“Well, I learned from the best. How’s the rest of the town?”
Thomas slid the morning’s Gallatin Gazette in front of Blue. “Pretty good. Structural damage to some homes, but nothing like what happened to your house. They were worried about the Hebgen Dam and River Canyon Dam, but they both held. The river remained in its banks, and River’s Edge Resort was safe.”
“‘I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.’” Blue took Thomas’s hand, and Molly rested her chin on their grasp. “I’m beginning to believe that.”
After breakfast, Blue and Thomas sat out on the porch swing. As they glided back and forth, gazing out at the remains of her parents’ home, Blue told Thomas about Hunter’s confession. “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t cause Ella’s death. I know that. And now, I need you to know that.”
Thomas said nothing, but his silent, falling tears spoke volumes.
She looked past him, fixing her gaze on the river. “I’ll never understand why I had to lose so much, but after yesterday, I can’t take my life for granted. I choose to honor Ella and the baby by living, loving, and writing stories of hope as long as I’m able.”
He gathered Blue against him and held her for the longest time. One day, they’d have to sort through the remains of her parents’ home, but for now, they were a testament to what they’d endured.
A realization jolted Blue, and she pushed away from Thomas. “I need to call my parents.”
“I already did. They’ll catch the first flight home they can. They said they don’t care about the house. They’re just glad you’re safe and under my care.” Thomas worried his lip.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. But your dad reminded me that we aren’t kids anymore, and, uh, sleepovers can have consequences.”
“I bet that was awkward.”
“Getting the talk from your dad? Um, yeah.” Thomas’s face reddened. “He didn’t spare any details.”
Blue laughed.
“I told him not to worry. I vowed I’d marry you before we shared a bed.”
“And what did he say to that?”
“He gave me his blessing.”
Hope bloomed in her chest. “So,” she said, dragging the word out, “what does that mean?”
“It means that you concentrate on healing those bruises you got, and let me handle the rest.”
She tossed him a quizzical glance.
“Let’s just say, I’ve got Shane on call to officiate, and Molly’s flower girl collar is on its way.” Thomas’s phone signaled an incoming text, and he read over it. “It’s Teddy. He congratulated me on reclaiming my hero title. And he said to tell you it’s time for the third act. What’s that mean?”
“I’ll explain later,” Blue said.
Beyond the rubble, sunlight glistened off their old creek. It tumbled down the mountain, carrying with it the snowmelt, but now it took a different path than its original design. Even from here, she could see that Glory Falls had been replaced by a real waterfall this time that cascaded over newly exposed rock to form a pool several feet below. She leaned back against Thomas. His strength—steady and ever-present—was all she needed to believe there was still goodness in the land of the living. Still hope. Still joy. Still glory falling on God’s children, just how it was always meant to be.
Further still, something else caught her eye. It rose in the skyline beyond where the slope of the mountain had been. A steeple. Blue stood and walked to the end of the porch. There it was. The old wooden church. It had remained standing through it all. As Thomas’s arms slid around her in a gentle embrace, she exhaled a silent prayer, knowing they had as well.
Epilogue
Dad, I’m trying to get everyone to play Duck Duck Goose, and the babies aren’t listening to me!” Anabelle called into River’s Edge café.
“That’s because they’re babies, Kitty Kat.” Robbie leaned nearer to Thomas. “Should I tell her what a handful she was when she was little?”
“She’s her father’s daughter, that’s for sure,” Thomas said. “Just wait till she’s a teenager. Make sure you keep locks on your closets if she ever has a party.”
“You mean you won’t rush in to save her from a terrible first kiss? Some hero you are.” Robbie walked to the café’s back windows and looked out at the river.
“Stop. Uncommon Courage is old news. It may have won an award or two, but no one even talks about it anymore. Or me.” It had been almost two years since the movie about Thomas’s life hit theaters, and more than three years since an earthquake had nearly killed its screenwriter. The memory of that night still gave Thomas nightmares. But at least when they hit now, he only had to roll over, pull Blue tight against him, and feel her beating heart to know that a nightmare was all it was. Together, they’d survived the darkness and found their way back to the light.
“Yeah, they’re all talking about your wife instead. Hey, I hear that in Glory Falls, Felix finally puts the moves on Glory. Took a while, didn’t it?”
“It was worth the wait.” Thomas stood on Robbie’s left and, likewise, took in the marvelous scene outside—a family gathering the likes of which Thomas had never known.
Behind them, the kitchen doors creaked as they swung open. Shane emerged with a sandwich platter in his hand and a sleeping baby wrapped to his chest.
“Hey, Shane. Thomas won’t stop talking about all that’s changed in the past six years for us. The guy never shuts his trap.”
“Classic Thomas,” Shane said, joining them at the windows.
Robbie slung an arm around Thomas’s and Shane’s shoulders. “What a ride it’s been, eh, boys? We did pretty good.”
“God be praised.” Shane caressed the wispy red hair of his son, Aaron.
“You got any tattoos on that kid yet?” Robbie asked.
“Nah. We’re waiting until his first birthday.”
“Solid plan,” Thomas said. “Uh-oh. Andrea and Spencer are here with their crew. Robbie, better watch Anabelle.”
Andrea’s older boy, Bridger, carried a container over to Anabelle, who lit up at the sight of him. She lifted the lid, and her mouth fell open. Dropping the lid on the grass, she reached into the bin and retrieved something—a frog. She pretended to make it kiss Bridger, who ducked away but came right back to his friend.
“Ugh. I’ve seen this one before.” Robbie clapped Thomas on the back. “Bridger’s a good kid, though. A little quiet.”
“Hey, some girls like the quiet ones,” Thomas said.
The two kids walked off together, away from the crowd. Thomas’s gaze slipped beyond them to where Blue sat on the bank of the Madison River with her back to everyone else. Even after nearly three years of marriage, he struggled to believe how God had come through for them. Yet he had. Extraordinarily.
“We should get out there before the kids overtake the place,” Shane said.
Outside, where Anabelle’s Duck Duck Goose debacle had occurred, Shane’s congressman father sat on the grass with Shane and Ryann’s two-year-old twins climbing all over him. Charlie Blue, Robbie’s mini-me, held a toy camera and pretended to take pictures of everyone and everything he came across. He snapped an imaginary photo of Thomas’s father, who smiled, healthier and happier than Thomas had ever seen him. His father then directed the child back toward Keira, who was shoveling baby food into the mouth of their youngest, Emmaline.
“Are you on river duty, Dad?” Thomas asked.
“I am. It feels good to be useful.”
“I’m glad you’re here. And not just to keep all the kids safe.”
“Me, too.”
Thomas grinned, then stepped past his old man, who’d become an actual father to him and Cassie over time. The kind of father Thomas was proud to welcome back into his Montana life. As for his mother? Well, that relationship was a work in progre
ss. But Thomas, with Blue’s encouragement, was up for the challenge.
He slowed as he approached Blue. Between her knees, their son Jacob stood, the river grasses swaying around his chubby toddler legs. Blue held tight to the boy’s waist as he dipped a long stick into the river.
“Me fish.” He glanced back at Blue. “Mommy fish?”
“No, you fish. You’re doing a great job, buddy.” Blue had come so far in learning to trust God again. Still, she held on to Jacob tight.
Thomas moved closer until his shadow overtook them.
Jacob looked up and clambered to get to Thomas. “Daddy! Daddy!”
Thomas lifted his boy up and held him close, planting a kiss on his forehead.
A canyon breeze caught the boy’s wavy, dark wisps, tousling them much like Thomas’s own hair, which he’d grown back out. His time of penance was over.
“Me catch big fish, Daddy. Mommy help.”
“Yeah, Mommy’s pretty awesome, isn’t she?” Thomas held a hand out to Blue.
She took it, letting him help her up, and then she brushed her lips across his. Her kisses—from the short, sweet ones to the long, needy ones—would never get old.
He cherished each and every one. “How are you feeling?”
A smile lazily made its way across her beautiful face. “Exhausted.”
“We don’t have to stay if you need to rest.”
Her fingertips trailed down his neck, making his skin come to life and reminding him once again how great it was to be out of the friend zone. “Still playing the hero, I see.”
“For you and Jacob? Of course.” He drifted his knuckles down over the lower part of her abdomen. Although the child inside her was nearing twelve weeks along, she’d yet to show. “Should we tell everyone today?”
“Let’s keep it between us for a bit longer.” She rested her cheek on his shoulder, and together they formed a tender family embrace. But someone was missing.
Molly burst straight past them, plunging herself into the river. She swam across the current until she reached the shallow rock bed on the other side. When she turned, she held an object in her mouth and stared defiantly at the crowd standing on the bank, daring them to follow her in. Whatever it was, she gulped it down.
“Thomas, you need to train your dog. She just stole Gracie’s cupcake,” Ryann said, but even she couldn’t stay mad with the way her daughter giggled at the dog’s antics.
Molly couldn’t keep away from her people for too long. She made her way back across the river. When she climbed up the bank, she shook off the water, scattering all their friends in an instant.
Between the squeals and laughter, Thomas glanced at Blue. Her smile wobbled, and tears welled in her eyes. He handed Jacob off to his father, who promised to bring him back after he showed him a cool caterpillar. Then Thomas, with the gentlest touch he could manage, lifted her chin until her big blue eyes met his, praying she could read his concern without him having to find the right words. After all, she was the one with the words. She now had another Clyde Irving award to match the battered one they’d reclaimed from the rubble to prove it. But to him, she was and always would be his Blue.
As she had since they were children, she signaled her understanding with a smile, although the tears still ran. “This,” she said. “This is how it’s supposed to be.”
He lowered his hand and linked his pinkie to hers. Then, he brought his lips to hers as if a simple kiss could communicate all the love, admiration, and gratitude he carried for her. In case it fell short, he whispered against her lips so softly it could barely be heard above the lulling roar of the Madison River, “I love you, Blue.”
“And I love you. Always.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
One of my first memories in life was visiting my firefighter brother in the hospital as he fought for his life. While that near-death experience might have scared others into choosing a safer, easier career, he continued taking the path of the brave, serving tours for the Air Force, working as a paramedic/EMT and as safety director for one of the biggest dams in the US. Now, even in retirement, he volunteers as a wildland and structural firefighter—a reminder that some people have heroism in their blood (although they would never call themselves heroes). So to my brother, on behalf of all those you’ve rescued, directly or indirectly, thank you. And thank you for your help with this book.
And for every brave man or woman, there are family members who risk never again seeing their loved one. Specifically, thanks to Cathy, Anna, Maria, Jessica, and Shirley for your strength on the home front for every shift, every call.
Nate and Jennifer Hamel, thanks for your help with the details in this story, painting a realistic picture of the danger in these jobs.
To my writing crew, specifically Rachel McDaniel and Janyre Tromp, thanks for your brainstorming and constant encouragement.
Tamela Hancock Murray, agent extraordinaire—I’m blessed to have you by my side.
My team at Berkley—I appreciate all your hard work in bringing this story to readers’ hands. Your dedication makes me work even harder to create something you can be proud of.
The town of West Yellowstone—I could write books set in your hometown forever. Thank you for allowing tourists to experience the breathtaking beauty of Montana. I will forever cherish the memories I’ve made on the Madison River through the years. I hope this Madison River Romance series did it justice.
George, Will, Braden, Jonathan, and Corynn, your willingness to listen to me think out loud about stories and let me sit for hours behind the computer needs to be commended. Thank you for sharing this experience with me. To my mom, Shirley, your encouragement means the world to me, and your tuna noodle casseroles, pots of gumbo, and spaghetti dinners are the only reason my family was fed during the writing of this book!
Thank you, Lord, for giving me a passion for stories and a path to share them. I pray my words bring you honor some way, somehow.
Finally, to anyone who lost someone—this series was penned during a time when I lost several family members. In a strange way, I grieved through the experiences of these characters. It is my hope that you, like these characters, have been able to remember those who have died in some special way, and felt the love of others. As Blue realizes in Glory Falls, it was never meant to be this way, but I pray that you will still see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, as hard as that may be.
About the Author
Prone to wander, Janine Rosche finds as much comfort on the open road as she does at home. This longing to chase adventure, behold splendor, and experience redemption is woven into her Madison River Romance series. When she isn't writing or traveling, she teaches family life education courses to college students, takes too many pictures of her sleeping dogs, and embarrasses her four children and husband with boy band serenades.
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