The Hearts We Mend
Acclaim for Kathryn Springer
“
The Dandelion Field
is a lovely contemporary romance that's sure to warm your heart. Springer renders a down-on-her-luck heroine and an honorable hero that will have you rooting for love to conquer all. Small town secrets, resonating faith, and a poignant backstory make
The Dandelion Field
an inspiring tale of beautiful beginnings.”
âDenise Hunter, bestselling author of
Dancing with Fireflies
“In this charming novel, Kathryn Springer takes an honest look at life's trials through the lens of imperfection, fear, hope, and redemption.
The Dandelion Field
tackles the hard issues of the heart, then wraps it all up in faith and love. A truly enjoyable read. Don't miss it.”
âRachel Hauck, author of
The Wedding Dress
and
Once Upon A Prince
“Kathryn Springer's
The Dandelion Field
captured me from the very first page and held my attention until the end. With heart-breaking grittiness and vivid poetic narrative, this story touched my heart and brought out every emotion I've ever felt about being a mother, a wife, and a woman. This is a story of unconditional love and radiant hope. And we all need those two things, right? Treat yourself to a book that will lift you up and make you want to hug your children and hold tight to God's love.”
âLenora Worth, author of
Bayou Sweetheart
and
Forced Alliance
“Springer . . . infuses her engrossing narrative with believable characters whose personal struggles ring true. [A]n excellent choice for . . . book discussion groups.”
â
Library Journal
, starred review of
The Dandelion Field
“This is a wonderful and heartfelt small-town, feel-good story. Told from three different points of view, the story weaves themes of forgiveness, family, and learning to trust God when faced with life's struggles. The characters feel genuine, and the tender toneâas well as the endingâis sure to bring a smile to readers' faces. With great attention to detail, Springer has written an engaging novel filled with romance, family drama, and touch of humor.”
âRomantic Times
review of
The Dandelion Field
Also by Kathryn Springer
B
ANISTER
F
ALLS
N
OVELS
The Dandelion Field
The Hearts We Mend
N
OVELLAS
A September Bride
Love on a Deadline
N
OVELLA
C
OLLECTIONS
Autumn Brides
Kiss the Bride (Available May 2016)
ZONDERVAN
The Hearts We Mend
Copyright © 2015 by Kathryn Springer
ePub Edition © January 2016: ISBN 978-0-3103-4013-3
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan,
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
Names: Springer, Kathryn.
Title: The hearts we mend / Kathryn Springer.
Description: Grand Rapids, Michigan : Zondervan, 2016. | Series: A Banister Falls novel
Identifiers: LCCN 2015035899 | ISBN 9780310339724 (softcover)
Subjects: LCSH: Widows--Fiction. | Single mothers--Fiction. | Man-woman relationships--Fiction. | GSAFD: Christian fiction. | Love stories.
Classification: LCC PS3619.P76 H43 2016 | DDC 813/.6--dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015035899
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible,
New International Version
®
, NIV
®
. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc
TM
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherâexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Publisher's Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Interior design: Water Petrie
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 / RRD / 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To GodâMaster builder, restorer, and multiplier of loaves and fishes To you be the gloryâalways
C
ONTENTS
Y
ou're up next, Evie! Then you can check karaoke off your list.”
Evie Bennett had a lot of lists. Karaoke wasn't on any of them. Neither were bachelorette parties, and yet here she was, watching Raine and Ginevieve Lightly strut around the living room of their trailer, belting out the lyrics to Taylor Swift's “Shake It Off.”
Gin had shown up at her door that morning while Evie was bundling Jordan almonds and mints into little bags made of cream-colored tulle. The firefighters at Second Street Station had decided to host an informal get-together for Cody, so Gin thought it would be nice if she and Evie did something special for the bride-to-be too.
Evie had hesitated, wondering how she could possibly squeeze one more thing into a day already packed with last-minute wedding details.
“What did you have in mind?” she'd asked cautiously.
“Oh, the usual.” Gin shrugged. “Texas Hold'em. Jell-O shots.”
Five months ago Evie might have believed her.
Raine bounded over to the karaoke machine, her loose-fitting sundress no longer able to disguise the rounded curve of her belly. “Eighties or golden oldies?” She shot a mischievous grin over her shoulder. “Wait, isn't that the same thing?”
It was one of
those
moments. When Evie understood why Cody, her sensitive, serious son, had proposed to this girl.
She just wished they were . . . older.
An argument that hadn't taken Evie very far, considering that she and Max had gotten married before the ink was barely dry on their high school diplomas. And welcomed Cody Maxwell Bennett into the world eleven months later.
The opening notes of The Turtles “Happy Together” began to play, and the plastic microphone swept up Evie's sigh and funneled it through the speakers.
Max was the one who'd loved this kind of stuff.
A familiar ache spread through Evie as she started to sing the words unfolding across the screen. She'd become adept at multitasking over the past thirteen years. Missing Max while handling all the little tasks that required her attention throughout the day.
Gin grabbed the remote control from the TV, holding it like a microphone in one hand while she flipped a glossy curtain of mahogany hair over her shoulder with the other and joined Evie on the chorus.
“Come on! Shake those hips!”
Gin demonstrated, and two thoughts collided in Evie's head. She envied the woman's ability to surrender to the beat of the musicâand thought that it would be easier to shake her hips if she actually
had
some.
Still, she made a half-hearted attempt, and Gin laughed. “Come on, Raine. Let's show the girl how it's done.”
Raine plucked a soup ladle from the bouquet of kitchen utensils on the counter and looped her arm around Evie's waist. Sandwiched between them like a Rockette, Evie tried to mimic their synchronized moves. Knee up. Kick out. She could only imagine what the women on her ministry team would say if they saw her . . .
“This looks way more fun than basketball.”
Evie whirled around and almost dropped the microphone. Dan Moretti and Cody stood in the doorway, the grins on their faces proof they'd been there long enough to witness the performance.
“Hey, this is a girls only party!” Raine complained.
Cody held up a red-and-white cardboard box from Cicero's. “We brought pizza.”
“What kind?”
“Deluxe no mushrooms.”
“Yes!” Raine abandoned the chorus line and danced across the room to Cody's side. “The golden ticket.”
“I told you it would work.” Dan sauntered in, his eyes fixed on Gin. They weren't as openly affectionate as the teenagers, but Evie saw the look that passed between them. The hint of color that stole into Ginevieve's cheeks when Dan reached for her hand.
Their relationship was brand new, but Evie had no doubt that Dan and Ginevieve would be the next couple walking down the aisle.
She was happy for Dan. Really. She was. But over the past few months, their friendshipâthe one forged in the Morettis' sandbox when she and Dan were three years oldâhad been undergoing a subtle change too. Ginevieve was the one Dan spent time with now.
The one Dan looked at the way Max used to look at her.
Evie set the microphone down on the table. “It looks like everyone's ready for a break, so I should probably go. I still have a few last-minute things to do.”
Her announcement raised an instant chorus of protest.
“But we just got here.” Cody kept one arm around Raine's waist while he raised the lid on the takeout box. “It's kind of hard to be a party crasher if there isn't a party.”
“We could have a karaoke contest.” Raine hip-checked Cody and snitched a slice of pizza before he could. “Guys against the girls.”
Two guys. Two girls. And Evie.
She silently switched around the items on her to-do list. “I have
to stop by the church and check out the centerpieces we're going to use on Saturday. I might have to make up a few more for the buffet table.”
