A Rancher To Remember (Montana Twins Book 3)

by Patricia Johns

  Sawyer met her gaze seriously. “Tell me you’re staying.”

  “I’m...thinking about it. It kind of depends,” she said, swallowing.

  “On what?” he asked softly. “Name it.”

  “On...you.”

  Sawyer’s face cracked into a grin. “Well, I’ve been told off by my uncle, and he made a few good points. I work too hard, number one.”

  Olivia laughed softly. “Yeah, we all know that.”

  “And number two, I need to relax a bit and follow my heart.”

  Olivia sucked in a breath, waiting for his next words, but they didn’t come. She eyed him uncertainly.

  “And?” she prodded.

  “I thought that was obvious,” he replied, dipping his head down to peck her lips. “It leads straight to you.”

  Olivia felt a rush of relief. “Oh, I’m glad...”

  “Look, Olivia,” he said seriously. “I’m not going to ask you stay here and just see how things go, because I know how I feel about you, and it’s not going to change. More memories won’t change what I have with you right here and now. I want to marry you. I want you to raise my girls with me. I want to come home to you, and go to church with you and needle Lloyd about his crush on Evelyn with you.” He smiled ruefully at that last one.

  Olivia looked up at him, stunned. The breeze blew a curl into her face, and she brushed it away, her mind spinning. He’d just proposed. Was this crazy? It had all happened so fast...except that it had been simmering in her heart for years. She loved this man, and she realized in that moment that this was what she wanted—a life with Sawyer on the ranch, a life in boots, with little kids and family around. Coming back to Beaut wouldn’t be easy, but it would be worth it if she could do it with the man who filled her heart.

  “I don’t know if I could afford to move back, though,” she confessed. “I’m already stretched thin with the hospital debt, and if I made less—”

  “I could help out with that.”

  “That’s too much—”

  “Not if I’m asking you to marry me,” he murmured, a smile tugging up at his lips.

  “Are you really?” she whispered.

  “Yeah. I am. I’ll help you out. We’ll do it together. We won’t be rich, but we’ll be happy. If that’s enough for you.”

  “It is.” She nodded, blinking back tears.

  “So...?” Sawyer’s breath was bated.

  “Yes, I’ll marry you—”

  Sawyer kissed her again, his arms pulling her close as she leaned into his strong embrace. When he pulled back, he took her hand and nodded up toward the house.

  “You want to go share our news?” he asked, his voice low.

  “I think I do.” She laughed, hugging his arm close against her. “But you know that crush Lloyd has on Evelyn?”

  “Yeah?” They started walking together up the road hand in hand in that wash of lowering light.

  “I’m pretty sure Evelyn feels the same way,” Olivia said. “Just a feeling.”

  Maybe there would be more kids than just Bella and Lizzie running around the ranch soon. Maybe there would be a few of Olivia and Sawyer’s babies, too...and if Lloyd and Evelyn decided to make a go of it, there could be all sorts of cousins and siblings to grow up together. There would be a new generation of kids to learn the hard lessons and to protect each other.

  Beaut wasn’t perfect, but there would be people here who were kinder than before. People who’d grown and needed a bit of grace. The one person who she could trust wholeheartedly had just asked her to marry him. She’d be okay. She’d be more than okay—she’d be Sawyer’s wife and a mom to his two little girls. She’d stand by his side and fight just as valiantly as he did for their family. And she’d find the good in this town, for their sakes.

  “I love you, Olivia,” Sawyer said softly.

  “I love you, too.”

  Home would be in Sawyer’s arms, and God could help her sort out the rest.

  Epilogue

  Olivia stood in the judge’s office, a bouquet of summer flowers clutched in her hands. She wore a simple white sundress, in keeping with their plan to make their wedding small and affordable. With the debt that Olivia and Brian still owed, they didn’t have anything extra to put into wedding frills, but Olivia didn’t mind. She was here with the man she loved, legally becoming his wife and mom to Bella and Lizzie... She didn’t care about frills. She had everything she needed.

  They’d brought along Brian, Shari, Lloyd and Evelyn to be their witnesses and to wrangle the toddlers during the ceremony. She glanced over to see Bella sprinkling her sippy cup of milk over a potted plant, and she had to stop herself from chuckling.

  “Olivia, it’s time for you to say your vows,” the judge said. “Repeat after me...”

  And Olivia repeated the words the judge intoned: “I promise to be your wife, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live.”

  “And you, Sawyer,” the judge said.

  “I promise to be your husband, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live.”

  “And the rings...”

  Olivia turned and handed the bouquet to Shari. Shari’s pregnancy was already starting to show, her belly domed out in front of her and the engagement ring sparkling on her left hand.

  As Olivia and Sawyer exchanged rings, her heart swelled. This was going to be her husband, the man she clung to, supported, loved and respected for the rest of her days. Whatever life threw at them, they’d get through it.

  Sawyer had married her, debt and all. He’d said that it didn’t matter to him. He’d rather have her at his side and let God take care of the details. He loved her that much, and she was that blessed.

  Olivia slid Sawyer’s ring onto his finger, and he did the same for her—a simple golden band. She’d forgone an engagement ring because of the expense, but this ring was the one that mattered most. It meant that they belonged to each other...finally.

  “With the power vested in me by the state of Montana, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the judge said.

  Olivia met Sawyer’s gaze and a smile erupted on his face. He pulled her into his arms and his lips came down over hers. She sighed against him. He was well and truly hers.

  “And as a wedding gift from the town of Beaut...” the judge said, clearing his throat. “When you’re done, of course.”

  There was humor in the older man’s voice, and Olivia could hear the clapping and laughter of their invited guests. Lizzie squeezed up between them so that they had to break off the kiss. Sawyer scooped the toddler up into his arms, and they turned back to the judge.

  “What do you mean?” Olivia asked.

  “Some of your friends have taken up a collection,” the judge said. “It was understood that you and your brother are in debt because of your mother’s hospital bills.”

  Olivia looked over her shoulder to where Brian stood behind Shari’s chair. His expression showed he was equally surprised by this turn in the conversation.

  “Yes, but we’re working on that,” Olivia said quickly.

  “Well, as a wedding gift, Lloyd took it upon himself to talk to the rest of community about helping you out. We’ve taken up a collection to help with the bills. We managed to collect forty-seven thousand dollars toward your debt.”

  Olivia’s heart hammered in her chest. “People just gave it?” she whispered. “I don’t know how to thank everyone... It’s just so generous!”

  She turned toward Lloyd, who was scuffling his boot into the carpet uncomfortably. “Well...we do what we can. It wasn’t just my idea. A lot of people thought it would be the right thing to do.”

  “It doesn’t cover all of your bill,” the judge went on, “so Senator White spoke with the hospital board and got the amount owed lowered considera
bly, then he offered to top up the last of the money owing. Olivia... Sawyer... Brian... Your debt is paid.”

  Tears welled in Olivia’s eyes and she put a hand over her mouth. Paid. In full. The debt that had been crushing them for years was now gone, and she and Sawyer could start their married life free of that burden. Brian could marry Shari without those payments sucking away his livelihood. His extra money could go toward his baby instead...and maybe to that business he wanted to start so badly.

  “Brian,” she said, spinning around. “We’re debt-free!” Olivia squeezed her husband’s hand and looked up at him in amazement. “Did you know about this, Sawyer?”

  “Nope,” he said. Tears sparkled in his eyes, too. “But it just goes to show that kindness can be a group effort. We’ll find a way to thank everyone.”

  Olivia and Sawyer ended up taking out an ad in the local newspaper. In it was a picture from their wedding showing Olivia snuggled up next to Sawyer, the toddlers in their arms, and tears sparkling in their eyes.

  “We cannot thank you enough for your kindness,” the ad said. “You are the good in the world. Thank you for changing ours! From the West family.”

  And for Wyatt and Irene, they did the one thing that would fill the older couple’s hearts—they invited them over for a family dinner. It wasn’t about the money—this was part of the plan anyway, but they wanted to acknowledge what Irene and Wyatt had done for them. It would be the cautious beginning of a long family relationship, where Mia’s parents were finally able to be a part of their granddaughters’ lives. They’d overstep sometimes, and there were a few hard feelings over the years, but the Whites and the Wests were quick to apologize and quick to forgive, because they knew what mattered more than pride, and that was family.

  Sawyer did get back his memory in full. It took a few months for all the details to come back to him, and the more he remembered, the more grateful he became for Olivia. Life hadn’t been easy to get them here, but Olivia could feel God’s grace surrounding them, making life sweet. This was what grace looked like in practice, Olivia would realize again and again...a mishmash of family. And it filled their hearts to the brim.

  * * *

  Don’t miss these other books in Patricia Johns’s Montana Twins miniseries:

  Her Cowboy’s Twin Blessings

  Her Twins’ Cowboy Dad

  Available now from Love Inspired!

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  Keep reading for an excerpt from The Cowboy’s Twin Surprise by Stephanie Dees.

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  Dear Reader,

  This is the last story in my Montana Twins miniseries, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride. If you just picked this book up and you like Montana-raised cowboys and adorable twins, you might want to pick up the two previous books, too.

  You can find me online at PatriciaJohnsRomance.com. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter where I keep you up to date on my new releases and give you a view into my life. I’d love to hear from you!

  Patricia Johns

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  The Cowboy’s Twin Surprise

  by Stephanie Dees

  Chapter One

  Devin Cole let his truck roll to a stop at the end of the lane, just short of the driveway to the family ranch. He slid his Narcotics Anonymous newcomers coin between his fingers and back again. He was measuring his life in days and hours now...moments, maybe. One hour since his last meeting. Six days out of rehab. Thirty-six days clean. Thirty-nine days and seven hours since he’d stopped running from God.

  Forty days since he’d messed things up with Lacey—the only friend he’d managed to keep on his not-so-slow slide into recklessness and addiction. It had been a long time since his Sunday school days, but in the Bible, wasn’t it always forty days that people spent in the wilderness?

  A warm breeze wafted through the open window, bringing with it the scent of freshly turned dirt and ribs in the smoker. The sound of calves in the field. Springtime in Alabama.

  His eyes went from the farmhouse peeking through the trees to linger on the white welcome chip sliding through his fingers. Chances were pretty good he’d gotten a better welcome from NA than he’d get from his brothers.

  Unfortunately, his options were limited. As in, he didn’t have any. After he’d shattered his ankle, his days in the rodeo were over. He’d tried to continue, relying more and more on prescriptions and alcohol to fight through the pain. But he’d failed. Failed his corporate sponsors. Failed his friends and family. And most of all failed himself.

  He’d spent the past six days and his last thousand bucks driving cross-country, trying to make amends for the wrongs he’d done. And he’d learned apologies went only so far to repair burned bridges.

  He put his old truck in gear and drove the rest of the way to the house. Even in the waning daylight, the white two-story clapboard looked a little more worn than it had the last time he’d seen it, the sunny yellow porch swing peeling and faded. No cheery flowers filled the beds that lined the walkway.

  The screen door opened and his older brother Tanner stepped out in his dusty boots. Right away, Devin knew from the look in Tanner’s eyes this wasn’t going to be a prodigal son welcome. No warm embraces. No parties thrown on his behalf. He nodded, to himself, mostly. A firm let’s-get-on-with-it nod.

  Devin picked up the cane he had to use now that his pain wasn’t dulled by drugs. He slid off the old leather seat, relief flooding his body when his feet touched the ground.

  Home.

  Tanner’s blue eyes searched Devin’s for signs that he was using, and Devin felt a pang of regret. With a barely suppressed sigh, Tanner pulled the door open wide. “Come on in. I’ve got coffee on.”

  Devin followed his brother into the farmhouse, noting the threadbare rug on the floor and the worn leather couch, still the same one from when they were kids. Although they’d never been wealthy, they’d gotten by, but now... It almost seemed that the ranch had aged ten years in the three since he’d seen it.

  With a practiced economy of movement, Tanner took two mugs from the cabinet by the sink and filled them with coffee. “What happened to the big fancy truck you were driving last time you were here?”

  “Sold it to pay for rehab.”

  Tanner’s eyes flicked to his. “And your horse?”

  “Left her with Lacey.”

  A dark eyebrow quirked. “Another debt?”

  “You could say that.” A memory of a brown-eyed girl with laughter in her eyes flashed in his mind. Devin took a swig of the coffee and suppressed the w
ish for something stronger. Because running from uncomfortable emotions was how he got himself in this mess in the first place, or at least that was what the counselor at rehab told him.

  The fatigue of the last six weeks pulled hard at him. He took off his ball cap and scrubbed a hand through hair that could use a good trim. “I’m sorry, Tanner. I don’t even know where to start to say how sorry I am.”

  Tanner still didn’t smile. “What do you want, Devin?”

  “I want to come home.”

  At his brother’s sharply expelled breath, Devin started to panic, just a little. “You sacrificed a lot for me. I know that. And I wasted the opportunities.”

  After their parents died, Tanner had finished the job of raising him. He’d scrimped and saved and bought Devin his first cutting horse. He’d been at every event from the first to the time Devin kicked loose of Red Hill Springs and everyone in it.

  Tanner crossed his arms. “If you’re wanting me to argue with you about that, you’re gonna be waiting a long time.”

  His hat literally in his hands, Devin closed his eyes and sent a wordless prayer toward Heaven before he opened them again and looked Tanner in the eyes. “I’m an addict. I’ll always be an addict, but I don’t have to be a bad person. Please give me a chance to prove I can do better.”

  “We’ve been down this road before.”

  Devin went still. There was nothing he could say or do to change his brother’s mind. Because Tanner was right. It was a familiar refrain from his teenage years—even before the drugs, Devin had struggled. They had been down this road before where Devin had begged and pleaded and unfailingly messed things up. So he waited and he wondered if there was anyone left who would take him in until he could find a job.

  Tanner didn’t tap his foot or jiggle his leg or any of the things normal people did. He simply stared into the black coffee in his cup until he reached a decision. He looked up. “I could use the help around here.”

  Devin let out all his anxiety in one pent-up breath.