Finding Courage (Love's Compass Book 3)

by Melanie D. Snitker

  Whether that was true or not, Duke took a steadying breath as he approached the parked vehicle.

  Rudy stepped out, appearing every bit as hesitant as Duke felt. “How’s Avalon doing?”

  “She’s good. Thanks.” Duke paused. “How about Mom? Still angry?”

  “Furious.” Rudy ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Duke. We didn’t do right by you boys. And I’m more to blame for that than even your mother is.”

  Duke wanted to put his father at ease but he couldn’t. Because, when it came down to it, Rudy was right. But instead of anger flooding his heart like it would have in the past, peace enveloped it.

  “Maybe, Dad. But Calvin and I can make our own decisions. And you aren’t responsible for those. Calvin’s old enough to know better than to do what he did.”

  Rudy didn’t appear convinced but he picked up on his son’s use of words. “Are there any particular decisions you’re planning on making in the near future?”

  “I want out, Dad. I appreciate the family business and what you’ve done to make it as successful as it is. That’s thanks to you and no small thing. But after everything that’s happened, my family needs to start somewhere fresh. Independent.”

  There was pain in Rudy’s eyes but he gave a single nod. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I’d like to finish this harvest. But at the end of February, I want my share of the crops and then Avalon and I are moving. I’ll sign the house over to you again.”

  Rudy shook his head. “No. We gave the house to you as part of what you earn working the fields. I’ll pay you a fair price for it. The end of February is good. It’ll give me a chance to hire someone to do what you do here. Which isn’t going to be easy.” He studied his son. “Where will you move?”

  “Farming here is all I know. I’m not sure what we’ll do. But we want to start over. Maybe here around Yuma. Maybe not. We’ll have to pray about it over the next couple of months.”

  “You have my support. I will miss you if you leave town. But for what it’s worth, I think you’re making the right decision by moving — wherever you end up going.” Another pause. “Filing charges against Calvin was the right thing to do. I hate to see it happen, but if that’s what it takes for him to change…” His voice caught. “I want him to grow up to be a better man than I am. Perhaps he’ll follow in his big brother’s footsteps.”

  A lump clogged Duke’s throat and tears stung the back of his eyes. “Thanks, Dad.” He swallowed hard. “I want our child to know you guys. I hope things calm down with Mom and Calvin by the time he or she is born.”

  The older man ran a rough thumb under his own eye to catch a stray tear that threatened to escape. “I would like that, too.” He cleared his throat. “After the new year, we’ll start the ball rolling on the house sale and everything else we’ll need to get wrapped up.”

  “I appreciate that. Thanks, Dad.”

  The men shook hands and Rudy got back in his vehicle and drove away.

  Duke was left watching the dust settle in the vehicle’s wake. A lot of things were going to be changing soon, but they were changes for the better.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Avalon sniffed as she tried to keep the tears at bay. Duke pulled the truck up next to the curb at the airport. Lance insisted they not go in with him. Since they couldn’t get past security without an airline ticket anyway, there was no point. She hated dropping him off, but she knew the goodbye would be easier out here.

  As if goodbyes were ever easy.

  Lance retrieved his luggage from the passenger side and set it down on the sidewalk at his feet. He extended a hand to Duke. “I appreciate your welcoming me into your home. I’m glad I was finally able to meet you.” Lance scanned the couple in front of him. “You two are good for each other.”

  Duke shook his hand. “Thanks for coming. We appreciate your help — in more ways than one.”

  Avalon enjoyed seeing the guys interact. Having them here together warmed her more than she could ever say. She’d been wrong not to tell her family about Duke before they’d gotten married.

  Lance turned to her. “Be good, little sister. Take care of yourself and the baby. Oh, and Khanrad, too, of course.”

  Avalon chuckled as tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. “I will.” He pulled her into a hug and she tightened her arms around him. “Thanks for coming and for your help. I’ll miss you.”

  She felt a hand on her arm and stepped back to find Duke there. “It’s not goodbye for long,” he said and paused dramatically. “We’ll be going to Kitner for Christmas in a few weeks.”

  Avalon let his words bury themselves in her heart as the corners of her mouth lifted. “Are you serious?”

  Duke nodded with a grin. “I’ve got to meet the rest of your family.” He nodded to Lance. “And Lexi. It’ll be great to meet her as well.”

  Lance’s eyes lit up. “Awesome! We’ll be looking forward to it.” He turned his attention to Avalon. “See, it’ll only be for a few weeks. No more of these tears. I’ve got a fierce ex-cop reputation to keep here. I can’t be seen bawling at the airport.”

  At his words, Avalon laughed loudly and sniffed. Duke’s promise definitely reduced the number of tears threatening to spill. She would see her family for Christmas — she could hardly wait. “Fine. Though I can blame my emotional outbursts on being pregnant.”

  Lance’s eyebrows lifted. “What was your excuse the previous twenty-four years?”

  Avalon smacked his arm with the back of her hand. Lance grabbed it and pulled her into one more hug. “I’ll see you in a few weeks. I’d better get going. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Lance. Tell Lexi hi for me.”

  “I’ll do that.” He picked up his luggage and went through the doors into the airport. Before going out of sight, he threw another wave to her.

  Duke circled her waist with his arms. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, happier than she’d been in a long time. “I’m great.” Avalon relaxed and leaned into his embrace. A sigh escaped her lips. “You know what would make things better?”

  Duke turned her gently until she was facing him. He kept his hands clasped at her back. “What’s that?”

  “Chinese food.”

  He tipped his head back and laughed. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” He cupped her face with his hands, his own so full of love it made Avalon’s heart skip a beat. His lips came down to touch hers for a few moments and then slid to place a kiss on her cheek. “Come on, let’s go feed the two of you.”

  ~

  Avalon threw the tennis ball again, not entirely sure how Khanrad was tracking its location in the dark. But without fail, he brought it back and dropped it on her lap. With each exchange, the ball became more wet with saliva and gritty with the dirt that stuck to it.

  Khanrad was about to drop it into her lap again when he stopped, his ears standing straight. Avalon heard it then, too. The four-wheeler.

  Despite the sun setting earlier and earlier, Duke had still been working late days. They used flood lights on the field to lengthen the work day through the winter. She went out to help him a lot of afternoons, but today she’d been extra tired and opted to stay home.

  It had been an exceptionally long afternoon.

  Duke waved at her and secured the ATV in the garage before joining her on the porch. “Hey, beautiful. You feeling any better?”

  “Much.” Avalon welcomed his kisses. “But I missed you.”

  He brushed a thumb against her cheek. “I missed you, too. I hate being away from home so much. You know that, right?”

  “I do.” Avalon detected a note of worry in his eyes and wanted to put it to rest. “I appreciate everything you do for our family. You work hard to support us. I’m proud to call you my husband.”

  Her words brought a bright smile to his face and he hugged her tightly. “Thank you, sweetheart.” He kissed her. “Come here and swing with me for a few minutes. There’s something
I want to talk to you about.”

  Avalon took his hand and let him guide her to the porch swing. “We’ll need to get a room ready for the baby before too long. Though we should wait until we know for sure it’s a boy.” She imagined decorating the room for a daughter and bringing a poor baby boy home to pink and purple. She chuckled.

  “What are you thinking about?” When she told him, he laughed with her. “Yes, let’s wait and find out first. No son of mine is living in a pink bedroom. Although, I stand by my guess she’s a girl.” He kissed the back of her hand. “That kind of leads into what I wanted to talk to you about. How do you feel about moving?”

  He couldn’t have surprised her much more if he’d suggested they give Khanrad the other spare room in the house. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it and maybe it would be good for all three of us if we lived somewhere that was just ours. Where we didn’t have to rely on my family.”

  Avalon found the idea appealing but tried to tamp down her excitement. Not having to worry about running into Loretta on a daily basis was certainly relieving. But moving would be a huge thing for Duke.

  “This is where you’ve lived all your life. You enjoy farming. I wouldn’t want to move if you’d regret it.”

  He shook his head, his eyes relaying his sincerity. “No, I wouldn’t regret it. I do enjoy farming, but I’ve always felt pressure to work for my family. I rocked enough boats growing up, I felt indebted to them somehow. This will always be their farm and if we stay here, I’ll always be working for them, no matter what my job title might be.” He paused. “I didn’t have enough courage to take that first step growing up. After all that’s happened, it’s something we need to do.”

  Avalon thought about that. She’d certainly felt the need to do something the rest of her family hadn’t done when she’d left Texas and moved to Arizona. For better or worse, her decisions had led her to where she was now and she didn’t regret that one bit.

  If Duke needed to do this for himself — for their family — then she would support him.

  “If you enjoy farming, we could stay in the area. Maybe start a place of our own.”

  Duke shrugged and stroked the top of her hand with his thumb thoughtfully. “I’ve spoken to Dad. They’ll buy our house. At the end of February when the winter harvest is over, they’ll pay us for our share of the profits and then we’ll be free to leave.” He gave her a bright, slightly-tilted smile. “Who knows, after I see Kitner at Christmas, I may have a sudden desire to become a Texan.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

  Avalon giggled. “I think you’ll like it there. But the important thing is for us to choose a place to live where we’ll be happy and want to raise our family.” She jerked her head toward the dog sitting at her feet. “Including the furry child.”

  Khanrad’s ears twitched and Duke leaned over to pat his head. “Yes, we’re talking about you.” Duke put an arm around Avalon and drew her closer to him. She laid her cheek against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat relaxing her. His voice, deep and confident, filled her ears. “Then we pray and keep an open mind over the next month and a half. Most of all, we ask for courage to step into whatever plan God sets in motion for us.”

  Avalon lifted her head and smiled. “He brought us this far. I rather like how things have turned out.”

  Duke kissed the top of her head. “Me, too.” He turned his attention to her lips and Avalon sighed, more content now than she’d ever thought possible.

  Epilogue

  Avalon centered the giraffe picture on the wall and took a step back in order to see it better. Duke’s strong arms came around her, hands splayed on the sides of her ever-expanding middle. There were mornings that she looked in the mirror and wondered how she could possibly have any more space for the baby to fill.

  Duke kissed her neck and nuzzled her ear. “This nesting phase is really paying off. It looks great in here.”

  “Welcome home.” Avalon turned her head to accept his lingering kiss. “I missed you.”

  Ever since they’d moved to Kitner and Duke had accepted a job on one of the local ranches, he’d been working long days. But the ranch owner had promised him a week off after the baby arrived and so he and Avalon had agreed he should put in some extra hours between now and then. He smiled into her eyes. “I missed you, too.”

  Duke and Avalon chose the closest bedroom to theirs in the new house for the nursery. They maintained their guesses about the baby’s gender right up to the ultrasound. When the technician announced the baby was most definitely a girl, Avalon couldn’t have been happier that Duke was right.

  Deciding against decorating the nursery too girly, they chose a cute jungle theme with pink accents. Happy giraffes and hippos smiled from different corners of the room and a wind-up giraffe that played music waited for the baby in her crib.

  Avalon tipped her head to look at Duke. “Do you think she’ll like it?”

  Duke gave her another kiss on the cheek. “She’s going to love it, sweetheart. And in less than a month, she’ll be here in our arms. Hard to believe, isn’t it?”

  The baby must have felt the pressure of his hands because a bony part of her body rolled against it. Duke chuckled, rubbing the protruding appendage until she shifted again.

  Avalon felt the baby use her bladder to push off of. “I won’t know what to do when I don’t have a baby bouncing off my organs anymore.” She couldn’t wait to hold their tiny daughter in her arms, but she knew she was going to miss this closeness they experienced now, too.

  The aches and little sleep got to her at times, but she’d enjoyed every bit of the pregnancy, especially once she could feel the baby move and kick. That there was this little person stretching, yawning, and listening to their voices was surreal.

  Avalon twisted in his arms so she could face him. “I think it’s driving my mom crazy that we haven’t picked a name yet. She keeps dropping hints, hoping I’ll slip and tell her. I don’t think she really believes me.” They’d talked about baby names for weeks and still couldn’t settle on a favorite. “I told her we would know when we saw her little face.”

  A shaking at the door drew Avalon’s attention. She smiled as Khanrad strode in. He sniffed the dresser before crawling under the crib and stretching out on the carpet. Within moments, his eyes closed.

  Duke shook his head. “He might decide to sleep in here after the baby’s born.”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me.” Avalon took another look around the room. When she focused back on Duke’s face, she found him watching her with that slightly-tilted grin and responded with a smile of her own. “What?”

  “I’m just admiring the most beautiful woman on the planet.” Avalon’s cheeks grew warm and Duke’s grin widened, clearly pleased with himself. A mischievous sparkle lit his eyes as they took on a green hue. “Come here, you.”

  As his lips covered hers, Avalon was where she wanted to be more than anywhere else in the world.

  Home.

  Thank you!

  I appreciate you for taking the time to read Finding Courage. I hope you enjoyed it and that you’ll consider leaving a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. I like hearing what you think about it and it’ll help other readers discover new books as well.

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  About the Author

  Melanie D. Snitker has enjoyed writing fiction for as long as she can remember. She started out writing episodes of cartoon shows that she wanted to see as a child and her love of writing grew from there. She and her husband live in Texas with their two c
hildren who keep their lives full of adventure, and two dogs who add a dash of mischief to the family dynamics. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys photography, reading, crochet, baking, archery, camping and hanging out with family and friends.

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  Books by Melanie D. Snitker

  Calming the Storm

  (A Marriage of Convenience)

  Love’s Compass Series:

  Finding Peace (Book 1)

  Finding Hope (Book 2)

  Finding Courage (Book 3)

  Finding Faith (Book 4)

  Life Unexpected Series:

  Safe In His Arms (Book 1)

  Finding Peace (Love’s Compass: Book 1)

  Police Officer Tuck Chandler is good at his job. He’s also good at holding women at arm’s length. Jilted by his fiancée for his dedication to his job, he’s not about to open himself up to hurt like that again.

  Laurie Blake is a struggling photographer. After growing up in a wealthy family, she’s determined to make it on her own, even if it means doing it the hard way.

  When Tuck is assigned to a puzzling burglary involving Laurie’s fledgling photography business, he goes into it with his usual perseverance. He wants to help her – if she’ll let him. As the case unfolds and the mystery deepens, another question arises.

  Will the past get in the way of their future?

  Finding Hope (Love’s Compass: Book 2)