Charity House Courtship
FOR THE CHILDREN Thanks to a troubled childhood, Laney O’Connor knows the struggles faced by the offspring of society’s most desperate women. These young innocents need a safe place, which Laney seeks to provide at Charity House. When foreclosure threatens her haven, she’ll let nothing stop her from keeping the orphanage open.Not even handsome hotel owner Marc Dupree. A series of misunderstandings put Laney and Marc at odds, but telling him the truth would mean breaking a promise—and jeopardizing the funds Charity House needs. And as Marc and Laney struggle with faith and trust, a secret from the past could ruin everything….Charity House: Offering an oasis of hope, faith and love on the rugged Colorado frontier.
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For the children
Thanks to a troubled childhood, Laney OâConnor knows the struggles faced by the offspring of societyâs most desperate women. These young innocents need a safe place, which Laney seeks to provide at Charity House. When foreclosure threatens her haven, sheâll let nothing stop her from keeping the orphanage open. Not even handsome hotel owner Marc Dupree. A series of misunderstandings put Laney and Marc at odds, but telling him the truth would mean breaking a promiseâand jeopardizing the funds Charity House needs. And as Marc and Laney struggle with faith and trust, a secret from the past could ruin everything....
Marc Dupreeâs words threw Laney completely off guard, as did his soft tone.
âAre you still in need of money, Miss OâConnor?â
âYes,â she admitted before she could stop the word from rushing out. Why, why did she find herself wanting to lean on this man, when she knew he was dangerous to everything she held dear?
For a long moment Dupree stared at her, those blue-blue eyes piercing straight through her, as though he could see inside every one of her secrets. âThen I have a proposition for you.â
A number of terrible possibilities came to mind. For the past twenty-four hours Laney had experienced nothing but fear and desperation. The feeling of falling into a pit with no way out had been dreadful, panic-inducing. Terrifying.
Was she about to fall deeper into that pit, thanks to this man and his...proposition?
No. She couldnât lose hope. For the sake of the children she had to believe good would come out of this awful situation.
âWhat kind of proposition are you suggesting?â
âCome work for me at my hotel.â
RENEE RYAN
grew up in a small Florida beach town. To entertain herself during countless hours of âlying out,â she read all the classics. It wasnât until the summer between her sophomore and junior years at Florida State University that she read her first romance novel. Hooked from page one, she spent hours consuming one book after another while working on the best (and last!) tan of her life.
Two years later, armed with a degree in economics and religion, she explored various career opportunities, including stints at a Florida theme park, a modeling agency and a cosmetics conglomerate. She moved on to teach high school economics, American government and Latin while coaching award-winning cheerleading teams. Several years later, with an eclectic cast of characters swimming around in her head, she began seriously pursuing a writing career.
She lives an action-packed life in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her supportive husband, lovely teenage daughter and two ornery cats who hate each other.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to
your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
âPhilippians 2:3, 4
To Sheila Vittitow and Jean Smith.
Your dedication to serving the Lord always humbles me. Thank you for your stellar example. Iâm honored to call you ladies my friends!
Contents
Chapter One
Denver, Colorado
June 1879
Laney OâConnor hesitated outside the legendary Hotel Dupree, unsure how best to proceed. Suspended in her moment of indecision, she took a slow, calming breath. The gesture did little to dispel her increasing agitation. She was, after all, about to commit a brazen act.
Could she pull this off?
Did she have any other choice?
A wave of doubt crested. With a hard swallow, she shoved the unwanted emotion into submission. This was no time for uncertainty.
Yet here she stood, motionless, hardly daring to breathe.
Lifting her gaze, she studied the ornate building in front of her. Not out of curiosity, but to gather the courage she would need to enter the most exclusive establishment in Denver and finish what sheâd started this morning.
The Hotel Dupree wasâas all the periodicals claimedâthe most elegant building in town. Although the sun had set hours ago, modern gaslights bathed the structure in a golden, welcoming glow. Nine stories high, and boasting large, wrought iron balconies on every floor, the beautiful stone structure brought to mind beloved childhood tales where happily-ever-after always reigned.
Would Laney find her own happy ending here tonight?
Doubtful.
But she had to try. She had to forget that time had run out for her, that a shady, unscrupulous banker wanted his money in less than three days.
Three. Short. Days.
An impossible deadline.
Tears pushed at the back of her eyelids, a frightening reminder of her own helplessness, of the sharp, terrifying fear that she couldnât raise the five hundred dollars in time.
