Emma turned. Her lips parted as she caught sight of her husband. She froze in place, a look coming over her face that carried so many emotions Maddy couldn’t distinguish one from the other.
Then Emma took a step forward. She took another and another, her feet seeming to move of their own volition. As she and Ethan grew closer, her steps quickened.
And so did Ethan’s—a smile blooming on his face.
They came together, wrapping their arms around each other.
Goose bumps washed over Maddy’s skin. Tears stung her eyes as she watched the happy reunion. She put her hand to her heart.Oh, thank You, Jesus.
The couple held each other for a long, poignant moment. Then Ethan drew away. He cradled Emma’s face in his big hands and said something, the wind carrying away his words. Then he kissed her.
Silently Nora took Maddy’s hand.
Maddy squeezed it, speechless in the face of love’s enduring beauty.
Chapter 41
Connor became aware of his throbbing head before he was even fully conscious. His neck ached as he stretched, and he realized he was still on the couch. The lights were out, the house quiet. He spotted a lump on the sofa across from him. Tara.
He sat up and found a glass of water and his pain meds on the end table. Thank God. He took them, wishing the pain away. He closed his blurry left eye and read the clock on the DVR. It was after eleven. He’d been asleep since suppertime. His stomach gave a hefty growl at the reminder that he’d missed a meal.
Taking his water, he padded into the kitchen and found a plate of croissant rolls on the stove. He took down three of them, standing over the counter. By the time he was done his headache was measurably better.
Outside, a full moon rose in the black sky, and its ethereal light glistened off the darkened water. The distant sound of the surf beckoned him. He slipped quietly outside, not wanting to alert Tara that her patient had escaped.
The mild breeze was a welcome reprieve from the stuffy air in the house. He drew in a breath of sea air, letting it stretch his lungs. His gaze drifted next door, to Maddy’s house. All the windows were dark.
He felt a stab of disappointment. Much as he loved his sisters, it was Maddy’s company he craved. As his eyes swept back toward the sea, a movement caught his attention. Between the dips of the dunes, a silhouetted figure huddled on the beach, hair blowing on the breeze. The sight of her familiar form drew a smile.
He was off the deck before he could even think twice.
***
Maddy stretched out her legs, resting her weight on her arms. Her palms dug into the gritty sand. She couldn’t sleep. She had too much on her mind.
Earlier Emma and Ethan had taken a long walk on the beach before joining the rest of them in the house. When they’d returned it had warmed Maddy’s heart to see the love shining in Ethan’s eyes. It was clear the man was tickled pink about the baby. The two of them hadn’t been out of arm’s reach all night, and they’d disappeared upstairs hours ago.
Maddy was so happy for them.
And for Nora too. Her oldest sister still had a long road ahead of her, but she was in a good place mentally and spiritually. She was making plans and seemed optimistic about her future. She was going to be just fine.
But what was next for Maddy? She was jobless and running low on funds. And long-distance relationships presented their own challenges. Would she be just fine too?
Will I, God?
A measure of faith rolled over her like a wave, bathing her in peace. She would be all right, one way or another. God had her back.
“Save me a spot?”
She turned to see Connor lowering himself slowly onto the sand beside her. He was wearing the basketball shorts and T-shirt he’d worn home from the hospital. Even in the dark she could see his hair poking up at odd angles.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked. “You should be in bed.”
“I’ve been sleeping for hours. Now I’m wide-awake.” He had a familiar pinched look on his face.
She smoothed down his hair. “You still have a headache, don’t you?”
“I just took a pain med. Thanks for picking that up at the store, by the way. It sure is a lifesaver.”
