She broke his heart. Now she needs his help.
Hendrick Simmons despises her. Mariah Meeks doesnât blame himânot after she rejected the handsome mechanicâs proposal two years ago. Sheâs certain sheâs not meant for marriage. All Mariahâs energy goes to one purposeâher work as an agent of the Orphaned Childrenâs Society.
Now a prodigal fatherâs return threatens a boy under Mariahâs care. Mariah insists on approving the ladâs future home for herself, even though it requires a cross-country drive thatâs too dangerous to take on her own. For the childâs sake, Hendrick agrees to join her. Can a journey of 2,000 miles bridge the distance between themâ¦and reveal where Mariah truly belongs?
âWe canât relive the past. Do you understand that?â
Hendrick set his jaw. âIâm not asking to go back in time, Mariah. Iâm talking about getting you safely to Montana so you can help Luke.â
She breathed deep, squared her shoulders and turned to face him. âI owe you an explanation, about last time. Why I left. I shouldnât have run off.â
He couldnât agree more, but he had the sense not to say that. Instead, he waited for her.
âItâs my work,â she finally said. âHelping the orphans is my calling. I couldnât leave them. Iâll never stop helping them. Please understand. Itâs not that I donât care for you. Youâre a wonderfulâ¦friend.â
Did he imagine that hesitation? Hope crept into his heart.
She shook her head, as if she knew what he was thinking. âIt wouldnât work. If weâre going to survive this trip to Montana, you need to understand that there canât be anything between us beyond friendship. Ever.â
The sliver of hope turned to cold steel.
CHRISTINE JOHNSON
is a small-town Michigan girl who has lived in every corner of the stateâs Lower Peninsula. After trying her hand at music and art, she returned to her first loveâstory. She holds a bachelorâs degree in English and a masterâs degree in library studies from the University of Michigan. She feels blessed to write for Love Inspired and is thrilled to be twice named a finalist for Romance Writers of Americaâs Golden Heart® award. When not at the computer keyboard, she loves to hike and explore Godâs majestic creation with the love of her life, her husband. She participates in her churchâs healing prayer ministry and has experienced firsthand the power of prayer. These days, she and her husband, a Great Lakes ship pilot, split their time between northern Michigan and the Florida Keys.
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Love Inspired!
2012 is a very special year for us. It marks the fifteenth anniversary of Love Inspired Books. Hard to believe that fifteen years ago, we first began publishing our warm and wonderful inspirational romances.
Back in 1997, we offered readers three books a month. Since then weâve expanded quite a bit! In addition to the heartwarming contemporary romances of Love Inspired, we have the exciting romantic suspenses of Love Inspired Suspense, and the adventurous historical romances of Love Inspired Historical. Whatever your reading preference, weâve got fourteen books a month for you to choose from now!
Throughout the year weâll be celebrating in several different ways. Look for books by bestselling authors whoâve been writing for us since the beginning, stories by brand-new authors you wonât want to miss, special miniseries in all three lines, reissues of top authors, and much, much more.
This is our way of thanking you for reading Love Inspired books. We know our uplifting stories of hope, faith and love touch your hearts as much as they touch ours.
Join us in celebrating fifteen amazing years of inspirational romance!
Blessings,
Melissa Endlich and Tina James
Senior Editors of Love Inspired Books
To Jenna and Kathy
This long journey has been all the more worthwhile because of you.
Special thanks to the Love Inspired editors, especially Emily Rodmell, whose guidance has been invaluable.
Youâre the best!
* * *
For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; For man looketh on the outward appearance, But the Lord looketh on the heart.
â1 Samuel 16:7
Chapter One
Pearlman, Michigan
July 1922
âDonât die here,â Mariah pleaded.
But her motorcar threatened to do just that as it coughed and slowed to a crawl. She depressed the accelerator to the floor, and the car lurched forward a few feet before slowing again.
âJust one more block.â She gripped the wheel and as an afterthought added, âPlease.â
Mariah Meeks, agent for the Orphaned Childrenâs Society of New York, didnât ordinarily talk to automobiles, but she had to get to her brotherâs church before he left for the day, and she had to do so without anyone noticing sheâd returned to Pearlman. That mission died along with her car in the worst possible placeâat Simmons Motor Garage.