“I’m not worthy of this,” he argued, setting his half-eaten sandwich aside.
Skye bounced Anne Marie on her lap, and the baby’s glee filled the room.“It doesn’t matter.I love you.”
Jordan’s sober voice contrasted with the playful sounds coming from the baby.“And I love you.”
Standing, Skye transferred the baby to her hip.“I have something for you, too.It’s not a diamond, but it comes from my heart.”She left him momentarily, returning with a leather-bound book.“This was my father’s.I want you to have it, Jordan.”
He accepted the book, respectfully turning the pages.“It’s his Bible.”A troubled look darkened his face.“I can’t accept this.”
Skye didn’t immediately speak.“After Glen was killed, my father tried to assure me God had another man for me.Bless his heart, it was little comfort then, particularly since I didn’t want another man.I refused to believe him and built a wall around myself.If someone had told me even six months ago I would fall in love again, I wouldn’t have believed them.”She rushed on before he could stop her.“I owe you so much, Jordan.I don’t think you’ll ever realize how much.There’s nothing I could give you that means more to me than this Bible, but I give it freely with all my love.”
Anne Marie quieted as Skye laid her across her shoulder.Jordan’s eyes burned with an intensity that seemed to reach out and touch her.The pressure of his hand brought her down beside him.He set the Bible aside and drew her into his arms.The taut muscle of his jaw flexed before relaxing.The kiss that followed was one of wonder, joy, and contentment; lovingly his hand remained to gently trace her face.“And with all my love, I accept.”Tenderly she drew his hand from her face and kissed his palm, then rested against his shoulder in a comfortable and familiar position.
The alarm rang early the next morning.Skye groaned and buried her head beneath the pillow, attempting to escape the inevitability of rising to meet another day.Jordan had left onlya few minutes before Sally and Andy had arrived for Anne Marie.
“Was Anne Marie good?”Sally had asked with a worried voice.
“Like an angel.”Excitement burned within Skye; she could barely restrain the rush of words.“Jordan was by and...”But before she could explain further, Sally groaned.
“Oh, no, I knew something like this would happen.I’m so sorry, Skye, we ruined your evening.”
Wordlessly Skye extended her hand, letting the sparkling diamond on her ring finger say it for her.
For the first time in all the years Skye had known her, Sally was speechless.“You’re...engaged...Jordan...marrying?”she mumbled between gasps of amazement and undisguised delight.
“We’ve set the date for the last weekend in June, right after school lets out.”
Impulsively Sally hugged her in a breath-denying squeeze.“I knew it the minute I saw Jordan Kiley.I said to myself, this is the man for Skye.I did, I really did.This calls for a celebration.Anyone for pizza?”
It was well past one before Skye went to bed, but her mind raced and she found herself unable to sleep.It had been hours since Jordan had returned to LA, but the lingering scent of his aftershave permeated the air, almost as if his presence had remained with her.
Skye had explained to Sally at least ten times that watching Anne Marie had been a blessing.Because of the baby’s presence they were able to relax and talk, something that may have been denied them otherwise.
Now dressed and ready to face another busy school day, Skye downed a cup of orange juice while the contentment and excitement from the night before lingered.
Thick fog, so familiar to those in the Bay Area, misted the streets and clung to the earth.The weatherman forecast rain, and Skye pulled her new spring jacket from the closet.Folding it over her arm, something fell from the pocket—it was the uncanny fortune she had gotten the day she’d explored Chinatown with Billy and her niece.With a bubble of unsuppressed laughter she took the small slip of paper and threw it in the garbage.She had been undeniably silly to have allowed a fortune cookie to have troubled her.Her trust was in the Lord, none other.The flash of the diamond ring caught her eye, and she paused to look at it again.It was beautiful, incredibly so—a promise of love.She would never know a greater happiness than what she was experiencing this minute, she decided on her way out the door.
The whole day was like a teacher’s dream.The children were well behaved, responding eagerly to the lesson plan and Skye’s elated mood.
Betty Fisher was waiting for Skye in Billy’s hospital room.
“Good afternoon, Sprout.”Skye sat in the chair beside his bed.“Hello, Betty.Are we ready for the big day Monday?”
Billy nodded eagerly while his mother showed less enthusiasm.
“Dr.Warren asked me to come to his office this afternoon.He wants to go over the details of the surgery with me one last time.Could...could you go with me, Skye?”The hesitation in her voice showed that she really didn’t want to ask, but her fear overrode her objections.
“I’ll be happy to,” Skye assured her quickly.
“Are you going to tell them, or do I get the privilege?”Sally asked as she strolled into the room, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“I’ll tell them,” Skye said with a smile.“I think they’re the only ones in the hospital who don’t know.”She cast a pointedstare at Sally, who feigned ignorance.“Billy, do you remember your old roommate, Mr.Kiley?”
“Of course he does,” Sally interrupted impatiently.“Get to the good part.I’ve got to get back to work.”
Laughing, Skye conformed to Sally’s wishes.“Jordan and I are going to be married.”She extended her hand to show Billy and Betty her ring.
Betty murmured her congratulations while Billy grinned with a know-it-all attitude.“I kinda knew you liked Mr.Kiley, Skye,” Billy announced casually.“Every time you talked to him, your cheeks would get all red.Stacy McAlister’s cheeks used to do the same thing when I was in school.That’s how I knew she had a crush on me.”
