Lois Richer - Heaven's Kiss

“Excuse me?”

Dani studied the handsome man before her. He had the kind of smile you immediately trusted, which was exactly why she kept up her guard. Hadn’t she learned the hard way that nothing was as it seemed?

She thought she knew everyone in town, but she didn’t know him. But then she had a flickering memory of a church potluck dinner given to welcome Blessing’s newest doctor.

“Yes, Dr. Duke?”

“Um, actually, it’s Luc. Lucas Lawrence. Did you need something?”

Dr. Duke—no, Luc—was perfect for the lead, the answer to her prayers.

Sneaking a flashlight under the blankets, hiding in a thicket of Caragana bushes where no one could see, pushing books into socks to take to camp—those are just some of the things Lois Richer freely admits to in her pursuit of the written word. “I’m a book-a-holic. I can’t do without stories,” she confesses It’s always been that way.”

Her love of language evolved into writing her own stories. Today her passion is to create tales of personal struggle that lead to triumph over life’s rocky road. For Lois, a happy ending is essential.

“In my stories, as in my own life, God has a way of making all things beautiful. Writing a love story is my way of reinforcing my faith in His ultimate goodness toward us—His precious children.”

www.millsandboon.co.uk

We know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

—1 John 4:16

This book is dedicated to those who in struggling to do the ordinary, accomplish the extraordinary.

Mom, teachers, doctors, preachers—the list covers many. You know who you are.

God bless you.

Dear Reader,

Welcome back! I hope you’ve enjoyed this second installment in my BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE series.

Have you ever wondered what your true calling is, what it is that you were given life to do? And then, once you’ve settled on something, have you found yourself struggling to do it? In this day of multitasking and career change, we often struggle to climb the ladder, make an impression, to be somebody.

Dani certainly had to reevaluate her life; Luc, too. But in doing so, they both learned that humans rarely see the big picture. Isn’t it reassuring to know that whatever happens to us, God uses, molds, adapts and transforms into something far beyond our expectations?

In this time of worry, fear and hurry, I wish you the peace and joy we all may find nestled in the Father’s loving embrace.

Blessings to you,

I’d love to hear from you.

Write me at Box 639, Nipawin, Sask.

Canada S0E 1E0 or e-mail loisricher@yahoo.com

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

What a way to begin the second month of a new year.

“Okay, let me get this straight. My father wanted me to have the ranch, to keep the Double D running.” Dani DeWitt waited for the lawyer’s nod.

“Yes. Dermot made you his sole beneficiary.”

“But a beneficiary of what?” She sagged into the high-backed leather chair as the full import of his meaning sunk in. “You just said the bank holds a mortgage on the property and that it’s overdue.”

“Actually it’s quite a large mortgage. Your father recently renegotiated it.”

“So how much do I owe on the place?”

Ephraim Thornbush enunciated the amount clearly and concisely, then folded his thin, long hands with their scrupulously clean and filed nails on top of the manila folder on his desk.

Dani could only stare at him while her mind tried to wrap itself around the latest in a series of unbelievable events. The only thing that brought order to this mess was when she focused on the man in front of her.

Mr. Thornbush’s white hair lay in neat precise waves over his head. His black suit, perfectly tailored, showed no wrinkles, though it was past five o’clock on a Friday afternoon.

Dani glanced around the office. Not a speck of dust covered even one of the solid cherry surfaces. No half-empty coffee cup on his desk. Everything lay in its orderly arrangement, as it had for the past forty years.

Her father’s lawyer abhorred untidiness in himself and his furnishings. He certainly wouldn’t tolerate it in his legal practice. With Ephraim handling her father’s estate, she knew every “i” was dotted, every “t” was crossed. There could be no mistake.

She gulped.

“I owe a fortune,” she finally admitted, more to herself than to him. The massive amount of debt threatened to overwhelm her careful control. “I had no idea he was in so much financial trouble. Why didn’t he tell me?”

Mr. Thornbush did not say a word, but there was a gleam in his steel-gray gaze that made her shift uncomfortably.

“All right, I was out of touch over Christmas and New Year’s. I admit that. But I called. He was never there.” Dani fought to control the guilt that waited to swamp her. “How could I know he was in the hospital?” she whispered. “How could I know he’d die?”

The steel softened to dove gray.

“There is no point in recriminations, Dani. What we must do now is make some decisions. I’ve delayed as much as possible while we located you. But the bank will not wait forever. They want assurances that they will get their money.”

“But I don’t have any money.”

“I know.” He picked up a pen, clicked it once, twice. Evidently he realized that the noise gave away his inner agitation, for he stopped fidgeting immediately and returned the pen to its holder.

“So what do I do now, Mr. Thornbush?” It hurt to ask that, stung her pride to know that she wasn’t the strong independent woman she’d always thought herself. Coming back, especially now, only made her feel like a foolish girl who needed her daddy. And Daddy wasn’t there. He never would be again.

“We could declare bankruptcy.”

She jerked upward, her eyes narrowing.

“They’d take the land?”

He nodded. “Sell the cattle, your father’s horses, machinery, anything that would bring in some money. The land would be auctioned off or they’d ask for bids. With the economy the way it is, I don’t think they’d get top dollar.”

“So not everyone would get their money back.” She squinted at him. “You did say he owed more than the bank?”

“Your father had a few stocks, some bonds. He had me liquidate those just before he died. I paid off the local merchants. No one in Blessing will lose money because of your father, Dani. In fact, I doubt anyone even knows the seriousness of your situation.”

“Thank goodness for that.” At least she’d be spared the humiliation of having her hometown speculating about her any more than they already were.

Dani glanced at him. “Do you think that’s what I should do?”

Mr. Thornbush did not answer immediately, which was, of itself, a most unusual thing, for he’d always been very quick to assess a situation. After all, he’d had two weeks since her father’s death to think about it. She’d only learned of Dermot’s passing on Monday, and about the ranch’s fiscal nightmare just now.