Coming Home: (Contemporary Christian Romance Boxed Set): Three Stories of Love, Faith, Struggle & Hope

by Debra Ullrick

  The next morning, Chase turned his truck into the driveway next to the Lawson’s Hereford Ranch sign. As he parked his truck and climbed out, he saw Miles walking toward him.

  “Did you have any trouble finding us?” Miles asked as he slapped his hand into Chase’s.

  “Nah, you were pretty easy to find.”

  “Good. Well, come on inside, and I’ll introduce you to the rest of the bunch.”

  As they neared the house, the door opened, and a woman stepped out onto the porch, and then hopped off the top step.

  “Sami, before you run off, I want to introduce you to our newest hand,” Miles shouted to her.

  Chase watched the young woman as she came toward them. Her head was lowered which caused her Stetson to cover her face. He held in a laugh as he replayed all the rumors he’d heard about this woman. He was expecting to see a monstrous woman, but instead she couldn’t have been much more than five feet tall, and she was slender and trim. If she ate men, she sure didn’t look it.

  Suddenly his pulse snapped into overdrive when he noticed there was something familiar about her, something that caused his heart to play pitter-patter against his ribcage. Horror and surprise slammed into him. It was her.

  “Sami, this is Chase Townsend, our new hand. Chase, this is my sister, Sami.”

  At that, she pushed her Stetson back on her head and looked straight into his eyes.

  Here she stood right in front of him, the woman with the sparkling blue eyes he couldn’t get out of his mind or his dreams.

  A look of surprise and recognition raced across her face. She placed her hands on her hips and exhaled sharply. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Like a whipsaw, Chase pulled off his hat and held it in his hands. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  Miles looked from one to the other and crinkled his brows. “You two know each other?”

  “Kind of. We met day before yesterday in a couple of somewhat unusual situations,” Chase said never taking his eyes off Sami. She was beautiful though he also absorbed a very different vibe. One that said she wanted nothing at all to do with him.

  Before he could recover, Miles slapped Chase on the back and laughed. “So you’re the one that had Sami so riled up?”

  Her scowl deepened further. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you about it. And stop laughing at me. It’s not funny, Miles. It was humiliating,” Sami hissed and slapped Miles on the arm.

  “Oh, yes. This is priceless.” Miles threw his head back with a roar of laughter. “I love it.”

  Sami’s face turned red as a ripened tomato on a vine, and then she gave Miles a shove. “Stop it! I’m glad you are so entertained at my expense.” Then she shot Chase a hard-as-stone stare as quick anger rose in her eyes. She wound her arms in front of her and looked him right in the eye. “I’m sorry, Mr. Townsend. Turns out we don’t need your help after all.”

  “Whoa there, you just hold on, girl.” Miles took her by the arm and pulled her aside. “You know very well we need his help. Now we have to get those cattle ready, Sami, and we can’t do it with only the hands we have. You know that as well as I do.” Miles’ voice held more than a hint of irritation as he spoke.

  “I know, I know.” Sami grunted, straightened her shoulders, and looked back over at Chase. “Well, I guess the only thing left for me to say is, welcome to our ranch, Mr. Townsend.” With that, she stepped over and held out her hand.

  Chase accepted the offered hand and shook it firmly. “Please call me Chase, all my friends do.”

  Sami scrunched up her face, her blue eyes sparkling. “Then I think I’ll stick with Mr. Townsend if you don’t mind. Now, if the two of you will excuse me, I have work to do.”

  “Sami, girl.” An old cowboy strolled across the yard, walked up beside Sami, and handed her a walkie-talkie. “You forgot your walkie.” He laid his hand on her shoulder. “Again.”

  The old cowboy looked like he’d just stepped out of an old western movie. His skin was like leather from a lifetime of working in the sun. A graying, untrimmed beard covered his face but didn’t hide the smile he carried. He had to be at least seventy-years-old.

  She turned on her boot’s heel and faced the old man. She took the walkie from him and slipped it into the case on her side. “Thank you, Bart.”

  “You know if you’re going out on your own, you’ve gotta carry that thang. With that wounded cat out there, we can’t take any chances. Rules are rules.”

  “I know, I know. What would I do if I didn’t have you watching over me?” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed the old man’s cheek.

  Chase saw the tenderness in her eyes as she spoke to the man. He also noticed her entire face light up when she smiled. Her sweet smile at that moment touched his heart, and blinking, he could hardly get his gaze to move.

  Miles put his hand on Bart’s shoulder. “Chase. This is Bart Johnson. He’s been with dad longer than I’ve been alive. He has more invested in this ranch than I do. Bart, this is Chase Townsend, our newest hand. He’s here to help out until we can get Brent back on his feet.”

  “Good to meet you, Sir,” Chase said, shaking Bart’s weathered hand.

  “Glad to have ya here, son. We sure could use the extra pair of hands.”

  “Well, I’ve got work to do.” As Sami turned to leave, she stopped, and then said over her shoulder, “By the way, Mr. Townsend, lunch is at 11:00. If you want to eat, you’d better be here on time, or you’ll go hungry.”

  “Come on, Chase, I’ll introduce you to the others.” Miles bobbed his head toward the house. “Don’t pay any attention to Sami; she’s not as tough as she wants people to think she is.”

  Bart looked at Chase and nodded in Sami’s direction. “A lot of hurt in that young one’s heart, a lot of hurt.”

  ♥♥♥♥

  Later that afternoon, Sami heard the laughter coming from the dining room as she stepped up onto the back porch. She kicked the dust off her boots and stepped through the back door.

  Everyone around the table all looked up as Sami walked into the dining room.

  “There you are, girl. I was just about to send one of the boys out to fetch you,” Aunt Edna teased, pointing to the empty chair for Sami to sit.

  “You know me, Aunt Edna, I’m never on time.” When she glanced up, she found herself looking straight into the eyes of their newest hand. He smiled and saluted her with a drumstick. She remembered what she’d said to him that morning, “You’d better be there on time, or you’ll go hungry.”

  She knew from the way he looked at her, he remembered her words, too. With a shake, she removed her gaze from his.

  “I’ll go wash up.” She excused herself and hurried down the hall. As she washed her hands, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. “Good job, Sami. You really proved a point by being late for lunch yourself, didn’t you?” Frustration crawled over her as she jerked the towel off the rack and dried her hands.

  When she returned to the dining room, Miles grinned at her. “You almost missed lunch, and you would’ve gone hungry.”

  She slapped Miles in the back of the head. “I got it, all right?”

  “So, Chase, I heard you bought the old Miller’s place,” her dad said, forking through his mashed potatoes.

  “Yes, Sir, Irene Miller is my great-aunt; she’s my grandmother’s sister. After her husband Henry died, she moved in with my grandmother. When she decided to sell the ranch, she asked me if I was interested in buying it. I was, and, well, here I am.”

  “Henry was a good man and neighbor. He was always the first one to lend a hand if someone needed help.” A hint of admiration filled her dad’s voice.

  “So, you’re Irene’s nephew? Well, it’s nice to know the ranch is going to be staying in the family. It just wouldn’t be right if a stranger had it. The Millers put their blood, sweat, and tears into that land,” Aunt Edna said with teary eyes, and everyone agreed.

  “Henry had been sick for a while, so he couldn’t keep i
t up like it needed to be. I went by there a few weeks back. It really needs some fixin’ up,” Miles said.

  “It does at that, but I don’t mind a challenge.” Chase grinned and glanced over at Sami. Their eyes met briefly, but she quickly looked away knowing those words were meant for her and vowing to keep her distance from him and the challenge.

  “After the cattle sale, we’ll all lend you a hand over there. Besides, it’s the least we can do, it’s like paying back a debt for all the times Henry’s helped all his neighbors,” her dad added with a nod.

  “Well, thank you, Sir. I’d welcome any help I can get.”

  “That’s just what neighbors do,” her father replied.

  “What does your wife think about the ranch?” Aunt Edna asked as she spooned slaw onto her plate. Everyone at the table, with the exception of Chase knew that was Aunt Edna’s discreet way of asking if he was married.

  “Oh. I’m not married, Ma’am.”

  Aunt Edna tipped her head as if pleased by that information. “Well now, we have plenty of young available girls here in Homestead. So, if you ever want a wife, there’s plenty to choose from. Matter of fact we have a single one right here.” Aunt Edna smiled sweetly at Sami and patted her hand.

  Sami clutched her jaw and fought the urge to shove one of those warm buttered rolls right into her aunt’s mouth.

  “When God gets ready for me to have a wife, He’ll send me one.”

  “A God fearing man, too.” She nodded as if that was the best thing she’d heard yet. “You’ll have to go to church with me one Sunday. I think you’d like it. We have a wonderful pastor, and the church folks are Heaven-sent.”

  “I’d be honored, Miss Edna. I’ve been so busy with the move and the repairs to the house, I haven’t had much time to find a church.”

  “Well, it’s settled then. You can go with me this Sunday. How does that sound to you?”

  Chase nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

  Aunt Edna elbowed Sami and gave her a wink. “Sami, would you like to go with us?”

  Sami narrowed her eyes at her aunt who knew she had no desire to go to church. So, why was she even asking? She cut a quick glance to Chase and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “No, thank you.”

  “Now, Sami, you haven’t been to church with me since you were a little girl. Why don’t you come along with us? You just might enjoy it.” Aunt Edna squeezed Sami’s arm.

  Over her roll, Sami gave her aunt a warning look and murmured under her breath, “I doubt it.” She knew this conversation would only get more embarrassing for her if she didn’t escape it as soon as possible. She loved her aunt, but that woman held the hand’s-down title as the matchmaker of Homestead.

  In fact, Aunt Edna had been trying to fix her father up with someone for years. And, one thing she knew for sure, she wasn’t about to let Aunt Edna match her up with anyone, especially if his name was Chase Townsend. Sami grabbed up another roll and a chicken breast and pushed her chair away from the table.

  “Now just where do you think you’re running off to?” Aunt Edna asked sternly.

  Sami headed toward the backdoor, grabbing her hat off the rack as she went. “I’m behind on my chores. See you at supper.” With that, she let the door slam behind her.

  ♥♥♥♥

  Disappointment dropped into Chase’s stomach like lead. Sami wasn’t a believer. With that one conversation, he knew this wasn’t a relationship he could pursue because his vision for his future was to love and marry a woman whose faith was as strong as his own.

  “That’s a pretty big house for just one person.” Edna’s statement pulled his thoughts back to the dining room table.

  “Oh, I’m not the only one who lives there. My mother, sister, and my sister’s five-year-old daughter, all live with me.”

  “Your sister isn’t married?” Miles asked.

  Everyone turned and looked at Chase. He swallowed that bite and took a drink of his tea. “Emily’s husband, Chris, was a police officer. He was killed in the line of duty seven months ago. After his death, Emily and Kaylee moved in with our mother. But, mom’s place was just too small for the three of them. So, when Aunt Irene asked me if I wanted to buy her place, I knew the house would be big enough for all of us with plenty of room to spare. That’s one of the reasons I purchased the ranch; it gave me a way to help take care of my family.”

  “How old is your sister?” Brent asked.

  “Twenty-six.”

  “Oh, bless her little heart.” Edna placed her hand on her chest and continued, “So young to be a widow and raising a child on her own, too.” She reached up and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “You’ll have to bring your family over for supper one evening. We’d love to meet them.”

  “Yes, Ma’am, I will.”

  “Where’s your dad?” Brent asked, picking at his cast with a butter knife. Edna slapped his hand and shook a warning finger at him.

  “Oh. Well, he didn’t want a family, I guess. He left just a few months after Emily was born.”

  “I guess my mom didn’t want a family either. She left us, too. I was too young to remember her. But, dad says Sami looks just like her.” Brent pulled the remaining meat off his chicken leg and chewed the wad in his mouth.

  “I don’t know.” Clint looked up from his plate. “A person may have a good reason for leaving sometimes.”

  “No reason could be good enough for a parent to walk away from their children,” Miles ground out, abruptly getting to his feet, and storming out of the room.

  An awkward silence filled the space like a thick fog.

  “I’d better get this table cleared. I have to run into town and be back here in time to start supper.” Edna began stacking empty plates into the crook of her arm.

  “Thank you, Miss Edna, for lunch. It was delicious,” Chase said as he rose from the table and made his way out of the room.

  Chase stood on the porch and looked out across the lush rolling hills of the Lawson’s land. He took a deep breath, pulling the mountain-fresh air into his lungs.

  How could any mother walk away and leave her three young children behind? He thought about his own mom and all the love and tenderness she had always shown to him and his sister. She had to work two jobs just to make ends meet, but she never complained. He whispered a prayer of thankfulness that God had blessed him with such a wonderful mother.

  No wonder Sami had such a hard side. He knew what it felt like to be abandoned by a parent you loved. He also knew all too well the pain and brokenness it left behind. Then he recalled how the men had joked about her at Barley’s that day. Calling her a wild cat and a man-eater.

  He didn’t know the entire story about Billy Salter, but after seeing the way she was with her family, and the tenderness she showed to Bart, he couldn’t imagine Sami intentionally shooting anyone. “I know there’s more to this story.”

  Suddenly, the incident at the diner hit him in the stomach like a battering ram. When the pieces of the puzzle began to form an actual picture, Chase felt sick to his stomach.

  He now realized that the same man in the diner, who had shouted out about being thankful it wasn’t a shotgun, was one of the same men from Barley’s. Now, he understood why Sami had looked so hurt when he himself had jokingly asked her if she carried a shotgun around with her. The underlying messages he was sure she’d heard loud and clear made his skin prickle in disgust. He had been a part of the teasing, and he didn’t even know it.

  Chase caught sight of Sami just as she walked into the barn, and his heart quivered against his ribs. He had to apologize for his thoughtless comment.

  The door opened behind him. Miles stepped out onto the porch and stood beside Chase.

  “Chase, if you see Sami would you mind asking her if she would bring Chestnut around to the shoeing stall? I think the old girl’s about to throw a shoe.”

  “I just saw her go into the barn. I’ll stop in and tell her on my way to unload the truck.”

  �
��Thanks. I appreciate it.” Miles hopped off the porch and headed around the side of the house.

  All the way over, Chase rehearsed what he was going to say and how he was going to say it. However, when he entered the barn, he stood back for a few moments and watched Sami while she brushed one of the horses. She was humming a tune, but he couldn’t quite put a song to the melody.

  Finally, he cleared his throat and said, “That’s a beautiful gelding.”

  Sami’s body flinched. She whirled around and shook the brush at him. “You scared the life out of me. Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

  For a moment, he thought she was going to throw the horse brush at him. “Oh, hey.” He held up both hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Watching her carefully, though not making a point of it, he walked over, ran his hand down along the horse’s neck, and looked down at Sami. “What’s his name?”

  Sami turned away from him and began to brush the horse again. “Stardust.”

  “Is he yours?”

  Tossing the brush into a bucket, she grunted. “Look,” she snatched up the blue, black, and lavender Aztec design saddle pad from off its resting place on the top of her saddle. “I’m not trying to be rude here, but I don’t really have time for small talk. Is there a reason why you’re bothering me?” She laid the fleece-lined pad across Stardust’s back and made sure to cover the horse’s withers just right.

  “I’m supposed to pass along a message to you. Miles wants to know if you’d bring Chestnut around to the shoeing pen.”

  “Yes, I will when I’m finished up here.” She smoothed out the pad once more and turned back around, picked up the saddle, and tossed it over onto the horse’s back.

  Chase watched her as she skillfully saddled her horse, making sure the cinch was nice and tight before she buckled the bucking strap.

  He thought about his sister and grinned to himself. He couldn’t imagine her even knowing how to ride a horse, much less how to saddle up one. Then, as if irritated he hadn’t left, Sami stopped what she was doing, turned around, and placed her hands on her trim hips. “Is there anything else you need? I don’t like it when people stand there and stare over my shoulder. Besides, don’t you have work to do yourself?” Her foot started tapping on the dusty ground.