Whispers of Moonlight (45 page)

"Yes, I did. Just ask me when you're ready."

"I'll do that. It, umm, I mean, it has to do with the church, doesn't it?"

"I wouldn't put it that way, but you could say it does"

"How would you put it?"

"I would say it was Jesus Christ. Church is an important part of my life to be sure, but so often when people talk about church, they're taking about religion. I'm talking about a real relationship with God through His Son, Jesus."

Her eyes didn't shutter or become cynical, but Travis stopped there. He felt a certain peace steal over him. He had planned for this to be a night to get to know Rebecca, but the Lord had also opened up an opportunity to talk about Him. Travis left the hotel with a strong feeling of contentment.

The conversation was light on the ride home. Rebecca went with Travis to the barn when he stabled the horses for the night. They continued to talk about the ranch and other topics. Once inside the kitchen, Travis took her coat and then brought up the subject of Christmas.

"I'm going to tell Robert and Eddie that we'll join them another year." Rebecca could only look al him, her lip tucked under her teeth. Travis went on. "I think you'll be more comfortable if we just stay here."

"You would do that for me?"

"Certainly. And I know we'll have a great time on our own."

"Thank you, Travis."

"My pleasure. You realize it's six days away?"

"It is, isn't it?" She was very serious. "I haven't even shopped."

"Well, you'd better get at it. I expect a huge gift from you."

Rebecca's eyes shot up to see he was laughing at her. "You can stop that teasing, Travis Buchanan," she now scolded him, "or there won't be a thing under the tree with your name on it."

"You could put yourself under the tree," he told her with merry eyes, his smile warm.

Rebecca pushed down the pleasure that spiraled inside of her and told herself not to laugh and encourage him. She opted to change the subject. "Speaking of trees, when
are we going to get one?"

"This is Tuesday. How about Friday or Saturday?"

"Will we take the boys?"

"Certainly. We'll make an outing of it. Do you suppose Lavena will want to come?"

Travis had heard her come up behind him and enjoyed teasing her.

"That's all I need, to be dragging through the snow and cold in search of a Christmas tree!" Lavena almost snorted her disgust.

They both smiled at her tone but tried to cover it as they turned.

"How was your meal?" Her voice was a bit softer.

"Not as good as your cooking, but it was nice to get away," Travis told her honestly. "How were the boys?"

Both younger adults watched in amazement as a tender light came into Lavena's eyes. "They
both did fine. They cried when you weren't here to kiss them good night, so I let them sleep in my bed."

"The boys are in your room?" Rebecca's voice was incredulous.

Travis was already moving that way, and the women followed.

"I'll move them upstairs," Travis said, his voice hushed.

"Oh, leave them, Travis, for mercy's sake! I'm fine in the living room, and I can hear them if they cry."

Travis and Rebecca exchanged looks but remained silent.

"Go on now before you wake them! It's after 9:00. You should all be in bed."

Travis and Rebecca allowed themselves to be bullied out of the room and toward the stairs. Rebecca started up, but Travis stayed below and bid her good night.

"Not coming up?"

"Not yet. I've some papers to see to in the office."

Rebecca hated for the evening to end. She had dreaded it but without grounds; the entire evening had been wonderful. She was glad, however, that her face was in the shadows, and Travis couldn't read this in her eyes.

"Good night, Travis. Thank you for the evening."

"You're welcome. We'll have to do it again."

Rebecca went on her way, and
Travis went to the office, but it was a while before the small blonde actually readied for bed or until Travis moved to read his papers.

"You pray, don't you, Travis?"

Travis turned his head very slowly, and he looked at his foreman. The men were in the barn at the end of the day. The other hands had headed to the cookhouse, and the owner and foreman were alone.

"Yes, Lucky, I do," Travis told him softly. "Why do you ask?"

Travis noticed for the first time that Lucky's eyes were red-rimmed, and that Lucky was looking at him in a kind of desperation.

"Sarah Beth choked last night," Lucky told him, referring to his 4
^l
/2-ycar-old daughter. "She got some meat lodged in her throat." Lucky shuddered slightly as he remembered. "I thought
we were going to lose her."

"Is she all right?" Travis asked as alarm slammed through him. He didn't
see Sarah Beth very often, but she and Margo were precious to him.

"Yeah," Lucky told him, his throat tight. "But I can't stop thinking about it. I mean, I really think God saved her, Travis, and I want to thank Him, but I don't have a clue as to how. None of us did a
thing. We all froze while she got blue in the face, and then before any of us could get to her, she suddenly spit it up. I know it was God, Travis, but how do I—" Lucky raked a hand through his hair, and Travis worked at keeping his thoughts clear. Never in a decade would he have guessed that God would work this way.

"I think God must be very pleased that you want to thank Him, Lucky."

"You do?"

"Yes," Travis told him sincerely. "We can get too attached to this world, and when something reminds us that
we wouldn't even be here without a Creator-God, well, I think that's good."

"I've never felt this way, Travis," Lucky admitted. "I know you go to church, and Margo's mother tries to pray, but I've never felt anything toward God, not really. And then last night I held Sarah Beth, you know, afterward. She cried and cried, and I wanted to cry myself. I wanted to thank God for letting her live. I don't know where the thought came from, but I still want to."

"I'd be happy to pray with you right now, Lucky. We can take time right this minute to thank God for sparing Sarah Beth."

Lucky gawked at him. "You don't have to be in church?"

"No. God is everywhere, and He delights to hear the voices of the people who have made Him their Lord."

The young cowboy's look sobered. "I haven't done that, Travis. I haven't ever prayed before."

"God already knows that. Lucky, and He takes it very seriously, but He loves you anyway. I can pray if you'd like."

"You can do it for me?"

"Well, I can't commit your life to Him—you would need to do that—but I can thank Him for sparing Sarah Beth."

Lucky nodded. "Should we get on our knees?"

"It's awfully cold, Lucky. The Lord will understand if we stay on our feet."

Again Lucky nodded, his heart pounding. At the last moment he remembered to remove his hat.

"Father in heaven," Travis began, his voice utterly normal, "I thank You that Lucky is my foreman. He works hard and is an asset to this ranch. I also thank You that You've given him Margo and Sarah Beth. You have blessed him greatly,
Lord, and for the first time Lucky is seeing this. I thank You, Father, that You saved little Sarah's life. We could be praying near her grave right now-, Lord, but You had other plans. I thank You that she is still with us and that Lucky understands Your hand moved or she would not be here. Please continue to show Lucky what You would have him know about You, and help him to listen. I pray these things in Christ's name, Amen."

Travis opened his eyes to find Lucky staring at him.

"You just talk to Him, Travis," he said, his voice amazed. "I didn't think it was that easy."

"It is after you've accepted God's gift of salvation."

Lucky nodded. He was feeling so overwhelmed that he could hardly speak.

"Are you all right?" Travis asked, wondering if he should question him concerning eternity.

"I think so. Thank you."

Travis' hand came out. "Anytime, Lucky. You know where to find me."

"I'd better get home now."

Travis walked Lucky to the barn door, the reins to Lucky's horse dangling in the younger man's hand. He swung up into the saddle and looked down at his boss.

"I think Margo feels the same way, Travis. Can I tell her that you prayed?"

"Certainly. Tell her everything we talked about. There's much more to be learned. Maybe the three of you will want to come to church on Sunday."

Lucky's eyes went to the mountains, his heart and mind busy. "It feels like snow," he commented, although it was not to change the subject.

"Yeah. You stay put if we end up in a blizzard. There's nothing pressing here right now."

"Good night, Travis, and thanks again."

"Good night, Lucky."

Travis stood still as the other cowboy moved down the road. It was hard to believe what had just happened, but Travis prayed for his friend and foreman. He prayed that God would work a miracle in Lucky's heart, just as He had in his own not too many years before.

Snow began to fall later that night. It fell all day Thursday, through the night, and until noon on Friday. Travis went to the barn, but the men and horses all stayed indoors until Saturday. By the time the four Buchanans left that morning to find their tree, they were knee-deep in white powder. The sun was shining, however, and it promised to be one of the most beautiful
Christmases they had ever known.

The boys laughed their way through the job as Travis took them most of the way in the sleigh. Then they plodded up the mountains into a dense area of pines. Coming along behind them and trying not to fall, Rebecca wondered for the first time at the fact that the boys never asked about Angel and Preston or returning to Pine Grove. But then why would they? They had all the space they could ever want, and each morning and evening they had a huge playmate in the form of their father, someone they were swiftly coming to adore.

Rebecca was doing a little adoring herself. After their meal out on Tuesday she had done a lot of thinking. The facts were simple: She could make a real marriage of this, or she could live like a stranger with her husband. It was odd. She had no more made up her mind to live like a real wife when Travis backed off. He was kind beyond description, but his demands were fewer than ever. Not that he wasn't attentive. Come dinnertime, when he was inside for the remainder of the day, he all but waited on her. And then in the evenings he always invited her to have coffee with him in the living room where he would ask her about herself and share about his own life. He still hadn't told her about his religious experience, but Rebecca thought she could wait. Things were going so well, much better than she'd ever believed they could. She didn't want to ruin it with talk about God.

"Can you make it?" Travis called down to his wife, jolting her out of her thoughts. Her concentration was also
interrupted. The next moment she went down on her face. Travis' laughter could be heard echoing off the hills. He was beside her in a flash, but the merriment in his eyes belied his words.