No Place Like Home (19 page)

“Hold on to your bootstraps. I told Jake I needed a little time to grow up first.”

Dottie laughed and she and Brady reached around the kid to embrace her.

Dottie kissed her forehead. “It sounds like you already have, kiddo.”

“Thanks to the two of you.” She kissed Dottie's cheek then Brady's. “I love you two.”

And then she slipped from between them, and Brady easily pulled Dottie close again.

“So, Dottie Hart. Tell me about these kids you keep talking about on that playground out behind the house.”

Dottie touched his dear face and her heart swelled with the goodness of God's plan for her life.

“Oh, Brady,” she sighed against his lips. “You are going to love them so much.”

He smiled, leaning back to study her face. “I'm planning on doing just that.” He dragged a finger down her cheek and lifted her chin so he could look fully into her eyes. “But first, I'm going to love their mother with all my heart.”

Dear Reader,

I'm so glad you chose to read
No Place Like Home.
Having lost my wonderful husband, I related closely to Brady's fear of completely relinquishing control of his future to God. But God promises His children that He will never leave us or forsake us and that His grace shall be sufficient in all things. I pray that if you are hurting inside that you give all your pain to our precious Savior. There is peace and hope and a future waiting for you that only Christ can give you if you seek Him.

Please, I love hearing from all of you. You can reach me through my Web site, www.debraclopton.com, or send a letter to Debra Clopton, P.O. Box 1125, Madisonville, Texas 77864.

Until next time, live, laugh and seek Christ with all your hearts!

P.S. I hope you will meet me back in Mule Hollow in
February 2007. Sparks are going to fly when reporter Molly Popp's articles leave her in a heap of trouble with the perfect disgruntled cowboy!

1. Did you relate to any of the situations that arose for Brady or Dottie? Or another character in the book? Why or why not?
   
2. Dottie thought she understood God's plan for her. But she questioned Him when the plan in her mind didn't match what was going on around her. When have you found that, though your faith is strong, it isn't always easy to see the path? How do you handle this?
   
3. Because of what happened in his past, Brady had trouble relinquishing total control of his life to the Lord. Share a time when something similar happened to you or someone you know. Has it limited their life as it pertains to God's plans?
   
4. Why do you think Brady needed to see that his partner's family was in fact okay before he could move on?
   
5. What situations in your own lives hinder you from being all that you can be? What effect does fear have on those goals?
   
6. What was keeping Brady in the cocoon that he'd built around himself? What advice would you give to someone in that situation?
   
7. Being a Christian doesn't mean bad things aren't going to happen in our lives. How would you help a friend or family member who was struggling? What sort of help would you like to receive in their place?
   
8. The ladies of Mule Hollow work together to achieve great things. Do they inspire you? In what way?
   
9. Dottie had a near-death experience and was determined to make a change in her life. Why do you think it takes something so drastic to cause people to take action?
   
10. Are there areas in your life that you have chosen to try and keep under your control?