Like a Love Song Read online

  “Eide writes a touching story about two unlikely heroes who sacrifice themselves to love those who are not loved by others ... This emotional book touches on very tender subjects in a tactful, graceful way that allows readers to understand what is happening without being overwhelmed by it. Eide is a phenomenal writer who once again displays her wisdom in the way she tells the story.”

  —ROMANTIC TIMES, 4½ Stars, Top Pick

  “Eide writes great dialogue that nicely paces the narrative ... bears watching as a storyteller.”

  —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  “In her sophomore novel, Camille Eide has penned a beautiful tale with just the right chords of humor and tenderness. The prose of Like a Love Song is lovely, and the myriad twists and turns tugged at my heart as I was rooting for this cast of endearing characters. The splendor and raw beauty of Oregon’s high desert is the perfect backdrop for this gripping love story. It’s one you don’t want to miss.”

  —CARLA STEWART,

  Award-Winning Author of Stardust and The Hatmaker’s Heart

  “When Sue, a distrustful group home director, meets Joe, a big-hearted oil rig worker, fireworks fly—but not in a good way! Mix in a handful of ragtag foster kids and nothing is certain. Author Camille Eide skillfully draws us through a story of brokenness and hurt to a place of hope—ever pointing to the true source of healing. And love. Five stars! Highly Recommended.”

  —APRIL McGOWAN,

  Healing Fiction Author of Jasmine and Macy

  “Like a Love Song is a delightful romance and oh so much more. It’s one of those books you never want to have end. I didn’t know what was coming next, but I knew it was going to be good. Like a roller coaster ride, the story towed me up steep hills, then plunged me downward into deep valleys and carried me through the heartaches, adventures, and the joys of the residents of Juniper Ranch. Truly fine work by Camille Eide. I’m ready for her next book.”

  —BONNIE LEON,

  Author of The Journey of Eleven Moons and To Dance With Dolphins

  “Like a Love Song gripped my heart just pages into the story and didn’t let go until the very last word. Joe, Sue, and their entourage of castaways are a group of characters you’ll never forget. Each twist of the plot will keep you guessing—and hoping! Bravo, Camille!”

  —LESLIE GOULD,

  #1 Best-Selling and Christy Award-Winning Author

  “Camille Eide does it again. Her ripped-from-the-headlines reality takes the reader into the desperation felt by two lonely people, both doing their best to make the lives entrusted to them better.”

  —LINDA S. GLAZ,

  Author of With Eyes of Love, Always Abby, and The Substitute Bride

  “Like a Love Song is author Camille Eide’s captivating ode to second chances, love, faith, and forgiveness. From the witty, often heart-wrenching dialogue, to the prose that conjures up the scent of pine and warmth of the sun, this author knows how to keep a reader turning page after page—anxious to see how the story plays out, but sad to reach the end of a wonderful literary journey.”

  ~CINDY KELLEY,

  Screenwriter for Love Comes Softly, Co-Author of The Silent Gift,

  Traces of Mercy, & Finding Mercy.

  “Like a Love Song is a finely crafted romance that delves into the painful world of foster care with a tender understanding. The characters are raw, witty, the story heart rending and redemptive. A beautiful read!”

  —JESSICA NELSON,

  Author of The Matchmaker's Match

  About Camille Eide’s Debut Novel

  “Camille Eide’s Like There’s No Tomorrow will tug your heartstrings as well as tickle your funny bone. The characterization is delicious, and I thought of my own BFF as I fell in love with two elderly Scottish sisters who renewed my faith in a better day ahead.”

  —SANDRA D. BRICKER,

  Author of Live-Out-Loud Fiction for the Inspirational Market

  “This tender love story captured my heart. It’s a perfect blend of drama, humor, and romance topped off with delightful characters that will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book. This may be Camille Eide’s debut novel, but she is no novice at storytelling. Like There’s No Tomorrow is one of my favorite reads of the year. And Camille is on my short list of favorite authors.”

  —BONNIE LEON,

  Author of The Journey of Eleven Moons

  “There’s nothing more satisfying than a book that makes you rejoice when love is found, obstacles are overcome, and God’s grace is accepted. Like There’s No Tomorrow meets these criteria and more. Highly recommended!”

  —GAYLE ROPER,

  Award-Winning Author of An Unexpected Match and Lost and Found

  Like a Love Song

  When she finally surrenders her heart, will it be too late?

  Susan Quinn, a social worker turned surrogate mom to foster teens, fights to save the group home she’s worked hard to build. But now, she faces a dwindling staff, foreclosure, and old heartaches that won't stay buried. Her only hope lies with the last person she’d ever turn to—a brawny handyman with a guitar, a questionable past, and a God he keeps calling Father.

  Like a Love Song is a romantic drama about a fiercely loyal woman and some castaway kids who need the courage to believe in a love that never fails.

  Sign up for more Heartfelt Tales of Faith at www.ashberrylane.com

  A Novel

  by

  Ashberry Lane

  © 2015 by Camille Eide

  Published by Ashberry Lane

  P.O. Box 665, Gaston, OR 97119

  www.ashberrylane.com

  This book is available in print at most bookstores and online retailers.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  All characters and some locations appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or places is purely coincidental.

  Published in association with Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Agency.

  ISBN 978-1-941720-07-3

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2015939193

  Cover design by Miller Media Solutions

  Photos from www.bigstock.com

  Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

  Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

  FICTION / Christian Romance

  Table of Contents

  About the Book

  Like a Love Song Reviews

  Like There’s No Tomorrow Reviews

  Begin Reading

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Discussion Questions

  Other Great Books

  Dedicated to Dad,

  whose patient love and persistence,

  in spite of a step-daughter’s resistance,

  taught her to trust in a Father’s love

  that will never fail.

  “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

  God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.”

  Psalm 68:5-6

  Chapter One

  Adoptio
n disrupted … undisclosed behaviors … inability to bond …

  Susan Quinn squinted at the new girl’s bio as the words on the page swirled in a taunting blur. She rubbed her eyes and refocused on the document. She was in no frame of mind for processing the information about Juniper Ranch’s newest resident. Not after the unsettling confrontation she’d just had with her handyman. Or rather, former handyman.

  “Sue?” Bertie padded into Sue’s office, footsteps muted by Birkenstocks. In spite of her hunched frame, the old woman got around like a flower-powered ninja. “She’s here.” Bertie peered out the window. “The new girl. But … I think you’d better come take a look.”

  Sue dropped the sheet on her desk, adding it to the mounds of paperwork and overdue bills. What limbs she wouldn’t give for this transfer to go smoothly. But experience had taught her to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. With a sigh, she headed for the office’s outer door. “Wish me luck, Bert.”

  Bertie offered her a waiver form. “Holler if you need me.”

  Sue frowned at the paper. “Why do I need this? We’ll take care of everything in the office.”

  “Wouldn’t bet on it.” Bertie nodded toward the window. “Look.”

  Sue opened the door and peered outside.

  A late-model Escalade sat in the drive beyond the front lawn, engine still running. A man, barely visible behind tinted windows, remained in the car while an athletic-looking woman in designer warm-ups dropped two pink suitcases on the front porch of the main entrance. A black-haired girl stood beside the bags, shoulders cinched up so tight they nearly touched her ears.

  Jasmine—the new girl.

  Sue’s heart tripped.

  The woman hurried back to the SUV. Halfway across the lawn she turned, said something to the girl, and then pointed to the front door.

  Sue’s breath caught and stung. No. Please don’t. Not like that. Don’t just dump her and go. She rushed outside, down the steps, and across the lawn. “Hi, Mrs. Walker?”

  The woman turned with a start. “Is this Juniper Ranch group home?”

  “Yes.” As Sue approached, she glanced at Jasmine. The preteen was as stiff as a fence post.

  “We got lost trying to find the place.” Mrs. Walker crossed her arms like a shield. “Where do I sign?”

  Sue couldn’t answer. Bertie was right—the woman was ready to sign away her child on the hood of a car. Sue stole another look at Jasmine, who stared at the hot pink bags in silence.

  Beyond the girl, curtains twitched in the den window, partially revealing the curious faces of Cori, Edgar, and Tatiana.

  While Mrs. Walker signed the papers, the man remained at the wheel, shoulder belt still fastened. It took the woman all of six minutes to complete the paperwork.

  A new Juniper Ranch record.

  Then the couple drove away. The Escalade’s brake lights didn’t blink once.

  Sue joined Jasmine on the porch, feeling oddly connected to the girl who hadn’t uttered a sound. Sue had done this countless times and still didn’t have the words. What could she possibly say to a kid who had just been dumped off on a total stranger?

  I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know the feeling. But you’re among friends here.

  Sue inhaled the dry, sage-scented air and made a quick study of the new girl.

  Wafer thin. Cambodian, maybe Vietnamese. About eleven or twelve. Jasmine’s paperwork was a jumbled maze of inconsistencies and missing information—which was not uncommon—so Sue would have to best-guess her age.

  “Well, Jasmine.” Sue summoned a bright smile for a moment that was anything but. “You hungry? We’re not serving dinner for a while, but I bet I can find you a snack.”

  The girl turned her gaze toward the long driveway leading away from Juniper Ranch. The ribbon of dust disturbed by the Escalade rose and spread slowly, drifting in the afternoon sun, bound to settle in some other place.

  The pair of suitcases flanked Jasmine’s feet, price tags still attached. A couple of bags that held everything. And nothing. Much like the beat-up green Samsonite that had, long ago, followed Sue to more foster homes than she could count.

  Sue’s stomach growled as she grabbed a suitcase. “All right, kiddo. Let’s get your stuff inside. We’ll get you set up in your new room.”

  Jasmine turned then, her eyes almost level with Sue’s.

  No shocker there. At five-two, Sue was used to meeting preteens eye to eye.

  The girl’s face had no remarkable features. Wide nose, small eyes. No abnormalities, no physical handicap that Sue could see. No sign of the kinds of imperfections that often made Mr. and Mrs. Disenchanted back out of an international adoption.

  What fears haunt you, little friend? What coping quirks couldn’t they handle?

  “I no need room.” A frown creased the girl’s brow. “I no—I not staying here.”

  “Well, we can discuss that. Just not here on the front porch. Okay?” She softened the question with a gentle smile.

  Jasmine’s frown deepened. Thick tears pooled, glittering in her dark eyes.

  Oh, honey, no, please don’t do that … A quiet ache squeezed Sue’s heart. It wasn’t the first time she’d stood on these weathered steps, a silent witness to the aftermath of a “disrupted” adoption. It came with the job. But no matter how many times she’d done this, she still couldn’t get used to watching a young heart break in the middle of her front porch.

  Sue shifted the girl’s bag to her other hand and motioned with her head. “C’mon, kiddo. This way.” She opened the front door and went inside. If she hesitated or looked back, it wouldn’t work. “It’s not Disneyland,” Sue called over her shoulder, “but at least it’s a place where you can fit in.”

  The door hung open, letting in cool October air.

  Sue headed for the stairs. “Fitting in” might be aiming a bit high. But she would do whatever it took to make Jasmine feel like there was one place in the world where she wouldn’t be an outsider. Sue reached the staircase and paused.

  No sounds of footsteps came from the porch.

  Dragging a girl inside and forcing her to stay wasn’t high on her list of favorite things to do. Come on, Jasmine. I’m offering you some dignity here. Please take it. Fighting the temptation to look, Sue headed up the staircase, straining to hear sounds of Jasmine following.

  Fourth step. Sixth.

  Take it from me, little one. The sooner you learn to stop longing, the sooner the pain will go away.

  Ninth step.

  The urge to look back reached a cresting point.

  Then, shuffling footsteps and the click of the front door.

  Sue turned and gave the skinny girl with the pink suitcase a smile. “C’mon, slowpoke. Follow me.”

  * * *

  While Miss Elena introduced Jasmine to the kitchen crew, Sue dashed to her office and grabbed the new paperwork. Maybe she could learn something else about Jasmine while the kids were occupied with dinner duties.

  “Hey, boss.” Bertie came from the dining hall, trailed by the scent of toasting garlic bread. “Bowman clocked on, but he’s not—hey, you okay? I didn’t want to mention it earlier, but you look like something not even Ringo would drag home, and that dog’s not picky.”

  “Thanks, Bert.” Sue tugged the band from her frazzled braid and combed fingers through her blonde waves. “You know, you ought to try saying what you really think instead of bottling it all up like that. It’s not healthy.”

  Bertie snorted. “You think you’re joking, but you have no idea what I hold back.”

  “Ha.” Sue returned her attention to the paper. Actually, after the day she’d had, she probably looked like she’d been thrown under a tractor and dragged across one of the neighbors’ alfalfa fields. She needed no reminder that her professional look had taken a long departure from her social services days of pantsuits and heels. But for running a place like this, a braid, sturdy boots, and a pair of well-worn jeans was her professional look, and the only one that made any
sense.

  Besides, who was there to get all dolled up for? Juniper Valley, little more than a speck of dust in the wide expanse of Oregon’s outback, wasn’t exactly swarming with eligible guys. Not that she had the time—or the need—for any of that.

  Sue massaged her throbbing temples. “About Bowman—”

  “He clocked on at three, but I haven’t seen him. I think he might have left.”

  “He did.”

  Bertie froze, her look instantly wary. “What’s going on?”

  Sue scanned the file once again. “Mr. Bowman no longer works here.” When Bertie didn’t comment, Sue looked up.

  The thin line of the dorm supervisor’s mouth made her look like a Muppet.

  “Something you want to tell me?”

  Bertie’s gaze darted away.

  “Have you seen him hung over at work after he was warned?”

  With a shrug, Bertie took the paper from Sue and read it, frowning. “Hard to say what someone’s been doing on their day off, boss.”

  Sue stared at Bertie. “You’re kidding, right? You know the rules.”

  “Yep.”

  “I made it clear he’d be gone if he ever showed up like that again. And today he’s not only hungover, he’s half hammered.” Sue glanced out the window toward the shop. If only she could go back to the first time she’d talked to him about the issue and follow her gut. “I can’t believe I gave him a second chance.”

  Bertie glanced up. Sympathy radiated from behind her round lenses.

  But in Sue’s mind, another face came into view.

  He won’t do it again, Suzy. He just had a li’l too much. You know how he is …