Turning to face the big picture window, she stared at the mountains. The ones she could see looked gray because of the cloudy sky that threatened rain. The curtains fluttered at the open window, and a chilly breeze cooled the room. “I guess I just needed to grow up, Dad. This place is my heritage, and I need to be here to help you run things. Don’t take me wrong.” She grinned. “I don’t care if I never go on another wagon tour, but I want to be here. Guess you might say I’ve grown up.”
His warm smile stole away any apprehension that she was making a mistake. Maybe she could get him to start going to church with her one day.
He leaned back and closed his eyes. “I can’t tell you what a relief that is.”
She placed her hand over his. “There’s nothing more important in this world than God and family. It just took me a while to realize that.”
He grunted, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips. She stood, unfolded a light blanket, and laid it over him. “Get some rest, okay?”
He mumbled a thank-you.
Her hand was on the doorknob when he cleared his throat. “Have you got that computer all set up?”
“Yeah, it’s up and running. Since you can’t do much of your ranch work until you heal, you’ll have more time to learn how to run it.” She couldn’t help grinning at his disinterested grunt.
“Let your young man know how much I appreciate his help, and if his family wants to come and take another tour, let them do it. No charge.”
“He’s not my young man, and I already made him that offer, but I don’t think you have to worry about Evan taking us up on it.”
“Why couldn’t you fall in love with a cowpoke? And don’t bother denying it; I was in love once. . . .”
As his last words slurred, her breath froze in her lungs. Was it obvious to her dad that she’d lost her heart to Evan when it wasn’t even clear to her?
She watched him, waiting for him to say more, but his lips fluttered with a heavy breath as sleep descended. She closed the door and stood in the hallway looking out the window. The views from their private quarters on the third floor were majestic, and she never tired of seeing them, but today her thoughts were on a certain man.
Did she actually love Evan? Do I, Lord?
Something inside her quickened, and she knew the truth in that instant. A silly grin tugged to her lips. She did love him!
She walked down the hall toward the stairs, amazed by the happiness she felt at that revelation. And if Evan loved her, they could work out their differences.
She had no clue how, but with God’s help they could.
Feeling lighter than she had in years, Bethany wished she could slide down the banister like she had as a child. Instead, she trotted down two flights of stairs to the main floor of the lodge. She had to find Evan and talk with him—see if he felt anything for her.
No, she knew he did. It had been written on his handsome face and in his touch. He’d respected her choices enough that he hadn’t forced his interest. And that made her love him more.
How was it that her love could be so strong now when an hour ago she wasn’t even aware of it? She shook her head, marveling at the mystery of it all.
Evan was leaving in the morning. She couldn’t let him go without him knowing how she felt.
She checked the porch and noticed his laptop sitting there by itself. How odd. As protective as he was of his computer, she’d never seen him go off and leave it.
She scanned the area, and her gaze zeroed in on Evan’s back where he stood in the parking lot. Her heart flip-flopped. He opened the door of a blue car and helped a woman out. She fell into his arms, and he held on, hugging her head to his chest.
Warning bells screamed in Bethany’s head. No! Not now.
The hug went on entirely too long for the woman to be unimportant to him. Bethany’s hopes and dreams plummeted like a stone kicked off a cliff. Evan kissed the woman’s cheek.
Bethany grabbed the door frame. The back door opened, and a boy who looked ten or eleven climbed out. Evan released the woman and high-fived the boy, then wrapped him in a hug. Bethany held a hand to her heart.
Her first thought was to flee, but she had more faith in Evan than that. Curiosity propelled her out the front door and down the steps. Evan glanced in her direction and smiled. He released the boy and walked toward her. “Come and meet my sister and nephew.”
She resisted closing her eyes in relief as he took her hand and pulled her toward his sister. The woman had the same blue eyes, but her hair was darker than Evan’s.
“Erin, this is Bethany Schaffer. She and her dad own the ranch here. I’ve been helping her with some computer problems she’s been having.”
Erin nodded, but her gaze dropped to Evan’s and Bethany’s linked hands. One eyebrow lifted. Evan must have noticed, because he cleared his throat and turned loose of her.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Schaffer. It is Miss, isn’t it?”
There was more to that question than was asked. Bethany smiled. “Yes, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”
Evan clapped his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “And this is my favorite nephew, Jamie.”
“I’m your only nephew.” The boy gave Evan a playful shove, and they pretended to be boxing with each other.
Erin shook her head. “I can’t take those two anywhere.”
Jamie jabbed at Evan, who dodged him then charged. The boy took off running with Evan close on his heels, and Bethany smiled at their silliness. Erin looked toward the corral, and Bethany noticed how much Taylor looked like her.
A sudden thought zinged its way through her mind. If things went well between her and Evan, this woman might one day be her sister-in-law.
Erin turned back to face Bethany. “Is Taylor around? I can’t wait to see her. We’ve never been separated this long before. I probably should have just waited until Evan brought her home instead of driving all the way out here, but Jamie wanted to see the ranch.”
“I’m sure Taylor missed you, too. She and Cheryl went riding, but they should be back soon.” Bethany watched Evan and Jamie walk toward the corral. “She sure was a big help to Evan when he was sick.”
Erin smiled. “That’s good to know. She’s a sweet girl but has had a hard time since her dad left.” She looked toward the corral. “I don’t know what I would have done without Evan being there to help me the past two years. We’d have never made it without him.”
Bethany’s heart felt as if a giant fist was squeezing it. In the past few weeks, she’d learned the value of family—of being there when your family needed you. If Evan loved her as much as she did him, it would mean he’d have to leave Laramie—have to leave his sister. How could she ask that of him when they obviously still needed him?
As if a bullet had hit her torso, a deep pain burned her heart. She couldn’t. She had tried to run away from family and responsibility and couldn’t ask Evan to do the same. She had to let him go.
A heaviness weighed down her spirit. Her lower lip quivered at the thought of losing him. She swallowed back a growing tightness in her throat. “It was nice to meet you, Erin, but I need to go tend to some things. Taylor should be back before too long.”
Erin smiled again and waved good-bye then headed toward Evan and Jamie, who were coming back from the corral. Bethany spun and jogged up the stairs and into the lodge. She hurried around the counter and into the office, shutting and locking the door. Tears dripped down her chin and blurred her vision as she slumped to the floor.
She allowed herself time to cry, to grieve for what could have been. As the tears finally subsided, she remembered something her mother had told her: God knew what she was going through. No matter how bad the situation, the Lord was standing there with open arms to comfort her.
“Help me, heavenly Father. I’m sorry for doing things on my own for so long without leaning on You. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
She sniffled and rubbed her eyes.
“I don’t know why You brought Ev
an here and let me fall in love if we can’t be together. Help this pain in my heart to heal, and show me how to love Evan as a Christian brother.
“Please, Lord. Help me.”
❧
Bethany opened the bathroom door and peeked both ways down the hall. She dashed toward the front foyer and peered around the corner. With the way clear, she hurried over to the registration desk and checked to see if anyone had left a message.
The loud buzz of conversation and clinking silverware echoed from the open doors of the dining hall. The spicy scent of seasoned chicken teased her senses, and her stomach complained that she’d skipped lunch, but she wasn’t about to chance an encounter with Evan. If she could just stay out of his way for another fifteen hours, he’d be gone.
She jogged out the front door and to the barn. Her heart ached as if someone had yanked it out, tossed it onto the ground, and stampeded a herd of cattle over it. Unwanted tears stung her eyes and made her throat burn.
In the barn, she snatched up a curry comb and slipped into a stall. The black and white pinto turned from its feedbox to see who was there. “Hey, Patches. It’s just me. How about a nice grooming?”
Pushing thoughts of Evan from her mind, she concentrated on trying to remember the words to a song she’d sung in church as a child. The tune was easy enough, but the words kept seeping from her mind like water through a colander.
She ran the curry comb over the horse’s sleek hide and tried to remember the song again, but when the sentence ended in “heaven,” the word reminded her of Evan. Her lip quivered and tears blurred her eyes. She rested her head against the horse’s warm side. “How do I stop caring for him, Lord?”
Patches whickered, as if answering. Bethany wiped her moist eyes on her sleeve and resumed brushing the mare.
“So, there you are.”
Lost in thought, she jumped at the nearness of Evan’s voice. Drat. She’d let her guard down, and he’d found her. She ducked under Patches’ chin and put the horse between herself and the man she was trying hard to forget.
“What’s the matter, Bethany?”
She heard him shuffling his feet but didn’t look at him. “Nothing. With Dad injured, I’ve just got extra work, that’s all.”
“There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?”
When she didn’t answer, he moved along the stall gate as if trying to see her better.
“Come out here and talk with me. Please.”
She shook her head. “Can’t. Got too much to do.” An arrow of guilt stabbed her, but it was the truth. Her workload had doubled since her dad’s injury.
Evan blew out a loud sigh. “You’re going to make me come in there with that horse, aren’t you?”
She ran the brush down the horse’s withers. “Nobody’s making you do anything.”
“Fine.” The latch rattled and the gate creaked as Evan swung it open then shut again.
Bethany seriously considered shinnying over the stall to get away from him, but Patches wasn’t familiar with Evan, and she didn’t want him or the horse getting hurt. She heard him back along the gate, no doubt never taking his eyes off the horse’s hind end until he got to the side of the stall.
“The only thing worse than the front end of a horse is the back end.” He uttered a nervous chuckle. He took the brush from her hand, set it down, then spun Bethany around to face him. “What’s going on?”
She pursed her lips and looked up. The concern in his azure eyes stole her breath away. She had to be tough, or she just might confess her love for him. “Nothing.”
His gaze clouded; then he had the audacity to grin. “You’re not jealous because I’m spending time with my sister, are you?”
“What? No! Of course not.”
Evan’s right eyebrow lifted.
She wanted to punch that cocky look off his face, but hurting a guest was against company policy. She scowled. “Why would I be jealous of your sister? I like Erin.”
Patches swished her tail, and Evan dodged it. Bethany might have laughed if her heart hadn’t been torn in two.
“Can’t we talk out there?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” She spun around, ready to flee, but he caught her upper arm. His touch sent quivers of fire shooting down to her fingertips. He turned her around to face him again.
“Bethany, I care about you. I want to know what’s wrong.” Evan cocked his head and studied her. He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “Tell me.”
She shook her head. Evan sobered and took hold of her shoulders. Her mouth went dry at the intense look on his face.
“If you won’t talk, then I have something I want to say. I can’t leave without knowing where things stand between us. I don’t want to just be friends. I want more.”
She stared into his eyes, unable to catch her breath at the intensity in them.
He took her face in his hands; his palms warmed her ears and cheeks. “I may just be a geek from the city, but I love you, Bethany. If you feel the same, one way or another we can work things out between us, even if I have to move to Denver.”
Hope washed through her. “I’m not going to Denver. I’m staying here. Dad needs me, and in a strange way, I think I need this place.” She held her breath. Denver was one thing, but did her city boy love her enough to leave everything he knew and live on an isolated ranch? Would he leave his sister and her children to be here with her?
“But the big question is. . .do you need me?”
Without taking her eyes from his, she nodded. “I love you, too.”
“Thank You, Lord!” He stared up at the ceiling as if God Himself were there. Finally, Evan sighed and looked back at her.
“But I can’t ask you to leave Erin and the kids. They need you too much.” Tears blurred her vision and slipped down her cheeks.
He dabbed at them with his thumbs. “I don’t have all the answers, honey, but God does. We just need to ask Him to guide us. Can you trust Him with our future?”
Could she? Hadn’t she just done that very thing a short while ago when she thought she’d lost Evan? Bethany nodded.
Evan pulled her close and leaned down, his soft lips touching hers. All her worries disappeared in that moment, and she returned his kiss.
Patches shifted and bumped into Bethany. Evan fell back against the wall of the stall, hugging her against him. He chuckled. “Can we please leave this horse pen now?”
Bethany rested her hand against his cheek. “It’s called a stall, greenhorn, and you’d better get used to it.”
Epilogue
“You may now kiss your bride.”
The pastor’s word bride spun in Evan’s head. My bride. My wife. Bethany waited, her deep brown eyes alight with love—for him. He wasn’t about to disappoint her. Evan ducked his head and kissed his bride with all the promise of a lifetime of love to come.
The small group of friends and family gathered in the little church cheered and clapped.
“I’m pleased to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Evan Michael Parker.”
Bethany held his arm, her whole face gleaming. Her father sat on the front row next to Elsie and Margaret, wiping his eyes with a hanky. Erin and the kids sat on the opposite row. Eager to have his wife alone for a moment, Evan led her down the short aisle toward the foyer at the front of the church. Behind him the pastor invited the guests to the reception at the ranch.
“Look, it’s still snowing. I hope we don’t get snowed in before we can leave on our honeymoon.” Bethany stared outside then turned her concerned gaze on him.
“No worries today. It’s our wedding day, and I’d like another kiss, Mrs. Parker. Quickly, before everyone else gets out here.”
She cocked her head, looking so beautiful in her lacy white dress. “Oh, you would, huh?”
Still smiling, he claimed her lips until a woman behind him cleared her throat.
The Groovy Grannies stood side by side, both dressed in pink. Elsie stood on her tiptoes and patted his face. “I lik
ed you from the moment we met.”
“Same here.” Evan kissed her cheek.
Margaret crossed her arms. “I still don’t understand why you don’t want to use our RV for your honeymoon. It has all the amenities you could want.”
Evan resisted shuddering visibly at the thought of going anywhere in that bright pink monstrosity, but Bethany must have felt him tremble. She pinched the inside of his arm. “That’s very kind of you, but we have other plans.”
Elsie grinned. “I bet you’re taking that bride of yours on a wagon train trip.”
Everyone laughed at the horror that transformed Bethany’s face. “Not in this lifetime. We’re heading someplace warm, and that’s all I’m saying.”
Erin and the kids crowded in beside them. She leaned toward Bethany. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you. I’m so glad to finally have a sister.” The two women hugged.
“Does that mean I can call you ‘Aunt Bethany’ now?” Taylor asked.
Bethany smiled. “I guess it does.”
“Sweet!”
“When do we get cake?” Jamie shifted from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable in his suit. Erin cut him a look, and he glanced down.
Evan hugged his nephew. “Soon, pardner.”
The ranch hands muttered their congratulations and filed out to their pickups. Polly fluttered by, waving at them and dragging Cheryl with her. “I’ll hug you at the ranch, but right now I’ve got to get back and keep those cowpokes out of the cake.”
Evan wrapped his arm around Bethany, not willing to let her get too far away. Soon he’d have her all to himself, but for now he had to share her.
“Evan, I saw a commercial on television advertising that video game you designed. You must be proud of your work.”
Margaret smiled. “Isn’t it exciting how God arranged things so you’d have a job that could be done anywhere?”
“Yeah, it is. I have to admit, I didn’t see how things would work out, and I never imagined they’d hire me full-time, but God was always in control. I just wish Erin and the kids weren’t going to be so far away.” Evan hated leaving her alone, but God had made it clear that he was to move to the ranch.
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