The Wallace Family Gift
Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Brian Wallace and Belle Colby were married with two sets of twinsâtoddler boys and infant girls. Then the young family was torn apart. Each took a girl and boy and went their separate waysânever to see one another again. Brian is stunned to return home from a mission to find all the siblings reunited at their motherâs Texas ranch. He has never forgotten Belle or how much he loved her. Will unanswered questions stand in the way of this family finding their long-awaited second chance?
âYou may have to trust me to handle the situation,â Brian said.
âTogether, you and I made the decision to separate the twins in the first place,â Belle said. âWeâll make what decisions we have to now together. Weâre no longer married. You canât make decisions for me, Brian.â
âNot that I ever could.â
âNo.â
âI have no doubt when it comes to you, Isabella.â
âI go by Belle now.â How was she going to deal with Brian on an extended basis? With prayer and Godâs grace.
His gaze fastened on hers, betraying another hint of feeling. He gave a half smile, as if he remembered their married years, raising two sets of twins together. Toddling boys playing in the tiny house they rented. The warm, dear sounds of the babies awakening from their naps in the warm house decorated for Christmas.
Such good memories. Bright enough to outshine the bad.
* * *
Texas Twins: Two sets of twins,
torn apart by family secrets, find their way home.
Her Surprise SisterâMarta Perry
July 2012
Mirror Image BrideâBarbara McMahon
August 2012
Carbon Copy CowboyâArlene James
September 2012
Look-Alike LawmanâGlynna Kaye
October 2012
The Soldierâs Newfound FamilyâKathryn Springer
November 2012
Reunited for the HolidaysâJillian Hart
December 2012
JILLIAN HART
grew up on her familyâs homestead, where she helped raise cattle, rode horses and scribbled stories in her spare time. After earning her English degree from Whitman College, she worked in travel and advertising before selling her first novel. When Jillian isnât working on her next story, she can be found puttering in her rose garden, curled up with a good book or spending quiet evenings at home with her family.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
âColossians 3:15
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Jillian Hart for her contribution to the Texas Twins miniseries.
Chapter One
Dr. Brian Wallace plucked the ceramic frog out of the flower bed, tipped it upside down and shook hard. The spare front-door key fell onto his palm as he squinted into the watery afternoon sun. It was good to be home. Late November air crisped over him and he shivered, goose bumps traveling down his arms. Weak from an extended illness, he gripped the railing to steady himself. The long trip from rural Texas had taken a toll on him.
The old adage Thereâs No Worse Patient Than a Doctor had never been more true, he thought, as he struggled up the stairs. Easily winded, he paused a moment at the top, thanking God he was here to see the colors of sunset. His near brush with death had marked him. He couldnât deny it. Heâd missed his life here in Fort Worth. He missed his kidsâalthough they were grown, they were what he had left of his heart.
He ambled to the door, leaned heavily against the wall and inserted the key. The door creaked open. Every part of him vibrated with a mix of weakness and exhaustion. As he crossed the threshold into the comfort of the house, memories surrounded him. It had been years since his children had lived here, but he recalled the pound of music from an upstairs bedroom, the chatter of his daughter on her phone, the drum of feet as one of the boys prowled the kitchen.
Emotion dug into his chest, claws sharp. Yes, looking death in the face changed a man. It stripped away everything extraneous, leaving what mattered most.
His footsteps echoed in the lonely living room. He eased onto a couch cushion, sighing heavily as fatigue washed over him like water. Maybe he should have listened to his colleagueâheâd valued Dr. Travorsâs expertise, which had saved his lifeâbut heâd had enough bed rest. He needed to get home; he needed to be here. The Lord had put a deep call into his heart. He couldnât explain it as he reached for the phone to try his children again. He needed to see them.
He dialed his daughterâs number first. Dear Maddie. Many things had crossed his mind while heâd lain on a spare cot in the corner of a migrant workerâs temporary homeâa shack beside many others on a remote Texas farm. His failings and regrets hit hard, but none as cruelly as his missteps in his personal relationships. Heâd always had a difficult time opening up. He had to try to fix that. Heâd been given a second chance.