Chapter 23
Hope would miss the friends she’d made in Magdalena. They were such a warmhearted, generous group. But there was a part of her that wondered if cities had their own brand of warmth and generosity if you were only open to it. She’d been closed to making friends and sharing her life for so many years that she might have been the one pushing others away. She might have been the one who would not accept friendship, generosity, or anything bordering on personal.
Her time in Magdalena had shown her what it meant to be a part of something larger than her own small world, one that consisted mostly of work. Not anymore. Yes, she’d continue to work for Southerfield and Associates, offer analysis and recommendations in a remote setting, but it would not be her life. Small-town life suited her, and if Reunion Gap were anything like Magdalena, Hope could see herself moving there… Planting a garden… Joining a book club… Baking and cooking and sharing her food… Being a friend.
Still, she didn’t think there would ever be people quite like the residents of Magdalena. So many people had come to the Heart Sent to wish her well and say goodbye. Joyce Harrington hugged her, whispered, My son cares about you, even if he’s too stubborn to admit it. When Edgar held out his arms and pulled her to him, his usually gruff voice turned soft. I hope to see you again, under happier circumstances.
We’re going to miss you, Hope. Harry Blacksworth’s blue eyes had filled with tears. You’re welcome here anytime. Don’t forget that.
I’ll send you pictures of the baby, and once we’re settled into feedings and diapers and everything else that makes us new parents, we’ll plan a visit to see you. Delilah Borado glowed with joy and love. She’d leaned in and hugged Hope. I’ll be thinking of you. Do not give up.
Pop Benito had handed her a recipe card. My personal pizzelle recipe. Give it a try. You can stay with the vanilla and don’t let anybody talk you into the anise.
Mimi said your pies are coming along. Glad to hear it. This from Phyllis who’d nodded and snapped her gum. The man next to her with the bootlace tie and cowboy boots was her husband, Lester Conroy. Tall, lean, totally devoted to his wife. Good luck to you, Hope. I wish you well.
Mimi flitted about the room as Lily Desantro helped serve lemonade and hibiscus tea. And the food? There were trays of cold cuts and cheese, rolls, chicken and beef sliders, roasted red pepper hummus, and three different salads. Lily’s mother, Miriam, made a going away cake that said We’ll miss you, Hope! There were sugar cookies, brownies, and homemade truffles. So much food…so many people…all here for Hope.
People spilled onto Mimi’s patio, the music low, laughter filtering through the house and into the backyard. It was the best party Hope had ever attended, and it was only missing one person.
I’m not talking to him until he apologizes to you. Lily had bit her bottom lip, sniffed. I won’t and I don’t care if he takes care of Cooper and says I make the best pizzelles other than Pop. I don’t care.
Oh, Lily. Don’t hold that inside or your heart will be too heavy and you won’t be able to relax and find the goodness in him, or in others. You’ll be too angry and I wouldn’t want that for you.
A nod, another sniff. I know. I know. Uncle Harry says he’s got a sad heart right now, but he has to use his brain to make it happy again.
Uncle Harry’s a smart man. Now, why don’t we cut the cake your mom made? I’ve been waiting all night to try it .
Her face lit up. My mom makes the best cakes ever. This one’s part chocolate and part vanilla. You can have two pieces since the party’s for you.
An hour later, after the last person said goodbye, Mimi turned to Hope. “You look like you need a little quiet time in the garden.” She squeezed her hand, her expression filled with compassion. “The cleanup will wait.”
How did Mimi always seem to know what she needed? Oh, how Hope would miss this woman, but just because she couldn’t see Mimi every day, didn’t mean she had to lose touch with her. No, Hope wanted a relationship with Mimi Pendergrass and she intended to have one. “Thank you. I just need a few minutes.”
Another hand squeeze, a nod, and then “Take as long as you want.”
Hope made her way to the back door and into Mimi’s garden. Who would have thought flowers could bring such calm and joy to a person’s soul? Certainly, not Hope, but it had happened and she planned to create her own garden wherever she lived. That was the next question… Where would she live and how?—
“I thought that party was never going to end.”
Hope swung around, gasped. Sam stood several feet away, his expression partially shielded by the night. “Sam? What are you doing here?”
He ignored the question, asked one of his own. “So you’re leaving?”
“Yes, I’m heading out in the morning.”
“Looks like you had a pretty good crowd.” Pause and a quiet, “Not surprising.”
Small talk? That had never been Sam Harrington’s specialty. Fine, she could do “small talk”. “Yes, there were quite a few people, and I’m glad I got to see them.”
He cleared his throat, fumbled with his next words. “I’d say the town has adopted you. I’m sure they’re going to miss you.”
Okay, that was enough. “I’m sure you didn’t come to talk about the guests or how they’ll miss me. Why are you really here?” Anger burned through her next words. “Why can’t you just leave me alone? ”
He moved toward her, close enough so she could see his face. “I can’t.” He dragged a hand through his hair, sucked in a breath. “I can’t let you leave without telling you how sorry I am.”
“I’m sorry, too.” She folded her arms across her chest, planted her feet, and blasted him. “I’m sorry you wouldn’t even give me a chance. Sorry you believed the very worst of me, even when you knew how difficult it was to open up and share… But I did it for you, and I’m sorry you refused to see that.”
“Hope.” His voice cracked, spilled pain. “I don’t want you to walk away and think I don’t care.” A sigh, a shake of his head. “I care too damn much, and it scared the hell out of me. I told myself you were just using me, that I didn’t mean anything to you, and what we shared was temporary. That’s not true. If you’re going to walk out of my life, then at least you have to know the truth. I want you beside me as I create the pet sanctuary and the rehab center and stock the pond and add the damn navy colors to the farmhouse. I want you next to me for all of it, even though I don’t deserve you.” He paused, spilled more truths. “I never thought I’d care about anyone the way I care about you, but it happened, and I don’t want to lose that. I screwed up bad, but I know we could be good together, side-by-side…all-in.”
Hope tried to comprehend the meaning behind his words. “What are you really saying, Sam? You want me to stay indefinitely? You want me to help create your dream? You want me to be here as your partner until you don’t trust me again?” She frowned as fresh anger spilled through her next words. “What is it? Because from my position, I thought we were headed in that direction, and then it all blew up and you shut down. I’m not interested in that. Not with you or anyone.”
A nod, a quiet “I get it. I refused to listen to anything you or anyone else had to say. Lily tried, my father tried—” he laughed and shook his head “—my mother never stopped trying. I even had a visit from Martin Southerfield.”
“Martin contacted you?” That was a surprise. “When?”
“He paid me a visit about a week ago, told me how sorry he was for what happened, and guaranteed this place will be left alone, as it should be.” His gaze settled on her. “He also told me how much he cares about you, and then he offered an observation, even though I didn’t ask for one and at that time didn’t want one.”
Hope could not help commenting. “Martin isn’t the sort who remains quiet when he has something to say.”
Sam laughed, his lips pulling into a smile. “You’re right on that. He told me you and I belonged together. Of course, I refused to listen, but that didn’t stop the man from voicing his thoughts.” He took a step toward her, offered the rest. “Martin said I should trust you, that you’re a good person.” Pause and a husky, “He said you’d opened your heart to me, and you’d never really done that before.” Those whiskey-colored eyes glittered in the moonlight. “He said you loved me.”
Martin said that? Hope stumbled for an answer. “Just because Martin says something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s one hundred percent accurate.”
“But could it be close?” Sam took another step toward her, stopped when he was a touch away. “Is there any possibility it could be true?” When she didn’t respond, he offered his own confession. “I screwed up a lot with you. I told myself we’d never make it together, that you’d hurt me worse than Celeste ever had. I vowed to not let that happen. No way could I let you have that much control over me. It didn’t matter.” He reached out, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “You already lived in my soul and you weren’t going away, whether you lived in Virginia or Hawaii. I love you, Hope Newland. I will always love you, and if you give me another chance, I promise to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much we belong together.”
“I… I…” He loved her! He wanted to be with her!
“You don’t have to say anything right now. I just want you to consider what I told you, and maybe come back to visit…and let me visit you. We can take it slow and?—”
“You don’t know the real me.” You don’t know where I came from…how I grew up…
“Yes, I do.” He trailed a finger along her jaw, held her gaze. “I know you.”
She shook her head, stepped away. “We didn’t have much money when I was growing up, but after my father died, we had no money.” There, she’d finally admitted that to him. “My mother got a job at a bed-and-breakfast so we could live there rent-free.” She didn’t want to tell him about her pathetic childhood, but she had to… “I cooked, scrubbed toilets, washed floors.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “Ironed, baked, and I learned to make pies before I turned fourteen. We shopped second-hand stores for clothing and shoes and rarely bought anything that hadn’t been worn before. My mother insisted I could create a different backstory once I left for college. In fact, she insisted I do that and even provided a ‘playbook’ that included trips I never took, relatives I didn’t have, and a life that didn’t exist.” Another tear, then another. “The person you met when I arrived in Magdalena wasn’t real, and somehow you saw that. So, before you tell me you love me, you need to know who I really am.”
He remained silent for several seconds, and then he began swiping away her tears with the pad of his thumb. “I know you, Hope. I’m sorry you weren’t allowed to be a child, but you don’t have to pretend with me or anyone else.” His voice gentled. “I don’t want you to be perfect. I just want you to be you .” Sam clasped her hands, brought them to his lips, kissed each knuckle. “I love you. Can you find it in your heart to give us another chance? We’ll take it slow, whatever you need, as long as you don’t say no.”
“What if I don’t want that?”
Pain flashed across his face, and when he spoke, his voice cracked. “I guess I would ask you to reconsider…to let me prove how good we can be together…” He squeezed her hands. “I’d ask you not to give up on me.”
Sam loved her. He wanted a life with her. Her heart opened, filled with joy, love, and so much gratitude. “What about the opening up and sharing part, even when it leaves us exposed and uncomfortable?” If they were going all-in, then she wanted it all…even the parts that left them exposed and uncomfortable because that was part of real love.
“That, too.” He shifted from one foot to the other, cleared his throat. “Do I love the idea of spilling my guts in a way that leaves me looking like an idiot? No, but…I get that it’s necessary.” His lips pulled into a slow smile. “And you’re worth it.”
Oh, but she had missed him. “So, about going slow… I might have a problem with that.”
His smile slipped. “You might, or you do?”
She didn’t miss the caution in his words, or the dread. “I might have a problem because I don’t want to go slow.” Hope unclasped their hands, leaned on tiptoe, and placed the softest kiss on his mouth. “There is no going slow with you, Sam Harrington…not since the first time I met you.”
Another kiss, this one slower, deeper. A groan, a sigh, as he pulled her closer, murmured, “I’ve missed you. Missed this .”
“Oh, Sam.” She would never get enough of him, never get enough of?—
He broke the kiss, stepped back, his breath falling in short, choppy gasps. “Wait. I’ve been way off base lately, so I’m not taking anything for granted. Are you telling me you love me?” The stare turned dark, the voice quiet. “And you want a life with me?”
“Yes.” She eased her hands around his neck, smiled up at him. “Oh, yes.”
His expression relaxed and he pulled her closer. “And you’ll marry me?”
“Absolutely.”
He held her gaze as he vowed, “I will not disappoint you, Hope. I will love you for the rest of my life.” When he kissed her, there was no doubt how much he intended to stay true to his promise. “Can you picture yourself in Magdalena?” he murmured against her lips.
“I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.”
Sam eased back, his arms still around her waist. “I can’t wait to show you what Pete’s done with the place. I think you’re really going to like it, but there are a few areas that could use your approval and a few others that need your opinion…”
“I look forward to the challenge. Speaking of Pete Finnegan, did he tell you he paid me a visit yesterday?”
“Pete came to see you?”
The surprise on his face told her Pete Finnegan knew how to keep secrets. “Oh yes, he stood right in this very garden yesterday afternoon and made sure I knew how miserable you were and how much we belonged together. He also told me his story, and how he wasn’t much better than you in the ‘stubborn’ department, though he did say you were worse.” She pressed her body against his, sighed. “I thought it was very sweet because he doesn’t seem like the type of person to nose about in anyone else’s business, especially in regard to a relationship.”
“He’s not.”
“You’ll have to thank him. Or maybe I’ll thank him myself. We had to cut the conversation short because apparently his wife had a craving for chocolate-covered pretzels and he wanted to get some for her.”
Laughter spilled out, and she joined in. “Tough guy, huh? Sure, unless his wife or kids are involved.” His voice turned husky, when he asked, “Are you interested in kids? The two and four-legged kind?”
“Yes, definitely.” There were so many possibilities she’d never considered before Sam, but now her life was full of hope, and joy, and love. So much love. “Does this mean I have to unpack?”
“That depends. You can move into the farmhouse with me and risk cold showers and cooking on a hotplate, or I can move in here with you. I don’t care, as long as we’re together.”
“Can we decide in the morning? Right now, I don’t want to spend the whole night talking.” She placed a hand on his chest, inched lower, stopped at his belt buckle. “There are other forms of communication I’m more interested in…”
“I’ve missed you, so damn much.”
“Remember that the next time you want to go silent on me, because we aren’t going to do that ever again.”
“No, we’re not.” He sifted his hands through her hair, kissed her again, and this time there was no mistaking the desire, the heat, and the love.
Hope eased away, held out a hand. “I guess we’re going to have to thank a lot of people for not giving up on us.”
“You mean the matchmakers we told to mind their own business?” He took her hand, pulled her against his side as they made their way toward the back door. “We’re inviting all of them to our wedding.”
Three days before Christmas
It had been snowing since late yesterday, and with Christmas so close, the town expected at least another ten inches. Sam had joined in with several others in town to plow out driveways, businesses, whatever the local crews couldn’t keep up with. He’d returned to the farmhouse a little while ago to a fire, a bowl of chicken soup, and Hope. How had he ever imagined living in this place without her?
They’d already talked about the “no buying gifts” for Christmas because as Hope kept telling him, You’re the very best gift I could ever imagine. He felt the same way about her, but there were one or two other gifts that could make their world even brighter.
They lay on their new leather couch, facing each other, his arm slung around her waist, a fire crackling several feet away. “Are you warm enough?”
She laughed, trailed tiny kisses along his jaw. “How could I be cold with a fire, a blanket, and you?” Another laugh, more kisses, and a sigh.
Sam kissed the top of her head. “Good answer.”
She eased away, eyes bright, lips pulling into a slow smile. “I missed you today.”
“I missed you, too.” Like Pete Finnegan told him the other day, She’ll own your damn oxygen and you won’t care if everybody knows it, including her. Pete was right. He loved Hope in ways he’d never believed possible, and it was the small things like coffee in the morning, walking the property, or discussing the house plans that gave him more joy than any trip or high-end purchase ever had. The reason was Hope.
“Your mother said you and your sister used to string popcorn and cranberries on your Christmas tree. I thought that might be kind of fun to do.” Her voice shifted, filled with the tiniest hint of uncertainty. “Would you like that?”
“Sure. I like anything that has to do with making memories with you.” Was that gushy fool really him? Ugh. He sounded like an idiot, but Hope loved to hear him spill emotion and if it made her happy, it gave him the courage to do it.
“I know we already decorated the tree, but I bought popcorn and cranberries, just in case.”
She really wanted to do this. “It will look fine. There’s not necessarily an order of operation.” Though the strings or whatever usually went on the tree before the ornaments. Who cared what order they used as long as it made them happy?
Her smile inched wider. “Okay, maybe after dinner?”
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Sure.” She hardly ever pulled her hair back anymore…or wore suits…or heels. Sometimes she even let out a cuss word or enunciated the wrong syllable. And the pearls? She’d given those to Lily Desantro because Lily thought they were fancy and beautiful. I don’t own any jewelry like that , she’d said. Well, now she did.
Hope had finally become herself.
“Harry invited us to his Christmas Eve event, and your mom and dad would like us to join them for Christmas dinner. And your sister called and?—”
“Wait a minute. Is my family taking over our lives? And Harry? Just because I admitted he was right about us does not mean he gets to write our story.”
Hope laughed, settled her hand on his thigh. “ We write our stories. They’re just happy for us.”
“You mean because we finally figured things out, especially me?”
“No, silly, because they want to watch our story unfold. I’ve never been part of a real family and it feels very special.” She bit her bottom lip, eyed him. “Your father said I could call him Dad if I wanted. That made your mother tear up and she said I could call her Mom.”
Wow, his parents really did love Hope. His sister said it was the best move he ever made and he better not screw it up. Of course, she would say that.
“I was thinking that maybe we could invite everybody here after Christmas… You know, all of the people who helped us through our—” she paused, cleared her throat “—difficulties.”
“You mean my hardheadedness? My stupidity? My?—”
She placed a hand on his lips, whispered, “I like to think we had to travel this path, and it wasn’t easy or fun, but it was always meant to be. It was our destiny. You were my destiny.”
“You’ve become one of them, haven’t you?”
She raised a brow. “Meaning?”
“One of the people of Magdalena who never give up on destiny and meant-to-be. You know who they are: Harry Blacksworth, Lily Desantro, Mimi Pendergrass…you… I could keep adding to the list, but I guess after what happened between us, I’ll have to add my name.” He toyed with a lock of her hair. “I actually like the idea of a thank-you get-together at our house.” Our house. Our home. “We just have to add a few things and I think we’ll be all set.”
“We still have to figure out the wall art. I like photographs of this place…the fields…the sunsets…the gravel road…” She leaned forward, brushed her lips over his. “Us.”
“Great, I like the idea.” He did like the idea, and it was wild how Hope seemed to know what fit him. “But I wasn’t thinking about wall art. If we plan something for the middle or end of January, that will give us enough time to get Hank acclimated to the house.” Hank was the rescue dog Sam was performing ACL surgery on next week. The owner had “inherited” the two-year-old lab mix from her granddaughter, who’d moved to California. Bad knees, a fixed income, and the dog’s health issues had prompted the owner to confide in Sam that she couldn’t keep the dog. Hank would be Sam and Hope’s first rescue and they couldn’t wait. Hope had already bought the dog way too many toys…
“I’m really excited.” She paused, said in a soft voice, “I’ve never had a dog before.”
“You’re going to love Hank.”
“I already do.” Hope had met him twice, and taken several photographs, shared them with his parents, Mimi, Lily, and Harry.
The pet sanctuary was scheduled to open this summer, followed by the rehab center. “You better let Martin know we’re getting a dog, and as a Dog Mom you might need some time off to adjust to that new role.”
She laughed. “I think Martin will give me whatever I want.”
That was true. Martin Southerfield really did care about Hope, and he cared about integrity. In fact, he’d reassigned his nephew to the West Coast office where Kent could observe and hopefully, make better choices. Not that it would help, but… Hope had recommended her replacement, and the woman had found a location for a bed-and-breakfast in Indiana. Now, Hope could analyze, advise, and live her authentic life with the luckiest man in the world—him.
“Are you getting hungry? I can heat up the beef stew your mother sent over.”
“Maybe in a bit.” Sam’s mother provided them with at least two meals a week, had been doing it since they moved into the farmhouse almost three months ago. The woman admitted the other day that the only thing that could give her greater joy than seeing Sam happy, was a grandchild. Okay, not so fast. It would happen when it was supposed to, but not this soon.
First things first. He reached into his sweatpants pocket, pulled out the small box that had been hidden in his underwear drawer for the last three weeks. He shifted onto his elbow, opened the velvet box, and spoke the truth that lay in his heart. “Hope Newland, will you marry me, share my life…the joys and the sorrows, the children, dogs, and this crazy existence we call life?” The tears started then, an all-out gushing accompanied by quivering lips. For a woman who’d claimed she rarely cried, this woman had turned into a regular faucet. “Are those happy tears?”
A sniff, more gushing. A nod. “Oh, Sam.”
He removed the diamond, slid it on to her finger. “So, is that a yes?”
She swiped her eyes, held out her hand. “That’s a definite, absolute, forever-and-ever yes!”
Thank you for choosing to spend your time reading A Family Affair: The Ring.