The Homecoming

by Robyn Carr

  The Davis family, allegedly headed by an abuser, was not so lucky. There were no charges and no probation of any kind. Mrs. Davis was encouraged to phone for help if she needed assistance, but that was all anyone could do. Right before Christmas, the house was vacated and listed for sale. As Seth well knew, getting people in situations like this to reach out was difficult. Brett’s advantage had been a judge.

  All was peaceful once again. Families were ready to celebrate Christmas in their individual ways. Carrie James did all the cooking at the McCain household for the usual large crowd. Rawley spent part of his day there and the later part with Cooper and Sarah, Spencer and Devon and all the kids—two families bonded by the children they shared. Lucky’s, the gas station, was open but for a shorter day because Al Michel, his three foster boys, his girlfriend, Ray Anne, Lucky’s owner, Eric, and his fiancée, Laine, were all at the McCains’ for Christmas Eve and at Ray Anne’s small house for Christmas day. Al cooked a magnificent meal. Peyton Lacoumette, Dr. Scott Grant and Scott’s kids were up north—he’d invited the two grandmothers to join them with about a million other people at the Lacoumette family farm. It was so crowded they had to sleep in shifts, but there were many contributors to the planning of a spring wedding.

  For Seth and Iris, the events of the previous week were transforming. It was their town that had the traumatic experience, even though it had all played out fine. Seth had always thought of himself as just a working man and Iris admitted she thought of her life as pretty ordinary, even if the implications of her work with kids could have a huge impact. Now they were changed.

  On Christmas morning, while they were still in bed, he nuzzled her awake and gave her a small box to open.

  “Well, I never expected this,” she said, ripping into it. “I thought we decided we’d be each other’s presents this year.”

  “Just a detail that really couldn’t be ignored,” he said.

  Inside was a diamond ring and band, a beautiful platinum-and-diamond wedding set. “Oh, my God, how could you pick something this perfect without even asking me what I like?” she asked.

  “I don’t really know how,” he said. “Everything about you seems completely right and easy to me.”

  “We’ve come a long way, then,” she said. She handed him the box. “Put it on me? Say the words again?”

  He slid the engagement ring on her finger. “Please, Iris, be my forever wife. Let me be your forever husband.”

  “Okay,” she said. “If you’re sure.”

  “I’m going to be in love with you until I die. I think at least ninety years. And then some.”

  “Are you ready for today?”

  “Oh, yeah. And I want you to know, it’s hard to get Christmas off when you’re the new guy.”

  “You probably had to have a really good excuse, huh?”

  “I had to scramble, that’s for sure.”

  They had decided that Friday night, after the school emergency, they didn’t want to go forward separately. They couldn’t wait any longer.

  Grace was in charge of flowers, not only for the house but for Iris and Grace to hold. She put together some fantastic arrangements that showcased the red-and-green of Christmas along with wedding-white flowers. Carrie provided a small but elegant cake. Seth had an acquaintance, a semi-retired judge who had lost his wife a couple of years back and who was alone for Christmas. He’d eagerly accepted the invitation. Seth’s parents approved and agreed to hold Christmas dinner a little later than usual, although Norm was concerned. “How late, exactly?” Now gallbladderless, he had quite the appetite. Seth’s two brothers and Boomer’s family would come to Thunder Point. Pulling everything together was actually quite easy.

  So, that Christmas morning, they showered and dressed for an important day. Iris’s house was in perfect order when Grace arrived with the flowers. The women got ready together while Seth drove to Coquille to pick up Joe Falsbrook, a seventy-five-year-old circuit court judge who didn’t drive in sloppy weather. Gwen’s dining room was set up to serve Christmas dinner to a large group while Iris’s house was decorated for the ceremony. At exactly two o’clock, everyone was assembled in Iris’s living room. Everyone except the best man.

  “What do we do?” Norm asked. “Just stand here?”

  “We wait,” Seth said.

  “I could go get some snacks,” Gwen said.

  “I’ll open the champagne,” Boomer said. “Ain’t like it’s bad luck or anything....”

  The champagne was barely poured when there was the toot of a horn. “A little help, Boomer?” Seth said.

  Together they lifted Oscar, chair and all, into the house. Oscar made his presence felt immediately. “You better not’a done this without me!” There would be plenty of lifting today since the houses were not equipped with ramps. Introductions were quickly made, Iris hugged Flora and kissed Oscar’s cheek. Then Seth and Iris put down their champagne flutes and stood in front of Judge Falsbrook, holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes. Oscar was on Seth’s right, Grace beside Iris.

  “It took me a long time to find my way home to you, Iris.”

  “You took your time,” she said. “I was right here.”

  “I love you, honey. I’d be so lost without you.”

  “You won’t be without me again,” she said. “This time, if you start to wander off, I’m going to put my foot down.”

  “I’m home for good,” he said.

  The judge cleared his throat. “We just about ready here?” he asked.

  Iris and Seth had nearly forgotten about him. They both laughed and nodded.

  “We’re gathered here today to unite this man and woman in marriage....”

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE PROMISE by Robyn Carr.

  Share the joys, heartbreaks, challenges and triumphs of the people who inhabit the small Oregon town of Thunder Point with #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr.

  If you loved The Homecoming, be sure to check out these other great titles in the charming and unforgettable Thunder Point series by Robyn Carr: The Wanderer, The Newcomer, The Hero, The Chance and The Promise, available in ebook format!

  Order your copies today!

  Be sure to also catch the Virgin River series—available now!

  Virgin River

  Shelter Mountain

  Whispering Rock

  A Virgin River Christmas

  Second Chance Pass

  Temptation Ridge

  Paradise Valley

  Under the Christmas Tree (novella)

  Forbidden Falls

  Angel’s Peak

  Moonlight Road

  Midnight Confessions (novella)

  Promise Canyon

  Wild Man Creek

  Harvest Moon

  Bring Me Home for Christmas

  Hidden Summit

  Redwood Bend

  Sunrise Point

  My Kind of Christmas

  Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

  Other ways to keep in touch:

  Harlequin.com/newsletters

  Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  HarlequinBlog.com

  From #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr comes the story of four women determined to find their stride.

  If you loved The Homecoming, don’t miss Four Friends by acclaimed author Robyn Carr. This honest look at marriage examines the challenges, heartaches and sacrifices along with the joy in discovering what it means to be a wife, mother, friend, lover and—most important—your true self.

  Order your ebook today!

  Be sure to also catch the first 6 titles in Robyn’s #1 New York Times bestselling Thunder Point series avai
lable now:

  The Wanderer

  The Newcomer

  The Hero

  The Chance

  The Promise

  The Homecoming (September 2014)

  Robyn Carr’s emotional Virgin River series is also available in ebook format.

  Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

  Other ways to keep in touch:

  Harlequin.com/newsletters

  Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  HarlequinBlog.com

  One

  Peyton Lacoumette drove slowly down the main street of Thunder Point, past all the small businesses, including the medical clinic. She drove all the way to the far end of the point where she was stopped by the ornate gates to what could only be a mansion. She could barely make out the structure behind overgrown hedges and untrimmed trees. She got out of the car to peer through the bars, but couldn’t see much. If she had been with a couple of her brothers they might have wanted to scale the wall for a closer look, but that wouldn’t do in a sundress and sandals.

  She turned the car around and went back through the town. It looked pretty well-lived-in, but it was clean, and it was obvious from the small groups of people who had stopped to chat here and there that people were neighborly. A lot of them paused to stare at her car. It was a shiny new black Lexus and had been ridiculously expensive.

  People stopping to talk happened a little less often in cities like Portland and San Francisco and hardly ever in New York City, though she’d liked living in those cities. In Bayonne, France, it was more common, almost required that you were never in a hurry. This place appealed to her immediately, probably because it was similar to the town closest to her family’s farm. Or Bayonne, for that matter. Peyton saw a woman putting buckets of long-stemmed colorful flowers in front of her shop; a man was sweeping the sidewalk in front of his store; two dogs were leashed to a lamppost at the diner’s door—a spotted Great Dane and a Yorkie, sharing a pan of water. The main street appeared well scrubbed and friendly.

  She parked in front of the clinic and went inside. It was noon; there were no patients waiting, and the young woman behind the counter stood up to greet her with a smile. “Hi. How can I help you today?”

  “I was just passing through, wondering where the best access to the beach was?”

  “Probably the marina. Or, Cooper has a beach bar on the far side of the beach, up on the hillside. There’s a road to his place from Highway 101, and he has stairs down to the beach and tables on his deck. Cooper’s place is the best spot in town to watch the sunset. When the sun sinks behind those big rocks in the bay, it’s really beautiful. I think he gets the best part of his business from people who stop by there for something to drink or eat when they’re out walking on the beach or waiting for the sunset.”

  “I saw the beach access from the road, but I didn’t stop. There’s some building going on out there....”

  “That’s Cooper’s, too. He’s building a house, and next door we’re building one, too. Me and my fiancé.”

  “Oh, congratulations,” Peyton said. “On the engagement, not the building.”

  The young woman laughed. “You can congratulate me on that, too. I didn’t think I’d ever live in an oceanfront house.”

  Peyton looked around the small office. “People must be feeling pretty healthy around here today.”

  “This is an unusually quiet day.”

  “Are you the doctor or nurse?”

  “Just the office manager. Dr. Grant stepped out, since there weren’t any patients. Do you need to see the doctor?”

  “No,” Peyton said with a laugh. “It just seemed like a good place to ask about the town.”

  “I’m Devon McAllister.” She extended a hand across the counter.

  “Peyton Lacoumette, nice to meet you,” she said. “I grew up on a farm up north, not too far from Portland in the Mount Hood area. I didn’t even know this town existed.”

  “We’re a little off the beaten track, and everyone seems to like it that way. There are only two ways into town—across the beach from Cooper’s place or a winding road north of here from 101. That’s probably how you found us—there’s an exit sign. Folks around here keep threatening to take down the sign,” she added with a laugh. “They won’t, but some tend to like the hidden quality.”

  “What do most people do around here?” Peyton asked.

  “Lots of fishermen, obviously. Then there are small business owners and people who work in those businesses, like me. My fiancé is the athletic director at the high school. A lot of the local population works out of town—Bandon, Coquille, North Bend.”

  “I drove out to the point and saw a big house or building out there. Huge.”

  “It’s a vacant house. The stuff of legends around here—the old Morrison place. It’s before my time here, but I guess the family was rich once, went bust, declared bankruptcy, and the son killed someone and went to prison. He was just a teenager. The only murder this town has ever seen, I’m told.”

  “Why doesn’t someone do something with that place?” Peyton asked.

  “I guess because it’s so big—no one can afford to live in it.”

  “What’s big?”

  Devon shrugged. “Country Club big. Huge rooms, a lot of bedrooms and bathrooms, a restaurant-size kitchen, thousands of square feet on hundreds of acres right on the point. The only other building out there is the lighthouse, because that point and its twin across the bay are very rocky.”

  “Hmm. Sounds like a clever person could turn it into a library or boarding school or nursing home. It would be fun to see the inside,” she said.

  “It would. I never thought about it, but a lot of people in town have been inside that house.”

  “Have you lived here your whole life?” Peyton asked.

  “Oh, God, no!” Devon laughed. “Only a year. I’m originally from Seattle—a city girl, really. But there’s something about this town.... I like the people, but more than that, it’s the feeling of the town in general. It’s safe, like it hugs you. Maybe because you have to come here on purpose, it’s not something you’d see from the highway and it’s not a thoroughfare. I’ve never lived in a little town before. And then I met my fiancé and found this job, and here I am,” she said, and smiled prettily.

  “But who runs the office? Is there just the one doctor?”

  “Just me and Dr. Grant at the moment, but he’s been looking for an associate or nurse practitioner. He doesn’t want a big practice, but more than one person capable of writing scripts or putting in stitches would help a lot. It’s becoming a busy clinic. He’s hoping to expand—we have that many patients. This town could use a twenty-four-hour urgent care, but that takes much more room and staff. He says that’s something for down the road.”

  “And you like it?”

  “I love it. I love Dr. Grant.”

  Peyton raised a brow and smiled. “Does the athletic director mind that you love your boss?”

  Devon laughed. “Spencer loves Dr. Grant, too! This town and my job—it’s perfect for us. Spencer has an eleven-year-old son, Austin. And I have a four-year-old daughter, Mercy.”

  “Do you like your soon-to-be stepson?” Peyton asked.

  “He’s a dream come true,” Devon said. “Mercy worships him, and he’s very good to her.”

  “Very lucky for you,” Peyton said. “Those thin
gs can be dicey—blending families like that.”

  “We’re very lucky, that’s true.”

  “What if you don’t find an associate?” Peyton asked.

  “We’ll manage,” Devon said. “We make it work somehow. It’s just that...well, Dr. Grant spends a lot of time helping out at other hospitals, sitting on call almost every weekend, and that’s inconvenient for him. He’s a very devoted family man and needs more time with his family.”

  “Devoted family man?” Peyton asked.

  “Absolutely. Plus he volunteers with Spencer as the game doctor for the football team. This town doesn’t have a lot of money, and football is very important to Thunder Point. School programs and sports are the main entertainment here, and most of the student athletes are working hard for scholarships. Spencer’s last school—a big, rich Texas high school—had a certified trainer and sports medicine physical therapist. We don’t have resources like that here in this little town, so it’s important to recruit volunteers like Dr. Grant. I wish you could meet him.”

  “Devon, would you excuse me for a second? I just have to get something....”

  “Sure,” Devon said. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  “No, thanks,” she said, smiling over her shoulder as she walked out to her car. She came back in with a cloth briefcase. She opened it on the counter in front of Devon and pulled out a thin newspaper. “I was renting a cottage in Coos Bay for a short vacation. I happened to see this ad but didn’t know anything about the town. So, I thought I’d check it out and maybe drop off a résumé.”

  Devon glanced at the résumé, and her mouth fell open just as her eyes became very round with surprise. “Physician’s assistant? From Portland?”