A Brother's Promise

by Mindy Obenhaus

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  She hugged his neck so hard he could barely breathe. “Now I can move into Miss Christa’s house with you, and Dixie will be my dog, too.”

  He kissed her cheek. “She sure will.” Wrapping his free arm around Christa, he kissed her, too. “Thank you. For everything.”

  “Hey, it’s what we wives do.” She winked.

  Spotting the Sandersons midway across the square, he set Sadie on the ground. “Christa, watch Sadie for me.” He caught up with the Sandersons a few seconds later. Stepping in front of them, he said, “Since you had to drive all the way to Bliss, you’re welcome to stick around for a while.” He motioned for Christa to join them. “We’re about to head across the street for our wedding reception. Would you like to join us? You could spend some time with Sadie.”

  “We wouldn’t want to impose,” Chuck was quick to say.

  “You’re not imposing.” He reached for Christa’s hand as she approached. “You’re invited.”

  They looked at each other and for the first time, Mick saw what looked like a genuine smile from Belita as she watched Sadie.

  “What do say, Sadie? Would you like Grandpa and me to come to Mick and—” She glanced at Christa. “I’m sorry.”

  “Christa.”

  “That’s right,” Belita continued. “Would you like us to come to Mick and Christa’s party?”

  “Yes, please.” In true Sadie fashion, she took hold of her grandmother’s hand. “But we need to hurry before they eat all the cake.”

  “Oh, my.” Belita laughed. “We can’t let that happen.”

  While Chuck followed after them, Mick faced his wife. “I hope you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all. But we should go.” She started to walk away, but he drew her back.

  “Not so fast, Mrs. Ashford.” Pulling her to him, he cupped her cheek. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It may have taken us a long time to find each other, but there won’t be a day that goes by that I won’t thank God that we did.”

  She stared into his eyes, her fingers combing the hair at the back of his neck. “Thank you for not giving up on me. For giving me the courage to love again.”

  Mick kissed his wife, feeling more alive than he had in a long time. He had a family once again. One that had been born out of a terrible tragedy. But together they would press on, in love and by the grace of God.

  * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A Texas Bond by Shannon Taylor Vannatter.

  Dear Reader,

  Have you ever had a preconceived notion about someone, only to find out they’re nothing like you expected once you had the opportunity to get to know them? Mick and Christa had been little more than acquaintances for three years until they were suddenly thrust together. And the common goal of helping a child brought out the best in both of them.

  I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did. Mick and Christa’s tale was definitely one of my favorites. There’s nothing more tender than a rough and tumble fellow falling prey to the whims of a little girl. So, naturally, Christa never stood a chance.

  Yes, love does blossom between the most unexpected people sometimes. And those are often stories that are the most fun to write.

  We’re only halfway through my Bliss, Texas, series. Up next is Paisley’s story, and I cannot wait to see what is in store for the beautiful redhead who’s suffered such a great loss.

  Until then, I would love to hear from you. You can contact me via my website, mindyobenhaus.com, or you can snail-mail me c/o Love Inspired Books, 195 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10007.

  Wishing you many blessings,

  Mindy

  WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM

  Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

  Fall in love with stories where faith helps guide you through life’s challenges, and discover the promise of a new beginning.

  6 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!

  A Texas Bond

  by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

  Chapter One

  “Great bones.” The upholstery tacks popped loose with a satisfying thwack, releasing dust in a cloud around Stacia Keyes’s head. She readjusted her mask as she pulled the ancient fabric and batting away from the wingback chair.

  “What a beauty.” Daddy looked up from the bookshelf he was building out of old chippy-painted window shutters. “She’ll soon be regal again.”

  “What do you think of this fabric?” Stacia laid the rose gold-and-taupe-striped upholstery over the back.

  “Freshen the legs with mahogany stain, and she’ll be a perfect addition to 3 Gals’ Treasures.” Daddy used the nail gun to secure a bead board panel to the shutters.

  Her mom’s dream antique and vintage shop—now Stacia’s since her mom and her sister were both gone—was in the heart of Medina, Texas Hill Country. Along with Daddy’s demolition business, the store specialized in repurposing salvaged materials.

  “We have an update on heavy metal rock star, Ronny Outrageous.”

  Her attention zeroed in on the TV as the breath stilled in her lungs. A picture of him in full goth makeup popped up beside the blond news anchor. Daddy grabbed the remote, bumped up the sound.

  “As we reported, last weekend Ronny Outrageous was in a deadly tour bus accident. His condition has continued to stabilize and the fan favorite was moved from the ICU into a private room today. Fans have flooded city parks across Los Angeles and his home state of Texas, holding vigil for the heavy metal singer.”

  A shot of the accident site piled with cards, flowers and stuffed animals filled the screen followed by a clip of a crowd of well-wishers holding smartphones, swaying in unison.

  “As #GetWellRonny trends across social media, fans hold placards of love and affection, waiting, hoping to be interviewed so the singer can hear their sentiments.”

  The television went dark.

  “That’s enough of that.” Daddy set the remote down.

  “What if he comes for the twins?” Her greatest fear since he’d signed them over to her after her sister died three years ago.

  “Don’t go borrowing trouble.” Daddy gave her hand a squeeze. “He signed away his rights. Twice. They’re five now. Since he hasn’t wanted them all these years, he’s not going to start now.”

  “Facing death changes people.” Her voice cracked.

  “Some folks are too selfish to change. He’ll recover and get on with his career.” Daddy went back to work on the bookshelf. The thwack of his nail gun filled the air for the next several minutes, and then he picked up the level, checking each side. “I forgot to tell you I saw Adrian at the grocery store the other day. He asked about you. Always does.”

  “I don’t know why. He’s the one who broke things off.”

  “It’s perfectly normal for a single guy to get nervous when the girl he’s dating takes on twins to raise. But things have settled down now. Maybe you could give him another chance.”

  “He told me he wanted his own kids to raise, not someone else’s, Daddy. That’s pretty straightforward.” She hadn’t been serious about Adrian and never told him she’d inherited her mom’s heart defect. “I told you I was about to break things off anyway. We weren’t a good match.”

  “You have no idea how proud I am of you for taking on the responsibility of raising Mason and Madison. I mean, at the tender age of twenty-five you took on not one, but twin two-year-olds and they’ve thrived in the past three years.”

  “They’re my niece and nephew. Anyone would have done the same.”

  “Maybe.” Daddy tested the stability and joints of the shelf. “But I want you to live a full life. To have a love like I had with your mother. God has someone for you, who will love you and the twins and be content without biological childre
n. You just need to open your heart to the possibility.”

  “I’m fine the way things are. I have the twins and you. That’s all I need.” But a pang settled in her heart the way it always did when she thought of never having cousins for the twins.

  As a Christian, it wasn’t that she was afraid to die, but she refused to take the chance of leaving motherless children behind. Enough of that had happened in her family already.

  “But I won’t be around forever and the kids will grow up and be gone some day.”

  “Now you’re depressing me.” She ripped the final piece of upholstery off the back of the chair.

  “I just don’t want you to miss out on your own happily-ever-after.” He touched her arm. “Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t take anything for you and the years we had with your sister. But I loved your mother and if we’d known back then about her heart condition, I’d have married her anyway and been willing to adopt.”

  But Daddy was one of a kind. A man who’d raised two daughters alone, despite a manipulative sister-in-law. He could have handed them over to Aunt Eleanor and waltzed off into the sunset. A lot of men would have.

  It was easier just to avoid men, not risk her heart, emotionally or physically.

  “Just think about it.”

  She nodded to appease him. But the most pressing thing on her mind was Ron having a change of heart about the twins. Her stomach clenched.

  “That’s my girl.” He checked his watch. “Time to open.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I clean up.” She slipped her smock off. Thankfully, her capris and blouse were none the worse for wear. In the bathroom, she dabbed a wet washcloth over her face, attempting not to wash off her makeup, then soaped the grime from her arms and hands.

  Leaving the back door of the workshop open for ventilation, she entered the front part of the barn that housed the store. Long aisles were packed with everything from a flat-bottom boat repurposed into a bookshelf to an old upright piano turned into a desk to various antiques and vintage furnishings.

  Daddy perched on the stool behind the counter.

  Every clock in the place chimed ten times as she hurried to unlock the front door and turn the Open sign around.

  Waverly Heathcott stood outside, waiting. One of their best and possibly richest customers, owner of The Texas Rose. Definitely the most put together.

  While Stacia sported mottled skin with blotchy cheeks. A testament that Texas hadn’t caught on that it was almost mid-September and she was a natural redhead and didn’t perspire much. Her hair spilled from a messy bun with damp tendrils around her face. She blew a long layer out of her eyes. Oh well, she looked like she worked hard. Not everyone could be runway ready all the time like Waverly.

  “Come in.” Stacia opened the door for her. “Sorry, we were in the workshop or I’d have let you in already.”

  “No worries. I’m early. I was wondering how many—” Waverly stopped in front of a coffee bar constructed from an old door, a small table, spindles and corbels. “Oh, Stasha, I’m in love with this.” She tucked a strand of perfect blond hair behind her ear. “How many of them do you have?”

  “Just the one at the moment.” No matter how many times Stacia reminded her it was pronounced Stay-shuh, Waverly continued to say her name as if it rhymed with Tasha.

  “They fly out the door as soon as I build them.” Daddy scratched his graying beard.

  “I’m remodeling The Texas Rose.” Waverly continued on to the counter.

  “Which one?” Stacia asked. Waverly had been a frequent shopper over the years as she’d opened each of her twenty shabby chic–style bed-and-breakfasts scattered across Texas.

  “All of them. Could I get one of those for each room?”

  Stacia squelched a gasp. “That’s one hundred rooms. Right?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m afraid we can’t build them exactly the same.”

  “Of course not. If I wanted carbon copies, I wouldn’t be here.” Waverly glanced around the store. “That’s what I love about this place, everything is unique.”

  “Still shabby chic, right?”

  “Definitely.”

  Stacia grabbed her tablet from under the counter and pulled up an order form. “Ninety-nine shabby chic coffee bars.”

  “In white with pink, blush, seafoam, lavender and yellow trim. I brought fabric swatches.” Waverly handed them to her.

  “Great. Let’s go to my workshop to pick paint tabs and I need you to browse the warehouse with me, so I can get a feel for the types of materials you like.”

  “My favorite part.” Waverly followed, glamorous in her white pants suit and spiked heels.

  The bell rang and a man stepped inside. A handsome man. Close to Stacia’s age.

  “May I help you?” Daddy hurried over.

  Stacia ushered Waverly into the workshop. Half-finished repurposed projects dotted the space in the back of the barn, everything from a bistro table and chairs to a vintage sofa and a pile of claw-foot tubs needing resurfacing. The stuffy stillness made her regret leaving the door open. She shut it and turned the air conditioner on. The cool blast swept chill bumps over her.

  “Sorry about the temperature. Even with the ventilation system, it gets so dusty in here, so I was trying to air it out.”

  “It’s fine.”

  Not just any customer was allowed in the workshop. But it wasn’t the first time Waverly Heathcott had strolled through it and the warehouse full of rusty metal gates, finials, vintage doors, windows and shutters. Though it had never happened, Stacia always worried she’d get a dry cleaning bill.

  “Oh, I almost forgot what I came for. I also need one hundred claw-foot tubs. Is that all you have?” She pointed at the pile.

  “There are five in the store already finished, plus these for a total of twenty-three.”

  “Can you get more?”

  “I’m certain we can. I’ll put a call out to vendors I know, but it may take time.”

  “Is a month enough time?”

  Stacia swallowed hard. “A month?”

  “That’s my timeline for the remodel. I’ll be shut down for six weeks and I want everything in place before we reopen.”

  “You want ninety-nine coffee bars and ninety-five restored claw-foot bathtubs in a month?” Stacia tried to calculate a schedule in her head.

  “I know it’s a lot, but if anyone can pull it off, 3 Gals’ Treasures can.” Waverly flashed her best I’m-rich-just-make-it-happen smile.

  “You came to the right place.”

  Over the next thirty minutes, they picked paint and Waverly chose pieces and parts she liked for the coffee bars as Stacia snapped pictures and added details to the order. They agreed on a price and Waverly paid half down.

  How to tell Daddy? Not only were they short-staffed, but she’d just agreed to an impossible order.

  She led Waverly back to the store.

  “Thank you, you’re a treasure.” Waverly gave her a quick hug. “I can’t wait to see what you create.”

  “We’ll ship the bathtubs we have, and more as we complete them, so you’ll have time for installation. As we complete the coffee bars, I’ll send pictures for your approval.”

  “I’ll love whatever you come up with. I always do.” With a wave, Waverly strolled to the exit.

  As Stacia headed to the register, she saw the man. Still there. And completely focused on her twin niece and nephew who were now sitting behind the counter. Something felt familiar about his dark hair and features, paired with emerald eyes. A chill went down the back of her neck.

  “There she is. She’ll be right with you,” Daddy said.

  “Aunt Stacia!” the twins shouted in unison and rushed her.

  “When did y’all get here?” She knelt to hug them.

  “Aunt Larae dropped us off
. She didn’t want us to get sick cuz Jayda started sneezing this morning,” Madison reported. “She said it’s probably allergies, but just in case, she brought us home.”

  “Do y’all feel okay?” She pressed a palm to each of their foreheads. Both cool.

  “Yep,” their voices blended.

  Saturdays were a real challenge since her clerk had married her ranch hand and moved to Waco. Now that they were shorthanded, the twins often spent Friday night and the following day at her friend’s ranch. But sometimes that didn’t work out. Like today, making Stacia wish she and Daddy could leave the store in someone else’s hands and spend the day with them.

  But weekends were always busy. The usual rush before and after lunch required two clerks in the showroom while Daddy helped customers load purchases.

  “If you’ll be real good—that means no running, giggling or squealing—I’ll get Grandpa to take y’all to get ice cream.”

  “Ice cream!” Mason jumped up and down. “Before lunch?”

  “Just this once, we’ll have a late lunch.” She winked. “But that includes no jumping.”

  Mason quickly stilled.

  “We’ll be extra good,” Madison promised. “Won’t we, Mason?”

  Mason nodded. Always the weak link. It wasn’t that he was bad. Just mischievous, full of energy and easily bored. Which usually got him in trouble. A lot like his mom had been.

  She ushered the children ahead of her and they dutifully returned to their seats behind the counter.

  Daddy hurried toward her, lowering his voice to a whisper. “He wants to talk to you. Hasn’t browsed or anything, just patiently waited for you. Maybe he’s here about a job. An answer to our prayers.”

  “I hope so. Waverly wants the coffee bar and all five of the claw-foot tubs we have finished. Plus she ordered ninety-nine more bars and ninety-five more tubs.”

  “That’s awesome.”

  “She wants all of it in a month.”

  “Tell me you didn’t agree to those terms.”