Randy woke with a start. Was he too late?
For what?
The wedding. Right. He sat up, stretched his arms over his head and went downstairs with Ned to start the coffee.
The sun was starting to rise. Looked like it was going to be a nice day for Sawyer to marry Tess.
“Did you sleep okay, boy? I’m sure glad you stayed with me last night.” He bent down to give Ned a thorough petting. By the time he finished, the dog was positively smiling as his tongue lolled.
He filled the food bowl and gave him fresh water. Then he poured himself a cup of coffee and let the dog out on the deck with him. He held the mug in one hand as he leaned against the rail. A young deer, a doe from the looks of it, nibbled on weeds near the edge of the stream.
A deep sense of peace filled him.
The only thing missing was Hannah.
After last night, Randy no longer questioned his future. He wanted a full life, however long he had to live it.
He set the mug on the railing and padded back inside to find the two orange prescription bottles. He shook out one pill of each, took a knife out of the drawer along with a cutting board and cut each of them in half. Then he poured a glass of water and swallowed them before heading back out on the deck.
His future was too important to give up on the medicine. Hannah was worth any side effects. And so was he.
Ned trotted back up the steps and joined Randy. “God brought you and me together, Ned.”
The dog had arrived in his life at the exact moment he’d needed him the most. All because of Hannah. She’d helped him out of a bind, given him hope. The same way her mother had years ago.
Miss Patty had reached out to him and Austin when they needed her the most after their dad died. And all these years, she’d been an emotional support to them, always letting them know she cared.
He’d taken her for granted, the same way he’d taken Ned’s presence for granted, the same way he’d taken Hannah’s generosity for granted. He’d wanted to repay her for all the wrong things.
Yes, she’d helped him run the store and volunteered to babysit AJ. She’d helped him paint and had found the nanny. All true.
But now what he really wanted to repay her for was her kindness, the way she’d opened her heart to him, the way she made him feel—accepted, important, cared for.
He didn’t know what his future held, but he knew he wanted Hannah in it.
Lifting his mug again, he tried to figure out a plan. He’d give Joe a call later to pick up his truck. And then...
Should he wait until after the wedding to bare his heart? What if Hannah rejected him? What if she’d thought it through and realized that being with him was too much of a risk?
His brother had called him a wimp last night. His brother had been right.
No more playing it safe, hiding behind secrets.
He was going to talk to her this morning. Lay it all out there.
“Come on, bud. We’ve got a lot to do this morning if I’m going to win Hannah over.”
Ned let out a woof.
“That’s the spirit.”
Should she take a chance and talk to Randy this morning? But what if he wouldn’t listen to her? Then she’d be forced to go through the motions of the wedding with a fake smile on her face and a crushed heart.
Tomorrow would be better timing.
Hannah ran a comb through her damp hair and padded to the living room to click through the television channels. She stopped on a cooking show she typically enjoyed. She’d barely slept last night, but her entire body was keyed up with nervous energy. The wedding was still hours away.
Crossing over to the kitchen, she grabbed a banana off the counter and peeled it.
How was she going to convince him they were meant for each other?
If it wasn’t for Ned, she might not have realized it. Sure, she and Randy had spent more time together because of Austin and the baby, but Ned had been the key to them getting closer over the past couple of weeks.
Not only did the sweet dog play accidental matchmaker, but he also had the potential to save Randy’s life. Ned already alerted him whenever he had symptoms. Every moment counted when dealing with a potential heart attack.
She took another bite of banana. She’d train five dogs if it meant Randy’s life would be prolonged for even one day. And she planned on being right there by his side.
If she could get through to him...
Mom was right—she was who she was—so if Randy was going to be with her, he’d have to understand that a certain amount of prodding regarding his health would come with the territory. He might call it fussing. She called it caring.
And they’d have to navigate the issue of kids together. If she could handle the man she loved having a heart condition, chances were, she could handle her children being diagnosed, too. If their kids had it, they wouldn’t be able to take part in high-activity sports, but that was a small price to pay to live.
She kept eating the banana, but doubts crept in. Would Randy listen to her? Or was he so stuck in his ways that he’d refuse to consider a relationship with her?
God, please open his heart to what I have to say.
Chucking the banana peel into the trash, she headed to her bedroom. Forget waiting until after the wedding. It would be torture. She had to talk to him this morning.
She picked out a pale pink sundress, applied a little makeup and blow-dried her hair.
No matter what, she was insisting Randy keep Ned. It was a hard sacrifice to make. She loved the black Lab even though he preferred Randy’s company. But Randy’s life might depend on the dog, and it would be wrong to deny Ned a chance to use his hard-earned skills with the man he’d bonded with. The two belonged together.
She just hoped Randy would see that she belonged with him, too.
Randy stood outside Hannah’s apartment door with Ned by his side and pulled back his shoulders. He’d stopped by the candy store and bought their largest box of homemade chocolates. Then he’d stopped by the flower shop and bought a huge bouquet of yellow roses. If the jeweler had been open, he would have picked out a ring.
Everyone in town would surely be gossiping about these purchases by noon. Let them.
He was ready to wear his heart on his sleeve when it came to the most beautiful girl in the world—pure sunshine, his Hannah.
He glanced down at the dog. Ned looked up at him and thumped his tail as if to say, What are you waiting for? Let me in!
Randy closed his eyes briefly. God, I don’t know what I’m going to say to her. Will You help me? Then he knocked. The door opened instantly, and he stared into Hannah’s impossibly blue eyes, noting the way her mouth formed an O.
“Do you have a minute?” he asked.
She nodded. Her blond hair fell in waves and she wore a pretty pink dress. Man, would he like to hold her in his arms right now.
Ned had already surged inside and rubbed against her skirt. She laughed and petted him, bending to scratch behind his ears and talking to him in what Randy considered her dog-talk voice, which was just as goofy but lower than the baby-talk voice she used with AJ.
“Are those for me?” She straightened, pointing to the roses in his hand. Dumbstruck, he nodded. He handed her the flowers and the chocolates, then followed her to the kitchen, where she busied herself by putting the roses in a vase. When she finished arranging them, she gestured to the living area.
He took a seat on the couch with his knees wide and elbows propped on them. His right leg seemed to have a life of its own as the knee bounced rapidly. Every time he stopped it, it started again.
How to start this conversation? He didn’t know where to begin.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked, smoothing the skirt over her legs in the chair opposite him.
“Yep.” His tongue might as well be six inches thick. “You?”
She nodded.
Get it together!
“I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday.” There. Something intelligent had finally come out of his mouth. “About me making all the rules. You’re right. And it’s not fair.”
She looked like she wanted to say something, but when she didn’t, he plowed forward.
“I made a lot of rules for myself after Dad died and I got my diagnosis. I didn’t know it at the time, but I decided playing it safe and hiding my condition from everyone was in my best interests. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t plan on announcing my condition in the church bulletin anytime soon, but I should have told Austin.”
“Did you tell him?”
“Last night.” His heart began to thump just thinking about it. Ned got up and sat next to him. He chuckled. “See? Ned knows it was a tough conversation.”
A hint of a smile played on her lips.
“We’re good now. But I didn’t get much sleep last night. I felt bad—torn about you and me. And I didn’t see a way through. I love you, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I know you don’t,” she said quietly, her eyes losing their shimmer.
“But I also don’t want to be a coward, and that’s what I’ve been. I’ve been protecting my emotions, hiding behind my heart. Ironic, isn’t it? You have my heart, but because of the disease, I wouldn’t let you claim it.” He was rambling. Putting off the substance in case she didn’t like it. “I followed your brother’s advice today. I cut the dosage in half.”
There was the smile he knew and loved. “Have you noticed a difference? Is it making you dizzy?”
“That’s not the point.” His knee was still bouncing. Ned licked his hand. “The point is I’m going to do everything I can to live a long life. The medications are supposed to prevent me from having a sudden heart attack. I don’t know if they will, but I’m willing to try them.”
“Oh, Randy, I’m glad.” Her eyes grew misty. “I’ve been so worried about you.”
Seeing her concern brought an uncomfortable feeling to his gut. Get used to it. You’re going to have to let her worry about you if you two are going to be together.
Her chin lifted. “I’m going to do everything I can to prevent you from having a sudden heart attack, too.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. What was she talking about?
“I want you to have Ned.”
Ned? He stared at her, not comprehending. “Come again?”
“Ned.” She nodded, pointing to the dog, who sat on the floor next to him. “You two belong together. He’s trained to help you. He clearly wants to be with you. It gives him a chance to do the work he loves. He’ll alert you whenever you’re having symptoms, and it might give you enough of a warning to call 911 if things get bad.”
She was giving him her dog? The one she’d waited over a year to adopt? The one he knew she loved?
Why? Why would she do that?
Unless...was this her way of rejecting him?
He needed to clear the air immediately.
“Hannah, I was wrong yesterday. I shouldn’t have pushed you away. I love you. And I...I want to be with you. But if you’ve thought it over and realize my health is too much for you—that this whole situation is too much—I understand. You don’t have to give me your dog.”
Hannah gaped at him. Did Randy just say his heart condition was too much for her? That he was too much?
A laugh burst from her mouth—a hysterical, strangled laugh. She clamped her hand over her lips, but it continued.
“What? I didn’t say anything funny.” He stiffened.
“I know you didn’t.” She forced herself to calm down. Of all the things he could have said to her, she never would have guessed he’d say that. “No, Randy, you’re not too much. Your heart condition isn’t too much. I laughed because my ex-boyfriend broke up with me, claiming I was too much. So to hear you—someone who has a knack for making people feel comfortable—claim you might be too much? Well, it’s absurd.”
He looked at her as if she’d grown a third eye. Maybe she had.
“I’m the one who’s too much, Randy.” She leaned forward and pointed to her chest. “Me. You were right all along. I think too much. I worry too much. And that’s not going to change. But you know what else? I care too much, and I help too much, and I love too much. That’s the way God made me.”
“You’re not too much, Hannah. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.”
She held those words close to her heart.
“Look,” he said. “I don’t know how much time I have on this earth, and I know it isn’t fair to ask you to spend that time with me. But, Hannah, I love you. I know you’re going to fuss over me. I know you’re going to fuss over our kids someday. I want you to, because it’s a blessing to have someone care enough to fuss over you. I promise I’ll listen to you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy, because you make me happy.”
She didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until it blew out in a whoosh. Randy got up and walked over to her, holding out his hand. She placed hers in his and allowed him to help her to her feet.
He looked down at her with such tenderness and fire it was all she could do to stay standing. Then his hands wrapped around her lower back.
“I’ve known you my whole life, but I never knew a girl like you existed. I was blind.” His voice grew husky. “You give and give and give—and you act like it’s nothing. You’re always smiling. Always making me feel light and good and like life’s worth living.”
She almost swooned. But she had things to say, too, and she needed to get them out.
“I know why you tried to push me away, Randy, and I’m not mad about it.” She placed her palms against his chest. His strong, muscular chest. “I understand. You kept your health problems private to protect me and your brother from pain. I’m glad you’ve moved past that. Loving someone doesn’t mean hiding the hard stuff. It means sharing the hard stuff. Getting through it together.”
He tightened his hold on her waist, and she wound her arms around his neck.
“We’re good together,” she said. “I don’t know if I’ve told you how much I admire what you’ve done with your life—the store, the house. You’re not afraid to go after what you want. I like being with you. You mellow me out. You help me unwind. I feel like a different part of me comes out when I’m with you. That probably doesn’t make sense. Anyway, I will try very hard not to nag you about your heart if you’ll trust me with your symptoms and treatment options. I’m aware this is something I’m going to have to trust God with, and I won’t always succeed.”
“I feel alive and free when I’m with you, Hannah. I like how you don’t take things too seriously—how you tease me. I like that you’ve dedicated your life to teaching kids. I like that you’re willing to give your time, your money and your heart to raise a puppy who will be a service dog. As for my health, we’ll both have to trust God with it.”
His gaze trapped hers, and if she had any doubts, the sincerity in his eyes chased them away.
He lowered his mouth and kissed her. She pressed closer, tasting so much promise in his kiss. How she loved this man. She’d do anything for him. His strength enveloped her, his hands caressing her bare arms, and she shivered, knowing he loved her as much as she did him.
When they broke away, he tenderly touched her hair, smiling at her.
“What a summer, huh?” she said. “I adopted a dog, ran a tackle shop for a week, cared for a baby for another week, brought a puppy home and fell in love. And summer’s only just begun.”
“I know, right?”
“What do you think the rest of the summer will bring?”
He grinned. “I’m hoping it will bring a ring on your finger and a date for us to get married. My big house is lonely without you.”
She loved the sound of that. Her heart was so full it was ready to burst.
“First we need to get through today’s wedding.” She burrowed into his arms, glancing up at him. “I’ll need to get ready.”
“It’s hours away. Let’s have breakfast first.” But he didn’t move toward the kitchen. Instead, he kissed her again.
“Breakfast is overrated.” And she kissed him back.