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September 1998
Hope Matthews cradled her doll baby in her arms, making cooing noises to settle her down. She loved doll babies. They were so sweet and loveable. They needed her. She was their Mama. They didn’t laugh at her. They didn’t ignore her. They belonged to her. And she loved playing with them almost as much as her five best friends—Morgan, Olivia, Callie, Fancy and Charlotte.
She was so angry. Daddy had told her this morning she was too old to play with dolls. She was only ten-years-old. And what did it matter anyway? There weren’t rules about how old you had to be to love dolls. It made upset just to think about it. Mama hadn’t said a word to correct him either. She’d just stood there with her arms crossed over her chest and nodding her head.
She loved her Mama and Daddy. And most times she knew they loved her. But the problem was, they loved each other more than they loved her. They put each other first. One of these days, maybe she would be first. Maybe then she wouldn’t feel so all alone.
Holding her baby doll tightly in her arms made the loneliness go away. She was sitting in her backyard in the little house her grandmother had built for her. It was a mini version of the house her grandma lived in. Her nana’s house was beautiful, white and three stories, with big columns. She’d tucked herself away where nobody could find her. Not that they were really looking for her. She wasn’t important. She wished she didn’t always feel so small. So invisible.
Whenever she went over to Savannah House, Miss Hattie reminded her to speak up. “Don’t ever lose your voice.” She was trying to use her voice, but no one seemed to be listening. Except Miss Hattie, her very best friends and her doll babies. They always heard her loud and clear. She was her best self when she was around them.
“When I grow up I’m going to have lots and lots of babies. I’m going to find a husband who’ll love me better than anybody.” Hope wiped away the hot tears streaming down her face. “I’ll be first. Always.”
She just wanted to be loved. And love in return. She wanted to be someone’s entire world.
Hope didn’t think that was too much to ask.
Maybe then this feeling in the pit of her stomach would go away.
God. Can you listen for a moment? I know you’re a mighty powerful God. You can do anything. And when I go to church and hear the gospel, I feel like I can do anything. In your name. Can you please send me somebody who’ll love me no matter what? Maybe not right now because I’m still a little girl and all. But someday. And if you could make him someone I can swoon over, that would be nice too.
To have and to hold. From this day forward. Till death do us part. She remembered hearing those beautiful words at her cousin Abigail’s fairytale wedding. There hadn’t been a dry eye in the church. That’s what she wanted. A love like that.
“You never know when someone extraordinary is going to come into your life. God works in mysterious ways.” Pearl Lucas
Chapter One
Tybee Island, Georgia
Hope Matthews wiped the sleep from her eyes and trudged over to her daughter’s crib in the next room. Last night had been a real beast. Ella had been running a nasty fever. As a result, she’d screamed and fussed throughout the night. Hope leaned over and scooped her daughter up from her crib, quickly testing her temperature with the back of her hand.
“Thank you, Lord,” she said, uttering a sigh of relief that Ella’s forehead was cool. She couldn’t even put into words how frightened she’d been last night as her baby’s temperature kept climbing higher and higher. Being a single mother and dealing with the stress all by herself had reached a breaking point last night. Thankfully, the morning had brought peace for both of them.
“Good morning, Ella,” she cooed. “I’m so glad you feel better today. Let’s go get some breakfast.” She carried Ella on her hip as she walked down the hall toward her warm, cozy kitchen. Hope looked around her, letting out a sigh as she admired her surroundings. This cottage had been the perfect solution to her housing problem. Living with her parents had been problematic due to their continued insistence on knowing the identity of Ella’s father. Their curiosity had culminated in a showdown where they had accused her of having a relationship with a married man. Horrified by their incorrect assumption, Hope had moved out lock, stock and barrel with Ella. Her parents had been close to the truth, but they had been wrong in one major way. Hope had no idea Ross was married throughout their relationship. She would never have knowingly been a party to adultery.
Callie Duvall Holden—one of her best friends and co-owners of Savannah House—had been living in the cottage until her marriage to the love of her life, Jax Holden. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Now Hope lived a stone’s throw away from Savannah House where she worked as a fitness instructor and gardening specialist.
Hope, along with five of her closest friends, had been the recipient of a very generous inheritance from their mentor, Miss Hattie Alexander. At the reading of Miss Hattie’s will, Hope had been shocked to discover she was suddenly a co-owner of the legendary bed and breakfast, Savannah House. Once owned by Miss Hattie’s parents, the resort had been a haven for folks looking for rest, relaxation, a picturesque setting and all the creature comforts a person could ever want.
Hope still couldn’t believe her good fortune. It had come at a time when she had been considering a return to Savannah after a lengthy absence. Hope had come back with baby Ella in tow, shocking everyone in town, most especially her five dearest friends—Callie, Olivia Renault Rawlings, Fancy Tolliver Duvall, Charlotte Duvall and Morgan Lucas Duvall.
Thankfully, none of the women had pressed her about Ella’s father. They knew her well enough to know that she would tell them everything in due time.
With funds bequeathed to them by Miss Hattie, renovations had been made on the resort, making it more modern without losing any of its vintage appeal. The reboot of Savannah House was a resounding success. The inn was booked for months in advance and the summer bookings were completely full. It made Hope want to dance and twirl around like in her ballerina days.
Hope loved early mornings at her cozy little cottage. Ella was such a happy little girl and she loved breakfast time. As Hope spooned baby food into Ella’s little mouth she giggled at the ridiculous amount of food on her daughter’s chin. These were some of the best moments in her entire life, Hope reali
zed. Ella hadn’t been planned. Hope had never imagined in her wildest dreams giving birth to a child as an unmarried woman. But she had made mistakes in her past. Ella’s father was a big old honking mistake. But Ella wasn’t. She was the single best thing in her world. And no matter how much she regretted ever looking twice at Ella’s father, Hope could never regret her sweet cherub.
A loud rapping on her door immediately drew her attention away from Ella’s breakfast. Knowing her daughter was only playing with her food at this point, Hope lifted her up and placed her in the pack and play in the living room.
“I’ll be back in a jiffy, sweetness,” Hope said in a sugary sweet voice. She let out a laugh. Why did mothers always talk baby talk to their little ones? It was sort of funny. Having a baby suddenly reduced you to a high-pitched, sweet talking nut.
Hope made her way to the cottage door in a few easy strides and pulled it open. Standing at her doorstop was a tall, athletic looking man with striking features. Hope almost gasped out loud. With shoulder-length hair and blue-green eyes, he resembled one of those handsome men on the cover of romance novels. His tanned skin spoke of his love of the outdoors. Hope prayed she wasn’t staring. It had been a long time since she’d had this instant attraction to a man. She clenched her teeth. Life had taught her not to fall for good looking, sweet talking men who preyed on your vulnerabilities.
“Can I help you?” she asked in a curt voice.
“Hey. Sorry to bother you. Would you by chance have a bandage?” He pointed down at his foot. “I was surfing and I have a pretty big gash on my foot.”
