The Prodigal Heiress

by Vickey Rogers

  Lexi shooed her away, but she loved the attention. Her nerves were brittle, and she knew she would trip walking down the aisle.

  Evan was with Houston, getting ready. He was the ring-bearer. Lexi saw the pride in his eyes and in his stance when she and Houston asked him. He said he would love to. Lexi felt such a surge of love for her son when he acted so grownup. He was a miracle and a blessing to her and Houston.

  Before too long a time had passed, Lexi was ready. Burdia went to tell the organist. Once the music started playing, Lexi walked out to meet Reeves, who would walk her down the aisle. Lexi could see the warmth in his eyes. He was a true friend, and Lexi loved him very much. She had grown to love all the staff.

  She took Reeves’s arm, and he guided her down the aisle to Houston without a trip or a pause all the way. She leaned heavily on his arm, but he seemed to support her effortlessly.

  At the altar, Reeves took her hand and placed it on Houston’s arm. Houston looked deeply into Lexi’s eyes. The love she saw there made her catch her breath. His face was very serious. She knew he considered this ceremony to be very serious. It was something he would hold in his heart forever.

  They turned to the minister, and the ceremony began. It all seemed to go by in a blink and Lexi was kissing her new husband. She got so caught up in the flurry of cheers, and hugs, and kisses that she picked up Evan and twirled him around. Then she kissed him soundly on the cheek.

  Houston grabbed on to both of them and kissed and hugged them over and over. They all started laughing and hugging.

  The reception was beautiful, a lot of well-wishes and wonderful speeches all caught on tape so that Houston and Lexi could watch it again one day, probably more than once.

  They danced to Lexi’s favorite song, which became her and Houston’s song. Lexi danced with Evan numerous times. He had blossomed into a real little gentleman. He was such a good-natured and good-tempered little boy. He was also very aware of other’s feelings. Lexi was so happy that God had chosen her and Houston to raise him. She thanked God every day for her family and prayed for their safety and strength.

  There was no alcohol at the reception due to Lexi and Houston’s wishes. The food and different fruity drinks filled everyone; and by midnight, everyone was ready to call it a night.

  Lexi and Houston ran down a path to their limo where the well-wishers tossed bird seed at them. They all got into their own cars to head home.

  Lexi and Houston decided their honeymoon would be spent at home, as neither wanted to leave their family. They sequestered themselves in their suite. They were not seen for one week, during which time they grew closer than ever. The physical intimacy changed the love they had for each other into something so very much deeper and stronger. Lexi was a virgin not because of God, as she had run far away from Him by her high school and college days, but because her pursuit of money had been all-encompassing. Now she thanked God for keeping her from doing something that would have taken away from this special time with Houston.

  When Lexi and Houston rejoined the rest of the household a week later, they were a very strong and united front. The love they had for each other shone in their eyes as they looked at each other or spoke to each other. Everyone could see it and thanked God that their mistress was so happy and in love.

  Chapter 14

  Life settled into a wonderful routine that included a lot of hugs, kisses, and Bible study. Work was going well with adding walls to accommodate more children. Mr. Sutton had worked everything out so that Lexi and Houston could take in up to ten children at any one time. They hired a nurse, two special teachers, and a counselor who was specially trained to help young children who had been abused or abandoned.

  When the children started to arrive, Rivenwood was ready for them. The house seemed to burst at the seams with all the love and happiness. There were trying times; but with God being a part of every part of Rivenwood, they were able to get through them and look forward to the future.

  One day, Lexi knocked on her mother’s bedroom door.

  “Come in.”

  Lexi opened the door and found Miranda sitting in a well-padded lounge chair that was facing a huge window overlooking the ocean. Miranda looked very content and comfortable.

  “Hello dear...”

  “Hi Mom… I was walking in the rose garden and realized something. I wanted to share it with you. I know you probably already know what I’m about to say, but I want you to know that I know it now too.”

  Miranda smiled happily. “What is it, my sweet daughter?”

  Lexi pulled another chair over to her mother’s and sat down facing her.

  “I’ve come to realize that when I wanted wealth, when I strove to achieve financial security, when I pampered myself shamelessly, and when I began drinking and doing such unchristian things—”

  “It’s in the past, my Lexi,” Miranda said, patting Lexi’s hand lovingly when Lexi hesitated.

  “I know, Mom. But I’ve finally realized why,” Lexi said, looking into her mother’s eyes.

  “I see. Okay. Why?”

  “I was always trying to fill this emptiness inside myself, this void that hurt. The pain drove me to be selfish. It drove me to ignore what God was telling me and what you were telling me. Unless Jesus lives inside you, that void can drive you to do any kind of horrible thing. It eats away at you, and you’ll end up doing anything to fill it. I now understand humans a bit better. All the horrible things they do are a way of trying to fill that emptiness. Spending money fills it, but only temporarily. And I suppose sex, drugs, and all the rest fill it, but always temporarily. It’s only once you have Jesus living inside you to fill that void that the void is really and permanently filled. I feel whole and complete now. I don’t need anything but Him now to make me feel good, and the pain is totally gone.”

  Lexi relaxed and sat back in her chair.

  Miranda beamed. ”Yes, you’ve made a very important revelation. I never thought about that, but I know that what you’re saying is true,” she said sitting forward with her hands clasped.

  Lexi leaned forward and took Miranda’s hands in hers.

  “Mom… Thank you for praying for me. And thank you for not giving up on me for all those years. I know now that if it wasn’t not for you, and all those prayers you said for me, I might have been lost. I know now how powerful prayer really is.”

  They hugged and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon together.

  Epilogue

  “Raymond, have you seen the angel for the top of the tree?” Houston asked as Raymond came into the great room.

  “Why yes. I put it in a special place to keep it dry and in good condition,” Raymond said and turned to get the angel.

  “Good thinking,” said Houston as he turned back to help Lexi and the children put more ornaments on the tree.

  There was a large fire burning in the fireplace. Miranda and Abbey sat on the sofa near it, making plans for the party the next night as they sipped hot apple cider.

  Reesa, Lexi and Houston’s daughter, toddled over to the tree and let out a loud cry as she touched the tree. Ten-year-old Evan put the bulb he was holding down and ran to his little sister. He picked her up and kissed her finger. Reesa rewarded him with a large smile as left over tears rolled down her face. Evan brushed them off her checks.

  “Reesie, want a cookie,” Evan asked as he bounced her on his hip.

  “Rees coo! Rees coo,” said Reesa in baby talk, clapping her hands.

  Lexi had stopped trimming the tree to watch her son and daughter with pride. Houston came up behind her and put his arms around her waist.

  “We have been so very blessed with our children,” Lexi said, leaning back into Houston’s chest and caressing his arms with her hands.

  “Yes, we have.” Houston kissed the top of Lexi’s head.

  “Hey, love birds,” said Tad. “Soph and me can’t decorate this big ol’ tree by ourselves!”

  Lexi and Houston laughed as they turned back to the
tree where their other children were busy trimming the tree.

  Tad was a very sweet eleven year old whose face had a deep scar from his left eye to his chin. It had happened in the car accident that had claimed his mother’s and father’s lives. He was a baby at the time of the accident and didn’t remember his parents. He had lived with an elderly aunt until she was no longer able to care for him. Mr. Sutton informed Lexi and Houston of Tad’s situation, and they became foster parents for him when he was nine. It was a perfect fit and little time passed before Lexi and Houston adopted Tad.

  Sophie had joined the family a year later. She had been eight when her mother abandoned her at the center. Sophie was very shy at first, but when Lexi and Houston brought Reesa home from the hospital, Sophie became a second doting mother to her. Lexi nicknamed Sophie My China Doll because of her shiny blonde curls and crystal blue eyes. They adopted Sophie as soon as the law allowed it.

  Many other children had come and gone on to be adopted by other families, but the ones who stayed were the ones that God meant to be Lexi and Houston’s children.

  “Well, now, are ya ready for refreshments?” asked Tabitha as she wheeled in a cart with more mugs of hot apple cider and a platter of Christmas cookies.

  The children all ran to the cart with cheers and took turns getting mugs and cookies.

  Lexi and Houston held hands as they walked over to Tabitha.

  “You timed that perfectly,” said Houston with a warm smile.

  “I thought it would suit well as you’ve all been working so hard to get things just right fer tomorrow night,” Tabitha said with a wink.

  “Well, you’ve done a wonderful job, getting this place into the Christmas spirit,” said Lexi as she hugged Tabitha. “I just love this time of year!”

  “Me too,” said Tabitha with a squeal. Lexi and Houston laughed.

  They ate and drank till they were satisfied, then finished trimming the tree. It had been a very good day.

  The next afternoon, Lexi walked through the house making sure everything was just right. She and Houston had invited their old friends from their party days over for a Christmas party.

  The only one who could not make it was Lark Winston. She had followed in her father’s footsteps and become the head of his corporation. She had given up her party life, but was now as addicted to working as she had been to partying. It was sad, but all attempts Lexi and Houston had made to reach her had failed. But they continued to pray for her salvation every day.

  Lexi went through the house, lighting the pine and cinnamon scented candles. Houston had a fire going in the great room and had hung mistletoe in every doorway of the first floor. They met back in the entry doorway to the great room.

  “Perfect,” Lexi said as she grabbed Houston and pulled him down for a kiss. Houston put his arms around her and lifted her off her feet, kissing her back lovingly.

  “They’re at it again,” said Tad to the other children. He rolled his eyes playfully as the children came up to the doorway.

  “Yep, we sure are,” said Houston as he hugged Lexi tightly and set her back on her feet. “We will be at it for the rest of our lives.”

  “That’s good,” said Evan with a peaceful smile. “I’m glad our family will always be together.”

  Lexi hugged Evan and kissed his check, “Me too, honey.”

  “Tabby said that dinner’s ready,” said Tad as he picked up Reesa.

  Lexi hugged Tad.

  “Thank you, sweetie… Shall we?” Lexi asked as she took Houston’s arm. Houston led his family to the dining room.

  Lexi and Houston stood together to greet their first guest of the evening. Raymond opened the door to Appel. She stepped in, took off her coat, and handed it to Raymond.

  “Hi Raymond! Looking good,” Appel said with a happy light tone to her voice.

  “Thank you, Miss Appel. Might I say you look very lovely tonight?” Raymond said with a smile.

  “Appel, you look beautiful,” Lexi said and gave her a quick hug.

  “Yes, what a lovely gown,” Houston said as he gave her a hug.

  Appel had on a dark blue crushed velvet gown with a v-neck. The gown had a golden rope belt at the waist that matched the delicate thin golden rope necklace she wore.

  “Thanks! I got it from my grandmother, believe it or not! She said it shows off my hair,” Appel said as she patted her curls.

  “It does! And beautifully so,” said Tabby as she stopped on her way to the great room. “Will ya be stayin’ the night?”

  Appel was a frequent visitor and even had her own room for times when their Bible studies ran into the wee hours.

  “Yes, I don’t like the cold, and there were flakes here and there. I don’t do snow,” Appel said wrinkling her nose in distaste.

  “Snow? I hope Jeff and Dotty make it okay,” Lexi said, peering out the door’s side window.

  “It’s just a few flakes, but you know me,” Appel said as she put her hand to her mouth and giggled.

  They walked into the great room. The children were sitting on the floor listening intently as Reeve’s told them a Christmas story.

  “Wow, you guys sure know how to do Christmas. I’m totally in the Christmas spirit now,” Appel said as she looked the room over.

  “It’s my favorite time of year,” said Lexi as she led Appel to the sofa by the fireplace.

  The door bell sounded, and Lexi’s heart jumped. She looked quickly at Houston, and he took her hand and winked at her. They had not seen Dotty or Jeff since before they had gotten married. Lexi wasn’t sure of either of their reaction to coming into their world. She knew that they had gotten married a few months ago, but that was the only news she had gotten.

  Houston squeezed her hand and smile. Lexi sighed, and they went out to greet their guests.

  Raymond was taking their coats, and Dotty was making sure her shoes were not wet as Lexi and Houston approached.

  “Jeff! Dotty! So happy you made it,” said Houston with a grin as he kissed Dotty’s cheek and shook Jeff’s hand.

  Lexi gave Dotty a quick hug and then looked at Jeff hesitantly.

  “Good of you to invite us Houston,” Jeff said and then turned to Lexi. “Little Lexi, as beautiful as ever,” he said then took her hand and kissed it.

  Lexi peeked at Dotty and let out a breath when she saw Dotty smiling.

  “Appel said it was starting to snow. I hope it wasn’t a problem getting here,” Lexi said with a small smile.

  “Not at all,” said Dotty. “There’s not much coming down at this point. Even if there was, we wouldn’t have missed this for the world!”

  Dotty and Jeff look at each other and each let out a small giggle.

  Lexi stiffened. Her heart beat so fast her face began to flush.

  “Let me explain,” Dotty said quickly, seeing Lexi’s discomfort. “Jeff and I have gone through some life changing events that, while painful, they brought us closer together. We’re not those same selfish, spoiled brats we were.” Dotty took Lexi’s hands and asked “Lexi, can you ever forgive me for the way I treated you?”

  “Of course! I was just as selfish and probably even more spoiled.” Lexi laughed as she hugged Dotty tightly. When she leaned back to look into Dotty’s eyes, she saw tears and realized her own eyes were watering.

  “And I was a real jerk the last time I saw you both. I humbly beg your forgiveness,” Jeff said so sincerely Lexi reached over and hugged him also.

  Jeff turned and hugged Houston then planted a kiss on his cheek which made everyone laugh. “My friend, we have catching up to do. Dotty and I will tell you our story later, but the end result is that we have become Christians.”

  Lexi’s hands flew to her mouth as she gasped, “Jeff… Dotty… How wonderful!”

  Dotty’s smile lit up her eyes which still had tears in them.

  “Dotty? Are you Okay,” Houston said taking her arm.

  Dotty looked at Jeff who nodded as he put his arms around her. “Jeff and I are goi
ng to have a baby!”

  “That’s wonderful! Children are so amazing,” Lexi said hugging Dotty again.

  “Let’s go into the great room. You can meet our four,” Houston said as he moved his eyebrows up and down.

  “Four? You’ve been busy,” Jeff laughed and put his hand on Houston’s arm.

  “We have a house full of love,” Houston said then pointed up at the mistletoe. They all laughed and both couples kissed.

  ###

  Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, won’t you please take a moment to like my Facebook author page and leave me a review? I love to hear from you!

  Thanks!

  Vickey Rogers

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

  Acknowledgments

  I want to thank the following people who helped shape the person I am and encourage me in my writing.

  Those people are:

  My dad, Marvin; he taught me that loved ones are not just blood relatives. He also taught me never to hesitate in helping others. My daughters, Tori and Susie; they taught me the joys of having children and now grandchildren in my life. My baby sister, Lauri, in whose eyes I am the person I wish I could be. Her faith in Jesus has always been an inspiration to me. My dear friends, Winnie, Marty, and Mike; who gave me the encouragement I needed.

  Cynthia, a wonderful lady; she taught me that kids are important people too.

  And last, but most certainly not least, Pastor Ungemach who not only took time out of his busy schedule to read my story, but also gave me feedback and encouragement.