Secrets of the Heart: A Christian Suspense Romance Novel: The Crystal Cove Series, #1

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Book Description

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Secrets of the Heart is Book #1 of 3 Christian Suspense Romance books and offers a FREE Preview of the Crystal Cove Story. It begins with the story of nurse Heather Parks and her new assignment to care for the daughter of Michael Robbins, a wealthy widowed bachelor. Her job is to supervise Evelyn Robbins' chemotherapy at home.

Over time Heather finds herself falling for Michael, but her horrible childhood memories overshadow any romantic feelings she has developed towards him. Heather tries to keep her distance from Michael, but the more they interact, the more she can't resist him. This story highlights Heather's journey of healing from the past, her hopes, struggles, and achievements as she trusts God to help her grow.

*This is only a Preview and not a stand-alone novel*

Michael Robbins is a wealthy resident living in the exclusive community of Crystal Cove. He still mourns the loss of his late wife Carla, who died at the hands of terrorists several years back. Even though he has given up hope on finding someone to replace Carla, he succumbs to the peer pressure of his friends and gets engaged to a flashy high society woman named Cynthia Wilson.

But when he gets to know Heather, his heart is drawn to her, and soon he finds himself falling in love with the nurse. The only problem is Heather seems reluctant to let him into her heart. Can Michael soften Heather's heart and show her that true love can be incredible? Or will he fail and lose love a second time? Download this free preview to find out what happens.

OTHER AVAILABLE TITLES

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The Crystal Cove Series

Secrets of the Heart

Shadows in the Night

Beyond a Broken Dream

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The Colorado Springs Series

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Heart of a Champion

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The Grand Bay Series

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Bradley Sisters Series

Choices of the Heart

Desires of the Heart

Passions of the Heart

Redemption of the Heart

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Voice of an Angel Series

Voice of an Angel

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Choices of Love – A Collection of 3 of Kelsey’s Most Popular Series Including 6 novels)

Please visit www.KelseyMacBride.com for release dates of future books and to find out how to join my community of followers.

Copyright © 2016 by Kelsey MacBride

All rights reserved.

Cover design by Jimmy Gibbs.

Book design by Kelsey MacBride

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Kelsey MacBride

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing: December, 2016

Revised Printing: June 2022

New Prosperity Publishing, Inc.

ASIN-

Chapter 1

I can't fail her now, or she'll throw a fit.

A surge of nervous energy coursed through Heather Parks' body as she hurried down the elegantly decorated hallway of her patient's mansion. White cathedral ceilings accented with intricate wood moldings provided a haven for an exclusive collection of Rembrandt and Degas paintings.

Working as a private duty nurse for the wealthy certainly had its privileges. But those perks often came at a sacrifice, especially when it came to catering to her patient's peculiarities. And Janet Covington was no exception. There were two things she knew about the wealthy widow. One, she was impatient. And two, the older woman hated the darkness.

She walked past a pair of antique Chinese vases laced with gold paint before making a sharp right. Maintaining her brisk pace, she closed in on the last curtained window of the second floor with the precision of a golden eagle. With two swift strokes of her arm, the lace curtains whisked into place, and Heather forced a sigh of relief from her lips, knowing she had completed her morning tasks. A smile formed on her lips as she closed her eyes to soak in the warmth of the white morning sunlight. The light warmed her spirit, and Heather thanked God for blessing her with another great day. It was a routine she started about a year ago and never missed. After whispering a short prayer, she turned and navigated her way back through the five thousand square foot estate to the parlor where her patient Janet was waiting.

The older woman had told Heather during her first week of assignment that she wanted to experience as much sunlight as possible before her life went dark in the end. Always one to tend to her patient's needs, Heather made sure every curtain in the estate was open, allowing the bright light to flood throughout the halls, walkways, as well as the room she knew the woman would occupy that day.

Today was Thursday, and knowing the woman's weekly schedule by heart, she knew it was a day Janet would spend downstairs in the parlor. Besides herself and Janet, three other ladies would come just before lunch to play bridge until the early afternoon. After that, tea would be ready and waiting, as well as appetizers and snacks for the women to enjoy.

Janet had made it clear to Heather that she lived with one main motto in life. That was to enjoy the rest of her remaining time on earth. Being a widow of a prominent California banker who founded Republic National Bank of California certainly had its perks. She would easily spend hundreds, even a thousand dollars on lavish luncheons or dinners with friends without blinking an eye. She casually told the nurse that all this was because she couldn't take it with her when she kicked the bucket.

Heather greeted Janet with a smile as she entered the parlor.

Good morning, my dear Heather. I hope you slept well?

Yes, I did, Mrs. Covington. And you?

As best as can be with this terrible hip pain I have to live with.

I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do for you?

The woman pressed her lips into a frown. Yes, dear. Would you be so kind as to hand me the white pillow over there? Janet pointed a hand at the leather sofa next to her.

Heather handed Janet the fish scale looking pillow and watched the woman tuck it behind her back.

You know this happened during a missionary trip to Africa when I was married to my first husband. That was where I gave birth to Jonathan. Unfortunately, I suffered terrible blood poisoning after he was born, and the infection permanently damaged my pelvis. Ever since then, I haven't been able to sleep well at night. The woman grimaced as she shifted her body in the French-style wing chair.

It must be awful to suffer from that pain for so many years. But at least something good came out of it. You have three wonderful children.

The woman shook her head. As you can see, my dear, my family can't spare me a minute of their time. I'm not important enough for them to even stop by for five minutes to say hello. After all I've done to give birth and raise them, they treat me like an outcast. Therefore, they shouldn't be entitled to any of my money. Since I can't take it with me, I plan on spending it on charities and myself with whatever days I have left in this world.

Heather nodded her head. I understand.

Do you, my dear?

Heather gave her a sympathetic smile. You spent a good part of your life raising your children. So it's only right they make time to remember you in your later years.

The wrinkles on Janet's face faded as she smiled. Good then. At least there's one other sensible person around here who sees things the way I do. Now, let's see what game we'll be playing this evening.

Heather hooked an arm around Janet's and accompanied the elderly woman down the long hallway to the foyer. The nurse could never understand why the woman didn't sell the large estate and downsize to a single level. Every time Janet came downstairs, Heather worried the woman would fall and break a hip. If there was one word to describe the older woman, it was stubborn, and Heather knew Janet wasn't someone to contend with. If you said something that offended the edgy woman, she wasn't afraid to let you know it. She vividly remembered the time Janet yelled through the window at the newspaper boy for throwing the paper on her award-winning daffodils.

Janet could be as strict as a Japanese schoolteacher and was often regarded as a cantankerous lady, but she was always polite to Heather. While Janet repeatedly refused Heather's help, she treated Heather as a person instead of an employee. Heather figured it probably had something to do with the fact she was the woman's only companion most of the time.

Becoming a nurse had been a calling for Heather despite the challenges life had thrown her following the death of her parents. After becoming a born-again Christian, she found renewed hope and purpose in her career. But the emotional pains of a little girl whose world had been turned upside down remained frozen in time, locked away inside her heart. Even though Heather appeared normal from the outside, she was emotionally handicapped and afraid to be vulnerable to anyone, especially with guys.

After seeing her parents argue every day, she feared relationships and ran from any boy that showed a hint of romantic interest in her. Heather had gotten so good at keeping other men away from her that she built a wall of steel around her heart that even a superhero couldn't penetrate.

Instead of focusing on the desire to be loved, she bestowed loving-kindness to her patients in the hopes of ministering to her soul. She cherished the smile on their faces and took delight in helping them make the most of their final days before their bodies returned to dust. She wanted to be the one person they could count on and remember for the rest of their life.

Heather didn't need to do anything special for these patients. Just her presence seemed to calm them and make them feel more at ease. Whatever they needed, it brought joy to Heather's heart to help these people.