Collin Edwards, a former parishioner at Woodland Church, has renounced God without apology, his faith drained away in the face of a tragic loss.
Daveny Montgomery cares deeply about her relationship with God, and the community of Woodland . Lately though, she's been in a rut, longing for something to reignite her spiritual enthusiasm.
A beautification project at Woodland seems the answer for them both. Daveny spearheads the effort and Collin assists, but only with the renovations, and only because he wants to know Daveny better. Despite his deepening feelings for her, even stepping into the common areas of the church stirs tension and anger.
Can Daveny trust in Collin’s fledgling return to faith? And can Collin ever accept the fact that while he turned his back on God, God never turned his back on him?
Read an excerpt!
The closer he got to Woodland Church, the more Collin's tension increased. He faced that fact without flinching, and without apologizing.
He couldn't help the sense of anger he felt whenever he considered matters of faith, so he didn't try to stem the tide. Helping his mom is what mattered, and the thought kept Collin centered as he turned off Jefferson Avenue and into the church parking lot.
“Wow.”
The single word exclamation was Collin's instinctive reaction upon seeing the church. Grounds were torn up in large spots and contractors worked at the open sores. Collin slowed his truck to a stop next to a series of graders, haulers and a semi presently swarmed by what he assumed were church volunteers.
He hopped down from the cab and released the back latch, looking for a person who might be deemed the project leader.
The fact that he stopped to stare drew the attention of a by-passer, who called affably, “Need some help?”
“Delivery. Can you point me to the right person?”
“That’d be Daveny. She’ll get you taken care of. Follow me over.”
They crossed the lot and closed in on a cluster of folks who were in scrubby clothes, water bottles and gardening tools in hand. At the center stood a slender, petite woman wearing jeans and a lime green t-shirt. They stepped up and Collin realized she was in the process of assigning volunteers to designated sections of the church grounds.
During a pause, Collin's escort spoke up. “Daveny, this gentleman brought us some supplies.”
“Perfect. Thanks, Gabe.”
With that, she turned. Collin's world tilted when her gaze lifted to his in greeting. Something overwhelming and instantly captivating swept through him like wind song when she smiled.
“Hi, I'm Daveny Montgomery.”
Collin stumbled over his own name, stalling out while he stared at her. There was a purity he sensed – elusive and instantly haunting.
“Collin Edwards,” he finally managed, taking hold of her extended hand. Firm grip, he realized, soft as silk skin. Nice.
Suddenly, he didn't want to leave. Not quite yet anyway.
She’s seen a number of her books published. Kensington Publishing purchased her first book, Friends & Lovers. Her second contemporary romance, Right Hand Man, followed shortly thereafter. Her third release from Kensington, Hannah’s Heart, won critical acclaim in The Oakland Press. Her fourth book, a novella entitled With This Kiss, is her first offering at The Wild Rose Press. Hearts Crossing is her first inspirational romance and marks her debut at White Rose Publishing.
A resident of suburban Detroit, she’s happily married with two kids and a family that never fails to support and encourage. An active member of Romance Writers of America, she’s a long-time member of Greater Detroit RWA where she served the chapter in a number of capacities, most notably as treasurer and two terms as president.
Visit Marianne online at http://www.marianneevans.com/ and her blog at http://www.marianneevans.blogspot.com/.
You'll also find her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Marianne-Evans/308711716744 and
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Marmo212
Hearts Crossing is also available in a Kindle
edition.Find this and other titles at WhiteRosePublishing.com!
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