Page 122 of The Secrets Beneath

“I do!”

The rest of the ceremony passed in joy, laughter, smiles, and oh, that kiss. Once she relaxed, she was able to relish the day.

And now ... they were married.

“My beautiful wife.” Joshua leaned in and kissed Anna one more time before helping her up to the train platform.

“Mr. Ziegler. You make me blush,” she teased.

“Well, I have to admit that I have one more surprise for you.”

“Oh? Isn’t this lovely trip enough of a surprise?”

He handed her a newspaper from Washington, DC. “I asked my grandfather to do me a favor. Since he knows the owner of the paper, he spoke to him about doing a write-up on your Allosaurus.”

She gasped and read the headline aloud. “‘Paleontologistand artist Anna Lakeman proudly shows off her father’s find—the Lakeman Allosaurus—in southwest Wyoming Territory.’” The picture was from last month with the team of scientists who’d come to study the bones, and it filled the top of the front page.

“It says plenty about your father in there as well. I made sure of it. Grandfather promised me that it would be done accurately. No sensationalism.”

Tears filled her eyes. This wonderful man. Oh, how she loved him. “This is amazing.”

“You deserve it, Anna. After all your hard work.” The sparkle in his eye was just for her. And she adored it.

“Thank you for believing in me. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to continue digging.” The long gulley on their ranch had indeed been rich with dinosaur bones. They could dig for the next two decades and probably only reach a fraction of the fossils. But it was perfect. Because it gave her father what he loved, they were bringing beauty from death, and they would be able to raise their children with the knowledge of God’s amazing creation. There was so much they didn’t understand about dinosaurs yet, but they planned to learn.

Together.

One bone at a time.