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.“Stop hiding, Viola.What is the real reason you’re refusing me?” His chest heaved with a deep breath.“Is it that you don’t love me in return?”Tears flooded her eyes.She shook her head, rubbed her chest to relieve the horrible pressure and pain.“No it’s—I’m afraid.Oh, Thomas I don’t know how to…to accept your love.I don’t know how…”He cupped her face in his hands, his touch so gentle, so tender, tipped her face up to look at him.“Viola, do you trust me?”She could barely hear his husky words.But there was no hesitation in her answer.“Yes.I do.”“Then just let your heart do what it knows how to do best—love and be loved.” He lowered his head, touched her lips with his, let them remain, barely touching hers, an invitation, a promise.The empty place inside her burst open, filled with the rich warmth of his love.She lifted her face higher, went on tiptoe, parted her lips and pressed them more fully to his, compelled by the need to return the beautiful gift of love she had received.His strong arms slid around her, crushed her against his chest as his lips claimed her forever as his own.Epilogue“Gracious, it’s so crowded in this yard, you’d think the church was on the waterfront.I had to search to find you here, in the middle of everyone.” Hattie plunked her basket down in the center of the blanket with Viola’s, Lana Tanner’s and Teena Calloway’s.Dong.Dong.Dong.Viola looked at Lana and grinned.“Which husband do you think it is, your’s or mine?”Lana laughed, shrugged her shoulders.“Who knows, they both love to ring that bell.And they’re like little boys getting up to mischief when they get together.” She snatched her three-year-old son off the blanket.“Oh, no you don’t, young man.I said, no cookies until after we eat dinner.”“Which sounds like an excellent idea to me.”Viola turned.Mack Tanner and her husband were weaving in and out among the spread blankets to join them.She looked at Thomas and smiled.He was so tall and handsome and wonderful.Her heart did the soft, melting thing it did whenever he was near.Thomas stepped close to her side, slid his arm around her thickened waist.“Are you all right? You’re not getting too tired are you? Because—”She laughed and shook her head.“Stop worrying.I’m fine, Thomas.I have another month until the baby is due.You can—”“Vi-Vi.”She grinned and turned, went to her knees on the blanket and held out her arms to Goldie, who was toddling toward her as fast as her pudgy little legs would carry her.“Vi-Vi.” Goldie climbed onto her lap as far as possible.She lifted her over her swollen abdomen and kissed her soft baby cheek.“Hello, sweetie.” Little arms slipped around her neck and hugged tight.“Gammy.”“Here I am.” Hattie leaned over and kissed Goldie’s other cheek.“I’m sorry for the interruption, everyone.But Gretchen wouldn’t settle down once she spotted Mrs.Stone.” John Carter bent and held out his arms.“Come on, precious.Your new mama fixed a good lunch for us.” He scooped his daughter up and carried her off, her little hand waving bye-bye over his shoulder.Mack Tanner gave a shrill whistle and held up his hands.People all over the yard stopped flapping blankets and arranging picnic baskets.Conversations stopped.Everyone turned and looked their way.“I just want to thank you all for coming to our celebration picnic marking Thomas Stone’s first full year as pastor of Treasure Creek Church.”Cheering and clapping erupted.Mack gave another whistle to catch their attention and laughed.“You can all tell Thomas how much you love and appreciate him after the picnic.Right now, I’m hungry.” There was a laughing, whistling roar of approval from the men.He held up his hands.“Quiet while Thomas blesses our food.”Thomas stepped forward, cleared his throat.“Almighty God, we are mindful of Your mercy and love, of Your provision and care.We thank You for the daily blessings You pour out upon us here in Treasure Creek.And we thank You, Lord, for this bounty which we are about to receive.We ask You to bless this food to the health and strength of our bodies.In our Lord’s name I pray.Amen.”Conversations resumed, picnic baskets were opened.Thomas glanced at the group settling on their blankets.“Think there’ll be room enough for all of us on only two blankets?” He grinned and settled down beside her.“We’re taking up more space because there’s practically three of us now.”She laughed and rested her hand on her distended stomach.“This little one doesn’t make us three until I can see his adorable little face.”“And his red, curly hair!”Frankie called the comment from the blankets she and Ed were sharing with Margie and Lucy and their husbands.The comment turned into a chorus from those seated around them.Everyone in town teased them about their baby being born with red curls.Thomas leaned close.“Suits me.I’m partial to red curly hair.Especially on you.” He gave her hand a squeeze that promised they’d talk more about that subject later.Lana lifted a platter of chicken from her basket and glanced over at her sleeping baby daughter.“Well, I would highly recommend that you have a little girl like Mae.She is so much easier to raise than Georgie.”“Give her a chance to grow up and start toddlin’ ’round.You might change your mind on that.” Hattie chuckled, pulled the towel off her basket.Mack, Thomas and Jacob all leaned forward and grabbed one of her famous doughnuts.Mack snagged a second and held it out as a bribe to coax Georgie to eat his food.Teena smiled and set out fish sandwiches made with some of Hattie’s potato rolls.“I think the choice of son or daughter does not matter.” She splayed her fingers over her abdomen in a protective gesture and looked at her husband.“Any child of ours will fill our hearts.”“And our picnic blankets next year.” Jacob Calloway shook his head and grinned.“There is an epidemic of babies about to hit this town.”“We have all been abundantly blessed.” Thomas looked around the group of friends, settled his gaze on his wife.“We have so much to be thankful for…each other and our coming child.”She nodded and smiled at those around them.“And good friends…and a wonderful church family.”Thomas grinned and picked up the litany again.“A warm, dry parsonage to live in…” Everyone laughed.Hattie jumped in.“I’m thankful for the blessin’ of Viola givin’ me her cabin for my own, and my bakin’ business.And that I’m going to be a grandma right soon.Though it sure was hard work gettin’ them two together to start with.”“Amen! I thought I was going to wear myself out running Hattie’s messages of Viola’s doings to Thomas so he could accidentally run into her.” Frankie chuckled, looked the group over.“Do you mind if we join you?”“We carry guns.”They laughed at Ed’s comment and made room on their blankets.Frankie spread the skirt of the new, blue cotton dress Viola had made her and sank slowly and gracefully to the edge of the blanket, Ed’s strong hand helping her.Jacob Calloway added tomato and cucumber from the vegetable platter Viola set out to his well-filled plate.“Well, I’m thankful for Teena loving me after the terrible, autocratic way I treated her when we first met.And for our coming child.” He shifted his gaze to the mayor.“And to Mack for granting us the loan we needed to turn our small clinic into the Treasure Creek Hospital.”“We’re all thankful for that.” Ed Parker looked at Thomas and grinned.“Especially those of us that get shot [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]