Grand Finale Blitz and Giveaway! HEALING THEIR HEARTS by Cleopatra Margot (Faith to Love #6)

With his back pressed snug up against the wall in the narrow hallway, Mark knocked on the door. “Lainee? I need you to respond to me. I won’t hurt you, I promise. My name is Mark. Remember me? Can you say something for me?”

The three-year-old remained silent. Mark tipped his head back against the ramshackle wall and sent up a silent prayer. So far, he wasn’t getting anywhere, and they’d arrived on the scene well over an hour ago.

A neighbor had reported that Steve was being belligerent, and Brenda had been spotted with a fresh purchase of booze. Though both had denied it, the last straw had been drawn, and that was the end of it. “…at its heart, this book is about family—the family you’re born with and the one who surrounds you when you marry and the ones you work and live the day in and day out with.

Overall, this sweet read is one that left me feeling happy and hopeful and there’s plenty of potential for more to come with the residents of Believe.”“Believe’s biggest weekend is upon us, ya’ll,” Noah declared, gesturing to the normal amount of traffic on Main Street. “As you can see by all this traffic.”

“Maybe you should’ve painted the giant red BerryPepper smack dab in the middle of Main Street a little sooner than the Friday of BerryPepper days.”“I’d like to be able to talk to all five of you, but this will do for now. First of all, as your father, I’m proud of all of you. Liam, you impress me every single day with your bravery and loyalty to both your family and your job. You work hard to support your wife and children, and I’m proud of you for it. To my youngest sons, I’m impressed by your drive and devotion to this ranch. It’s not a small undertaking. Luke, I’ve seen you come a long way in the past year, and I have no doubt that you’ll be a wonderful father come September. I can see how happy you make your wife, and that’s all the indication I need to know how loved your daughter will be. Noah, you’ve had a lot thrown at you these past months—a little bad with a lot of good. You’re a hardworking young man, and you’re going to be a fine husband. All I’m saying is that I’m proud of you. All of you.”

“Aw, Dad.” Noah offered a goofy grin. “Who knew Allen McKay was such a softie?”

“Your mother,” Dad teased. “Why do you think she married me?”

It was evenings like this that made Emma wish Liam had a different career of choice. Yes, he was safe at home and they were safe up here at the river, but she longed for her husband to be here enjoying the weekend at the river. Playing cards, sitting around the campfire, going for a family pontoon ride at sunset.

But then her thoughts would rationalize because she knew how much he loved his police work. And even with lonely hours, she would never truly wish for him to work elsewhere.

Emma quietly eased out of the bed she was sharing with Ava, grabbed her phone and a blanket, and slipped out of the trailer into the cool evening air. The breeze had died down to nothing and locusts and crickets created an ambience of night sounds as Emma tiptoed down to the pontoon, the flood light illuminating her way.“If you’re looking for a sweet story that makes you smile, and brings hope, then this is the book for you. All the characters are relatable, and I felt as if I could become friends with any of them. Even the town itself was one I could find myself either visiting, or possibly even living there!”
Eva didn’t reply, her gaze falling to her coffee mug. She couldn’t really talk, because it was rare that she let people in. Even simply talking to Mark was way outside of her comfort zone.

“I’m sorry if I—”

“What? No.” She bit her lip. “I just don’t really—I’m not accustomed to people, um, caring about me. Not that you, you know, care about me. I mean—that doesn’t…” She finally stammered to a stop, her cheeks hot.

A hand on hers made her look up. “I do care about you, Eva, contrary to what you might think,” he said softly. “So does everybody in this town, whether you’ve been here forever or not. And to prove just how much, may I ask you out for supper Saturday night?”“I really did enjoy this sweet family story. And I love and appreciate the [way] this author weaves the Christian life and faith into her characters. The wedding scene was so sweet it brought tears, and it was just a joy to read a book like this about family. If you love a sweet family story set in a neat little town, this is one you need to read.”“You like her.” Sam pointed her spoon at him. “You like Evangeline!”

He let his shirt fall into place and crossed to the freezer. “You’re off duty and it’s past your bedtime. Stop throwing accusations around.”

“Mark Bryant MacLaughlin, you’re in denial.” Sam shut the freezer door before he could grab his ice cream. “Admit it. You. Like. Evangeline. Taylor!”

“Could you not yell in my face?” Using his height to his advantage, he blocked her with his shoulders, then grabbed the butter pecan gelato. “I didn’t say I like her, and I haven’t given you cause to think that. Now, if you could excuse me, I’d like to enjoy my ice cream before work.”“Healing Their Hearts is a light, gentle read that follows 4 main characters through the ups and downs of daily life in a small Nebraska town. . . . The theme of family – the circle you’re born into & the circle you intentionally gather around you – is sweetly presented, with a maturity beyond the author’s years. This is the kind of book that leaves you with hope in humanity and confidence in the grace of God, as well as a smile on your face and in your heart.”“Healing their Hearts is a story full of friendships, family, and more. Liam and Emma was an amazing couple. . . . I loved all the children in the book. . . also a lot of surprises with Eva’s family.”“Good.” Mark set his things down and took the bait from Lainee. “Okay, Lainee, can you wait for a second while I help Eva bait her hook?”

“That be ’kay.” Lainee pointed to a white butterfly. “Fly!”

“Pretty butterfly, huh?” Eva asked. “Just as pretty as Lainee.”

Lainee giggled and squatted down to examine a rock several feet back from the creekbank. Mark kept his eye on her as he tied a hook onto Eva’s fishing line, then opened the container of bait from the gas station.

“Under normal circumstances, I would require you to bait your own hook,” he told Eva. “That was Dad’s rule growing up—for boys and girls. But because of your wrist, I’ll make an exception.”“Miss Taylor.”

Eva spun around, swallowing when she looked up into the face of Mark MacLaughlin. “Hey.”

Really? That’s all you can say?

The corners of his gray-blue eyes crinkled, and he slipped his capable hands into the pockets of his slacks. “I was hoping I’d see you here today.”

“You were?” she squeaked. This time she didn’t even bother to chastise herself. She was working hard enough trying to keep the flush out of her face.“I enjoyed reading this story with all the friendships and love. I like the town of Believe. The community is close and I love the way they have faith.

The characters are many and each on is well-developed and easy to love. It is also easy to feel their emotions. . . . I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy good romance and friendships.”

(Faith to Love, #6)