by Mia Ross
“Morning.” Completely bewildered, she slowly walked toward the truck while her foggy brain tried to compute what it was seeing.
“Hungry?” She hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday, and her stomach growled a response loud enough to make him chuckle. “There’s plenty. I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I got one of everything Cam had ready to go. Help yourself.”
Still confused, she clambered onto the other end of the makeshift bench and picked up a blueberry muffin so moist, it fell apart in her hands. She popped a large piece into her mouth and hummed in appreciation. After she swallowed, she looked over at him, trying to get a sense of what was going on. Normally, she could read him fairly easily, but today his expression gave her no clue about what was going on behind those twinkling hazel eyes.
“Thank you for this,” she said hesitantly, working up the courage to ask him the question that had been plaguing her for longer than she cared to admit. “Does this mean you’ve made a decision about Colorado?”
“Yeah, it does.”
He seemed so pleased, she knew he’d finally gotten his wish. So, dredging up what she hoped was a reasonably happy look, she said, “That’s wonderful, Drew. I know you’ll be a huge success out there.”
For some reason, he laughed. Shaking his head, he reached for her hand and held it snugly in his. “That may be, but I’m not going to Colorado.”
Baffled by the unexpected revelation, she stared at him in amazement. “Why not? It’s your dream to do something like that.”
“Dreams change.”
“I don’t understand.”
Reaching out, he cradled her cheek in his hand. Bringing her face to his, he brushed a tender kiss over her lips before smiling at her. “I love you, Bekah. That’s why I’m staying.”
This was too much, she thought with a smile of her own. Returning the kiss, she confided, “And I love you. That’s why I told you to go.”
“We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?”
“I think we make a pretty good team. I mean, when you’re not getting in my way.”
“Getting in your—” Stopping, he let out a long-suffering male sigh. “What have I gotten myself into?”
“I guess you’ll have to stick around and find out.”
“Well, if I’m gonna be doing that...” Reaching into the watch pocket of his jeans, he pulled out a lovely antique engagement ring. “I’m really hoping you’ll make my new dream come true.”
“Yes,” she breathed without a tinge of doubt. The old Bekah couldn’t have conceived of taking such a leap. But the woman she was now—the one Drew had discovered under all the tarnish—knew that marrying him was absolutely the right thing for her.
As he slid the ring onto her finger, she realized she wasn’t shaking even the tiniest bit. She’d never experienced this kind of rock-solid certainty in her entire life, and feeling it now was so incredible she could hardly believe it.
Holding out her hand, she admired the setting that sparkled in spite of the dim morning light. Then it occurred to her how early it was, and she gave him a curious look. “How long have you had this?”
He extended his arm to check his nonexistent watch. “About half an hour. Why?”
“There’s a jewelry store around here that’s open at seven in the morning?”
“There is when you know the owner.”
“So you went into town, bought an engagement ring and then stopped at the café to buy breakfast?”
“Uh-huh.”
All for her. Shaking her head, she asked, “Is there anything you won’t do for me?”
“Not so far.”
Delighted with the way things had turned out between them, she leaned in to kiss her everyday hero one more time. “I have to say, I really like your style.”
Epilogue
“Got a minute?”
Glancing away from the standing mirror in his mother’s bedroom, Drew settled the collar on his only suit jacket and chuckled. “Well, I’m kinda busy marrying Bekah and all. What’d you need?”
In reply, Mike held out a large, thick envelope for him. Curious about what was going on, Drew tore into it and pulled out a sheaf of oversize legal papers. A quick scan of the cover page told him the basics, and he stared at his brother in disbelief. “You’re giving me the buffer zone behind the farm?”
“I had it surveyed, and there’s fifty-six acres back there, with plenty of standing timber and the best part of the creek. I figure if you clear some of the trees out, you can start your own wilderness tourism business and still be close by if things get crazy around here.”
“Mike, I don’t know what to say.” Tossing the papers on to a chair, he gave his brother a grateful hug. “This is the best wedding present ever. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And before you ask—no, it wasn’t Lily’s idea to do this. She agreed that it was a good gift, though.”
“It’s perfect. Did everyone else know about it?”
“Are you kidding?” Mike scoffed. “No one in this family can keep a secret beyond the kitchen door. I figured that once you get the site ready, Bekah can help you out with your website and advertising. She seems to have a knack for that technical stuff.”
Drew couldn’t keep back a grin. “Among other things.”
Mike rolled his eyes, and Drew was laughing when Josh poked his head in. “Pastor Wheaton’s here.”
“Awesome.” Drew clapped his hands together eagerly. “I’m ready.”
“You sure?” Josh asked.
Slinging an arm around his shoulders, Drew herded him into the hallway. “Little brother, when you find the right woman, you’re always sure.”
Josh glanced at Mike, who simply nodded. Then the youngest Kinley shook his head in bewilderment as he continued down the hallway to Mike and Lily’s room, which was serving as the girls’ dressing area. “Whatever. I’ll go get Bekah and meet you guys downstairs.”
Early December was too chilly for the outdoor ceremony they would have preferred, but when Drew saw how the women of the family had decorated the farmhouse’s front parlor, he couldn’t imagine how the setting could be any prettier.
Greenery dotted with lilies and roses was draped along the ceiling and around the tall windows and doors, tied in place with enormous white ribbons. He recognized the white runner on the floor from Mike’s wedding carriage business, and the collection of mismatched chairs for their guests had come from the Kinleys’ various homes.
His entire family had come together to give Bekah the wedding she deserved. He only prayed they knew how much their efforts meant to her.
“This is fantastic,” he said to his best man. “It looks like the girls dragged the whole garden in here.”
“They’re Kinleys,” Mike reminded him with a chuckle. “When they set their mind to something, there’s no stopping them.”
A few minutes later, Mrs. Wheaton pressed some buttons on her electric keyboard and switched from muted classical music to the famous march that Drew had begun to think he’d never hear played for his own wedding. The guests all stood, and he followed their gazes to the flower-accented archway.
Abby skipped in, sprinkling flower petals while Parker carefully balanced their wedding rings on a small pillow. Behind them, Erin, Lily and Sierra walked forward and formed a pretty line on the bride’s side of the room.
And then, Josh appeared in the foyer with Bekah on his arm. Drew vaguely registered that she was wearing a lacy white dress and carrying a bouquet, but as she came toward him, all he saw was the beautiful smile on her face. At the end of the short aisle, Josh stooped to kiss her cheek and somberly pass her delicate hand over to Drew before stepping back to take his seat.
“Morning, sunshine,” he whispered as she settled in beside him. Now that he’d gotten past his initial stunning, he ga
ve her a quick once-over. “Nice dress. Is it new?”
She laughed out loud, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Mom look up, as if to complain about him to Dad the way she used to. The gesture reminded him of when Bekah had commented on how they all talked about their father so much, it was as if he was still around. With the whole family gathered for such a happy occasion, Drew had no trouble believing that Justin Kinley was looking down on them, enjoying the day.
The music trailed off into silence, and the pastor greeted everyone before opening his Bible to begin the simple ceremony Drew and Bekah had chosen. To Drew, it felt like the familiar verses spoken at so many weddings flew by in a single heartbeat.
Before he realized it, he heard himself repeating the vows he’d once thought he’d never say, ending with, “With this ring, I thee wed.”
As he slid the polished gold band onto Bekah’s finger, she gazed up at him with joy lighting her eyes. Then she repeated her vows and gave him the ring she’d bought for him. It was different from hers, but he didn’t have a chance to look more closely as the preacher said, “And now, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kinley.”
After they’d run the gauntlet of well-wishing guests and found some breathing room out on the front porch, Drew took a moment to admire the circle of branches and leaves carved into the gold. “This is really cool. Where’d you find it?”
“A friend of mine in Maryland makes custom jewelry. When I told her you were an outdoorsy kind of guy, she sketched this design for me, and I thought it was perfect. I’m glad you like it.”
“Very much.” Folding her hand in his, he kissed the rings sparkling there. Then he noticed her eyes were sparkling even brighter, and he chuckled. “You know about the wedding gift Mike and Lily gave us, don’t you?”
“Lily told me about it upstairs. She figured it was okay to spill the beans, because by the time we saw each other, you’d already know. What a generous, thoughtful thing for Mike to do.”
“Keep in mind, that acreage hasn’t been touched since my grandfather bought it from the farmer behind us sixty years ago. It’s full of rotting tree branches, brambles and several different kinds of snakes.”
“Sounds like a great spot for you.”
Her saucy look made him laugh. “Yeah, it does. Once I get a space cleared out for paying guests to camp in, anyway.”
“If you need an extra set of hands, I’m pretty good with an ax.”
“Get out,” he scoffed. “A cute little thing like you—how’d that happen?”
Laughing, she draped her wrists over his shoulders and gave him a playful kiss. “Now that we’re married, you’ll find that I’m just full of surprises.”
“Yeah?” he replied, drawing her in for another kiss. “I’m looking forward to that.”
* * * * *
If you loved this story,
pick up the first OAKS CROSSING book,
HER SMALL-TOWN COWBOY,
and these other stories of small-town life
from author Mia Ross’s previous miniseries
BARRETT’S MILL:
BLUE RIDGE REUNION
SUGAR PLUM SEASON
FINDING HIS WAY HOME
LOVING THE COUNTRY BOY
Available now from Love Inspired!
Find more great reads at www.Harlequin.com.
Keep reading for an excerpt from ARIZONA HOMECOMING by Pamela Tracy.
Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed your visit to Oaks Crossing!
The opening scene of this book was inspired by my own near-miss with a dive-bombing hawk who was more intent on snagging his breakfast than avoiding my car. After my heart rate settled back down, I realized that I’d been more concerned about him being injured (or worse) than I was about the potential damage to my windshield. From there, Bekah Holloway’s life-altering encounter with Rosie and the other residents of the Oaks Crossing Rescue Center took shape. Because the animals weren’t the only ones in need of saving, the story became one about confronting a difficult past, putting it to rest and moving on to a bright new future.
Getting to know Bekah was fascinating, but learning about Drew proved to be just as interesting. There was more to the charming, easygoing middle Kinley brother than met the eye, and as Bekah’s fondness for him grew, so did mine. Putting aside his own dreams to stay in Oaks Crossing and support his family showed a lot of character, and his willingness to give Bekah the help she so desperately needed made him just what she calls him: an everyday hero.
He’s the type of person who steps up day in and day out, doing what they can to make their slice of the world a nicer place. They’re the teachers who stay longer at school to give our kids some one-on-one time, or a neighbor who notices that our driveway is buried in snow and drives his plow over to help us clear it out. Sometimes, they take their tractor down to mow an overgrown playground not because they’ll get paid to do it, but because they want kids to enjoy the park.
Those are my kind of people, and my real-life small town is full of them. I sincerely hope you know a few of them, too, because they make life better for all of us.
If you’d like to stop by for a visit, you’ll find me online at www.miaross.com, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Pinterest. When you get a chance, send me a message in your favorite format. I’d love to hear from you!
Mia Ross
Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!
Do you want to earn Free Books and More?
Join Harlequin My Rewards points program and earn points every time you shop.
You can redeem your points to get more of what you love:
Free books
Exclusive gifts and contests
Book recommendations tailored to your reading preferences
Earn 2000 points instantly when you join—getting you closer to redeeming your first free book.
Don’t miss out. Reward the book lover in you!
Click here to sign up
Or visit us online to sign up at
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010001
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.
You believe hearts can heal. Love Inspired stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.
Enjoy six new stories from Love Inspired every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Arizona Homecoming
by Pamela Tracy
Chapter One
Yellowish-brown shards rose to the surface at the edge of Donovan Russell’s shovel. They were a startling contrast to the hard mud-brown dirt he’d been digging in.
“Should have left well enough alone,” he muttered.
After a few run-ins with local special interests—okay, one rabble-rouser with amazing dark brown eyes, on a mission—the Baer custom-built house was finally back on schedule but a bit over budget. Not that money mattered. Just last night George Baer had called asking for a circular driveway along with one that led to the backyard and a three-car garage. As the site architect and builder, Donovan had merely said, Yes, sir, we can do that.
Looking at the marking paint that now highlighted where the circular drive might go, Donovan decided maybe he shouldn’t have gotten so annoyed at the one spot where the dirt curved upward and kept his imagined
drive from being level.
Annoyed was one thing; acting on it another. A backhoe would have been easier to use on this alkaline clay-based dirt that threatened to bend his shovel. Yes, it was that hard.
“I overreacted,” Donovan muttered. Not that there was anyone to hear him. He was miles from the nearest neighbor and living alone in a camper.
Adding a circular driveway would not take that much time, and if he needed to start his next custom job a few weeks late, no one would protest. In his line of work, behind schedule was a way of life. One he personally didn’t appreciate.
Donovan hated when his schedule changed. Still, the change was on Baer’s dime, and Donovan’s goal was to please the customer. Someday, he wanted to please himself, build homes, tree houses, businesses that matched their environment, were one of a kind and affordable.
He had two years left with Tate Luxury Homes. He’d promised to finish his contract and pay off his debt to Nolan Tate, and he’d keep his word. Breaking up with Olivia Tate had been a serious step backward in recovering from a poor career choice. The breakup had, however, been a huge step forward in finding peace.
Not that he’d experienced much peace lately.
His next job was in Palmdale, California. The sun was more polite there. After that, three jobs in Florida. Then, the freedom to choose where, when and how often he worked.
He dug the shovel in a bit deeper, ignoring the sweat gathering at his hairline.
A Nebraska boy through and through, Donovan couldn’t believe that at five in the morning in June the Arizona sun was able to stretch out her fingers with an extremely heated “I’m here for the rest of the day” massage.
Fine, tomorrow he’d start work at four.
Who would choose to live in this heat? Almost immediately, he smiled. His favorite special-interest advocate was a slip of a woman named Emily Hubrecht. She’d shown up at the job site the first day, spouting something about the property next to the Baers’, empty and neglected, that had yielded some Native American pottery a few decades ago. She was sure more was to be found, maybe even a burial ground, and that the home he was building might prevent a historic discovery of epic proportions.
