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  Her kindness caused a hitch in his throat. “Thank you,” he croaked. He got up and walked to the door. Turning around, he said, “I appreciate your help and your generosity.”

  He walked to the car. This would most likely be his last visit to the campus. He was cutting ties with his past, full focus on the future. Fighting a desire to take one last tour to reminisce about all his good times there, he headed back to the highway to drive home.

  ON FRIDAY, CARLY’S boss told her to leave two hours earlier than usual, since she had worked two hours on Wednesday night in a last-minute Admissions blast for procrastinators who hadn’t yet registered for classes. She left the office with a light feeling in her heart and wondered what she should do with the unplanned freedom. She got in the car with her mind whirling over the possibilities, then she decided. She’d go visit Nora Ramsey at Dress for Success.

  She jumped on Rt. 17 heading south and drove, watching the traffic lighten the farther she got from Myrtle Beach. If she had to pick one person who’d influenced her decision to change her life by putting the accelerator on obtaining her college degree, and working in a professional field instead of waitressing, it was Nora.

  Through Nora’s career guidance, Carly gained the confidence and skills needed to write her resume, strengthen her interviewing and organize her time to hold down both a full-time job and full-time student status. Since she worked at the community college and took classes there, she was able to fit both into a very busy day. But without Nora and her confidence in Carly, she’d probably still be waitressing at the steakhouse at night while taking a few classes during the day. Her whole life had changed for the better.

  Carly made a left onto the obscure country road that led to a massive Victorian mansion that Nora had renovated to reflect its former glory. Beyond the house, a beautiful state-of-the-art horse barn stood which, in a former life, had housed a vibrant equine training and coaching facility, back when Nora’s Aunt Edie had owned it. Nora had abandoned her career as a successful Philadelphia attorney when she’d inherited the property from Aunt Edie, and now she spent her days helping women prepare themselves for the working world.

  Carly parked outside the mansion and went up to the front door. She rang the doorbell and waited. Soon, it swung open and there was Nora herself. “Carly! So good to see you.”

  “I hope you don’t mind an impromptu visit. I got off work a few hours early and thought I’d take a chance and see if you were free.”

  “Absolutely.” Nora stepped back and swung an arm in welcome. “Come on in.”

  They walked to the living room where clients normally gathered on comfortable couches to talk. Nora looked good. Always a pretty woman, her face looked calm and relaxed. She was in her element. Her hair looked longer than the last time they’d met, and her smile was easy and natural.

  “Can I get you something to drink? Lemonade? Iced tea?”

  “I’ll have some if you do. If not, don’t worry.”

  Nora chuckled. “I’ll be right back.”

  While she was gone Carly wandered over to the Dress for Success showroom, a long room along one wall of the first floor that used to be a library and now showcased racks and racks of professional women’s clothing, donated by Nora’s business colleagues all over the country. Nora’s franchise affiliate’s purpose, first and foremost, was to provide women with a suit for that first important interview. When you looked good, it allowed you to present your very best self in an interview. Nora’s career counseling, coaching and resume writing classes were value adds, showing that she truly cared about the professional success of her clients.

  Carly located her size on the rack and let out a moan, fingering the soft silky fabric of a teal green dress. She pulled it out and held it up. The style was simple but classic. That’s where Nora found her.

  “Want to try it on?”

  Carly smiled and looked longingly at it. “No, you already gave me my interview suit, remember?”

  “Sure, but you’re not limited to just one.”

  She looked over, surprised. “I’m not?”

  “No. You’re working five days a week, right? Wouldn’t it be nice to have some variety in your professional wardrobe?”

  Carly looked back at the to-die-for dress. With a wink at Nora, she carried it into the dressing room and came back out, wearing it. Nora reached for the skirt. “This is fuller than it looked on the hanger. I like that.”

  Carly twirled in a circle and watched as the skirt flared. “I do too.”

  “It’s very flattering, Carly. And the color is great with your hair and complexion.”

  Carly studied herself in the mirror, optimism surging.

  “Take it. Done.” Nora sounded so sure. “Go take it off and bring it back out. I’ll wrap it in plastic for you.”

  “I didn’t come here to get another free outfit.”

  Nora chuckled. “I’m glad you came to visit. But if you had come to get another free outfit, I’d be glad about that too. You were my first real client and you’ll always hold a special place in my heart.”

  Carly quickly changed. When she came out, Nora was in the living room, two glasses of lemonade poured and waiting.

  “So, tell me about the job,” Nora prompted and from then on it was twenty minutes of Carly chattering about the work, her boss, her co-workers, her students. When she stopped, Nora looked like she was bursting with pride.

  “I’m so happy for you, Carly. Sounds like things are working out according to plan.”

  A sip of lemonade soothed her dry throat. She put the glass down and studied Nora. “One thing’s not going according to plan.”

  “Oh, really? What’s wrong?”

  She smoothed out a wrinkle in her lap, avoiding meeting the older woman's eyes. Nora was her mentor and she didn't want to reveal the depth of her distress. “Do you remember I told you about Grace’s father?”

  “Yes, I do. You two were together in high school, but when Grace was born, he went away to college.”

  “Well, that’s a very nice way of saying he abandoned the two of us.”

  Nora reached over and patted her hand.

  “Ryan showed up at my office two weeks ago. He says he wants us to be a family.”

  You had to hand it to Nora. Her entire body froze, her eyes went wide but she didn’t say a word. Such as, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Instead she said politely, “Excuse me?”

  “Yep. You heard me. He shows up out of nowhere and tells me he’s made a mistake and he wants to be a father to Grace and he wants us all to be a family. I have no idea where that puts me. I mean, families come in all shapes. Does he mean he wants us to be a couple and raise Grace together? I don’t know.”

  “So how did you respond to this revelation?”

  “I fainted.”

  Nora laughed out loud, and then must’ve felt bad about her reaction. Straight-faced, she asked, “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. Right in his arms.”

  Nora settled for shaking her head back and forth. Then, “What are you going to do?”

  Carly sighed. “No idea.”

  Nora steepled her hands and stretched her arms out, then rested them back in her lap. “Let me start with this question. Do you still love him?”

  Carly shrugged but couldn’t push out words. She let a moment of emotion pass. Nora waited. “This doesn’t leave this room, right?”

  “Of course not.”

  Carly waited till she could speak without emotion bogging her down. She had never revealed what she was about to say to anyone. But if she was going to tell someone, Nora was the perfect someone. “I think about him all the time. I’ve always daydreamed about what our lives would be like if we’d stayed together for Grace. And of course, in my daydreams, he’s a devoted and loving husband.” She clasped her hands and squeezed. “But I haven’t forgiven him for what he’s done. And I’m not sure I ever w
ill. It’s going to take a lot more than a fun day at the carnival to make me trust him.”

  “So, you’ve spent time together as a family?”

  “Yes, a little bit.”

  “And how is Grace taking it?”

  “My little girl has it bad for her daddy. You can just see it in her eyes. Although she doesn’t know he’s her daddy. Poor kid doesn’t have any concept of what a daddy really is.”

  “Does Ryan want her to know him as her father?”

  “Oh, I’m sure he does, but he’s not pushing that right now. He just wants to spend time with her. And she definitely wants to spend time with him. Poor kid.”

  Nora blinked thoughtfully. “Do you think he’ll disappoint you again?”

  Carly paused. “That’s the ten-thousand-dollar question, isn’t it?” They sat looking at each other for several moments. “Can you give me advice? I have no idea what to do.”

  Nora’s lips formed into a slight smile. “I know exactly what you should do.”

  “What?” Carly had guessed coming here was the right move. Nora knew everything.

  “Yes.” She reached out and took Carly’s hands in her own. She bowed her head and closed her eyes. When she started speaking, Carly smiled and followed suit. “Dear Father, we ask for your help for Carly and Grace and Ryan. Open their hearts to your will. Help them to seek your answers in their problems and make it clear to them what your path is.” She went silent and Carly tried to pray silently in her head. A little rusty at it, she didn’t come up with anything except, Help me. Please help me. Then Nora ended with, “Amen.”

  Carly met Nora's gaze, then looked down. “I was hoping you had an answer for me.”

  “I did. My answer was to go to the one with all the answers.”

  Carly's lips tightened. “Thanks for praying with me. Now, do you have any opinions?”

  Nora shrugged. “Pray about it. Be loving and kind. Don’t put your heart on the line unless God answers that he wants you to.”

  “I just don’t want to get hurt again. And most of all, I don’t want Grace to get hurt.”

  “I get that. Life sure isn’t easy, is it?”

  They sipped in peaceful silence while Carly let Nora's words soak in. "Enough about me. Tell me about you. How's the business going? How do you like life at the beach? Do you ever miss the city life?"

  Nora's expression was thoughtful. "I don't. I had enough traffic and car horns beeping and sirens blaring, and the rush rush rush of not only the city, but my whole lifestyle as a lawyer. This is much more peaceful, relaxed, easy. And yet, I really feel like I'm making a difference here, for others who need a helping hand."

  "You sure made a difference for me. You educated me about how to get going on my new beginning, and you encouraged me when I thought it would be impossible."

  Nora looked down at the folded hands in her lap. "I have a new beginning coming up myself." She looked up tentatively.

  "You do?"

  "I met a man."

  Carly gasped. "Oh my! Tell me."

  Nora laughed at her enthusiasm. "Despite my advanced age ...,"

  Carly slapped her knee. "You're not old."

  "You're too kind. Anyway, I have never had much luck at relationships with men. You know, falling in love."

  Carly tried to resist an eyeroll. "It ain't easy."

  "A few months ago, I started seeing a man named Shaw. A veterinarian who loved animals and worked hard and was so ... intriguing."

  "And good looking?" Carly wanted to get to the good stuff, waggling her eyebrows.

  Nora chuckled. "Yes, he looked good. Anyway, long story short, we began to see each other, and I think our feelings were mutual until I discovered a secret he'd been hiding. A lie, actually. A colossal one."

  "Oh no!" This unexpected news truly devastated Carly.

  "I'm not going to go into details because it's possible that you'll meet Shaw someday, and I don't want to color your opinion of him. But I couldn't trust him after his omission of the truth, so I ended it with him. I went on my life."

  Carly put a hand on Nora's hand. "I'm so sorry, Nora."

  "But as I said, I'm facing a new beginning. I'm trying to forgive him, to understand why he did what he did, and we're going to give it another try. Really, we're just going to get to know each other better. Take two." She smiled.

  "Well. It sounds like the decision I need to make about me and Ryan. Can forgiveness restore the love we once felt for these men? Time will tell. I wish you the best, Nora."

  "Thank you. It was great catching up with you. Stop by anytime."

  Carly grabbed the teal dress, thanked Nora again and walked to the door. They hugged. Nora put a hand on Carly’s cheek and said, “I’ll be praying for you.”

  Chapter Three

  Nora Ramsey woke, silence greeting her. Her white puffy comforter provided warmth from the early fall chill of air conditioning. South Carolina sunshine beamed in through the second story windows of her inherited mansion. Other than the distant sound of the ocean waves, and the immediate tart scent of the salt marsh, nothing seemed out of order. She settled back into the bed and exhaled a deep breath.

  And yet, something was different today. Her life had changed. A happy smile formed on her face as her mind caught up with recent events. Ahh, yes. Shaw was back in her life.

  She threw the covers back and stepped onto the wood plank floors of her bedroom. Stretching out the kinks, she grabbed a robe and headed for the stairs. Yesterday, she’d seen Shaw Flynn for the first time in months. Shaw, the man who had stolen her heart through an introduction by a black gelding, Thunder. The first man in her four decades of life she could honestly say she’d ever fallen in love with. The man who’d deceived her by not telling her about the unique circumstances in his life that meant they never should’ve been together in the first place.

  The months of heartache, the miles of separation, her decision to move on with her God-intended life ... without him. He’d left a big hole in her life, as well as her heart, but she’d done it. She built this life that she could be proud of. A life of fulfillment, helping women develop their skills and attitudes for their dream jobs. She’d done it without him.

  And yet ... God took her empty hole and healed it for her. Through life’s circumstances, and through her own forgiveness, all things were new today. God had worked through her and helped her get over her anger and hurt at his betrayal and open herself up to a new beginning. New possibilities.

  The simplest acts that she performed every day seemed fresher today, more fun. The ground coffee smelled heavenly as she loaded it into the filter. The English muffins sent out a delicious aroma while warming in the toaster, and the butter she spread over them was a sunshine-y yellow that put a smile on her face.

  Shaw was back. They were starting over. They were putting past mistakes behind them and giving it another try. As she took a bite of her butter-soaked muffin, she closed her eyes and prayed for guidance, “Lord, guide us this time around. Help us be honest with each other, love each other, support each other. Let’s see where this thing can go this time. Amen.”

  SHAW FLYNN WOKE EARLY the day after his wife’s funeral, prepared himself quickly, and opened the calendar on his laptop. Grabbing a speedy breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, toast and coffee, he perused his appointments for the day, making mental plans. It would be a full one. They always were. Being a large animal veterinarian, caring for livestock as well as the occasional zoo wild animal, provided him with challenge and no shortage of patients. Driving up and down the coast was a normal part of his schedule, because his practice covered a large distance. Since he’d taken the whole day off yesterday, he also had some catch-up to do.

  His daughter Sadie came into the kitchen and nodded at him as she moved to the cabinet where the breakfast cereals were kept. “Busy day today?” she asked.

  “Yep.”

  “We
ll, take it easy on yourself when you can.”

  He pulled his gaze away from the computer and looked at her. “What do you mean?”

  She shrugged. “I mean, you buried your wife yesterday. I know your marriage was far from typical, and I know you weren’t in love with her, and I know her illness and disability dragged on for a long, long time. But. You still buried your wife yesterday.”

  His eyes lingered on hers a moment longer. “Yeah.” He supposed in a normal love story, he wouldn’t be rushing back to work after a day like yesterday. He wouldn’t recover so quickly and so completely. But his wasn’t a normal love story, and truly never had been. They’d rushed into a whirlwind marriage while they were young and impetuous, and it was fun. For a while. But eventually he started growing up, making plans for the future, his priorities changing. Not Melody. She was only interested in partying, traveling, drinking. The car accident that robbed her of her independence, her health and her life as she knew it, wasn’t a total surprise to him.

  He reached out a hand to the one treasure that had resulted from that marriage; his beautiful daughter Sadie. “How about we say a quick prayer for your mom?”

  She grinned sadly. “Didn’t we say enough yesterday?”

  He gripped her hand and closed his eyes. “Lord, please welcome Melody into your kingdom and watch over her. She lived a hard life, but we pray for simplicity in heaven. Amen.” He opened his eyes and gazed at her. “You having trouble dealing with this?”

  She shrugged. “No, I’m really not. After she faded away, I prayed for her to go. Nobody wants to live like that.”

  “I agree.”

  “Best thing we both can do now is move forward and live our own lives. Be happy. Do what we were meant to do and live the lives we were meant to live.”

  He grinned at her, his heart full. “How’d you get to be so smart?”