Jake had nothing left to lose but he had so much more to gain, provided Tori was willing to give him a second chance to make things right.
He pulled up in front of a Tudor-style home on a large corner lot and checked the house number against the address plugged into his phone’s GPS. Seeing he was at the right place, Jake reached for a small pink-and-green-striped gift bag on the passenger seat and slipped out of the truck, taking a moment to brush lint off his gray dress pants.
He followed the sidewalk to the covered front porch, where two wicker chairs with yellow cushions sat on each side of the black front door. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, he rang the doorbell.
The door opened, and Sophie, wearing a loose blue shirt with a peacock on the front over black leggings, welcomed him with a smile. “Well, now, if it isn’t the hunky country boy. Jake, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good thing you’re so handsome. I’ll forgive you for the ma’am part. Call me Sophie. Come in. I’m going to assume you’re here to see Tori.”
“Yes, ma—Sophie.”
She smiled and waved for him to follow her. “Good. Took you long enough to get here.”
“Sometimes it takes a while for common sense to kick in.”
“You’ve got that right.” Sophie led him through a room filled with plants and stopped in front of a set of double doors. “Tori’s sitting on the lanai. Go and put a smile to her face.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Jake turned the handle and stepped onto the brick-lined covered patio. Manicured privacy bushes at least seven feet high lined three sides of the long, narrow yard. A trickling waterfall cascaded into a small in-ground pond.
Tori sat in the corner at a round metal-and-stone-tile table with her knees pulled up and her back to him. Her ever-present iPad and cell phone sat next to a half-finished glass of iced tea. “Sophie, what do you think about checking out Jeanne’s tonight for dinner? Their website offers a gluten-free menu for you.”
He shoved his hands in his front pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I’d prefer if you had dinner with me.”
Tori whipped around as her hand flew to her mouth. “Jake. What are you doing here?”
“To see you. To talk.”
Tori rose to her feet and clasped her hands in front of her. “What do you want to talk about?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know...the weather, the latest Pirates game or maybe the fact that you’ve been gone for a day, and I miss you like crazy.”
“Jake—”
He held up a hand. “Let me talk, please.”
She nodded and waved a hand to the cushioned patio chair next to hers. “Have a seat. Want some iced tea or lemonade? Sophie may have a soda in the fridge.”
Tori brushed past him, but he caught her wrist and tugged her gently to him. “Tori, I’m fine, especially now that I’m here with you.” He slid a stray piece of her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “I missed you.”
“I think you said that already.”
“I wanted to make sure you really knew it. It was a mistake to let you go.”
“I had to leave.”
He pressed a finger to her lips. “Shh, my turn to talk. It was a mistake to let you go by yourself.”
“What are you saying?”
“I love you, Victoria, and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much if you’ll let me. You are the one I prayed for.”
“What about the farm? And the Fatigues to Farming program?”
“The farm’s still there. Evan’s hanging around to lend a hand, and Dad and Claudia can manage the program.”
She placed a hand on his chest. “But you love the farm. Your goal this spring was to get the program started.”
He reached for her hand and twined his fingers through hers. “But I love you more. You’re my first priority...well, second actually.”
“Who’s your first?”
“Well, God and I are on good terms again.”
“How’d that happen?”
“He showed up.”
She smiled, that dimple that set his heart on fire appearing. “Like He always does.”
“Dad and I had a talk about what it means to carry on a family legacy. He said a legacy is built on faith and integrity. He also feels I’ve been trying to offer hope to the disabled veterans as a way of rebuilding hope for myself. It was so tough losing Mom and you and Leo and Micah. So much loss wiped out my hope. Micah accused me of being afraid to take risks. And he was right. I’ve wrapped myself in a cocoon at the farm, in an environment that I could somewhat control.”
“You’ve been through a lot, and I didn’t make it easier for you.” She lowered her gaze.
“It’s been a trial, but I realized God was with me all along, even when I was angry with Him. Dad also reminded me we have to find the hope in the heartache.” Jake reached over and grabbed the gift bag off the table and handed it to Tori. “I brought you something.”
She took it, pulled out the tissue paper, and removed a framed photo of the two of them dancing at Dad and Claudia’s wedding. She touched the glass and looked up at him with a smile. “It’s perfect.”
“There’s something else in the bottom of the bag.”
She peeked inside and pulled out an acorn. She held it up and gave him a puzzled look. “An acorn?”
“From my grandparents’ tree at Bridal Bend. They overcame a lot of obstacles to be together and created a legacy of faith and commitment. I want that for us. We can plant that wherever you want, whether it’s in Pittsburgh or California. Wherever you go, I’ll be with you.”
She rolled the acorn between her fingers and looked at the framed photo again. She set them on the table, wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, “How about Holland Hill?”
“What about your job? The partnership?”
“Sophie and I did some chatting of our own. She felt with today’s technology, I can work from home and return to Pittsburgh a couple of times a month.”
“Is that what you want to do? Don’t do this because of me.”
“I’m doing this because of us. I don’t want you to give up the farm. I just wanted to be a priority in your life.”
Jake pulled her closer. “And you are. I promise.”
“There’s just one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t have a place to live anymore. You have the deed to my house.”
“Your home will always be with me, no matter where we end up. Let’s plant that tree and grow our legacy together. Marry me, Tori. Again.” Jake lowered his head and claimed her lips.
She returned his kiss, then pressed her hand against his chest. “I love you, Jake. And I’d love nothing more than to be your wife. Again.”
A peace he hadn’t felt in so long settled over him, giving him rest for his soul and offering a hope he’d been too afraid to reach out and grasp. Jake kissed her again, then wrapped Tori in the shelter of his embrace, ready to risk it all to have a second chance at love in this new season of hope.
If you loved this story,
pick up Love Inspired author Lisa Jordan’s
previous books set in Shelby Lake:
Lakeside Reunion
Lakeside Family
Lakeside Sweethearts
Lakeside Redemption
Lakeside Romance
Available now from Love Inspired!
Find more great reads at LoveInspired.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Amish Bachelor’s Baby by Jo Ann Brown.
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