Safe in His Arms Read online

  ADVANCE ACCLAIM FOR SAFE IN HIS ARMS

  “Colleen combines a rich, historical setting with real characters who reach out and grab ahold of you from page one. You won’t want to put Safe in His Arms down until you turn the last page. Then you’ll be sad the story ended so fast! I love Colleen’s books and look forward to the next one!”

  —LYNETTE EASON, AWARD-WINNING, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF THE WOMEN OF JUSTICE SERIES

  “Colleen Coble is an amazing storyteller who weaves stories I can’t put down. In Safe in His Arms she combines a heroine I wanted to take to tea with a misunderstood hero and placed them in a historical setting I thoroughly enjoyed. Mix in romance and a touch of suspense and it is the perfect book.”

  —CARA PUTMAN, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF STARS IN THE NIGHT AND A WEDDING TRANSPIRES ON MACKINAC ISLAND

  “I so enjoyed the strong heroine and enigmatic hero in Colleen Coble’s Safe in His Arms. What a fun story of learning to love, to trust, and to be safe in the arms of God, no matter the circumstances. You’ll want to keep turning the pages on this one to discover what happens next!”

  —MARLO SCHALESKY, AUTHOR OF THE CHRISTY AWARD-WINNING BEYOND THE NIGHT

  “A fiery redhead, a mystery man, and plot twists galore. What’s not to love? Colleen has done it again . . . created a page-turner. Don’t miss it!”

  —STEPHANIE GRACE WHITSON, AUTHOR OF THE QUILT CHRONICLES SERIES

  ACCLAIM FOR COLLEEN COBLE

  “Colleen is a master storyteller.”

  —KAREN KINGSBURY, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF UNLOCKED AND LEARNING

  “Suspense, action, mystery, spiritual victory—Colleen Coble has woven them all into a compelling novel that will keep you flipping pages until the very end. I highly recommend Without a Trace.”

  —JAMES SCOTT BELL, AUTHOR OF DEADLOCK AND A HIGHER JUSTICE

  “Coble’s books have it all, romance, sass, suspense, action. I’m content to read a book that has any one of those but to find an author like Coble who does all four so well is my definition of bliss.”

  —MARY CONNEALY, AUTHOR OF DOCTOR IN PETTICOATS

  “Coble captivates readers with her compelling characters. Action-packed . . . highly recommended!”

  —DIANNE BURNETT, CHRISTIANBOOK.COM

  “Coble wows the reader with a fresh storyline. Readers will enjoy peeling back the layers and discovering this is more than your average romance book.”

  —ROMANTIC TIMES, 4-STAR REVIEW OF THE LIGHTKEEPER’S BALL

  “Coble’s historical series just keeps getting better with each entry.”

  —LIBRARY JOURNAL, STARRED REVIEW OF THE LIGHTKEEPER’S BALL

  WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

  “I have always been a hopeless romantic . . . When I began reading your books I couldn’t put them down. I love not just the romance but the connection I feel with God when I read your books. It really is incredible!”

  —JENNIFER

  “I just finished Blue Moon Promise and it was outstanding! I am so looking forward to Safe in His Arms! Thank you for sharing your God-given talent with us.”

  —NANCY

  “I love your books! I am a big fan :) You are by far my favorite author.”

  —KATELYN

  “I wanted to let you know that I am reading Blue Moon Promise and I can’t put it down. I love the way you write! I’ve read your Lonestar series and I can’t wait to read Tidewater Inn.”

  —JEAN

  “You are such an amazing writer and person. I’ve been dealing with lots of health issues, and on my ‘bad days’ I turn to your books to keep me inspired, to keep me thinking positive thoughts, and to help get me through the tough times. Thanks for being an inspiration and for all that you do to include your reader friends in your life.”

  —BECKY

  “I just read The Lightkeeper’s Daughter, The Lightkeeper’s Bride, and The Lightkeeper’s Ball. I could not put them down. I also read the first two books of the Lonestar series and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next two. I loved them all!!”

  —ADELE

  “I finished Lonestar Angel and just loved it!! Sure would love for that series to go on and on, keeps getting better and better.”

  —TERESA

  “I just finished the Rock Harbor series . . . I loved it. You should see my house, laundry, dishes, etc. I haven’t done a thing in days. I literally couldn’t put the books down. I am off to find Alaska Twilight. You are by far my new favorite author. I am from Indiana too, and have visited the UP before. I could almost smell the woods, feel the wind, and hear the waves. Thanks for a truly amazing series.”

  —TANYA

  “I just wanted to say thank you for writing the Rock Harbor series. I lost my son in a car accident 12 years ago this month. They waited to bury him when I woke from a coma. I don’t remember the accident or barely the funeral. It felt like a nightmare, very unreal and out of body. In your book, she got her little boy back, but she also learned to not be so angry with God. That is something I will always have to work on. I feel very guilty for that, but I am angry. Your book has helped me with that some. I look forward to more in the series, strangely it gave me a peace.”

  —TIFFANY

  “I am so very excited about your new books coming out! I have read almost everything you have put out in the last five years! I am counting down the days till the next Rock Harbor book comes out, and I am pre-ordering Cry in the Night this weekend! Thank you so much for all you do! Not only have I enjoyed the story lines, I feel like it’s a daily devotional as well!”

  —BESS

  “I just finished your Lonestar Sanctuary novel and LOVED IT! I am a HUGE cowgirl/rodeo fan at heart and worked with troubled children so it really spoke to my heart. I am so glad I have discovered such a wonderful author and will highly recommend your books to my friends and book club!”

  —KIM

  SAFE IN HIS ARMS

  ALSO BY COLLEEN COBLE

  Birthday Wishes included in Smitten

  Love Between the Lines included in Secretly Smitten

  UNDER TEXAS STARS NOVELS

  Blue Moon Promise

  THE HOPE BEACH NOVELS

  Tidewater Inn

  THE LONESTAR NOVELS

  Lonestar Sanctuary

  Lonestar Secrets

  Lonestar Homecoming

  Lonestar Angel

  THE MERCY FALLS NOVELS

  The Lightkeeper’s Daughter

  The Lightkeeper’s Bride

  The Lightkeeper’s Ball

  THE ROCK HARBOR SERIES

  Without a Trace

  Beyond a Doubt

  Into the Deep

  Cry in the Night

  Silent Night: A Rock Harbor Christmas novella (available as an e-book only)

  THE ALOHA REEF SERIES

  Distant Echoes

  Black Sands

  Dangerous Depths

  Alaska Twilight

  Fire Dancer

  Midnight Sea

  Abomination

  Anathema

  SAFE IN HIS ARMS

  AN UNDER TEXAS STARS NOVEL

  COLLEEN

  COBLE

  © 2013 by Colleen Coble

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

  Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail S
[email protected].

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Coble, Colleen.

  Safe in his arms : an under Texas stars novel / Colleen Coble.

  p. cm. — (Under Texas stars ; 2)

  ISBN 978-1-59554-914-3 (trade paper)

  1. Texas—Fiction. 2. Christian fiction. 3. Love stories. I. Title.

  PS3553.O2285S24 2013

  813'.54—dc23

  2012038219

  Printed in the United States of America

  13 14 15 16 17 QG 6 5 4 3 2 1

  For Scott and Carolyn Johnston,

  who lovingly tell us all that we are safe in His arms

  CONTENTS

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  TWENTY-FOUR

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TWENTY-SIX

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  TWENTY-NINE

  THIRTY

  THIRTY-ONE

  THIRTY-TWO

  THIRTY-THREE

  READER GROUP GUIDE

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  DEAR READER,

  I hope you enjoy reading Safe in His Arms as much as I did writing it! There’s a lot of me in Margaret. Growing up, I always felt awkward and unattractive. I was taller than every boy in my class until I was in the seventh grade. I hated my wavy hair and ironed it when I got to high school in the sixties. I wanted blue eyes, not brown. My feet were too big, and so were my hips. Sound familiar?

  Women are indoctrinated from infancy about beauty. We feel we must be Superwoman and have it all: beauty, brains, a good work ethic, great with children, a good cook. The list is long, isn’t it? I think it’s particularly hard for women to accept the unconditional love God offers. We are so used to being held to such a high standard—and failing—that we feel we can never measure up.

  What a blessing when we realize that we don’t have to. God loves us, warts and all. We are safe in his arms. Safe to tell him our dreams, our fears, our failings. Safe to relax in his unconditional love.

  I love hearing from you! E-mail me anytime at [email protected].

  Love,

  Colleen

  ONE

  The town of Larson, Texas, was busy on this warm February day. Cowboys in their dusty boots eyed the women attired in their best dresses strolling the boardwalks. Margaret O’Brien strode down the boardwalk in front of the feed store toward the mercantile. Things seemed to change daily with new stores sprouting like winter wheat. Every day more cowmen arrived in Larson, drawn by the lush grazing land and the water of the Red River.

  Pa should be around here somewhere. She nodded to the ladies clustered in front of the general store, the familiar discomfort washing over her. Why couldn’t she look like them? No matter how hard Margaret tried, she remained what she was: too tall and more at home with her hands gripping horse reins than a teacup. She ducked into the store and inhaled the aroma of cinnamon, bootstrap, sweat, and pickles. She busied herself with collecting material for their housekeeper, who had a bee in her bonnet about making curtains.

  A cluster of women were talking in hushed whispers about the latest Zulu atrocity in Africa. These early months of 1879 had been full of bloody battles. Hearing such things always made Margaret wince, remembering her brother’s death at the hands of the Sioux. At least a national monument had been established earlier this year in memory of those who fell during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

  The women fell silent when Margaret paused. “Good morning,” she said in as confident a voice as she could muster. “Anyone know what kind of material to buy for curtains? I thought this was pretty.”

  When she held up a lilac-flowered fabric, one of the women tittered, a tiny blonde Margaret had never seen before. Her face burned, and she put the bolt of fabric back.

  “How about this one?” a woman said behind her.

  Margaret’s heart leaped at the sound of her friend’s voice, and she whirled with a smile. “Lucy, I didn’t know you were in town today. Should you be riding in a wagon in your condition?”

  The blond woman laughed again at Margaret’s indelicate mention of Lucy’s pregnancy. Lucy linked arms with Margaret. “I feel fine. You like this pattern? I think Inez will love it.”

  Margaret eyed the red-and-white plaid. “It’s a little . . . loud.”

  “Cheerful,” Lucy corrected, smiling. Her head high, she led Margaret out of the group. “Silly twits. Now, don’t start moaning about how they don’t like you. They don’t know you.” Lucy shook her head. “And they won’t bother to get to know you if you don’t take a little more care when you come to town.”

  Margaret smoothed her hands on her rough skirt. They had come after cattle feed, and she had work to do in the barn when she got home, so she hadn’t bothered to change. She should have put on a nicer dress. “It was too much bother since I had to help load feed.”

  “It’s worth it, Margaret.” Lucy glanced at the watch pinned to her dress. “Nate is going to be looking for me.” She hugged Margaret. “I’m so glad I saw you. You’re coming to the party, aren’t you?”

  “Sure. I’m not going to dance, but I’ll come keep you company.” Smiling, Margaret watched her friend waddle away. Dear Lucy. She had barreled past Margaret’s prickly exterior, and they’d become fast friends. Lucy was easy to trust. She was all heart.

  Margaret had her purchases put on account, then stepped out into the sunshine.

  Cattlemen had driven herds of cattle through here more than an hour ago, but the dust and odor still lingered in the air. Her father motioned to her from in front of the stagecoach station. Calvin stood close behind him.

  She started toward them, but the man beside her father arrested her gaze. He was tall, even taller than her father, which meant he had to be at least six foot three or four inches. She guessed he was in his early thirties. The man’s Stetson was pushed back on his head, revealing shiny brown hair, and his bronzed face was chiseled with planes and angles that spoke of confidence and determination. He cast a lazy grin her way.

  Immediately Margaret’s hackles rose. That kind of self-assurance— arrogance, really—always reminded her of her uncle. She’d had to assert herself strenuously with him around the ranch because he thought a woman’s place was in the kitchen, not in the stockyard. This man was the same type, the sort of man who would demand to be catered to and obeyed. No one who looked that strong and proud would listen to a woman.

  She forced a smile. This man was probably nothing like her uncle. But her trepidation slowed her steps. Her father motioned her forward, though, and she reluctantly moved to join them.

  Her father put his hand on her shoulder. “Here’s my daughter, Margaret.”

  The man’s gaze swept from the top of her head down to the dusty boots just peeking out from underneath her serviceable skirt, and Margaret’s lips tightened. People in Larson were used to her attire, but this man’s eyes widened. He’d probably never seen a woman dressed for ranch work. She wore a man’s chambray shirt, and her red hair hung over her shoulder in a long braid. The bits of cow manure on her skirt and boots didn’t add much t
o the general picture either. He’d really be shocked if he saw her in her britches when she was helping with the cattle.

  She lifted her head and stared him down. His dark eyes betrayed none of his thoughts. She didn’t think she’d ever seen eyes that shade. Like a buckeye nut, they were a rich brown color. Heavy brows accented the strong planes of his face.

  Margaret thrust out her hand. “Pleased to meet you. And you are . . . ?”

  He could have stared over the top of her head without taking notice of her at all. But he didn’t. He gazed straight into her eyes, and her breath caught in her throat as she felt the magnetic pull of the man.

  “Daniel Cutler.” His handshake was firm and as self-confident as his appearance.

  Margaret pulled her hand away. “You been in town long, Mr. Cutler?” He’d given his name but not his business here in Larson. Pa seemed almost proprietorial toward him, but she clamped her teeth against the questions clamoring to escape.

  “He just got in today,” her father put in eagerly. “He’s our new foreman.”

  “New foreman?” Margaret’s heart dipped like a bronco about to arch its back to the sky. “We don’t need a new foreman, Pa. I can handle things by myself. I’ve spent the last ten years of my life proving it.”

  Their ranch hand Calvin straightened as well. “That ain’t right, O’Brien. You said if I did a good job, you’d promote me. This shavetail”—he gestured toward Cutler—“ain’t what the ranch needs.”

  Her father glared at Calvin. “Get that feed loaded and keep your nose out of my business.” Her father skewered her with an even sterner stare. “Now, Margaret, I told you it’s time you let go of some of these notions about running the ranch by yourself. I’m getting too old to be of much help, and I’d sure like for you to set your mind to finding a husband and giving me some grandchildren.”

  Her father’s gaze traveled over Margaret’s apparel and displeasure shone in his eyes. “Though what man would have you when you make no attempt to look like a woman is another concern altogether.”