“I’m scared,” he said as we finished praying.
“There’s nothing to be scared of,” I said. “You’re going home, and God will protect you, you hear?”
Though James nodded, the fear didn’t leave his eyes, and as soon as we were back downstairs in our room, I burst into tears.
“It will be okay,” Henry said, pulling me into his arms. “We have to trust that God knows what’s best.”
A somber mood filled the house the next morning, and we sat like statues in the living room waiting for the dreaded sound of the bell. When it came, it sliced through my heart.
Henry opened the door for her and then hugged James. He whispered something in his ear, but I was too far away to hear it. James nodded and hugged Matthew, Jessie, and Stephanie before turning to me
“Don’t ever forget that you can do anything,” I said as I pulled him tight.
He brushed away a tear. “I won’t, Miss Sandra.”
As the door closed behind them, the mood in the house fell. We had all been living in a happy glass bubble, but the reality hit that each of these kids had another family and would probably be returning sooner or later.
I offered ice cream in an effort to lighten the mood, but no one felt up to it. The two older children went out back, and Stephanie crawled up in my lap, content to be held most of the day.
“I didn’t know it would be so hard,” I told Henry that night in bed. We had spent the last hour praying for peace, but I still wasn’t finding any.
He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me to his chest. “I didn’t either. Do you want to stop?”
I shook my head. “No, anytime with them is better than no time at all. I just wonder how many times my heart will break.”
With such a full house, I had taken to working mainly from home. Matthew and Jessie were both in school, so it was just Stephanie and I in the mornings.
She would usually color and play with her dolls while I did an hour of work, and then we would take a break together and practice her reading.
We rarely had visitors, so I was surprised when the doorbell rang a month later. I was even more surprised to find Claire and James standing on the stoop.
He rushed to hug me, and when we parted, I sent him inside to play with Stephanie. The look on Claire’s face told me he didn’t need to be around for whatever she had to tell me.
Needing no convincing, he raced into the kitchen and the sound of happy squeals carried to my ears.
“I figured it was okay to just bring him by since we hadn’t given you another child yet,” Claire said.
“Of course it’s okay,” I said, “but Claire, what happened?”
“His mother went right back to using when she got out. I suspected it on my first home visit, but I couldn’t find any evidence. Evidently, the man she was seeing was a dealer, and they shorted a customer. The retaliation was a hit. James’s mother and the dealer were involved in a suspicious auto accident yesterday.”
My hand flew to my mouth. “Does James know?”
She nodded. “He does. I had to tell him when I picked him up from school yesterday. He’s holding it together quite well, but you may need to have him see a counselor.”
“Absolutely, we’ll do whatever needs to be done.”
“There’s more,” she said. “He no longer has any family, so he’s available for adoption if you and Henry are interested.”
I barely registered the rest of her words after she said adoption. “Yes, we would love to adopt him.”
“Good, I was hoping you would say that,” she said, relief evident in her voice. “There’s just one more piece of news, but it’s not about James. Stephanie’s parents have signed away their rights. She’s also available for adoption if you are open. If not, I’ll need to get her placed in a home that is right away.”
I stared at Claire, unsure I had heard her correctly. Not only were we getting James back, but we were going to get to keep him and Stephanie. In a daze, I nodded. “We would love to adopt them both.”
She smiled. “I kind of thought you would, but I have to officially ask. Okay, I’ll start getting the paperwork underway. It’s still a long process, but when we finish, they’ll be legally yours.”
Claire turned and walked back to her car, and I watched her go, still floored by the change of events. I needed to tell Henry. Wheeling back inside, I grabbed my phone and dialed his number.
“Henry, can you get off early? I have some great news.”
He walked in the door twenty minutes later while I was making lunch in the kitchen.
“What is it?” he asked. “Is everything okay?”
My gaze shifted to the back window where James and Stephanie were playing in the backyard.
His eyes followed mine. “Is that James?”
My smile stretched across my face. “It is. There was an accident, but long story short, James is available for adoption.”
“He’s…?
I nodded, knowing exactly how he felt. “But there’s more. Stephanie’s parents signed away their parental rights, and she’s available for adoption too.”
“Both of them?”
“Both of them.” I smiled as the happiness flowed over me.
He grabbed my hands and squeezed. “Do they know?”
I shook my head. “I was waiting for you, so we could tell them together.”
* * *
The End
* * *
If you would like to continue the Heartbeats journey, please keep reading for a special sneak peek at The Power of Prayer, the powerful second book in the series.
Author’s Note
Where It All Began was actually my second book and I wasn’t sure I even had it in me. The Power of Prayer took me by surprise because I’d been trying to write for years but always falling short. When I finished it, I thought I was done, but when I told my mother that, she said she needed to hear Sandra’s story. And so I wrote Sandra’s story and then the ideas just kept coming.
So, I guess I owe my mother a big thank you, and while this book underwent one editing a few years ago, it is still one of my earlier works. I’m sure I’ve grown as a writer since then, so I thank you for sticking with me. This book has a message I really believe in, and one day I may come back and spruce it up again, but I have so many more stories to tell you.
I hope you enjoyed this collection of stories. If you did, would you do me a favor? If you did, please leave a review. It really helps. It doesn’t have to be long - just a few words to help other readers know what they’re getting.
I’d love to hear from you, not only about this story, but about the characters or stories you’d like read in the future. I’m always looking for new ideas and if I use one of your characters or stories, I’ll send you a free ebook and paperback of the book with a special dedication. Write to me at [email protected]. And if you’d like to see what’s coming next, be sure to stop by authorloranahoopes.com
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Turn the page for a sneak peek at The Power of Prayer!
Not ready to say Goodbye yet?
Sandra has much more to say. Read one to hear what she’s up to now.
The Power of Prayer
She thought her life was all planned out…
But when her fiancee leaves her at the altar, Callie’
s world is turned upside down. And it only gets worse when she finds out she is pregnant, but is she ready to be a mother?
He is a man of God…
Who finds the love of his life in paradise. But when she leaves with her ex, will he ever find her again?
Can one decision change your whole life….
* * *
Read on for a taste of The Power of Prayer….
Power of Prayer Preview
I checked the diamond studded watch on my left wrist for the fourth time and sighed in annoyance. Only two minutes had passed since the last time, but I couldn’t keep my eyes from returning to the classic timepiece. I had been planning this day for the last year, and Shaina’s delay was disintegrating my perfectly laid plans.
“Where is she?” The agitation spilled into my voice, and my mother’s brow furrowed in the mirror behind me. My mother had never understood my need for lists and order; she preferred going with the flow, which had never been my strong suit.
“I’m sure she’ll be back any minute.” Her voice was calm and soothing, but she couldn’t hide the flicker of doubt that crossed her eyes or the furtive glance she shot at the door. Something was definitely not right. “I’ll go check.”
As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door, and Shaina, my best friend and maid of honor, poked her blond head in the changing room.
Shaina and I had met in college and become friends our Junior year because Shaina had been just as driven as I was. She had been fierce competition for the top spot in class, but I had welcomed the challenge and only gloated a little when I had won, if only by a tenth of a point.
Relief flooded my body. Surely Shaina had taken care of whatever the problem was. “Is everything ready?”
“Well, sort of.” Shaina’s brow furrowed and her whitened teeth bit her perfectly pink bottom lip. She shuffled into the room past my mother, who took the chance to exit, closing the door behind her.
“What do you mean sort of?” A knot appeared in my stomach as I whirled to face Shaina. This could not be happening. “Did that photographer flake out on us? I knew we shouldn’t have hired him. I thought he seemed flighty. I mean what kind of photographer has his studio in a garage for goodness sake? Or is it the food? I told Daniel the shop we ordered it from seemed a little dirty but he insisted on them because he loves their food . . .”
Shaina held up her left hand; her right stayed conspicuously behind her back. “No, the photographer is here, and the food is fine.” Her eyes darted around the room, focusing on anything except my face. That was not a good sign. Shaina was terrible at hiding information and even worse at sugar coating. It was a characteristic I normally loved about her. “It’s uh . . . it’s Daniel; he’s . . . uh . . . he’s not coming.”
The knot intensified, threatening to choke off my breath. My hand flew to my chest as the first signs of a panic attack coming on began. I hadn’t had one in ages, but my fiancé not showing up to his own wedding would certainly be cause for one. “What do you mean he’s not coming? Has he been in an accident? Is he in the hospital?”
“No, Callie.” Shaina lowered her eyes and brought her hidden hand forward. She turned her palm up and offered up the cell phone it held.
I snatched the phone and swiped the screen to turn it on. Daniel’s message still glowed on the screen.
-Tell Callie I’m sorry, but I can’t marry her-
What does he mean he can’t marry me? This had to be some kind of joke. My shoulders slumped forward, and my knuckles holding the phone turned white. “That’s it? That’s all? What does this mean? What am I supposed to tell everyone out there?” There were nearly two hundred people waiting in the sanctuary.
Shaina lowered her head, unable to meet my eyes and bit her lip again.
My eyes narrowed to slits as I crossed the room and grabbed Shaina’s arm, eliciting a yelp of either surprise or pain. I didn’t know which, and at that moment, I didn’t care. “What aren’t you telling me?” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “There’s someone else, isn’t there? Who is it? If you know Shaina, then you have to tell me.”
When Shaina lifted her head, tears glistened in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Callie.”
I dropped my arm and stared at Shaina. She’s sorry? What does she have to be sorry for? It’s not like her fiancé just left her. It’s not like—Anger flared up in me as the realization set in. The world flashed red, and my nostrils flared. A vice grip squeezed my heart as the loathing flooded my body. I’ll kill her. I’ll strangle her with my bare hands. My hands curled into fists and my lip quivered even as my words came out more a snarl than a statement. “You? How could you?”
Shaina shrunk under my glaring eyes and took a step backwards. Her shoulders curled inward, and her head dropped. “I didn’t mean to, honest.” Her words tumbled together, spilling out of her mouth as her hands wrung together. “We spent so much time together planning the wedding while you were working. It was one time, and I had no idea he had feelings for me until this morning when he called. I even tried to talk him out of leaving you.”
“You?? And Daniel??” Flashes of black dotted my vision. “Were you ever going to tell me?” You little -- My knees began to tremble from the rage boiling inside, and I fought for control of them as my carefully laid plans crumbled around me.
Shaina turned away, her voice higher than normal. “Um, no? I was pretty sure he thought it had been a mistake, so I was going to try and forget him for your sake.”
My nails dug holes into my palms, and the vein in my throat pulsed. I could almost see my heart beating. “For my sake?” The words were soft, deadly. “Shouldn’t you have thought about my feelings before you slept with my fiancé?”
Shaina flinched as my words pierced like an icy dagger. “I never meant for it to happen. If you hadn’t been so busy --”
My body tensed, shaking. “Don’t you dare make this my fault,” I seethed through clenched teeth. “I trusted you. I trusted him, and yet while trying to move up in my career you both threw that trust away.”
Shaina’s shoulders dropped, and she stared at her feet, her voice losing its power. “That’s part of the problem, Callie; your career always came first. You couldn’t even plan your own wedding. How do you think that made Daniel feel when you could never be there?”
“Get out; get out now!” Unable to contain the rage any longer, I grabbed a nearby glass of water from a small table and hurled it at Shaina. Shaina ducked and the glass missed cutting her face, but the resulting explosion of shards as the glass shattered against the wall mirrored my feelings and brought a smidgen of satisfaction. “Go be with MY fiancé and have a great life, but don’t ever contact me again. I never want to see you, either of you, again.”
Shaina cowered in the doorway, hands covering her face, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I am sorry Callie, and I hope someday you forgive me.”
As the door closed behind Shaina, my knees finally gave out, and I collapsed on the floor. How could this happen to me? This was supposed to be my perfect day, the day I had dreamed of since I was eight years old.
An ugly, wretched sound escaped my mouth, and before I could stop them, more sobs poured out. My shoulders rose and fell as if pulled on strings by some sadistic puppet master. Darkness began to claw into the sides of my vision, and my throat closed up. My hands pulled at my throat, desperate for a little more air.
The door opened and closed. I vaguely registered my mother as she entered the room, scooped me up, and rocked me like she had when I was young. As she caressed my hair, she whispered a prayer, and for once I didn’t stop her. “Please God, please heal her pain.”
* * *
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The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet
A SWAT officer. A bored billionaire heiress. A bet that could change everything….
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Brie Carter fell back spread eagle on her queen-sized canopy bed sending her blond hair fanning out behind her. With a large sigh, she uttered, “I’m bored.”
“How can you be bored? You have like millions of dollars.” Her friend, Ariel, plopped down in a seated position on the bed beside her and flicked her raven hair off her shoulder. “You want to go shopping? I hear Tiffany’s is having a special right now.”
Brie rolled her eyes. Shopping? Where was the excitement in that? With her three platinum cards, she could go shopping whenever she wanted. “No, I’m bored with shopping too. I have everything. I want to do something exciting. Something we don’t normally do.”
Brie enjoyed being rich. She loved the unlimited credit cards at her disposal, the constant apparel of new clothes, and of course the penthouse apartment her father paid for, but lately, she longed for something more fulfilling.
Ariel’s hazel eyes widened. “I know. There’s a new bar down on Franklin Street. Why don’t we go play a little game?”
Brie sat up, intrigued at the secrecy and the twinkle in Ariel’s eyes. “What kind of game?”
Where It All Began Page 18