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Butterfly Come Home: Caledonia Chronicles Part 2 (Great Lakes Romances) (Volume 14)

By Donna Winters

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CHAPTER 1
Caledonia, Michigan
6 P.M. Saturday, September 2, 1905

Deborah Dapprich’s hand grew moist, clasped tightly within Tommy Rockwell’s as they stood outside the train depot of the small, agricultural community, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Michigan Central. With them stood her closest kin, Aunt Ottilia and Uncle Charles Chappell, along with a hundred others eager to witness the return of their daughter, Caroline, who had been kid-napped before dawn that morning—the very day of her wedding—and miraculously rescued unharmed by her betrothed, Joshua Bolden, from the hands of the villainous Neal Taman.
Thoughts of that scoundrel, Taman, sent chills down Deborah’s spine despite the heat of the afternoon. By that evil man’s hand she had suffered humiliation beyond description for the past two months, held captive in his “resort” and forced to entertain men in ways unspeakable.
With a shudder Deborah pressed the dark memory from her mind and leaned against Tommy, the childhood friend who had become the white knight in her own rescue. The scent from the clove stud he was chewing drifted to her, intermingled with the fragrance of her uncle’s lime cologne and the earthier smell of fresh-cut wood from the nearby lumberyard. Low voices full of expectation surrounded her—the murmurings of Mr. and Mrs. Bolden, and the quiet conversation of Uncle Charles and Aunt Ottilia with Tommy’s father, Cy.
In mid-sentence the robust Mr. Rockwell fell silent, peered down the tracks with a hand to his ear, then shouted in his gruff, bass voice, “She’s a-coming!”
Tommy squeezed Deborah’s shoulder. “Carolina’s almost home, Butterfly!” A smile tilted the right corner of his blond mustache.
Deborah smiled, too, hiding the despair that urged her to flit away to freedom like the creature of her nickname. In truth she felt more like a caterpillar ready to hide in a chrysalis than the beautiful butterflies that had been her obsession from childhood. But for now, she must forget her own problems and rejoice in the safe return of her pert, dark-haired cousin who looked none the worse for wear as she stepped triumphantly off the train, her fian-cé, Joshua, beaming at her side.
Cheers filled the air, and spontaneously Joshua’s brother and friends lifted the young couple to their shoulders, bearing them in the direction of the Chappells’ mansion a block east of the depot where they deposited the pair on the sweeping veranda.
Joshua, his arm tightly about Caroline, stood with her on the top step, joined by both sets of parents. When he tried unsuccessfully to make himself heard over the boisterousness of his friends, all eager to know the details of his heroic deed, Tommy let loose with a shrill whistle that quickly quieted the clamor.
Joshua addressed the gathering with a loud, clear voice. “Our wedding’s been rescheduled. We’ll be married at the church at nine o’clock. And you’re all invited!”
Joshua’s announcement spurred more cheers and shouts, as well as arguments from Aunt Ottilia which were quickly put to rest by Uncle Charles. Caroline smiled and waved, blew a kiss to the crowd, then headed inside. A moment later, Tommy and Deborah joined her there, amidst a quartet of parents eager for hugs and re-assurances of her wellbeing.
Elderly Aunt Luella, who’d come from way up north for the occasion, toddled in from the parlor to satisfy herself that her grandniece was indeed unharmed.
Caroline offered the old woman a kiss and a hug, then broke away to draw both Deborah and Tommy into her embrace.
“Thank the Lord, the two of you are back! She leaned away to give each of them a good looking-over. “Deborah, will you please sing at my wedding?” Before she could answer, Caroline continued.
“Joshua will play a trumpet solo I wrote for him. I’ll accompany him. Then you could sing Oh, Promise Me. You could go over it with Mrs. Barber at the church be-forehand—”
Aunt Ottilia interrupted. “Caroline, after all you and Joshua have been through this day, how could you possibly—”
Aunt Luella cut in. “Ottilia, hush. Certainly the girl knows what she wants at her own wedding.”
Caroline nodded. “We discussed it on the train. We agreed that we want to perform the music just the way we originally planned.”
Deborah spoke before her Aunt Ottilia could mount a new argument. “Cousin Caroline, I will most certainly sing at your wedding.”
“Then it’s all settled. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to bathe and get into my wedding dress. I’ll see you all at the church at nine o’clock.” She brushed a kiss against Joshua’s cheek and headed up the stairs, her fretting mother following but one step behind.

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