Prologue

 

He’d always thought he would have more time on the earth. Thought he’d live to see his children married and settled in with loves of their own. His eldest had married, but the woman hadn’t lasted. She’d left his son and his grandsons high and dry years ago.

His son’s heart had never healed.

He had three other sons and one daughter. Strong, intelligent, and kind, all five of his children. He would have had one more, but young Matthias hadn’t lived past two months.

He’d grieved that lost child every single day.

The only solace he had in his own death was that he’d get to hold that baby again now. Hopefully his wife would have the knowledge that he was with their son now, too.

Another regret was that his wife was the one to find him. He didn’t want her remembering him like that, but he knew she always would.

Rams Royle had always tried to protect his Ella from everything he could.

She was there beside him in the ambulance, wasn’t she? Her hand, so soft and beautiful, was wrapped around his and she was crying his name.

Other soft hands were trying to get his damned heart to pump on its own, but he could have told the doc to not bother.

It was Rams’ time to go. And he was going to go no matter what the doc did.

He didn’t want her hurting over him, either. He knew who she was, and as he stepped out of the shell that was his body to make the next transition he took a look at that little doc.

He loved her almost as much as he loved his own daughter. He’d known the moment he’d found her along the road years ago that she was meant to be one of his.

He’d always hoped she and his oldest would make a match, two wounded hearts who’d needed someone to hold them safe and loved.

But now that he was unfettered by the trappings of the earthly world he knew he’d misjudged her a bit.

She wasn’t meant for his oldest. But for another of his sons.

But his second son lived in Tennessee, quite a distance from the home he’d grown up in. But perhaps his death would bring his son home where he belonged.

To his mother, and to the woman who was meant to be his.

Rams looked at his wife one more time, then somehow stepped out of the ambulance, his spirit moving toward the brightly shining sun.

His time here was over.

And he could here baby Matthias crying, calling to the father who had always loved him, calling him home.

Rams went.