© 2010 Facing Tessa’s Past by Mildred Colvin
© 2011 Redeeming Sarah’s Present by Mildred Colvin
© 2011 Building Amanda’s Future by Mildred Colvin
Print ISBN 978-1-62416-732-4
eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-62836-283-1
Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-62836-284-8
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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
Cover image: Andy Caulfield/Photographer’s Choice/Getty Images
Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Facing Tessa’s Past
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
Epilogue
Redeeming Sarah’s Present
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
Building Amanda’s Future
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
Epilogue
Dear Readers,
I invite you to travel with me along the romantic and historic Route 66, which sets the background for this series of three contemporary novels. I’ve lived near this well-known road all my life and remember the television series by that name. Although the Mother Road is now hidden by busy interstates and four-lane highways, many people still have fond memories of a simpler life from the past along this two lane byway that stretches from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California. Many attractions, restaurants, and museums still exist today along the road just as they once stood and are worth revisiting.
Taking a second chance is the theme throughout this series as each hero and heroine revisit their past relationships and discover a new and wonderful love they’d almost forgotten. As they set aside old hurts and even false accusations, they learn to trust each other, but more importantly they trust God to bring His love into their life and give them the desires of their hearts.
I hope you enjoy this look into the past and present as you travel Route 66 with these characters who rediscover a way of life they almost missed. I look forward to hearing from you.
May God abundantly bless you as you find the road God has given you to travel.
Mildred Colvin
www.infinitecharacters.com
FACING TESSA’S PAST
Dedication
Thank you, Becka, Eileen, Jonathan, and Jim. This book would not exist without your input. I cannot tell you how much your time and corrections mean to me. For every page that bled, the story became that much better. God bless you, everyone. And a special thanks to my agent Janet Benrey. This is our first sale together. May there be many more.
Chapter 1
T essa Stevens burst from the house with her cell phone pressed to her ear and let the storm door close behind her. She ran down the steps and across the yard to her car parked in the driveway.
“Kasi, hi. It’s me.” She stopped beside the car when her best friend answered. “I’m doing it, Kasi. I’m finally really and truly doing it.”
“I’m so happy for you, Tessa.” Kasi’s voice came over the phone with a lilt. “I don’t know anyone who is more deserving.”
“I don’t know about that.” Tessa winced. “God has already given me much more than I deserve. But I’m so excited. I’ve got the car packed, and the boys are eating breakfast. This will be our first-ever vacation. We never made it to Disneyland, but we are going a thousand miles to Chicago. We never go anywhere other than church, school, and work. None of us have been more than a hundred miles from Amarillo since we moved here.”
“And now you’ll be on the road for two weeks. Are you sure you can handle this trip alone?” Uncertainty crept into Kasi’s voice.
Taking a deep breath of warm, early June air, Tessa looked around her Texas home. After twelve years, she had gotten used to the differences here from her childhood in Illinois. The only thing she occasionally missed was the lay of the land and the abundance of trees she had taken for granted in the forests back home. Maybe she’d take the boys to a forest somewhere. No, they would think she was crazy.
She opened the car door, keeping her phone pinned between her shoulder and jaw. “Kasi, you are worse than my mother. Where is your faith? We will be fine. Absolutely nothing will happen, except we’ll have a fantastic time and I’ll come home broke.”
She leaned in to place her travel bag between the two front seats of her car. The bag, made of Route 66 upholstery material, came from a gift shop several miles west of Amarillo. She figured it made the perfect carry-on bag for their journey along the Mother Road. She unzipped it enough to slide her Bible inside. The bag held a comb and brush, her checkbook, her clutch purse, and, among other things, a best seller she hadn’t found time to read yet. But that would change now. For the next two weeks her time was her own. Hers and her boys’.
“Or maybe you’ll come home with a romance story to tell me.” Kasi laughed.
Tessa backed out of the car too quickly and smacked her head. “Ow!”
Kasi snickered. “Oh, come on, Tessa, romance isn’t a dirty word, and it doesn’t hurt. At least not true love.”
“I don’t know about that.” She rubbed her head. “But then, maybe I’ve never been in love. Which doesn’t really matter, because I have no intention of ever falling in love. Trust me, Kasi, with three boys chaperoning me 24/7 for the next two weeks, there will be no chance of any romantic encounters, even if I wanted one, which I don’t.”
“Famous last words. Hey, I’ll be praying for you guys. Not just for romance”—Kasi giggled—“but for God’s protection. I want you all back here safe and sound.”
“Now that I appreciate. I mean your prayers for our protection.”
Tessa closed her car door and walked back to the house while she and Kasi finished their call. She shoved her cell phone back into her pants pocket and went into the kitchen. Gathered aroun
d the table were the three loves of her life—her three sons. Robbie, at almost fifteen, continually tried to push the limits as he stretched into manhood. Seth was the quiet one. At barely twelve, he would as soon devour a book as play ball. All her boys did well in school, but Seth especially excelled in every area of academics. Derek, her baby, had just turned ten years old in April.
She ruffled Derek’s dark hair as his oldest brother grabbed the cereal box out from under his hand and laughed. “Got it.”
“Hey Mom, he only took the cereal because he saw me reach for it.” Derek’s indignant declaration brought a smirk from Robbie.
“So? You have to be fast around here, isn’t that right, Seth?” He filled his bowl and set the box out of Derek’s reach.
Seth simply shrugged and continued eating.
Tessa handed the box of cereal to Derek before circling the table. “What you have to do, Robbie, is share. I hope you realize we’ll be living in pretty close quarters the next two weeks. Let’s make an effort to get along with each other.”
“Sure, Mom.” Robbie flashed dimples at her then scooped a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.
Tessa pulled out a chair and sat down. She took the cereal when Derek finished and fixed her own breakfast. Going on vacation with three active boys would be an adventure, she felt sure, but one she eagerly anticipated. Five years ago a trip out for pizza once a month was an event the boys looked forward to the way other kids thought of going to Disneyland.
She looked around the table at her boys, their energy directed toward breakfast for the moment. The scripture in the seventh chapter of Luke spoke to her heart, as she felt kinship with the woman who had anointed Jesus’ feet with oil even when His disciples didn’t approve. Jesus told them, “ ‘Her many sins, have been forgiven—as her great love has shown.’ ” How thankful she was Jesus had also forgiven her many sins. And how much she loved Him.
“Are we going to celebrate our birthdays while we’re gone?” Robbie asked.
She smiled at the son she jokingly called her birthday gift. Robbie would turn fifteen on June twelfth, while she would reach the ripe old age of thirty. “Of course. I have something special in mind for that day. Or I should say Sarah does. We should be at her place on the twelfth. How’s that sound?”
Robbie grinned as he shrugged. “Sure, Mom, that’ll be all right. When we get back, can I take the test for my permit?”
His words were like cold water in her face. Why couldn’t they just forget he was old enough to get his driving permit? In one short year, he would have his driver’s license and the freedom that came with that privilege. She wasn’t ready for him to break away from the security of his youth.
“Earth to Mom.” Robbie’s voice broke through her thoughts until she focused on him. “So can I?”
She felt the tension in her neck and reached up to rub her shoulder. “You could wait another six months and still get your license at sixteen.”
“Yeah, or I could have already started.” Robbie’s voice rose.
“With the training, but you only need the permit for six months, and you can’t get a license before you’re sixteen, anyway.” Without waiting for him to respond, she stood and started gathering bowls and spoons to wash. “Robbie, let’s not worry about things like that now. You’ll have time enough to learn to drive without ruining our vacation talking about it.”
“Guess that means I can’t.” Robbie folded his arms across his chest, a dark frown marring his attractive face. “I don’t see why not. All my friends get to drive as soon as they’re fifteen. How come you don’t trust me? I won’t wreck the car.”
Tessa smiled at her eldest. “I didn’t say you would. I also didn’t say you couldn’t get your permit. I just asked you to wait until after vacation to worry about it. Okay? We’ve got plenty of time. Let’s not push it.”
He shrugged, pacified for the moment. She thanked God that he hadn’t inherited his father’s violent temper.
“While I straighten up in here, why don’t you boys take one last look through the house and see if there’s anything you’ve forgotten.”
Tessa washed the dishes and wiped the table then put the cereal away. She walked through the house, checking each window and door to make sure everything was secure. Satisfied the house was locked up and everything was turned off, she and the boys climbed into the car.
“We’ll go by Grandma’s for a quick visit and then we’re off.”
“Yeah!” A chorus of approval greeted her pronouncement.
The drive to her mother’s took less than ten minutes. Tessa had moved from her mother’s house across town after she graduated from college and took a job in the county offices. Not long after that, with Tessa’s witness of both her life and her words, her mother had come to Christ. Tessa valued the newfound friendship she had with her mother and loved how she doted on the boys.
Their visit was short. Although Tessa sensed her mother would have kept them longer, the boys were restless to go. As soon as Tessa said it was time to get on the road, they took turns giving their grandmother a hug and kiss then ran for the car.
Tessa hugged her mother. “I’m sorry we can’t stay longer, Mom, but this is our first away-from-home vacation and the boys want to make the most of it. Are you sure you won’t come with us?”
“No, I can’t miss work. Besides, once I left Illinois, I vowed to never look back.” Her mother returned the hug and planted a kiss on Tessa’s cheek. “I’m proud of you, honey. Just look at you. A good job, a nice house, and now two weeks’ vacation with your boys. All you need is a Christian husband to make everything right.”
Tessa smiled, ignoring her mother’s reference to her unmarried state. “Yes, God is good. Pray for us, Mom, while we’re gone. We’ll stop by again after we get back home.”
“Oh I assure you, I’ll be praying.” Her mother placed her hand over her heart. “I don’t know why, but I have this feeling you’ll come home from this trip changed in some way.”
“I hope for the better.” Tessa had too much respect for her mother to discount the unusual feelings she sometimes got.
Her mother smiled. “That’s why I’ll be praying.”
With a wave, Tessa ran down the sidewalk to her car just after Robbie, sitting in the front passenger seat, tapped the horn.
Several hours later, Tessa pulled into a parking space near the lobby doors of a large hotel in Oklahoma City. She turned to face the boys. “Why don’t you wait in the car until I confirm our reservation and find out what room we have? Then we’ll carry in just what we need for our stay here. Okay?”
“Okay.”
With their agreement ringing in her ears, Tessa went through the double doors and crossed the wide lobby to a long counter that ran along one wall. She smiled at the girl behind the counter. “Hi, I have a reservation for tonight.”
The girl found the information on the monitor in front of her and, with a welcoming smile, handed Tessa an entry card. “Room 204. Please sign here. Checkout is anytime before eleven tomorrow morning.”
Tessa parked the car near the door they would be using and led the way to the elevator and then down the hall to their room. Her heart pounded as she opened the door. This vacation was a new experience for her boys and for her as well. She stepped into the room, staying out of the way as the boys ran inside, dropping their bags to the floor before they inspected the luxurious room.
“Wow.” Robbie stood beside her, while the two younger boys tested the beds by bouncing on the edge. “Two king-size beds. Think we’ll have enough room?”
Tessa grinned at him. “Well, you boys might be a little crowded, but I think I can manage quite well, as long as I don’t get lost.”
An answering grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Doesn’t seem fair, does it? Just ’cause you’re Mom, you get a big bed like that to yourself. Sure you don’t want to trade with me?”
She shook her head and laughed. “Not a chance. Good try though.”
“Hey Mom, can we go swimming now?” Derek tugged on her hand. “I saw a pool outside.”
“Aren’t you hungry?” Tessa glanced at her watch. “We haven’t had lunch yet. Let’s find something to eat first.”
Seth stopped bouncing on the bed and joined them. “Where are we going?”
“I don’t know. What would you like?” Tessa moved to a table between the beds and opened the drawer. Inside, just as she suspected, she found a large phone directory. She opened it to the yellow pages and looked under the restaurant listings.
“Pizza.” That was Derek’s choice.
Tessa glanced up and saw the other two boys nod. “Okay, pizza it is. Let’s see what they have here.”
She ran her finger down the list, finding the usual chain restaurants and reading them aloud. “Oh, hold on.” She stopped with her finger on a listing that had caught her eye. “Here’s one called Pizza Playground.”
“Pizza Playground?” All three boys pushed against her, trying to see the page. Robbie read some of the attractions. “Bumper cars and video games.”
A chill crept down Tessa’s neck, ending between her shoulder blades, and she shivered. What was it about this restaurant that rang a bell in her mind? Something from long ago, yet she couldn’t put her finger on the source.
“Yeah, can we go there, Mom?” Seth’s blue eyes shone behind his glasses.
Her middle son seldom voiced an opinion, letting the other two make decisions for all three, so when he did speak up, Tessa listened. She shook off the premonition that Pizza Playground held significance to her and looked at Robbie and Derek.
“How about it, guys? Does Pizza Playground appeal to you, too? It isn’t far from the water park. We can eat first, and after a round or so on the bumper cars you should be ready for the water. This says everything is included in one price, so it sounds like a good deal.”
“I want to,” Robbie said.
“Yeah, me, too.” Derek leaned against Tessa, and she slipped her arm around his shoulders for a quick hug. She was glad he hadn’t outgrown an occasional hug the way his older brothers had.
“Then we’re off to Pizza Playground.” She turned to slip the directory back into the drawer.
Route 66 Reunions Page 1