The Cowboy's Healing Ways (Cooper Creek)

by Minton, Brenda

  “Are you going to kiss me or not?” She laughed a shaky laugh because it sounded so desperate. But she needed for him to make this real.

  He smiled and moved one hand to her cheek. Slowly he lowered his head and kissed her. Laura closed her eyes as the moment lasted. He brushed his lips across her cheek and rested his cheek against hers, his mouth close to her ear.

  “I love you.” His voice, husky with emotion, made her shiver as the words sank in. He loved her.

  Eventually he pulled back. Maybe because there was a pan on the stove that was starting to smoke. He reached back and turned it off, moving it off the burner.

  “I want to be the man you can trust to always be in your life.”

  Laura’s world spun in a crazy way that made it hard to process what he was telling her. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

  He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head. She opened her eyes and looked at him, saw in his face the reflection of what he’d said.

  “Laura, I’m getting a little worried. I said I love you. There’s a proper response when a guy says that and the proper response triggers the next question. Honey, if you could just help me out here.”

  She stood on tiptoe and touched her lips to his, tasting him, loving him. “I love you, too.”

  He grabbed her up and held her tight. “That’s good to know.”

  “Is it?”

  He nodded as he backed away from her and reached into his pocket. “It’s very good to know. I’ve been planning this all night but in my plans, you gave the proper response. I was a little worried.”

  He reached for her hand and she shivered at his touch. He smiled at her. “I know we need a little time to get to know each other, but I also know that there are times in life when you know your heart. There are times you see God at work and you just know that He’s done something amazing.”

  “Jesse?” she whispered, swallowing the well of emotion that found itself lodged in her chest.

  “Shh.” He looked up as he dropped to one knee. He held her hand and slid a diamond and sapphire ring onto her finger.

  “Myrna’s ring.” She blinked back the tears that blurred her vision.

  “Shh.” He held her hand in his. “She hunted this ring down after she got out of the hospital and she told me to take it and pray about what to do with it.”

  “And did you do that?” Her eyes watered and she could feel her pulse in her neck.

  “I did. I realized that the most important thing God has given me to do is to serve Him. But I also realized He brought you and Abigail into my life and showed me that He had something for me that went beyond what I ever thought I would have. God has given me two people to love and protect.”

  Laura closed her eyes as he slipped the ring on her finger. He pulled her down to his level. They were both on the floor facing each other.

  “I don’t want a plan that’s about next year or five years from now. I want a plan that includes the three of us now.”

  “Jesse.” Her voice trailed off and he leaned to kiss her again.

  “Don’t say no.” He whispered close to her ear. “I know this is sudden, but please, don’t say no.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not saying no.”

  “Are you saying yes?” He held her close and she felt him tremble in her arms.

  “I’m saying yes.”

  From behind them, someone shouted, “She’s saying YES!”

  Laura turned to smile at her daughter. “Abigail.”

  Abigail ran into the room and straight into Jesse’s waiting arms. “Mia, she said yes!”

  Mia peeked around the door and waved. “Hey. Just wanted to say congratulations before I leave. I just got a call.”

  Mia hurried into the room and hugged Laura and then her brother.

  Jesse stood and held his sister for a long moment. “Be careful.”

  “Will do, Jesse Pooh.”

  He watched her walk out of the room, concern settling over him. Laura had stood and she touched his arm. He pulled her close to his side.

  “She’ll be safe,” she offered, and he turned and held her. He picked up Abigail in his other arm. Laura smiled at the daughter who had her arms around Jesse’s neck.

  “Love hopes all things, believes all things,” Abigail whispered to Jesse.

  “Yes, Abigail, it certainly does. Love never fails.”

  Laura looked up and Jesse smiled and leaned to kiss her again. And again.

  They were going to be a family.

  * * * * *

  If you enjoyed this story by Brenda Minton,

  be sure to look for the next book in her

  COOPER CREEK series,

  coming soon from Love Inspired books!

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt of Reunited for the Holidays by Jillian Hart!

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome back to Cooper Creek! The Doctor’s Healing Ways is the fourth book in the series, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the story of Jesse Cooper and Laura White as much as I enjoyed writing it! Dr. Jesse Cooper is one of my favorite heroes. He is reluctant, and yet he is the kind of man who always comes to the rescue. What could be better than a reluctant hero and a heroine who is surprised by love? I hope you enjoy this story of second chances and happy endings.

  Brenda Minton

  Questions For Discussion

  Laura White takes Myrna Cooper up on her offer and then regrets that decision. She has to face her own insecurity and Dr. Jesse Cooper. What are the reasons for her insecurities?

  Jesse Cooper is obviously worried about his grandmother, a woman who makes decisions based on her heart and not always with the best judgment. How is this good? How is this bad?

  Laura comes looking for help from an aunt she hasn’t been in touch with in years. The outcome isn’t what she expects, and things fall apart. How does she deal with this changing situation? Did she make a mistake?

  Jesse finds that he has to put himself out there, rather than closing himself off. Why does this happen and how?

  Laura is in a place where she has to take help from strangers. How does she reconcile this with the situation she finds herself in?

  Jesse is considering major changes in his life. How does meeting Laura change things for him?

  What causes Jesse’s guilt in the situation with Gayla? Is it founded or unfounded?

  How do the Coopers change Laura’s life—not materially, but emotionally?

  Laura has more to consider than her own heart. Why does she worry about her daughter’s heart in this relationship with Jesse?

  When does Laura really begin to see Jesse as someone she could fall in love with? What changes things in their relationship?

  When does Jesse begin to see that maybe God is doing something unexpected in his life and that Laura is more than just a person who needs his help?

  Jesse is understandably curious about his birth mother and the sister he lost track of. How does this affect his decisions in life?

  Jesse can see that there is a difference between a burden and a call to ministry. What are the differences, and how does he make the decision to go or not to go?

  When Laura’s stepbrother comes after her, she has to trust more than the police, more than herself. She has relied on herself for a long time. How is it good that she has learned to rely on others?

  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.

  Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.

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  Chapter One

  Dr. Brian Wallace plucked the ceramic frog out of the flower bed, tipped it upside down and shook hard. The spare front-door key fell onto his palm as he squinted into the watery afternoon sun. It was good to be home. Late November air crisped over him and he shivered, goose bumps traveling down his arms. Weak from an extended illness, he gripped the railing to steady himself. The long trip from rural Texas had taken a toll on him.

  The old adage There’s No Worse Patient Than a Doctor had never been more true, he thought, as he struggled up the stairs. Easily winded, he paused a moment at the top, thanking God he was here to see the colors of sunset. His near brush with death had marked him. He couldn’t deny it. He’d missed his life here in Fort Worth. He missed his kids—although they were grown, they were what he had left of his heart.

  He ambled to the door, leaned heavily against the wall and inserted the key. The door creaked open. Every part of him vibrated with a mix of weakness and exhaustion. As he crossed the threshold into the comfort of the house, memories surrounded him. It had been years since his children had lived here, but he recalled the pound of music from an upstairs bedroom, the chatter of his daughter on her phone, the drum of feet as one of the boys prowled the kitchen.

  Emotion dug into his chest, claws sharp. Yes, looking death in the face changed a man. It stripped away everything extraneous, leaving what mattered most.

  His footsteps echoed in the lonely living room. He eased onto a couch cushion, sighing heavily as fatigue washed over him like water. Maybe he should have listened to his colleague—he’d valued Dr. Travors’s expertise, which had saved his life—but he’d had enough bed rest. He needed to get home; he needed to be here. The Lord had put a deep call into his heart. He couldn’t explain it as he reached for the phone to try his children again. He needed to see them.

  He dialed his daughter’s number first. Dear Maddie. Many things had crossed his mind while he’d lain on a spare cot in the corner of a migrant worker’s temporary home—a shack beside many others on a remote Texas farm. His failings and regrets hit hard, but none as cruelly as his missteps in his personal relationships. He’d always had a difficult time opening up. He had to try to fix that. He’d been given a second chance.

  He waited for the call to connect. A muffled ringing came from what sounded like his front porch. The bell pealed, boots thumped on the front step and joy launched him from the couch. He set down the phone, listening to the faint conversation on the other side of the door. His kids were here? Theirs were the voices he’d missed during his illness, the ones he’d most longed to hear. He gripped the brass knob, tugged and set eyes on his children. All three of them.

  Praise the Lord, for bringing them here safe and sound. “You got my messages.”

  “You left about a dozen.” Maddie tumbled into his arms. “Dad, you have no idea how good it is to see you. No idea.”

  “Right back at you, sweetheart.” The endearment stumbled off his tongue—he wasn’t good with them—but he had to get better at speaking his feelings. He had to try harder. His dear Maddie, so like her mother. His chest ached with affections too intense to handle, so he swallowed hard, trying to tamp them down as he held her hands in his after their hug was done. “I was gone a little longer than I’d planned this time—”

  “A little?” Her voice shot up. “Dad, you have no idea how worried sick we’ve been over you.”

  “I don’t even know how to say how sorry I am—”

  “What matters is that you’re all right.” Her hands gave his a warm, understanding squeeze.

  “Where have you been?” Grayson, his oldest child, stepped in to join the reunion. Tall, dark and handsome. Pride swelled up, making it hard to look at the boy properly.

  “Grayson.” Those couldn’t be tears in his eyes, of course not. Brian wasn’t a man given to tears. Maybe because he had thought of his two other children when he’d been fighting for his life on that cot. Yet another son and daughter, lost to him forever. His biggest regret of all. Emotion clumped in his throat, making it impossible to say more.

  “We’ve been looking for you.” Grayson’s hug was brief, his face fighting emotion, too. “We found your wallet in a ditch and we feared you were missing. The police—”

  “Missing?” He swiped a hand over his face, grimacing, hating what he’d put them through. “I was in rural Texas, you know that, sometimes without phones or cell service. I would have gotten a message to you kids, but I lost my cell—”

  “I know. We found your phone, too.” Carter, his youngest from his second marriage, stepped in, healthy and whole, back from war. “We were afraid you’d gotten ill. Are you all right, Dad?”

  “Now I am.” He wrapped his arms around Carter, holding him tight. When he ended the hug, he held on, drinking in the sight of the boy—okay, he was twenty-three, but Carter would always be his youngest, a seasoned soldier home from deployment safely. When Brian let go, it was hard to see again. He was grateful to God for returning his youngest son home unharmed.

  “We heard you caught a virulent strain of strep.” Carter ambled into the living room, making himself at home.

  “And that you’d been treating a family who were dangerously ill.” Grayson headed straight for the couch.

  “We feared the worst, Dad.” Beautiful Maddie with her auburn hair and a stylish fashion sense swept through the doorway, anguish carved into her dear face.

  “I never meant to worry you.” He shut the door, swallowing hard. His case had been severe and there’d been days, even weeks, where it hadn’t been certain he would live. He didn’t know what to do with the emotions coiled in his chest, so he shrugged, tried to play things down. “I survived, so it wasn’t so bad.”

  “This is just like you. Always keeping us out instead of letting us in.” Maddie sounded upset, on the verge of anger or tears, maybe both.

  He hated upsetting her. Frustrated at himself, he crossed his arms over his chest. Remember your vow, Brian. You have to try harder. “I didn’t mean it that way, honey. There’s nothing to worry about now. I’m on the mend. That you kids are here, that you came, means everything.”

  It wasn’t easy, but he got out the words.

  “Oh, Daddy.” Maddie swiped her eyes. “Don’t you dare make me cry. I’m choked up enough already.”

  “What do you mean? What’s got you choked up? Is something going on?”

  “Dad, you’d better sit down for this.” Grayson patted the seat beside him.

  “This can’t be good.” He studied Carter’s serious face and the troubled crinkles around Grayson’s eyes. “Something happened while I was gone. That’s why you were trying to reach me?”

  “It’s not bad news, but it could give you a real shock.” Grayson cleared his throat, waiting until Brian eased onto the cushion. “There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to do it. We found Mom.”

  “Uh...” Brian’s brain screeched to a halt, unable to make sense of those words. He was hearing things. No doubt due to his exhaustion and weakened state. “Sorry...say that again? Your mom’s buried. She died when Carter was three. You remember the car accident.”

  “Not Sharla, Dad. Our real mother, at least for Grayson and me,” Maddie added.

  “Your real...? What?” That’s as far as he got. The mention of the mother of his other son and daughter floored him. How could they know? All they could remember was Sharla, his second wife, the woman he’d married when the kids were very young. “Wait a minute. I don’t understand. You’re not making any sense.”

  “I know it’s a shock for you, Daddy.” Maddie settled on the couch across from him. “But it’s true. Take a deep breath. I found our birth mother.”

  “No.” He shook his head, refusing to see how that was possible. The only person Maddie could be talking about was Isabella...his first wife, his high school sweetheart, the woman who’d broken his faith in true love.

  “I found Violet—” she began.

  �
��Violet?” He blinked, his brain spinning.

  “Thanks to a lucky coincidence, Violet and I came face-to-face in a coffee shop and I found Mom from there.” Maddie’s hands cradled his.

  Isabella was gone, tucked away in the Witness Protection Program with their two other children, never to be seen again. Their lives depended on it. “My mind’s playing tricks on me because I thought you said—”

  “Yes, I did. Mom is in Grasslands, and we’re all together. Violet and Jack, well, they used to be Laurel and Tanner.”

  Laurel? Tanner? He shuddered, fighting the memory welling up of the U.S. Marshal driving away in a black SUV. Isabella in the window, cradling a six-month-old in her arms, and a little chestnut-haired boy, just two, waving bye-bye.

  He swallowed hard. His lost children were here, in Texas. In Grasslands? Within driving distance? All this time he’d grieved for them, missed them with his entire heart for twenty-five years and now the two sets of twins were reunited? They’d found one another?

  No, he shook his head, refusing to believe it. It couldn’t be true. The hardest thing he’d ever done was let them go. But he’d had to make an impossible choice to protect his family from unspeakable danger.

  “We’re together now, Dad.” Maddie’s happiness was real. Her hands around his were real. “The only one missing is you.”

  Her words finally sank in. Realization crashed over him like a cold ocean wave, washing away disbelief.

  This was really happening. It wasn’t a hallucination or fever, born from his illness. He rubbed his hand over his face, took a deep breath and willed his heart rate to slow.

  “Isabella.” For twenty-five years—nearly all of his adult life—he’d been without her. And for good reason, he’d told himself. He’d done his best not to think of her for over two decades. That’s the way he wanted it.