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  Stories from Hope Haven is a registered trademark of Guideposts.

  Copyright © 2011 by Guideposts. All rights reserved.

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  The characters, events and medical situations in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or occurrences is coincidental.

  Scripture are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

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  Cover design and illustration by Lookout Design, Inc.

  Interior design by Lorie Pagnozzi

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  Printed and bound in the United States of America

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  To my mother, Dagny, for always having open arms.

  STORIES from HOPE HAVEN

  The Best Medicine by Anne Marie Rodgers

  Chasing the Wind by Patricia H. Rushford

  Hope for Tomorrow by Patti Berg

  Strength in Numbers by Charlotte Carter

  A Simple Act of Kindness by Pam Hanson & Barbara Andrews

  The Heart of the Matter by Leslie Gould

  Well Wishes by Anne Marie Rodgers

  Measure of Faith by Patricia H. Rushford

  Cherished Memories by Patti Berg

  Christmas Miracles by Charlotte Carter

  The Healing Touch by Pam Hanson & Barbara Andrews

  Lean on Me by Leslie Gould

  Special Blessings by Anne Marie Rodgers

  With Open Arms by Patricia H. Rushford

  In This Together by Patti Berg

  New Beginnings by Charlotte Carter

  Chapter One

  ON A SUNNY SATURDAY MORNING IN EARLY AUGUST, Anabelle Scott woke far too early, but with good reason. How in the world was she supposed to sleep in when the day held so much promise?

  She smiled and stretched, luxuriating in the fact that she not only had the day off, she also had a full day to go shopping for fabric in Peoria with two of her closest friends. Elena Rodriguez and Genna Hamilton loved fabric shopping as much as she did. The huge discount store they planned to go to offered great sales on many of the higher quality fabrics.

  Anabelle had been planning this particular trip ever since she got the news about the engagement of her good friend Candace Crenshaw to Heath Carlson. She planned to make an heirloom double wedding ring quilt for the couple. The week before, Anabelle had found the pattern online and had talked with Candace’s mother Janet about color and style. All she needed to do now was buy the fabric so she could start working on it.

  Anabelle scooted off the bed, but not before admiring for a moment her husband. Cameron yawned as he climbed out of bed and shrugged into his worn flannel plaid bathrobe.

  “Do you have time to join me for breakfast this morning?” He met her on her side of the bed and gathered her in his arms.

  “You mean, make breakfast for you?” Anabelle teased as she leaned against him, still amazed at the depth of feeling she had for him after all these years.

  “You know me too well.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll pour the coffee.”

  Anabelle pulled on her lightweight, cotton-knit bathrobe and hurried down the stairs after him. After Cam poured their coffees, he took several sips of the hot brew and then set the cups on the table. Minutes later, Anabelle dished up two bowls of Scottish slow-cooked oatmeal with brown sugar—made the night before in her well-used slow cooker. She set the bowls on the table, along with a plate of turkey sausages and sliced cantaloupe and two glasses of pulpy orange juice.

  “I see Hope Haven’s getting a new chaplain.” Cam lowered the newspaper and added, “Did you know about that?”

  Anabelle nodded. “Not new though—at least I hope not. Pastor Tom is vacationing in Italy for a couple of weeks, and we’re getting a substitute.” Anabelle took a long sip of her coffee. “It’ll seem strange not having Pastor Tom around.”

  “Says here Reverend Whitfield’s a missionary in Tanzania and that he’s on furlough trying to raise funds to continue their work. He wants to build a hospital there.” Cam set the paper down. “He’s preaching at Holy Trinity tomorrow.”

  “Really?” She thought for a moment about suggesting they go to hear him, but didn’t. Holy Trinity’s Elena’s church. Maybe I’ll ask Elena about him today, she thought.

  She savored the ripe cantaloupe, all thoughts of the new chaplain fading when their son Evan walked in. It wasn’t unusual to see Evan up and about so early. He had taken over the family landscaping business from his father and routinely consulted with Cam. He seemed to have stepped up his visits since he’d opened the retail nursery.

  “Morning, Mother. Pop.” He bent to kiss his mother’s cheek, gave his father’s shoulder a squeeze, and then headed to the cupboard for a bowl. “Is there enough left over for me?”

  Anabelle laughed and rose to pour him a cup of coffee and get a small plate for the melon slices and sausage. “I think we can manage.” The slow cooker made enough for at least six bowls.

  Evan scooped up a heaping bowl of oatmeal and settled into one of the ten kitchen chairs and lifted back the quilted table runner Anabelle had made. The dining room set—a relic Cam had purchased recently and restored—took the place of their old smaller set. He figured that with their expanding family, they might need the room.

  So far, the family hadn’t expanded all that much. Anabelle and Cam had three children, and only one of them—Ainslee—had married. The year before, she and her husband Doug had given them a beautiful granddaughter whose high chair sat in the corner, always at the ready. At the rate little Lindsay Belle had been growing, she’d soon be occupying one of the ten regular chairs.

  Then there was Kirstie, their youngest. She’d earned a teaching degree and had worked the last few years as a teacher. This summer, Kirstie had chosen to work at Shedd’s Aquarium in Chicago with the thought that she might want to do it full-time in the future. Anabelle had missed Kirstie terribly throughout the summer, but they talked often, and her baby girl would be coming home soon. In fact, Cam and Anabelle had cancelled their plans to visit Kirstie this weekend because she would be home so soon.

  And Evan. Anabelle gave her eldest child a lingering glance as she stirred milk into her oatmeal. Though he’d had girlfriends from time to time, he seemed in no rush to settle down. At thirty-four, he was among Deerford’s most eligible bachelors. Quite handsome, Anabelle thought, with his wavy mahogany hair and eyes that turned from blue-gray to green depending on the color of his clothes.

  This morning he wore cutoffs and a lime-green T-shirt with the company logo and name—Scott Landscaping and Nursery—printed on the pocket.

  “I’ve never seen that T-shirt before. Something new?” Anabelle asked.

  “Do you like it?” He turned so she could see the back which had the same logo and lettering, only larger.

  “Very impressive.” Anabelle noted that the logo resembled the carved wooden sign that stood at the entrance of the nursery.

  “Good advertising.” Cam sipped at his coffee. “I like the new name. That Maureen has a lot of marketing sense.”

  “She’s a treasure.”

  Evan’s grin and his unabashed admiration for the nursery’s store manager gave Anabelle a start. Maureen seemed like a nice young woman, but Ev
an hadn’t really shown interest in her before—at least not that she’d noticed.

  If Evan’s interested in Maureen, maybe I should spend some time getting to know her. Anabelle had only been out to the nursery a couple of times to purchase plants since Evan had hired the young woman. She seemed nice, Anabelle thought, and shared Evan’s love for botanicals, having majored in horticulture and biology.

  “Not only did she design the shirt and order a couple dozen in,” Evan went on, “she also ordered coffee mugs and caps.”

  Cam nodded. “Everything has our logo now—even the boxes and bags for customers.”

  “I had no idea.” Anabelle leaned forward eager to hear more. “When did all this happen?” Of course, she was referring more to Evan’s obvious affection for Maureen and less to his foray into marketing. So much seemed to go on without her knowledge.

  Admittedly, most of her lack of information was her fault. She worked full-time and spent much of her spare hours visiting with Lindsay Belle and, of course, saved time for all things quilting related—like shopping for fabric.

  Speaking of which…Anabelle glanced at her watch and placed a hand on Evan’s arm. “Hold that thought. I want to hear all about it, but it’ll have to wait. Right now, I need to hurry if I’m going to pick up the girls on time.”

  “Girls?” Evan asked. “As in my sisters?”

  “Nope. Elena and Genna. We’re going fabric shopping.” Anabelle winked and carried her dishes to the sink. “Besides, Kirstie isn’t due back for few weeks.”

  Evan chuckled. “More fabric? You already have enough to open your own shop.”

  “Humph. One can never have enough fabric.”

  “By the way, that last quilt you gave me has a tear in it. I caught it on a tree branch last time I went camping.”

  “Just bring it by and leave it in my quilting room. I’ll fix it.” Knowing her bachelor son, she’d also need to give it a good washing. She hugged her husband and son and reminded Evan about family dinner on Sunday, after church. “I hope you can come.”

  “Sure… I might bring a friend.”

  Maureen? “The more the merrier.” Anabelle smiled but refrained from asking more details even though she was dying to know. Of late, she had been trying not to be a smothering, nosy, advice-giving mother. Trying being the operative word.

  She hurried upstairs before she could change her mind, reminding herself that the 40-percent-off sale at the fabric store was a perfect distraction from her curiosity. When she came back downstairs dressed in jeans and a loose top and athletic shoes, Evan was gone.

  Elena Rodriguez put the last of the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher and turned it on. She then ran a dishcloth over the table and counter. Regardless of where she was headed, Elena liked to leave her home tidy and clean. She rinsed out the dishrag, wrung it out, and hung it on the rod on the inside of the cabinet door under the sink.

  She turned to admire her retro kitchen—something Lucy Ricardo might have owned. The black-and-white checkerboard floor sparkled from the wash and shine she’d given it that morning.

  Even though they were considered outdated, Elena still enjoyed her turquoise appliances and the gingham curtains she’d sewn. As she examined them now, she noted they might be a bit faded from the sun. She made a mental note to look for material today to replace them.

  “Buela,”—Isabel, Elena’s six-year-old granddaughter, skipped into the kitchen waving a large envelope—“don’t forget to take my wedding dress pattern with you. You need it for measuring the material.”

  Elena nodded. “I won’t forget. Just set it beside my tote.” Of course, by wedding dress Izzy meant a fancy frock that she would wear to Candace Crenshaw’s wedding.

  “I wish I could go shopping with you.” Izzy sighed heavily and hitched herself up onto the kitchen chair, pumping her skinny legs up and down as though she were on a swing.

  “I know, but you’ll have much more fun at the Splash and Play with Brooke and Howie.” Candace, a nurse and good friend, had invited Izzy to accompany her, her fiancé Heath, and her children to the park for the day. The invitation had been a pleasant surprise and a lifesaver for Elena. Though Elena thoroughly enjoyed outings with her active and charming granddaughter, a shopping trip of this magnitude was not for children or the faint of heart. Elena chuckled to herself at the thought.

  Ordinarily, Cesar or Rafael would be watching her. But today her husband—a detective for the Deerford Police Department—was working on a case, and Rafael—Izzy’s father—would be leaving for Chicago later that morning to perform with his band.

  Elena’s heart was still reeling over the harsh words Cesar and Rafael had shared earlier that morning. For years now, Cesar had tried to get Rafael to give up the band idea and focus on what he called a real job. Rafael had eventually realized that he had a knack for police work, and to his father’s delight had decided to finish school and go into law enforcement.

  Unfortunately, he had yet to find a job. The day before, Cesar had told Rafael about an opening with the sheriff’s department. That morning, he had been upset that Rafael hadn’t bothered to apply. “I’ll take care of it on Monday,” Rafael had casually replied. Cesar had simply shaken his head and stalked out.

  Elena took a deep breath, shaking the thoughts and the frustrations away. This was not a day to worry about such things.

  “When are they coming to get me?” Izzy stilled her legs and swiveled her head to look at the starburst clock above the fireplace.

  “At ten o’clock.” Elena pointed to the clock. “Remember, the big hand on the twelve and the little one on the…?”

  “Ten!”

  “That’s right,” Elena said with a smile.

  “But how much time before I can go?”

  Elena continued the teaching moment. “What time is it now?”

  Isabel scrunched up her face as she studied the clock. “Eight?”

  “Exactly!” Elena clasped her hands. “Very good. Now how many numbers do you have to count until you get to ten?”

  “Nine and ten.” She grinned, obviously pleased with herself. “Two hours.”

  “Exactly.”

  Izzy frowned. “That’s too long. Can’t Daddy take me to their house right now?”

  “No, sweetheart. You need to be patient. Why don’t you go and play with your dolls. Or maybe Daddy will take you out to your playhouse or you could play on your swing set.”

  Last fall, Cesar and Rafael had erected the darling Cinderella house and swing set out back near Elena’s garden. Izzy loved her house and play yard, but since it couldn’t be easily seen through the patio doors, she wasn’t allowed to play there unsupervised.

  “Daddy’s playing the guitar in his room with Jesse.”

  Jesse was a member of the band and had been hanging around a bit more than usual of late. Elena could be wrong, but she had a hunch the young man had his eye on Sarah, Isabel’s mother. She hoped the feeling wasn’t mutual. She still held on to the dream that Sarah and Rafael would eventually reunite, despite their rocky past.

  “That’s okay,” Elena said. “Your daddy knows that I’m going. Why don’t you go knock on his door and let him know I’m leaving. Anabelle will be here any minute to pick me up.”

  Another deep sigh from Izzy. “Okay. Have a good time shopping with Aunt Anabelle.” The girl hesitated. “Are you going to buy more patterns for my school clothes?”

  “Not today. You and I will go shopping very soon, and you can help me find material.”

  “My mommy too?”

  “If she wants to.” Elena hunkered down and gave her precious girl a hug.

  “She will.” Isabel pressed her lips together and leaned forward to whisper in Elena’s ear. “I think Daddy likes my mommy better now. Maybe he’ll marry her at the wedding.”

  Elena tried not to laugh. “Oh, sweetie. Only Candace and Heath can get married at their wedding. Besides, as I’ve told you before, your mommy and daddy are just friends, honey.” A
t least for now. Elena kept the latter to herself. “Not to mention, wonderful parents to my precious grandchild.”

  Izzy smiled and gave the faintest curtsy. She was the girliest of girly girls. “But I want us to be a family and have my mommy live with us and—”

  Elena sighed. She and Izzy had had this same discussion many times before. It wasn’t that Izzy didn’t understand the dynamics of her parents’ relationship. It was more that she didn’t want to. “I know you do, Izzy, but you can’t always have what you want.”

  “But—”

  “End of discussion, sweetheart.” She turned Izzy around and pointed her toward Rafael’s room. “Now go get Daddy. Have fun with Brooke and Howie, and I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  Izzy turned around, gave her a hug, and scampered off. Elena straightened and offered up a thank-you to God for the child and their family, such as it was.

  Life was full of twists and turns. Sarah Fulton, Isabel’s birthmother, had left Rafael with their infant daughter only a few days after Izzy’s birth. Rafael had then moved in with Cesar and Elena, and together, they had made a good home for Izzy.

  Sarah had been a confused young woman on drugs at the time, but had straightened out her life and recently come back into their lives. With God’s help, Elena had gone from wanting nothing to do with Sarah to loving her almost as a daughter.

  About a year ago, Isabel had gotten the notion that Sarah and Rafael should get married so they could be a real family. Whenever she mentioned it, Elena would caution her about not getting her hopes up. Rafael was not even close to settling down with anyone—especially not his daughter’s mother. Sarah had abandoned him before, and he had no intention of being burned again. It had taken a while, but Rafael had finally begun to forgive Sarah. Desiring to marry the woman was a whole other ball game.

  Elena thought again about Jesse. She really couldn’t blame Sarah if she began to date him. He was a good guy, and she deserved to be happy. And waiting for Rafael to come around seemed unrealistic.