A Nest of Sparrows Read online

  A Nest of Sparrows

  Deborah Raney

  Contents

  Endorsements

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Epilogue

  About the Author

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  What Others Are Saying About A Nest of Sparrows

  From Publishers Weekly

  In this thoughtful novel by Raney (Beneath a Southern Sky), multifaceted characters and a fresh story line keep the pages turning. Wade Sullivan, an appealing contractor, is anticipating his wedding to the love of his life, the divorced Starr Parnell. Starr's three delightful young children will give Wade an instant family, and he's already "dad" in the kids' minds. When Starr dies unexpectedly, her abusive ex-husband, Darrin Parnell, shows up to collect the kids-and the insurance money. Wade discovers that his own claim on the children is tenuous. Worried about his abilities as a parent, he reflects that perhaps it is time to let go. As the story progresses, Raney intertwines poignant moments with genuine humor and refuses to make her characters one-dimensional: although Darrin is a character readers might love to hate, Raney shows that he does have glimmers of love for his estranged children. Raney also doesn't sugarcoat Wade's abilities as a stepfather, letting him make ignorant mistakes that would cause a seasoned parent to cringe. This is one of Raney's best novels…an excellent read for lovers of CBA fiction.

  Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  “Deborah Raney is a skillful novelist who weaves a powerful story that stays with you. A Nest of Sparrows is heart-touching, authentic and credible, with characters you care about, who live and breathe inside you. Once you start, this story won’t let you go. You’ll be sorry when the book’s done, but take heart–there are other great Deb Raney books waiting for you!”

  –Randy Alcorn, author of Deadline and Safely Home

  “Deborah Raney’s A Nest of Sparrows is a moving testament to the power of love. If you are looking for a story about family, about restoration, about home–as well as a story that’s just plain engaging–this is it.”

  –Ann Tatlock, award-winning author of All the Way Home

  “What a tender and moving novel! A Nest of Sparrows is cute, funny, tragic and moving. Ultimately, it’s a story of love on all levels; the love between parents and children, the love between a man and a woman, and foremost between God and his children. I was drawn into the story of this book and left with the message.”

  –Linda Hall, award-winning author of Steal Away and Chat Room

  “We often read stories about a mother’s heart. Deborah Raney paints a vivid picture of a dad’s heart, better than any definition I’ve ever read. A Nest of Sparrows is a gripping portrayal of what family should be. An expertly crafted story with all the ingredients that make us laugh and cry——let go and let God.”

  –Yvonne Lehman, author of 40 novels, including Coffee Rings

  “This is a heartfelt story of one man’s struggle to keep the children he loves, and the faith that keeps him strong. Deborah Raney’s writing is always full of warmth and hope, and A Nest of Sparrows is no exception.”

  –James Scott Bell, Christy Award winning author of Breach of Promise

  “Wow–what an amazing, tender, touching story! A Nest of Sparrows grabs your heart from the get-go, delivering wonderful characters and an emotionally gripping story you’ll love. By far Raney’s best. Highly recommended! Do not miss this marvelous book.”

  –Gayle Roper, author of Winter Winds, Autumn Dreams, Summer Shadows and Spring Rain

  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?

  And not one of them falls to the ground

  apart from your Father's will.

  Matthew 10:29 (NKJV)

  A Nest of Sparrows

  This novel was originally published in 2004 under the same title.

  © Copyright 2016 Deborah Raney.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted to any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission from Raney Day Press.

  Scriptures used from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. All characters are fictional and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Published by Raney Day Press.

  Cover and interior design by Ken Raney.

  Printed in the United States of America.

  Created with Vellum

  To Jewel Fuson

  With love.

  For creating so many happy childhood memories.

  Chapter 1

  Wade Sullivan glanced around the table as he expertly shuffled the dog-eared deck of cards. His old poker gang would have given him all kinds of grief about the images of Winnie the Pooh flipping by as he bent the playing cards into an expert arch, then tamped the deck on the tabletop and cut it again.

  But it wasn’t his poker buddies sitting around his dining room table tonight. He almost chuckled aloud to realize how drastically his life had changed in the space of twenty short months. If anyone had told him two years ago that his table would soon be routinely littered with crayons, animal crackers, and half-empty cups of strawberry Kool-Aid, he would have called them crazy.

  “C’mon, Wade. Hurry up and deal.” Eight-year-old Beau drummed his fingers impatiently on the table.

  “Beau…” The boy’s mother spoke his name low and aimed a warning glance his way.

  “Sorry, Wade,” Beau mumbled.

  “It’s okay.” Wade winked at Starr across the table, tacitly thanking her for demanding Beau’s respect. He knew she wasn’t really upset. A pussycat lurked beneath Starr Parnell’s stern expression.

  They exchanged a secret smile, and something inside him melted. She was the sweetest, kindest woman he’d ever known. The one woman who’d finally succeeded in robbing him of the confirmed bachelor status he’d been so proud of all these years.

  He counted out four cards and put th
em in front of Beau, then dealt around the table. Lacey and Danica, Beau’s younger sisters, scooped up their cards and carefully fanned them out in their small hands, protecting them from their brother’s roving gaze.

  Starr’s sister, Sophie, looked at her cards and let out a low growl. “Sheesh, Wade, if you can’t give any better than this, you’d better let somebody else deal.”

  He tossed a teasing smirk in her direction. “Be patient, Sophe. Your luck’s bound to change.”

  “Not with a hand like this, it’s not.” She slapped her cards on the table and slumped back in her chair.

  Wade laughed at his future sister-in-law’s feigned moping and picked up his own cards. He’d grown up an only child, but at thirty-five he was getting a taste of what it must be like to be part of a big family. It felt good. He glanced up to see Starr watching him with that moony, I-am-so-in-love-with-you expression sparkling in her eyes.

  Yep. It felt mighty good.

  “Okay, Mr. Beau,” he said, rubbing his knuckles gently over the boy’s mop of blond hair. “You were in such a big toot. Get this round rolling.”

  Beau grinned and picked up a card from the pile. “Wake up, Aunt Sophie. Good cards comin’ your way.” The exaggerated lift of his brows gave him away as he tucked the card into his hand and passed the discarded one to four-year-old Danica.

  In the center of the table, five of Wade’s mother’s old engraved stainless steel spoons were arranged like a giant asterisk, waiting for the free-for-all that would ensue as soon as one of them collected four matching cards.

  Poker and Solitaire had been the only games in Wade’s repertoire before he’d met Starr. Now he played a mean game of Crazy Eights, Go Fish, Slap Jack––even Old Maid, when the little girls could talk him into it. Tonight it was Spoons. And he had to admit, this was every bit as much fun as poker, and at least as rowdy. In fact, if a fellow wasn’t careful, he could get beaned once the spoons started flying.

  The cards made their way around to him, and he picked them up in quick succession. He nabbed the jack of spades, to add to the two he’d dealt himself, but before he had time to pick up another card, Lacey crowed and grabbed a spoon from the pile. A tangle of arms and bodies flopped across the table as six people went for five spoons. When the grab fest was over, Wade was the one left spoonless.

  “Sing a tune! Sing a tune!” The kids chanted, pounding the table in unison.

  He rolled his eyes and heaved an exaggerated sigh. Striking a diva’s pose he knew would draw grins, he clasped his hands in front of him and wailed one falsetto note. But when Starr flashed him the same stern look she’d given Beau a few minutes ago, he lowered his voice and crooned a few bars from a Randy Travis song they’d been playing on the radio lately. Since he was pretty much tone deaf, no one would have recognized his rendition without the lyrics.

  He suspected Starr had added this crazy loser-has-to-sing-a-tune rule just to torture him. Still, whenever it came her turn to sing, it was worth every second of embarrassment he’d endured. Starr had a lovely, mellow voice that turned his insides to jelly. Just another of this amazing woman’s myriad talents. How did he get so lucky?

  He corrected the thought immediately. Luck had nothing to do with Starr Parnell being in his life. She was a gift from God, plain and simple. A gift he hadn’t known he’d needed until it had been given. Now he thanked God for her every day. Sometimes he didn’t think he could breathe without her.

  Starr tapped her fingers on the marble tabletop, gave the waitress an apologetic smile, and looked at her watch again. She’d been waiting for Sophie for almost an hour. If she didn’t hurry up, they’d barely have time for a cup of coffee before she had to pick the kids up from school. And she hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast.

  Five minutes later, the bells on the coffee shop door clanked against the plate glass, and Starr looked up to see her sister sail in, breathless and flushed.

  Sophie hurried over to the table and slid into the chair across from Starr. “Sorry. I had to run by the post office.”

  “It’s okay. I’ve got to run at three, though.”

  Sophie looked at her watch. “Am I that late?”

  Starr bit her tongue. Never mind that she’d wasted an hour of her one day off this week. Never mind that she had a dozen other things she should be doing. She loved her sister to pieces, but sometimes the girl drove her totally crackers.

  Sophie shrugged. “You should have just gone ahead and ordered. I wouldn’t have cared.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You’re here now.” She signaled the waitress.

  “Hey, look who just walked in.” Sophie pointed toward the front of the shop.

  Starr turned to see Wade heading their way. He gave her a smile that warmed her from the inside out. All her frustration vanished.

  He bent to kiss her. “Hey, babe. Hi, Sophe.” He dragged a chair over from a nearby table and sat down between them. “What are you ladies up to?”

  “We should ask you the same thing,” Starr said, cupping a hand over his cheek, loving the roughness of his five-o’clock stubble against her palm. “I thought you were working late.”

  “We are. But I had to pick up some supplies at the lumberyard, so I told Pete I’d grab us some sandwiches for supper.”

  “Mmmm. Sounds good. I’m starving.”

  “You haven’t even had lunch?”

  “No…” Starr looked around the tiny shop for the lone waitress. “And if she doesn’t hurry up and take our order, I’m not going to have time.”

  Wade looked at his watch. “I can pick the kids up if you want. We’re working at that site out on Maple. It’s right on my way. I’ll just take them with me, and you can come out there when you’re done.”

  She felt the weariness drain from her at the thought of a leisurely lunch. “You sure you don’t mind?”

  “Nah…I don’t mind. You just enjoy your lunch.”

  The waitress came and took their orders. Wade ordered two sandwiches and then sat with Starr and Sophie until the waitress brought out his to-go bag.

  “See you after while,” he said, standing and planting a kiss in Starr’s hair. “Don’t worry, I won’t forget to pick up the kids.”

  She grinned. “Thanks.”

  He clicked his tongue at her and walked out the door.

  She looked at Sophie and sighed. “What did I do to deserve this, Sophie?”

  Sophie shook her head. “I’m telling you, sis, this is the calm before the storm. Run as fast as you can.”

  “Sophie! Quit. You don’t mean that.” Her sister had been burned too many times when it came to men.

  “I know, I know… He seems like a keeper. But…you’re sure this isn’t too good to be true? I seem to remember you wearing that same sappy smile over Darrin.”

  Starr clenched her fists and dug her nails into her palms. “Wade’s different, Sophie. You know that.”

  Sophie shook out her paper napkin and worried the edge of it. Her mouth twisted. “Okay…whatever you say.”

  It made Starr sad to realize that the roads Sophie had chosen in life had left them miles apart. Her sister didn’t understand the difference faith could make in a man’s life.

  Still, sometimes Sophie’s attitude made her second-guess herself. After all, she had been wrong about Darrin. Dreadfully wrong. But all she had to do to shake off the doubts about Wade Sullivan was to remember the first time she’d met him.

  It wasn’t long after she’d moved to Coyote. Dani was just a toddler, and feeling isolated and exhausted, Starr had hauled the kids to the café where Sophie worked. It was the middle of the lunch rush, and Sophie seated them in a booth behind Wade and his business partner, Pete Dolecek. The booth backs were high, and Starr hadn’t even paid attention to the strangers behind her until halfway through the meal little Dani crawled out of her booster seat and turned around to bounce on the bench seat. Before Starr knew what was happening, Dani reached over and yanked off Wade’s Kansas City Chiefs cap
and flipped it into her spaghetti sauce.

  Starr blushed ten shades of red and managed to stutter an apology. She half expected Wade to fly out of the booth and cuss her out for not being able to control her bratty kids.

  Instead, he winked at her and tugged playfully on Dani’s pigtails. “Guess she’s not a big fan of the Chiefs, huh?” he drawled. Then he burst into musical laughter. Dani giggled and lifted her pudgy little arms to him. Wade scooped her up as though he held babies in his arms every day. Sometimes Starr thought she’d fallen in love with him in that moment.

  Sophie introduced them, and they ended up talking for ten minutes while Wade joked with the kids and bounced Danica on his knee. And somehow, when Wade left the restaurant, she and the kids had a date with him to Coyote’s Fall Festival parade the following Saturday.

  Starr felt the corners of her mouth lift at the memory, but her smile turned sheepish when she realized her sister was shaking her head and rolling her eyes at her.

  “You are one hopeless woman,” Sophie said, shaking her head.

  Starr exhaled a breath of relief when the waitress finally showed up with their plates. She busied herself extricating silverware from her napkin and quickly changed the subject. “Oh, man, does this ever look good. I’ll trade you a bite of my enchilada for some of that pasta.”

  “Deal.” Sophie grinned and poised her fork over Starr’s plate, and Starr knew things were back to a tenuous normal between them.

  Starr blew a strand of hair out of her eyes, wiped her nose again, and tucked the tissue in her uniform pocket. She hoped she wasn’t getting another cold. It seemed as though she’d had more than her share of flu and colds since she’d started working here at the nursing home. Still, she couldn’t complain about her job. It was hard work, but the pay was pretty decent, and her schedule let her be home with her kids after school.

  As if he’d read her thoughts, old Mr. Pedersen smiled at her across the dayroom.