The Forever Husband
A HUSBAND FOR ALL REASONSAll her life Hope had loved Eric Granston. The gentle childhood friend he'd been. The handsome high-school sweetheart he'd become. The magnificent man who'd married her and fathered her beautiful daughters. So how had the unthinkable happened? How had near tragedy and terrifying doubts sundered their unshakable bond, divided their loving family and left Hope aching and homesick for her place in Eric's heart?Their six-month separation was agony–their temporary reunion to nurse their injured child harder still. Only six feet separated their bedrooms. But unless they conquered their fears and reclaimed their faith, how could Hope find her way home to her husband's loving arms?
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Hope sat up in her bed with a gasp.
She bent her knees, hugging them to her in the loneliness of her room.
In her dreams, Eric had been kissing her again. And sheâd been kissing him back. The way it had always been with them. Mutual love. Equal longing.
Sheâd had this dream too many times to count, reliving the time when she and her husband were still together.
Sheâd loved Eric Granston nearly all her life. The boy heâd been. The man heâd become.
And she loved him still.
There was a place in her heart only Eric could fill.
Hope sighed, recalling her feelings from the night theyâd parted. Her sense of being right.
She hadnât realized that being ârightâ could feel so wrongâ¦
KATHRYN ALEXANDER
writes inspirational romance because, having been a Christian for many years, she felt that incorporating the element of faith in the Lord into a romantic story line was a lovely and appropriate idea. After all, in a society where love for a lifetime is difficult to find, imagine discovering it, unexpectedly, as a gift sent from God.
Married to Kelly, her own personal love of a lifetime, Kathryn and her husband have one son, John, who is the proud owner of the familyâs two house pests, Herbie the cat and Copper the dog.
Kathryn and her family have been members of their church for nearly five years, where she co-teaches a Sunday school class of active two-year-olds. She is now a stay-at-home mom who writes between car pooling, baby-sitting and applying bandages, when necessary.
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than
our heart, and knoweth all things.
âI John 3:20
To Anne Canadeo,
editor extraordinaire. Thank you for three beautiful books!
Eric smiled at his wife and extended an arm to take her hand in his protective grasp, then pulled her gently into the boat with him. Hope had been watching from the sidelines, uncertain about joining her husband in the anchored, but unsteady vessel. But as he urged her into testing their new purchase, she came haphazardly into his arms with nervous laughter and, finally, a shriek sounding of certain catastrophe when the boat rocked sharply.
âEric! Do something! Weâre tipping over!â
His grip on her arms was as firm as it could be without hurting, and he steadied her before she slid her own desperate arms around his waist.
His smile was wide. âDonât be afraid, Hope. You know how to swim if you need to.â
âBut weâll probably both drown because Iâll be too scared to let go of you! If this thing tips, weâre going down together,â she warned.
Eric laughed out loud, the sound of his voice mingling with the slap of water against the boatâs hull. On a sudden gust of October wind a swirl of autumn leaves blew from the lakeshore into the boat and around their feet.
âWeâre going down together, huh?â Eric repeated in a solemn tone.
Hope loosened her clinging hold on him slightly, and tilted her head back in time to see the laughter fade from her husbandâs eyes. Just then, the boat steadied some, although that did little to ease the rapid pace of Hopeâs heart as she stared into the depths of Ericâs darkening gaze.
âYes, youâre going with me,â she responded with a teasing smile. Then, lifting her hand to his chest, she touched the soft fabric of his shirt and watched Ericâs gaze lower to her mouth. He would kiss her; he always did when he had that look. But the waiting wasnât easy, even after all the years.
âThatâs where I want to be, Hope. With youâ¦always.â His hands moved upward into her windblown hair, and he leaned toward her, as Hope raised herself up to meet his kiss. Ericâs warm mouth moved firmly against hers, taking and givingâboth of them wanting more of the love theyâd found in each otherâs armsâ¦
Hope woke up instantly, sitting up in her bed with a gasp. She pulled her knees up, hugging them to her in the loneliness of her room.
Eric had been kissing her again, and sheâd been kissing him backâas it had always been with them. Mutual love; equal longing. She gave a soft sigh. Sheâd had this dream too many times to count. And it wasnât a dream in the true sense of the word. Not fantasy or a capricious imagination at work in a sleep-filled mind. It was real. A clearly remembered incident replayed in her sleep. Over and over. A relived moment in time from when she and her husband had lived together. Sheâd loved Eric Granston nearly all her lifeâthe boy he had been, the man heâd become. And she loved him still. There was a place in her heart only Eric could fill.
âEric? What are you doing here?â Hope had walked around the corner of a French-fry stand, surprised to find her dark-haired husband. She hadnât expected him at this annual hospital fund-raiser.
