Her Alaskan Cowboy (Alaskan Grooms Book 7)

by Belle Calhoune

  “Amen.” Honor’s voice resonated from the other side.

  He squeezed her hand. “Thank you for praying with me.”

  “Thank you, Joshua. For being the type of man who wanted to pray with me before you greet me at the altar.”

  Joshua let go of her hand. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  Ten minutes later the wedding march was playing and Ruby, Grace, Paige and Sophie were walking down the aisle scattering rose petals. Aidan followed closely behind them carrying a pillow as the ring bearer. Suddenly, Honor was walking down the aisle toward him. His heart caught in his throat. He could barely catch a breath. She was radiantly beautiful.

  Honor was walking down the aisle, with Jasper by her side. She was dressed in a long-sleeved ivory gown with a sweetheart neckline and a veil trailing past her shoulders. There were shiny rhinestones on the bodice of her dress. She came toward him with a big smile on her face. Her expression radiated love.

  “I’m handing over to you our Prescott princess,” Jasper said, sniffing back tears. “She’s the very best of us, Joshua. Protect her. Love her. Give her a pair of strong arms to hold her when the world gets tough.”

  Joshua looked Jasper straight in the eye, then shook his hand. “I will always love and honor her, Jasper. I promise.”

  Jasper was beaming. “You’re part of our family now, Joshua. An honorary Prescott.”

  “I never thought I’d hear you say that,” Joshua teased, gaining a chorus of laughter from the guests. “I’m grateful we can be a family.”

  Jasper leaned over and kissed Honor on the cheek. He pulled a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and began wiping his eyes with it. He walked over to the front pew and sat down with Hazel and Violet.

  Violet reached out and yanked on Jasper’s beard. He let out a slight yelp. The sound of Hazel’s laughter rang out.

  Pastor Jack began to speak. “Of all the couples I’ve married, I think the two of you make me feel the most hopeful. Your love endured a lot of trials. You faced a lot of obstacles. You climbed mountains in order to be together. Your love won’t be shaken. It’s a mighty thing indeed.”

  “You may now recite your vows,” Pastor Jack intoned.

  Joshua cleared his throat. “You were my first love, Honor. And now you’re my forever love.”

  She reached for his hand. “You’ve been imprinted on my soul since I was a teenager. That hasn’t changed one iota. I’ll be by your side, come what may. That’s my solemn promise to you.”

  After Pastor Jack declared them as husband and wife, Joshua leaned down and placed a tender kiss on Honor’s lips. The guests began to clap enthusiastically.

  Hazel handed Violet over to Joshua, who held her tightly against his chest with one hand and gripped Honor’s hand with the other.

  As they walked out of the church, a shower of flower petals rained down on them. The sky was shining beautifully. The blue skies above were the color of a robin’s egg and cloudless.

  Honor looked around her. Joy hummed and pulsed in the air. Operation Love had surely blessed this town. Love was all around her. Boone, Grace and baby Eva. Cameron, Paige and Emma. Liam, Ruby and Aidan. Jasper stood hand in hand with Hazel, who was looking up at him with adoration. Declan had his arms around a heavily pregnant Annie. Finn, Maggie and Oliver were smiling and laughing. Sophie and Noah still were acting like newlyweds and seemed head over heels for each other.

  Honor had always believed in happy endings. She had hers now. There wasn’t a single doubt in her mind that she, Joshua and Violet would live happily-ever-after. She would continue her work at the wildlife center and Joshua would be running the Diamond R Ranch—their new home. Bud’s legacy would live on and thrive.

  This was it. She had found her happy place and all the things she had never thought were quite possible. Joshua squeezed her hand then brought it up to his lips and placed a kiss on it. “Are you ready, my love?” he asked, resting Violet on his hip. Dressed in a lilac dress with a big bow in front, she looked adorable.

  “Yes, Joshua. I’ve been waiting for this moment all of my life.” She reached out and began to pat Violet’s back in a soothing manner. “God has blessed us both in abundance.”

  “He has,” Joshua said. “He gave me redemption and an opportunity to win back the love of my life.”

  Honor reached up and pressed a kiss on her husband’s lips. “He sent you back to me. That was the best gift of all. God is good!”

  “All the time,” Joshua said in a voice filled with conviction.

  This time around Honor and Joshua weren’t going to falter when hard times came knocking. They were going to fight for their marriage and bask in their love story. There was a quiet strength in knowing their love was an enduring one. Their union was strong enough to conquer any storms. With an abundance of love, anything was possible.

  * * * * *

  If you enjoyed this book, look for the other books

  in the ALASKAN GROOMS series:

  AN ALASKAN WEDDING

  ALASKAN REUNION

  A MATCH MADE IN ALASKA

  REUNITED AT CHRISTMAS

  HIS SECRET ALASKAN HEIRESS

  AN ALASKAN CHRISTMAS

  Available now from Love Inspired!

  Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com

  Keep reading for an excerpt from FINALLY A BRIDE by Renee Andrews.

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  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for joining me on this Alaskan journey. Writing this Alaskan Grooms series has been a romance writer’s dream. I’ve had so much fun creating this Alaska-based series. The town of Love is filled with some very special characters. A sense of community ties them all together. Honor and Joshua are a fitting couple to end this series. They are two wonderful people who have been gifted with a second chance at love. Having fallen in love as teenagers, then ending an engagement at eighteen, they have truly earned their happy ending. Their love has endured. It grew and blossomed the second time around. Neither one of them had ever truly given up on each other. Their happy ending is a sweet reward.

  Writing for the Love Inspired line is an honor. I feel very blessed to have my dream job. What’s better than working in my pajamas? I enjoy hearing from readers however you may choose to contact me. I can be reached by email at scalhoune@gmail.com or at bellecalhoune.com. If you’re on Facebook, please stop by my Author Belle Calhoune page.

  Blessings,

  Belle

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  Finally a Bride

  by Renee Andrews

  Chapter One


  “Is he going to die?”

  The little boy’s wailing question echoed down the hallway of Claremont Veterinary Services.

  Her first day flying solo as Claremont, Alabama’s resident vet, and Haley Calhoun feared she was about to witness a little boy losing his best friend.

  Why hadn’t Doc Sheridan waited one more day to retire?

  She’d pray to God for guidance, but they weren’t exactly on speaking terms so she held that thought in check.

  “Oh, dear, that doesn’t sound good, does it?” Mae Martin petted Snowflake, her finicky Turkish Angora, who was curled up on the exam table. The huge cat’s green eyes grew wide, as if she were extremely annoyed by the little boy’s cries.

  “No, it doesn’t.” Haley hoped her sole employee, Aaliyah Smith, could assess and handle the situation long enough for her to complete Snowflake’s annual checkup. “Mrs. Martin, Snowflake is doing fine, other than the dry-skin issue. Aaliyah has the omega fatty acid supplement I recommended up front if you want to purchase that when you check out.” She delivered the statement as quickly as possible, since the cries from the lobby had turned into pitiful, sucking whimpers.

  Mae nodded before Haley completed the sentence. “Yes, dear, that’s fine.” Her silver charm bracelet and heavy bangle jingled as she waved a hand toward the door of the exam room. “You go tend to that baby out front. I’ll talk to Aaliyah about those supplements.” She reached for Snowflake’s pink floral carrier and prepared to coax her contrary pet inside.

  “Thanks, Mrs. Martin.” Haley moved toward the steel sink in the exam room to wash her hands.

  “And I’ll be praying for you. I know you’re bound to be a little nervous handling things on your own around here with Doc Sheridan moving to Florida, but I can tell you’re going to do just fine.”

  Mrs. Martin had no way of knowing how desperately Haley wanted to do “just fine.” She’d always dreamed of having her own veterinary practice, and she’d moved to this tiny Alabama town six years ago specifically because Doc Sheridan had assured her he was on the verge of retirement and ready to turn over his practice to “young blood.” But now that he was gone, she felt overwhelmed.

  “And the fact that you’re starting that new program for the Willow’s Haven children to work with animals...well, I admire you greatly for that. Those kids need so much, don’t they?”

  “Yes, they do.” Haley had been so busy getting ready for Doc Sheridan’s retirement and learning the details of running the place on her own that she hadn’t even visited the children’s home yet. But she planned to get the program started this week.

  “It’s beautiful out there, isn’t it, at Willow’s Haven? At least the children have a nice place to live,” Mae continued.

  Haley washed her hands, dried them and then grabbed three tissues out of the box on the counter. “I haven’t actually seen it yet. I’ve only talked to Brodie and Savvy Evans on the phone.” She kept her voice calm as she gathered her courage to face what could be a very bad first day as the only vet in town.

  She’d only recently made the decision to help the orphaned and abandoned children cope with their losses by giving them animals to care for, but listening to the cries in her lobby made her wonder if it might not always be a positive experience.

  “Oh, you’re in for a treat. Willow’s Haven is beautiful, and so peaceful. The church put an announcement about the upcoming program in our bulletin last week. By the way, we’ve missed you there, dear,” Mae called out, bringing up yet another uncomfortable topic while Haley strode down the hall toward the lobby.

  “Thanks,” she answered, not making any promises about seeing her there any time soon. Instead she made a beeline toward the wailing boy.

  “I found him—” his watery hazel eyes focused on Aaliyah, who was leaning down to look at the teeny ball of fur cradled in his arms “—in the woods behind our cabin. I think he’s scared. I thought he was hungry, but he wouldn’t eat my snack. And Mr. Gavin said I shouldn’t try to feed him anything else until he sees the doctor.”

  Haley noted that the boy was wearing a puffy blue winter coat and red mittens, even though it was merely late October. A light dusting of dirt coated his face, barring the tear streaks striping both full cheeks. More dirt was missing beneath his nose, which dripped from crying. He looked around six or seven years old, best Haley could tell, but with worry lines as intense as her grandfather’s currently creasing his forehead.

  She should have grabbed more tissues.

  Wasting no time in crouching to his eye level, she performed a perfunctory scan of the quivering puppy in his arms. A mixed breed, brown and black, with quite a bit of Yorkie in him. Bones were visible beneath his thin coat but, at first glance, none appeared to be broken. Probably dropped off on the side of the road, poor thing.

  “He wouldn’t eat my snack. I tried to feed him, but he wouldn’t eat it.”

  Haley took one of the tissues and tenderly wiped beneath the boy’s left eye, then followed suit with the right. Doubling up the last two tissues, she asked, “Can you blow your nose for me?”

  He nodded, placed his nose in the center and proceeded to make a sound like something she’d expect to hear from one of her animals instead of a darling little boy. Sniffing, he completed by rubbing his nose against the tissues before glancing at Haley. “Sorry. I blow loud.”

  She smiled. “Yes, you do, but that’s okay.” She wiped the wadded tissues beneath his nose again, then tossed them in a small trash can in the lobby. “What’s your name?”

  Another sniff. “Eli.”

  “That’s a nice name.”

  “It’s from the Bible.” His eyes blinked overtime to battle more tears.

  Haley nodded, not wanting to stir the pot by acknowledging she knew the story about Eli and Samuel. Mrs. Martin would enter the lobby soon, and Haley didn’t want any additional reminders that she should be at church. Therefore, she changed her focus from the boy’s name to the quivering animal and held her palm in front of the puppy’s nose. He made no attempt to move toward her to get a better scent, which should have come from mere instinct. “And what is this little guy’s name?”

  “Mr. Gavin called him Buddy when we found him in the woods.”

  Haley glanced toward the opposite side of the lobby, where a man had his back turned to her and talked quietly on his phone. Mr. Gavin, she presumed. He didn’t seem overly concerned with the little boy’s dilemma, which didn’t earn him any brownie points in Haley’s book. Was he the boy’s stepdad? A teacher? Mom’s apathetic boyfriend?

  It bothered her tremendously to see adults neglecting a child. Her own parents had been amazing at supporting her growing up, attending every activity and encouraging her through every step of her veterinary dreams.

  A shame that, after being the model husband to her mother and perfect dad to Haley, her father had turned his back on them completely.

  She winced, not wanting to go there again.

  The truth was, in spite of her dad eventually letting her down, she’d wanted to be the kind of parent and have the kind of family she’d had growing up. She’d wanted children desperately and had planned to have at least one by the time she was thirty.

  That milestone birthday had passed last month and since she’d now decided against all dating and relationships, children certainly weren’t in the picture. But she could still be around them and show them that someone cared. That’d been her main reason for wanting to start the new Adopt-an-Animal program for Willow’s Haven.

  Mr. Gavin continued talking on his phone and Haley all but snarled toward his back.

  She returned her attention to the one who needed it. “Buddy—that’s a great name.” She scanned the puppy. His fur was dull and brittle, eyes opened marginally then closed again, as if he didn’t have the energy to look at who held him. Running a finger along his back, she easily felt his spine,
which would have been visible had it not been for a thin layer of scruffy, dry hair.

  “He wouldn’t eat my fruit snacks,” Eli said, anxious to provide insight as to what was wrong with his new friend. He’d made this statement a couple of times already, obviously wanting her to know he’d done his best to assist the little pup.

  Haley nodded. “He hasn’t eaten a lot of food in a while, so he’ll have to take his time learning to eat normally again. But it was very thoughtful of you to try to feed him.”

  Eli’s top teeth tugged his lower lip, his eyes blinking as he soaked up every word.

  “Think about when you’re sick. When you aren’t feeling well, do you eat a lot?”

  “Just soup. And maybe Sprite.” He was absolutely adorable, with his dirty little face and pleading eyes, and so concerned for the puppy in his arms.

  “Right. Well, he will need to work up to eating again, too, like you do after you’ve been sick.” She’d continued probing and performing a preexam on the tiny dog while talking to the boy, and she was now fairly certain that no bones were broken. The pup didn’t show signs of distemper, and though his breathing was shallow, he wasn’t struggling for breath. Even so, he wasn’t out of the woods yet. She would need to keep him for treatment, and she hoped the boy would understand.

  “He doesn’t eat soup, does he?” Eli asked. “’Cause I could get him some if that’ll make him better.”

  “No, he doesn’t, but I can try some other things that his tummy should be okay with, until he can work his way up to eating normal food again.” She placed a finger under Eli’s chin. “Would that be okay, for me to take care of him here for a little while? To help him feel better?” Haley knew the puppy wouldn’t have made it very long in the woods on his own. This little boy, whether he realized it or not, had potentially saved him.