His Dry Creek Inheritance

by Janet Tronstad

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mark decided every bone in his body ached as he shifted himself once again in the chair. The sun was beginning to rise and he could see a golden rim along the skyline of Miles City. He’d already had five cups of coffee, but his mouth still felt like cotton. He’d checked on Rosie several times and she was sleeping soundly.

  He looked out the paned window of the clinic waiting room and smiled.

  “Good morning, Father,” he prayed. “I’m trusting you with Bailey today. And Rosie. And the baby. And me. Help us to be a family if that’s what you think is best.”

  Suddenly, being a family man didn’t seem impossible. What was that verse Mrs. Hargrove had told him last night? The one about doing all things through Christ who would strengthen him. That sounded pretty good to Mark. Sort of like having help to go through basic training.

  “Help Bailey to see we can do this,” he added to his prayer. He knew she might not be willing to take a chance on him, but he had plenty of time. He had already made an offer on Mr. Durham’s place right next to the Rosen Ranch. The old rancher was giving it some thought, but Mark was confident.

  He heard someone coming into the waiting room and looked up to see a very tired Mrs. Hargrove walking toward him.

  “How’s Bailey?” he asked, his heart racing. “Please, Father.”

  The older woman smiled. “The baby’s here and Bailey is fine. She wants to see you.”

  Mark stood up and started to race to the door before he realized. “Wait. What floor is she on?”

  Mrs. Hargrove smiled as she sat down and held up his cane. “You might want this, too.”

  He stepped back and grabbed the cane. He was doing better, but he would need it for any distance.

  “The third floor,” Mrs. Hargrove answered. “When you get off the elevator there will be a nurse’s station. Ask there and they’ll take you back.”

  “Thanks,” he called back as he hurried out the door.

  He was going to see Bailey; his head rang with the knowledge as he traveled as fast as he could. It wasn’t until he reached the elevator that it occurred to him that Bailey might not be ready for the new him or what he had to say about the two of them.

  “Lord,” he prayed. “Help me go slow.”

  Then the elevator doors opened on the third floor and he saw the nurse at the station look up with a smile on her face.

  “You’re Mark?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Second door on the left,” she said as she pointed down the hallway. “Keep it to a few minutes. She’ll be sleepy.”

  Before Mark could even nod, he was standing in front of Bailey’s doorway. The curtains were drawn, but some light was coming through. Bailey lay on a bed, looking up at him with a sweet smile on her face.

  “The baby came,” she whispered as she held out a hand.

  He stepped forward, took her hand and bent to kiss her on the forehead. “I heard.”

  “It’s a beautiful little girl,” Bailey offered.

  “I can’t wait to see her,” Mark smiled back as he squeezed Bailey’s hand gently. He had so many things he wanted to tell her, but he could see she was groggy.

  “I left word for them to let you see her in the nursery,” Bailey said, her eyes starting to close. “She looks just like Rosie did when she was born.”

  “Double the fun,” Mark said softly. “For all of us.”

  Her eyes closed even though her smile stayed in place.

  “I’ll come back later,” Mark whispered.

  “Good,” she said so quietly he had to strain to hear the word.

  Mark just sat there for a while, holding Bailey’s hand and feeling grateful. He had a new daughter for his heart. He was going to have to beg Bailey to marry him now. He didn’t know what he would do if she said no to his eventual proposal. But even he knew he needed to give Bailey a little time to adjust to her new baby before he asked her to marry him. He should probably give her a month, he decided. Thirty days was all. He could do that.

  * * *

  Seven days later, Bailey was lying in her bed waking from a nap when she received an engraved invitation to a formal dinner that evening in the kitchen. She smiled as she studied the vellum card that had been tied around the bouquet of red long-stem roses, delivered to her room by a grinning Rosie.

  “From Markie,” her daughter exclaimed before Bailey had a chance to check for a giver’s signature.

  “How lovely,” Bailey said. She couldn’t help but notice that her child’s hair was combed and she had a new shiny black bow in her hair. Between Mark and Mrs. Hargrove, her daughter was receiving plenty of attention these days. And Josh had finally been able to leave for Missoula to check on Emma. He hadn’t come back yet, but she assumed all was well there, too.

  The card went on to say that childcare services were being provided during the dinner hour and the requested attire was a warm robe and nightgown. Mark had probably been reading the book the doctor had given him before he brought her home from the clinic. Pregnant women, it no doubt said, sometimes suffered from depression. The dear man was intending to cheer her up even though she truly didn’t need it.

  Bailey sighed. That wasn’t totally true. She really should be depressed if she had any sense about her. She might need to leave the ranch before long if Emma’s child was a boy. She’d still have a half of the ranch and that should translate into some funds, but it might not be much. Mrs. Hargrove had already said she and the children could stay with her until Bailey had a plan, but she couldn’t impose for long.

  She didn’t want to face any of that. Not now. So she floated around the house happily caring for her baby and enjoying Mark’s comments as he learned to love their Lord. She strictly refused to look into the future and wonder what she would do without Mark, even though she was more worried about losing him than losing the ranch. He’d said he wasn’t going back to the military, but that’s all she knew. He cared about her and her daughters; she knew that. But he always said he wasn’t a family man and not many men wanted a ready-made family anyway.

  She closed her eyes. She supposed she’d have to start worrying about what to do—but not tonight. Tonight she was going to dine in her kitchen with the handsome man who held her heart. She wondered vaguely if there would be music.

  She tended to her baby and, a few hours later, she woke from another quick nap to the soft sounds of violin music and the smell of something good cooking. She knew she didn’t need to worry about doing more than gathering her best velvet robe around her, but she did have to comb her hair and maybe put on some makeup.

  Mark was waiting in his black suit when she stepped into the kitchen.

  “Oh,” she said as she looked around. Everything was transformed.

  The table sat in the center of the room like normal, but it was draped with a white linen cloth. All of the lights were turned off and only darkness shone outside the frosted windows. Instead candlelight made a cozy circle around the table. Tall ivory tapers stood upright in a magnificent silver candelabrum that she didn’t recognize. Fine gold-rimmed ivory dinner plates and silverware were set on the table. Linen napkins and crystal goblets completed the table.

  “Where’d you find it all?” she asked in astonishment.

  “Mrs. Hargrove lent us the things for the table,” Mark said.

  Then Bailey looked up. White paper pictures of crayon-colored flowers were taped to the cabinets and the appliances all around.

  “It’s a garden,” she said in delight. Reds and pinks and yellows were all over with lush green leaves filling in all the space.

  “Rosie’s contribution,” Mark said with a smile. “She’ll need a new box of crayons.”

  “That’s what she’s been doing.” Bailey knew Rosie was keeping quiet so the baby could sleep, but she had no idea the girl was working so hard.


  The timer on the oven sounded and Mark turned back to it.

  “The beef Wellington needs to sit,” Mark informed her as he slid the roasted beef puff out of the oven. “Special from the café along with some grilled asparagus and twice-baked potatoes.”

  “I can’t believe all this,” Bailey said as she twirled. “What’s the special occasion?”

  Mark seemed to stop briefly. His back was to her though so she didn’t know what it meant.

  “Oh, I forgot,” he said and opened a cabinet to pull out the big red Valentine box he’d been looking at when they were at the café. It must not have been something Josh was buying after all.

  Mark held the heart-shaped box out to her and now that she saw the front of it she saw it had a bright green ribbon wrapped around it with a big matching green bow on top.

  “Happy belated Valentine’s Day,” he said.

  “Is this to make my heart go?” she asked softly remembering the first Valentine he’d ever given her and how green that one had been. “That’s so sweet.”

  Her heart melted and then she looked up and saw his face. Everything inside her turned to ice. This was not a nice casual dinner. “What’s going on?”

  “Let’s eat first,” Mark finally said. “Then we can talk.”

  Bailey couldn’t speak. That sounded like a serious conversation and she was filled with dismay. Mark wouldn’t do something like this unless he was planning to leave. He’d want to show her how much he cared and then he’d tell her he was going to say goodbye. They’d be friends forever, he’d say, but he’d be gone anyway. She only hoped he wasn’t going to leave tonight.

  “The roads still aren’t that good,” she finally managed to say.

  “The pickup gets around okay,” Mark answered as he rolled a cart over and put several covered dishes on the table.

  “Madam,” Mark said as he pulled out a chair for her. She found it strangely comforting that the same patched vinyl showed on the old dining chair he offered. Not everything had been improved.

  Bailey sat down. Mark had gone to a lot of work and she had to get through this dinner somehow. He changed the CD in the player before he sat down to the table with her. Everything was ready to eat.

  “It smells good,” Bailey managed to say.

  The food was delicious and she felt like crying. She’d been living in a bubble since she’d come back from the clinic. It felt like all her dreams as a child had come true—it felt like she had a true family. The only problem was that it wasn’t so.

  “You went to a lot of effort,” Bailey said, determined to not spoil all of Mark’s hard work. It wasn’t his fault she’d let her dreams get away from her. She almost hoped that the baby would start to cry and give her an excuse to leave the table.

  “I wanted to tell you,” Mark started and then stopped. “I should clear the dishes first. Give me a minute.”

  She didn’t think it took him more than thirty seconds and he was back sitting at the table.

  “I wanted to tell you,” he started again.

  Bailey wanted to close her eyes. “I understand.”

  “You do?” Mark said, obviously surprised.

  Bailey nodded. “You have a life of your own to live and the world is your oyster and...”

  “I don’t understand,” Mark said, frowning now. “I do have a life, but I’m trying to say I want to share it with you and your girls.”

  “What?” Bailey was shocked.

  Mark didn’t answer. He seemed to have a script planned and he kept going, “Yes, I want to share my life with you and your girls. I don’t want to rush you and I know this seems soon even though we’ve known each other for years and years. You don’t have to say yes or no tonight, but I want you to consider marrying me. I’m in the process of buying Mr. Durham’s place. We just have a few details to work out. I’d like you and the girls to move in there even if you don’t know if you want to marry me or not yet. You don’t know yet, do you?”

  Mark looked like he needed to take a breath. Bailey knew she needed one, too.

  “Yes,” she said when she could speak.

  “Yes, you know if you want to marry me?” Mark asked tentatively.

  “No,” she said and saw him flinch. “I mean yes I know and yes it’s yes.”

  Mark looked stunned. “Yes?”

  “Yes, yes, yes,” Bailey said until she saw him start to smile.

  And then from the doorway, she saw a movement.

  “She said yes,” Rosie screamed to the whole house.

  That seemed to galvanize Mark and he stood up and walked around to where she sat. He held out his hand and she stood up. Then he leaned over and kissed her. Bailey put everything in her heart into that kiss and she got back waves of love in return. She and Mark were family, tied together by bonds of a lifetime.

  Then she heard the rapid tapping of little feet and she felt her daughter’s arm grab her around one leg. She looked down and saw Rosie had her other arm wrapped around Mark’s leg.

  The beaming face of Rosie looked up. “Is Markie my daddy now?”

  “Soon,” Bailey said as Mark bent down and carefully lifted the girl up into his arms.

  Rosie sighed as she laid her head against Mark’s chest. Bailey had never seen her daughter so content.

  “Thank you,” Bailey whispered to Mark. Then she stretched up as tall as she could, and he leaned down some, until finally their lips met again. This kiss held the passion of the moment and the promise of a sweet future together. They were a family now.

  * * *

  If you liked this story,

  pick up these other heartwarming books

  from Janet Tronstad:

  Easter in Dry Creek

  Dry Creek Daddy

  Available now from Love Inspired!

  Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A Home for Her Baby by Gabrielle Meyer.

  Dear Reader,

  I am pleased you picked up His Dry Creek Inheritance to read. I have long wanted to write a Valentine story and am delighted I was able to do so. Bailey and Mark, my heroine and hero, are my favorite kind of couple since they started out as childhood friends.

  When you finish this book, you will rightfully suspect that a sequel is coming soon. I have already started the story of Josh and Emma and I can’t wait for their happy ending. It will be a few months, so keep looking!

  I love to hear from my readers and encourage you to send me a message at www.janettronstad.com or stop by my Facebook page (also Janet Tronstad).

  Lastly, I hope you have a special Valentine’s Day. I always celebrate all kinds of love—friendship, romance, and the love we share in our Lord.

  Sincerely yours,

  Janet Tronstad

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  A Home for Her Baby

  by Gabrielle Meyer

  Chapter One

  Max Evans stepped out of his Lexus and stared up at the large Warren House Bed & Breakfast. When he left Timber Falls ten years ago, he never imagined he’d be back. The truth was, he had hoped he wouldn’t have to return. At least, not this soon. Coming back meant he’d failed, and failure was not an option. At least not for an Evans man. But Max didn’t like who he’d become, and it was easy to pinpoint when it all started to go wrong. Maybe, by coming back to where he took a wrong turn, he could backtrack and make a better choice this time.

  As long as he didn’t choose to run again. Sometimes, it was easier to walk away than face failure.

  The day was hot for the beginnin
g of September and he had been driving for two days from Buffalo, New York. All he wanted was a shower and a place to crash inside the air-conditioned house—though he wasn’t sure it would be quite so easy. There were still a lot of details he needed to oversee before he could sleep.

  He went to the back of his Lexus and took out his large suitcase. He’d leave the rest inside the trunk and deal with it later.

  “Max Evans?” a boy asked from a neighboring yard. He and his friends were tossing a football, but all of them stopped to stare at Max.

  “Whoa!” said another. “You are Max Evans!”

  Max smiled, but didn’t encourage the boys to come over to say hi. He’d have to get used to the attention being back in his hometown, but right now, he needed some rest.

  “Is it true you quit?” asked a third boy. “If I was in the NFL, I wouldn’t quit.”

  Max didn’t want to engage them, but he couldn’t ignore them, either. “I retired,” he said.

  After playing in the NFL for six years, he’d been traded four times and suffered two serious injuries. The last one had been a concussion, shortly followed by talk of another trade. Max decided to retire before he was dropped, or before he had another injury.

  “Are you staying there?” asked the first boy, pointing at the bed-and-breakfast.

  Max glanced up at the massive house again and let the truth sink in. “I own this place.”

  “You’re my neighbor?” asked the second boy. “Whoa!” he said again. “I’m gonna tell my mom.” The boys took off toward the house, calling out to the boy’s mom as they ran.

  Max wondered if he knew who she was. Would she be happy to know Max was next door? Or would she forbid her son from talking to him? He didn’t usually care what the public thought about him, but it was different in Timber Falls, Minnesota. Here, his friends and neighbors were more like family. And he’d always cared what his family thought about him. It had almost destroyed him when he messed up and disappointed his dad—and the whole town—ten years ago the night before the championship game. If he could go back, he would have said no to the college party, the alcohol and especially the girl.