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Love Comes Home and A Sheltering Love: Love Comes Home / A Sheltering Love
Terri Reed
Fall in love again with these uplifting stories from Terri ReedLOVE COMES HOME Twelve years ago, Dr. Rachel Maguire followed her faith into medicine, choosing her career over love. But time never diminished her feelings for Josh Taylor, and now God is giving Rachel another chance–if she can overcome the pain of the past.A SHELTERING LOVEWith her faith as strong as her shoulders, Claire Wilcox opens a shelter for runaways. But it's her mysterious handyman who causes her sleepless nights. As their attraction grows, Nick Andrews must decide if he can trust in God's power to heal.
Praise for Terri Reed and her novels
“In Love Comes Home, Terri Reed tells the touching story of a couple whose faith must help them overcome past hurts.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Terri Reed’s A Sheltering Love beautifully combines the development of love with enough conflict to keep the reader guessing about the outcome. God’s ability to repair relationships is tenderly depicted.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Reed’s characters are warm, true to life and imperfect.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on A Time of Hope
“Giving Thanks for Baby has a nice twist that readers are certain to enjoy. Terri Reed does an exceptional job blending deeper issues with her story to bind a well-written book.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
Love Comes Home & A Sheltering Love
Terri Reed
CONTENTS
LOVE COMES HOME
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
A SHELTERING LOVE
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
TERRI REED
At an early age Terri Reed discovered the wonderful world of fiction and declared she would one day write a book. Now she is fulfilling that dream and enjoys writing for Steeple Hill. Her second book, A Sheltering Love, was a 2006 RITA® Award finalist and a 2005 National Reader’s Choice Award finalist. Her book Strictly Confidential, book five of the Faith at the Crossroads continuity series, took third place in the 2007 American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award. She is an active member of both Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her college-sweetheart husband, two wonderful children and an array of critters. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening and playing with her dogs.
You can write to Terri at P.O. Box 19555, Portland, OR 97280, visit her on the Web at www.loveinspiredauthors.com or leave comments on her blog at http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/.
Love Comes Home
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.
—Jeremiah 29:11
I want to dedicate this book
to everyone who has struggled to pursue a dream.
Keep believing. Faith and perseverance do pay off.
There are so many people to thank, who,
in one way or another, have touched my life
as a writer. I apologize if I’ve forgotten anyone
and ask for your forgiveness.
First and foremost, thank you to my husband and
children. I could never have done this without your
love and support. Thank you to my mother-in-law
for urging me to follow my dream. Thank you to
my mother for always believing in me.
A big thanks to my critique partners, Leah Vale and
Lissa Manley, for encouraging me, challenging me
to grow and never letting me quit.
Thank you to my writerly friends:
Melissa McClone, Delilah Ahrendt,
Tina Bilton-Smith, Amy Danicic, Carolyn Zane,
Susan Alverson, Cynthia Rutledge
and Lenora Worth. I have learned
and grown from knowing you.
And a heartfelt thanks to my spirit-filled sisters
who’ve been my cheering section as well as my
friends: Tricia, Sherry B., Sheri S., Deanna, Debbie
and all the ladies at Southlake Foursquare Church.
But mostly, I thank my Savior Jesus,
for all the blessings.
Chapter One
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not calamity, to give you a future and a hope.”
—Jeremiah 29:11
She was home.
Inhaling deeply the fresh scent of pine and exhaust-free air, Dr. Rachel Maguire stared at the seven-story redbrick building, the words Sonora Community Hospital spelled out in bright blue letters across the side. A strange tightness pulled at her chest. As a child, this had been the first hospital she’d ever entered.
Her gaze dropped to another set of letters above the door in front of her. Her breath froze. The emergency entrance.
She shied away from using the double sliding doors, and instead followed the tidy walkway, carpeted on either side by lush green lawns, leading to the main entrance. The early-June sun warmed her face, and from high in the branches of a towering pine an unseen bird chirped a melodic tune. Off in the distance to the east, the peaks of the Sierra Nevadas rose to meet the clear blue sky. Even to her untrained eye, the vibrant greens and hues of brown and gold dotting the hillside were a painter’s dream.
She paused, alert to the eerie peacefulness and serenity around her. With no outside noise to blend with, the unsettled, restless feelings she constantly lived with clamored for attention. She closed her eyes and willed the chaos to subside. She missed the pulsing beat of Chicago.
But not returning to California hadn’t been an option.
Mom G. needed her.
Rachel took a deep breath, adjusted her grip on her small suitcase and walked through the sliding doors of the main hospital entrance. Even inside the hospital, tranquillity reigned. People waiting in the lobby area spoke in lowered tones and soothing, classical music played from somewhere overhead. She stepped briskly up to the administration desk.
“I’m looking for Mrs. Olivia Green’s room.”
The woman behind the desk smiled. “Hello, Rachel.”
“Hello.” She struggled to put a name to the round, wide-eyed face.
“Polly Anderson, now Campbell. You were a year ahead of me in school.”
“Oh.” Rachel didn’t remember her, but smiled politely. “Hello, Polly.”
“Your mom is on the fifth floor, room six. She’ll be glad to see you. Welcome home.”
Rachel blinked, surprised that anyone here would remember her after all this time and that there would be such open friendliness. Her fast-paced world had little time for niceties.
