The Soldier's Redemption

Lee

And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

—Luke 9:11

To the staff and volunteers at Animal Friends of Westmoreland. Thank you for letting me work alongside you to learn how a dog rescue operates...and thank you for being a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Contents

Cover (#u29928f5f-0442-5389-ae3b-952c2f11004d)

Back Cover Text (#udfed2b66-33da-5d34-b4e3-09012419d653)

About the Author (#uce55e8c9-360b-5147-b8c8-cdc47e035e6e)

Booklist (#u80ba0d75-3658-5379-af52-48f6551200bb)

Title Page (#u251009b3-2436-5dfb-809d-3604536bf89f)

Copyright (#ud42d5985-3a6e-51ac-9637-5a2355d0206b)

Introduction (#u49973673-d748-541b-bbc5-8c429c5cb4c3)

Dear Reader (#u2742c6f5-b23b-5d80-8e41-d23886c7ed4d)

Bible Verse (#u7e587448-9aa0-525d-a135-fe0f500218d3)

Dedication (#uef331ea1-07ad-5691-a53f-2a581e807ac7)

Chapter One (#u002a43f5-c53b-5b56-9673-b96266a889a1)

Chapter Two (#u968e1b19-0d0c-5529-b3a0-04d3ec5c1c52)

Chapter Three (#uec45acae-7d3e-5501-89f8-b670a5e9b04e)

Chapter Four (#u8ac7a97e-497c-55ee-bca7-d33aa2982c83)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One (#uf4ba159a-0994-5da8-b145-764b6fff002d)

Finn Gallagher leaned his cane against the desk and swiveled his chair around to face the open window. He loved solitude, but with overseeing Redemption Ranch’s kennels, dealing with suppliers and workers and the public, he didn’t get enough of it. These early-morning moments when he could sip coffee and look out across the flat plain toward the Sangre de Cristo Mountains were precious and few.

He was reaching over to turn on the window fan—June in Colorado could be hot—when he heard a knock behind him. “Pardon me,” said a quiet female voice. “I’ve come about the job.”

So much for solitude.

He swiveled around and got the impression of a small brown sparrow. Plain, with no identifying markers. Brown tied-back hair, gray flannel shirt, jeans, no-brand sneakers.

Well, she was plain until you noticed those high cheekbones and striking blue eyes.

“How’d you find us?” he asked.

“Ad in the paper.” She said it Southern style: “Aaa-yud.” Not from around here. “Kennel assistant, general cleaning.”

“Come on in. Sit down,” he said and gestured to a chair, not because he wanted her there but because he felt rude sitting while she was standing. And his days of getting to his feet the moment a lady walked into the room were over. “I’m Finn Gallagher. I run the day-to-day operations here at the ranch.”

“Kayla White.” She sat down like a sparrow, too, perching. Ready for flight.

“Actually,” he said, “for this position, we were looking for a man.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “That’s discriminatory. I can do the work. I’m stronger than I look.”

He studied her a little closer and noticed that she wore long sleeves, buttoned down. In this heat? Weird. She looked healthy, not like a druggie hiding track marks, but lately more and more people seemed to be turning in that desperate direction.

“It’s pretty remote here.” He’d rather she removed herself from consideration for the job so he wouldn’t have to openly turn her down. She was right about the discrimination thing. With all their financial troubles, the last thing Redemption Ranch needed was a lawsuit. “A good ten miles to the nearest town, over bad roads.”

She nodded patiently. And didn’t ask to be withdrawn from consideration.

“The position requires you to live in. Not much chance to meet people and socialize.” He glanced at her bare left hand.

“I’m not big on socializing. More of a bookworm, actually.”

That almost made him like her. He spent most of his evenings at home with a dog and a good book, himself. “Small cabin,” he warned.

“I’ll fit.” She gestured at her petite self as the hint of a smile crossed her face and was just as quickly gone. “I’m relocating,” she clarified, “so living in would be easier than finding a job and a place to stay, both.”

So she wasn’t going to give up. Which was fine, really; there was no reason the new hire had to be male. He just had a vision of a woman needing a lot of attention and guidance, gossiping up a blue streak, causing trouble with the veterans.

Both his mother and his boss would have scolded him for that type of prejudice.