Margaret Brownley - [Rocky Creek 02] (36 page)

“You mean all this time, it was me?” She couldn’t believe it. Rhett loved her, even now, after knowing her shameful past.

He nodded. “All this time.”

She didn’t know what to say. Seeing herself through Rhett’s eyes was like peering into a mirror that reflected only the good. He made her feel worthy.

Sometimes God brings couples together for His own purpose
.

She knew why God brought Rhett into her life. He helped her feel whole again. She didn’t know if she could fill the hole left in Rhett’s heart, but she had to try.

“If I’m like your friend,” she said softly, “then I know he wouldn’t want you to spend another moment blaming yourself for the past.”

He studied her. “What I said about Leonard . . . that was the first time I’ve been able to talk about his life rather than his death, and it felt good.”

“Oh, Rhett . . .”

He extended his hand. It was like a bridge pulling her from the darkness into the light.
Look for the signs .
. .

She laid her hand in his to form a bridge that ran both ways.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. A heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She felt light enough to fly. “I—”

He touched his finger to her lips. “I don’t care.”

“I was going to say I love you.”

A smile spread across his face. “Now
that
I care about.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. His ran his warm lips over her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and the hollow of her neck. By the time he found her mouth, she was putty in his arms.

When at last they walked back hand in hand, they found her baggage piled on the roadside, and the stagecoach gone.

“I don’t see your notebook,” he said, looking around.

“I don’t care,” she said, and laughed.

Epilogue

God’s plan is the best plan of all.

—S
IGN ON
J
ENNY
H
IGGINS
A
RMSTRONG’S DESK

O
ld man Hank Applegate rocked on his chair, happy as a lark. It was late September and already the oppressive heat of summer was a fading memory. Thunderheads peered over the distant hills and the air hung heavy with the threat of rain. No matter. It was still a day for rocking and ruminating.

President Garfield had died the week before. He died two months after he’d been shot and after only six months in office. Chester Arthur had taken office, the third president of the year to do so. Hank grimaced and spit out his tobacco. He knew it! They should never have tried to remove that blasted bullet.

People would do well to listen to him. He had been right about the president’s treatment. He was right about a lot of things. He’d warned them against lettin’ that iron horse come to town. Now look at them. The town was growin’ in leaps and bounds.

By thunder, he’d even been right about those Hussy sisters. Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry about them anymore.

With all
three
sisters happily married, the little town of Rocky Creek was once again a safe place for confirmed bachelors like himself. No more being accosted in the barber chair or saloons. No more being ambushed by a feminine flutter of lashes or pretty smiles. Emma Hogg was still on the prowl, of course, but she only had eyes for Redd.

Yessiree, life was good again.

The peace and quiet didn’t last long, for the Wells Fargo stagecoach came barreling into town, late as usual. Eyes half closed, Applegate watched it drive by then bolted upward in his chair.

Baggage was piled high on the roof and tied to the back. He hadn’t seen so much luggage since the colonel and her sisters breezed into town all those weeks ago.

He stood and leaned over the side railing. The driver climbed down from his seat and opened the door of the coach. Not one, not two, not three, but four women climbed out chattering like a bunch of old hens.

He crept down the steps on rickety legs for a closer look-see.

One high pitched voice asked, “Are you sure this is the right town?”

One of the women, dressed to the hilt, waved a newspaper. “It says so right here.” She read aloud. “Mothers looking to find husbands for their daughters might do well to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Higgins sisters, who hit a marital mother lode in the unlikely town of Rocky Creek, Texas.”

She folded the paper and tucked it under her arm. “Come on ladies, we have work to do.” With that she led the new troops in petticoats into the hotel.

Applegate shook his head in dismay. Once again the town was under siege. Now that the marshal had turned traitor to his sex and gone and married
Colonel
Jenny, it was up to Hank to save the men of the town.

Dear Reader

I
’ll let you in on a little secret. As a schoolgirl I hated history. Nothing seemed more torturous than memorizing dates, battles, and charters. It wasn’t until my teens that I discovered historical novels. That’s when I came to realize that history wasn’t about dates; it was about people and how they reacted to the ever-changing world around them.

I especially like the nineteenth century, as it mirrors so much of what is happening in our lives today. The 1800s had its share of depressions, recessions, bank failures, and political scandals. Even back then they were talking about health reform. That’s not all; almost every household was bombarded with scams, advertisements, and foreign princes asking for money.

Sound like your e-mail inbox? You’re close. Only back then it was called the telegraph, and it changed the way Victorians lived, did business, and yes, even fell in love. Wire romances bloomed and one couple even married by telegraph. In 1886,
Electrical World
magazine ran an article titled, “The Dangers of Wired Romances.” That same article would no doubt be just as timely today.

Speaking of magazines,
Harper’s Bazar
, a style resource for the well-dressed woman and well-dressed mind, got its start in 1867. Its focus hasn’t changed much through the years, but William Randolph Hearst did add that extra “a” to Bazar in the 1900s—so no, that wasn’t a typo you saw in the book.

In the 1800s, Jeff Trevor might have been considered slow or dim-witted, but his learning difficulties are shared by many of today’s schoolchildren. We now know that his bouncing-letter problem was dyslexia, a word coined in 1884 by Rudolf Berlin, a German ophthalmologist who combined the Greek words for
difficult
and
word
.

I could go on and on about the similarities between the 1800s and today’s world, but I think I’ll wait to tell you more in my next Rocky Creek book.

Since one of my hobbies is collecting unusual and little-known facts about the nineteenth century, I’d love for you to send me any you may have. Please include the reference for fact checking. If I use it in a story, I’ll send you a free copy of my next book. You can reach me through my website:
www.margaretbrownley.com
.

Until next time,
Margaret

Reading Group Guide

1. Jenny protected and, in some ways, overprotected her sisters. Does overprotecting children keep them from discovering God’s plan for their lives?

2. During the dark years of her life, Jenny found it easier to avoid God than to face Him. Describe a time in your life when you felt separated from God.

3. Jenny’s fear of poverty interfered with her ability to trust that God was leading the way. What other fears can keep us from putting our trust in God?

4. Brenda tried to live up to her reputation as the “good” girl. As a result, she felt that any approval she received was for the person she tried to be, not for the person she was. How did this affect her? In what ways does labeling a child do harm? What labels did you have to overcome?

5. Jenny consulted books, administered tests, and conducted interviews while searching for husbands for her sisters. She thought she knew how to pick “perfect” men, but God proved her wrong. Name something in your life that seemed totally wrong at the time but turned out to be perfectly right. Do you think this was God-sent? Why or why not?

6. Rhett cut off his feelings as a way to handle his guilt and grief. Timber Joe lived in a world of make-believe so he wouldn’t have to face his. Scooter’s father turned to alcohol. What are some of the other ways that a person might try to ignore or mask feelings of guilt or grief? How did Jenny, Brenda, and Mary Lou cope with their feelings?

7. Rhett sometimes questioned God’s will but never His existence. Was there ever a time when you questioned God’s will? Did this have a positive or negative influence on your faith?

8. Rhett recognized himself in Scooter’s father, and he didn’t much like what he saw. Have you ever seen yourself in others? What was your first reaction? Did it affect your behavior?

9. Reverend Wells said God sometimes brought couples together for His own purposes. He called this a God-match. Name a relationship of yours that was a God-match. Do you think it’s possible that a negative relationship (such as Jenny’s relationship with Mr. Blackman) can be a God-match? Why or why not?

10. Jenny’s ne’er-do-well father provided an unstable home for his family. How do you think this influenced Jenny’s search for suitors?

11. Jenny filled every moment with busywork. There was simply no room in her life for God. Do you think modern technology has made spending time with God more difficult? Why or why not?

12. Ma, the owner of the boardinghouse where Rhett lived, said there was a difference between guilt and godly sorrow. What do you think that difference is?

13. Reverend Wells told Brenda her job was not to please Jenny but to please God. Did you ever do something you didn’t want to do to please your family? Boss? Friends?

Acknowledgments

Every gift and kindness requires a thank-you note written from
the heart on the finest stationery. Banknotes should be mentioned only
as “your generosity.” Other gifts, no matter how frivolous or
nonessential, should be mentioned by name.

–M
ISS
A
BIGAIL
J
ENKINS,
1875

F
irst, I would like to thank my readers for the kind letters and emails regarding the first book in my Rocky Creek series,
A Lady Like Sarah
. Just so you know, I printed your e-mails out on the finest stationery.

Now as always I wish to thank my fabulous agent, Natasha Kern, for her wisdom, knowledge, kindness and faith.

Words can’t express my gratitude to the entire Thomas Nelson family and their support of me and my work. Andrea, Becky, Ami, Jennifer, Katie, Amanda, and all the rest—what a great group! Jeane Wynn and Jennifer Stair too. Enough good things can’t be said about my editor, Natalie Hanemann, who always knows how to make a story stronger, and makes work seem like fun.

Not a moment goes by that I don’t thank God for the rather odd circumstances that brought my best friend, teacher, and adopted “sister” Lee Duran into my life. Also, special thanks to the talented Popfiction group who rallied behind me all the way.

Love and appreciation to my husband, George. Thank you for patiently putting up with a wife who spends most of her waking hours communicating with people who don’t exist outside the pages of her book.

Last but not least, I would like to thank the neighborhood cat for the nonessential
delicacy
left on my porch.

In closing I want you to know that any banknotes—I mean generosity—you wish to bestow on me in the future will be greatly appreciated.

Blessings,
Margaret