Oh. Breath and hope caught in her chest.
"It almost seems like Gramps might be sending me a sign with these trees. Telling me I could replant. Start over. Rebuild the family pecan business. Rebuild everything. But…"
#
He was really doing this. He was going to jump off this cliff.
Because everything that had happened since yesterday afternoon had conspired to give him hope. And because looking down at Jess, seeing her hope-filled eyes…he couldn't do anything less.
He took a fortifying breath. "But none of that stuff really matters if the woman I'm falling in love with doesn't want me to stay."
He heard the catch in her breath, saw joy light her eyes. "She wants you to stay," she whispered.
He dropped the unripe pecans and reached for her. She came easily into his arms. His hand was shaking a little as he brushed strands of her hair out of her eyes.
When she looked up at him like that, he could almost believe…
"I'm falling in love with you, too, Luke."
Her words echoed the wave of relief he'd felt earlier when they'd come across Josh huddled right here. Happiness surged, making him slightly lightheaded.
He cupped her jaw and lowered his head to kiss her, wanting to show her how much he cared about her.
She held him tightly around the waist and kissed him back.
When they'd both gotten good and out of breath, he just held her, let his chin rest on the crown of her head, and watched a flock of butterflies float by.
How could getting stuck here in Pecan have turned into the best thing in his life? It had to be God, pointing his life in the right direction.
"I thought maybe I could see someone…talk to a counselor about what happened with Sean." It was a good thing he was holding her when he said it, because the words threatened his composure. "I think…I'm still pretty twisted up about it."
She squeezed his waist. "I'll stand by you the whole way. Your family will, too."
Somehow, he knew she was right. His brothers showing up last night when he'd needed them…it had changed things for him. He didn't have to be alone anymore.
"I might still have to go on the circuit for awhile," he said. "It'll take years for new pecan trees to produce. Years to get the farm back in business for real." He couldn't imagine being away from Jess, not for long. Maybe he'd get a job nearby, if he could find one. Maybe Dusty would let him hire on.
She tilted her head back to look at him, and now he could allow himself to fall into her hazel eyes. "Whatever happens, we'll be together."
That suited him just fine.
Epilogue
Summer sun beat down on Jess's head as she leaned on the corral rail and watched Josh guide Patches around the corral, riding straight-backed and proud atop the horse.
Between Josh's mom and Luke's insistence that only Patches would do for Josh, the Starr farm had partnered with an equine therapy program about two hours away, and a trainer came out once a week to work with the boy. Over the last year, Luke had done some hands-on training with the therapy program, and he worked with Josh two additional days a week.
Josh had made such incredible strides by working with Patches. Now, he said something to the handler that Jess couldn't make out from this distance.
He was talking. Communicating, when Jess and his mom had once thought it would be impossible for him.
"They wrapping up?" Luke joined her, leaning his elbows on the railing where his shoulder brushed hers.
"Yeah, just about." She couldn't help smiling at the man she loved so much.
In the past year, they'd grown closer than ever. Luke had moved back in with Gramma Shirley shortly after Josh had been located. With Daniel and Amy in town and Dusty and Lindsey next door at the Langs' ranch, the family had patched itself back together.
Gramma Shirley was at the center of a lot of it. She'd fully recovered from her injuries and insisted on weekly family dinners, though Amy, Lindsey, and Jess insisted right back that the dinners be potluck, so Gramma wouldn't be stuck with all the cooking.
Luke had seen a therapist often during those first few months back home, and he'd shared some of his grief with Jess through conversation and even sometimes silence, just sitting on the tailgate of his truck. His brothers had supported his dream of making the pecan farm operational again and had even staked him in the venture. Last fall, he'd worked tirelessly to clear the land of the old, dead trees, and then planted new ones this spring until he'd nearly fallen down from exhaustion.
They saw each other almost every day, and talked on the phone when their schedules didn't mesh.
Her love for him had only grown deeper over the last year.
She leaned against him, letting her head rest in the curve of his shoulder.
"Hey, baby brother."
She felt a slight tension zing through him. They both turned from the railing to find not one, but two twins approaching, their boots crunching in the grass. Daniel wore a pair of pressed jeans and a polo shirt, unbuttoned at the top. He must've had work at the office today. Dusty was dressed the same as Luke, in worn Wranglers and a T-shirt, boots and a hat.
Luke's arm settled across her shoulders, warm and steady.
"What's up, you two?" she asked by way of greeting.
"Family dinner in about an hour," Daniel said. "You staying?"
"She's staying," Luke said before she could open her mouth.
Daniel and Dusty glanced at each other, their eyes narrowing slightly. If anything, Luke's tension increased. She'd seen the two of them pass silent messages—Luke called it Twin Speak—before, but usually it didn't bother her implacable cowboy.
"Speaking of family…" Dusty let his sentence hang for a long, quiet moment, as if he were waiting for something. She couldn't guess what. "We think it's about time Luke officially makes you a part of ours. Don'tcha think, little brother?"
They'd talked—a little—about marriage in a far-off, someday sort of way. She knew it would happen when they were both ready.
She glanced at Luke, sure he would brush off his brothers' teasing. But a flush stained his cheeks, and a muscle jumped in his jaw as he stared at his brothers, eyes flashing.
"You two always have to butt in, don't you?" She hadn't heard him so peeved since the night he'd pulled his car in front of the teenaged racers. "It wasn't enough to back the family business financially—you had to come out and check on my work—"
"Your holes weren't deep enough," Dusty interrupted.
"We helped dig," Daniel said indignantly. She knew they had been a big help when Luke had needed to get the trees in the ground.
"Then you dragged me onto the church softball team—"
"Kicking and screaming," Daniel added.
"Now you want to tell me when to propose—?"
Daniel looked straight at her. "You want to marry this guy, right?"
His blunt question brought heat pouring into her cheeks. She did, but she didn't like being put on the spot like this.
"Of course she does," Dusty chimed in. "Look at her face."
Daniel said something else, but she tuned him out because Luke used his arm to turn her slightly. He looked down at her, his Stetson casting a shadow across both their faces.
"You wanna marry me?" he asked softly.
"Is that a question or a proposal?" she asked shakily.
He dipped his head momentarily, and when he looked at her again, there was a vulnerability in his gaze that hadn't been there before. She saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed.
His arm slipped from her shoulders and he dug in his hip pocket, coming up with something shiny and sparkly.
Time seemed to freeze. She was no longer aware of the twins—they could've fallen off the face of the earth—or Josh in the corral. She could only stare at Luke as he extended a diamond solitaire held carefully between his thumb and forefinger.
"Jess, I'm more in love with you than ever. And I don't want us to be apart anymore, even for a ni
ght. Will you marry me?"
Joy bubbled up inside. "Yes!"
His hand was shaking as he slipped the ring on her finger and then drew her in for a kiss.
His brothers must not have left after all, because there was loud whooping somewhere in the periphery.
She didn't care. Luke and his family were a package deal, and she loved them all. Sometimes she just wished their wives were nearby to take control of the situation.
But when Luke picked her up off her feet and whirled her around, she couldn't help but be glad for his brothers and their teasing.
Just this once.
The End
Did you miss the other books in the Lone Star Brides series?
USA Today bestselling author Pamela Tracy introduces the Lone Star Brides series with a charming story of unexpected love…
The Bluebonnet Bride
This is Daniel Starr's year. He's moving up the rankings on the bull-riding circuit and is determined to catch his twin brother. Nothing is going to stop him. Well, almost nothing. When his beloved grandmother falls and needs a caretaker, Daniel finds himself on the road back to Pecan, Texas, rather than making the next rodeo. Why did this happen now? And why, when he's jeopardizing his career to come home, does Miss Bossypants Amy Benjamin think he's not doing enough?
Amy knows all about the swashbuckling Starr Brothers, but anyone who turns his back on her beloved Pecan—and on his own grandmother—doesn't deserve admiration. If Amy had been lucky enough to have family like Grandma Starr, her life would have been so different! Well, she's going to make sure Daniel does his duty. But the longer he stays in Pecan, the harder it'll be to see him go.
BUY AT YOUR FAVORITE RETAILER
ECPA bestselling author Vickie McDonough continues the Lone Star Brides series with this heart-warming story of lost love.
The Bull Rider's Bride
Champion bull rider Dusty Starr is at the top of his game—until a bull throws him and stomps on his leg. He goes home to heal and watch after his grandma until he can rejoin the circuit. While there are no guarantees that bull riding is in his future, his past is alive and well in the form of Gramma's beautiful physical therapist—a woman he never expected to see again.
Physical therapist Lindsey Lang once loved Dusty, but then tragedy struck because of his younger brother's recklessness, and Dusty did something she never thought he'd do. He abandoned her, leaving her to mourn alone. Being assigned to Grandma Starr is hard enough, but with Dusty there, Lindsey's sure her heart won't survive. Against all expectations, friendship renews, and Dusty dares to hope Lindsey will forgive him. She's the only girl he's ever loved and he aims to get her back. But friendship is one thing. A second chance at love? That will take more gumption than riding a rank bull—and then some.
BUY AT YOUR FAVORITE RETAILER
If you like redemption stories, try…
Saving Justice by Susan Crawford
After losing her brother to gang-related violence, elementary schoolteacher Kinley is on a mission to help her at-risk students. When one of them, Justice, is caught in an act of vandalism, she intervenes.
Entrepreneur Nash McGuire has gone to great lengths to overcome the poverty he grew up in. When working on a renovation project in his old neighborhood he collides with a juvenile delinquent and his do-gooder teacher.
Kinley believes Justice can overcome the influence of his environment; Nash knows the odds and has little patience with Kinley's naivety. But as the boy's mandatory community service forces Justice and Kinley into Nash's life, he can't help but discover a boy searching for love and purpose–a boy very much like he once was.
Then Justice is accused of another crime. And Kinley's stubborn belief in the boy's innocence is just too much for Nash to accept…
BUY AT YOUR FAVORITE RETAILER
And also…
Autumn Skye by Kathleen Y'Barbo
Autumn is good at one thing: leaving . . . until she meets the one man who wants her to stick around.
When Galveston bounty hunter Nate Donahue is hired to find Skye "Autumn" Hudson, it's just another job. Until this shop girl, who lives on the other side of his duplex, challenges his commitment to keep things strictly professional. A challenge he has to overcome. After all, he's being paid to spy on her—not care about her. No matter how tempted he may be.
Skye has secrets of her own. She's always left any relationship before it could go anywhere. She's certainly never trusted someone the way she trusts Nate. He's so kind, so helpful. Can it be possible? Has the girl who always runs finally found a safe place to stay?
BUY AT YOUR FAVORITE RETAILER
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Luke and Jess's story! This was such a fun project and I really enjoyed working with Pamela and Vickie to craft stories for these three stubborn cowboys. I love to hear from my readers. You can send me a note at [email protected] or interact through my website www.lacywilliams.net or Facebook
Happy reading!
Lacy Williams
Other Titles from Serenade Books
Taste of Texas Series
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Kiss the Cowboy (Book 2) by Julie Jarnagin
The Wedding Barn (Book 3) by Julie Jarnagin
Cowgirl in the Kitchen (Book 4) by Julie Jarnagin
Heart of the City Series
Reclaiming Brynn (Book 1) by Susan Crawford
Saving Justice (Book 2) by Susan Crawford
Redeeming Cade (Book 3) by Susan Crawford
Pies, Books & Jesus Series
Firefly Summer (Book 1) by Kathleen Y'Barbo
Autumn Skye (Book 2) by Kathleen Y'Barbo
Seaside Romance Series
Special Delivery (Book 1) by Gayle Roper
Seaside Gifts (Book 2) by Gayle Roper
Lone Star Brides Series
The Bluebonnet Bride (Book 1) by Pamela Tracy
The Bull Rider's Bride (Book 2) by Vickie McDonough
The Butterfly Bride (Book 3) by Lacy Williams
Journeys of the Heart Series
The Gentleman's Quest (Book 1) by Camille Elliot
The Road Home (Book 2) by Winnie Griggs
The Trail Boss's Bride (Book 3) by Erica Vetsch
Single Titles
Secondhand Cowboy by Lacy Williams
A Matter of Trust by Winnie Griggs
Love's a Stage by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay
O Little Town of Bethany by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay
Rhinestone Cowgirl by Denice Christensen
The Chef Next Door by Lenora Worth
Anthologies
Journeys of the Heart: An Anthology by Camille Elliot, Winnie Griggs, and Erica Vetsch
The Boy Next Door: An Anthology by Lenora Worth, Susan Crawford, Gayle Roper, Kathleen Y'Barbo, Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay
Second Chances: An Anthology by Julie Jarnagin, Susan Crawford, Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay
The Cowboy Collection by Julie Jarnagin, Lacy Williams, Kathleen Y'Barbo
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Copyright © 2016 Lacy Williams
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means - photocopied, shared electronically, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, or other - without the express permission of the publisher. Exceptions will be made for brief quotations used in critical reviews or articles promoting this work.
The characters and events in this fictional work are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is coincidental.
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The Butterfly Bride Page 7