Accept Me
Page 1
A Chapel Cove Romance
~ Book 8 ~
By
ACCEPT ME
A Chapel Cove Romance
When Life Begins at Forty…
Book 8
© 2020 by Marion Clair Ueckermann
This book is a work of fiction set in a fictional location. Any reference to historical or contemporary figures, places, or events, whether fictional or actual, is a fictional representation. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
eBook editions are licensed for your personal enjoyment only. eBooks may not be re-sold, copied or given away to other people. If you would like to share an eBook edition, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.
Contact Information: marion.ueckermann@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NIV taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked DARBY taken from the Darby Translation, Public Domain.
Scripture quotations marked MSG taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked KJ21 taken from the 21st Century King James Version®, copyright © 1994. Used by permission of Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
Cover Art by Marion Ueckermann: www.marionueckermann.net
Edited by Ailsa Williams.
Cover Image ID 186852554 purchased from Depositphotos © DenKostiukBO
Logo Image Chapel ID 164957864 purchased from Depositphotos © verity.cz
Contents
Contents
Newsletter
Chapel Cove Romances
Accept Me
Praise for Accept Me
Dear Reader
Dedication
Glossary
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
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
Scripture References
Chapel Cove Romances
Thank You for Reading!
Acknowledgements
About Marion Ueckermann
Titles by Marion Ueckermann
Newsletter
If you’d like to receive information on new releases, cover reveals, and writing news, please sign up for my newsletter.
Chapel Cove Romances
Have you read the previous Chapel Cove Romances, available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited?
Book 1, Remember Me by Marion Ueckermann
Book 2, Love Me by Alexa Verde
Book 3, Cherish Me by Autumn Macarthur
Book 4, Choose Me by Marion Ueckermann
Book 5, Hold Me by Alexa Verde
Book 6, Marry Me by Autumn Macarthur
Book 7, Belong with Me by Alexa Verde
And don’t miss the new romances in the series, due out soon!
Book 9, Adore Me by Autumn Macarthur
Book 10, Ride with Me by Marion Ueckermann
Follow Chapel Cove Romances on Amazon.
Accept Me
She came seeking her mother.
She found so much more.
On her deathbed, Haddie Hayes’s mother whispers a secret into Haddie’s ear—one that she and Haddie’s father had kept for twenty-eight years. The truth that Haddie wasn’t born a Hayes sends this shy Kentucky girl far from the bluegrass of home to a small coastal town in Oregon in search of her birth mother. Hopefully in Chapel Cove she’ll find the answers to all her questions.
EMT Riley Jordan can’t help himself—he’s a fixer, a helper, sometimes to his own detriment. A 911 call to Ivy’s on Spruce has Riley attending to Haddie Hayes, the new girl in town. After Riley learns of Haddie’s quest, he promises to help her find her birth family.
When Haddie makes the wrong assumptions, she vows to give up on her foolish crusade and go back to the only place she called home, a place she’d always felt safe and loved. But a freak accident hinders her plans of bolting from Chapel Cove.
And running from Riley…who has a secret of his own.
Praise for Accept Me
In the new novel, Accept Me, by Marion Ueckermann, the reader is privileged to peek into the inner workings of Haddie Hayes, an introspective heroine in search of her true self. Leaving hearth and home to find the woman who had given her up sends our Haddie on a quest for love and meaning, and who among us hasn’t searched for the very same thing? And as to Riley… this captivating hero is steamy-sweet, a man you can count on to be wherever he is most needed. As you escape into Chapel Cove, you will find yourself drawn headlong into this delightful town, a place where we find characters we’d like to call friends.
~ Jan Elder, Author of the Moose Creek Series
Haddie and Riley...two blessed souls looking to find who they are and where they belong. After already having that answer and not searching for anything different, Haddie gets news she never thought possible. And that news not only uprooted her world but sent Riley chasing something he thought would never come his way. States apart, complete strangers, Haddie and Riley’s story will have you on the edge of your seat and turning pages so anxiously wanting more. Ms Ueckermann has knocked this out of the park! Wow! Words cannot express how their story affects your heart. It’s powerful, it’s intriguing, it’s emotional, it’s God’s love for His children wrapped in one so eloquently written story! This, my friend, is a book not to miss!
~ Sharon Dean
Refreshing escape from reality. Settle back and revisit Chapel Cove where the residents are friendly, the bookstore is a gathering place, and the pancakes are sinful! Join Haddie as she journeys to find herself, her birth mother, and the unexpected surprises that God puts in her path.
Another exciting story by a brilliant storyteller. Cozy up and get comfy, you will not want to put this down!
~ Joelle Hawkins Teague
Life tends to throw curved balls our way and our heroine is no stranger to pain and loss. How encouraging to know that they come as no surprise to our God and that He is working all things together for our good. Just when you think you know the answer to Haddie’s search, the twist in the tale supplies the better and more perfect answer. Marion has woven together another winner with believable, real-life characters. You need to read it!
~ Ailsa Williams, Editor
Marion’s stories always delight me. Her characters become real, and her descriptions take me to places I may never see in person. Most of the time, I can read along and be comfortable in foreseeing the outcome. This one surprised me. Well done!
~ Judith Robl, JR’s Red Quill Editing
Marion’s newest Chapel Cove installment, Accept Me, takes you on a journey of “all the feels!” I literally broke down in tears of joy over Haddie’s search for her biological family. This st
ory is much more than a beautiful romance; it’s truly a story of the heart’s journey to find where we belong.
~ Paula Marie, Blogger and Book Reviewer at Fiction Full of Faith
Life can throw you for a loop sometimes and you don’t think you can keep your head above the waves, but there is hope.
This was a sweet story to read. While reading this book by Marion Ueckermann, my emotions were taken on a wild ride. It was well written and flowed smoothly, so smooth that at the end my heart was tumbling all over the place. I loved how this ended up being a story of hope. Hope in a God who loves us and wants our best even when things look like they are falling apart around us.
~ Marylin Furumasu, MF Literary Works
Accept Me is another wonderful addition to this charming and delightful series! This story is entertaining while drawing readers into this wonderful world that each of the authors continue to create! I love that each book in this series has a title that describe what we all can easily relate to, as we each want to belong, to be accepted, to be remembered, to be chosen, to be loved, to feel cherished, to be held, etc.—all things that we feel when we are safely anchored in God’s love and let our hearts respond to another’s love.
The small town of Chapel Cove continues to capture readers’ hearts as each story reveals more of its charm and character with almost realistic people who continue to captivate the readers’ hearts and imaginations, taking us into their struggles, joys, and triumphs as they learn to turn to God and trust Him to use each of their lives’ situations—even the hard times—causing all things to work together for their good, although they don’t always realize that God was really in control.
The author infuses this story with little pearls of wisdom and nuggets of truth, touching on forgiveness, good morals, letting former failures and heartaches cloud our judgement and fill us with unfounded fears, faithfulness, godliness, our tremendous need to feel accepted and wanted, especially by our parents, our desire to belong to a family, and the never-ending pursuit of our loving Heavenly Father Who patiently keeps drawing us nearer to Him, helping us to accept the things we might never know, while resting in the knowledge that He knows—and that’s all that really matters.
~ Becky Smith
Chapel Cove is my kind of town with its ocean view and many independent businesses and eateries and my favorite, a bookstore Ivy’s on Spruce. Accept Me (Book 8) in the series includes my favorite things: books, pancakes, pink fluffy peonies, carrot cake and the Mitten State.
As always, Marion Ueckermann weaves a page-turning story with modern topics: horses, asthma, adoption, foster care, DNA testing, and a cross country Road Trip from Kentucky to Oregon. Nice inclusion of characters from the previous stories in the series.
In the world of make believe, her love of books was born.
~ Renate Pennington, Retired English, Journalism, Creative Writing High School Teacher
Haddie is an amazing woman who is trying to get answers about her birth. When Haddie goes to Chapel Cove looking for answers her life will change completely. Riley is a wonderful Christian man who is always there for anyone who needs help. When Haddie and Riley meet, both of them feel an attraction towards each other. You will feel God working throughout this wonderful story.
Marion Ueckermann is an amazing Christian author. Her books are impossible to stop reading. I had the honor to review this book for the author for an honest review, and I would give this book a higher rating than a five star review if I could.
~ Debbie Jamieson
A mother’s love so great that she holds a 28-year secret to her deathbed, a daughter set on a course to discover who she really is, and the delightful town of Chapel Cove, where folks genuinely love and care for each other with God in their hearts, creates such an intriguing story that once you start reading you won’t want to put it down! Marion Ueckermann pulls at your heart with her book Accept Me.
~ Terresa Mountain
Accept Me is another beautiful book by Marion Ueckermann. What an awesome story—a love story, a healing story, and a happy story with a twist I didn’t see coming. Marion did an amazing job bringing Haddie and Riley together and keeping them together. I laughed, I cried, I felt all the emotions. Marion can be pleased with her masterpiece as it’s a winner.
~ Mattie Henderson
Sitting at her mother's deathbed in Kentucky, Haddie Hayes discovers awful information about her past. When her father confirms the truth of her mother’s words, Haddie travels to Chapel Cove, Oregon, hoping to find the answers to all her questions in this small town.
Accept Me is a lovely, God-centered story. It was wonderful to return to Chapel Cove in this story and meet old friends again.
~ Marta Alrighetti
A really heartwarming story of a young woman who finds out at the age of 28 that she was adopted. Her search for her birth mom becomes quite an adventure with some exciting and delightful results. This story was a joy to read.
~Virginia Jones
Dear Reader
As I write these words to you,
our world is going through dark, uncertain days.
Days such as have never been seen before in most of our lifetimes.
If you’re scared and feeling hopeless,
remember that God is still on the throne.
And He always will be.
That has not changed.
Through Him, and in Him,
we will always have hope,
and we need never be afraid.
Even on days when the world around us
seems to be falling apart.
Jesus said that in Him we may have peace.
He said, “In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
He overcame for you and me,
because through Jesus,
we are accepted,
we are wanted,
we are loved.
Be blessed,
Dedication
To Renate ~
my Mitten State, Michigan girl.
My books wouldn’t be read by as many people as they are if it were not for readers like you.
Thank you!
Glossary
Armoire : A tall piece of furniture that usually has two doors and that is used to store things (such as clothes)
Bluegrass : A bluish-green grass which was introduced into North America from northern Europe, widely grown (especially in Kentucky and Virginia) for fodder
Mo chara deas : My dearest friend [Irish]
Sash : a fixed or movable framework, as in a window or door, in which panes of glass are set
Sats : [Medicine] Oxygen saturation, commonly referred to as “sats”, measures the percentage of hemoglobin binding sites in the bloodstream occupied by oxygen
TLC : Tender loving care
You are worth more than many sparrows.
~ Matthew 10:31 (NIV)
Chapter One
THANKSGIVING WOULDN’T be the same this year. Deep in her aching heart, Haddie Hayes knew it.
Tears blurring her vision, she leaned forward, raising her body slightly from the saddle, and urged her Appaloosa into a gallop across the bluegrass field toward home, something she wouldn’t normally do because of the horse’s age. The temperature barely over thirty today, cold air stung her face. But when she’d mounted the nineteen-year-old mare an hour earlier, she hadn’t cared that the weather wasn’t suitable for an afternoon ride. She’d had to get out of the house for a while, away from the smell of death pervading its walls.
Her precious mom was dying. But neither Haddie nor her parents spoke about it. Foolish—as if not speaking would make the horror of what faced them go away.
This had been the longest year of her life, and she’d spent many hours over the past few months curled up on the hay in one of the empty stables, striving to lose herself between the pages of a book to blot out her mother’s illness. Just as she’d done throughout her childhood. Except then, the l
oneliness of being an only child and having no friends had driven her into story worlds of handsome princes and pretty damsels in distress. As she’d grown older, romantic tales of blossoming love formed her view of the world.
Worlds that would always remain but a fantasy.
Her eyes stung, and Haddie quickly brushed away the moisture that welled.
Being an awkward, sickly, and frail child, she had shied away from people, all of which had served to feed her unpopularity at school with no one seeking to befriend her. So it was that at a very young age, she’d found solace in the silence of the school library. And she’d found friends in the stories she read.
In the world of make-believe, her love of books was born.
As Perdy galloped toward the stables, Haddie tightened her knees and thighs slightly against the saddle. The horse slowed, and Haddie increased her grip on the reins, keeping the pressure even on both leather strips until Perdy came to a stop. Haddie slumped against the horse’s neck, stretching out her arm to stroke Perdy’s cheek.
The animal snorted and a small, misty cloud dissipated into the air from her nostrils.
Dad had bought Perdy as a weanling when the horse was barely eleven months old. A tenth birthday present—an upgrade from her pony. Haddie didn’t really care that the Appaloosa wasn’t the usual breed her father raised at Bluegrass Stud Farm. To her, a horse was a horse. But in the years that followed, she’d come to realize why he’d chosen this particular foal for her—Appaloosas had kind and patient natures, making them more suitable mounts for children.