by Annie Boone
“Felicity,” Lana said, rushing to her friend and gripping her in a tight hold.
Max walked to Josh, holding out his hand. “No, sir, you arrived just in time to give her away. And to meet your new niece.”
“Niece?” Josh said, raising his brows.
Lana walked to him, throwing her arms around her brother. “It’s a long story. But what a wonderful story it is.”
Chapter 24
“Where is Mr. Hightower? I’d very much like for him to be here for you, Max. I know you’re close. I like him, too. Shall we go pick him up?”
“I was going to tell you earlier, but there was just so much to say. It’s still a bit hard for me to talk about. Paul died, Lana. He was sick for several months and he left us last week. That was the great loss I mentioned.”
“Oh, no! Max, I can’t believe it. I’m so sorry.” Lana embraced him tightly to comfort him and herself. “I’m so sorry I’ll never see him again. Are you all right?”
“It’s hard, but I’m making do, I suppose. Seeing him suffer so those last few weeks was difficult. I know he’s no longer in pain and misery, but I sure do miss him.”
Lana stroked his arm and nodded. There was nothing she could say to make this better for him. He would find his way. Being together might help. She hoped so. They had both gone through so much to be here together, but all the difficulties had made her even more sure that they were in the right place at the right time.
Max nodded and smiled. “You know, right before he died, he told me to find my true love. I think he meant you.”
She smiled at him and wiped the tears from her eyes. “You think so?”
“I do, indeed. And there is a bit more news I have for you, but I’d like to wait until after we’re married to share it with you. I promise, it’s nothing that would make you change your mind,” he chuckled.
And so, Lana and Max were married that afternoon by Father Michael. Though neither was Catholic, the decision seemed right. Felicity and Josh were with them. The nuns doted on Colton and kept him well fed and loved at their cottage while his parents helped get Lana and Max married.
The ceremony itself was nothing out of the ordinary. Considering where they’d come from, however, their wedding was a dream come true. Max was beside himself with joy and Lana was feeling happiness that was bittersweet since she missed her parents and Mr. Hightower.
Once they were pronounced husband and wife, Max kissed her playfully and Josh complained good-naturedly. The foursome laughed and went for an early supper at the famed Delmonico’s Restaurant. Lana, Josh, and Felicity had never been to such a fine establishment before and it was the best wedding supper Lana could imagine.
“All right, then. We’ve had our nuptial toast and the feast is on the way. While we wait, I’ve got some things I’d like to share with the three of you.” Max looked at each one of them for approval. When he saw their nods, he continued.
“You may be surprised to find out that Paul Hightower left me his estate. All of it. His home, his bank account, and his business are now mine. And since we’re married, Lana, it all belongs to you, too.”
“Oh, Max, no. That’s all yours. I won’t make a claim for any of it.”
“You don’t have to make a claim. It’s yours. Simple as that. But that’s not really what I want to tell you.”
“I’m intrigued and can’t wait to hear this secret!” Felicity leaned forward, on the edge of her seat waiting to hear the news.
“I debated on whether to bring it up here or not, but I decided this is a celebration and this news changes our lives. So, besides the inheritance, I found out that Paul Hightower was my grandfather.”
Felicity’s jaw dropped and Josh leaned back in his chair in shock.
“Are you serious? How did you find out?” Lana couldn’t keep the surprise and excitement from her face.
“He once told me about a novel he’d written. I encouraged him to publish it, but he said it wasn’t very good. Said he wrote it just because the subject was special to him. I didn’t think any more about it. After he died, I found the manuscript on his desk and a box that I’d never seen before. When I opened the pages, I realized it was the story he’d told me about.”
“That’s interesting. What was it about?” Lana’s eyes were bright with interest.
“It’s about an orphan and his search to find that child. The father of the child falls in love with a woman he was forbidden to marry. She was their maid. She was with child and she ran away. He searched for her and finally found that she’d died and left their son in an orphanage. It took him three more years to find the child. Then, he died two years later.”
“That’s so sad. Stories of orphans are touching but hard to read sometimes. At least for me. Especially since Colton was born. I can’t imagine not being there for him.”
Nods around the table supported Felicity’s thought on orphan stories.
“So, this was a novel he wrote about you, maybe? I still don’t understand how you found out he’s your grandfather.”
“Well, at first I thought it was about his search for me, his son. Then I looked in the box. There was a photograph of a man who looked just like me. On the back, it said, ‘My Son,’ so I knew something else must have happened. Then I found a letter to me. It simply said, ‘Max,’ on the front.”
“Oh, well, that must have helped. I’m sure you wish you’d found that first. Did he explain everything in the letter?” Josh was leaning forward, interested to find out the details of the mystery.
“I think it’s sad he left you a letter instead of telling you in person,” said Felicity.
“Me, too. I’d have thought he would be open with you, Max,” responded Lana.
“Well, it turns out the letter wasn’t really to me. My father’s name was Max, too. This letter was to him. It apologized for not understanding him. For not supporting him and his true love. Apologizing for not being there as he died. You see, he also promised to find me and raise me. My mother had named me after my father, but she gave me her last name. That made it harder for Paul to find me. But find me, he did! I think his last words to me speak volumes of his regret over not allowing his son to marry the woman he loved.”
“Are you thinking of changing your name, Max?” Josh asked with curiosity.
“No, I’m not. I’ve been Max Tolbert all my life. It would seem odd to change that. I think Paul kept the secret to shield me from the scrutiny of people who would hold it against me for being illegitimate, even though that wasn’t my fault. So, it makes sense to me to leave things as they are. Except for one thing.”
Max looked at Lana and reached for her hand. She smiled and cocked her head to the side in interest at what he might say next. “What’s that, my love?”
“You, me, and Jess are moving to Cutter’s Creek when the adoption is far enough along that we can do it. I know it may not be final for a while, but soon we’ll be able to move. We’ll keep the brownstone here because we’ll need a place to stay when we come here. But I want Jess and the rest of our family, when the little ones start coming along, to grow up in Cutter’s Creek. With family and friends and mountains and meadows full of wildflowers. How does that sound?”
Lana and Felicity had both started to cry before he finished. Josh was up and slapping him on the back.
“You really want to do that? Oh, Max! I’m so happy!”
“Me, too. I’m so happy for you, Lana, but I really was depressed about losing my best friend to the big city.” Felicity was holding Lana’s hand so tight she thought she’d break her fingers.
“So, it’s settled? Everyone is happy?”
Lana, Felicity, and Josh cheered and the plan was set in motion. Getting to this place had been a rocky road. A difficult journey. But they had each other and they had love. There was nothing more they needed to make their life together meaningful and happy.
Chapter 25
The day after her wedding, Lana spent the morning with Felicity before sh
e and Josh went back to Montana. They visited the shops and each bought a new dress from a posh shop that they both admired.
This would be the last day they’d see each other until Lana and Max made it back to Cutter’s Creek to find a house and settle in. They stopped for tea and biscuits in a sweet little shop just off Park Avenue.
“So, Lana, tell me what happened to make you do this? All I got was your note and it wasn’t completely clear. What happened?”
“I was in town to mail my manuscript off to another publisher when I was approached by Matthew Thompson. He’s actually a nice man, by the way. I think I’m going to try to find him a wife when I get back home.”
“Oh, Lana. Leave well enough alone. He’ll figure things out on his own.”
“He might, but how long will that take? He needs some help.”
“Let’s worry about him later. What did he do when you saw him in town?”
Lana took a sip of her tea. It was hot and she had to blow on it a little to keep from burning her mouth. “Whew. This is hot. Really good, though. Oh, about Matthew. He handed me a box and told me Oliver Johnston had stolen the letters I sent to Max and the ones he sent back to me. He meant to burn them, but Matthew saw them before he did. He took them and gave them to me.”
“So, that’s when you went in and blessed Oliver out?”
“How did you know about that?”
“Oh, everybody knows about that. Don’t you remember drawing a crowd? You’re actually a hero to many folks back home. Did you know people don’t like him? Or his father?”
“No, I didn’t know him well enough, but now I do. I’m not surprised people don’t like him. I can’t believe he’d do something so underhanded as that. Stealing mail. Isn’t that against the law?”
Felicity gave her a knowing look. “Well, it just so happens that the sheriff heard about what he did. He’s looking into it. Matthew agreed to give a statement. Others have come forward with suspicions that he and his father have been opening mail to get gossip to print in their ‘About Town’ section of the paper.”
“Really?” Lana started laughing and almost snorted. She tried to calm down, but it took a minute. “I’m so glad! They may not be able to get proof of that, but if they’ve really been doing that, they should be punished.”
“I couldn’t agree more. I just hope something good comes out of it. I do think Oliver will get in some trouble over your incident.”
“I hope those two will learn their lesson. I wonder if Oliver will still run for mayor.”
They both laughed at that thought.
“Now, Lana, I know you’re happy about your wedding. I’m happy for you. But what about being a mother immediately, too? Are you overwhelmed? It’s a big step and you don’t have any experience.”
“Did you have experience when Colton arrived?”
“Well, no, but at least I’d been married a while.”
“A while? You were not! Colton arrived not even a year after you got married!”
“I concede! You’re right about that. And I support what you’re doing. I do think children without parents need help. You can’t help them all, but you can do what you can where you are.”
“It’s just what I plan to do. Max agrees with me. You’re going to love Jess. She’s a sweetheart.”
“As long as you’re happy and sure you’re doing the right thing.”
“I’m definitely happy about all of it. Thanks for caring about me, though, Felicity.”
The two finished their tea and headed back out into the cold to finish their shopping.
Epilogue
Lana looked out the window as Max walked down the dirt driveway, holding their daughter’s hand as she skipped along next to him, wearing a light pink dress and bonnet. Lana leaned her face against the warm glass.
Spring had finally come and the trees shading their yard were full of bright green leaves. Cheery marigolds decorated the yard in small beds surrounded by smooth stones from the river. Warmth filled her. God surely had blessed her family.
They had been in Cutter’s Creek for two months. They had found a house just outside of town and it was just what they needed. Max was busy opening a branch of Hightower Publishing in Cutter’s Creek. Though this little Montana town was an unlikely place for a publishing company, it was working out because the owner wanted to be here. She was so thankful for that!
A cry sounded behind her and she turned picking up the little toddler boy, Georgie, who yanked on her skirt. A smile pushed across his chubby cheeks, as he looked up at her adoringly. His dark curls were a mess on his head despite the fact she constantly tried to brush them into submission.
Lana had no idea how many more children the Lord would bring to her and Max, but she prayed that they would be able to give more children homes who needed loving parents. She wanted to open up her home to every precious heart that needed a family. She and Max had agreed to care for as many orphans as they could.
Before they left New York, little Georgie had come into their lives. Lana planned to continue to help out at St. Raphael’s when she was in New York. Max donated regularly and they advocated for adoption every chance they got.
The door opened and Jess raced in. “Ma! Ma! Where are you?”
Her little girl raced into the parlor, carrying a small package. A bright smile flashed across her face.
Lana couldn’t help but giggle. “Now what do you have there?”
Max walked in and stood behind Jess, and Lana’s breath caught when she looked up at him. She still couldn’t believe this gentle and handsome man was her husband. But he was.
The day after they were married, they let Jess know that they were going to become her parents. She couldn’t believe how loudly that child had screamed with joy. That was a moment Lana never would forget.
Jess walked up to her and held out the package. “It’s a present and I think it’s for you.”
Lana looked down at the package the same size of a small book. Could it be? Was it finally ready? Max walked to her side and took little Georgie from her arms before she took the package. A nervous energy floated to her.
She ripped off the brown wrapping, letting it fall to the floor. She flipped the book over, and pure joy poured through her as she took in the title. The Fairies of St. Raphael's Orphanage. She hugged the book to her chest and closed her eyes. Her dream had come true. Her book had been published, and now the country would hopefully enjoy it while understanding the difficulties orphans faced every day. She would have to pray every night that this book would encourage many to give a child in need a home. She turned to Max.
He reached to her cheek and brushed a curl out of her face. “It will be a success,” he said.
Lana stood and took a step towards him, and planted a kiss on his cheek. To her, it already was. Just like the overflow of blessings in her life.
“Read it to me, Ma,” Jess said.
Lana took her daughter’s hand and led her to the chairs by the fireplace. Jess sat on one side of her and Max on the other with little Georgie squirming on his lap. Lana flipped the book open and began to read the story of her heart. The story of how her family came to be.
About the Author
Annie Boone is the author of over forty books in the western historical romance genre. All her stories are sweet and clean with a hint of Christian influence.
Annie is one of four authors writing in the much loved Cutter’s Creek Series. All the authors of this series have enjoyed creating the fictional town and the people who live there.
Annie feels extremely blessed to be able to write about characters and places that inspire hope and entertain.
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@AnnieBooneBooks
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Also by Annie Boone
Cutter’s Creek Series
New Beginnings
Becoming a Family
Christmas Spirit
Annie is the author of more than 40 books. All are available on Amazon. Find a complete listing on
Annie’s Amazon Author Page
or
Annie’s Website
About Cutter’s Creek
Thank you for reading Love Conquers All in the Cutter’s Creek Series. We all enjoy writing in this series and we grow to love our characters more with each book.
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