âIâm sure youâve heard of Gabriel Flanagan, our cityâs firefighter hero.â
Nolie looked. Well over six feet of glowering firefighter glared back at her. Gabriel Flanagan didnât seem to be any more enthusiastic about this than she was.
âWe have to set a deadline. Suppose we say one month from today. You can report back to us, and weâll make a final decision about the grant.â The director beamed. âIâm sure weâll all be pleased with the results.â
The expensive office shimmered in front of her eyes. One month. One month to successfully pair a service dog with a man who looked as if heâd rather do just about anything than come anywhere near her and her program.
has written everything from Sunday school curriculum to travel articles to magazine stories in twenty years of writing, but she feels sheâs found her writing home in the stories she writes for Love Inspired.
Marta lives in rural Pennsylvania, but she and her husband spend part of each year at their second home in South Carolina. When sheâs not writing, sheâs probably visiting her children and her beautiful grandchildren, traveling or relaxing with a good book.
Marta loves hearing from readers and sheâll write back with a signed bookplate or bookmark. Write to her c/o Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279, e-mail her at [email protected] or visit her on the Web at www.martaperry.com.
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in times of need.
âHebrews 4:16
This story is dedicated to my dear brother, William Perry, his wife, Molly, and their loving family, with much love.
Dear Reader,
Iâm so glad you decided to pick up this book, and I hope my story touched your heart. Helping Nolie and Gabe surmount the obstacles that separated them was a wonderful writing experience for me.
It was also exciting to learn more about the wonderful work done by service animals and those devoted individuals who train them, and to remind myself again of the heroism and self-sacrifice of firefighters.
I hope youâll write and let me know how you liked this story. Address your letter to me at Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279, and Iâll be happy to send you a signed bookplate or bookmark. You can visit me on the Web at www.martaperry.com or e-mail me at [email protected].
Blessings,
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
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in times of need.
Hebrews 4:16
Nolie Lang stared at the elderly philanthropist whoâd just offered her her heartâs desire with some unexpected conditions attached.
âIâm sorry.â She probably sounded like an idiot, but that was how sheâd felt since the moment sheâd stepped into the plush offices of the Henley Foundation. âWhat did you say?â
Samuel Henley, beaming all over his rosy, wrinkled face, looked like one of Santaâs elves. Unfortunately, he didnât sound like one. âI said we have the perfect test case to determine if your project is worth our foundationâs funding.â He gestured toward one of the two men sitting opposite her. âIâm sure youâve heard of Gabriel Flanagan, our cityâs firefighter hero.â
Nolie looked. Well over six feet of glowering firefighter glared back at her. Gabriel Flanagan didnât seem to be any more enthusiastic about this than she was.
âYes, of course I have.â Flanaganâs picture had been in all the newspapers a month or two ago, when heâd been injured while rescuing several people from a burning warehouse. âBut I didnât realize Mr. Flanaganâs injuries required the services of a seizure dog.â
She couldnât miss Flanaganâs reaction to that comment, even though she was usually better at reading animals than people. Without saying a word, he rejected what sheâd said completely.
He resembled nothing so much as a dog with its hackles raised. Flanagan was an Irish name, but Gabriel wasnât remotely like an Irish setter. He was more of a bull mastiffâbig, guarded, wary and vaguely threatening.
The silence was stretching too long. She, Henley and the man whoâd been introduced as Suffolkâs fire chief all seemed to wait for a response from Flanagan. It didnât come.
The fire chief planted beefy hands on equally beefy knees and leaned forward. âGabe got a head injury in the accident.â He slid a sideways glance toward the man. âWeâre sure heâll recover and be back on the job in no time, but he has had a couple ofââ He hesitated, searching for the word. ââepisodes.â
âSeizures.â Flanaganâs voice was a ferocious bass rumble, like a threatening growl. âCall it what it is. I had three seizures.â