Her Minnesota Man (A Christian Romance Novel) (46 page)

BOOK: Her Minnesota Man (A Christian Romance Novel)
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An attractive blonde woman elbowed her way forward. "Jackson Bell, you recently took home a Grammy Award for your chart-topping single, "Yours If You Want Me", and tonight you're walking away with three Dove Awards. Can you tell us where you're planning to go from here?"

Jeb knew she was asking about his music, and of course he had all kinds of plans for that. But looking straight into the TV camera and making no effort to hide his sappy grin, he said, "I'm going home to Minnesota to be with my family and eat some strawberry-rhubarb pie."

At the Atlanta airport, he made for the far corner of a deserted departure lounge where he wouldn't be disturbed. Loosening the tie Laney had made him promise to wear to the awards ceremony, he sat down and scrolled through the dozens of congratulatory text messages on his phone. The first one was from Shari
Daltry
, of all people:

You deserve this, Jackson. Your new music is amazing.

He hadn't heard from her in a year and a half, not since that awful day in Los Angeles, but he was still praying for her and for the guys from his old band. After all, if God could crack a skeptical heart like Jackson Bell's and slip inside it, anything was possible.

Two hours later, in the darkened First Class cabin of an airliner bound for Minneapolis-St. Paul, Jeb stretched out his legs and settled more comfortably in his seat. Staring at the bulkhead in front of him, he gave silent thanks to God for the remarkable success of his new music. Then he expressed his gratitude for the publishing contract Laney had signed last month for her afternoon tea cookbook. Saving the greatest blessing for last, he praised the Lord's unfathomable generosity in gifting him
with Laney and with
their precious Hannah Grace.

He turned his head toward the window and allowed his eyes to drift shut. Lulled to sleep by the steady roar of jet engines, he dreamed of a little girl in a long blue dress, a sparkling tiara perched atop her flaxen curls. The dress was too big, but she wasn't worried because her mother could fix it.

Tugging at a puffy sleeve that had slipped off one boney little shoulder, she tilted her head back and grinned up at him.
Do you like my tiara?
she asked as that accessory's fake jewels caught the sunlight and threw dazzling sparks at him.

I like it very much
, Jeb said.
It's as beautiful on you as it was on your mom.
Then he looked over her head and into Laney's shining eyes.

Jarred awake by two loud thumps and the high-pitched whine of the aircraft's descending landing gear, Jeb rubbed his eyes and felt his heartbeat quicken.

He was almost home.

A Note from the Author

After publishing four mass-market paperbacks with
Harlequin's
wildl
y popular
Love Inspired
imprint, I sent my editor a proposal for a story featuring a rock star hero. She didn't believe a character with that occupation w
ould appeal to the established
Love Inspired
audience,
but I had already fallen in love with th
e
story and couldn't walk away from it. So I finished it on my own, and have now published it as an e-book.

Thank you for reading
Her Minnesota Man.
If you have enjoyed it, I hope you'll do me a huge favor and tell your friends about it. Also, would you please consider posting a review at Amazon or elsewhere online? This is my first stab at self-publishing, and
I could use some encouragement.

I am currently working on another "Three Graces" story set in Owatonna, Minnesota.

Brenda Coulter

May 2012

My e-mail:
[email protected]

I'll answer personally, usually within a day or two
.

My website:
http://brendacoulter.com

You can read long excerpts from all of my books there.

My
Facebook
:
http://facebook.com/Author.Brenda.Coulter

Do you like flowers? I post a lot of photos of my cottage-style garden.

My Twitter:
http://twitter.com/BrendaCoulter

My four
Love Inspired
books (in Kindle format):

Finding Hope

http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Hope-ebook/dp/B004XVSUYK/

A Family Forever

http://www.amazon.com/A-Family-Forever-ebook/dp/B004IK8IHA/

A Season of Forgiveness

http://www.amazon.com/A-Season-of-Forgiveness-ebook/dp/B000W93D9E/

At His Command

http://www.amazon.com/His-Command-Homecoming-Heroes-ebook/dp/B001EO182U/

 

BOOK: Her Minnesota Man (A Christian Romance Novel)
12.2Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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