Healing Her Heart

heel of her car, intendin

sing her right foot to dri

at driving with her left fo

r, and awkwardly climbed

oing to work. She was mo

n n

less sky, fighting a wave

r few days off work if she

ainst the vehicle, enjoying

out what t

e was already heartily s

uld manage to hobble do

least for a while. There

ore tha

ris

rd her name, surprise w

walking toward her. He’d

from

that this time she didn’t

and a matching pink, short-

lothing. “What ar

of crutches in case you

ttire and lifted his brow.

cia

he could stop this ridic

h services, but driving is

She brightened with the p

f you’re serious about al

n Rose’s café. Much bette

four walls of

ter if I drove you to ch

isn’t easy for

ed by his willingness to

kind, but I don’t want to take you out of your way." “It’s no

realize she was standing

for the second time in l

pt sending this man into h

xcuse not to go along with

spending time with

easier when she was safe

until he slid into the dri

’t mind if you dropped m

f you don’t want

his shoulder as he backed

ay of saying I’m no

was horrified that he wou

you attending churc

s features. “Isn’t it the

ttend church and to redisc

ast that’s what my sis

his sister was a Christian

to come to church, but I ca

ome to that realiz

ent. “I have to be honest

in well ov

ppened to cause his laps

no idea why he’d even offe

want to pry into his persona

need for privacy. “Well, I

e attended in my lifetime,

He’s down to earth and yet

aybe I’m being presumptuou

i

noise but didn’t say an

he church. She struggled t

hin moments, Gabe wa

oping he wouldn’t notice

e crutches.” He pulled the aluminum crutches

but I might have the measurements wrong.” She took the crut

erfect. “They’re gre

o trust me, I know what

t as easy to crutc

and made her way over to

the church. Gabe stayed

f her back, as if he wa

oners in attendance as it

r by name. She didn’t kno

? Her friend? A colleagu

bring herself to use any

to say any

g his offer to bring her,

Did Gabe realize the powe

rning red and ducked her

ti

orry what anyone else tho

to the church, then the

th

t up a small prayer. Plea

o

____

a in church, wondering w

ut, had offered to be drop

over. Honestly, that was e

he menti

hance to skip out. Instea

n over a year. His sister

Madison, but after moving

mentioned that she couldn’t

inctively, the more she pushed, the more he’d backed off. He picked up the hymnal and found the opening hymn. One thing he’d rather liked about the church s

it rusty, but he soo

ed smile as she joined hi

e kept his eyes centered o

not

hough

an he’d anticipated. Gabe

sa’s glowing praise of Pas

day was forgiveness, he fo

stor’s

a moment and then read,

ing against anyone, forgiv

give you your tresp

hord deep within. He’d

d destroyed his reputation

oss and the hospital lead

, she was simply upset bec

im his job. No matter how

there was no way to r

gainst his, and h

focused on the pastor’s s

peace, he first had to clea

ing Re

He knew he should, but

rent

losing hymn before he’d

as even more surprised th

used to. In fact, he

Gabe,” Larissa said softl

this mo

ded. “Don’t tell my sist

nd reminded him of picni

e he could remember being

and relaxed a

o out on my boat this af

y considering it’s the Me

ill ha

excitement and surprise.

ble it is sitting inside t

t having a

rab some lunch and the

to go home first

ed. “And I was thinking o

yw

as glad she’d agreed to c

why he’d brought the id

ssa was still a nurse at

medical director position

h someone he worked with

Sitting at home alone did

eit

e sure that spending the

nds and no

____

being out on Gabe’s boat

her eyebrows when she’d

er face to the sun and tri

’t the best ide

ad she s

at she’d been bored and h

real reason was that she l

ysician she

iked a man in a

alized that she’d been run

ve Crystal Lake, the fact

anywhere that wasn

’d made one bad decision

forever? Maybe it was tim

stor John ha

lax, not to be stressed o

king gently a

her distress had been s

. I guess I was wallowing i

ike this is very relaxin

mitting.” “I don’t come out often enough

ow.” He was silent for a long moment. “I’

. “So I understand how it

t ti

sed he’d admitted that mu

l it is here.” He nodded as he glanced around.

first few weeks here and suppressed a shudder. “At least you were a Wisconsinite.” She’d heard he’d m

end or she would have had someone to hang out with.Someone other than Gabe Allen. Not that she was complaining or anything. “I bet if we asked around, we’d find more transplant residents than those who were born here,”

rising her. She stared at

o to voice mail as she di

led her to press the green

e.” The woman was speak

pprehension rippled down her s

crash followed by nothing bu