A New Hope

by M. L. Ray

  “We don’t want to keep you two away from the hospital. We’ll be fine now,” Adam told them a few minutes later after Peter had helped bring their luggage inside.

  “Good. You have Tyler’s cell phone. Don’t hesitate to use it if you have any questions,” Brooke told them both.

  “We won’t. We’ll be praying for momma and the baby, that both will be safe this day.”

  “Thanks,” Peter offered as they left the small ranch house and headed out of town. He took a detour, and parked in the small lot that led towards the bridge.

  “What are we doing here?” Brooke asked in wonder as she looked at the snow covered landscape, mostly untouched by human hands or feet.

  “You said you wanted to see the bridge. Here we are. Come on, let’s take a walk.” He got out of the vehicle and came around to help her out. Together, they slipped and slided their way to the covered, snow-free deck of the bridge.

  “I used to love this place,” Brooke said. Turning a full circle, she held her arms open wide and smiled, “I still do. It feels like home. So many memories were made here.”

  “And plans for the future. Tyler and Trey remembered quite a few conversations they eavesdropped on when you girls would sit here for hours and talk.”

  “You weren’t part of that equation?”

  “Sometimes.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew the small jeweler’s box, “Brooke, I was going to wait to do this. I know I said I’d give you a month, but I don’t want to waste a month when I know my mind isn’t going to change.”

  Dropping to one knee, he held the box up to her, opening it so she could see the ring inside, “I’ve had this since the night of our senior prom, and I kept it because I always believed God was going to bring you home again. I love you, and want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. Brooke Jameson, would you accept this ring as a token of my undying love for you, and do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  Brooke looked down at where Peter held out his hand, and felt tears fill her eyes, clouding her vision. “Peter…I don’t know what to say.”

  “Of course you do, darlin’. I already helped you out, remember?”

  Brooke nodded her head, wiping the tears from her eyes before she looked down into his solemn face and whispered, “Yes.” Her voice got a little louder, “Yes! Peter Nash I would love to become your wife. You saved me, in more ways than one, and I know I don’t deserve your love, but I’m going to be a little greedy and hang onto it.”

  Peter stood to his feet, slipping the ring onto her finger and then sealing their commitment with a tender kiss. “You will never regret placing your trust in me. I will never take advantage of you, or mistreat you in any way.”

  Brooke clasped his jaw and nodded her head, “I know you won’t. I love you, Peter Nash.”

  “I love you too, Brooke. How about we go celebrate a new baby, and tell everyone our news.”

  Brooke nodded, and then stood on tiptoe to kiss him one more time. As they made the drive into Montrose, she couldn’t help but have a private conversation with God about the day so far.

  God, I don’t even know where to begin. I’m sorry for losing sight of what was important in my life and letting it get so out of control. I’m sorry for the hurt my actions caused others, and I want to do better.

  Thank you for giving me Peter again. He is such a blessing to me, and I pray that you would help me become the woman he needs and that You want me to be.

  Please be with Missy right now, and help her deliver a healthy baby. Be with Adam and his wife as they adjust to their new surroundings, and please continue the healing process you’ve already begun in his life.

  Lastly, I ask that you would show me what I’m supposed to do now. I can’t go back to modeling again, and I’m okay with that. Show me what path you would have me take, and then give me the tools and the courage to pursue it. Amen.

  *****

  Six hours later…

  “The baby is beautiful,” Jenna said, running her finger down his soft cheek.

  Trey watched her interact with the baby and then said softly, “You’re going to make a wonderful mother some day.”

  Jenna smiled at him and said, “You know, several months ago, that thought would have terrified me, but not anymore. I will make a great mom, and our kids will know what it means to be loved and cared for.”

  Trey nodded his head as Tyler and Michelle came back into the room, “Yes, they will. Is Missy doing okay?”

  “She’s fine. George is going to stay with her for a while. I told them we’d go see what was happening here in the nursery.”

  “They were just getting ready to take him down to her room,” Jenna said to everyone in general.

  “Good, she’s really wanting to hold him,” Michelle said. Missy’s delivery had been several weeks early, and her baby hadn’t been in the proper position for a normal delivery. The doctor had felt it was safer for both mother and child to perform an emergency C-section, and both mommy and baby seemed to be doing fine.

  Peter and Brooke walked in a few minutes later, and Tyler waved them to the door of the nursery, “That’s him, right there in Jenna’s arms.”

  Brooke smiled and Peter couldn’t contain his grin of happiness. Tyler looked at them both and then asked, “What happened?”

  Peter tried to keep a straight face, “Your buddy Adam and his wife showed up right after everyone left. Brooke and I took them up to the ranch house and let them in to get settled.”

  Tyler nodded his head, but still wasn’t satisfied, “That’s not why you’re both smiling like cat’s who got into the cream. What am I missing?”

  Brooke raised her hand up, showing everyone her engagement ring at the same time. The women all cooed, although softly in deference to the sleeping infants, and then the men all exchanged various signals with Peter, indicating they were on board and happy for them.

  Brooke accepted a hug from her brother, and then the nurse was shooing them all out of the nursery to go celebrate elsewhere. They ended up in the waiting room of the delivery unit, everyone in their own way giving thanks for their many blessings. Brooke was no exception, and she bowed her head and thanked God for letting her once again be part of these people’s lives. Cathedral Hills had been her home once before, and now it would be again. A blessing and a miracle all rolled into one!

  Chapter 55

  Four weeks later…

  Terrence Cottrell looked at the three couples standing before him and couldn’t contain his pride in them. Trey and Jenna stood directly in front of him, having just exchanged their wedding vows and now sealing their commitment to each other with a kiss.

  When they drew apart, they stepped to the side, and Tyler and Michelle took their place.

  “If it’s all right with everyone present, I’m going to skip right to the good part. That is, unless anyone here would like to object to this marriage?” When no one said a word, Terrence nodded his head and began.

  “Tyler and Michelle, you have presented yourself before me and this congregation today to make known your commitment to one another and exchange wedding vows. May I have the rings?”

  Adam leaned forward from his wheelchair, and handed the rings to Pastor Cottrell with a smile.

  Terrence raised the rings up, and then closed his eyes, offering a brief prayer for their marriage and then inviting first Michelle, and then Tyler to state their own personal vows. By the time they were both finished, there wasn’t a dry eye in the small chapel, and there was still another ceremony to take place!

  Tyler didn’t waste any time after Pastor Cottrell pronounced them man and wife, sweeping Michelle into a deep bow, and kissing her until they were both out of breath, “Finally!”

  Michelle heard his heartfelt statement and echoed it, “Forever.”

  “Move aside you two, and let’s get this show on the road,” Peter said from behind them.

  He and Brooke took their place in front of the pastor, and exchanged their vow
s and rings as quickly as possible. A triple wedding was a first for the small town, but with the Christmas holidays looming, and none of the couples wishing to start the New Year still single, a joint wedding seemed like the best solution.

  “Do you, Peter Nash, take Brooke Jameson to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, until death do you part?”

  Peter looked down into the deep blue eyes he loved and nodded his head, “I do.”

  He held Brooke’s gaze as she was asked the same question, smiling when she nodded her head and repeated his vow, “I do.”

  “Then, by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. Peter, you may kiss your bride.”

  Peter kissed Brooke and then heard laughter as the other two couples joined them in another kiss of commitment. When Pastor Cottrell cleared his voice a few moments later, Peter lifted his head and grinned, “Sorry, Pastor.”

  Terrence just laughed at the three smiling couples, “May I present to you – Mr. and Mrs. Trey Cottrell, Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Jameson, and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Nash.”

  The congregation, which included everyone in the small town and a great number of people from neighboring places, erupted in applause as all three men swept their new wives up into their arms and carried them down the carpeted aisle.

  They went directly to a large room that was used for weekly dinners and get-togethers, knowing that their friends would be descending upon them soon.

  “That was amazing!” Michelle said with a laugh, as Tyler set her down on her feet.

  “I’m glad that’s over,” Peter said, loosening his tie from around his neck.

  Brooke smiled at him, and then at everyone else, “I can’t believe we all just got married!”

  Peter grabbed her around the waist, and turned her in a circle, “Believe it!”

  Brooke laughed and then looked at her friends, “Did you ever believe we’d end up like this?”

  Michelle and Jenna both shook their heads. Jenna spoke up, “I know Trey and I have talked about this, but do you remember when we were twelve years old?”

  “Wow, that’s a while ago.”

  “Remember how we used to hang out on top of the bridge and talk about stuff?” she asked.

  Michelle and Brooke both nodded their heads, “Yeah.”

  “Did you know the guys were sometimes listening in? They would hide underneath the support beams, and listen to our conversations.”

  Brooke smiled, knowing where this conversation was headed, “I remember a discussion about whom we all wanted to kiss.”

  Jenna nodded her head, “That’s the one I’m talking about. You were the only one of our group we didn’t ask that day.”

  Michelle nodded, “That’s because she was already head over heels in love with Peter, and we all knew they would end up married. I have to tell you girlfriend, I don’t think any of us figured it would take you this long to come to your senses, but I do think you got it right.”

  Brooke nodded her head, “I agree. Now, let me see if I remember how the answers to those questions went. Michelle said she would kiss Tyler, and I was suitably disgusted.” She looked over at Tyler and told him, “We were only twelve, and hearing that one of your best friends wanted to swap spit with your older brother was really gross!”

  Tyler laughed, “I was listening in, and heard the whole thing.”

  “You weren’t?!” Brooke exclaimed, shaking a scolding finger at him when Jenna and Trey both nodded their heads. Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at her brother, “Just how many times did you guys sneak around and listen to us?”

  Tyler shook his head, “Guess you’ll never know.”

  Michelle laughed at her disgruntled look, glad to finally start seeing the friend she knew coming back. Brooke had always been the life of their little group, and she had really missed her presence in their lives. “Well, I remember Jenna’s answer.”

  Jenna blushed and then laughed, “I’m not going to feel badly about my answer. He married me, didn’t he? And now I can kiss him anytime I want to.”

  Trey grabbed her around the waist and kissed her before replying, “Same goes for me.”

  Brooke looked around her, and then grew sober, “We’re quite a crew. Life pulled us in so many directions, some of us trying our best to mess things up, and yet here we all are.”

  “God knew what he was doing when he brought us all together as kids. I think it’s one of the greatest things about being human. Knowing that God lets us make our mistakes, just waiting in the wings for us to realize we’ve strayed and need His help.”

  “I sure wish He would have intervened a little sooner in some instances,” Jenna said with Brooke nodding her head.

  “Do you really?” Mary Cottrell said as she entered the small reception hall with her husband. She’d heard the conversation, and hadn’t been able to resist interjecting some wisdom into it.

  “Think about where your lives have taken you and the lessons you’ve learned. Jenna, your teen years were horrible, and while we wouldn’t wish those experiences on anyone, you fought back and won the victory. Those experiences are going to guide you and help you protect other kids from having to ever go through them. Kids that might not have the benefit of friends and family, and a relationship with God to pull them back from harm’s reach.

  “And Michelle. Your work inside the system has already proven useful in helping Peter track down Brooke and bring her home. Your knowledge of how the system works, and your counseling experience, combined with Jenna’s is going to save lots of young lives.”

  She walked over and hugged Brooke, “I know you feel adrift right now, but trust me when I tell you that God has something mighty planned for your life. He hasn’t shown it to you yet, but He will. Your experiences will be helpful as well.”

  Mary looked at each of the young men standing before her. “Trey, my son, I am so proud of the man you’ve become. God has placed you in a position to help secure and manage the finances of the operation Jenna wants to set up. I know God is going to bless your efforts.

  “Tyler, I met your riding partner and his wife, and I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that he was injured at this time, or that you were able to move back home. God has mighty things in store for you all, just keep following where He leads you.”

  “Peter, God always needs a willing warrior, ready to fight. That is what I see when I look at you. Your loyalty to Brooke these many years has been amazing to witness, and I pray that God will continue to bless you with the desires of your heart.”

  “He already has, Mrs. Cottrell,” Peter told her, pulling Brooke close to his side once again.

  “I think I can speak for all of us, mom, when I say that we all feel blessed beyond measure. Cathedral Hills is a special place, and because of people like you and dad, it’s a place we can truly call home.”

  Everyone nodded their head as the doors opened and their guests started to file in. Peter pulled Brooke with him, and then gestured for the other two couples to join him as they slipped into the small kitchen.

  “What’s up?” Trey asked, wrapping his arms around his new wife from behind.

  Peter looked at them all, “I just wanted to say how much I admire each one of you, and from this day forward, we are all connected.”

  Tyler nodded his head, resting his chin on Michelle’s head, “I agree. We’ve been friends and family for a long time, but now we have a special bond to help each other and nurture each other as we become parents and leaders in this community.”

  Jenna looked around at each person and then, with tears in her eyes, she said, “Cathedral Hills saved me. I thought it had destroyed me, but I was wrong. The bonds that are formed here last a lifetime, and neither tragedy, or deception, or evil can take away what we have here. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for the next generation.”

  All six heads nodded in agreement, as Trey closed his eyes and offered up a prayer for them al
l, “God, thank you for the people standing in this room. May we be accountable to each other and to You as we step into the next phase of our lives. Bless us so that we may bless others, and for those amongst us who are still searching for answers, we pray that you would let them feel the happiness we do right now. Amen.”

  As they headed back out to greet their guests, they didn’t do it as an abandoned teen, or a fearful and heartbroken young adult, or as a drug-addicted, mindless slave. They went out as the warrior ready to fight for justice in the lives of abandoned children; as the loving woman who had seen tragedy and come out the other side – stronger and more determined than ever to fight for what was right; and as a young woman who finally knew that everything she ever wanted was right here at home. Joy wasn’t to be found in the accolades of strangers, or money in the bank. Joy was knowing you were loved and accepted by people who could laugh and cry with you, and tell you the truth – even when you didn’t want to hear it. Joy was here – in Cathedral Hills!

  Book Samples

  A sample of my novel, Sweet Love

  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AM65W4U

  Chapter 1

  Lidia

  I walked to his house smiling. It was a sunny day. The birds were singing, the sky was clear and it was warm even though it was September. I spun the ring Grant had given me, around on my finger. We had been together for one whole year, and it wasn’t an on and off thing. He was the love of my life. My life was perfect right now. My best friend Kendra and I were closer than ever. I didn’t really like her boyfriend, though. In fact, we hated each other. But that didn’t stop the four of us from doing everything together! Double dates every weekend! Drives to the beach in the summer. Everything! My parents were great! They let me do anything I wanted. They loved Grant, too.