The Cowboy Next Door (19 page)

 

Jay pounded the steering wheel of his truck as he cruised the overcrowded parking lot. Not an empty space in the place and he knew that the hearing started in less than ten minutes. Lacey was alone. He didn't want her to be alone.

Ever.

But if he didn't find a parking space, that was exactly what
would happen. Besides that, what guarantees did he have that she would want him to be there with her?

A group of people walked across the intersection and toward a car in the parking lot. Like a vulture, he watched them get out keys and get into the car. He circled, waiting for them to back out, and praying no one else would challenge him for that spot.

The car backed out and he zoomed into the empty space with barely enough room to get his door open. As he hopped out, he reached back into the truck for the bundle of flowers he'd picked when he went home to change clothes. He smiled, a little embarrassed by the scraggly bouquet. No one but Lacey would understand.

He ran up the stairs of the courthouse and through the front doors. The courtroom was up the stairs or the elevators. There was a crowd at the elevator so he picked the stairs. He ran, taking the stairs two at a time. A few people in the stairwell slid to the side to get out of his way. He apologized and kept going.

The bailiff at the doors to the courtroom stopped him.

“Court is already in session.” The uniformed officer stood in front of the door.

“I know, and I'm sorry that I'm late, but I need to be in there with Lacey Gould.” Because she was adopting a little girl and he wanted to be that child's father. His heart raced in his chest and he wanted to rush the gates to get past the armed officer.

“Sorry.”

“Please, I know you're not supposed to do this, but it's an adoption and I really need to be in there.”

The officer looked at the bouquet, his eyes scrunching. “You're taking that in there?”

“It isn't hiding a weapon, I promise.”

“No, I'm just saying, couldn't you have done better?”

“Nope, this is the best.”

The officer shook his head and stepped back. “Good luck. You're going to need it.”

Jay smiled and nearly laughed as he pushed the door open and stepped into the courtroom. The judge turned, staring and not happy. Jay pointed to Lacey and the judge gave a short nod.

Lacey's mouth dropped and then closed again. She smiled just a little and he held up the bouquet, wilted and more scraggly than ever. But dandelions could survive anything, and Lacey would get it.

Her smile trembled on her lips. He loved her. He had known it for a while, but now, seeing her there with Rachel and knowing that her smile was for him alone and that she was a woman who could love a man forever, he knew without a doubt that he loved her.

 

The judge pounded his gavel on the desk and Lacey turned away from Jay, back to the proceedings. But she couldn't stop smiling. She couldn't stop the little dance in her heart. Jay had showed up. That meant something.

Dandelions meant something.

“I see no reason for not approving this adoption,” the judge decreed. He looked at Corry, in a jumpsuit and handcuffs. “I believe you've made one wise decision in a life full of unwise decisions and I hope that this is a starting place for you.”

She nodded and tears trickled down her cheeks. But she didn't speak. Lacey wanted to go to her, like she had when they had been young girls hiding from their mother. She wanted to hug her sister and tell her it would be okay and they would take care of each other. But Lacey could only promise to take care of Rachel and to be there for Corry.

“Lacey Gould, this child, Rachel Gould, is now your child. Love her and protect her. Do your best to be a good mother for her.” The judge took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “And
do something about this man in my court. I think he must have something to say to you.”

Lacey turned and smiled at Jay. He stood next to her, a cowboy in faded jeans. His sleeves were rolled up and he carried the most pitiful handful of dandelions she'd ever seen.

But it was the most beautiful bouquet ever. Because it was for her.

“I really hadn't planned on doing this here, with a judge and lawyers as witnesses.” He held up the scraggly, wilted bouquet of yellow flowers.

“Jay?”

“Lacey, I'm so in love with you I can't sleep at night. You've filled the empty spaces in my heart and in my life. I want to be a part of your life, and a part of Rachel's life. Forever.”

“Forever?”

He handed her the dandelions. “Forever. I realized the other day that you've changed my life. You're strong and beautiful and I love you.”

“You love me?” Tears streamed down her cheeks, salty on her lips. She brushed them away.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“That's good, because it works better that way.”

The judge cleared his throat. “I could marry the two of you right now and put his name on the birth certificate if you'd like.”

Lacey didn't know what to say, or if she could say anything. Jay had hold of her hand and when he leaned to kiss her, she couldn't think. Because this was more than a moment. It was forever.

He kissed her for a long minute, his lips exploring hers, and his arm around her and Rachel. Lacey leaned into that kiss and his embrace, feeling safe and knowing he would protect them and cherish them.

She wasn't a replacement. She saw in his eyes and knew in that kiss that she didn't have to compete with a memory. They would make their own memories.

When he pulled away, he cupped her cheek, looking steady into her eyes. “Lacey, marry me today.”

“I would love nothing more, Jay. But I think we have family and friends who might be upset with us if we didn't invite them to the wedding.”

He smiled and kissed her again.

“I don't care when the wedding is,” he whispered in her ear, his breath soft. “I just want to make sure you'll marry me.”

“I will, but I do think we need time.” She leaned into his embrace and around them people clapped. Her cheeks heated and she buried her face in his shoulder.

“You're right, Lacey, dandelions are about the most beautiful flower. They're like us. They can make it through anything.”

Lacey walked out of the courtroom at his side, no longer alone. She had a family now. She had a little girl that clung to her neck and cooed happy sounds, and a cowboy that had promised to love her forever.

Dear Reader,

 

Life sometimes feels like a puzzle that isn't quite coming together the way we want it to. We have all the pieces, we know what it is supposed to look like and we know how we want it to go together, but for some reason we can't make it work.

As things crumble, as pieces fail to fit and nothing seems to work, we begin to see the edges of the puzzle come together. The framework is there, it just takes time and patience. Sometimes we have to move on and then later, when we look back, we suddenly see that what we thought was a plan falling apart was actually God's plan coming together.

Jay and Lacey, like so many of us, thought they had their lives all planned out. God had something totally different in mind and when He started to work in their lives, they first thought that things were falling apart and their own plans were coming unraveled.

Like us, Jay and Lacey had to learn to let go of what they thought would be best for them, and realize that God had something even better in mind.

I love to hear from my readers. Please visit my Web site, www.brendaminton.net, and drop me an e-mail.

 

Blessings,

Brenda Minton

1. Lacey Gould's sister shows up in Gibson and Lacey has to dig deeply for the right response to Corry's arrival. Why did she have reservations about Corry being in Gibson?
   
2. Lacey finds it easier to help her sister when she makes it about the baby. Why?
   
3. Jay Blackhorse hasn't lived in Gibson for years. Why did he find it easier to live in Springfield rather at home, around his family and friends?
   
4. Corry wanted to believe that Lacey's new life was a charade. Why? How does that make Lacey feel?
   
5. Lacey comes to Gibson looking for a fresh start, and wanting to leave her old life and the mistakes she made behind her. Does that happen? Or does she have to deal with the past in order to make the present work?
   
6. Jay isn't thrilled with the idea of Lacey living in his grandparents' home. But Lacey reads something into his expression and she decides it is about who she is, not realizing it is about his own life. How would the truth have changed their relationship from the beginning?
   
7. Lacey's sister has a learning disability. How did that change her life? Do you think it was a part of her rebellion and animosity?
   
8. Would Lacey have reacted differently to Corry if Corry had
   appreciated her more? How does that change our reaction to people we're helping?
   
9. Lacey's past isn't who she is now, but it did make her the person she is. Without her life in St. Louis, her police record and escaping to Gibson, her life would have changed. Would it have been the life God wanted for her?
   
10. Jay and Lacey both realize that God has a plan for their lives. That plan doesn't just include where they are now, but what they've been through and who they are because of their life experiences. How does it help us to see that plan when we look back and see how things in our lives have worked out, even when it appeared situations were going to do anything but work out for the best?
    
11. Bailey tells Lacey that she is not a finished product. Her story is still being written. We all have dreams, things yet to be accomplished. How does God figure into those dreams, gifts and the future?
    
12. Jay finds it hard to let go of memories and move on. Did he make mistakes in handling his relationship with Jamie? Should he have let go sooner?
    
13. Lacey considers herself a “dirty sock.” She doesn't believe she's the type of woman a man takes home to meet his family. How does that defeat what God has done in her life?
    
14. Lacey realizes she has changed her family. By becoming someone they can count on, she has become the first step in changing future generations of her family. How?
    
15. Jay comes to terms with his love for Lacey and realizes it is the love of a woman that he needs, not the memory of loving a girl. How do relationships change as we get older?