worthwhile.”
Shelley turned to John. “Mom and Dad gave us the dollhouse when I was only five or six years old. I don’t think we touched another toy for days afterward.”
Ted chuckled. “They even chose their own bedrooms in the dollhouse. Shelley made some linens out of her mom’s favorite handkerchiefs.”
“They were white cotton with narrow edges of lace. Even though Mom was annoyed, it looked lovely.”
A faraway look crossed Ted’s face. “Life goes by too quickly. It only seems like yesterday that your mom and I brought each of you home from the hospital. And now one of our babies is having her own baby.”
Shelley gave her dad a hug. “It’s scary how fast time goes by, but we still have each other.”
Ted wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.
John could only imagine what he was thinking. Life was a precious gift and, in the last few weeks, the bond between Shelley’s family had stood strong and sure. Against all odds, Elena was recovering well from her heart attack. But the tragedy of what could have been still weighed heavily on their hearts.
If there was one thing he’d learned, it was that love never failed. No matter what the future held for Shelley’s family, the respect, kindness, and patience they showed each other would weather any storm that came their way.
Gently, he placed his hand on Ted’s shoulder and said a silent prayer. He prayed for the new beginning Ted and Elena were creating—that it was full of joy and happiness as they shared their daughters’ lives. He prayed for peace from the uncertainty of growing older, for the health issues that could change their world in the blink of an eye.
But most of all, he thanked God for Shelley and for bringing this amazing family into his life.
Shelley hurried into the living room in one of the houses she’d remodeled. “I can’t find the gift basket,” she yelled to John. “Do you know where it is?”
“It’s in the kitchen,” came the reply from the veranda overlooking the backyard.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Andrea and her two boys were moving into their new home and she wanted everything to be perfect.
John appeared in the doorway. “I fixed the swing. It shouldn’t squeak now.”
“Thank you.” Shelley looked around the room. From the beautiful pendant lights, to the wide architraves and gleaming polished floors, the house was simply stunning. “Patrick and his team did a wonderful job.”
John tilted his head to the side. “You did a wonderful job, too. If it weren’t for your vision and ideas, none of this would have happened.”
Shelley ran her hand along the back of the sofa that Kylie had donated. “Hopefully, Andrea and her sons will be happy here.”
After wiping his feet on the doormat, John walked toward her. “I know they will. How are you feeling about renting your house to them?”
“When we first talked about where we’d live after we were married, I was disappointed we wouldn’t be staying here. But, since I’ve been working with Andrea, I’m more excited for her than sad for me. Besides”—Shelley lifted her hands to John’s chest—“I have an awesome home with a pretty yellow kitchen and an incredible husband. What could be better than that?”
John pulled her close. “The only thing better is a wife who makes my world complete. And just for the record, our yellow kitchen is growing on me.”
Shelley smiled at the mischief in his eyes. “You should listen to me more often. It’s a lot better than the white walls that used to be there.”
“Are you getting me ready for the bathroom ideas you’ve been working on?”
“Maybe. You did say you wanted something luxurious, though. And luxury comes at a cost.”
John leaned forward and rubbed the edge of his nose along her cheek. “As long as the plans include a bathtub we can enjoy at the same time, I’ll happily agree to anything you want.”
His sweet kisses made Shelley’s toes curl. “I’ve kept to our budget,” she whispered.
Another trail of kisses moved ever so slowly toward her mouth. “I thought you would.”
She felt the rumble of his laughter beneath her hands. “Are you laughing at me?” The smile on his face told her he was, but in a good way.
“Not many people would be worried about sticking to a budget when their husband was kissing them.”
“It’s important.”
John’s smile grew wider. “Of course, it is. So is this…”
And before she could tell him about the antique mirror she’d found, his mouth