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Second Chance Reunion (Village of Hope), by Merrillee Whren
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A Mom's Redemption
Annie Payton's lost everything she once held dear. The Village of Hope is her last chance to rebuild the life she's frittered away so needlessly. But as she works to regain custody of her children, she never imagines an unlikely advocate in her corner—ex-husband Ian Montgomery. Ian's always willing to help those down on their luck, but his ex-wife's a different story. Her past betrayal is still a painful memory. As the Village's lawyer, he'll represent her—but that's as far as he'll allow his feelings to go. Can Annie show Ian that she's changed in every way but one—the love she still has for him?
Village of Hope: A community built on love
- Sales Rank: #253351 in eBooks
- Published on: 2015-01-01
- Released on: 2015-01-01
- Format: Kindle eBook
About the Author
Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award for best inspirational romance manuscript. She has been the recipient of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award and the Maggie Award for Excellence. She is married and has two grown daughters. Visit her Web site at http://www.merrilleewhren.com or connect with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/merrillee.whren.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Doubts crowded Annie Payton's mind as she paced in front of the windows looking out on The Village of Hope's campus. Redbrick buildings with white Georgian columns formed a quadrangle around an expansive lawn. Tall pines and majestic oaks accented with maples and flowering dogwoods added to the beauty of the scenery.
She always loved early spring in Georgia, when the dogwoods dressed the landscape in lace. The pleasant warmth of a late-March afternoon helped to take away some of her anxiety as she waited to meet with the lawyer who hopefully could help her get her kids back. Could this place really return hope to her life?
The scent of newly mowed grass wafted through the open window. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply and wished she could mow down all the bad things in her life and make it fresh and new. But isn't that what God had done when He'd covered her sins with His grace? Why did she doubt that God had forgiven her?
The click of the door on the far side of the room made Annie turn and look. A man, with his back to her, talked with someone in the hallway. Annie braced herself for this meeting and prayed that the decision to come here was a wise one.
When the man faced her, Annie gasped. What was Ian Montgomery doing here?
"Hello, Annie." He looked as handsome as ever with his sandy-blond hair and gray eyes that reminded her of a stormy sky. Those eyes held no welcome.
Her pulse thundered all over her body. She swallowed hard. "You're the lawyer?"
"The one and only." He motioned toward the chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat."
Like an automaton, Annie sat on the black leather chair. Why did Ian have to be the one person who could help her get what she wanted most in life? Pastor John from the rehab facility often told her things happened for a reason. Could God use this meeting with Ian for good, too?
Annie sat there, not knowing what to say.
Ian broke the silence. "You're looking good."
Annie wanted to tell him he looked great in his dark pin-striped suit, but she thought better of it. "Thanks. I'm feeling good, too. I've been clean and sober for a year and twenty days. I intend to stay that way."
"I'm glad for your sobriety, but I have to be honest, Annie. You told me that several times before, and you didn't follow through."
"I know." Annie smiled halfheartedly. Everything he said was true, and he had the right to doubt her statement. She would show him that his doubts were unfounded this time.
Ian gave her a look that told her she would have to work hard to prove she had changed. "I understand Melody Hammond, our women's ministry director, has explained our program and gotten you settled in an apartment."
"She has. She said I have more paperwork to fill out."
His gray eyes narrowed. "I hope Melody also told you I only have a few minutes with you today."
"She did. She said you have an important meeting to attend."
Nodding, Ian grimaced. "The quarterly board meeting."
"You don't look too excited."
"Let's just say it's not one of my favorite things." Ian tapped the file on his desk. "You want your kids back. That's what we need to discuss."
Annie nodded, a lump forming in her throat at the thought of Kara and Spencer. Her babies were nearly four and three—babies no longer, but she'd missed a whole year of their lives. She longed to hold them in her arms, kiss them and tuck them into bed at night. Could she ever make it up to them? She promised herself she would get her kids back. She would.
"How long have Kara and Spencer been in foster care?"
"Over a year. DFCS took them away…" Annie stopped as her voice cracked. She pressed her lips together as she tried to regain her composure. She wouldn't cry in front of Ian. "I was more messed up than ever, but losing the kids made me realize I had to get help and get it right this time. I want to reunite my family."
"Annie, I don't know whether I can help you. I have to be sure you're going to stay sober before I can. Besides, I don't feel comfortable being your attorney considering our past relationship."
"But Melody said the lawyer here would help me. Since you're the only one, doesn't that mean you have to represent me?"
"Not necessarily. I have a friend who can probably take your case."
"I can't afford to pay someone."
"He volunteers his services here from time to time."
Annie breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart ached because Ian didn't believe she could stay clean. Could she blame him? He'd seen her relapse too many times, but this time was different. "When will I get to talk with him?"
"I'll arrange a meeting as soon as I can." Ian stood as he picked up the file folder and headed for the door. "I'm sorry I have to go. We can talk again later after I contact Scott Bartlett, the other attorney. I'll set up a time for the three of us to meet."
"So this is it? Hi and goodbye?" Annie followed Ian to the door. He had a meeting, but his eagerness to be rid of her punched a hole in her heart.
"That's the way it has to be today. Melody wanted me to talk to you, so I agreed." He put his hand on the doorknob.
"She doesn't know about us, does she? Does anyone here know?" Annie couldn't believe she was confronting Ian this way. Was she trying to alienate him?
Staring at her, Ian took his hand from the doorknob. "That's a fair question. Adam Bailey, the administrator here, knows everything, but no one else. I'm not going out of my way to talk about my former wild life."
"Guess my presence is going to open up your past whether you like it or not." Annie wondered why she continued to needle him. Maybe it was a defensive mechanism. She needed to keep him at an emotional distance because his presence aroused old feelings that were better buried and forgotten.
"You're probably right, but I'll deal with it in my own way. You don't have to worry about it." Ian opened the door and held out a hand. "After you."
"Thanks." Annie stepped into the hallway.
Ian closed the door behind him. "I'll be in contact."
"Okay." Annie stood there, not knowing what to do now.
Ian looked as if he were going to dismiss her as he walked into the hallway, but then he turned back. "Walk with me," he said.
His request caught her off guard, but she was grateful he didn't dismiss her as they headed toward the reception area. "Sure."
"Do your parents know you're out of rehab?"
So that's what he wanted. More information. He didn't really want to walk with her. "No. My parents haven't spoken to me in over three years. For all they know I could be dead."
"Are you sure about that?"
She nodded, not wanting to think about the parents who had abandoned her. They'd called it tough love, but Annie called it no love. Could she ever prove to them that she had changed? She had to show them all that she had. Ian. Her parents. The court.
"Annie, if you need help, talk to Melody. As the director of the women's ministry, she's here to give you advice while you settle in. This is a good place for you to find your way again."
Annie forced a smile. "Thanks. I guess I'll see you later. Hope your meeting goes well."
"Thanks. Me, too." He smiled in return.
Annie nodded and hurried away with the image of Ian's smile filling her thoughts. She didn't want that smile to make her think he might care about her on a personal level. That kind of thinking could only lead her to more heartache. She'd had more than her share, and she had no one to blame but herself.
Annie forced herself not to run or to look back at Ian. The whole meeting with him had been surreal. He'd been so matter-of-fact. He obviously didn't have any remnants of those long-ago feelings they'd shared. To a casual observer, his demeanor would have given no hint that he'd been talking to his ex-wife.
Standing at the edge of the reception area, Ian observed Annie as she slipped out of the administration building without a backward glance. Against his will, he watched her through the glass door as she meandered down the walkway. When she was gone from his sight, he let out a harsh breath. He could hardly believe he'd remained so calm during their meeting. The last time they'd seen each other a rancorous conversation had ensued. He couldn't let even a hint of old feelings enter his mind. Annie and he were history.
Ian wasn't sure what he was going to do. How was he supposed to deal with his ex-wife? He had to treat her like any other resident. But was that possible? Emotions of every stripe flooded his mind. How could he ever focus on the board meeting after this conversation with her?
How could he consider helping her reunite with her children when he didn't trust her? He'd been burned before by her pledges. Her two sweet children didn't deserve to be manipulated by the promises their mother never kept. But she'd been in rehab for a year, and John Rice didn't put up with misbehavior at his rehab center, so maybe she was clean. But could she stay that way?
Ian looked heavenward. "Why now, Lord? Why when I need to have my focus on keeping this place going? What do you want me to do with Annie?"
"Are you talking to yourself again, Mr. Ian?" The sound of Lovie Trimble's voice floated his way.
Ian jerked his head toward the sound. "Saying a prayer ahead of the board meeting. I didn't see you there."
"I was delivering a message and returned just in time to hear you muttering." She shook her head as she settled in her chair behind the reception desk. "That board meeting must have you in a dither."
Ian smiled, knowing Lovie had no idea what had him talking to himself and offering prayers for help. "It's a big meeting. Have any of the board members arrived yet?"
A wide grin wrinkling her face, she glanced at the clock on the wall opposite the desk. "Not yet, but I expect they'll arrive any minute. Hope all goes well. Adam seemed a little on edge about it."
"He has a lot riding on this. Lots of important decisions may happen today." Ian nodded. "Put on your prayer warrior bonnet and start praying."
Her chocolate-brown eyes twinkled. With her silver-gray hair, she looked like the queen bee behind the reception desk. "I've been praying for you two daily since the meeting was scheduled."
"I should've known. You're one of the people who puts 'hope' in The Village of Hope."
"I think that description fits you and Adam, too."
"I'd like to think so, but no one can beat you. You're the face of hope when people walk in this front door." Ian made a wide gesture around the entrance hall with its shiny marble floor and the two-story ceiling.
"Now you're making me blush." Lovie waved a hand at Ian. "Go on to your meeting before I wish I were thirty years younger and could end your bachelor days. Be warned. I'm on the lookout for a good match for you."
"Forget the matchmaking. I've had my chance at love, and it didn't work out."
Lovie shook her head. "There are always second chances. When the right gal comes along and catches one glimpse of your Ryan Gosling good looks, she'll win your heart."
"I don't need a woman. And quit comparing me to some movie star."
"How can I help it when you look just like him?"
Ian rolled his eyes. "That's debatable."
"I saw you staring after that cute young woman with that dark hair and blue, blue eyes who just left. She might be a good match for you."
Ian shook his head. "Lovie, what am I going to do with you? You can't keep trying to match me up with every woman who walks in the door."
"Sure I can." Lovie chuckled.
Ian sighed. "Guess I can't stop you. Got to get to that meeting. See you later."
Turning on his heel, Ian headed for the conference room while Lovie's laughter followed him down the hall. Wouldn't she have a ball if she knew Annie was his ex-wife? He shook the thought away. He needed his focus on the upcoming meeting, not Annie.
With that thought in mind, Ian hurried toward the room where the board would meet. A silent prayer for a positive outcome formed in his mind as he entered.
Glad to be the first one here, he navigated past a large oak table surrounded by a dozen chairs in the center of the room. He stopped in front of the row of windows overlooking the campus quad. Like the spokes of a wheel, sidewalks radiated out from a fountain toward the buildings around the quad. He loved this place. He prayed again that nothing would happen to close it down. Too many people depended on the services provided here. Even Annie.
Footsteps sounded behind Ian. He turned and greeted two members of the board as they found seats at the table. Before they could converse further, several other men entered the room. The area filled with greetings, laughter and backslapping as the others found places to sit. Ian nodded to acknowledge the others who had joined them. After Melody and Adam entered the room, everyone settled in, and Ian pulled his notes from a folder.
Melody squeezed her chair in next to Ian's and leaned closer. "How did your meeting with Annie go?"
Ian shrugged. "Okay. Did you talk to her again?"
"There wasn't time."
"True." Ian wondered how he could've asked such a stupid question. He'd better get his thoughts in order. "We can confer later."
After Adam opened the meeting with prayer, Ian surveyed the four women and eight men who comprised the board of directors. These folks had had a vision several years ago to turn this abandoned college campus on the outskirts of Atlanta into a place to minister to folks who needed a helping hand. Over the past year, they seemed to have lost the vision.
The meeting started with the mundane reports that always characterized such gatherings. After the reports and old business concluded, Bob Franklin, the board chairman, introduced new business. Ian held his breath. This was the subject he didn't want to hear.
Bob cleared his throat. "I know some of you won't like what I have to say, but it has to be said. This institution is in the red. Donations are down, way down. How can we be good stewards if we continue to pile on debt? I propose we end this ministry and try to sell the property—have an auction if we can't find a buyer in the traditional way."
Adam stood at the opposite end of the table. "What will happen to the people who live here and depend on what we have to offer?"
Bob raised his eyebrows. "We can refer them to other charitable organizations."
Ian stood beside Adam. "Do you intend to make a formal motion to that effect?"
Bob glanced around the table. "Not now. I'd like to hear what everyone has to say."
Ian forced himself not to jump in with his opinion. He resumed his seat. Patience. Persistence. Prayer. He let the words roll through his thoughts as he listened to each of the board members give their views. After all the board members had spoken, Ian had a big knot in his stomach. Only five of the members implied they wanted to keep The Village open. So if it came down to a vote today, things didn't look good.
After looking over the group, Bob's gaze settled on Ian. "Would y'all like to say something?"
"I'll let Melody speak." Ian gestured toward her.
Melody stood, her posture exuding confidence. "Thanks. When I took the women's ministries coordinator job, I didn't know how much this place would come to mean to me. But this isn't about me. It's about the hundreds of women who've been saved from abuse, who've found jobs and a better life. You can't let a financial setback end this ministry. Remember what Jesus said in Luke. 'What is impossible with man is possible with God.'"
When Melody returned to her seat, Adam stood. "Melody has given you only one of the reasons why we should continue. Have we lost the vision that started this ministry?"
Most helpful customer reviews
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
When you reach 'rock-bottom', there’s nowhere to go but ‘up,’ right?
By SJ
Annie Payton has made serious past mistakes, abusing alcohol and drugs and stealing money to pay for those habits. After losing her children to social services, she starts to get her life back on track, completing a year-long rehab and doing whatever it takes to win back custody of her children. But the past still lingers and even those who are helping her at Village of Hope seem to have their doubts; especially ex-husband Ian who is representing her in the custody case. Annie, doesn’t want to fail, but past memories of failure and guilt plague her. Can she achieve redemption and make a new life?
As much as this is a love story, it is also a story of redemption and forgiveness. People make mistakes. People are hurting from their mistakes and from the mistakes of others. Where can you find peace? I love this story because it shows how God is the answer to those seeking redemption, forgiveness, and the strength to move past their mistakes and start fresh each day. No one is perfect, but in Christ all can be made new.
I actually read book 2 of the Village of Hope series first (I won it from and author giveaway), and as much as I enjoyed that story, I found Second Chance Reunion to have more depth and meaning for me personally. The author Ms. Whren does an excellent job of showing how faith can help you overcome the worst circumstances one day at a time. I loved the slow reconciliation between Annie and Ian and the forgiveness that each needed to give and receive from each other. Kara and Spencer are adorable children and, Kara especially, livens up the story with her antics. This is a sweet faith-filled read and I am looking forward to reading book 3, Dating the Billionaire, in the Village of Hope series. Well done, Ms. Whren!
One final note, I love, love, love the idea of a Village of Hope. I wish my own community had something like this to offer the elderly who many need assisted living or nursing care, abused women and children, and those who are in need of a helping hand.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
A story of healing and hope!
By Trixi
Annie Payton’s a changed woman and only wants to re-gain custody of her two small children. She finds herself at the Village of Hope, a ministry facility that helps people of all ages and walks of life to get back on their feet. She knows what a mess she’s made of her life & is determined to stay clean, sober and be the mom she should have been for her kids.
Ian Montgomery is a lawyer & helps run the Village of Hope. He’s being asked to represent Annie in court to help her with the custody case, but there are too many deep wounds for him to even consider taking it on.
This is a story that deals with past issues of divorce, addictions, living a party lifestyle, relapse & deceit. The characters aren’t without their share of regret, especially Annie. She knows she’s messed up in the past and has a lot to prove to herself, her kids, Ian, and those around her. Ian, too, has regrets for leading her into the life they used to live. And he’s been hurt more than once by her broken promises.
This is also a story of God’s redemption, healing wounded hearts and lives, forgiveness and restoration. Both Ian and Annie have truly given their lives to the Lord, walking in His grace and mercy. They have a lot to work through and it’s plainly not an easy task! The more they spend time together, the more you see God work in their hearts. Can Ian see the woman of God Annie has become and can Annie finally walk in the freedom that only God can give?
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Merrillee touches on some hard issues and doesn’t sugar coat the results of sin in someone’s life. But more to the point, she shows how God’s forgiveness and grace can change that person from the inside out. There was so much spiritual depth in this; I felt I came away a changed person myself! It made me even more grateful for God’s salvation for me. I got to know some wonderful side characters and loved seeing them cheer for both Ian & Annie. A Village of Hope should be in every city because you can see the good it does for so many lives in this story! I can’t wait to read the next installment “Healing the Soldier’s Heart” and the rest of this series. If you like inspirational stories that deal with real life issues and redemption, this is the one for you!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Second Chances Abound in this Story
By Amazon Customer
“Second Chance Reunion” by Merrillee Whren is the first book of her 'Village of Hope' series and I was hooked after the first chapter or two. I have to say that I just loved this story for it was so different in a lot of ways that really surprised me.
In most stories, if there is going to be someone who is a graduate of the school of hard knocks it is either the hero or heroine, while the other one has almost always had their act together. This is different for both the hero and heroine are graduates of the school of hard knocks. How they are graduates of the school of hard knocks, I am going to leave out for that is part of the story that makes this story so wonderful. I have to say that I was happy to see how these graduates of the school of hard knocks changed their lives, but one character's courage really hit a spot with me. Not because the other character was a coward but because how this character's courage took shape in more ways than one. No, that is not right for really I would have to say that both of the character's showed a great deal of courage just in very different ways.
By the title one might think this is about second chances, and it is, but there is more to it as well. This is also about forgiveness for some deep hurts have been inflicted and when discoveries are made things are not all that easy in that forgiveness department. I have to say this one was one of the better forgiveness stories I have read in a long time for there was more than just saying the words but working through the feelings. We may not see all the details in that path to forgiveness but we do see that it is not an easy road, and I know that from personal experience. I would have to say that this seemed to be a pretty realistic story on the forgiveness, and I felt the emotions of dealing with the graduates of the school of hard knocks though I don't have any personal experience with that.
Annie is a woman with a past and trying to make things right now. She has a lot of help even from places and people that she didn't even expect. We get to see her regret but while she is not sitting around feeling sorry for herself but instead she is doing everything she can to rebuild her life, while reaching out to those around her. Her strength and courage is something that is seen in little pieces here and there, and built upon in each instance. Though at times it seems her courage falters some, she still continues forward which shows her strength.
Ian is a man who has his own secrets and would rather keep them that way. He is a man who only wants to help those who need his help with the law. His heart is for those who are struggling to put their lives back together or who just need the help in general. He has some issues to resolve himself and he seems to struggle through them, but at the end of course, things right themselves out. Ian is a man who is confident in the job he does, but there are areas in his life that he is still uncertain about.
There may not have been any external conflict in the story but the internal conflict was enough to keep this reader turning the page. My adult son who tried to interrupt me once during the book received a sound “leave me alone until I am done” statement for I just couldn't put the book down for any reason. The emotions in the story was written so well that I couldn't help myself feel what the character's were feeling. Of course there is a happy ending (after all that is why I read the romance stories) but there is nothing easy about this couple getting together.
I hope all who read this book enjoy it as much as I do.
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