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That had to be Porter.
What a crazy coincidence that Cadence had thrown up in front of him! She winced, completely humiliated. And then to tell him that she was pregnant? It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Lacy was the father.
Coming to Harvest Ranch might’ve been a bad idea, and yet… it had felt so right. What was she going to do? Emily might give her a better reading on the situation, if that girl ever decided to text her back or pick up her phone.
Cadence didn’t blame her in the least. She looked Emily up on social media after Porter had left her yesterday morning. Emily was embroiled in her own adventures, if the tabloids could be believed. There was a lot of chatter online about her and some mysterious stranger riding away from that ill-fated party on a motorcycle.
Itdidsound intriguing.
While the sleuths online tried to untangle the identity of Emily’s latest man, Cadence had hit the shower and started making Emily’s home her own. Hopefully she wasn’t overextending her stay. She made sure to give the plants a little extra water to show her gratitude.
Now, she finished up the ice cream and the hamburger and grabbed a handful of popcorn before she headed out the door, wearing Emily’s tight dress. Cadence was tired of feeling sorry for herself. Harvest Ranch was calling to her, and she wanted to see this small town for herself.
The bright sun shone off the pavement of historic downtown, almost blinding her, though the maples around the area provided pleasant enough shade. The breeze made the normally steamy days of June inching into July feel infinitely more bearable.
And birds! There were birds. Cadence could make out their songs.
Here and there, she spotted families in the park, couples holding hands, others taking nice Sunday strolls with their dogs like they had no cares in the world.
Watching the smiling faces, she felt her stresses lift from her shoulders, too. An old cowboy wearing a faded western shirt tucked carefully into pressed blue jeans drew closer. He tipped his cowboy hat as he swaggered on. How cute was that? She tried not to stare. A young family with a baby in a stroller passed her. A small fat fist waved at her. She was struck by the boy’s big blue eyes as he gaped up.
Would her baby have her eyes… or Lacy’s? She swallowed uncomfortably.
Everything that Emily had told her about this town seemed absolutely accurate so far. There was a special feeling here, so many friendly faces, so many happy greetings. It was very different from the busy streets of the big city.
Somewhere in the distance, Cadence heard bells.
Was that from a church? How quaint. She remembered the conversation that she’d overheard with Lacy and his investors.“Too many cowboys and Christians, right? Why don’t you come out and say it. Churches on every corner, the smell of cow manure scuffed off boots in every establishment. Ha, you said it first… What better way to push them out of town? Just drive up the prices and get them out. Let them pray elsewhere.”
Lacy couldn’t get to this cheerful place. Not here. Nothing from the outside world would touch these people.
And what about Cadence? Was she just as much of an invader? What were her intentions with Harvest Ranch? Would she hide in their community or would she take part in it? She noticed that most of those walking were dressed in their Sunday best, and turning, she noticed the steeple of a white stone church.
She was headed the opposite way.
Did she dare turn and join them? What if she didn’t belong? She stared at the pickups and minivans parked to the side—one jacked-up black GMC especially stood out. It was monstrous. This was her kind of place. Laughing, she picked up her phone and texted Emily. “Thanks for letting me stay here, friend. It’s beautiful. Give me your address so I can pay you back for using your card.”
As soon as she slid her phone back into Emily’s purse, she felt her worries consume her again. What if Emily lost her phone to that fire at Lacy’s? Someone online had claimed that her motorcycle guy had saved Emily from a wall of flames. She was fine, but… if she had no idea that Cadence was staying at her place, was that all right?
Emily had invited her. Still, Cadence would feel a whole lot better if she got a confirmation from her friend that she wasn’t overstaying her welcome.
The bells of the church stopped tolling. Cadence listened to organ music swelling from inside. She was drawn to its pretty, peaceful sound, while still feeling like a stranger. She didn’t know these religious customs. She didn’t even know the right way to pray.I believe in you, God. Of course, I do! But am I what anyone inside these walls would think of as a good Christian? I’m not against any of these people, like Lacy seems to be, but still… I guess I’m a little scared of them. What if they don’t like me?
There were plenty of reasons that they might not accept her. She was a newcomer. Her dress was a little too short and tight. What if they found out that she was pregnant without a husband and they looked down on her?
She took a deep breath.
God loved her baby. He seemed to want to keep her safe so far, and so, she did for this baby what she didn’t have the courage to do for herself, she walked into a place where she wasn’t sure that she belonged because it felt like the right thing to do.
What did it matter if she didn’t look good on paper? It only mattered that shedidgood. There was a world of difference between those two things, sometimes. God knew her heart.
As soon as she walked up the steps and into the bright foyer, she was consumed with a comfortable feeling. Entering the chapel was like coming home, but how was that possible when she didn’t know any of her family members?
She listened to their singing. She was late. Was it acceptable to walk in uninvited and in a rush? Was this like crashing a wedding during the vows? To the side of her, two little boys ran past her, hurried on by a harried and pregnant mother. The youngest was crying and the oldest was crossing his arms, shouting out grumpily. The mother ushered them inside.
Apparently, being late was fine.
She followed the small family inside. They sped into a pew near the front, joining a lady with beautiful red hair and a man with an arm around her. A husband maybe? The two boys scrambled over their knees and squeezed in between two tall men wearing white shirts in the middle of the pew. “Uncle Cole!” the youngest shouted out.
