Love Inspired June 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: Single Dad CowboyThe Bachelor Meets His MatchUnexpected Reunion

by Brenda Minton

  “That would be cool. I’ll take you up on that.”

  Simone’s heart was breaking to think that Rina would never even hold her child. She knew it was probably for the best, but still...if that had been her own little girl, no power on earth could separate her from that baby. She pulled up the photos on her phone and handed it to Rina, asking, “Don’t you even want to see her?”

  Rina took the phone and thumbed through the photos. “So tiny,” she said in an awed voice. “She’s pretty, though, don’t you think?”

  “She’s beautiful,” Simone told her. “There’s a video.”

  Rina played the video, smiling. “I told you she was a mover and a shaker.”

  Simone chuckled. “You did.”

  Rina watched the short video again and thumbed a tear from her eye before handing the phone back to Simone. “So what are you going to name her?” she asked.

  For a moment, Simone did not react. The question made no sense. She thought she’d misheard. Then Morgan said, “What?”

  Rina looked from one to the other of them. “I just thought I’d ask. It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me.”

  Something started inside of Simone, a glowing, trembling, shattering pinprick of light, a stunning, joyous, unbelievable hope, the tiniest tip of a realization. Morgan put his hands on Simone’s shoulders and stepped up very close, his feet bracketing hers, his chest pressed to her back.

  “Rina,” he said carefully, “why would we be choosing a name for your baby?”

  She shifted her gaze back and forth between them. “She’s not my baby. She’s your baby.”

  Simone would have fallen to the floor if Morgan hadn’t wrapped his strong arm around her waist. “Rina!” she gasped. “What are you saying?”

  “Didn’t that lawyer tell you? I said it straight out from the first. I could look the world over and not find better parents for her than the two of you. He said you might not get married, but I knew you would. You are, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” both Morgan and Simone said at the same time. They hadn’t even spoken of it, but in her heart of hearts, Simone had known they would. Still, she rejoiced to hear Morgan’s voice in concert with hers.

  “But, Rina,” Simone asked, tears streaming down her face, “are you sure you want us to adopt your baby?”

  “I never did feel this was my baby,” Rina said, “just that I couldn’t kill it, that it had a right to live. Then that night I came to you at the mission when you told me about your cancer, I knew this baby was for you. I’d’ve given her to you even if you and the professor hadn’t got together for good.”

  “You know, Rina,” Morgan said carefully, “most adoption agencies would feel that I’m too old to raise an infant.”

  Rina waved that away. “My dad was fifty when I was born. He’s taking care of my mom and my grandma now.”

  Simone had to smile at Morgan. “May we call age a dead issue, never to be raised again?”

  For answer, Morgan bowed his head, pressing his face into the hollow below Simone’s ear. “Sweet Lord,” he prayed softly, “forgive me. I never even dreamed—I never even dared to dream—that You could bless me so. No wonder it took so long! What a blind, stupid—”

  Simone lifted her hand to the back of his neck, interrupting that litany. “You are speaking of the father of my child,” she burbled, laughing and weeping all at once, “not to mention the man I love.”

  “Sweetheart,” he said, turning her to face him, “I cannot tell you how much I love you, but I’ll try. Every day for the rest of my life, I’ll try.”

  “I will hold you to that, Professor Chatam,” Simone exulted, lifting her arms around his neck and hugging him.

  “And, Rina,” he said to the girl in the bed, “thank you. We’ll give our girl the very best possible life.”

  “I know that,” she said. “I know all about you from your cousin, the lawyer, but I saw it all that day at the amusement park. You’re just the kind of people I want for her. You’re the kind of people I want to be.”

  “What a lovely thing to say,” Simone told her.

  “There’s just one kind of person to be, though, Rina,” Morgan said, “and it starts with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”

  Rina nodded. “That’s what the Worths said and that Miss Chatam. They’ve prayed with me, and I figure I’m on my way.”

  “I’m so glad,” Simone said. “We’ll stay in touch, won’t we?”

  “Sure. I’d like that. Shouldn’t you be going, though? Seems to me you’ve got some things to do. I told the hospital that you were the parents and you and the lawyer would be taking care of everything.”

  No wonder the pediatrician had reported to them and let them into the nursery so easily!

  “I’d better call Asher,” Morgan exclaimed.

  They hugged Rina and parted with tears and smiles. Simone felt that she was floating through the hospital corridors and out into the parking lot.

  “Talk about getting the cart before the horse,” Morgan said with a laugh. “It isn’t just that we have a baby and we’re not yet married!”

  Simone stopped in her tracks and covered her lower face with her hands, her eyes wide as the implications sank in. “Oh, this is one family circumstance that’s going to take a lot of explaining.”

  “I think the soonest possible wedding date is the best possible answer, don’t you?”

  “I do.”

  “Halfway there,” he teased. “Thanksgiving is in a week. Good time for a honeymoon.”

  “Or to set up a nursery,” she countered.

  “Speaking of that, you’ve barely even seen the house. We also need to hire a nanny. I’m sure there must be home studies and things like that, too, even in a private adoption.”

  “Where to begin?” Simone asked, her mind awhirl.

  “How about if we head into Dallas to see our little girl first?” Morgan suggested. “Maybe they’ll let us hold her.”

  Simone threw her arms around him. “Yes, please.” He grinned down at her.

  “What are we going to name her, anyway?” he asked, turning Simone toward the Beemer in the lot. “My mother’s name was Ardis Clara, a bit old-fashioned. My stepmom was Kathryn Ann. I like that, but I suspect my sister will want to use it, although I did beat her to the punch, so to speak.” He shook his head. “I still can’t believe it. I’m a father, and I’m about to be a husband. Have I told you that I love you?”

  Simone laughed. “Yes, but please keep doing so.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Simone said, coming to a halt in front of the car. “I was thinking of Brigitte. For a name, I mean.”

  Obviously surprised, he took her face into his hands, his warm brown eyes glowing. “She deserves that, and I would like it very much. So would Brooks, I think.”

  Simone smiled. “Brigitte it is, then.”

  He took her into his arms and kissed her, there on the sidewalk in the very early morning on that chilly November day when God answered all their prayers and showed them just how complete and far-reaching His plans for His children could be.

  Afterward, as Morgan handed her down into the car, he said, “You know, we might need a minivan.”

  Simone snorted with laughter. “For one small child?”

  “Well, maybe a station wagon,” he said, closing the door. Then as he came around to drop down behind the steering wheel, “Or a sport utility vehicle.”

  “Why not all three?” Simone quipped.

  “There you go,” Morgan said. “We’ll just trade all three existing vehicles.”

  “And what of the moped?”

  “No,” he said, starting up the engine. “No moped.”

  “And the motorcycle?”

  He made
a face as he backed out of the parking space. “I guess that a husband and a father does have some responsibility when it comes to his personal safety, so...actually, I don’t think I need the motorcycle anymore.”

  “In other words,” she teased, “you’ve finally grown up.”

  “Maybe not completely,” he said, shifting gears and laying down a little rubber, just because he could.

  Simone laughed indulgently and said, “There are always roller coasters.”

  “Sweetheart,” he said, “I’m on one, and I don’t ever plan to get off. You’re all the thrill I need from now on.”

  Simone closed her eyes. There were thrills and there were thrills. Some lasted only long enough to shock and rattle. Some could be clutched close for bright, heady hours. A few burrowed into the heart and lasted a lifetime. After all her mistakes and misfortunes, God had seen fit to gift her with the latter, and she would never take it for granted, never stop being grateful and never doubt His provision or love.

  “I’m a mother,” she said dreamily, “and will you look at this, I caught the campus heartthrob!”

  Morgan put back his head and laughed with all the joy she felt.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from LAKESIDE SWEETHEARTS by Lisa Jordan.

  Dear Reader,

  Have you ever wanted something desperately and realized that God was not going to give it to you, at least not the way you’d envisioned it?

  I certainly have, and I don’t mind telling you that it was a crushing disappointment. It was also a lesson in faith, for that something I so desperately wanted that God did not let me have He replaced with something far better than I could have imagined.

  That’s what I imagined for both Simone and Morgan. Simone wanted to become a mother in the same way that most women do, but God had a plan that was better not just for her but for three other people, as well. Morgan intended to love one woman, who married someone else, but God had a plan that was better not just for him but for five other people.

  No matter how we imagine them, God’s plans are always best!

  Questions for Discussion

  The National Runaway Safeline estimates that on any given night there are approximately 1.3 million homeless youth living unsupervised on the streets of the U.S.A., in abandoned buildings, with friends or with strangers. Does your community attempt to provide shelter for what are often referred to as “unaccompanied” youth?

  Seventy-five percent of all runaways are female; between 6 and 22 percent of those are or become pregnant while homeless. Can you imagine what it is like to live on the street while pregnant?

  Seventy-five percent of homeless youth have or will drop out of high school. Can you imagine how difficult it is to attend school while homeless?

  Teens 12 to 17 become homeless for many reasons. Many run away due to physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Others wind up homeless for economic reasons. Some are aging out of the foster care system. Some are escaping foster care. Homeless shelters often refuse to take them for fear the older residents will prey on them. Do you see solutions to these problems?

  Great strides have been made in the treatment of cancer, especially endometrial cancers, but many women with advanced cases still find themselves unable to bear children after treatment. How might this impact a newlywed looking forward to starting a family?

  Lyla Simone obviously suffered from feelings of guilt and low self-esteem. As a result, she assumed that her sister and extended family would be unaccepting of her. Do you understand Simone’s feelings? Why or why not? What about the feelings of her sister and family?

  Does Simone’s attraction to an older man make sense in light of her inability to bear children? Why or why not?

  Morgan had lots of experience deflecting the feelings of young women who wanted to gain his attention. Why was it different with Simone? Did her illness have anything to do with it? Explain.

  Morgan sincerely tried to obey the letter of the regulations concerning professors and students. The provost was satisfied that he did so. Are you? Why or why not?

  Many more couples wish to adopt infants in this country than can actually do so. Adoption requirements through normal channels are very stringent, and the process can be very expensive. Private adoptions are handled much more loosely, however. Does this seem right or fair to you?

  Some believe that biological or natural parents should have no say in who adopts their offspring. They feel that the whole matter should be handled by unemotional third parties. Does this seem right or fair to you?

  Dr. Brooks Leland married a woman whom he knew to be dying, and he believed that was all part of God’s plan for his life. Does that seem possible or reasonable? Why or why not?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.

  You believe hearts can heal. Love Inspired stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.

  Enjoy six new stories from Love Inspired every month!

  Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

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  Chapter One

  Red had to say yes. Restoring his family depended on it.

  Ian James opened the door to Cuppa Josie’s and entered Shelby Lake’s finest coffeehouse, ushering the sun-soaked May breeze in with him. The wind ruffled the edges of the Shelby Lake Gazette splayed across the large storefront window counter. As he closed the door, the tattered bells rattled against the glass.

  He slid off his sunglasses and slipped them in the breast pocket of his untucked button-down shirt, giving his eyes a minute to adjust to the abrupt change in lighting.

  Today’s special blend—crème brûlée according to the sign on the front door—mingled with the spicy aroma of Josie Brennan’s signature white chicken chili, causing his stomach to grumble. The Saturday special on the chalkboard easel near the register boasted chocolate macadamia nut brownies as the dessert of the day.

  Once he finished talking with Red, he’d grab lunch before heading back to the insurance office to go over a couple of claims with Dad. Then he needed to head out to Carl Winston’s place to determine the extent of his recent garage fire.

  Being a claims adjuster might not be a glamorous job or his dream career, but he liked helping people get what they needed.

  Rustling newspapers, ringing cell phones and the buzz of conversations couldn’t drown out Red’s laughter that touched his ears before she appeared from the side dining room.

  Ian swallowed back the knot in his throat that always seemed to form every time he saw her.

  Agnes Kingsley, his best friend since her family moved next door from Texas to Shelby Lake about twenty-five years ago, had captured her ginger-colored hair in a ponytail that did little to keep a few curls from escaping and spiraling around her face.

  The Cuppa Josie’s apron tied twice around her narrow waist failed to hide her long legs and the slight curve of her hips. Large hoop earrings dangled from her ears.

  Their first meeting was imprinted in his memory—she was ten and he was twelve. The pop fly he’d missed had rolled into her yard next door. She’d stepped from behind her family’s moving van cradling the baseball between two fingers and her thumb. She’d smiled, her crazy mop of ginger hair askew. When she refused to give her name, he dubbed her “Red,” and the rest was history.

  The baby she cradled in her arms released a wail that jerked Ian back to the present. Red patted his back while talking to Lindsey Chase, Josie Brennan’s stepsister.

  Lindsey tucked a blond strand of hair behind her ear and tou
ched her son’s pajama-covered leg. “You’d make a great mom someday, Agnes.”

  A shadow flickered across her eyes. “As much as I love the little darlings, being a mama isn’t going to happen.”

  “You say that now, but some guy will turn your head, and then you’ll be holding your own little one before you know it.”

  Despite Red’s laughter, he recognized the hollow tone. And when she turned on the Texas charm, he knew to watch out...or rescue her, depending on her target.

  He skirted past the couch in front of the unlit fireplace where some dude wearing headphones tapped his pencil against his laptop to the beat of his music. Winding through the square tables filled with the lunch crowd, Ian reached Lindsey and Red.

  He caressed the newborn’s soft head. “Hey, Linds. Congrats on your little guy. Sorry to interrupt, but can I steal Agnes from you?” Without waiting for her response, he touched Red’s elbow. “You got a second? I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Sure.” She breathed in the infant’s scent once more, then handed him back to Lindsey. “Thanks for stopping in, Linds. Bring him back so I can hug his sweet little neck again.”

  To be that baby’s neck...

  Turning her attention to Ian, she nodded toward the side dining room. “Mind if we talk in there? I need to finish setting up for a private luncheon. Abby can handle the register.”

  Ian glanced at the seventeen-year-old flirting at the coffee counter with one of the Shelby Lake High football players. Yeah, she had it covered. He shook his head and followed Red into the side dining room. He half closed the door for a little privacy. “You okay?”

  She smiled wide. “Just dandy. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  He leaned against the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Maybe because of your Texas charm? Or maybe the fact that you won’t look at me? Or maybe the way your hand is trembling while you fold that napkin?”