Love Finds a Home (21 page)

Emma searched Jake’s eyes, looking for a sign that something she’d said had made a difference. Made him change his mind.

She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop on his conversation with Pastor Wilde, but when she’d heard the anguish and regret in Jake’s voice, she hadn’t been able to take another step forward.

Was it possible he didn’t realize what he had brought to their lives?

He had pulled away from her and Jeremy, not because his feelings had changed, but in order to protect them from pain.

“I’m afraid,” Jake said flatly. “Afraid that I’ll let you down. Afraid that I don’t know enough about raising kids or about making you happy. About not being what you and Jeremy need. I told you I was new at all this.”

He started to move away, but she caught his hand.

“It feels new to me, too,” she admitted. “I told you the truth when I said I’m not the same person. We’re going to make mistakes, but I think…I think if we both stay close to God, nothing will come between us.”

Jake pulled her against him and buried his face in her hair. “I love you, Emma.”

She clung to him, absorbing the words like summer rain. “I love you, too.”

“I’ll admit I’ve been afraid of something else.”

“What?”

The flecks of gold in his eyes sent a shiver of heat rippling through her. “I’ve been afraid to kiss you again.”

“I’ve heard you aren’t supposed to let fear stop you from doing the things you want to do,” Emma said a little breathlessly.

Jake smiled that heart-stopping smile as he drew her closer. His lips took hers in a searching kiss and Emma melted against him, this time telling him without words how she felt about him.

When they broke apart a few minutes later, Jake stared down at her, a dazed expression on his face. “Thank you for helping me overcome my fear.”

“I’m just returning the favor, Chief Sutton.” Emma leaned against his broad chest, pressing her face against his heart.

His arms tightened around her. “You’re the brave one. I was ready to walk away.”

“You wouldn’t have gotten very far.” Emma chuckled. “If I had to, I was going to remind you that you had a week left on our trial period.”

“Are you saying that you want to extend it?”

The teasing look on his face made Emma respond in kind. She pretended to consider the question. “I think we should. How long do you think it should be this time?”

Jake drew her back into his arms. “I was thinking maybe…forever?”

“What a coincidence.” Emma smiled up into his eyes. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Epilogue

“Y
ou look kind of nervous, Jake.” Jeremy tipped his head as Jake paced the floor in front of him.

“I need to talk to you about something.”

“Okay.” Jeremy leaned back against the sofa cushions. “Go for it.”

Go for it.

Those three little words were the reason he was so nervous in the first place.

“All right.” Jake took a deep breath. “I want to marry your mom,” he said. “But before I ask her, I have to know how you feel about it.”

Jeremy folded his arms across his chest.

Okay, so Jake had been half hoping he would leap off the sofa and give him a high five. Shake his hand.
Something.
But one of the things he loved about the kid was the way he approached everything—from breakfast cereal to a proposal of marriage—with thoughtful concentration.

“You better sit down, Jake.”

Jake sat.

“If you and Mom got married, where would we live?”

“Well, your mother will have something to say about that, of course, but I thought we might want to stay here. You have your room fixed up the way you want it here and Shadow has space to run. We could fix up the barn and turn it into a studio for your mom, especially now that Abby talked her into teaching classes for the people who stay at the inn.”

“And the apple tree is here,” Jeremy added.

The apple tree.

Jake thought back to the first time he had met Emma. When she had opened the door, he had had no idea his life was about to change. No idea that he had been coming
home.

God, You are so amazing.

“That’s another thing.” Jake felt his throat tighten. “Your dad loved you and your mom very much and I’m not trying to take his place. I don’t want you to forget him…but I hope we can add new memories to the ones you have.”

“Are you going to have more kids?”

“I don’t know.” Jake slumped back against the cushion, trying to hide the fact that the innocent question had turned his bones to liquid. “Your mom and I haven’t talked about…adding on to the family. But how would you feel about it? A brother or sister?”

Or, Jake warmed to the idea, maybe one—or two—of each.

“I think it would be cool—as long as I don’t have to share my room if it’s a sister.”

“Sisters in the spare bedroom. Promise.”

Jeremy was silent for a few minutes and Jake could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

“Do you have a ring?”

Jake hid a smile.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” In his pocket, waiting for the right moment to slip it on Emma’s finger.

Jeremy held out his hand.

“Oh. You want to take a look at it.” Jake fumbled in his pocket and retrieved the tiny velvet box. He presented it to Jeremy.

“It’s a good one.” Jeremy pronounced after inspecting it carefully. “Mom will like it.”

Jake hoped so. He had purchased the ring a week ago, hoping that Emma would understand the significance of the slender gold band set with three diamonds—one for each of them.

“So, what do you think?”

When Jeremy didn’t respond right away, Jake felt a pang of concern.

“Jeremy, I can’t promise that I won’t make mistakes,” he said quietly. “But I love your mom…and I love you, too. I believe that God wants us to be family.”

“I know.” Jeremy looked down at his hands.

“You have another question, I can tell. You never have to be afraid to tell me what’s on your mind. Go ahead and ask me.”

“After you and mom get married, do you mind if I call you Dad instead of Jake?”

Jake’s vision blurred. “I would love that.”

Jeremy grinned.

“So…” Jake’s self-control finally buckled under the pressure. “Does that mean I have your blessing?”

“Yup—”

The front door opened and they heard Emma call out a cheerful hello. A second later she appeared in the doorway.

“What’s going on in here?”

Jake couldn’t answer. As usual, seeing Emma took
his breath away. In the past few weeks he had seen a transformation in her that he could only attribute to the Lord. The grief had thawed, leaving behind a radiant warmth in her eyes.

“We’re having a talk,” Jeremy said smugly.

“A talk? That sounds serious.” Emma breezed into the room, depositing purse and keys on the table near the door. She leaned over and squeezed Jake’s hand. “What about?”

“I’m going to bed now.” Jeremy launched himself off the sofa. “Jake will tell you. Maybe you guys should take Shadow for a walk. There’s a full moon tonight.”

“Thanks, Jeremy. I’ll take it from here,” Jake whispered.

A full moon? And take what from here?

Emma looked at Jake, puzzled, but he merely shrugged.

They were both acting strange.

“I’ll be up to pray with you in a few minutes.” Emma dropped a kiss on her son’s head.

Jake held out her jacket and she slipped it on, resisting the urge to turn into his arms and not let go.

“Come on. We don’t want to miss that full moon,” he said.

Shadow disappeared ahead of them into the shadows.

“How did everything go tonight?” Jake took her hand and the warmth of his skin chased away the chill in the October air.

“Esther is convinced she can teach me to knit but I think I’ll stick to mosaics.” Emma chuckled as she remembered her first attempt that evening when she joined the Knit-Our-Hearts-Together group. “Kate
almost gave up, too. She said something about using her knitting needles as plant stakes.”

When Jake didn’t smile, Emma stopped and planted her hands on her hips. “All right, what’s going on? Is it something with Jeremy? You two looked pretty serious when I walked in. What were you talking about?”

Jake’s silence—and the fact that he withdrew his hand from hers—added to Emma’s concern.

“We were talking about this,” he finally said.

Emma glanced down and saw the velvet box cradled in Jake’s palm. The light from the porch illuminated the diamond ring in the center of it.

“I love you, Emma. Will you marry me?”

Emma stared down at the ring, overwhelmed by love for the man standing in front of her. She’d sensed that Jake was taking things slowly out of respect for her but Emma was ready to start their life together. She’d even confided to Kate and Abby that if he didn’t propose soon, she was going to have to propose to
him.
“Jake—”

Emma paused as the front door opened and light spilled across the yard.

“Well?” Jeremy peered at them from the doorway. “What did she say?”

Emma started to laugh and Jake smiled.

“Well? What did she say?” he whispered.

Emma smiled up at him.

“She said
yes.
”

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Emma and Jake (and, of course, Jeremy and Shadow!) during your second visit to Mirror Lake.

As a police officer’s wife, I know it isn’t always easy to send my husband off to work every day, not knowing what situations he will have to face. Like Emma, I’ve learned that staying close to God and trusting Him brings peace. I hope you have found the same, no matter what your circumstances.

In the next book, Matthew Wilde’s life is turned upside down when a “black sheep” wanders into the fold. Everyone is talking about Zoey Decker…but will the pastor listen to gossip—or his heart—when it comes to Mirror Lake’s prodigal daughter? You’ll have to plan another visit to find out!

I love to hear from you! Please visit my Web site at www.kathrynspringer.com and sign up for my quarterly newsletter.

Blessings,

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Why is Emma’s response negative when Jake shows up with an apple tree rather than flowers on the anniversary of her husband’s death? What is the underlying reason for that response?
   
2. Both Jake and Emma went through a traumatic event that changed their lives. What were the differences in the way they perceived God afterward?
   
3. Why is Emma opposed to her son having a mentor? Do you feel that her concerns are valid? Why or why not?
   
4. Jake doubts that he has anything to offer a boy Jeremy’s age, yet he agrees to become his mentor because he feels that God is leading him in that direction. Have you ever been in a similar situation? Describe the outcome.
   
5. How much of a role do you think Emma’s childhood plays in her hesitation to reach out to the people in Mirror Lake?
   
6. Kate tells Jake that people left Emma alone after Brian’s death out of respect for her privacy, but questions whether they did the right thing. Have you ever hesitated to reach out to a grieving friend? Why?
   
7. Emma tells people that her mosaic work is just a hobby, but Esther Redstone sees it as more than that. What do you think about the older woman’s insight about “broken things” that God can use to make something beautiful?
   
8. Do you have a special hobby or interest? What is it?
   
9. Jeremy’s childlike faith encourages Emma to begin seeking God again. Has a family member ever done the same for you? In what way?
   
10. There are many times that police officers and fire-fighters must put emergencies before other obligations. How do you feel about that? What was your reaction when Jake couldn’t participate in the raft race?
    
11. Jake has deep feelings for Emma, yet he is the one who steps back from the relationship after Reflection Days. Why? Do you understand/agree with his decision?
    
12. What character in the book can you most relate to? Why?
    
13. What was your favorite scene in the book? Why?
    
14. In what ways do Jake’s and Emma’s personalities complement each other?
    
15. Emma tells Jake that she isn’t the same person she was when Brian died. Why? What do you think that means in terms of her ability to open her heart to love again?
    
16. Read Ephesians 3:16–19 and take some time to reflect on the passage. What do you think it means to be “rooted and established in love”?