The Lawman's Holiday Wish
No one in Kirkwood Lake seems willing to forget, or forgive, Rainey McKinney’s troubled past. But Rainey can’t afford to let that bother her.Her top priority is rebuilding her life and being a good mom to her twin daughters. Even handsome deputy sheriff Luke Campbell can’t distract her, tempting as he is. She’s determined to keep her distance, but as his son and her girls form a special bond, Rainey and Luke can’t help but do the same. Can Rainey put her past behind her once and for all and embrace a future full of hope—and love?
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Second-Chance Christmas
No one in Kirkwood Lake seems willing to forget, or forgive, Rainey McKinneyâs troubled past. But Rainey canât afford to let that bother her. Her top priority is rebuilding her life and being a good mom to her twin daughters. Even handsome deputy sheriff Luke Campbell canât distract her, tempting as he is. Sheâs determined to keep her distance, but as his son and her girls form a special bond, Rainey and Luke canât help but do the same. Can Rainey put her past behind her once and for all and embrace a future full of hopeâand love?
Kirkwood Lake: A town full of heart and hope.
As Rainey handed the tray
up to him, their gazes met again.
Sheer beauty.
And it wasnât because of her lovely face, her gold-toned skin or the soft tumble of hair.
It was her spirit, shining through the smile she gave him.
His chest tightened, as it did the week before, when heâd first laid eyes on her. But inside, his heart melted.
Think, man. Sheâs got a troubled history.
He knew that. Raineyâs teenage years had been nothing but trouble, but in all his years on the force, heâd seen a lot of kids change their lives. Why not her? Why not now?
Was he willing to risk his sonâs well-being? He was a grown man. Aidan was a kid whoâd already drawn the short straw on mothers once. Leave it alone.
Luke had to. He knew it.
But ignoring this attraction to Rainey was the last thing he wanted to do.
RUTH LOGAN HERNE
Born into poverty, Ruth puts great stock in one of her favorite Ben Franklinisms: âHaving been poor is no shame. Being ashamed of it is.â With God-given appreciation for the amazing opportunities abounding in our land, Ruth finds simple gifts in the everyday blessings of smudge-faced small children, bright flowers, freshly baked goods, good friends, family, puppies and higher education. She believes a good woman should never fear dirt, snakes or spiders, all of which like to infest her aged farmhouse, necessitating a good pair of tongs for extracting the snakes, a flat-bottomed shoe for the spiders, and for the dirtâ¦
Simply put, sheâs learned that some things arenât worth fretting about! If you laugh in the face of dust and love to talk about God, men, romance, great shoes and wonderful food, feel free to contact Ruth through her website at www.ruthloganherne.com.
He that is without sin among you,
let him cast the first stone.
âJohn 8:7
To my wonderful son Luke, a young man
whose strength, grace, humor and brilliance has been a beacon to his parents. Luke, weâre so very proud of you! Merry Christmas!
Acknowledgments
Huge thanks to my dear husband, Dave, for road-tripping with me to Chautauqua Lake and Jamestown, New York, the inspirational settings for the fictional âKirkwood Lake.â To Mandy and Beth for doing the same thing, and the laughter and fun we have on each trip. To the Pittsford Dairy, my model for a glass bottle dairy and bakery. To the migrant workers Iâve met over the yearsâmen and women whose work ethic abounds under tough conditions. God bless you! To Nancy Turner and the crew at www.thisoldhorse.org in Hastings, Minnesota, for her wonderful advice on how to handle âSpiritâsâ role in this story. Nancy, you are an amazing woman with a great âspiritâ of your own. Thank you so much for your help! It was invaluable. To Virginia Carmichael for her advice on Tres Leches cake! And a huge round of thanks to my daycare moms, whose encouragement and trust humbles me. I love youse guys.
Contents
Chapter One
Deputy Sheriff Luke Campbell aimed his cruiser for the Kirkwood Lake Elementary School with measured reluctance. A mandatory meeting with his five-year-old sonâs principal and teacher didnât bode well for him or the boy. It didnât take an early-education degree to tell Luke what he already knew. Aiden was quiet, withdrawn, uncertain, timid and refused to join activities.
Luke had hoped being in school would help, but this was the second phone call in three weeks regarding Aidenâs issues. How much was real and how much exaggerated by a smart kid who knew how to evoke adult sympathy to the max?
Luke didnât have a clue.
Did he tend to make excuses for the boy?
Yes.
Did he have good reason?
Yes again, but unless he wanted to be a failure as a parent, he had to find a way to bring Aiden around. The sooner the better.
Heâs five. Give him time.
Luke shoved the thought aside. Heâd been telling himself that for nearly three years, since Aiden lost his mother. School was important, and getting along with other kids was invaluable, all the books said so. They called it âsocialization.â
Luke was the third of seven Campbells, three of whom were adopted. In the Campbell house, you either socialized quickly or got taught a lesson by your big brothers.
