Her gaze lingered on the curve of his jaw and the strong jut of his chin. His thick brows and those brown eyes that held so much warmth and approval. How did she get so lucky?
She reached her hand into her pocket and closed her fingers around the piece of plastic. “I have something I wanted to talk about.”
“Okay.” Reid’s smile dimmed. “You look a little serious. Are we in trouble or just me?”
“It depends on what you mean by trouble. How hard will it be for me to talk both of you into changing diapers?” She brought the pregnancy stick out of her pocket and opened her palm to show it to the men in her life.
Reid stared at it, then his gaze lifted to hers before it darted over to make sure Will was handling the news all right. “A baby? You’re saying we’re having a baby?”
“Mom!” Will rushed to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Are you serious? I’m getting a baby brother or sister?”
“That’s right, honey. I know it probably feels weird at your age.”
“It feels spectacular! You’ll have to teach me how to hold it and stuff. I’ve never been around a baby before.” Tears leaked from Will’s eyes, and he pulled her into a hug.
She clutched him tight and peeked past him to see Reid, who still looked wide-eyed and in shock. “I think I’d better talk to your dad.”
“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Will stepped back and motioned Reid forward. “Your turn, Dad.”
“I think this was a little out of order. Again.” But Reid’s smile was as bright as lightning. He scooped Jane up and twirled her around the dusty old cabin where things had changed so much.
He set her down and kissed her, a warm approval that sent heat all the way through her, then leaned back, leaving her breathless. Jane took his hand, then reached for Will’s.
“I think we have a nursery to get ready.” Her heart was full to bursting.
This time she felt ready to take on caring for a baby. This time she was ready for anything that came their way. God had once taken everything, but then he’d given her back so much more.
A Note from the Author
Dear Reader,
You’ve stayed with me through the whole series, and Jane has finally found her happily-ever-after with Reid and Will! It’s been a long time coming, and I’m thankful you gave me the leeway to tell the story that needed three books to get to the end. I hope you’ve loved reading this series as much as I’ve loved writing it.
Life doesn’t always turn out perfect, and I wanted to leave that final heartbreak of Jane’s broken relationship with her mother. Sometimes life is like that, but God fills in the holes for us. He soothes the heartbreak and becomes mother, father, sister, brother, or friend for us. He’s always comforting us when we need it most.
As always, I love to hear from you. I’m thankful every day for the blessing of having readers like you in my life. Thank you for being there!
Discussion Questions
Which lies have you found to be most painful? Blatant lies or lies of omission?
We sometimes block out painful or traumatic memories. How do you deal with those?
What do you think drives a person to care only about money like Lauren did?
How easy do you find it to forgive someone who hurts you? Or someone who hurts someone you love?
Do you think Reid should have paid off Lauren or fought her grab for money?
Jane’s relationships with both her parents are complicated. What do you do with complicated relationships?
Revenge drove Edward’s actions. What do you do to keep from seeking revenge?
What do you think Jane should do now about her mother and half sisters? Is there always hope or should she give up?
Acknowledgments
Eighteen years and counting as part of the amazing HarperCollins Christian Publishing team as of the summer of 2020! I have the best team in the industry (and I’m not a bit prejudiced), and I’m so grateful for all you’ve taught me and all you’ve done for me. My dear editor and publisher, Amanda Bostic, makes sure I’m taken care of in every way. My marketing and publicity team is fabulous (thank you, Paul Fisher, Kerri Potts, and Margaret Kercher!). I’m truly blessed by all your hard work. My entire team works so hard, and I wish there was a way to reward you all for what you do for me.
Julee Schwarzburg is my freelance editor, and she has such fabulous expertise with suspense and story. She smooths out all my rough spots and makes me look better than I am. I learn something from you and Amanda with every book, so thank you!
My agent, Karen Solem, and I have been together for twenty-one years now. She has helped shape my career in many ways, and that includes kicking an idea to the curb when necessary. She and a bevy of wonderful authors helped brainstorm this new series. Thank you, Denise Hunter, Kristin Billerbeck, Robin Caroll, Carrie Stuart Parks, Lynette Eason, Voni Harris, and Pam Hillman!
My critique partner and dear friend of over twenty-two years, Denise Hunter, is the best sounding board ever. Together we’ve created so many works of fiction. She reads every line of my work, and I read every one of hers. It’s truly been a blessed partnership.
I’m so grateful for my husband, Dave, who carts me around from city to city, washes towels, and chases down dinner without complaint. My family is everything to me, and my three grandchildren make life wonderful. We try to split our time between Indiana and Arizona to be with them, but I’m constantly missing someone. ☹
Most important, I give my thanks to God, who has opened such amazing doors for me and makes the journey a golden one.
An Excerpt from Strands of Truth
Prologue
January 1990
St. Petersburg, Florida
Lisa ran to her Datsun Bluebird and jerked open the yellow door. Her pulse strummed in her neck, and she glanced behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed. She’d tried not to show fear during the confrontation, but it was all she could do not to cry. She couldn’t face life without him.
She’d been on edge ever since yesterday.
Twilight backlit the treetops and highlighted the hanging moss. Instead of finding it beautiful, she saw frightening shadows and shuddered. She slid under the wheel and started the engine, then pulled out of her driveway onto the road.
She turned toward the Gulf. The water always calmed her when she was upset—and she had crossed upset moments ago and swerved into the scared zone.
Her belly barely fit under the wheel, but this baby would be born soon, and then she’d have her figure back. She accelerated away from her home, a dilapidated one-story house with peeling white paint, and switched on her headlights.
The radio blared full of the news about the Berlin Wall coming down, but Lisa didn’t care about that, not now. She switched channels until she found Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” playing, but even her favorite tune failed to sooth her shattered nerves. Could she seriously be murdered over this? She’d glimpsed madness in those eyes.