The Hamilton Heir (16 page)

Dawn snuck a sidelong peek at Tim, hoping the undue attention wouldn’t upset him. To her delight, he seemed to be taking everything in stride.

They were going to make it as a couple, she
decided with a rush of thankfulness. Their differences were not as strong as their affection for each other and with a little effort and the Lord’s blessing, they were going to work things out.

Living happily-ever-after might not be without trials, but it was definitely doable.

The service seemed to fly by—even Pastor Abernathy’s sermon. Dawn was so content sitting there beside Tim she hated to have to leave when everyone was dismissed after the closing prayer.

“Bryan and Amy want us to go to dinner with them,” Tim said, escorting her up the center aisle while the other couple went to reclaim Dylan. “Is that all right with you?”

“Sure. The more the merrier.”

“After we eat, I want to swing by your apartment.”

That took her aback. “You do?”

“Uh-huh.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “I stopped at the store and bought a peace offering for Beauregard and I’d like to give it to him myself.”

“Okay, but I don’t want you to be disappointed if he snubs it. He may look like he’d gladly eat a horse but he can be kind of fussy.”

To her relief, Tim laughed and said, “Don’t worry. I’ve got that covered.”

“How?”

“You know me,” he said. “How do you think?”

Dawn began to chuckle. “You bought a whole sackful of doggy treats?”

“Two sacks,” Tim said. “I aim to please.”

“If you really want to please, just be yourself and Beau and I will both be crazy about you.”

“It can’t be that easy,” Tim countered.

She grasped his hand and held on tight. “Yes, it can. You don’t have to buy your way into our affection. Money isn’t everything, you know.”

“I’m starting to see that,” Tim said, looking around at the dispersing congregation. “These people seem to come from all walks of life, yet they’re happy.”

“That’s right. They are.”

“In a way, it’s a relief you dislike money so much,” Tim said. “That way, when I do ask you to marry me I won’t have to buy you an expensive ring like Chris got for Felicity.”

Dawn’s head whipped around. “
Marry
me?”

“Yes. As soon as we’re sure it’s for keeps, I intend to do just that,” he said. “I’m old-fashioned. I plan to get married only once.”

Blushing, she nodded. “Okay. In that case it might be all right if you bought me a nice ring. But just
one.
”

“One ring, one wife. What a concept,” Tim teased. “Wait till I tell Dad about this partnership we’re planning. It’ll make his day.”

Dawn laughed and squeezed his hand. “I don’t doubt that. It’s sure done wonders for mine!”

“H
ave you heard the latest?” he asked with a sneer. “Chris Hamilton is engaged to that
Dispatch
reporter he was guarding.”

“Yeah. I saw them together at church this morning. She was waving around a rock the size of my thumbnail. I should be so lucky.”

“Well, what are we going to do about it?” The man’s face was reddening and contorting with anger.

“Nothing, unless you can come up with some more dirt on the Hamiltons,” the woman answered. “I’ve done all I can. Even the
Observer
insists on some semblance of truth behind the stories I give them before they’ll go to press.”

“I did get an idea while I was at Betty’s Bakeshoppe a while back,” he said. “I couldn’t hear everything that was being talked about but I know it involved the Hamiltons. Tim was there with that assistant of his and Betty seemed to get really upset.
I’ll keep digging. Somebody will slip sooner or later and tell me something we can use.”

She smiled cynically. “Good. Keep me posted. I hear the old man is getting better. It’s high time we hit the family with another bombshell and gave them exactly what they deserve.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he said with a look of disdain. “I couldn’t agree more.”

Dear Reader,

Once again I have been asked to collaborate with five other authors to create my part of this ongoing story, which is book number four in the inspiring DAVIS LANDING series.

Many thanks to my fellow authors, Arlene, Kathryn, Irene, Patricia and Lenora, and to our editor, Diane, of course. We brainstormed via e-mail and worked hard to make our series books fit together, as well as be wonderful, standalone tales of love and faith.

In this book there is a lot of consideration given to whether it’s important for believers to be involved in a local church. I think it is. It’s been my experience, as we’ve moved around the country, that the most essential thing to look for when choosing a church is what’s being taught inside. Churches are full of fallible people, just like me, so not one of them is perfect, but if you will seek out a place where the gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached, that will help you make the right choice.

I have been blessed to have found such a church here in Arkansas. Its pastor, Brother John, is an excellent teacher and true believer who leads by example, in and out of church, as well as by his words from the pulpit. It is a privilege to know him.

I love to hear from readers. The quickest replies are by e-mail—[email protected]—or you can write to me at P.O. Box 13, Glencoe, AR, 72539 and I’ll do my best to answer as soon as I can. Or look at www.valeriehansen.com.

Blessings,

1. Dawn questions why her prayers for her brother’s total healing were apparently unanswered. If she were a more mature Christian who had had greater experience with God’s wisdom, do you think she would still struggle? Do you struggle with something like that?
   
2. When Dawn is pushed beyond her comfort zone by being asked to write a feature article, she doubts her ability, then surprises herself by enjoying the task. Can work be a blessing, rather than a chore? Does it help to view it that way?
   
3. Dawn and Tim come from very different backgrounds. If Dawn has trouble relating to him, as he is, is she guilty of reverse discrimination? Why is it so hard for her to accept that his family has more monetary blessings? Should Tim be embarrassed by what the Lord has done for him?
   
4. Dawn is a community volunteer. She has no trouble giving of herself and is truly blessed to be able to help others, yet she has difficulty accepting help, especially from Tim. Why is that so much harder to do?
   
5. The older folks Dawn visits and later interviews have much to offer to younger people. Are there similar interesting individuals in your community? Do you know them?
   
6. Due to circumstances beyond her control, Dawn’s life had not turned out the way she planned. Is that a bad thing? In retrospect, does she begin to understand that her path through life may be different than expected without being bad?
   
7. When Dawn is being coerced into letting Tim buy her a new outfit for the party, she resists. Do you think she was wrong to finally give in? Does accepting the fancy dress damage her reputation or hurt her Christian walk? What would you do in her place?
   
8. Tim comes from a large family. Dawn has only one brother. Setting aside the differences in their families’ finances, do you think their upbringing under those circumstances would help or hinder them when trying to understand each other? Why?
   
9. Church is very important to Dawn. She sees it as her home-away-from-home. However, by viewing Tim as an outsider, is she overlooking the basic message of her faith? What is more important—going to church regularly or going for the right reasons? Is there anyone who does
   not
   belong in church?
   
10. Family dynamics are at work in everyone’s life. Tim thinks he is going along with his family traditions for his mother’s sake until he begins to relate to a little boy. Has the enthusiasm and blind trust of a child ever reminded you of what is really important in life? Have you acted on those thoughts? Are you glad you did?