Lone Star Cinderella (18 page)

She held her breath as she watched his eyes soften with love. It was unmistakable.

He kissed her cheek. “I can't lie and tell you I didn't think about that. I won't stand back and let him treat you like he treated you before. I'll always be here as a barrier. But it was not knowing if I could handle
watching him tear at you emotionally that was the problem.”

“I'm going to be okay if you're there beside me.”

He placed his hands on either side of her face and smoothed her hair back. “I really think you are. You're so much stronger than you thought you were.”

“Thanks to you.”

“And thanks to you I think I have a little more compassion than I did have. But here's the deal—when you marry me.”

She laughed, she couldn't help it. “A little bold, aren't you?”

He smiled. “I'm just staking my claim. You're one treasure I don't plan to lose, baby.”

“Oh, Seth.” She stood on her tiptoes and hugged him tightly.

“But listen to me,” he said against her ear, hugging her. “You will always be my priority from this day forward.” Holding her shoulders, he stood her away from him and looked into her eyes. “That means I'm serious when I say I won't stand for anyone hurting you—no one. Can you handle that?”

For the first time in her life, tears of happiness filled her eyes. “Oh, yes, I can handle that,” she said. “I love you so much.”

“That's all the treasure I'm interested in,” he said.

And then Seth, the love of her life, kissed Melody like she was the most remarkable woman God had ever created.

T
he call came four weeks later on the day Melody was preparing for her wedding. It was from a facility on the coast of Texas and the caseworker was calling to tell Melody that her brother had entered the program. He hadn't asked to call her himself but had simply wanted the caseworker to let Melody know that he was there and that this time it was because he wanted to be. Melody cried silent tears and hope flickered in her heart.

She'd spent the happiest days of her life over the last month as she and Seth had prepared for their wedding day. She thought of Ty, but she'd successfully detached herself emotionally from dwelling on wondering about what was happening in his life. Instead she'd continued to pray for him, believing that good could come to him if he'd just seek it.

After thanking the caseworker for calling, she hung up the phone and said a prayer for her brother. She asked for God to strengthen him and put people around him in the center who could help him. He had a long
way to go, but for the first time in his life, her brother had made the right choice. On his own.

And so had she. By the end of the day, she would be Mrs. Seth Turner. She closed the journal she'd been reading when the phone rang and gently ran her hand over the weathered leather. They hadn't found any gold inside the cave. But they'd found evidence that once there had been some. It was one of those legends that would forever go unsolved, but as for her and Seth they felt eternally grateful for what they'd found in the search.

“Melody, are you in here?” Lacy called from the front door.

“I'm in here.”

“Well, hop to it, girlfriend. We have a wedding to get you to—” Lacy stopped in the doorway. “You look beautiful!”

Melody stood up and looked down at her wedding dress. “I couldn't help myself. I knew I was supposed to get dressed at the church, but I wanted to put my dress on here.”

“It's your day. You can put your dress on anywhere you want to.”

Melody smiled, grabbed her veil and let Lacy hustle her out of the stagecoach house and into her pink Cadillac.

“You don't mind if the top is down?” Lacy asked, helping Melody get into the front seat without getting her dress dirty. “I just thought it's such a beautiful day, and you know me—there's nothing that makes a special day more special than a ride in the sunshine. Kind of puts you close to God,” she said, jogging around the front of the car.

Melody watched as her friend hopped over the driver's door and landed with a plop in the seat. “I think you're absolutely right. Today is the perfect day for a ride. I feel so thankful for what God has done for me.”

“Then tighten up your belt, and let's hit the road,” Lacy said and punched the gas pedal. Instantly, the big tank of a car shot down the road like a pink rocket.

Melody laughed into the wind. Seth was waiting at the church for her at the end of the road. She felt like she was soaring as she held her veil in the air and let the wind stream through it. She was flying along a road that was over two hundred years old. So many people had traveled down it on their way across Texas in search of their futures. Just like she was doing—except Melody had found hers and it was with Seth.

As she felt the sun on her face and the wind in her hair, she knew that of those who'd ever traveled this road, she was the happiest of all.

It was remarkable. Wonderfully, happily remarkable.

Dear Readers,

Thank you so much for spending time with me and the gang here in Mule Hollow! As you know, I love to keep you guessing about where my next stories are going to take you, and this story is taking you where I really didn't want to go. But I always write from my heart and Melody's story in many ways could be my own story or that of thousands of others across the country whose lives have been touched by the drug abuse of someone we love.

Melody was on the brink of breaking from the strain of dealing with her brother's addictions, and yet she knew that she had to make a change in her life. As a Christian she was especially torn about how she should handle her situation. Seth came along and gave her the strength to trust God even when it felt uncomfortable for her to make the hard choices.

I pray that if you are making hard choices in your life, God will give you a peace about it and guide you. And that you will have the strength to give your heartache to Him. And I pray with hope in my heart for you as you do so.

I love hearing from readers, and though I always fear I may not get to reply to everyone, I try. But please know your letters mean the world to me and touch me as I hope my books are touching you. You can reach me at P.O. Box 1125, Madisonville, Texas 77864, at www.debraclopton.com or through the Steeple Hill address.

Until we meet again, may God give you hope and peace,

 

1. Melody loves history. Why?
   
2. Seth believes in his privacy. He believes that although he owns a piece of history, he shouldn't have to alert the world. What do you think?
   
3. Seth can't believe he's not noticed Melody before now. Have you ever known someone from a distance, and when you finally get to know them wished you'd made the effort sooner?
   
4. Melody doesn't understand why God hasn't answered her and her parents' prayers for her brother. Have you ever had prayers that desperately needed answering, and had to wait until God's timing was right to see His answer? Are you still waiting to see His answer?
   
5. In such a situation as Melody's—in which her brother seems to have neither remorse nor the desire to help himself and yet feels entitled to hold her life captive—how do you think, as a Christian, she handled herself?
   
6. Melody feels hopeless, trapped, victimized and angry. Can you see why she is angry?
   
7. Melody's parents let Ty's problem dictate their lives, and in doing so they put Melody's life on the back burner, so to speak. What do you think about
   this? How do you think parents in this situation should handle such a problem?
   
8. If you are a parent of someone addicted to drugs or alcohol or you are a sibling to a brother or sister with addictions, how do you feel? Especially when others try to offer advice that makes you feel judged?
   
9. Despite her anger, Melody is still letting Ty's addictions—his life choices—run and ruin her life. When Seth tells Melody she has to let Ty go, he is looking at what it is doing to Melody. At some point in a situation like this a person has to stop enabling the addict. Do you agree? Seth knows he loves Melody and that telling her this could harm the relationship they've begun. Yet he knows because he loves her that he must tell her or he will be doing her a disservice. What do you think?
   
10. How does Melody react to Seth's strong position on this?
    
11. Seth doesn't think he can deal with the ongoing challenges he knows Melody will face for the rest of her life when it comes to Ty. When addiction creeps into a family, it sadly is almost never completely eradicated. Seth understands the toll the ups and downs will take on her—that she will probably always suffer pain because of her brother's choices. But then he realizes that he wants to be there for her in the good times and the bad times. I loved that about him. What do you think?
    
12. If you've ever had to let someone you loved go, was there a verse in the Bible that helped you deal with the decision? Do you have anything good to share about the experience? Or are you still struggling with the decision? If so, ask for prayer and to be lifted up as you continue to remain strong while letting God have control.
    
13. As a Christian group, can you see some way that you can be of help to your sisters and brothers who are suffering with this issue? What types of support for the families can we as a church offer?
    
14. The hard parts of this story aside, I enjoyed the history of the lost loot in this story. It is interesting to me that so much treasure could actually be reported as still being out there, buried beneath our feet! Do you enjoy treasure hunting? Do you know anyone who does? Personally, I've toyed with going on the hunt myself…but I have too many books to write and too little time, so I'll have to leave the treasure hunting up to you. If you've had an interesting find, please write and tell me about it. I would love to hear about your adventure!