Love Inspired January 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: Her Unexpected CowboyHis Ideal MatchThe Rancher's Secret Son

by Debra Clopton

  “This day has been unreal.” She leaned her head back against the porch swing beside Max. “Tonya leaving. Cody’s discovery and breakthrough. Jarvis’s freak-out. Katie’s confession.”

  “So many secrets.” Max rocked their swing in a gentle rhythm. “You were right about Jarvis. I’m sorry I didn’t heed your advice sooner. We both knew all along something was too good to be true about Katie, though, didn’t we?”

  “Yeah. I think she was so relieved to be free of her past, she didn’t care what the camp was like.” Emma shook her head. “She was just grateful to be away from that gang. But didn’t stop to think about what would happen when she had to go home.”

  “They can’t stay here forever. Guess there’s several important calls to make tomorrow.” Max pushed them slightly higher on the swing, and a smoky breeze wafted through Emma’s hair. “Funny how secrets always seem a good idea at the time....” His voice trailed off, and she didn’t know if he were being sincere or taking a well-justified jab at her.

  “I think it’s best if I take Cody back to Texas.” Her statement planted Max’s feet on the ground, and the swing came to an abrupt stop. “I can plead with the judge for a different facility, explain the conflict of interest or whatever. Maybe they’ll have pity. This is just too much.” Her voice broke. “Too much on all of us.”

  Especially on her, if she were being selfish and painfully honest. How could she keep working at the camp, or even keep Cody there at all, when their family dynamics were so tangled no one could sort them out? Her heart broke over and over just being in Max’s presence, knowing he’d never be able to forgive to the point that she desired. To the point of their being a family.

  “That’s crazy.” Max finally spoke, breaking the silence of the night. “He needs his family.”

  “But you’re here. And I’m there.”

  “That could change.” Max lifted his eyebrow at Emma, and her hopes hitched before she remembered Caley’s comment alluding to obligation. No. That wasn’t best for anyone, especially not Cody. They’d made it this far on their own. She and Max could work out some kind of custody arrangement, but when it came to being a family...they couldn’t force that. Not even for Cody’s sake.

  “How could you even say that?” She twisted on the swing to face Max. “I know you’re going to forgive me, eventually, but that doesn’t mean you have to take us on.”

  “I already have forgiven you.” He took her hand and ran his finger over the creases of her knuckles. “I forgave you this afternoon, when we were searching for Cody. I probably forgave you even sooner than that.” He shook his head. “But I need you to forgive me.”

  She blinked in disbelief. “For what? I’m the one who lied to you, and our son, for years.”

  “I judged you.”

  She waited for his explanation, slowly pushing the swing into motion once more.

  “I didn’t hear you out and made my own assumptions. When you finally got to tell me what really happened, it made sense, Emma. Made me wonder if maybe I’d have done the same. You were thinking of Cody.” He lifted one shoulder in a shrug, identical to Cody’s. “I was still making bad choices, just in taking the deal even if I didn’t use the drugs that time.” He sighed. “We’re all paying for the past here, and I think it’s time we stop. Move forward in God’s forgiveness.”

  It sounded too good to be true. Emma squeezed his hand, wondering if this would be the last time she’d get to hold it. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “I do.” Cody’s voice sounded from the open front door, and Emma jerked, rocking the swing to a stop. She’d almost forgotten he’d been assigned to clean up the inside of the house for Mama Jeanie and do the dishes left over from the search crew. “Tell him we want to stay, Mom.”

  He came on the porch and stood before the swing. Emma scooted over, and he plopped down in the middle. “I don’t want to go back to Texas. It’s—it’s no good for me.” He rubbed his palms over his jeans. “I feel different here. I don’t want to get sucked back in.”

  Emma looked at Max over the top of Cody’s head, and he nodded slowly, catching her urgent point. “Cody.” He waited until Cody met his eyes. “It’s good to get away from reality sometimes and learn new things. Sort of figure out who we are.”

  Cody nodded eagerly.

  “But at some point, you have to live in the real world again. Put what you learned and believed into action.”

  His shoulders slumped. “So does that mean we have to go back to Dallas?”

  “I think you should finish the session here, at least. There’s not even two weeks left, and we have that big Thanksgiving meal coming up Thursday.” Max jostled him in the ribs. “I bet there’s room in there for some of Mama Jeanie’s famous Cajun turkey.”

  “Mom?” Cody’s pleading expression tugged at her heart.

  She nodded slowly. “I think Max is right. Let’s finish the camp and go from there.”

  “From there?” He frowned. “But—”

  Max raised his eyebrows at Cody, and he stopped midsentence and sighed. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Talk about unexpected blessings. Emma couldn’t ignore the warmth seeping through her heart at the way Max took over in such a natural way. He was going to be a great dad.

  But dad didn’t always equal husband.

  There was the hollow ache again.

  “Why don’t you take this trash inside, and then I’ll take you to the dorm. It’s way past bedtime.” Max waited until Cody had gathered the remaining debris and taken it inside the house before pulling Emma to stand beside him. “I let you walk away once before, Emma Shaver, and I’m not making that mistake again.”

  Her heart stammered in her chest, and the ache began to narrow into something almost manageable. Was this even possible?

  “I should have followed you when you left the first time.”

  She was afraid to hope. He regretted not following her the first time? But why? She had to know. “Because it was the right thing to do?”

  “No.” He snorted. “Did anything I did back then seem like it was based on the right thing to do?”

  So much she could say there. She just shook her head.

  “I wanted you back. I loved you, Emma. But my immature pride and stubbornness wouldn’t let me. I thought if you rejected me, then I shouldn’t have to chase you.” He leaned forward and pressed his cheek against hers. “Don’t make me chase you, Emma. I’m really pretty busy around here.”

  She hiccupped back a laugh of surprise. “Is that so?” The tease broke the weight around her heart and set it free. No obligation. Just her. Just him. Cody.

  And love.

  “We’re not kids anymore. Let’s give this a real try, whatever it takes. I love you, Emma.” His lips were a breath apart from hers, and she found herself stretching on her toes to brush them with her own.

  “I love you, too. Always have.” She hugged him back, heart soaring, and knew he had to feel it thumping against the pocket of his shirt. She closed her eyes, nestling against the familiarity of his embrace. God had brought them full circle—despite their failures, their sin, their mistakes—He’d worked all things for good. Just like He promised.

  And the best part was His forgiveness covered it all.

  “You always have, huh? And always will?” The confidence in Max’s gaze spoke a contradiction to the question. He already knew the answer.

  “Just try to get rid of me again.” She grinned at his responding chuckle. There was still a lot to figure out, a lot to wade through. But by the grace of God, they’d get there—all three of them. Because God knew from the beginning, secret son or not, they were meant to be a forever family.

  Epilogue

  “Mama Jeanie, you’ve outdone yourself again.” Max settled in his chair at the head of the table, breathing in t
he aroma of walnut-crusted turkey, green bean casserole and honey-buttered rolls—to name a few. The table seemed almost unable to bear the load of the food and serving dishes covering every square inch.

  He could relate. He knew a little something about carrying burdens. He shot a glance to his right, where Emma was trying to convince Cody that the sweet potato casserole tasted great even though it was orange, and smiled, a swell of thankfulness rising in his heart. Across from the two of them, Brady, Caley and Ava sat in a row, Caley and Ava giggling more like sisters than stepmother-daughter as they bent their heads over their plates.

  “Thank you, but I had help this year, my boy.” Mama Jeanie grinned down the length of table at him as she plucked her napkin from the decorative ring and placed it in her lap. “Your new wife there knows her way around a kitchen.”

  And his heart.

  “You know that turkey was all you, Mama Jeanie. Don’t give me too much credit. I pretty much heated and reheated.” She gestured to the counter in the kitchen where an assortment of desserts waited. “Though I confess to making the pies. All four different kinds.”

  “Mmm. My kind of woman.” Max nudged Emma’s leg under the table with his boot, and the sassy wink she shot him warmed his skin. He still couldn’t believe how much had happened in a year. In fact, it was worth announcing out loud.

  He stood, tapping his knife lightly on his glass of water—real glass, which didn’t happen often at Camp Hope, where all things plastic and sensible reigned. But today was worth celebrating—their first Thanksgiving as a whole family.

  “I’d like to make a toast.” He smiled at Emma, then at her mom, who sat on the other side of Cody, then at Mama Jeanie, his friends and finally at his son. “Every Thanksgiving at Camp Hope, we’ve made it a tradition to go around the table and voice what we’re thankful for. This year, we didn’t schedule a camp over the holiday, but I’d still like to keep up the tradition. So I’ll go first.”

  He cleared his throat, knowing Brady would never let him hear the end of it if he teared up, then decided it really didn’t matter. Men who discovered they had a secret son and then rediscovered love with the woman of their dreams could shed a manly tear or two. “This has been a crazy year, but one of the best. I wouldn’t trade a single moment, however rocky they might have been at first.” He reached over and rested his hand on Emma’s shoulder. “This year, I’m thankful for second chances. For love and family.”

  Emma squeezed his hand as he sat down, then brushed her hair back from her face and gave that shy smile she always did when she spoke in front of a group—the same smile she’d offered to countless teen girls in the past year as she led beside him at the camp. “I’m thankful for hope. That just like God, it’s always nearby, even when we can’t necessarily feel it.”

  Everyone looked at Cody to go next. He stopped midchew and tried to hide a roll in his lap. “Do I have to?” He turned pleading eyes to his mom, who nodded. With a sigh, he put his roll on his plate and fisted his napkin in both hands. His voice rang timid, but sincere. “I’m thankful for a lot of stuff. For moving this year and getting away from those old friends of mine and making new ones here. And for finding my dad.” He looked at Max, then away, and Max’s heart thumped double in his chest. “I wish we had sooner. But I’m learning at church that everything happens for a reason, and I’m just happy we’re all together now.” Then Cody grinned, the same grin Max had seen in a mirror growing up in his own teen years. “And I’m really thankful that there’s four kinds of pie.”

  Everyone laughed, breaking the band of emotion that tightened Max’s throat, and he pointed at his new mother-in-law in relief. “Next.”

  She patted Cody’s shoulder and reached around him to rub Emma’s arm. “I’m thankful that all my family is back in one place. And for new additions.” She winked at Max.

  Mama Jeanie folded her hands atop her empty plate as she took her turn. “I’m thankful for the lot of you. All such good friends and family, taking care of each other and looking out for each other. It’s a blessing to watch.” She pointed at every person around the table. “And never forget the hand of the Good Lord is on you all. That’s something to be thankful about right there.”

  Caley murmured her agreement, as she and Ava took turns announcing their blessings. Then Brady wrapped it up. “I’m thankful for family, friends and the chance to celebrate together.” He reached over and tapped Max’s arm. “And thankful that nothing is impossible with God—not even changing the most stubborn of hearts.”

  “Hey, I’d argue, but...we all know it’s true.” He grinned at his friend. “And while we’re being sappy, I’ll admit I’m thankful that God uses the most unlikely people in our lives to get through to us.”

  “Now I’m unlikely?” Brady scowled, a tease in his eyes.

  Emma snorted. “I think he meant me.”

  “That’s probably true of all of us.” Caley laughed. “On that note, Max, why don’t you say grace already so we can eat?”

  “Great idea. Let’s pray.” As Max bowed his head to bless the meal, he couldn’t resist one more glance around the table, one full of food, family, friends—and love. His gaze lingered on Cody, then on Emma, who opened one eye to check on him as he knew she would. Their gazes met and mingled, and the love he saw returned in her eyes was one of the biggest blessings of all.

  “Happy Thanksgiving.” She mouthed the words to him, and he mouthed it back.

  Thankful, indeed.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from SEASON OF REDEMPTION by Jenna Mindel.

  Dear Reader,

  Sometimes, life throws curveballs that don’t just knock you off balance; they knock you flat on your back in the dirt. That’s what happened to me during the writing of this novel, and it’s what happened to Max when he discovered the truth about Cody.

  I’ve seen over the course of my life that people—both real and fictional—have a choice to make when they get bowled over. They can either stay down, complain about the dirt while wallowing in it and carry grudges toward the one who threw the ball (or toward the One who allowed it to be thrown) or, they can get up, brush off and turn their wounds over to the One who always keeps His promises. The One whose love is everlasting. The One who died for us—Jesus Christ.

  As Max discovers in this story, secrets can be devastating—but nothing is too hard for God to work for the good of those who love Him, as is promised to us in Romans 8:28.

  Whether you’re walking along just fine, or whether you’re suddenly gazing up at the sky, wondering what happened and why you’re covered in dirt, you have a choice to make. To follow God, or not. To believe in His truth, or not. To allow Him to work all things for good, or not.

  Max made the right decision. I hope you will, too.

  Sincerely,

  Questions for Discussion

  Emma carried a heavy secret for the majority of her adult life. Have you ever kept a secret that weighed on you nonstop? Do you think secrets in general are good, bad or somewhere in between?

  Do you think Emma’s choice to keep Cody’s father’s identity a secret from her parents was a good one or bad one?

  Max had a past he wasn’t proud of, but that past enabled him to reach out to teens because he could relate to them. How is this an example of Romans 8:28 coming to life?

  Emma dated Max in high school because of temporary rebellion against her parents. Have you ever grown tired of being “the good girl” all the time? Did you ever act out in a similar way?

  Do you think Emma’s fear that Cody had inherited Max’s “bad boy” genes was merited or a myth? Do you think a heritage like that is left in one’s DNA?

  Cody made bad choices and got into trouble because of wanting to be accepted and receive attention he felt he didn’t receive elsewhere. Why do you think kids
and teenagers struggle with the concept that negative attention is better than none at all? Do you think adults are tempted to feel the same?

  Max’s best friend, Brady, played a key role in his turning from his wayward life and finding the right path toward God. Have you ever had someone play that role in your life in a spiritual or emotionally positive way? Did you ever thank them?

  Emma’s relationship with her mom was strained because of her secret and because of misplaced judgments on both sides. Has a secret ever strained a friendship or relationship in your life? How did you handle it?

  Max and Emma struggled to get beyond the weight of the past in different ways regarding their relationship with each other. Why was forgiveness needed on both sides?

  Many of the teens at Camp Hope carried one secret or another. What was Tonya’s secret, and what do you think happened to her after she left the camp?

  Katie’s secret was perhaps the most surprising of all because she was the most adept at carrying it. Have you ever been shocked to discover the truth about someone’s life or background? How can you help someone in that position?

  Jarvis is an example of how some teens might never discover the desire to turn to the right path in life, despite being given every opportunity spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. Do you think a person ever reaches the point of “too late,” or do you believe that God’s grace offers endless second chances?

  Do you ever struggle with receiving forgiveness like Emma did at the end of the story? Do you struggle more with extending forgiveness?

  Emma and Max were able to overcome their differences and the past by the grace of God and by the mutual effort of forgiveness and desire to make their family a permanent one. Have you ever experienced such love and sacrifice in your own life?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.