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Chapter 44: Charlie
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The Journey Collection Chapter 45:Charlie
I didn't have any idea what he could possibly know that made him feel this sense of debt toward Sarah, but I had to imagine it had to do with her mama running off. It had changed the course of Sarah's teenage years and subsequently her life. "Jack..." I shook my head, determined to refuse his offer. "It's already been done, son. I'm just trying to give you the courtesy of tellin' you I did it." "How?" It wasn't like I couldn't undo whatever magic he'd worked in the billing department. The old man wasn't going to budge, that much was evident in his stern expression. Nor did he have any intention of sharing the details with me. "You're a new father." Jack wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know. "And I hope you never go through what I have. I don't want you to ever feel the hopelessness that I have, thinking that each time I walk out of a hospital room is the last time I'm going to see my daughter alive. It ain't a good place to be." I co
The Journey Collection Chapter 46: Sarah
"Sarah." My name. But I wasn't being addressed. It took me a minute to come around, and I had to fight against the grogginess that wanted to keep me under. I blinked several times, trying to clear the cogs, but when I went to speak, my mouth was dry as a bone. Once I was able to focus, I noticed the number of people in the room. Daddy, Charlie's parents, Austin, and my husband. I watched them all as one by one, they turned toward me, and it finally caught Charlie's attention. He looked at our family and then back at me, and whatever unspoken words he shared with them caused them to exit with grim expressions. No. No, no, no, no. The machine monitoring my heart rate started to beep faster as my pulse ratcheted up. There was no way I'd gone through all of this and lost them, but the looks on their faces and the way Charlie now held my hand, left no room to believe anything else. I let my hand drift down my side and to my stomach. It was soft, un
The Journey Collection Chapter 47: Sarah
Maneuvering to the NICU had been no simple feat, but I'd been determined to see my daughters as soon as humanly possible. I didn't care how much pain I was in, nor did I care what the doctor's thought about moving me. I wasn't guaranteed today or tomorrow, and there was no chance I'd risk not seeing them, talking to them, touching them. Personally, I thought the nurses conceded just to get me to shut up, and I didn't bother trying to hide my satisfaction when Charlie suggested they make it happen. He'd never seen me overbearing...until today. My mama claws came out sharp and fierce, and I'd protect those girls until my last breath. Even though I'd seen pictures, they didn't change the magic of the moment I first met my daughters. Peering in at their tiny little bodies, I, too, noticed all the things Charlie had said about their differences. It was the little things like the pulse of one versus the other, the skin tone, the way one breathed, the little bits of fuzz on their head
The Journey Collection Chapter 48: Sarah-Epilogue
My sister had missed yet another milestone in my life, and I'd decided I'd had enough. I might not ever win back her affection-although I wasn't sure I'd ever had it to begin with-but there wasn't going to be a day that went by that Randi didn't know I wanted her to come home. The twins had taught me one thing-tomorrow is never a guarantee. Every two weeks, like clockwork. I called my sister. And anytime something happened in Mason Belle she heard from me then as well. I had a great relationship with her voicemail for several years. I was really good about keeping up with her, but the conversations were strained at best, and I did the majority of the talking. She would grunt or acknowledge that I'd spoken, but she never engaged. Randi never called me or texted me-it was always a reply to my reaching out. But she did reply, and that had to count for something. I ended every phone call with an invitation for her to come home, not just to meet Kylie and Kara, but to meet Rand as
The Journey Collection Chapter 49: Sarah
"Sarah!" Panic laced my husband's tone, and I dreaded hearing what he'd come in to tell me. Mason Belle was in a state of emergency as wildfires tore through the fields, pastures, and ranches all around us. We'd hoped like crazy that they'd blow in another direction, but that wasn't the path they took. For days the flames had inched toward our county and then one by one taken over. Last night, they'd hit Cross Acres and Twin Creeks, and every available hand had been called up to do everything they could to help, which primarily meant driving the cattle to safety. That was difficult to do at Cross Acres because there were so many more head than on any other ranch around. That many cows required space to even stand much less feed. When Charlie had gotten the call from his dad last night, I'd been woken as well. What hadn't happened was an update since. Even if my condition didn't prevent me from hopping on a horse to try to heard cattle, my three children did. A
The Journey Collection Chapter 50: Sarah
My phone rang in my purse the next day, and I raced to locate it amongst the crayons and action figures. The second I found it, I saw Randi's name on the screen. I'd blown her up, trying to get in touch with her, and it seemed she'd finally figured out that it might be important. I grabbed Charlie's arm and gave it a squeeze. "I'm going to go take this." I flashed the phone his way and stood to walk out for privacy. I stepped away from the waiting room before answering the phone. "Randi?" I tried like crazy to keep the fear out of my voice, but I wasn't successful. A breathy puff of air rattled against the speaker. "Yeah?" "You need to come home." My voice cracked, and I lost the fight against tears. "There's been an accident." There was silence on the other end. I didn't know if she was processing what I'd just said, not interested, or had gone mute. "Randi? Did you hear me?" My questions were met with more silence. I couldn't even he
The Journey Collection Chapter 51: Gravel Road-Miranda
The screen door slammed behind me. Over the years, I'd grown so used to the rattling when it would bounce off the frame and settle shut that I didn't notice the footsteps approaching in the kitchen. It was an old farmhouse, and I'd long since learned to ignore the creaks and pops. As a little girl, the noises kept me up, and I had always been convinced someone lurked in the house, roaming the halls late at night.I ducked my head into the fridge to search for orange juice. When I realized I had company, I stood, stepped back with the carton in my hand, and came face to face with my sister's scowl. Then I noticed her tapping foot. I cracked open the container, brought it to my lips-it drove her insane-and drank more than I actually wanted, simply to irritate her. I flashed my brows at her, the citrus burning my throat. And when I finally plopped it on the counter, I let out a satisfied sigh, followed by an obnoxious burp.Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and jutted her hip out
The Journey Collection Chapter 52: Miranda
I righted myself in the seat, ran my fingers through my long hair to get it out of my face, and bent across the cab to kiss Austin on the cheek. In an instant, he snaked his right arm around my lower back. Our lips met in an electric, yet brief, exchange. When he broke away to focus on the road, my gaze lingered on his profile. Austin had been the boy every girl wanted, just like his brother seven years earlier. Only this sister had caught this brother's attention early, and we'd been together since the start of our freshman year. He'd never had eyes for anyone other than me, and there wasn't another guy in Mason Belle who even piqued my interest.It wasn't his chiseled jaw or his sandy-blond hair. It wasn't even the taut muscles or his year-round tan. Those were all bonuses. Sprinkles on top of the icing. Austin Burin was a gentle soul with the heart of a lion. And he was fiercely protective-of me. There wasn't anything that boy wouldn't do to ensure my happiness, and his parents ad
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