Praise for Terri Reed and her novels
In Love Comes Home, Terri Reed tells the touching story of a couple whose faith must help them overcome past hurts.
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
Terri Reeds A Sheltering Love beautifully combines the development of love with enough conflict to keep the reader guessing about the outcome. Gods ability to repair relationships is tenderly depicted.
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
Reeds characters are warm, true to life and imperfect.
Romantic Times BOOKreviews on A Time of Hope
Giving Thanks for Baby has a nice twist that readers are certain to enjoy. Terri Reed does an exceptional job blending deeper issues with her story to bind a well-written book.
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
Love Comes Home & A Sheltering Love
Terri Reed
CONTENTS
LOVE COMES HOME
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
A SHELTERING LOVE
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
TERRI REED
At an early age Terri Reed discovered the wonderful world of fiction and declared she would one day write a book. Now she is fulfilling that dream and enjoys writing for Steeple Hill. Her second book, A Sheltering Love, was a 2006 RITA® Award finalist and a 2005 National Readers Choice Award finalist. Her book Strictly Confidential, book five of the Faith at the Crossroads continuity series, took third place in the 2007 American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award. She is an active member of both Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her college-sweetheart husband, two wonderful children and an array of critters. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening and playing with her dogs.
You can write to Terri at P.O. Box 19555, Portland, OR 97280, visit her on the Web at www.loveinspiredauthors.com or leave comments on her blog at http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/.
Love Comes Home
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
I want to dedicate this book
to everyone who has struggled to pursue a dream.
Keep believing. Faith and perseverance do pay off.
There are so many people to thank, who,
in one way or another, have touched my life
as a writer. I apologize if Ive forgotten anyone
and ask for your forgiveness.
First and foremost, thank you to my husband and
children. I could never have done this without your
love and support. Thank you to my mother-in-law
for urging me to follow my dream. Thank you to
my mother for always believing in me.
A big thanks to my critique partners, Leah Vale and
Lissa Manley, for encouraging me, challenging me
to grow and never letting me quit.
Thank you to my writerly friends:
Melissa McClone, Delilah Ahrendt,
Tina Bilton-Smith, Amy Danicic, Carolyn Zane,
Susan Alverson, Cynthia Rutledge
and Lenora Worth. I have learned
and grown from knowing you.
And a heartfelt thanks to my spirit-filled sisters
whove been my cheering section as well as my
friends: Tricia, Sherry B., Sheri S., Deanna, Debbie
and all the ladies at Southlake Foursquare Church.
But mostly, I thank my Savior Jesus,
for all the blessings.
Chapter One
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not calamity, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
She was home.
Inhaling deeply the fresh scent of pine and exhaust-free air, Dr. Rachel Maguire stared at the seven-story redbrick building, the words Sonora Community Hospital spelled out in bright blue letters across the side. A strange tightness pulled at her chest. As a child, this had been the first hospital shed ever entered.
Her gaze dropped to another set of letters above the door in front of her. Her breath froze. The emergency entrance.
She shied away from using the double sliding doors, and instead followed the tidy walkway, carpeted on either side by lush green lawns, leading to the main entrance. The early-June sun warmed her face, and from high in the branches of a towering pine an unseen bird chirped a melodic tune. Off in the distance to the east, the peaks of the Sierra Nevadas rose to meet the clear blue sky. Even to her untrained eye, the vibrant greens and hues of brown and gold dotting the hillside were a painters dream.
She paused, alert to the eerie peacefulness and serenity around her. With no outside noise to blend with, the unsettled, restless feelings she constantly lived with clamored for attention. She closed her eyes and willed the chaos to subside. She missed the pulsing beat of Chicago.
But not returning to California hadnt been an option.
Mom G. needed her.
Rachel took a deep breath, adjusted her grip on her small suitcase and walked through the sliding doors of the main hospital entrance. Even inside the hospital, tranquillity reigned. People waiting in the lobby area spoke in lowered tones and soothing, classical music played from somewhere overhead. She stepped briskly up to the administration desk.
Im looking for Mrs. Olivia Greens room.
The woman behind the desk smiled. Hello, Rachel.
Hello. She struggled to put a name to the round, wide-eyed face.
Polly Anderson, now Campbell. You were a year ahead of me in school.
Oh. Rachel didnt remember her, but smiled politely. Hello, Polly.
Your mom is on the fifth floor, room six. Shell be glad to see you. Welcome home.
Rachel blinked, surprised that anyone here would remember her after all this time and that there would be such open friendliness. Her fast-paced world had little time for niceties.
Thank you, Polly, she said, and hurried to catch the elevator.
The doors opened on the fifth floor. Emotionally steeling herself, she stepped out. With a purposeful stride, she headed down the corridor. Overhead, the fluorescent lights glowed bright. A distinctive, familiar antiseptic smell assaulted her senses and settled in the back of her throat, offering her a measure of comfort.
Strange, shed never before noticed how the quiet hum and soft beeping of machines coupled with the rumble of hushed voices lent the air a surreal quality. Shed spent so many years working in hospitals that her senses had grown accustomed to the surroundings. She couldnt remember ever noticing the atmosphere of her work. It was all part of being a doctor.
Only, this wasnt her hospital and she wasnt here as a doctor. She was a visitor. A chill ran down her spine. Someone she loved lay in one of these rooms. Even though shed reviewed Mom G.s chart and knew her prognosis, the older womans condition didnt seem real. Rachel didnt want it to be real.
She stopped. Her breathing turned shallow. A long-suppressed memory surfaced, and her mind reeled. Memories of walking down a similar corridor. Shed been six years old, her hand held firmly in the grasp of Nurse Claire, the woman whod taken charge of her after theyd arrived at the hospital.
Is my mommy all right?
The womans kind gaze regarded her steadily. I dont know, honey.
Not much comfort there. Thered been no daddy to run to, either. After her mother had died, no man had come forward claiming her as his daughter. No one had wanted her.
Until years later, when her foster mother, Olivia Green, legally adopted her. But shed insisted that Rachel keep her last name in honor of her mother.
Mom G. gave Rachel not only a place to belong but reason to hope. The generous womans loving nature had stirred up Rachels pain of losing her mother. And Rachel had finally given in to the tears shed held so long. In her gentle wisdom, Mom G. had suggested Rachel channel her grief into making a difference in the world.
God had handed her a purpose in that moment. She would become a doctor so she could improve and change the triage techniques used in emergency rooms, procedures that had cost her mother her life. That was Rachels life goal, her focus, never to be forgotten nor sidetracked from.
She squared her shoulders and continued walking.
Standing outside of room 6, she whispered, Lord, I need Your strength.
When she pushed open the door, the fragrant scent of gardenias greeted her and she smiled, pleased to know the flowers shed ordered had arrived. She wanted Mom G. to be surrounded by the things she loved.
Rachel stepped inside the cheery private room, her gaze taking in the woman she loved so dearly. Shed seen thousands of patients hooked up to IVs, heart rate and blood pressure monitors, and machines that helped the body function, but seeing the once-vibrant and beautiful Olivia Green hooked up accordingly made Rachels knees wobbly. She quelled the uncharacteristic sensation by sheer will. She wouldnt give in to any weakness.
Remember your purpose.
But she hated seeing Mom G. so still and quiet. Rachels gaze swung to the monitors. Heart rate, steady. Blood pressure, within a reasonable range.
Then her mind focused on the complete picture. A man sat beside the bed holding one of Mom G.s hands. His bent head caused his tawny hair to fall forward over his brow. Dark blond lashes rested against bronze skin. His mouth moved with silent words.
Rachel swallowed. Agitated butterflies performed a riotous dance in the pit of her stomach. She blinked several times, hoping the man would disappear.
Josh Taylor. What was he doing here?
As though hed heard her question, he opened his eyes and lifted his head. Their gazes locked. A smoldering blaze ignited and heat shimmered between them. Rachel drew in a cooling breath. She wouldnt allow this man to burn her again.
He slowly stood, his towering frame dwarfing the room.
Emotions churned and bubbled like a whirlpool inside her. They moved like running water through her consciousness so quickly she couldnt grasp one long enough to use as a defense against his presence. Her pulse leapt with unexpected pleasure, her heart ached with the sting of rejection and her cheeks flamed with sudden anger. She wasnt ready for thisfor seeing Josh, feeling emotions shed long ago buried. She hated being vulnerable and unsure.
So she did what had become naturalshe cloaked herself in professionalism. She was a doctor. Shed come to help Mom G., not stir the embers of a past love.
She inclined her head. Josh.
He followed suit. Rachel. His deep voice brushed over her, making her shiver with surprising awareness.
Uncomfortable with her response, she set her suitcase by the door and went to the bed, focusing her attention on Mom G. Her color looked good. Rachel picked up a hand. Veins showed through the near-translucent skin. Warm. Her hands were still warm. So many times Mom G.s gentle hands had wiped a tear, clapped at an accomplishment, held hers when she needed comfort.
Im surprised to see you here, Rachel. Joshs softly spoken words broke the silence.
She lifted her gaze to his intense, gold-specked eyes and cocked her head to one side. Why?
I never thought youd come back.
His comment stung. She needs me.
Josh nodded, his expression closed. She does. He shrugged. Still, I didnt really think youd come.
Hurt burrowed in deep. Her spine straightened. I guess that says a lot about what you think of me.
You have no idea what I think of you.
The look in his vibrant gaze caught her off guard. If she didnt know better, shed swear that beneath the disdain, she saw longing. But that couldnt be. Not after what had happened. Hed made his feelings clear years ago. With a mental tug she pulled her protective cloak tighter around her heart.
She pursed her lips. Youre right, Josh. I have no idea what you think of me. And Id just as soon keep it that way.
So would I. His expression hardened. So would I.
What he thought of her didnt matter. Not in the least. What theyd had once was long over.
Ignoring his overwhelming presence and the commotion going on inside her, she picked up the chart hanging behind the bed and studied the notes. She clenched her teeth as she read. Mom G.s condition had worsened in the last twenty-four hours. Theyd prescribed Mannitol, a drug meant to prevent herniation of the brain stem, an extreme complication of a glioblastoma multiforme.
Josh shifted, drawing her attention. Whats that say?
She quickly looked away, avoiding his intent gaze, and replaced the chart. What have they told you about her condition?
Josh let out a weary breath. She has a brain tumor with a long, fancy name. They operated but couldnt remove the full mass because of the risk of complications. Dr. Kessler said shes deteriorating rapidly and times short.
Rachel didnt want to hear those words, wouldnt allow her mind to register such dire news. A flush of anger ran through her. Dr. Kessler shouldnt have said that to Josh. The doctor shouldnt have ruled out hope.
Yes, well. She glanced down at Mom G. Fear stabbed at her, making her edgy. Well see about that.
She wasnt about to give up. Theyd barely started the chemotherapy, and other treatment options had yet to be explored. Shed find a way to help Mom G. She had to.
Shell be happy to see you when she wakes up.
How long has she been asleep?
She was sleeping when I arrived. And that was about thirty minutes before you. Why?
Rachel kept the little burst of panic in check. Just because Mom G. lay sleeping didnt mean anything other than she was tired. The rational side of Rachels brain warned that when the type of tumor Mom G. developed became severe enough, sleepiness eventually led to coma, then death. Rachels emotional side that deeply loved her adoptive mother refused to acknowledge the information. We should wake her.