No Place Like Home

by Lisa Prysock

  Looking for souvenirs for their three girls, and Christmas gifts for grandmothers and Aunt Meredith, they’d found a village shop selling beautiful replicas of the ring in gold, but without the gems, making them very affordable gifts for family back home in Wyoming. Now they only had to find something for the boys, Logan’s father, Jack, and Logan.

  “Look honey!” Jill whispered excitedly, stopping on the trail in front of them and pointing at a wild Connemara mare with her foal, drinking from a creek about twenty yards ahead.

  The ponies were a shade of creamy white with tufts of white hair at their ankles and manes. The foal stayed close to the mother, and Jill couldn’t help but think today might be the day she finally could really have a heartfelt talk with her husband. After they’d taken a few photos and observed the beautiful horses together, she and Logan plodded along peacefully together.

  Enjoying the sunshine and bright blue skies above the trail, she looked up to drink in the warmth on her face. “It really is beautiful up here in the mountains. I like the wild heather and rhododendrons, the Connemara ponies, that wild ram we saw who stared us down and made me laugh, and the outlook from up here. It seems the further up these mountains we go, the more panoramic the view. Now that we’re near the top of this mountain, we can see Achill Island. One of those park rangers said on a cloudy day it’s hidden, but today is so clear. Isn’t it gorgeous?”

  “Breathtaking,” Logan agreed, pausing to take in the sight before them.

  “What’s your favorite place we’ve seen so far?” she asked, taking another photo to share with the kids when they returned home. She couldn’t help but wonder how the children were doing, but thankfully her mom had called last night to give her the latest news and let them know they were doing well. Savannah had lost another tooth. Sadie had texted Logan that morning to report Grace Ann and Micah were also doing well.

  “I’m torn between the Cliffs of Moher and Cormac’s Chapel. I really enjoyed seeing the frescoes they’ve discovered there.” He paused to snap some photos of the mountains in the distance from where they stood. He’d quickly mastered holding the cane under his arm when he paused to snap photos. “I also enjoyed the half day we spent at Killarney National Park and half day at Ross Castle. I liked the Bunratty Castle Banquet with all of the traditional Irish music and dancers, plus touring the village there. I’ve especially enjoyed all of the food, too.” He laughed and rubbed his belly, causing her to laugh with him.

  In addition to coffee and tea, the banquet at Bunratty Castle had included Irish Oak smoked salmon and traditional Irish soda bread, followed by leek and potato soup, then chicken with mushroom cream sauce, seasonal vegetables with potatoes, and for dessert, apple pie with cream.

  “Tonight’s our last evening at the cottage. Tomorrow we go to see the Fanad Head Lighthouse in County Donegal. It has 79 steps and rises 120 feet above sea level. I’m hoping the steps won’t bother your hip. We don’t have to actually go up all of them, and actually, I’m not sure if they’ll let us. I think it depends on the weather.”

  “You know, I was reading up about the lighthouse. The itinerary the travel agent gave us said it’s frequently visited by whales, dolphins, and porpoises. I also read it was built in 1818 to guide ships to shore between Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay. I gather it’s a rugged coastline. I’m really hoping we see a whale or a dolphin.”

  “That would be really awesome!” Jill stopped to rest beneath a shady tree and sat down on a rock, patting the space beside her. “We’ll be staying at Tara- House in Londonderry on the north central east coast tomorrow night. Londonderry is the county beside Donegal.”

  Logan joined her and lifted the binoculars hanging at his broad chest up to his eyes. “Wow! Check this out, honey.”

  He held the binoculars up to her eyes, putting his other arm around her shoulders. “I’m excited about seeing the northern part of Ireland. Look how beautiful these mountains are. The western side has certainly been something I’ll never forget.”

  “Wow, what a view!” She looked around at the peaks, the trees, and the wild flowers growing all around them as she recovered her breathing from the long, refreshing hike.

  When he put the binoculars away, she figured it was finally the perfect time. She reached in her backpack and pulled out rye bread sandwiches with honey-glazed corned beef and handed him one. She also handed him a piece of Irish apple cake and a bottle of spring water.

  “A girl after my own heart,” he said. “Thanks honey. I was getting really hungry after all that hiking. These look great!” They unwrapped their sandwiches, bowed their heads, and he prayed for their impromptu lunch, thanking God for allowing them this once-in-a-lifetime trip to Ireland.

  A few minutes later, she plunged forward. “Logan, I think this is the perfect time and place to tell you what I’ve been waiting to tell you.” She reached for his free hand.

  “Hmm.” He nodded, completely relaxed. He took another bite of his sandwich and gazed out at the view, obviously enjoying their trek up into the mountains, enthralled with the natural beauty all around them. When he’d finished chewing the bite, he added, “What’d you want to tell me, sweetheart?”

  “Well, uh, um, I mean, uh, I know it’s kind of crowded and busy back home, but, well, uh, h-how would you feel if I told you we’re going to have a baby?” She bit her bottom lip, waiting for his reaction.

  His mouth dropped open as he continued to stare at the panorama before them. “A baby?” He turned to look at her, the happiest smile she’d ever seen spreading across his face. “Did you say we’re going to have a baby?”

  Jill nodded, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

  “Yes, sometime in December.”

  Logan dropped his sandwich back into the wrap and jumped up, forgetting all about the cane. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he hollered, “We’re having a baby for Christmas!”

  The sentence came back to them in a joyous echo which made them both laugh as he pulled Jill to her feet and twirled her around, singing, “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.”

  Chapter 6

  "Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."

  —Winston Churchill

  “GOOD AFTERNOON TO ALL! Thank you for coming to our first ever ‘Sweetwater Cowboy Pageant Tea and Luncheon.’ We welcome each of you and hope you’ll have a moment to mingle with the cowboys and the ranch and pageant staff today. Contestants, we hope you’ve enjoyed the other meetings we’ve had and are settling into your cabins and enjoying the ranch as you are able and as our pageant calendar of activities allows.” Miss Marla Tremont, the Assistant to the Pageant Director stood behind a podium in the library of the main barn house to address the contestants, ranch staff, and other pageant-related folks gathered for the event.

  The wranglers who were present looked uncomfortable and almost out of place, but they’d each remembered to remove their cowboy hats when they’d entered the room together, looking like something out of an old television western. They had the attention of the contestants, even though Miss Tremont was doing her best to keep things moving along.

  Efficient and organized but somewhat nervous, the Assistant Pageant Director wore a long strand of pearls over a lavender dress and large eye-glasses trimmed in brown. As she talked, she twisted the length of pearls in two of her fingers. Her shoulder-length blond wavy hair seemed glued perfectly in place. She said a prayer over the luncheon and then several waiters spread out to serve Caesar salads to guests with a variety of choices for salad dressings while Marla turned a page in her notes.

  Linen-covered round tables had been set up for the luncheon with light-blue hydrangeas and lilacs in shades of pale violet arranged in mason jars tied with yellow ribbons. Paper butterflies in attractive shades of green, to represent Wyoming’s state butterfly—Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak Butterfly—adorned the name place cards. Tory found herself seated with several other contestants at the same table with Bronson, but as the table was l
arge and he was directly across from her, they didn’t have much opportunity to speak. However, he seemed to level a steady, warm gaze in her direction which made her blush and look away frequently, only to find him smiling at her whenever she glanced at him.

  For some reason, his gaze set butterflies to stir in the pit of her stomach. His tender stares made her so nervous she had to ask the waiter for a new teacup and saucer after pouring nearly a third of the sugar from the dispenser into her tea.

  Two of her seven cabin roomies, Melanie and Kylie, seated at her table, eyed the teacup with some degree of alarm and then tossed her funny looks until the waiter returned with a new cup. Bronson looked busy adding buttermilk ranch dressing and extra pepper to his salad, so maybe she could breathe easy and stop being klutzy.

  Thankfully, Marla’s voice continued, preventing Arianna and Jasmine from noticing and remarking on her sugar mishap. “Now, I’d like to introduce you to our Pageant Director, Mrs. Ava Taylor, who was our very own Miss Lander some years ago.”

  Miss Tremont handed the seasoned Mrs. Taylor the microphone while guests clapped. Dressed in a navy blue skirt and jacket with a white blouse and navy pumps, the dark-haired, polished, fifty-something director took her turn at the podium.

  Carafes of hot water supplemented several china teapots placed on each table. Tory reached for a teapot, her hands trembling. She carefully poured more tea into her new cup and added exactly two teaspoons of sugar this time, as Mrs. Taylor began introducing various people who stood at their seats when she mentioned their names.

  First she introduced the cowboys, and the girls clapped vigorously for the handsome wranglers. Twenty-four girls had entered the contest and together, they were a lively bunch who could make a commotion of clapping, whispers, laughter, and even a few whistles. First she introduced Buck Maxheimer, the cowboy manager, then McGuire Halston, Bronson Edwards next, and finally, Jed Dalton. Obviously, the entrants were quite taken with the cowboys. What wasn’t there to like about them?

  When they were seated, she introduced The Sweetwater Ranch cooks, Mrs. Wright and her husband, Corky. Just for the fun of it, the girls were on a roll with the clapping. They continued clapping, whistling, and laughing at themselves for their sudden bursts of enthusiasm. Tory had to admit, the enthusiasm was catching and fun. Mrs. Ava Taylor didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she seemed pleased by their excitement.

  Next, Ava introduced a fellow by the name of Joey Trenway, a mechanic who handled all things related to the air strip, incoming and outgoing airplanes, and the hanger. There was plenty of whistling and clapping for Joey, only the cowboys were also making some woot-woot hollering and hamming it up by this point, which made Mr. Trenway laugh as he stood briefly and then sat back down as quickly as possible.

  Then she introduced a few of the cleaning and extra kitchen staff for the ranch, followed by slightly longer introductions for the five judges. These were various folks from the Mayor’s office, the Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA Membership Director, someone from City Council and Planning, and a lady from the fashion industry, Katie Andrews. Katie, relatively new to Wyoming from D.C., was engaged to McGuire Halston, who’d traded places with someone to be seated with his fiancée.

  Katie offered a sweet smile and stood up briefly, looking a picture of heaven. She wore a gorgeous knee-length creation in peach linen with an overlay of sheer peach, embroidered, organza lace and a peach hat, trimmed in the same with plenty of peach netting. Tory suspected the amazing ensemble was one of Katie’s own creations. McGuire had a look on his face which said he completely adored her. There was no mistaking the pure stream of love in their eyes for each other.

  Then Ava Taylor opened a letter from the owners of The Sweetwater, Logan and Jill Haven, while she explained they weren’t able to be present due to being away in Ireland on part of their extensive honeymoon journey. Ava began reading the letter out loud as waiters began serving plates filled with slices of buffalo chicken quiche and sides of linguini with Alfredo sauce, seasonal fruit, and cucumber sandwiches:

  Dear Wyoming Family,

  We hope you know how much we wish we could be there with you today. Welcome to the Sweetwater River Ranch Resort. Logan and I hope you will find yourself at home among the most beautiful horses and scenery beautiful Wyoming has to offer. We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen to host this year’s Miss Lander Beauty Pageant. After our Irish honeymoon trip, we’ll be home briefly to take our children on a summer vacation to explore the Oregon Trail. Then, we’ll return for the final weekend of the pageant and the rodeo at The Sweetwater. We hope you have a wonderful and memorable competition as you seek to earn this coveted position to represent Lander in the coming year. It is quite an honor to be a participant in the pageant and we wish each of you the very best and pray for a fair, fun contest. We hope you make new friends and make many wonderful, happy memories. If you need anything at all, I’m sure our most capable wranglers and staff will do anything they can to ensure your comfort and be helpful in making your stay with us pleasurable.

  With All of Our Love and Prayers,

  Logan and Jill Haven and Family

  Everyone clapped after she finished reading the heartfelt letter from Logan and Jill. Then Ava said a few words about the history of the pageant, mentioned she hoped the girls had a clear understanding of the rules from the previous meetings, and said she also hoped they were settled comfortably into their cabins. In closing, she instructed the guests to enjoy the luncheon and mingle for the remainder of their time together as they wouldn’t see the judges again until various rounds of elimination and the day of the final pageant selection process.

  “Would you pass the Tabasco sauce?” Bronson asked when Mrs. Taylor had finished her spiel.

  Arianna and Jasmine giggled in response to his request, tossing silly glances and flirty laughs in Bronson’s direction.

  “I don’t think I could do Tabasco Sauce this early in the day.” Arianna batted her eyelashes at Bronson, using her fork to toy playfully with the romaine lettuce leaves on her plate. Melanie, seated on Tory’s right, rolled her eyes and looked as though she was barely able to restrain herself from interjecting a response.

  Tory looked around on the table and realized the jar of spicy sauce was directly before her. She reached for it and passed it along to her left; keeping an eye out to make sure it reached Bronson since everyone was focused elsewhere at their table, distracted with chatting or observing something in the busy room.

  “I can’t eat it any time of day. Mother says my digestive system is far too delicate for Tabasco,” Jasmine said in a sickeningly sweet tone as she looked at the label and then decided reluctantly to pass the jar along to Arianna.

  Melanie looked at Kylie and Tory and rolled her eyes again as if to say, Can you believe this chick is flirting with Tory’s cowboy? Her cabin roomies both knew Bronson had enlisted Tory’s help on the Pioneer Days project, so they considered him her cowboy.

  Bronson grinned one of his handsome smiles as he accepted the little jar from Arianna and expounded good-naturedly on his use of the sauce. “I have it every morning with my eggs, and sometimes at lunch, and nearly every dinner meal on just about everything meat. It’s great on chicken, roast beef, ribs, steak, tacos, chili, you name it.” Then he looked up at Tory and winked at her, mouthing the words, “Thank you.”

  She smiled shyly and looked down at her jean dress and brown leather cowboy boots. Her tan cowboy hat hid her face from his view when she looked down, but had he been able to see her, he’d have seen the huge smile lighting up her big brown eyes. He’d noticed she’d been the one to locate the sauce and pass it along. For the first time in ages, she didn’t feel invisible to the most handsome cowboy in the room; not that she saw very many since graduating from college. Now, if she could only make it through several rounds of elimination.

  It was at this precise moment the good Lord allowed something to wander into the library and choose to rub a furry body and tail agains
t one of her boots and shin. Tory was so startled and taken off guard, she screamed and jumped while still in her seat. This caused her chair to fall over backwards with her in it.

  When the chair flipped backwards with a loud thud onto the carpeted floor, it caused Tory to tumble out of it and into a heap. She wasn’t sure what happened next as she started to see stars spinning around her head. She was only vaguely aware the chair was to her left and some creature to her right, but what?

  Chapter 7

  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1, KJV

  TARA-HOUSE WAS SUMPTUOUS in Jill’s opinion. Victorian splendor surrounded them in the charming Georgian country mansion in the county of Londonderry. From Londonderry, they could explore the towns of Derry to the north; Ballyshannon a little further west of County Donegal; Carrickfergus, Antrim, and Belfast in County Antrim, farther to the east; and Monaghan to the south.

  She was at once in love with the pretty rose-colored wallpaper and dark, cherry wood furniture in their suite, which included comfortable, but elegant sofas and chairs; a spacious, king-size bed with an elaborately carved headboard; and a romantic table for two. In addition, they had a private balcony with French doors leading outside. Jill was in heaven. She’d danced about the room putting away their things, leaving Logan to wonder how he’d get her to leave Ireland or their room.

  After visiting the lighthouse in the county of Donegal, they’d driven to the neighboring county and settled in for a few days in the northern part of Ireland. Jill woke up the following morning to a scrumptious, traditional Irish breakfast for two, and the steady rhythm of Logan’s comforting, soft, but manly snoring. While some women might be annoyed, she counted it for a blessing after waking up a widow for almost four years. It still made her smile and feel completely safe to hear him snoring away beside her.