Love Inspired Suspense June 2015 #1 (57 page)

“It means,” he said, his eyes watching her lips, “give me a kiss.”

Gretchen smiled. “I'll have to remember those words,” she said and gladly gave him what he wanted.

EPILOGUE

“Y
ou're sure you're not mad, Len?” Gretchen stood back as Colm hung the van Gogh over the fireplace where all the guests of The Morning Glory could see it for years to come. Even with the small dent on the corner.

“Mad? Not at all. We all have our battle scars to prove we fought the good fight, so why shouldn't the painting? It did well, and now I know for sure that I chose wisely for you to be its owner.”

Tildy grunted from her place on the couch by the Christmas tree. “You all seem to forget that now I have a vacant wall over my fireplace at the restaurant. What am I supposed to put in that space?” She nudged the thin, frail woman beside her who was Colm's mother. Emily Griffin gave a small, brief smile but quickly looked down at her folded hands in her lap.

It took some doing, but Colm had eventually convinced his ma to start her life over on Stepping Stones. Along with Nate and Billy, Gil was doing time in prison. Emily's now ex-husband was out of her life forever. Yet every time Gretchen looked at the woman, her heart broke. The trauma was still fresh in her. Every now and then, Emily would steal a glance at the sea and Gretchen knew the woman was fighting her battle. All Gretchen could do was love her mother-in-law unconditionally and let her know she understood. She would remind Emily that bonds could be broken, but there were also good bonds, ones that reflected relationships based on love and respect and support. Ones that allowed a person to live free. She would tell her mother-in-law that was what she wanted to be for her, and Gretchen vowed she would tell her this every day until the woman held her head high and believed it.

Gretchen turned and realized Colm had caught her looking at his ma. The understanding passed between them, and he offered her a sweet smile of gratitude. Gretchen sighed and walked over to her Irish husband and welcomed his arms around her. She rested her cheek on his chest for a moment before gazing up at him. She felt his strong arms tighten around her, but instead of feeling confined by those arms, she felt the assurance of his presence in her life.

Gretchen knew that somewhere deep inside he feared she might change her mind someday and choose the solitary life. But Gretchen hoped that tonight she could put his mind at rest, just as he had brought rest to her whole life.

It had been months since her last asthma attack, and though she still carried her inhaler as a precaution, Gretchen had never breathed easier. No longer did she need to prove to the world that she was smart enough and strong enough to make it on her own, although her plumbing and electrical expertise did come in handy when they turned the attic into their own personal living quarters.

Colm had worked all summer repairing the fire and water damage. Not even a broken kneecap could stop him. He wanted The Morning Glory to have at least one season of success, and when fall came, the rooms were filled and the breakfast table bustled with impressed guests who quickly booked their spring getaways on Stepping Stones. Gretchen now had “regulars” and looked forward to hanging her no-vacancy sign.

Of course, without the attic to rent out, income was cut down. To help, Colm opened his own carpentry business and turned the barn into his workshop. Gretchen hadn't thought too much of the idea until Emily arrived and saw Colm working just as his da had. The woman cried outright, but the smile on her lips told them the sight brought her pure joy. She no longer worried about her son, who had changed from a street fighter into a sweet man. Seeing Colm use his hands to make an honest living was the second gift Emily had received.

Gretchen couldn't wait to give the woman her third tonight.

But first to tell Colm.

As though he knew she had something to share, he led her away from the crowd of family and friends there to celebrate Christmas Eve.

Colm stopped in the foyer. “I see the wheels turning in your mind. That could only mean you're making more plans. I love a woman who knows what she wants, and you know whatever it is, all you have to do is ask. Your wish is my command.”

Gretchen frowned. “I don't want to command you. Ever. We're a team with the same goal, to strive for full restoration together through encouragement and God's freeing peace inside us.”

A sheen of unshed tears showed in Colm's eyes as he reached over and pulled her forehead to his. “You make me feel stronger than any brawl I've ever won. It makes me want to give you the world.”

The room full of people faded into the background of twinkling lights while the Christmas music softly played.

Gretchen tilted her head. “Not the world, but how about new servants' quarters?”

He started and frowned. “You don't like the attic?”

“It's beautiful,” she said quickly to put his mind at ease. “Your handiwork is as smooth as your words. I look forward to growing old with you while you sweet-talk me all day long. It's just we'll need more space.”

“Oh, I see. You're concerned about not making enough money if we don't rent the attic suite. Love, I have enough restoration work to last me ten years. Everyone on the island has hired me to work on his home. After seeing ours, they all want to make Stepping Stones stand out as a real classy place for the tourists. So don't you worry your pretty golden head over it. We'll also start getting more calls once the show airs next month. It was grand that the new director and host incorporated our old footage with some of their new. He told me they're saving it for Sweeps Week. That will draw huge ratings for them and give us lots of exposure. So you see, we won't need the attic to make ends meet. The phone will be ringing off the hook.”

Gretchen bit her lower lip. This was not going the way she'd planned.

Colm lifted her hand with the wedding ring on it and kissed it. The shiver he sent up her arm made her whole body tremble and she lost her train of thought. This was
really
not going the way she had planned. Life with Colm had a way of going off course.

And as always Gretchen quickly came up with plan B.

“Mom,” she called over her shoulder while she smiled at Colm. “I think I have an idea of what you can hang over your fireplace.”

“Well, spill it,” Tildy called back. “I'm all ears.”

Gretchen took a deep breath and said, “Baby pictures. The first one will be available in seven months.”

The conversations stilled. Only the music still played.

A deep chuckle from over by the fireplace broke the silence. Len's laugh grew louder. “Well, well, well, what are you waiting for, son? Didn't you hear your wife? You're going to be a father.”

Colm's face drained of all color as he gulped and looked from Len to Gretchen then to each face in the room. Owen and his wife, Miriam, grinned ear to ear, but it was the full smile Colm's ma wore that seemed to spark his understanding.

“This is for real? No fooling shenanigans.”

Tildy hooted and hollered with excitement and jumped to her feet to run to her daughter.

Colm moved back still in a daze as the women embraced, but Gretchen tightened her hold on his hand that she could feel starting to tremble. Her mother left her arms to make the hugging rounds with the others in the room. “Colm?” Gretchen said. “Are you all right with this?”

Colm tugged her back into his arms and Gretchen felt his arm muscles bulge as he tightened his hold on her. He buried his face into her hair almost desperately. She sensed the rawness of his emotion in his grasp and new what concerned him.

“You're going to be a good father, Colm,” she whispered her assurance into his ear. “And when your child looks at you, he will see his great big, strong da who could take on the world with one fist tied behind his back and the other lending a helping hand.”

Colm sighed. “I see it, Gretchen. Thank you, love. It's going to be all right.” He lifted his head and a smile quickly grew. He looked around the room with blatant excitement. “Did you hear? I'm going to be a da! A new home with my beautiful wife, a new job on a wonderful island, and now a new life created by God. When He says He makes all things new, He means it.”

Len said, “‘Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away. Behold, new things have come.' And speaking of old things.” He worked to stand up.

“Len,” Gretchen warned, “I told you before I don't want to hear you talking about yourself like that.”

Len cackled as he gained his feet slowly. “Not to worry, Gretchen. I'm not going anywhere tonight. In fact, I've got a new baby to look forward to bouncing on my knee, just as I did his mother.”

“Wait, did you say ‘he'?” Colm jumped in. “Is it a boy? A boy!”

“Whoa, slow down there, Mr. McCrae.” Gretchen tugged Colm back to the threshold. “It's way too early to be painting the room blue.”

“Blue. I like that. Just like his ma's eyes.”

“And his da's.”

Colm smiled down at her, but Gretchen indicated with her eyes where some mistletoe hung. One look up and he took his cue.

“Did I ever tell you what my favorite part of the show was?” he asked.

“No. What was it?”

He leaned down, a breath away from her lips. “The part where I would get to say, ‘The restoration is complete. But this is not the end of the story.'”

And as was his charming way, even without the camera on him, Colm left Gretchen and all the viewers wanting more.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from COVERT JUSTICE by Lynn Huggins Blackburn

Dear Reader,

Thank you for joining me on Stepping Stones Island, where the lobster traps are always full and romance awaits even the hardest of hearts. Not that you can blame Gretchen Bauer for guarding her heart so intensely. With the experience she had of someone abusing her goodness, it's only natural to grow wary of letting it happen again—especially with someone who has such a colorful past as Colm McCrae.

And when I say colorful, I mean lots of black and blue. Colm was a new creation in Christ, but he still fought against the anger that once controlled him. As long as it held more power than his belief in God's forgiveness, it would win and keep him down. If it wasn't his past he was fighting, it was the danger to Gretchen that lurked on the island. Colm had his hands full, for sure. At the same time he had a bed-and-breakfast to restore and a heart to win. What a guy!

Thank you for reading
Permanent Vacancy
! I love hearing from readers. Please feel free to contact me to share your thoughts. You can visit my website,
www.KatyLeeBooks.com
, or email me at
[email protected]
. If you don't have internet access, you can write to me c/o Love Inspired Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.

Katy Lee

http://www.harlequin.com/harlequinexperience

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