Dating Daniel (Cloverleaf #4) (21 page)
Read Dating Daniel (Cloverleaf #4) Online
Authors: Gloria Herrmann
Maggie, Mary’s only daughter, was the one who was also so strong and independent. She was the one who’d needed to spread her wings and leave Birch Valley, only to find that home is truly where the heart is. Mary adored Michael and could see how much he loved her daughter, and their beautiful children. He just needed a little guidance. Mary had prayed a great deal for them. Their marriage had endured a great deal of pain, but ultimately Mary’s prayers had been heard as well.
Patrick, her oldest son, was the man who had experienced something even she hadn’t. Becoming a widower, with two brand new babies, had broken him, and her as well. Mary and all of the family had prayed for him to find happiness once again. Those prayers were also heard. It took another, who shared the same grief, to reach her boy. Amber was an incredible light that was able to brighten even the darkest corners of her son. Mary would always treasure her for bringing her son back to life.
Daniel, her sweetest boy, was the one child that was most like her. His kind and gentle nature always had separated him from the others. She had seen the sadness and loneliness take a hold of Daniel when each of his siblings had found their special someone. Mary’s heart ached for him, knowing that he deserved a good woman. In his desire just to find someone to love, he’d almost wound up with the wrong woman. But again, Mary had prayed, and her prayers had been heard. Now, Hannah, a woman worthy of her son’s love, was going to be joining the family. Hannah reminded Mary of herself, and she knew that Daniel, her special boy, would always be loved and taken care of.
“Anything I can do to help?” Hannah asked, breaking into Mary’s thoughts.
Mary smiled at her. The sweet girl didn’t realize she had already done more than enough. “You can take these yams to the table, dear.”
The family gathered around the old kitchen table, marred from the many meals that had been shared. They all clasped their hands in prayer as they sat surrounding the delicious feast on the beautifully decorated table. Mary sat down and looked at the people who surrounded her. Her husband, though growing grayer, was as handsome as when they first met, and he had given her all these precious children. Grandpa Paddy was always one to make mischief, but it was his lively spirit that filled this house, and Mary would always love him dearly, no matter how much he tried to get under her skin.
Liam, Maggie, Patrick, and Daniel were her very reason for living, for being the best mother she could be. She had moments of doubt, when she thought that perhaps she had failed them in some way, but seeing them now, all happy in their lives, she realized she did one thing right: she loved them with all of her being.
***
Daniel
“God, I’m stuffed. I can barely move,” Daniel stated as he and Hannah walked to his truck, each carrying an armload of Tupperware filled with leftovers.
“But it was incredible. I have never experienced a Thanksgiving like that. We never really celebrated it.”
Daniel took the containers from Hannah and loaded them inside the truck. They each managed to get inside, and sat for a moment. “Turkey coma setting in?” Daniel teased.
“Actually, I have a surprise for you.” Hannah’s voice was nervous. She seemed unsure.
“Okay…”
“Take us to our spot,” Hannah ordered softly.
Daniel started the truck, wondering if something were wrong. Fear started to breed inside him. Maybe Hannah had changed her mind about him. Had he done something to upset her? Daniel couldn’t think. She’d seemed fine during dinner, perhaps a little quiet, but that was normal when there were so many O’Briens grouped together. Daniel felt his worry grow. It festered into an enormous monster within him. Hannah was silent during the drive, looking outside her window. He couldn’t imagine she would break things off, not on Thanksgiving. They arrived at their spot. The gravel road had been freshly laid, which Daniel thought was odd.
He continued to cruise slowly up the way. Then, as he neared the water, he saw it. Daniel’s mind spun. He glanced over at Hannah. Her hand covered the smile she had obviously been trying to hide the entire car ride.
They both hopped out of the truck’s cab quickly. Daniel grabbed her hand, and they walked toward a wooden sign with large and bold letters which read:
Sold.
The sign had been planted near a large tree, a few feet from the shore. Metallic balloons were floating and bouncing against the slight breeze.
“Surprise!”
Daniel scooped her up into arms, bringing her tightly against his chest. He kissed her more passionately than before. He had been sick with worry that she was going to end their relationship, but here she had done something remarkable and special.
When he pulled away, her lips were red and swollen, her cheeks were the prettiest shade of blush. As she tried to speak, he almost kissed her again, but she raised her hand to stop him. “Remember when I said that I was selling cookies to that coffee shop?”
“Yes, my little Girl Scout.”
Hannah playfully slapped him, “Oh stop.” She turned and looked toward the sign. “I was saving for this.”
“But I don’t understand, I didn’t think this land was for sale,” Daniel questioned, searching her eyes for answers.
“Well, it wasn’t. I had to track down who owned the actual land. I just knew this place would be perfect for our wedding.”
“It is kind of our spot,” Daniel agreed, but that didn’t explain the sold sign.
“Daniel, I feel like we started our relationship here, and I want us to start our life here. So I put a down payment on the land.”
“Are you serious?”
She nodded. “I mean, you own a construction business, so I kind of figured.”
Daniel pulled her against him again as they both laughed, and he kissed her again. They linked their arms together, watching the light wind send ripples across the lake. The late afternoon sky revealed white clouds which were laced with ribbons of gray, that now had started to spill delicate snowflakes. He couldn’t help but think, as they stood there alone, without a soul for miles around, with the first snow of the season falling around them, that he needed to build their dream house as soon as possible, because he needed to marry this wonderful woman. Several perfect icy flakes landed on Hannah’s beautiful face, and Daniel was tempted to brush them off, but decided to kiss them away instead. They both looked out the land that was now the building site of their future home, the altar where their nuptials would take place; the place where they would raise their children and grow old together.
The End…or is it?
She stood there, snow falling lightly from the night sky, landing all over her, getting on her clothes, in her hair, and just everywhere. It was dark, and the moonlight was tucked behind heavy storm clouds, the filtered light illuminating the icy, white flakes that were coming down faster as each minute passed.
God, it was freezing here. She could feel the tears starting to build up again. She swallowed hard against the enormous lump that had been remaining in her throat. Her eyes felt raw and sore. She was still in shock as she stood in front of that door. The branches of the trees that surrounded the home were weighed down with heavy layers of snow. Giant piles of glittering white stretched out along the ground like a winter comforter, full and thick. Why had she come here? Because in actuality she had nowhere to go. She really didn’t want to bother them. That’s why she hadn’t called. She had acted purely on instinct. She hadn’t paused for a moment, not thinking, but she’d known this place was safe. She had packed what she could, then just left.
Her life was in complete disarray. Never in all her years would she have thought this would have happened. Maybe it could happen other people, but definitely not her. Inhaling the sharp, chilly air, feeling it burn her lungs, she tried to calm the tears that threatened. She wiped her face, knowing full well her mascara was smeared, her eyeliner smudged. She knew looked like an awful mess. There was nothing pretty about her or the situation she now found herself in.
Gathering all the strength she had left to knock, she closed her hand into a weak fist, and rapped her knuckles against the heavy wooden door. She waited. Silence, that was all that was out here. No sound at all, just stillness. It made her uncomfortable. She felt vulnerable and exposed out there. She knocked at the door again and waited. Her ears picked up on the sound of someone coming to answer, steady and fast footsteps headed for the door. The tears came. There was no more holding them back. They unleashed an ugly flood down her cheeks. Her nose was cold, numb, and dripping.
The door opened slightly, allowing enough space for her eyes to connect with the one person she knew she could count on. Eyes filled with intense confusion stared back at her. “Chelsea?”
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About the Author
I was born and raised in southern California and relocated to beautiful eastern Washington state. The rural small towns that speckle this vast area have inspired my ideal setting for most of the stories I write. The pine and tamarack trees covering the towering mountains, the shimmering lakes and rivers, the abundant wildlife and a feeling of a time forgotten, stirs so many of my creative juices. I can’t thank my parents enough for dragging this city kid on long roadtrips up to this rugged foreign area, because now it is my home and I truly love my life here.
Reading was something that spurred me to begin writing at a young age. I enjoyed creating characters, different settings, and describing anything and everything. Storytelling, I have found is something I have inherited from both of my parents. I love attention to detail, using words to fully bring the picture alive, that is something I got from my dad. Creating characters and figuring out their story and how to achieve their happy ending comes from my mom. Then there is the smell of a book, new or old, the weight of it in your hands as you balance it open, seeing all those beautifully typed words spun and woven into sentences, this was created by a writer. I knew that was what I wanted to be when I grew up.
Over the years I fiddled with a story here and there, but it wasn’t until 2015 that I realized it was time. Time to get those dreams down on paper (or my laptop) and so The Cloverleaf Series was born. Coming from a family that is focused on being involved in each other’s lives as much as possible created a great deal of inspiration and ideas for The Cloverleaf Series. My family is one that has weathered several terrible storms and still somehow keeps propelling forward. During those sunny times we can be seen gathered around, eating good food, sharing memories, and laughing until we can’t catch our breath. We fight hard and love hard.
Romance, I simply love it, that’s why I write it. I remember my mom giving me my very first paperback romance novel. It was a pretty exciting one filled with suspense and an overall excellent storyline, she had just read it and she felt it was suitable for my teenage eyes. That was it, I was hooked. I began to devour these romance stories that varied over the years from sweet to sultry, I consumed thousands of books and stories over the years. Each time I finished reading a novel, the desire to write my own grew stronger. As ideas for books swirled in my mind, it always had a romantic element to it, and I suppose it always will. What is there not to love about falling in love and finding that special person to share your life with? Who doesn’t wish for passion, butterflies in your stomach, and that happily ever after?
As a reader, I can’t even begin to thank all of the writers that have created so many emotions for me, falling in love with characters, mourning their loss, sighing as I close the final chapter or smiling when everyone lives happily ever after. As a writer, I just want to do the same.