cancer—bam, you get hit by a car—bam, children get killed all the time for no reason at all.” Hysteria started washing over her, like a wave that was building momentum for a tsunami. “And no one cares. No one cares!” She was shouting at Beau now.
Beau grabbed both of her elbows and shook her a little. “He cares, Sara. The Lord cares.” He tried to look deep into her eyes and pull her back to sanity by sheer will.
Collapsing agains t him, she cried. Beau held onto her trying to provide a soft landing place for this mini breakdown. “Shh. He knows your pain. You can rely on Him. He tells us to come to Him and He will give us peace . . . not as the world gives it—but the way we need it. Let yourself feel his peace, Sara.” Beau whispered to her, like he would have calmed a child. He knew what it was like to feel fragile and on the edge of a breakdown. He’d been through it—and it hadn’t gone so well for him at the time.
“ Sara!” Mark busted through the barn doors. “It’s happening. You’ve got to come.”
**
They were all there. Her dad’s bed was elevated.
“She’s here, Dad.” James rubbed his hand over his head gently.
Her dad opened his eyes. “Your mother says she loves you all. She sent me back to tell you.” His voice was raspy, but one side of his mouth tried to smile.
Sara felt The Spirit enfold them, like the slow warmth from a camp fire. They each took the hand next to them.
“We love both of you, Daddy.” Sara broke her grip with Mark and softly touched her dad’s paper skin.
James, Tim, and Mark all followed her suit, telling him they loved him. Her dad closed his eyes and let go. It felt almost peaceful to Sara, like a bird being set free.
Mark knelt beside the bed and cried . Sara and James and Tim understood the tough relationship Mark had always shared with their father. It was a lot like the relationship Mark and Sara had with James: push-pull, love-hate. And now . . . it was over.
“It’s all right, brother,” James stepped to pat his shoulder. “He knew you loved him.”
The funeral was two days later. Sara hadn’t seen Beau since she’d left the barn and thought he’d flown back to Laramie. She wasn’t surprised, though, when he stood next to her at the graveside service.
“Thanks for coming.” She didn’t know why it felt like he belonged with them. Maybe because he was part of trying to save a land that her father had cherished so much.
After the dedication , James, Tim, and Mark shook Beau’s hand and Sara mingled with some longtime family friends. When she finally headed to the car, he was there, waiting for her.
“It seems like you’re making it a habit . . . waiting for me by the car.”
He opened her door for her and went around the other side. “I told your brothers I would see you home.”
Sara sighed, sitting back into her seat. “Thanks.” Exhaustion from the day threatened to consume her.
Beau turned to her. “I’m sorry I bulldozed you. I shouldn’t have just assumed I could step in.”
Sara looked at him skeptically and smiled. “No you’re not,” she whispered it.
Beau raised his eyebrows. “It was all about business. I’ve been working the past two days.” He smiled.
“ Uh huh.” She let out a deep breath, feeling the relief of everything begin to wash over her. She’d been on autopilot the past two days helping with the arrangements and trying to sort out all the details of the ranch with James.
“I’m leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I left your ticket open-ended if you want to stay for a few days longer.”
“No.” She jarred from her thoughts, looking over at Beau. His hair was combed all respectable. He looked more like a missionary at the moment.
Beau pulled in front of her house.
“I would like to go back with you if that’s okay.”
Beau turned off the car , and they looked at each other.
“It’s time.” She looked at her house, feeling drained of all emotion, but she knew she
Beau grabbed both of her elbows and shook her a little. “He cares, Sara. The Lord cares.” He tried to look deep into her eyes and pull her back to sanity by sheer will.
Collapsing agains t him, she cried. Beau held onto her trying to provide a soft landing place for this mini breakdown. “Shh. He knows your pain. You can rely on Him. He tells us to come to Him and He will give us peace . . . not as the world gives it—but the way we need it. Let yourself feel his peace, Sara.” Beau whispered to her, like he would have calmed a child. He knew what it was like to feel fragile and on the edge of a breakdown. He’d been through it—and it hadn’t gone so well for him at the time.
“ Sara!” Mark busted through the barn doors. “It’s happening. You’ve got to come.”
**
They were all there. Her dad’s bed was elevated.
“She’s here, Dad.” James rubbed his hand over his head gently.
Her dad opened his eyes. “Your mother says she loves you all. She sent me back to tell you.” His voice was raspy, but one side of his mouth tried to smile.
Sara felt The Spirit enfold them, like the slow warmth from a camp fire. They each took the hand next to them.
“We love both of you, Daddy.” Sara broke her grip with Mark and softly touched her dad’s paper skin.
James, Tim, and Mark all followed her suit, telling him they loved him. Her dad closed his eyes and let go. It felt almost peaceful to Sara, like a bird being set free.
Mark knelt beside the bed and cried . Sara and James and Tim understood the tough relationship Mark had always shared with their father. It was a lot like the relationship Mark and Sara had with James: push-pull, love-hate. And now . . . it was over.
“It’s all right, brother,” James stepped to pat his shoulder. “He knew you loved him.”
The funeral was two days later. Sara hadn’t seen Beau since she’d left the barn and thought he’d flown back to Laramie. She wasn’t surprised, though, when he stood next to her at the graveside service.
“Thanks for coming.” She didn’t know why it felt like he belonged with them. Maybe because he was part of trying to save a land that her father had cherished so much.
After the dedication , James, Tim, and Mark shook Beau’s hand and Sara mingled with some longtime family friends. When she finally headed to the car, he was there, waiting for her.
“It seems like you’re making it a habit . . . waiting for me by the car.”
He opened her door for her and went around the other side. “I told your brothers I would see you home.”
Sara sighed, sitting back into her seat. “Thanks.” Exhaustion from the day threatened to consume her.
Beau turned to her. “I’m sorry I bulldozed you. I shouldn’t have just assumed I could step in.”
Sara looked at him skeptically and smiled. “No you’re not,” she whispered it.
Beau raised his eyebrows. “It was all about business. I’ve been working the past two days.” He smiled.
“ Uh huh.” She let out a deep breath, feeling the relief of everything begin to wash over her. She’d been on autopilot the past two days helping with the arrangements and trying to sort out all the details of the ranch with James.
“I’m leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I left your ticket open-ended if you want to stay for a few days longer.”
“No.” She jarred from her thoughts, looking over at Beau. His hair was combed all respectable. He looked more like a missionary at the moment.
Beau pulled in front of her house.
“I would like to go back with you if that’s okay.”
Beau turned off the car , and they looked at each other.
“It’s time.” She looked at her house, feeling drained of all emotion, but she knew she
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