“Let’s begin this day with a prayer, and then some breakfast. We have plenty of French sticks and salami left over from yesterday, and Natasha just found a tin of coffee and condensed milk in our old camping bag,” said Dan trying to bring about some sense of routine and normality. “We really do need to keep our strength up, so please everyone, try to eat something.”
The children were delighted to have something as substantial as salami for breakfast, but an overwhelming sense of sadness and anxiety still hung over the campsite like a thick, suffocating blanket. However, the sound of the searchers gave everyone hope that soon Katie would be found and that Nick hadn’t got lost in the process of looking for her.
Victoria had almost finished her second cup of strong coffee when she saw Nick suddenly emerge from the beginning of the bush track. And in his arms with a huge smile of relief on her face, was Katie! For a minute Victoria thought that the early morning mist was playing tricks on her mind, until she heard Katie’s voice scream out, “Mom!”
“Oh, God, thank you!” she screamed, running towards Nick and Katie with outstretched arms. “Thank God, you’re safe and alive!”
Trailing behind Nick the searchers slowly began to trickle back into the picnic area.
“Looks like you didn’t really need us, Ma’am,” the Police Sergeant in charge of the operation informed Victoria. “This man here had it all figured out. He’s a real hero. Not only did he find her last night, but he had the sense to stay put with her until daylight. He knew we’d come and help if he needed us, but he would have made it back without us anyway. He really is a true hero!”
Victoria couldn’t thank the searchers enough. Even though it was Nick that had found and rescued Katie, knowing that there were others out there searching had helped ease her mind a little. As the searchers headed off home, Victoria bundled up her daughter in her arms wanting to feel the reality of her whole being, and that she was back safe and sound, and not just a dream.
“Oh, Katie, I was so worried!” was all she could manage to say.
“It’s okay, Mom. I knew I was lost so I just stayed where I was until someone came along. I knew Nick or someone would come back looking for me. I just took a wrong turn at the suspension bridge. But I got a good shot of that lizard!”
“Weren’t you frightened?” Victoria asked, surprised at her daughter’s tenacity.
“Yeah, sometimes, but I just looked out at the moon and I felt God out there saying it would be alright. So I just waited and then Nick found me.”
Victoria looked at Nick with gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you so much Nick. I will forever be indebted to you for saving Katie. I think you taught her a lot more about life than just surfing at that club of yours.”
“Well, we do try to teach kids about having faith in the most difficult situations, so I guess Katie was just a good student. I think she saved herself. If she had lost faith and panicked she could have walked her way further into that bushland, and who knows where she would have ended up.”
Nick put an embracing arm around both Victoria and Katie as they sat huddled together in complete silence. Time stood still as Victoria felt Nick’s strong arm around her providing her with comfort and a kind of caring and love that she hadn’t felt since Tom died.
“Well, I think we should pack it up and head home,” said Dan, as Natasha finished putting away the last of the breakfast plates into the boot of the car. “We all need some sleep, and a good rest today.”
Julie offered to drive Nick’s car back so that Victoria, Nick and Kate could ride together and get some much needed rest on the way down. It was almost mid-day when they pulled up at Nick’s house. It was a large restored old Queenslander home with verandahs all round and a day bed downstairs overlooking the ocean from the back of the house. There was nothing more that Victoria needed than to be with Nick and Katie for the rest of the day and arriving at his house seemed as natural as coming home.
“Remember when you asked me just the other day about what more I wanted than us surfing together, Vicky?” Nick asked as they lay on the day bed overlooking the surf, both of them feeling glad and relieved that Katie was alive. “All I want is for us to be together. I want a future with you, and I want to adopt Katie as my daughter, but more than that I want you as my wife.”
Victoria couldn’t believe what she was hearing. And as she whispered, yes, yes, yes, Nick almost drowned out the sound of her voice as he placed his lips on hers and delivered to her the most passionate kiss she had ever known.
THE END
Bonus Books
We just want to say “THANK YOU”.
You support always means a lot to us. In this book, we have included 10 special bonus stories as a way to show you how much we appreciate your support. We hope you enjoy the stories as much as we do.
Bonus Story 1 of 10
Uncivil Discord
Desperate Times
Texas, June 1890
Kale Preston looks exactly like he should, being a cowboy and all. He fits the cliché of tall, dark and handsome after spending countless hours in the Texas sun. Richly thick and sun-streaked hair sat tucked under a nice cowboy hat and he was accustomed to fitting his tall, lanky frame into a set of hip hugging jeans, a long-sleeved, button down shirt, and a sturdy pair of boots. He was handsome enough to notice, but the real kicker to that second glance came when he smiled. If his face wasn’t pleasant enough, add in two perfectly placed dimples, beautiful teeth, and a well-kept goatee and any woman would look twice. Even if all you could catch were those mysterious blue eyes, it wasn’t a disappointing view.
Most mornings he spent time sitting on his porch, sipping coffee and greeting the day. Today was no different as he looked out across his cattle ranch and sighed. He’d never seen prettier country. The one thing his farm was lacking was a beautiful woman to share his life with. The state of marriage in Texas was about the only thing the state was lacking. Having three times as many single men as women was a good day. A bad day boast nearly six times the amount of men for every woman. That put Kale’s odds of getting married lower than slim to none.
He hated the idea of advertising for a wife. It made him feel as if he was shopping for particular ingredients when all he really wanted was to find a woman he could live with, who could in turn live with him. He didn’t expect her to be outrageously stunning or anything, although he wouldn’t complain if she was. He wanted a simple life with a wife who would talk to him, a woman who would enjoy living on a ranch and would bask in the beauty of God’s country. If he could only say one thing about Texas, it was that God had truly put his thumbprint on the Lone Star State. Kale sighed and finished off the rest of his coffee.
Going into town, Kale headed for the only newspaper and hitched his horse, Mack, to a post outside. Stomping the dust from his boots and chaps, Kale opened the door. “Morning Bill, Dale.” Both men looked up and smiled at Kale. He returned the smile and tipped his hat.
“Morning Kale,” Bill said first. “How’s the ranch treatin’ ya?”
He nodded and replied, “Just fine. It’s a mite lonely out there, but other than that I’m doing well.”
Bill removed his spectacles and made eye contact. “That’s always good to hear. What can we do for you today?”
Kale was nervous. He didn’t want these men knowing his business but there was no way around it. He would make it fast, and no more small talk. “I came to inquire about placing an ad in newspapers back east.”
“Back east ya say? Well, it depends on the type of ad, how long you want it to run and how many newspapers you want to put it in.”
“Well, I’d like it to go into papers in New York, New Jersey, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, if it’s doable.”
“Oh, it’s doable alright, for a pretty penny.”
“I’ve got a few pretty pennies to go around,” Kale chuckled. “If I write out what I want, can you make sure it gets where it needs to go?”
“Sure can,�
�� Dale said, coming to stand by his brother.
Kale put his words on paper, paid the fee, avoided the brother’s eyes and quickly stepped out into the sunshine of another hot summer day in Texas.
***
Mercy Thompson wiped off another table as her day dragged on. She dodged young children as she took dirty plates, cups and utensils to the kitchen wash basin and then she stuck her hands in the sudsy water. After washing, rinsing and drying every plate, every cup and ever spoon and fork; Mercy was whipped. Cleaning up after fifty people was insane most of the time. She was thankful, however, that she always had a bed to sleep in, despite sharing her “bedroom” with forty-nine other people, mostly women and children.
Tonight she despaired that she’d live here forever, imprisoned by her poverty and chained to this shelter for eternity. She called for lights out at nine-thirty and climbed into bed, too tired to care about the crying baby three cots over. She fell asleep with hope in her heart that tomorrow would bring some sort of relief. Three more days passed before Mercy had a day off. It wasn’t a whole day, but she was able to take the morning for herself, something she never took for granted.
Climbing out of bed, she wrapped a worn out shawl over her shoulders and stepped out into the warm sunshine. Despite the bright beating of the sun and the humidity in the air, Mercy never left her shawl on her cot, afraid it wouldn’t be there when she got back. Not to mention it was the only reminder she had of her father. He’d died suddenly a year ago and her stepmother, Melissa Black Thompson, had kicked her out of her home almost immediately. She’d robbed her of her inheritance, claiming that she didn’t deserve money just for being born. Ever since that day, Mercy had worked at the shelter relentlessly to ensure she always had a place to stay.
She walked down to the library and greeted Frannie when she entered the building. The young librarian always wore a smile on her face but this morning her smile was beaming. “You should check out this morning’s paper.”
“Yeah?” Mercy replied. “Anything good?”
“There’s a man advertising for a bride, if you can believe that. Apparently everything’s bigger in Texas, except their rate of available women.” Frannie giggled. Mercy took the paper, went to a quiet corner and looked up the ad, her hands shaking the entire time. Finding the ad she read:
Dear Prospective Woman:
My name is Kale Preston. I am a cattle rancher in the great state of Texas. Unfortunately, that has left me without much of a choice on being single. As there are nearly twenty men to every available woman, the odds of finding a good, strong match are less than nil. I am seeking a woman with a strong sense of faith. A woman who isn’t afraid of hard work and who would like to be a mother someday. I am willing to pay all traveling costs, and room and board, if you would be willing to come to Texas, in hopes of turning this acquaintance into a marriageable relationship. I kindly await your response.
Kale Preston,
Westin, Texas.
Mercy couldn’t stop her heart from practically beating out of her chest. Her hands were shaking and a smile had, at some time during her reading, fixed itself on her face. She was going to use the little money she had to send a reply to Mr. Preston. God willing, he’d choose her. Perhaps there was a light at the end of the dark tunnel of her life after all.
***
Kale poured a second cup of coffee and sat back on his porch. His ranch hands were just waking up to start the day as the sun streaked hot across the sky, like it had to race the horizon to the other side. He stared across his thriving land. It had been a lot of hard word but was definitely paying off and worth all the sweat, and still worth it every day.
“Mornin’ boss,” Jose Pena said. Kale was pulled from his reflecting by the greeting. He smiled at his most-trusted ranch-hand, Jose. He had been with Kale and Jack, his childhood best friend, since the beginning when all they’d had was a dream and a couple thousand dollars. The money had bought the land, but there’d been nothing left over. Jose, desperate for a job, had been willing to work with Kale and Jack for no pay. He lived on the promise that they would, with a lot of help from the Almighty, would make it up to him.
Sitting here now, Kale was eternally grateful he’d been able to do that. It was a testament to God’s faithfulness and Kale never wanted the young man to forget it. “Mornin’ Jose. You get those young bucks up and moving yet?”
Jose nodded. “Yes, sir. They’re finishing breakfast as we speak.”
Kale nodded. “Excellent. I want you to bring Dolly to Sioux today. She’s ready and they’ll make a good match.” Dolly was heading into her fourth year. She was in her third day of the Estrus cycle and this was when she would be most receptive to mating. Kale was hopeful for a first foal on the farm.
Jose took his hat off, wiped his brow and re-affixed his hat. “Anything else sir?”
“Their mating it of the utmost importance so I want to make sure it’s done right. Just the usual chores for the boys will do for the morning. But if you find they need a distraction, send them out to mend the fences. That should take them the rest of the day.”
Jose grinned and turned to head toward the corral to turn Sioux out. Kale knew the stallion would need to be relaxed to approach Dolly. It was the young mare’s first mating and Sioux would need all the help he could get. The horse snorted and galloped around the corral. His pleasure at being loose was evident in his grunts and speed.
Kale had decided that he was going to put the horses’ together and let nature take its course. When Dolly was released into the corral with Sioux, she galloped around and snorted. Sioux immediately approached her. They sniffed each other’s noses and Sioux stomped his front hoof. Dolly whinnied and turned away from Sioux. She began urinating near the stallion. Sioux grunted and stomped his hoof again. They seemed to be getting along just fine. Kale waited around and oversaw their first joining and relieved that it had gone so well. Only a few more times and she could be pregnant. Kale smiled. “I’m gonna head into town Jose. Give Sioux and Dolly an extra portion tonight.” Jose nodded. “Sure boss. See ya later.”
Saddling Mack, Kale headed into town to see if any replies had come in for the advertisement he’d put in the papers back east.
“Good Morning Mr. Preston,” Billy Buckley, the post office worker greeted him.
“Mornin’, Billy.”
“You have a parcel of mail. If you will wait right here, I’ll get it for you.”
“Alright.” Kale started to smile and stopped himself. When Billy came back with a ribbon wrapped packet of letters, Kale couldn’t help his eyes from nearly bugging out of his face. He’d imaged one or two responses if he was lucky, not this many. Not in his wildest imaginings. “Thank you Billy.”
“You’re welcome Mr. Preston,” Billy replied. The young man waved and then disappeared behind the service counter as Kale stepped back outside. He took the bundle, and walked down the street and headed into Cynthia’s Café.
“Hello Mr. Preston,” Cynthia, the owner, said as she waited on him. “What can I get for you today?”
“Coffee, please. And a slice of peach pie if you would.”
“Certainly,” she smiled. Once she’d headed off behind the counter, he opened the first letter. By the time Cynthia returned, he’d read through to letter five and although the women all seemed intriguing, none of them had truly caught his eye, let alone snared his interest. Sipping his coffee, infused with cream and sugar, Kale lifted the next letter so he could read its contents.
Dear Mr. Kale Preston,
My name is Mercy Elizabeth Thompson. I am twenty years old. I live in Marne, Florida. I have to admit that upon first reading your advertisement I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. You seem the sort of gentleman who knows the value of hard work and a dollar earned. I too, was brought up to appreciate hard work. My father, God rest his soul, was killed in a work accident just over a year ago and my stepmother didn’t take too kindly to my presence. I have been working and living at a shel
ter near my father’s home since his death.
Truth be told Mr. Preston, I saw your ad as a ray of hope. I do hope, should you want to meet me that love might grow between us in time.
I look forward to your response kind sir.
~Mercy Thompson
Kale set the letter down and noted that his hand was trembling. He reread the letter and set it aside from the others. If none of the remaining letters moved him as Miss Thompson’s had, he’d definitely know then who he should send for. He spent another hour at the café enjoying his pie and coffee as he read the letters. Later that night he reread through the one’s that had piqued his interest. He found only one other letter that moved him like Mercy Thompson’s. He wrote each young woman back and asked how they’d feel about coming to Texas to meet him. Within two weeks he received replies and it seemed both women, Mercy Thompson and Alicia Meyers were both anxious to see some of the “wild” west and the chance to meet him. Mercy, in particular, seemed anxiously excited.
Dear Mr. Preston,
Your letter filled me with such hope. Although I have never been outside the small town I now live in, I feel an expectant excitement about coming to Westin to meet with you. If nothing else, it is an opportunity which I will likely not have again. If you still see fit to meet me, to see about our matching as a couple, I am more than ready to board the next train.
Already dreaming of Texas,
~Miss Mercy Elizabeth Thompson
Kale couldn’t stop thinking about the two women. They seemed, in their letters at least, as genuine as any young woman he’d ever met. He hoped that bringing them in at the same time was the right thing to do. He wanted to give them both a chance to meet him and he also wanted to tell the woman he didn’t choose, why, to her face. The next day he sent passage for each woman and then anxiously awaited their arrivals.
While Mercy was heading his way from Florida, Alicia Meyers was coming from a much closer, Louisiana. Her train would arrive in just two days. Mercy’s wouldn’t be there for three days after that. The first Saturday of September, Kale headed to the train station to welcome Alicia to Westin. People poured off the train in droves so that he couldn’t tell anything or anyone apart. Eventually though, the crowd thinned and a pretty young girl stood there looking around.
Clean Inspirational Romance: Escape to Paradise (Inspirational Happy Sweet First Love Second Chance Romance) (Contemporary New Adult Love Inspired Holiday Short Stories) Page 4
