When Dreams Come True

Margaret Daley

When her DEA agent husband's plane went down, Zoey Witherspoon thought her life was over. But with two kids to care for, and another on the way, she moved back home to Sweetwater to be closer to friends and family. Two years later, her world was turned upside down: her husband was alive!Amnesia-stricken Dane wasn't exactly the same person he'd been, but neither was Zoey. She refused to return to the fractured marriage they'd shared - workaholic Dane had never been around - yet moving forward was a scary prospect. Would a second chance at happiness make all her dreams come true?

“So family is important to you now,” Zoey said without thinking.

She hadn’t meant to add to his pain, but she had lived through her son’s silent suffering, through the years of watching Dane go off on one assignment after another, leaving her and the children alone to cope with his prolonged absences.

Dane flinched. “Ouch. You’re certainly blunt.”

“Something I’ve learned to be over the past few years. A lot about me has changed.”

“And a lot about me has changed.”

“Then we aren’t the same two people who married fourteen years ago?” she asked.

“No, and being strangers isn’t a good foundation for a marriage.”

“I agree. But we have three children and we made a vow before God that I intend to keep.”

THE LADIES OF SWEETWATER LAKE:

Like a wedding ring, this circle of friends is never ending.

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.

When Dreams Come True

Margaret Daley

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.

—Psalms 57:1

To my husband, Mike, who is a wonderful support, and to my son, Shaun, whom I am blessed to have as a son. I love you both.

Contents

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

Letter to Reader

Chapter One

“Mommy! There’s a man here to see ya!” Mandy Witherspoon yelled.

With a shake of her head, Zoey Witherspoon dried her hands on a towel. “Mom, I don’t know how many times I’ve told that child never to open the door to a stranger. Will she ever learn to listen?”

Emma Bradford laughed. “You should have seen you at that age. You want me to see who it is?”

“No, I will, then have a word with my daughter. It’s a good thing we live in a safe, small town.” Already headed toward the kitchen door, Zoey glanced at the clock over the desk and realized how late the hour was. Who would be visiting right before the children’s bedtime?

When Zoey stepped into the foyer and saw a tall, thin man through the screen, she held back the scream that demanded release. She blinked. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her. But when she focused on the man again, she realized the impossible had occurred.

The pounding of her heart threatened to squeeze the air from her lungs. Slowly she moved toward the front door, past her daughter. “Mandy, go help your grandmother clean up.”

The sound of her daughter racing toward the kitchen faded, and all Zoey heard was the thundering beat of her heart pulsating in her ears. She opened the screen door to get a better look at the man on her front porch.

He