Jolie held the boat still with the paddle against the rocks behind him. She reached with her free arm, muscles burning from the effort, and she got him. His eyes were huge, glazed with fear, his lips purple from the chill.
“Y-you came for me,” he gasped, clinging to the limb.
“I’ll always come for you,” she declared, voice hoarse with emotion, knowing it was true. “Let go of the tree,” she urged against the roar of the water. Thankfully, Sammy was thinking clearly enough to respond with a nod and do as he was asked. He took her hand and she pulled him toward the boat. It was hard to do, since she was having to use the paddle to hold the boat steady and keep them out of the current. If she wasn’t careful she could be swept away from him. “You have to climb up by yourself, Sammy, okay? I can hold you steady, but you have to climb on your own.”
There was no place for him except on top of the kayak in front of her, with his feet on the stern. This wasn’t a normal situation—it was a tricky balancing act. God’s hand and His alone steadied the boat as she held off the current with one hand on the paddle. She felt her strength waning—she knew she wasn’t going to last much longer.
“When you get up, lean back against me, hold on to the deck line and keep your feet on the kayak in front of you. Can you do that?”
“Y-yes, I can.” Even though his teeth were chattering, there was power in his voice now. Jolie was so proud of Sammy as he scrambled up the kayak and eased into place.
“We’re going to make it,” she told him as he leaned against her. “Hold on, buddy, here we go,” she said, and let the current have them, sweeping them back into the dangerous flow.
Chapter Twenty-One
Morgan prayed harder than he ever had in his whole life as he watched the rescue. Jolie was amazing—her strength and skill awed him as she held it all together and came through the last set of rapids with Sammy in front of her. Once it was clear they’d make the trip without flipping, he moved to the calm pool where he knew she was headed.
Morgan steadied the kayak, then took Sammy into his arms. The boy looked slightly dazed as Morgan hugged him hard, thanking God. “You’re okay, little man,” he said, looking into his tense face. Limp as a rag, Sammy nodded and rested his head against Morgan’s heart. Jolie climbed from her kayak, her exhaustion evident in the way she moved.
“We need to get him to a doctor,” she said, hoisting her kayak to the shore and leaving it behind as she assisted Morgan in getting Sammy up the steep incline to the path.
“I got them on my cell. An ambulance should be getting to the woods’ edge soon.”
Hurrying along the path, Morgan kept talking to Sammy as Jolie held branches out of their way. Sammy looked up at him, his eyes bright with tears. “I didn’t mean to mess up. I tried to make y’all proud of me. I tried to make Jolie see that I could help her in the water so she would stay. You won’t send me away now, will you?”
Morgan held him closer, and kept his pace. “Never. You’re going to be fine, Sammy. We’re not sending you anywhere—you are part of our family.”
Jolie placed her hand on Sammy’s head as they continued to hurry along the path. “I was scared for you, Sammy, but God kept you safe out there today. You’re going to be all right. I’m crazy about you, don’t you know that?”
And Morgan was crazy about her. Hearing her say those words to Sammy made his heart stop in his chest. It was going to be almost impossible to let her go.
She’d proven she could get back in the water, and she could do it with style. Jolie belonged out there—it was evident to anyone who saw her in action. After today, he had no doubt.
Sammy obviously didn’t want to see her go any more than Morgan did.
But they would have to let her.
They were just coming out of the woods when the emergency vehicles came across the pasture with Tucker in the lead. It was like the cavalry was coming. Morgan had never been happier to see his brother in all his life.
Sammy had been through a harrowing experience and it was a miracle he’d survived long enough for Jolie to get to him. It was God who had held Sammy to that tree, no doubt about it. And it was God who was going to have to give Sammy—and Morgan—the strength to see her leave.
* * *
A few hours later, Jolie held a cup of coffee in her hands, letting the warmth sink into her bones. She wasn’t sure the chill would ever leave her. Sitting on a bench on the porch of the chow hall, she watched the boys laughing and playing a game of football in the yard. Morgan and his dad and brothers were sitting together at the picnic table, talking to various people from town who’d come out to help with the rescue and then stayed to celebrate. Sammy sat on the bench between Morgan and Tucker, looking a little stunned that so many people had come to make sure he was safe.
Nana, Ms. Jo and Mabel were hustling around making sure everyone had something to eat and drink. Everyone was so relieved that Sammy was safe that the rescue party had turned into a regular party.
Jolie’s role as the hero was making her uncomfortable. She’d had to repeat to Tucker what she’d done, then defer to Morgan. Morgan had a version of the tale that was so full of praise she couldn’t listen, but his version pleased everyone more than her clinical retelling of events had.
“I gotta say one thing,” Edwina said, stopping beside Jolie, topping off her cup of coffee without bothering to ask. “You got some nerves of steel, Jolie. You done good savin’ that boy. You know I ain’t never made it no secret that I ain’t got a lick of use for men. But Morgan’s got himself some good qualities aside from bein’ drop-dead gorgeous—yeah, I do have eyes.” She gave Jolie a grin. “But truly, you could do a whole lot worse—believe me, if you were to meet Lester or Darin or even Marv—any of that bunch of losers I married—you’d have a clue how much worse it could get.”
Jolie smiled, chuckling. Edwina had not been lucky in love.
“There you go. If my love life won’t pull a chuckle out of you, nothing will. But honestly, maybe you need to rethink this leavin’ thing. If that man looked at me the way he looks at you, I might be tempted to dip my toe back into the matrimonial waters. Somethin’ to think about.” She winked and was gone, off to spread her cheer elsewhere.
If she only knew that this time, it wasn’t Jolie who’d chosen a different life. It was Morgan.
Jolie looked over at Sammy, who had stayed away from her since they’d made it back to the ranch, sticking close to Morgan’s side. It was as if he needed to shut her out.
And she hated it.
But there was a huge positive here—Sammy had come so far. He wasn’t lying anymore, and he’d taken a risk today. However misguided his actions had been, he’d left his fears behind and tried to be strong. Jolie knew she’d had a part in his growth. Looking at him now, she was filled with pride of accomplishment like nothing she’d ever felt on the river.
Jolie had no doubts now about what she was going to do with the rest of her life. What she didn’t know was how Morgan was going to handle it.
He thought he’d figured out the rest of her life for her.
But he was wrong.
Standing, she dropped the blanket on the bench and walked over to where he sat. “Morgan, may I speak to you?”
When he looked up at her and saw her serious expression, elation slid off his face and his eyes darkened.
“Sure.”
Jolie led them away from the crowd, to the quiet of the stables. The smell of hay and feed greeted her, and from the cool shadows she heard the soft nicker of newborn colts. She slowly turned and faced an unsmiling Morgan.
“I’m staying, Morgan. I’m retiring from competition,” she said quietly. “I know where you stand on all this, but I know what I want, and I know what’s best for me.”
“Jolie, I saw you out there today. You were magnificent. To lea
ve that beauty and skill behind would be a waste. You are meant for great things.”
She smiled. “Yes, I am. And so are you. Here on this ranch is where the great things happen. Watching these boys flourish, and loving them. This is the great thing I’m meant for now. This is what I choose.” She studied his face as he stared down at her. “I’d like your blessing, Morgan, but I don’t need it. My plan is to move to Dew Drop and get a teaching job at the public school, and volunteer on the ranch, if you’ll have me.”
Morgan had grown still. His jaw jerked and his eyes cut through her, searching for the truth. “I don’t know what to say,” he said. “I know for me the boys are enough. At least, it satisfies me. But you’re going to regret—”
“I already regret, Morgan. I regret leaving you. I regret hurting you. Yet I know that God had a plan back then and it was meant to be. And now I know this is meant to be. So I’m here to stay, and I’m praying that at some point you will trust my love for you and let me into your heart again.”
She stepped close to him and placed her hand on his heart. It was racing.
“I love you, Morgan McDermott, and you love me. You told me so. Can you let me back into your life?”
He didn’t say anything, and her heart sank. She’d hoped if he knew she wasn’t leaving it would change his mind. But as she stepped away from him, she knew her plan wasn’t going to change one bit. Dew Drop was where she was supposed to be.
“I hope one day you’ll be able to accept my being here, Morgan, and even let me help out with the boys. It would mean a lot to me.” Jolie turned, not knowing what else to say. She’d made it to the double doors of the stable when his hand on her arm halted her.
“Jolie.”
She faced him, framed in the doorway with the soft breeze in her hair. She knew she must look a sight after all they’d been through on the water, but she didn’t care.
“Don’t you know it would be easy to agree? The hard part is to let you go. I hope you understand that.”
She lifted her hand to cup his strong jaw. “I do,” she whispered, nodding. “I truly do. But this is where I want to be. Where I need to be. With you. And the boys. And no regrets. None.”
She could see the war in his eyes, his beautiful, deep, fathomless eyes. His forehead crinkled and his jaw tensed as he struggled with the right thing to do. The right thing to do by her.
“You have to trust that what I say is true, Morgan. I love you, and if you open your heart to me I will never, ever leave you. Please trust me.”
He nodded ever so slightly. His eyes calmed and a slow smile eased across his face as he turned his head to kiss her palm. His hand came up and took hers, and Jolie’s heart cracked open with love. And hope.
No words were needed as his arms came around her and his lips met hers. “I love you, Jolie Sheridan. Will you marry me?” he whispered.
With tears in her eyes, she nodded. And behind them, whoops, cheers and clapping erupted.
“Well—” Morgan chuckled “—it’s a done deal now. You’re stuck with us. Because I’m not telling them any different.”
Jolie looked across the grass to her boys. “Good. This is my family, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Squeezing her hand tightly in his, Morgan looked at her with love in his eyes. “Then let’s go make it official.”
She smiled, her heart in full bloom. “Lead the way, cowboy. Lead the way.”
Epilogue
“Hubba, hubba, come to papa,” Wes croaked from the front pew where all sixteen boys were standing in the church.
Morgan would have gone over and thumped him on the ear if he hadn’t been standing beside the preacher and thinking a more polite version of the same thing as Jolie entered the sanctuary on the arm of her dad. She was so beautiful that he could do nothing but hold her gaze and watch her walk down the aisle toward him. He’d been waiting six long years for this day.
After she’d convinced him that she wanted a life on the ranch with him and the boys, they’d wasted no time setting the date. Jolie had wanted to get married immediately, but they’d given themselves a month.
It was a cold day in January, with a fine layer of snow on the ground and the wind rattling the church windows. He’d hoped for a sunny day for Jolie, but she’d said even a blizzard wouldn’t keep her from becoming Mrs. Morgan McDermott.
For Morgan, the sun had come out the moment Jolie said yes. He’d gotten down on his knees in front of the boys so they could see how it should be done. She’d laughingly agreed, and her laughter had filled every space in his heart.
He thanked God for bringing her back to him in His time. Morgan recognized that Jolie had needed the time away, and even though he wasn’t real high on thinkin’ it, he’d needed the time she was away, too. Although he’d loved her, he’d tried to corral her when what she’d needed was space to find her way and become her own person.
Now she could live life with him on the ranch with her whole heart and no regrets.
“She looks like a fairy princess,” B.J. whispered so loudly the whole church heard him.
Morgan had to agree. To get a good view of her coming up the aisle, the two boys had moved over to peek around Wes, who was standing on the end.
Her long, white dress was soft and kind of sparkly as it moved about her. She practically looked like she was floating. Her eyes were shining with happiness and locked to his as the space slowly disappeared between them. Her lips trembled with a soft smile.
“She is a fairy princess,” Sammy said, puffing his chest out. “She’s ours and she’s here to stay.”
Joseph had moved up behind them. “Yes, she is, boys,” he said quietly. “Now let’s move on back to our seats and let the preacher marry her up with Morgan.”
Beside Morgan, his best men—Rowdy and Tucker—chuckled.
“That’d be a good idea,” Rowdy murmured low. “Because Morg here has been waitin’ his whole life for this moment.”
“You’re up next, Rowdy, my man,” Morgan heard Tucker tease their little brother.
“Me? Nope, that’d be you, big brother.”
Morgan met his dad’s steady gaze from the front row and they shared a moment, both thinking it would be interesting to see which one would be next.
The piano drew to a halt as Jolie and her father stopped in front of him.
“Who gives this woman?” the preacher asked.
“Her mother and I,” Mr. Sheridan said, and placed Jolie’s hand in Morgan’s.
Jolie smiled that hundred-watts-of-pure-joy smile of hers, aiming it straight at him as she squeezed his hand, their eyes locked on each other. “I love you,” she whispered, and as one they turned toward the preacher.
“This is gonna be goooood,” Sammy whispered.
“It already is,” Caleb hissed.
“We got her for always now,” B.J. said, his voice loud and clear, making the congregation chuckle.
Jolie turned and shared that killer smile of hers with the boys. “And I’ve got y’all,” she assured them.
Morgan chuckled and cleared his throat. “Preacher, the floor is officially yours. Let’s get rollin’ so I can put a ring on her finger.”
“At last,” Rowdy said with a chuckle.
Morgan shot him a warning look—he hadn’t forgotten that payback was owed to his little brother. And he was a patient man.
Jolie turned back to the preacher and nodded. “Okay,” she said. “Make me the happiest woman in the world.”
“Finally,” Morgan grunted. Laughter rumbled behind them as the preacher proceeded to make Morgan the happiest man in the world. At last.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this story by Debra Clopton,
be sure to look for the other Love Inspired books
out this month!
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Keep reading for an excerpt from Rancher's Refuge by Linda Goodnight
Dear Reader,
Thank you for joining me at Sunrise Ranch deep in the heart of West Texas. I have to say that I loved creating this new bunch of characters. As you can tell from reading this book, I wanted to keep you on your toes with them, so that you’ll never know what to expect when you visit the ranch or the small town of Dew Drop and the Spotted Cow Café.
Just like my Mule Hollow series, I love never knowing what my characters are going to do next. So I’m busy working on the second story and having fun seeing what mischief everyone is getting into...stay tuned!
I so enjoyed telling Morgan and Jolie’s story, and I hope you are looking forward to watching the other two McDermott brothers meet their matches later in the year.
The theme verse of this book, John 14:18, is one of my favorite of God’s promises: I will not leave you comfortless—I will come to you.
I loved using the theme of comfort in this book. Sammy needed comfort, and Jolie and Morgan were there for him, helping him through his grief. Jolie needed comforting, and so did Morgan. For all of them, God was the ultimate comforter, and He put them all in place to comfort each other.
I pray that if you need comfort today, you’ll bow your head and talk it over with God. He is there to comfort you, too.
Until next time, live, laugh and seek God with all your hearts!
Debra Clopton
Questions for Discussion
Morgan’s mother’s vision for creating the foster program at Sunrise Ranch was to share the beauty and blessing of this West Texas ranch with less fortunate boys who had no place to call home. How did Morgan feel about his mother’s dream? What are his plans for the future?
Her Unforgettable Cowboy Page 18