Built To Last (Saltwater Springs #1) (18 page)

T
en Years Later
…

S
carlett cradled
the baby in her arms as she walked into the bustling kitchen. “I’m not even going to tell you what this child had in her diaper.”

Luke laughed and looked up from the table. “I’m better off not knowing, I’m sure.” He leaned across the table to five-year-old James and peeled off a piece of pastry that was clinging to the little boy’s arm.

“Your time will come,” she joked. She placed little Olivia in her highchair and poured out some Cheerios in front of her to keep her happy so Scarlett could oversee the pie-making operations currently underway on the kitchen’s harvest table.

Scarlett and Luke never did adopt. They didn’t feel the need to pursue adoption after they’d decided to become foster parents for the first time. Since then, they’d opened up their home to no less than fifteen children. Some of them had moved on and were able to be placed back with their families, and a few—like twelve-year-old Randy and seven-year-old Alisha—had been with them for years.

They didn’t have a houseful of children she’d given birth to, but they had a home full of kids who needed them because they had no one else to rely on. And they had love…a whole lot of love to go around.

“Luke, am I getting this thin enough?” Randy asked while pushing a rolling pin over the pastry dough.

“We should probably defer to Scarlett on that one. Honey, what do you think?”

Scarlett looked up from spreading some flour on Alisha’s rolling pin and inspected Randy’s work. “Maybe just a little thinner and then you should be good to go.”

They were making pies to drop off at the homeless shelter in a nearby county. They’d serve them during their Christmas dinner in a couple of days. Sure, it would’ve been much easier to bake all the pies at her shop, but there just wasn’t room for everyone in the bakery’s kitchen. Besides, both she and Luke loved doing projects like this with all the kids…even when it was loud, messy, and chaotic.

Holiday music played in the background as Scarlett moved throughout the kitchen, helping each of the kids—and Luke, whose skills definitely lay in carpentry—get the hang of working with the pastry dough.

They were filling the pie crusts with apple mixture when a voice rang out from the front of the house. “Hello!” Gabbie yelled.

“Back here!” Luke yelled over the all the noise in the kitchen.

The sound of the front door slamming echoed through the house. “Hey, Aunt Scarlett,” Gabbie said as she breezed by her. “Hi, Uncle Luke.” She walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek, then took the empty seat beside him at the table.

“Hey, Munchkin. How’re things?”

She rolled her eyes before reaching over the table to help James pour his filling before it ended up all over him. “Oh, you know. Mom’s being a pain as usual. She never lets me do anything fun.”

Having long ago decided not to dip his toe in those shark-infested waters, Luke only laughed in response. Gabbie had grown into the typical apathetic teenager, but she still adored her uncle so she usually cut him a bit of slack.

“I thought your Grandma was coming by, too,” Scarlett said.

“She just dropped me off. Said she’d swing by after she stops by the hospital.”

Betty had beaten her cancer and now took it upon herself to spend time with patients who had no one else while they underwent their chemo treatments.

“What do we do next?” Alisha asked, now that she’d proudly filled her pie crust to the brim all on her own.

“Now we’re going to take these strips of pastry I’ve cut and put them on top of the pie.” Scarlett said, setting the pastry strips in the middle of the table. “I’ll show you each how to braid them so it looks really cool.”

James’ hand shot straight into the air. “I wanna do mine myself.” That little guy was his own man, always wanting to give things a go before accepting help.

Luke ruffled the boy’s hair with his flour-covered hands and traded smiles with Scarlett. “We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The kids put the finishing touches on their creations and Scarlett turned the oven on to pre-heat it. As she was making her way back to the table, a sound erupted from Olivia’s bottom that had everyone turning to stare in her direction. She sat happily in her highchair smiling, and all the kids broke out in laughter. Of course they did…they always thought any type of bodily function was the funniest thing ever.

“Oh my goodness, Miss Olivia! What did you eat yesterday?” Scarlett mock-scolded her as she removed the tray in front of the little angel.

Before Scarlett was able to lift her, Luke scooped Olivia out of the chair and raised her in the air over his head. The little girl’s hands and feet dangled down as she giggled at Luke.

“Should we go see what damage you did in your diaper?” he asked, and Olivia squealed and flapped her arms in response.

Scarlett loved watching her husband interact with any of their “foster” kids. The moment a child walked in the door, Luke and Scarlett felt as if they were their own. They had a good life together—one she didn’t take for granted.

“
F
alse alarm
,” Luke announced when he returned to the kitchen.

Scarlett took the last pie from Alisha, placed it on the middle rack in the oven, and shut the door. “You got off easy.” She looked in his direction as he put the baby back in her highchair.

“What can I say? I’m a lucky man.” He strode over to Scarlett and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips.

“Ew, gross,” Randy said.

Luke laughed. “You’ll change your tune one day, buddy.”

“No way.” Randy crossed his arms over his chest.

Scarlett smiled. “Okay, why don’t you kids get cleaned up and we can put on a Christmas movie while we wait for the pies to bake. I’ll make you all some hot chocolate.”

“Yay! That’s my favorite!” Alisha said as she ran out of the kitchen, followed by Randy.

“I wanna watch
The Grinch
!” James yelled as he followed the two of them out.

Scarlett turned in Gabbie’s direction. “Sweetie, do you mind helping them get washed up while I clean up this disaster?”

Gabbie laughed and flicked her long blonde hair behind her shoulder. “Sure thing. If I’m not back in ten minutes, they’ve overpowered me and forced me to play Legos with them again,” she said, faking a shudder.

Luke laughed, knowing how much Gabbie despised getting stuck playing Legos with the kids. There was always an argument about what they wanted her to build and someone always stepped on a Lego, resulting in tears.

The kitchen was quiet except for Olivia’s playful noises, so Scarlett took a moment to lean back against the counter and relax. Luke saddled up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Tired, babe?” he asked and kissed the end of her nose.

“A little. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Neither would I.” He smiled. “How much longer until bedtime though?”

They both laughed and Scarlett playfully swatted her husband.

“It’s almost been ten years since you brought me here that night,” Scarlett said, reflecting on how much had changed since she’d moved back to Saltwater Springs. “I never would’ve thought we’d end up where we are.”

Luke gave her a warm smile. “What did I tell you on our wedding day, Lettie?” he asked as he brushed a stray piece of hair back from her face. “You and me, we’re built to last.”

T
he End

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SA Today
Bestselling Author
, Elisabeth Grace has a soft spot for happily ever afters and a hot spot for alpha males. If she’s not curled up somewhere with a romance novel in one hand and chocolate in the other you can probably find her typing madly on her keyboard creating her next story. She currently lives outside Toronto, Canada with her husband, two small children, and killer cat.

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M
y first thanks
has to go to K. Langston for coming up with the idea for the title! We were brainstorming in an author group because I was looking for something that fit the home renovation theme and when she suggested ‘Built To Last’ I knew that was the one! Thanks girl!

It’s important when you’re an author that you’re working with people who understand (and are willing to put up with) your last minute requests and panic. For the creation of this book those ladies were Kari, Sheri, and Shawna.

I originally had another cover picked for this book and while I loved it, I wasn’t sure it ‘fit’ the smalltown romance vibe as well I wanted. So I enlisted Kari March Designs to create a different cover for me and I could not be happier with the result! I LOVE the cover of this book and I think it perfectly fits the story. Can’t wait for more of your creations!

My editor Sheri Thomas, while a perfectionist, you push me to do more with my story. And while I may curse you while we’re in the midst of it, I truly appreciate all your hard work and dedication to this project. You put the same effort forth as if it were your own story going out into the world and that my dear, is priceless.

My proofreader and PA Shawna has known me as long as Scarlett has known Layla. She probably knows me better than I know myself. When I’m too busy being a realist and thinking of the worst possible outcome, she’s there to slap my hand and tell me to knock it off. I know I can rely on her to always tell me the truth about the story and that’s hard to find. I promise no more mewling kittens. LOL This journey would not be as fun if you weren’t such a big part of it!

To all the readers who read along through my newsletter and sent their encouraging words my way. Thank you!! You’re what got me through to the end on this project and I’m so glad I did.

For everyone that got behind this book…the bloggers, the readers, my author friends, my publicist Tara, and a lot of other people who I’ll never know by name – THANK YOU! I can’t say it enough, but please know that my gratitude runs deep and I don’t take it for granted.

T
his book is
a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

© 2015 by Elisabeth Grace

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

I
SBN
: 9781987925036

C
over design and photo by
: Kari March Designs

Line Editor: Sheri Thomas

Proof Reader: Behind The Writer