“Miracle?”
“I got a phone call yesterday from a woman in Texas named Jacinta Guerrero. Nine months ago, her sister died of pancreatic cancer and left her daughter, Amanda, in her care.”
“Amanda.” Hope swallowed hard.
“Jacinta hadn’t seen her sister Maria in eight years, but she took Amanda in and made her part of the family. They’re undocumented, so this didn’t go through a system of any kind.”
Lucca moved to stand behind Hope, silently offering his support.
Daniel continued, “Jacinta packed away what few possessions her sister left behind, but she gave Amanda Maria’s bible. That was her real name. Maria Aguilera. Around Thanksgiving, Amanda found this while flipping through her bible.”
Daniel held out a flyer Hope recognized. She accepted it with trembling fingers.
“Hope, you do know that your proposal to Lucca was the feel-good story of the week, don’t you?” Daniel asked. “It was shown repeatedly on ESPN and local sportscasts, made the front page of Yahoo!, and was a trending topic on Twitter.”
Hope nodded. “Gabi told me we’d gone viral.”
“Best bug you could have hoped for.” Daniel’s eyes had gone soft with affection. “Amanda saw it—saw you —and she said she got a funny feeling in her tummy. That’s when she showed her aunt the flyer.”
Hope brought a visibly shaking hand up to cover her mouth. She was afraid to ask, afraid to hope, even though she knew Daniel wouldn’t be here talking to her this way if not … if it wasn’t … if Amanda wasn’t …
Lucca squeezed her elbow reassuringly, giving her strength enough to ask, “She’s …?”
“I ran her prints just to be sure, and they match. She doesn’t remember the name “Holly,” but she does remember that her angel mommy had Bambi eyes. She wants to look into your eyes, Hope.”
With that, Daniel stepped aside and another figure was revealed. Strawberry blonde curls. Peaches and cream complexion and a button nose. Her father’s blue eyes. Hope gasped, and time stood still.
Memories flashed. The first cry at birth. The moment she learned to crawl, to walk. To ride a bike. To talk.
Hope steepled her hands in front of her mouth. A prayer.
“I remember you,” a little voice said as Holly took a step forward. She wore jeans and a Dallas Mavericks sweatshirt and a shy smile full of permanent teeth, the baby teeth long gone. “I hoped I would. Mr. Daniel said he thought I would. I guess my other mommy made a mistake. She said mean people hurt you, and that you had died and become an angel. So you were my angel mommy, and when I went to bed at night, I’d look out my window to see if I could see you up in heaven.”
Weaving on her feet, Hope reached for Lucca to steady her. His hand on her arm was fast and firm, his touch filled with love and compassion.
“Then,” Holly continued, her beautiful blue eyes going round with wonder. “I saw you on
“Me, too,” Hope replied, choking out the first words she’d spoken to her daughter in five long, horrible years.
Although, not all of that time had been horrible, had it? She’d had a whole progression of little miracles along the way, so much to be thankful for. Making a friend like Daniel, who never gave up—or allowed her to give up. Meeting Celeste, who gave her Eternity Springs. Even adopting Roxy, whose sharp little teeth brought Lucca storming into her life.
Lucca. Her lover, her love.
She lifted a disbelieving look to him. “Am I dreaming?”
His smile was gentle and reassuring. “No, my love. You’re awake. Your daughter is really here.”
Holly was here. Hope’s knees finally failed her, and she sank to the floor. She had a million questions about where Holly had been, why she’d been taken, and what her life had been like for the past five years. But all that could wait. Quaking like aspen leaves in an autumn breeze, tears streaming down her cheeks, she opened her arms. “Holly, can I have a hug?”
Her own warm, precious miracle walked into Hope’s embrace.
Holly had finally come home.
About the Author
Dreamweaver Trail
ONE
“I’ve never seen so many hot men in one room at the same time,” Gabriella Romano muttered over her champagne glass. Wasn’t it just her luck that they were all either married or related to her?
Earlier today, her brother Lucca had married the love of his life, Hope Montgomery, and now their wedding reception was in full swing at the new event center at Angel’s Rest Healing Center and Spa. Gabi was thrilled for her brother and his wife and the new family they’d formed. Hope’s daughter, Holly, was a sweetheart, and with a new baby due to arrive this summer, Lucca’s world was as bright as sunshine on snow atop Murphy Mountain.
Gabi just wished that Lucca’s happiness didn’t make her so aware of the gray skies in her own world.
A wave of melancholy rolled over her as the music switched to something low and romantic and guests paired off with their spouses and significant others. Gabi watched her brother Zach give his wife, Savannah, a twirl. She sighed when sexy Jack Davenport nibbled at his Cat’s ear, and again when Cam Murphy stroked a finger down the path of his Sarah’s spine while they swayed with the music. When Richard Steele let his hand slide south of her mother’s hip, Gabi turned away and gazed out at the snow-covered grounds of Angel’s Rest, standing silvered in moonlight.
“
She shot him a glare. “I don’t whine.”
He arched a cynical brow but wisely remained silent. Gabi’s scowl deepened for a long moment before she relented.
“Not usually. Lately …” He shrugged. “You’re obviously unhappy, Gabriella.”
