Maegan looked up as Clint came into the kitchen and he saw the frustration in her eyes. She clearly knew there was no traffic. They had worried all day and Joe hadn’t bothered to be on time. The table was all set and Lilly had put a wrapped box on Joe’s chair. Clint had even bought the lavender paper for the present.
“I’ll call his cell phone,” Clint said. Joe didn’t always answer, he thought, but it was the best they could do.
Just then he heard the sound of a vehicle coming down the road.
“He’s here,” Lilly screamed as she ran to the window to check. It was almost dark outside, but she stood there for a moment, the wild excitement on her face a thing of beauty. Then she turned around. “It must be him. He’s really here. Remember, we’re going to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ right when he comes in the door,” the girl admonished Clint and Maegan, her hands fluttering over everything. She had stepped away from the window and had moved over to the table. “Don’t let him see us yet. We won’t light the candles, but—”
Clint felt his jaw clench. He hoped he had impressed upon his brother the need to be nice tonight. Lilly was so excited and Joe so unpredictable.
A knock sounded from the back door and Lilly looked to him and whispered, “Answer it, please.”
Clint nodded and walked over, reaching for the knob. The porch light was on, but even if it hadn’t been he would have recognized the face of his brother as he stood there looking sheepish. What he hadn’t expected to see in the circle of light was a young woman, dark-haired and statuesque. Joe had his arm around her.
“Happy—” Clint heard Lilly’s thin voice begin to sing and then stop. By then, the door had opened wide enough that everyone could see the two people standing on the porch.
Everyone was silent for a moment.
“Sorry we’re late,” Joe finally said as he ushered the woman through the doorway and stepped into the house himself.
Clint nodded as he stepped back to give his brother some room.
It was awkward as everyone just looked at each other.
“You’re probably wondering about my sweet Carina here,” Joe finally said, with a smile at the woman. “I thought it was time she met my family before it was too late to make a difference.”
Clint turned to the woman and bowed his head slightly. “Welcome, Carina.”
The woman smiled her greeting in return and Clint formally introduced Maegan. Then the silence stretched for longer than it should.
Finally, Maegan spoke. “Well, dinner is ready. Why don’t you take your coats off so you can be comfortable?”
No one lit the candle in the middle of the table. While Joe and Carina were in the living room, hanging their coats in the closet there, Lilly moved the balloons away from the table.
“I’m sorry,” Maegan whispered as she put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. Clint had gone into the living room with his brother, and left her and Lilly in the kitchen to put the food on the table.
“Who is she anyway?” Lilly grumbled in disappointment.
Maegan had no answer to the question so she started pulling the dish of enchiladas out of the oven. After that, she took out the refried beans and the rice. The lettuce salad was in the refrigerator and the salsa was already on the table.
The dinner conversation was awkward. Joe seemed impatient with the prayer Clint offered and his friend, Carina, didn’t say a word about anything. Instead, she would turn her shimmering brown eyes on each speaker and smile politely. They were half through the meal when Joe casually mentioned that she didn’t speak English.
“I met Carina in Brazil,” he added.
Maegan relaxed at that. If the woman had been visiting Joe, she could understand why he had to bring her to dinner. He could hardly leave her alone in whatever rodeo town he was in. Maegan looked over and met Clint’s eyes. By his expression, she could tell he’d come to the same conclusion.
Lilly wasn’t as easily satisfied though.
“When does she go back?” the girl asked.
Joe gave a nervous laugh. “We’ll talk about that later.”
Maegan felt like she was getting a headache. Why would they need to talk about anything later? The man’s daughter was asking for some simple reassurance.
Apparently, Lilly mellowed though because, when they had finished eating, she brought out the matches to light the candles on the cake. Maegan got up and brought the cake back from the refrigerator.
Joe seemed to like the candles and asked for a large slice of the chocolate cake, winking at Lilly.
“You know what I like,” he added and gave the girl a quick kiss on the top of her head. Lilly beamed.
The girl waited for everyone to finish their cake. Then she reached behind her chair and brought out the package for him to open.
Maegan’s heart sank when Joe accepted the gift with a smile and then handed it to Carina to open for him.
Clint started to say something, but Joe cut him off. “Carina has those nails. They slice right through tape.”
“Lilly worked very hard on her gift,” Clint warned him.
Maegan prayed. She didn’t even really know what to pray for, she just knew this was an important moment for Lilly and so much could go wrong.
“Lilly’s a worker, all right,” Joe said with pride.
Carina reached out and held the opened box for Joe to see. Maegan held her breath as the man held up the bridle and examined it.
“Nice,” Joe said in a neutral tone. “Very nice.”
“Lilly looked all over for the beads,” Clint offered pointedly.
Joe nodded as he set the bridle back in the box.
Maegan suddenly realized the man hadn’t made eye contact with Lilly since he came in the door. He had patted her on the head and talked to her, but he hadn’t met her gaze. And, it was hard to avoid doing so because the girl had her eyes trained on him most of the time.
“Maybe Lilly would like to show you her room,” Maegan suggested. The girl had said earlier she wanted to do that. Maybe the two of them just needed some time alone to get comfortable with one another again. Then when Joe looked at his friend, Maegan added quickly, “I can entertain Carina. There’s so much I’d like to know about Brazil.”
Fortunately, no one pointed out the obvious, that Carina couldn’t speak English and Maegan couldn’t speak Portuguese. Instead, Joe stood up and gestured for Lilly to lead the way.
Maegan waited to hear footsteps on the stairway up to the second floor before she leaned over to Clint and said, “It’s going okay, don’t you think? I mean once we got over the initial greetings and all.”
He nodded. “I hope so.”
He didn’t look convinced and she didn’t want to press him for reassurance. Things of the heart often took time and maybe Joe needed to understand Lilly better and see how much she loved him. What man’s heart wouldn’t melt in front of the fierce loyalty of Lilly?
Maegan turned to Carina and smiled. She gestured to the necklace the woman was wearing and tried to tell her with gestures how lovely she thought it was. Carina reciprocated by moving her hands to indicate she admired Maegan’s hair. Friendships had been built on less, Maegan thought, and then she saw the ring.
“Oh,” she gasped and looked over at Clint. She knew Carina didn’t know English, but it still seemed impolite to say aloud that she was surprised to see a wedding ring on the woman’s finger.
“She must be his wife,” Clint guessed, his voice devoid of emotion. “I— Maybe that’s good.” He looked over at Maegan. “For Lilly’s sake.”
Maegan had to think about that for a minute or two. She supposed it was better for Lilly to have two parents, but Carina couldn’t even speak English. How would the two communicate? And the way Joe had handled the introduction made Lilly resent the woman.
About then, she heard a strong set of footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Joe. Maegan looked behind him, expecting to see Lilly any minute but only the man stood there.
“Could I talk with you a minute?
” Joe said to Clint. “Out on the porch?”
Clint nodded as he stood up. “I’ve been expecting to talk.”
After the two men walked out the kitchen door, Maegan looked over at Carina. “Excuse me a minute.”
The other woman nodded as though she understood.
That was all the permission Maegan needed. She hurried to the stairs. She had a feeling something had gone wrong. She felt another wordless prayer beating through her as she took each step as fast as she could.
Lilly was sitting on her bed, her dolls spread around her. She looked up when Maegan stood in the doorway.
“May I come in?” Maegan asked.
The girl nodded. Her face was pale and her shoulders slumped.
The two sat in silence for a minute before Maegan asked, “Is something wrong?”
Lilly looked up at her and the bleakness on her face tore at Maegan’s heart.
Eventually, the girl said, “He didn’t know about the dolls.” She paused to swallow. “My mother told me he had sent the dolls to me for my birthdays. Every birthday I got one of these dolls in a beautiful box. It was supposed to show he loved me, that I was his little girl. My mom promised me he loved me.”
A single sob ripped through the girl and Maegan took her in her arms and held her.
“I’m so sorry. So very sorry,” Maegan murmured.
“I kept them in my suitcase and didn’t show them to anyone,” Lilly continued, tears streaming freely down her face. “I was waiting to show them to him when we had a home—just the two of us.”
Maegan rocked the girl. “I know, sweetheart. I know.”
“My mother said he loved me more than anyone in the world,” Lilly said, her confusion plain as she looked up.
“He doesn’t love you more than your Uncle Clint,” Maegan assured her.
Tears flowed from both of them at that.
It was a half hour before they walked back downstairs. The house felt empty and someone had put away the leftovers, stacking the dishes in the sink.
“My dad forgot his bridle,” Lilly said as she stepped farther into the kitchen.
Maegan saw that the box had been slid halfway under one of the chairs. The beads in the bridle shone as bright as they had earlier, but she could hardly look at them. “Maybe he’s just outside. In the barn or somewhere.”
As soon as she said the words, Maegan knew they were not true. She couldn’t imagine Carina looking at cattle. Besides, Clint would never take his brother there, not when Lilly had been so determined to spend every second she could with the man.
Just then Clint opened the door and came inside the kitchen from the porch. He looked at them both.
“My dad’s gone, isn’t he?” Lilly stated with more composure than Maegan felt.
“I’m afraid so,” Clint said, a note of helplessness in his voice.
They were all silent for a few minutes. Finally Clint added in a flat voice, “He told me to tell you goodbye. I tried to get him to go upstairs and tell you himself, but he refused and—” Clint spread his hands. Maegan saw his knuckles were scraped so she knew the refusal had been contested. “Anyway, he’s going back to Brazil. It seems his wife has some property down there and—well, he’s going to live there now.” Sheer defeat sounded in Clint’s voice. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay,” Lilly said, her voice small. “He wasn’t the father I thought he was anyway.”
And, with that, she walked slowly over to Clint and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Can I stay with you?” she asked.
Maegan saw him blink back a tear as he said, “Always.”
She wasn’t sure if it was Clint or Lilly who opened the hug and gestured for her to join them. Either way, she went with hope in her heart. Clint had his arm around her and he turned slightly so they could kiss over Lilly’s head.
The first kiss was tentative. But Maegan felt the warmth of the second kiss slide all the way down to her toes.
“I’m going to ask you to marry me, you know,” Clint whispered in her ear a little later. “I figure I need to wait a few more days so we will have known each other for two weeks. I don’t want us to look impulsive.”
“That would never do,” Maegan agreed with a smile. She would enjoy saying yes to this man.
Lilly stepped away from them a bit. “Does this mean we’re all going to live together?” she asked, a note of wonder in her words. “In the same house?”
Clint nodded. “If Maegan agrees.”
“Please,” Lilly said as she looked up at her.
Maegan nodded, her eyes on Clint. “I’d love to be part of this family.”
Clint’s arm tightened around her and he kissed her again. They stood there together for a long time. This, Maegan thought with satisfaction as she looked at both Lilly and Clint, was finally the family she had been dreaming of for years.
“I love you,” Clint whispered to Maegan.
“I love you, too,” she answered him and then looked down to meet Lilly’s eyes. “I’m so glad I’ve found my family at last.”
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
In A Dry Creek Family, Maegan Shay is working hard to find the last members of her family. She is unwilling to accept a substitute family if she can’t have her biological family. Have you ever felt like she does? That, even though something is logical, it doesn’t work for you because of your feelings? Tell us about it.
As a child, Maegan prayed for God to give her adoptive parents who were willing to take her and her sisters. When He didn’t give her that, she gave up on Him. Many of us have given up on God at some point in our lives. Has that been your experience? What happened?
If you could have sat down with Maegan at that point (see question 2), what would you have told her about God? Are there any Bible verses you would have showed her?
Clint Parker accepts his niece at his ranch because he believes his brother will return the girl to social services if he doesn’t. Clint is a reluctant parent, but he believes God wants him to do what he can for Lilly. Have you ever accepted a responsibility that belongs to someone else? How did it make you feel?
It was also difficult for Clint to stand in for his brother as Lilly’s guardian because the girl clearly idolized her father and was cool toward Clint. It’s easy for children to take their parents for granted, just like Lilly took her uncle for granted. Do you take people in your family for granted? Do you have any suggestions for how to change this?
Mrs. Hargrove is the one who helps Maegan see things clearly. Do you have someone like Mrs. Hargrove in your life? Are you a Mrs. Hargrove to someone else?
A MOTHER FOR MULE HOLLOW
Debra Clopton
This book is dedicated to my wonderful church family at Faith Baptist Church in Madisonville, Texas.
Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
—1 Peter 5:7
Chapter One
“I asked you not to come.”
Olivia Dancer wasn’t exactly certain how to take Gabe McKennon’s words. Or the staunch stance he’d taken the instant he’d opened the door to his home and found her standing on the porch. He’d planted his jean-clad legs wide, his scuffed boots anchoring him in the threshold like solid timber, as he crossed his arms and scowled down at her.
She didn’t like the look at all. “Your mother invited me.” Her words were defensive, meeting his cerulean-blue eyes with a challenge of her own. The rugged cowboy’s jaw stiffened beneath his dark five o’clock shadow and his eyes narrowed. The man had a problem but Olivia stood her ground, though she was confused by his attitude. He looked like he was about to explode beneath his Stetson.
“My mother invited you?”
“Yes. She called last week and invited us out here. She said you had come to your senses—her words not mine.”
His jaw jerked again. Temper, temper, Olivia wanted to say but didn’t. She had been perplexed by his attitude a few weeks earlier when she’d called him to meet her neph
ew and he’d refused. She was growing more and more concerned by the minute.
Why would he tell her he didn’t want her to come to town to meet her nephew—whom she’d just learned existed a few weeks ago?
“My mother needs to learn her boundaries.”
The man was digging in deeper and deeper on the not-so-likeable scale. “All she did was tell me you’d thought about the situation and changed your mind. That you both would be happy for me and my daughter to come meet Wesley. Obviously something was lost over the phone line.”
“Obviously,” he grunted. “And his name is Wes.”
“Wes, I’m sorry. The birth papers said Wesley.”
“Mom,” Trudy, her ten-year-old daughter, called from the truck. “Can I pul-eeze get out of this truck?”
Olivia shot her a warning glance. “No, Trudy. Stay put.”
“But Mom—”
“Trudy!”
“Yes, ma’am,” Trudy huffed in exasperation at the tone of Olivia’s voice. Flouncing back she hunkered down in the seat, the top of her head barely visible over the dashboard. Her attitude had not been good since Olivia had made the decision to drive from Houston to Mule Hollow. But then, Trudy had had trouble processing change ever since her daddy’s death three years ago. Justin’s death had been hard on everyone who’d loved him, but particularly his little girl.
“Look,” Olivia said, refocusing on Disgruntled Cowboy. “I don’t know what your mother was thinking. You’re making it clear that you are not okay with us being here.”
One straight brown eyebrow quirked downward in a “ya-think?” attitude. “My mother and I disagree on the issue.”
“Again, that’s pretty clear,” Olivia drawled, her thick Texas twang enhanced by her temper as it began to percolate at his entire stance. “Who do you think you are anyway? Your son is the son of my deceased sister. A sister that I’ve just realized I had.” The last few months had been surprising, shocking and wonderful in that she’d learned she had two sisters she’d been separated from when she was very young. Maegan, her older sister, was alive and well, and they were getting to know each other after all these years. But they’d searched for their younger sister and recently found that she’d died three years ago.
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