Forgiving You: A Bluebell Valley Novel (11 page)

Sam

“Here you go, Abby,” said Sam as she handed a coffee to her mom’s friend.

“You have a lovely smile on your face. Keep it up there,” Abby said. Sam watched as the woman she considered her aunt left with her cup, going to sit with Gemma. Abby had been the first one to tell her Austin was in town. Sam could still remember how she thought it wouldn’t change anything. At the time, she’d been fairly certain she’d be able to avoid him while he was in town, but that hadn’t happened. Not at all.

Sam glanced at her mother, happily chatting with her best friend. Sam was too far away to hear what they were talking about, but it was definitely gossip. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made so many gestures with their hands.

Sam’s life was finally back on track, and it couldn’t have made her happier. Tasks that had seemed like chores only weeks ago now were strangely enjoyable. Though she’d never liked waking up crazy early in the morning, she was starting to enjoy it since it gave her her afternoon off to spend with Austin.

It had been three weeks already and, like he’d promised, he hadn’t left her. He’d taken over the orchard, giving his parents a well-deserved break as they boarded a ship for an Alaskan cruise.

Since then, he and Sam had spent a lot of time together, hanging out at the orchard since his parents were gone. They both knew they’d have to figure something out in the future, but for now it was the peaceful break they both deserved after going through so many troubles.

“Sam, I’ve got a problem with the espresso machine,” said a voice behind her. After her mother had realized that Sam would enjoy some time with her new boyfriend, she had agreed to take on more employees. Sam had hired two high school girls―Olivia and Kate―to help during the weekend and on some weeknights. They’d started a week ago and were learning fast enough for Sam to sneak out of the bakery in the evenings after she was done all her paperwork.

“Here,” Sam said, “let me give you a hand.”

Her mother had also been very helpful in training the girls and even giving them relationship advice on the side. It reminded Sam of how she was when she was still in high school. Sam must have looked like one of these girls, desperately in love with Austin but too afraid to admit it. She was almost certain Kate was in a similar situation, but she’d decided to not say anything. After all, she’d learned a great lesson recently: if something was meant to happen, then it would.

After shaking the espresso machine a bit, it started working again.

“Do you think you’ll be okay next week?” Sam asked Olivia.

“I think so. Gemma is going to be here most of the time, right?”

“Yes. And if you can’t reach my mother, just call April.”

“The flower shop girl?”

“Yes. She knows how things work around here.”

Olivia nodded and went back to work as Sam took her apron off and hung it on the wall. Her day was done. Gemma would watch over Olivia for the rest of the afternoon while Sam had much better plans.

She kissed her mother on the cheek before walking out of the shop, looking for Austin’s blue truck. She quickly found it, waiting on the other side of the road.

“Hey, handsome!” Sam said, walking up to Austin and giving him a long kiss.

“Ready to go?” he asked her, looking even more excited than she was.

“More than ever,” she replied, a smile appearing on her lips.

In four hours, they would be boarding a plane to Italy. Sam couldn’t believe her dream was finally coming true. On top of being able to visit the country where she’d always wanted to go, she was getting to do it with the man she loved.

As she jumped into the car, she realized how lucky she was. If she had stayed inside her apartment for the full weekend Austin was in town, trying to avoid any kind of pain or confrontation, she would never have had the chance to experience the kind of love she was experiencing right now. Yes, it had come with bumps at times, but in the end, it was all worth it.

She had given herself a second chance at love, and it was rewarding her with a lifetime of happiness.

Austin started the car, driving out of the parking spot and onto the main road. Soon enough they reached the highway, leaving Bluebell Valley behind them for a short two weeks.

As Sam looked back at her hometown, she knew she would never want to leave Bluebell Valley for good, just like she would never leave Austin’s side again.

I forgive you
, she thought as she headed for a lifetime of happiness.

The End

Don’t miss the next release!

This book was released at a special price of $0.99! The best way to not miss that is by joining
Ginnie’s mailing list
! On top of that, you’ll also receive the second book of the
Four Season Serial
,
Fall in Love
, for free as well subscribing for all those amazing features!

•    
  Never
  miss the next book in a series.
  
•    
  Never
  miss a limited time offer.
  
•    
  Never
  miss a contest or giveaway.
  

Find Ginnie

She loves to hear from you guys and wants your opinion!

Website
–
Facebook
–
Twitter
–
Google +
–
Instagram
–
Pinterest

Another Book by Ginnie

Summer Spark –
AMAZON

Desperate to keep her teenage daughter from running with the wrong crowd again, Elsie Anderson makes the painful decision to leave Seattle for good. For her, solitude is a small price to pay for keeping Sophie out of trouble. Love is the last thing on Elsie’s mind, especially in a small town like Smithfield, Virginia.

Alex Becker is the star of Smithfield's firefighting department. He may be a hero, but at night he sees a broken man in the mirror. There was a time when he believed in love, but that all disappeared after he unexpectedly lost his wife late last year.

They both need a second chance at love. Will Elsie be able to overcome her fear of getting another broken heart? Will Alex ever be able to love again?

About the author

Ginnie is a French-Canadian author who decided to follow her dreams and live a creative life. She’s been writing since she was fourteen years old and it’s not a surprise that she chose this path. Being an author also allowed her to travel full-time with her boyfriend. Both her childhood dreams came true and she is ready to do whatever it takes to keep writing and traveling. If you want to know more about her lifestyle and where she currently is, check out her travel blog:
FarmBoy & CityGirl