Matched in Miracle Books 1-4 first chapters
Hearts and Hammers-Book 1
Chapter 1
Lacy Cooper stood in her lavish executive office overlooking the park below, staring at the letter in her trembling hands. With all the emotional trauma she’d experienced this week and the break-in at her condo, she couldn’t imagine things getting worse. And yet, her heart sank as she absorbed the words, spelling out the end of her career in Los Angeles.
She had dedicated her entire profession to the prestigious Sterling Financial Solutions, but the more she worked with the company’s finances, the more discrepancies she found. What she’d expected was a swift and thorough investigation into who was laundering money, not losing her job.
She could hardly get past the first paragraph.
We regret to inform you that your employment at Sterling Financial Solutions is hereby terminated, effective immediately. This decision has been made after careful consideration due to performance-related issues and a misalignment of values and expectations between you and the company.
So, this is how they handled obvious breaches of ethics. Fire the person bringing to the CEO the seriousness of their situation. Someone was embezzling funds, that she was sure, but she couldn’t figure out who. Was it Mr. Gulbrandsen himself?
We appreciate your contributions during your time at Sterling Financial Solutions, and we acknowledge the skills and experience you have brought as the Chief Financial Officer. However, it has become apparent that current developments have necessitated a change in leadership.
Current changes? Yeah, I’ll bet. He needed someone in there who couldn’t question discrepancies.
Lacy finished the rest of the letter.
Under company policies, your final paycheck will be processed and mailed to you in accordance with your employment contract and applicable laws.
Please return all company property and any sensitive or confidential information in your possession immediately. Failure to do so will result in legal action.
A veiled threat so she wouldn’t go to the authorities with her suspicions?
It is of utmost importance to Sterling Financial Solutions that all former employees maintain the confidentiality of company information, even after termination. We remind you of your ethical and legal obligations to protect our business interests, as per your signed non-disclosure agreement.
Lacy snorted. Of course, they want her to live up to her ethics to protect their interests.
We wish you the best in your future endeavors outside the world of finances.
Sincerely,
William H. Guldbrandsen
After crumpling the letter, she tossed it into the trash can and slumped into her desk chair. How had five years led to this?
Lacy pulled her contract from her files and perused the terms. She could probably cash in her company stocks and have enough to live on until she could figure out what to do.
She took the letter from the trash can and reread the last line…outside the world of finances. Was that another threat that her boss wouldn’t give her a letter of recommendation? How would she survive in California? The cost of living was so much higher than any other place she could afford to work in LA.
Where could she go to find people who wouldn’t reject her based on her lack of recommendation? The only place she could think of was her hometown of Miracle, Texas. What could she do there for gainful employment?
Heartstrings and Handlebars-Book 2
Chapter 1
Hannah pedaled her bike up the small hill, her breathing hard and her legs aching. “You can do this, Nahnah.” Her father’s words rang through her mind. Five more miles to her destination, and she could call this leg of her journey the halfway mark.
Her aunt’s rebuttal to her dad’s dream echoed in her memory as well. “Are you crazy, girl? Why would you give up everything?” Dad’s sister’s house was her final destination. She could have easily got on a plane and been in Jacksonville in a matter of hours. Torn between the need to be in Aunt Belinda’s embrace again and fulfilling Dad’s lifelong wish, she opted to ride. It was a little thing she could do for her father. And so Belinda flew back to Florida to await Hannah’s arrival.
Once she reached the summit, she parked her bike under a tree at the side of the road. She took a long drink of her warm water before pulling a granola bar from her backpack. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she now wished she’d planned her trip during the spring months. But with Dad’s memorial service only a few weeks ago, she chose to brave the summer weather. It was like her dad was pressing her to go now and stop moping around her tiny apartment, which she’d shared with him until she had no choice but to put him in hospice.
Hannah pulled her hat off, letting the air cool her head. A few clouds drifted overhead, bringing with it a bit of relief. Normally, she’d pray for clear skies, but today a light shower would be nice. Her phone pinged an incoming text. She pulled it from her back pocket and checked to see who it was, although she already knew.
Hey girl, you doing okay?
Hannah rolled her eyes. She’d promised her aunt to check in with her at the end of the each day, and judging by the sun’s position, she still had several more hours. Hannah had put a tracking app on her phone, so Aunt Belinda could see where she was on her journey. Her aunt texted her every time Hannah stopped to eat or rest or use the restroom. If Hannah was in the same place for more than an hour, her aunt might have cause for concern.
I’m fine. Hannah finally typed in after taking another long drink and polishing off her snack.
That’s good. Where are you stopping for the night?
Miracle, TX. I’ll be staying at the inn there.
Call me when you get settled.
Hannah sent a heart emoji. Not that she didn’t adore her aunt, it was just that with her father gone, Belinda was more than annoying with her concern for Hannah. She wished her aunt would just let her take this journey with her dad, alone with his memory.
Taking one last gulp, Hannah readjusted her backpack over her shoulders and kicked the stand up on her bike. The aroma of fresh cut hay filled the air, so different from the smells of the city. Without a plan for the rest of her life, Hannah could well imagine herself settling down in a rural town like this. But first, Dad’s journey.
Hannah started off again, coasting down the slight hill. Ever since she was a little girl, she’d been able to balance, and it hadn’t taken long for her dad to remove the training wheels on her first bike. She threw her hands in the air and let the breeze pass through her fingers.
From her peripheral view, another biker entered the road. Unable to steer away from him, her front tire caught his, and they both went end over end.
Hannah lay in the soft grass at the side of the road, staring up at the clouds. What had just happened?
“Oh, my gosh, Miss! Are you alright?” A man with a bike helmet stood over her.
Afraid to move, Hannah did a quick check to see where she was hurt. Her back? Legs? Arms? Everything seemed to be alright. Her head? That was another problem. When people talked about seeing stars, she’d thought it was figurative, but those little speckles floating in her view were definitely stars. And the weird thing? They created a halo around the guy hovering over her. “Dad?”
“Uh, no. Josiah.” He removed his helmet and knelt beside her.
Sweet mother-of-pearl! This was definitely NOT her father. Was he the hottest guy she’d ever seen or what? From his bronzed face to his shocking blonde hair to his tight riding shirt stretched across his muscled chest and shoulders, the sight of him made her heart race out of control. Of course, that could have been from the fall. Did she bump her head? Was she in heaven staring at one hunk of an angel? If she’d died, why didn’t her dad meet her?
He placed his hand on her shoulder when she tried to sit. “Uh, stay right there. I’ll call 911.”
“Let me sit up, and I’ll tell you if that’s necessary.” Hannah eased onto her elbows. The dreamy hunk cupped her head and helped her to a sitting position. With her head down to make sure she wasn’t dizzy, she got a good look at the blood running down his leg from the gash on his shin.
“I should ask you if you’re alright.”
“I’m fine.” He didn’t release her head. Instead, he brought his other hand to her neck. “Are you sure you’re not hurt? You fell pretty hard.”
Hannah pointed at the guy’s leg. “Uh, you’re probably going to need stitches.”
Josiah let go of her head and she flopped forward. “Sweet mother-of-pearl.”
Hannah’s head snapped up. “Where did you hear that phrase?”
He sat back in the grass, examining his wound. “My mom says it all the time. I think she was trying to get me to not blaspheme God’s name.”
Hannah rolled to her knees, searching for her backpack. “Looks like your mom taught you well.” From her pack, she withdrew a washcloth and her first aid kit.
“She sure did.” He winced when she covered the wound, which had nearly quit bleeding. “Ouch.”
“Sorry.” Upon further inspection, the gash looked mostly superficial. “It doesn’t look like it needs stitches after all, but clean it well when you get home.”
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
The sweet sound of his accent sent little tingles through her. Sweet mother of…how could she be so instantly attracted to him? Trying her best to ignore this decidedly handsome stud, she wiped the wound as best she could and wrapped some gauze around his leg. Oh, dang! His legs were beefy.
He shifted so she could reach around his calf. “I should be the one taking care of you. It’s my fault.”
“I’m fine.” Though she would probably never be fine ever again unless, of course, she might…maybe…possibly…get a date?
Beaches and Buckskins-Book 3
Chapter 1
Tanner pulled Lacy against his chest. “Alright Ms. Cooper, what are we tackling today?”
Lacy’s heart raced as the warmth of his body emanated beneath his shirt. “I ordered a new painting for the lobby a few days ago. It should be in by this afternoon.” She hoped her ideas for the interior face-lift as well as the outside met with his approval. She trusted his expertise.
He snuggled her under his chin. “That’s exciting. I can’t wait to see it.”
Lacy loved these moments of connection. “I think you’ll love it.” She’d never felt as secure as when she was in his arms. Who would have thought that when she left Los Angeles, she would have found love so quickly? At first, she’d worried about his previous mistakes that landed him in prison, but over the past two weeks, he’d proven to her his long-ago history shouldn’t judge him. A person could change in seven years’ time. Obviously, the Joneses had trusted him, in fact, trusted him enough to have not mentioned it. If it hadn’t been for the pastor’s intervention, Tanner would have been out of a job, and Lacy would have been out of a handyman.
He planted a warm kiss on her forehead. “What shall we work on in the meantime?” He bent to kiss her just as the bell on the front door chimed. A teen wearing coveralls and a baseball cap entered. “Oh! Should I come back later?” He looked a lot like the pastor. Probably his son.
Lacy pushed Tanner away from her and cleared her throat. “Oh, no.” She ran nervous hands down her jeans. They really needed to stop kissing in public. But then, if she remembered how the town gossip went, they were already an item. “We were just discussing how to decorate the interior.”
“Oh…” he said, but clearly his expression said he didn’t believe it for a minute. “My dad sent me by with these.” He held out a box about the size of business cards.
Tanner took it from the kid. “What are these?”
“You forgot them, so my grandpa asked me to bring them by. He wanted to know if you’d already delivered the invitation yet, and if you haven’t, then he’d like you to seal the envelopes with these.”
More than likely, Pastor Montgomery sent whoever this was to check them out and see what their status was, and he’d probably report that he’d caught them kissing in the lobby…well, about to kiss. There was no mistaking what was about to happen between the two of them. Heck, even Hannah had come in unannounced, while Lacy and Tanner were sneaking a little kiss…or two…or maybe a few more in the office.
“Thanks. We were just going to go do that.” Tanner opened the box. Inside lay a stack of gold embossed stickers.
“They’re lovely.” Lacy took one out and examined it. Around the outside was a leaf pattern and inside was a pair of angel wings with the words “Be the Miracle” embossed over the top of them. “It won’t take long to put these on the envelopes.”
“Thanks, Liam.” Tanner waved him out the door.
“Yeah, don’t have too much fun with those.” Liam screwed up his face and looked a bit disgusted by the whole thing.
“Give him another couple of years and he’ll be looking for a hot babe like you.” Tanner took Lacy’s chin between his fingers.
Lacy raised her eyebrows. “Hot babe, huh? Is that all you see me as?”
Barrels and Broncos-Book 4
I’ll probably change the title
Chapter 1
Claudia tossed the curry brush into the bucket inside her horse trailer. “Please, God, let me win this rodeo. If I don’t take the grand prize this time, I’ll quit like Mama keeps telling me to, admit defeat and go back home.” Although returning to her parents’ house was giving up on her lifelong dream of barrel racing and facing the ultimate “I told you so” from her parents. Daddy had said she was foolish to run the rodeo circuit. He kept telling her to get an education in a field that paid her bills and made her self-sufficient. Mama just wanted to get married, like her older siblings. They told her that if wanted to ride, she could get her fill of horses by taking care of the one her family boarded on their ranch. She probably have to sell Sundance since she’d be too tied up with school and helping around the place.
Ever since Claudia was a little girl, all she’d wanted to do was to own her own horse. As a teenager, she’d saved enough money from her after-school job to purchase Sundance and pay for his upkeep. Mrs. Clark had offered to teach her how to race. The first time Sundance took a turn around those barrels and managed a decent time, Claudia was hooked. Each time she beat her previous record, it had set her heart pounding and stomach fluttering. Nothing else could do that to her afterwards…not even the boy next door.
Oh, they’d gone out a few times. The first time he walked her to the door, she let him kiss her cheek. Her heart barely picked up its pace, and there were no flutters in her stomach. On the second date, she let him kiss her. Not that she was hoping for that yeehaw kind of feeling, but she felt nothing. Even after the third date, he just didn’t make her heart pitter patter like she’d read in the two or three romance books she could hardly get through. The way the writers described falling in love was like all butterflies in the stomach and a heart racing faster than a locomotive. No, Claudia’s horse and barrels racing was all the thrill she needed.
Now she just needed to take first place if she was going to keep her horse and her dignity with her family. Coming in second and third was nice and the prize money kept her on the road and kept up the repairs on her poor, dilapidated truck and trailer. But her other losses couldn’t allow her to keep competing. Sundance needed too many horseshoes, vet bills, and she didn’t even want to think about the feed she kept putting on her credit card. At what point did she admit defeat?
The Bar-Z rodeo was her last resort.
The drive to Miracle took both longer and shorter than she hoped. Anticipation threatened to cut off her breathing and excitement roped her stomach. She wanted to get her horse stabled so she could check out the arena and get a feel for the dirt. It wasn’t a lot different from most of the other rodeo grounds, except this one was a tad bit smaller. Tomorrow, she’d run the course several times. Maybe she’d check out the competition before her event. For tonight, she just wanted to flop into bed.
Luckily, she’d found a discount on the only hotel in town. Because it was Miracle Inn’s grand reopening, they were offering a huge discount on an economy room. It was cheaper than staying in Peach Springs and having to drive thirty miles every day. This would allow her to be within minutes of the rodeo grounds. And as it was, her antique truck had too many miles on it to keep driving back and forth every day. That and the rising gas prices, she ought to save her cash by staying close to the ranch.
After making sure Sundance was secure, Claudia drove the few miles into town and located Miracle Inn where she’d booked her room for the week. The single paned door opened into a quaint lobby with a picture of Jesus sitting on the curio cabinet. Releasing the handle of her suitcase, she clasped her hands in front of her. “Dear Lord,” she whispered, her gaze focused on His loving eyes. “Please help me succeed this week. And if I happen to find the right man, that will sure make Mama happy.”
She turned her gaze from the Savior’s picture when a woman with a wild shock of strawberry blond hair entered the desk area and stood at the counter chatting with a handsome man who’d followed her. They must be newlyweds for the way they were eyeing each other. Claudia cleared her throat and rested her clasped hands on the counter. “I’m here to check in.”
“Welcome to our grand reopening!” The woman’s smile split her face. “I’m Lacy Cooper.”
“Claudia Richardson.” Claudia opened her app to show Lacy her reservation.
“Oh, you just put that away. I trust you.” Lacy shooed her hand at Claudia. “That’s what small towns are all about. Trust. But I will need to see your credit card…the one you made the reservation with.”
The guy standing beside Lacy never took his eyes off her. Yep…definitely newlyweds.
So sweet. Maybe one day Claudia would find someone who would fall so deeply in love with her to look at her the same way he was ogling Lacy. “How long have you been married?”
Color shot into Lacy’s cheeks. “Oh, we’re not married.”
The man opened his mouth to say something but closed it real fast. From the way he was looking at her, they’d be getting hitched before long. “Name’s Tanner. I’m in charge of maintenance here. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ring the front desk, and I’ll make sure you’re all set.”
Lacy took an old-fashioned key off a peg board behind her. Positively small town. “Your room is on the first floor, down the hall, and around the corner.” Before she could hand Claudia the key, the clatter of the coat rack crashing to the floor filled the room.
Claudia turned in time to witness a cowboy falling toward her. His boot had snagged on the bottom part of the coat rack, and his arms flailed out in front of him, catching her around the waist, pulling her to the ground with him.
His immense hand went around her head, protecting it from hitting the floor. Who was that screaming? Was that her voice coming out?
As the cowboy landed on the floor, he cradle her body with his other hand, keeping her close to his chest. “Oh, ma’am!”
Claudia had heard about people who had a strong sense of protection. She blinked at him. His dark eyelashes, like the shadow of a mesquite tree, framed his jade green eyes. She could fall into the depths of them. When she asked God for a man to fall for her, this wasn’t quite what she had in mind.
He sat her on the ground and held her shoulders in his massive hands. “I’m so sorry about that. Are you alright?”
Claudia brushed her hair from her face and scooted away from him. “I’m okay, thanks to your saving me.”
The guy stood and held out his hand to help her up.
Both Lacy and Tanner had come around the counter. Tanner punched the guy in the arm. “Jeez, Austin. Why didn’t you watch where you were going?”
“I…uh…” Color flamed into the guy’s cheeks.
Tanner drew his chin back. “Just because you haven’t seen a pretty girl in a long time—”
The guy slapped his hand over Tanner’s mouth.