Captivated by His Liberating Love – Extended Epilogue

Five Years Later.

Faith

The sunflowers were just about as tall as her waist. Faith wandered through them, her fingertips sprayed out, brushing against the petals. She passed the gravestone and stopped. She hadn’t been out quite this far in a while.

She knelt down.

She thought about how life can be taken in an instant. How precious it was. And ran her fingers over the name

Daisy.

She never had a last name.

But she had a last resting place.

“You were such a good girl.”

Faith came out often into the fields. Part of her morning routine. The chickens in the hatch needed feeding, and their eggs fetched, of course. The pigs needed their trough filled with scraps, and they each enjoyed a pet and a scratch behind the ears.

Though she came often, she went as far as the grave every so often. It always stirred emotions in her.

Some people had said she was ‘just’ a dog. But Faith didn’t consider any creature ‘just’ an anything.’ Each had a special place in God’s plan, and her connection with Daisy couldn’t be replaced.

But there was barking in the distance.

“Hello girl!” Faith said, springing up and patting her legs to let Jilly know that she was free to run over for a cuddle. And she did just that.

“Gently now, girl.” Faith laughed.

Jilly understood. Faith was in a delicate condition and needed to be leapt on very carefully. But she needed her cuddles from Jilly all the same.

Jilly was one of Daisy’s pups. Now five years old. She looked just like her mama too, strawberry blonde coat and ears that stuck straight up. But unlike her old mama, she was young enough to run around, and she loved to go to work. Herding and hunting for all hours of the day. A hardworking dog suited for the land she loved. But she loved her belly rubs and warm rug in front of the fire just as much.

And she always signaled the arrival of her master.

“Faith! What have I told you about wandering out this way in your condition!” Clay was gently scolding here. But he was smiling. He whistled to call Jilly back and pointed at the cattle that needed to be rounded up. “She is a little easily distracted today,” Clay commented.

“Are you talking about Jilly, or me?”

Faith stood up, her belly heavy and round. But she always liked to pretend that it was no impediment to her helping on the ranch. “Can’t I come out and help with the branding of the herd?” She made a small pout because she knew that reason wouldn’t work on her husband right then, so she was trying another tactic. She missed the work, being out on the land, and she was sorry that her condition more or less kept her confined to house duties.

Not that she would switch her condition for anything in the world.

It was a blessing.

She only missed the other side of her life, that was all.

Clay shook his head and grinned. “You’ve got your own work to be getting on with. Important work.”

He climbed down off his horse and wrapped her in his arms like he always did—one arm around her waist, one arm around her shoulder. She always felt so safe when he did that. The action made her giddy like a little girl.

Most days she could not believe how lucky she was.

Had life ever been any other way?

“I can’t wait for you to ride out with me again,” he said, holding her face between his hands. “But right now, I need to look after you … and sometimes that means turning you down for your own good.”

Faith beamed. “And for the good of the baby,” she said.

These days there was barely enough bacon to go around. Mouse had had kittens several times over, and Faith had never had the heart to give any of them away.

She giggled as she tossed some bacon into the barn where they slept and dusted her hands off. She was always happy when the ranch was filled with young life.

But there was another young one in the house. Ruby May. One baby already, and one on the way.

Time to bring Ruby home from Evie’s cottage. Faith paused at the door and listened as Evie was regaling her with stories about her time in the Amazon jungle.

Faith heard the word, “Snake.”

Okay, that’s enough.

Faith pushed her way through the door with a good natured laugh. “Now, now, Evie, don’t go filling her head with stories that are going to keep her up at night.” She scooped up Ruby May, three years old, and gave her a kiss.

“It never seemed to do you any harm,” Evie said with sparkling eyes as she stood up and handed over the storybook she had been reading. She clutched at her heart for a moment, and Faith frowned.

Evie composed herself. “Now, what’s become of my erstwhile son this evening? He promised we were to have a real family dinner.”

Faith sighed and shook her head. “He still refuses to take it easy, Evie. Says he can’t stop until every last cow is branded. But then it will be something else. There’s always something on the ranch.”

“It’s been a long five years, but the land is finally fertile enough for him to be able to relax.”

Faith sighed. “And still he believes it needs to be improved.”
Evie took to her rocker. She was pale and still had her hand over her heart.

“Evie?” Faith called quietly. “Are you okay?”

Evie opened her eyes and shot her a small smile. “Of course, dear.”

She was a good actress.

Faith knew the truth. Evie’s heart, as kind as it was, was failing.

But Faith had one wish. For her to live long enough to see her second grandchild. So she walked back to the main house and waited for her husband to arrive home.

“Evie needs to see the doc,” Faith said after Ruby had been put down in her cot and they were sharing apple pie for dessert. “Clay, she has taken a bad turn.”

Clay waved his hand. “Oh, she is fine. These things knock her down for a few days, but in the end, she always bounces back better than ever.”

“That may have been the case five years ago. But this is now. And Clay, it is time that you faced the fact that your mama is not going to live forever. Will you please be so kind as to join me in the real world here?”

He glanced over at her, a peculiar, dashing smile spreading across his face. “And here I always thought you were the dreamer out of the pair of us.”

She poked her tongue out and stood up.

“Come here!” he said, grabbing her and pulling her back down onto his lap, kissing her on her cheek and neck while she shrieked and giggled.
“Clay! I am far too big for this …”

“I thought you said you hadn’t changed a bit … that you could still round up the herd with me,” he said, sticking his tongue out.

They kissed, and she smiled at him. “Well, maybe I am the dreamer, after all.”

Reaching his hand down, he gently rubbed his hand over her belly. “Won’t be long now,” he said with a beam.

She kissed him again.

No, it wouldn’t.

For a while, there was peace.

The next evening, there was a knock on the door.

“Come on in, Evie. The fire is warm.”

Time for her work. The one that she’d always thought was silly, but that Clay always said was so important. A way to put her imaginings to good use. Perhaps even make some money out of it one day. She put pen to paper.

And from the comfort of her well-worn settee, Faith Holcombe traveled the world.

The pirate ship sailed through the fog. Henriette watched for what would come next. Would the ship crash against jagged rocks, destroying the ship and casting them all into the freezing waters?

She had come up with a feisty heroine. One who knew her own mind and tried to escape her capture, but had her heart tested by a man only pretending to be a pirate.

Her pen scrawled across the paper.

But she stopped for a moment and smiled as she watched Ruby chasing Mouse around the room, Jilly at Evie’s feet, and her husband snoozing on the sofa, tired from a long day on the ranch.

There were still many adventures to be had.

Clay

Winds had a way of blowing into the valley in strange fashions. This one was all too familiar. Didn’t move quite right. Stirred the air in an eerie way.

He remembered the last time it had blown like that.

But Clay tried to ignore it and returned to the task at hand. Once again, he was branding.

After five long years, the ranch was just about self-sustaining. It was a new herd he had purchased, and he needed to brand them as their own.

It had been a tough fight to get the new ranch as profitable as the old one.

But he could never regret the way that things had gone.

His ma had been right. God had a way of placing a man on unexpected paths, and the path He had placed Clay on was one he could never have imagined for himself.

One that he would never change.

Clay heard someone calling to him.

He waved to Ralph over the hill and chuckled to himself. The man was large these days, filled out, his belt likely buckled through the very last buckle hole. Happy and full of girth from Janie’s pies.

“Good to see you out and about, Ralph.”

Ralph was all but retired now, but he still liked to walk around the land and give Clay a hand on his ranch. And he was still learning. Humbled. He would come over to the Holcombe’s ranch and Clay would teach him about proper irrigation and the best seasons to plant each crop. Giving Ralph small tasks to do so that he would know that he was still of use. Clay was glad that he could give the man the gift of dignity in his middle age.

There were days when the comfort of isolation still called Clay back. He remembered his days at Thunderland with fondness. The peace he’d had there had always been cherished. Not being hassled by anyone, the untouched beauty of the rough land his only real companion. Lonely, that was for sure. But that time of his life, hidden away, had taught him many lessons.

Yes, sometimes he missed it.

But there were just as many days when he realized that being close to other people was a good thing.

Being part of a community, something larger than himself.

Sometimes it was more than just a good thing—some days it was a matter of life and death.

This was one of those days.

Clay walked in late and realized his ma had joined them for the evening. She was doing that more and more these days.
Evie was shivering, almost uncontrollably, even though there was a blanket draped over her shoulders. It was a cold night. At first, Clay thought that was all it was. He told her to get closer to the fire. She’d always had a special bond with Jilly. The two of them liked to curl up together in front of the flames. And sometimes even Ruby was allowed to stay up past her bed time to drink hot cocoa with them.

A house full of women, Clay always thought with a smile. Everyone told him he’d better pray that for a boy next up, but he gave no mind to that. As long as the child was healthy and happy and raised to be of good character, he gave no care whether it was a boy or a girl.

Faith had retired early to bed, complaining of a slight stomach ache. Clay was slightly concerned for her, but he took Faith’s word that it was just a little uneasiness and nothing for him to worry about.

But the fire did nothing, and his ma’s chills got worse.

Faith was right. She always was.

“Oh, I need the doc,” Evie groaned as she tried to stand up, falling over before she could take a step. She was clutching at her heart.

But right then, there was a call from the next room. Faith, saying exactly the same thing.

Clay was at the front door, his heart pounding, already grabbing his coat, ready for the ride into town.

Both my girls are in trouble. They need me.

Butter was older, but she was still good on a short ride. Clay squeezed her and commanded her to gallop. They rode up the hill, tearing through the sunflowers to get into tow.

 A short ride. Just a couple of miles. Clay thanked the Lord that it wasn’t thirty miles. Not when there were so many lives depending on him.

Doc was already at the door, about to lock it as he was already running over his working hours and ready to turn in for the night. Clay banged on the glass till the man turned around.

Doc shot him a grumpy face but pulled the door back open.

Clay was breathless.

“Can you be in two places at once?”

Doc frowned and adjusted the spectacles on the bridge of his nose. “Well, no. There’s only one of me, you see.”

He was a man without much humor. Nor much of a sense of urgency.

“You will have to do. Come quick.”

Doc’s face gave nothing away as he saw to Evie who was laying down in the sitting room. Using his stethoscope he checked her chest. He smiled at Evie and told her to rest, not to worry. Then he whispered to Clay that her pulse was weak.

“How weak?”
Doc’s face didn’t quite crack. But it was pale.

“Weak.”

There were cries of pain from the next room. Doc had to dash.

“You’ll just have to make do with me, Ma.”

He thought back to the last time one of his parents had left him in the middle of the night. He’d been there before. But he didn’t think he could handle the bitter-sweetness of losing someone the same night that he gained someone.

“Please, Ma, hang on.”

The cries from the next room drew him out into the hallway.

A son or a daughter.

He never knew his heart could be so happy and heavy at the same time.

Clay waited, pacing back and forth, while Jilly waited patiently by the door for Evie.

She was groaning.

“Ma?” he called out, running into the room to check that her eyes were still open.

She was sweating and rambling in a delirious fashion. Clay tried to get her to drink. “Stay with me, Ma. I’m with you.”

Her head rocked back and forth. She was able to form a coherent sentence. “Clay, Faith needs you more than I do right now. Go to her.”

From the other room, Faith had stopped screaming.

He knew that his child had been born.

He was torn. “Ma, I can’t leave you like this.”
The doc, exhausted from his task next door, came back in to check on Evie.

His words to Clay were short. “She doesn’t have long.”

Clay walked over and took his mama’s hand. The skin over the bones was dry and thin, like a sheet of paper. But he squeezed her hand and told her that it was going to be alright.

The cry of a baby. Enough to rouse even the weakest of hearts.

Evie’s eyes sparkled, and she was able to sit up straight.

“Good luck, son.”

***

Clay Holcombe had believed that his life couldn’t get any more perfect. A house full of women.

But now a daughter and a son.

God’s plan was always perfect. Yet it somehow became even more so.

He has a tuft of ginger hair. “He takes after you,” Faith commented.

“Well, no beard yet.” Clay laughed.

“Hey, what was Buddy’s real name?” Faith asked, staring down at the babe in her arms.

“You want to name him after Buddy?”

“He’ll be ever so honored.”

Clay chuckled. “It was William. A fine name, I suppose, but not one I would have thought of. You are always a woman of great surprises, Faith,” he said and reached out to stroke her cheek. And he wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Yes, William will make a fine middle name,” Faith said as she lifted him up and admired him.

Clay frowned. “A middle name? What about his first?”

Faith stared at her newborn son. She tilted her head to the side. “Jackson. Little baby Jackson William.”

Clay’s heart missed a beat. He swallowed down the lump in his throat. “Well, now that you mention it … I suppose that he does take after my pa.”

Faith smiled up at him. “A good family to be born into. He will be safe all of his days.”

Clay kissed her forehead. “I will make sure of it.”

The following evening, Clay came in early from work. The sun was still up when he took off his boots and walked through the door, kissing Faith on the cheek as he whispered to ask where William was.

“In the next room,” Faith said, returning his kiss with a smile as radiant as the sun.

Clay took a deep breath and paused before he walked in the door.

There they were.

Evie in her rocker. Her new grandson on her lap.

She still had some time left.

THE END

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