A Tender Season (Diamond Knot Dreams Book 1) Read online

  “I do. I have…for a while now. But I didn’t think…I didn’t know.”

  “Let me explain, then.” He gathered her in and dipped low to meet her, tenderly brushing her lips with his. “Does this clarify my feelings for you?”

  “Oh, my…” Hattie’s voice failed her as Anthony drank her in with those huge, expressive blue eyes. The room swooned, as if spinning into a slow-dance of its own.

  “Are you OK, sweetheart?”

  “I will be if you kiss me again.” The words came in a rush. “Please…”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” Anthony’s touch came more urgently and Hattie sensed the deep longing that mirrored hers. Her lips melded to his. One hand caressed her back through the chiffon fabric, slipping easily to her waist. When he finally surfaced for air, Anthony murmured, “How’s that for starters, my Hattie?”

  “I’m…breathless.”

  “That makes two of us. It’s a wonderful blessing, isn’t it?”

  “Yes…truly.”

  “May I have this dance?”

  “Yes, you may. And for the record, you may have every dance. There’s no one else I want to share the music with…no one at all besides you, Tony.”

  “Come on then, sweet lady.” He twined his fingers with hers as the music crescendoed. “Dance with me.”

  They went into motion once more. As Anthony began to expertly guide them away from the bulk of the crowd and across the polished dance floor, Hattie pressed her cheek to his shoulder. She reveled in the fact that they fit perfectly together. Only God could craft a pairing such as theirs. Where might it lead?

  ****

  “I thought I might find you here,” Anthony murmured as he strode down the path alongside Clover Cove Community Church a few weeks later to find Hattie kneeling in the dirt at the garden. Her knees were cushioned by a thick neoprene pad as she plucked cherry tomatoes from a vine. Around her, plants tumbled over one another in a rainbow of color. Stalks of yellow corn stood proudly beside deep green bell peppers and vibrant yellow squash. “The vegetables are beginning to come in nicely.”

  “That’s putting it gently.” Hattie turned to receive his kiss and then returned the endearment with one of her own. Over the past few weeks her kisses had grown to become one of the many delights that Anthony savored. She removed her gardening gloves and smoothed a hand along his cheek, resting a finger at his lips. “These plants have positively exploded. God has surely had a hand in this harvest.”

  “I believe He has.” Anthony took her hand, turned it palm up, and gently pressed his lips to each finger. “It’s more work than one person can handle—even you, my Hattie—so I’ll help you finish here.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And when we’re through gathering and washing, I’d like you to come to the pizzeria with me. There’s something special waiting there for you.”

  “A new recipe?” Hattie pressed a palm to her gurgling belly and realized she’d lost track of time. The lunch hour had come and gone once again. “I’m famished.”

  “Yes, I can tell.” Anthony laughed at her grumbling midsection. “You need someone to watch over you, Hattie, and I plan to take on that job.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes, that and more.” He nodded to affirm the intention. “And what’s waiting at the pizzeria might be considered the beginning of a recipe—in a manner of speaking.”

  “You’re talking in riddles.”

  “It will all make sense soon enough.”

  “Now my curiosity is piqued.” Hattie tossed a handful of tomatoes into the bushel basket at her side. “And I’m hungry, too.”

  “Come, then.” Anthony took the basket from Hattie and helped her to her feet. “I believe I can find a way to satisfy in both departments.”

  ****

  With Hattie’s first step through the entrance of Pappy’s Pizzeria, the spicy aroma of antipasto salad set her mouth to watering. The place was jam-packed, every table and booth filled. Over the thrum of voices she could barely hear piano music that filtered through stereo speakers set along ceiling tiles. It took a moment to notice that each face in the crowd belonged to that of a friend or family member.

  She glimpsed her trio of sons and their wives gathered at the serving bar along with Maddie and Gunnar. All of the grandchildren…even starry-eyed Katy and little Renee, who had just turned a month old, were in tow.

  Jada, sporting a wave of hair the color of ripe eggplants that Hattie had culled from the garden just that morning, poured a round of coffee while Fred dished up heaping baskets of garlic knots.

  “Hi, Mom…Anthony.” Maddie turned to her and the glimmer in her green eyes told Hattie something was up. Her appetite took a U-turn as her pulse launched into a thunderous pace. “We didn’t plan to start without you, but the kids got hungry so…”

  “What’s going on here?” Hattie swept the room, taking it all in. “Who’s working the nursery?”

  “Oh, no worries there. We closed the place down because the whole town is here. No one will be doing business at Cutler Nursery—or anywhere else in town, for that matter—this afternoon.”

  “The whole town?” Hattie pressed a hand to her chest as she glanced out the window and across the street to find the gates latched at the front entrance of Cutler Nursery. Sure enough, the Closed sign had been propped against the chain link. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say.” Maddie shrugged and jabbed a finger in Anthony’s direction. “You’ll have to ask him.”

  “OK, then…” Hattie turned to face Anthony. “Tony?”

  “I suppose I have a bit of explaining to do.” He cleared his throat and splayed a hand across her forearm. “Do you remember when I asked you where you’d go if you could choose anywhere in the world?”

  “Yes.” She covered his hand with hers. “And I answered that I’ve always dreamed of venturing on an Alaskan cruise.”

  “Do you still feel the same?”

  “Of course I do. Why?”

  “Because…” Anthony dipped a hand into the back pocket of his slacks and produced an oblong manila envelope. “I happen to have a pair of tickets here and I thought we might take an adventure together.”

  “You…me?” Hattie shook her head as she pressed one hand to her chest. “Oh, I couldn’t go away for a week or longer with you. We’re not…”

  “Married? Well, I can fix that.” Again, a hand went into his pocket and this time Anthony produced a small, velvet box much like the one that had contained the tiny silver heart he’d gifted to Hattie merely weeks ago, upon Renee’s birth. “Just give me a minute here.”

  “I-I don’t understand.”

  “Oh, but you will. I never imagined it could happen, but I’ve fallen in love with you, Hattie. You are the sunshine to my darkness and the laughter to my tears. I can’t imagine spending another day—another moment—without you at my side.” Anthony dropped to one knee as he unhinged the lid of the box. “Will you do me the honor of finishing this sweet blessing that God set into motion? Will you become my wife?”

  “Oh, Tony…” A spectacular princess cut solitaire sparkled beneath the restaurant lights. The restaurant walls seemed to inhale as Hattie struggled to find her voice. Tears blurred her vision. “Yes…oh, my. Yes.”

  Anthony took her hand and slipped the diamond on her finger as shouts of joy erupted. Over the melee, music drifted. He drew Hattie close and whispered tenderly in her ear as he swayed gently in time to the music, “May I have this dance, my Hattie?”

  “Yes, Tony.” She matched time with his lead. “You may have this dance…for the rest of our lives.”

  Mary Manners is a country girl at heart who has spent a lifetime exploring her joy of writing. She has two sons, a daughter, and three beautiful grandchildren. She currently lives along the sunny shores of Jacksonville Beach with her husband Tim.

  A former teacher as well an intermediate school principal, Mary spent three decades sharing her love of learning w
ith students from kindergarten through middle grades. While growing up in Chicago, Mary worked her way through a variety of jobs including paper girl, hot dog vendor, grocery store cashier, lifeguard, swim instructor, pizza chef, and nanny. Many of these experiences led to adventures that bring humor and insight to her stories. Mary loves long sunrise runs, ocean sunsets, and flavored coffee.

  Connect with Mary at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com. “Like” her author page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

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  Stand-alone Titles

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