Claiming The Single Mom's Heart

Their Unexpected Love

Sunshine Carston is looking for more than beautiful scenery when she moves with her daughter to Hunter Ridge, Arizona. She’s looking for answers. According to family legend, her ancestors were cheated out of their land by the Hunter family. But when she meets Grady Hunter, Sunshine’s mission is endangered—how can she investigate the Hunters when she’s falling for one? When Grady’s mother becomes ill, Grady steps in to help her run against Sunshine for town council. But what will Grady say when he finds out about Sunshine’s investigation? To rise above the past and forge a future together, they’ll need a love stronger than any feud…

“Hey! How is everybody this morning?”

Her heart inexplicably lifting at the sound of the familiar voice, Sunshine turned to see Grady striding toward them with that distinctive masculine gait, his impossibly broad shoulders clad in a windbreaker.

“Grady!” To Sunshine’s surprise, her daughter let out a cry of welcome and abandoned the swing to run toward him.

When Tessa reached Grady, she grabbed his hand and gazed happily up at him. “Now you can see how high I can swing.”

He glanced at Sunshine, looking slightly taken aback at Tessa’s grip on his hand. “I can do that.”

Willingly, he allowed her to pull him forward to stand next to her mother.

Tessa dashed for the swings. In a flash, she had herself moving.

“Are you watching?” a demanding voice called.

“We’re watching!” they yelled in unison, then exchanged a glance and laughed.

The kindergartner was pumping herself higher and higher, a determined look on her little face.

“You’re doing great, Tessa!” Grady’s words of encouragement impelled her to pump harder, and her triumphant smile widened.

Sunshine’s heart swelled with love.

GLYNNA KAYE treasures memories of growing up in small Midwestern towns—and vacations spent with the Texan side of the family. She traces her love of storytelling to the times a houseful of great-aunts and great-uncles gathered with her grandma to share candid, heartwarming, poignant and often humorous tales of their youth and young adulthood. Glynna now lives in Arizona, where she enjoys gardening, photography and the great outdoors.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

—Jeremiah 29:11

The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

—Deuteronomy 31:8

To Jim and Phyllis Dorman, whose deep love of God and faithful ministry have greatly influenced my life. Thank you.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

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

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

“A family legend is worthless unless you have proof.”

“I’m going to get proof.” With more confidence than she felt, Sunshine Carston gave her longtime friend Tori a reassuring nod. “It’s just taking longer than expected.”

Much longer.

She shifted restlessly in the passenger seat of Victoria Janner’s steel-blue Kia compact as they searched for a parking spot in the crowded graveled lot of Hunter’s Hideaway. Her own ancient SUV was in the shop—again—and out-of-town visitor Tori had agreed to take a detour while running errands Saturday morning. But Tori’s willingness had swiftly evaporated when on the way to their destination Sunshine had divulged her true intention for this next stop.

Big mistake.

She rolled down her window, breathing in the soothing scent of sun-warmed ponderosa pines. An aroma deliciously indigenous to the rugged mountain country surrounding Hunter Ridge, Arizona, it was one her great-great-grandparents would have been familiar with. One she herself would have likely grown up with had life not dealt her ancestors an unfair blow.

She stared across the parking lot at the connecting log, stone and frame structures that made up the main building of Hunter’s Hideaway. The vast wooded acreage had been a home away from home for hunters, horsemen, hikers and other outdoorsmen since Harrison “Duke” Hunter had—allegedly—rooted it to that exact spot early in the past century.

“They seem to be doing a good business this Labor Day weekend.” Resentment welled up within her. “No noisy remodeling like they’re inflicting on the Artists’ Cooperative gallery this morning.”

A cute blonde with a pixie haircut, Tori and her usual dazzling smile was nowhere to be seen as they slipped into an empty spot. “If you go in there with a chip on your shoulder,” she cautioned, “you can’t expect a positive outcome.”