Harlequin Love Inspired December 2019--Box Set 1 of 2 by Jo Ann Brown

Author:Jo Ann Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

The room was dark and she couldn’t breathe. Sierra fought against the unseen enemy and struck out. Then she was awake and a cold nose pushed against her face. Bub crawled up against her and she feared she’d been hitting at the dog. He didn’t seem at all hurt by her. He rested his head on her shoulder and she wrapped her arms around him, finding comfort in his presence. Her breathing slowed. The nightmare faded.

Bub stayed next to her as gray light began to ease its way into the room, signaling the start of another day.

“You know you’re not supposed to get on the bed,” she reminded the dog. Bub whimpered and crawled closer.

“Don’t push it, Bub.” But she wrapped her arms around the dog, allowing him to do his job for just a moment longer. And it worked. Her fears evaporated and she knew that this was her room in Hope, that she was not alone in a prison cell. “I think we’re going for a run.”

Bub looked skeptical.

A few minutes later she was ready and Bub, after a bowl of kibble and some water, appeared to be eager to go. She left a pot of coffee and a container of blueberry muffins for Glory.

Cool December air greeted her as she stepped out the front door to stretch. Bub snuck a look at the front door as if he was rethinking this run with her.

“I promise I’ll make it up to you,” she told him as they started down the driveway. “Just a short run.”

She needed the reality of the cold air, the pavement and the sun coming up on the eastern horizon. She needed to watch the morning sky change from gray to pink, pale orange, lavender and then blue. In the light of a new morning she found hope. His mercies were new every morning.

Morning meant she was alive. Morning held the promise of another day, another opportunity. Each day was a gift.

“I’m alive, Bub.”

The dog gave her a quick look but he seemed to know that he was in for the long haul. He paced himself next to her as they headed out on the open road with nothing but fields on either side.

Cattle, curious by the presence of a human, moved to the fence row to watch her jog past. Bub let out a low woof. She laughed at the dog, at the cattle, at her own flash of optimism, of joy. She hadn’t expected to feel so good, not after the nightmare.

Maybe it had to do with Christmas being less than three weeks away. Or maybe it was because the nightmare hadn’t been real. New memories were edging in. She kept running, just the sound of her feet, a panting dog, a tractor in the distance as someone moved hay for their cattle.

Max St. James had kissed her. She’d kissed him back. She tried to remember the last time she’d wanted that man to kiss her. Last night she’d definitely wanted to be kissed by Max.

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