Secretly Yours: A Christian Valentine's Day Romance (Riverbend Romance Novella Book 1) by Valerie Comer Page A
Authors: Valerie Comer
Ads: Link
slid the book back into the paper. “Did you and your dad have supper already?”
“Dad’s on afternoon shift, remember?”
Right.
“Wasn’t there a note in this one?”
“I, uh, didn’t see one. I’ll look at it more closely later. So, are you hungry?”
“I’m not a child, Lindsey. I fixed something hours ago. Dad has been on afternoon shift before, you know.”
“Sorry.” Of course Madison was capable. She was sixteen, not six. It was just that she seemed so much younger sometimes.
“I thought we’d have more fun when you moved back home. Instead you’re always worrying about something. Even all those fun gifts don’t make you smile.”
Was her sister just begging for positive attention? Lindsey narrowed her gaze at Madison. “It’s not you pretending to be a secret admirer, is it?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Where would I get that kind of money? And why?”
Lindsey’s mind began to add up the probable cost of all the gifts. None by themselves were expensive, but two or three a week over a month must’ve added up. This wasn’t just a game. Someone was very serious about getting her attention.
Meditations for a Woman Beloved of God.
Nick. Why didn’t he give up? She didn’t want him in her life. She wanted… what? To be a grumpy big sister to the girl she’d given up everything to take care of? To become an old maid with a permanent bun in her hair?
“Sorry, Madison.” She reached out and snagged her sister to her side with a quick hug. “You’re right. It must be Nick. And I’m sorry for being a grouch. I have a lot on my mind, but I shouldn’t be taking it out on you. What do you want to do this evening?”
Madison’s face brightened. “I forgive you. Want to do pedicures and a chick flick?”
Not really? “Sure.” She’d take a closer look at that devotional later. There was a message there from Nick, whether a separate paper lay inside the cover or not. A woman beloved of God. Was that her problem? Did she think, somewhere deep in her subconscious, that she wasn’t good enough for Nick because she wasn’t good enough for God? What had happened to the joy in her salvation?
Like a fine coffee, it had cooled and the aroma had dissipated. Would a little book like this help her reheat it? Hopefully the allegory slipped there. A reheated coffee was never as good as freshly brewed.
“What colors of nail polish do you have?” Madison erupted from her room carrying a shoebox. “I’m not sure I’m in the mood for any of mine.”
Lindsey peered into the open box. She couldn’t hope to have any color not in her sister’s repertoire. “Hmm. Let’s see. I’ll go get mine.” She hurried into her room and set the book on her bed before digging in the closet for her collection of more subdued hues than Madison’s. Did that prove she was old and out of touch? She laughed to herself. Maybe it proved she’d grown up a little. That was okay, too.
The book caught her attention as she turned for the door. Madison could wait a moment longer.
Lindsey opened the front cover where the now-familiar scrawl simply said,
Dear Lindsey,
Zephaniah 3:17 (The Voice)
Secretly Yours
The Voice? Wasn’t that a Bible translation? She didn’t have that one. Oh, but her phone app likely did. This would just take a minute. She dropped to the edge of her bed, thumbed on the phone, and searched for the reference.
The Eternal your God is standing right here among you, and He is the champion who will rescue you. He will joyfully celebrate over you; He will rest in His love for you; He will joyfully sing because of you like a new husband.
Whoa. She rocked back. Now that… that was love. Did this truly represent how God thought of her?
“Lindsey?” Madison’s disappointed voice came from the doorway. “Did you forget already?”
Lindsey shook her head. “No. I’ve got the nail polish right here. But sis? Come read this.”
“Okaaay.” Madison plunked down beside her and
“Dad’s on afternoon shift, remember?”
Right.
“Wasn’t there a note in this one?”
“I, uh, didn’t see one. I’ll look at it more closely later. So, are you hungry?”
“I’m not a child, Lindsey. I fixed something hours ago. Dad has been on afternoon shift before, you know.”
“Sorry.” Of course Madison was capable. She was sixteen, not six. It was just that she seemed so much younger sometimes.
“I thought we’d have more fun when you moved back home. Instead you’re always worrying about something. Even all those fun gifts don’t make you smile.”
Was her sister just begging for positive attention? Lindsey narrowed her gaze at Madison. “It’s not you pretending to be a secret admirer, is it?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Where would I get that kind of money? And why?”
Lindsey’s mind began to add up the probable cost of all the gifts. None by themselves were expensive, but two or three a week over a month must’ve added up. This wasn’t just a game. Someone was very serious about getting her attention.
Meditations for a Woman Beloved of God.
Nick. Why didn’t he give up? She didn’t want him in her life. She wanted… what? To be a grumpy big sister to the girl she’d given up everything to take care of? To become an old maid with a permanent bun in her hair?
“Sorry, Madison.” She reached out and snagged her sister to her side with a quick hug. “You’re right. It must be Nick. And I’m sorry for being a grouch. I have a lot on my mind, but I shouldn’t be taking it out on you. What do you want to do this evening?”
Madison’s face brightened. “I forgive you. Want to do pedicures and a chick flick?”
Not really? “Sure.” She’d take a closer look at that devotional later. There was a message there from Nick, whether a separate paper lay inside the cover or not. A woman beloved of God. Was that her problem? Did she think, somewhere deep in her subconscious, that she wasn’t good enough for Nick because she wasn’t good enough for God? What had happened to the joy in her salvation?
Like a fine coffee, it had cooled and the aroma had dissipated. Would a little book like this help her reheat it? Hopefully the allegory slipped there. A reheated coffee was never as good as freshly brewed.
“What colors of nail polish do you have?” Madison erupted from her room carrying a shoebox. “I’m not sure I’m in the mood for any of mine.”
Lindsey peered into the open box. She couldn’t hope to have any color not in her sister’s repertoire. “Hmm. Let’s see. I’ll go get mine.” She hurried into her room and set the book on her bed before digging in the closet for her collection of more subdued hues than Madison’s. Did that prove she was old and out of touch? She laughed to herself. Maybe it proved she’d grown up a little. That was okay, too.
The book caught her attention as she turned for the door. Madison could wait a moment longer.
Lindsey opened the front cover where the now-familiar scrawl simply said,
Dear Lindsey,
Zephaniah 3:17 (The Voice)
Secretly Yours
The Voice? Wasn’t that a Bible translation? She didn’t have that one. Oh, but her phone app likely did. This would just take a minute. She dropped to the edge of her bed, thumbed on the phone, and searched for the reference.
The Eternal your God is standing right here among you, and He is the champion who will rescue you. He will joyfully celebrate over you; He will rest in His love for you; He will joyfully sing because of you like a new husband.
Whoa. She rocked back. Now that… that was love. Did this truly represent how God thought of her?
“Lindsey?” Madison’s disappointed voice came from the doorway. “Did you forget already?”
Lindsey shook her head. “No. I’ve got the nail polish right here. But sis? Come read this.”
“Okaaay.” Madison plunked down beside her and
Similar Books
