Next was a picture of Eli, Maggie, Brody and Lucinda, then one of Eli with Nathaniel and their mother.
For the last photograph, at Maggie’s suggestion, Eli and Caleb took off their suit coats and strapped on their guns, and once again, the two of them tugged Nathaniel into the picture. Even as Eli stared solemnly at the camera, he felt a little silly. What would their kids and grandkids think someday?
Bliss seemed to be traveling the same line of thought. “Just think, you’ll be able to look at these things in the future and remember what y’all looked like when you were in your prime.”
Several people chuckled, including Eli, until he tracked the old man’s gaze to Peg. The expression on his face was so sweet and hopeful that it was almost painful to see.
Bliss didn’t need a picture to remember what Peg looked like in her prime. It wouldn’t surprise Eli if Bliss still saw her exactly the same. Two of the finest people he’d ever known. Hopefully they’d come to some understanding about the past and find happiness together.
Eli then turned to Maggie, knowing that even when she was old and gray she’d have that spark of sass and stubbornness that had fascinated him from the beginning.
Maggie caught him staring at her. “Everything okay?” she whispered.
“Just thinking about our future. No matter what it brings, I will always love you.”
She smiled. “Is that a promise?”
“It’s a Texas promise.”
Author Bio
A seventh-generation Texan, Laura Conner Kestner spent 25 years in community journalism before pursuing a career in fiction. Her first novel, Remember Texas, was published in 2018, and the sequel, A Texas Promise, in 2019.
Laura’s won several writing awards, including a Genesis Award from the American Christian Fiction Writers, a Daphne du Maurier award for excellence in mystery/suspense from the RWA KOD chapter, and a RWA SARA Emma Merritt award. She’s a three time GOLDEN HEART® finalist, a 2019 HOLT Medallion finalist, and a 2019 WILL ROGERS MEDALLION AWARD finalist. For more information, or to contact Laura, please visit http://lauraconnerkestner.com
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