Tracie Peterson - [Desert Roses 01] (38 page)

“Are you ready to do this?” Luke asked. She nodded, feeling the thrill of his smile go clear to her toes. He turned to the preacher. “Let’s get to it.”

Twenty minutes later Alex was announced as Mrs. Luke Toland. Everyone pelted them with rice as the first warning whistle sounded from the train in the station.

The party moved en masse toward the station but held back, giving their good-byes before reaching the platform. When only Luke remained, he took Brock from Michaela and crossed the platform with Alex at his side. Katherine took the baby from his arms and moved to board the train.

“I’m blessed to have you for a son,” she told him as he helped her aboard the train.

“I’m blessed to have you for a mother,” Luke replied in turn. “Mine has been gone for a very long time, and I think it will be pretty nice to have you around from time to time. Are you sure you don’t want to come and stay with us for a while?”

“Not just yet. There’s so much work to be done. I want to stand before the Lord and feel I did my best for Him.”

“That’s all any of us want,” Luke agreed. “I have a feeling you’ll more than satisfy the Lord in your love for others.”

Katherine smiled. “I have no doubt the same will be true for you. I know what you did for Valerie. She told me about your kindness to her, talking to her about God despite her brazen actions toward you. You have a good heart, Luke.” She smiled at Alex, who stood only a few feet away, listening to their exchange. “Now, you go give your wife a proper good-bye and we’ll see you on Friday.”

Luke nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” He tipped his hat and waited until Katherine had disappeared before turning to Alex.

“You said some very sweet things to my mother,” she told him as he took her in his arms. As he pulled her close, Alex put her hands on his chest. “Behave yourself—we’re in public, Mr. Toland.”

“Yes, Mrs. Toland, but I’m a newly married man and I won’t be able to hold my wife again until . . . well, it seems like it will be forever. As soon as I finish showing the new crew the ropes, I’ll be back, and then I’ll never have to let you go.”

She smiled and lifted her hand to touch his face. “I know. I feel the same way, even if it is only until tomorrow.”

He kissed her sweetly on the mouth, then trailed kisses on her cheek and nose and eyes. “Don’t forget me,” he whispered just before he kissed her mouth again.

Alex pulled back and smiled. “I could sooner forget to breathe.”

The train whistle blasted and the conductor called the final board.

“I have to go,” Alex said, pulling away from Luke’s protective hold. “I’ll pick you up at the station tomorrow. Don’t miss the train.”

“I won’t. I’ll be there before you know it. You’ll see.”

He walked her to the train and let the conductor help her aboard. “I love you,” he whispered.

She replied in like manner, but the train whistle blocked out her words. They laughed and Alex found herself pushed up the stairs by the insistent conductor. She waved as the train pulled out, joyous in her newfound feelings of love and contentment. There was no fear of whether he’d come back to her. No fear of what might happen in her absence. God had melted away her fears—He had taken away the shadows and put sunshine and hope in their place.

EPILOGUE

A
UGUST
1925

Alex laughed at the antics of two-year-old Brock as he toddled around the corral where his father worked to pick out the horse stock he would sell in Laramie.

“He’ll be climbing that fence before you know it,” Luke called out as Alex pulled Brock away from the fence.

“Don’t I know it. He already climbs everything else. I’m always finding him up on the table,” Alex replied.

It was their second-year anniversary, and Alex couldn’t help but wonder if her husband would remember. She had a very special gift for him, but she hated to mention it for fear he had forgotten. She certainly didn’t want to make him feel bad.

Luke continued with the stock, pointing out this one and that one among some thirty horses. Clancy, who’d joined them from the canyon recently, marked the horses in order to separate them out later.

Brock fussed in Alex’s arms. “What’s the matter, little man?”

“Wanna horsey. Wanna ride horsey.” “You can’t go riding just now. Papa will take you later,” she said softly and kissed his dirty cheek. The boy squirmed and fussed until she put him on the ground. “Why don’t you go play with the puppies?”

“Pubbies!” Brock clapped his hands and headed to the porch where their collie dog, Mollie, kept her rapidly growing brood of six pups.

Two years of marriage to Luke. Two marvelous, love-filled years
, she thought as she dusted the dirt from her apron. She’d been happier than she’d ever dreamed possible. Happier still
when Clancy showed up to hire on with the announcement that he and Bernice would be getting married the following October. They had all agreed that Clancy and Bernice would need their own little house, so he and Luke had begun immediately to put something together. Alex was delighted with the news that Bernice would soon be her ranch companion. The company of other women was generally reserved for church on Sunday or those rare occasions of visiting.

The men came from the corral and Clancy nodded and took the paper from Luke. “I’ll see to this, boss. Don’t you worry a thing about it.”

“With you on the job, Clancy, I never do.”

Luke crossed the yard to where Alex stood. “I have a surprise for you. Will Brock be all right for a few minutes?”

“Oh, sure. He’s with Mollie now.” She pointed to where Brock patted the mother collie on top of the head with rather strong-handed pats. “Be gentle, Brock. Don’t hurt Mollie.”

“I see pubbies,” he said, moving from Mollie to the babies. “He’ll be busy for a few minutes—but only a few. He’ll soon figure out that he needs to be off doing other things.”

Luke laughed. “Then come with me to the barn. I want to show you something.”

“All right.”

Alex looped her arm through his. “So what’s the occasion, Mr. Toland?”

“You know full well the occasion, Mrs. Toland. It’s the same occasion that caused you to bake a cake this morning.” He looked at her and laughed. “You thought I’d forgotten our anniversary, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t think that at all. I just didn’t want you to feel bad if you had.”

“Well, I didn’t forget. In fact, I’ve been thinking about it for weeks. I got Clancy to help me with your gift.”

“Really? What is it?” “You have to wait and see. Now close your eyes and I’ll lead you.”

She laughed and did as he bid her. Leading her into the barn, Alex felt the warmth of the sun diminish and the shadow of the interior fall upon them. It was a bit cooler here, but only marginally. But instead of stopping and having her open her eyes, Luke led her back outside. Alex could only imagine that he’d taken her completely through the barn.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

Alex did so and found herself standing in front of a car. “You bought this for me?”

“Well, for us, but I figured it was time you learned to drive. You never know when you’ll need to take yourself to town when I’m too busy to drive you.”

“Oh, Luke, you’re a very thoughtful husband.”

He turned and studied her for a moment. “Do you really like it? I know you’ve never been all that fond of automobiles, but they really are the way of the future. The horse and buggy days are all but behind us. Especially in the cities. I figure the day may even come when we want to drive to Denver and visit your mother.”

“I’d like that,” she admitted. “Yes, it’s the perfect gift.” He smiled and kicked at the dirt. “Glad you like it.” He paused for a moment. “So what did you get me?”

“Well,” Alex began, “you can’t have it just yet.”

He frowned. “Why not?” “Because it won’t arrive here until about six months from now.” She grinned and felt overwhelmed with the joy of her news. “We’re going to have a baby.”

He stared at her in disbelief. “We’re what? Are you serious?”

She giggled. “Yes, I’m quite serious.”

Without warning he lifted her in the air and circled her around and around. Putting her back on the ground, Luke pulled her into a crushing embrace. “I couldn’t be happier. This is the most wonderful news I’ve had since you agreed to marry me.”

“I thought you’d be pleased,” she said, seeing the pure joy
in his expression. “I know I am. I’m completely in love with the idea of having your babies.”

He set her away from him just a few inches and put his hand to her stomach. “Do we really have to wait so very long?”

“Good things take time. You worked for four years to get me,” she reminded him.

“I know, and it seemed to take forever.” “Well, this baby will be with us before you know it.” “God has been so very good to us,” Luke said, putting his arm around her shoulder. Together they walked back to the house where Brock was still consumed with his puppy visit. “Brock will be excited, that’s for sure. He sometimes seems kind of lonely.”

Alex nodded. “I know, but soon he’ll be patting the baby on the head instead of Molly.” She smiled and leaned against Luke, her head nestling against his shoulder and neck. She had never wanted anything more than what she had with Luke. Gone were the nightmares of the past, her anger with her father. Yielding it to God seemed the only way to have true happiness.

“I wanna ride horsey!” Brock declared, seeing them standing there watching him.

Alex smiled and turned to her husband. “Well, I suppose you and the boy should take your daily ride.”

“I suppose we should,” he said as Brock came plowing across the porch and jumped off the edge. Luke caught him and lifted him high in the air before settling him on his shoulders. “The boy is fearless.”

“So are you,” Alex said with great pride. “That goes the same for you, my darlin’. I think you’re probably the bravest one of us all.”

“It comes with knowing where to place your trust,” Alex said, knowing Luke would appreciate her meaning.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I couldn’t have said it better.”

TRACIE PETERSON is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 80 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Belgrade, Montana.

Visit Tracie’s Web site at:
www.traciepeterson.com

Books by Tracie Peterson

www.traciepeterson.com

House of Secrets • A Slender Thread • Where My Heart Belongs

LAND OF THE LONE STAR

Chasing the Sun

Touching the Sky

Taming the Wind

B
RIDAL
V
EIL
I
SLAND
*

To Have and To Hold
 • 
To Love and Cherish

To Honor and Trust

S
ONG OF
A
LASKA

Dawn’s Prelude • Morning’s Refrain • Twilight’s Serenade

S
TRIKING A
M
ATCH

Embers of Love • Hearts Aglow • Hope Rekindled

A
LASKAN
Q
UEST

Summer of the Midnight Sun

Under the Northern Lights • Whispers of Winter

Alaskan Quest (3 in 1)

B
RIDES OF
G
ALLATIN
C
OUNTY

A Promise to Believe In • A Love to Last Forever

A Dream to Call My Own

T
HE
B
ROADMOOR
L
EGACY
*

A Daughter’s Inheritance • An Unexpected Love

A Surrendered Heart

B
ELLS OF
L
OWELL
*

Daughter of the Loom • A Fragile Design • These Tangled Threads

L
IGHTS OF
L
OWELL
*

A Tapestry of Hope • A Love Woven True • The Pattern of Her Heart

D
ESERT
R
OSES

Shadows of the Canyon • Across the Years • Beneath a Harvest Sky

H
EIRS OF
M
ONTANA

Land of My Heart • The Coming Storm

To Dream Anew • The Hope Within

L
ADIES OF
L
IBERTY

A Lady of High Regard • A Lady of Hidden Intent

A Lady of Secret Devotion

R
IBBONS OF
S
TEEL
**

Distant Dreams • A Hope Beyond • A Promise for Tomorrow

R
IBBONS
W
EST
**

Westward the Dream • Separate Roads

Ties That Bind

W
ESTWARD
C
HRONICLES

A Shelter of Hope • Hidden in a Whisper • A Veiled Reflection

Y
UKON
Q
UEST

Treasures of the North • Ashes and Ice • Rivers of Gold

*
with Judith Miller     ** with Judith Pella