Pathway to Peace: Grant Us Grace, #5

By Elizabeth Maddrey

A woman hiding from her past. A man excited about his future. Opposites attract, but secrets threaten their happiness.

 

Lindsey Bowers has spent five years trying to escape her mistakes. She's created a life, such as it is, where few people know her history. If that means she has to keep people at arm's length, so be it.

 

Gavin Harder is ready to tackle the future. Newly relocated to the D.C. area, he plans to spend Christmas with his grandmother and get settled before attending the Police Academy in January. He's can't wait to protect and serve with his new brothers in blue.

 

When Gavin's grandmother invites Lindsey to share Thanksgiving dinner with them, Gavin makes it clear he's not looking for a relationship. But the instant attraction he feels has him rethinking that decision. Before long, attraction turns to friendship with the hope of something more.

 

If they can move beyond the secrets they're both keeping.

 

Pathway to Peace is the final book in the 5-book contemporary Christian romance Grant Us Grace series. Set in the greater Washington D.C. area, the Grant Us Grace books provide thought-provoking spiritual threads wrapped up in swoonworthy romance.

Read the entire Grant Us Grace series today!

1. Wisdom to Know
2. Courage to Change
3. Serenity to Accept
4. Joint Venture
5. Pathway to Peace

• Language: English
• Publisher: JoNaTiMa Books
• Release date: Nov 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386321071

Book preview

1

Overly chipper instrumental versions of Christmas music played through the speakers, just loud enough to be heard over the customers who wandered the aisles of the Bullseye discount department store looking for the first of the season’s bargains. Lindsey Bowers smiled at the old woman, one of her Tuesday regulars, who was unloading her cart onto the conveyer belt one item at a time.

Did you find everything you needed, Miss Eunice?

I always do. Eunice smiled and continued to set out her small collection of items. My grandson is in town.

Is he? Lindsey reached for the first item and slid it over the scanner before placing it in a plastic bag. You mentioned he was coming. To stay, right? Not just visit this time?

That’s right. He’s moving in with me while he goes to the police academy. He finished college last spring. Living with me provides him some flexibility.

It’s great that he wants to be a policeman. That’s an honorable job. Lindsey continued scanning items, taking care to bag them in the particular way Eunice preferred. The old woman was always good for conversation and was one of the bright spots of Tuesday. Particularly the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Working retail wasn’t terrible, until the holidays. Lindsey spent most of November and December regretting her decision not to go to college. Maybe someday.

I’m so proud of him. Did you know there were universities online? He’s talking about maybe doing a master’s degree online once he gets settled. Eunice shook her head. The world is a different place than when I grew up.

Yes, ma’am. Lindsey chuckled. Things had changed over her lifetime, too. Maybe not as drastically, but it was a trend she understood. Must be nice having company.

Eunice smiled. Are you ready for Thanksgiving?

Lindsey shrugged. The truth was, she didn’t plan to do much on Thanksgiving. She had a turkey dinner sitting in her freezer that she’d pop in the microwave and three new DVDs she planned to watch one after the other. Beyond that? It was the calm before the storm. Our sale starts at three a.m. on Friday. I have to open, so I’ll be here by one thirty. I’m not doing much beyond hoping to fall asleep early.

Eunice tsked. Those sales start earlier every year. Are the deals that good?

I guess it depends on what you want. Some people seem to get a thrill out of it. Last year, two women had a fistfight over a purse. We almost had to call the cops.

Oh, dear. You be careful.

I will. Do you need help out to your car? I can take my break.

Eunice took her shopping bags and patted Lindsey’s hand. I’m all right. But you take that break. And if you change your mind about Thanksgiving, you have my number.

I do. Have a good day. Eunice had given Lindsey her number last week, along with an invitation for a turkey dinner with her and her grandson. Lindsey had meant to throw it out, but somehow it ended up stuck to her fridge under a magnet. Was she worried about spending the holiday alone? Dad had flown to Florida to be with Grandma. Knowing Grandma, he’d be there through Christmas. It was good he had flexible work he could do anywhere. He’d tried to get Lindsey to come too, but they’d promoted her to assistant manager at the end of October. Maybe it didn’t mean anything to Dad, but it did to her.

Good morning. Did you find everything okay? Lindsey greeted the next customer and dragged her thoughts back into focus. She had six more hours on the clock. Hopefully they wouldn’t all be on the register. She wasn’t supposed to fill in up front as much anymore, but so far the new title had been little more than a welcome pay raise and the unfulfilled promise of different duties.

Lindsey locked the front door behind her and toed off her shoes, kicking them toward the wall to join her dad’s boots. She shed her coat and tossed it at the closet doorknob, shrugging as it missed and made a heap on the floor. She’d pick it up later.

Maybe.

Carrying the pile of mail in her hand, she made kissing sounds. Where was Snickers? A streak of brown and black blurred past and she laughed. There you are. Come on, Snicks. Let’s get a treat.

The cat skidded, sat, and looked over his shoulder at her, ears twitching.

That’s right. A treat. Come on. Lindsey patted her leg and aimed for the kitchen. She’d get the cat a treat, sort the mail, and catch up on her TV watching. She winced as her father’s voice niggled in her head. Fine. She’d clean the bathroom first, and then watch her show.

The smell of fish filled the kitchen when she pried off the lid of the cat treat can. She wrinkled her nose as she tipped the treat into the cat’s bowl and set it on the floor. I don’t know why you like these. They smell terrible.

The cat ignored her and hunched down to nibble at the treat.

Lindsey set the can aside. The mail was mostly flyers and ads. Did credit card companies still get business this way? She tossed another pre-approved application onto the to-be-shredded pile and froze. The manila envelope bore the adoption agency’s return address. She wasn’t expecting a letter. Not today. Brian and Olivia, her son’s parents, only mailed her things on his birthday. She set the envelope aside and finished sorting the mail.

Hands shaking, she reached for the letter. It wasn’t a big deal. Shouldn’t be. It could be a super-early Christmas card. Or a picture that was too good not to share. It was the surprise that had her heart constricting to the point of pain. Lindsey shook her head. She wasn’t convincing herself. Better to just open the thing and find out.

She smiled as what had to be a school picture slid onto the table. His first school photo—and it was everything a kindergarten shot should be, down to the tiniest smudge of chocolate on his chin. He looked identical to her memories of his father. Was there even the smallest hint of her in there? She squinted at the picture but couldn’t see one. Sometimes that made it easier.

Lindsey set the photo aside and blinked back her tears as she picked up the short letter. They were moving. To Thailand. As missionaries. She set the sheet of paper aside and closed her eyes. It wasn’t as if they got together now. That had never been part of their arrangement. Lindsey hadn’t had any in-person contact with her son or his parents other than meeting them before he was born and at the hospital. But she’d always had the possibility. Unless she was planning a trip to Thailand, that chance was gone.

He’s not mine. Her voice was a whisper, but the reminder was good. She cleared her throat and nodded. He’s not mine. It was nice of them to tell me.

Her phone buzzed, and she grabbed at it like a lifeline. Maybe someone needed her at the store. Except the number wasn’t one she recognized.

Carrie – I’ve been thinking about you today. It’s been two years. I know I should have moved on by now. And I have. Mostly . . . I can’t help wishing things had turned out better. I hope you’re happy, wherever you are and whoever you’re with.

Lindsey swallowed as her eyes filled. Not because of some heartbroken stranger. That would be pathetic. It had to be the letter from Brian and Olivia. And yet. Her gaze drifted back to the phone. She hadn’t had the number long. Nine, ten months? Something like that. Dad had gotten it in his head that changing carriers would save them money, and when he’d come home with two new phones, he’d said he hadn’t been able to transfer her number. She snorted. She hadn’t bought it, but she’d let Dad believe she had. This was the second time Dad had mysteriously been unable to transfer her number. He was trying to protect her by removing the possibility of Ben attempting to contact her. Not that he’d tried in the last five years, but it was still worth avoiding. It was easy enough to text her handful of friends and give them the new number.

She reread the text. Should she reply to this guy? It had to be a guy, didn’t it? Should she let him know Carrie was no longer at this number? What would she want, if the situation was reversed?

Blowing out a breath, she picked up the phone and tapped. Hi there. I thought you might like to know this isn’t Carrie’s number any longer. I’ve had it for almost a year now. Have a happy Thanksgiving?

Lindsey eyed the text and moved to delete the question mark. It’d be better with an exclamation point. Or