“Finding out just how serious you are about staying in Bluebonnet Springs.”
“I’m very serious.”
“I’m glad to hear that, because I’ve decided not to let you go. I’m scarred up, a recovering alcoholic, sometimes angry, always unpredictable—”
“Obviously,” she interrupted.
He put a finger to his lip. “Shh, my turn. I want to be the man that you can trust. I want to be the father my son can look up to. Lissa, you are more than a thorn in my side. You’re the woman I want by my side. Forever.” He cleared his throat and his words came out raspier than normal. “When I saw you standing there at the fence, everything felt right for the first time in weeks. You were here. And I think you’re supposed to be here. I think if there is something we can trust, it is God, and we can trust that He didn’t make a mistake when He sent you on this journey to find me.”
“Stand up,” she whispered, this time because she couldn’t stop the flow of tears. “Please stand up.”
He came to his feet and he moved close. Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned down and his lips touched hers. She clung to his shoulders, thankful for his strength, thankful for his presence. Thankful that she had taken a chance and trusted.
He continued to kiss her, backing her against the side of the barn and holding her close as if he treasured her. That was what he made her feel—treasured. He had no idea that he was the man who could be that person for a woman. But she’d unearthed the truth about Marcus Palermo. She had found her way to his heart and he’d stolen hers.
“I love you, Lissa Hart. You are my heart. I’m never going to let you go. And I’m going to build you a house on this land. We’re going to fill it with kids and we’re going to make memories. We’re going to teach our children to laugh, to love and to have faith.”
“That’s a lot of planning you’re doing, Marcus.”
“Too soon?”
“I’m the one calling the shots here, remember?” she whispered against his shoulder. “I came here to tell you how the cow ate the cabbage.”
“Did you really?”
“Yes, and you took over. The way you always take over.”
He kissed her again and then he moved away from her. “Okay, what else did you want to say?”
She pointed and his eyes widened when he saw that they had an audience. The eavesdropper in chief stood in the doorway of the barn.
“Oliver?” Marcus smiled at his son.
“Knock knock.”
Marcus groaned. “I hope this is a good one.”
Oliver nodded. “It is.”
“Okay,” Marcus said. “Who’s there?”
“Mary.”
Marcus laughed and Oliver grinned. Lissa watched, loving them both so much she couldn’t stand it. She had missed Marcus. She’d missed his quietness. She’d missed his dry sense of humor. She’d missed him.
“Mary who?” Marcus asked, his gaze sliding her way, and she just smiled because they both knew how this one would go.
“Mary my mom and then we’ll be a family.” Oliver laughed and jumped, forcing Marcus to catch him or be knocked down. He caught his son and held him tight. With his free arm he pulled Lissa close and she tumbled against him.
“Oliver, I think the answer is yes,” Marcus answered as he held them both close. For the first time in weeks, everything felt right. It felt as if Lissa and Oliver were exactly where they belonged.
Oliver leaned in close. “She told Grandma Jane she loves you.”
Marcus whispered to his son. “I love her, too. And I’m glad the two of you decided to come back here and force me to admit it.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to admit the truth,” Oliver said in a singsong voice.
“You’re right, sometimes we just need help.” Marcus spoke in his soft, gruff voice as he took Lissa by the hand.
The three of them walked back up the hill. And she thought they did look very much like a family. A father, a son and a woman who loved them both to distraction.
Epilogue
On a warm day in March, Lissa stood on the hill looking down at the house Marcus had built for them. It was a replica of the old farmhouse but larger and with the wraparound porch she’d suggested. It was also a little farther from the creek than the original. Today it would become her home. And eventually there might be more children, because Oliver said he needed a brother and a sister. He actually thought a couple of brothers and one sister, because girls can be trouble.
“Are you ready?” Marissa asked as she placed the veil on Lissa’s head.
She and Marcus had decided to get married there, on the ranch, because it felt right. They were starting their lives where so many memories had been made. They’d built a steeple-shaped arch by the creek and wildflowers grew profusely in the field. It was the most perfect spot they could think of to become husband and wife.
Maria kissed her cheek. “You’re a beautiful bride.”
Lissa took the spray of bluebonnet flowers from her soon-to-be sister-in-law. In six months they would celebrate Maria’s wedding. She wanted a fall wedding. And by then, Marissa and Alex’s little girl, Bella, would be walking and she’d be able to toss flowers down the aisle. Today the little girl was content on her great-aunt Essie’s lap, with her great-grandfather Dan sitting next to them, giving her his finger to grab hold of.
Lucy led Issy, who would be their flower girl. Jewel would help. Which meant she would throw flowers at the people gathered to celebrate. She seemed to love throwing flower petals. Lissa didn’t mind at all. She had told Lucy to relax and let the girls do what they wanted.
Today was her wedding. She didn’t care if the flowers got tossed or if the music went flat. She didn’t care if the cake fell. Of course, like every bride she wanted a beautiful wedding. She was even happy to see her birth mother, although her foster father would walk her down the aisle and her foster mom had helped pick her dress. They had been the constants in her life. They’d been the first to teach her about unconditional love.
Through their love for each other, Tom and Jane Simms had taught her the truth about marriage. They’d taught her that real love wasn’t perfect—it took work, sacrifice and communication. Real love included understanding and forgiveness. Tom and Jane were celebrating their fortieth anniversary. They knew a little bit about love and making marriage work.
If the wedding ceremony itself wasn’t perfect, it wouldn’t matter. What truly counted was that she had the people around her who mattered most. She knew that God had blessed her beyond measure.
And as the song “Never Alone” began to play, she knew she would never be alone.
She smiled at Tom, her stepfather, and together they stood and watched the flower girls, bridesmaids and groomsmen, including Oliver, make their way down the small rise to the creek. She dabbed at her eyes and drew in a breath. Tom patted her hand on his arm.
“This is good,” he told her. “You’re going to be fine. Remember, God is in it. Keep Him at the center of this marriage and you’ll be fine.”
She nodded. “Yes, we will be.”
“Time to become Mrs. Marcus Palermo.” He sounded choked up and she noticed tears in his eyes. She leaned against his arm and whispered her thanks to him for being her father.
He led her down the path to Marcus, told Marcus to take care of their girl, and then he took his seat next to Jane. They both nodded and smiled, giving her their blessing.
But it was the man next to her who mattered most. He was her future. He was her other half.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you back.”
Pastor Matthews cleared his throat. “My turn to talk.”
He started the ceremony and the rest was a blur. The only thing that mattered was that God had brought them together. God had made them a family.
And the re
st of their lives was ahead of them.
* * * * *
If you loved this story,
pick up the other books in the miniseries
BLUEBONNET SPRINGS
SECOND CHANCE RANCHER
THE RANCHER’S CHRISTMAS BRIDE
from bestselling author Brenda Minton.
And be sure to check out these other great books
HER RANCHER BODYGUARD
THE RANCHER’S FIRST LOVE
THE RANCHER’S SECOND CHANCE
THE RANCHER TAKES A BRIDE
A RANCHER FOR CHRISTMAS
Available now from Love Inspired!
Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from HER TEXAS COWBOY by Jill Lynn.
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Dear Reader,
I’m so glad we were able to spend time together in Bluebonnet Springs, Texas. I hope you enjoyed the Palermo family, Essie’s café and the other characters in this series. I think it’s rather fitting to end the series with the story of Marcus Palermo. He seemed to need a happy-ever-after. Thanks to the arrival of Lissa Hart and a little boy named Oliver, Marcus will find a path to love and happiness.
I think the Palermo family are an example of the healing that comes from finding faith and in not giving up. They were abused, broken and lost, but each of them found a way to take back what was taken and make new lives from the old.
I hope you enjoyed their stories and I hope you’ll stick around for my next miniseries. I’ve caught myself singing the song “Oklahoma” around the house recently. Hint hint...
Blessings,
Brenda
Her Texas Cowboy
by Jill Lynn
Chapter One
Time to make a break for it.
Rachel Maddox beelined for the back of the church and the sanctuary of the outdoors.
In the last five minutes, since the service had ended, she’d been cornered by three well-meaning women. Each had wanted to know every detail of her life since she’d left town six years ago. The first had wrinkled her nose with confusion when Rachel mentioned her future plans, instead—moving to Houston for a high school guidance counselor position she hoped to get. As though she hadn’t understood Rachel’s desire to hightail it out of Fredericksburg as quickly as possible.
The second had been hard of hearing, and she’d asked what perfume Rachel was wearing. Since the answer was none, she’d tried to change the topic, but after numerous requests, she’d finally piped up and said, “It must be my deodorant,” at a volume high enough to have several confused glances swing in her direction. Sigh.
Number three had questioned why she wasn’t married yet—as if twenty-four equaled old maid status—all while giving her a pointed look that said she knew exactly why. Rachel had been reduced to a teenager in that moment—as though her old mistakes, attitude and poor decisions were strapped to her back for the world to see.
Ouch.
The nosiness was just another reason she wanted out of this small Texas town she’d grown up in. Rachel had this strange desire not to live in a place where she’d been a mess. It was time to start somewhere new, and just as soon as she got the job in Houston, that’s exactly what she planned to do.
She dodged around two older gentlemen, the need to escape causing her throat to constrict.
Rachel had grown used to anonymity over the last few years. She attended big churches where nobody knew her name and lived in a city where people didn’t stop her at the grocery store to chat about the weather or to ask how her sweet nephews were doing. This town was suffocating her, and she’d only been home a few days.
How was she going to survive a month or two?
People parted before her, and she clicked along in her sleeveless blue pencil dress and strappy brown wedges, the taste of victory and freedom spurring her forward.
When a little girl darted out in front of her, Rachel screeched to a stop. Tiny strawberry-blond pigtails bounced on the top of the girl’s head like small antennae. Based on the fact that she roamed the sanctuary without a parent in tow, Rachel assumed she must be escaping, too. They were kindred spirits.
She only looked to be around two years old. Too small to continue her romp of freedom alone. So much for her escape plan. Rachel knelt down, gently touching the child’s arm. “Where’s your mama, sweetie?”
“Mama.” The girl’s face broke into a smile. Adorable. Not exactly helpful, but definitely cute.
“Should we go find her?”
The tot’s head bobbled. Rachel attempted to take her hand, but the little girl didn’t budge. When Rachel opened her arms, the girl came right to her. No stranger danger with this one. Rachel scooped her up and stood, a sweet orange scent reminiscent of the push-up treats she used to eat as a kid tickling her senses as she scanned the space for a harried mom. None appeared. Hmm. She couldn’t exactly drop the toddler in the lost and found.
And then, instead of a worried mom, she saw a man steaming toward her. One she knew well. Hunter McDermott. Never fun to run smack-dab into a past mistake. And to think, she’d been so close to making a getaway.
He stopped in front of her, and to her surprise, the little girl lunged into his arms. Hunter...had a daughter? Rachel hadn’t heard that he’d married. But then, when her sister-in-law, Olivia, started telling her about local news, Rachel often tuned out.
“Rach, I didn’t realize you were home.” Surprise laced his voice, joining the quirk of his eyebrows. The fact that he’d used her nickname seemed lost on him. “Sorry about that. Kinsley’s a bit of an escape artist.”
“It’s okay. I completely understand.” But, then again, he should know that. Hadn’t he been upset with her for making a break for it six years ago?
Time had barely aged him. Hunter had never lacked in the spine-tingling looks department, yet he managed to pull it off without any effort. Of course he’d wear a casual, short-sleeved plaid shirt and jeans to church along with cowboy boots. His cropped, dark blond hair looked as though he’d shoved a hand through it, glanced in the mirror and shrugged. He somehow managed to look laid-back and dangerous all at the same time. Two good words to describe the man who’d trampled all over her heart before she’d left for college. Though he would probably claim she’d been the wrecking ball.
“You home to see your family?”
“I just finished grad school and now I’m staying here while waiting to hear about a high school guidance counselor position I’m hoping—” planning “—to get in Houston.” Rachel had already filled out tons of paperwork and done one interview over Skype.
His jaw hardened, brow pinched. “Sounds like you plan to escape as fast as you can.”
She strived for polite, resisting the temptation to roll her eyes at the jab. She’d matured over the years, hadn’t she? She could handle an adult conversation with Hunter. “Is this your daughter?”
“Kinsley?” Hunter lifted the girl higher, grinning at her. The softening of his face caused a tightening in her chest. Once upon a time she’d craved that smile of his as much as oxygen. “No. She’s my niece. Autumn’s oldest. She’s pregnant with their second. I’m not married.”
The words dug like a knife and twisted. He could have added because of you to the end, just to make the torture more complete. It was true he’d asked her to marry him once. But they’d been young—way too young. And she’d wanted out. A chance to start over where she hadn’t been an immature teenager. Time to pursue her dreams. Was that so wrong?
Rachel still had hopes and aspirations that didn’t involve this town. After high school, she’d gone to Colorado for college and concentrated on her studies. Now she planned to focus on her career.
Houston was four hours away. C
lose enough that she could see her nephews whenever she made the drive and yet far enough that she could start fresh. Rachel wanted to be in Texas and somewhat close to her brother, his wife and their kids—they were her only immediate family, since their parents had passed away when she’d been thirteen. But she didn’t want to live in Fredericksburg. She enjoyed bigger cities. Liked everyone not knowing what she was up to and then gossiping about it.
For instance, just the fact that she was conversing with Hunter would cause a ripple that would echo across the smooth surface of this town.
“Hunter. Rachel.”
Their heads both snapped in the direction of the voice. The associate pastor, Greg Tendra, approached, sporting a grin that wasn’t mirrored on Hunter’s face or hers. He wore a green dress shirt tucked into black pants and no tie. The man was an inch or two shorter than Rachel, with raven curly hair, and the smell of spicy aftershave wafted with him.
“I’m glad to see you two have met.”
A laugh almost escaped from her throat, but she managed to stem it before it burst out. Being new to town, Greg obviously didn’t know any of the history between Hunter and Rachel. Fine by her. What had happened between them would stay in the past, as far as she was concerned. She didn’t need to confess to the pastor that they’d once had a vibrant relationship that had turned toxic. That when she did come home, she and Hunter couldn’t manage more than a few minutes—seconds, really—of stifled surface-level conversation.
But why would Greg care if she and Hunter had met? Unless...
Her stomach plummeted to her cherry-red-painted toenails. No. It couldn’t be. Dread crawled across her skin even as she tried to talk herself out of the idea.
“You’re my leaders for building the float with the youth group this summer. The brawn and the brains.” Greg’s face wreathed in a teasing smile as he glanced from Hunter to Rachel, and her world crumbled around her. She’d agreed to do one thing while home—help the youth build a float for the Independence Day parade. She’d said yes for a number of reasons. It would give her something to do while home. It would even look good on her résumé, and she needed all the help she could get to land this job. But mostly, she loved teens. All the snarky sides of them. Just like she’d been, way back when.
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