Love at Stoney Lake: Will to Live, #1

By Alison Birch

An aspiring college student living in New York has now come face-to-face with death. A young farmer who is struggling to find his place in life after losing his mother to cancer. Can a beautiful serene lake in Wisconsin bring healing to them both?

Molly, a 20-year-old well-rounded college student, is diagnosed with a deadly disease that demands her to leave her active life in New York and settle on Stoney Lake in Wisconsin. The youngest of three children, Molly is used to being independent and overcoming every challenge in her life, but when her body becomes weaker, she struggles having to depend on others. When her family moves to a small cottage by the lake, she meets Brandon, a farm worker with a painful past, who makes Molly realize that she, too, needs God.

Brandon, a 21-year-old Christian, is working on a farm to save money for college. At first, he is annoyed by the intruders who have moved into his secret haven, but soon he develops a bond with Molly. It's clear that they both feel more than friendship, but Molly's health battles, along with Brandon's past, make it seemingly impossible for them to have anything more. Can the two find love at Stoney Lake?

"Love at Stoney Lake" is the first book in the Will To Live Series by Alison Birch. This clean, Christian romance is sure to capture your heart!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alison Birch
• Release date: Feb 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393648802

Book preview

Chapter 1

Mike sat on the leather sofa in the living room of his house. His wife, Patricia, sat beside him with his 20-year-old daughter sitting across the room. Some crucial documents lay on the coffee table in front of them. Important decisions had to be made today.

I think this is the best decision for you, honey, he said to his daughter.

Molly was unable to respond, which was very unlike her. She was too absorbed in looking through the papers that were bundled up beside her.

I need you to pay attention, Mike repeated. This is very serious, and we can’t stand seeing you in so much pain.

I don’t know anymore, Dad, Molly sighed. I don’t think there’s anything else I can do but give up, right?

The treatments aren’t helping, and it’s been over a year now, Patricia chimed in.

Mike pursed his lips and nodded slowly.

I think we should make a change. It will be the best for you, he added.

Whatever. I really don’t have the strength to argue anymore, Molly said.

Mike smiled, got up, and kissed his daughter on the forehead.

We’re proud of you, he said and then left the room.

Have we decided on a place? Molly turned to her mother.

No, but we know we want it to be something close to nature. I grew up in the suburbs, and being surrounded by God’s creation made me feel so close to Him. It reminded me that He has a purpose in everything. I’m excited for you to maybe experience the same journey, Patricia responded.

I don’t know about that, but we can give it a try. Sure, she said. A purpose in everything? she thought. Like having cancer? Molly knew her mom meant well, but her comments really hurt Molly sometimes. She just didn’t get it.

——

Molly had never truly believed in God. She always believed in being a good person who helped others when the opportunity arose. That had been her goal. But she wondered if her mother was right. She needed a Savior now more than any other time in her life. Science had failed her. Maybe she was willing to have an open mind about God.

Molly collected the reports that had been stacked all over the living room and carried them up to her room. The results had been delivered today. For some reason, she felt compelled to review again. Her parents had accepted her fate, but she was unable to without more proof. She entered her room and placed them on the bed.

There was a timeline of her reports. Over a year ago, Molly had visited her general practitioner for a routine check-up that her father had been insisting on. She was unaware of the intensity of the sickness that had been dwelling inside her then. One raised brow led to the other, and after multiple just to be safe check-ups, it was revealed to her that she had leukaemia, and it was not new to her body, either.

Her doctors immediately outlined all of the medical procedures needed to ensure a safe recovery. Her parents worked overtime to pay for the treatments, but like so many other families dealing with health issues, her parents were drowning in medical bills. Their savings had been thinning out, yet God always provided for their needs.

The doctors had told them that they needed a year to analyze the test results in order to predict what Molly’s outcome might look like. On the basis of the year-end report, her lifespan could be determined. Molly was aware that she was sick; her reports said so. Her doctors did, too. But Molly never felt sick. She attended all of her treatments, her appointments, and everything that she was required to do to get better, but she never allowed it to become her main focus. She had been continuing with her life as normal, going to college and working as a barista at a downtown coffee shop. None of it had fazed her. And life in New York was too fast-paced to allow yourself to be stagnant and feel sorry for yourself, so she didn’t.

None of her friends had known about the intensity of her illness. They were living under the assumption that the disease was mild. Molly didn’t want to dwell on her illness. The fact that people around her were clueless regarding her deteriorating health allowed her to ignore it. It gave her permission to live as a thriving young woman because then she had no choice but to be healthy. Molly was a strong,