Julianne watched as Luke leaned down and kissed his daughterâs forehead.
Julianne looked away and swallowed hard. She had to get out of here, out of this house soon, or sheâd make a complete fool of herself by crying over things she couldnât explain. Then she felt Lukeâs hand touch her shoulder, and she raised her tear-filled eyes to meet his understanding gaze. He moved closer, easing her into his arms, where she let go of the sorrow as she buried her face against his chest and wept.
How long theyâd stood there, Julianne wasnât sure. But when she was finished crying, she raised her head and instantly missed the steady beating of his heart against her ear.
âIâm sorry, Luke. I didnât mean to cry. I donât evenâ¦I donât even know you well enough to fall apart in front of you like that.â Julianneâs words were rambling, and she knew it. She was grateful when Luke raised a hand, touching his index finger to her lips.
âJulianne.â He whispered her lovely name in the stillness of the evening before his mouth brushed hers in a hesitant first kiss.
writes inspirational romance because, having been a Christian for many years, incorporating the element of faith in the Lord into a romantic story line seemed like a lovely and appropriate idea. After all, in a society where love for a lifetime is difficult to find, imagine discovering it, unexpectedly, as a gift sent from God.
Kathryn is married to Kelly, her own personal love of a lifetime. She and her husband have one son, John, who is the proud owner of the familyâs two house pests, Herbie the cat and Copper the dog.
For nearly five years Kathryn and her family have been members of their church, where she co-teaches a Sunday school class of active two-year-olds. She is now a stay-at-home mom who writes between car pooling, baby-sitting and applying bandages when necessary.
âJulianne Iâd like you to meet two new students. This is Nora and thisââ the woman speaking reached behind her to pull a young brown-haired, blue-eyed boy from his hiding place ââthis is Todd.â
Julianne Quinn knelt down to eye-level with the children in the doorway of her classroom at the day-care center. âSo, you must be four years old if youâre going to be in my class,â she said softly. With a gentle movement, she touched the pink cheek of little Nora.
âYou smell good,â the girl commented, staring into the pretty brown eyes of her new teacher. Julianne smiled back and thanked her.
âWeâre twins, Nora and me,â the boy stated as if giving official notice of something that was already quite obvious to Julianne.
âWell, you do look a lot alike,â she replied. âAnd youâre the same size and age. Yep, Iâd have to agree with you. You must be twins.â Julianne tousled Toddâs light brown hair with a soft touch. âCâmon in and Iâll let you meet the other children.â
But before Julianne could stand up, Nora rushed toward her, throwing her arms around her neck and holding on as if for dear life. Julianne slipped her arms around the child in a firm hug while she watched Todd gravitate back toward the woman who had brought them into the center todayâhis aunt, Maggie Wrenâthe next person to speak.
âAnd this is my brother, Luke OâHara,â she introduced the tall, dark-haired man standing next to her.
Julianne stood up, scooping Nora up into her arms as she did so and came face-to-face with the man sheâd already heard so much about from her friend, Maggie. Julianne smiled and extended a slender hand to greet him. âNice to meet you, Mr. OâHara,â she offered.
Luke OâHara responded, without smiling. âYou, too, Miss Quinn.â He looked past Julianne into the brightly colored classroom, complete with chairs and desks in primary colors, cubbyholes and shelves, toys and puzzles, and dark blue mats for nap time, he assumed. It seemed to him like a friendly enough environment for his children; but, still, if his sister Maggie didnât work at this day-care center, he would hesitate leaving them in an unfamiliar setting with a stranger for a teacher. Luke glanced at Nora and Todd. The protest heâd expected from the kids hadnât started yet. That surprised him. Usually the mere mention of being left someplace, anyplace, while Luke went to work made them whine and plead so that he could barely leave the house. That was one reason he had made the decision to move here to live closer to his sister, the only real family he had left since his wifeâs death last year. He needed Maggieâs help with the children.