Opening Her Heart

by Deb Kastner

  “Our home?” Avery said with a knowing smile.

  Our home.

  The words melted his heart like butter.

  But he hadn’t gotten that far yet. He hadn’t even been sure she would agree to be his wife, after all was said and done. He had figured he ought not to make any other permanent plans until that part of his life was sewn up.

  He supposed they’d have to look for a house of their own. He and his mother were only renting the small cabin by the river, and Avery lived with all her siblings. He’d have to get his mom set up in an apartment. As for him, Avery and Lottie—

  “The bed-and-breakfast,” Avery prompted. “It has a mother-in-law suite that will be perfect for whoever runs the place on a day-by-day basis. Word has it that you’re out of a job now, and a little birdie told me you had a bit of training in culinary arts and you’re a pretty good cook.”

  “I have to admit, that industrial kitchen of yours scratches an itch of mine to make monkey pancakes.”

  “Kitchen of ours,” she corrected.

  “Daddy makes really good chocolate-chip monkey pancakes,” Lottie said, smacking her lips.

  “Or blueberry, if you prefer,” he tempted.

  “Sounds good to me,” she said. “But do you know what I’d rather have right now, even more than blueberry monkey pancakes?

  “This.”

  Her eyes sparkled as she pulled his face down to hers and pressed her lips to his.

  When Avery had come to the council meeting this evening, she could never in a million years have envisioned the way it would have turned out.

  She’d thought she was going to leave the council meeting tonight entirely defeated. Instead, she was walking on air. It was truly a dream, a happily-ever-after beyond what she could ever have imagined.

  Jake handed Lottie off to his mother and framed both sides of her face, kissing her thoroughly and leaving her no doubt that this was real and not a dream. His lips were soft, and when she placed her palm against his chest she could feel the rapid beating of his heart that matched her own.

  She had a fiancé, and as soon as they were married, she would waste no time in adopting Lottie as her own daughter. No more worries about being doubly heartbroken.

  Now she was doubly blessed. Triply blessed, actually, with a wonderful mother-in-law in Elaine.

  Jake had put a ring on it to make certain she knew he meant forever.

  It was only after several minutes that she realized they weren’t alone. She’d been so caught up in the moment and focused on what was happening between her and Jake that all the cheers and applause had swept right past her unheard.

  But the whole town was there, and now their friends and neighbors were pressing in on them to wish them well. Everyone was hugging her and shaking hands with Jake, excited not only for the way things had turned out with the retreat of the Marston resort but most especially the romantic gesture at the end that would keep Jake and his family in town permanently.

  Jake let out a Texas whoop that reminded Avery of the very first time they’d met, when he’d unfolded himself from that silly red Mustang and hollered in delight for no apparent reason at all. She was going to have to have a talk with him about that Mustang, because she was not going to put any future children of theirs into that car for any reason.

  Future children.

  How wonderful that sounded. How right and perfect it was for the two of them to join their hearts and lives. She was more than ready and willing to welcome Lottie as her daughter, as well. She already loved the little girl.

  After a good half hour of congratulations and well wishes, the hall started clearing out, and Avery finally made it back to Jake’s side. He was holding a sleeping Lottie, whose head rested across his broad shoulder.

  “I can’t believe you planned all this for me. The presentation against Marston was amazing. Getting with Lisa to work out the details of our bed-and-breakfast was incredible. And most of all—” her throat closed up as she fought to find the words that would express the feelings in her heart “—that you would propose to me in front of everyone. There are no words to express how special that is to me.”

  “Yeah, well, it would have helped if I’d memorized my lines a little better, don’t you think? I don’t know, honey—like, Will you marry me?”

  “My answer would have been the same no matter how you phrased it,” she assured him. “Or even if you hadn’t said anything at all. This beautiful ring gave me a pretty good notion of your intentions.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah. I guess it would.”

  “And as it was, I never got to tell you what’s in my heart.”

  He wrapped his free arm around her shoulder and led her toward the door. “And that would be what?” he asked in his warm Texas drawl.

  “That I love you. More than I ever could have thought it was possible to love someone. You drove me absolutely crazy when we first met, and yet somehow you wiggled your way into my heart.”

  “It’s my inherent charm,” he said with a toothy grin. “All the ladies love it, but you’re the only woman I want.”

  She rolled her eyes and slapped his bicep. “Of course you would think you’re God’s gift. One thing you’re not short on is confidence. Or swagger.”

  “Now, the swagger comes naturally, darlin’,” he assured her. “But confidence? I was sweating bullets tonight thinking you might reject me.”

  “Then, why on earth did you propose in public? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to do it when it was just the two of us alone together?”

  “Because I want everyone in Whispering Pines to know just how much I love you, Avery. My love doesn’t depend on whether you’d said yes or no—although I much prefer the way things turned out, so don’t get me wrong there. But if I could, I’d crow it from the mountaintops.”

  He flapped his arm like a chicken. “I love Avery Winslow!” he called out.

  “Shh!” Avery whispered. “You’ll wake up Lottie.”

  He chuckled and kissed the top of his daughter’s curly-haired head. “She was over the moon when I told her I was going to ask you to be my wife.”

  “She couldn’t possibly be as happy as I am right now.” Avery leaned her cheek against Jake’s strong arm. “So much has happened tonight, my head is spinning.”

  “I’m just glad I have a job. That has to be a new record. Getting fired and hired in the same evening. You’re right about a lot happening tonight. And I’m looking forward to the future, when I can add a second ring to that first one and make you my wife in truth.”

  He kissed her forehead, and her heart flipped over. “Please tell me you don’t want to wait long before we have our wedding,” he pleaded, offering her a pathetic look.

  “As far as I’m concerned, the less planning we have to do, the better. We’re going to have enough organizing to do on our new bed-and-breakfast.”

  “I say we just do a small ceremony with family. Soon. You think?” he suggested, then seemed to be holding his breath for her answer.

  “As far as I’m concerned, it can’t come soon enough,” she agreed, wrapping herself into his arms for another long kiss.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  Jake whistled as he flipped the pancakes on the griddle and turned back to whipping up a big batch of scrambled eggs. His mother was over for a visit and was already seated at the kitchen table the family used for their meals.

  Jake was making breakfast for everyone. Like Lottie, breakfast was his mother’s favorite meal of the day, and it was likewise his favorite to cook.

  They were between guests for the service-dog program and intended to spend the weekend hanging out as a family. Fresh snow had fallen, and Jake thought they might all go out and build a snowman, and maybe have a snowball fight. Avery loved to play. Snowball fights were right up her alley.

 
Their wedding had been beautiful—or rather, Avery had been beautiful walking down the aisle. He didn’t remember much else, except hopefully that he’d gotten all the words right this time.

  Now it was everyday life he thoroughly enjoyed. Weddings were a onetime event. Marriages were a lifetime of daily love and laughter.

  He valued living in a small mountain town more than he could ever have imagined back when he lived in the city. Lottie was going to preschool now and had made lots of friends. Avery still did the books for the family businesses while he did the day-to-day running of the bed-and-breakfast—all of the cooking and interacting with the guests, signing them in and out and making sure they knew how to get around town.

  Every morning, he and Avery would spend time together, just the two of them. First they’d strip all the beds and start the laundry, then make all the beds up new again as they spoke about their plans for the day. And then at night they’d often gather with their guests around the community fireplace at the center of the cabin.

  This was truly the life he’d never even known he wanted, and he couldn’t imagine being any happier than he was at this moment.

  “Breakfast is on,” he called down the hallway to the suite they’d recently renovated for their family. “Who wants monkey pancakes? I’ve got chocolate chip or blueberry just waiting for you over here.”

  Lottie dashed into the kitchen, Sissy right at her heel. She was still experiencing epileptic seizures, but the local doctor had her on a new medicine that seemed to be helping with both the frequency and intensity of them. Most of all, though, Sissy had made an enormous difference in Lottie’s life, always there to protect and watch over Jake’s little girl.

  Avery yawned as she followed Lottie into the kitchen, pulling her shoulder-length blond hair back into a ponytail and fastening it with a clip. She was still in her pajamas, which she’d covered with a robe. Her pink slippers were peeking out from underneath.

  That wasn’t like her. She was usually a morning person, an early riser with a fountain full of energy.

  “Sorry,” she murmured, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “I’m just so tired lately.”

  Jake flashed her a worried frown, wondering if something might be wrong with her, but she gestured him away, sliding into the seat beside Lottie.

  “Monkey pancakes?” she asked the little girl, who, as usual, answered with a happy squeal.

  “Daddy knows all our favorites, doesn’t he?” Avery asked, and then said, “Thank you, Daddy.”

  Lottie added another excited squeak.

  Jake wondered if she was ever going to grow out of that phase, or whether Lottie would continue to punctuate her excitement in such an earsplitting way for the rest of her life—or at least her childhood.

  Squeals and squeaks were the sounds of a happy house, he supposed.

  Jake placed monkey pancakes in front of Lottie, and Avery scooped some eggs onto the little girl’s plate and doused Mr. Monkey with some real maple syrup.

  “Yum. I’m absolutely famished,” said Avery as Jake placed her plate in front of her, her pancakes also in the shape of a monkey. “I hope you made extra for me, because I can’t seem to get enough of them.”

  When they’d all been served, Jake sat at the head of the table, and they all joined hands to thank the Lord for all their blessings. And he had plenty. He took a moment longer today, just looking around at each family member as gratitude filled his heart for each one.

  After they’d eaten, Avery said, “You know, I was out shopping the other day when I found what I believe may be the perfect T-shirt for Lottie.”

  Jake raised his eyebrows. Okay, fine, so Avery had gone shopping. But this seemed like an odd time to mention it.

  “Hold on just a second, and I’ll be right back with it. I can’t wait to show you.”

  Jake and his mother exchanged glances as Avery raced out of the room and back into their bedroom. Moments later, she reappeared, her face full of color—more color than she should have had, given the short distance she’d had to walk. Jake once again wondered if maybe she was coming down with the flu or something.

  “What’s your favorite color, Lottie?” she asked, although Jake knew Avery was already aware of the answer.

  “Purple,” Lottie declared.

  “I thought so. And that’s why when I saw this purple shirt, I knew it would be perfect for you.”

  Avery held up the shirt, but she accidentally held it backward.

  “It’s wrong way around, honey,” Jake told her. “I’m assuming there’s sparkles or something on the front?”

  Avery laughed. “Or something.”

  Then, her smile widening, she turned the T-shirt around so everyone could see what was on the front.

  In big, sparkly letters, it declared:

  I’m the Big Sister.

  Jake gave a good Texas whoop, and his mother exclaimed in delight. Lottie just looked from one to the other, confused.

  Jake jumped up and ran around to envelop his wife in his arms, picking her up and swinging her around with another big whoop. Then he realized the import of what he was doing and gently set her down. He had to treat her with extra care.

  Avery chuckled and shook her head as if she could hear his thoughts. “You won’t break me—or the baby—by giving me a hug,” she assured him.

  The baby.

  She took his large hand and placed it over her abdomen.

  “The doctor says I’m eight weeks along,” she informed him with a gentle smile. “I won’t start showing for a while, but the next time we go in to see the doctor we’ll be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat.”

  Avery slid into the chair next to Lottie and helped her to put on her new shirt, then read the words aloud to her.

  “Do you know what that means, Lottie?” Jake asked gently. “Do you understand what’s going on?”

  Lottie wrinkled her nose and paused in concentration.

  “You’re going to be a big sister, sweetheart,” Jake’s mom explained.

  “That’s right, Lottie. You’re going to have a baby brother or sister in—” Jake’s heart was hammering wildly as he glanced up at Avery for the answer.

  “October,” she suppled.

  As Jake pulled Avery into his arms and swung her around, kissing her over and over, Lottie gave her very first Texas—or maybe it was really a Colorado—whoop.

  Just like her daddy.

  * * *

  If you loved this story,

  pick up the previous book

  in the Rocky Mountain Family series

  from bestselling author

  Deb Kastner,

  The Black Sheep’s Salvation,

  and be sure to check out

  some of Deb’s previous books:

  The Cowboy’s Twins

  Mistletoe Daddy

  The Cowboy’s Baby Blessing

  And Cowboy Makes Three

  A Christmas Baby for the Cowboy

  Her Forgotten Cowboy

  Available now from Love Inspired!

  Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com

  Keep reading for an excerpt from The Rancher’s Family Secret by Myra Johnson.

  Dear Reader,

  I know this book is coming out in January 2021, but as I’m writing this, I’m currently quarantined at home here in Colorado because of the COVID-19 virus, something that will definitely go down in the history books. The governor issued a stay-at-home order, and we are all doing our part by not leaving our homes any more than necessary.

  By the time you’re reading this, I hope the virus is a thing of the past, but it has really made me consider just how important inspirational romances are to my readers. The one thing I can offer is a Happily-Ever-After in God’s grace, and that I am grateful to do as I sit down to my computer to write every day.


  Please, hug your loved ones. You never know what tomorrow will bring. I wish you all every blessing.

  I’m always delighted to hear from you, dear readers, and I love to connect socially. To get regular updates, please sign up for my newsletter at http://www.debkastnerbooks.com. Come join me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/debkastnerbooks, and you can catch me on Twitter @debkastner.

  Dare to Dream,

  Deb Kastner

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  The Rancher’s Family Secret

  by Myra Johnson

  Chapter One

  “Aunt Audra!” Lindsey McClement burst from her car to envelop her favorite aunt in a bear hug. Feeling the bony shoulders and xylophone-like ribs beneath Audra’s cable-knit sweater, she tried not to visibly react.

  Audra returned the embrace with a mighty one of her own. “Oh, honey, you’re a grown woman now. I’m not that much older than you, so why don’t we just drop the aunt?” With tears in her eyes, she laughed as she held Lindsey at arm’s length. “I’m so glad you’re here. You’re even prettier than ever. Your hair’s so much longer than when I last saw you.”

  Groaning, Lindsey shoved a tangle of dark curls off her shoulder. “And still as unmanageable as ever.”

  “No, it’s beautiful. You definitely inherited the family’s ‘good hair’ genes—which totally bypassed me.” Audra pinned a limp brown strand into her messy bun before turning toward the back of the car. “Let me help with your luggage.”

  “It’s okay, I’ve got it.” Lindsey hurried to grab one of the larger suitcases out of the trunk. Her aunt, once strong and vibrant, didn’t appear capable of lifting much of anything. New streaks of silver in her hair only underscored this courageous woman’s struggles. She and her husband, Charles Forrester, had managed the McClement ranch for Lindsey’s grandparents for many years, taking over completely after both elder McClements had passed away. Then at the end of August, Uncle Charles, an army veteran partially paralyzed by an IED while serving in Iraq, had succumbed to a lengthy illness. Lindsey’s chest ached at the thought of Audra striving to carry on alone.