Cheryl Wolverton - A Mother's Love

Cover Page

About the Author CHERYL WOLVERTON Growing up in a small military town in Oklahoma where she used to make up stories with her next-door neighbor, Cheryl says she’s always written, but never dreamed of having anything published. But after years of writing her own Sunday school material in the different churches where she’s taught young children, and wanting to see more happy endings, she decided to give it a try, and found herself unable to stop. Seeing so many people hurting, afraid to reach out and accept God’s forgiveness, inspired her to begin writing stories about God’s love and forgiveness in romances, because, she says, “We can’t truly have happily ever after if we don’t have that happily-ever-after relationship with God, too.” Cheryl now lives in a small Louisiana town and has been happily married for fifteen years. She has two wonderful children who think it’s cool to have a “writing mama.” Cheryl loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at P.O. Box 207, Slaughter, LA 70777.

Title Page A Mother’s Love Cheryl Wolverton www.millsandboon.co.uk

Epigraph He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. —Psalm 91:15

Dedication To Marcia Bender, who was the first to ever tell me how much she loved my books. This one’s for you. Thank you to Donna Blacklock and Denise Gray, who have supported each and every book I’ve written with book-signings and encouragement and who were both enthusiastic when I told them about this one. You’ll never know how much that means. And to my sister, Deborah. I love you, hon. I hope this one touches your heart, too.

Prologue Prologue Maggie looked at the suitcase sitting by the front door. It didn’t contain much, just her most treasured possessions. Funny how everything she really cared about could fit into one suitcase. Looking back at the house and the lavish staircase, she realized what a pampered life she’d led. Fear clutched her heart, emerging from her numbness. So much had happened in the past seven weeks, things that had totally changed her outlook on life. No more was this house a haven for her; no more was it a place she could run to when she was hurt or afraid. She saw a maid peek around the corner, heard the muffled sniffles of another when she picked up her suitcase. Maggie hadn’t realized how much the staff cared for her. Of course they wouldn’t say anything about her leaving. Their jobs wouldn’t permit it. Had her whole life been so marked by privilege? She’d been so innocent, working at a job that had been provided for her, going to the church where she’d been raised, doing everything she’d always been told. Until now. But she just couldn’t do what her parents had asked of her. She couldn’t. At twenty-six, she was old enough to make her own decisions. It was time to stop listening to everyone else. Past time. So, when the ultimatum had been given, she had shocked everyone by accepting it. She went to the door, then looked back one last time. Black dots danced before her eyes, and she swayed before fighting off the dizziness. She’d never been on her own before. She was scared, more scared than she could ever remember being. She took a deep breath. Pushing the desolation from her thoughts, she reached for the brass doorknob and pulled the door open. She wished once again there was an easy way out of the mess she was in. But there wasn’t That was why she was leaving. For better or worse, she had made her bed; now she had to lie in it. Squaring her shoulders, she headed toward the cab, refusing to look back, promising herself to only look ahead. She would rely only on herself from this day forward to get herself through the next six months.

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

Dear Reader

Copyright

Growing up in a small military town in Oklahoma where she used to make up stories with her next-door neighbor, Cheryl says she’s always written, but never dreamed of having anything published. But after years of writing her own Sunday school material in the different churches where she’s taught young children, and wanting to see more happy endings, she decided to give it a try, and found herself unable to stop.

Seeing so many people hurting, afraid to reach out and accept God’s forgiveness, inspired her to begin writing stories about God’s love and forgiveness in romances, because, she says, “We can’t truly have happily ever after if we don’t have that happily-ever-after relationship with God, too.”

Cheryl now lives in a small Louisiana town and has been happily married for fifteen years. She has two wonderful children who think it’s cool to have a “writing mama.” Cheryl loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at P.O. Box 207, Slaughter, LA 70777.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him:

I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him,

and honour him.

—Psalm 91:15

To Marcia Bender, who was the first to ever tell me

how much she loved my books. This one’s for you.

Thank you to Donna Blacklock and Denise Gray,

who have supported each and every book I’ve

written with book-signings and encouragement and

who were both enthusiastic when I told them about

this one. You’ll never know how much that means.

And to my sister, Deborah. I love you, hon. I hope

this one touches your heart, too.

Maggie looked at the suitcase sitting by the front door. It didn’t contain much, just her most treasured possessions. Funny how everything she really cared about could fit into one suitcase.

Looking back at the house and the lavish staircase, she realized what a pampered life she’d led.

Fear clutched her heart, emerging from her numbness. So much had happened in the past seven weeks, things that had totally changed her outlook on life. No more was this house a haven for her; no more was it a place she could run to when she was hurt or afraid.

She saw a maid peek around the corner, heard the muffled sniffles of another when she picked up her suitcase. Maggie hadn’t realized how much the staff cared for her. Of course they wouldn’t say anything about her leaving. Their jobs wouldn’t permit it.

Had her whole life been so marked by privilege? She’d been so innocent, working at a job that had been provided for her, going to the church where she’d been raised, doing everything she’d always been told.

Until now.

But she just couldn’t do what her parents had asked of her.

She couldn’t.

At twenty-six, she was old enough to make her own decisions. It was time to stop listening to everyone else. Past time.

So, when the ultimatum had been given, she had shocked everyone by accepting it.

She went to the door, then looked back one last time. Black dots danced before her eyes, and she swayed before fighting off the dizziness. She’d never been on her own before. She was scared, more scared than she could ever remember being. She took a deep breath.