A Family for Tory and A Mother for Cindy: A Family for Tory / A Mother for Cindy
A FAMILY FOR TORYThere's nothing more rewarding for riding instructor Tory Alexander than making her students happy. So when Slade, the father of her favorite student, asks for a favor, how can she refuse? But is she really ready to be part of a family again? A MOTHER FOR CINDY Widowed mom Jesse Bradshaw has a knack for matchmaking. Now her little neighbor Cindy wants her to find Cindy's lonely daddy a wife. Jesse's determined to help–and Nick's determined to keep his distance. Neither expect love to lead them where it does: right to each other.
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Praise for Margaret Daley and her novels
“Margaret Daley combines humor and likeable characters for a pleasantly satisfying romance.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on A Mother for Cindy
“This terrific family story does a fantastic job of dealing with serious issues facing children.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Once Upon a Family
“Margaret Daley writes an entertaining story with believable characters in The Power of Love.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Heart of the Family, by Margaret Daley, is a wonderful story on many levels and will have readers shedding tears of happiness.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
A Family for Tory
& A Mother for Cindy
Margaret Daley
Contents
A FAMILY FOR TORY
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
Epilogue
A MOTHER FOR CINDY
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
Epilogue
MARGARET DALEY
feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun.
Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for over twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and participated in many sports with her students.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper,
and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
—Hebrews 13:6
To the people I work with,
especially Terri, Rene, Katie, Becky, Anne, Laurie, Naomai, Mike, Lila, Stacie, Debbie, Lisa— you all make coming to work each day special.
Chapter One
Slade Donaldson switched off the engine and glanced toward his eight-year-old daughter. “Ready, Mindy? Are you sure you want to do this? I’ll be gone for about an hour.”
Mindy nodded, her face brightening with a huge grin. “Tor-ee needs—my—uh—help, Dad-dy.”
Every time he heard his daughter struggle to say something, his heart twisted into a knot that he feared would never unravel. “Then I’d better meet this Tory Alexander.” Since his housekeeper had taken Mindy to her physical therapy for the past few months, he’d never met the woman who had brought her pony into the hospital to cheer up the children and captured his daughter’s interest.
Mindy pointed toward a petite woman emerging from a barn, leading a horse on a rein. “Th—ere.” Her grin widened, her brown eyes sparkling.
“Then let’s go. I need to be at the bank in twenty minutes for my meeting.” He thrust open his car door, then hurried around to help his daughter.
“I can—do—this.” Mindy pulled herself to a standing position using the door.
The tightness in his chest made his breathing difficult. He offered his daughter his arm. She clasped it to steady herself, then began to make her way toward the woman by the opening into the barn. Two weeks ago his daughter had declared she didn’t want to use her walker anymore. Each day since, Mindy had leaned less and less on him as she’d walked. Progress, Slade thought, due partly to this woman before him. She and her pony, Mirabelle, have been the reasons Mindy tolerated her physical therapy at the hospital over the past few months. He was in Tory Alexander’s debt.
Tory saw Mindy approaching and tied the reins to the fence of the riding ring. Then she strode toward the girl with a smile of greeting. Slade was surprised by how small the woman was. The horse she’d been leading was at least seventeen hands tall, towering over her. Her long auburn hair was swept back in a ponytail with a few stray strands curling around her oval face. Freckles sprinkled her turned-up nose and her large brown eyes drew a person to her. Fringed in dark lashes, Slade felt their pull as she came to a stop only a few feet from Mindy and him.
Tory looked at his daughter. “I’m so glad you didn’t have to cancel, Mindy.” Then she turned those large brown eyes on him. “I’m sorry to hear about Mrs. Watson’s emergency. Will her niece be okay?”
“She just went into labor a little early. My housekeeper assures me everything will be all right and she’ll be back in a week or so.”
“That’s good to hear. I know she was excited about her niece’s pregnancy. First in the family.” Tory lifted her arm toward Mindy to take over being her support if she needed. “Come on, Mindy. Let’s show your father the barn.”
“I have a meeting I need to go to.”
“Dad-dy, just—” Mindy swallowed several times “—see Bel-le.”
Slade stared at his daughter’s face, lit with hope and eagerness, and he couldn’t refuse the invitation even though it would make him late. After all, she was the reason he worked fourteen-hour days. He wanted only the best care for Mindy, and that cost money. “Lead the way.” Sweeping his arm toward the barn, he followed the pair.
