Read Online Heaven's Touch by Jillian Hart - Free Book Online
Authors: Jillian Hart
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Contemporary, Montana, Man-Woman Relationships, Love Stories, Christian fiction, Religious, Christian, Religious Fiction
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of a chance to comb out wet hair after every dunking.
She waited for Peggy to pass through the outer office door, and they finished their routine of locking and setting alarms and waiting for Ashley to finish changing and leave. Hurrying out into the parking lot, Cadence caught her reflection in her sedanâs windshield.
Nope, definitely not the best hair day, she thought as she wrestled with her door lock. When the stubborn door opened, she tossed her bag onto the backseat.
Still, she thought on the drive over, it wasnât as if she was going to catch a husband on the baseball diamond in an all-women league. After so much time being single, she wasnât sure she wanted to risk her heart again. Her attempts at romance had ended disastrouslyâboth of them.
Iâm happy alone, she decided with absolute certainty as she slipped into one of the last available parking spots along the street. Peggy meant well, but sheâd been happily married for over thirty-five years. Not everyone fell in love with their high school sweetheart, married and lived happily ever after.
And speaking of her high school sweetheart, there he was. Down on his knees, Ben McKaslin looked like everything good and decent and awesome in a man as he talked with a little boy somewhere around six or seven. The child was his spitting image. From the high cheekbones and straight blade of a nose to his full mouth to the small dimple cut into a rock-hard chin. Benâs son? He had to be.
The little boyâs face had yet to find the hard-edged look that Benâs had, but he was going to grow up as handsome as his dad. The shock of seeing them together made her glad she couldnât be seen.
Somehow in all these years sheâd never pictured Ben settling down, marrying a nice woman and raising children.
But he had. Maybe heâd found the best in himself after all.
âCadence! Over this way!â Across the street and down a way, there was Peggy with her hand over her eyes to shade them, cracking gum and motioning in the opposite direction on the city of Bozemanâs huge, multipurpose park.
The baseball diamonds seemed to wink beneath the full force of the afternoon sun, but it was simply the sunlight reflecting off the chain link barrier fencing. The crack of a ball against a bat, the rising cheers, the groan of agony as a runner was called out mixed with the wonderful sounds of the busy ballpark. These reminded Cadence, as always, of why she was hereâfriends, the love of sports. What better way was there to spend an afternoon?
She glanced over her shoulder to see Ben McKaslin with his son on his shoulders. Cute as a button and alight with happiness, the boy held on tight to the top of Benâs head.
Good. She was glad for him. But a hard sword ofhurt sliced her through the midsection. The past and what could have been was right there. Once sheâd dreamed of being Benâs wife. Of being happy together. Of holding their baby son in her arms.
It was never your future, she reminded herself. If it had been, then God would have made it possible. The dream of a happy life with Ben had been simply her wish. Another one that had fallen like a star to the earth, incinerating as it fell.
âHurry! The gameâs gonna start, and you havenât warmed up that arm of yours,â Peggy said, grabbing her by the elbow.
Somehow Cadence moved forward, one foot in front of the other. It was as if too many dreams had burned up. She found it hard to walk through the families milling around or cheering on their loved ones playing in a game. Of all the roads not taken and of all the paths God had decided were not for her, this was the most arduous one.
Loneliness filled her, but it wasnât truly loneliness at all. It was emptiness in her heart where sheâd stored up all her love for a husband and family one day.
When it went too long unused, love must disappear as surely as dreams, leaving nothing in its
She waited for Peggy to pass through the outer office door, and they finished their routine of locking and setting alarms and waiting for Ashley to finish changing and leave. Hurrying out into the parking lot, Cadence caught her reflection in her sedanâs windshield.
Nope, definitely not the best hair day, she thought as she wrestled with her door lock. When the stubborn door opened, she tossed her bag onto the backseat.
Still, she thought on the drive over, it wasnât as if she was going to catch a husband on the baseball diamond in an all-women league. After so much time being single, she wasnât sure she wanted to risk her heart again. Her attempts at romance had ended disastrouslyâboth of them.
Iâm happy alone, she decided with absolute certainty as she slipped into one of the last available parking spots along the street. Peggy meant well, but sheâd been happily married for over thirty-five years. Not everyone fell in love with their high school sweetheart, married and lived happily ever after.
And speaking of her high school sweetheart, there he was. Down on his knees, Ben McKaslin looked like everything good and decent and awesome in a man as he talked with a little boy somewhere around six or seven. The child was his spitting image. From the high cheekbones and straight blade of a nose to his full mouth to the small dimple cut into a rock-hard chin. Benâs son? He had to be.
The little boyâs face had yet to find the hard-edged look that Benâs had, but he was going to grow up as handsome as his dad. The shock of seeing them together made her glad she couldnât be seen.
Somehow in all these years sheâd never pictured Ben settling down, marrying a nice woman and raising children.
But he had. Maybe heâd found the best in himself after all.
âCadence! Over this way!â Across the street and down a way, there was Peggy with her hand over her eyes to shade them, cracking gum and motioning in the opposite direction on the city of Bozemanâs huge, multipurpose park.
The baseball diamonds seemed to wink beneath the full force of the afternoon sun, but it was simply the sunlight reflecting off the chain link barrier fencing. The crack of a ball against a bat, the rising cheers, the groan of agony as a runner was called out mixed with the wonderful sounds of the busy ballpark. These reminded Cadence, as always, of why she was hereâfriends, the love of sports. What better way was there to spend an afternoon?
She glanced over her shoulder to see Ben McKaslin with his son on his shoulders. Cute as a button and alight with happiness, the boy held on tight to the top of Benâs head.
Good. She was glad for him. But a hard sword ofhurt sliced her through the midsection. The past and what could have been was right there. Once sheâd dreamed of being Benâs wife. Of being happy together. Of holding their baby son in her arms.
It was never your future, she reminded herself. If it had been, then God would have made it possible. The dream of a happy life with Ben had been simply her wish. Another one that had fallen like a star to the earth, incinerating as it fell.
âHurry! The gameâs gonna start, and you havenât warmed up that arm of yours,â Peggy said, grabbing her by the elbow.
Somehow Cadence moved forward, one foot in front of the other. It was as if too many dreams had burned up. She found it hard to walk through the families milling around or cheering on their loved ones playing in a game. Of all the roads not taken and of all the paths God had decided were not for her, this was the most arduous one.
Loneliness filled her, but it wasnât truly loneliness at all. It was emptiness in her heart where sheâd stored up all her love for a husband and family one day.
When it went too long unused, love must disappear as surely as dreams, leaving nothing in its
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