Perfectly Matched. Lois Richer

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      Safe Haven

      Former model Shay Parker has come home to Hope, New Mexico, seeking refuge from the nightmares that haunt her. Then she runs into childhood friend Nick Green. Rugged former football star Nick is the only one who makes Shay feel safe again. But he’s dealing with problems of his own, and Shay is more than willing to help care for his orphaned niece and aging mother. When Nick suddenly makes plans to leave Hope for a new job, what will become of the trust they’ve built? Can they look beyond the pain of their scarred pasts to trust the healing power of love?

      “I used to love coming up here.”

      Ahead of them stars twinkled and glittered like diamonds tossed onto a black velvet quilt. Nick kept his grip on Shay’s hand, just to make sure she was okay.

      In truth, standing there with her, sharing this moment made his own breathing uneven. Beautiful Shay, so near he wanted to draw her into the protection of his arms, and ensure she knew she never had to fear again. But that would betray her trust in him. Besides, though he was her friend, he had no future to offer this wonderful woman.

      Nothing more than friendship.

      “Our star show is starting. See that?” She pointed upward, tracking a meteor as it flew across the sky. “And that. It’s like God is lighting the sky especially for us.” Shay’s eyes blazed with excitement.

      She tilted her head sideways to rest it on his shoulder for a brief moment before she stepped away. “You’re the best friend I ever had, Nick.”

      LOIS RICHER

      began her travels the day she read her first book and realized that fiction provided an extraordinary adventure. Creating that adventure for others became her obsession. With millions of books in print, Lois continues to enjoy creating stories of joy and hope. She and her husband love to travel, which makes it easy to find the perfect setting for her next story. Lois would love to hear from you via www.loisricher.com, [email protected] or on Facebook.

      Perfectly Matched

      Lois Richer

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      Who then can ever keep Christ’s love from us? When we have trouble or calamity,

      when we are hunted down or destroyed, is it

      because He doesn’t love us anymore? And if we

      are hungry, or penniless, or in danger, or

      threatened with death, has God deserted us? No.

      —Romans 8:35

      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

       Epilogue

       Dear Reader

       Questions for Discussion

       Excerpt

      Chapter One

      “I hurt, Uncle Nick.”

      “Aw, I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Nick Green tenderly shifted the weight of the little girl clinging to his neck as he stepped into the hospital hallway. “Is that better, honey?”

      Maggie sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. “It’s okay.”

      It was so not okay that a five-year-old accepted pain as part of her world. A blaze of anger seared his insides, quickly joined by uselessness and frustration. One drunken driver had inflicted so much pain on Nick’s family, leaving Maggie bereft of her parents and physically damaged. Not only had she sustained a host of internal injuries, but her legs had also been crushed in the accident. She’d endured many surgeries but she still couldn’t walk.

      “You did very well with the doctors, darlin’,” he encouraged. “Now let’s go get some ice cream.” He needed it, to wash away the aftertaste of their unappetizing hospital lunch.

      “Nick?” A voice with faint vestiges of an English accent made him stop.

      “Yeah?” He turned around and blinked at the woman striding down the hall toward him. The hair gave her away—a glorious tumble of copper-colored waves and curls. But if the hair hadn’t done it, the famous emerald-green eyes in that heart-shaped face would have. He grinned. “Shay Parker’s back in town.”

      “I always told you I would be back. But what are you doing here in Hope?” Shay tapped him playfully against the chest, her smile dazzling him. “You insisted Seattle was your home, yet here you are in New Mexico, and with such a beautiful lady.” Shay touched a finger to the end of the little girl’s tipped-up nose. “Who is this?”

      “This is my niece, Magdalena. We call her Maggie.”

      “Hello, Maggie. I’m Shay.” She held out a slender hand for the child to shake.

      “Hi.” Maggie kept her hands tucked around Nick’s neck. But she did risk a smile before shyly pressing her head into her uncle’s