Endless Season

By Ruth Kyser

It was only to be a vacation -- a two-week respite from her work, and a chance to visit with friends. But when a young widow named Jennifer Marlowe takes a trip to Manchester, England to visit old chums, the plans change. Instead of touring the city of Manchester, she ends up in the Scottish Highlands where she will meet a tall Scot with haunted eyes, whose bitterness toward God touches her heart and life. The story line is told through the eyes of both Jennifer and the ‘tall Scot’ named James ‘Mac’ MacAndrew. As we learn about his past and what has caused the inner turmoil in his life, we are drawn further into the story. Interwoven between the pages are the supporting characters, each helping to add love, laughter and spice to this modern-time love story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruth Kyser
• Release date: Jun 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476042633

Ruth Kyser

Ruth Kyser is a native Michigander--wife, mother, and grandmother--who writes Christian Inspirational Romance. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and enjoys reading almost as much as she loves writing.Ruth's Mission Statement: "My goal is to write stories that entertain, but more importantly, educate readers about Jesus Christ and His love for them."

Book preview

RUTH KYSER

Endless Season

A Christian Contemporary Romance

Also by Ruth Kyser

The Dove and The Raven – A Christian Historical Romance

True Cover (Book 1 in the True Cover Series)

Bluecreek Ranch (Book 2 in the True Cover Series)

Second Chances (Book 3 in the True Cover Series)

The Whispering Sentinel

The Healing Hills

Mattie’s Heart (Book 1 in The Morgan Family Saga)

Clara’s Heart (Book 2 in The Morgan Family Saga)

Laurie’s Heart (Book 3 in The Morgan Family Saga)

A Place Called Hart’s Desire

Without Regrets

One Last Christmas

A Town Named Christmas

Oatcakes, Tea, and Me

Marcie’s Mountains

Copyright © 2012 by Ruth M. Kyser. All rights reserved worldwide.

Smashwords Edition

Psalm 107:1

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.

DEDICATION

For my husband, with love – a man who has infinite patience with the many times I have mentally disappeared into another world.

Prologue

Jennifer Marlowe sat on the edge of her bed in the dark and waited for her heart rate to become normal again. She wiped the tears from her face and realized it was her own weeping that had awakened her.

It had been the dream again.

She hadn’t had that dream in a long time—maybe a year or more. Why was she having it now? Derrick had been gone for five years. Why was she still having this dream?

She wearily got up and padded barefoot out to the kitchen to get a drink of water, then went back to bed. She needed to get some sleep if she was to be rested for her flight tomorrow.

CHAPTER ONE

Jennifer looked out the window as the plane approached the city. She couldn’t help but think about the previous night and the dream that had made her lose more than an hour of sleep. The dream, as she had come to refer to it in her own mind, had been commonplace the first two years after her husband had died. Those early years had been heart-wrenching for her.

For so long she couldn’t seem to stop replaying the day he’d died. Every time she closed her eyes at night to try to go to sleep, she would relive that day. Then this dream started interrupting what sleep she was actually able to get. Derrick was in the dream, reaching out to her and trying to tell her something. But she couldn’t reach him, and she couldn’t hear or understand what he was saying. What did it all mean?

She had wondered during those first few months after his death if there had been something she’d missed, something more she could have done to protect him—to keep him healthier. Even though she hadn’t been there when he collapsed, she thought about that moment over and over again in her head. Did he have enough time to realize what was happening? The doctor had said he had died instantly, and the friends he were with had said he didn’t grab his chest or his arm. They had told her he hadn’t said a word, had simply fallen over and was gone.

Nonetheless, she had thought she was done with having this dream, but now it was back. Just what she needed! She was supposed to be on vacation, resting, and relaxing with her friends here in England.

******

The plane landed, and after disembarking, Jennifer made her way slowly through the fast-moving crowd. She had thought London was busy; Manchester Airport was a madhouse! Her dark brown eyes scanned the crowd ahead. She’d been through customs, or as they called it here, ‘Passport Control’; her carry-on bag was in one hand, her large suitcase in the other. Jennifer was in England for two weeks to visit old friends—if she could just locate them in the surrounding crush of people.

She glanced through the sea of faces again, this time spotting the ones for which she had been searching. Mary Whitford and her husband, Daniel, saw her in the same instant and pushed through the throng to greet her. Mary’s face broke into the wide grin that Jennifer remembered so well, and she opened her arms to give Jennifer a brief hug. It wasn’t easy to hug her in return as Jennifer found herself so encumbered by luggage. Daniel leaned over to place a kiss lightly on her cheek and then reached to take the largest bag.

Here, let me carry that for you, his deep voice rumbled out with a crisp British accent.

Jennifer grinned at him and gladly handed him the largest of the bags. Thanks, Daniel. I’m so glad to see you guys. This place is a zoo!

Mary nodded and looked pointedly at her husband. I told Daniel we needed to arrive earlier. I was afraid you might arrive before we got here.

Jennifer shook her head. No problem. The plane was right on time. She smiled at her friends and gave a sigh of relief. It was good to see Mary and Daniel again, although it always took her a while to get used to their British accents again. Originally from London, they had only recently made a move to Manchester. Daniel’s job had demanded he either transfer or look for another employer. They had chosen to make the move.

Jennifer and Mary were old pals—pen pals, that is. They had started writing back and forth as pen pals when they were only thirteen. Then five years ago, Jennifer had decided it was time to meet the Whitfords in person.

She had just lost her husband, Derrick, to a heart attack. They had only been married for three years, and his death had devastated her. Men weren’t supposed to have fatal heart attacks at the age of twenty-five. Only the love of her hometown church family and her faith in God had given her the sanity to struggle out of the dark depression that had followed Derrick’s death. Those first days had been awful. She had acted on auto-pilot, responding to those around her and numbly going through the steps of the funeral and burial. Looking back at it now, she couldn’t even remember if she had cried at the funeral. She was just…numb. Then the day came when everyone had gone home, and she’d found herself all alone and sitting on the sofa in the middle of their quiet apartment. Then it had hit her.

Derrick was really gone, and she was alone.

He wasn’t just away on a business trip, or with friends, or at the grocery store for more milk; he was gone. He would never come through that door again with the spring in his step that told the world he had things to do. She would never see his beautiful blue eyes again nor his mischievous teasing smile. She knew he was with the Lord in Heaven, but that didn’t help her. He wasn’t here with her anymore.

She was alone.

Jennifer had cried, and sobbed, and pounded the sofa cushions in despair and pain. She had cried out to God in her grief and for the first day or so her pain was so intense, so all-encompassing, she felt like God had left her too. That was when the dreams had begun. She could see Derrick in her dreams, and he was reaching out for her, trying to tell her something. But no matter how hard she’d try, she couldn’t go to him, and she couldn’t understand what he was saying to her. She’d struggle and struggle, only to wake up weeping again.

Finally, she reached a point where she allowed her grief to become part of her. That was when God’s hands had touched her heart, cradling, and comforting her. A sense of peace and acceptance she hadn’t known existed had come over her. It was then she understood. She wasn’t really alone. She would never be alone as long as she had God’s love.

When Jennifer had finally drummed up enough emotional strength to sit down and write a letter telling Mary and Daniel of her loss, she had been surprised by their response. The phone had been ringing one evening as she returned from the grocery store, and even though she had hurried to answer it, the party on the other end hung up. A few moments later it had rung again, and this time she was there to answer it on the second ring. At first, she had been confused, wondering who was calling. Then she had realized the British accent on the other end was actually that of her pen pal of old -- Mary Whitford in London. Both Mary and Daniel had shared their sorrow over her loss and had asked her to visit them for what they called a ‘holiday.’

Mary’s voice had been maternal as she coaxed Jennifer.

A change of scenery, that’s what you’re needing, Jen. You can’t just stop living, you know. We’ve written for years of someday getting together for a chummy visit. Why not now?

Jennifer had hesitated only a moment. Indeed, why not now? Life was short. If she hadn’t known that before, she did now. So, she went to England. That trip had been the first of several she had made across the ocean since Derrick’s death. At first, she had been terrified of making the long trip alone. She’d never traveled much by herself, and never overseas. After she’d met the Whitfords in person though, and had grown more familiar with London, it became easier. Now she felt like a veteran as she dealt with the long flight, the security, customs, passports, and baggage handling.

As she followed the Whitfords across the busy terminal and out the door, she listened to Mary’s chatter. She was telling Jennifer about her new job as an accountant in a large accounting firm in Manchester. She and Daniel had both taken time off work so they would be available during Jennifer’s visit.

Now we’re going to do some sight-seeing this week, Jen. I’m not sure what’s on the docket for next week, but it doesn’t matter. I know we’ll have a great time together.

Jennifer found herself grinning as she picked up on Mary’s infectious upbeat attitude. She glanced over at Daniel long enough to catch him roll his eyes and smile back. Jennifer tried not to laugh as she took in the new beard he was sporting. His hair was dark red, and though he wore it short, with his face covered in the same red hair, he looked like an entirely different man than the one she had last seen.

The trio reached the parking lot where the Whitfords had left their vehicle. Mary motioned toward the beat up dark green Honda Civic Jennifer remembered from her previous visit. Jennifer smiled. There was no pretense about Mary and Daniel. If they didn’t have the money to purchase something, they didn’t. In that respect, Jennifer and they thought alike. She too hated credit and had done everything she could to pay off her old debts after Derrick’s death. It was important to her, especially now that she was free-lancing, to reduce her expenses to the bare necessities. Since she had quit her day job as a secretary and was living off the proceeds of her writing, her income had shrunk considerably. On the other hand, she was making good money for a novice in the detective/mystery book market—at least that was what her agent kept telling her.

Daniel put her luggage into the car, and Jennifer took the offered seat in the back. She readied herself for the trip through the busy city traffic to the Whitford’s apartment or ‘flat’ as they called it here. Watching the city streets go by, Jennifer was surprised when Daniel turned the car toward the outskirts of Manchester. He drove down quiet streets with children playing in side yards under tall old trees. Jennifer sat in the back seat, feeling confused as he pulled the car up in front of a cute little house on a quiet side street.

Why are we here? I thought we’d be going to your flat.

Mary turned around from the front seat and smiled. Ooo, that’s right. We failed to tell you our news, didn’t we?

Jennifer groaned inwardly. Jet lag was setting in, and she was just too weary to deal with an unplanned visit with some unknown friends of the Whitfords. It might be morning here, but her body felt like it should still be sleeping. She’d been unable to sleep on the plane because of a talkative and friendly seatmate. She knew, given time, she’d adjust -- but after her restless sleep the night before, she was tired.

Daniel chuckled from the front seat. You’d best tell Jen what’s going on or she’s likely to fall asleep.

Mary bounded out of the car, turned toward the little house and threw her arms out wide, then turned back to Jennifer, who had slowly climbed out of the vehicle to stand behind her.

This is our new little home, Jen. What do you think?

Jennifer felt her mouth turn into the shape of a 0 and glanced over to Daniel for confirmation. She reached out to give Mary a hug. Oh, you guys, that’s wonderful! You’ve bought yourself a house!

Daniel laughed. Exactly. No more living in that tiny little flat with no fresh air or green grass. We’ve joined the ranks of the commuters. Alas, instead of enjoying the sites of the city, we’ll spend our weekends cutting grass and tending the garden. He reached into the car and grabbed Jennifer’s luggage, then followed the two girls into the house.

Jennifer looked closely around her as Mary gave her a tour of the little house. Mary explained how they had learned the house was for sale, all they had gone through to get financing, and what changes they’d already made to make it more comfortable. Jennifer was amazed. It was darling and perfect for a young couple like the Whitfords. The house had obviously been well cared for by the previous owner, and everything was bright and clean.

Mary led her into a bedroom with crisp white curtains at the window.

Oh, Mary, she said. It’s perfect.

Her friend smiled back at her. Well, you know how we feel about debt, but when this became available at such a reasonable price, we couldn’t resist. We have to live somewhere, and this is an investment, whereas the rent we paid for the flat just vanished every month.

Jennifer nodded. She could understand that feeling. Wouldn’t it be nice to own a little house somewhere—a place you could really call home, with dirt and sky -- someplace to put down roots? For her, at least at the present time, that wasn’t a possibility. But after seeing what the Whitfords had done with their little house, Jennifer yearned for the same stability in her own life. Here she was, twenty-eight years old, and still didn’t have what one could call a home.

The Whitfords left her to rest, and in a matter of minutes, weariness overtook her, and she slept a dreamless sleep. She woke up three hours later, feeling much more like her old self. And a glance at the bedside clock reminded it was tea time.

The three of them chatted easily while they enjoyed the cups of tea and little cookies Jennifer had come to know during her previous visits as ‘biscuits.’ She enjoyed the habit of British teas and had even started having her own American version of tea time back home. When she was in the middle of a large writing project, it was just the pick-me-up she needed before she returned to her writing.

While the three of them were involved in a lengthy discussion of what to do the next day, the phone rang. Daniel went over to a small corner desk to answer it, and Jennifer watched his face change to a huge grin as he listened to the party on the other end.

"Mac!