Something about Kellyâs reactionâas if sheâd drawn her shield upâbothered him. She was hurting and it was his fault. He should have found a better way to tell her
Ross admitted what had been lurking in the back of his brain for weeks. He wanted to see Kelly Young without the shadows clouding her eyes, relaxed, carefree. He wanted to be the one who saw behind that icy mask of tightly leashed control.
Kelly Young had everything heâd been deniedâtwo parents who had adored her, a job she clearly loved, friends who were nearby whenever she needed them. Her life was full, happy, the kind of tale childrenâs storybooks were made of. Reaching out to Sandra Lange would cost her so little.
Yet she seemed terribly afraid of even meeting with Sandra now.
Why?
TINY BLESSINGS: Giving thanks for the neediest of Godâs children, and the families who take them in!
FOR THE TWINSâ SAKEâ
Jillian Hart (LI#308, July 2005)
BROUGHT TOGETHER BY BABYâ
Carolyne Aarsen (LI#312, August 2005)
ON THE DOORSTEPâ
Dana Corbit (LI#316, September 2005)
THE CINDERELLA PLANâ
Margaret Daley (LI#320, October 2005)
HER CHRISTMAS WISHâ
Kathryn Springer (LI#324, November 2005)
PAST SECRETS, PRESENT LOVEâ
Lois Richer (LI#328, December 2005)
Sneaking a flashlight under the blankets, hiding in a thicket of Caragana bushes where no one could see, pushing books into socks to take to campâthose are just some of the things Lois Richer freely admits to in her pursuit of the written word. âIâm a bookaholic. I canât do without stories,â she confesses. âItâs always been that way.â
Her love of language evolved into writing her own stories. Today her passion is to create tales of personal struggle that lead to triumph over lifeâs rocky road. For Lois, a happy ending is essential.
âIn my stories, as in my own life, God has a way of making all things beautiful. Writing a love story is my way of reinforcing my faith in His ultimate goodness toward usâHis precious children.â
Past Secrets, Present Love
Lois Richer
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Lois Richer for her contribution to the TINY BLESSINGS series.
This book is dedicated to moms all over the world who love above and beyond. You are reflections of the Fatherâs love for His children.
And this book is dedicated to my mom who never believed them when they said it couldnât be done. You go, Mom!
You are the Lord, You alone; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and You preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships You.
âNehemiah 9:6
RossâFrom the Scottish or Latin, which means âfrom the headlands.â It is a German variant of Roswald or the English variant of Roswell or Russell.
KellyâFrom the Irish, which means âwarrior or bright-minded.â It was originally a boysâ name.
SandraâA variation of the Greek Alexandra, which means âdefender of mankind.â A feminine form of Alexander.
Dear Reader,
Welcome back! I hope youâve enjoyed visiting Chestnut Grove once more as Kelly deals with a lifelong insecurity that has kept her from relaxing in Godâs love. In each of us there is a kernel of disbelief that, if not checked, can grow until it saps our trust and faith in God and His divine plan for our lives.
My prayer for you is that you will lean on Him when life gets too much, that you will trust even though the struggles seem too hard. Know that He is there, waiting for you to call on Him. He will answer.
Blessings,
LOIS RICHER
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
You or Ben Cavanaugh may be the adult child of Sandra Lange.
The words echoed through Kelly Youngâs brain with the rhythm of a marching band on Independence Day. No matter how furiously she worked at cleaning out the old utility closet, she couldnât silence them.
âArenât you leaving to get ready for Ben and Leahâs wedding?â
She glanced up, saw Florence Villi scowling at her and nodded. Scour was a word that suited the cleaning lady at Tiny Blessings Adoption Agency to a T.
âIâm leaving soon,â Kelly assured her. âJust a few things to tie up first.â
âYouâre getting to be a workaholic.â Florenceâs brown eyes hardened as she noticed what Kelly was doing. âIâm not responsible for any messes you make, and Iâve already cleaned this hall.â
âIâll clean it upâdonât worry, Florence.â
âYou looking for something special?â
âJust a little more space.â Kelly lifted out yet another broom, held it up. âDo you ever use this stuff?â
âNot my job to clean out all the closets in this building,â Florence grumbled. âI keep my stuff in the basement. Iâm not responsible for this.â
âI wasnât implying you were, I was just wonderingââ Kelly felt the anger emanating from the other woman and decided retreat was wise. âNever mind. Are you working late tonight?â