Trouble in Paradise

by Hatcher, Robin Lee

  Nat couldn’t claim to be an expert in psychology, but even a cowboy from Idaho could see what was happening before his eyes. He didn’t like it much. He remembered the animated young woman he’d first seen on the deck of her cabin. That wasn’t who he saw before him now.

  His gaze met with Anne’s, and her eyes seemed to say to him, You see it, too?

  Yeah, he saw.

  * * *

  Shayla stared at the computer monitor, watching the cursor blink on an otherwise blank screen. It was nearly five in the morning. She’d been at her desk all night, and she’d written nothing. Absolutely nothing.

  Of course, she hadn’t been able to get to her office until almost midnight. Even after taking her family to the cabin and getting them settled in, it hadn’t quieted down. There had been several phone calls from her siblings, asking where this or that was. Then Cathy and Angie had gotten into an argument about whose turn it was to feed the dogs for Uncle Nat. He hadn’t been present, of course. He’d driven to the cabin with extra blankets. The twins’ argument had turned to spiteful, hurtful words, followed by buckets of tears. It had taken Shayla fifteen minutes to comfort both girls and get them settled in for the night.

  Elbows on the desk, she rested her forehead against the heels of her hands. “I’m so tired, I can’t think.” She wanted to weep.

  She straightened, rose from her chair, and walked to the window. The horizon was beginning to show the first traces of dawn. She could make out the shadowy forms of horses grazing in the paddock. Not even a breeze stirred the trees. It was a beautiful scene, seductively tranquil. But that was deceiving.

  It wouldn’t be tranquil later today or the day after that.

  Or the week after that.

  Or the month after that.

  Nat’s mother would arrive in the afternoon. All of the Vincents would be in and out of the ranch house until after the wedding. The twins would be there until at least next spring.

  How could she be a good wife to Nat, a newlywed, and be a writer at the same time? It was an impossible dream. She would only make him unhappy in the end. She would hurt him less if she broke off things now. Once they made the marriage commitment before God, there would be no going back. Not for either of them.

  No, she must have been mistaken, thinking the Lord wanted her to marry Nat. The call from the publisher should have been a sign to her. Shouldn’t it?

  Oh, God. I want to do what You want me to do. What is it? Show me the way.

  She heard the door open behind her and knew it was Nat.

  “I can’t marry you,” she said over the lump in her throat and the ache in her chest.

  She heard the door close and turned around.

  Nat’s expression was grim as he stared at her.

  “I can’t marry you,” she repeated.

  “Why not?”

  “I just can’t.”

  He didn’t cross the room, didn’t try to change her mind by taking her into his arms. He simply watched her.

  “It costs too much.” She dropped her gaze to the floor. “I’ll fail the Lord if I stay. I’ll give up on my writing.”

  He remained silent.

  That made her angry. “I want to be a writer. I need to finish this book, and I can’t the way things are. It was you who told me not to let anything get in the way of my dreams.” She cast a challenging glance in his direction.

  “I remember.” His voice was flat, emotionless.

  “Then you should understand.”

  “I understand better than you think.” He released a sigh as he raked his fingers through his hair. “I understand all too well.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have realized before now that I couldn’t go through with it. I should have—”

  “Want to know what I think?” he interrupted, louder this time, a hint of anger in his voice. “I think you’re using your writing—even your calling to serve the Lord—as an excuse to run away. You’re afraid, and it isn’t because of the book.”

  “I haven’t been able to write a single page all night long.”

  “That’s an excuse. You’re afraid to depend on anyone else. You take care of everybody because then you’ll be too busy to open up your heart and let them in. Really inside. You’re afraid of the cost of loving, not the cost of losing a dream.” He patted his chest with his hand. “I wanted you to let me in. I wanted you to lean on me. You could have trusted me, Shayla.”

  He put his hand on the doorknob and turned it. But then he stopped and looked at her again.

  “I made the mistake of standing in the way of someone’s dream. I wouldn’t have made that mistake again, Shayla. I wouldn’t have made that mistake with you. I told you that. I tried to prove it to you.”

  He opened the door. “So you go if you have to. Just remember that I love you, and I’ll be right here if you change your mind.”

  * * *

  It was almost seven o’clock when Shayla drove away from the house at Paradise Ranch. Her hastily packed suitcase was in the trunk, along with her computer, printer, and manuscript. In the rearview mirror, she saw Nat, sitting astride Blue, watching as she left him. He had let her go without a word. He’d simply let her go.

  She was about ten miles down the highway before she realized she was crying so hard she couldn’t see the road. She blinked and wiped her eyes, then looked for a place to turn off, knowing she wouldn’t be able to stop the tears for long. Around the next bend in the road, she found a small campground alongside the river.

  “I wanted you to let me in. I wanted you to lean on me.”

  She rested her forehead on the back of her hands, hands that still gripped the steering wheel.

  “You could have trusted me, Shayla.”

  Memories drifted through her mind. Nat working with a young foal. Nat roping cattle. Nat fixing sandwiches in the kitchen. Nat playing with the twins and roughhousing with the dogs. Nat teaching her to ride, showing so much patience. Nat holding her in his arms, kissing her, loving her.

  He was right. He hadn’t tried to take away her dream. He’d wanted to share in it. He didn’t want to stop her from serving God. He wanted to serve with her.

  She got out of the car and walked to the river’s edge, watching as it churned and foamed, roaring over the submerged boulders and logs that lined the riverbed.

  That’s how she felt. As if her insides were churning and foaming and roaring.

  She sat on the ground and pulled her knees toward her chest. With her arms clasped around her shins, she pressed her face against her knees and allowed herself to cry.

  * * *

  With his heart pounding in fear, Nat sped down the highway. He shouldn’t have let her go. He never should have told her he wouldn’t stand in her way. Ten years ago he’d let another woman drive out of his life—and she’d died that day.

  This time he had to do it right. If he lost Shayla…

  Rounding a turn in the road, he saw the roof of her car, parked in a campground. He breathed a silent prayer of thanksgiving as he braked and pulled off the road. He got out of his truck, not bothering to close the door behind him. Her car was empty, but his gaze soon found her, sitting beside the river. He stopped about ten feet away, realizing that she hadn’t heard his arrival above the thunder of the river.

  Her shoulders shook as she wept.

  Was he making a mistake? Should he let her go? Maybe she was right. Maybe he would be in her way. Maybe…

  She lifted her head and turned toward him as if she’d sensed his presence. Her eyes glittered with tears.

  No, he wasn’t making a mistake.

  He crossed the ground that separated them, took hold of her arms, and drew her to her feet. “Don’t go. Don’t leave me.”

  “Oh, Nat.”

  He drew her closer to him. “Without you, Paradise Ranch won’t mean anything. It’ll be too empty without you in it. Don’t give up on us without a fight.”

  “You were right about me. I’m afraid. It’s easier to run aw
ay before I fail.”

  “Then stop running.” He brushed the hair off her forehead. “You don’t have to be afraid. I love you. I believe in you. I won’t hurt you.”

  She gave her head a tiny shake. “I blamed everyone else for what was wrong with my life. For my dismal little apartment and my boring job. For having to put off my dreams. For not writing my stories. But it was only me standing in my way.” She released a sad little laugh. “Wasn’t it?”

  He kissed her with all the tenderness his heart possessed, hoping beyond hope that she would understand how much she was cherished, how important she was in his life. He would move heaven and earth to make her happy—if she would give him the chance.

  When their lips parted, Shayla looked into his eyes for the longest time. So long, he thought he couldn’t bear it. And then she smiled.

  ‘Take me to Paradise, cowboy. Take me home.”

  Epilogue

  While the deputies placed handcuffs on Mitchell Jones in the glow of the spinning red lights atop the police car, Chet pulled True into his arms.

  “So help me, woman, if you ever cause me this much trouble again…”

  He didn’t finish the threat. He didn’t have to.

  “Cowboy.” She smiled that unapologetic smile that was True’s alone. “I plan to cause you nothing but trouble from here on out, and you know it.”

  Yeah, he knew it. And he didn’t care. He wanted whatever kind of trouble she dished out. In fact, he would welcome it.

  He kissed her. He wanted word to spread across Eden Valley like a grass fire: True Barry belonged to Chet Morrison.

  And the next guy to forget it would wish he was sitting in a prison cell next to Mr. Jones.

  * * *

  Shayla lifted the last sheet of paper out of the printer tray and stared at it.

  “The end,” she whispered, then grinned. “I made it.”

  She wanted to shout, but it was two in the morning and she didn’t want to wake the twins.

  ‘Time to celebrate?”

  At the sound of Nat’s voice, Shayla swiveled her chair around. Her husband stood in the doorway. “How did you know?”

  He shrugged. “I had a feeling you would wrap it up tonight.” He smiled at her. “So how did it turn out?”

  “Mystery solved. Bad guy in jail. Chet gets the girl.”

  “Lucky Chet.”

  She returned his smile. ‘There’s a lot of editing to do before I can ship it to New York, and only three days to do it in.”

  “I’ve got faith in you, sweetheart. You’ll get it done in time.”

  He closed the door to her office with his heel and crossed the room to her desk. “I’d like to kiss the author of Trouble in Eden, if that’s all right with her. After all, I’ve never kissed a novelist before.”

  She rose from her chair and slipped into his embrace, snuggling close to her husband of twenty days. “Go ahead. Kiss the novelist, Mr. O’Connell. She’s waiting.”

  “Glad to oblige, ma’am.”

  His kiss told her that she was loved, cherished, beautiful, and special in his eyes. He believed in her and made her believe in herself.

  True Barry would be fortunate if she was even half as happy in Eden as Shayla O’Connell was in Paradise.

  About the Author

  Robin Lee Hatcher is the best-selling author of over eighty books. Her well-drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers. Her numerous awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA® Award for Best Inspirational Romance, Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards for Americana Romance and for Inspirational Fiction, the Carol Award, the 2011 Idahope Writer of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Awards from both Romance Writers of America® (2001) and American Christian Fiction Writers (2014). Catching Katie was named one of the Best Books of 2004 by the Library Journal.

  When not writing, Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, Bible art journaling, reading books that make her cry, watching romantic movies, and decorative planning. A mother and grandmother, Robin makes her home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon puppy named Boo and a persnickety tuxedo cat named Pinky.

  Learn more about Robin and her books by visiting her website at www.robinleehatcher.com

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  Also by Robin Lee Hatcher

  Stand Alone Titles

  Here in Hart's Crossing

  The Victory Club

  Beyond the Shadows

  Catching Katie

  Whispers From Yesterday

  The Shepherd's Voice

  Ribbon of Years

  Firstborn

  The Forgiving Hour

  Heart Rings

  A Wish and a Prayer

  Another Chance to Love You

  Bundle of Joy

  When Love Blooms

  A Carol for Christmas

  Return to Me

  Loving Libby

  Wagered Heart

  The Perfect Life

  The Coming to America Series

  Dear Lady

  Patterns of Love

  In His Arms

  Promised to Me

  Where the Heart Lives Series

  Belonging

  Betrayal

  Beloved

  Books set in Kings Meadow

  A Promise Kept

  Love Without End

  Whenever You Come Around

  I Hope You Dance

  Keeper of the Stars

  Books set in Thunder Creek

  You'll Think of Me

  You're Gonna Love Me

  The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs Series

  A Vote of Confidence

  Fit to Be Tied

  A Matter of Character

  Legacy of Faith Series

  Who I Am with You

  Cross My Heart

  How Sweet It Is

  For a full list of books, visit www.robinleehatcher.com

  Copyright © 1999 by Robin Lee Hatcher

  First RobinSong Inc. ebook edition, 2019

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or publisher.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.