Sacrificial Love: The Next Generation Volume Iv

By Kathleen Rigdon Highley

A catastrophic blizzard hits Lubbock County, Texas, and three lives are impacted, changed, and fused together over the course of seven enlightening, life-altering, beautiful and scary days.Kim Baldwin discovers it’s okay to be who she is and to fall all the way in love with her best friend, Christian Devereaux.

Christian Devereaux learns to be part of something bigger than himself, when he and Kim rescue three-year-old Angel Cane and her teacup Yorkie from the backseat of a car left abandoned in the storm.

Who left them there and why?

Where are her parents?

Good guys and bad guys collide in search of the answer to these questions, and many more. Join me on a journey to discover the fate of Kim, Christian and Angel, as they navigate the hills and valleys on their quest to become a real, forever family—no matter what evil works against them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664135222

Kathleen Rigdon Highley

Kathy Rigdon Highley is an award-winning writer who delights in sharing the message of hope through her poems, short stories, fiction, and non-fiction. She has published eight Christian novels and has two more in the wings. Kathy, who enjoys sharing her heart with her readers and offering encouragement for people who walk this earthly journey, sings for Jesus at every opportunity.

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Copyright © 2020 by A Novel By Kathleen Rigdon Highley.

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recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New

International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International

Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 10/12/2020

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What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us,

who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave

Him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously

give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom

God has chosen? It is God who justifies (Romans 8:31-33 NIV).

Table of Contents

Chapter One - For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:17 NIV).

Chapter Two - The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made (Psalm 145:9 NIV).

Chapter Three - Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe (Proverbs 28:26 NIV).

Chapter Four - I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm (Psalm 55:8 NIV).

Chapter Five - And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us (Romans 5:5 NIV).

Chapter Six - He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me (Mark 9:36-37 NIV).

Chapter Seven - When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever (Proverbs 10:25 NIV).

Chapter Eight - And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV).

Chapter Nine - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6 NIV).

Chapter Ten - Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, (Psalm 23:6 NIV).

Chapter Eleven - Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12 NIV).

Chapter Twelve - You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:11 NIV).

Chapter Thirteen - Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong (1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV).

Chapter Fourteen - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).

Chapter Fifteen - For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways (Psalm 91:11 NIV).

Chapter Sixteen - And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Colossians 3:14 NIV).

Chapter Seventeen - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6 NIV).

Chapter Eighteen - But my eyes are fixed on you Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death. Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety (Psalm 141:8-10 NIV).

Chapter Nineteen - Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul (Psalm 143:8 NIV).

Chapter Twenty - Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).

Chapter Twenty-One - As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield (Psalm 18:30 NIV).

Chapter Twenty-Two - And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 NIV).

Chapter Twenty-Three - He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaiah 40:29 NIV).

Chapter Twenty-Four - That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith (Romans 1:12 NIV).

Chapter Twenty-Five - A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity (Proverbs 17:17 NIV).

Chapter Twenty-Six - Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters (Hebrews 13:1 NIV).

Chapter Twenty-Seven - It [love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:7 NIV).

Chapter Twenty-Eight - I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33 NIV).

Chapter Twenty-Nine - Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk, and so the innocent escape trouble (Proverbs 12:13 NIV).

Chapter Thirty - No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39 NIV).

Chapter Thirty-One - For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully (Luke 4:10 NIV).

Chapter Thirty-Two - Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:55 NIV).

Epilogue -Approximately One Year Later

A word from the Author

Chapter One

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the

world, but to save the world through him (John 3:17 NIV).

DAY ONE: FRIDAY

Kim stepped out of the car, startled when her phone rang. It took a couple seconds to dig it out of her pocket, but she managed to answer, before it went to voicemail. The unfamiliar number made her shiver. She should have turned the silly thing off when she left the office, then gotten in touch with the answering service. But she hadn’t, and now she needed to get back in touch with her professional side—one more time.

Stressed after a long, high-profile trial, she really wanted this week to be over.

Kimberly Baldwin, she said, crisp, formal, like the attorney she had grown up to be.

Her insides still quivered from the emotional breakdown she’d been caught in the middle of today. Twice. This unknown caller wasn’t helping.

Her career demanded she not dismiss phone calls without cause. It could be anyone—an informant that held the final piece of evidence to get a bad guy off the streets. Or an attorney willing to work out a plea bargain. Or someone who posed a threat. Or someone who could save her bacon.

A sense of duty compelled her to be available—but after this, she would forward all calls to the answering service. At the end of a trial, going underground for a bit had become her modus operandi. To preserve her sanity and make it possible to stay on top of her game. If she came at her job on half-rations, her clients received half the results. She could put her client’s life in danger or really mess up and have to sit back and watch a guilty man go free. The intensity of a trial drained her, emotionally and physically. The time off had become a necessity. A chance to put her life back in order, flush the stress out of her system, and regroup.

She pushed herself back into professional mode and focused on the call.

Hey, Sis, what’s up?

Paul? said Kim, surprised, but then suddenly jolted out of the tension she’d felt only moments ago. Her brother had returned her call from a number she didn’t have programmed into her phone. The rush was akin to a whiplash. From tense curiosity to total relief, in a nano-second.

You called me, right?

As always, Paul sounded upbeat and positive. His sunlight would have been welcomed, hours ago, when she had first called him. After the encounter with Christian Devereaux, she had driven around, trying to calm down, until the snowstorm had grown in intensity. Get home, Kimberly Margaret, she’d mumbled to herself, in her big sister Brooke’s voice. A voice she had slowly learned to listen to, through years of poor choices. No matter how much she’d fought it, Brooke was right, more times than not.

The sting of angst had worn off by now, and Kim felt more relaxed. Stirring it all up again would serve no good purpose.

Kim let out a breath, relief washing through her. This was her oldest brother. Not a panicky client, in danger. Not an attorney who would be demanding and irrational, or her secretary, with a new case. No, this was Paul—non-threatening and compassionate—Paul. Shifting the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder, she started toward the back door. Yeah. Where are you calling from? Your name didn’t come up.

Kim knew she sounded frustrated, but Paul had no idea what she’d been through today. Or for the past month and a half, for that matter. She’d been consumed with her job, focused, determined. Now that the trial was over, the accumulated stress had caused a minor breakdown.

Yes, she had needed Paul when she’d called him. But right now, she just wanted to sink into a delicious bubble bath. Warm and cozy, with candles and essential oils. She held the phone between her shoulder and head as she managed to unlock the back door and slip inside.

She put her things on the dining room table, pushed speaker on the phone and set it down next to her briefcase. As Paul talked, she slipped off her shoes, wiggling her toes in the plush champagne carpet, and shrugged out of her jacket.

She loved this house. It had taken a chunk out of her savings to purchase it, but she hadn’t been sorry, for even a day. It sat on a corner lot, with beautiful landscaping that made her smile every time she approached home. The rooms were large enough to entertain or have company stay overnight and not feel crowded. She had filled it with several pieces her mother had donated from their family estate; but she had personally picked out the large, elegant furniture that said home and class in one glance. A compact garden home that required very little maintenance on the outside, while providing spacious and fashionable living on the inside. It suited her, just right.

Oh yeah, said Paul, as Kim picked up her phone and started to move through the house. I’m at the opening of a new youth center downtown. I borrowed their land line. One of the kids was playing a silly game on my phone and he just informed me that I missed your call. You okay? You sound upset.

Perfect. A new youth center, a safe topic that would sidetrack her brother onto something besides her state of mind. She didn’t need to get started on the long list of yuck that made up her past. Her family had never judged her—only loved her—and tried to compensate for the fact that Kim had been born two weeks after her father’s death. Perhaps it had been a defining factor in her personality, a justification for her almost desperate need to find someone to love. Someone to love her. Despite her past, her long list of mistakes. The incident that had shut her down. Taken her off the grid. Out of the dating pool.

But she didn’t know how—or know what that type of love would look like, for her. So, she’d flubbed relationships, given herself to men who gave nothing back. Until Dirk Johnson had stripped her of every last shred of dignity.

She somehow forced herself into the black-sheep role in a family filled with clean, unblemished souls who practiced patience with the baby girl. Ugh. She so wanted to get out of that cycle, stand on her own two feet, and be strong.

But wow, she wanted to be loved—for who and what she was. A never-ending, all-consuming love that would last a lifetime. No matter what.

Her brother’s put-together, ministerial voice brought her back into the conversation. Somewhat. He was still talking about the new youth center—which made sense. Pretty much single-minded, Paul served as the youth pastor at an up and coming nondenominational church on the edge of downtown Nashville. Of course, he would be involved in a new youth center. His wife, Josephine, taught kindergarten at the private school affiliated with the church. And unless the good Lord intervened, Jo wouldn’t be able to have children, a probability that Paul had come to terms with long ago. So, as a dedicated and faithful couple, they gave their all to other people’s kids.

I was, earlier, said Kim, deciding to be truthful. She crossed through her bedroom and into the master bath. But I’m better now. I made it home before the bottom fell out of the sky.

It was the truth, after all. She really was better, and the sky really was about to fall. The predicted snowfall was quickly turning into an all-out blizzard. The absolute worst weather prediction of the entire year. Could be the biggest storm of the past fifteen years. They could only hope the forecast would be wrong.

Getting into her personal drama with her brother, just when she had begun to calm down, seemed foolish and detrimental to the balance of her day.

And what were you upset about? Do I need to hurt someone?

Kim chuckled, her gloomy mood, notwithstanding. Paul was the oldest of three brothers, eleven years her senior. She adored him, admired his one-way, God’s way, attitude. Most of the time. Her own struggle to find peace with God, after all she had been through, remained a daily challenge. She loved the Lord, believed he worked all things together for her good. But sometimes the stark differences between herself and her siblings stung a little. Every one of them had known their father, played with him, had memories of him. Not one of them had multiple relationship disasters on their record. Her only sister had become a heart surgeon, for goodness sakes—and had never been raped. Sometimes Kim let all that get to her, until she felt totally alone.

She’d been genuinely happy for Paul when he and Josephine found each other. And she knew, without a doubt, that he would do anything for her.

Nothing so drastic as that, she answered, with a wide grin, grateful for his willingness to defend her honor. I’m fine. Really. Just feeling, I don’t know, off, I guess. Or humbled. You know that song that says, ‘You chose me from my mother’s womb?’

Her brother’s voice brightened, and he sounded genuinely enthusiastic.

Yeah, I love that song, he said. We play it for the youth on a regular basis because it’s a great reminder that God loved them and sent His only Son to die for them before they had committed even one sin. A reminder that our worth is not dependent on what we do. Our value is determined by what Christ did on our behalf.

Kim spoke up, before her brother could get wound up and preach an entire sermon. Yes, she loved him. A lot. But the moment had passed for her. She didn’t want to think about all of that again, just yet. She wanted to be in the tub, letting all the drama drift away then slide down the drain. So, she politely, but quickly, cut him off.

Exactly, she said. "The revelation was huge for me today, considering the mountain of sin Christ carried to the cross, on my behalf alone. Anyway, I kinda melted and had to pull over. I needed an understanding shoulder. But I’m better now. Really. Really, she said, with emphasis. Repeating the word really" was bound to make her story more believable, right?

With her shoes off, Kimberly stepped off the carpet toward the tub, suddenly aware of how cold she was. As though winter had come inside with her.

Great. Well, I’ll be praying for you. Jo is hollering at me, so I’ll let you go. Don’t hesitate to call, Kimmie. Anytime.

And that was that. He had taken her at her word and seemed willing to let it go at that. Kim slowly released the breath she’d been holding, thankful for the reprieve.

Thanks, Paul, she said, with more enthusiasm than she felt. She just couldn’t shake the cloud that pressed down on her today. Enjoy your balmy winter, while we struggle up here in the snowy arctic.

Ha. I will. Love you, girl.

Love you, too.

And she did. She loved Paul, respected Paul, and admired the sacrifices he had made for the Lord. But there was no way he could identify with a troubled past. He didn’t have one. No, she had needed Matt. Matt, who had struggled with PTSD after his stint as a naval aviator. Matt, who had been somewhat of a rebel his entire life. Matt, who had worn leather and ridden a Harley, left home at an early age, and taken years to settle down. Her Matt. Her favorite big brother, whom she loved with her whole heart. Matt understood her. Accepted her. Loved her. Always had. But Matt had just returned from his honeymoon with Jessica. No way would she be calling him. Not yet, anyway. It was too soon to get all panicky and scare the entire family into a rescue mission. She’d never hear the end of it.

As Kim’s foot came down on the tile that draped around the tub, its icy surface sent a cold shiver up her spine. It shouldn’t be that cold. Then she realized the room felt icy, as well. What could that mean? Had she forgotten to set the thermostat this morning? She knew better than to let it get so cold in the house that the pipes could burst.

She raced into the closet and pulled out her favorite pink slippers, returned to the tub and opened the faucet to let water drip through it. Praise God, the pipes were still solid. She ran into the kitchen and did the same. Still good. Maybe it hadn’t been cold in the house long enough to hurt anything. But she still didn’t understand why it was so stinking frosty inside the building.

The blizzard increased in intensity, escalating Kim’s stress level to new heights. The wind whistled outside, and snow swirled around the patio then settled somewhere down the block. After a quick investigation, Kim whispered a prayer of gratitude that she still had power.

But the furnace refused to kick on. And she knew absolutely nothing about how to make it work. That’s what furnace repair guys were for. But she felt sure repairmen would not be working during a winter storm.

No heat. No heat—in the middle of a blizzard. The sun had disappeared behind an invisible horizon while the wind howled and swirled and threatened the limbs of ice-laden trees. The storm had hit hard and fast. Sure, Kim had family, lots of family, she could call. But that thought soured her stomach. She’d won big this week, and just wanted to disappear—stay out of the limelight and not talk about it. At all. And the case would be all her proud family would want to talk about. No, not today. She wasn’t ready for that. It made her head pound to think about it.

But if she couldn’t/wouldn’t call family, who could she call?

He was her friend. Her best friend. He would help her. Surely. Regardless of the tension that had reverberated between them earlier in the day. They had never been able to stay mad at each other. She had to believe he’d be willing to help her.

Before Kim could read more into the thought of being alone with the handsome billionaire, proclaimed Lubbock’s most-eligible-bachelor five years running, she pushed Speed Dial 1 and called Christian Devereaux.

Chapter Two

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all

he has made (Psalm 145:9 NIV).

Christian Devereaux pulled over as soon as he got close enough to read the license plate: SWEET. Although, he’d know her car anywhere. It made him grin, despite the nerves that pricked beneath his skin and made his heart pick up speed. Kimberly Baldwin had proven to be the only woman he had ever met that stirred his belly with self-doubt. He wanted to win her over, in a romantic way. Big time.

Her license plate read SWEET. His, POWER. What an enticing combination. Yes, their union would be, or could be, powerfully sweet.

The thought of them together sent warmth racing through his body. But he chastised himself and sobered immediately. Kim obviously was not ready for his amorous affections. She had made that perfectly clear, years ago. And it seemed the depth of their relationship was destined to remain in the dreaded friend zone.

Parking on the side of the road could be dangerous, though, especially at the speeds some people traveled on Loop 289, with little or no regard for the posted speed limit. And especially considering the inclement weather. Kimberly would know better. Something must be wrong. Something he didn’t know anything about. Which wasn’t that unbelievable. Kim rarely shared her innermost feelings. Her personal struggle to keep up a constant persona of strength and togetherness. He could count on less than ten fingers how many people were aware of the strain she worked under—and most of them were immediate family.

But Christian knew. Admired her focus, so certain of her purpose. But he’d give a small fortune to be able to release her from the dark forces that kept the lovely and compassionate spirit of Kimberly Margaret Baldwin tied to a past that haunted her.

Christian hesitated to stop at all, considering the strong feelings he had for the most dedicated attorney he had ever known. How much longer could he contain them? He’d been studying up on her plight, trying to understand the difficult, complicated …slow… recovery process for rape victims. The last thing Christian wanted Kim to think of him, was the ridiculous devil-may-care image that the tabloids blatantly painted of him. He wanted love, not lust, to define their relationship. He just had to be patient. Very, very patient. And remain her friend.

Over the years, social obligations had become a royal pain for him. The social status he had acquired in Lubbock made Christian a target for every super model, gold-digger, high-society wannabe in West Texas and the Panhandle, and across Texas boundaries on all sides.

The goal had been to surpass his New Orleans family heritage, to make it on his own, and earn the love and respect his grandmother had bestowed upon him, from an early age—not to become a household name with a cupid painted on his back.

Christian Devereaux was not that guy.

Case in point, Christian was a devout, born-again believer, a man of moral fortitude who had grown up with a healthy respect for his grandmother’s expectations, and therefore a healthy respect for women, in general. The unscrupulous tactics of desperate females had grown old and tiresome.

A memory flashed through his mind. A social obligation that had come as his father’s mandate: She’s the best catch in all of N’Orleans, son. Consider yourself lucky that she asked after you, rather than Nicholas…

Nicholas. His father’s first major indiscretion, not six months after wedding Christian’s mother. A slip-up with the downstairs maid, who couldn’t very well hide her condition. Grams had known the truth, due to an incredibly loyal butler who had been with the family for twenty-plus years and had been appointed to the Devereaux household when his employer’s daughter married. If truth be told, Christian would venture to say that his grandmother had insisted on the move just to have someone loyal to serve as her inside man. Turned out to be a wise move, considering Alexander’s thoughtless and immediate indiscretion.

Said maid had been sent away, not so discreetly. Afterwards (Grams told him, years later), Christian’s dad had been permitted to keep the child, and allowed to hire a nanny. However, part of the consequences consisted of his abrupt withdrawal from any access to his wife’s family fortune and placed on a strict allowance.

Successful attorney notwithstanding, Alexander Nicholas Devereaux could not come anywhere near the level of fortune he had married into, no matter how hard he worked. Christian’s father would never leave his mother, and his mother would never leave his father. Dad could live the high life, and no one would be the wiser, outside the privacy of their home.

Divorce could prove to be a fate worse than death in the New Orleans upper-crust social arena. At least in the generations of Harpers who had ruled on the level of royalty, as far back as the public records could be traced.

A legitimate male heir had been encouraged with every upcoming generation.

And so, it was done.

Christian’s sweet, beautiful, innocent mother had suffered through a loveless marriage and shared a home with her husband’s illegitimate child—until a heart attack took her life at an early age.

A sad tale. Regrettable circumstances that added up to a less than stellar relationship between the son of the wife Alexander did not love and the other son, who resented his very existence.

Alexander may not have shown it to the outside world, but the family knew, without a doubt, that the massive family fortune would one day belong solely to Christian Devereaux, well-loved and coddled by his grandmother—the woman who controlled the really serious money—and had little or no regard for Christian’s father.

So, yeah. Alexander Devereaux had messed up. Bitterness over getting caught and placed on rations had kept him in a perpetual bad mood. The fact that he had, at last, a legitimate heir, became tainted by the bitterness that governed his every move.

Alexander Nicholas Devereaux’s firstborn, illegitimate son would inherit only what Alexander could manage to accumulate through his own efforts. There would be no old family money forthcoming. The very reason he had set his sights on Victoria Harper, to begin with. But he’d blown that plan to smithereens.

Not surprisingly, Christian’s father and half-brother resented everything about Christian Devereaux.

Therefore, with an inherited plush sports car and a little seed money, Christian struck out on his own, knowing full-well that once he turned forty, he would receive his full inheritance, a cool fifty billion as a base line, that would continue to grow.

Until that day, Christian would have to make his own way.

And so, he did. He’d learned work ethic, strategy, and determination from his grandmother, intertwined with a deep abiding faith and a loyalty that could withstand a tsunami. Christian Devereaux had been saddened by the loss of his mother, then mourned the loss of his grandmother—but had spent very little time fretting about the separation that kept him from a father who didn’t love him and a half-brother who openly despised him.

Therefore, far as Christian was concerned, Nicholas Devereaux could have every debutante in Louisiana. If Christian had gotten snared by any one of them, he might never have escaped the ugliness that had been pervasive throughout his childhood.

Just one of the many reasons he’d clawed his way out of that twisted world, and to the top of this one.

And with no longing to darken the door of his childhood home—ever again, and with no regrets, he ventured forth to Lubbock, Texas, with its odd but interesting conglomeration of unpredictable weather and cultures, blended with the sophistication of an excellent symphony and choral productions, drama, art, and a myriad of legal and investment opportunities. He had capitalized on them all, invested in most, and now owned a big chunk of real estate that expanded his holdings across Texas and New Mexico. He wondered sometimes if his father knew just how much of New Orleans his legitimate son still owned. He had held on to every investment, bond, stock and piece of real estate his grandmother’s family had accumulated over the years. He’d hired the same trusted family of CPAs and investment brokers his grandmother had trusted, and the assets had grown exponentially, over the years.

Then, six months ago, his own personal investments had slipped Christian over the line into two-digit billionaire status. A feat he had accomplished long before his fortieth birthday and the receipt of his inheritance.

Christian Devereaux had everything he could ever want.

Everything except Kimberly Margaret Baldwin.

Christian took a deep breath, whispered a quick prayer, zippered his butter-soft, black leather jacket, killed the engine of his 2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Coupe then slipped out into the cold.

It only took seconds to reach her car, but the frigid wind penetrated his coat and made him shiver. So much colder than when he’d left the house that morning. The weather prediction must have been right on, for a change. The weather conditions could change in minutes, up here. One of the few things that had been difficult to adjust to, after the move.

He should have driven the Hummer this morning, because today, the forecast had been spot-on.

Christian knocked on the driver’s side window of Kimberly’s car, then sucked in a breath as she turned to look at him. She was a mess. He had no idea what she’d been crying about, but he had an immediate and urgent need to pummel anyone who had caused her such obvious distress.

He wanted to fix everything in her life. And share his own life with her. He wanted her to know she was beautiful, inside and out. Wanted her to know she could trust him. Wanted her to know he loved her.

And wanted her to love him, in return, for a lifetime.

You okay? he said, raising his voice to be heard above the wind.

Kim looked startled, like she had no idea why he would question her. She glanced in the rearview mirror. He watched her, freezing, his teeth chattering, wishing she would invite him into the warmth of her car. She didn’t. So, he said, May I join you for a moment?

He offered his best sincere expression. He wasn’t wooing a jury here. Kimberly would know if he tried to fake his way into her presence. His concern had been genuine, so it hadn’t been difficult. Relief flooded through him when Kim inclined her head toward the passenger seat.

Another lonely Christmas had come and gone. They now sat smack in the middle of the coldest month of the year. The thought of himself and Kim on a beach somewhere flitted through his mind, as he made his way around the hood of her car. Nice ride. The candy-apple red and distinctive license plates made it easy to spot her, anywhere in town. Not that he’d been following her. He wasn’t a stalker. But more than anything, he wanted to be close to her. More than anything. Which made him sound like a stalker. Not. He would never make Kimberly uncomfortable in that way.

He slipped inside her car, shivered once, then settled back into the warmth of a dreamy heated seat.

Thanks for turning on the seat warmer. It’s stinkin’ cold out there. His body shook once again, and he rubbed his gloved hands together.

You’re welcome. What are you doing here?

No beating around the bush with this one. Christian looked deep into Kim’s eyes, and whispered her name. Kim.

Gee, was that the best he could come up with?

Christian swallowed hard. Knew in an instant he had used the wrong tone. That tone. The suggestive, intimate one that always put her on guard. Every time. He knew it, but it had slipped