Coming Home: (Contemporary Christian Romance Boxed Set): Three Stories of Love, Faith, Struggle & Hope

by Debra Ullrick

  “Yes. He’s already asking the nurse for lunch. That boy’s a bottomless pit.”

  “I’ll go and call Bart and let him know Brent’s okay.” Miles pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and stepped outside through the sliding doors.

  Sami smiled at her father to ease his mind, but her insides knotted at the thought of hiring another hand, especially after the last time.

  Chapter Two

  Chase Townsend sat on the steps of his ranch house watching the sun burst to life from behind the mountains, a routine he did every morning since he’d purchased the property a few weeks earlier from his great-aunt, Irene Miller. It included a four-bedroom house, one hundred acres of land and a handful of cattle. The house, barn, and fences all needed repairs. Worse, the purchase had drained his savings account, but this piece of land belonged to him, and he was proud of it.

  Every morning as he sat on the steps, he visualized what his small ranch would look like when he finished all the repairs. It would be magnificent.

  But, this morning his thoughts were far from the ranch. Today he couldn’t concentrate on anything else except the sidewalk beauty he’d encountered, not once but twice, the day before. He smiled when he thought about her again. He could still see her standing there on the sidewalk in the rain, soaked to the bone, her long blonde hair wet and curling around her shoulders. And what a face.

  What he most remembered about her were the most dazzling blue eyes he’d ever seen. Her face was a perfect oval, and her nose was cute and dainty. There was a soft pink tint to her sweet curled lips.

  The sensation of his hair rising on his arms and at the nape of his neck made him smile. “Okay, Chase, get your head out of the clouds, you’ve got work to do.”

  He pushed himself to his feet and looked at the farmhouse again. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. And, Lord, I’m going to need all the strength You can give me to do all the work that has to be done around here.”

  Picking up his nail apron, he tied it around his waist, pulled his hammer out of its holster, and started up the steps to repair one of the shudders. However, when he stepped on the second step, it creaked and then cracked. The next thing he knew, his leg went right through the board, and he was standing on the ground.

  His niece’s cat, Mr. Pip, lazily crept across the porch and looked at him as he sighed and started to pull his leg out.

  “Well, I guess I’d better add more lumber to my list when I go into town later today. What do you think, Mr. Pip?” he said to the cat and chuckled.

  “Uncle Chase, are you hurt?” Kaylee, Chase’s five-year-old niece, yelled as she came running from the barn, her dark hair bouncing on her shoulders.

  “I’m fine,” Chase said, trying once again to pull his leg out of the broken step.

  “Son, what happened?” Anna, Chase’s mother, hurried out the front door, drying her hands on her apron. Emily, his sister, followed close behind her. All of them worried like a flock of scared geese.

  “He broke the step, Nana,” Kaylee announced, thrusting her hands on her hips.

  Emily looked down at the broken board and started to giggle. “Now, Chase, did you forget that step was cracked?”

  “Looks like it, huh? My mind must’ve been somewhere else.”

  It was good to see his younger sister laugh again. She’d not done very much of that since her husband Chris had died seven months earlier. Emily had become a widow at the young age of twenty-six and was now struggling to raise Kaylee on her own.

  After Chris’s death, Emily and Kaylee had moved in with their mother, but her home just wasn’t big enough for all of them.

  So, when Chase had the opportunity to buy the ranch from his aunt, he jumped at it and relocated everyone to his new place. He knew he could help Emily raise her daughter, and that the house was big enough for all of them, including his mother.

  “Can we help?” his mother asked, trying to keep from laughing, but her quivering body gave her away.

  “No, I’ve got it.” With one more jerk, Chase freed himself from the step, but his foot came out bootless and his sock was barely hanging on to his foot.

  Kaylee looked over into the broken step and then screamed with delight, “It’s in there. I can see it. I can see it.”

  With another exhale, Chase fished his boot out of the step and pulled it back onto his foot. “See, all fixed.”

  “Well, the boot anyway,” Emily said, eyeing the step.

  Anna just smiled at her son. “If you’re sure you’re okay, I’ll go back to fixing breakfast.”

  “I’m fine, Mom. No damage done, except to my pride.”

  ♥♥♥♥

  The next morning, after bringing Brent home from the hospital and getting him settled in his room, Miles, Sami, and their father sat down at the dining room table to discuss what their next move would be.

  “Okay, here’s where we stand. We’re short two hands now with Brent being laid up. Gus said he could come back early to help get the cattle ready, but his little wife still needs him at home to help her take care of that new baby of theirs. As I said yesterday, we’re going to have to hire another hand for a couple of months. Any suggestions?” her dad asked, and then he leaned back in his chair, waiting for Sami and Miles to answer.

  “I can make a trip into town and ask around. I’m sure I can find someone who can help out around here for a while.” Miles leaned his own chair back on two legs and glanced over at Sami. “You know it’s the only option we have.”

  “I know, I know. I just hate the idea of another stranger working on the ranch.” Sami moaned, rubbing the chill out of her arms. “It’s not like we’ve never tried this before.”

  His eyes soft, Miles reached over, touched her shoulder, and gave her a comforting smile. “We’ll be more cautious this time, I promise. Besides, not every man is like Billy.”

  Sami nodded gloomily as she forced a smile to her lips. “Hopefully, we can find someone soon.”

  Her dad tapped his knuckles on the table. “It’s settled then. You’d better get started, Miles. The sooner we get someone hired on here the better I’ll feel.”

  Miles stood, picked up his hat, and slid it on his head. “I’ll start by posting an ad at Barley’s.”

  ♥♥♥♥

  Chase opened the door and stepped inside Barley’s feed store. The sound of the bell jingled in his ears.

  “Be with you in a sec,” Mr. Barley called to Chase and turned back to the man he was talking to. “I don’t know, Miles. I’ll keep an ear open. But I haven’t heard of anyone looking for work in a while.”

  “Well, Mr. Barley if you do hear of anyone, will you send them our way? It’s only a temporary position, but we really need an extra hand, at least by the end of next week. The cattle sale’s coming up in a few weeks, and we can’t afford not to have our Herefords ready.”

  “I’ll ask around for you. Tell your dad I said hey, and I hope that boy’s leg heals right.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell him, and I think Brent’s going to heal just fine. See ya later, Mr. Barley.” He tipped his hat at the old man and nodded at Chase as he walked past him out of the store.

  “Hold that thought. I’ll be back for my order in just a moment,” Chase said to Mr. Barley and hurried out after the young man. “Hey, excuse me. Did you say you’re looking for a temporary hand at your ranch?”

  On one boot heel, the young man turned. “I sure am. Why? Are you interested?”

  “I could be.” Chase tried to keep the excitement out of his voice. Extra income, especially temporary extra income, would really help him get his ranch up and going.

  “I was headed across the street to Maude’s Diner for lunch. Come on, I’ll buy you a burger, and we can talk business. You’re new in town, aren’t you?”

  “Yeap, just moved in a few weeks back.”

  The man extended his hand. “Well, welcome to Homestead. I’m Miles Lawson.”

  “Chase Townsend.”
/>   The two men shook hands.

  Lawson? Where have I heard that name before? Chase knew he’d not met Miles Lawson before. So, why did the name sound so familiar? He shrugged it off because he knew it would come back to him eventually. After all, he’d met his fair share of new faces with new names in the past couple weeks. Right now, he was more interested in the prospect of earning some extra money.

  When they entered the diner, Chase glanced over at the table where he’d first seen her the day before. He smiled when her beautiful eyes flashed through his mind once again. They’d been doing that a lot lately.

  During lunch, Miles discussed the job description in detail, the pay rate, and the hours. It took next to nothing for Chase to accept the position. The job sounded absolutely perfect.

  “You don’t know what a life saver you are. Now, with all that settled, you have to try Maude’s fresh homemade cherry cobbler.” Miles slid his chair back and rubbed his stomach. “It’s the best in Tennessee.”

  Twenty minutes later, they left the diner and walked back across the street to where Miles’ truck was parked. Miles held out his hand and shook hands with Chase once more. “See you in the morning at seven sharp.”

  “I’ll be there.” Chase turned to head back to Barley’s to pick up his supplies.

  “Oh, Chase. By the way, I just wanted to give you a heads up about my little sister, Sami. I want to assure you, her bark is much worse than her bite.” He laughed and climbed into the cab of his truck before heading out.

  “Sami?” The name danced around in his brain two spins. “Sami Lawson. Now I know where I’ve heard that name before.” Chase pulled his hat off, rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand, and looked up at the sky. “Lord, what have I gotten myself into?”

  In the short time Chase had been in Homestead, he’d heard all the rumors about Miss Sami Lawson. He recalled a conversation he’d overheard in the feed store a few days earlier.

  Some of the townsmen were in deep conversation about a woman named Sami Lawson. They all referred to her as a “wild cat.”

  One of the men had leaned back against the counter and poked Chase in the arm while he stood at the register paying for ten pounds of nails. “Have you met her yet?”

  “I can’t say that I have,” Chase replied but made it a point to keep his gaze away from the man. He didn’t want to be pulled into a conversation he wanted no part of.

  “Tell him why we call her a wild cat, Ned,” one man said.

  “Cause she’s a man-eater. That’s why. She’ll chew you up and spit you out.” The man elbowed Chase in the arm once more.

  “Come on, Ned.” Mr. Barley spoke to the man standing next to Chase. “Don’t you and the others have better things to do than to poke fun at Sami?”

  “Ah, no. You know better than that. We’re just getting started, Barley.” Ned grunted and pushed himself away from the counter.

  Every man in the feed store laughed in agreement.

  “You remember when Billy Salter was hanging around her. She ran that poor boy off with a shotgun,” one of the other men replied.

  “Shot a hole in his boot. Took his little toe clean off,” another one added.

  “She’s gotta look that will cut right through you like a knife. A dull one so it hurts worse. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her smile neither.”

  “I don’t think she knows how,” another man chimed in.

  One more roar of laughter echoed off the walls, and all Chase wanted was to finish up this purchase and get out of there.

  The sound of the bell jingling, alerting everyone that a customer was entering the store. Suddenly all the men’s laughter died in their throats. Chase looked around to see what had silenced the group so quickly. There at the door stood a young man with a slight limp accompanied by another cowboy who strode through the door and up to the counter.

  “How can I help you, Billy?” Mr. Barley asked.

  The young man pulled the straw he’d been chewing on out of his mouth and looked over at Chase. “What are you looking at?”

  Chase realized he’d been staring at the young man wondering if he was the same toeless Billy the men had been talking about just seconds before. Before Chase could respond, Mr. Barley intervened.

  “Billy,” Mr. Barley gave a nod in Chase’s direction. “This here is Chase Townsend. He and his family just moved in into the old Miller place. We’re always ready to welcome new comers to our friendly little town, aren’t we?”

  Chase extended a hand, but Billy just grunted. “My truck’s around back, Barley, I need my feed.” He turned and limped back out of the feed store.

  ♥♥♥♥

  “Brent, if you don’t stay in bed, that leg of yours will never heal right,” Aunt Edna scolded, shaking a wooden spoon at Brent who had reappeared in the kitchen for the third time that day.

  “I can’t stay in my room the whole time. I’ll go crazy up there. Can’t I please eat lunch in here with all of you?”

  “Come on, son.” Relenting, Sami’s dad got up to help Brent to the table. “There ain’t a Lawson alive who likes being cooped up.”

  Brent was small for being fifteen. He only stood five-foot and weighed a smidgen over a hundred pounds. As much as Sami hated to admit it, they both resembled their mother. The blonde-streaked hair, bright blue eyes, and small statures made it evident that she and Brent were definitely Maggie Lawson’s children. Not that that had ever done either of them any good.

  Miles, on the other hand, looked more like their father. He was as tall as their father was, and he carried the same dark hair, and chocolate brown eyes. He was in every sense of the words… tall, dark, and handsome.

  “You’re lucky I wasn’t here, Brent. I would’ve tanned your hide,” Aunt Edna said as she handed him a plate. “I leave for two days to visit friends, and I find out you almost got yourself killed.”

  “I’m sorry, Aunt Edna. I won’t do it again. I learned my lesson the hard way.” He patted the cast on his leg and innocently smiled up at her.

  “You best remember your words, or you’ll have to answer to me next time.” She kissed him on the top of his head and sat down beside Sami.

  Aunt Edna Lawson was her father’s older sister. A few months after Sami’s mother left, Aunt Edna had moved in to help her dad with the children, and she’d stayed ever since. Aunt Edna became the cook, housekeeper as well as doing the bookkeeping for the entire outfit. She was the closest thing to a mother Sami had now. So, even though Aunt Edna was bossy at times and quite ornery, they all adored her.

  At that moment, Clint Sawyer and Daniel Forge, two of the other ranch hands, came through the back door, removing their hats as they entered the kitchen.

  “Have a seat, boys. Lunch is ready.” Aunt Edna pointed toward the table and motioned for them to sit.

  “Where’s Miles?” Daniel asked as he dropped onto a chair and grabbed a roll.

  “He went into town to ask around to see if we can find a temporary hand to help us out for the next few months,” her dad answered without looking up from his plate.

  Clint and Daniel both glanced over at Sami and then quickly looked away.

  “Do you think he’ll find anybody?” Daniel asked as he spooned out a heap of potato salad and plopped it onto his plate.

  “I’m sure there’s somebody out there that needs some extra money in their pocket.” Her father downed the rest of his ice tea and stood. “Thanks for lunch, Edna.”

  Sami watched her father grab his hat off the hook, plop it on his head, and stroll out the backdoor.

  “Are you okay with this, Sami?” Clint looked over his glass at her and said it as if none of the others could hear.

  “I guess I have to be, don’t I?” She pushed her chair back and stood. “But it doesn’t mean I have to like it.” With that, she followed her father’s lead and left the room.

  Just as she stepped out onto the back porch, she saw Miles’ truck coming down the drive. Taking a deep breath, she hop
ped off the porch and headed in his direction.

  “I found somebody,” Miles announced as he jumped out of the truck.

  A shiver raced through her, making her knees wobble. “You did? Already? That was fast.”

  “His name is Chase Townsend. He’ll be here first thing in the morning.”

  “Townsend? I don’t think I’ve heard that name before.”

  “He’s new in town. He just bought the old Miller place a few weeks back. He said he needed the extra money to help get his own ranch up and running.”

  Their father came out of the barn and crossed the yard in record speed. “Well? Did you have any luck?” He removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt.

  “Matter-of-fact I did. He just happened to be in the feed store while I was talking to Mr. Barley. His name’s Chase Townsend. He’s the one who bought the old Miller place.”

  A look of relief flooded her dad’s face. “Good. That’s a load off my shoulders. When will he be here?”

  “First thing in the morning, and I think he’s going to fit right in at Homestead. He thinks Maude’s cherry cobbler is the best around too.”

  Both men laughed and walked off together.

  “Oh no, Maude’s,” Sami groaned. With Brent’s accident, and the rush to the hospital, she’d forgotten to call Maude. She hurried to the house and dialed the number.

  “Well, honey. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. That cutie pie you had lunch with yesterday picked up your check, too.” Maude giggled over the phone.

  “What?” She forced the word past her lips as her body stiffened in shock.

  “Yes, Ma’am. You oughta snatch that one up. He’s a keeper.”

  Chapter Three