The Lonestar Collection by Colleen Coble

Author:Colleen Coble
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2014-07-10T00:00:00+00:00

EVERY TIME THE CANOE ROCKED, GRACIE WAS SURE THEY’D END UP IN THE water, but Michael handled the canoe with expertise.The kids sat quietly and watched the towering walls of Santa Elena Canyon glide by. The pink, blue-gray, and tan walls stretched from the river to the heavens. It was a place one could almost hear the whispers of God.

Gracie shook off the thought. Over five years ago, she’d come to grips with the realization that God was through with her, so why was she dwelling on him again? The problem was this solitude. She missed the hustle and bustle of the city and the demands of her job to keep her regrets at bay.

Hope leaned her head against Gracie’s knee. “I have to potty,” she whispered.

Jordan turned around to look, and the canoe rocked. “Me too.”

“Try to sit still, girls.” Gracie grabbed at her daughter when the boat rocked again. “How much farther?” she called to Michael.

“Almost there. Just around the bend.” He bent to paddle faster.

A few minutes later, he called for her to turn in to the tributary. The limestone pebbles covering the bed of the river shimmered in the sunlight. Ferns grew along the boulders. “Here we are.Time for lunch and a swim.” He leaped from the canoe and steadied it. “All ashore.”

“Me first!” Jordan stood and the canoe nearly capsized.

“Steady,” Michael warned. He grabbed his daughter around the waist and lifted her from the vessel, then did the same to the other children. “Your turn,” he said to Gracie.

Gracie was sure she’d tip the boat and make a fool of herself. Their lunch would end up soaked and it would be her fault.The hard bench bit into the backs of her thighs, and she gripped the sides of the canoe so tightly, she couldn’t feel her fingers anymore. “I’ll capsize it.”

He swished through the water and leaned in close. “I’ll lift you out.”

At least he wasn’t mocking her. His blue eyes held a confident smile. The canoe rocked a bit in the current, and she wanted out of the boat in the worst way. “Don’t drop me.”

“I wouldn’t think of it.” His grave gaze held hers. He held out his hands. “Come on, honey.There’s nothing to it. And if we tip the boat, it’s no big deal.”

Hearing an endearment like that on his lips touched her in a way she couldn’t explain. She knew he didn’t mean anything by it, but a warm sensation spread from her chest. The boat rocked violently when she stood, but he scooped her from the canoe and carried her to the shore. Not even her feet got wet.

He set her down on the rocks. “Better now?”

“Thank you.” She watched him beach the boat. Once her pulse slowed, she went to help him. “I’ll take the bag,” she said. It held swimsuits, dry clothes in a plastic bag, suntan lotion, and first-aid supplies.

“Hey, Daddy, there’s a pool,” Evan called.

Small rocks slid away beneath Gracie's flip-flops as she followed Michael up a trail to the pool at the base of the cliffs.

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