What the Heart Knows

What the Heart Knows
Margaret Daley

Kathleen Somers needed something to believe in again. Rocked by her husband' s death and her once-loving son' s transformation, she' d drifted away from God. It wasn' t until she met handsome Dr. Jared Matthews that she felt the first glimmer of hope. And something else…A burned-out widower, Jared thought he could offer Kathleen nothing but heartache. Still, he couldn' t desert her when the situation involving her son became a living nightmare. As he reached out to Kathleen, Jared finally saw what a relationship could be. Now he prayed that God' s love would give Kathleen the courage to follow her heart.…

“Why is this happening?

I don’t understand.”

“We will get through this, Kathleen. I promise.”

The vehemence in Jared’s voice reached through the haze that clouded her mind. Kathleen straightened and looked at him through a blur of tears. In that moment she realized she cared for this man a great deal, too much to handle on top of everything else. She closed her eyes, needing to block the sight of his endearing features. Tears leaked out.

The soft brush of Jared’s fingers under her eyes brought more tears to her. His kindness, his tenderness, unraveled her composure further.

“You are not alone,” Jared murmured and drew her against the cushion of his shoulder. “I am here. Your family, too, but most importantly, God is with you.”

MARGARET DALEY

feels she has been blessed. She has been married thirty-three years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun, who married his high school sweetheart in June 2002.

She has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. She has taught for over twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and participated in many sports with her students.

What the Heart Knows

Margaret Daley

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in Thy word. Uphold me according unto Thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.

—Psalms 119:114, 116

To Helen Moore, a friend who has stuck by me

through the bad and good.

Friendship is so important, and

I have been blessed with good friends.

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

Epilogue

Letter to Reader

Chapter One

Through the crowd packed into the church’s recreational hall, Kathleen Somers searched for her sister and nephew. She spied Laura waving from the front row. Quickly Kathleen hurried toward her, aware the talent show would be starting soon.

“I didn’t think you were coming. You’re never late.” Laura indicated she sit between herself and a young girl who looked familiar.

“I didn’t think Mark would ever get ready. He wanted to do this, but the way he was dragging his feet you would think I had made him.” Kathleen took her seat, smiling at the child next to her.

Laura leaned close and whispered, “Still having problems with Mark?”

Kathleen nodded, not wanting to discuss Mark and his odd behavior of late. Being sixteen was a difficult time in a person’s life, but the problems she was having with her son were going beyond adolescent rebellion.

The lights in the hall flashed off then on. The young girl next to Kathleen twisted around in her chair, scanning the back of the room. She knitted her brows together in a frown.

“Is something wrong?” Kathleen asked.

“Dad should be back by now.”

“Where did he go?”

She turned back around and peered at Kathleen. “Looking for my brother. You’re Chad’s aunt, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m Kathleen Somers.”

“I’m Hannah Matthews.”

So that was why she looked familiar. Kathleen was acquainted with her father, Dr. Jared Matthews. He took care of her sister’s children and was an active member of her family’s church.