Finding Love, page 17
“Dance.”
He pulled away and stared into her beautiful brown eyes. “Will you dance with me for the next fifty years, Delaney Jane Jones?”
She blinked. “Wait, what?”
He let go of her hand and took the black box out of his pocket. Inhaling, then exhaling, he slowly lowered himself on his right leg. It wasn’t a hundred percent, but that was okay. He didn’t need it to be in order to dance with the love of his life. Nor kneel and ask her to do him the greatest honor.
“Delaney Jane Jones, would you do me the honor of being my wife? Of loving me and dancing with me for the next fifty plus years?”
“Oh, Luke.” Tears filled her eyes and her hand shook as she held it out.
“I need to hear the words, darlin’.”
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Pure unadulterated joy filled his heart. He scooped her up and twirled her around, loving the sound of her heartfelt laughter.
“Thank goodness,” he whispered.
“Did you have any doubt?”
“Maybe.”
“I may have been hesitant in the beginning,” she said, staring into his eyes. “But when you find love, you have to grab hold of it and never let go. You’re stuck with me, Luke Robinson.”
“Hallelujah,” he said with a grin.
Philip watched as Mr. Luke twirled his mom around. They laughed as some country dude sung about stars. Seemed kind of silly to him, but his Mom tilted her head back, laughing, a whole big smile covering her face. Guess she liked this kind of music.
He looked around and noticed Pres stuffing his face with food. His eyes practically popped out of his head when Grandma laid all the food out. Figured, he’d think of his stomach first. Everyone looked like they were having a good time. It was just as it should be. It felt like a real family, the kind he saw on TV. This was the life.
Thank You, God for bringing Mr. Luke to our family. Thanks for answering my prayer.
When he first prayed to God, he didn’t know who the answer to his prayer would be, but knew God would answer it. Grandma said God always answered your prayer, even when it didn’t look like it and today was proof.
His Mom was going to marry Mr. Luke.
He and Pres would have a father again. His mom would stop being sad, and his grandmother could stop worrying about everyone. He knew Mr. Luke would retire from the Army, which made his mom really happy. Although, he had no clue what a medical retirement was. Whatever it was, it seemed to make both Mr. Luke and his mom happy. He didn’t care. Just happy that his family was whole once more.
Before his mom met Mr. Luke, he used to pray for a dad. The first time he did it, he thought he’d hurl. Pres thought it was the gummy worms and he was too ashamed to say otherwise. His read dad had been a good one, but he was fading from his memory, even though he slept with his picture under his pillow to keep the memories close. After that, he’d asked God to make sure his real dad was okay that his mom got married again.
Philip was pretty sure his dad wanted someone watching over them. Uncle D couldn’t do it because his family kept growing. First there was Kandi, then Gabe and Abby. Now Aunt Nina was going to have another baby. Nope, Uncle D couldn’t do the job anymore.
That was just fine. Now they had Mr. Luke. He frowned, feeling his forehead scrunch up all weird like. Hopefully the lines wouldn’t get stuck like they were in his grandmother’s forehead. Then again, she was kind of old.
He sighed. What was I thinking about? Oh yeah, he was thinking about what to call Mr. Luke. Would he let him and Pres call him Dad? He watched as his mom stopped dancing and walked over to his grandmother. Maybe now he could ask.
Philip ran over to him before Preston appeared out of nowhere and took over the conversation. His brother never paused long enough for anyone else to talk. He loved the guy, but he really needed to shut up.
“Hey, Mr. Luke.”
“Hey, bud.” Mr. Luke stooped over. “Thanks for keeping my secret.”
Philip grinned. “I don’t talk as much as some people.”
Mr. Luke laughed. “I know you don’t. But you have a lot to say, huh?”
“I do.” He bit his lip. “Mr. Luke?”
“Yes, Philip?”
“Could I call you something else? I mean besides Mr. Luke?” He stopped, suddenly wondering if he sounded as silly as it did in his head.
“What do you want to call me, bud?”
He inhaled, gathering courage. “I thought Dad sounded like a good idea.”
Mr. Luke’s face got a huge grin on it. Holes appeared in his cheeks. “Dad sounds like a perfect idea, Philip.”
His face heated up but he forged on. “And can you maybe call me son?” He wiped his hands on his jeans wondering why they felt sweaty.
“I’d love to call you son. Scout’s honor?”
“Nah, how about a fist bump?”
“Fist bump it is.”
They bumped fists then Mr. Luke, no, Dad, pulled him up into his arms and hugged him.
“Love you, son.”
“Love you, too, Dad.”
About the Author
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian contemporary romance author. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.
She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and their Virginia Chapter.
You can find her on her website at http://tonishiloh.com. Sign up for her newsletter at http://tonishiloh.com/subscribe.
More Books by Toni Shiloh
Standalone Novels
An Unlikely Proposal
In Search of a Prince
* * *
Series
* * *
Freedom Lake Series
Returning Home
Grace Restored
Finally Accepted
* * *
Faith & Fortune Series
The Trouble With Love
The Truth About Fame
The Price of Dreams
* * *
Lewis Family Series
I’ll Be Home
All I Want
Most Wonderful Time
* * *
Novellas
A Life to Live
A Proxy Wedding
A Sidelined Christmas
Deck the Shelves
All the Moore
* * *
Novella Collections
Once Upon a Christmas
Once Upon a Summer
Always a Wedding Planners
Toni Shiloh, Finding Love
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He pulled away and stared into her beautiful brown eyes. “Will you dance with me for the next fifty years, Delaney Jane Jones?”
She blinked. “Wait, what?”
He let go of her hand and took the black box out of his pocket. Inhaling, then exhaling, he slowly lowered himself on his right leg. It wasn’t a hundred percent, but that was okay. He didn’t need it to be in order to dance with the love of his life. Nor kneel and ask her to do him the greatest honor.
“Delaney Jane Jones, would you do me the honor of being my wife? Of loving me and dancing with me for the next fifty plus years?”
“Oh, Luke.” Tears filled her eyes and her hand shook as she held it out.
“I need to hear the words, darlin’.”
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Pure unadulterated joy filled his heart. He scooped her up and twirled her around, loving the sound of her heartfelt laughter.
“Thank goodness,” he whispered.
“Did you have any doubt?”
“Maybe.”
“I may have been hesitant in the beginning,” she said, staring into his eyes. “But when you find love, you have to grab hold of it and never let go. You’re stuck with me, Luke Robinson.”
“Hallelujah,” he said with a grin.
Philip watched as Mr. Luke twirled his mom around. They laughed as some country dude sung about stars. Seemed kind of silly to him, but his Mom tilted her head back, laughing, a whole big smile covering her face. Guess she liked this kind of music.
He looked around and noticed Pres stuffing his face with food. His eyes practically popped out of his head when Grandma laid all the food out. Figured, he’d think of his stomach first. Everyone looked like they were having a good time. It was just as it should be. It felt like a real family, the kind he saw on TV. This was the life.
Thank You, God for bringing Mr. Luke to our family. Thanks for answering my prayer.
When he first prayed to God, he didn’t know who the answer to his prayer would be, but knew God would answer it. Grandma said God always answered your prayer, even when it didn’t look like it and today was proof.
His Mom was going to marry Mr. Luke.
He and Pres would have a father again. His mom would stop being sad, and his grandmother could stop worrying about everyone. He knew Mr. Luke would retire from the Army, which made his mom really happy. Although, he had no clue what a medical retirement was. Whatever it was, it seemed to make both Mr. Luke and his mom happy. He didn’t care. Just happy that his family was whole once more.
Before his mom met Mr. Luke, he used to pray for a dad. The first time he did it, he thought he’d hurl. Pres thought it was the gummy worms and he was too ashamed to say otherwise. His read dad had been a good one, but he was fading from his memory, even though he slept with his picture under his pillow to keep the memories close. After that, he’d asked God to make sure his real dad was okay that his mom got married again.
Philip was pretty sure his dad wanted someone watching over them. Uncle D couldn’t do it because his family kept growing. First there was Kandi, then Gabe and Abby. Now Aunt Nina was going to have another baby. Nope, Uncle D couldn’t do the job anymore.
That was just fine. Now they had Mr. Luke. He frowned, feeling his forehead scrunch up all weird like. Hopefully the lines wouldn’t get stuck like they were in his grandmother’s forehead. Then again, she was kind of old.
He sighed. What was I thinking about? Oh yeah, he was thinking about what to call Mr. Luke. Would he let him and Pres call him Dad? He watched as his mom stopped dancing and walked over to his grandmother. Maybe now he could ask.
Philip ran over to him before Preston appeared out of nowhere and took over the conversation. His brother never paused long enough for anyone else to talk. He loved the guy, but he really needed to shut up.
“Hey, Mr. Luke.”
“Hey, bud.” Mr. Luke stooped over. “Thanks for keeping my secret.”
Philip grinned. “I don’t talk as much as some people.”
Mr. Luke laughed. “I know you don’t. But you have a lot to say, huh?”
“I do.” He bit his lip. “Mr. Luke?”
“Yes, Philip?”
“Could I call you something else? I mean besides Mr. Luke?” He stopped, suddenly wondering if he sounded as silly as it did in his head.
“What do you want to call me, bud?”
He inhaled, gathering courage. “I thought Dad sounded like a good idea.”
Mr. Luke’s face got a huge grin on it. Holes appeared in his cheeks. “Dad sounds like a perfect idea, Philip.”
His face heated up but he forged on. “And can you maybe call me son?” He wiped his hands on his jeans wondering why they felt sweaty.
“I’d love to call you son. Scout’s honor?”
“Nah, how about a fist bump?”
“Fist bump it is.”
They bumped fists then Mr. Luke, no, Dad, pulled him up into his arms and hugged him.
“Love you, son.”
“Love you, too, Dad.”
About the Author
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian contemporary romance author. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.
She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and their Virginia Chapter.
You can find her on her website at http://tonishiloh.com. Sign up for her newsletter at http://tonishiloh.com/subscribe.
More Books by Toni Shiloh
Standalone Novels
An Unlikely Proposal
In Search of a Prince
* * *
Series
* * *
Freedom Lake Series
Returning Home
Grace Restored
Finally Accepted
* * *
Faith & Fortune Series
The Trouble With Love
The Truth About Fame
The Price of Dreams
* * *
Lewis Family Series
I’ll Be Home
All I Want
Most Wonderful Time
* * *
Novellas
A Life to Live
A Proxy Wedding
A Sidelined Christmas
Deck the Shelves
All the Moore
* * *
Novella Collections
Once Upon a Christmas
Once Upon a Summer
Always a Wedding Planners
Toni Shiloh, Finding Love
