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CHAPTER ONE

Three years earlier

“WE HAVE TO TALK”

Glancing fro in the doorway of their bedroo odd since before Kara was born,and turning didn’t make Lynn more uncomfortable than she already was

And now five weeks after their daughter’s birth, he was still using the spare room

“Come on in” She patted the bed beside her The baby had just finished her 9:00 pht Lynn had napped that afternoon She could e without more rest And even if she couldn’t, she would Brandon was her life—and was obviously having a hard ti their world

At least, she prayed that was the problem

He joined her on the bed, and she placed his pillow against the headboard so he could sit propped up beside her Ignoring the pillow, he turned his gaze to Kara and ree of the bed The sadness in his smile scared her

“Brandon? What’s going on?” They’d been best friends since the ninth grade Knew everything about each other

He looked fro we hoped and more…”

But? She heard it there His chin taut, he stared silently at the baby

“You want to hold her?”

Nodding, he reached for the soft, blanketed bundle sleeping against her Cradling Kara’s body easily on one arm, the baby’s head safely nestled between his biceps and chest, Brandon looked coh this was his fifth child, not his first

His gentleness, as always, touched her deeply

“She’s great, isn’t she?” he said, his voice thick with e at the front of the church that was filled to capacity with their friends and loved ones and hearing the catch in his voice as he vowed to love her forever There’d been noto him, she’d known very clearly that he spoke a truth beyond words Brandon’s love was real The kind that came from someplace more powerful than the human mind or heart From that point on she’d never worried that they’d e was safe