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      MILLS & BOON

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      Contents

      A FAMILY FOR TORY

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Epilogue

      A MOTHER FOR CINDY

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Epilogue

      MARGARET DALEY

      feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun.

      Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for over twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and participated in many sports with her students.

      So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper,

       and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

      —Hebrews 13:6

      To the people I work with,

       especially Terri, Rene, Katie, Becky, Anne, Laurie,

       Naomai, Mike, Lila, Stacie, Debbie, Lisa—

       you all make coming to work each day special.

      Chapter One

      Slade Donaldson switched off the engine and glanced toward his eight-year-old daughter. “Ready, Mindy? Are you sure you want to do this? I’ll be gone for about an hour.”

      Mindy nodded, her face brightening with a huge grin. “Tor-ee needs—my—uh—help, Dad-dy.”

      Every time he heard his daughter struggle to say something, his heart twisted into a knot that he feared would never unravel. “Then I’d better meet this Tory Alexander.” Since his housekeeper had taken Mindy to her physical therapy for the past few months, he’d never met the woman who had brought her pony into the hospital to cheer up the children and captured his daughter’s interest.

      Mindy pointed toward a petite woman emerging from a barn, leading a horse on a rein. “Th—ere.” Her grin widened, her brown eyes sparkling.

      “Then let’s go. I need to be at the bank in twenty minutes for my meeting.” He thrust open his car door, then hurried around to help his daughter.

      “I can—do—this.” Mindy pulled herself to a standing position using the door.

      The tightness in his chest made his breathing difficult. He offered his daughter his arm. She clasped it to steady herself, then began to make her way toward the woman by the opening into the barn. Two weeks ago his daughter had declared she didn’t want to use her walker anymore. Each day since, Mindy had leaned less and less on him as she’d walked. Progress, Slade thought, due partly to this woman before him. She and her pony, Mirabelle, have been the reasons Mindy tolerated her physical therapy at the hospital over the past few months. He was in Tory Alexander’s debt.

      Tory saw Mindy approaching and tied the reins to the fence of the riding ring. Then she strode toward the girl with a smile of greeting. Slade was surprised by how small the woman was. The horse she’d been leading was at least seventeen hands tall, towering over her. Her long auburn hair was swept back in a ponytail with a few stray strands curling around her oval face. Freckles sprinkled her turned-up nose and her large brown eyes drew a person to her. Fringed in dark lashes, Slade felt their pull as she came to a stop only a few feet from Mindy and him.

      Tory looked at his daughter. “I’m so glad you didn’t have to cancel, Mindy.” Then she turned those large brown eyes on him. “I’m sorry to hear about Mrs. Watson’s emergency. Will her niece be okay?”

      “She just went into labor a little early. My housekeeper assures me everything will be all right and she’ll be back in a week or so.”

      “That’s good to hear. I know she was excited about her niece’s pregnancy. First in the family.” Tory lifted her arm toward Mindy to take over being her support if she needed. “Come on, Mindy. Let’s show your father the barn.”

      “I have a meeting I need to go to.”

      “Dad-dy, just—” Mindy swallowed several times “—see Bel-le.”

      Slade stared at his daughter’s face, lit with hope and eagerness, and he couldn’t refuse the invitation even though it would make him late. After

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