Chapter 17
The house was silent, the only sound the faint tick of the kitchen clock. Claire stood at the base of the stairs for a long moment, suitcase by the door, then turned toward the table and poured herself a cup of coffee.
Claire sat alone at the dining room table and took a sip. She was ready to go. More than ready to blow this town and never look back. Ready to quit hurting every time she caught a glimpse of Tony.
The last two days had been pure torture. Though she’d deliberately tried to avoid him, she hadn’t been a hundred percent successful. The times she’d run into him in the halls had been awkward, to say the least.
At least she hadn’t had much time to think. She’d offered to help Mrs. Sandy clean the house, and the woman was a demanding taskmaster. They’d scoured the already immaculate two-story from top to bottom in anticipation of the upcoming party.
Mrs. Sandy had originally planned the event to be Claire and Tony’s wedding reception, but now it would simply be a Fourth of July blast.
Thankfully she’d be long gone by then. She’d gotten over being mad. She was sure Tony hadn’t deliberately set out to hurt her. But he had. Although the anger was gone, the pain remained. In the past, whenever she’d had a problem with someone, she’d bring it up.
But with Tony, it was different. She simply couldn’t face him. And, no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t stop loving him. If she got too close, she feared he’d see it in her eyes.
Pride was the only thing she had left. If he knew of her feelings, she’d be one of those pathetic creatures she’d always despised, a woman wearing her heart on her sleeve for a man who didn’t love her.
Claire cringed and reminded herself it wouldn’t be a problem for long. She’d soon be far away from Millville. And Tony.
Strange as it sounded, given the way they parted, she found herself looking forward to seeing her father. It was unfortunate he wouldn’t be home when she got there. According to his voice message he was out of town until next week. She’d surprise him when he got back.
She stared at her bare ring finger and realized her father probably wouldn’t be surprised to see her. After all, hadn’t he been the one who’d told her she was incapable of sustaining a relationship? That her self-centered personality would keep her from finding true happiness? Maybe this time he was right.
But I didn’t have a choice.
She’d done everything expected of her. She’d fulfilled her part of the bargain and she’d changed in the process. Even she could see she’d become a much better person and a far cry from the self-centered, spoiled brat she’d been when she’d arrived in Millville. It still hadn’t worked out.
Claire closed her eyes. Complete and utter misery washed over her.
Dear God, I don’t pretend to understand your will and I know I’m going to have to trust you on this one. I thought Tony and I made a great team, but I guess you know best. I do have one request. It may sound petty, but when you pick a wife for Tony, could you just not let her be Rachel? I know she’s really involved with your ministry and she’s probably a good person, but she’s not the type of woman he needs. If you could just trust me on this one, I’ll be forever grateful. Amen.
Some might say it was wrong to tell God what to do, but Claire figured she wasn’t telling Him what to do—she was merely offering a suggestion. God, she knew from past experience, would do just what He pleased, regardless of her preferences. After all, if she had her way Tony would have loved her, and they would have lived happily ever after.
But Tony didn’t. And instead of heading down the aisle at the end of the week, she was headed out of his life. This time for good.
* * *
Tony stared at the clock on his office wall. In less than an hour, Claire would leave for Des Moines with Mrs. Sandy, and he’d never see her again.
The despair that had threatened to overwhelm him for the past forty-eight hours returned with a vengeance.
Dear God, please help me to understand and accept your mysterious ways. I really thought Claire loved me and I truly believed we could have been happy together. I know now that’s not your will. But I have just one suggestion. The Jay Nordstroms of this world may be successful, good-looking guys. They may even be believers, I don’t know. But that’s not the type of man Claire needs. Trust me on this one. She needs someone…
Tony stopped mid-prayer, a lump forming in his throat as the truth caught him off guard.
…someone like me.
He rubbed his jaw and looked out the office window. The downtown merchants had already started decorating for the Fourth of July festivities. His wedding day.
He chuckled bitterly. A few streamers and red-white-and-blue bunting couldn’t distract him from the gaping hole Claire had left.
Still, part of him couldn’t let go.
Despite everything, a tiny flicker of hope remained. Until Claire was on that plane, there was still a chance.
“You’re a fool, Karelli. What are you expecting? A miracle?” he muttered to the empty room.
But the flicker refused to die.
“Pastor.”
Tony looked up, startled.
April stood in the doorway, arms crossed and a look on her face that said she wasn’t leaving without being heard.
“You were talking to yourself,” she said, her tone accusing.
“It’s a bad habit.” He smiled faintly and motioned for her to come in. “What brings you here?”
She stepped inside but didn’t sit. “We don’t have a lot of time.”
“For what?”
April rolled her eyes. “Oh, puh-leeze. We need to stop my mom from taking Claire to the airport.”
Tony blinked. “Why would we want to do that?”
“Because Claire doesn’t want to go,” she snapped. “She’s in love with you.”
He hesitated. “She said she didn’t love me.”
April’s expression turned pitying. “And you believed her?”
Tony turned away. He didn’t want a teenager pointing out all the things he’d done wrong. Not today.
But she wasn’t done.
“She tried to call you that night, didn’t she?”
“She didn’t.” His gaze drifted to his cell phone on the desk. The one he only now realized hadn’t rung since he’d returned to Millville.
Because he’d turned it off so it wouldn’t buzz or ring during his conversation with Larry.
He turned it on. The screen lit up with two missed calls and a voicemail.
His stomach sank.
Both were from Claire. Both had come in that night—while his phone had been turned off.
“You missed your chance to be there for her.”
April now sat, her hand folded tightly in her lap. Before he could say a word, she told him everything—about Wayne, about Jay, about the poker game that wasn’t a game at all.
When she finished, the only thing Tony could say was, “Why didn’t Claire tell me?”
“She tried.” April stood, her expression unreadable. “But you wouldn’t listen.”
She was gone before he could thank her.
Tony stared at the door, the weight of his failure pressing down like a storm cloud. Claire had tried. He just hadn’t seen it.
He rose, every instinct urging him to find Claire and make things right. She’d reached out to him… and he hadn’t been there.
She’d needed him—and he’d let her down.
Tony closed his eyes for a moment, regret nearly overwhelming him.
But God had not given him a spirit of fear.
He’d given him a spirit of power.
Of love.
And the courage to do hard things—like admitting when he was wrong. Like asking for forgiveness. Like fighting for the woman he loved.
* * *
Claire glanced at the hallway and then back at her coffee. Maybe she should tell Mrs. Sandy she’d changed her mind—delay leaving for an hour or two. But what would be the point? Tony had made it clear where they stood.
Still, something tugged at her, a whisper of uncertainty she couldn’t quite shake.
“If you want to leave early, I’m—” The words died in Claire’s throat. It wasn’t the landlady who’d come into the dining room but Tony. She set her book face down on the table. “If you’re looking for Mrs. Sandy, I haven’t seen her.”
He shifted from one foot to the other, but his gaze didn’t waver. “I was looking for you.”
“Really?” She lifted a brow. “I didn’t think you wanted to see me. You’ve spent the last few days avoiding me like I had the plague.”
He ignored the flippant comment and pulled out a chair opposite her. “Mind if I sit?”
“Suit yourself.” Claire took a sip of her cold coffee. “I’m getting ready to leave soon anyway.”
“I’ve got a couple of things I want to talk to you about.” Tony folded his hands on the table in front of him, and his expression grew serious. “Can you spare a few minutes?”
Claire made a show of glancing at her watch. “I suppose. If you make it short.”
“This won’t take long.” Tony drew a deep breath. “First, I’m sorry about the other night. I never even gave you a chance to explain.”
“You’re right. You didn’t,” Claire said, proud she could sound so offhand when her insides churned. “But that’s the past. It doesn’t matter now. Let’s just drop it.”
“I can’t.” He cleared his throat, and a hint of red crept up his neck. “The way I talked to you was inexcusable.”
“You’re right,” she said. “It was.”
“I want you to understand why I acted that way.”
“C’mon, Tony, get real.” She forced another sip of the coffee down her throat. “I already figured out what was going on.”
“You did?” Surprise sounded in his voice.
“I’m not stupid.” Claire picked up the book and read the same sentence for the third time. “Like I said, it doesn’t matter now.”
“It does to me,” Tony said. “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am you had to go through that alone. On the other hand, I thank God you were there for April.”
Claire stared at him for a long moment. “How much did she tell you?”
“Everything,” Tony said. “I feel terrible. I wouldn’t blame you if you never speak to me again.”
“Never is a long time.” Claire expelled a heavy breath. Perhaps she should cut him a little slack. “I have to hand it to you. You took advantage of a heaven-sent opportunity. I’d probably have done the same thing.”
“I’m not sure I follow what you’re saying.”
“C’mon, you don’t have to pretend. I know the score. You’d found the perfect way for us to break up, and you took it. Although,” she added, “it would have been nice if you’d warned me.”
“Perfect way to break up?” His brow furrowed. “What are you talking about? I never wanted to break up with you. I wanted to marry you.”
“Marry me?” Her normally husky voice came out as a squeak. She cleared her throat. “Have you been drinking the communion wine?”
“I’m totally sober.” His gaze met hers. “And I mean every word.”
“Our engagement was just an act, a show for the church board to keep your job. You don’t love me.”
“Of course, I love you. I wouldn’t want to marry you if I didn’t,” Tony said. “You’re the one who doesn’t love me.”
“Who says I don’t?” The words popped out of her mouth before she could stop them.
A strange gleam flickered in his eyes, and she could almost see the wheels turning in his head. That incredible dimple flashed in his cheek. “Claire Waters, are you saying you do love me?”
“Are you saying you love me? ” Claire said.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
She’d be putting her heart on the line. Taking a risk that he’d break it again.
Stubborn pride.
She lifted her chin. “Well, I love you, too.”
Their eyes locked, and their breathing came in unison. Claire’s heart hammered against her ribs.
Tony reached across the table and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. The mere touch of his hand sent a warm shiver through her. Thick with emotion, his voice shook slightly. “I love you more than anything.”
She hesitated, unable to believe that just when she’d given up hope, her dream was coming true. “If you’re playing with me…”
“I’d like to,” he said with a wicked grin, “but we’ve got to wait until we’re married for that.”
Claire smiled, finally convinced. A languid warmth filled her limbs at the thought of their wedding night. Her breathing picked up speed. “I don’t suppose you have a date in mind.”
“I do.” His eyes glittered. “Independence Day. I’ve always been partial to that holiday. Maybe it’s because I’ve always liked firecrackers.”
“Firecrackers can blow up unexpectedly,” Claire said with an impish grin. “Sometimes right in your face.”
“Sometimes, that’s just what a foolish minister deserves.” He chuckled. “There’s one other thing.”
Tony rose and rounded the table, pulling her to her feet. “We need to seal this deal with a kiss.”
He brushed a piece of hair from her face with the back of his hand. It was a tender gesture, gentle and loving, matching the soft look in his eyes. “What do you say, my darling fiancee? May I kiss you?”
She stared at this man she loved more than life itself and lifted her lips to his. “Anytime…”
The word was muffled by the crush of his lips against hers.
She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Oh, my.” Mrs. Sandy tittered. “Does this mean you’re not leaving for Colorado and that the wedding is back on?”
Tony groaned under his breath.
Claire turned in his arms to face the landlady, unable to keep the smile from her lips. “That’s just what it means.”
“Thank goodness.” The landlady heaved a relieved sigh. “I was hoping he didn’t make the trip for nothing.”
Puzzled, Claire glanced at Tony, but he just shrugged. “I guess I don’t understand. Who are you talking about?”
“Why, your father, of course,” Mrs. Sandy said. “I invited him to the wedding. I just got a message that he just landed in Des Moines and is on his way here.”
“You invited him to the wedding?” Claire said. “How did you even find him?”
“You gave me his number.” A hint of pink colored Mrs. Sandy’s cheeks. “To use in case of an emergency. You said he was a very busy man, but I figured a daughter getting married is sort of an emergency. He was thrilled with the news. Simply thrilled. You’re not angry, are you?”
Claire shook her head. Talk about mysterious ways. Having her father here to walk her down the aisle would be a dream come true. “That’s wonderful.”
“He should be getting here about the same time as my parents and grandmother. Looks like tonight will be a family dinner,” Tony said, his arm resting lightly around Claire’s waist.
“Oh, my goodness.” Mrs. Sandy eyes widened. “I’ll need to thaw out another steak. If you two will excuse me.”
The minute the woman left the room, Claire turned to Tony with a smile, her lips tingling in anticipation. “Now, where were we?”
“First things first.” Tony brushed a kiss across her lips, stepped back, and reached into his pocket. “The relatives are going to expect you to be—” he held out his hand palm upward “—wearing my ring.”
Claire’s breath caught in her throat. Reverently, she reached for the gem.
He shook his head and smiled. “Let me.”
With great care, he slid it on her finger.
“Oh, Tony.” She held out her hand, admiring the diamond she’d once dissed.
“We don’t have time to shop for another one before the wedding,” Tony said. “But this fall, we’ll take a trip, wherever you want, and you can pick out the ring of your dreams.”
“I don’t think so.”
Tony raised a brow. “I promise. We?—”
“I want this ring.”
“But it’s flawed.” His brows pulled together in confusion. “You said so yourself.”
“I know,” Claire said, “but so are you, and I still love you.”
His lips quirked upward. “Well, thanks.”
“Okay. Maybe I’m not perfect, either,” she said with mock resignation. “But together we have this great thing, this…perfect love.”
“Perfect?”
“Okay,” she said with a saucy smile. “Maybe not perfect, but good.”
“Very good.” Tony brushed a piece of hair from her face, his fingers gentle. Then his hand stilled. His gaze sobered.
“Before tomorrow… there’s something I need to say.”
Claire tilted her head, sensing a shift in the air between them.
“It’s nothing dramatic,” he added with a faint smile. “But I’ve realized I’ve made a mistake. Not about us—never about us—but about something I’ve left unsaid.”
He led her over to the window seat, and they sat, knees touching. For a long moment, he just looked at her.
“When you first came to Millville, I prayed constantly—for you to find peace, for us to find our way. And I shared my faith around you. In sermons. In prayers. Even in Bible study.”
She nodded, her dark eyes soft.
“But I never really shared with you. I never told you what it means to me. What He means to me.”
His voice dropped a little. “I became a pastor because I believe God’s love changes lives. It saved me. And not just in a big, dramatic way. Every single day, He helps me become the man I want to be. The man I hope to be for you.”
Emotion tightened Claire’s throat. She reached for his hand.
“I know you’re not perfect,” she said gently. “But I’ve seen that faith in you, Tony. Even though I didn’t grow up with it the same way… something’s shifted. Inside me.”
Tony’s eyes lifted, searching hers.
“That night at the wedding, I bookmarked a Bible verse on my phone—2 Timothy 1:7. For God has not given us a spirit of fear… ” Her voice wavered. “I read it again the next day. And again the day after that.”
She took a breath. “I think that’s what’s been changing in me. I’m still learning, still growing. But I’m not afraid like I used to be. Not of commitment and not of love. Not even of failing.”
A smile pulled at the corners of Tony’s mouth. “Claire Waters. Are you saying you have a little faith now?”
“I am,” she said softly. “Maybe just a mustard seed’s worth.”
“That’s more than enough,” he said, his voice husky.
They leaned into each other, forehead to forehead. No more masks. No more holding back. Just the quiet presence of shared faith and hard-won love, wrapped in the hush of a small-town evening.
* * *
The front door burst open with a gust of warm summer air and a voice full of boisterous charm.
“Where’s my girl?”
Claire stood just as her father strode into the foyer. His graying hair was tousled from travel, but his eyes brightened at the sight of her.
“Daddy!” She rushed to him and wrapped her arms around him tight.
He hugged her back just as fiercely. “There you are.”
Tony stepped forward, smiling. “Mr. Waters. Good to see you again.”
“Ah, Tony.” Her father extended a hand, his expression marked with equal parts warmth and scrutiny. “So you’re a minister now.”
As their hands clasped, their gazes met and held. “I am.”
“I didn’t see that one coming.” Henry chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t understand it, but we each choose our path. All I want is for my girl to be happy.”
“I’ll do my best, sir.” Tony’s voice was steady. “Your daughter is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Claire’s throat tightened.
Mrs. Sandy bustled in from the kitchen, a dish towel tossed over one shoulder. “Perfect timing. Harold’s got the grill going.”
As if on cue, the back screen door creaked open and Harold stuck his head inside. “Burgers, steaks, and something unidentifiable that April tossed on as a dare.”
Laughter bubbled through the room, easing every last trace of tension.
Minutes later, the dining room table was packed—platters passed, glasses clinked, stories flowed. Claire sat between her father and Tony, the golden light catching the ring on her finger.
Tony leaned close. “I’ve never seen you so happy.”
“Must be the company,” she teased, nudging him gently.
The conversation shifted to wedding plans. Mrs. Sandy whipped out a notepad with the precision of a general. April and Harold traded jokes, while Claire’s father shared childhood stories that had Tony laughing so hard he wiped tears from his eyes.
For one perfect hour, everything else faded.
Claire turned to Tony. His eyes darkened, warm and sure, and when he leaned in to kiss her, she melted into the moment, emotion surging through her like fireworks bursting across the night sky.
Tomorrow, she’d take the first step down a brand-new path.
She’d begin a life with Tony--rooted in faith, shaped by grace, and filled with a love she never thought she'd find.
The girl who once ran from commitment now ran toward it—with open arms and an open heart.
Claire smiled. She was ready.
For the laughter, the love and yes--even the fireworks that were sure to follow.
* * *
If you’ve fallen for the charm of Millville, you won’t want to miss A Love That’s Mine , the next uplifting installment in the Fiancée for the Summer series. This tender, faith-filled romance follows Rachel Tanner and Jay Nordstrom as they discover that healing often comes in unexpected places—and love sometimes asks us to take a leap of faith.
If you believe in second chances, quiet strength, and a forever kind of love, this story is for you.
Turn the page for a sneak peek—or dive into A Love That’s Mine now.