Page 16 of Muskoka Miracle (Muskoka Shores #7)

“T his is so nice.” Sarah glanced around the restaurant that was often heralded as Muskoka’s finest. Alphonse, the Paris-trained chef whose name graced the resort restaurant, had a flair for cooking Canadian produce with a French twist. And even though it wasn’t a special occasion, the fact that they were out socializing again made it feel special enough.

Especially with Dan’s encouraging news from Toronto.

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

“I figured a positive conversation like that deserved celebrating.”

He smiled at her. “I think from Kris’s latest email the negotiations are heating up now.”

“I’m not surprised.” She reached across the table and held his hand. “The team management are fans of yours.”

His lips tweaked higher, the sparkle back in the golden glints of his chocolate eyes. Her heart spasmed. He seemed so much happier than two weeks ago.

And while she’d like to celebrate with him properly, her bleeding had started again, which put a dampener on their reunion earlier. Still, maybe that meant it was just her cycle reasserting itself, which meant the time for true reconciliation wouldn’t be much longer. She hoped so, anyway.

“So did Kris have anything good to suggest regarding sponsorship?”

“A few things. Nothing that grabbed me.”

“But if you’ve got another year then the pressure is off a little, isn’t it?”

“A little. But it’s still something to be aware of. I can’t pretend to be living the high life when I’m no longer playing.”

“But you’ve invested wisely, and it’s not like we’re lacking money.

” It still amazed her how different her life was now to how she’d grown up.

Strangely enough, there wasn’t a thatched hut to be seen in the big smoke.

“We’ll just have to keep praying that God will open the right doors at the right time. ”

“Amen.” Dan clasped her hand and gently squeezed.

She used the last of her dinner roll to mop up the remaining sauce. “Hopefully you can get this sorted soon, and then go do your camp and have fun there.”

His brow lowered. “I can’t believe I forgot that.”

“I can’t either. I know I’ll never forget my one and only time.” Camping Survivor- style in the Canadian wilderness with a bunch of city teenagers. There was a reason she had a vintage-styled magnet on the fridge that declared, ‘I love not camping’.

“I need to get onto Boyd and see where he’s up to with it all.”

She nodded. Boyd was one of Dan’s long-time friends who worked as a youth minister in Toronto. They’d started this camp for underprivileged youth together a bunch of years ago, and it was one of the highlights of Dan’s year.

“He’s usually pretty organized, isn’t he?” She grinned as he nodded. “Gotta say, rather you than me.”

He groaned. “I have to admit that I can’t see me doing this forever.”

“You let me know when you’d rather ‘camp’ at a place like this,” she waved a hand at their surroundings, “then I’ll reconsider.”

He chuckled, drawing her grin. Oh, she loved this man.

“Is everything satisfactory?”

She glanced up. Startled. “Oh! You’re Alphonse, right?”

He inclined his head. “When I heard that a Leaf and his charming wife were visiting, I thought I’d say hello.”

“Everything has been delicious,” Sarah gushed. “My only problem is how I’m going to manage to fit dessert in. Especially when it all looks so good.”

“That’s never proved a problem in the past,” Dan teased.

She wrinkled her nose at him.

“If you like, we can prepare a dessert sampler, then you’ll know what to order next time.”

“Next time.” She winked at Dan. “I like the sound of that.”

Alphonse nodded. “Then I’ll speak to Camille, our dessert maestro, and we’ll send it out soon.”

“With two spoons?” Sarah asked.

“Naturally.”

Alphonse excused himself to return to the kitchen and she smiled at Dan, who snickered. “What?”

“It’s fun to see you back with your enthusiasm.”

She mock-sighed. “I can’t help it. Chocolate does that to me.”

But it was good, after so many weeks of tears and grief, to feel this small spark of hope and life again.

Maybe God didn’t have a baby in their future, but that didn’t mean He didn’t have other good things.

And no, not just chocolate desserts, but good plans for them to walk in.

Which reminded her. She needed to talk to Dan about Heartsong. But there was time enough to do that.

Later, after enjoying delectable desserts that guaranteed a return visit “in the very near future” as she assured Alphonse, they exited through the resort’s main entrance, only to spy a familiar face.

“Serena?”

Their wedding coordinator turned, eyes wide as she beamed. “Dan and Sarah! Hello! How are you two?”

“Full.” Sarah patted her stomach. “Alphonse is a master, isn’t he?”

“He’s a wonder.” Serena smiled. “You’re both looking well. Here for the summer?”

“For as much as we can.” Sarah was again reminded to mention to Dan about the Heartsong tour. Not that it was happening in summer, but it might affect their plans.

“Serena? Oh, excuse me.” Another face that was vaguely familiar drew into view. The brunette glanced between them, her eyes widening. “I know you.”

“This is Dan and Sarah Walton,” Serena said. “Toni Vandenburg is the sister of my husband Joel, and our resident artist here at the resort.”

“That’s it! I remember now. We have one of your pieces hanging in our house,” Sarah said. “Does ‘resident artist’ mean you have a gallery here?”

“Yes.”

“Uh oh.” Dan’s lips lifted.

“Oh, come on. Just for a moment? Unless Toni has already closed for the day.”

Toni chuckled. “I could be persuaded to reopen for potential repeat customers.”

“Then can we see? Pretty please? I just love your paintings.”

The gallery proved to be a wonderland of artistry, with all kinds of watercolors, acrylics and oil paintings lining the walls.

Many were scenes evoking Muskoka, which made it very hard to choose.

“But we should choose something, shouldn’t we?

” she murmured to Dan. “It’d be rude to insist on coming here and not buy anything. ”

His lips curved up one side higher. “I knew what was going to happen when we walked through those doors. Besides, I’m sure there’s a spot somewhere that needs a little something.”

“How little?”

He chuckled and shook his head. Okay, she’d take that head shake to mean size didn’t matter.

But it was good to feel like they could bless others. And the painting she chose—which looked as though it could’ve been painted from Dan’s deck—obviously was the result of many hours of work, so it was justly deserving its price tag.

“Where is that going to go?” he asked, as Toni wrapped it.

“In the apartment. We need the reminder to return to Muskoka as much as possible.”

“Okay then.”

He placed it in the Jeep, and she squeezed him tight. “Thank you.”

“Is that all the thanks I get?”

She winced. “It is tonight. And for this upcoming week. But after that…”

His eyes lit. “Really?”

She nodded. “Really.”

He kissed her, and her heart skipped several beats. She couldn’t wait to show him how she really felt. In one more week.

“Thanks for doing this today, Ange.”

“I’m glad we’ve got the time, especially with the men out fishing today.”

Today, the perfect Muskoka day for fishing, according to Dan.

Their dinner together two nights ago had seen an invitation from Dan to John about fishing, which had resulted in John’s instant yes.

This had resulted in Sarah joining her aunt for afternoon tea, as Ange called it, eating scones and drinking hot tea here on the back deck of the little cottage where Sarah had stayed when she’d first come to Muskoka all those years ago.

The lake glinted through the trees, the sandy beach promised fun for warmer days, the peace she’d always found here only further enlarged by spending time with one of her favoritest people in the world: her aunt Angela.

“I’m glad for John’s sake that Joel could take today’s meeting at Golden Elms.”

“Golden Elms?”

“The retirement home just outside the town.” Ange sipped her tea. “Joel’s always very obliging, which is just as well, considering he’s the assistant pastor.”

“Oh!” The dots were being joined together. “He’s the one married to Serena, right?”

Ange nodded. “John plans to hand the reins over to him soon, but he needs a little longer, considering Joel has a young family.”

Young family . Sarah’s heart creased. But no, she couldn’t begrudge others’ happiness just because she seemed destined to not have children.

Ange seemed to notice Sarah’s discomfort, smiling at her gently. “So you’re here for the summer.”

“For as much as we can.” Again that niggle arose to talk to Dan about Heartsong.

“I hope this means we’ll see you two in church again.”

“I think so. We’ll likely be away some weeks, so don’t go planning to use me in the music team any time soon.”

Ange laughed. “They’re doing much better than when you first came.”

“Good.” That was the point, wasn’t it? To build something that persisted even when she was gone.

Her parents’ lives as missionaries in Papua New Guinea then as pastors in a church in Sydney had showed that ministry in the kingdom of God could have seasons.

Her time with Heartsong, both before the accident and then after, had also showed that laying something down didn’t mean it would be forever.

People could plan their lives, but God ultimately directed their paths.

“So, how are you doing?” Her aunt’s expression held tender concern. “Really?”

Her eyes pricked. God bless Ange for her way of asking that instantly drew Sarah’s tears. She’d always had that knack, just like Sarah’s mum, of asking in a way that probed below the surface and made the truth—and her tears—leak.

Ange handed her a tissue. “It’s sometimes easier to be honest when we don’t feel like we have to protect the other person.”

Sarah mopped away the latest spill of emotion. “I don’t know why this keeps happening. I keep thinking I’m getting better, then something sets me off again.”