“Just friends” is just perfect
...until love finds her at Willow’s Haven
Her dreams of love haven’t worked out, but veterinarian Haley Calhoun intends to grant an orphaned boy’s wish. She’ll heal Eli’s injured puppy—while resisting his charming counselor, Gavin Thomason, at the children’s home. Still mourning the loss of his wife and baby, Gavin believes he can’t commit again. But in losing their hearts to Eli, will Haley and Gavin discover they’ve found the family they need?
“I need to get back.”
She knew better. He didn’t need to get back; he needed to get away.
But she wasn’t giving up that easily.
“Today, you were an entirely different person when we drove to the farm, like someone I’d actually like to have as a friend. But then you were downright rude, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.”
If possible, his jaw clenched tighter. Then he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat.
Haley had no idea if he was praying...or counting to ten.
Either way, he’d made her angry.
“Gavin, I’m volunteering my time for this program, and it’s going to be a lot of time, from what I can tell. Maybe I should ask if they can get someone else to work with me. If you don’t want to...”
“No, I want to do this. And what happened at the barn had nothing to do with you,” he growled, his tone filled with heated emotion.
How could she work with this bear of a man?
Renee Andrews spends a lot of time in the gym. No, she isn’t working out. Her husband, a former All-American gymnast, owns a gym and coaches gymnastics. Renee is a kidney donor and actively supports organ donation. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys traveling with her husband and bragging about their sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. For more info on her books or on living donors, visit her website at reneeandrews.com.
Books by Renee Andrews
Love Inspired
Willow’s Haven
Family Wanted
Second Chance Father
Child Wanted
Finally a Bride
Healing Autumn’s Heart
Picture Perfect Family
Love Reunited
Heart of a Rancher
Bride Wanted
Yuletide Twins
Mommy Wanted
Small-Town Billionaire
Daddy Wanted
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
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FINALLY A BRIDE
Renee Andrews
Delight thyself also in the Lord:
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
—Psalms 37:4
This book is dedicated to
our youngest son, Kaleb Zeringue, and
his beautiful wife, Kaiyla Zeringue. May God
bless each and every day of your life together.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Epilogue
Dear Reader
Excerpt from Their Secret Baby Bond by Stephanie Dees
Chapter One
“Is he going to die?”
The little boy’s wailing question echoed down the hallway of Claremont Veterinary Services.
Her first day flying solo as Claremont, Alabama’s resident vet, and Haley Calhoun feared she was about to witness a little boy losing his best friend.
Why hadn’t Doc Sheridan waited one more day to retire?
She’d pray to God for guidance, but they weren’t exactly on speaking terms so she held that thought in check.
“Oh, dear, that doesn’t sound good, does it?” Mae Martin petted Snowflake, her finicky Turkish Angora, who was curled up on the exam table. The huge cat’s green eyes grew wide, as if she were extremely annoyed by the little boy’s cries.
“No, it doesn’t.” Haley hoped her sole employee, Aaliyah Smith, could assess and handle the situation long enough for her to complete Snowflake’s annual checkup. “Mrs. Martin, Snowflake is doing fine, other than the dry-skin issue. Aaliyah has the omega fatty acid supplement I recommended up front if you want to purchase that when you check out.” She delivered the statement as quickly as possible, since the cries from the lobby had turned into pitiful, sucking whimpers.
Mae nodded before Haley completed the sentence. “Yes, dear, that’s fine.” Her silver charm bracelet and heavy bangle jingled as she waved a hand toward the door of the exam room. “You go tend to that baby out front. I’ll talk to Aaliyah about those supplements.” She reached for Snowflake’s pink floral carrier and prepared to coax her contrary pet inside.
“Thanks, Mrs. Martin.” Haley moved toward the steel sink in the exam room to wash her hands.
“And I’ll be praying for you. I know you’re bound to be a little nervous handling things on your own around here with Doc Sheridan moving to Florida, but I can tell you’re going to do just fine.”
Mrs. Martin had no way of knowing how desperately Haley wanted to do “just fine.” She’d always dreamed of having her own veterinary practice, and she’d moved to this tiny Alabama town six years ago specifically because Doc Sheridan had assured her he was on the verge of retirement and ready to turn over his practice to “young blood.” But now that he was gone, she felt overwhelmed.
“And the fact that you’re starting that new program for the Willow’s Haven children to work with animals...well, I admire you greatly for that. Those kids need so much, don’t they?”
“Yes, they do.” Haley had been so busy getting ready for Doc Sheridan’s retirement and learning the details of running the place on her own that she hadn’t even visited the children’s home yet. But she planned to get the program started this week.
“It’s beautiful out there, isn’t it, at Willow’s Haven? At least the children have a nice place to live,” Mae continued.
Haley washed her hands, dried them and then grabbed three tissues out of the box on the counter. “I haven’t actually seen it yet. I’ve only talked to Brodie and Savvy Evans on the phone.” She kept her voice calm as she gathered her courage to face what could be a very bad first day as the only vet in town.
She’d only recently made the decision to help the orphaned and abandoned children cope with their losses by giving them animals to care for, but listening to the cries in her lobby made her wonder if it might not always be a positive experience.
“Oh, you’re in for a treat. Willow’s Haven is beautiful, and so peaceful. The church put an announcement about the upcoming program in our bulletin last week. By the way, we’ve missed you there, dear,” Mae called out, bringing up yet another uncomfortable topic while Haley strode down the hall toward the lobby.
“Thanks,” she answered, not making any promises about seeing her there any time soon. Instead she made a beeline toward the wailing boy.
“I foun
d him—” his watery hazel eyes focused on Aaliyah, who was leaning down to look at the teeny ball of fur cradled in his arms “—in the woods behind our cabin. I think he’s scared. I thought he was hungry, but he wouldn’t eat my snack. And Mr. Gavin said I shouldn’t try to feed him anything else until he sees the doctor.”
Haley noted that the boy was wearing a puffy blue winter coat and red mittens, even though it was merely late October. A light dusting of dirt coated his face, barring the tear streaks striping both full cheeks. More dirt was missing beneath his nose, which dripped from crying. He looked around six or seven years old, best Haley could tell, but with worry lines as intense as her grandfather’s currently creasing his forehead.
She should have grabbed more tissues.
Wasting no time in crouching to his eye level, she performed a perfunctory scan of the quivering puppy in his arms. A mixed breed, brown and black, with quite a bit of Yorkie in him. Bones were visible beneath his thin coat but, at first glance, none appeared to be broken. Probably dropped off on the side of the road, poor thing.
“He wouldn’t eat my snack. I tried to feed him, but he wouldn’t eat it.”
Haley took one of the tissues and tenderly wiped beneath the boy’s left eye, then followed suit with the right. Doubling up the last two tissues, she asked, “Can you blow your nose for me?”
He nodded, placed his nose in the center and proceeded to make a sound like something she’d expect to hear from one of her animals instead of a darling little boy. Sniffing, he completed by rubbing his nose against the tissues before glancing at Haley. “Sorry. I blow loud.”
She smiled. “Yes, you do, but that’s okay.” She wiped the wadded tissues beneath his nose again, then tossed them in a small trash can in the lobby. “What’s your name?”
Another sniff. “Eli.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“It’s from the Bible.” His eyes blinked overtime to battle more tears.
Haley nodded, not wanting to stir the pot by acknowledging she knew the story about Eli and Samuel. Mrs. Martin would enter the lobby soon, and Haley didn’t want any additional reminders that she should be at church. Therefore, she changed her focus from the boy’s name to the quivering animal and held her palm in front of the puppy’s nose. He made no attempt to move toward her to get a better scent, which should have come from mere instinct. “And what is this little guy’s name?”
“Mr. Gavin called him Buddy when we found him in the woods.”
Haley glanced toward the opposite side of the lobby, where a man had his back turned to her and talked quietly on his phone. Mr. Gavin, she presumed. He didn’t seem overly concerned with the little boy’s dilemma, which didn’t earn him any brownie points in Haley’s book. Was he the boy’s stepdad? A teacher? Mom’s apathetic boyfriend?
It bothered her tremendously to see adults neglecting a child. Her own parents had been amazing at supporting her growing up, attending every activity and encouraging her through every step of her veterinary dreams.
A shame that, after being the model husband to her mother and perfect dad to Haley, her father had turned his back on them completely.
She winced, not wanting to go there again.
The truth was, in spite of her dad eventually letting her down, she’d wanted to be the kind of parent and have the kind of family she’d had growing up. She’d wanted children desperately and had planned to have at least one by the time she was thirty.
That milestone birthday had passed last month and since she’d now decided against all dating and relationships, children certainly weren’t in the picture. But she could still be around them and show them that someone cared. That’d been her main reason for wanting to start the new Adopt-an-Animal program for Willow’s Haven.
Mr. Gavin continued talking on his phone and Haley all but snarled toward his back.
She returned her attention to the one who needed it. “Buddy—that’s a great name.” She scanned the puppy. His fur was dull and brittle, eyes opened marginally then closed again, as if he didn’t have the energy to look at who held him. Running a finger along his back, she easily felt his spine, which would have been visible had it not been for a thin layer of scruffy, dry hair.
“He wouldn’t eat my fruit snacks,” Eli said, anxious to provide insight as to what was wrong with his new friend. He’d made this statement a couple of times already, obviously wanting her to know he’d done his best to assist the little pup.
Haley nodded. “He hasn’t eaten a lot of food in a while, so he’ll have to take his time learning to eat normally again. But it was very thoughtful of you to try to feed him.”
Eli’s top teeth tugged his lower lip, his eyes blinking as he soaked up every word.
“Think about when you’re sick. When you aren’t feeling well, do you eat a lot?”
“Just soup. And maybe Sprite.” He was absolutely adorable, with his dirty little face and pleading eyes, and so concerned for the puppy in his arms.
“Right. Well, he will need to work up to eating again, too, like you do after you’ve been sick.” She’d continued probing and performing a preexam on the tiny dog while talking to the boy, and she was now fairly certain that no bones were broken. The pup didn’t show signs of distemper, and though his breathing was shallow, he wasn’t struggling for breath. Even so, he wasn’t out of the woods yet. She would need to keep him for treatment, and she hoped the boy would understand.
“He doesn’t eat soup, does he?” Eli asked. “’Cause I could get him some if that’ll make him better.”
“No, he doesn’t, but I can try some other things that his tummy should be okay with, until he can work his way up to eating normal food again.” She placed a finger under Eli’s chin. “Would that be okay, for me to take care of him here for a little while? To help him feel better?” Haley knew the puppy wouldn’t have made it very long in the woods on his own. This little boy, whether he realized it or not, had potentially saved him.
“Do I have to leave him here?” The panic in his voice pierced her heart and his grip on the puppy increased, so that the little animal let out a squeaky yelp.
Haley barely noticed the man on the other side of the lobby turn to face them, because she was too intent on capturing the boy’s attention. “Eli, calm down, honey. I am going to do my best to get him well. I promise.”
He stared at the puppy, still whimpering. “Did I hurt him?”
“You just don’t need to squeeze him so much,” she said. “But I can tell that you aren’t trying to hurt him, and he knows that, too.”
“He does?” Eli looked imploringly to Haley. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Of course. Puppies can tell when someone cares about them, just like people can tell when someone cares about them.” She fought the impulse to glare at the man who had shifted his stance and was now undoubtedly watching their interaction.
“I want to keep him.” Eli took a small step away from Haley. “He doesn’t have anyone to love him, and he’s scared.”
A muffled clearing of a throat caused Haley to finally glance up at Mr. Gavin and, for a moment, her breath caught in her chest. Not what she’d expected. She’d anticipated an older, grumpy, stern-faced gentleman who wouldn’t show concern for the brokenhearted boy. But this man was young, around Haley’s age, she’d guess, with one of the most strikingly masculine faces she’d ever seen.
Haley swallowed, forcing herself to get a grip on the awareness flooding through her. She wouldn’t be swayed by his gorgeous good looks and rugged presence.
The bottom line was that he didn’t seem to care about this little boy’s pain.
And that was reason enough for Haley to dislike the man.
So when he glared at Haley, she glared right back.
* * *
Gavin Thomason had thought taking the seven-year-olds from his cabin for an adventu
re hike would be a great way to enjoy the crisp October afternoon.
The Claremont Community Church had bought the kids new coats, hats and gloves this afternoon for the upcoming winter months. Knowing the boys had been eager to try out their new things, he’d thought the hike had seemed like a great idea.
So, after assisting all of them with their homework, he’d given each boy a sheet with photos of leaves to find and told them they could don their new winter duds for the adventure, even though the temperature was in the midsixties. He’d planned to talk to them about the different trees God created, about the leaves changing color and about how God gave us seasonal weather to enjoy throughout the year. He’d anticipated this leading into the afternoon devotional, focusing on how, in God’s world, things change. And, more importantly, on how change didn’t always mean something bad.
Since all the kids at the children’s home had gone through tremendous life changes, he’d thought the devotional would be well received. That it would help them deal with their unique circumstances, whether they’d been orphaned, abandoned or neglected by their families.
But once Eli had heard that puppy’s cry, all Gavin’s plans for the afternoon had flown out the window.
Mark Laverty, one of Gavin’s fellow cabin counselors, had taken over today’s activity so Gavin could take Eli and what appeared to be a dying puppy to the vet. Gavin had prayed the whole way here because, of all the boys in his cabin, none had been through as much pain as Eli. And none had touched Gavin’s heart like he had, because he’d lost everything that had mattered in his world...
Just like Gavin.
“Do I have to leave him here?” Eli turned away from the vet to direct the question to his cabin counselor. “I don’t want to leave him, Mr. Gavin. He’s scared.”
The vet, whom Gavin had barely acknowledged until this point, glanced up from where she crouched next to the boy. Gavin focused on the woman who, at this moment, could hurt the child more than anyone else if she didn’t help this pitiful dog. And he wasn’t all that certain of her ability to do so. She certainly didn’t look like any vet he’d ever seen before. She was young, probably a little younger than Gavin’s thirty-one, with vivid green eyes amid a pixie face, pale pink gloss on heart-shaped lips and long blond hair that hung well past her shoulders.
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