A Colorado Match

A Colorado Match
Deb Kastner

Vince Morningway has always run the family ministry alone - and his way. Until his big-deal brother hires a business consultant to bring him - and the ministry - into this century. Suddenly Melanie Frazer, in her pastel suits and clicking heels, is organizing papers and talking computers. And she's too interested in sorting the dreams Vince has for his life.But those old dreams - to leave town and see the world instead of taking care of everyone and everything - passed him by long ago. Unless Melanie can show him how much he's always been needed, right here in Coloradowhere an unexpected match is in the making.

Melanie frowned. “You aren’t going to give me an inch, are you?”

Vince knew the moment he’d lost the battle, which was the second their gazes met. Her nose wrinkled, making the smattering of freckles dance on her cheeks. He couldn’t keep his gaze away from them.

“Well?” she demanded when he didn’t answer her.

“Well?” he repeated. “What?”

“I can put the office back the way it was—which, for the record, was completely messy and disorganized, in case you hadn’t noticed.” The frown that followed her comment wasn’t, Vince thought, completely convincing.

“You would, wouldn’t you?” From the look in her eye, he thought she just might. That made him smile.

Then again, she might be teasing him, although he couldn’t be certain. She was hard to figure out. Whatever else was to be said about Melanie Frazer, she was nothing if not interesting.

And determined.

And absolutely beautiful.

DEB KASTNER

lives and writes in colorful Colorado with the front range of the Rocky Mountains for inspiration. She loves writing for the Steeple Hill Love Inspired line, where she can write about her two favorite things—faith and love. Her characters range from upbeat and humorous to (her favorite) dark and brooding heroes. Her plots fall anywhere in between, from a playful romp to the deeply emotional.

Deb’s books have been twice nominated for the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Award for Best Book of the Year for Steeple Hill.

Deb and her husband share their home with their two youngest daughters. Deb is thrilled about the newest member of the family—her first granddaughter, Isabella. What fun to be a granny!

Deb loves to hear from her readers. You can contact her by email at DEBWRTR@aol.com, or on her MySpace or Facebook pages.

A Colorado Match

Deb Kastner

“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.”

—Matthew 15:31

For Joe

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

Letter to Reader (#litres_trial_promo)

Questions for Discussion (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One

Vincent Morningway leaned heavily on his crutches, attempting—not entirely successfully—to write coherently with one hand, keep the telephone to his ear with the other hand and not completely lose his balance and pitch straight down on his backside. He sighed as he finished his call and dropped the receiver back in the cradle. Stupid crutches.

Stupid cast.

Stupid skiing accident.

He’d unknowingly skied over a patch of hidden ice and had catapulted into a tree. He supposed he ought to be thankful that his injuries weren’t any worse than a broken leg and a slight concussion; but at the moment, he didn’t feel very blessed.

The whole incident still frustrated him every time he thought about it—which was every time he tried to move.

Growing up in the Rocky Mountains, he’d been skiing almost as long as he’d been walking. Didn’t it just figure that the one day a year he allowed himself some downtime to get away from the lodge and pursue an activity he was passionate about, he had to go and get hurt.

Even without his injury, he was already angry at himself for taking time off at all, what with the recent fire that had laid waste to the day care on Morningway Lodge property. Pop and Nate, Vince’s interfering younger brother, had ganged up on him, insisting he not cancel his plans.

So much for heeding Nate’s advice, he thought sardonically. Ever since they were children, Nate had always managed to get Vince into trouble, yet another instance of an entire lifetime of strife between him and his brother.