Shelter of Hope
Fast Fiction Romantic - short stories with a Happy Ever AfterA year after Hurricane Naomi, the residents of Hope, Mississippi, are still trying to rebuild their lives. Nathan Grayson lost his wife to the storm, and he's survived the pain by focusing on his daughter, Carly, and his veterinary clinic. He's shut out everything else, including friends and family who want to help.When Susan Fayard asks Nathan to treat an injured dog, she can't help but see how much his isolation is hurting the handsome widower and his sweet daughter. Susan makes it her mission to help Nathan rebuild his trust in others. Even though he's grateful, Nathan refuses to rely on her. After all, this mission is only temporary. If Nathan lets Susan into his life, he and his daughter could be left heartbroken when she moves on.…
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Contents
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
Chapter Twenty
Story:
I should be angry. At the very least wallowing in self-pity.
But Iâm not.
With the top down on her Mustang, Susan Fayard relished the wind tossing her hair about. Sheâd been in New Orleans to celebrate her ex-boyfriendâs engagement to a friend sheâd introduced him to. It was for the best. She wouldnât have been the right wife for Garrett. He didnât need her.
No, Garrett wasnât for me. Sarah will make him a good wife.
Susan exited Interstate 10 and headed toward Hope, Mississippi. She would focus on work at Davidson Construction Company. It wasnât like she didnât have enough of it to do since the hurricane had hit Hope last year. The town was still rebuilding, and her boss, Zane, was in the thick of that reconstruction. She liked being there as the people of Hope, and the people all along the Gulf Coast, put their lives back together. They needed her help.
With her resolve firm in her mind, sheâd decided to come back early from New Orleans, taking Zane and his wife, Kim, up on their invitation to spend Labor Day with them on their boat. Sheâd celebrate her new direction with themâgiving more to Hope. The thought cheered her.
Until she saw a black-and-white dog dart out in front of a car and get hit.
The person driving the beat-up vehicle kept going, leaving the animal in the middle of the road. Susanâs mouth dropped open as she slowed; she watched the car speed away, but the license tag was too dirty to read its numbers. She couldnât believe the driver hadnât stopped.
What kind of person would leaveâ
The injured animal tried to get up. Failed and lay back down on the road. She pulled over to the side of the highway and gripped the steering wheel so tight her hands ached. Her heart cracked at the sight of the medium-size dog lying on the pavement, his chest rising and falling.
Scrambling from her Mustang, Susan tried to think where Kimâs cousin, the vet, lived. His farm was on a road off this one about a mile closer to Hope, she thought. As she hurried out onto the highway, she prayed that no one would hit her or the dog.
Kneeling next to the dog, she murmured, âYouâre gonna be all right. Help is close by.â
The dog turned its head toward Susan and whimpered, the sound sending a shiver down Susanâs length. She kept whispering reassurances while she slid her arms under the animal that was at least part border collie, then lifted it gently and struggled to her feet.
A car sped by, going in the opposite direction, as Susan laid the dog on the backseat of her Mustang. In the driverâs seat again, she pulled out onto the highway. Now to find Nathan Graysonâs farm.
Please, Lord, heâs got to be home.
Story:
Nathan Grayson pounded the last nail into the fence of the new pen and then stepped away. Sweat dripped off his forehead. He mopped the back of his hand across it, then downed the rest of his now warm bottled water.
Giggles floated to him. Carlyâs laughter always brought a smile to him, especially now. For months his daughter had hardly smiled, let alone laughed. Her motherâs death last year during the hurricane had robbed them both of joy. His wife shouldnât have died. If only he hadnât insisted they move back to Hope, Caroline would be alive today. He had to live with that.
Another bout of laughter sprinkled the air, coming from the barn behind him. Nathan put his hammer in his toolbox and strode inside to see what his young daughter was doing that was so much fun. He had been working for hours. He could use a break.
In the dim interior of the barn he spied Carly rolling around on the dirt floor with the new litter of four puppies crawling all over her, licking her face, rubbing up against her, gnawing on her hand.
âYour mama will be here soon to feed ya,â Carly said to the puppies, giggling as she tried to pull her finger out of one puppyâs mouth. âI am not her.â
âCarly, come away from the puppies. I know a young lady whoâs going to have to take a bath before we go to see Kim and Zane tonight.â
Carly sat straight up, cupping one wiggly puppy against her chest. âI donât want to give any of them away.â
âWhat did I tell you about becoming too attached to the animals we take in?â Heâd had to learn that the hard way. Becoming too attached hurt.
âNot to⦠But, Daddy, thatâs hard.â
He knelt next to her and cradled one of the mixed-breed puppies in his hands. âI know, pumpkin. I have a hard time with it, too, but we only have so much room here. I have to find homes for them so if another dog needs our help, weâll have a place for it. Itâs easier to convince someone to take a puppy.â He held the brown-and-white puppy against his cheek, wishing he had the money and space to take all the animals in. So many had been displaced by the hurricane.
