A New Hope Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Book Samples

  Thank You

  A New Hope

  (Clean & Wholesome Romance)

  M. L. Ray

  Love Romance Publications House

  A New Hope Copyright 2016 M. L. Ray, Love Romance Publications House All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Chapter 1

  Jenna Baxter stepped off the bus and then thanked the driver kindly as he unloaded her battered suitcase from underneath the bus. “Here you go, hon. You be good now,” the kindly driver suggested before climbing back aboard and driving off with a wave.

  She waved back and gave the man a small smile of gratitude. After dropping off his passengers in Montrose, Colorado, she’d been the only remaining passenger left on the bus. When the driver had struck up a conversation with her and found out that she was headed to Cathedral Hills, he had offered to take a small detour from his normal route to deliver her to town. Her only other option would have been to walk the twenty miles between the Ridgway bus stop, and Cathedral Hills, and Jenna had jumped at his offer.

  Twenty miles on open highway in good weather wouldn’t have phased her much, but twenty miles of mountainous terrain, in late autumn in Colorado - with a storm on the horizon, was another story all together. She’d been planning to spend the night in Ridgway, and then hitchhike the remaining twenty miles the next day. There was enough traffic between Ridgway and the other mountain towns, she figured it would be easy to snag a ride into Cathedral Hills, but if she was going to hitch a ride, she’d much rather do it in the daylight. One could never be too careful these days, and she didn’t relish having her human remains found by hunters a month or two from now!

  However, she didn’t have to worry about that. Now, due to the generosity of a complete stranger, she was standing on one of the four street corners in Cathedral Hills, Colorado – population 1200. Well, 1201 with her arrival, but she didn’t expect one more body would make much difference.

  Looking across the street at the Diner and wishing she’d taken a bus south instead, the questions and doubts rushed through her mind in a frantic jumble of confusion and self-doubt. What am I doing here? No one cared when I left before. Not a single one of my so-called friends had tried to get in touch with me! Not one! My father sure hadn’t cared that I’d disappeared, nor had he wanted me back!

  Jenna straightened her shoulders, hefted her purse up a little higher on her left one, and then took her battered suitcase in her right hand. The scarred leather of the suitcase told of wear and tear, the various stickers telling the story of many trips the case had been on during its lifetime. None of which had included Jenna. She’d purchased the suitcase at a second hand store three days prior, needing something other than a plastic grocery bag in which to carry her meager belongings.

  She’d finally graduated from the rehab facility’s program, a program that had been her only saving grace these last six plus years; on and off. Her latest twenty-two month stint was hopefully going to be her last. A new counselor had finally helped her pinpoint several areas of her thinking that had kept her cycling through the destructive patterns that had started her tenuous trips through various rehab facilities, starting only three months after leaving Cathedral Hills. Six years and five month later, she was ready to put the past to rest and find out what the future had in store for her.

  She looked across the street, glancing at her watch, which read 7:24 in the morning. She smiled as she realized the diner was probably the only business awake at this hour. Small town living was different from living in the city, a difference that Jenna embraced whole-heartedly. She’d tried fitting in with the crowded city people, and each time she had reverted back to her destructive habits in an attempt to tune out what was happening around her. No more! I’m going to take care of business and then find some small town to settle down in and make a new life for myself.

  Stepping off the sidewalk, she headed across the asphalt paved main road, Center Street, towards the place that had once been a major fixture in her life. The Diner held so many memories, but as she’d discovered, memories and reality rarely lined up once a few years had passed. Six years, five months, and three days to be exact! But who’s been counting? Shaking her head, she looked up and focused on her destination.

  Her most recent counselor, Teresa Martinez, had strongly suggested she return to her roots. After numerous counseling sessions, she had finally helped Jenna pinpoint the exact moment when she’d lost her own identity and allowed the opinion of others to dictate how she handled her life. Just gaining that insight had been so helpful, but then she’d picked up the paper and seen her father’s obituary!

  She hadn’t been able to attend the funeral, and only after several more months of meeting with Teresa and purging herself of all of the negative feelings she had towards her father, had she been able to finally gain some peace in her life. Or so she’d thought! Teresa had helped notify the attorney handling her father’s estate and Jenna had been relieved to handle all of the paperwork long distance. Until now!

  She’d been receiving messages from the bank in regards to the mortgage on her father’s house, and the final letter had basically demanded she come to Cathedral Hills and take care of things personally or risk defaulting on the loan. A situation that had become more puzzling when she sat down and put pencil to paper in regards to her father’s life insurance and the directions she had given them in regards to the proceeds.

  Teresa had suggested she take this opportunity to return to Cathedral Hills and visit her father’s gravesite. He wouldn’t hear her words, but she wouldn’t be saying them for his benefit anyway, so she was still expecting to find closure during this visit. She’d taken Teresa’s advice and her generous offer of a one-way ticket back to the western slope of Colorado. Teresa had taken a new job as the director of a rehab facility
back in Missouri, and since she was really the only person Jenna considered a friend, she had no reason to stay in Denver. Besides, she’d had enough of Denver to last her a lifetime! She finally felt strong enough to deal with some of the things she’d allowed to stagnate in regards to her prior life and Cathedral Hills was a large part of that.

  According to the letter tucked away in her pocket, she needed to be here, in this place, at this point in time. There were several issues involving the estate her parents had left behind that needed to be dealt with in person. She’d already tried dealing with things long distance, ignoring the attorney’s unwelcome advice urging her to come back to town and take care of certain matters, and she’d intended to continue doing so for the rest of her life. She’d done what she could using the telephone and postal service, but the letters had continued to come. The latest letter had caused her to stop and reconsider her position about never returning in person, and here she was. She’d only read the first two sentences of that letter, before she realized a visit to Cathedral Hills was necessary if she ever wanted to make a new start somewhere else.

  When Teresa had suggested she use this trip as a way to gain closure on her childhood, she’d decided to quit allowing her fear of the past to dictate her actions in the future. Now that she was here though, she felt less than prepared to deal with a past that had left so much hurt inside her soul.

  God, give me strength! I can’t do this on my own! Jenna closed her eyes as she mentally uttered the prayer. She’d also begun rediscovering her faith through the help of several caring counselors and the workers at the rehab center she’d been a resident of these last months. She wasn’t all the way back yet, but at least she was talking to God once again. He wasn’t exactly shaking the rafters in answering her, but some part of her felt better knowing He at least heard her when she spoke to Him. That was a huge step of faith for her, and one it had taken her months to finally come to terms with once again.

  Sighing, Jenna finished her trek across the street and then stopped outside the Diner’s announcement board. Posted there for the entire town to read were various posters announcing the upcoming town activities. The Diner had been a sort of meeting place and center of gossip when she’d been here before. If there were something happening in town, whether it be good or bad, the regular patrons of the Diner would not only know the details, but would have also made their positions known to anyone caring to listen. Political correctness wasn’t high on George Waldrop’s list of character traits. He was known for speaking his mind, no matter who might be listening. It was one of the things that set him apart from the other men in town.

  She read with detached interest the myriad of activities scheduled in the upcoming weeks and months. A harvest party was set to commence next weekend at the high school gymnasium, and the last rodeo of the season was happening the weekend after that. Both events brought back both pleasant and sad memories. Is everything in this town going to be the same? How I wish I could just forget the bad and hold onto the good times.

  Shaking her head at the fanciful thoughts, she pushed open the door of the Diner and couldn’t hold back her smile. She fondly remembered the many afternoons she had done the same thing, only in her memories, a pack of young school friends was right behind her, chattering on about this and that.

  She stopped in the doorway and looked around. Nothing much had changed! There were still the large red and white tiles on the floor. A large jukebox sat in the far corner, surrounded by plastic plants and pictures of the famous people George Waldrop had met. The Waldrop family had owned and operated the Diner since its inception, and George and his late wife Pamela had been the perfect host and hostess for many afternoons of fun and friendship.

  Their only child, Missy Waldrop, had been in the same grade as Jenna, and they had been close friends up until the time Jenna had left town. She hadn’t tried to contact you once! Forget those fun memories and focus on reality. Expecting things to be like they used to be will only result in more pain and disappointment! You’re done with that and ready to move on to happier times!

  The grin fled Jenna’s face as she trudged her way down the aisle and took a seat in a vacant booth. There were only a few other patrons this time of morning, but she paid them no mind. She couldn’t take care of her business at the bank until it opened at 10 o’clock, and she definitely wasn’t interested in reminiscing about her life in this town. Not at all!

  “Hey, you must be new around here. I’m Missy, what can I get for you?”

  Jenna glanced up sharply upon hearing the waitress introduce herself and she found herself staring into the familiar face of a girl who had been her best friend, once upon a time. Jenna opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her momentarily. She tried again, but nothing would come out. The sting of unshed tears caused a slight moment of panic and Jenna was helpless to do anything about it. All she could do was stare at the beautiful woman Missy had become.

  Missy was of average height, but her stunning auburn hair and vibrant green eyes gave her a beauty that was hard to beat. The smile she cast Jenna’s way was so familiar, and yet so foreign. Her eyes held true welcome, and Jenna had to tamp down on the emotions that surged to the forefront.

  Inside, her brain was screaming at her to make Missy give an account for her abandonment. Why didn’t you try to contact me? I needed our friendship so much back then, and you weren’t there! No one was there!

  Missy watched the young woman try to talk, and then made a tsking noise in her throat and hurried away to grab a glass of water. “Here hon. Try this.”

  Jenna took the offered glass of water and took a swallow, “Thanks.” She closed her eyes briefly, forcibly closing the door on the accusations that wanted to spew forth. You can do this, Jenna! Be strong and remember your life is about the future. Not rehashing all the wrongs that were done to you in the past. The future is where you’re headed now!

  “Don’t mention it,” Missy told her, eyeing the newcomer curiously and feeling a tug at her heartstrings as she watched the gorgeous young woman struggle for control once again. She seemed to be breathing all right so she must have just gotten something stuck in her throat for a second there. She smiled at her and gave her a slight nod. “All better now?”

  All better? Unfortunately, a simple glass of water cannot erase everything that was wrong in her life. If only it could…. Jenna glanced up and then nodded, “Sure. Could I get a cup of hot chocolate and two eggs over easy?” Easy peasy! A glass of water, sign some papers, skedaddle right back out of town. I’ve got this!

  “Sure.” Missy pulled an order book from her pocket and then asked, “Do you want some bacon or sausage with that?”

  Jenna nodded, “Bacon’s fine. Oh, and a couple pieces of wheat toast?”

  “No problem. I’ll give this order to my dad and be right back with your hot chocolate.”

  Jenna watched her leave and wondered what Missy had been doing with her life these last few years. She’d never had any dreams of leaving Cathedral Hills after high school. The last time she’d been in this town, Missy had been dating Andrew Dawkins, a football player and one of the boys everyone had assumed would end up in the military right after high school.

  Missy had often talked about taking over the Diner once her parents decided to retire, but her father was most definitely still involved. And his daughter was most definitely very pregnant! I wonder if she and Andrew ended up married?

  Jenna smiled as she heard the familiar whistle of a large man coming through the kitchen service window. George was one of the happiest men she’d ever met, and he cooked everything up with a smile and a song. She listened closely, recognizing one of the hymns that had been often sung at the congregational church in the middle of town.

  Her mind took a journey down memory lane, her heart following closely behind –

  She and her friends had arrived at the Diner after school one December day, anxious to get started on the sugar cookies Mr. Waldrop had said they could
make. He’d set out all of the ingredients and the recipe between the group of girls – Jenna, Missy, Michelle, Taylor, Stephanie and Brooke. Together, they’d managed to cover every surface in a fine dusting of flour.

  When Mr. Waldrop had come in to check on them, rather than raging and getting mad, he’d simply picked up a small handful of flour and dumped it on his own head, declaring a fine dusting of the white powder a requirement for joining the party.

  Jenna and her friends had laughed and over the next several hours, the small group of girls and Missy’s dad had created a plethora of frosted sugar cookies. Jenna had carried home a huge plate of the sugary treats, and still counted that day as one of her fondest memories of the Christmas season!

  “Here you go.” Missy sat a large mug of hot chocolate, complete with tiny marshmallows adorning the top, in front of Jenna and gave her a big smile.

  Jenna shook her head, dispelling the memories that kept popping up and smiled at the waitress. “Thanks, Missy.”

  Missy cocked her head to the side, “Do I know you?”

  Jenna mentally kicked herself. Missy hadn’t used her name and wasn’t wearing a nametag. Way to fly under the radar, Jenna! “Uhmm…well…yeah. We used to know each other.” Jenna gave the woman a small smile, but before she could tell the waitress her own name, the woman squealed and jumped up and down in excitement.

  “Jenna Baxter! I knew you looked familiar! You look great! We never thought you’d come back to town. Where have you been? Oh wait until I tell everyone you’re back!” Missy reached over and wrapped Jenna in a brief hug of happiness.

  Jenna’s ears were still hurting from the loud squeal, but she asked, “We? Everyone?” She carefully extricated herself from the exuberant hug Missy had insisted on giving her and waited for her explanation.

  “The girls and I. Michelle. Taylor. Stephanie. Brooke’s fallen off the radar, but I’m really hoping she’ll come home for the holidays this year. Her mom’s been sick and well… Just listen to me rambling on. The girls and I still get together at least once a week for coffee and to catch up with each other. Wait until they hear you’re back!”