cured?
Annie discovers that the strings attached to her inheritance come at too great a cost. Jake realizes that he must stand up and fight for what he wants. Before they can find their happily-ever-after, they both must learn to forgive and allow each other a second chance to get things right.
I’m a big believer in second chances. A mistake, a failure or a bad decision can happen to any of us, anytime. Our job is to learn from it and move forward—not sit down and wallow in the pain. The only answer is forgiveness—of others and of ourselves. It’s the only path to love and peace.
I love to hear from readers, so feel free to contact me at my website, lorrainebeatty.com, or like my author page on Facebook, Lorraine Beatty Author, or follow me @LorraineBeatty on Twitter.
Lorraine
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
—Proverbs 3:27
To my grandchildren—Casie, Chey, Drew, Anna and Addie. Love the Lord, follow your dreams and never forget we love you.
Contents
He’d be here today.
A nervous knot formed in Annelle Shepard’s chest. In just a couple of hours she’d have to confront the man who killed her cousin and best friend fifteen years ago, Jacob Langford. She had no desire to meet him face-to-face. Ever. But if she wanted to keep her aunt’s estate, this beautiful old home and the financial bequest that would give her room to breathe after years of living pillar to post, then she had to fulfill the terms of the will. Every year on the anniversary of her cousin’s death she had to accept a dollar from Langford until either of them died.
The whole concept left a bad taste in her mouth. No amount of penance could bring back her cousin. Her aunt’s persistence in making this man pay for his crime bordered on insanity and she resented being forced into participating.
But the bottom line was she needed a home for her boys. One that no one could gamble away, or foreclose for failure to pay the mortgage. Aunt Margaret’s house provided a safe and permanent place to raise her ten-year-old twin boys, Tyler and Ryan. Here they could put down roots and live a quiet, normal life without the constant tension and chaos of a drunken husband and father.
A knock sounded on her front door and she inhaled sharply, glancing at the clock. It was too soon for the man to be here. He’d agreed to come by sometime early in the afternoon. This was probably her neighbor Denise coming to get her boys. She’d offered to take them to the splash park for the afternoon so Annie could deal with the official meeting without interruption.
Denise Sanderson was an added blessing in her move back to Hastings. She lived next door, and Annie’s twins and Denise’s three children—Steve, Johnny and Tina—were close in age and played well together. Denise had been a huge help in recommending doctors, a good church and putting her in touch with a widow’s support group that Denise said had helped her sister move forward with her life. It had been two years since Annie’s husband Rick’s death and she still struggled with certain aspects of widowhood.
She opened the door with a smile.
“Are they ready?” Denise stepped into the hall just as the boys raced down the stairs.
“Bye,
