A Reason to Hope: Sisters of My Heart Trilogy: Book Two

By P. L. Byers

Madison Bowman had a wonderful family and two best friends that meant everything to her. She was working hard in the world of fashion, hoping to someday become the newest and most influential designer in the field.

Then one day, in a chance meeting, Maddy met the one man she knew she was destined to be with.

Zander Cole had his life mapped out. Losing his father at a young age and helping his mother through the ordeal taught him many lessons. The most important one was that it was best to not get involved in a relationship that would require more than he was willing to give.

Then one day, Maddy appeared on his horizon, and he couldnt seem to get the feisty, auburn-haired woman out of his mind. Realizing he was wasting time denying his attraction, Zander decided he needed to face his fears and talk to Maddy. Unfortunately, things didnt go as planned, and he stood helplessly by as the woman he loved ran out the door.

Knowing he needed to give her space, Zander waited patiently until he learned that she was involved in a tragic accident, and he rushed to be with her. Not sure if shed recover, he stayed by her side, hoping and praying for her to get well.

Maddy was touched that he was there but uncertain whether his presence was truly out of love, as he says, or misplaced guilt, as she suspects.

Can Zander convince Maddy that his love is true? More importantly, will Maddy take that next step in their relationship and place her heart and soul in his keeping?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504963268

P. L. Byers

P. L. Byers is the author of a dozen novels and counting, including her Out of the Darkness Series and Sister’s of the Heart Trilogy. She is a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America), NERW (New England Romance Writers), and PAN (Published Authors Network). Her love for creating her characters and the stories behind them has been an all-consuming ambition. “If any of my readers get a tenth of the enjoyment in reading my books as I do in writing them, then all the time and effort put into this dream will make it all worthwhile,” she writes. P. L. Byers lives in Franklin, Massachusetts with her kind and patient husband and two incredibly spoiled cats. You can contact P. L. Byers through her website at www.plbyers.com or e-mail her at [e-mail]. You can also follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PLByers.

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© 2015 P. L. Byers. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Book cover and author photo taken by Karen Moriarty at www.kemphoto.com

P. L. Byers’ website created and maintained by www.bigpresenceagency.com

Published by AuthorHouse 11/23/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-6328-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-6327-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-6326-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015919263

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

This book was originally published in 2014 by Dellarte Press

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgment

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Epilogue

Author Bio

Dedication

Twenty-Five years ago, I married into a family that I knew nothing about. In the years since, I have come to realize how fortunate I am to have gained my other family. I dedicate this book to you!

Since the day I said I do in a small church in Ohio, you have all given me so much! Thank you for your love and support, and for including me in as your daughter, sister, niece and cousin. You mean the world to me and I am forever grateful for your presence in my life.

Acknowledgment

I have been very blessed to have a loving and supportive husband, so to Mark, thank you for always being there and for understanding how important my writing is to me.

To Justin and Charlie, two of the most wonderful young men in my life, whose love and support are everything to me! You are my most valued treasure, and to Gretchen, a wonderful addition to our family. I love you all!

I could not possibly continue my writing without the help of Lisa and Rita. You are my stabilizing force and without you, I couldn’t do this! You are most sincerely appreciated!

I would also like to thank you, the readers, who give me such wonderful feedback. Your support means the world to me and I am so very grateful. I write for you!

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The enticing sight of the hydrangea flower, blowing gracefully in the breeze;

Bends left, then right, then back again, as pretty as you please.

And like the beautiful hydrangea flower,

our friendship runs strong and true,

My life was changed forever, the moment it included you.

P. L. Byers

Prologue

M ADISON BOWMAN WAS standing outside Mr. Donavan’s classroom, not because she enjoyed being close to the teacher, but because her locker was outside his room. He was a gruff, impatient man and not one of her favorite people. She knew her classmates made fun of him behind his back, and at times she felt bad. Most times she didn’t, since he brought a lot of the animosity on himself with how he treated his students. On his good days he was rude and intolerant; on his bad days he was just plain mean, looking for any reason to pick on a student or to embarrass them in front of the entire class. This was a man who should never have started teaching, and his dislike for the job was evident by his attitude. He took great joy in overloading his students with homework and his tests often times were something that a grad student might see. Parent complaints to the school board had only resulted in discussions between the principal and teacher, but nothing more serious than that.

As Madison stood by her locker, talking with some of her friends waiting for the bell to signal the start of the next class, she watched as Brenna Harris, a girl she knew only by name, walked into Mr. Donavan’s classroom. The look on her face clearly showed that she was up to no good and Madison was curious to know what she had planned. The teacher in question had been making her life miserable lately, so whatever she was doing, Madison felt he deserved it.

Within just a short minute, she saw Brenna rushing from the classroom and just before she turned to go down the hall, Mr. Donavan entered his room and fire crackers went off. Madison watched as he came tearing back into the hallway, looking around for the culprit. Before Brenna could turn the corner, he saw her and immediately called her back.

Madison watched as Brenna turned around and walked with hunched shoulders back towards Mr. Donavan. When she heard him say, To the principal’s office young lady, she decided to go along with them to see if she could help Brenna out. Several months ago, she overheard her parents talking about the Harris family, and how they felt so badly for the youngest daughter because of the divorce of her parents. From what little she heard before her parents realized she was there and stopped talking, the divorce was pretty nasty and there had been one particular fight where Brenna had been caught between her two parents. Madison knew how lucky she was to have such wonderful parents and felt bad that Brenna had such a tough life.

Following at a discreet distance, she didn’t say anything until they all three entered the principal’s office. Seeing the surprised look on Brenna’s face, she kept quiet as Mr. Donavan told his side of the story and then asked Brenna what she had to say for herself.

Before she could answer, Madison stepped in. I don’t mean to interrupt you sir, but Brenna was in the hall with me and couldn’t possibly have put those firecrackers in Mr. Donavan’s desk. She never left my side.

When the teacher sputtered his surprise and questioned that they were even friends, she quietly explained that they had started hanging out the previous week. With no further proof that it was indeed Brenna, the principal excused them to go back to class.

Throughout the day, whenever Brenna passed Maddy in the hallway, she would look at her curiously but never said a word. It wasn’t until the end of the day when Maddy was leaving the school that Brenna approached her and asked if they could talk. When they got to the park located near the school, Brenna asked why she stuck up for her and what she wanted in return for doing it. When Maddy explained that she just wanted to help her out and that she didn’t want anything from her, Brenna seemed surprised.

From that moment on, Brenna Harris and Madison Bowman became the closest of friends. There wasn’t a day that went by that Maddy wasn’t spending time with, walking with or eating lunch with her new best friend. It wasn’t until several months later that they were in the school cafeteria eating lunch and noticed a petite blond haired girl with huge eyes sitting at a table alone. When they went over to her and started talking, it took several tries before they could get her to open up. They learned that her name was Christine Marshall and that she had just moved to the town.

Both Maddy and Brenna noticed the fading bruises on her face and arms but decided not to say anything about them. The new girl easily became a part of their tight knit group and before long the three were inseparable. They knew each other’s secrets and dreams and always, no matter what the circumstance, had each other’s back.

Theirs was a friendship that would not only serve them well through their years in school, but would stand the test of whatever life would hand them.

Chapter One

M ADISON BOWMAN STOOD in the living room, looking around at all the people who had come together to celebrate Christmas Eve. It was a festive occasion to be sure, but the surprise proposal of one of her best friends, Brenna Harris, added to the occasion. The room was filled with happy people, enjoying champagne and laughter, yet she felt alone, standing in the crowd.

Glancing over at her friend Brenna, Maddy watched as Grant, Brenna’s new fiancé wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. The smiles on both their faces was a sure indication of how happy they felt. She was thrilled for her friend! After months of watching her struggle with how much she loved Grant Warner and afraid that it would never go anywhere, it was gratifying to see that she had finally gotten her happy ending.

Christmas decorations lit the entire living room, right down to the tree with brightly twinkling lights that was centered near the front window. What started out to be a small family Christmas Eve get-together at Edward and Celia Warner’s house to celebrate the return of their son Grant back to the family fold, quickly became a full-scale party, culminating in the proposal. Maddy suspected that Grant, with the help of his parents, had gone into great detail to plan their special moment.

Walking over to the temporary bar set up in the corner of the room, Madison refilled her champagne glass and made her way over to her other close friend, Christine Marshall. When she came along beside her, she held her glass up in the air. To Brenna, she cheered.

Clinking glasses, Christine smiled and repeated the same words. To Brenna.

As they both stood watching the couple laugh at something Grant’s brother said, Madison looked to her friend. You okay?

Why wouldn’t I be? she asked.

Madison, Brenna, and Christine had been the closest of friends since middle school. While some people moved on to different friends when they went on to college, the three girls had remained steadfast friends. All three of them had left the small town of Montgomery, Massachusetts, and moved to Boston at the same time. And while they attended different colleges and followed completely different career paths, they remained as close as ever and never let more than a few days go by without contacting each other. They’d always spent their birthdays together, without fail, no matter whether one, two, or all three were in a relationship.

The man Brenna had chosen was a really good guy because he completely understood their tradition and had even helped rescue them recently when Christine’s birthday celebration got out of hand. Like a true gentleman, he corralled them from the bar, got them all safely back to his condo and tucked them in for the night. Yep, he was definitely a keeper in Maddy’s estimation!

Her dress is beautiful, Christine commented. You really outdid yourself.

Maddy’s dream since she was a little girl, had been to be a designer. She would spend hours sketching out creations she imagined. Her mom used to tease her that her Barbies were the best-dressed dolls around. Any scrap of material lying around would end up in Maddy’s room, and she would spend hours making it into something for a Barbie or one of her toys to wear. When a lot of kids her age were out playing, Maddy could be found in her bedroom, drawing or sewing. Her brother Sam used to laugh and tease her about being the only ten year old on earth who asked Santa for a sewing machine. To Sam’s amusement, the one she asked for was not a child’s replica of the real thing, but an actual grown up sewing machine with all the bells and whistles.

But a sewing machine she got and from that day on, she was constantly sitting behind it, making her designs come to life. It was no surprise to anyone when she applied and was accepted to the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Knowing she needed to earn money, she worked as a buyer for one of the small boutiques in Boston while waiting for her big break. She was starting to be recognized. In fact, a few of the other smaller boutiques had asked if she would be interested in selling some of her designs from their stores. The dress Brenna was wearing tonight was actually one that was going to be showcased in one of the boutiques the following week.

Thanks, Chrissy. You know you could have worn one of my dresses tonight too!

I know, and I appreciate it. I just couldn’t get to you for any of the fittings. Things at work are crazy right now.

Maddy looked over to her friend and noticed for the first time the lines around her eyes. Of the three of them, Christine was the shy, quiet, and absolutely brilliant one of the group. In high school she had easily excelled in all their classes and was the first to be accepted into college. She had graduated from Harvard University and was hired immediately after graduation by one of the pharmaceutical companies in Boston as a biomedical engineer doing research and development.

Which reminds me; you didn’t answer my earlier question. Are you okay?

You sound like Brenna. I’m fine, just some stress at work. Nothing for either of you to worry about. Besides, we have more important things to discuss. Looking over to see the handsome man standing a few feet away talking to Grant’s granddad, she bobbed her head in his direction and smiled. What’s the story with him?

Maddy followed her friend’s gaze and smiled. Gorgeous isn’t he?

Zander Cole, the man in question, was perhaps the most handsome man Madison had seen in a while. There was just something about the man that made her want to curl up in his arms. He was close to six feet tall, with short brown hair that was just starting to curl at the ends. Maddy knew that if he would just let it grow a little longer, the waves would take over, giving him a wilder look. He carried himself with a commanding air of self-confidence. The very way he stood quietly let anyone near him know that he had made it.

Maddy had first met Zander a few months earlier, when he was at the hotel restaurant where she was meeting Brenna and Grant for lunch. He was just finishing up his meeting with Grant when she arrived. As she sat next to him at the table, Maddy felt an attraction to him in a way that she hadn’t experienced before. His chocolate brown eyes just melted her when he looked her way. He was polite but seemed reserved. At one point, during her conversation with him, she put her hand on his arm and immediately felt sparks going up her arm. She loved how his eyes twinkled when he was making a joke, and sitting next to him, she could feel his strength. A quality she found incredibly attractive!

…which makes me sad, Christine was finishing, and then realized that Madison hadn’t heard a word she’d said. Nudging her friend with her shoulder, she smirked when Maddy looked her way, her face slightly red when she realized she had completely zoned out. Man…you got it bad, Christine said laughing.

Looking back to Zander, she sighed heavily. He looked so good in his pleated brown dress slacks with his cream shirt neatly tucked in. The brown vest he wore over the shirt just emphasized his muscular chest and made his entire look just plain drool-worthy!

Jerking her attention back to Christine, she frowned. What makes you sad? she asked, remembering what Christine had said.

I was saying how I was sad that the one time I met Zander was the night of my birthday celebration and I was too drunk to remember very much. All I know is that he helped Grant get us back to his place, but not much else. How did he get there?

Not really sure. Grant said something about Zander already being at the bar. He recognized Brenna and when he realized how drunk we were he got worried and called Grant. Zander hung out until Grant got there, then helped him get us all back to his place. What I don’t know, is if he was there with someone or if he was alone. I have no clue.

What are you two plotting over here? Brenna said with a chuckle, coming to stand next to her two best friends.

What makes you think we’re plotting anything? Madison laughed.

You have that devious look in your eyes, my friend.

What do you know about Zander? Christine asked.

I should have known this was about him, Brenna said, laughing. "I don’t know much, actually. Jonas, Grant’s friend from college, introduced him to us. Grant and Zander are investing in something with Jonas so they had that meeting, which is where you and I