Chapter One
Rachel Marshall had been dreaming about her return to Owl Creek, Alaska, for a very long time. It had been an eternity since she’d felt this arctic wind whipping against her cheeks and smelled the crisp, pure Alaskan air. Way too much time stood between her and this town, she thought, as regret sliced through her. It had been three years since she’d fled her hometown and made a life for herself in Colorado. Even now it seemed hard to believe that she’d taken off two days before her wedding. Back then she’d allowed fear to rule her life.
Rachel hadn’t expected to feel this strong rush of emotion with regard to coming home, but it had hit her like a ton of bricks the moment she’d seen Anchorage from the airplane. Her chest had tightened as the rugged mountains and stunning landscape came into view. Then her pulse had quickened once she’d caught sight of the breathtaking harbor as the ferry steamed toward Owl Creek. Alaska! Home. A place like no other in this world.
Truthfully, it had been an exhausting journey from Denver. She’d avoided taking a seaplane from the Anchorage airport, knowing if she’d done so the news of her return would spread like wildfire through Owl Creek. She had no interest in fanning the flames of gossips. And besides, she didn’t like flying on small planes. They reminded her too much of darkness and the loss of her father. Instead, Rachel opted for the ferry, which had been a bit of a challenge with two little ones to consider. The twins hadn’t slept a wink ever since Anchorage, and then as soon as they’d reached Owl Creek, both girls had fallen fast asleep.
All of a sudden, her breathing became shallow. Raw emotion washed over her. She’d never once imagined returning to her hometown under these grim circumstances. Letting out a deep breath, she reminded herself of the reasons she’d chosen to come back home and take a leave of absence from her nursing position at Memorial General Hospital. Her mother’s illness. Her duty as a nurse. Mama needed her. Now more than ever.
“I’m not doing so well, Rachel. Doc said the cancer is spreading.” Once her mother had said those words to her she’d immediately made arrangements to come home to Owl Creek.
Helene Marshall was a proud woman who’d never asked for much in the way of help.
This time was different though. Her mother knew it was the only thing that made sense. Her illness was worsening, and she couldn’t afford to hire a round-the-clock nurse to see to her needs.
Rachel had known she couldn’t ignore her familial obligations despite the fragmented relationship between her and her mom. She’d already lost so much. Losing her mother would be a devastating blow. It would be far worse if she didn’t have the opportunity to care for her and to try and bridge the gap between them.
By the time she reached her mother’s house, Rachel was completely exhausted.
She stood a few feet away from her childhood home and gazed at the modest ranch-style abode as memories washed over her. There had been such good times spent in this house. Most of those wonderful moments had ended right along with the premature death of her father. For Rachel it had seemed as if all the light was extinguished from her world when Lance had left them so suddenly. It still caused an ache of sadness and grief to overwhelm her. She shook off the melancholy emotions, choosing instead to focus on the here and now. She would need strength for what was to come. As a nurse she was accustomed to working with sick and dying patients, but caring for her mother would be far more personal than usual.
Rachel dug into her purse and pulled out the gold house key. She performed a juggling act as she let herself in, all while dealing with two sleeping babies in car seats. She put one carrier down inside the threshold, then pushed the other one in with her foot. A feeling of exhilaration soared through her. She’d done it! The girls had been premature babies and were still smaller than most one-year-olds. Nevertheless, lugging them around in their car seats was still an effort. Despite the complexities, she had made it all the way from Denver to her remo
te Alaskan hometown with her daughters.
Once she’d made it inside the house with the girls, she immediately called out to her mother. “Mama! It’s Rachel. I’m home.” Saying the words left her throat feeling clogged with emotion. She would never be able to put into words how much she’d missed being in this very place and how badly she’d wanted to return home. Despite all of the hard times she’d endured in this house, it fit her like a second skin.
“I’m in here!” her mother responded in a feeble voice. Rachel cringed at the sound of it, bracing herself at the prospect of coming face-to-face with her mother after all this time.
When Rachel had left Owl Creek her mother had been robust and healthy. Now, Helene was facing a seemingly insurmountable illness. She walked toward the sound of her mother’s voice, heading into the spacious family room. Rachel sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of her sitting in a rocking chair by the window. Although Helene was a beautiful woman, cancer had left an indelible mark on her. Her cheeks were slightly sunken in and dark shadows rested beneath her eyes, no doubt due to her decreased appetite and restless nights.
“I’ve been waiting for you all day!” her mother said, scowling at her. Clearly she had seen their arrival from her bird’s-eye view of the front yard. Rachel sighed. She couldn’t tell whether her mother was pleased by their presence or not. Helene had always been hard to read and impossible to please. Swallowing her nerves, Rachel quickly moved toward her mother and placed a kiss on her temple. Helene reached up and smoothed her palm across Rachel’s cheek. It was something she’d been doing ever since she was a small child, yet it surprised her to feel the slight caress. It had been ages since she’d experienced it.
“They’re pretty little girls,” her mother said in a begrudging tone as she gave the babies the once-over, her expression stoic. “Which is which? You’ve barely sent me any pictures of them at all.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, deciding to hold her tongue rather than remind her mother of their fractured relationship. Helene had a bad habit of only remembering the things she chose to recall. A quick glance around the room revealed not a single picture of the twins was on display. Rachel tried not to let it bother her.
“This is Faith in the pink and Elizabeth is wearing the mint-green coat. I call her Lizzy.”
Pride rang out in her tone. She held so much love in her heart for her daughters. When she’d given birth to them, Rachel had vowed to never let anything come between her and her girls. And she never would.
“No one here in town knows about the twins,” Helene said, locking gazes with Rachel. Her voice took on a wary tone. “It will come as quite a surprise to most folks when they see you with them.”
Her mother’s words served as a none-too-subtle warning. The townsfolk would be stunned by her return to Owl Creek with twin babies in tow. Not a single person would forget the manner in which she’d fled town three years ago. And she would face judgment in some circles for being an unwed mother.
It wasn’t shocking at all to Rachel that her mother had sought to hide the existence of her grandbabies. Helene Marshall had always been very concerned about wagging tongues and gossip. Ever since Rachel could remember, she’d carefully guarded the reputation of the Marshall family to ensure their good name remained intact. Rachel had once cared about those things, but as a single mother raising twins, she no longer had time to worry about it.
“Well, that very well may be the case, but I’m not going to hide away from prying eyes,” she said, her chin trembling. “I’ll never regret these two little blessings.” Nothing could ever make her feel ashamed of her sweet darlings despite the circumstances of their birth. Not even her mother’s disapproval.
Helene just stared at her and said nothing further. Rachel knew her pursed lips meant she wasn’t pleased by her daughter’s response. In the past she’d hardly ever brought her mother a sense of pride. Rachel had always been lacking in Helene’s eyes, and it still caused a world of hurt to rise up inside her. Even with an RN degree, Rachel still felt unworthy. In the past few years she had tried to better herself by dedicating her life to her profession and the girls. She wondered if her mother would even notice.
The peal of the doorbell startled Rachel, dragging her out of her thoughts.
“Go answer the door, Rachel. I’m expecting a delivery!” Helene barked.
Rachel darted a glance at Lizzy and Faith. “I’ll watch the girls for you,” her mother said. “I don’t think they’ll wake up. They both look plum tuckered out.” A quick glance at the twins confirmed that they were still sound asleep in their carriers. They couldn’t look more content.
Rachel let out a sigh at Helene’s tone. Some things never changed. Her mother was still as sharp-tongued and dictatorial as ever. She quickly made her way to the front door and pulled it open. When she saw who was standing there, Rachel let out a gasp that echoed in the silence. All of sudden a feeling of unease gripped her. Even if someone had warned her, she wouldn’t have been prepared for this cataclysmic moment.
Lord, help me...
“Gabriel!” The name flew out of her mouth. It had been so long since she’d uttered his name. It almost sounded foreign to her ears. For the better part of three years, Rachel had forced herself not to think about him. It brought her too much pain to dwell on what might have been if she hadn’t run away from Owl Creek due to her fear of losing him in a plane crash. Gabriel’s mouth was open, but he didn’t say a word. His soulful brown eyes did all the talking for him. They radiated shock and confusion at the sight of the woman who’d left him in the lurch two days before they were supposed to get married.
* * *
Gabriel Lawson felt as if his legs might give out underneath him. For a moment he struggled to catch his breath. His ex-fiancée, Rachel Marshall, was standing mere inches away from him, looking even more beautiful than he remembered. With her warm brown skin, dark wavy hair and russet-colored eyes, she had always been a striking woman. The most beautiful girl in Owl Creek. His chest tightened as the weight of this moment settled over him. Seconds ticked by as he drank her in.
Words were lost to him. It felt as if someone had kicked him in the gut.
“Rachel.” Somehow he managed to speak past his shock and confusion. Their eyes met and held. Neither one seemed able to look away from the other until a noise from down the hall jolted them both out of their stupor.
She waved him inside the house, and he walked in as if on autopilot. No one had told him about Rachel’s return, least of all, her mother, Helene Marshall, who he saw a few times a week. A hundred different thoughts careened through his mind. Why had she come back to Owl Creek after all this time?