Patt Marr - Angel In Disguise

Sunny said.

Pete’s eyes lifted innocently. “You don’t think God uses people to carry out His plans? For all you know, I could be your guardian angel in disguise.”

Sunny laughed at the thought. Would God send her a handsome charmer, especially when He knew how much she didn’t trust them?

Then again, Pete could be an angel, the way he made her feel that her problems were tiny and that contentment was fingertip near.

But Pete Maguire looked nothing like any storybook angel she’d ever seen. Not with that lock of black hair falling over his brow, the wicked half smile and the teasing gleam in his eyes.

If Pete really was her guardian angel…

…that was some disguise!

PATT MARR

has a friend who says she reminds him of a car that’s either zooming along in the fast lane or sitting on the shoulder, out of gas. Her family says he’s dead right.

At age twenty she had a B.S. in business education, a handsome, good-hearted husband and a sweet baby girl. Since then, Patt, a professional musician, has earned an M.A. in counseling, worked a lifetime as a high school educator, cooked big meals for friends, attended a zillion basketball games where her husband coached and her son played, and enjoyed many years of church music, children’s ministries, drama and television productions.

In down time, Patt reads romances, eats too much chocolate, watches too many movies and sleeps way too little. She’s been blessed with two darling granddaughters, wonderful friends, a great church and a chance to write love stories about people who love God as much as she does.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Trust in the Lord and do good…and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

—Psalms 37:3-4

For a first book, there are many people to thank for their encouragement and support: family, friends, the Romance Writers of America, teachers of the craft and most of all, God. Special thanks go to my husband, David Marr, for sharing his knowledge of basketball coaching and providing many pots of coffee, to Randall McNaughton, Eldon Partridge and Big Bear Rangers for sharing their knowledge of camping and hiking, and to Medical Arts physicians for providing information about the character Pete Maguire.

I dedicate this first book to J-J

My wonderful, precious daughter

Dear Reader,

I hope you have a “forever love” in your life, someone to cherish, someone who loves you more than any other. It’s a magnificent feeling to have that connection. If you happen to be alone right now, let Pete and Sunny’s story remind you how quickly things can change.

They were alone, living in a maze with tall walls that obscured the future. Those walls had so defeated Pete, he’d given up even trying to find a way out. Yet, right around the corner, his “forever love” waited for him in a most unexpected spot. Sunny had turned one corner after another, searching for a way to have a relationship with her family without bowing to their will. Suddenly she had “an angel in disguise” to help her find the way.

God has the best seat in the house, looking down on the maze we live in. From His view, He sees it all. And He knows exactly which way we should turn. Dead ends bring discouragement, frustration and despair. When we remember to ask for His direction, God helps us discover the path to joy, peace and love.

My prayer is that you and I will be great “remember-ers!” God wants to bless us beyond our expectations.

Thank you for reading Angel in Disguise. I hope you’ll share it with others. If you would like to write, please address mail to P.O. Box 692, East Moline, IL 61244. If you would like an answer, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope or, even better, your e-mail address.

In Him,

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

Sunny Keegan stepped inside the sanctuary three hours before her wedding wearing well-washed jeans, a faded yellow T-shirt and comfortable sneakers. The clothes felt just right, but the headpiece to her bridal veil had either been pinned too tightly or she was unbelievably tense.

She touched her temples, wishing she could massage circles there, but that wouldn’t do. She might smudge her professionally applied makeup and she’d already made the mistake of wearing a T-shirt to have her hair done. Someone would have to scissor her free, and that was a shame for the old shirt held great memories. She’d put it on today, wanting to wear something familiar, something of her own. This wedding sure wasn’t.

Not that she was complaining. If things had gotten out of hand, it was her own fault for letting her mother and the wedding consultant run with the ball. But, as her father said, she was her mother’s only daughter, and it was true her parents’ wealth could handle any extravagance. Even for a Beverly Hills wedding, though, some of the plans were over the top.

The dove release, for instance, was extreme, and the twenty-limousine caravan pure ostentation. What her parents were paying for flowers could have housed the homeless, and the price of her beaded wedding gown, six inches longer than Princess Di’s had been, could have fed them. Their two thousand guests certainly didn’t need a seven-course dinner, and one band was enough, not three.

Since her groom had objected to none of it, she’d let things slide. She couldn’t blame Bruce for appreciating what he called “the good life” since it wasn’t something he had known all his life.

She looked down the long aisle and tried to imagine him standing beside his nine attendants and herself beside her own nine, all of them dressed in white. White didn’t particularly flatter her redhead’s coloring, but it was supposed to make an elegant June wedding.

Bruce, with his dark hair and eyes, would look fantastic in white. He had such presence, such charisma. All eyes would be on him, and that was fine with her. Handsome, well educated, successful, Bruce was perfect. Even her parents thought so. Finally she’d done something right. That this wonderful man loved her as much as she loved him seemed almost a miracle. But he loved her. There was no doubt about it.

So why was she standing here with lead in her stomach and a sinking heart? She might as well admit it, she’d give anything if she could run.

Lord, if this is just prewedding jitters, please ease my spirit. Give me the joy of a bride on her wedding day. If this is anything else, then I ask that You give me a sign, an unmistakable sign. As much as I love Bruce, as much as my parents would be upset, I would walk away from all this if it’s not what You want. I can’t imagine You letting me get this far without it being Your will, but I should know better than question. In all things, I trust You.

Sunny took a deep breath and realized she felt better. Prayer always helped. She’d been silly, imagining some dark foreboding, wasting time when she should find the changing room and let the bridal staff go to work, transforming her into a beautiful bride. Her mother swore they could do wonders.

At both ends of the foyer, stairs led to a lower level where the changing rooms were. The women’s area was supposed to be at one end, off a courtyard centered with an angel fountain, and the men were on the opposite side. Exactly where she wasn’t sure because she hadn’t been paying attention during the wedding coordinator’s instructions. She couldn’t, not with Bruce kissing her neck, whispering “babe” in her ear. He knew how she loved that.