Along Came a Cowboy (38 page)

“Part of not telling you had nothing to do with you. I couldn't tell you without telling Jenn first, and I was really having a hard time bringing myself to do that. But I was going to tell you the whole truth this weekend. I called and asked Tammy and Russ to come so I could tell Jenn then tell you.” I grimace. “But the timing went a little haywire.”

“That's good to know.” He pulls me to him again, and my heart pounds. “Rachel, it's my turn to tell you something.”

Oh no. “What?” I'm barely breathing. He's married? He has four kids? He's an escaped convict? How many more revelations can we stand?

“I love you.”

Oh. That one wasn't hard to take at all. “I love you, too.”

“I'm going to kiss you, if that's okay.”

I laugh. “That's more than okay.”

And it is.

I
told you that God had a happy ending for you, too.” Allie zips up my dress.

“I know. It's hard to believe.” I look around the room at the hustle and bustle.

Mama Ruth bursts in the door of the church nursery. “Is everyone almost ready?” She deftly snatches baby Valerie up just as the little girl reaches for her mama's bouquet.

“Sorry,” Lark says and holds out her hands. “Come to Mommy, honey. You'll have your own flowers in a minute.”

The one-year-old leaps into her mother's arms with a cry of delight, and Lark kisses her pudgy cheek. I remember how we laughed when we found out that Lark had taken the first letters of each of our names and come up with a name she and Craig both loved for their little girl.

Jennifer runs over to me and twirls around. “Aunt Rachel! How do I look?”

Tears threaten my makeup. Happy tears. “Honey, you'll turn that cowboy's head so fast, it'll spin.”

“Yeah, right. He may have forgotten me. I haven't seen him since Christmas.”

Tammy looks up from the corner where she's feeding little Russ Jr. once more before handing him over to his daddy for the ceremony. “And you haven't exactly sat at home pining after him either.”

“Good for you, Jennifer.” My mom gives Jenn a thumbs-up as she covers her face with her other hand while Mama Ruth sprays her hair. “You need to keep your options open.”

Mama Ruth sets down the hairspray and claps her hands. “Five minutes, ladies. Do what you need to do, and let's get this show on the road.”

She looks at Victoria who is clutching her bouquet. “You need to be taking notes, honey. I have a feeling you're next.”

Victoria's mouth drops open, and the color of her face just about matches the red roses in her hands.

“I do declare, shugah. I don't think I've ever seen you speechless before,” Lark says.

Victoria blushes. “Some things are just too ridiculous to consider.”

Mama Ruth looks at the rest of us and clucks her tongue. “Denial is normal at first.”

I burst out laughing along with the others. “Better be careful, Vic. I'm living proof she's never wrong.”

My mother walks over and bends down to give me a hug and kiss. “We're living proof that anything's possible, too, aren't we, honey?”

I nod and hold on to her for a minute.

“I'm so proud of you,” she whispers and drops an envelope in my lap. “See you soon.” She hurries from the room.

I stare at the envelope. She's proud. Of me. God is so good.

Curious, I open the envelope and pull out a note.

To our dear daughter, on your wedding day
,

     
Our gift to you—a deed in your name for the creek-front property that joins your husband's land. May you live your dream of having a natural health clinic. We love you, honey
.

Daddy and Mama
      

Tears prick my eyes. I'm thrilled to have the land, of course, but the best gift they've given me is the chance to live my dream of having parents who love me and are proud of me.

A few minutes later as I watch the last bridesmaid walk down the aisle, I hook my arm in Daddy's. “Mama gave me the envelope. Thanks.”

He nods, his eyes moist. “Ready to do this, baby girl?” His voice is husky.

“I can't wait.”

The opening strains of “The Wedding March” play, and Daddy guides me through the doorway. I look down the aisle.

And there's Jack, his eyes shining with love and expectation.

My beloved cowboy. And the beginning of my own happy ending.

Dear Reader, On rare occasions I will write a book that surprises me. When I was working on Along Came a Cowboy , I kept hitting roadblocks. After months of unexplained struggling with a story that I loved, I finally saw that my own adolescent mistakes, though totally different from Rachel's, were staring me in the face. My unwillingness to let them go was stopping me from exploring Rachel's hurt and regret to the depth it needed exploring. After all these years of knowing about God's forgiveness—and certainly understanding it on an intellectual level—I hadn't truly grasped it. The scene in the barn when Rachel comes to an astoundingly simple realization about forgiveness was straight from my heart. I'll always be thankful that God gave me this particular story to tell and that He allowed me to heal during the writing of it. And I'm also ever grateful that He gave me the opportunity to share it with you.   Blessings, Christine Lynxwiler