Home To You. Cheryl Wolverton

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      CHERYL WOLVERTON

      RITA^® Award finalist Cheryl Wolverton has well over a dozen books to her name. Her very popular Hill Creek, Texas, series has been a finalist in many contests. Having grown up in Oklahoma, lived in Kentucky, Texas, Louisiana and now living once more in Oklahoma, Cheryl and her husband of more than twenty years and their two children, Jeremiah and Christina, always considered themselves Oklahomans transplanted to grow and flourish in the South. Readers are always welcome to contact her at P.O. Box 106, Faxon, OK 73540 or e-mail at [email protected]. You can also visit her Web site at www.cherylwolverton.com.

      Home to You

      Cheryl Wolverton

      MILLS & BOON

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      Fear not for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen you, I will help you, yea I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

      —Isaiah 41:10

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      To my neighbor Melinda and her wonderful husband and kids. I’ll miss you.

      To my family, Anita, Doug, Deb, Mom, James and Gayle. Just for being family.

      To my MS support group in Baton Rouge. Thanks for all the experience. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to write this book.

      And to my wonderful church family, Cornerstone Fellowship. Jackay and Dick, you are an inspiration, and I will never forget you or any of the other wonderful, wonderful friends, especially Kendal, Lane, Katie, Hope, Claire, Lyndee, Jamie, Caleb, Jamie, Brooklyn—keepers of my own heart.

      When I was going through the discovery of the MS and the multiple attacks, you guys at church were there to stand by me and help me through the day and laugh with me when I couldn’t remember a word or help me when I couldn’t walk across the floor. You are the reason I didn’t end up like Meghan in the book! Such love. God’s love.

      And of course, Steve, Christina and Jeremiah have to be added to the list. Being in a family means good times, bad times and scary times. And we made it through it. I’m sure more good times, bad times and scary times will come, but if not for you, I wouldn’t be writing. I love you guys.

      And finally, thank You Heavenly Father, because You are in control at all times!

      Dear Reader,

      I was diagnosed with MS in 2002. Unlike Meghan, I went to the Web to research the disease and find out more about it. I was excited by what I found because when I had been in the medical field, there was nothing they could do for the disease. However, now they can slow the progression. No, there’s no cure, but I believe there will be one day with the strides that have been made.

      This book deals with learning the lesson that God is in control. It was something Meghan and Dakota had to learn. And anyone who gets too busy with work or comes down with a devastating medical problem needs to learn the lesson, as well. Let go and praise God because He is in control!

      I hope you enjoy the story, and if you want more information on MS, try some of the Web sites I like to visit: www.mswatch.com, www.multiplesclerosis.com or www.msaa.org or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society page. God bless!

      You can also visit my Web site for more links at: www.cherylwolverton.com or e-mail if you have questions at: [email protected]. You can write to me at P.O. Box 106, Faxon, OK 73540.

      I look forward to chatting with you!

      Contents

      About the Author

      Acknowledgments

      Prologue

      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

      Chapter Nineteen

      Chapter Twenty

      Chapter Twenty-One

      Prologue

      Dakota “Cody” Ryder sat next to the ditch, watching as his best friend, Meghan O’Halleran, dug some more mud out of the slimy wet pit and slapped it into the pan she had in front of her. It didn’t matter that Cody wasn’t supposed to get muddy. Sitting with his best friend took precedence over that. Meghan’s mom had told her they were moving and so Cody was trying to cheer Meghan up by sitting with her.

      “Cody, will you promise me something?”

      Dakota was only in first grade, just like Meghan, but he knew what promises were and how important they could be. Last year the two friends had spit in each other’s hands and shook, agreeing to protect each other when they started school.

      Had they not made that promise, Meghan would have ended up with her hair cut by Michael the bully, and Dakota would have ended up having to work with silly Sally who laughed all the time. Meghan had bailed him out of that one. Big time. Just as he had protected her.

      So yes, he knew how important his word was now as Meghan solemnly asked him for another promise.

      Her blond hair was pulled up into pigtails, curling tightly, and the freckles across her nose danced as she wriggled it up.

      The two friends had helped each other out so many times…but, well, sometimes girls did funny things. So, even though he wanted to promise Meghan the moon, he hesitated as he watched Meghan carefully finish her mud pie. If he promised, he’d have to keep it—no matter what. And if she wanted him to eat that mud pie—

      “What do you want me to promise, Meghan?” Cody rested his hands on his crossed legs and waited, trepidation growing as he watched her smooth the top of the pie.

      “Promise me we’ll always be friends, no matter what.”

      Relief wilted him. He nodded. “Sure, Meghan!”

      “I’m serious. I really mean it, Cody. I want us to always be friends.”

      “Forever,” Cody reassured her. He was so relieved that she didn’t want him to eat the pie