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But was it really Lily that she was aching to see?
She turned to the window, watching the forests, mountains, and pastures blur on either side of her. Slade land made a majestic tidal wave of green against the canvas of azure sky. Her hands tightened on her blueprints.
Who was she trying to fool? Though she loved Lily dearly, her day just wasn’t complete until she saw her son.
Cadence felt heavy-eyed after her sleepless night, but when she had finally allowed her exhaustion to consume her, she’d dreamed of Porter—the tenderness in his eyes when he watched her… and that sparkle of mischief that often lit his expression. His hands. Oh! They were both gentle and protective. And when they touched hers, there was electricity. The strength of his embraces sustained her until the next time that they could meet.
And somehow when she awoke, she knew that everything would be okay.
How was that possible?
Filled with a renewed energy, she’d made an appointment that morning for an ultrasound with Dr. Motaoka Santana. Cadence allowed her excitement to consume her. In another week, she’d be able to see her baby. They’d only been together for a few weeks, but now she felt inseparable.
Strangely, that’s how she also felt with Porter. Was that a good thing? She hoped so!
The pastor tore his eyes from the road to look over at her. “So, what brought you to Harvest Ranch?” Though the man knew how to let loose and tease Porter, the pastor had a gentle, sincere way about him. His question didn’t feel invasive. He turned back to the road, waiting for her answer.
She swallowed, still not sure how much to let him in. “My friend told me about the people here. Emily said she loved the country more than anything, and I’m actually housesitting for her… plant sitting really.” Cadence had been easing her conscience of not being able to truly connect with her friend by making sure that Emily’s plants were the lushest, greenest plants in existence. “It’s the craziest thing actually, but here I am, and it’s everything she says… strangely enough. I love it, too.”
The pastor nodded. “We get that a lot. I moved here after I’d experienced… a tragedy. I…” he cleared his throat, “I lost my wife and child in a car accident. Somehow living the country life helped me cope. It filled in the holes that I’d always felt missing, and even though I’ve lost so much, I’ve gained plenty here. The people of our congregation feel like family.”
Cadence gulped as she encountered his pain. Instead of skirting past it, which would certainly be easier, she felt the tragedy burn through her. Even those who seemed like their lives were neatly placed in order, still had missing pieces of their puzzle that only love could fill.
“Thank you for sharing that with me, Pastor. I’m sure it’s hard to talk about.”
“Parts of it are, but others aren’t. I loved my girls very much. I’ve never known so much joy—it’s why it hurts so much to lose what you love dearly. If you never felt that love, you wouldn’t care if you lost it. Even so, feeling that kind of happiness also makes the tragedy easier to bear. It’s hard to explain, but the memories sustain me. And so, I’ll keep talking about my girls, and how much I miss them. I’m a firm believer that the dark times help us know the light.”
Spoken like a true clergyman, and yet, Cadence understood what he was saying too well. They rode the rest of the way to the Slade homestead in silence as she thought his words over. Cadence knew what bad times felt like, and so when the blessings came, she appreciated them.
Cadence would never throw them away like Lacy always managed to do.
Blessing after blessing, and some she might’ve never recognized as such. She marveled at the swaying grass that stretched out for miles on Slade land, the sturdy cattle that roamed freely through the hills and trees. The gift of these views was breathtaking in itself, but the friendships that she was forging here felt life changing. She could honestly see the people of Harvest Ranch becoming her family too. That was so utterly mind-blowing after facing a lifetime of rejection.
She was an orphan, but here? She honestly didn’t feel like one.
As they drove up to the Slades’ family home, she recognized most of the cars in the driveway. Pastor Brown parked next to Porter’s huge monster truck. She grinned as the memories hit her of their adventures together. She’d never look at those trucks the same again.
Cadence pulled out of the sedan. Pastor Brown wasn’t as fast as Porter was at getting her door. The sweet man smiled wryly over at her as she gathered the blueprints for Lily’s garden. She wanted to keep some of this as a surprise for her friend, but she could hardly wait to show Porter.
Allowing the pastor to lead the way, they came to the door. Lily opened it before they could knock. She hugged Pastor Brown with a loud cry, then turned to Cadence. “Angel! You sweet girl! I’ve missed you.”
“I’m sorry!” she exclaimed into Lily’s ear as the sweet woman swept her into her arms. “Your son stole me away.”
Lily squeezed her tightly. “I know, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’d just hoped that he’d let me see you first.”
“You’ll see plenty of me today,” she said. “I want to get started on your garden.”
“You dear thing.” Lily turned to the pastor to include him in the conversation. “She’s my saving grace.”
“Is she?” Pastor Brown watched her approvingly, while Cadence beamed.
Lily might not know her true name, but Cadence felt like the older woman knew her better than any of her foster parents. Such a strange thought. Soon, she’d be able to tell Lily more about herself, but first she wanted to make sure that Lacy was gone for good. Something told her that both Lily and the pastor would be understanding. They’d accepted her with open arms so far, despite not knowing much about her.
“I’m not fixing up the garden all on my own,” Cadence was quick to admit to the pastor. “Porter is helping me with the building and the grunt work.”
“Oh, I’m glad,” Lily said. “He needs to do something besides moping around the ranch after his twin. I love them both dearly, but those two were a force to reckon with when they were together. Now that they’re apart… well, I can’t say that things are much better. I’m just glad Porter has found you, Angel.”
She was too, but was it bad to say that she was also happy that West had left town?
