by Kat Brookes
A soft sob escaped her lips. “Tucker.”
“I love you, Autumn Myers,” he went on. “And I can’t bear the thought of you being as far away as Cheyenne, let alone Texas. Blue and I need you. Come back to Bent Creek and start your own real estate business there. There are office fronts available and I promise to be there for you, doing whatever you need to help you take back the dream you so selflessly gave up to help raise my daughter.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I love you, too. And I can’t think of anything I’d like more than to be living closer to you and Blue.”
“With us if I have my way,” he said, sinking down onto one knee.
Autumn’s hand flew to her mouth as Tucker pulled a blue satin ring box from his shirt pocket. He raised its lid to reveal a vintage filigree-styled engagement ring perched inside.
“You can set the date,” he told her. “I’d never want to rush you into something you’re not ready for. But I want you to know that I am in this for the long haul. Say you’ll marry me, Autumn. Help me to raise my daughter. Let my family be yours. Share my friends. Even my horses if you have a mind to.”
“Oh, Tucker.” She felt cherished and loved, and so very wanted. Glancing down at the ring he held so hopefully in his hand, she said with a teary sigh, “It’s so beautiful.” Everything he’d said had been beautiful.
“I’m glad you like it.”
She looked up to see the love reflected in his eyes, and her heart swelled with love for this adorably charming cowboy standing before her, a man willing to risk so much for her. Lifting her tear-filled gaze, she said with a tender smile, “If it’s true what they say about home being where the heart is, then there is no other place I would rather be than in Bent Creek with the two people who mean the very most to me. So, yes, Tucker Wade, I’ll marry you.”
A wide grin stretched across his face, putting his whisker-covered dimple on full display. Oh, how she adored that dimple.
“I didn’t think I could ever be as happy as I was the day I found out Blue was mine. But I was wrong.”
“Oh, Tucker,” she said, pressing a hand to her heart.
He eased the antique ring from its nest of blue. “This was my grandma Wade’s. I know it’s old, and maybe not the style you would have chosen, but I wanted to have something to give you when I asked you to marry me.”
“It’s perfect,” she breathed as he slid the ring onto her extended finger. It was as if the ring had been made just for her. Looking up into his smiling face, she said, “I love it. Even more so because it was your grandma’s. And I love you.”
“Now about setting that wedding date...” he said with a grin.
Epilogue
“It’s time,” Emma Wade said quietly as she handed Autumn her bridal bouquet.
“Yay!” Blue exclaimed with a twirl, the knee-length light blue tulle dress she wore lifting as if floating around her.
Autumn didn’t have the heart to shush her, despite knowing everyone in the church on the other side of the closed doors had to have heard. This was a day of happiness for so many. Her gaze moved to the ribbon-wrapped bouquet of bluebells and baby’s breath she held in her hands. Tucker had special ordered the flowers for their wedding in memory of her sister. It had been such a thoughtful thing for him to do, considering his past with Summer. But then Tucker was that kind of man.
“My sentiments exactly,” Tucker’s momma said with a smile as she handed Blue the basket of silk rose petals she was to carry with her down the aisle. Ones the same shade as Autumn’s bouquet. “Remember what you’re supposed to do?”
Her niece nodded. “Put them on the floor so Aunt Autumn’s dress can scoop them up.”
Emma laughed softly. “Such a smart girl. Now Grandma’s going to go take her seat in the pew. When the music starts, Mrs. Pratt will open these doors and then you start down the aisle to your daddy. Your aunt Autumn will be right behind you.”
She was so grateful to have Emma there. Tucker’s momma had welcomed Autumn into her home for the three months she and Tucker had decided to wait to be married. Tonight, she would be sleeping in her own home, Tucker’s home, where they would start their life together raising Blue and any other children the good Lord saw fit to bless them with.
Emma stepped over to give Autumn an affectionate kiss on the cheek. “You look beautiful, honey.”
“Thank you, Emma. I feel beautiful today.”
“Grady and I are going to miss having you with us, but I’m getting something I’ve wanted for a very long time,” she said with a tender smile. “A daughter.”
“And I’m getting something I’ve only ever dreamed of having. A mother,” Autumn said, giving Emma a loving hug.
Tears filled the older woman’s eyes as she slipped into the church, closing the door behind her.
Moments later, the organ began to play and the large, ornate church door swung open. And there, at the end of the aisle, stood the man who held her heart, his two brothers by his side.
His gaze locked with hers and a wide smile slid across his tanned face.
Blue gave a quick wave to her daddy, who waved right back, before setting off down the white runner tossing flower petals to and fro with youthful exuberance. As soon as she reached the altar, her niece took her place next to Hope, who had flown from Texas with Logan to be Autumn’s matron of honor.
The “Wedding March” began to play and it was all Autumn could do not to run to Tucker in her eagerness to be at his side now and forevermore. Instead, she forced herself to move toward him in slow, mindful steps, taking it all in as she made her way past the rows of friends and family who had come to witness their becoming man and wife in the eyes of God.
As if reading her mind, or perhaps feeling the same need to be by her side, Tucker stepped toward her, meeting her halfway where he crooked his arm. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to start our marriage the way we’re going to live our lives together—meeting each other halfway and traveling down the road of life as one.”
“I’d love nothing more,” she told him as she slipped her arm through his. She would gain so much that day. A husband who loved her, the opportunity to take part in the raising of her precious niece, a family to call her own and a place to finally call home. She was truly blessed.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this story, pick up these other
books by Kat Brookes:
HER TEXAS HERO
HIS HOLIDAY MATCHMAKER
THEIR SECOND CHANCE LOVE
Available now from Love Inspired!
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Keep reading for an excerpt from HIS NEW AMISH FAMILY by Patricia Davids.
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Dear Reader,
Life is filled with choices. Each and every one of those choices we make takes us down a different path. Tucker chose never to marry again after his first marriage failed, living a life he thought was fulfilling enough. It wasn’t until the Lord brought Autumn into his life with the daughter Tucker never knew existed that he found himself considering a new path, wanting something more than what he’d settled for. And in doing so, he found true happiness. I believe the Lord provides us with many opportunities to find our own happiness. We just have to be willing to go in a direction that we’d never considered, or, perhaps, were too afraid to.
I hope you’ve enjoyed sharing Tucker and Autumn’s journey. Be sure to look for Garrett’s and Jackson’s upcoming stories.
Kat
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His New Amish Family
by Patricia Davids
Chapter One
“This is what you spent our money on?”
“It’s wunderbar, ja? What a beauty.” Paul Bowman grinned as he wiped a spot of dirt off the white trailer bearing his name in large black letters on the side. It might look like a big white box with windows but it was his future. It sat parked inside their uncle’s barn out of the weather.
His brother, Mark, shook his head. “Beauty was not my first thought.”
Paul stepped back to take in the full effect. “Paul Bowman Auction Services. Has a nice sound, don’t you think? A friend did all the custom work. He found this used concession stand trailer, stripped it to a shell, then installed the sliding glass windows on each side, rewired it for battery power as well as electricity, installed the speakers on the roof and customized the inside to fit my needs. It did smell like fried funnel cakes for a while but the new paint job took care of that.”
Mark sighed heavily. “This is not what I was expecting.”
Paul walked around pointing to the features he had insisted on having. “It is mounted on a flatbed trailer with two axles and radial tires for highway travel. The front hitch is convertible. It can be pulled by horses or by a truck if the auction is more than twenty miles away.”
“What were you thinking?”
Paul didn’t understand the disapproval in his older brother’s voice. “I told you I needed a better sound system. People have to be able to hear the auctioneer.”
Mark gestured toward the trailer. “I thought you wanted a new speaker. This thing looks like a cross between a moving van and the drive-up window at the Farley State Bank. It’s huge. And white. Our buggies must be black.”
“The bishop won’t object to the color. It’s not like it’s sunflower yellow and it isn’t truly a buggy. It’s my place of business. It has everything I need.”
“Everything except an auction to take it to.”
“The work will start rolling in. You’ll see.” He pulled open the back door. “You have got to hear this sound system. These speakers are awesome. It all runs on battery power, or I can plug it in if there is electricity at the place where the auction is being held. The bishop allows the use of electricity in some businesses so he shouldn’t object to this.”
“You will have to okay it with him. It isn’t plain.”
“I’ll see him soon. I’m not worried.”
“And if he says nee, can you get your money back?”
“He won’t.” Paul stepped up into what was essentially an office on wheels.
The trailer was outfitted with two desk spaces, two chairs and a dozen storage bins of assorted sizes secured to the walls. Sliding windows on both sides opened to let him deal directly with customers and call the auction without leaving the comfort of his chair. A third window at the front with an open slot beneath it served as a windshield so he could drive a team of horses from inside.
The feeling of elation that it all belonged to him widened Paul’s smile. Mark didn’t understand how much this meant. No one in the family did. They thought being an auctioneer was his hobby and nothing more. Maybe that was his fault.
He was the joker in the family. He was good at pretending he didn’t take anything too seriously. He was a fellow who liked a good joke even if the joke was on him. He enjoyed light flirtations but avoided serious relationships at all costs. Auctioneering was his one true love.
This trailer was the culmination of three years’ work to fulfill his dream of becoming a full-time auctioneer.
Detaching the microphone from the clips that held it in place while the vehicle was in motion, he flipped a switch and began his auctioneer’s chant. “I have two hundred, um two, two, who’ll give me three hundred, um three, three, I see three. Now who’ll give me a little more, four, four, do I hear four?”
He slid open the window and propped his elbows on the desktop as he looked down at Mark. “What do you think?”
“It’s mighty fancy for a fellow who has only been a licensed auctioneer for a couple of months.”
Paul wanted his brother to share his enthusiasm, not dampen it. “I completed the auctioneer’s course and served my year of apprenticeship with Harold Yoder. He’s one of the best in these parts. I have called twenty auctions under his supervision. I have earned my license, and I’m ready to be out on my own.”
“There’s a difference between going out on your own and going out on a limb. How much did you spend on this?”
“Enough.” All he had saved plus the money he had borrowed from Mark and a four-thousand-dollar loan from the bank on a short-term note. Paul kept that fact to himself. He didn’t need a lecture from his always practical older brother. Sometimes life required a leap of faith.
It was true he had expected to be hired for several major auctions by the time his custom trailer was finished but he’d had only one small job so far. His commission had barely covered his expenses for that one. He’d been forced to borrow the money to pay the builder when his trailer was ready. No Amish fellow liked being in debt but sometimes a man’s business required it. Paul closed the window, switched off the microphone and stepped out.
Mark shook his head. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Paul grinned. “I talk fast. That’s the secret. You’ll see. This is a goot investment. You’ll get your money back soon.”
“I hope so. I’ll need it to pay for the new ovens we’re putting in at the bakery. Have you told Onkel Isaac about this purchase?”
“Not yet. I hope he approves but I know this was the right decision for me even if he doesn’t.” They both walked out into the early morning sunshine.
“He will support your decision but if you fail at this business venture, don’t look to him to bail you out. Or me. Lessons learned by failure are as valuable as lessons learned by success.”
“I know. It’s the Amish way.” Paul had heard that many times in his life but it never meant as much as it meant now. When his loan came due in two months, the bank could repossess his van if he didn’t have the money. He was starting to worry.
Maybe he could get an extension on his loan. His uncle did a lot of business at the bank but Paul’s finances were what they would look at.
He crossed the farmyard with Mark and headed toward their uncle’s furniture-making business, where they both worked. As they entered the quiet shop, they went their separate ways. Mark went out back to start the diesel generator that produced the electric power for the numerous woodworking machines, lights and office equipment. When Paul heard the hum of the generator start up and the lights came on, he raised the large door at the rear of the building so the forklift operator could bring in pallets of raw wood and move finished products to the trucks that would soon arrive for the day’s deliveries.
He saw a car turn into the parking lot and stop but he knew Mark wou
ld be up front soon to deal with any customers. A man got out of the car and walked toward Paul instead of going to the entrance to the business. He was dressed in khaki pants and a blue polo shirt. Definitely not an Amish fellow.
“I’m looking for the Amish auctioneer?”
Paul grinned and clapped a hand to his chest. “You found him. I’m Paul Bowman.”
“I’m Ralph Hobson. I recently inherited a farm and I am no farmer. The place is a pile of rocks and weedy fields fit for goats and not much else. I’ve been told that an auction is the easiest and fastest way to get rid of the property.”
“Auctions are very popular in this part of the country. The buyer can see he’s getting a fair deal because he knows what everyone else is offering. The seller gets his money right away, and my auction service takes care of the details in between for a ten percent commission. Does that sound like something you’re interested in?”
“It does. How soon can you hold an auction?”
“That depends on the size and condition of the property and the contents of the home if you are selling that.”
“I am. The farm is a hundred and fifty-five acres. How much can I expect to get for it?”
“Farmland in this part of Ohio sells for between five and six thousand dollars an acre depending on the quality of the land.”
Ralph’s eyes lit up. “It’s a good thing I didn’t take the first offer I had. That weasel was trying to cheat me. So roughly seven hundred and seventy thousand, give or take a few thousand?”
Paul wondered who the weasel was and how much he had offered. It wasn’t any of his business so he didn’t ask. “Minus my commission. It could go higher if there is a bidding war.”
“What’s that?”
“That’s when two or more bidders keep upping their bids because they both really want the item.”
“That sounds interesting. What keeps the seller from putting someone in the crowd to drive the price up?” Ralph slipped his hands into the front pockets of his pants. “Hypothetically, of course.”
