Bonnie K Winn - Family Ties; Promise of Grace p.10

Chapter Ten
F riday rolled around too soon for Noah. Flashes of the night he and Grace had walked in the garden had continued to nudge him. Pulling on a large reserve of self-control, he had cleared his mind to perform her surgery. But the fact that he’d had to do so kept his mood grim. Better than anyone else, he knew how crucial it was to keep his emotions and his job separate.

Glancing up, he saw the recovery nurse approaching on a run. “Dr. Brady. Recovery room two—stat.”

Noah felt a chill in his blood that he remembered experiencing only once before. After he’d performed surgery on his girlfriend Jordan.

He pitched the chart he held onto the unit desk, mindless of the rattling bang it made as it landed. Grace Stanton was in the second recovery room.

Noah’s long strides outpaced the nurse’s steps. The crash cart was in place beside the bed. Scanning Grace’s vitals, he saw that they were plummeting. Memories assaulted him. In that instant Noah realized he cared more for Grace than he had Jordan. Terrified that he had made a fatal error, he read Grace’s vitals again and found they were even worse.

As he quickly processed the possible causes, Grace flatlined.

Without hesitation he picked up the paddles. “Clear!”

The emergency team stepped back.

Grace’s body jerked under the electrical charge.

Noah held his breath.

One heartbeat registered. Then another.

Automatically Noah issued instructions for stabilizing Grace, forcing away any other thoughts. The team continued working on her.

As they did, Noah ordered more tests, determined not to lose her. Equally determined to find out what had gone wrong.

Training kept Noah’s face noncommittal, his mind focused on Grace’s survival. She looked so vulnerable, so alone on the gurney. She had been so very close to death.



He didn’t leave Grace’s side until hours later. Pulling off his sweat-soaked surgical cap, Noah exhaled. Now he could let his torturous thoughts run free.

He’d almost lost her. Another woman he cared about. And one frozen image kept coming to mind again and again—Grace’s frightened eyes the first time he’d seen her, how the terror had turned to trust.

Trust he didn’t deserve.

Knowing Ruth was waiting anxiously, Noah pushed open the heavy surgical doors. Mindless of the arthritis that plagued her joints, Ruth sprang to her feet. “Noah?”

“She’s stable,” he replied.

“Something went wrong, didn’t it? You said she’d be out hours ago.”

“She was.” He pulled at the core of his strength. “But there were complications.”

Panic flooded the older woman’s face and her voice quivered. “Grace?”

“She’s all right. Now.”

“Oh, Noah. What happened?”

“An embolus, a blood clot, went to her heart.”

Ruth’s hand flew upward to cover her mouth. “No!”

“I won’t lie to you. It was touch and go.”

“But I thought this was routine, without risk.”

He sighed. “No surgery is without risk. But you’re right. This shouldn’t have happened. I shouldn’t have let it happen.”

Ruth placed her hand on his arm. “Noah. I know this isn’t your fault.”

He stared ahead into the corridor. Now in the evening it was quiet, uncrowded. “Don’t be so sure of that.”

Ruth shook her head. “Noah, I trust you. That’s not in question. I just don’t understand how surgery on her face could cause a blood clot to her heart.”

Noah felt the tension deep in the back of his neck. “I’ve ordered extensive tests. We’ll know more after I get the results.”

Ruth bit her lip, deep in thought. “Is it possible that the clot was caused by some of her internal injuries?”

“It’s possible. I’m consulting with her surgeon in Houston.” But he wasn’t looking for an easy out.

“Noah, I’ve known you since you were a boy. I also know you did your very best in that operating room. Don’t go looking for blame where there isn’t any.”

“We almost lost her, Ruth.”

She squeezed his arm. “But we didn’t. Let’s concentrate on that.”

Noah talked with her for a while, knowing Ruth would stay around the clock until she was certain Grace was all right.

As he made his way to his office, Noah replayed the surgery in his mind, looking for errors, not able to find a satisfactory conclusion.

Only one fact could not be refuted. He had allowed himself to become personally involved with a patient. It had almost cost Grace her life.

Guilt and regret dominated every thought.

Hours passed, but Noah couldn’t make himself leave the hospital. Instead, he kept in constant touch with the intensive care unit.

When that wasn’t enough, he prowled the corridors, finding his way to Grace’s side again and again.

Close to midnight, Noah walked soundlessly into the ICU. Grace’s vitals had improved dramatically, yet he couldn’t find peace in that yet. She was still in a remarkably fragile state. It would take so little to disturb the positive balance.

Long lashes shadowed her cheekbone on the unbandaged side of her face. She didn’t have to open her eyes for him to know what they looked like. Her changeling eyes were like magic, blue one day, stormy gray another. They matched both her moods and her surroundings. He considered her eyes to be much like the opening of presents on Christmas morning. You might guess their color, or be completely surprised. Either way, it was like having Christmas every day.

Now, however, she was surrounded completely by white. Since she was in ICU, the lights were only marginally dimmer than during the day. There was no quiet, comforting hush of darkness to help her rest. Under constant observation, she couldn’t be shrouded in anything other than light.

She slept deeply, a drugged sleep that kept her deathly still.

Grace had been through more than anyone deserved. And now this…

The soft scuff of rubber-soled shoes told him someone was approaching. Unwilling to allow his emotions for Grace to show on his face, he composed his expression and turned away from the bed.

“Dr. Brady. You have a phone call.”

Thanking the nurse, Noah walked to the phone on the wall and picked up the receiver. “Dr. Brady.”

“Hello. This is Patrick Holden. Sorry to phone so late, but I just got out of a meeting. I’m calling to check on Grace Stanton.”

Noah wondered who the man was. “Information can only be released to a relative.”

“Oh, well, I’m not…yet.”

“Yet?”

“I’m her fiancé. I wasn’t able to reach her aunt, but perhaps you could ask Ruth to call me. She has the number.”

“Sure.” Slowly Noah hung up the phone. Fiancé? How could he have spent so much time with Grace and not have known that important bit of news?

Walking back to Grace’s bed, he studied her face again. What else hadn’t she told him?

It wasn’t only her career that was calling her back to Houston, but a man she had pledged her heart to. It should be a relief, he told himself. He couldn’t be distracted by a woman who was engaged. His professional and personal lives wouldn’t face the threat of being commingled again.

Feet suddenly leaden, he forced himself to relay the message. He told the nurse and then watched her step outside to locate Ruth.

However, it wasn’t relief he felt. He couldn’t turn off the feelings he already had for Grace.

A woman he apparently could never have.

Still, he returned to her side. At least while she was sleeping she couldn’t see the truth in his face.

Grace sighed, a small sound that pulled at him.

He continued to watch her as he wondered about Patrick Holden. And why Grace had never mentioned the man.



Two days later Grace awoke in that peculiar state that felt as though she were both leaden and floating. It was the medication, she knew. That had been explained to her before.

The previous day had been a blur. Vaguely she remembered they had moved her from one place to another. The room she was in had the familiar look of all the other hospital rooms in the past months.

Unable to remember what Noah had said, she wondered how this surgery had gone. She lifted her left hand, now completely free of bandages, to hesitantly touch the new bandages on her face. She couldn’t tell anything from the tentative examination. The bandages did seem thicker. But that happened after each surgery.

Glancing to one side, she saw Ruth slumped in a chair, having fallen asleep while she stood guard. Grace felt a wave of appreciation for her aunt, who had assumed this burden without a moment’s hesitation or complaint.

Although her head felt heavy, Grace turned it, seeing several vases of flowers. She couldn’t imagine who had sent them all. She also wondered why she felt so weak.

A muted tap sounded on the door, so quiet she could barely hear it. Her own voice was almost as quiet. “Come in.”

Looking uncertain, Robert poked his head in. “Is it okay?”

Grace cleared her throat, yet her voice wasn’t much stronger. “Yes.”

“They said at the desk that you could have visitors, but I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“You didn’t,” she assured him.

He pulled a bunch of handpicked flowers from behind his back. “These are from my yard.”

“They’re beautiful,” Grace replied, touched by the boy’s gesture.

He glanced over at the vases of florist-arranged flowers. “Mine can’t compare to those.”

“And none of those were handpicked just for me.” She sniffed the bouquet, lush with fat roses. “Nor do any of them smell so wonderful.”

Robert grinned. “How do you feel?”

“Kind of woozy right now. But it’s taking me less time to recover each time.”

“Have there been many surgeries?” he questioned, his eyes filled with curiosity.

“I’m afraid so. It’s not something Noah…Dr. Brady can repair quickly.”

“He’s the best,” Robert replied. “A lot of adults just see past teenagers, you know? Like we’re some sort of herd instead of different people.”

She nodded.

“He doesn’t.” Robert hesitated. “And you don’t, either.”

Grace felt a rush of emotion. “Thank you, Robert. That means a lot to me.”

He looked embarrassed, but pleased. “When are they going to spring you?”

She smiled at his choice of words. “I’m not sure. When I know, I’ll phone you about resuming lessons.”

“Okay.” He looked over at Ruth, who was still sleeping. “I mowed the lawn this morning early. I hope it’s okay.”

“I’m sure it is. You know my aunt Ruth. She’ll tell you if it isn’t.”

He grinned. “Yeah. Well, I’d better get going.”

“Thanks for visiting, Robert. And for the beautiful flowers.”

“Sure.” He disappeared quickly, the limit of his teenage self-consciousness reached.

Ruth spoke from the chair, surprising Grace. “So, I’d let him know, huh?”

Although exhausted, Grace smiled. “I wondered how you slept through that exchange.”

Ruth stood. “Figured the boy didn’t need an audience. Bringing flowers to a teacher is traumatic enough without a witness.”

“He’s a sweet boy,” Grace replied.

“Well, don’t ever tell him that! You’d ruin his teenage standing.” Ruth moved closer to the bedside and picked up Robert’s flowers. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“A little tired,” Grace admitted. “Silly, I know. I barely woke up.”

“I’ll ring the nurse.”

Grace glanced around, wondering why they were surrounded by so many machines. “I don’t need anything,” she protested. Seeing the lines on her aunt’s face, Grace reached for Ruth’s hand. “You didn’t have to stay so long. You’re the one who must be exhausted.”

“Nah. I’m a tough old bird. Besides, I’d only worry at home.”

Grace felt another rush of gratitude. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Ruth smiled at her niece. “Good. Because you’re not getting rid of me.”

The nurse entered, going to the bank of machines surrounding the bed, making adjustments.

“Will I live?” Grace asked, wondering again why she had so many more machines this time.

The nurse didn’t smile as Grace expected. “You’re on a steady course, Miss Stanton.” She looked over at Ruth. “I’ll let Dr. Brady know she’s awake.”

Grace wondered why she was suddenly out of her own medical loop. “Ruth?”

Her aunt turned, walking toward the windowsill where several flower arrangements had been placed. “Do you want to know who these are from?”

Distracted, Grace nodded. “There’s quite a collection.”

As expected, there was a large arrangement from her employer. There was also a tall, dramatic arrangement of exotic flowers from Cindy and Flynn Mallory, and a flourishing, glossy-leafed plant from Katherine and Michael Carlson. Noah’s parents had sent a spring bouquet filled with bright color.

Surprised and touched, Grace listened as Ruth read all the cards. She came to the last one, roses from Patrick.

Ruth hesitated after reading the card.

“What is it?” Grace asked, seeing something else in her aunt’s expression.

“Patrick called to check on you.”

“Oh.”

“I haven’t called him back yet. I thought you might want to do that.”

“Could you handle it, please?”

Again Ruth hesitated. “Fine. But he’ll call again.”

“I can’t face hearing his excuses just now. I only want the truth from now on.” Grace closed her eyes. “Just the truth.”

Chapter Eleven
N oah stared at the book in his hands, not seeing the words. His focus was shattered. It had begun to fissure immediately after Grace’s brush with death. When he was away from the hospital, it was all he could think about. What if Grace hadn’t made it?

He had replayed Jordan’s death a hundred times since Grace’s surgery. All the what ifs, the unanswered questions.

Noah knew he had to put those thoughts aside so that he could find the best doctor for Grace. It would mean she would return to Houston, but that was a small price for her to pay to receive top-notch care. Glancing at the pages of names, Noah knew he would recommend only a precious few. He had already spoken to his first choice and Trevor Scott had agreed, despite a long waiting list, to add Grace to his caseload.

Now he just had to tell Grace.

Knowing he couldn’t put off giving the news, he replaced the book on the tall wooden shelves flanking the door and left his office.

It didn’t take long to reach Grace’s room. Shaking off any personal thoughts, Noah adopted his most professional mode as he pushed open the door.

Looking somewhat stronger, Grace smiled when she saw him.

Ruth’s tired expression lifted, as well.

Noah kept his tone benign. “How’s the patient today?”

“Okay,” Grace replied. “How’s the doctor?”

“Fine.” He moved to the bank of machines, noting the readouts.

“Don’t feel you have to elaborate on that,” Grace told him, her voice puzzled.

“I’m here to discuss your health, not mine.” He was glad to see that the purplish tinge beneath her eyes had faded.

Ruth drew her brows together, but remained silent.

“Your vitals look good,” Noah reported, wondering if Grace was strong enough yet to learn about her close call.

“Good.” Grace glanced over at her aunt. “Now maybe Aunt Ruth will stop fussing. She’s been acting as though this were my first surgery, instead of the zillionth.”

Noah met Ruth’s gaze. “There’s a reason for that.” He paused. “Grace, everything didn’t go well this time.”

Her fingers flew up to touch the bandages.

“The restorative work wasn’t the problem.”

Grace’s eyes widened, but didn’t show fear. “Then what?”

“A blood clot. It was nearly fatal.”

Puzzlement rather than the expected shock entered her eyes. “But I’m all right now?”

“At the moment.”

“Noah—” Ruth began.

“Grace deserves the truth, as well as the best care possible.”

“That’s what I’m getting,” Grace protested.

“No. Rosewood Hospital is an adequate facility. But we can’t compete with the Houston Medical Center. There you will have the best of the best, both in completing your restorative work as well as making certain you don’t have any more residual effects from your internal injuries.”

“Noah Brady!” Ruth chided.

“You said nothing went wrong with the surgery on my face.” Grace struggled to sit up straighter. “And this hospital’s been just fine so far.”

Noah’s face and voice remained tight. “Hardly. I’ve been consulting with your surgeon in Houston, apprising Dr. Burger of the developments in your case.”

He was shocked to see a wave of hurt flash in her eyes. “I’m not going back to Houston.”

“I don’t want to be blunt, but you don’t have a choice in the matter. I’m turning your case over to Dr. Burger.”

Ruth took a step toward him. But Grace’s words hit him first. “You can send every X ray, test and file you have on me to Houston. But I’m not going.”

He tamped down his frustration. “There’s no point in being stubborn.”

“You walk in here and announce that you’re shipping me back to Houston, that I have no say in the matter, and you call me stubborn?”

Noah knew this was an argument he had to win. For her sake even more than his own. Not only had he crossed the line by having feelings for her, those feelings had grown beyond caring. Beyond anything he’d expected. “Grace, the issue isn’t debatable.”

Determination replaced the hurt in her eyes. “I’m not a package you can pop in the mail.”

Noah turned to Ruth. “Will you talk to her?”

Ruth’s expression filled with disappointment. Disappointment in him, Noah realized.

Realizing he could say no more that would convince her, Noah left Grace’s room. His heart heavy, he kept seeing the hurt in Grace’s eyes. Trust had turned into pain. And he had only himself to blame.



A week later, Grace was relieved to be back home. In Ruth’s home, that was. Her aunt hadn’t been willing to let her stay alone in her apartment the first few days. Ruth had been hovering ever since Noah had dropped his bomb.

Grace couldn’t understand why his defection hurt so. She now knew that men couldn’t be trusted. Despite that, she had begun to believe that perhaps Noah was an exception.

And she had no idea what she was going to do about her medical care. Noah maintained that he wasn’t going to change his mind. Grace couldn’t imagine leaving the safety Rosewood and her aunt offered. The thought of facing strangers in the city horrified her.

The doorbell rang, and Grace couldn’t stop the spurt of hope that it might be Noah. She heard a masculine voice mingling with Ruth’s. But it wasn’t Noah.

“Hello, darling,” Patrick greeted her.

“Patrick.”

He didn’t seem to notice the lack of enthusiasm in her greeting. “Looks like you came through it all right.”

She wondered briefly if he knew she’d nearly died. As quickly, she decided it really didn’t matter. “Yes. I’m fine.”

He angled his head, studying the bandages. “Looks like you have more wrappings on your face than before.”

Grace kept her tone even. “That happens after each surgery.”

“So, you’re just skating through the surgeries?”

Ruth made a strangulated sound.

Patrick turned to stare at the older woman. “What?”

Ruth sent an apologetic look to her niece. “Grace had complications.”

“What kind?”

“Just a clot,” Grace answered mildly.

He glanced again at Ruth. “That so?”

Grace let Ruth off the hook. “Apparently it could have been serious.”

Patrick frowned. “What does your hick-town doctor say about this?”

Grace squashed down the sudden impulse to defend Noah.

But Ruth didn’t have the same self-control. “Noah Brady is an excellent surgeon! In fact, he wants to send Grace to the medical center in Houston to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Finally!” Patrick replied. “I guess you’re relieved, aren’t you, Grace?”

She clenched her teeth. “Not exactly.”

“Patrick—” Ruth started to add.

“No offense, Ruth, but this is hardly the place for Grace to get the medical care she needs. This Dr. Brady—he’s the only plastic surgeon in town, right? No one to consult with? I know you like the guy, but that doesn’t mean he’s qualified. Besides, Grace doesn’t belong here. Her life’s in the city.”

Grace stared at Patrick, unable to believe how entirely clueless he was. Again she wondered how she’d come to be affianced to a man who knew so little about her. “Patrick, I don’t intend to return to the city now.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” he replied.

Stung, she stared at him.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to be so blunt. But you’ve got to face facts, Grace. If this doctor thinks you need more competent care, then you’ll have to go to the city.”

Her back up, Grace made a sudden decision. She wasn’t leaving. Neither Noah or Patrick could force her. If Noah refused to treat her, she would find another way. But she wasn’t going to be pushed into a corner. “I’m afraid not, Patrick.”

He let out an exasperated hiss. “I don’t understand you anymore, Grace.”

She kept a bitter laugh contained. “Anymore?”

Shaking his head, he stared at her. “You’re not thinking clearly. Maybe after you’ve had time to really process what this means you’ll come to your senses.”

Grace felt the same overwhelming disappointment she had since the accident. Knowing that, she remained silent.

Patrick stood suddenly. “I rescheduled a meeting to come here today, but it appears to have been a waste of time.”

Even though she knew he wasn’t the man she’d thought him to be, his words hurt.

He pushed a hand through his immaculately styled hair. “Didn’t mean it that way, Grace. Look, I’ll get going and we’ll talk when you’re feeling better.”

He strode to the door, Ruth trailing behind him. This time Grace didn’t even glance toward the window to see him leave.

Ruth returned, her expression somber. “I admire your pluck, Gracie. But what are you going to do if Noah won’t reconsider?”

“That can’t be an option,” Grace replied with far more assurance than she felt.



The church sanctuary was quiet, still. It was a time Noah savored. Although he valued the fellowship of fellow members, he could always reach deeper to what was in his heart when alone.

Choir practice would start in just over an hour. Until then he could relish the solitude. He sat in a pew, rather than at the piano. But the peace he expected didn’t descend on him. His troubled emotions were still irretrievably tangled.

Deep in thought, he was surprised when a shadow fell over him. Glancing up, he was even more shocked to see Grace.

“What are you doing here?”

“Hello to you, too,” she replied mildly, glancing at the empty space on the pew beside him. “Can I join you?”

He nodded. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

“I know.”

Thoroughly baffled, he studied her expression. “You do?”

“Cindy told me. She said that when your schedule permits, you like to come here before choir practice.”

“Ah. Not too many secrets in a small town.”

“But plenty of good friends.”

He eyed her warily. “Yes.”

“I thought you were my friend.”

Her arrow hit his already wounded heart. “Yes.”

“And my doctor.”

He could feel the scowl as it crossed his face. “Not anymore.”

“So you’re willing to concede that the doctors in Houston were right? That I’ll never regain full use of my hand?”

“Of course not.”

Her eyes shifted color. They were pewter now, and challenging. “Then how am I supposed to regain its use without you?”

He hesitated. “I’ll help with your hand, but that’s all.”

“So you’re going to make house calls in Houston?”

Angered frustration edged his voice. “You’re treating this as though it’s some joke. We almost lost you, Grace. Don’t you understand that?”

She gasped, a soft mewing sound. Wary tenderness lingered in her expression. “You say that as though you care.”

“Of course I care.”

“Then help me. I don’t want to go to another doctor, someone who looks at me as just another patient—”

“That’s exactly what you need!” He didn’t care that he’d raised his voice enough to shatter the hushed quiet of the sanctuary.

“You’ll have to explain that.”

“Grace, no doctor should allow the line between personal and professional to become blurred. I knew that, but I still did. Four years ago I was crazy about a woman in Houston—Jordan Hall. I thought she was everything I’d ever wanted—talented, compassionate. She was beautiful, too. But she didn’t think her beauty was perfect. Essentially she blackmailed me into performing frivolous cosmetic surgery.” Remembering emphasized the raw pain his mistake had caused. “And she died.”

Grace’s hand reached out to cover his. “I’m so sorry, Noah.”

“Me, too. I vowed then it would never happen again.”

“But you were in love with Jordan,” Grace protested.

He stared into her eyes, now soft silver, glowing with compassion. “So I was.”

Grace glanced away and he felt the blow to his heart.

“Noah, you told me there’s just one final surgery. I don’t want another doctor.”

He shook his head. “That’s impossible.”

“Look around you, Noah. Can you sit in this church, the one you’ve urged me to return to, and refuse? Is that what the Lord would want you to do?”

Shaken, he examined her expression and found only sincerity. “Don’t ask me to risk your life again, Grace.”

“And if He asks?”

Noah had no answer. Only the realization that whatever he decided, it could mean the life of the woman he loved.

Chapter Twelve
O nly a few weeks later, Grace could scarcely believe it. Her tutoring had grown, one student at a time, from two to eleven in a relatively short time. And she was continually receiving inquiries to tutor even more children.

Caught up in the demands of her former career, Grace had almost forgotten her love of literature. Before her father had died, she had planned to become an English teacher. But her focus had changed. Teaching had become intertwined with the pain of her past. So Grace had left that decision behind with the rest of her dreams.

Now she wondered. How different would her life have been if she had allowed herself to pursue the course she had initially planned? Even though she was only their tutor, Grace found immense fulfillment in teaching her pupils. Could that sustain itself on a full-time basis?

Hearing a knock on the door, Grace glanced at the clock. She wondered who it could be. Perhaps Robert, hoping to put in another hour’s work. But she didn’t mind. He had proven to be not only bright and quick—he also challenged her. And he nudged her memory, reminding her how it had been to be his age.

She whipped open the door. But her smile faded.

“Hello, Grace.” Patrick stood at the top of the stairway, favoring her with his boyish grin.

Instinctively she took a step back. “Patrick. I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I took a chance that you might be home.”

Reluctantly she gestured to the living room. “Come inside.”

He followed her, looking around at her tiny apartment. Mentally she followed his thought process, seeing him size up her new accommodations that were a far cry from her sleek Houston condo.

“Not what you expected, is it?”

He shrugged. “I doubt there’s much to choose from in a burg this size.”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t judge something you know nothing about.”

“I didn’t come here to fight, Grace. I know things haven’t been right since the accident, but it’s taken me a while to process all the changes.”

“And you’ve worked them out now?” she asked, feeling at once angry and vulnerable.

“Not completely. But I’m trying, which is more than I can say for you.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t seem very happy to see me when I come to visit.”

“This hasn’t been a particularly happy time for me, Patrick.”

He gestured around the apartment. “You act as though you like this place, this town. It’s not you, Grace. None of it. Your career, your friends, everything you could want is back in the city.”

Grace pictured what he described, what she’d given up.

“I can tell you’re thinking about it. I don’t know what hold this town has over you, Grace, but you can shake it, move on.”

She reached up to touch the bandaged portion of her face. “Not quite yet.”

“I’m going to be visiting on a regular basis until we can straighten this out.”

Patrick and Rosewood. The two didn’t seem to belong in the same sentence, Grace thought inanely.

“Why don’t we take a walk?” he suggested. “Maybe you can show me what it is you like so much about this place.”

Reluctantly she agreed and they drove to Main Street. It seemed awkward. Both because she was with Patrick and because of the noticeable bandages on her face.

He was looking at her now as though trying to read her mind. “Penny for your thoughts.”

“They’re not much of a bargain.”

He didn’t try again. Instead he parked in one of the many open spots. They strolled beneath the full, tall trees that lined Main Street. Dusk was descending, but it didn’t discourage the shoppers and strollers.

Early fall in Rosewood dictated baseball and ice cream. Since the game was finished for the day, most of the spectators gravitated toward the ice cream parlor. Built in the 1800s, the quaint old place boasted a marble fountain, tall bar stools and root beer floats big enough to dive into.

“This place is hard to believe,” Patrick commented. “Looks like a movie set from about sixty years ago.”

Grace tried not to take offense at his words. “The pace is slower here.”

“Slower? I think it’s stopped completely.”

She felt defensively protective about the town that had opened itself so warmly to her. “That’s not really fair.”

“It’s picturesque, I suppose. But surely you’re about to go stir-crazy.” Another expression overtook his face. “Unless it suits your recuperation.”

Grace hid the grimace she felt. Why was it that Patrick’s every reference to her injuries grated?

When she didn’t reply, he looked pained. “I don’t know what to say to you anymore. Things seem so different.”

“Things are different. I’m different.”

“But you’ll be back to your old self soon.”

Grace felt the truth pushing at her. “No. I won’t. Not just on the outside, either.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve changed.”

His expression grew thoughtful. “That makes sense. It would be difficult to go through that much pain and not be affected. But you’re still you, Grace.”

She couldn’t really argue with that logic. “I suppose I am.”

“You’ve been thrust into a different set of circumstances that seem appealing because you’ve been recuperating.”

Grace started to shake her head.

“Think about it,” Patrick argued. “Don’t you miss your job, the adrenaline rush of pulling together events the entire city talked about for weeks?”

“You’re not suggesting that I can just step back into my old job?”

“You told me they’re holding your position open.”

She met his gaze. “And you expect me to stand in front of huge groups of people with my scars all aglow?”

He couldn’t disguise his horrified reaction, though he tried. “Maybe you could have an assistant do that part of your job.”

“An assistant that good would be capable of doing the job on her own.”

“Well, something related, then.”

“Patrick, everything about PR means people contact. You know that.”

“Don’t just dismiss it out of hand.”

“Out of hand?” She looked at him with disbelief. “I’ve lived with what’s happened to me on a daily basis. While you were ‘working things out’ I was having surgeries and treatments. It didn’t go away for one minute of one day. So don’t think you can assess the situation in a matter of minutes.”

“I wish I could turn back the clock, make things better for you.”

Struck by one of his few empathetic responses, she felt her anger deflate. “Thanks. But there’s no point in trying to wipe away the past months.”

“You act like you don’t want to forget. Is there something else you’re not telling me?”

Immediately she thought of Noah. “It’s not just one thing. I’m not the same person I was when we planned to get married.”

As they walked together, Patrick didn’t attempt to take her hand. He acted as he had since the accident—as though if he touched her she might break. Bewilderment and irritation had segued into sadness. Was this how all men saw her?

Even as the thought progressed, she had an instant image of Noah as he took her hand and made her feel like a real person.

Grace heard someone call her name.

Cindy and Flynn Mallory, along with their children, had spotted her. Glancing over at Patrick, she saw his surprise.

“Does everyone in town know everyone else?”

She resented the irritation in his voice. “It’s a very social place.” Still, Grace was relieved that Patrick behaved in a charming manner when she introduced the Mallorys.

“We’re headed toward the ice cream parlor,” Cindy was saying.

“I’m having sprinkles,” one of the triplets announced. “Bunches of ’em.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Grace replied, captivated by the children.

“Would you like to join us?” Flynn asked.

“Yes,” Cindy encouraged. “Please do.”

Grace knew Patrick would play along, but she also knew he wouldn’t mix well with the Mallorys. “I think we’ll enjoy walking for a while.”

Cindy picked up on Grace’s mood, smiling graciously. “Enjoy. It’s a beautiful evening.”

Patrick watched the Mallorys as they walked into the ice cream parlor. “Rosewood’s a real family-oriented place, isn’t it?”

“Now that you mention it, I guess it is.”

“You didn’t notice it before?” Patrick asked in surprise.

“Not particularly.” She paused. “Does that bother you—the family thing?”

“No. Just that in the city we socialized with other career couples who understood our goals.”

Goals she hadn’t examined closely in a while. Goals, it occurred to her, that she’d never questioned before.

They continued walking, glancing at the storefronts and the other people who strolled down the quiet street.

“I wonder what it would be like growing up here,” Patrick speculated.

“Comforting,” she replied, realizing the word had slipped out without thought. Then she remembered Noah’s words. “And fulfilling.”

Patrick’s eyebrows drew together. “Fulfilling? I doubt there are a lot of opportunities here.”

“I suppose that depends on your definition of opportunity.” Grace thought of all the people who came together to help each other as well as members of other communities. Her tutoring had been an incredibly satisfying experience.

Patrick looked at her as though she were a stranger. “I thought we agreed on what we believe opportunity is. A chance to grow in our careers, to establish contacts, to build our lives.”

Had that once been so important to her? To build her life solely through her career? “I don’t see things like I once did,” she admitted.

“I’ve read that people who are ill…I mean have a long recovery, well, that they’re not always themselves for a while.”

Her smile was sad. “Who do you think I am, then?”

Patrick looked as though he wished he knew.

Grace took pity on him. “Perhaps you’re right.”

He brightened a fraction. “It’s a big adjustment. I know that.”

For which one of them? Grace wondered. And why did the prospect fail to stir her?

As they strolled farther down the street the conversation dwindled to nearly nothing.

And though she walked beside Patrick, he didn’t occupy her thoughts. Instead her mind filled with a sudden desire to see Noah. Logically she couldn’t reconcile the two, but her heart wasn’t listening.

Chapter Thirteen
N oah was pleased by the attendance at the festival fund-raiser. It wasn’t a surprise. The townspeople always supported the events that funded their hospital.

As he walked toward the refreshment booths, Noah told himself it was to check on all of them. But he headed straight for the lemonade stand Grace was supervising.

He had called and given her an out in case she didn’t want to participate. But Grace had insisted. She hadn’t wanted to be involved in taking the drink orders or ringing up sales—that was still too public.

Although Ruth was with her, Noah was concerned about how Grace was handling the festival. It was by far the largest public event she had attended. Person by person she had eased into the community. But this was a giant step.

Noah found her at the back of the booth, mixing a batch of lemonade. Ruth was at the opposite end of the same table. She’d had the foresight to bring a juicer to speed up the process.

“Hello, ladies.”

Grace glanced up, the unbandaged side of her face flushed. “The lemonade’s selling well.”

“I’m not surprised. It tastes great.”

She smiled, her bottom lip trembling a fraction. “How about a complimentary glass?”

Searching her eyes, Noah felt a fist of emotion hit his gut. This was real. She was that singular woman he had searched for all his life. He cleared his throat. “Sure.”

Grace poured lemonade into a paper cup. “We’re using crushed ice. That’s part of my secret.”

He lifted the cup to his lips, realizing he could be swallowing kerosene for all the attention he paid to the drink.

“What do you think?”

“Wonderful,” he murmured, swamped by his feelings for her. Then he settled his voice into a more normal tone. “Really wonderful.”

Her smile spilled sunshine across his soul. “I’m glad.”

As Grace held his gaze he saw questions flicker in her expression. She gestured vaguely toward the batch of lemonade. “I should be—”

“Sure. And I have things to check on.”

Her eyes didn’t leave his. “Of course.”

Noah made his way out of the booth, conscious of Grace’s gaze still fastened on him. It wasn’t until he’d walked to the other side of the festival that he realized they hadn’t discussed anything medical…or personal.

And that maybe, just maybe, he had a chance.



Inside the lemonade booth Ruth studied Grace’s face. “Have you told Noah about Patrick?”

Grace slowly shook her head. “I never considered it an issue. You know, it’s funny. Immediately after the accident all I dreamed of was having Patrick come after me, realizing he couldn’t live without me. I wanted him to be my knight on a white horse, charging in to claim me, to proclaim his undying love regardless of what had happened.”

“And now?”

“Now I realize that he never was the knight-on-a-white-horse type. I expected qualities he didn’t possess.”

Concern hovered in Ruth’s eyes. “What about Noah?”

“I’m sure he can have his pick of whole women.”

Gently Ruth tipped up Grace’s chin. “Regardless of how your injuries heal, you are a whole woman. A woman any man would be proud to call his own.”

Tears trembled in Grace’s eyes. “I wish that were so.” She bit her lips to stop their quivering. “Oh, how I wish that were so.”

Chapter Fourteen
T he church was quiet. Midweek, early in the day, few people came to the sanctuary. Noah knew that he could have chosen somewhere else to conduct Grace’s therapy. But he continued to hope that her contact with the church would bring her closer to reconciling her faith.

“Have you thought any more about attending church?” he asked.

“Have you reconsidered your decision to remain as my surgeon?” she countered.

For the next few moments the only sounds between them were the random notes of the organ as Grace picked through an unfamiliar song.

She reached for a higher note on the organ than usual. “I can stretch my fingers farther than the last time without any pain. I’ve been able to for days.”

Surprised, he stared at her. “Why didn’t you share that with me?”

She kept her head averted. “It’s not always easy to tell something, even when you want to.”

Noah felt a familiar fist to his stomach. “Such as?”

Finally, reluctantly, she lifted her head. “I haven’t told you about Patrick…my fiancé. Well, he was my fiancé. I’m not sure exactly what to call him now.”

“No, you haven’t told me about him.”

She swallowed visibly. “When I first had the accident, Patrick came to the hospital. But he was shaken, unsure of himself, of what had happened. He said that he wanted to stand by me, but the look on his face…He was horrified. I could see that he couldn’t deal with my accident.”

“And then?”

“It was as though he didn’t know how to deal with me once I was disfigured—like I wasn’t the same person.”

Noah silently called the man a fool, but aloud he forced himself to remain neutral. “And now?”

Grace went very still. “He keeps coming to Rosewood.”

Noah felt the crush of conflicting emotions. “To pick up your relationship?”

“So he says. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier about him.”

“It wasn’t essential to your recovery.”

She cast her face downward, seeming to stare at the keys of the organ. “No. I don’t suppose it was.”

“I imagine you and he share a lot of common interests, living in the same city.”

“I suppose so,” she murmured. “Patrick wouldn’t fit into a small town.”

Noah hid his flinch. No doubt Patrick would find them all backward and hokey. “Not everyone does.”

Grace lifted her face, her eyes searching his. “No. I guess not.”

He wanted to tell her that she fit, though. That everything about her was right for Rosewood and for him. But in light of her revelation about Patrick, he knew it wasn’t the honorable thing to do.

Instead he gently touched her hand, positioning her fingers over the organ keys. On the outside he remained professional. But inside he could feel the quaking of his heart, the splinter of its breaking.

The quiet sanctuary seemed to welcome the mellow notes of the organ as Grace picked them out with more and more certainty.

And Noah tried not to dwell on how forlorn the lonesome sounds would be without her.

Chapter Fifteen
G race hadn’t ventured to Noah’s house on her own before. Aside from the barbecue, she had been there only to sit in on a few band practices.

But she felt compelled to come here, to speak with Noah. She needed answers to the questions Patrick continued posing. Grace hesitated as she approached the house. The side gate to his backyard was ajar. On instinct, she stepped through.

She could see Noah beneath the tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the lawn. Smoke curled lazily from the massive brick barbecue pit. But the table wasn’t set up for entertaining.

Still Grace was hesitant as she approached, not wanting to intrude on anything he had planned.

Before she could speak, he turned, as though sensing her presence. He looked surprised, but not displeased.

“I took a chance you might be home,” she began, feeling suddenly nervous. “Your office said you were off today. Am I interrupting anything?”

He shook his head. “I was about to put a burger on the grill for lunch. Should I make it two?”

“Okay. Can I help do anything?”

“Eat,” he replied.

She relaxed a fraction. “Do you always fire up the barbecue pit for just yourself?”

“Depends. Sometimes I think the great smell beckons company.”

“Cross my heart, I headed over here before I smelled the mesquite.”

His gaze met hers. “Either way, you’re welcome.”

Her throat dried and she found it difficult to swallow. All the words she had rehearsed fled. “You have a way about you, Noah Brady.”

His eyes darkened. “A good way?”

A very good way. But she could only nod.

Their gazes connected. Noah finally broke the moment. “Would you like some iced tea?”

She welcomed anything that would relieve her emotion-parched throat. “Please.”

It didn’t take Noah long to fetch the tea. Standing beside him, she sipped the sweetened brew. As she did, Grace listened to the bright chirping of the birds, the quiet sounds of the occasional car that drove down the street.

Noah stirred the fire. “It should be ready soon.” Then he turned toward her. “I have the feeling that you’ve got something on your mind.”

She fiddled with her glass for a moment. “Noah, can you tell me why you’re so content in Rosewood?”

He didn’t answer immediately. And his voice was slow when he did reply. “Well, you know about my mother and family, my debt to the community.”

She leaned forward. “That’s why you’re here. I suspect you’ve repaid that debt a dozen times over. Yet you stay. What is the source of your happiness?”

He met her gaze steadily. “The true source of all my happiness is the Lord. He makes everything else possible. Friends, my work with the youth in our church, the caring attitude of the community.”

She was silent, considering his response.

“Grace, I know you don’t like to talk about it, but can you tell me why you’ve drifted away from your faith?”

She wanted to close up as she always did, but this was the man who had shared the worst of her fears. Her voice stumbled as she began. “I was eight years old when my mother died from cancer. I questioned why God let her die. My father told me that it was His will, that we didn’t always understand it, but we had to accept what happened. When I didn’t want to accept it, my father promised that I would never be alone. He said that I could get through my mother’s death and any other bad thing because he would always be there for me, to help me understand God’s will.” Grace paused, remembering the pain—old, but still sharp. “When I was eighteen my father was killed in a small plane crash.”

Noah stepped closer. “I’m sorry, Grace.”

Ridiculously, she felt the sting of tears over what had happened so long ago. “I know it sounds childish, but I clung to that promise, and when my father died it shattered my world. I couldn’t understand why God had let that happen.”

As her tears increased, Noah put his arm around her shoulders, bracing her up.

Grace released words she had kept locked up for years. “And even worse, it was as though God had betrayed my father, as well. I couldn’t understand why He made my father break his promise.”

“Oh, Grace.” Noah pulled her close, letting her cry against his shoulder. He didn’t offer platitudes or false comfort.

The hot rush of tears dampened his shirt, yet he held her. And she didn’t sense any judgment from him. Finally she pulled back, needing to know. “Do you think less of me?”

“For suffering terrible losses and losing your way?”

She ducked her head, then slowly lifted her face to look at him. “The accident was the final straw. It seemed that neither God nor Patrick wanted to stand by me.”

He flinched, and instantly she regretted her mention of Patrick.

Yet Noah ran his hand gently over her disheveled hair. “You’re weighted by burdens greater than we can bear alone.”

“I just don’t know,” she murmured, wanting to have the trust he did, but burned by her past.

His pager beeped and Noah sighed. “It’s like a fifth appendage.” He scanned the digital readout, his face tightening.

“What is it, Noah?”

“A train wreck. It’s bad. Lots of injuries. I’ve got to get there right away. I’m the emergency medical coordinator.”

“Let me come with you,” she offered impulsively.

He frowned. “Bystanders get in the way.”

“If I can’t help, I’ll leave,” she promised. Grace flexed her bad hand, demonstrating its improved state. “And I can do something.”

“All right. But you can’t allow ash or any other foreign matter to get past your bandages—you’d be risking infection. Understand?”

She nodded, following as he jogged to his car. Once inside, she glanced back at the house. “Oh! What about the fire in the barbecue?”

Noah was already backing up. “The advantage of an old brick pit. It’s completely contained. This isn’t my first emergency when I had it going. The fire will burn itself out.”

Speeding down the quiet residential street, Grace felt a sudden qualm of fear, envisioning a derailed train scattered over the surrounding homes. “Could anyone in town have been hurt by the wreck?”

“Not likely.”

The possible effects of the tragedy kept them silent as Noah raced through the town. A few blocks from the site, a burning stench filled the air. Glancing over at Noah, Grace saw his face tighten even more.

The train was derailed. But the actuality was far worse than what Grace had imagined. It wasn’t only the smoldering heaps of twisted metal. Shattered glass covered the ground. And personal belongings were strung out like a macabre yard sale.

Wounded and dazed passengers struggled to stand. Others wandered aimlessly, ineffectually trying to stanch flowing wounds.

Horrified, Grace followed Noah as he grabbed his medical bag and jumped from the car, running toward the fire chief. Immediately Noah drafted two paramedics. “We have to set up a triage,” Noah told them. “On this side of the big oak.” He glanced up at the fire chief. “Is help on the way?”

“I’ve contacted all the surrounding towns, but no one can get here for hours.” He didn’t have to say that distance was the problem.

Noah snapped open his cell phone, punching in numbers. “I’m going to call for help in Houston and send our helicopter.”

Relief flashed over the chief’s face. “Good thinking. This is bigger than anything we’ve ever handled.”

“Call the school and city hall. Have them make announcements and ask for volunteers,” Noah told him. “I’ll phone the hospital, ask them to call in all off-duty staff.”

As the chief nodded, Noah spoke into his cell phone, getting arrangements for the helicopter going.

Grace was filled with admiration for his competence and leadership. Looking around, she desperately wanted to help and not be in the way.

Noah closed his cell phone.

She spoke quickly. “Noah, would it help if I guided the walking wounded to a safe place?”

He rapidly scanned the area. “Over by the tree next to the big oak. It’s close enough to where we’re going to set up triage without getting in the way. Have them sit and keep still.”

Then he was gone, searching for the most seriously wounded.

Grace walked quickly toward the train. Suddenly a flashback of her own accident hit with such intensity that she felt her knees buckle. Calling on her strength, Grace straightened, determined not to give in to the weakness.

Seeing a woman wandering toward her, Grace quickened her stride and gently took her arm. “Ma’am?”

Dazed, the woman remained unfocused.

“Let’s get you to a safe spot.” Grace spoke softly, sensing the woman’s shock. Glancing up, she saw townspeople running toward the railroad tracks. Many carried first aid kits. Others brought pillows and blankets.

Michael and Katherine Carlson arrived. As Grace helped the woman, she saw the duo check with Noah, then begin organizing the volunteers.

An ambulance screeched to a stop, the attendants jumping out. They headed toward Noah. It seemed everyone knew that he was in charge.

Grace settled the woman and went to fetch another person.

As she did, Cindy rushed up to her. “Katherine sent me over here to help you. They’re not sure how many people may be ambulatory.”

“Are you here alone?” Grace asked, not seeing Flynn.

“Since we have a plane, Noah called Flynn and asked him to organize the other small planes at the airport to fly to nearby towns and collect help. Houston’s sending help, but this is massive.”

Grace looked out over the wreckage. “It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen. There seem to be far more patients than doctors and nurses.”

Cindy nodded grimly. “Thank the Lord for Noah.” Then she left to help an elderly man wandering nearby.

By the time Grace returned to help another possible patient, there were as many townspeople as passengers in the scattered wreckage.

A nurse had been assigned to oversee the passengers brought to the safe spot beneath the tree, separating out those who needed to be sent to triage.

Between Noah and the volunteers he put in charge, the damaged landscape soon began resembling a M*A*S*H unit. Still the cries of the wounded, along with those of frightened babies and children, mingled with the shouts of volunteers and firemen.

The most seriously injured began to be transported to the hospital via ambulance as well as by volunteers with vans and SUVs.

Why had this happened in Rosewood? she wondered. It was too small to handle something so massive, so horrific.

Just then Grace spotted her aunt. She was organizing a pillow-and-blanket brigade.

Suddenly an explosion rocked the ground, pitching Grace off her feet. Stunned, she lifted her head and saw that one of the engines had blown. New shards of glass and metal spewed out, a free fall of blowing shrapnel.

Immediately she looked for Ruth, her heart in her throat. She couldn’t bear to lose this one last member of her family. Surely God wouldn’t be that cruel. Not seeing Ruth, Grace felt a sob crowd her chest. Weakness started to overtake her. Then she spotted Ruth being helped up by a young man.

Scrambling to her feet, Grace looked up to see Cindy’s concerned face.

“Are you all right?” Cindy asked, holding out a steadying hand.

“Yes. You?”

“It scared me to death.” Cindy squeezed her hand in encouragement.

Grace left her and ran across the sandy width of the railroad embankment. Reaching Ruth, she hugged her, silently uttering thanks for her aunt’s safety.

Pulling back finally, Ruth tried to scold, but her voice betrayed her concern. “Child, what are you doing in the middle of this mess?”

“Same thing you are.”

Ruth’s eyes ran over Grace, making sure she was okay. “I guess you come by it naturally. Be safe, though.”

Grace hugged her again. “You, too.” Then she ran toward someone who was stumbling from the nearest train car.

She helped that man and the next. Person after person until she wondered how there could be so many of them.

Hours must have passed, she realized later. Because ambulances and paramedics from the closest towns had arrived.

And a second plan was already taking shape. Members of the community volunteered to open their homes to the uninjured. Grateful passengers left with their new sponsors.

As the sun began setting, Grace met up again with Ruth.

Looking fatigued, Ruth patted Grace’s arm. “Grace, I want to do something, but I’m worried about you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, dear.” Ruth hesitated. “I’d like to offer our home to some of the passengers.”

“Of course,” Grace agreed instantly. “But why are you concerned about me?”

“Well…the accident, the reminders.”

“Bad things are always going to happen.” Grace swallowed. “I know that. But I can’t hide from life forever. It’s funny, you know. Since we arrived at the train wreck, I haven’t thought once about my bandages, about what people would think.”

Ruth took her hand. “I wish you knew how very special you are, child.”

Grace smiled. “If so, I came by it naturally.”

Ruth smiled at the echo of her own words. “Then shall we bring home our guests?”

“I suppose you have someone already picked out for us to take home.”

“You’ll like them,” Ruth assured her.

Grace spared one more glance in Noah’s direction, knowing he must be tired, also knowing he wouldn’t stop until the job was done. In that instant Grace realized she’d never known a man like him. A man of noble purpose living a life dictated by honor and faith. A man determined to keep her at arm’s length.

Chapter Sixteen
I t took a while for Rosewood to settle back to normality. The uninjured train passengers had returned home and only a few remained at the hospital. Which meant Noah had time to seek some solace.

Normally he could find that at his own home or at the family house. But discontent traveled with him. So he had come to the church for the peace he needed.

Once inside, he passed by the pews, going instead to the organ. As he played the last song he’d practiced with Grace, he pictured her hands stretching for the notes. She had persevered beyond the pain, determined to make the hand work normally again. He could envision her earnest expression, the determination in her eyes.

Caught up in his thoughts, Noah was startled to feel a gentle touch on his shoulder. Abrupt silence replaced the music as he whirled around.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Noah.” Grace looked at him with those entrancing eyes. “Please continue playing.”

Unable to pull his gaze from her face, he gestured to the bench. “No, this is your song.”

“Oh.” Hesitantly she sat beside him, flexed her fingers and began to play.

Her hair smelled of vanilla, he decided. A scent so delicate he might have imagined it.

Grace finished the song, and the final notes trailed off in the surrounding silence.

“How did you know I was here this time?”

She smiled, a tremulous lifting of her lips. “You weren’t at home, so I drove on. Your car’s parked out front.”

The distinctive Porsche. “Hard to miss.”

“Yes.” She fiddled with a slender bracelet on her wrist.

He hadn’t seen that piece of jewelry before. Stiffening, he wondered if it was a gift from Patrick. “Is that new?”

Grace glanced down as though surprised to discover the unconscious gesture, and stilled her fingers. “No. Very old. My father gave it to me.”

Instantly he remembered the pain she associated with his passing. “It must be very special.”

She nodded, then lifted her head, seeking his gaze. “Noah, I need to talk to you.”

His gut tightened. Was she about to tell him that she’d decided to marry Patrick? “What is it?”

“I’ve come to ask you to reconsider your decision to not perform the final surgery.”

He wondered how relief could blend so completely with angst. “Grace—”

“Don’t answer just yet. I know this is a difficult decision. But I need you.”

“I can’t understand why you won’t go to the doctor I’ve recommended. He’s the best—”

“He’s not you,” she replied with quiet conviction. “And I’m guessing you’ve followed my progress since the last surgery.”

Since Grace refused to see the other doctor, Noah had had an associate monitor her case as she’d come in for regular bandage changes. “I’ve already made my decision.”

“I’ve made one of my own, Noah. If you won’t perform my final surgery, I won’t have it done.”

“That’s ludicrous! You’re so close. Why would you risk the final outcome?”

Grace met his gaze. “I’ve had a lot of trouble with trust since the accident. And I trust you. Not a strange doctor in Houston. You.”

He wondered at the undercurrent of her words. “I’ve explained before why this is impossible.”

“Only if you make it so.”

“You’re not listening, Grace.”

Her eyes pleaded with him. “You’re wrong. I’ve listened to your reasons for not performing the surgery. I’ve also listened to what you’ve said about the Lord. And now I’m wondering…have you listened to Him, as well?”

Noah thought of the chaos his thoughts and feelings had been in. Maybe Grace was right. “I don’t know.”

“Noah, it has to be you.”

He met her gaze, feeling lost in her eyes, finally speaking reluctantly. “I’ll think about it.”

“Oh, Noah—”

“I said think about it. And pray.”

She placed a hand over his. “That’s all I can ask.”

No, she could ask for his heart and it would be hers.

Grace stood. “I’ll leave you alone, then.”

Noah watched as she left. It was a decision he couldn’t put off. And one that Grace was right about. It was time to take it to a higher power.



Noah stared at Grace’s still body. Still but healthy. There had been no surgical complications this time, no clots that threatened her life.

Choosing to perform her surgery had been one of the most difficult decisions of his life. But after prayer and reflection he knew it was the right one.

She stirred.

Noah stroked her arm. “It’s all right, Grace. You’re going to be fine this time. I’m watching out for you. No matter what you decide, no matter who you choose, I’ll be there for you. Always.”

It wouldn’t be long until she awoke. And based on her current progress she would be transferred to a room shortly afterward.

Noah added another blanket, knowing she would be chilled. He also knew he should move on, attend to other things, but it was difficult to leave her.

The recovery room was cold. Grace shivered beneath layers of blankets. The room echoed with the sound of beeping machines and the faraway buzz of voices.

She’d had an accident, Grace realized. A terrible accident. In a train. Or a car.

But that was an opportunity.

Opportunity? The word floated in and out of her consciousness.

A deep male voice spoke her name and soothed her. It was a voice she knew. Her knight, she recognized. Noah, not Patrick. He would spirit her away and make everything all right.

Because it was his opportunity.

No, hers.

The machines beeped more loudly. Her aunt Ruth must be worried, she thought, the fog of anesthesia still clouding her mind.

But she shouldn’t worry.

Because it was an opportunity. Noah had said so.



That evening Grace’s hospital room was quiet, the door closed against the intrusive noise of the corridor. And in the solitary confines of her room Grace had been thinking. She remembered the word that had been on her lips from the moment she awoke.

Opportunity.

And she didn’t think it was the vague wanderings of her medicated state. In the time since Noah had told her that his service was an opportunity, the concept had been nagging her.

And now she knew. The car accident wasn’t God’s punishment. It was His blessing. Tears slipped down her face, wetting her bandage, salting her lips.

If not for the accident, she would never have come to know the joy of living in a caring community of friends. Or the simple joy of a day, unrushed by a pace spiraling out of control. Nor would she have rediscovered her dream of teaching.

And she would never have met Noah.

Grace stared out into the darkness beyond the window. He had changed her life in ways she was just now beginning to understand.

Hearing the door open, she withheld a sigh. She knew they had to come in often. But sometimes she felt like a Sunday roast, being prodded, her temperature checked, everything short of being basted. Silly thought, she realized. Much like the first one she’d had about Noah.

“Grace?” Noah spoke softly.

“The blackberry doctor,” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

In the low light she could see the gleam of his teeth as he grinned. “I’d been advised your anesthesia had worn off. I’ll have to recheck your chart.”

“I didn’t think I’d see you tonight.”

He glanced about the empty room. “I can’t let my favorite patient fend for herself.”

Her voice was soft. “Is that what I am? Your favorite patient?”

Noah studied her face. “You’re a strong, courageous woman who I admire tremendously.”

Without warning, her lips trembled.

He stepped closer, his face drawing into a frown. “What is this? Tears?”

“No…” She began to protest.

But he had already perched on the side of the bed, reaching out to gently wipe away her tears. His touch was a balm to more than her physical wounds.

And he didn’t speak for a long while, allowing her to recover her calm.

When she had, he met her eyes. “Would you like me to sit with you for a while?”

Suddenly that seemed like the best thing she could imagine. “It’s late,” she protested weakly. “I imagine you’re tired.”

“No,” he corrected her. “Not just late, very late.”

The stars seemed to pop out, one at a time, while she listened to Noah as he told her warm, comforting tales. She wasn’t sure if it was the medication or her newest revelations, but never had she felt so secure.

And for just this time she could believe it was forever. That, somehow, Noah might come to love her as she loved him.



Grace’s postsurgery hospital stay was without incident. However, even once she was home, the time seemed to pass in an excruciatingly slow manner. She still avoided mirrors, yet she was conscious of her appearance nearly every moment.

Because this was it.

In a matter of days she would know her fate.

She couldn’t help picturing Noah’s expression when her bandages came off for the final time. Would his eyes fill with understanding and sad kindness? Then her stomach would lurch as she envisioned pity.

And her mind filled with her rediscovered faith. All along she had believed she was battling outside forces—the accident, fate—but she knew now that wasn’t true.

She had been battling inner demons.

Ones that had been with her since she lost her faith. In some ways she wanted to share her discovery with Noah. However, it was still too new, too fragile.

Grace also knew she could pick from a dozen other people—Ruth, Cindy, Katherine and more—to discuss her faith. But she needed more time to reflect, to hold the revelation close before she shared her feelings.

Patrick called from Houston, and Grace realized she was already treating him like a friend. Without knowing it, she had distanced herself emotionally from him long ago. Since the last surgery she had searched deep in her heart. It truly wasn’t a grudge and it was no longer a matter of his betrayal.

Grace wanted a deep and abiding love. One that would remain strong as they grew old together, one that could withstand anything, no matter how bad it was.

She wanted Noah.

The phone rang. When she heard his voice, her hands began to shake even though she knew he couldn’t truly read her thoughts.

Noah was calling on his cell phone. He was in his car, only a few blocks away. Grace agreed to his stopping by shortly for her therapy. Replacing the receiver, she stared at her hand, the scars still red. Angry, her mother used to call scars. Red and angry.

It wasn’t often she could remember her mother’s words. She had died so very long ago. And it occurred to Grace that she never associated memories of her mother with anything other than pain. That really wasn’t fair to the wonderful woman her mother had been.

Her smile had been wide and quick. She had laughed a lot, Grace realized. Warm, caring, her arms always ready for a hug. The pain had come only once she was gone. But that shouldn’t have been her legacy.

Hearing a car in the driveway, Grace knew it was Noah’s Porsche. The distinctive engine couldn’t be mistaken.

Her heart quickened as it never had for any other man. And she rushed to the door, opening it just as he reached the top of her stairs.

“That’s getting to be a habit,” he greeted her.

Embarrassed, she stepped back. “My mind’s so full, I think it’s spilling over.”

He didn’t seem to find that particularly strange. “Filled with what?”

“I was just thinking about my mother, actually.” She took one of the chairs and he followed.

“And?” he prompted.

“Just that in the past, whenever I’ve thought of her, all I felt was hurt and loss.” She paused. “And today, just now, I was thinking about her smile. It was wonderful.”

Noah’s eyes met hers. “I can almost see it.”

“And her laugh,” Grace continued, caught in his gaze. “It was magical.”

“Yes,” he agreed.

She pulled her glance away, trying not to reveal her feelings. “And until today I never thought it odd that I only remembered the bad.”

“And now you do?”

Grace remembered. “My mother was so special. Why do you suppose I didn’t think about that instead?”

His gaze was thoughtful. “It’s my feeling that faith helps us deal with the loss of loved ones. It’s difficult to think about them if you don’t believe you’ll eventually be reunited…if you’re not certain they’re in a better place.”

“I just always thought of her as gone,” Grace said, realizing this suddenly. “Forever.”

“You asked me once how I could believe,” he said quietly. “I don’t understand how someone can’t. It must be a very difficult life.”

She swallowed. “I’m beginning to think you might be right.”

Hope flashed in his expression. “Grace?”

“I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about it.”

He searched her face, his own filled with understanding. “That’s okay. It’s enough that it’s in your thoughts.”

Ridiculously, she felt tears threaten. How did he always know the right way to respond to her? And how would she ever replace him in her life?

But he didn’t let her wallow in her emotions. “Have you kept up your stretching exercises this week?”

She managed a wobbly smile. “Yes. I didn’t want to get in trouble with my doctor.”

“Pretty tough, is he?”

“Murder,” she replied, grateful for his light tone.

“Then we’d better start working.” He took her hand, holding it a bit longer than necessary before starting the exercises.

She felt her pulse increase, and her throat was dry. Unable to speak, she followed the slow movements of his hand over hers. She wasn’t sure whether she was relieved or disappointed when they moved to the piano.

Surprisingly, Noah began playing. It was a song she had never heard, but she liked the gentle, evocative tune.

When the last notes faded away she glanced up at him. “I like it, but I haven’t heard it before.”

“I’d be surprised if you had. It’s one of mine.”

“I didn’t know you composed music!”

“Time restraints don’t allow for it much anymore.”

“Did you write this one a long time ago?”

His expression grew more thoughtful. “No. I was inspired to write it recently.”

With a sickening thud she wondered if he had written it for a special woman in his life.

Noah didn’t speak for several moments, either. And when he did, he surprised her. “Would you like to play something?”

Usually he made her go through scales and other stretching techniques, waiting until the end of the session for the free play. But she didn’t protest. Instead she chose a piece that had been her father’s favorite. It always comforted her.

When she finished, Noah was quiet again.

“Is something on your mind?” she asked softly.

“Just restless tonight.” He turned toward her. “Would you like to play hooky?”

Grace took heart. “Doing what?”

“Taking a drive…maybe a walk by the lake.”

He had combined two of her desires. To be away from anything to do with her injuries…and to be with him. “I’d like that.”

They drove through the uncrowded streets. Children played on well-tended lawns and older people sat on their porches, watching the day end.

“Everything seems back to normal,” she marveled, calmed as always by the peaceful town. “It’s as though the train wreck never happened.”

“Quiet, nothing happening.”

“I meant that in a good way,” she protested.

He glanced over at her. “You won’t get an argument from me.”

They approached the vintage downtown center, and Grace remembered Patrick’s unwelcome comment. “Someone told me he thought Main Street looked as though it had been plucked from an old movie set.”

“I guess it does.” Noah turned in the direction of the lake. “Never thought about it before. It’s just the way Rosewood is.”

The road curved, the incline increasing, then dipping as they passed through the gently rolling hills. Huge fields of long grass carpeted the knolls and tall trees congregated over the last of the summer wildflowers.

Feeling as though she’d had her eyes opened for the first time in many years, Grace saw there was beauty all around her. As she watched, a deer darted from the scrub oak, then loped up the hill.

“Look!”

His gaze followed hers. “White-tailed deer. They’re all over these hills.”

“I had no idea.”

Noah turned on to the road leading to the lake. “All kinds of wildlife out here.”

“The closest I used to get to wildlife was the poodle in the condo next to mine,” she admitted.

“I didn’t know a poodle was considered a wild animal.”

“You don’t know Bootsie,” she replied. “That dog went nuts over everything and nothing.”

He smiled suddenly.

Seeing the grin, she smiled herself.

Then they were on the last turnoff that led to the lake. It took only a few minutes to reach the shore. Climbing out of the car, they started walking by mutual, silent accord.

They left the gravel road and climbed toward the sandy banks. Tall stalks of reedy grass fluttered in the mild breeze. A pair of mallards chattered at each other.

“They sound like they’re arguing,” Grace said as she watched them.

“It’s the last of the season for them. They’ll be flying farther south soon.”

That took her aback. “The months have passed more quickly than I thought.”

He remained quiet for a bit as they strolled farther along. Then he looked at her. “The next few days will pass just as quickly.”

Swallowing, Grace tried to read the subtext of his words. And again she wondered how he would react to her final appearance. “Actually, the days are crawling.”

“Not like in Houston with a busy pace and a rewarding career to fill the days.”

Days that would never be repeated. But Noah wouldn’t want to hear that. It sounded too pitiful. And pity was the one thing she didn’t want from him.

The sun had begun its slow descent. The golden rays gave way to pink-and purple-tinged fingers in the sky.

Noah glanced over at her. “You’re quiet.”

She pushed away her thoughts. “Just rediscovering how beautiful everything is.”

He looked surprised. “It’s the same as it was the last time we were here.”

But then she hadn’t considered the gifts of life. “I didn’t really see it before.”

Noah searched her face, but didn’t question her. Instead they continued walking, accompanied only by the sounds of the last birds of the day singing their final songs.

And the silent echo of Grace’s longing for the man who had gone from rescuer to mentor…to thief of her heart.

Chapter Seventeen
P atrick glanced around the room. “I didn’t think the restaurant would be this crowded.”

“I’ve been out in public since the accident,” Grace reminded him. “It doesn’t bother me as much now.”

“Hmm.” Patrick didn’t meet her gaze, instead studying his menu.

It hit her a beat later. Patrick was embarrassed.

She closed her own menu. “We don’t have to stay.”

“Of course we do. You said we needed to talk. And I’m ready to listen.” He met her gaze and had the grace to look ashamed. “Sorry, Grace. I’m just not accustomed to this yet. It will take some time.”

She didn’t reply.

“Think there’s anything on the menu that won’t clog our arteries?”

“I’m sure they’ll have something,” Grace murmured, wishing Patrick didn’t have to pick the place to pieces.

“Don’t you miss decent restaurants?”

“Not particularly. Rosewood has a lot to offer in so many other ways.”

He groaned. “I’ll have to take your word for that. I can run an extra two miles tomorrow to work off this dinner.”

She wished her troubles could be solved so easily.

“Is something wrong?” Patrick asked when she remained silent.

“Not wrong exactly.” She met his gaze. “My last surgery was probably the final one.”

It was difficult to read the stream of emotions that crossed his face. But his voice was cautious. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Yes. But this is pretty much it. I’ll know the results, good or bad.”

“I know I blew it before, Grace. But I won’t this time.”

She looked deeply into Patrick’s eyes. He was doing his best to be sincere, she realized. It wasn’t his fault that she no longer fit into his well-ordered life.

Although she’d once thought she loved Patrick enough to accept his proposal, her original feelings for him paled against those she had for Noah.

She loved the person Noah was. A man who gave up riches to devote his incredible talent to his small town. One who volunteered for the church, helped children and teenagers, and whose heart was true.

A man who possessed the courage, strength and nobility that she now knew was paramount to her happiness.

“Grace?”

“This may be hard to believe, but I don’t have any hard feelings about what happened before.”

He pushed aside the dinner plate and leaned forward. “Good. This time—”

“Patrick. Please don’t.”

His face went still. “What do you mean?”

“I want you to believe that I truly don’t hold a grudge. But I can’t plan a future with you. I’ve changed.”

“I told you I could deal with it,” he protested.

She bit her bottom lip. “That’s not the change I mean.” Gathering her courage, she lifted her gaze. “I don’t love you, Patrick.”

He looked stunned. “This is just a reaction to your final surgery.”

Grace shook her head. “No. Regardless of how the surgery comes out, I’m sure.”

“This is because of the way I acted immediately after the accident, isn’t it?”

She searched for the truth. “Partially, but I really have changed.”

He still looked stunned. “I can’t believe that I’m not going to be part of your life.”

Grace glanced down, fiddling with her fork. “Please don’t make this more difficult.”

He stilled the nervous gesturing of her fingers. “Okay, how about a truce for the evening? I promise to be on my best behavior.”

“Okay.” She hadn’t really wanted to accept his invitation, but he had been insistent. “I haven’t asked. How have you managed to take so much time off from work? You’ve been popping up here to Rosewood on a regular basis.”

“I shifted some of my accounts to Stevenson for the interim. He thinks they’re his for the long run, but—”

“He thinks wrong,” she finished for him, with a smile for remembered times. “He doesn’t have your talent or your tenacity. They’re still your accounts.”

“Tenacity. My best quality, you once said.”

Grace looked at him, sad for what they had once had. “You have many great qualities, Patrick. That’s not why my feelings changed. It’s about me, about how different I am now.”

“Quite a truce, isn’t it?” he said wryly.

“I do think it’s one time your tenacity isn’t going to work.”

“You’re so sure?”

“Absolutely. Patrick, I think it’s time for you to go home.”

“But your bandages come off in a few days.”

She sighed. “I know. But either way, I’m not resuming the life I once had. And, generous as your offer has been, I don’t need your shoulder. I’ve come to peace with my accident…and the near certainty that I’ll be disfigured.”

“But—”

Grace took his hand. “I’ve found something else here in Rosewood, Patrick. My faith. And that’s going to enable me to deal with whatever happens.”

“You shouldn’t be on your own.”

“Don’t you see? Even if I didn’t have Ruth and all the wonderful, caring friends I’ve made here, I’ve got the Lord to lean on.”

“Grace—”

“Please. Do it for me, Patrick. I would feel better knowing you’re home, doing what you love, doing what you’re so great at.”

“You’re a very special woman, Grace.” Belated regret simmered in his eyes.

She leaned over, kissing his cheek. “Goodbye, Patrick.”

As Patrick clasped her hand for the last time, another man watching from the entrance turned abruptly and left the restaurant as quickly as he had entered.

Once outside, Noah sucked in deep breaths of the fresh night air. And called himself a fool.



The following days crawled for Grace.

On the day before her bandages were to come off, she had scheduled only two tutoring sessions in case she had any last-minute errands or qualms. Now Grace wished she had filled the day with lessons.

Ruth had questioned if she would be all right with a little company for dinner. Grace welcomed any distraction.

She had hoped that Noah would call. But the phone was remarkably still. Of course she would be seeing him the next day. Still, she had thought he might offer some words of encouragement.

Glancing at the clock, she realized enough time had passed that she could go over to Ruth’s to help with dinner.

A wheelbarrow and garbage can blocked the path to the back door. Guessing that her aunt must have some project going, she headed for the front door instead.

She heard a flurry of voices and realized the guests had already arrived. An apology for her tardiness on her lips, Grace rounded the corner into the living room.

A circle of women stopped talking and broke into applause.

Stunned, Grace stared at them.

Ruth and Cindy walked out of the group, each taking one of her arms.

“What is this about?” Grace asked, still baffled.

“We’re here to applaud your courage,” Cindy explained.

“And tell you how much we love you,” Ruth added, her eyes glistening with a sheen of tears.

Katherine approached. “You’ve been a wonderful example for all of us, demonstrating grace, courage and strength. And we want you to know that our hearts will be with you tomorrow.”

Grace felt the tears slip from her eyes as she looked at these women who had become so dear to her. “I never cry,” she finally managed.

Everyone laughed, surrounding her, offering hugs and hankies. These were the women Grace had joined to make memory books for a town that had been flooded, losing all their sentimental treasures. She had been part of their efforts to help the victims of the train wreck, gathering clothing, providing a warm, welcoming home. These and other projects had woven Grace into their community. And tonight she knew that wasn’t a temporary thing, that she was truly part of the town.

“This is so amazing,” she told Ruth after a few minutes. “Thank you.”

“You’ve always touched my life, child. Now you’ve touched theirs, as well. I’m so proud of you.”

Grace swallowed the threat of more tears. “I’m going to be completely waterlogged soon.”

Ruth hugged her. “I’ll settle for that.”

A delicious-looking buffet had been laid out on the dining-room table. And each woman had written her a few special words on slips of paper. All the papers had been placed in a heart-shaped container of cloudy pink glass.

“When you need a pep talk, or a smile, or to know we’re close, just pull out one of the slips of paper,” Cindy explained. “And know you’re in our hearts.”

Incredibly touched, Grace accepted the gift, knowing she would treasure it as she did these friends.

Memories, dear to each person, spilled out as they talked and talked. And by the end of the evening Grace was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support.

“We’ll be praying for you,” Cindy and Katherine promised as they left.

And Grace knew she would be doing her own praying, as well. It would be a special prayer. One for herself, it was true. But not for an unscarred face. Rather for an unscarred love.



The morning dawned, bright and clear. Grace’s appointment was early, just after Noah completed morning rounds. Ruth accompanied her to his office.

When Grace’s name was called, Ruth clasped her hand. “Do you want me to go in with you?”

Grace shook her head. “No. I need to do this by myself.”

Both understanding and concern hovered in Ruth’s eyes. But she squeezed Grace’s hand one more time before releasing it.

Noah didn’t make Grace wait long in the examining room before he joined her.

“Hi,” she greeted him, unable to keep the nerves from her voice.

“It’s going to be all right, you know.”

She smiled bravely.

“Are you ready?”

Girding her strength, she nodded. “Yes.”

His movements were careful and deliberate as he began removing the bandages. She was accustomed to the process. The only difference today would be that she would finally look in the mirror.

Grace held her breath as the final bit of gauze was removed. She saw a spark of joy in Noah’s eyes and felt a leap of excitement. Then his eyes filled with incredible sadness.

At least she finally knew. Releasing her breath, Grace battled her disappointment as she accepted the mirror he extended.

Closing her eyes, she reached deep inside for courage. Finally ready, she pulled the mirror closer and opened her eyes.

She stared at her image. Her full, unabridged image.

Puzzled, Grace wondered if she was imagining what she saw.

Hesitantly her hand strayed to her face.

Noah’s voice was gentle. “The two small marks will mostly fade in time.”

She moved the mirror even closer. The marks were so small she could barely see them, just their red stain. Unable to understand Noah’s saddened reaction, she glanced up at him. “Why aren’t you happy about the results?”

“But I am,” he reassured her.

“Then why do you look so incredibly sad?”

He searched her face, his expression tight. As though pulling himself from some faraway place, he cleared his throat. “Because now you’re ready to return to your life in Houston.”

“No, I’m not!”

“But you and your fiancé have waited for this day.”

“Patrick isn’t an issue.” She met Noah’s eyes, her own pleading for him to understand. “What we had is over—and has been for a very long time. He returned to Houston two nights ago. Patrick is part of a past life I’ve left behind.”

“After he sees you, he won’t let you go.”

“Is that how you judge a woman?” Suddenly it was terribly important to know this about him. “Simply by her looks?”

“The eyes are important,” he replied solemnly. “For they reveal the heart.” He stepped an inch closer. “And the lips, because they speak either in kindness or to wound.”

“And the nose?” she asked, entranced by his words.

His lips edged upward. “Very important. I can’t abide snobbish women.”

“And how do you see me?”

He swallowed and she glimpsed tenderness in his eyes. “Ah, Grace. Woman of infinite beauty, that’s an unfair question.”

Her heart pounded so loudly she wondered that he didn’t hear it. “Why is that?”

“Because you’re leaving soon.”

Finding a confidence she thought was lost forever, Grace put her heart on the line. “Can you think of a reason for me to stay in Rosewood?”

His eyes locked with hers. “Do you need a reason?”

Solemnly she nodded, praying he could read her thoughts.

He touched her newly healed cheek. “How about the fact that I love you?”

Heart thrumming, she felt a surge of newfound hope.

Regret infused his face. “But that’s not enough.”

“Why?” she cried.

“You can’t be happy in my little one-horse town.” He met her gaze, his eyes shining with naked love. “And I can’t ask you to give up everything for me.”

“I’ve grown to love Rosewood and the people here nearly as much as I love you.” Her lips trembled and her eyes filled. “And because of that, I’ve also found my way back to God. I know now that you were right about opportunities. The Lord blessed me with an opportunity greater than I could ever have wished for.” She reached up, tenderly touching his jaw. “And He led me to you.”

Noah’s hands folded into her hair as he pulled her close. “Grace, I love you so much. I see your smile each day when I wake, I dream of your changeling eyes each night as I sleep. But I never thought you could be mine. Are you sure?”

“More sure than I’ve ever been of anything. You are my life now, Noah. And my love.”

Noah tenderly fitted his lips to hers, his soul filling with thanksgiving, unable to believe this lovely, wounded bird was to be his.

Grace took hold of the dream that she had once despaired of, grasping it close to her heart. She would keep it there, tenderly securing it along with her love for this noble man. Her knight, she realized with new wonder. Who would stand by her forever.

The sunlight that streamed through the examining-room window seemed to glow as though cast from heaven itself. And together their hearts took flight—not away, but upward on the wings of a love destined to last for all time.

Epilogue
T he church that had become hers radiated with hope and love. Massive bouquets of flowers decorated the altar. Their fresh scent mingled with that of newly lit tapers.

Grace looked out at the crowded pews of wedding guests. She was still unable to believe how many friends she had made in the town that was now her home.

Noah’s family had welcomed her warmly as one of their own. Along with Ruth, they provided her the family she had always dreamed of.

It was a perfect day for her wedding, filled with sunshine that etched an elaborate tapestry as it pushed past the stained glass windows.

Joyous organ music resonated in the aged, beautiful sanctuary. The mood of the music fitted the jubilation of the day, the joy Grace knew would fill their union.

So much had happened while the wedding arrangements were being made. Grace’s former employer had decided to become a permanent endower of the Rosewood Medical Foundation. Although he maintained he could never replace Grace, he had embraced the foundation with his usual generosity.

Robert had excelled on his scholarship exam—surpassing all their expectations. His father had found employment and the entire family was doing much better. Grace still tutored Robert, though. He would always be special to her—her first student. He had been enormously pleased when they’d asked him to be an usher for the wedding. Grace noticed that he had taken special care escorting Noah’s parents to their pew.

With Noah’s encouragement, Grace was securing her teaching certificate. It had been scary at first, returning to school. But she enjoyed the challenge nearly as much as substitute teaching. She could hardly wait until she became a full-fledged teacher.

The music swelled again and Grace felt her throat tighten with joy. It would only be moments now.

Cindy, her matron of honor, walked up the aisle, taking her place opposite Michael, Noah’s best man.

Ruth patted Grace’s arm. “I think they’re about to play our song.”

Grace smiled, pleased that Ruth was walking her down the aisle. It might be unorthodox, but Ruth had been both mother and father to her. They had shared so much. It was only right that they also shared the beginning of this newest path.

“I don’t know if I would have agreed to give you away if you weren’t marrying Noah,” Ruth added, her eyes glistening.

“You’re gaining a son, not losing a daughter,” Grace told her gently, wanting Ruth to know she had been so much more to her than an aunt.

Tears spilled onto Ruth’s spare cheeks and she reached for her already rumpled handkerchief. “Thank you, child.”

The music swelled once more. Grace used her now fully recovered hand to squeeze Ruth’s arm. “I think that’s our cue.”

The guests rose as Grace and Ruth moved up the aisle. But Grace didn’t watch their faces. Her gaze was fastened on the man soon to be her husband. He stood tall and handsome.

And her heart called out to him.

Noah’s deep blue eyes signaled his reply.

Her smile widened.

They reached the front of the church.

“Who gives this woman?” Katherine asked as the notes of the organ faded away.

Ruth squeezed Grace’s hand one final time, said, “I do,” then stepped away.

With no one left between them, Noah took her hand in his. And Grace savored the rightness of his touch.

Then they both gazed at Katherine, who smiled at them before beginning the age-old words.

Sunbeams pierced the stained glass windows, punctuating each sacred promise.

“Will you take…from this day forth…”

Grace and Noah steadily repeated their vows.

When the words in sickness and in health were to be echoed, Grace felt the emotion lodge in her throat, her voice tremulous as she spoke.

But Noah’s eyes filled with promise.

Lips trembling, she didn’t take her gaze from his.

“I do,” Noah uttered, his strength flowing through to her.

Two such very small words. Carrying with them the promise of forever, Grace realized, blinking back the tears before she, too, repeated them.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Noah lifted his hand to tenderly cup Grace’s cheek.

Somewhere in the distance she heard the sighs of guests.

“You may kiss the bride,” Katherine told them, her voice filled with joy.

Noah’s lips gently covered Grace’s, sealing them with a promise of devotion and commitment she thanked God for. Eyes misting with overwhelming happiness, she looked up at the man who was now her husband.

Triumphant strains of music flowed from the organ, seeming to reach the very beams of the old sanctuary.

“I now present Mr. and Mrs. Noah Brady,” Katherine concluded.

Grace placed her hand in Noah’s larger one, knowing he would always make her feel as safe and loved as she did at that moment.

“Shall we?” he asked, his gaze lingering on hers as though searing this memory for all time.

Hand in hand, they took the first step of their new lives. Walking down the aisle, they smiled at friends and family.

As soon as they passed through the double doors that led from the sanctuary into the foyer, Noah pulled Grace along with him to the empty bride’s room.

Turning, he drew her into his arms. “My bride…my wife.”

Without warning, her eyes misted. “I love you so.”

Again he cupped her cheek, gazing deeply at her. “I had to fix one thing in my memory.”

“What?”

“The color of your eyes on the most important day of my life.”

She felt her heart stutter with a wealth of emotion for this rare and wonderful man. “And?”

His look was tender. “The color of heaven.”

“One thing about me will never change, Noah. My love for you.”

He lifted her scarred hand, one she had chosen to leave as it was, a reminder of what had brought her a new life, a renewed faith, a love like no other.

Gently he kissed that hand. “Forever, Grace. We have forever.”

It was a gift from above, one they could share, as matchless as the golden sunlight that fell around them.

Her hand clasped in his, they walked from the tiny room to greet their friends and family. Connected by touch, by hearts, by spirit, their smiles reached out to all those watching.

And like the sunshine, their love was radiant. Also matchless, a joy that reached to the sky and beyond.

Forever.

Dear Reader,

This story called out to me because it’s one of change. Like many of you, I feel surrounded by change—in our world, our country. I’m not usually the first one in line to embrace change, so it made me wonder about a woman who would have to deal with change in every aspect of her life.

Even as the familiar comforts us, I wondered, could change possibly comfort us even more?

I invite you to join my journey of promises, friendships and, most especially, love. And I hope that all your changes are joyous.

Warm wishes