Her pulse sped up as he inched closer. “There’s only one baby in my tummy at the moment.”
“Oh, darlin’, we’re just getting started.” He claimed her mouth with his, and she lost all logical thought as he swept her away with a passionate kiss.
She’d never imagined being a mom with a houseful of kids. But loving Levi and Wren, and getting married, had taught her that life was full of surprises. In the distance, the train whistle bellowed, and Savannah remembered sweet Martha, the lovely stranger who’d graciously come alongside her on a dark day, encouraged her not to lose hope and reminded her that God still had a remarkable plan for her life.
Good call, Martha. Good call.
Look for Heidi McCahan’s next book,
a full-length novel from Love Inspired Trade,
coming in March 2025!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Their Unlikely Protector by Meghann Whistler.
Dear Reader,
I’m so excited to introduce you to this new miniseries set in the fictional community of Opportunity, Alaska. To be honest, I didn’t initially set out to write a book about a character who struggles with a “mean girl.” But as the story unfolded, I really explored how we’re supposed to live among folks whose words and actions get under our skin.
Isn’t it interesting how fictional stories and imaginary settings often reflect issues we’re dealing with in our real lives? Much like Savannah and Levi, I needed a reminder of how God encourages us to love difficult people and extend grace. Writing this story also reminded me of God’s promise that we don’t need to be ashamed of our mistakes. He is waiting for us with open arms, even when we’re determined to solve problems on our own. As always, my hope is that reading this novel will inspire you to reflect on the truths found in God’s Word and strengthen your relationship with Him.
I hope you enjoyed your visit to Opportunity, and I look forward to sharing another story soon. Thank you for supporting Christian fiction and telling your friends how much you enjoy our books. I’d love to connect with you. You can find me online: www.Facebook.com/heidimccahan/, heidimccahan.com/ or www.Instagram.com/heidimccahan.author. For news about book releases and sales, sign up for my author newsletter: www.subscribepage.com/heidimccahan-newoptin.
Until next time,
Heidi
Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
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Their Unlikely Protector
by Meghann Whistler
Chapter One
When Brett Richardson first saw the plume of smoke as he drove through the streets of Wychmere Bay, his hometown on Cape Cod, he thought he was imagining things. It was like a bad flashback to that horrible night at Half Shell two months ago—except he actually hadn’t been there that night to do anything about the fire that had burned his parents’ restaurant to the ground.
He blinked and looked back toward the beach. Nope, his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. It was after two o’clock in the morning and he’d been driving for hours, but there was enough moonlight that he could see it clearly: the smoke was definitely there.
He reached for his phone before remembering that it had died in the middle of his catering gig up in Boston.
All right, everything’s fine. Just drive by and make sure the fire department’s there before you head home.
He shouldn’t even have been on this street right now. No, he should have been on his way to the Sea Glass Inn, where he was staying until he found a cheap apartment to rent. But after getting off the highway, he’d gone on autopilot and headed for his childhood home—the one he and his sister had put on the market last spring so that he could buy out her share of Half Shell.
The sale had closed two months ago.
One week before the restaurant had gone up in flames.
But maybe the fact that he hadn’t been paying enough attention to where he was going was a good thing, a God thing, because as he turned the corner onto the next street, he could see what was causing all the smoke.
A house. On fire.
And no lights or sirens anywhere.
He threw his car into Park in the middle of the road and leaped out, adrenaline shooting through his body. The garage of the small Cape Cod cottage in front of him was blazing, and there was no one else in sight.
There was a car parked in the driveway, though. Were the residents still inside asleep?
For a split second, Brett weighed his options. Go bang on the neighbors’ doors, then wait for someone to answer and call 911. Or go break down the door of this house, and make sure everyone was safe.
He charged up the front walk. The fire was loud—the roar of it like a continuous roll of thunder—and hot, hotter than he’d expected.
He pounded on the door. “Fire!” He couldn’t hear anything inside over the rumble of the flames. “Wake up! Wake up! Fire!”
He tried the handle. Locked.
He threw his shoulder against the door and winced at the pain. Then he did it again, and again. Nothing. The skin on the left side of his face felt like it was being seared by the heat from the flames.
He ran to the back of the house. It was quieter back here, with the fire emanating from the front of the garage. He banged on the sliding glass door. “Get up! Get out! Fire!”
