An Unexpected Arrangement Read online

  She tucked her arm in the crook of his elbow and squeezed his bicep. “We got this,” she said, bumping her hip against his.

  Landon swallowed hard, then nodded.

  From the lights between the house and the garage, she caught a glimpse of the moisture gathering in his eyes, and she had to look away to keep from bursting into tears. For all her frustration directed at her brother lately, they were united in their cause now. Their shared love for their grandfather and their longing to have him home where he was safe and cared for helped her set their differences aside.

  “Let’s break up into pairs or groups of three if there’s an odd number.” Drew handed them all a piece of paper. “Here are some maps of the farm and the adjoining farms on all sides. It’s my recommendation that you stay on this side of the highway. The sheriff and another deputy are searching from the other side of the highway out to the interstate. We have a Silver Alert issued along I-70, so work in a grid pattern little by little. You can call his name, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll respond verbally.”

  What if the volunteers walked right by Grandpa but he wasn’t capable of responding? The horrible thought made Laramie’s stomach sink.

  “Remember not to panic and frighten him when you find him. Keep your cell phone and your flashlight and a bottle of water on hand. He’ll most definitely need to be rehydrated. As soon as he’s located, call me immediately. If you don’t have my number in your contacts, make sure you all do before you start searching. Any questions?”

  The volunteers studied their maps as they paired off. The low hum of conversation filled the air. Laramie glanced at the map Drew had given, even though she and Landon knew this land like the backs of their hands. They’d grown up traipsing through these fields, harvesting wheat and soybeans and corn. The same land their grandfather had grown up on, too.

  How could he possibly be lost?

  She stared off at the horizon and the red lights on the wind turbines blinking out a steady cadence. “Please come home, Grandpa,” she whispered. “We love you.”

  “Let’s go, sis.” Landon cleared his throat. “We’re going to find Grandpa and bring him home.”

  The rumble of an engine moving toward them caught their attention. Laramie turned and glanced over her shoulder. Bright headlights illuminated the yard and she squinted to shield her eyes. A familiar truck joined the others in front of her grandparents’ house. Her heart pounded.

  It couldn’t be.

  “Is that Jack?” Landon asked.

  “I—I think so.”

  The truck door opened and Jack exited, his profile silhouetted by the light inside the truck’s interior. “Wait. I want to help.”

  Laramie pressed her fingertips to her mouth as he clicked on his flashlight and quickly scanned the group.

  “You can come with us.” Landon waved his own flashlight to get Jack’s attention.

  Laramie didn’t know whether to hug her brother or smack him.

  Jack strode toward them and stopped a few inches away. In the semidarkness and silvery white light of their flashlights, it was hard to read his expression.

  “You’re here,” she whispered.

  “I saw the Silver Alert on the signs on the interstate, then my mom called me when I was driving through Denver. I know we have a lot to talk about, but I’d like to help with the search first.”

  “What about your girls?”

  “Don’t worry.” Jack’s tender smile made her heart expand. “They’re in good hands. C’mon, let’s go find your grandfather.”

  She nodded, then turned and followed Landon into the dark fields flanking their farm. This was terrifying, but she didn’t have to face the uncertainty alone. And she was overcome with gratitude that Jack had come home to help her and her family.

  * * *

  Laramie stifled a yawn behind her clipboard, then leaned forward on the edge of her metal folding chair on the sideline of the volleyball court. They’d found her grandfather around one thirty this morning, asleep in the cab of a piece of farm equipment out in the shed. She’d been relieved and exhausted, yet she’d still tossed and turned for several hours thinking about what Jack’s reappearance meant. They’d gone home without speaking and she’d worked today, still wrestling with so many unanswered questions.

  The referee’s whistle bleated and signaled for Hope to serve the volleyball. This was a scrimmage, a friendly match before the season officially started. Laramie was still keeping score though, and Merritt’s Crossing was up by two points. If they scored, the match would be over.

  C’mon, Hope. They’d lost to this team at the end of last season in a heartbreaking match. Although her girls still had a lot of room to improve, she also saw tremendous potential. Winning this scrimmage would boost their confidence.

  Three quick bounces on the gym floor, then a toss in the air, and Hope sent the volleyball sailing over the net and deep into the opponent’s court. They had their best middle hitter poised for an attack.

  Laramie leaned forward and called out instructions. “Defense, ladies.” She motioned with her free hand for the defensive specialist to play her position. “We need a big middle block.”

  Thankfully, the other team struggled to pass the ball to the setter. Their player was caught off guard and had to abandon her plan and set up her weaker outside hitter. The girl’s timing was off on her approach and she sent the ball careening out of bounds.

  “Yes!” Laramie whooped, jumping to her feet and thrusting both hands in the air, nearly hitting Morgan in the head with her clipboard. Merritt’s Crossing had won! While the girls huddled in the middle of the court, Laramie crossed to the other bench and shook hands with the coach.

  “Good game.”

  “You, too,” the woman said. “We look forward to a rematch on our court next month.”

  Laramie offered a polite smile. “Absolutely.”

  After the players lined up at the net and shook hands, Laramie gathered them in a circle. “Great job, ladies. I’m proud of you. That’s the way I want you to play every match. Confident and working together as a team. Hands in and teamwork on three. One-two-three.”

  “Teamwork.” The girls cheered and flung their hands in the air.

  “Eat a healthy dinner, get some rest and we’ll see you at practice on Monday. Remember we’ll start at three thirty.”

  The girls collected their water bottles and warm-ups, then dispersed into the bleachers to speak with their friends and families. Laramie waved to a handful of teachers who’d come to watch the scrimmage. Just like when she was in high school, she let her gaze scan the bleachers for her parents and Landon. They were all lined up in the second row. She smiled and waved, fighting back unexpected tears.

  Finally. They’d come to a game.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her that she’d been too nervous about the scrimmage to eat much. She craved a celebratory order of nachos from Pizza, Etc., a post-match tradition that had started years ago. But she wasn’t in high school anymore and she hadn’t finished getting her classroom ready for the beginning of school yet, so she’d have to settle for a salad at home. Besides, she hated the idea of eating alone.

  Laramie pushed the cart of volleyballs into the storage closet, then locked the door and slung her bag over her shoulder. As she strode toward the gym’s exit, her steps faltered when she saw Jack leaning against the wall.

  A slow smile lifted one side of his mouth. “Great match. Congrats on the win.”

  “Thank you.” She searched his face. “What are you doing here?”

  “I heard there was a highly anticipated match featuring an intense rivalry.” His eyes gleamed as he pushed off the wall and closed the distance between them. “I couldn’t miss it.”

  And she couldn’t think straight with those eyes the color of a mountain lake locked on hers. Her fingers itched to run her h
and along the golden stubble clinging to his jaw. Instead, she clenched the canvas strap of her bag. He’d left without saying goodbye. Chosen Utah alone rather than building a life here with her. Even though he’d helped find her grandfather, she wasn’t about to fling herself into his arms now.

  “Why are you really here, Jack?”

  “I’m here for you.” His expression grew serious. “I missed you. I missed us. I’ve had a lot of time to think and I realized I made a mistake, leaving you. Leaving my girls. I’m so sorry. I need you, Laramie. And I want you. Not because I need a nanny or a personal assistant, but because I love you.”

  Laramie pressed her fingers to her lips as tears blurred her vision.

  “Say something.” Uncertainty flickered in his eyes. “Don’t leave me hanging here.”

  She reached for his hand. “I love you, too.”

  The parents and remaining players faded into the background. Jack’s eyes smoldered as he angled his head. “May I kiss you?”

  Laramie nodded and closed her eyes, pressing up on tiptoes to meet Jack’s lips with her own. She savored the warmth of his mouth moving against hers. When she clutched a fistful of his T-shirt and he deepened the kiss, a whoop of approval echoed around them. She smiled, breaking the kiss, and Jack cupped her face in his and leaned back.

  “We’d better settle down,” he said. “Forgot there was an audience.”

  “I didn’t,” she whispered. “Who cares if they see me kissing the man I love.”

  In true Merritt’s Crossing fashion, the whole town would know in a few minutes anyway.

  “And what if they see me ask you a very important question?”

  Her breath hitched. Before she could answer, Jack was down on one knee with a velvet box in his outstretched hand.

  “Laramie Elizabeth Chambers, you are a gift. The best person I know. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life and I hope you can give me a second chance. I’m kind of a package deal, but my daughters are pretty adorable, so there’s that.”

  Moisture glistened in his eyes and his smile wobbled as he fought for control of his emotions. Laramie’s heart pounded like a freight train rolling across the prairie. A hush had fallen over the small crowd huddled in a semicircle around them.

  “Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”

  “Yes!” She didn’t have to hesitate or overthink or second-guess her response. Jack slipped the ring on her finger, then pulled her into his arms and twirled her around. The gym erupted in whistles and cheers.

  “I can’t wait to make you mine,” he murmured as he lowered her feet to the ground and his lips hovered mere inches from hers.

  Then he kissed her again. She was going to be Jack’s wife. Macey and Charlotte’s mother. Maybe they’d have a whole houseful of kids. No need to race ahead, though. For now, she let herself get lost in the moment, kissing her future husband senseless.

  Epilogue

  The doors at the back of Merritt’s Crossing Community Church were still closed. A gorgeous Christmas tree filled the opposite corner, glistening with white lights and silver-and-gold ornaments. Inside, the guests had claimed their seats in the sanctuary. The muffled sound of the pianist playing Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” made her body hum with anticipation.

  Today she was marrying Jack. In a few minutes, she’d be his wife. This was finally happening. Laramie stood in the narthex while Skye made last-minute adjustments to the train of Laramie’s wedding gown. She drew a deep breath and smoothed her hand across the beaded bodice. With the short, fitted sleeves and sweetheart neckline, the gown was everything she’d dreamed of. A December wedding was challenging to plan in less than six months. She’d spent many late nights at her parents’ house, poring over the details. But she and Jack didn’t want to wait any longer. The girls needed a mother and father together in one house. And she couldn’t stand to live apart from them for another second.

  Laramie’s father stood next to her in his black tuxedo. She stole a quick glance. He fought for a smile, but she saw the unshed tears brimming in his green eyes.

  “Dad, please don’t cry yet,” Laramie said. “If you start crying, then I’ll start crying—”

  “And then we’ll all be crying our way down the aisle,” Skye said.

  Nervous laughter rippled through the bridal party.

  Dad cleared his throat. “Give me a minute and I’ll pull myself together.”

  Landon was escorting her mother down the aisle to her seat. Laramie’s friend Bethany had come back from Arizona and her cousin Whitney had driven in from Nebraska to be Laramie’s bridesmaids. All the people she loved and cared about most in the world were here to celebrate.

  The flower girls were adorable in their toddler-sized white dresses with maroon ribbon sashes tied in oversize bows at their waist. Even though Skye was in the last trimester of her pregnancy, she’d been a thoughtful and attentive maid of honor. And she looked radiant in her cranberry-red bridesmaid’s dress. Laramie wasn’t confident Macey and Charlotte could make it all the way down the aisle to stand up front with them, but she couldn’t not include them in the wedding party. If it weren’t for the twins, she and Jack might not have fallen in love.

  Hope had agreed to corral them and try to coax them down the aisle in the center of the sanctuary. Hope’s mom, who was the unofficial wedding coordinator, had Jack’s friends in their tuxedos, lined up and ready to go. Except for Jack and Drew, who were already waiting at the altar.

  Despite her comment to her father that he couldn’t cry, she felt a lump clogging her own throat. Skye fidgeted with Laramie’s bouquet while the photographer orbited around, her camera poised in front of her face as she snapped pictures. Laramie had waited so long for this day. She’d never thought she would be a bride. Every year that passed as she moved through her thirties, she was convinced she’d be single forever. While she and Jack had taken the long way around to their happily-ever-after, she wouldn’t trade any of it.

  Today she would become not only Jack’s wife, but Macey and Charlotte’s mother, too. While they called her mama and she’d stepped into the role the day they came to live with Jack last spring, it about killed her to go home at night to her own place. Even though she saw them every day, she couldn’t wait until they were officially a family of four. No more lingering goodbyes on Jack’s porch or driving home at midnight, counting the days until they were husband and wife.

  Hope’s mom gave them her final instructions, then the back doors of the sanctuary opened. Macey and Charlotte went first, with Connor serving as a dapper ring bearer. He was giving orders to the twins in a loud voice, which sent a ripple of laughter through the guests seated in the back rows. Macey and Charlotte wanted nothing to do with their baskets of flower petals. Hope and her mother offered Laramie an apologetic look, along with helpless shrugs.

  Laramie laughed and gave them a dismissive wave. They might be one-year-olds but already they made their preferences clear. Of all the details she’d stressed about and overanalyzed, Charlotte and Macey refusing to throw petals down the center aisle would not faze her. The twins were precious, and she was so grateful to have them in her life.

  After Skye started walking, Laramie and her dad stepped into position in the archway. The opening chords of “Here Comes the Bride” began to play and Laramie had to blink back tears. As the rustle of the guests standing to their feet and turning to face her filled the air, her heart soared. She had told herself she wasn’t going to look at Jack. Not yet.

  That lasted all of two seconds. Unable to resist a glance toward the altar, she saw him waiting for her with his hands folded behind his back, looking incredibly handsome in his tuxedo. She could tell by his expression and the sheen of moisture in his eyes that he was fighting back tears, too.

  Golden winter sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows of the church, and while she and her fath
er had agreed they’d walk at a steady pace down that aisle, her legs itched to break into a run. She couldn’t wait to start her life with Jack.

  She had her hand tucked in the crook of her father’s elbow and he reached over with his free hand and gave her fingers a gentle pat.

  “Slow down, sweet girl, you’re only going to make this walk once,” he said.

  Laramie felt her grin stretch wide and she forced herself to slow her steps. He was right. She was only going to take this walk once and she wanted to savor every second.

  At the front of the sanctuary, her gaze locked with her grandmother’s. Laramie could weep with joy at the sight of her grandparents sitting in the second row behind her mother. She didn’t know if Grandpa knew where he was or if he was even aware of the significance of this day, but it didn’t matter to her. He was there to see her marry Jack and that was enough. Although it wasn’t planned, Laramie paused, leaned down and kissed her grandma on her cheek, then reached over and squeezed her grandfather’s arm.

  “I love you both so much,” she whispered. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  A few moments later, her father lifted her veil, kissed her cheek and joined her hands with Jack’s.

  “I love you,” Jack whispered as they faced the minister, their hands intertwined.

  “I love you, too.” She smiled and squeezed his hands as they stepped forward into forever and embraced their happily-ever-after.

  * * *

  If you enjoyed this book by Heidi McCahan, pick up Skye and Gage’s story, Their Baby Blessing, available now from Love Inspired.

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Book 1 of An Amish Winter: Stranded in the Snow by Vannetta Chapman.

  Dear Reader,

  Often when I’m writing a book, a secondary character shows up in my imagination and quickly becomes an important part of the story. These characters play valuable roles because they help the hero and heroine get where they need to go. Their actions and dialogue are essential for moving the story forward. I can’t explain how or why I decide if a secondary character gets the opportunity to become the hero or heroine of a future novel. In Jack and Laramie’s case, they showed up in Their Baby Blessing and I was glad to make them the hero and heroine of this novel. But I needed help.