Driftwood Lane (33 page)

In her peripheral vision, she saw Jake shift in his chair, and she could swear she smelled the familiar woodsy scent of him. She stopped midbreath and waited a few seconds, hoping the air would clear.

Was he looking her way? But why would he? He was getting what he wanted. Meridith had only been a means to an end. She had to pull the plug on these silly feelings. They were unreciprocated. Would she ever get that through her head?

The bailiff was saying something, and Meridith blinked away the thoughts. She had to pay attention, or she was going to make a bigger fool of herself than she already had.

When she was called to the stand, she stood and approached on shaky legs. The bailiff swore her in, then she took a seat on the hard bench. She curled her fingers around the bench’s ledge and hung on for dear life.

“Ms. Meridith Ward,” the judge began in his gravelly voice. “You are currently the legal guardian of Noelle, Maxwell, and Benjamin Ward?” He eyed her over bifocals.

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“And you wish to decline guardianship?”

No!
her mind refuted. Where was her courage? She cleared her throat. “Yes, Your Honor.”

“As stated in the will of Terrance James Ward, if you decline guardianship of your siblings, the children’s uncle, Mr. Jacob Walker, is to be offered guardianship. Is that your intention here today?”

Her eyes flickered toward Jake. He was breathtakingly handsome in a dark suit and tie. His eyes caught hers, deep and shadowed, a look of gravity in them she hadn’t seen before. It took all her resolve to tear her gaze away.

“Yes.” The word shook, a tiny tremor from the earthquake inside.

“You’re declining guardianship of your own free will, under no duress from Mr. Walker or anyone else?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“Very well, you may take your seat.”

Meridith returned to her place behind the table.
Do not look at the children. Do not look at Jake
. She was going to lose it if she did.

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She was going to bust soon. Breathe. In. Out.

Almost over. It was almost over.

Jake was called to the stand. He stood and walked past, and she realized belatedly that her seat put her directly in front of the witness stand. How was she going to avoid eye contact now?

Her eyes found a scratch on the table, a pale sliver in the honey-stained wood.

The bailiff moved toward Jake. “In the testimony you’re about to give, do you solemnly swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

“I do.” Jake’s rich voice rang out loud and clear.

The bailiff retreated.

The scar on the table seemed to stretch longer. Meridith traced the line. The edges of the groove dug into the pad of her finger.

“Mr. Jacob Walker,” the judge began. “You’re the uncle of the children present here in the courtroom today . . .” Papers shuffled. “. . . Noelle, Maxwell, and Benjamin Ward?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“These are the children of your sister, Eva Ward, and your brother-in-law, Terrance James Ward, who left custody to Meridith Ward?”

“Yes, sir.”

“As you’ve heard in Ms. Ward’s testimony, she is declining guardianship of these children. As per the stipulations in your sister’s will, you are to be offered the legal guardianship of the Ward children. Mr. Walker, do you accept the role of guardian for these children and all the responsibilities that accompany that role?”

“No, Your Honor, I don’t.”

Meridith’s eyes darted to Jake. He was staring straight at her. She’d misheard.

The judge cleared his throat. “Mr. Walker, perhaps you misunderstood the question. Do you wish to be guardian of the children?”

“No, Your Honor, I don’t,” Jake said clearly.

She didn’t understand. What was he doing? The children— “Mr. Walker—”

“Not unless . . .” Jake lowered his voice. “Not unless Meridith Ward agrees to stay.” His gaze beat a path to her heart. “In fact, not unless Ms. Ward agrees to marry me. Only then will I agree to
share
guardianship of the kids.”

What?
Meridith’s mind couldn’t assimilate the facts. But the love shining from Jake’s eyes said more than his words. Her eyes burned.

“As it turns out,” Jake continued slowly, staring right into Meridith’s eyes, “I’m wildly, madly, and passionately in love with Ms. Ward, and I want us to be a real family.”

“Me too!” Benny said loudly.

“Me three,” Max called.

“Ditto.”

Noelle
.
Even Noelle
. Had they known? She turned and looked at the children. Noelle’s eyes were teary. Benny and Max stared back, hope and worry lining their faces.

She turned back to Jake, got caught in his eyes. He blurred in front of her. Her lip trembled, and she bit it still.

The judge cleared his throat. “I see. This is most unusual. Well, I think a recess might be in order. Would you like to take a moment, Ms. Ward?”

He loved her. Jake loved her and wanted to—

Could she find the courage to love, to walk in uncertainty? To risk being hurt? She knew her foundation was stable. Everything else she had to take one day at a time, right?

“Ms. Ward?”

“Uh . . . yes. A recess, please.”

The judge and bailiff exited, and Jake stood. She watched all six feet of him close the gap between them. Somewhere behind her, the children were as quiet as fireflies.

Meridith stood, her legs trembling beneath her.

And then Jake was there, standing in front of her, his solemn brown eyes shining. “I’m so sorry, Meri. I was a jerk. I’m sorry I hurt you, sorry for everything.”

He took her chin in his hand. “And I do love you,” he whispered. “I want you to be my wife. Not for the kids, but because I want you with me every day for the rest of my life.”

It was enough. More than enough. She swallowed hard. “I want that too. So much.”

Jake drew her close, his lips brushing across hers, the softest of touches. She ran her fingers along his freshly shaven jaw and savored the feel of him, the smell of him, the taste of him.

Feelings could be good. So good. The ones coursing through her at the moment were off the scale. He could stir her up, no doubt. Yet his love had a way of calming her fears, soothing her worries. It seemed illogical that he could do both.

From the edge of consciousness, whispers intruded.

“Are they fiancéd now?”

“Engaged.”

“Well, are they?”

“What d’you think, runt?”

Meridith pulled away, her lips curving into a smile that mirrored Jake’s.

“Yeah, little man,” Jake said, not taking his eyes from Meridith.

“We’re engaged.”

Before he finished speaking, they were swallowed by the children’s arms.

“I’m sorry,” Noelle whispered in Meridith’s ear. “I’m sorry I was so mean and that I lied to you.”

“We’re all sorry,” Max said. “We acted like spoiled brats.”

“It’s okay.” Everything was okay now. More than okay.

“I love you, Meridith,” Max said.

“Me too,” Ben said.

“I love you guys too.” She wouldn’t have to leave them. Would get to see them tomorrow and every day afterward.

Even while happiness flooded her soul, a lone thought dampened her spirits. “Summer Place,” she said. “After all this, we’re going to lose their home.”

“Nuh-uh!” Ben said. “Tell her, Uncle J!”

Meridith looked up at Jake’s handsome face. “Yeah, tell me, Uncle J.”

He smoothed her hair back, tucked it behind her ear. “Talked to Mr. Goldman yesterday and explained everything. If you want to keep Summer Place, they’re willing to forfeit the property.”

“But they really wanted it.”

“Apparently Mrs. Goldman thinks all this is terribly romantic. And I think between the two of us, we could stay afloat. But it’s your call.”

The joy that bubbled up from inside overflowed in the form of a smile. “As long as we’re together. That’s what matters.”

Noelle whooped, and a group hug followed.

The rapping of the gavel drew them apart.

“I hate to interrupt a good reunion,” the judge said, allowing a small grin. “But I have a schedule to keep. Can I assume we have a happy ending here?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” Jake wrapped his arm around her waist. “A very happy ending.”

“Well, congratulations are in order then. But there’s still the matter of immediate guardianship . . . unless you’re planning a spontaneous visit downstairs to the Justice of the Peace.”

Meridith looked at Jake and found his eyes on hers, his brows lifted.
What do you think?
his eyes asked.

What did she think? She thought life was full of changes and upheaval. She thought that sometimes love could hurt and feelings could be messy, potentially painful. But she also knew Jake was right. That the wonder and joy of the love that filled her now was worth that risk.

Meridith felt her lips curling upward. She nodded.

Jake’s grin turned into a full-fledged smile. He turned to the judge. “Downstairs, you said?”

The children whooped and hollered.

The judge tapped his gavel. “All right, all right. Settle down, and let’s get this done. You’ll need to apply for a marriage license and you’ll need a court waiver for the three-day waiting period. Fortunately, I can help with that.”

He cleared his throat. “Now, upon the immediate marriage of Mr. Walker and Ms. Ward, I’ll grant
shared
custody of the three Ward children, if that’s agreeable to you all.” He pointed the gavel at Meridith and Jake. “And remember, you’re still under oath.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Jake said.

“Yes, I accept.” Meridith met Jake’s gaze and saw the promises reflected there, felt the love she’d longed for all her life.

The judge shuffled his papers. “Fine, fine. I now pronounce you a family. We stand adjourned.” He gave a hard tap with the gavel. “Now, go get married.”

Dear Friend,

If you’re familiar with Nantucket, you’ll know that Driftwood Lane is a fictional street. I take special care to get the details right, so I hope you’ll grant me artistic license in this one thing.

I hope you’ve been entertained and inspired by the special love between Meridith and Jake. Meridith learned through her relationship with Jake that her fear was robbing her of life’s greatest joys. Maybe you’ve faced your own fears, whatever they are, and found that doing so will ultimately set you free, just as it did for Meridith.

Writing this letter is bittersweet because it marks the end of my journey to Nantucket with you. I’ve learned so much about God’s love through these four stories and I hope you have too. Going on these adventures would be no fun without you, so thank you, friend, for coming along for the ride. May God bless you and your family with His lavish love.

— In His Grace,
Denise

Reading Group Guide

1. Meridith’s father left her the gift and responsibility of his children. Has God ever given you a responsibility that you felt was more than you could handle? What did you do about it?

2. Meridith knew about her siblings before she was asked to be their guardian, but she didn’t know them personally until she came to the island. Do you think it’s possible to know about God but not know Him personally? Why or why not?

3. Meridith’s unstable childhood left her with the need to control everything around her. How does this kind of control give us a false sense of security?

4. Jake had a way of making Meridith feel unsettled. Has God ever made you feel unsettled? Are you afraid to let Him have control over every aspect of your life?

5. Piper was afraid of leaving her yard because doing so in the past had caused her pain. Have you ever had the whole world at your feet and settled for the yard?

6. Jake brought a lot of changes and growth in Meridith before she even knew who he was. Has there ever been a situation where God worked, unrecognized, in your life? How did you come to recognize His handiwork?

7. When Meridith realized Jake could offer the children more stability than she, she gave them up. How does this show her coming full circle in light of her childhood?

8. Driftwood is symbolic in the story. In what ways does it symbolize Meridith or, for that matter, all of us?

Acknowledgments

I am so grateful to the fiction team at Thomas Nelson: Publisher Allen Arnold, Amanda Bostic, Jocelyn Bailey, Kathy Carabajal, Jennifer Deshler, Natalie Hanemann, Chris Long, Ami McConnell, Heather McCulloch, Becky Monds, Ashley Schneider, Katie Bond, Kristen Vasgaard, and Micah Walker. You all work tirelessly to plan, perfect, produce, and place my books on the shelves where readers can find them. Thank you!

My editor, Natalie Hanemann, made this a better story with her insight and encouragement. LB Norton helped me fine-tune the story. My readers, thank you! Thanks also to my agent, Karen Solem, who handles all the messy contract stuff and provides invaluable wisdom.

A certain amount of research is necessary for the telling of any story, and sometimes there’s no other way to find answers but to ask someone. Elizabeth M. Brown, a tax collector from Nantucket, was so kind to provide me with details and documents on property taxes. Attorney and fellow author Cara Putman let me pick her brain about the legalities of guardianship. Chad Hunter provided some necessary details for the characterization of Jake.

This story was conceived at Logan’s Roadhouse on my fortieth birthday during a brainstorming session with my writing buddies, Colleen Coble and Diann Hunt. Thanks, girls, for the help and the meal!

Lastly, thank you, friend, for coming along this journey with me. I’d love to hear from you! You can visit my Web site at
www.Denise HunterBooks.com
or e-mail me at
[email protected]
. I’m also on Twitter (twitter.com/denisehunter) and Facebook if you care to follow me.

Four Women.