Read A Journey by Chance Online

Authors: Sally John

A Journey by Chance (31 page)

BOOK: A Journey by Chance
13.36Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads
Forty-Seven

Tears still threatened to flow well into the flight, but Maggie sensed their healing power and didn't let them interrupt her monologue directed at Reece. He listened while she poured out her happiness and fears for Gina. He maintained eye contact while she described forgiving Neil's mother and letting go of old resentments. He held her hand while she spoke of lost dreams and finding a new self in Christ. She didn't resist when he cupped her cheek, leaned over, and kissed her temple.

“Maggie, I was always afraid of losing you to Valley Oaks. Thank you for taking care of the ghosts and for not giving up on us in the process.”

She felt that melting sensation again. “Thank you for responding.”

“What man in his right mind wouldn't? Don't go away.” He undid the seat belt, stepped into the aisle, and fiddled inside the overhead compartment. He settled back into the seat, a large manila envelope in his hand. “I figured if a manila envelope was good enough for Olafsson, it was good enough for me.”

“I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I think you'd like that guy for a son-in-law.”

“I think so, too. Maggie.” His voice grew husky and he paused. “I hope that your response is as irrational as Gina's, but if not, that's all right.” He handed her the envelope.

She smiled and then giggled. The panic and hesitation she felt last week in Chicago had vanished. With child-like anticipation she opened the flap and pulled out…a
small packet containing…tickets...to Venice...Venice, Italy! “Reece!”

He gave her a sheepish smile and lifted another paper from the packet. “Here's the itinerary. It's for the month of September, actually beginning the end of August.”

“Reece!”

“I know that's a long time, darling, but I think we owe it to us. We have an awful lot of catching up to do.”

“Reece!”

“Look.” He pointed to the paper. “We'll see most of Italy, or I should say most of its art anyway—”

“Reece!”

“What?”

The tears flowed freely now and her only response was to nod.

“You'll go?”

She nodded again.

When he pulled her near, she didn't resist. It was time to let him kiss away the hurts. It was time she kissed him with the promise of a new tomorrow.

Gina parked the car beside Brady's truck, relieved that he was at home. Propelled by irrational anxieties, she ran to the front door and rang the bell.

He loves me.

No answer. She pressed the button for an entire minute, then tried the doorknob. Locked. She raced around, across the deck, and into the screened porch. And stopped.

What if Kim were here? Or some other friend she didn't know about? He certainly wasn't expecting her. She was supposed to be on the plane, just now unsealing his little surprise.

He loves me.

“Brady!”

She hurried across the porch, noticed his laptop on the table, a screen saver in motion, and went through the open door into the kitchen. “Brady!”

Where was he? Where was Homer? With a 122.7 acres to roam around, they could be anywhere.

No, not just anywhere. They'd be in Brady's favorite spot.

Gina grabbed a baseball cap from the coat rack and headed outside. It was tick season and warm and muggy and a very long drive to a large zoo, but…but it was heaven on earth because Brady lived here and he loved her.

She jogged her lopsided trot around the pond. At the other side she swerved onto the path they had mowed together. She remembered standing on a bar behind his tractor seat, clinging to his neck, conversation abandoned to the engine's roar. Shoulder-high prairie grasses bordered the trail. Like sentinels they stood, their feather, purple-splashed heads still, no hint of a breeze under the glaring noonday sun.

What if he just wants to visit Seattle, give us a long-distance chance?

Brady named it Gina's Path. Was it hers? Was it the one God had always been leading her toward?

It rose now, leading into the woods, tree trunks barely visible through the wild masses of green. Beneath the cool canopy of leaves, she hurried along the winding trail. Twice, divergent paths halted her. Twice, she cried out, “Which way?!” Twice, she whirled in circles before forcing herself to study the clues. They were there, in the trees, in the ground's slope, in her sense of direction.

The path led back downhill toward the creek. Panting, she slowed and heard the clear notes of a flute. She recognized Brady's halting rendition of “Amazing Grace” on his Irish whistle.

At last the slope leveled out and the path led between two stately walnut trees and scrub bush. It ended where the creek looped into a “c,” creating a moss-covered peninsula. Water rippled over rocks, underscoring the flute's song.

He was there. She saw him sitting on the end of a fallen oak that spanned the creek. Homer, lying at his feet, raised his golden head and cocked an ear.

Brady caught sight of her and broke off playing, astonishment in his raised brows. He wore his green cap backward, the sleeves of his white T-shirt rolled up. Slowly he removed the flute from his mouth as Homer yapped and raced to greet her, tail wagging.

Gina stopped a short distance from him, catching her breath, unable to gather her racing thoughts into a lucid sentence. She patted the dog, shushing him.

Brady spoke first. “Miss your plane?”

She nodded. “Just found out I'm a landlord.”

“You weren't supposed to know that yet.”

“Why not?”

“I wanted you to take time to think about it.” His unemotional tone raised an invisible barrier, making him unapproachable. “A long time.”

“What is there to think about?”

He shrugged. “How much rent to charge.”

“I don't want to charge rent.”

“Property taxes aren't cheap here in
Podunk
County. I should at least pay for those.”

She blinked.

“Then there are the other implications.” He paused.

“Your vote.”

“Yes, there is that, but who knows what'll happen once the Village board gets hold of it? That no longer matters. I mean, in essence I don't have a home here anymore anyway.”

“It's still your home! You don't have to leave! I'll sell it back to you for a dollar after the vote!”

“That wouldn't exactly be proper, would it? And I don't know anyone else who appreciates this land as much as you—”

“Brady Olafsson! You can't go around giving away 122.7 acres! It's too…too extravagant!”

“I can do whatever I please with it. Don't you want it?”

“No!” she cried.

He lowered his eyes and set the flute on the log.

“I only want—” She bit her lip and swallowed the shrill tone. “You,” she whispered. “I only want you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Whether it was a shout or Homer's excited barking or merely an inexplicable sense of the majestic oaks clapping audibly, she didn't know, but the woods pealed with a tangible joy. Brady ran to her, caught her in his arms, and laughed as he swung her around.

“Then why, dear girl,” he lowered his face and his lips grazed hers, “are we talking about
rent?”

“I thought maybe you just wanted the vote.”

“How could you—? Oh, Gina.” He kissed her soundly. “Convinced?”

She smiled. “Almost. Better try again.”

“Just a minute. Homer!” He pointed a finger at the dog and spoke sternly. “Quiet. Now,” Brady turned to her and slid her cap around backward, “where were we? Ah, yes, convincing you.” His second try took a bit longer. “Satisfied?”

Held in his turquoise gaze like this, how could she ever not be? But there was something. “Brady, are you really willing to leave here and move to Seattle?”

“Sweetheart, when you told me goodbye Saturday night, I came home and suddenly I knew it wasn't home anymore. It never would be again without you. And I saw that you were right. I was being selfish about holding on to this place.
Giving it up was the only way I could think of to prove how much I love you. All I need is my laptop, a plane ticket to wherever you are, and a prayer that you'll give us a chance.”

“And a dog carrier for Homer.”

He grinned.

She kissed his cheek. “I love you, Brady Olafsson. And I'll give us a chance on one condition.”

“What's that?”

“That you stop the references to
Podunk
. After all, this is my hometown.”

“Hometown?” His grin widened. “Meaning?”

“Meaning I'm giving up the Seattle job. How else can I prove just how much I love you?”

The woods sang with their laughter.

Other Books by
Sally John

T
HE
O
THER
W
AY
H
OME
S
ERIES
A Journey by Chance
After All These Years
Just to See You Smile
The Winding Road Home

 

I
N A
H
EARTBEAT
S
ERIES
In a Heartbeat
Flash Point
Moment of Truth

 

T
HE
B
EACH
H
OUSE
S
ERIES
The Beach House
Castles in the Sand
Beach Dreams

(by Trish Perry)

Harvest House Publishers

Fiction for Every Taste and Interest

Gilbert Morris

J
ACQUES
& C
LEO
, C
AT
D
ETECTIVES
Cat's Pajamas
What the Cat Dragged In
When the Cat's Away

Mindy Starns Clark

S
MART
C
HICK
M
YSTERY
S
ERIES
The Trouble with Tulip
Blind Dates Can Be Murder
Elementary, My Dear Watkins

M
ILLION
D
OLLAR
M
YSTERIES
A Penny for Your Thoughts
Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels
A Dime a Dozen
The Buck Stops Here
A Quarter for a Kiss

Debra White Smith

T
HE
A
USTEN
S
ERIES
First Impressions
Reason and Romance
Central Park
Amanda
Northpointe Chalet
Possibilities

T
HE
D
EBUTANTES
Heather
Lorna

Susan Page Davis

Frasier Island
Finding Marie

Susan Meissner

A Window to the World
Remedy for Regret
In All Deep Places
Seahorse in the Thames

R
ACHAEL
F
LYNN
M
YSTERY
S
ERIES
Widows and Orphans
Sticks and Stones
Days and Hours

Sally John

T
HE
O
THER
W
AY
H
OME
S
ERIES
A Journey by Chance
After All These Years
Just to See You Smile
The Winding Road Home

I
N A
H
EARTBEAT
S
ERIES
In a Heartbeat
Flash Point
Moment of Truth

T
HE
B
EACH
H
OUSE
S
ERIES
The Beach House
Castles in the Sand
Beach Dreams

Brandt Dodson

C
OLTON
P
ARKER
M
YSTERY
S
ERIES
Original Sin
Seventy Times Seven
Root of All Evil
The Lost Sheep

Siri Mitchell

Moon Over Tokyo

George Polivka

T
ROPHY
C
HASE
T
RILOGY
Legend of the Firefish
The Hand That Bears the Sword
Battle of the Vast Dominion

Craig Parshall

Trial by Ordeal

T
HE
T
HISTLE AND THE
C
ROSS
S
ERIES
Crown of Fire
Captives and Kings
Sons of Glory

C
HAMBERS OF
J
USTICE
S
ERIES
The Resurrection File
Custody of the State
The Accused
Missing Witness
The Last Judgment

Roxanne Henke

The Secret of Us

C
OMING
H
OME TO
B
REWSTER
S
ERIES
After Anne
Finding Ruth
Becoming Olivia
Always Jan
With Love, Libby

B.J. Hoff

Song of Erin

M
OUNTAIN
S
ONG
L
EGACY
A Distant Music
The Wind Harp
The Song Weaver

BOOK: A Journey by Chance
13.36Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

Between Land and Sea by Guidoccio, Joanne
Hunting Kat by Armstrong, Kelley
Through Time-Pursuit by Conn, Claudy
Survival by Powell, Daniel
New Regime by Laken Cane
A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor
A Crime of Fashion by Carina Axelsson