Maybe he and Grace could build a home there. He’d become even better at mining after spending so many months heaving a pickax in McPharland’s caves.
But that could be a decision for later.
He glanced at Grace. Loose strands of her hair lifted in the light breeze. Her eyes, those captivating blue depths that had first drawn him in, were rimmed with red, evidence of the countless tears she'd spilled since that horrible moment. Yet even in her sorrow, there was a strength about her, a quiet resilience that made his chest clench.
The past three days had been a whirlwind of emotion. He and Grace had spent much of the time tucked away in their chamber. She’d talked…really talked. Telling stories from her years of growing up with only her mother in the little house in the valley. About her father’s visits each month, and the way his final actions tainted everything that had come before.
Sampson held her every time she wept, her slender frame shaking with the force of her sobs as she'd mourned the loss of the father she’d never truly had. The realization that Jedidiah's love had been a façade, that he'd turned against her in the end no show of regret or wavering commitment, had shattered something deep within her.
She’d even shared everything she knew about Ruby’s parents. About the quiet man who’d delivered supplies each month to her and her mother. About the mail-order bride he’d sent for, who was widowed and with child. How the last time he came with a delivery, he’d said his new wife died in childbirth, and he was at his wit’s end with caring for the babe who’d survived. A few women from the saloon were trying to help him, but he wasn’t sure how long he could manage. That had been the last time she saw the man before Ruby showed up on her doorstep.
Sampson could imagine the desperation of a man who suddenly found himself caring for a newborn, especially a babe as tiny and fragile as Ruby. And one look at Grace could easily convince a fellow she would be a loving and capable mother. Yet after holding Ruby even once, the thought of giving her up… He couldn’t imagine the turmoil that poor man must have struggled through.
But that decision had brought Ruby into Grace’s life, and now Sampson’s. And he could only be thankful.
Grace had asked about Sampson’s life, too, and she seemed to love all the stories of adventures and mishaps with his brothers and Two Stones. And Lucy, the sister who’d been gone so long now.
Jude’s voice broke the group’s stillness. “It’s hard to know what to say about deaths like these. God loved them, from the very beginning. And He never stopped loving them, trying to reach them, even to the end. Yet He gives us free choice to accept His love or push it away.”
Beneath his arm, Grace took in a shaky breath.
They’d talked about God these past few days, and what accepting His love could look like. She’d never known truly unconditional love—as much as it sounded like her mother had loved her, a few details Grace shared made him think her mother might have lived in fear, or perhaps a lingering melancholy.
Sampson couldn’t blame the woman, given the lonely life she’d been forced to live, to raise her only child alone. But Grace had never seen a model of the kind of love God offered.
God, help me be an example for her. Help me love her the way You love us. Unconditionally.
Jericho cleared his throat. "Lord, we ask for Your comfort and peace in this time of loss. May the darkest moments draw us closer to You. May we feel Your love in all its fullness."
Lillian began to sing, her clear soprano voice lifting the familiar words of "Amazing Grace" into the crisp winter air. The others joined in, their voices blending in the hymn.
Grace must not know the song, for she didn’t sing. But she leaned her head on his shoulder, her body warm and soft against his side. He tightened his arm around her.
This woman had burrowed so deep into his heart that he couldn’t imagine a life without her. When her grief eased some, he would ask to court her properly. He would work every day to show her the depth of his love and commitment.
Then, Lord willing, they would build a future together—here on the ranch, at the new claim, or wherever her heart desired. He would spend his days cherishing her and Ruby.
As the final notes of the hymn faded into the stillness, Grace turned to him. Her eyes glistened with tears, but they held a light too. A small smile even curved her lips.
Then she stepped away from him, reaching to take Ruby from Dinah’s arms.
"Hi there, sweet girl." Grace held her up so they could see eye to eye, then snuggled her close, nuzzling Ruby's downy head.
The baby gurgled in response, a sound of pure contentment.
His chest ached at the sight. His girls. Grace looked lighter already, as if a layer of sorrow had fallen away.
Thank You, Lord.
Jericho stepped up beside him, resting a hand on his good shoulder. “It’s good to see you up, looking more like yourself.”
Sampson nodded. “I feel more like myself.” He’d taken half the usual dose of laudanum this afternoon, and his ribs only ached if he moved wrong. His arm felt a lot better too. Maybe he could finally quit the stuff fully. It clouded his mind so much, and Grace and their daughter deserved the best of him.
His entire family, for that matter, though they’d continued to prove how much they still loved him, even at his worst.
Jericho squeezed his shoulder. “It’s awfully good to have you home.”
Sampson reached for strength to meet his gaze. “It’s good to be home.”
