by Lenora Worth
His heart rate picked up speed.
“Hi, Ryan.” Her voice sounded rich as silk.
“You look beautiful,” he blurted.
“Thanks.” She gave him a quick once-over. Bold as can be. “So do you.”
What was she doing to him? He quickly changed the subject to keep from pulling her into his arms. “How’s school counseling?”
Her eyes brightened. They looked steely blue tonight, almost gray. “I love it.”
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his khakis to keep from touching her. “That’s good. I’m glad.”
“How are you?” Her eyes narrowed. “I mean really.”
“I finished group. John signed off on my master treatment plan. Everything’s been sent to the court to drop the charges.”
“That’s good. I’m glad,” she echoed his words.
“But I’m not done, Kel.” He took a deep breath and held it, waiting for her reaction. This is what he’d wanted to tell her, hoping she’d come tonight.
Her eyebrow lifted.
He stepped closer. “I’m going to AA meetings once a week.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened in surprise.
He caught his brother’s eye from across the room and Sinclair gave him a nod. His brother had come through for him when he’d needed him most. Sinclair had made him see that there was no shame in seeking help. No shame in admitting what he’d become.
Ryan came clean. “They say once an alcoholic always, an alcoholic but we can live sober. I plan on living sober.”
He watched her eyes fill with tears and panicked. Not the reaction he’d hoped for. “It’s a good thing, Kel. Really.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you crying?”
She sniffed and then laughed. “I guess I’m not made of stone, after all.”
“I never thought you were.” Ryan caught one of her tears with his thumb. No way. She was warm and caring and kissed with fire. “I never thought you were.”
Kellie’s eyes softened even more. “Karl said that you’d been to see him.”
“I had to see him. And we’re keeping in touch.” He’d made his peace with her brother, too.
“I really appreciate that. Karl does, too.” She gave him another watery smile and he feared she might start crying again.
“I missed you,” he whispered.
“And I missed you.” Her voice sounded raw.
“So, what should we do about it?”
Kellie pulled out a tissue from her pocket and blew her nose into it. “Sorry.”
He chuckled. “No problem. Want to get a plate of food and sit down somewhere?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. I wonder if you’d consider...”
He watched her rally her courage and waited for her to continue.
“Would you be willing to go with me to a middle school dance tomorrow night?”
He laughed. “Are you a chaperone?”
She straightened her shoulders. “Yes, I am.”
He leaned a little closer. “I’d love to go.”
“Then it’s a date. Pick me up at six-thirty?” She crinkled her nose.
Ryan smiled. He would not have envisioned a middle school dance as their first date, but he’d take it. It was a start of many dates. “You’ll dance with me?”
Her cheeks colored. “Uh yeah, it’s a dance.”
He suddenly couldn’t wait for tomorrow night to hold her. He lowered his voice and asked, “Why don’t we go somewhere for hot chocolate and talk about it.”
Kellie’s eyes widened again. “But I haven’t said hello to anyone. Not even Dorrie.”
“Meet me at my truck in thirty minutes.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it and nodded.
Ryan couldn’t believe she didn’t argue, and that made him smile. He imagined that they’d argue over many things, but that meant they’d make up, too. After she walked away to mingle, he checked his watch. This was going to be the longest half hour of his life.
* * *
Kellie made a dash for Ryan’s truck. Her heart skittered and clanged against her ribs while she waited. Was she too early? She hadn’t kept track of time. And then she saw him and her insides flipped.
Ryan jogged toward her, his breath blowing white in front him. “Sorry,” he said. “Were you waiting long?
She looked up at his dear face with those bittersweet chocolate eyes. Snowflakes clung to his dark hair and she fluffed them away with her fingertips. He was the gallant knight of her girlish dreams and he’d slayed a couple of dragons belonging to him and her. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for you.”
“That’s good to hear.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “I won’t fail you, Kellie. I’m in this for the long haul. God’s got my back and I’m not afraid.”
“I’m not either.” She really meant it, too. “And Ryan?”
“Yeah?”
She licked her lips. “I love you, and I believe in you. I believe in us.”
“I need your love, Kel. Trust can come later after I’ve earned it. I will, too. By God’s grace, I’ll earn it.”
She didn’t bother reminding him that trust was something she needed to give. She’d prove it to him with time and the life they’d build together. “You can start by sealing that promise with a kiss.”
“Gladly.” He dipped his head and captured her mouth with his.
She returned his kiss with a promise of her own running through her mind and soul. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health...
No matter what their future held, God would be with them.
When they finally broke apart, Ryan cupped her face. “I love you, Kellie Cavanaugh.”
She gave him a cheeky grin. “I know.”
He laughed and shook his head while he opened the door for her. “Now, get in the truck.”
She climbed in and scooted close to Ryan, breathing in the frosty air and luscious scent of him. “This is where it all started, huh? The night my car broke down and you picked me up.”
He reached across her for the middle seat belt and buckled her in place right next to him. “I think it started the moment you shook my hand. I knew there was something special about you.”
Kellie nodded. “I remember feeling the same way about you, and it scared me to pieces.”
“Thank you.” He cupped her cheek and gave her a smile that made her toes curl inside her boots.
She tipped her head. “For what?”
“For making a difference.”
Kellie felt her eyes sting again and her throat clog with emotion. She pulled Ryan’s head toward hers and showed him the difference he’d made with a kiss.
Trust in God was the real difference, though. Maybe the Hound of Heaven had tracked them both down and thrown them together to help each other heal. To help each other grow and find redemptive love that would last forever.
Epilogue
A light snow fell as a local band played a Kid Rock song that had become something of an anthem in Northern Michigan. Gathered near the gigantic Christmas tree on Front Street in Traverse City, the entire crowd joined in singing. Kellie sang, too.
Ryan glanced at her and smiled.
“What?”
“I love hearing you sing.”
Kellie laughed. She practically screamed the words, but whatever.
They’d been dating ever since Dorrie’s open house. They’d spent the Christmas holidays visiting both his and her parents and now, here they were with Dorrie and her girls celebrating New Year’s Eve.
Ryan bounced Gracie on his shoulders to the music and she laughed. Her breath made little white puffs in the cold air.
At the conclu
sion of the song, the announcer shouted out to get ready for the cherry to drop. Cheers went up and then the crowd chanted the number countdown as the red ball of lights made its descent.
Ten.
Nine.
Kellie glanced at Ryan. He was yelling the numbers out, too, right along with Gracie. He was so good with Dorrie’s girls. Warmth spread through Kellie at the thought he’d make a good father. Ryan was good with her, too. He was patient and easy and she could tell him anything. She closed her eyes and thanked God for bringing them together. To think she’d almost tossed away this chance at happiness.
Five.
Four.
And then Ryan put Gracie on her feet and nodded. The kid grinned then pushed past her toward Dorrie.
Kellie tipped her head, ready to ask why he’d done that, but it was time.
Two.
One.
The crowd cheered “Happy New Year,” and folks hugged each other as fireworks burst to life overhead with crackles and booms. Ryan reached for her mitten-clad hands.
“Kellie?” He looked very serious and then went down on one knee.
Kellie’s breath caught in her throat. “Oh.”
The crowd around them inched away, giving Ryan room. A couple of folks poked each other with elbows and watched. Kellie glanced at Dorrie, who smiled and wiped at a tear.
Slowly, as if in a dream, Kellie focused her attention back on Ryan kneeling in the icy street.
“I promised to wait, but since it’s a new year, I thought it’d be okay to finally ask if you’ll marry me.”
Kellie laughed. They hadn’t been dating three weeks. Three weeks or three years, her answer would remain the same. “Yes! Yes! Now get up before you freeze.”
He stood and pulled her into his arms. “Happy New Year, Kel.”
She lifted her face. “Happy New Year.”
He kissed her then, sealing their promise.
She felt a hug from someone small. Breaking apart from Ryan, Kellie looked down to see Gracie grinning up at them. “You knew, didn’t you?”
“Yup.” Gracie nodded.
“And she didn’t tell. That was a big present in itself.” Ryan pulled off Kellie’s left mitten.
Kellie gasped when he slipped a beautiful diamond engagement ring onto her finger. “Whoa, when’d you get this?”
Ryan smiled. “At Christmas. Hannah and Gracie helped me pick it out. They said it had to be super special for Aunt Kellie.”
Kellie’s eyes filled with tears. It was. Even more so because her family shared in choosing it. Despite their problems, she had a family that loved her. And now, she’d become part of a new family who’d love her, too. The truth of that blessing humbled her.
She stared at the ring glittering in the light cast by streetlamps and Christmas lights and then she looked at Ryan. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “Thank you for saying yes.”
She laughed. “As if there would be any other answer.”
He nodded his agreement and then they were pulled into more hugs from Dorrie and Hannah and even the folks watching nearby as they wished each other a Happy New Year.
This year promised to be a very good year, indeed.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from HER UNEXPECTED COWBOY by Debra Clopton.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Ryan’s and Kellie’s journey to love and wholeness through their renewed faith in God. I hope you enjoyed it.
The first time Ryan showed up in Season of Dreams (Feb. 2011), I thought he’d be a really fun, tortured hero to write. Uh no—fun is not even close to describing Ryan’s character development. I agonized over him, trying to find the right balance and the right heroine for him. And then along came Kellie Cavanaugh who formed before my eyes once I gave her the right name. Amazing what strength of character comes from a name. Kellie is perfect for Ryan because she understands him. As a strong person with emotional scars of her own, Kellie knew what Ryan was going through but was too afraid to love him. I think it took Ryan and Kellie to finally put their trust in God in a very real way to enable them to love each other perfectly.
God did not promise a life that would be easy, but He promised He’d never leave or forsake us. With the Creator of the Universe on our side, there’s nothing we can’t overcome.
Many Blessings,
Jenna
I love to hear from my readers. Please visit my website at www.jennamindel.com or drop me a note c/o Love Inspired Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.
Questions for Discussion
Like our earthly fathers, God promises to do what is best for us, including correction or punishment when needed. How is God’s hand in Ryan’s situation of forced counseling?
Have you ever read the poem “Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson? The opening lines show a man running from God. In what ways did Ryan also run from God?
Kellie worried about her immediate attraction to Ryan because of ethical concerns of getting personally involved with someone in counseling where she interned. Should she have been? Why or why not?
Ryan’s estrangement from his brother was because Sinclair left him alone to grieve. Should Ryan have felt that way? Why? Why is it so easy to hold on to a grudge against a family member?
Kellie’s past includes the self-destructive behavior of cutting. How has the church addressed this issue with their teens? How should they? How would you respond to a teenager who struggles with this?
When the book opens, Ryan is in denial regarding his grief over the death of his fiancée and his abuse of alcohol. When do you think Ryan accepted his alcoholism? Do you believe Ryan will succeed in his recovery? Why or why not?
Kellie keeps a tight rein on her feelings and steers clear of situations where she believes she may be emotionally hurt. Can you relate to that? In what ways?
How did Kellie show growth by the end of the book? What was the catalyst for Kellie giving a relationship with Ryan another chance?
In the New Living Bible translation, 1 Corinthians 13:7 reads: Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. How did Kellie fall short of that when it came to Ryan? And what about her brother?
Ryan and Kellie work together on a house being built for a single mom in need. Are there any nonprofit organizations in your area that do this? How do you view what they do?
I usually end my books with a wedding scene as an epilogue, but didn’t with this book. I chose an engagement scene instead. When and where do you think Ryan and Kellie will get married?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.
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Chapter One
Rowdy McDermott closed the door of his truck and scanned the ranch house that had seen better days. Carrying the casserole he’d been sent to deliver, he strode toward the rambling, low-slung residence. He’d always liked this old place and the big weathered barn behind it—liked the rustic appearance of the buildings that seemed cut from the hillside sloping down on one side before sweeping wide in a sunny meadow. There was peace here in this valley, and it ra
diated from it like the glow of the sun bouncing off the distant stream cutting a path across the meadow.
This beautiful three-hundred-acre valley was connected to his family’s ranch. Rowdy had hoped one day to make this place his own, but the owner wouldn’t sell. Not even when he’d moved to a retirement home several years ago and Rowdy had made him a good offer. He’d told Rowdy he had plans for the place after he died.
Four days ago his “plan” had arrived in the form of the owner’s niece, so Rowdy’s grandmother had informed him, at the same time she’d volunteered him to be her delivery boy.
He knocked on the green front door, whose paint was peeling with age. Getting no answer, he strode to the back of the house, taking in the overgrown bushes and landscaping as he went. Years of neglect were visible everywhere.
A black Dodge Ram sat in the drive with an enclosed trailer hitched to the back of it. He’d just stepped onto the back porch when a loud banging sound came from the barn, followed by a crash and a high-pitched scream.
Rowdy set the dish on the steps and raced across the yard. The double doors of the barn were open and he skidded through them. A tiny woman clung to the edge of the loft about fifteen feet from the ground.
“Help,” she cried, as she lost her grip—
Rushing forward, Rowdy swooped low. “Gotcha,” he grunted, catching her just in the nick of time. He managed to stay on his feet as his momentum forced him to plunge forward.
They would have been okay if there hadn’t been an obstacle course’s worth of stuff scattered on the barn floor.
Rowdy leaped over cans of paint and dodged a wheelbarrow only to trip over a pitchfork— They went flying and landed with a thud on a pile of musty hay.
The woman in his arms landed on top of him, strands of her silky, honey-colored hair splayed across her face.
