Lonestar Sanctuary (35 page)

He glanced around. "If Dolly sees us together, we're in trouble."

"I have a present for you," she said. She couldn't stand it much
longer. Rick's face would be a picture.

"I have something for you too, but you can't have it until after the
wedding." He waggled his brows at her.

She laughed and felt heat on her cheeks. "Shh, people will hear."

He laughed. "Girl, your mind is in the gutter. That's not what I
meant, but it's not a bad idea. This is something more um substantial." He glanced at her hands. "So where's this big present?"

"Right here." She stepped aside. "I'd like you to meet someone."

Chad's face was pale, but he mustered a smile. "Hi, Rick."

Rick looked perplexed for a minute, then his gaze locked with
Chad's before sweeping up and down the young man. "Wh-who are
you?"A dawning hope filled his eyes.

Allie grabbed his arm. "If you could have one person here to witness our wedding, who would it be, Rick?"

"Chad?" he whispered.

Chad nodded jerkily. "It's me, Rick."

Rick stepped forward first, his arms coming up awkwardly. Chad
embraced the bigger man, nearly swallowed up by Rick's muscular
arms. Though the older man was bulkier, the resemblance was impossible to deny. Chad had Rick's nose and thick hair. The shape of the
eyes was the same too.

Allie swiped at her wet cheeks. She wanted to sit down and just
howl with indescribable joy. She couldn't help but think how she'd
feel if the sister she knew was dead walked up to her. That was a little
how she imagined Rick felt right now.

Then Rick was pounding his brother on the back, and saying over
and over, "Chad, I can't believe it." His voice was choked with emotion.

Chad had wet eyes. His knuckles were white with the clutch he
had on his older brother.

Rick finally stepped back and gripped him by the shoulders. "How
did you find me?"

Chad wiped his face with the back of his hand. He nodded at Allie.
"Your wife found me through an old teacher. She got a message to me
through a nurse." He looked down at his perfectly shined shoes. "I
thought you'd forgotten all about me."

"Never, Chad." Rick gave him a little shake. "Never for a minute."

"I know that now. My foster parents adopted me when I was
twelve. They were missionaries, and we went to South Africa six
months after the adoption. I was there for five years, then came back
here for college. I'm in San Antonio."

"No wonder I couldn't find you," Rick said, his grin rueful. He
swiped at his eyes. "Man, you're a sight for sore eyes."

Allie couldn't stop crying as she watched the reunion. Rick had
known his brother with one look.

Betsy tugged on her hand. "Why is Daddy crying?" she whispered.
"I'm scared."

Allie knelt beside her daughter. "Those are happy tears, Bets. Like
when Mommy heard you talk again. Sometimes the happiness just
bubbles out, and you can't help it." Her vision was blurry, but her
daughter was still the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

Allie had come so close to losing everything, and she didn't think
she'd ever take anything for granted again.

Betsy nodded, but she still looked wary as she watched the two
men. Allie stood again, unable to get enough of the joy that filled the
meadow.

Rick's gaze locked with hers over his brother's shoulder. "Allie,
you did this? How did you know where to look?"

"Dolly had a lead on the teacher. I went to see her, and she rambled
about missionaries and Africa. It made no sense, but I left a note at the
nursing home in case he came by to see her again. He called me two
days ago."

Rick left his brother then and grabbed her up so her toes dangled
above the ground. He dropped a kiss onto her lips. "Thank you," he
said. "That's all I can say. I have everything I've ever wanted right here,
right now."

He set her back on the ground, and she let her love shine through
her eyes as she stared up at him. She had another present for him later,
a very special one, but that would have to come when they were
alone. Her hand dropped to her tummy in a protective gesture. He
was going to be buried with new family.

She saw Rosa standing apart from the crowd. Allie waved to her and
went to join her. "Thanks for coming, Rosa. It means the world to me."

The woman smiled. "You must wear something old, so I bring you this, si?" She held out a soft christening gown and bonnet. "It belonged
to your madre. You can fold the bonnet and tuck it into your garter.
Your bebe will wear it."

"How did you know?"Allie whispered.

"It is in your eyes," Rosa said, her smile soft.

Allie's throat closed. She took the bonnet. Turning her back to the
guests, she lifted the edge of her dress and tucked the hat into her
garter. The soft fabric felt like a touch from her mother. "Thank you,
Rosa," she said. "If you'll keep the gown, I'll get it before we leave."

"Of course." Rosa pressed her lips to Allie's cheek. "I pray for you,
just like I pray for your madre."

Dolly called for them to get started. Rick walked to Grady's side
under the gazebo they'd moved into the clearing. From somewhere,
the wedding processional began to play, the sound a perfect blend
with the birds chirping and the song of the wind in the trees.

Jon's parents stood along the sidelines, their faces reflecting their
unease. But at least they'd chosen to support her, and Betsy was gradually warming up to them. The teenagers they'd helped crowded
around. They'd come so far in the few weeks they'd been here. Allie
hated to let them go, but she knew they'd be all right. They'd learned
important lessons here, ones they'd never forget.

Just like she had.

Fern's tremulous smile filled Allie with joy. She smiled back, and
Fern's blush held joy.

"Go on, Bets,"Allie whispered, giving her daughter a little shove.

Betsy moved out from her mother's side. She dropped flower
petals along the path to join her new daddy. They were bright splashes
of blue against the yellow sea of wildflowers.

Then it was Allie's turn. Her white slippers trod the petals under foot. She was Cinderella, though her fairy godmother had been Dolly,
who had made her dress with her magic sewing machine. Though the
bluebirds hadn't come to help her make her dress, she caught flashes
of their blue feathers from the corner of her eye and smiled.

For once in her life, Allie actually felt beautiful.

As she and Rick repeated their vows, this time with meaning and
intention, she couldn't look away from the promise in his blue eyes.
They might have troubles in the future, but together they could weather
the storms.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Rick, have at it," Grady
said.

Laughter rippled through the guests standing around the clearing.
Rick's hands came down on her shoulders, and he drew her to him.
His kiss was a gentle caress full of forever. Allie drank it in without
fear of the future.

When she lifted her head, she saw her husband nod to Dolly.
Cages snicked open around them, and Allie saw blue feathers everywhere. A sea of bluebirds filled the air, their wings fluttering past
her ears, their bright flashes of color mimicking the blue in her husband's eyes.

She'd found her bluebird of happiness. Now and forever.

I ALWAYS KNEW I WAS A TEXAN AT HEART. IF YOD'YE NEVER VISITED THE
Big Bend region in southwest Texas, you should make it a priority. My
brothers, Rick, Dave, and Randy Rhoads, have always been Wild West
nuts, and their love of all things western transferred itself to me long
ago. I started out writing western romances, and my first book in that
genre came out in 1998. Writing this book was almost like going back
to the good old days for me. Though this book is set in contemporary
times, a ranch is a ranch.

My thanks to Andrea Doering at Crossings for suggesting I set this
book in the Lonestar state. I'm almost ready to move well, if it
weren't for the tarantulas!

They may get tired of me thanking them, but I've got the best
possible publishing team at Thomas Nelson. Allen Arnold, Ami
McConnell, Natalie Hanemann, Amanda Bostic, Jennifer Deshler, Carrie Wagner, and LisaYoung are always cooking up new schemes to
gain me new readers. My love and thanks to you all, especially Allen
for this particular book. And my fabulous cover designers, Mark Ross
and Belinda Bass, deserve a hand of applause as well. I'm always
excited to get a new cover from Nelson because of all the work they
put into it. And thanks to Erin Healy, my terrific freelance editor who
is always pushing me to stretch and be better than I think I can.You all
rock, and I thank God for you!

No author rises or falls on her own talent (I'd be in trouble if I
were expected to!), and in my case I've got a great team that
extends beyond my Nelson family. It all starts with my great agent,
Karen Solem, who makes me dig deep in a story for the things
that matter. My critique team is a constant source of encouragement and handholding, and you deserve a medal! Thanks to the
girls (www.girlswriteout.blogspot.com): Kristin Billerbeck, Diann
Hunt, and Denise Hunter. And thanks to Robin Miller, who holds me
up to high standards on the suspense thread. If she figures out the
killer early, I'm in trouble!

I wouldn't be writing today if it weren't for the support of my
family. My great husband doesn't mind when the laundry isn't done
or dinner isn't on the table because I'm off somewhere roping bulls.
My love and appreciation go out to my great family and to my wonderful Jesus, who has kicked open so many doors.

And you, dear reader, are a constant source of light in my day with
your e-mails and letters. You're the focus of much of what I do every day.
Thank you for the joy you bring to my life. Stop by my Web site for a visit
at www.colleencoble.com or e-mail me at [email protected]
If your book club of twenty members or more is reading one of my
books, I'd be happy to call in if you contact me.

1. The perennial question is why bad things happen to good
people. What gets you through times like Allie suffered?

2. We all have things that we struggle with. For a while Rick
turned to the bottle to deal with his guilt over Jon's death. What
other crutches do you see people use?

3. Have you ever given up a dream for someone you love? If so,
what was it and how did it turn out?

4. Rick was passionate about the plight of abused horses and
abused children. What are you passionate about? Does anything
move you to action? If not, what is stopping you?

5. As parents we can tend to overprotect our children. Discuss
Allie's relationship with her daughter, the good and the bad.

6. Rick believed love is an action word. Was he right?

7. Can secrets ever be good?

8. The villain allowed revenge to rule his life, and it's hard to forgive someone who has hurt a loved one. How do you manage it?

9. How do you feel about the fact that Elijah never went looking
for his other granddaughters, Allie and Tammy?

10. Is there a dream for a better life that God has never let die in
your heart? What are you going to do about it?