Welcome Back to Rambling, TX

by June Faver

  Frank scooped her up into his arms. He gulped back the sting of tears, his heart filled with emotion. Hugging Shannon, he turned back to the bridal procession.

  There were three women wearing identical pink dresses. They looked somewhat familiar, and he realized they were the same pack of girl nerds who had been Reggie’s besties in high school. They walked slowly down the aisle toward him and lined up on the other side of the pastor. He vaguely recalled the bridesmaids as being the ones who’d taunted him as “New Boy” and “Franklinstein.”

  Then he saw Reggie framed in the doorway, her hand tucked in the crook of her father’s arm.

  The music changed abruptly, the organist striking several chords and then sliding into the traditional wedding march.

  His mouth felt dry. He tried to moisten his lips, but his tongue felt like leather.

  If possible, Reggie was more beautiful than ever. She grinned when she saw him holding Shannon. Even her father looked pleased. They strolled toward Frank in time to the rhythmic organ music. When they stepped up to the altar, the pastor asked, in a resonant tone, “Who gives this woman?”

  Henry let out a deep sigh and kissed his daughter on the cheek. “I do.” He gave Frank his “I’m gonna kill you if you hurt her” look and reached for Shannon.

  Frank gave Shannon a kiss on the cheek and handed her over.

  Henry took a seat in the first pew on the “bride’s side” of the church with his granddaughter in his lap.

  Frank stared at Reggie. She smiled, but the corners of her mouth trembled. She must have been nervous too.

  That gave him courage. Can’t let her down. Reaching to take her hand, he brought it to his lips. “Love you,” he whispered.

  She flashed a smile and handed her bouquet to one of her bridesmaids. Taking a deep breath, she reached for his other hand.

  “Dearly beloved…” the pastor began.

  The words seemed to drone on. He talked about the meaning of marriage and the commitment and about the roles of the husband and the wife. Then he turned to Frank.

  Frank held up his hand. “I—I’d like to use my own words, Pastor.”

  There was a hush, as though the entire church had drawn a collective breath.

  “Reggie, you were my first love.” He smiled when she blushed. “And you are my last love. I want to share my life with you and give you everything that is in my capacity to give. I don’t have any family left, but you are my family from this moment on. We’ll raise Shannon as our daughter. I want you both to live in my world, but I want to share in yours. What we create together will be our life, and I will be all the richer for it. Reggie Lee Stafford, I promise you forever. Please be my wife.”

  Tears ran down her cheeks in twin rivulets. She nodded wordlessly and then whispered, “I will.” She melted into his arms, her face lifted for his kiss.

  Frank kissed her passionately, pouring his emotions out for all the world to see.

  The pastor cleared his throat. “Well, in that case, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

  Get swept up in the Garrett Family Saga with this gem from bestselling author June Faver

  Forever My Cowboy

  Available now from Sourcebooks Casablanca

  Chapter 1

  “Oh man! This is gonna kill Cade!” Tyler Garrett stared at the television screen in disbelief. He felt as though he’d been sucker-punched.

  Big Jim Garrett came into the den of his sprawling ranch house. “What’s up, Son?”

  Ty gestured to the video rolling across the screen. “It’s bad, Dad. It’s the—the airstrip. There was an accident.”

  Big Jim’s jaw tightened as his gaze fell on the wreckage of a small plane. “The Canyon?” But in his heart, he knew the answer.

  The nearby Palo Duro Canyon was where Jason LaChance, his niece’s husband, often flew tourists over the nation’s second-largest canyon for an aerial tour.

  Jason owned a small airstrip just east of town. Mostly, he rented space to locals who owned small planes. A couple of companies that did crop-dusting also leased hangar space.

  Big Jim prayed someone else had been flying the small plane, crushed like a toy at the bottom of the canyon, but somewhere in his heart, he knew the answer.

  * * *

  It was a prayer with no words but playing over and over in her head. There had been words, but now it was more like a scream of pain playing through every atom of her being. Please…please… Please, God… Where are they? Please…

  But there were no answers yet. She had called every institution she could think of but had no substantive responses.

  Maybe the Garrett family… Social Services over in Amarillo… Someone from the church, surely…

  Where are they? The babies… My babies now…

  Jennifer LaChance stood in line at the airport, waiting for the TSA to search her person. She had been relieved of her small suitcase but clutched her purse and a fold-over garment bag close to her chest.

  “Next!” The security man waved her forward.

  She placed her handbag, shoes, and garment bag into bins to be scanned on the conveyor belt, and then stepped up to be scanned herself.

  “Raise your arms over your head.”

  She followed instructions like a robot, then stepped down and collected her items. It seemed as though everything was moving at warp speed except Jennifer LaChance.

  Once on the plane, she donned her dark glasses and leaned her head back to indicate to her fellow passengers that she did not want to chat. Please leave me alone. I’m bleeding from every pore. Can’t you see?

  When she closed her eyes, puffy from endless tears, her brain was bombarded with images of Jason, her wonderful brother. The big brother who had led her on endless adventures, protected her and teased her… Her hero was gone forever. And Sara, his fun-loving wife…the mother of his children. They were dead, crushed at the bottom of a canyon. Pain sliced through her, causing her to wince. She opened her eyes to find the person in the seat next to her had drawn back and was giving her a derisive look.

  She swallowed hard, hoping the flight attendant could bring her a water. Surely, given all the tears she’d shed, there was no more liquid left in her body.

  She hadn’t thought it possible that pain this great could hold her in its grip. Her mind and spirit were in ashes, while her body was in a state of rigor. Every muscle was tensed and ready to spring. When she tried to unclench her fists, they curled right back up again.

  Jennifer exhaled and closed her eyes again. Please let the kids be okay.

  * * *

  Cade Garrett carried his niece and nephew from his truck up to his ranch house. Lissy’s head was on his shoulder, while Leo gazed around with wide eyes. “We’re home, kids.”

  Mrs. Reynolds opened the front door for them and stood back while he strode inside with his double armload. “I got their room ready.”

  “You’re a blessing, Mrs. R.”

  “Here, let me take the little one.” She reached for Lissy, and Cade let her ease the young girl from his arm. “Sweet angels,” she murmured.

  Cade watched her carry the sleepy one-year-old down the hallway to the room she had prepared for them.

  “Hey, Leo. Are you hungry? Would you like a snack?”

  Leo didn’t respond but stared at him with his incredible blue eyes, almost turquoise and ringed with black lashes.

  Yeah, your last name may be LaChance, but you’re a Garrett through and through.

  “Okay, let’s see what’s in the fridge. Maybe some ice cream. You like ice cream, don’t you?”

  The little head bobbed up and down.

  “Okay, buddy. You sit right here and I’ll get the ice cream.” Cade placed Leo on top of the counter, fetched a half-gallon tub of vanilla from the freezer, and grabbed two spoons from the utensil drawer. “Here we g
o.” He handed a spoon to Leo and removed the lid. “Dig in.” He scooped a spoonful for himself to demonstrate.

  Leo followed Cade’s actions, as he scooped a much smaller spoonful and got most of it into his mouth. He swallowed and licked the spoon. “My mommy puts my ice cweam in a bowl.”

  Cade’s heart squeezed with sorrow. These were the first words Leo had spoken since the accident. Cade had no idea how he was going to take Sara’s place. His baby sister had been a great mom to her two little ones and had mastered the art of dishing ice cream into a bowl.

  Hell, he had no idea how he was going to tell the children that their parents were dead. He swallowed the wad of tears lodged in the back of his throat.

  Cade had his own ranch to run, and now he would have to figure out what to do with the small airport Sara and Jason had owned. They rented storage space to a few area ranchers who owned their own planes, and they gave regular flyover tours of the nearby Palo Duro Canyon…the canyon where their own small plane had crashed, taking their lives and leaving behind two small children and their totally ill-equipped uncle.

  He scooped some ice cream into a small plastic dish for Leo and put away the tub. Leaning against the counter to protect his young nephew from falling off, he reflected on how his own life had been shattered in the past twenty-four hours.

  The minute Cade heard the accident involved his baby sister, he had jumped in his truck to drive to the County Coroner’s office for the grisly task of identifying her remains. Tears running down his face all the way to Amarillo, he then had to track down the children. Social Services had taken them from their home, where a neighborhood teenager was doing her best to keep it together, to a children’s facility in Amarillo. He had to prove his relationship and get a reference from the pastor and the sheriff before he was deemed worthy and they were remanded to his care.

  The social worker would not release them until Cade purchased appropriate car seats, but finally, he was allowed to bring the children home.

  He loved the kids, but he had been, up till now, a confirmed bachelor, and he didn’t have a clue as to how he would become a substitute father. All the while, his own grief was burning up his heart. Not a problem, Leo. Uncle Cade is here for you and Lissy.

  * * *

  Jennifer LaChance checked in at the small bed-and-breakfast, the Langston Inn. Her head throbbed, her eyes burned from crying so much. She felt exhausted and almost numb. Shoving her sunglasses up on her nose, she surrendered her charge card.

  The woman at the desk was gracious enough, but Jenn just wanted to get settled and find out what happened to her niece and nephew.

  “My name is Ollie Sue Enloe,” the woman said proudly. “That’s short for Olivia Susan. This is my bed-and-breakfast.” She beamed at Jenn. “I call myself the innkeeper.”

  “Good to meet you, Ms. Enloe.” Jenn adjusted Minnie in her arms, pretty sure dog hair was all over her jacket.

  “Please, call me Ollie.” One eyebrow rose as she glared at the dog. “Your dog is housebroken, isn’t he?”

  Jenn clutched Minnie closer to her chest. “Of course she is.”

  Ollie looked unconvinced but turned to run the card. “So you’re from Dallas, huh? Big city?”

  “Yes.” Jenn tucked her credit card back in her purse and picked up her suitcase to follow the woman up a flight of stairs to a room across the hall from the bathroom.

  “Um, are other people using this bathroom?”

  “We don’t have any other guests at this time,” the woman said.

  Jenn was relieved. She wasn’t quite a germaphobe…but then again, maybe she was. She carried a small packet of sanitizing wipes in her purse and a larger tub of them in her suitcase.

  She entered the room and set her suitcase on the bed. At least the room smelled like fresh linen. This was a corner room, so she had windows on two sides. Thankfully, the sun was setting, so she wasn’t blinded by the light. Her eyes felt bruised from all the tears she’d shed over the previous forty-eight hours. She closed the drapes on the west side and went to stare out the back window at the scene below. She felt out of place, here in this rural town where her brother had made a home. She had visited once, after the wedding, but could not for the life of her figure out what the attraction was. It was probably what all of small-town America looked like, but Jenn had spent her whole life in cities and studying at various universities—a very well-educated woman with too many degrees. She couldn’t seem to find a way to make a living with those degrees, and she feared she would be slinging hash in a diner soon.

  Jason had loved to fly, and there was plenty of wide-open airspace out here in North Texas. Miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles…or so Jason used to tell her.

  And then there was Sara. Apparently, the small-town beauty had been just what Jason was looking for because they meshed perfectly soon after he hit town. Of course, it was the opportunity to buy the airfield that had drawn him here. Jason loved to fly, and this was his idea of heaven.

  Jenn swallowed a bitter taste in her mouth. “Well, I’m sure you really are in heaven, Jason. And now I’m here. I’m going to find out where the hell your kids are, and I promise to take them back to Dallas and raise them as my own.” She brushed off a tear as it rolled down her cheek.

  Sucking in a ragged breath, she leaned her forehead against the window frame and examined the scene below.

  A sweet little yard contained a conversation area, a barbecue grill, and a gazebo, plus some neatly maintained landscaping. Gazing over the fence, she spied the spire of a church a block away. It looked like a painting. So peaceful.

  A wave of nostalgia washed over her. When she was growing up, her family had always spent Sundays lying around in their pajamas, reading the Sunday papers and enjoying a late breakfast.

  But Jason had turned over a new leaf when he moved to Langston. Jenn had teased him, calling him “Saint Jason.” He had gone to church on Sundays with Sara, and they had married in the church.

  Jenn had attended their storybook wedding, meeting all of Sara’s enormous clan. Apparently, marrying a Garrett meant you were annexed into this large and loving family.

  Jenn heaved a sigh and turned around, ready to unpack and try to relax. She opened her suitcase and pulled everything out, arranging it on the bed. She shook out the garments and put them on hangers: one nice dress to wear to the funeral and a couple of more casual dresses. She arranged her shoes in the bottom of the closet: two pairs of heels and a pair of rubber flip-flops. She had packed hurriedly, anxious to find her niece and nephew, but at the moment had no idea what she had really brought with her.

  She hadn’t planned to stay in Langston that long, but she hadn’t rationally been able to decide what was appropriate to take with her. She wondered how her whole family had evaporated in such a short time and how her own life had gotten so lost.

  After she had earned her second master’s degree, her parents’ health had taken a downturn, or perhaps she had finally looked up from her studies to notice they needed her help. Jenn had dutifully moved back into the home she and Jason had grown up in and taken over the household duties, making sure her parents got to doctors’ appointments and ate well-balanced meals. Now she was rattling around that big house all by herself, with very little in the way of funds to support it.

  Her mother had passed away on hospice care just a few months ago, and her father had followed within weeks. It seemed he didn’t want to live without his life mate.

  Jenn huffed out a sigh. “Very romantic.” But now Jenn felt even more abandoned. Her parents had small life insurance policies that paid off debts and burial costs. Now Jenn needed to find a job to pay the household expenses and support her brother’s children…as soon as she could locate them.

  Her savings were running out fast and her phone was not ringing with job offers.

  Something will turn up. Surely there is a
job for a girl with a couple of fine arts degrees and absolutely zero experience. She had to stay positive. Otherwise, she might miss out on the great opportunity she knew was just around the corner.

  In the meantime, she needed to get something to eat. Ollie had told her there were three restaurants in town, plus a Dairy Queen. There was the Mexican restaurant, a steakhouse, and, across from the courthouse, a small family-style diner with 1950s decor.

  She locked Minnie in the room and went down the stairs. That she was the only lodger at the Langston Inn didn’t bother her at all. Crowds bothered her.

  Once in her car, she headed for the main street and decided on the Mexican place. Jason had taken her and his family to eat there a couple of times and she recalled that the food was excellent. Tio’s appeared to be doing well, if one could judge by the number of cars outside. The parking lot was filled with vehicles, most of them pickup trucks.

  She parked between two large double dually trucks and went inside. A sea of faces turned to stare at her. Yes, folks. Jason LaChance’s baby sister has arrived in town. She held her head high and straightened her spine.

  “Table or booth?” the hostess asked.

  “Some quiet nook.” Jenn followed the hostess to a back corner and slid onto the plastic seat of a booth.

  The hostess placed a menu on the table and brought her a glass of ice water.

  “I’ll have the senorita plate.” Jenn closed the menu and handed it back to the woman. She sipped her ice water and surreptitiously scanned the patrons. A few were still gaping at her, but most had resumed their conversations and gone back to stuffing their faces.

  When the woman came back, she was bearing a platter of food that would have fed a small family.

  “Oh my!” Jenn stared at the mammoth amount of food. “I forgot how huge your portions are.”

  “You’ve come in here before, haven’t you?” The waitress was a pretty Hispanic woman in her early thirties. “I’m Milita Rios. This is my papa’s restaurant. Are you visiting or just passing through?”