There Comes A Season

Cover Page

Excerpt

About the Author

Title Page

Epigraph

Dedication

Prologue

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

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Dear Reader

Copyright

“It’s the best for him,” Bryan said, ignoring Jacob’s happy squeals.

Laura looked through the photo album. “I realize that your family was broken up just when it was starting, but you and Jacob need each other more than ever.”

Laura felt her words of comfort were hollow. How could she possibly help someone else deal with his grief when she had such difficulty herself?

“The three of us were never a family.” Bryan grabbed the album and snapped it shut. Jacob wailed, frantically reaching for Laura. She swept him into her arms and bounced him until he’d calmed down.

“I’m just not cut out for fatherhood. You make parenting look so easy.”

“Abandoned. Confused. Angry. Afraid.” Laura’s tone hardened. “Easy? I know what you’re feeling because I was there.”

Why was it that this man could infuriate her at the same time her heart swelled with feelings she couldn’t understand?

lives-with her hero/husband of twenty years and three teenage children in Greeley, Colorado. When she isn’t busy caring for preschoolers in her home, she keeps busy with the activities of her daughter and two sons, and with volunteer work for various organizations. A retired cake decorator, Carol enjoys camping, restoring antiques, tole-painting, needlework, gardening, traveling, sewing and collecting Noah’s Ark items.

She loves to hear from her readers. You may write to her at Carol Steward P.O. Box 5021 Greeley, CO 80631-0021.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:…A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

—Ecclesiastes 3:1,4

To Dave, who’s always my hero; to Sarah, Matthew and Scott for your encouragement and understanding; to my mom and dad for a strong base to believe in myself; to my family and special friends, for inspiring me; to my critique group, for your patience and perseverance; to all of you, thanks for believing in me!

In loving memory of my brother-in-law, Dan.

“He’s coming back! I know he is. He promised me, Mommy. Daddy said he’d take me fishing today.”

“No honey, he’s not.” The tears fell from Laura Bates’s eyes as she held her six-year-old son. Chad had seen the paramedics work on his father in the middle of the night and screamed when they took him away. “Chad, Daddy died. He can’t ever come home.”

“Why didn’t you stop him! You should have stopped him!”

She couldn’t control his anger, or the sting as his words pierced her heart. Though Laura understood that Chad didn’t know what he was saying and how badly it hurt her, it didn’t stop the guilt from digging deeper into her soul. “I tried. Believe me, I tried.”

“I want Daddy!”

“I know. I do, too.” She gave Chad a kiss and looked at her older son, T.J., who stood silently looking out the window toward the tree house he and his father had built the previous month. “Come here T.J.,” Laura said gently. T.J. obeyed, dragging his feet. There were no tears in her son’s eyes, just a stoic expression on his face.

T.J. took a jagged breath, and finally a terrified grimace appeared. Laura gently drew his stocky body into her embrace. “It’s okay to cry, T.J., don’t stop the tears.”

“Uncle Ian said boys shouldn’t cry.”

“Uncle Ian is wrong. It’s going to hurt for a long time, and if you want to cry, it’s okay.” Laura touched her forehead to his and they rubbed noses. T.J. grinned.

Her daughter, Carrie began crying as she joined her mom and younger brothers. She had always been her daddy’s girl. Laura brushed the tears from Carrie’s face. “I love you, Carrie, and so did your dad. He loved you kids very much.”

“Oh, Mom.” She sobbed. “I’m going to miss him so much.”

“I know, punkin. It’s not going to be easy.” They sat in Todd’s stuffed chair comforting each other for a long while before the beams of sunlight came through the maple trees and lit the breakfast nook.

Laura rubbed the back of her neck and shoulders and moved her fingers up to her temples and pushed hard, trying to force away the recurring memory of waking with a chill in her spine.

Her best friend touched her shoulder. “Laura, why don’t you go lie down for a while. You need some rest Family will be here soon.”

“Thanks for coming, Barb. Sorry I woke you.”

“It’s okay. Go to bed, honey.”