That Lucky Old Sun (The Bella Novella Collection Book 4) Page 7

  “Follow me to the water’s edge for a little walk?” I nudged him with my elbow. “Please? With sugar on top?”

  “Now? At this time of night? Shouldn’t we be cleaning something or packing things up? Stuff like that.”

  “Yeah.” I gave him a playful kiss. “But I have something better in mind. Under the moon, if you please.”

  “Sure. But who’s watching the kids?”

  “The twins are already asleep upstairs and Tres and Rosie are playing with the younger Pappas kids. Mama said she’ll keep an eye on all of them for us. I told her that we needed some alone time.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “A walk on the beach, just the two of us.” I gave him another playful nudge.

  “Sounds better by the minute.”

  “So, this whole romance on the beach thing is growing on you, then?” I asked, as I slipped my hand into his.

  “Well, I wouldn’t want to get married here, but it’s great for a walk with the woman I loved.”

  And that’s just what we did. Hand in hand, we strolled to the water’s edge, our bare feet perfect against the cool, late-night shoreline. For a while we walked in silence, drinking in the solitude. I wanted to celebrate the joy of this special moment, to relish in the holiness of what God was doing.

  Still, my heart would not let me stay silent for long.

  And so. . .I told him.

  I told him that another little Neeley would be joining us in about eight months, and that she—or he—would have every little luxury life could afford. No sacrifice would be too great. No problem too big. This little one, just like the children we already loved, would be surrounded by family—loud, chaotic family. But this child would be cherished, just as all of them were.

  I rarely saw my husband lose it, but—considering the fact that we hadn’t even been trying for another child—he melted down in a puddle.

  “Are. . .are you sure, Bella?”

  “I am. Absolutely. Positively.”

  He pulled me into his arms and gave me a dozen kisses, right there at the water’s edge. I could feel his heartbeat against mine as we shared our thoughts, our joy, our plans for the future.

  I thought about that day when Rosie had poured shampoo into Tres’ hair. What a mess that had been. Life was messy like that, no matter the ages of your children. You just wanted to clean them up and make everything perfect, of course. But life would always present the next challenge, the next bit of chaos, the next opportunity to shower off the old and put on the new.

  Sure, we’d have our hands full. And yes, we might just have to start over again. . .find a bigger house. Deal with the financial strains of a growing family. Adjust our schedules. Buy a bigger vehicle.

  But every single minute would be worth it, because we would do it together. . .one big, happy family.

  A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  Thank you for reading That Lucky Old Sun. I hope you enjoyed traveling back to Galveston with Bella and the Pappas gang. I also hope you enjoyed meeting the Nguyen (not When) family.

  I so enjoyed writing this story. Most of the writing came on the heels of a cruise to Bermuda, where I got to spend time on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Horseshoe Bay. Though I set this story in Galveston, the breezes of Bermuda rippled through my imagination as I penned the words.

  There are two more stories coming around the bend for Bella. Stay tuned for a fall novella titled The Tender Trap, which features an autumn shabby-chic wedding. You’re sure to enjoy this, as well as the final story, Return to Me, which will celebrate the birth of Bella and D.J.’s fifth (and final) child. I can’t wait to share that story!

  Thanks again for reading. I’m always delighted to reveal more of Bella’s world to some of my favorite people, my precious readers.

  Have You Read All of the Bella Novellas?

  Once Upon a Moonlight Night (A Winter Wonderland Wedding)

  Tea for Two (A Victorian Valentine’s Day Ceremony)

  Pennies from Heaven (A Springtime Garden Ceremony)

  That Lucky Old Sun (A Galveston Beach Ceremony)

  The Tender Trap (An Autumn Shabby Chic Ceremony): COMING October 15th 2016

  Return to Me (Bella’s final story): COMING January 15th, 2017

  Have You Read the Books That Started It All?

  THE CLUB WED SERIES:

  Fools Rush In

  Swinging on a Star

  It Had to be You

  THE BACKSTAGE PASS SERIES:

  Stars Collide

  Hello Hollywood

  The Director’s Cut

  THE WEDDINGS BY DESIGN SERIES

  Picture Perfect

  The Icing on the Cake

  The Dream Dress

  A Bouquet of Love

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Award-winning author Janice Thompson got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over 100 books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children’s books and more. She particularly enjoys writing light-hearted, comedic tales because she enjoys making readers laugh. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. Her tagline, “Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters!” sums up her take on life.

  Janice lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends, and two mischievous dachshunds. When she’s not busy writing or playing with her eight grandchildren, she can be found in the kitchen, baking specialty cakes and cookies for friends and loved ones. No matter what Janice is cooking up—books, cakes, cookies or mischief—she does her best to keep the Lord at the center of it all. You can find out more about this wacky author at www.janiceathompson.com. Sign up for Janice’s Newsletter to learn about all of her upcoming projects and future books in the series. As a thank you from Janice you will receive a free copy of her cookbook when you sign up.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I’m so grateful to the following:

  My Dream Team: What an amazing group of readers and friends you are! I could never publish a book without you! (Truly!) Thanks for proofing my story and for helping with cover ideas. You gals are the best!

  My Cover Designer, Crystal Barnes: Wow, girl! You have worked so hard on my behalf and I’m grateful, grateful. You truly captured the essence of the story in the lovely cover design and I’m tickled pink, (the same color of pink in the sunsets described in this story, of course).

  The MacGregor Literary Agency: Thank you for your undying support, no matter which publishing route I choose.