SB01 - The Guardian's Mission Read online

  She sighed, wishing she could stay there with him forever, cocooned in his arms, and forget everything but this moment. Good things never lasted and tomorrow Tristan might be gone.

  Outside the car, men and women called to each other, flashlights danced along the ground. A cool breeze blew moisture through the trees. Twenty miles away, her father lay in intensive care, struggling to survive.

  And Martha knew she needed to step back into the world again. She loosened her grip on Tristan and leaned back, putting some distance between them. “I guess I can go to the hospital and be with my father now.”

  “I guess you can.”

  “And I guess you won’t be needing that apartment over my garage anymore.”

  “I guess not.”

  “So, I guess this is probably goodbye.”

  He chuckled, shook his head. “Haven’t you been listening to a word I’ve said, Sunshine? I’m not going anywhere.”

  “But it’s over. I’m safe.”

  “So we’ve made it through the bad times together. How about we start making it through some good times?”

  “Like Thanksgiving with both families?”

  “For a start.”

  “What if your family doesn’t like me?”

  “Grayson likes you. If you meet with his approval, you’re a shoo-in with everyone else. Besides, I’m past the age where I need my family’s approval.”

  “What if you decide I’m too stubborn for my own good and get sick of being around me?”

  “What if you decide my job takes me away too much and you get tired of having me gone?”

  “Your job is what you’re meant to do, Tristan. I would never resent you for that.”

  “And your determination is what makes you a strong, independent woman. The way I see it, if anyone can handle being with someone whose job takes him away more than he’s home, you can.”

  “So we’re on for Thanksgiving?”

  “And for painting my parents’ house, if you’re up to it.”

  “Painting their house?”

  “Yep. An old Victorian lady that gets her hair and nails done the first weekend in November every three years. We can always use an extra set of hands. And don’t think you’ll get out of painting because you’ve been shot. It’s all hands on deck when it comes to the job.”

  “It sounds like…” Like fun, like family, like everything she’d dreamed of when she was a kid.

  “Like what?”

  “Like good times.”

  “Then it’s a date?” He held out his hand, and she took a deep breath, then did what her heart was telling her to, and took it.

  “It’s a date.”

  Tristan’s smile warmed her as he tugged her out of the car.

  EPILOGUE

  “You missed a spot.” Martha couldn’t hide her smile as Tristan glanced down from the scaffold he was perched on. A paintbrush in his good hand, a scowl on his face, he looked like a knight braced for battle rather than a man painting a three-story Victorian monstrosity.

  Her knight.

  She smiled again.

  Being independent and capable was great. She highly recommended it, but she had to admit, being cherished and taken care of wasn’t such a bad thing either. Especially when the guy doing the cherishing was Tristan.

  “Did one of my brothers send you over here to tell me that? Because if it was Grayson—”

  “Actually, I discovered the problem all by myself.”

  “Did you? Well, far be it from me to do a less than perfect job. Come on up here and tell me where it is, and I’ll fix the problem. For a price.”

  “A price?”

  “A kiss. Or two.” He grinned, and Martha’s heart jumped in response.

  No matter how many times she looked into his eyes, no matter how many smiles they shared, how much laughter passed between them, it always felt like the best of surprises; the most wonderful of gifts.

  “I’d love to, but your father expressly forbid me to climb up any ladders for fear that I’d reinjure my shoulder.”

  “Funny, he didn’t seem nearly as concerned about my injury. As a matter of fact, he told me I’d better not think I could slack off because of a little gunshot wound.”

  “Then maybe you shouldn’t have told him I couldn’t paint.”

  “Piper’s been talking to you, hasn’t she? Why won’t she just have the kid already so she can stop causing trouble?” He smiled as he said it, and Martha laughed, moving closer as Tristan climbed down from the scaffold.

  “I like your family.”

  “I knew you would.”

  “I especially like them because they’re not making me paint.”

  “Keep it up, Sunshine, and I’ll tell your dad you’re not treating me right.”

  “You may be his favorite son, but I’m still his little princess. Your whining won’t do any good.”

  “Brat.”

  She laughed again, and he pressed his lips to hers, drinking in her joy, sharing it with her.

  Breathless, she stepped back. “We’re really going to make this work, aren’t we?”

  “This, as in you and me?”

  “What else?”

  “Yeah, Sunshine, we really are.”

  “You know, just a few short weeks ago, I was sure I’d wind up being the neighborhood cat lady. You know the one. Tucked away in her house with twenty cats and no friends, overgrown bushes blocking out the sunlight.”

  “I couldn’t imagine that happening to you even if I tried.” He brushed stray curls from her cheek, his eyes the deep blue of summer sunsets.

  “That’s because you see something in me no one else ever has.”

  “It’s because I see you. The person God created. Sweet and gentle, but with a spine of steel. You were meant to have a family, Martha.”

  “Maybe, but I’m scared.”

  “Of me?”

  “Of me. What if I’m like my mother? What if, as soon as things get tough, I take off running? What if we create something really good together and I mess it up?”

  “You’ve got too much love in you to ever do that.”

  “But—”

  “You worry too much, you know that?”

  “I just don’t want to be disappointed.”

  “I will never disappoint you, Sunshine. And you’ll never disappoint yourself. God planned this out from the very beginning. From the moment you walked into the cabin in the mountains, I knew there would be something between us. I felt it in my soul. We were meant to meet that day. We’re meant to be together now. We’re meant to have a future together. I believe that or I wouldn’t be standing here with you now.” He stared into her eyes as if he could will his confidence into her.

  But he didn’t need to.

  She felt it. Just as he’d said. Deep inside, where the quiet voice of the Spirit whispered truth. Where God spoke to her heart, telling her that He’d planned it all before her life began. “You know what?” She pulled his head down for a kiss. “I believe it, too.”

  “That is exactly what I was hoping to hear.” He claimed her lips again, pulling her in, promising her what she’d always longed for and had been so afraid she’d never have.

  “Hey! I’m hard at work on the west side and I come over here and find my brother being distracted by one of the prettiest women in the house. That doesn’t seem right.” Grayson’s voice cut through the haze of Martha’s emotions, and she jerked back, her cheeks heating as Tristan chuckled.

  “You’re just jealous.”

  “Jealous that you’re succumbing to the love bug? I don’t think so. I’ve been there. Done that. As far as I’m concerned, that’s enough for one lifetime.” He turned away, calling over his shoulder as he went. “Mom just told me lunch is on the table. You’re welcome to stay out here as long as you want, but don’t expect me to save you any of the good stuff. And that includes the cherry cobbler she made.”

  “We’d better hurry.” Martha started after Grayson, but Tristan pulled he
r up short.

  “Let’s take our time. The way I see it, I’ve got something a lot sweeter than Mom’s cherry cobbler right here beside me.” His eyes were filled with humor, his stride easy as he wrapped his arm around Martha’s waist and led her into their future.

  Dear Reader,

  Life is filled with choices. When we take time to pray and seek God’s will, we have peace that comes from knowing we’re walking in God’s will. When we don’t, we find ourselves at crossroads, unsure of which direction to go. Martha Gabler is in just such a place. Desperate to be married, she allows herself to be pulled into a relationship that isn’t God’s plan. When she finally realizes her mistake, she hikes into the Blue Ridge Mountains, planning to spend time praying about God’s will for her life. Instead, she finds danger and intrigue and learns that God’s vision for her life is much better than anything she could have imagined or dreamed.

  I hope you enjoy Martha’s story, and I pray that whatever choices you’re faced with, you will find the peace that comes from seeking God’s plan for your life.

  In Him,

  QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  After breaking up with Brian, Martha realizes a relationship with him wasn’t the best thing for her. Why doesn’t she realize this before becoming engaged to him?

  How does knowing this make her feel?

  Have you made decisions that you’ve convinced yourself were right, then discovered they were mistakes? Why do you think this happened?

  Martha’s childhood impacts the way she looks at the world and at herself. What are her feelings about marriage and motherhood? How do they change over the course of the story?

  How has your childhood experience impacted your life? How does faith change the way you look at the world?

  What is Tristan’s motivation for going to Lakeview? Does this change during the story?

  Martha is strong, determined and not necessarily in need of a hero. Somehow, though, Tristan fills a place in her life that’s been empty. What is it about Tristan that appeals to Martha?

  What is it about Martha that Tristan finds attractive?

  Trusting God isn’t always easy for Martha. What is it in her personality that makes sitting back and waiting so hard?

  Tristan seems like the perfect hero, but Martha doesn’t want to believe that he might become something more than that to her. Why?

  When given a choice between taking action and waiting on God’s will, Martha is more likely to act than to wait. Can you identify with this? What things in your life have you had to wait on?

  It is difficult for Martha to accept help from others. She’s been taught to take care of herself. Do you have difficulty accepting help from those around you? How does this affect your life?

  Vulnerability is often seen as a weakness, but Martha learns that to be strong we must sometimes allow ourselves to be weak. How does being vulnerable before God make us stronger?

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-2097-7

  THE GUARDIAN’S MISSION

  Copyright © 2008 by Shirlee McCoy

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Steeple Hill Books.

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  *The Sinclair Brothers