”

He squeezed her hand. “Honey, we’ve all got
ugly stuff in our past. You can tell me all about it, and I’ll
listen. But when you accepted Jesus, He made you clean and new
again. That’s all that matters to me.”

His words were too good to be true. A soft
sob escaped Olive’s lips and, embarrassed, she tried to get her
hand back from Jesse so she could cover up her face.

He didn’t let her. Instead, he pulled her out
of her chair and against his chest, where at least she could hide
her face.

Josh squirmed and his sleepy voice said,
“Daddy? You and Miss Olive are squishing me. Why’s she crying?”

Jesse’s voice was a rumble under her cheek.
“I’m pretty sure it’s cause she’s happy. Olive?”

She nodded, chin rubbing against the material
of Jesse’s jacket.

“What’s going on? Why’s she happy?”

She laughed through her tears, pushing back
from Jesse’s hold and ruffling Josh’s hair. Jesse caught and held
her eyes, his own joy shining bright enough for her to see
clearly.

“Son, I think she’s happy because she’s going
to be your mommy.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

She kissed both of them for good measure.

THE END

GREEN PEAS
SNEEZE

By LACY WILLIAMS

DAY 0, AFTERNOON.

ATTEMPT 1.

The door opened before Sarah Fortini was
ready.

“Hey!” Brand Turner’s smile always made her
knees weak and today was no exception. His blue eyes crinkled at
the corners, just so, and his brown hair was stylishly
disheveled.

She resisted reaching for the doorframe,
praying her wobbly legs would support her.

“Thank goodness you’re here. C’mon in.”

“Um—”

He disappeared and she had no choice but to
follow him inside the gorgeous two-story brick home. She knew the
houses in this upscale Austin, Texas neighborhood were expensive,
but she wasn’t expecting the ornate furniture or shiny wood floors.
It was enough to make her lose her nerve. She’d come to ask Brand
to marry her, and she was praying he’d say yes.

“Sorry,” he called over his shoulder as he
led the way into a well-appointed living room. “I just found out
the office wants me to come in for a couple hours. Jerry—” Brand
caught a shrieking boy as he jumped from the back of the couch.

“Don’t even think about it,” Brand ordered
with his finger pointed at Josh, age three, who knelt on the
opposite sofa. Sarah knew the little boy from Bible class. He
didn’t jump off furniture in Bible class.

The baby jabbered nonsense and rammed its
round walker-thingie into a side table, apparently wanting in on
the action.

“You’re Sarah, right? From Josh’s class?”

At least he remembered her name. Did he also
remember the hour-long conversation they’d shared at the last
singles retreat? It had changed Sarah’s life. Made her realize what
was really important in her life. And that she didn’t currently
have it.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

He was? Sarah’s insides fired up.

Brand waved her into the room right off the
living area, a kitchen – messy – and all three boys followed
them.

“All the other candidates have been old or
scary,” Brand went on.

“Yeah, scary,” echoed Jerry with a
five-year-old’s wisdom.

“Piercings,” Brand mouthed, motioning a
circle over his own face.

“What?” She had no idea what he was talking
about. Candidates?

“Can you stay with the boys for an hour or
so? That way I can take care of this meeting. If you make it
through, the job’s yours.”

“Um, job?”

“They pay’s good – it has to be for these
hooligans—” Brand nudged the baby’s carrier-ma-jig over the
threshold into the kitchen while using the reflection in the
toaster to loop the tie he picked up off the counter around his
neck. She hadn’t noticed before that he wore slacks and a dress
shirt. “But we can discuss all that when I get back.”

He picked up a briefcase from the top of the
fridge. “Jerry! Keys?”

Sarah jumped at Brand’s unexpected
exclamation.

The oldest boy pointed to the counter. Brand
snatched up a keyring tucked behind a cereal bowl with spoon still
in it.

He was leaving? He was leaving!

“Will you—” Marry me?

“Thanks,” Brand called over his shoulder,
blowing a kiss in her general direction.

Sarah was left starting at three boys, all
looking back at her.

She had no idea what to do with them.

DAY 0

EVENING.

A neighbor had come earlier to see what all
the screaming was about, but left when she saw Jerry chasing his
brothers through the living room.

Sarah was surprised no one had called the
cops yet.

And that she still had some hearing left
after three hours of nonstop shouting.

The screaming changed tone with Brand came in
the garage door.

Cheeks flushed from embarrassment that she
hadn’t been able to control the situation, Sarah yelled out to him
over the ruckus, “How do you get them to stop?”

Brand shrugged and let out a roar, forming
his hands into claws and giving chase, losing his jacket and tie as
he went.

Well.

At least the noise had moved out of her
general vicinity.

He poked his head back in the doorway. “Will
you stay for dinner?”

When the boys were finally in bed a couple of
hours later, Sarah stood at the sink, absently drying the last of
the dishes. She put it carefully – silently – on the counter. Yes,
the quiet was nice.

“You didn’t have to wash up.”

Brand’s voice startled her and she whirled,
the dish towel snapping in her hands. She put one hand over her
now-racing heart and glared at Brand, who leaned against the far
counter, hair disheveled.

“It’s no big deal,” she replied when she was
sure her voice wouldn’t squeak.

“Trust me, it is. I’ve been meaning to get
the dishwasher fixed, but I haven’t had time.”

She nodded. In her few hours at the home, it
was clear there were several things that hadn’t been changed since
his late wife’s death. An outdated calendar on the fridge.
Magazines on the coffee table, stained and water-wrinkled.

It made her wonder if he was still mourning
his wife, and that’s why the things had been left undone. It wasn’t
a good feeling.

Maybe she shouldn’t ask him…

“You didn’t come here today to be my kids’
nanny, did you?”

Her eyes flew to his face. He looked
exhausted. Funny how she hadn’t noticed the lines bracketing his
mouth, though she’d watched him all through dinner. Or maybe he’d
been smiling so much the lines had blended right in.

“No, I came—” The words stuck in her throat.
She cleared it. “I didn’t realize you were going back to work.”

He exhaled, fanned a hand through the hair at
his nape. “Have to. Only half time, though. The insurance money is
just about gone.”

The coffee machine beeped and Brand looked at
it like he’d never seen it before.

Sarah pulled out a mug – she’d located them
when putting all the dishes away – and filled it with the aromatic
brew. “Though you might need it.” When she’d seen the pile of
paperwork he’d set aside with his briefcase. How could he work and
take care of the three boys and the household chores all on his
own?

He accepted it with a grateful sniff. “I
will. Thank you.”

He took a long drink, leaned his hips against
the counter behind him. This close, she could reach out and touch
him if she wanted. And she wanted. She just wasn’t sure how he’d
react.

He stared off into space, expression pensive.
“I haven’t had a cup of coffee this good since before Gina
died.”

The heaviness in his voice was her undoing.
Her hand was on his arm, a simple touch on his forearm and she felt
it all the way to her bones. His eyes met hers; she let her hand
slip off his sleeve.