Deb Kastner - The Soldier's Sweetheart

The Single Dad’s Fresh Start

Army vet Will Davenport knows all about missions but nothing about raising his young daughter. Settling in Serendipity, Texas, he hopes they’ll both find the peace that has always eluded him. But when the widower goes to work for a local beauty, he gets much, much more. Samantha Howell is ready with a helping hand for everyone else but insists on taking care of her problems on her own. Will wants to be her hero, but too much stands in their way. For a future with Samantha, he has to bury the past. But forgiving himself may be his most difficult mission ever....

“We were talking about how you needed to learn to accept help from other people.”

“And I believe I told you that I didn’t need any assistance.”

The woman was nothing if not stubborn. She refused to let him help her and her family in this fight, but what she didn’t know was that he was at least as stubborn as she was. He would help the Howells.

“Once I arrived in Serendipity, you and your family showed me such great kindness. I can never repay you. But I do wish you’d allow me to try. You’ve already done so much for Genevieve. She thinks the earth revolves around Miss Samantha.”

She chuckled and her face brightened. Maybe the world didn’t revolve around Samantha, but it was definitely made better by her smile.

Will pulled his mental brakes. Whatever was between them didn’t matter, because he wasn’t going to let it. He was hazardous material and Samantha was too good a person for him to risk wounding her.

She had nothing to gain, and he had nothing to offer. End of subject.

DEB KASTNER

lives and writes in colorful Colorado with the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains for inspiration. She loves writing for Love Inspired Books, where she can write about her two favorite things—faith and love. Her characters range from upbeat and humorous to (her favorite) dark and broody heroes. Her plots fall anywhere in between, from a playful romp to the deeply emotional. Deb’s books have been twice nominated for the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Book of the Year for Love Inspired. Deb and her husband share their home with their two youngest daughters. Deb is thrilled about the newest member of the family—her first granddaughter, Isabella. What fun to be a granny! Deb loves to hear from her readers. You can contact her by email at debwrtr@aol.com, or on her MySpace or Facebook pages.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

The Lord your God is with you,

the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

in His love He will no longer rebuke you,

but will rejoice over you with singing.

—Zephaniah 3:17

To all the mighty warriors who daily put their lives on the line to keep our country safe.

Words are not enough to thank you for your service.

God bless you and your families.

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

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Excerpt

Chapter One

Sell Sam’s Grocery?

Samantha Howell snorted in outrage and crumpled the fancy-shmancy letter, written on white-linen paper, in her fist.

Over her dead body.

Her stomach tightened into uncomfortable knots, the same as it always did when she heard the name Stay-n-Shop. Didn’t these people know what the word no meant? Just because they were a large corporation didn’t mean they could walk over the little people, did it?

Actually, it kind of did. In fact, that was exactly what it meant. And unfortunately for Samantha, she was the “little people” in question.

Fury kindled in her chest as she flattened the note with her palm. As much as she wanted to toss the missive in the nearest trash can, she knew she needed to keep it. This wasn’t the first time she’d heard from this giant bear of a company, but if they had their way, it would be the last. Stay-n-Shop had taken out a ninety-day option on land just inside the southern border of Serendipity. If she didn’t sell to them, they’d “have no choice but to pursue permits and zoning” and begin building a store of their own. In short, the big-box store would drive Sam’s Grocery out of business.

She chewed absently on her bottom lip as she reread the letter once again, her thoughts buzzing through her head like a swarm of angry wasps.

What was she going to do to save her store? What could she do?

“Excuse me, miss?”

The bell rang over the door and a moment later, a man’s deep, unfamiliar voice registered in her ear.

“I’m sorry to disturb you. I’m looking for Samantha Howell. I was told I might find her here.” His tone was as smooth as honey, with just the hint of a Texas accent.

“I’m...” she started to say, frantically sliding the crumpled letter under the nearby dry-goods inventory. Her breath hitched as she met the stranger’s uncompromising brown-eyed gaze. She swallowed hard, trying to recover her composure.

“...Samantha Howell.”

Having lived her whole life in the small town, it was a rare event for her to not recognize someone. Very few visitors ever came through Serendipity, Texas. The town wasn’t even on the state map. She knew nearly every customer who frequented the store by name and could recount their lives down to the most current events.

Even more peculiar, she surmised the man was military, despite the fact that he was in street clothes. The severe set of his shoulders, his trim blond hair and the way he clasped his hands behind his back were dead giveaways. And his tan T-shirt was ironed, with a sharp crease lining each sleeve. Only military guys ironed their T-shirts.

She wondered which branch of the service he was in. Before leaving for Fort Benning for Basic Combat Training, her brother, Seth, had tried to enlighten her on the differences between the branches. At the time, she hadn’t really been paying attention. Her brother was always talking about Army this or Army that.

To Samantha, military was military. She appreciated their service to the country, and she hung up her flag every Memorial Day and Fourth of July just like any other homegrown patriot would do, but it had all been lip service, without any truly meaningful connection to her real life.

Once Seth enlisted, that changed.

Now every newscast about the American troops, every update on the radio, was personal. It was frightening. It was family.

Seth.

In a matter of milliseconds, Samantha went from being curious about a handsome stranger to completely panicked over a brother living in consistently deadly conditions. She felt as if she’d been zapped with electricity from an open socket. All thoughts of Stay-n-Shop and her own problems instantly fled.

Was this man here about her brother?

Oh, dear Lord. Not Seth.

As the man’s solemn gaze held hers, fear and adrenaline jolted her pulse. Her stomach rose into her throat in stinging, nauseating waves, then plunged back down again like a giant, out-of-control roller coaster.

The stranger’s expression was grim, his mouth a thin, straight line slashing across hard, angular features. She could read nothing reassuring in his eyes and horrible scenarios spread like wildfire through her mind.

It couldn’t be. Not her brother.

Seth had only entered the Army infantry last year. Immediately after his advanced training, he’d been deployed to Afghanistan, where he was working under extremely dangerous circumstances, with guns and bombs and who knew what else threatening him on a daily basis.