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  She winked at him. “How about suggesting some of the barbecue we tried or maybe even Polish cuisine for the menu?”

  “Beats snails and frogs for me.” He returned her smile.

  If he kept looking at her like this, she wouldn’t be able to resist kissing him. She needed to find something rational to think about. Family. His family. For a long time, she’d wanted Edgar’s parents and him to reconcile.

  “Why don’t you call your father? He’ll be glad to hear you’re back. Well, almost back,” she said softly.

  “My father doesn’t care about me nearly as much as about my brother.” He frowned.

  “Well, just try, please?”

  After a long pause, he took his cell phone from his jeans back pocket. She checked her messages about the wedding preparations and replied to most of them.

  Then she slipped the phone into her pocket and thanked the Lord for their arriving safely and for the wonderful news from Aunt Willow. As she watched Edgar’s eyes widened, she prayed for him to reconcile with his dad as the unfair treatment had hurt him more than he’d let on.

  Would that help Edgar reconcile with his Heavenly Father, as well? She could only hope. She prayed more fervently than before.

  When Edgar disconnected, his eyes brightened. “I learned something incredible right now. Dad said he pushed me more than my brother because he always knew I’d go far. He knew I had great capabilities, and he wanted me to achieve my goals. I had no clue. He also apologized for using the money I earned for my brother’s tuition.”

  “Sometimes a lot of things can be cleared if we take time to ask a few questions and listen.” Gratitude warmed her. “I’m thrilled for you.”

  “I can hardly believe this. He said he’d meet us in Rios Azules and give us a lift. He said he loved me. Praise God!” He rubbed his forehead. “I mentioned before that something made it difficult for me to come back to God. I doubted my dad’s love for me because of the way he treated me. I guess that made me doubt God’s love for me, as well. I projected my disappointment with my earthly father onto our Heavenly Father. I’m grateful to you for nudging me to call my dad.”

  Her heart sang at seeing him so happy. “You should be grateful to God. I had a nudge from Him.” She said her own silent prayer of gratitude.

  “I am. For bringing me back to Him again. For this journey that made me realize what I truly want in life. For giving me so many blessings. You’re my blessing, Sierra. I can’t let you go.”

  She closed her eyes and opened them. Would she have to learn to live without Edgar again? “Let’s not talk about it right now.”

  “Okay, but we’ll have to figure something out. Oh, my dad said he’d love to have dinner with both of us.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” She rose to her feet.

  Yes, she was going to enjoy Edgar’s company for as long as she could. Then… Then she’d have to say good-bye to him for the second time, and her heart was already aching in premonition.

  One month later

  Edgar’s heart shifted more than once during the church ceremony. He was happy for his uncle—he really was. The reason for his heart shifting was he could so easily imagine standing in his uncle’s place with Sierra by his side.

  He longed to make that dream a reality.

  The wedding was going smoothly so far, if not to count a waitress dropping a tray and Aunt Willow slipping and knocking his uncle to the ground. Thankfully, no bones were broken, and even the vintage dress remained intact. Sierra rearranged Aunt Willow’s slightly messed-up hairdo, and all went back to normal.

  The reception at The Café later looked splendid, with the menu including lobster and barbecue ribs with thankfully no snails on the side. His uncle spared no expense, but the joy on the older man’s face suggested it was worth it.

  Edgar refilled Sierra’s glass with apple cider.

  She smiled up at him. “I’m so glad Aunt Willow found the man who was meant for her.”

  Oh, how much he loved that smile!

  After a few toasts, when things were calming down, Edgar drew a deep breath for courage and got up from his chair. Now or never. “Dear Uncle, I love you very much. I wish you and your new wife many years filled with happiness and joy. I do want the permission to steal your thunder today.”

  Aunt Willow’s new husband nodded. “Go ahead.”

  Edgar left the table, fished a small black velvet box from his pocket, and dropped on one knee in front of Sierra.

  Her eyes widened.

  He opened the box, and a ring with a diamond sparkled inside. Her favorite cut. He knew her well enough to know the kind of ring she wanted. He didn’t know whether she’d say yes, and his heart hammered.

  He looked up at her. “Sierra Knightley, I’ll be honest. Sometimes you irritate me.”

  She gasped, and a few awkward chuckles followed her gasp.

  Oh no.

  What was he saying?

  “But I can’t live without you irritating me. I can’t live without your laughter, your overwhelming love for animals and your family—Okay, I should’ve said family first.…” He coughed a little.

  Now more than a few chuckles skittered around him. Where was his usual confidence? His palms grew clammy.

  Smiling, Sierra gave him an encouraging nod.

  Her silent support made it easier to breathe and continue. “This is the most important moment of my life. Uncle, I know it’s your wedding. But considering the first time we met after years apart Sierra nearly knocked me unconscious with a paperweight, I figured I’d be safer asking her in a public place.”

  Now, full-blown laughter followed his words.

  Sierra lifted her chin. “I took him for a thief.”

  This was happening.

  This was real.

  Of course, if he’d ever get to the actual proposal part and if she said yes.

  Lord, please help me.

  He took another deep breath. “I don’t know whether I can survive the rest of my life with you”—he had to wait until a few more chuckles quieted down—“but I can’t imagine my life any other way.”

  “Dude, tell her you love her!” somebody from the right shouted.

  “Of course!” Edgar slapped himself on his forehead, thankfully, not with the hand with which he held the ring box. “But isn’t it obvious? Sierra, I love you so much. I think I loved you since the time I was seven and moved into our neighborhood. You walked down the street, holding a puppy.”

  His heart squeezed, sending a whoosh of blood to his head. She’d once told him she remembered that day, too, when she’d met her prim and proper neighbor in ironed black slacks and a white shirt. She’d thought no way he was the kind of kid she could play with. Couldn’t some other family have moved into the for-sale house?

  Then things … changed.

  The picture was so vivid in his memory as if it were yesterday. “The wind played with your red hair, which looked tangled and messy and had a few hay straws stuck in it. Your knees just below your fluffy pink skirt were scratched, and specks of dirt spotted your elbows. Similar specks of dirt covered the puppy’s chocolate-hued fir.”

  She nodded. “It took a while to get the poor thing from the mud puddle.”

  “Your blue eyes were shining brightly, and there was so much love and tenderness in them. I became lost in your eyes then. I’m lost in your eyes now. I want to be forever lost in your eyes. I’ll find a way to make my life in Rios Azules because I want to be where you are. Will you take this ring? Will you marry me?”

  Aunt Willow sniffled. “That was beautiful. Just the way I dreamed it was going to be for you, Sierra.”

  “Girl, if you don’t marry this guy, I will,” Sierra’s sister said while cradling the child.

  Sierra squared her shoulders. “You had me wait for so long.” She closed her eyes as if trying to prevent tears from spilling. “You had me wait for so long. I imagined saying yes to your proposal so many times in my dreams. My second, third, my t
housandth yes. You hadn’t asked me for years, and I decided it wasn’t meant to be. I should say no.”

  Everybody gasped.

  Edgar’s heart tumbled to the ground.

  “But I can’t. I love you too much for that.” A beautiful smile lit up her face. “I didn’t fall in love the moment I saw you. It was when you helped me bathe that puppy and held it while I bandaged its paw that a new feeling grew inside me. You’re the man for me. You’ll always be. You have the second, third, thousandth yes from me. Of course, I’ll marry you.”

  Applause erupted around them. He slipped the ring on her finger, then lifted her and whirled around, barely able to believe his dream was about to come true.

  As he finally placed her on the ground, she flung her arms around his neck as if not caring about the audience. A wave of elation sweeping him up, he hugged her gently.

  When he let her go, he had difficulty thinking rationally. Then some things filtered through his mental fog as they took their seats at the table again. “I might have to look for a job in McAllen, but I can handle a long daily commute.”

  She shook her head, sending her auburn strands flying around her lovely face. “You won’t need to leave your job. I got accepted at one of the Houston universities. They are going to give me credit for the classes I’ve done already. I’m turning in my two-week notice and moving to Houston. I already talked to my parents, and they agreed it was time for me to do what I wanted with my life. I prayed a lot about it, and it’s time for me to follow God’s guidance for real.”

  Joy filled him. “This is incredible!”

  “Well, you might not be so happy when you learn my pets move with me.” She studied him.

  He grinned at her. “I figured they were part of the package. I’ll love them as my own.”

  “Even cats?” She narrowed her eyes.

  He didn’t even blink. “Even cats.”

  “I knew you were a keeper.” She sighed contentedly. “But you won’t have to make that generous gesture. Aunt Willow adores my cats so much she decided to adopt them. Traitors, they seem to love her as much as they love me.”

  He’d better ask. “Does my uncle know?”

  “Yes.” She laced her fingers through his. “Isn’t it a sign of true love that he accepted her with cats?”

  “It certainly is.” He nodded with enthusiasm as her touch sent a wonderful current through him.

  “I realized God gives us many opportunities. But we can find many excuses not to follow our dreams. I was upset with God because I prayed so much to be with you, to become a veterinarian, and neither one was happening for me. But while praying is very important and we do need to pray, we also need to do our part. Okay, I do love my family very much. But I believe I helped them enough that I can visit them as often as possible and love them from a distance.”

  He nodded his agreement. “By the way, what do you think about going to Poland for our honeymoon? We just received not one but two wedding invitations from there.”

  “I’d be thrilled to go there again and explore it properly. It’ll forever be the place for me where I realized I never stopped loving you.” Then her eyes widened. “Two weddings… Agnieszka and Bartek? And her sister? I know you made it good on your promise to help Agata with the wedding. That was kind of you.”

  Trying not to show how much her praise meant to him, he shrugged nonchalantly. “As you often say, it was the right thing to do.”

  “Oh, I received a text from the trucker, Brock. Miranda said yes to going out with him and was impressed with chocolate strawberries and his song. They are seeing each other regularly now. Guess what?” She leaned to him.

  He’d never get tired of being close to her. Oh, she asked him something. “Let me see. Brock wants to pop the question and needs our help to know how to do it?”

  She wiggled her finger at him. “Not fair! You weren’t supposed to guess.”

  “I’m so happy, my gorgeous fiancée, that I want everybody around me to be happy. We’d better come up with some great ideas for the romantic proposal. Um, something tells me my speech might not be the best example to use.”

  Her face lit up. “On the contrary. I think it was perfect. Perfect for me. The Lord meant us for each other.”

  “I wish I realized it sooner.” He barely resisted the urge to hug her again. “I’m so happy you said yes.”

  “Thank You, Lord, for giving me a second chance with Edgar,” she whispered.

  “Thank You, Lord,” Edgar echoed.

  Two months later

  Flanked by her parents, Sierra’s heart swelled as she walked down the aisle in the church she’d attended since she’d been a little girl. While she lived in Houston now, they agreed the wedding should be in their hometown.

  This was the day she’d dreamed of for so many years.

  She was finally to marry Edgar Delaney!

  As she moved slowly toward the man she’d loved for so long and their future together, her heartbeat became a staccato.

  She did send the dress to London Hutchins for alterations, after all, and it came back just the way she’d wanted. The fluffy skirt had been removed, and the original lace, embroidery, and pearls sparkled in the light. The long lace sleeves and the embroidered top had been fitted to Sierra’s slim frame from Aunt Willow’s rather ample figure.

  Walking near the pews, Sierra smiled at Aunt Willow, who was glowing by Edgar’s uncle’s side. Married life agreed with Aunt Willow—she seemed to feel better than she had in decades and, much to her husband’s chagrin, talked about adopting more cats.

  As Sierra moved farther down the aisle, she waved to Agnieszka and the attractive young man with a dark mustache and beard, who Sierra assumed was Bartek. They’d made it here all the way from Poland, and Sierra sent them a grateful smile.

  A similar smile went to the now-engaged Brock and Miranda. The petite woman beamed at him.

  Then all she could think about was Edgar, who looked at her with so much love it stole her breath.

  When she took her place by the man she loved with all her heart, she repeated the words she’d said the day he’d proposed, “Thank You, Lord, for giving me a second chance with Edgar.”

  “Thank You, Lord,” Edgar echoed.

  The End

  My prayer is that Season of Surprises will encourage you in your walk with Christ and will help you feel the abundant love God has for us. I pray that you’ll find the path God has meant for you even before you were born and that your life is filled with love and happiness.

  Season of Surprises is a story of love, faith, and second chances. Edgar realizes we receive many second chances, in personal and professional lives, and first and foremost, in our relationship with God. He eventually accepts those chances. While Sierra accepts second chances in the end, she has doubts initially. She thinks that, if the things didn’t work out between her and Edgar, maybe God didn’t mean them for each other.

  1. Do you agree that God gives us second chances? Or do you think that if something didn’t happen the first time, it wasn’t meant to be?

  Sierra postpones and then nearly gives up pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian because her relatives always need something from her.

  2. Do you agree with Edgar that God gives us talents and abilities for a reason? Do you remember the parable about the buried talent and think it can be applied in this case? Or do you agree with Sierra’s decision in the beginning of this book that family obligations come before our own goals?

  Sierra’s family constantly throws tasks at her so she drops everything to run to the rescue. As Christians, we should help others. We shouldn’t refuse their requests.

  3. Is helping everybody (even those who are unwilling to help themselves) always the right thing to do? As Christians, how do we draw the line if some people take advantage of our kindness for years?

  Prayer is extremely important in our lives. It’s our conversation with God, an essential part of our relationship with the Lord. Praye
r plays a great role in Sierra’s life. However, for years she feels God isn’t answering her prayers about becoming a veterinarian and marrying Edgar.

  4. Do you ever feel that you pray and pray and pray and still nothing happens? Does it make you feel discouraged? Do you agree with Edgar that, once we feel we know God’s guidance, we should do our part in following it?

  Sierra realizes she was so stuck in her routine life that it made it difficult for her to uproot everything and risk failure. She prayed to God for guidance, but she didn’t follow God’s guidance because she was scared to take that risk.

  5. Does the possibility of failure ever stop you from reaching for the wonderful things God might’ve meant for you? What do you do about it?

  Edgar’s estranged relationship with his father affected his relationship with God.

  6. Have your hurts from your family members and/or loved ones ever affected your relationship with the Lord, our Heavenly Father? What have you done to reconcile those relationships?

  www.alexaverde.com

  Alexa Verde writes faith-filled romances and mysteries to warm your heart. She has had 200 short stories, articles, and poems published in the five languages that she speaks. She has bachelor’s degrees in English and Spanish, a master’s in Russian, and enjoys writing about characters with diverse cultures. She’s worn the hats of reporter, teacher, translator, model (even one day counts!), caretaker, and secretary, but thinks that the writer’s hat suits her the best.

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  Contemporary Christian Romance