Here’s an excerpt from Her Healing Ways, final book in the Gabriel Sisters series. Now we find how Dr. Mercy decided to help Sunny.

Epilogue

In early December, the town far to the east with the nearest railroad station was decorated for Christmas. Every store window displayed festive clothing, food, or gifts. Several weeks after the trial, Lon had driven Mercy, Indigo, and Sunny with her baby girl, Dawn, to meet the train. They now stood in the depot, watching for the incoming train. The sharp December wind blew against them.

Holding on to his hat, Lon tried to ease the tension that was twisting up his spine. He was about to meet his in-laws for the first time. And since they had left home before he’d married Mercy a few weeks ago, they didn’t know about Mercy being his wife now.

“My parents will love thee,” Mercy said, straightening his collar.

He grinned. He was still a clear pane of glass to his wife. And he hoped she was right. The only touch of sadness was the fact that Pierre Gauthier had not returned yet to Idaho Bend. Lon knew that first loves often went astray. For her part, Indigo still was keeping faith that Pierre would return, but was keeping busy, waitressing, working on filling her hope chest, and helping Mercy.

Then they heard the train whistle and its puffing steam engine. Soon the passengers, mostly people who would be heading farther west, filled the platform and depot.

Mercy shepherded her party of four toward an older couple dressed in sober black—a tall man with white hair and a petite woman who reminded Lon of Mercy.

“Mother, Father!” Mercy called out. Indigo was welcomed with happy faces. The four took turns embracing and then Mercy turned to Lon and Sunny. “Father and Mother, this is Sunny and her little girl, Dawn.”

Adam and Constance Gabriel greeted Sunny warmly, and the young woman curtseyed and smiled shyly.

“And this is my husband. Lon Mackey.” Mercy blushed at her own words.

There was a moment of wordless surprise. Lon wished he could speak, but his tongue had turned to wood. He wanted to tell them how much he loved their daughter, how her love had healed him. But words failed.

“Well, welcome to the family, Lon Mackey,” Adam said, shaking Lon’s hand with a younger man’s vigor. Adam studied Lon, as if delving into him deeply.

“Yes, welcome, Lon Mackey,” Constance said, holding up her hands. “Mercy, I don’t know what to say to thee. I thought thee had decided to never marry.”

“I couldn’t marry a man who didn’t want me to continue my profession, of course,” Mercy said, still rosy pink. “But Lon does and he loves me.”

“I am one hundred percent behind Mercy continuing to practice medicine,” Lon declared.

“Excellent!” Adam said. “Mercy, thy mother and I are very tired. Could we go to a hotel?”

 The group headed to one of the nearby hotels where Lon and Mercy had already secured rooms for Mercy’s parents in addition to their own.

After letting Mercy’s parents have a few moments to freshen up, they went to a nearby café. Lon still fought twinges of nerves. An unexpected son-in-law could make a poor impression merely because he hadn’t formally asked her father for Mercy’s hand in marriage. Lon didn’t know how to rectify this faux pas.

When the waitress delivered their meals, Mercy’s father bowed his head and said a brief prayer. The quiet prayer soothed Lon’s nerves. And he liked the look of his in-laws. He began to sense the natural peace they brought with them.

“So thee is the man who has won my eldest daughter’s heart,” Adam said with a grin.

“Yes, I am the lucky man.” Lon suddenly choked up. Truer words had never passed his lips.

“Where is thee is from, Lon?” Constance asked.

“Maryland. But I have no family there except for a couple of older aunts and a few cousins. I wrote to them of my marriage, of course.”

“I am sorry that thy parents aren’t here to share our joy,” Constance said, beaming. “We are so happy for thee. I see thy love for our Mercy in thy face.”

Creating a small commotion and grabbing everyone’s attention, Sunny’s little Dawn coo-ed and wriggled as if reaching for Constance.

The woman put down her fork and held out arms for the baby. Sunny hesitated and then complied. Constance talked to the baby with soft cheery words.

Sunny wiped tears from her eyes. “I’m just so grateful.”

Constance laid a comforting hand on Sunny’s sleeve. “We are the ones who are grateful. When we offered to come and take thee and thy little one home with us, we didn’t know that we would end up meeting our new son-in-law. What a wonderful surprise, such a wonderful blessing. God had it all planned for us.”

Lon again felt the deep tug of intense emotion, of the brilliant truth that radiated from his mother-in-law’s simple words. I couldn’t have said it better myself, God. Thank you.

 

So now you see how Sunny was able to leave the life of the saloon behind her, but taking her away from that life didn’t start a new life. Sunny and Dawn’s new life begins in Their Frontier Family, on sale now! Drop by tomorrow to read the beginning of Sunny’s new life!–Lyn

 

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