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

by Debra Ullrick

She’d just heard that same thing from Emily. “I didn’t do anything special.”

  “Yes, you did. You made a difference in a little girl’s life and for that my family will always be grateful.” He picked up her hand, kissed it, and pressed it to his chest.

  Miles walked up with his arm wrapped around his girlfriend Katie’s shoulder. “Katie, I’d like for you to meet Chase. Chase, this is my girl Katie.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you. Miles talks about you all the time.” Chase took his hat off and shook her hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too.” She turned her soft green eyes on Miles and smile sweetly. Tossing her auburn hair over her shoulder, she wrapped both her arms around one of Miles. “So, you talk about me all the time?”

  “I plead the fifth,” Miles joked.

  “How’ve you been, Sami? I haven’t seen you in a while,” Katie said.

  “I know. Miles needs to bring you around more often. You’re the only girlfriend he’s ever had, that I actually like.” She winked at Katie. “But, honestly, I don’t know what you see in him.”

  “Ha, ha, ha.” Miles grinned and jokingly punched Sami in the arm. “That’s enough, sis. Really. That’s enough.”

  Katie cocked her head to one side and looked intently at Sami. “There’s something different about you, Sami.”

  “Different?” She tipped her own head. “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. You seem happier or something. I can’t explain it. But, something’s definitely different about you, and it looks good on you, too.”

  “If y’all will excuse me, I think I’m being paged.” Chase nodded toward Bart who was motioning for him to come over. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Katie.” He looked down at Sami. “I’ll see you later.”

  She nodded and smiled up at him.

  Katie watched Chase walk away and then looked back at Sami. “That’s it!”

  “What’s it?”

  “It’s that tall, good looking cowboy that’s put a smile on your face and a twinkle in your eye.”

  Sami’s cheeks warmed when she heard Miles chuckle.

  Katie grinned and patted Sami on the arm. Then she wrapped both of her arms around Miles’ waist. “Come on, honey. Let’s go eat, I’m famished.”

  “You see who’s the boss, don’t you? See you later, Sami.” Miles pulled Katie in close to him and they walked off together.

  For the next couple of hours Sami helped Aunt Edna, Emily, and Anna serve up food to the crowd.

  She heard Maggie’s voice come over the PA system, announcing the country band she’d booked for the day. The crowd applauded and the music began.

  “Sami, why don’t you go on and listen to the band for a while? We’ve got this under control here.” Her aunt untied Sami’s apron from the back and slipped it off over her head.

  “Are you sure? I don’t…”

  “Go.” Aunt Edna popped her with the apron. “And have some fun.”

  It wasn’t long before Sami stood in the middle of the crowd of people listening to the band. Chase walked up beside her, grabbed her by the hand, twirled her around, and pulled her into his arms.

  Because she knew everyone in town could see them, Sami giggled and glanced around. “Chase, what are you doing?”

  “Can I have this dance?”

  “No, no, no. I don’t dance.” She tried to pull away, but he held her firmly in his arms.

  “Nope. No more. You’re not running away from me this time.”

  She let him hold her, but she raised both eyebrows. “Okay. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. I can’t promise you I won’t bruise your toes.”

  “If I can be near you, I’ll gladly sacrifice my toes.” He held one of her hands and pulled it up to his chest. Then he slid his other hand around her waist, and it came to rest on the small of her back.

  Being this near him Sami got lost in the moment in a breath. To her, it was as if they were the only two people in the world as they slowly danced among several other couples.

  When the song ended, Chase kissed her cheek, and whispered close to her ear, “See that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  “Is everyone having a good time?” her dad asked into the microphone.

  Everyone cheered, and there were a few whoops and hollers from the crowd.

  “I want everyone to give a round of applause for Maggie Lawson. She had one week to pull this barbecue together, and I think she did an outstanding job. What do you think?” He held out his hand to her as she walked up on the stage.

  The crowd applauded once more.

  “Maggie, I want you to know my life has changed dramatically since you’re returned home to me. There’s only one thing that will make my life complete.”

  Sami watched her father slowly bend down on one knee and take hold of Maggie’s hand. “Maggie Lawson, will you be my wife, again?” He pulled out a little black box from his pocket, opened it, and held it up to her.

  Maggie gasped. “Yes, oh yes. I will marry you, again.”

  William slipped the ring on her finger, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.

  The crowd cheered in congratulations.

  Sami couldn’t believe her ears. “Am I the only one around here that thinks this is a bad idea?” She shook her head.

  “You don’t approve?” Chase lifted an eyebrow in her direction. “I thought you and your mo…I mean Maggie, were getting along a little better.”

  Twining her arms in front of her, Sami scowled. “I’ve tolerated her being here. But, I never dreamed my father would make such a ridiculous decision so quickly. He needs more time to think about this.”

  “So, you don’t agree with his decision?”

  “No. I don’t want to see him hurt again. He’s not thinking clearly, and I think someone has to tell him, and that someone is going to be me.”

  Chase grabbed her arm. “Whoa, hold on there. Let’s you and I go somewhere so we can talk in private,” he said and pulled her toward the house.

  He guided her around to the back of the house, stopped and looked down into her face. His brow furrowed.

  “What?” she asked impatiently.

  “That may not be the best idea you’ve ever had. Your father loves her, Sami. Can’t you see that? And, just from what I’ve seen over the last few weeks, I don’t think he ever stopped loving her. Let the dust settle first. Take time to think about how you’re going to approach him, and what you’re going to say.”

  “Oh, I know exactly what I’m going to say.”

  ♥♥♥♥

  Chase saw the anger smoldering in Sami’s eyes, and he was aware she could possibly do or say something she would regret later, so he wanted to defuse the situation as soon as possible. “Look, you can’t do this. Your emotions are still too raw. Let it go for now. They’re not getting married tomorrow, Sami. Give yourself some time to process all of this.”

  “What if she runs off again?” She cast her eyes down to the ground.

  Tenderly Chase took hold of both of her arms. “I don’t think she will. I know she’s made a terrible mistake in the past, but I believe she has repented over those mistakes, and she’s trying to mend as many bridges as she can.”

  “Oh, I see. I should just forget everything she’s done. Forgive and forget, that’s your motto?”

  “Yes, but it’s because that’s what God wants us to do. You have to forgive her. For your sake, you need to forgive her.”

  “What I need is for things to go back the way they used to be before my mother came back home.”

  Chase smiled. “Did you hear what you just said?”

  “What? I need things to go back to normal? Well, I do.”

  “No. You called her your mother.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  Chase raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Yes, you did.”

  “Well, if I did it was a slip of the tongue.” She turned her face away. “It was a mistake, and it won’t happen again.”

  A moment later, he nod
ded slowly, his gaze never leaving her face. “I think I understand now.”

  “What?” She glared at him as if he were the enemy.

  “I think deep down in your heart you know you love her even though you don’t want to. You fight so hard to keep people at arm’s length, but you’re sabotaging your own happiness. The fear of being hurt again controls you and the choices you make.”

  Sami tried to jerk away, but Chase firmly held her arms. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Do you know how much I love you? I can’t breathe without you. I can’t function unless I’m near you. I need you in my life. But, you’ve got to decide if you’re going to let the scars of your past ruin your future. You’ll never be able to move forward if you keep looking back. But what I don’t even know is how you feel about me. Right now, can you put aside your fears and doubts, and tell me how you feel about me?”

  She pulled out of his arms and took a step away from him. Then she folded them over her chest, motionless, speechless, her shoulders rigid.

  A second and his eyes dropped. With a nod, he stepped away from her and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I see. Well, think about what I said, Sami, for both of our sakes.”

  She didn’t try to stop him when he walked away, and his heart ached because as much as he loved her, at that moment, he wasn’t at all sure she would ever truly love him.

  “Chase! Can I speak to you?”

  Chase glanced up and spotted Maggie. She was waving and making her way through the crowd toward him. That did nothing for his confidence or peace.

  “Where are you going?” she asked as she caught up with him.

  With a sigh, Chase pulled his hat off and raked his hand through his hair. “It’s been a long day. I think I’m going to head on home.”

  Maggie crunched her brows. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am, everything’s fine.” Chase slipped his hat back onto his head. “You said you needed to speak to me?”

  “Oh, yes. Did you know Sami’s birthday is on the fifteenth?”

  “No, I didn’t know that.” He was surprised he didn’t know. Then again, after today, he figured there were a lot of things about Sami Lawson he didn’t really know or understand.

  “As you are well aware, there’s a lot of tension between us. But, I’m praying she’ll come around one day and forgive me for what I’ve done. That’s why I want to do something special for her birthday. Hopefully, I can make up for some of the birthdays I’ve missed. Will you help me?”

  “Whatever you need me to do, all you have to do is ask.”

  “Great. Walk with me and I’ll tell you what I have in mind.”

  ♥♥♥♥

  A week later, Sami sat on the back steps and gazed out across the ranch. All the men were busy with their everyday chores. Brent and Daniel were standing against the corral fence watching Miles and Gus in the corral breaking one of the newest horses. Clint, Bart, and her father were unloading lumber from one of the work trucks. Aunt Edna was hanging clothes out on the line in the back, joyfully humming a gospel hymn.

  Everyone seemed happy and content with his or her normal daily routines. So, why did she feel so lonely and empty on the inside? It had been over a week since Chase’s employment at the ranch had ended. She missed seeing his smiling face every morning before starting her day. She missed his touch, his kiss, the sound of his laugh. She missed him.

  Sami leaned against the banister. This hollow feeling in her chest was her own fault. Why didn’t she tell him she loved him when she had the chance? Fear had such a grip on her, it had became her closest companion.

  The back door opened, and Maggie stepped out onto the porch. “Need some company?”

  Sami shrugged and then dropped her gazed to the ground, feeling the old resentment pile up in her chest.

  Maggie sat down on the step beside her and handed her a cup of coffee.

  “Thanks.”

  The aroma of the coffee filled the air. Sami held the beverage between her hands, closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply. “I love the smell of coffee. There’s something soothing about it.”

  “Sami?”

  She opened her eyes and looked at Maggie. “What?”

  “It looks like we have company.” Maggie nodded toward the road. Sami followed her gaze and saw Chase’s truck coming down the driveway.

  The sight of Chase’s truck set Sami’s heart racing and then plummeting, and then racing again. There was no possible way he was coming to see her. Not after what she had done… or not done.

  Standing to her feet, Sami waved, and then pushed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Hoping and wishing deep in her heart, Chase was coming to see her.

  Maggie stood up next to her. “Go see your man.”

  “He’s not my man.” When she turned her head and looked into Maggie’s eyes, Sami instantly knew Maggie could sense what was hidden in her heart.

  “Go.” Maggie gave her a gentle push.

  In the morning light, Chase climbed out of the truck and met Sami in the middle of the yard.

  “Good morning.” Chase smiled as he reached out and stroked her arm.

  She fought to keep herself from throwing her arms around his neck and begging him to forgive her. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to see you. I couldn’t go any longer without seeing your beautiful face.”

  That made her wince. “So, we’re okay? I know the last time we were together, I─”

  Gathering her into his arms, he held her snugly, and kissed her on the side of her face. “Yes, of course we’re okay. It’s forgotten. Besides, I also have a hidden agenda for being here.”

  Raising her eyebrows, she sucked in her bottom lip. “Really? What’s that?”

  Chase put his fingers up to his mouth and whistled.

  On cue, Miles came walking out of the barn with two saddled horses.

  Sami stepped back and scowled. “What’s going on?”

  “You’ll see. We’re going for a ride.” Anticipation danced around in his eyes.

  Miles handed over the reins to Chase and flashed Sami a smile. “You two have fun.”

  “You know what’s going on, don’t you?” Sami asked her brother as if she was angry.

  Miles shrugged. “I’ll never tell.”

  Knowing she couldn’t make a scene, Sami climbed onto the saddle and looked over at Chase. “No blindfold this time?”

  “Nope. Let’s ride.”

  They rode out of the barnyard and down the meadow. Sami felt no need to question where they were going or why. She was just happy to be with him again. When they drew closer to their destination, she realized they were headed to her favorite place on the ridge just as they had that fateful day Maggie had come back. However, from a distance, she could see something she didn’t recognize. “What is that?”

  “You’ll see.”

  When they arrived at the spot, Sami climbed off her horse and walked over to see a beautiful handcrafted swing, hanging from one of the larger limbs of the tree. White flowers on vines were twisted around the ropes on both sides. Engraved on the seat were the words, Sami’s Place, and underneath that was the Bible scripture, Healeth the broken heart, Psalm 147:3. A single red rose lay on the seat with a card. With shaking hands, she picked up the card and opened it…

  Sami, I hope all your dreams come true. With all my love, Chase.

  “I didn’t want you to have to sit on the ground anymore.”

  Sami’s heart filled with more emotions than she had ever felt in her entire life, warming her like an internal ray of sunshine.

  She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Oh, Chase. It’s beautiful. I’ve never received anything like this before. I love it. I can’t believe you did this.”

  Careful because she still didn’t quite trust it, she sat down on the swing, and Chase stood behind her and gave her a push. “That’s why I haven’t been around for a few days. I wanted
to get this finished for your birthday. But that’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, staying away from you so long.”

  “I know.” She looked behind her at him. “I missed you.”

  His cell phone rang. “Oh. Excuse me, Sami. Hello? Yes, of course. We’re heading that way, now.” He closed his phone and smiled. “I guess it’s time to go. Bart needs my help with something.”

  She stopped the swing and stood. Leaning over, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

  When they arrived back at the house, Sami looked around the yard. “Where is everybody?”

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Do you care if I come in and get a glass of water?”

  “Why would you even ask me that? You know you’re always welcome here.”

  She opened the front door and stepped inside.

  “Surprise!” People jumped out from their hiding places, surrounded her, and began to sing, Happy Birthday, as Aunt Edna carried out a beautifully decorated birthday cake adorned with twenty-five burning candles.

  “You’re kidding me. I can’t believe this.” She turned around and playfully punched Chase in the chest. “You were in on this, weren’t you?”

  He flashed a mischievous smile and said innocently, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Make a wish! Make a wish!” Everyone cheered.

  “I know exactly what my wish would be,” Chase whispered in her ear and hugged her around the waist.

  “Blow your candles out,” Kaylee said, impatiently. “I want some cake.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Sami took Kaylee’s hand and pulled her next to her side. “Will you help me blow them out?”

  “Sure. I can blow really hard.” She spread her arms open wide. “Cause there’s a whole lot of candles on your cake.”

  Everyone laughed again.

  While the party was still going on, Sami slipped into the kitchen to wash ice cream from her hands. As she was standing at the sink, she heard a voice whisper in her ear, “Are you having a happy birthday?”

  She turned into Chase’s arms. “Yes, I am. You and Aunt Edna out did yourselves. I’ve never had a birthday like this before.”