“I don’t ever want you to leave again.” He released one of her hands and worked his fingers gently along the side of her face. “I love you, Alicia.”
“I love you, too.”
Then, in a move he had imagined himself making a thousand times, Wendell dropped down to one knee. Not easy on the bleachers, but Wendell was still able to pull it off.
When she seemed to fully realize what was happening, Alicia brought her hands to her face and gasped. Her eyes lit up and tears spilled onto her cheeks. She whispered his name in a way he would remember forever. “Wendell! What are you . . .”
He pulled the velvet box from his pants pocket and slowly opened the lid. “Alicia, I want you to come for dinner and never go home. I want to live with you and wake up with you and raise my children with you.” Tears welled up in his eyes, too. “I want to serve God with you all the days of my life.”
She was already nodding, crying and laughing and grinning. “I want that, too.”
“So, Alicia Maria Harris”—he held the ring up to her—“will you make me the most grateful man in the world? Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” She bounced up and down a few times, shaking the bleachers with joy. Then she took the box from him, staring at the ring and then back at Wendell. “Yes, Wendell Quinn. I’d marry you today if I could!”
He was on his feet now, pulling her into his arms and holding her the way he had longed to hold her since he saw her outside his office. Alicia Harris was going to be his wife! Wendell looked at the sky and wondered what he’d ever done for God to bless him so fully.
Then he did something he’d refrained from doing until now. He put his hands alongside her face and let himself get lost in her eyes. Then slowly he erased the distance between them and he kissed her.
Nothing had ever felt so good.
And suddenly they were both laughing and crying and staring at each other. “We’re getting married!” Alicia looked at the ring in her hand.
“Here. I’ll help you.” Wendell’s cold hands shook, but it didn’t matter. The ring was a perfect fit.
As soon as it was on her finger, they heard cheering in the distance and they looked up to see Jordy and Leah, Alexandria and Darrell running their way. This was the part Wendell had worked out with his oldest son. After class got out, Jordy and Leah went to the middle school and picked up their younger siblings.
All so they could hide near the trees and film Wendell’s proposal.
Now Darrell led the way as his four children ran into the bleachers and piled into a group hug. The joy of the moment was so great Wendell teared up again. He grinned at his kids. “She said yes!”
“We know!” Alexandria hugged Alicia. “You’re going to be our mom, now!”
Alicia smiled through her tears and kissed the young girl’s cheek. “I can’t wait, Alexandria.” She glanced at Wendell and her happy expression deepened. “Truly . . . I cannot wait.”
Jordy hugged his father. “Way to go, Dad.”
“Thanks.” Wendell winked at him. “And thanks for the encouragement at Christmastime.”
“No problem.” Jordy smiled at Alicia. “I thought he should’ve done this a long time ago.”
They all laughed and hugged again.
Wendell held on to every moment, every word. He wanted to remember this as long as he lived. The way it felt to be so loved, so happy.
Wendell kept his arms wrapped around the people he loved most. God had done this. God, his mighty Father and Savior, who Wendell would forever praise and whose truth Wendell would always share with whoever wanted a second chance at life. The One Wendell would trust with his children and his career and his future. And Alicia Harris. The woman he was going to marry.
God had given him all of this. And Wendell would defend Him until his final breath.
Whatever the cost.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
No book comes together without a great deal of teamwork, passion and determination. That was definitely true for In This Moment!
First, a special thanks to my amazing publisher, Judith Curr, and the team at Atria Books and Howard Books. Judith, at the Simon & Schuster offices, you’re known as the Rainmaker. How blessed I am to be working with you and your passionate team. You clearly desire to raise the bar at every turn. Thank you for that and for everything!
A similar thanks to Carolyn Reidy and my family at Simon & Schuster. I think often of our times together in New York and the way your collective creative brilliance always becomes a game changer. Thank you for lending your influence in so many ways. It’s an honor to work with you!
This book is so very special because of the incredible talents of my editor, Becky Nesbitt. Becky, you have known me since my kids were little. Since the Baxters began. How many authors actually look forward to the editing process? With you, it is a dream. And always you find ways to make my book better. Over and over and over again. Thank you for that! I am the most blessed author for the privilege of working with you.
Also thanks to my design team—Kyle and Kelsey Kupecky—whose unmatched talent in the industry is recognized from Los Angeles to New York. Very simply you are the best in the business! My website, social media, video trailers and newsletter, along with so many other aspects of my touring and writing, are what they are because of you two. Thank you for working your own dreams around mine. I love you and I thank God for you every single day.
A huge thanks to my sisters, Tricia and Susan, along with my mom, who give their whole hearts to helping me love my readers. Tricia as my executive assistant for the past decade, and Susan, for many years, as the head of my Facebook Online Book Club and Team KK. And Mom, thank you for being Queen of the Readers. Anyone who has ever sent me an email and received a response from you is blessed indeed. All three of you are so special to me. I love you and I thank God for each of you!
Thanks also to Tyler for joining with me to write screenplays and future books that—for now—the readers don’t even know about. You are such a gifted writer, Ty. I can’t wait to see your work on the shelves and on the big screen. Maybe one day soon! Love you so much!
Also, thank you to my office assistant, Aurora Galvin. You create space for me to write! This storytelling wouldn’t be possible without you.
I’m grateful also to my Team KK members, who use social media to tell the world about my upcoming releases and who hang out on my Facebook page answering reader questions. I appreciate each of you so much. May God bless you for your service to the work of Life-Changing Fiction?.
There is a final stage in writing a book. The galley pages come to me, and I send them to a team of five of my closest, most special reader friends. My niece Shannon Fairley, Hope Painter, Donna Keene, Renette Steele and Zac Weikal. You are wonderful! It always amazes me the things you catch at the final hour. Thank you for loving my work, and thanks for your availability to read my books first and fast.
Also, my books only happen with the help of my family, especially my amazing husband, Donald. Honey, thank you for your spiritual wisdom and leadership in our home, and thanks for talking through books like this one from the outline to the editing. The countless ways you help me when I’m on deadline make all the difference. I love you!