Who I Am with You
Page 1
ACCLAIM FOR ROBIN LEE HATCHER
“Tender and heartwarming, Robin Lee Hatcher’s Who I Am with You is a faith-filled story about the power of forgiveness, second chances, and unconditional love. A true delight for lovers of romantic inspirational fiction, this story will not only make you swoon, it will remind you of God’s goodness and grace.”
—COURTNEY WALSH, NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
“Whenever I want to fall in love again, I pick up a Robin Lee Hatcher novel.”
—FRANCINE RIVERS, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
“Hatcher’s richly layered novels pull me in like a warm embrace, and I never want to leave. I own and love every one of this master storyteller’s novels. Highly recommended!”
—COLLEEN COBLE, USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
“Engaging and humorous, Hatcher’s storytelling will warm readers’ hearts . . . A wonderfully delightful read.”
—RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 STARS, ON YOU’RE GONNA LOVE ME
“Hatcher has written a contemporary romance novel that is a heartwarming story about love, faith, regret, and second chances.”
—CBA MARKET ON YOU’RE GONNA LOVE ME
“Hatcher (Another Chance To Love You) creates a joyous, faith-infused tale of recovery and reconciliation.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ON YOU’RE GONNA LOVE ME
“You’re Gonna Love Me is a gentle romance that offers hope for second chances. Author Robin Lee Hatcher has a gift for welcoming readers into fictional close-knit communities fortified with love and trust. With each turn of the page, I relaxed into the quiet rhythm of Hatcher’s storytelling, where she deftly examines the heart’s desires of her characters set against the richly-detailed Idaho setting.”
—BETH K. VOGT, CHRISTY AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR
“You’re Gonna Love Me nourished my spirit as I read about a hero and heroine with realistic struggles, human responses, and honest growth. Robin Lee Hatcher makes me truly want to drive to Idaho and mingle with the locals.”
—HANNAH ALEXANDER, AUTHOR OF THE WEDDING KISS
“I didn’t think You’ll Think of Me, the first book in Robin Lee Hatcher’s Thunder Creek, Idaho series, could be beat. But she did it again . . . This second chance story will melt your heart and serve as a parable for finding redemption through life’s lessons and God’s grace. Thunder Creek will always hold a special place in my heart.”
—LENORA WORTH, AUTHOR OF HER LAKESIDE FAMILY, ON YOU’RE GONNA LOVE ME
“With two strong, genuine characters that readers will feel compassion for and a heartwarming modern-day plot that inspires, Hatcher’s romance is a wonderfully satisfying read.”
—RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 STARS, ON YOU’LL THINK OF ME
“A heart-warming story of love, acceptance, and challenge. Highly recommended.”
—CBA MARKET ON YOU’LL THINK OF ME
“You’ll Think of Me is like a vacation to small town Idaho where the present collides with the past and it’s not clear which will win. The shadows of the past threaten to trap Brooklyn in the past. Can she break free into the freedom to love and find love? The story kept me coming back for just one more page. A perfect read for those who love a romance that is much more as it explores important themes.”
—CARA PUTMAN, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR SHADOWED BY GRACE AND BEYOND JUSTICE
“Hatcher is able to unravel emotions within her characters so brilliantly that we sense the transformation taking place within ourselves . . . readers will relish the warmth of . . . the ranchland.”
—RT BOOK REVIEWS ON KEEPER OF THE STARS
“Hatcher fans will be left smiling and eagerly awaiting her next novel.”
—CBA RETAILERS + RESOURCES ON KEEPER OF THE STARS
“True to the contemporary romance genre, Robin Lee Hatcher’s Keeper of the Stars will satisfy romance fans and give them a joy ride as they travel the road of pain and forgiveness to reach the happily-ever-after.”
—BOOKTALK AT FICTION 411
“Robin Lee Hatcher weaves a romance with heart that grabs readers and won’t let go. Whenever You Come Around pulled me in from the get-go. Charity Anderson, a beautiful, successful author with a deadline and a painful secret, runs into Buck Malone, a handsome, confirmed-bachelor cowboy from her past, and he needs her help. I was captivated, and I guarantee you’ll be rooting for them too.”
—SUNNI JEFFERS, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF HEAVEN’S STRAIN
“A heartwarming and engaging romance, Whenever You Come Around is a splendid read from start to finish!”
—TAMERA ALEXANDER, USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF TO WHISPER HER NAME AND FROM A DISTANCE
“A handsome cowboy, horses, and a hurting heroine make for a winning combination in this newest poignant story by Robin Lee Hatcher. A gently paced but delightful ride, Whenever You Come Around will take readers on a journey of healing right along with the characters. Readers will feel at home in Kings Meadow and won’t want to leave.”
—JODY HEDLUND, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LOVE UNEXPECTED
“First loves find sweet second chances in Kings Meadow. Heartwarming, romantic, and filled with hope and faith, this is Hatcher at her best!”
—LISA WINGATE, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BEFORE WE WERE YOURS
“In Whenever You Come Around Hatcher takes a look at the pain of secrets that kill the heart. But love indeed conquers all. Robin Lee Hatcher is the go-to classic romance author.”
—RACHEL HAUCK, AWARD-WINNING, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE WEDDING DRESS
“Robin Lee Hatcher has created an emotionally engaging romance, a story of healing and self-forgiveness wrapped up in a package about small-town life and a cowboy who lives a life honoring God. I want to live in Kings Meadow.”
—SHARON DUNN, AUTHOR OF COLD CASE JUSTICE AND WILDERNESS TARGET, ON WHENEVER YOU COME AROUND
“Whenever You Come Around draws you into the beauty and history of the horse country of Kings Meadow, Idaho. With every turn of the page, Robin Lee Hatcher woos readers with a love story of a modern-day cowboy and a city girl. Buck and Charity rescue each other from the lives they had planned—lives limited by fear. Instead, they discover their unexpected God-ordained happily ever after. A discerning writer, Hatcher handles Charity’s past heartbreak with sensitivity and grace.”
—BETH K. VOGT, AUTHOR OF SOMEBODY LIKE YOU, ONE OF PUBLISHERS WEEKLY’S BEST BOOKS OF 2014
“Whenever You Come Around is one of Robin Lee Hatcher’s pure-romance best, with a heroine waiting for total redemption and a strong hero of great worth. I find myself still smiling long after the final page has been read.”
—HANNAH ALEXANDER, AUTHOR OF THE HALLOWED HALLS SERIES
“Whenever You Come Around is a slow dance of letting go of the past and its very real pain to step into the light of love. It’s a story that will wrap around your soul with the hope that no past is so dark and haunted that it can’t be forgiven and overcome. It’s a love story filled with sweetness, tension, and slow fireworks. Bottom line, it was a romance I couldn’t—and didn’t want to—put down.”
—CARA PUTMAN, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF SHADOWED BY GRACE AND WHERE TREETOPS GLISTEN
“In Love Without End, Robin Lee Hatcher once again takes us to Kings Meadow, Idaho, in a sweeping love story that captures the heart and soul of romance between two people who have every reason not to fall in love. With an interesting backstory interspersed among the contemporary chapters, and well-drawn, relatable secondary characters, Hatcher hits the mark with her warm and inviting love story.”
—MARTHA ROGERS, AUTHOR OF THE SERIES WINDS ACROSS THE PRAIRIE AND THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY
“Love Without End, the first book in the new Kings Meadow Romance
series, again intertwines two beautiful and heartfelt romances. One in the past and one in the future together make this a special read. I’m so glad Robin wrote a love story for Chet who suffered so much in A Promise Kept (January 2014). Kimberly, so wrong for him, becomes so right. Not your run-of-the-mill cowboy romance—enriched with deft writing and deep emotion.”
—LYN COTE, AUTHOR OF HONOR, QUAKER BRIDES, BOOK ONE
“No one writes about the joys and challenges of family life better than Robin Lee Hatcher, and she’s at the top of her game with Love Without End. This beautiful and deeply moving story will capture your heart as it captured mine.”
—MARGARET BROWNLEY, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
“Love Without End, Book One in Robin Lee Hatcher’s new Kings Meadow series, is a delight from start to finish. The author’s skill at depicting the love and challenges of family has never been more evident as she deftly combines two love stories—past and present—to capture readers’ hearts and lift their spirits.”
—MARTA PERRY, AUTHOR OF THE FORGIVEN, KEEPERS OF THE PROMISE, BOOK ONE
“I always expect excellence when I open a Robin Lee Hatcher novel. She never disappoints. The story here reminds me of a circle without end as Robin takes us through a modern-day romance while looping one character through a WWII tale of love and loss and the resurrection of hope and purpose. Love Without End touched my heart and guided me to some wonderful truths of how God’s love is a gift and a treasure.”
—DONITA K. PAUL, BESTSELLING AUTHOR
“A beautiful, heart-touching story of God’s amazing grace, and how He can restore and make new that which was lost.”
—FRANCINE RIVERS, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, ON A PROMISE KEPT
ALSO BY ROBIN LEE HATCHER
You’re Gonna Love Me
You’ll Think of Me
The Heart’s Pursuit
A Promise Kept
Heart of Gold
Autumn’s Angel, a novella found in A Bride for All Seasons
KINGS MEADOW ROMANCE SERIES
Love Without End
Whenever You Come Around
Keeper of the Stars
WHERE THE HEART LIVES SERIES
Belonging
Betrayal
Beloved
THE SISTERS OF BETHLEHEM SPRINGS SERIES
A Vote of Confidence
Fit to Be Tied
A Matter of Character
Who I Am with You
© 2018 by RobinSong, Inc.
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ ThomasNelson.com.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible is in the public domain. Scripture on pages 139 (Romans 8:26), 158 (2 Corinthians 10:5), 181 (Matthew 6:25), 204 (Psalms 127:3-4), and 228 (Joshua 1:8) are all from KJV.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.
All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hatcher, Robin Lee, author.
Title: Who I am with you / Robin Lee Hatcher.
Description: Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, [2018] | Series: A Legacy of faith novel ; 1
Epub Edition October 2018 9780785219279
Identifiers: LCCN 2018031310 | ISBN 9780785219262 (paperback)
Subjects: | GSAFD: Christian fiction. | Love stories.
Classification: LCC PS3558.A73574 W49 2018 | DDC 813/.54--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018031310
Printed in the United States of America
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In memory of my beloved mother, who gave me a Living Bible that God then used to bring me to Jesus. What a legacy of faith she left behind her.
Contents
Acclaim for Robin Lee Hatcher
Also by Robin Lee Hatcher
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
A Note from the Author
Acknowledgments
Discussion Questions
An Excerpt from Cross My Heart Prologue
Chapter 1
About the Author
Prologue
BOISE, IDAHO
“Jessica?” Her mother’s voice seemed to come from a great distance. “Darling, what are you doing up here?”
Jessica Mason blinked as she pulled her thoughts from the funeral. Not her grandmother’s—the one she’d attended that very morning—but the one that had happened on an icy December afternoon five months earlier. Joe . . . Angela . . . A large casket beside a much smaller one.
She swallowed the threatening tears, the pain hot in her chest.
The mattress gave as her mother sat beside her on the bed. Then an arm went around her shoulders. “It’s hard.”
Jessica nodded, knowing her mom truly understood. Understood that it wasn’t her grandmother she’d been remembering, although it should have been. Knew but didn’t judge. “I loved Grandma Frani so much.”
“Of course you did.”
“But I wish I’d gone home after . . . after the service. I didn’t expect the memories to come flooding back the way they have.” She took a long, slow breath and released it, afterward whispering, “Mom, why does it still hurt so much?”
“Why do you think it shouldn’t? You lost a husband and a daughter. And five months is not very long ago.” Her mother’s arm tightened, and then silence filled the room.
At long last Jessica said, “I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry, dear. We can’t shut off our feelings whenever we want. They are what they are.”
“Oh, Mom.”
Again her mother’s arm tightened. “There’s something your grandmother left for you. Wait here while I get it.”
Alone again, Jessica grabbed a tissue and pressed it against her eyes. A few deep breaths helped her feel as if she might gain control of her careening emotions.
Five months. She cupped a hand over her rounded belly, remembering the angry words she and Joe had exchanged the morning he and Angela died. Words she hadn’t shared with another soul. Not even her mom. Pain sliced through her, along with guilt. Guilt because if she and Joe hadn’t fought, perhaps her husband and daughter would still be alive. Pain because if her husband had lived, he still wouldn’t be with her today.
“Here we are.” Her mom reentered the
room. She sat on the bed beside Jessica, running a hand over the worn cover of the large Bible that now rested on her lap. “Grandma Frani left this for you.”
A chill passed through Jessica’s heart. A feeling of loneliness, of being set adrift.
“The night before she died, your grandma told me to give this to you after her funeral.” Her mom’s voice was soft, almost reverent, as she spoke. “This Bible belonged to her father, Andrew Henning. He said it was Mom’s until the day God told her to give it to someone else in the family, and then that person was to have it until the day God said to pass it along again. And so on and so on.” She slid the Bible from her lap to Jessica’s. “My Grandpa Andrew didn’t have a lot of money or material possessions to leave as a legacy to his descendants. But he had his faith to share, even with those who would come long after he was gone.” She patted the cover of the Bible. “Because it’s in here.”
“Mom—”
“Let what you find inside bless you, honey. Let it comfort and teach you.”
Bitterness burned Jessica’s tongue, but she swallowed it because she had to. Because she didn’t want her mom to know how far she’d wandered. From God. From His Word. From believing or even from hoping.
“Okay, Mom,” she whispered at long last. “Okay.”
KUNA, IDAHO
Thursday, October 24, 1929
Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows of the small Methodist church, casting a golden glow over the bride and groom as well as the family and friends who had gathered to witness the exchange of vows between Andrew Henning and Helen Greyson.
Andrew had fallen in love with Helen almost the instant they’d met in late autumn of 1924. She’d been sixteen at the time. Too young for him, he’d told himself, and life too complicated. He’d been nearly twenty and preparing to leave for his first semester of college up in Moscow. He’d had no time for romance. He’d needed to stay focused on one thing—obtaining his degree.
And yet romance had blossomed between them, despite the distance and long absences. Over the next four and a half years, they’d written countless letters to each other. He’d studied and held down a part-time job and dreamed of the day she would become his bride.