Winter's Secret

by Lyn Cote

  Gathering her nerve, Wendy looked up at Rodd, so full of life and handsome, standing so close beside her. He made her feel very feminine. "The story about your saving the baby is the talk of the town. I'm so glad you were there to save her."

  Rodd hung his head. "I wish I'd suspected the car might explode. I would have tried to get the parents out—"

  Wasn't that just like him? "Harry said it sounded like their gas tank had had a tiny crack in it already, and the impact made it that much worse," she pointed out. "You saved the one you could. That's what counts."

  For the first time since the accident, Rodd felt a beginning of healing. He recalled Wendy's explanation about their making life-and-death calls. Wendy would understand the weight he carried. As a nurse, she'd accepted the same heavy responsibility. His tenderness toward her expanded inside him. Lord, you've brought her here. Help me find a way to show her how I feel.

  The baby in Penny's arms sneezed. Everyone smiled. The other cattle in their stalls moved restlessly, waiting too. The cow bawled long and hard as a baby calf slid out onto the fresh hay.

  "It's the calf. It got borned." Zak bounced up and down; then he jumped into his father's arms. "We want a baby too. Not this baby." He pointed at the bundle in his mother's arms. "We're just keeping this baby till they find its grandma or aunty. We want another baby in our family. Sheriff, when are you and Wendy going to have a baby?"

  A brief silence came. At least, a human one. The new mother cow lowed to her calf as she got up and examined him, nudging him. Zak's words had startled Rodd. What was the right thing to say?

  "Zak," Bruce began, "you know we talked about how God's first choice is that every baby have both a mother and a father. We also talked about how it's good for a man and woman who love each other to get married before they have a family. That way, a baby gets love right at the start in a family that has a mother and a father who love each other and the baby."

  "But Rodd and Wendy love each other. Don't you, Rodd?" Zak implored.

  Wendy turned bright pink. "Zak—"

  "Well, you do, Sheriff," Zak insisted. "You kissed her. I saw you at the auction. When are you going to get married?" Zak demanded as if Rodd were being particularly dense.

  Shock rippled through Rodd How like God to use a child to give me the push I need. And he had to confess, God had certainly come up with a novel way of broaching the subject of marriage. Rodd took Wendy's hand in his. He'd thought it might take weeks to win his way back into Wendy's heart. But he'd sensed Wendy's happiness today as soon as she'd entered the barn. Okay, Lord, I'll take it from here. "Excuse us, Zak. This is something Wendy and I should discuss privately. You watch the mama clean up her calf."

  Leaving Bruce and Penny to deal with Zak's questions, Rodd led Wendy to the end of the stalls into a vacant one. The moment had come. He prayed for the right words to say. Inside the stall, he gently cupped her shoulders with his hands. "Wendy, I know this isn't the usual time or place for a proposal, but I love you with my whole heart."

  Her breath caught in her throat.

  "You are the only woman I've ever wanted to be my wife, the mother of my children. I know this winter has been a tough one, but..."

  Wendy watched Rodd's intent face as he spoke. His words flowed over her like a soft caress, but his tender expression, tone, and touch told her even more. Rodd Durand loves me. And he wants me to be his wife.

  A few weeks ago she would have been upset by Rodd's proposal. In the past, before she'd ever really felt this kind of love for any man, she'd closed the door on romance. All because of what had happened to her mother. But I'm not my mother. And Sage is right. I won't let the past destroy my future. You've brought a fine man into my life. Rodd Durand would never betray my trust. "Yes, Rodd."

  He stopped. "You'll marry me?"

  She nodded.

  Sweeping her into his arms, he kissed her.

  And with a full heart, she kissed him back.

  In the church office on the second day of May, Wendy's mother, Doreen, slipped another bobby pin into the crown of Wendy's wedding veil. "Ouch," Wendy complained. "How many of those things do you need to hold on a veil?"

  "That's the last one. It's good you grew your hair out longer or we'd have had to tape it to your head." Mom stepped back and gazed at Wendy, dressed in a white satin wedding gown. "I think you're the first Rieker to be married in white satin in memory "

  "And I'll be next," Sage said, picking up her yellow-and-white bridesmaid bouquet from the table.

  "Are you sure you want to wear this same gown, Sage?" Doreen worried aloud. "We can afford another—"

  "Don't worry about it," Sage interrupted. "Since I'm taller than my big sister, Mrs. Benser is going to add another ruffle to the skirt, and she's going to shorten the sleeves for my August wedding."

  Wendy had reconciled herself that Sage and Trav would get married. She didn't have the right to tell her very perceptive sister whether or when to marry. And she knew her mother was sad that her brother, Dutch, was in custody and waiting to stand trial for his part in the explosion in LaFollette. But Wendy pushed these thoughts from her mind.

  Sage was saying. "And Miss Frantz is going to do something to the veil to make it look different, too."

  Much to everyone's surprise, Miss Frantz had insisted on making Wendy's veil for free. Over the past months it had become clear that by stealing the bazaar money and trying to avenge herself on Mrs. Benser, Veda McCracken had alienated herself from her final few cronies.

  Doreen took out her handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve two such beautiful, wonderful daughters. I don't deserve you—"

  "Don't say that." Wendy and Sage put their arms around their mother and hugged her as much as they could with all the pearls, lace, and crinoline that surrounded them. Happily Doreen and Jim appeared to be adjusted to their move and were still attending their church in Florida every week.

  "I love you, girls."

  "We love you too, Mom."

  The organ music increased in volume. "That's our cue, Mom," Sage said and walked out into the church entry hall.

  Standing beside Harlan, Jim waited for Doreen. Jim offered his arm to the mother of the bride and led her proudly into the sanctuary to their seats in the front pew.

  A few moments later, Sage leaned over to kiss Harlan. Then holding her bouquet of daisies and baby's breath, she walked down the aisle toward the groom and best man, Rodd and Trav.

  Dressed in his new wedding suit, Grandfather offered Wendy his arm. She took it, trembling inside. She smiled at him nervously and clutched her bouquet. As they stepped into the sanctuary, the organ sounded the chord, and everyone rose in her honor. She gazed ahead and saw only Rodd.

  Grandfather whispered into her ear, "Your daddy would be so proud of you."

  Wendy's joy swelled inside her. "I love you, Grandfather."

  He squeezed her arm. "And I'll always love you too, sweetheart. You're marrying a fine man."

  Rodd stood proud and tall, waiting for her.

  I waited for you too, Rodd. But our waiting is over. Our life together begins today. Thank you, Father.

  Epilogue

  Far from Steadfast...

  She stood with her head against the cool window, looking outside at the signs of spring. How long had it been since she'd walked down a street? Dear God, how long is he going to keep me a prisoner here? I'm so sorry for everything. What's going to happen to me? Why haven't my parents found me? Why haven't Pete and Lisa come back for me? She recalled the moment she'd let them take her baby away placing her car seat into the back seat of that old battered blue sedan. She'd been afraid for her baby's safety. But had her baby reached her grandmother in Steadfast?

  A sob caught in her throat. Will I ever see my baby again?

  Dear Reader:

  When I married my husband over twenty years ago, I "married" the north woods of Wisconsin too. His family had been vacationing there since the 1920s. I lov
ed going north every year and getting to know his uncles, aunts, and cousins. In the summertime, the north woods is a paradise of spring-fed lakes, tall pines, and sunshine. But after a snowmobiling trip one January, I found winter is completely different. Winter that far north so near Canada can be challenging and dangerous. I chose Wisconsin in winter as the setting for my romance/suspense series because it was the perfect place to challenge my characters as they struggled against the elements and elusive evil.

  Rodd and Wendy had to learn to trust the Lord before they could accept God's gift of love. As my editor in 2001, Diane Eble, said, "Rodd had to learn to trust the Lord in the present, and Wendy had to learn to trust the Lord to clean up the past."

  Please let me know if Rodd and Wendy's story touched your heart. Contact me online at l.cote@juno.com; or through my Web site, www.booksbylyncote.com.

  On my homepage, I host an active blog, titled "Strong Women Brave Stories." I post reviews, my current life and writing information, and interviews with authors who write about their own strength in the face of challenges, and about also strong women in their lives, families and books.

  Connect with me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/LynCote

  On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lyn.cote

  Or at GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/101121.Lyn_Cote

  Author Bio

  When Lyn Cote became a mother, she gave up teaching, and while raising a son and a daughter, she began working on her first novel. Rejections followed. Finally in 1997, Lyn got "the call." Her first book, Never Alone, was chosen for the new Love Inspired romance line. Since then, Lyn has had over thirty-five novels published. In 2006 Lyn's book, Chloe, was a finalist for the RITA, and in 2011, her books Her Healing Ways, won an American Christian Fiction Writers CAROL Award, both the highest awards in the romance genre. Lyn’s brand “Strong Women, Brave Stories,” includes three elements: a strong heroine who is a passionate participant in her times, authentic historical detail and a multicultural cast of characters. Lyn also features stories of strong women both from real life and true to life fiction on her blog http://BooksbyLynCote.com Now living her dream of writing books at her lake cottage in northern Wisconsin, Lyn hopes her books show the power of divine as well as human love.

  Here's an excerpt of the next book in the Northern Intrigue series.

  AUTUMN'S SHADOW Excerpt

  Just as Keely was about to turn onto Highway 27 to drive to the clinic to check on her injured cheerleader, her cell phone rang. "Keely Turner."

  "Ms. Turner—" the young male voice on the line shook—"could you come? Carrie, you know, my girlfriend—"

  "Who is this?"

  "Ma'am, I volunteer in our high school store—"

  She recognized his voice then. "What's wrong?"

  "Shane—my friend Shane—gave me your cell phone number and told me to call you. I'm really scared for my girlfriend, Carrie Walachek. Carrie went inside her trailer..." The teen was obviously fighting to control his emotions. "There's been a lot of shouting and ..."

  The line clicked.

  Her pulse thudding in her head, Keely looked at the phone and then hung up. She stopped on the side of the road. Reaching into her glove compartment, she took out the student directory, located Carrie's name and address, then turned her car back on the road. She sped all the way to the edge of town where a few trailers huddled together.

  When she pulled up at Carrie's address, she saw Shane Blackfeather and the teen who'd called her, pounding on the trailer door, shouting Carrie's name.

  Dread chilling her, Keely got out and approached the bottom of the metal steps up to the trailer. "What are you two doing?"

  Shane's friend knotted his hands into fists. "This is all my fault." He turned back to Shane. "Let's break down the door—"

  "Shane!" Keely snapped, trying to keep the two teens from making matters worse. "What's happening?"

  Shane, tall and dark, ran down to her. "We're afraid Carrie's dad is beating her. We can't get him to open up—"

  She held up her hand. Muffled shouts and groans came from inside the trailer, then a thud like something heavy—like a body— hitting the inside wall. This was more serious than what she could handle. She pulled the cell phone from her purse and speed-dialed the sheriff's department

  The trailer door burst open. Keely dropped her phone.

  "You!" the large man shouted. "Who invited you. Turner?" "Mr. Walachek—," she began.

  "Get out of here!" Alcohol slurred his voice. "Off my property!" Carrie appeared just behind her father. She tried to squeeze around him. But the big man pinned her under one arm.

  "Mr. Walachek," Keely spoke calmly, playing for time. Would the sheriff's dispatcher recognize her cell phone number on the caller ID? Could they do that? "The boys called me. What seems to be the problem? Can I be of any help?"

  "I told you! This ain't your business, lady! Just 'cause you're a Turner don't give you the right to meddle! Get off my property—"

  Carrie tried to twist out of her father's grip. The man slammed his fist into his daughter's face.

  Keely stooped and grabbed up her phone. Why did I send that deputy away so quickly!

  The teens made a rush for the girl. The father dragged his daughter inside, but he couldn't get the door shut in time. The boys rushed inside—yelling

  "Get her out of there!" Keely screamed.

  A police siren drowned out her voice.

  Shane and his friend burst out with Carrie between them. They hustled down the steps, half carrying the girl.

  "Get her into my car!" Keely shouted.

  "Don't move!" the father bellowed at the top of the steps. "Don't move, any of you!" He held a rifle and aimed it deliberately at Keely's head.

  The three teens froze halfway down the steps.

  Keely couldn't draw breath.

  "Mr. Walachek?" a calm voice came from behind Keely. "What seems to be the problem here?"

  It was that new deputy, Burke Sloan. Thank God.

  "Get off my property!" the man bellowed again, the sound vibrating inside Keely, making her tremble.

  "Mr. Walachek, you know I can't do that," Sloan said in a calm tone. "Not when you're pointing a weapon at Ms. Turner. I can't leave until you put that rifle away."

  "I didn't ask her to come. She's on my property. I got a right to shoot trespassers!"

  "I don't want to argue with you, but if you think you can shoot Ms. Turner as a trespasser, you'll find out it won't hold up in court."

  "Yeah, but if she's dead, she won't care. And it would serve her father right!" The man cursed.

  "Mr. Walachek," the deputy said in a tone anyone would request a weather report with, "you still haven't told me what the problem is."

  "He got my girl pregnant! And he's going to marry her or—"

  "This be your first grandchild?" Sloan asked.

  The man stared at him. "What?"

  "I said, will this be your first grandchild?"

  "Yeah! What about it?"

  "I just thought you might want to be around when the baby's born." The deputy's tone continued matter-of-factly.

  "What's that mean?" Walachek glared and tightened his grip on his deer rifle.

  "That means this is no time to be pointing guns at people."

  "Get that Turner off my property then! Her father—"

  Kcely tried to block out the nasty words and the hateful tone. Her father's high-handed reputation was making matters difficult, now dangerous for her once again.

  "I don't see how that has anything to do with Ms. Turner. Now, Mr. Walachek, put down your rifle."

  The drunken man glared at Keely.

  "Mr. Walachek, my weapon's safety is off. I can get several rounds off before you can aim and fire one. This is no time to be firing guns. Your daughter is in the line of fire and she's expecting a child. Now you wouldn't want anything to hurt your little girl, would you?"

  Keely held her breath. Walachek stared into her eyes,
seeing her fear, feeding on it—she thought. But she couldn't hide it.

  "Mr. Walachek, put your gun down." The deputy's easygoing tone hardened to forged steel.

  The drunken man's glare turned belligerent.

  End of excerpt

  I hope that whets your appetite for the next book.

  End Notes