Lorraine Heath (28 page)

“Your boy talks funny.”

“That’s because he hasn’t been in Texas very long.”

“You aim to remedy that?”

At the sound of an old friend’s voice, Austin slowly unfolded his body and held out his hand. “Cameron.”

Cameron’s handshake was firm. “Austin, you look like a man who has met with a great deal of success.”

“I could say the same for you. How’s the general store business?”

“Booming, although he’s too modest to admit it,” Becky said as she stood beside him. “He expanded the store to include the second floor and has all the merchandise divided into departments. We actually live in a house now.” Her smile softened. “We’ve been so proud following you around the world. Dee has all your news written up in the newspaper.”

“You look happy, Becky.”

“I am.” She turned slightly to the young boy standing beside her. “Do you remember Drew?”

“I sure do.”

“And you’ve just met our Mary.”

“I told Mary that you would play for her,” Grant informed him.

Austin raised his brow at his first born. “Oh, you did, did you?”

His son nodded. “If you’ll play for her, then I’ll play for you because I know Mother wants to dance, and the gentleman who’s playing hasn’t quite got the knack of it.”

“Don’t tell him that.”

“No, sir, I wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings. So will you play for Mary?”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Dee said as she slipped her arm through Dallas’s. “You could play for all of us. I realize we’re not royalty—”

“How can you say that, Dee, when you’re married to the king of West Texas?”

Dallas snorted. “If you’re gonna play, get to it. I’ve got a hankering to dance with my wife.”

Loree knew the moment when the crowd hushed that Austin intended to play for them. The reverence he held for his gift was apparent as soon as he stepped on stage and lifted his violin to his shoulder.

The first strains of the sweet music filled the air, and Loree smiled. She knew the song. It always began the same, but the ending had changed over the years, growing deeper and stronger, a reflection of their love. She never tired of hearing it. Never tired of watching her husband coax the melody from the strings in the same way that he elicited passion: with care and devotion and attention paid to the tiniest of details.

His three oldest sons already exhibited a preference for music. Grant had, on occasion, joined Austin on the stage and wooed audiences with his talent.

“He’ll go farther than I ever dreamed,” Austin had told her once. And she wondered if it was that revelation that had brought him back home, so he could give his sons roots as well as wings.

The music drifted away like dandelion petals on the wind. An awed silence permeated the air before someone dared disturb it by clapping. Austin smiled and bowed. The cry rose up for another song, and her husband simply shook his head.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to dance with my wife now.” He handed his violin to Grant and whispered something into his ear before stepping down from the makeshift stage.

Loree’s heart warmed as he approached, knelt in front of her, and slapped his thigh. “Come on, Sugar.”

He removed one shoe, then the other before standing and signaling their son. The music floated toward them, and Austin swept her onto the dance floor. His blue gaze never strayed from hers, but grew warmer and held promises she knew he would keep.

She had toured the world. She had waltzed with royalty.

But she was happiest when Austin held her within the circle of his arms, and she was surrounded by the splendor of his love.

LORRAINE HEATH
began writing at the age of seven when she fell in love with the magic of words. When she received her B.A. degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea that she had gained a foundation which would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Americana historicals. Her novel
Always to Remember
received the RITA, the Romance Writers of America’s most prestigious award for excellence, and the HOLT Medallion Award honoring outstanding literary fiction. She enjoys hearing from readers and can be reached via email at [email protected], or via snail-mail at: Lorraine Heath, PO Box 941673, Piano, TX 75094-1673.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

“Lorraine Heath writes the most powerfully moving love stories in romance today. Her characters are real, her works touch both your heart and soul—romance at its best.”

—New York Times
bestselling author Jill Barnett

“The emotional levels Ms. Heath takes us to are breathtaking!”

—Booklovers Review

“A tender romance [with] a fresh twist … powerfully portrays another side of courage.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Captivates the reader until the last page!”

—Rawhide and Lace

“Extraordinary! Love, laughter, and sorrow are liberally scattered throughout this marvelous story. You’ll smile through your tears.”

—The Paperback Forum

“A wonderous journey … surpasses some works by top authors in the genre.”

—Heartland Critiques

“The beautiful prose, the author’s depth of understanding for her characters, and her absolutely consistent focus on them raise this love story to the status of poetry…. Unforgettable.”

—Romantic Times

“Both tender and moving. Great job, Ms. Heath!”

—Affaire de Coeur

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Copyright © Jan Nowasky, 1999

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