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“Yes, this was the love of Miss Hattie’s life. Samuel Blythewood. They were head over heels in love. Their love affair was cut short with the advent of World War II. Samuel enlisted and he was tragically killed while in service. From everything I know, Samuel was a really good human being. Miss Hattie lived a long life but she never found anyone who could compare to him. That’s incredibly powerful.” Hope’s voice radiated amazement.
Grayson held the framed photo in his hands. For several moments he just stared at it. He couldn’t believe he was looking at his grandfather, a man he had never met. The man gazing back at him was young. In his early twenties, Grayson figured. It was so incredibly tragic that he hadn’t made it back from the war. He’d died heroically in the service of his country, fighting against an evil he probably couldn’t even wrap his head around. A feeling of pride roared through him. Samuel was a part of him. He felt incredibly connected to him at this moment. This was the feeling he’d been looking for! Connection. Knowledge of being tied to something wondrous and powerful. This was life changing.
“I don’t even have words to express how I feel,” Grayson said, as a tight feeling spread across his chest. “It’s almost as if a piece that’s been missing has been restored.”
“We haven’t altered a single thing since she passed away. We figured it would be a great tribute to the woman who made this whole thing possible.” He saw Hope turn away as tears misted her eyes. She swiped at her eyes. Her shoulders shook.
“It’s all right, Hope. You don’t have to hide your feelings. I understand how emotional it feels to lose someone you love,” he said.
She turned back toward him. “It happens every time I come in here. This room was her haven. When I was a child she used to invite myself and the girls up here to look at her jewelry and keepsakes. And more times than not she would give us a trinket or two.” Tears flowed down her face. This time she didn’t bother to wipe them away.
Instinctively, he reached out to her and pulled her against his chest. He could feel her body shaking. All he wanted to do was comfort her and make her sadness disappear.
Lord, please let me know what to say and do to soothe Hope’
s soul. Let me be a source of comfort for her.
“I’m sorry. It just hits me sometimes that she’s gone. I miss her. She was so good to us. Always.” Hope’s voice broke. “She transformed my whole life with this inheritance. And Ella’s as well.”
“I wish I’d known her.” It gutted him that he hadn’t been given the chance. His father could have made it happen, but he hadn’t seized the opportunity to meet his birth mother. It still bothered Grayson that his father’s choices had affected him as well. Lately, he’d been praying to find a way to bridge the gap between himself and his father. But he didn’t have the slightest clue as to how to make it happen.
Hope smiled at him, sending him into orbit. “Miss Hattie would have loved you, Grayson.”
“You think so?” he asked, feeling flattered by Hope’s words.
Hope smiled at him. “I know so. She would have loved your cheeky smile and your sense of humor. She liked the unexpected. That’s definitely you, Grayson Holloway.”
“I hope that’s a good thing,” he said in a slightly flirty tone. He was curious to see if Hope’s opinion of him had vastly changed.
Hope shrugged. “We don’t really know each other that well, so I can’t really answer that question.”
“How about we change all that? Go out with me. We no longer have a conflict of interest.” One of the key aspects of his personality was persistence. He wanted to go out with Hope. He wasn’t going to give up on the feelings brewing between them. Grayson didn’t know why or how it had happened, but Hope now occupied a great percentage of his thoughts. He suspected there might be a real connection between them. Now he just had to convince Hope of that fact.
“I don’t really date a lot,” Hope admitted. “Not since Ella was born. I’m a little rusty.” She was fidgeting with her necklace and not looking him squarely in the eye. Could it be that feisty Hope was nervous about dating him?
Hearing Hope admit she hadn’t dated in quite some time made him feel protective of her. Had someone broken her heart? Had she given up on love? Or had she simply immersed herself in motherhood so deeply she’d given up on romance?
“How about I swing by and pick you up on Saturday mid-morning? Eleven o’clock or so. Can you get a sitter? We can make it something real casual. No pressure.” Something told him Hope was like a deer. One false move on his part and she would scamper off into the woods. Intuition told him she’d had some bad experiences in the romance department. Perhaps due to Ella’s father.
“I can get a sitter,” she conceded. “But it’s probably best if we just view this as friends getting together. I’m not ready for a date.”
“Sounds good to me,” he said. He didn’t know if Hope was in denial, but there was no way they could ever be just friends. There was an attraction brewing between them. It was as obvious as the sun shining in the sky. If he felt it this strongly, he knew Hope must feel it to. But, for whatever reason, she wasn’t yet ready to give it a name.
It was all right though. He’d just scored a date with Hope, whether she realized it or not. His feelings toward her were way too strong to be categorized as friendship.
All things considered, today had been a banner day. He now had a chance to show Hope that anything was possible between them. Grayson was going to give it his best shot. Something told him Hope would be worth the effort.
**
Hope felt as if she was sitting on pins and needles. Another quick glance at her watch showed it was five minutes until Grayson would be arriving to pick her up. Her parents had come over earlier and taken Ella to an outing at a local farm. Although things had never been perfect between Hope and her parents, she was beginning to appreciate them more and more every day. They were gentle and loving toward Ella. And despite the circumstances of Ella’s birth, they had been supportive of her. It didn’t change the fact that her childhood had been lonely and a bit isolated. But her parents were trying to support her now and she thanked God they were present in Ella’s life. She’d been forced to put her big girl panties on and make amends with the past.
She looked down at her outfit. Grayson had told her to dress casually. In her jeans and white T-shirt, she was dressed in a very casual, comfy manner. Hope loved this type of relaxed style. It fit her lifestyle. When it came time to dress up she knew how to rise to the occasion, whether it was a fancy ball or a business meeting. But the truth was she preferred to be low-key in her attire. Jeans. Yoga pants. Plaid button down shirts. Pull-over sweaters.
When the knock sounded on her door, Hope felt her pulse quicken. She couldn’t deny the feeling of excitement racing through her veins. It had been a long time since she’d been excited to spend time with a member of the opposite sex. Ross had taken so much away from her—confidence, her innocence and the ability to view the world with optimism.
Lord, please let me have an open heart. I owe it to myself and to Ella. Grayson may not be my rainbow at the end of the storm, but he might just be someone special in my life.
Hope pulled the door open and greeted Grayson with a warm smile. As usual, his magnetic presence caused a reaction. This time her stomach swirled with butterflies. She placed her hand on her belly, hoping to settle it down a bit.
