Page 74 of Bailey

“Is that right?” Tex watched as Bailey got folded into the embrace of the Youngs, finally taking a chair on the very edge of the group. Reeves sat next to her on the inside, next to Luke of all people. Sterling sat next to him, and then Adam, Harry, and Bryce, along with their significant others.

Tex knew his son and Harry would end up on the blanket with the little kids, at least for the next couple of hours before the fireworks started, and he couldn’t help thinking that Luke was acting as a bodyguard for Reeves. He was a no-nonsense country music sensation, and everyone knew to leave him alone when he was out with his family. He had the dark horse persona perfected, and his bark came out super loud.

But when two of Gabe’s triplets came over to Uncle Luke and climbed onto his lap, Tex couldn’t help but watch him melt into a golden retriever instead of a Rottweiler.

He stayed there with Otis for a couple more minutes, the two of them just taking in the family in front of them. Tex noticed how all the grandkids went over to Daddy and showed him something, or brought him a drink, or a plate of food.

Momma stood at the table supervising who took what, as per her usual, and he grinned over to Denzel as the man came to his side. “What are we doing back here, boys?”

“Watching,” Otis said, and that about summed it up.

Denzel stood with them as his wife went ahead with their three children and found a spot with Leigh, Hilde, and Ev. Wade and Cheryl fit right in, and so did Shawn and Enid as they crowded in with Reggie and Kassie.

The Whittakers sat on the left side behind them as well, and the Hammonds spread out to their right, filling the space over to the food table. Wyatt and Marcy sat with Cole and Rachel by Jem and Sunny, Sterling and Luke, Dani and Mav.

While Tex could see the different factions of the Young family, he also knew they were completely unified as well. God had brought them all here, healed their hearts, and given them experiences that had knitted their souls and minds and lives together.

He’d done that great and mighty thing, so that when Bryce needed a babysitter for his two-and-a-half-year-old son, but his usual helpers were unavailable, he could ask Bailey. Tex marveled that such a thing could happen, as he’d been around for the past fifteen years of pain and hurt feelings, distance and silence.

None of that seemed to exist anymore, and all Tex could think about was how merciful God was to His children. All of them, no matter if they’d strayed, wandered along dark roads, or seemed lost.

None were lost to God, and Tex could see it as he stood there taking in the enormity and vibrancy of his family.

CHAPTER

THIRTY

Lark McClellan rode in the passenger seat of her mother’s SUV and pointed across the cab. “It’s this right right here, Momma.”

Her mother immediately put on her blinker and then turned onto Cousins Creek Ranch. Lark had been here when it had been filled with dumpsters, boxes, trash, and piles of vintage clothing and shoes.

Boston and Cash had been working on the property for almost a full year, and Lark had come with Cash many times in the last six months as he ripped out walls, floors, doors, and landscaping, replacing it all into the glorious sight that bloomed before her eyes.

The two-story blue farmhouse had been weathered and peeling when Lark had first seen it. She remembered having the distinct thought that it would never be fit for habitation. Now it rose boldly into the bright blue summer sky and had been repainted a deeper blue that made her heart happy and her smile widen.

Cash had put stark white shutters around the windows to brighten the dark blue, and he’d chosen a cheery yellow-gold for the door that made it seem like the house was smiling. The road had been repaired, leveled, and covered with fresh gravel with a bluish-gray undertone that seemed to match the house.

Sod had been brought in, and Cash had preserved as many of the mature trees as possible, which lent shade to the property. Her mother came to a stop in front of the house, and Lark got out. She also heard the soul-soothing sound of the breeze tickling through the leaves of the trees. She loved that sound almost more than anything, and she couldn’t believe that after today she’d be Cash’s wife and living here with him.

She looked east, where Cash had already cleared the land and started putting in pastures for his horses. He wanted to start and run a cutting horse operation, and Lark had no doubt that it would be wildly successful. He and Boston had split Cousins Creek Ranch according to how much they’d paid for it. Boston would keep working at Silver Sage Lodge as an excursion guide, but he wanted twenty acres to farm, pasture cows and horses—“and maybe even some turkeys,” he’d said with a laugh.

Lark smiled just thinking about it. Cash wanted a farm too, with the cattle, the horses, the chickens, and even goats. He commissioned a brand new stable to be built, and the twenty-stall building had been finished last week.

Everything about this place filled Lark with joy, and she switched her gaze to the front door as it opened and the sound of her fiancé’s laughter filled the air. Fine, it wasn’t the ranch that filled her with joy, but the man who owned it.

Cash in all his dark hair, dark-eyed, white-teeth-smiling glory jogged down the front steps of a porch Lark had once barely trusted to hold her. “Hey, Songbird.”

Cash gathered her into his arms and held her firmly against her pulse. “Are you ready for this?”

“Yes,” she said decisively, because she wanted to be Cash’s wife and finally move into the next phase of her life. She’d dropped out of college with only one semester to go, and she worked at a veterinary clinic on the south side of Coral Canyon, where she was able to put her animal science and nutrition knowledge to work despite not having the piece of paper that said she’d finished the program.

She’d been toying with the idea of getting her veterinary technician certificate, but she and Cash had also talked plenty of times about her being in charge of the animal care and nutrition at the cutting horse operation. He’d started taking some farrier classes, but the nearest school was several hundred miles away, and he wouldn’t actually be able to finish a program. No, he was simply learning from some of the best horseshoers around town, as he wanted to be able to care for his horses in an emergency.

Lark pulled away and glanced down the front of his house. “There isn’t anyone else here yet,” she said, a small frown forming between her eyes.

“Cora had to run up to the lodge real quick,” Cash said. “She said it would take ten minutes, and then she’ll be here.”

Lark nodded, because she’d also brought along her mother to help her get ready for the wedding. Cash had promised her a bedroom upstairs for the bridal suite, while he stayed downstairs and made sure that the backyard got set up when the party rental company showed up.