A Father for Bella

by Jill Weatherholt

  She changed into her favorite comfy sweat suit and headed into the kitchen. A nice cup of herbal tea was in order. Placing the kettle on the stovetop, she pulled a mug from the cabinet. Somehow she’d have to get the bombshell Melissa had dropped out of her head. She had a lot of things to figure out. The first being where would she and Bella live? There was no way now she’d stay on and work for Joshua. The thought of seeing him and Melissa together as a couple made her stomach wrench.

  Settled down at the kitchen table, she gazed out the window toward the inn. She smiled as she studied the tree she and Joy had loved to climb as children. Taking a sip of her tea, she practically gagged when once again the tears flowed. How could You have let this happen, God? I thought You and I were good now?

  Moments later, the sound of a car’s engine and a door slamming pulled Faith back to her grim reality.

  “Faith! Open the door!”

  Joshua’s fist pounding on the door prompted Faith to spring from her chair. No. What was he doing here? He should be at the auction with Melissa. By now, the property belonged to them. Her heart sank at the thought. She couldn’t see him now—or ever.

  “Please, I need to talk to you.”

  His words sounded desperate, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t. He’d hurt her too badly. She’d opened her heart to a man, something she hadn’t done since Chris had died, and gotten wounded.

  She stood cowering in the corner, with her arms wrapped tight around her waist. Please, make him go away.

  “Fine. I’ll stay out here all day. In fact, I’ll just sleep out here. I’m not going to leave, Faith, not until you open the door and let me explain.”

  Ten minutes later, she hadn’t moved. Silence beyond the door made her wonder if he’d finally given up. There’d been no sounds of his car starting, but he could have walked up to the inn. Curiosity got the best of her and she crept toward the window. Her chest tightened when she spotted Joshua sitting on her porch. His head leaned forward into his strong hands.

  What could she do? She certainly couldn’t let him sit out there all night. He’d freeze to death. Plus, Joy would be bringing Bella home since the auction was over. Those thoughts propelled her to the door. With a tight grip, she jerked it open.

  “What do you want, Joshua?” She bit down on her lip to keep the tears from a repeat performance.

  He sprung to his feet with a smile, causing her heart to melt. From the moment she’d first seen him, the day he rescued Bella in the forest, his good looks had made her legs unsteady.

  “Thank you for opening the door. May I please come inside?”

  Her mind told her no, but her heart couldn’t get into agreement, so she moved aside. “Yes, come in. Bella will be home soon, so please, let’s make this quick.”

  Joshua stepped inside and she thought she’d drop to her knees when the familiar sweet smell of peppermint created a flood of memories. From the start, it was the one thing Bella had loved about him. Perhaps she found comfort in the aroma.

  “Can I get you some tea?” The moment she offered, she wanted to take it back.

  His smile was warm as he nodded. “That sounds nice.” He took a seat at the table.

  When the kettle sounded, Faith’s hand quivered as she poured the water and bobbed the tea bags in each mug. She carried the beverages to the table, amazed she hadn’t spilled any.

  “Thank you.” He smiled and lifted the cup to his lips, blowing softly.

  Melissa’s words tore at her heart. Faith wanted to run from the table and let the tears gush. If she hadn’t been so emotionally exhausted, she might have. “Remember? Bella will be home soon.”

  He placed his drink on the table. A pained look filled his eyes. “I know Melissa was here earlier.”

  A quiet came over the room as Faith did everything in her power to keep her emotions in check. “That’s true.”

  “Whatever she might have said to you—don’t believe it.” A deeper knowing filled his eyes. “Melissa is living in some sort of fantasy world. She believes we belong together, but it couldn’t be any further from the truth.”

  “She seemed pretty convincing to me.” Fear caused her to hesitate, but she had to know the answer. “Did she buy the inn for you at the auction today?” A tear streamed down her cheek.

  Joshua reached across the table and placed his hand on her face. “There was no auction. My father canceled it.”

  For a second, Faith thought the nightmare was over. She and Bella would continue to live in the cottage and everything would remain the same. But who was she kidding? Nothing would be the same without Joshua in her life. “Why would he do that?”

  “He’s gifting the deed over to us, sweetie.”

  “To you and Melissa?” Another piece of her heart crumbled.

  Joshua stood up from the table and walked to her side. He took her hand to guide her to her feet. “No, to us—me and you.”

  Tears stung her eyes. She tried to blink them back before he noticed, but it didn’t work. “What about Melissa? She told me you were in love with her.” She paused to catch her breath. “The two of you were going to start a life together at the inn.”

  Joshua placed both of his hands on the sides of her face. “Listen to me. The only people who will be starting a life at the Black Bear Inn are you, me and Bella. But there is one condition.”

  Faith’s head was spinning as she tried to understand what was happening and what had happened to Melissa. But the second he placed his lips onto hers, she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was Joshua still loved her and Bella, and all of her dreams were coming true. She forced herself to pull away from his gentle kiss, savoring the taste. She threw him a questioning eye. “So, what’s the condition?”

  He flashed the smile she’d fallen in love with. “From now on, I only have to cook for you and Bella.”

  “You’ve got a deal.”

  Epilogue

  “Come on, slowpoke.” Faith glanced over her shoulder as fat snowflakes splattered against her exposed cheeks. She inhaled the invigorating mountain air.

  “Who are you calling a slowpoke? Remember, this is my first time cross-country skiing.”

  She dug her poles into the snow-covered trail, gliding along with ease.

  “Show-off,” Joshua shouted as he fell farther behind.

  Faith laughed at the man who had given her the greatest gift ever—security for her and Bella. Not to mention the promise of something more.

  When Melissa had shown up and announced she and Joshua were in love, Faith had thought all hope was lost. Instead, Joshua had presented her with a deed to the only place that she’d ever consider home.

  The weeks had passed in a whirlwind of meetings with developers and architects, filling their days. Finally, they’d celebrated the groundbreaking for the new Black Bear Ski Resort and Spa.

  Joshua’s vision was becoming a reality. The weather had cooperated, so construction moved along at a brisk pace. She and Bella were still living in the cottage, and Joshua had taken up permanent residence at the inn. Eventually, she and her daughter would move into the inn, but not until the renovations were complete. Soon they’d break ground on the first phase of condominiums and a larger inn for those guests who preferred more pampering.

  Joshua had given her the biggest surprise when he’d told her of his plans to restore the inn back to its original state. He wanted the house to be exactly like it had been when Faith and Joy went to live with their grandparents, after their parents were killed.

  “Can we please take a break?” Joshua pleaded.

  Up ahead, a couple of large boulders covered in a light dusting of snow looked rather inviting to Faith. After an hour and a half on the trail, she was ready for a little break herself. With a shuffling motion, she arrived at the rocks and brushed away the snow. She flopped down and took off her skis. Smiling, s
he watched as Joshua slowly made his way toward her. Unable to peel her eyes off the gorgeous man, she stifled a laugh as he struggled with his footing.

  When the sun popped out from behind the low-lying clouds, she untied her red scarf and pulled it loose from her neck. She tipped her face to the sun and thanked God for this day. Although she and Joshua had been spending every waking minute together, this was their first opportunity to get away from the construction and relax a bit. But judging from the painful look on his face, she wasn’t sure he was too relaxed.

  Joshua huffed and puffed his way up to the rocks and dropped his poles into the snow. “This is exhausting. It’s a lot different from snow skiing.”

  The scent of peppermint made her dizzy when he took a seat on her boulder. “Hey, this was your idea, remember?” It seemed a lifetime ago that she’d cared for him after his skiing accident. So much had changed, and she couldn’t remember the last time her heart was this full.

  He nodded and removed his gloves. “You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking,” Joshua laughed and reached for her hand. He removed her right glove and pressed his lips against her skin.

  She shivered.

  Concern crept across his face. “Are you cold?”

  The snow showers had stopped and the sun shone brightly. “No—just happy.” She smiled.

  They cuddled closer, taking in the sight of the snowcapped mountains surrounding them. Off in a clearing, a gathering of deer foraged for their next meal.

  “Don’t you love it out here?” Faith took in a deep breath and filled her lungs with the crisp mountain air. “There’s no other place I’d rather be.” She turned to the man who’d made all of her dreams possible. “Or anyone else I’d rather be with.”

  He cleared his throat and bent over to remove his skis.

  The rumbling sounds of a motor in the distance, but moving closer, filled the air.

  Faith turned. “It sounds like some snowmobilers headed this way. There goes our peaceful little sanctuary.” She squinted in the direction of the noise and saw Mr. Watson powering up the trail with someone on the back of the recreational vehicle. Bella. She was supposed to be with Joy.

  “Hi, Mommy!” She grinned as the elderly man glided up to the rocks.

  “Bella, what are you doing up here?”

  Joshua nodded to Mr. Watson. “Give me about twenty minutes.” He lifted Bella off the back of the snowmobile and perched her on the boulder next to her mother.

  “I’ll be back,” the old man yelled over the motor as he peeled off.

  Faith’s eyebrow arched. “What’s going on?”

  “Mr. Joshua wanted to ask us something, Mommy.”

  When the man she loved dropped to one knee, Faith’s heart hammered from beneath her snowsuit. Her daughter squealed. Was this really happening? Or was she dreaming?

  “Faith, Bella.” He looked at both of them. “I’ve brought you here to tell you something. Since God brought you into my life, I’ve never been happier. You each have a special place in my heart and I love you both.”

  “We love you, too, Mr. Joshua,” Bella blurted out and both adults chuckled.

  He reached deep inside the pocket of his gray jacket and pulled out a small blue velvet box.

  Faith could hardly breathe as he placed it in front of her and her daughter. At that moment, Chris’s voice spoke to her heart... You have to move on, Faith. It’s time.

  Joshua’s eyes glistened as he opened the box, revealing two rings. “Faith, Bella, I want us to be a family, will you marry me?”

  Before Faith could even answer, her daughter sprung off the rock and straight into Joshua’s arms. “I knew you were meant to be my daddy!”

  Tears peppered Faith’s eyes. Bella would be raised with a father, just as Chris wanted.

  Joshua looked at Faith as she wiped her eyes. “Does this mean yes?”

  When he stood holding Bella in his arms, she rose, her legs like a newborn calf’s. Faith reached for his hand. Unable to speak, she could only smile and nod.

  “Are you sure?”

  She cast a weightless gaze at the man who was offering her and her daughter another chance at happily-ever-after. Love, safety and security...all she’d ever wanted for herself and Bella. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’ve never been more certain of anything.”

  Bella turned to him. “I’m sure, too, Mr. Joshua—oops, I mean Daddy.”

  * * * * *

  If you enjoyed A FATHER FOR BELLA,

  be sure to look for Jill Weatherholt’s previous title

  SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE

  And check out these other emotionally

  gripping and wonderful stories:

  HER COWBOY REUNION

  by Ruth Logan Herne

  THE RANCHER’S SURPRISE DAUGHTER

  by Jill Lynn

  MEANT-TO-BE BABY

  by Lois Richer

  THE DEPUTY’S UNEXPECTED FAMILY

  by Patricia Johns

  Available now from Love Inspired!

  Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A WIDOW’S HOPE by Vannetta Chapman.

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  Dear Reader,

  When I was a little girl, the sound of late night sirens sent me running to my parents’ bedroom, seeking refuge underneath their covers. I feared the emergency vehicle was on its way to our house.

  Unlike Faith Brennan, who experienced the devastating loss of her firefighter husband that resulted in a fear of hospitals and triggered panic attacks, my distress was unfounded. In time, I outgrew that anxiety, but others took root.

  Fear seeps into all of our lives, weaving itself around our heart and mind. It comes in many forms, both big and small. Left unchecked, it can interfere with our daily living and prevent us from being in the will of God. Living apprehensive of what might happen can often create more anxiety than actually facing the fear head on.

  The longer we allow fear to linger, the more difficult it is to break free. Faith and Joshua released their fears, and you can, too. Make a decision to step out in faith and live the life God has in store for you. Remember, He is greater than any obstacle you may be facing.

  Thank you so much for visiting Whispering Slopes. Having the opportunity to write a second Love Inspired story, set in a fictional town of the Shenandoah Valley, has been another dream come true.

  One of the best things about being a writer is connecting with readers, so be sure to sign up to receive my bimonthly blog posts via email @jillweatherholt.wordpress.com or email me at authorjillweatherholt@gmail.com. You can also find me on Facebook @jillweatherholtauthor and Twitter @jillweatherholt.

  Jill

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  A Widow's Hope

  by Vannetta Chapman

  Chapter One

  Monday mornings were never easy. Though Hannah King heard her four-year-old son calling, she longed to bury her head under the covers and let her mother take care of him. She’d had a dream about David. It had been so real—David kissing her on their wedding day, David standing beside her as she cradled their newborn son, David moving about the room quietly as he prepared for work.

  But he wasn’t in the room with her, and he never would be again. A late-summer breeze stirred the window shade. In the distance she could hear the clip-clop of horses on the two-lane, a rooster’s crow, the low of a cow. Summer would be over soon. Here in northern Indiana, where she’d grown up, September was met with a full schedule of fall festivals and pumpkin trails and harvest celebrations. She dreaded it all—had no desire to walk through the bright leaves, or decorate with pumpkins or bake apple pies. Fall had been David’s favorite time of year. Matthew was born in September. The accident? It had occurred the last week of August. That terrible anniversary was one week away.

  This year, the thought of autumn overwhelmed her. Her entire life left her feeling tired and unable to cope. She was happy to be home with her parents, but she hadn’t realized the extent of their financial troubles until she’d already moved in. Their church in Wisconsin had used money from the benevolence fund to pay for Matthew’s surgeries, but her parents had paid for all of his rehab from their savings. Now they were operating month-to-month, and the stress was beginning to show. She needed to find a job, to help them with the bills, but how could she work when her primary responsibility was to care for Matthew?

  She should at least make an attempt to find employment, but she wanted and needed to be home with her son. If she were honest with herself, she dreaded the thought of interacting with other people on a daily basis. She hadn’t enough energy for that.