A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy) by Lori Wick

best
    "All right, girls," Calder spoke after they had sat down.
    "Whose turn is it to pray tonight?"
    "Viwy's," Pilar was swift to say. "I was before."
    Calder smiled at her wording and turned to Vivian.
    "All right, Viv. Here we go. Dear Lord..."
    "Dear Lor."
    "Thank You for the food."
    "For food."
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    "And all Mama's work."
    "Mama."
    "For friends."
    This was met with silence.
    "For friends," Calder repeated, his voice prompting.
    Still it was quiet.
    Calder finally had no choice but to open his eyes and
    look at his daughter. He found her staring around the table.
    "Vivian, can you thank God for friends?"
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    "No."
    "Why not?"
    "Where's Beth?"
    Understanding dawned. "Not your friends. Mama's and my friends. We have friends too."
    The adults at the table had kept their eyes closed, but
    each had something over his or her mouth. Dakota's hand
    covered his upper lip, Darvi used her napkin, and Merry's
    apron helped her stem the laughter that lingered just under
    the surface.
    "I'll go ahead and finish; you can close your eyes
    again," Calder stated.
    Waiting until Vivian obeyed, the host went ahead with
    the prayer he had in mind, just barely holding his own
    laughter. No adults exchanged glances after Calder's
    amen, which was for the best. It would have been some
    time before anyone would have been able to eat
    3"3r 5*
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    "I didn't have a chance to tell you until now, but I'm so
    excited, Calder. She's been searching for so long. I knew
    Darvi's search had to end in Christ, but she didn't I'm
    overwhelmed with God's grace and goodness."
    "It's wonderful news," Calder said softly to his wife
    once they had retired for the evening. "Do you know how
    long she plans to stay?"
    "No, but however long it is, it won't be long enough."
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    There was something quiet in his wife tonight, and for
    a moment Calder studied on what it might be. She was
    pleased about Darvi certainly, but not like he thought she
    would be.
    "How was your day?" Merry asked, pulling her
    thoughts back to her husband.
    Calder started to answer but stopped.
    Merry looked at him. "Did something happen, Calder?"
    "No," he went on smoothly, not wanting her to know he
    was distracted by her manner. He went ahead and told her
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    about his office visits and one of the curtains nearly
    catching fire at the general store. They weren't many minutes
    outside of town, but enough that she would miss the
    daily happenings of town life.
    "So it didn't actually light?"
    "No, but the smoke was a nuisance, and it drew a
    crowd. Is there something you're not telling me?"
    His detour in the subject was so abrupt Merry laughed.
    "Where did that come from?"
    "I was hoping to surprise a confession out of you."
    "A confession over what?" Merry asked with just
    enough uncertainty that Calder's suspicions were confirmed.
    "Out with it, Merry. I know something is on your
    mind."
    "As a matter of fact, there is, but I don't want to tell you
    now because you're going to think I'm upset"
    "Are you upset?"
    "No."
    "But something is wrong?"
    "No, it is not"
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    Calder's brow lowered in thought.
    "For a doctor, Calder, you can be a little slow."
    It didn't take long from there.
    "Are you certain?"
    "Not absolutely, but fairly so."
    "Why didn't you want to tell me?"
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    "Because I knew you'd ask for my symptoms, and I
    would tell you I'm tired, and you would say I'm the mother
    of twins, like you always do."
    Calder laughed. "I'm sorry I'm so predictable, but you
    must admit that being tired would mean that nearly every
    woman in town was in a family way."
    Merry smiled. "You're right, of course, but I think I can
    tell the difference."
    Calder stood up from the foot of the bed and joined her
    on the side. He slipped his arms around her and held her
    dose.
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    "I love it when you're expecting."
    "Why is that?"
    "Lots of reasons that I won't try to explain, but I do
    know I'm going to love this pregnancy more than the first"
    "Why?"
    "Because I've met the