Come to Me Alive

by Leah Atwood

  Another round of cheers and clapping exploded through the audience, continuing after they’d left the stage. As they walked back to the dressing room, they were greeted with echoes of “great show” and “congratulations”. Bryce kept his hand firmly on her back as they wove their way through the bustling crew. They made it to the dressing room before the rest of the band—she suspected they lingered to give her and Bryce a moment of privacy.

  “I can’t believe you came on stage and sang. I mean, I’ve heard you sing in church, but wow. You were amazing.”

  Adrenaline pumped through her. “I still can’t believe I did either.”

  “We should record a song together.” He winked at her and she knew he was teasing.

  “This was a one-time deal. I’ll leave show business to you.”

  Pulling her to him, his eyes became serious. “I didn’t think I could love you more, but you proved me wrong. I’ll never forget what you did for me tonight.”

  She leaned into his embrace. “It was no more than what you’ve done for me.”

  “When I saw you come onstage and you started singing, I realized something. I’ve been doing the exact thing that I accused you of.” He brushed a hair away from her face. “I wanted you to accept me and all that came with me, but I wasn’t willing to accept you and your fears. You love me and support what I do, only in a different, more subtle way.”

  She raised an eyebrow.

  He laughed and a twinkle returned to his eyes. “Okay, so tonight was definitely not subtle. But now, there’s only one thing left to settle.”

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “How soon can we get married?”

  “Soon. Very soon.”

  Epilogue

  “Gracie didn’t so much as blink an eye.” Bryce pulled out a barstool and sat at the kitchen island watching his wife sort through the mail. “You were smart to change her into pajamas at the last rest area.”

  “It’s been a long eight weeks on the road. All that playing with Shannon and little Lilah wore her out. She’s such a little mom to Adam and Elle’s girls.” Sophie’s gentle smile adorned her face, her fondness for Gracie shining through. “Are you hungry? Fjolla left some casseroles in the freezer.”

  “I’m good.” He continued watching her sort through two months’ worth of mail, more in love than ever.

  Next week marked their three-month wedding anniversary, and everything since had been a whirlwind. They were married the weekend after school let out for the summer and she’d moved out of her little house in Oden Bride to his house in Nashville. After a weeklong honeymoon in the Poconos, they returned to Tennessee, only to leave a few weeks later for his Redemption tour.

  “Look at this.” She slid an ivory envelope to him. “That explains why Caroline didn’t stay for the whole tour.”

  Lifting the flap, he pulled out a piece of card stock with a silver ribbon looped at the top. “It’s about time. Leave it to them to wait six months after the engagement to finally announce a wedding date that’s only thirty days away.”

  “I knew,” Sophie confessed. “They want Gracie and Shannon to be flower girls. Elle and I will be bridesmaids.”

  “I’m not sure I’m ready to see my little girl walking down the aisle, even if it’s just as a flower girl.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “So that’s the real reason you had her wait upfront with you at our wedding.”

  “I plead the fifth.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Can’t she stay a little girl forever?”

  “No.” Her eyes held a mischievous gleam. “One day she’s going to turn into a hormonal teenager. Then she’ll go off to college and the next thing you know, you’ll be giving her away to some guy, of whom you’ll never approve, who warned her away from a deranged duck while at the park one day.”

  “You really know how to hurt a dad.” He crossed his fists over his heart. “Besides, your mom said you were one of the few level-headed teens she’d ever met. And your dad likes me.”

  Coming around the island, she slid her arms around him. “I’m just giving you a hard time. Yes, my dad does like you. Sometimes, I think you talk to him more than I do. And Gracie still has lots of growing up to do. She’ll be little for a while yet.”

  He slid around in his seat so that he faced her. “Plus, there’s always the option of having more kids to keep a little one around. Gracie has been asking for a brother or sister.”

  Sophie laughed. “Trust me, I know. Every time after she played with Shannon and Lilah she would ask. I told her in time. I don’t think the school would appreciate me taking maternity leave my first year there.”

  “You could stay home if you wanted.” He knew she wouldn’t, at least not for long. Teaching meant too much to her, as his music did to him. But the option was there if that was what she chose.

  “Who knows? Fifth-graders might just make me want to stop teaching.”

  “I don’t think that could ever happen, but you’ll do great. They’ll love you just like your first-graders always did.”

  “We’ll find out in two weeks.”

  “Too bad you couldn’t get one of the first-grade positions and keep an eye over Gracie.”

  “I’ll be in the same school with her. I’ve met her teachers and they are great.”

  He yawned. They’d been up over twenty-four hours, driving straight through last night so they could get home.

  Sophie re-stacked the remaining mail in a pile. “This can wait. Morning will come awfully early.”

  “Why did we agree to meet everyone for breakfast before church? Haven’t we seen enough of them?” He was joking, of course. Partially. Adam, Elle, Jay, Rob and Caroline were family, but eight o’clock seemed too early to meet them when he was so tired right now.

  “It was your idea,” she reminded him, her eyes fluttering from her own lack of rest.

  He stood and kissed her cheek. “Let’s go get some sleep.”

  “Good night, Mr. Landry.”

  “Good night, Mrs. Landry.”

  Come to Me Free

  Now Available on Amazon

  Career-driven Dani Trahan wasn’t interested in finding a husband. She was only twenty-eight and had plenty of time in her future to settle down and have a family, but for now, her sole focus was keeping her restaurant afloat. When tragedy strikes, however, she’s forced to examine her priorities and relationships.

  Rob Jackson didn’t do relationships. He’d long ago accepted that happily-ever-afters didn’t belong to him. That was a decade ago, right around the time he stopped believing in God. Then he met Dani, and for the first time in ten years, he wanted to believe again—in love and in God.

  To move beyond friendship, Dani and Rob must first accept several truths, but can they learn to rely on faith before it’s too late?

  Continue Scrolling for an excerpt from Chapter One

  Come to Me Free Excerpt

  Lesson learned–don’t wait until the last minute to buy shoes for a wedding.

  Cramped toes, squeezed into shoes a size smaller than needed for her solid size-seven feet, screamed for relief in the form of blisters and pinched nerve endings. Dani Trahan lifted her right foot a sliver of an inch to relieve some pressure off her aching extremity, thankful for the long gown that covered her subtle movement.

  Momentary relief attained, she put her foot back on the ground and returned her attention to the ceremony. Her cousin, Bryce, and his very soon-to-be wife, Sophie, were exchanging vows. The bride’s back was to Dani, but she could see the groom clearly. A calmness surrounded him, a long-absent peace settled into his smile as he pledged his life to Sophie.

  If anyone deserved a slice of happiness, it was Bryce. Though cousins, Dani had always looked at him as the brother she never had, and she wanted nothing but the best for him. They grew up a thousand miles apart, but Bryce’s summers were spent with their grandparents, here in Oden Bridge, Louisiana and were always the highlight of Dani’s year. There was
a time he had drifted away, but when he returned two years ago, it was like he’d never gone.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Even the preacher couldn’t conserve his smile.

  Sun streamed through the church’s window, a blessing from Heaven, on the day of celebration. The recessional began, and the beaming bride and groom walked down the aisle to the music of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” The audience stood, applauding the newlyweds.

  Due to an uneven number of bridesmaids and groomsmen, Sophie’s sister, Mia, and best friend, Kate, escorted Gracie, the flower girl who was Bryce’s daughter, down the aisle. Dani’s turn was coming. With a smile on her face, she kept her gaze on the center aisle.

  The wedding planner nodded the signal. Dani stepped forward and so did Rob, the groomsman by whom she’d be escorted. They faced each other for only a split second, but it was long enough for Rob to flash her a subtle wink.

  She ignored it.

  His insufferable flirting over the last few days was driving her up the wall. If, and that was a big if, she was interested in dating, it wouldn’t be with someone like him.

  Turning, they faced the crowd. Rob crooked his arm, and she slid hers through until they were locked at their elbows. Each step further pinched her feet. She blocked the pain. Too bad she couldn’t also block Rob. Soon enough.

  Twenty-five steps. That’s how many she counted from the front of the church to the back. The moment Rob and she exited the church, she removed herself from his touch. She jerked her arm from his with an unnecessary force.

  He chuckled, but didn’t say anything. His azure blue eyes, however, spoke volumes. Amusement danced in them, and Dani’s ire rose with the realization that he was well aware of his effect on her. Her face flushed, and she spun away from him, the lavender silk of her dress swishing as she walked.

  Standing to the side, she watched the wedding planner scurry to place the receiving line members in their proper order as the bride’s and groom’s parents came out from the church. The bridesmaids and groomsmen wouldn’t be participating in that ritual. Instead, they would mingle among the guests and make sure everyone had a satchel of lavender buds, which would be thrown in lieu of traditional rice.

  “Was I a good flower girl, Aunt Dani?” Gracie tugged on her hand.

  Dani looked down at her adorable niece and forgot her irritation toward Rob. “You were the best—the prettiest one, too.”

  Gracie grinned at the praise. “I was quiet the whole time, just like they told me to be.”

  “I’m very proud of you.” Gracie was famous for her ability to talk non-stop, even during the rehearsal last night.

  “Come here, Gracie,” Bryce called from a few feet away.

  Gracie skipped to her dad and new stepmom. Guests filed out of the church now, stopping to greet the newly married couple. Dani spotted a distant cousin leaving the receiving line and went to speak with her.

  The pregnant cousin waddled to meet her halfway. “I’m so happy to see you again.”

  “You too, Gina. How long’s it been?”

  “Too long. I think the last time I saw you was a few months after my own wedding.”

  “And now you’re having a baby.” Dani stepped back and gave a pointed look to her cousin’s distended belly.

  Gina giggled and rested her hands on her stomach. “The little one is due on our anniversary.”

  “What a great present.”

  “I just hope we get moved in time.”

  Dani cocked her head—even though they weren’t very close because Gina was six years younger than her and lived a couple hundred miles away in north Louisiana, the news took her by surprise. “Where are you moving to?”

  “Here, Oden Bridge. Greg’s going to work for one of his uncles who has a construction company in town.”

  “Milton Construction?” It was the only one she knew of in Oden Bridge.

  “Yes.” Small wrinkles creased Gina’s forehead and her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

  A gut feeling told Dani there was more to the story that Gina didn’t wish to disclose. “Give me a call when you get here. I’d love to get together sometime. And if you need any help to move or unpack, let me know.”

  “Thank you, I will. How have you been?” Gina asked. “Any wedding bells in your future?”

  The miserable question that every married person felt necessary to ask this weekend.

  “No, I’m married to my career for now.” The answer slipped off her tongue with a practiced ease and was usually met with a look of disgust or a condescending nod that said ‘that’s what everyone who hasn’t found someone says.’

  In her case, it was true. Bayou Bits was her passion and most of her time was dedicated to keeping the restaurant afloat. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a family someday, but now wasn’t the time. She was only twenty-eight—she still had plenty of time to fall in love, marry and have children.

  “Doesn’t mean you can’t still date.” Gina leaned in, her head inches from Dani’s face. “That guy who escorted you down the aisle is a major cutie. Isn’t he one of Bryce’s band members? He couldn’t keep his eyes off you during the ceremony.”

  “Rob? He’s Bryce’s guitarist.” An unladylike snort escaped, drawing a glance from a nearby couple. “And I don’t think so, not even if he were the last man on earth.”

  Gina’s features froze, and she covered a cough with her hand.

  “Is that so?” The identity of the deep timbre voice was unmistakable.

  Heat rushed to cover her face. Her cheeks undoubtedly looked like tomatoes.

  “I see Greg waving me over.” Gina took a step away. “I’ll get in touch with you next week sometime.” Her rapid departure was anything but discreet.

  Scanning the people milling about outside the church, Dani couldn’t find a single person not already engaged in conversation to whom she could escape from the man behind her. Sucking in a deep breath, she tamped down her embarrassment.

  She would not give him that satisfaction.

  Before she could turn around, he moved to stand in front of her. “Last man on earth, huh?”

  “I see Kate gathering everyone together to send Bryce and Sophie off to the reception.” Choosing to ignore his jibe, she pointed to a small group standing off to themselves. “Can you go let them know? I’ll ask Kate if she needs my help with the others.”

  “Sure thing.”

  That was too easy. No verbal exchange with Rob this week had been that simple. He’d made it his personal mission to annoy her at every corner. “Thanks.”

  “Just make sure to save me a dance.” And there it was. His lips slanted in an arrogant grin before he sauntered away.

  Note from the Author

  Dear Reader,

  First and foremost, I want to thank you for reading Come to Me Alive, whether this is the first time you’ve read my work or if you picked this up because you’re a fan of my mail-order bride stories. Bryce and Sophie now claim a piece of my heart because I’ve spent so much time with each of them. Come to Me Alive is my first Christian contemporary romance, and it evolved from a simple conversation with a friend, but it turned into my most ambitious project yet. It was a labor of love that became a calling. If you enjoyed it also, would you please consider leaving a review on Amazon?

  In 2015, I will release two more Christian contemporary romances, Come to Me Free and Come to Me Again, which will have some familiar characters. I will also be continuing the Brides of Weatherton series, as I do so love my fictional town and writing about mail-order brides. To receive first notice of upcoming releases and news, you can sign up for my newsletter here.

  Those who know me, even from a distance, know how much I love the fall. It is my favorite time of year, even though I now live in an area that doesn’t see a ‘traditional’ fall, such as what I experienced as a child. One tradition I can still experience with my children is jumping in piles of leaves. This childhood rite of passage remains a
timeless favorite and is sure to elicit squeals of delights (and hair full of crumpled leaves). It is just one, of the very many, things about fall that I love. What is your favorite thing about this season?

  Until next time,

  Leah

  “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalms 100:4 (KJV)

  Connect with Leah:

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  authorleahatwood@gmail.com

  Also Available by Leah

  Contemporary Romance Novels

  Come to Me Alive

  Come to Me Free

  Come to Me Again

  Come to Me Joyful (Bonus NOVELLA)

  Brides of Weatherton Novellas

  After the Rain

  Fire and Ice

  Winds of Change

  Whiter than Snow

  Dancing on Dew (December 2015)

  Texas Wildflowers Novelette Series

  Free to Love

  Free to Heal

  Free to Protect

  Free to Serve

  Free to Roam

  Free to Forgive

  Mail-Order Short Stories and Novelettes

  The Ultimatum Bride

  A Man to Be Proud Of

  Their First Noelle

  The Not Quite Mail-Order Bride

  The Mail-Order Bride’s Quilt

  Riches of the Heart

  Unlikely Substitute

  The Most Wonderful Bride of the Year