then and made eye contact with Grace, his gaze sharpening on her. His dad was still talking, but Grace was pretty sure he wasn’t hearing a word. The corner of his lips made a slow curl upward, and Grace’s heart stuttered. She was already thinking ahead to their first night alone. To the final part of “two becoming one.” To waking up beside him in the morning and every morning after that.
Wyatt said something to his dad, not taking his gaze from Grace, and headed her way.
“Somebody’s smitten,” Molly teased.
Grace wasn’t sure which of them she was referring to, but it didn’t matter. All she could do was admire Wyatt’s masculine form, his fluid stride, his laser-like stare as he approached.
“Sooo . . .” Molly stood, straightening the skirt of her dress. “Yeah, I’m out of here.”
A moment later Wyatt lowered himself into the seat Molly had just vacated and put his arm around Grace. She leaned into him, accepting the slow, delicious kiss he placed on her mouth.
When he had her all melty and helpless, he whispered into her ear, “What do you say we get out of here?”
“Has—has it been long enough?”
“It’s been a little over three thousand hours.”
Grace chuckled. “They went by so fast.”
“I want to be alone with my wife.”
Ah, she did love it when he called her that.
“Let’s just sneak out the back,” he coaxed. “No one will notice.”
She nudged him. “Everyone will notice. We can’t do that. There’s an exit and bubbles. Everyone has to line up outside the church, and we have to charge through a million bubbles. They look nice in pictures and represent our effervescent future. Or something.”
His face fell. “More pictures?”
“It’s a small price to pay. We can run all the way to the car though . . .”
Smiling, he stood and held out his hand to her. They tracked down Molly, and in record time her sister had everyone in place just outside the church doors.
Alone for the first time all day in the church vestibule, Wyatt tugged Grace into his arms. “Ready, Mrs. Jennings?”
Ready to go away with her husband? Ready to become his wife in every possible way? Ready for their amazing future together?
She beamed a smile that she felt all the way to her bones. “I am so ready.”
Discussion Questions
Who was your favorite character in Autumn Skies? Why?
What was your favorite scene in the book? Why? Did it make you laugh? Bring you to tears?
Due to a traumatic childhood event, Grace felt unworthy to live. Have you ever experienced survivor’s guilt or known someone who has? What advice would you give them?
Grace tried to eradicate her guilt by doing good deeds. Have you ever dealt with guilt in the past? How did you handle it? Discuss the difference between healthy and unhealthy guilt.
Wyatt’s perceived uselessness as a child produced an adult who was driven to protect others. Do you feel this is a healthy or unhealthy response?
Both Wyatt and Grace struggled with guilt from a childhood event. Do you think this bonded them? Helped them heal? Have you ever found a friend through a shared experience?
Grace admired that Wyatt was confident yet humble. Unlike her, even though he also experienced guilt, he seemed to know his place in the world. Who has been a mentor to you—someone you can look to as an example? What qualities do you admire in them?
Discuss the parallels between Wyatt’s journey for closure and his journey through the mountains.
In the story, God used a crisis in Wyatt’s life to bring Grace and him together for the purpose of healing them both. Do you think God has ever allowed a crisis in your life to bring about good? Discuss.
If you’ve read all three books in the series, whose story did you most relate to—Molly and Adam’s from Lake Season? Mia and Levi’s from Carolina Breeze? Or Grace and Wyatt’s from Autumn Skies? Why do you think that is?
Acknowledgments
Bringing a book to market takes a lot of effort from many different people. I’m so incredibly blessed to partner with the fabulous team at HarperCollins Christian Fiction, led by publisher Amanda Bostic: Jocelyn Bailey, Matt Bray, Kim Carlton, Paul Fisher, Jodi Hughes, Margaret Kercher, Becky Monds, Kerri Potts, Savannah Summers, Marcee Wardell, and Laura Wheeler.
Not to mention all the wonderful sales reps and amazing people in the rights department—special shout-out to Robert Downs!
Thanks especially to my editor Kim Carlton for her incredible insight and inspiration. You not only help me take the story deeper