A Cowboy's Heart (20 page)

“Do you have a certain woman in mind?” Her eyes were still closed.

His lips touched hers, gentle, persuasive, letting her know in no uncertain terms what woman he wanted to rescue for the rest of his life.

And she wanted to be rescued.

He kissed her one last time, and then he pulled away. Willow opened her eyes, still dazed, still trying to think about forever with this man.

“I do have a woman in mind.” He kissed her again, at the corner of her mouth and then on her temple. “And I want to make a promise that I'll only rescue you when you need to be rescued.” He smiled. “And maybe sometimes when you need it, but don't
think so. But I promise to listen when you tell me I'm taking over, and I promise to back off and give you space to be strong.”

“I like that idea. If you'll agree to let me rescue you every now and then.”

He smiled and pulled her close again. “You already rescued me.”

“I like the idea of forever.” With a cowboy whose heart was true, and who loved her completely. “We can rescue each other.”

And it was just like her dream sixteen years earlier. She had a forever-cowboy, one whose heart was true, and who didn't walk away.

Dear Reader,

When I think of Willow Michaels, I think of all the strong women that I know, or have known. I want to be one of those women, someone who trusts God and overcomes. I want to be Peter, willing to step out of the boat and walk on water, even if I do sink from time to time. To be that strong woman, we need to learn to trust God, believing He is, and that He is able. We also need to trust ourselves, the decisions we make and our ability to handle difficult times or situations. Sometimes we let ourselves down, or we even feel as if God has let us down. At times the people we counted on, or trusted, knowingly or unknowingly let us down. That doesn't mean the end of the road. It's merely a starting place, a detour, a new route that we hadn't expected.

We move on. We forgive. We rebuild. In the process, we grow. In A COWBOY'S HEART, Willow is like so many of us: she's walking that walk of faith, stumbling, but getting back up again.

Pray hard, stand strong.

Brenda Minton

1. Willow Michaels lost a child, her husband, and now she's facing complete and profound deafness. Situations that we encounter cement our faith, making it personal. What milestone in your life created that moment when your faith became real and tangible for the first time?
   
2. Willow is embarrassed when Aunt Janie reintroduces her to Clint Cameron at the rodeo, because she'd had a crush on him when they were younger. Have you ever been faced with a person from your past? How did you handle it? Was it easy? Awkward?
   
3. Willow tries to avoid discussing her hearing loss. But avoiding a situation won't make it go away. How do you think Willow felt, knowing that her hearing was getting worse?
   
4. Willow, like us, could face problems with faith, or with her own strength. Like most of us, she flounders before she finds solid ground. When does Willow seem to let go and let God take over?
   
5. Clint returns home to take care of his ailing father, a man who has been abusive and neglectful. He realizes that although he's forgiven his father, forgetting takes longer. How do we separate the two?
   
6. Clint's faith is strong, but he tries to take care of everyone in his life, and forgets that God is more than able to carry that burden. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? How did you handle it?
   
7. Clint's nephews spend a lot of time with Willow and Aunt Janie on their ranch. Do you think this was hard for Willow to handle, considering all she'd lost in her life? Why or why not?
   
8. Willow realizes that peace comes from God. The world, on the other hand, finds peace in possessions and in circum
   stances that go the way we want. How could Willow have dealt with her situation, other than seeking God? How did seeking God's peace change Willow's attitude toward her situation?
   
9. Clint sometimes confuses his need to “fix” people with love. What motivates that need to “fix” others? Are you guilty of trying to “fix” people? How?
   
10. Willow takes a chance and trusts Clint with her biggest secret, that she can't have children. How hard is it to open up in a relationship and let people know those things about ourselves that we could keep hidden?
    
11. When Clint learns that his sister has gone missing, he feels helpless, dependent on the strength of others, and dependent on God. Willow assures him that she can be strong for both of them. When have you been strong for others? How did the situation turn out?
    
12. When the church prays for Clint's sister, Jenna, to come home, the pastor teaches that prayer should be our first response, not an afterthought. “Just pray” takes on a new meaning when we realize that one definition of the word
    just
    is “immediately.” If we realize the power of prayer, does it change our lives?
    
13. Willow prays for God to show her if Clint was the man who would love her forever. Did God show her Clint was the man for her? How? Have you ever asked for a sign from God? Was it answered? How?