A Place to Belong

A Place to Belong
Linda Goodnight

Faith and warm memories have helped widow Kitty Wainwright endure the loss of her husband.That's all she's ever neededuntil she hires contractor Jace Carter to repair her motel. Kitty has no idea the silent, scarred Jace has admired her since they set eyes on each other. Although Kitty's wary of letting anyone into her heart, Jace can't ignore his feelings for her.But with old secrets threatening to ruin his future happiness, Jace has to put his past to rest before he can convince Kitty that she belongs by his side.

Lord, help me. I’m in love with her.

It was the first time he’d ever allowed himself the full thought, though the emotion had been hovering in his heart for years.

He focused on the distant, shining body of water and beyond to the narrow line he knew to be Redemption River.

“We should head back down.”

One hand holding the puppy steady, Kitty said, “You must be starving.”

“I could use a bite.” And more space between the two of us.

“Me, too.” She stepped away from the window but lingered in the oddly shaped room for a few more minutes while he stood like a helpless teenager watching and yearning.

“I love this room, Jace. I’ve never seen anything like it. If I lived in here, I would turn this space into something I could use every day. It’s far too wonderful to be hidden away in an attic.”

Her innocent phrasing caught in his brain and spun in repeating circles.

If she lived in this house—an impossible thought he’d never get out of his head now that he’d seen her here.

LINDA GOODNIGHT

Winner of a RITA

Award for excellence in inspirational fiction, Linda Goodnight has also won a Booksellers’ Best, an ACFW Book of the Year and a Reviewers’ Choice Award from RT Book Reviews. Linda has appeared on the Christian bestseller list and her romance novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Active in orphan ministry, this former nurse and teacher enjoys writing fiction that carries a message of hope and light in a sometimes dark world. She and her husband, Gene, live in Oklahoma. Readers can write to her at linda@lindagoodnight.com, or c/o Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.

A Place to Belong

Linda Goodnight

But the vessel he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so the potter crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

—Jeremiah 18:4

For His glory. Always.

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

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Epilogue

Letter to Reader

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

The day should have been perfect, one of those freshly-washed days after a spring rain when buds burst free from winter, birds sing and the world smells green.

Window rolled down and the engine of his Ford Super Duty rumbling pleasantly, Jace Carter was feeling good. Progress on the 1902 Victorian remodel was going well.

Overhanging oaks dappled sunlight onto the highway as he rounded the curve headed toward home. Ahead, a historic bridge spanned Redemption River and led into the small town of Redemption, Oklahoma.

He slowed to enjoy the view of the river, the way the willows wept over the railing, and the bridge itself, hand built by the town’s early pioneers. A man who made his living in wood appreciated good workmanship, especially when it had lasted more than a century.

The familiar thump of the road projected him onto the long historic bridge. He was craning his neck toward the rain-flushed river when the unexpected happened. A pair of screaming, water-soaked men bolted over the railing, arms waving frantically.

Jace’s heart bolted, too. He slammed on his brakes, yanked the wheel.

“Help! Help us!” Two hysterical men rushed to his window. Pale as plaster, terror dripped from both like the muddy red of the river dripped from their jeans and T-shirts.

Fear prickled Jace’s scalp as he listened to a disjointed, breathless rendering of the basics. Their boat had capsized. There was a man in the water. They couldn’t reach him.