She wrapped her arms around Blake’s waist and leaned againsthis chest. The steady beat of his heart under her ear was a soothing reminder that her place was here, in his arms. The old life was gone, washed away by love. Blake’s love, yes, but even more by God’s love. Blake had been a beacon showing her the way home in all definitions of the word.
Chapter 23
Paradise stood in nearly knee-high grass with her hand in Blake’s and stared out over the rolling plot of land. “It’s beautiful, Blake.” She pointed out a knoll covered with native azaleas. “That reminds me of what the naturalist William Bartram thought when he first visited Alabama. ‘Fire in the hills.’”
He watched her face light up as she checked out their future homesite. The sun sparked on the red highlights in her hair until it almost matched the eye-popping golds and reds in the blooms.
She pointed to the hillside. “What if we put the house there? It would have a great view of the refuge in the distance. How many acres are here?”
“A little over one. I like the setting. We’d have room to spread out here. It backs up to the African safari enclosure, so there wouldn’t be too much danger if a giraffe managed to knock down a fence. Not that it would ever happen, but I’d rather have the safari area there than, say, a tiger enclosure.” Neither of them had gotten on the zip line since he’d had to be rescued during the storm and flood. The hyenas had nearly gotten him.
She nodded and shaded her eyes with her hand. “The zip linedoesn’t pass over our plot either, which is good. We won’t be on display.”
He tugged on her hand. “Let’s walk up to the top of the knoll and check out our view.” He led her to where rocky soil choked out most of the grass, and they wandered to the hill with azaleas all around them. He pointed out cows grazing in the distance. “It’s almost as gorgeous as you are.” He folded her in his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her kiss tasted of promise and fidelity, and he wanted to relish it. So he did.
Her cheeks were pink when she pulled away. “I was looking online at floor plans last night. Do you like this?” She took out her phone and handed it to him, then stood close to point to the screen. “We’ll need to stay on budget, and while this one isn’t huge, it’s got three bedrooms, enough for the boys to come stay and enough for kids down the road. I did some research, and a simple roofline helps to keep costs down. Plus this design has the plumbing close together so it cuts down on costs.”
He flipped through the pictures. “I can see us on the porch watching the wildlife. And it reminds me of a shotgun house, and I like those.”
“I do too! Very classic for this area.” Her voice grew animated as she pointed out the kitchen. “I think I’d like painted cabinets, maybe in gray or blue. And high ceilings and wood floors if we can afford them.”
He didn’t want to deny her anything, but he was touched that she planned to keep an eye on the bottom line. The park was doing fine financially now, and his mother had raised his salary way more than he thought she should have. She’d assured him the park could afford to pay him a living wage now.
He handed her back her phone. “I like it. I’ll start looking for a builder, but we really should set the date. We’ll need some timeto pull together the plans. It’s not my area of expertise, but I’ll help all I can. Do you know what venue you’d like? How about August? I think I can manage to wait until then.” He chuckled when she blushed.
“I’d like a simple wedding with family and friends. We could put up a couple of tents in the backyard. I’d love to hear the animals wish us a happy wedding. We can order BBQ from Chet’s along with sides, then have finger desserts. A happy day where we celebrate with people we love.” She smiled. “But I still want a white dress.”
“And I want to see you in one. You’ll want Drew to walk you down the aisle? I’ll ask Hez to be my best man.”
“Would it be crazy to ask your mom to be my matron of honor?”
His throat tightened. “She’d be honored, babe. And would it be stupid to have both my brothers bring down the rings?”
“They might even be happy to fling flowers around. I know Isaac would.”
She wasn’t wrong. He grinned at the thought of his little brother tossing out handfuls of flowers. Neither of them had been to enough weddings that they would think that only girls did that job. “They love you, and I know they’ll want to be part of everything.” He wrapped her close. “Are you ready for the chaos?”
She kissed him. “I exult in it already.”
Paradise’s tummy was still warm with the chicken noodle soup and the brownie she’d had for lunch. She sat on the front porch with the diary from her childhood and listened to the monkeys’chatter in the distance. The subtly spicy scent of Jenna’s bed of carnations filled her head, and the warm July breeze lifted her hair.
The screen door opened and Jenna stepped out. “There you are. Blake called from town and asked if we needed anything. He said you hadn’t answered his text so he was making sure you were all right.” She held up Paradise’s phone and a hair tie. “I found these in the kitchen.”
Paradise patted the spot beside her on the porch swing, then took the items and laid them on the cushion beside her. “Got time to sit a minute?”
“Of course.” Jenna settled beside her and gave the swing a gentle push with one foot. “Any surprises in the diary?”
“I haven’t started. The past few days have been a roller coaster, and I wanted to catch my breath first.”
“I don’t blame you. Lots of ups and downs.”
“Big ups.” Paradise held Jenna’s gaze. “We haven’t had a minute together alone, and I wanted to tell you how much this emerald means to me. You’re the glue that holds this family together, Jenna. I want you to know how thankful I am for the man you raised and the little guys you’re still shepherding. You’re a wonderful example of what a mother should be. You have made me feel as loved and accepted as if you were my own mom.” Her voice went hoarse, and she cleared her throat of the tears trying to clog what she wanted to say.
Jenna’s blue eyes filled with tears. “Oh, honey, you’ve always been special to me. I mourn the years we lost with you, but God says he’ll restore what the locusts have eaten. And here we are. You’re back with us about to make a new life with Blake.”
“And with you and the boys. I don’t think I could have healed without having you in my life.” Paradise embraced Jenna. Whenshe released her, they were both crying. “Thank you for everything. I’m not taking your son—I’m joining your herd.”
Jenna wiped her eyes. “I’m so happy, Paradise. You can always come to me with anything, even if it’s a complaint against Blake. I’ll be the wingman for both of you.”
