Love Inspired April 2021--Box Set 1 of 2, page 53
Melody shook her head. “No. It’s too big a risk. He’s my son. I’d do anything for him.”
“Even give him up? Again?”
She raised her chin. “Yes. I’ll do what’s best for him.”
Clay grinned and touched her cheek. “What if the best thing for him is to have both his parents taking care of him, and becoming a complete family, the way they should have been?”
Tears filled her eyes. “No. When he finds out who I am, he’ll hate me.”
Clay pulled her a little closer. He understood that fear. He’d lived with it for ten years. The chance that Eli could hate him had locked him into a position of secrecy and denial. But he had good news.
“I know how you feel, Melly. I lived with that fear a long time. I thought if I told Eli about you, about how I lied to him about his mother, he’d hate me.” He looked into her eyes. “But I’ve already told Eli everything.”
She gasped, her eyes wide. “You should have left it alone.”
“I told Eli the truth after you left. He was confused about why you gave him up for adoption, but I explained how young we were and how life gets complicated when you grow up. He was a little angry at first, but Dad and I talked to him and helped him understand. As much as a ten-year-old can anyway. Basically, he’s thrilled that you’re his real mother. He’s liked you from the first moment. Oh, and he made me promise to tell you he would take good care of Barney.”
He took her hand. “If he’s angry with anyone, it’s me. I didn’t have a very convincing reason for keeping the truth from him.”
“What did you tell him?”
“The truth. That I was angry and hurt and wanted to punish you by raising him and not telling you. I told him how wrong I was.” Clay laughed and shook his head. “He told me that I should remember Pastor Miller’s sermon on forgiveness. He’s an amazing kid. He took what I thought was so complicated and reduced it down to one word.”
“I’m glad for you. But will he forgive me?”
“He already has. He wants you to come back. So does Dad.”
She pressed her lips together. “You’re just saying that. I wouldn’t be able to face him.”
Clay stiffened. He’d expected her to be relieved and happy. “What’s this really about, Melody? What are you afraid of?”
She met his gaze for a moment, then looked away and moved off. “Mama Kay says I have a habit of running away from anything hard or difficult, which is strange because I always thought I was running toward life. But she’s right. I don’t know how to stand and face life.”
“I don’t believe that. You told me you’re a different person, that the explosion gave you a new perspective on life.”
“It did, but you and Eli need someone strong and solid. I left you the first time because I didn’t know how to stand and work things out. I ran from Shanghai because I didn’t know how to restore my dream, and I’m running now because I don’t know how to be a wife and mother.”
“I could say the same thing, Melody. I don’t know how to be a husband. I’ve never been one before. But I do love you. Eli loves you. My dad adores you. Don’t you think, with all that love and support, we could work this through together?”
Her brown eyes were filled with doubt. “Why would you do that?”
“I told you—I love you. I never stopped loving you.”
“After what I did?”
“Is it any worse than what I did? I was so angry. So hurt.”
She touched his cheek, her gaze caressing his face. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I loved you. I still do.”
“Then don’t we owe it to ourselves and to Eli to be a family? It’s what he wants. It’s what I want.”
Her eyes welled up. “I do, too, but I don’t want to fail.”
“You won’t. You’re stronger—we’re stronger—than you think. Neither of us is alone in this. We have each other and as long as we keep the Lord in our plans, we’ll be all right.”
“He’s given me so much. Now He’s given me a second chance to be a wife and mother.”
Clay held her closer. “And he’s given you a job if you want it. That idea you had about a Blessing Blog, Dad took it to the council, and they approved it. They want you to take charge. It’s only a part-time position, but who knows where it could lead?”
He slipped his arms around her waist. “Melody, you know I love you. I fell for you the moment we met. Marry me and be my wife and Eli’s mom, the way you were meant to be. We belong together, the three of us.”
He drew apart, gently taking her scarred arm in his hand. “We’ve both gained scars over the years, Melody. Yours are on the outside. Mine are on the inside. It’s time to let them heal and move on. The past is behind us.”
“I want to, Clay, but I’m afraid.”
“I am, too. But we can face the fears and the future together. I’m sorry I adopted Eli without telling you. I see now how wrong and hurtful that was. I never took your position into consideration. Or Eli’s. We should have made that decision together.”
“I’m sorry for running away and not giving you my answer.”
“Will you marry me and help me raise our son?”
Her gaze locked with his. He saw the love shining in her golden-brown eyes, and his heartbeat quickened.
“Yes,” she breathed. “Oh, yes.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with the love he’d held in his heart for ten years. She kissed him back, chasing away any lingering doubt about her love for him.
When they moved apart, he slipped two plane tickets from his pocket. “We can catch the flight home if you hurry and pack.”
Melody laughed, releasing a sweet warmth through his body.
She slipped her arms around his neck. “I don’t need to take much. Everything I need is back in Blessing.”
EPILOGUE
Melody stole a glance at Clay in the driver’s seat. His strong profile sent a ripple of appreciation along her nerves. They were coming home. They’d spent the flight back to Mississippi talking about a million things. There’d been a decade to catch up on. She smiled as they passed the Dusty Birds sign and drove past her sweet cottage. But when he stopped the car near the main house, her anxiety rose.
Coming face-to-face with Eli, now that he knew the truth, had her heart in her throat. Clay had assured her Eli was excited that she was his mom. What if he was just saying that to make her feel better?
She exited the car as Eli burst through the front door. Clay came around and took her hand. He must have sensed her tension. She bit her lip as her son approached, a big smile on his face.
He stopped a few feet away. “Hi. I didn’t think you’d ever get here.”
She stared at him, letting her gaze cherish every detail of his face. “The plane was a little late.”
Eli shifted his weight. “I’m glad you’re my mom.”
Melody caught her breath. “I’m glad, too.”
“So, can I call you Mom now? Is that okay?”
Her vision blurred with tears, she could only nod.
Eli stared at the ground a moment. “Could I give you a hug? Would that be okay?”
Choked with emotion, she opened her arms. Eli rushed forward and held her tight. Clay slipped his arm around her shoulders. She sent up silent prayers of thanksgiving. This morning, she couldn’t imagine a happy solution to her life, but the Lord in his gracious nature had made a way.
A sharp bark and little paws on her calves broke the poignant moment. Barney refused to be ignored.
Eli chuckled. “He’s missed you. He kept going over to the cottage. I tried to tell him you weren’t there, but he kept running over anyway.”
Melody scooped up the furry dog and cuddled him. “I missed him, too.”
“There’s been a lot of missing going on around here.”
Melody smiled at the familiar voice. “Hello, Dave.”
“Welcome home, Miss Melody.” He wrapped her in a warm hug. “I told Clay if he came home from Iowa without you, I’d disown him.”
Melody leaned into Clay, who had his arm around her waist now, making her feel protected and loved. “I’m glad. He can be slow at times.”
Dave snickered. “Tell me about it. I’ve been hounding him all along to clear the air between you.”
“You mean, you knew the whole time?”
“From a few days after you arrived.”
That explained so much. She wasn’t sure if she should be upset about that or not, but right now she was too happy to think of anything else. She had her son and the man she loved in her life. And maybe a father, too.
Dave stepped behind Eli and grasped his shoulders.
“Why don’t you two take a few minutes to relax at the pond,” he suggested. “Eli and I have a few things to finish up in the house. We’ll call you when we want you.”
“What kind of things?” Clay asked.
Dave raised his chin. “Never mind. You’ll find out soon enough.” He waved them away, then turned and walked with Eli back into the house.
“I guess we’ve been sent to our rooms.” Clay took her hand and started toward the two Adirondack chairs under the live oak at the far end of the pond. “I wonder what those two have cooked up.”
Melody held his hand, enjoying the contact. For so long she’d felt adrift and lacking roots. Now she had Clay and Eli and Dave and a proud family history.
They sat down, still holding hands. “Do you think you can be happy here, Melody? It can’t compete with the noble plans you once had.”
Melody smiled. “I used to think being an international correspondent was my ‘noble purpose,’ like in the Bible verse.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You know, the one that says God is the potter and he has the right to make some pots for noble purpose and some for common use. I’ve come to see I had it backward. An ornate pot is placed on a pedestal to be admired but rarely used. A common pot is used every day to service a family, to provide sustenance, and then it’s cleaned and used again. It’s worn out in servicing others.”
She looked at Clay. “That’s the noble purpose. To serve. I don’t want to be a beautiful pot that’s left to be admired.” She squeezed her hand. “What more noble purpose can there be than being a wife and a mother? Whatever else I do takes a back seat to that.”
He pulled her to her feet and kissed her, a kiss filled with the promise of a lifetime. Finally, he leaned back and smiled down at her.
“I have something for you. I’ve had it for a very long time. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to give it to you, but now...” He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a ring.
She gasped. “Clay!”
He took her hand and slipped the sparkling diamond on her finger. It fit perfectly. “I’d been planning to give you this that night. But then everything changed.”
She stared at the ring, twinkling in the sunlight. “You’ve had it all this time?”
He nodded. “I think the Lord wanted me to hold it until he could work things out. He knew we were meant to be together, but we just weren’t ready yet.”
She slipped her arms around his neck. “I’m glad he had a plan because mine wasn’t working out.”
“His plans usually do work out better than our own, don’t you think?”
He started to kiss her again, but Dave called from the porch.
“Come on, you two. Plenty of time for that lovey-dovey stuff later. We have a celebration in here.”
Hand in hand, they started back across the lawn to the house. They had much to celebrate today. And the promise of many celebrations to come.
God was good.
All the time.
* * * * *
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed your visit to Blessing, Mississippi. Both Clay and Melody made decisions during an emotional crisis that only led to more problems later on.
Melody made her own choices that created a burden of regret and guilt.
Both wanted to protect those they loved—Clay wanted to protect his son, Melody wanted to protect Clay.
The only way out of the tangled mess they had created—even though they both had good intentions—was to seek forgiveness and reveal the truth, even if that meant losing one another.
Forgiveness isn’t easy for anyone. We all carry the perception that if we forgive someone who has wronged us, then we’re saying, “It’s okay. You’re excused.” The truth is forgiveness is for our benefit. To lift the heavy burden of never-ending anger and desire for revenge.
I hope you enjoyed this second visit to Blessing, Mississippi. I love to hear from readers, so feel free to contact me at my website, lorrainebeatty.blogspot.com, or like my author page on Facebook, Lorraine Beatty Author, or follow me @Lorraine_Beatty on Twitter.
Lorraine
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ISBN-13: 9781488071058
Her Secret Hope
Copyright © 2021 by Lorraine Beatty
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ISBN-13: 9781488071256
Copyright © 2021 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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The Baby Next Door
Copyright © 2021 by Vannetta Chapman
Rebuilding Her Life
Copyright © 2021 by Ruth M. Blodgett
Her Secret Hope
Copyright © 2021 by Lorraine Beatty
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Vannetta Chapman, Love Inspired April 2021--Box Set 1 of 2
