Trouble in Paradise (19 page)

She gave her head a tiny shake. “I blamed everyone else for what was wrong with my life. For my dismal little apartment and my boring job. For having to put off my dreams. For not writing my stories. But it was only me standing in my way.” She released a sad little laugh. “Wasn’t it?”

He kissed her with all the tenderness his heart possessed, hoping beyond hope that she would understand how much she was cherished, how important she was in his life. He would move heaven and earth to make her happy—if she would give him the chance.

When their lips parted, Shayla looked into his eyes for the longest time. So long, he thought he couldn’t bear it. And then she smiled.

“Take me to Paradise, cowboy. Take me home.”

W
hile the deputies placed handcuffs on Mitchell Jones in the glow of the spinning red lights atop the police car, Chet pulled True into his arms.

“So help me, woman, if you ever cause me this much trouble again…”

He didn’t finish the threat. He didn’t have to.

“Cowboy…” She smiled that unapologetic smile that was True’s alone. “I plan to cause you nothing but trouble from here on out, and you know it.”

Yeah, he knew it. And he didn’t care. He wanted whatever kind of trouble she dished out. In fact, he would welcome it.

He kissed her. He wanted word to spread across Eden Valley like a grass fire: True Barry belonged to Chet Morrison.

And the next guy to forget it would wish he was sitting in a prison cell next to Mr. Jones.

Shayla lifted the last sheet of paper out of the printer tray and stared at it.

“The end,” she whispered, then grinned. “I made it.”

She wanted to shout, but it was two in the morning and she didn’t want to wake the twins.

“Time to celebrate?”

At the sound of Ian’s voice, Shayla swiveled her chair around. Her husband stood in the doorway.

“How did you know?”

He shrugged. “I had a feeling you would wrap it up tonight.” He smiled at her. “So how did it turn out?”

“Mystery solved. Bad guy in jail. Chet gets the girl.”

“Lucky Chet.”

She returned his smile. “There’s a lot of editing to do before I can ship it to New York, and only three days to do it in.”

“I’ve got faith in you, sweetheart. You’ll get it done in time.”

He closed the door to her office with his heel and crossed the room to her desk. “I’d like to kiss the author of
Trouble in Eden,
if that’s all right with her. After all, I’ve never kissed a novelist before.”

She rose from her chair and slipped into his embrace, snuggling close to her husband of twenty days. “Go ahead. Kiss the novelist, Mr. O’Connell. She’s waiting.”

“Glad to oblige, ma’am.”

His kiss told her that she was loved, cherished, beautiful, and special in his eyes. He believed in her and made her believe in herself.

True Barry would be fortunate if she was even half as happy in Eden as Shayla O’Connell was in Paradise.

1. Shayla Vincent was given the burden of raising siblings at a young age. How would her actions and decisions then be different from those of someone older? In the story, how did that affect her growing up? What advice do you wish you’d been given when you began to care for children?
   
 

2. Ian O’Connell is tripped up a number of times by his preconceived notions about Shayla. How do such suppositions prevent us from getting to know our neighbors? How did they impede Ian’s getting to know Shayla?
   
 

3. Shayla feels called to share her faith through her writing, and she doesn’t want to let anything get in her way. What happens to modify her plans? In what ways have you felt led to share your faith? Has God steered your plans in an unexpected direction?
   
 

4. Sibling rivalry and sibling relationships are an important element of the story. How does Shayla’s relationship with Anne differ from that of Ian’s with Leigh? Why do you think that is? What role do age, birth rank and gender play in such relationships? How have your familial relationships evolved over the years?
   
 

5. Shayla interprets Anne’s arrival in Idaho as a message from God. What message does she think He’s sending? Is she wrong? Why or why not? How have you misinterpreted God’s messages for you? With what result?
   
 

6. How does Shayla handle Ian’s sudden illness? What does the illness do to the dynamic of their relationship? Why?
   
 

7. At first it’s difficult for Ian to handle his nieces. What mistakes does he make? How does Shayla’s approach differ? Why does she succeed where he has struggled?
   
 

8. At long last Shayla’s dream of publication is realized. What effect do you think this will have on her marriage with Ian? In what ways can we support our spouses when they’re given such a blessing? In what ways do you think Ian will continue to support Shayla?
   
 

9. In reflecting on his failures in his previous marriage, Ian asked the Lord for help with his courtship of Shayla. How can past mistakes help us to approach new situations differently? How has this manifested itself in your life? What guidance and scripture did you find most valuable at that time?
   
 

10. The phrase “taking a chance on love” resonates with Ian. What risks are involved in love? How does faith help us deal with that risk?