Tempted Read online

  The day came for Bev to take “Al” home. She had three days of deep thought and silence and now it was time to get her act together, go home, and be the preacher's wife again.

  Beverly was dressed and ready, discharged and waiting for the preacher to show up. She would have another hour to wait, so she asked the nursery nurse if it was all right to use that time to go to the hospital chapel. It was probably the last free sitter she would ever get.

  It was dimly lit and small. Not scary like the last time. But she lit candles anyway; one of the first things she was going to do was turn the non-Catholics on to this candle lighting jazz. It really did help.

  Okay, God, I'm here. I want an immediate hold on all miracles. I'm not sure I can take anymore. I suppose You think I didn't notice. Well, it took a while, but I see it now. Believe me, had I known You were that serious, I would have paid more attention. You didn't waste any troops: John, Mother, Terry, Joe, Carl, and finally a whole church full of them. My own sons and my dear, sweet Bob. A great big real-life play, or is that plan? And having me drag Joe off to bed like a nymphomaniac, now, really. Forget it, I know. Allison.

  So it's like this. Lord, I'm catching on. When You mean business, You don't fool around. So before you call in the National Guard, I give up. I don't want You to think this is going to be easy. I have a lot of questions, a lot of confusion. But I do believe in You. I may not understand, but I believe. So please, I will stop fighting if You will stop the miracles while I catch my breath. Is that good enough? I surrender.

  Bev felt a presence in the chapel. This time she knew it wasn't the hand of God on her shoulder, she could feel that somewhere else. This particular person had a reputation for hanging out in churches, and his aftershave was extremely familiar. But Bev didn't turn around to look at him. She had business at hand, personal business. And she knew she wasn't finished. She was beginning.

  And remember, Lord, when I talked to You about Joe? I told You I could never love that much again. I didn't even want to. I was wrong about a lot of things, and that was one of them. I'm beginning to see it all now. I never would have believed that so much love would come out of so much pain. I guess I wasn't the only one to come into this marriage with a package deal. Thanks. I really mean it. Thanks. A lot.

  A little voice in the back of the heart, or soul, or mind said: “Anytime.”

  About The Author

  I was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota in the midst of a large, closely-knit, noisy, nosey family. I married the man I had dated through high school and college, and proceeded to follow him around the United States while he pursued a military flying career.

  In 1975, with a one-year-old hanging on my legs and a second child due to be born any second, I began writing a novel. The transition was so startling, I was probably as surprised as anyone. In the early days, typing on the dining room table while children crawled around my feet, I embraced the family legacy of telling all.

  The kids are older now, and rather than changing diapers and pushing strollers, I drive carpools and write checks. We don't move every year, and I have my own room in which to type. But the feelings I get from storytelling are the same: exhilaration, satisfaction, joy.

  Every writer has had the “spooky” experience of having a story hit the page with such spontaneity that it seemed to write itself. In a dozen years, every book I've written has had stages when that seemed the case, but when Beverly and Joe started to work through their relationship, I began to feel more like an observer than a creator. That is only one of the reasons they're so special to me.

  —Robyn Carr

  Robyn Carr is a RITA Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of fifty novels, including the critically acclaimed Virgin River series. Her new series, Thunder Point, made its debut as a #1 NYT bestseller in March 2013. Robyn and her husband live in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can visit Robyn Carr's website at www.RobynCarr.com or follow her on Twitter at @RCarrWriter.

  Also by Robyn Carr

  Chelynne

  The Bellerose Bargain

  The Braeswood Tapestry

  The Blue Falcon

  The Troubadour’s Romance

  The Everlasting Covenant

  By Right of Arms

  Rogue's Lady

  Woman's Own

  Romance series

  Virgin River

  Thunder Point

  Grace Valley

  Stand-Alone Contemporary Romance

  Four Friends

  Suspense

  Mind Tryst