Lost and Found Faith by Laurel Blount

Author:Laurel Blount
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-06-11T15:45:25+00:00

* * *

Three days later, Maggie lugged the canvas case holding Angelo’s new event tent out across the lush grass of Cedar Ridge’s Puppy Park. Oliver walked beside her, clutching a sippy cup of milk.

“Neil?” the toddler asked hopefully for the tenth time since she’d buckled him in the van that morning.

“He’ll be here, sweetie. Any minute.”

“Okay.” Oliver nodded earnestly. “In a minute.” He reached out and took Maggie’s free hand. Startled, she glanced down. The toddler trudged ahead, swigging his cup, as if holding her hand wasn’t any big deal.

Except, of course, it was.

Maggie blinked back tears. Oliver had come such a long way. They weren’t there yet, but these little improvements happened more and more frequently—especially, she noticed, when there was a prospect of seeing Neil.

Oliver hadn’t shown much interest in coming today, not even when she’d mentioned the dogs—until she’d told him that Neil would be there. Then the little boy had hopped up from the kitchen table, hooting happily.

He sure brightens up when he hears Neil’s name, doesn’t he? Maggie had asked Ruby wistfully.

Ruby’s faded eyes had twinkled. He ain’t the only one, I notice.

Maggie had shot her foster mother an exasperated look. Don’t start being silly.

Silly? Ruby had sipped innocently from her coffee mug. Oh, no. I wouldn’t want to be silly. So, you gonna wear a pretty dress to this shindig, too? Or do you only dress up fancy to pass out sack lunches?

Maggie had stuck out her tongue and quietly changed her plans to wear her new blouse. Instead, she went for a simple T-shirt and shorts. She even painted a goofy paw print on one cheek just so Ruby would know there was absolutely nothing silly going on.

And there wasn’t. Sure, she liked Neil Hamilton. How could she not? He was a very kind man who was going out of his way to help her. And yes, maybe she’d had a few romantic thoughts about him, but they didn’t mean anything. How could they? She wasn’t looking for a relationship, and even if she was, she couldn’t afford to complicate her life right now. Besides, she and Neil were so different—he was all scholarly and bookish, and she hadn’t taken a class since high school. He’d never be interested in somebody like her, so Ruby might as well get that hopeful gleam out of her eye.

Maggie dumped the case next to the folding chairs and the plastic tub of cookies she’d already unloaded. Treasuring the feel of Oliver’s little hand clutching hers, she surveyed the pretty fenced park.

The official opening of the Cedar Ridge Puppy Park was scheduled for 10:00 a.m., and some pet owners and their dogs had already arrived to wait for the advertised celebration. A small grandstand, festooned with red, white and blue bunting, had been set up for the mayor’s speech. The local vet was offering free rabies vaccinations, a photographer was setting up a backdrop to photograph people’s pets, and another vendor was busy unboxing colorful dog toys.

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