Forever Hidden Read online

  Lord, thank You for this man and for how You brought him into my life. Please tell Mama how much I miss her. . . .

  Tears threatened. But they were tears of joy. This was her wedding day! Her heart overflowed with love for John. She couldn’t wait to see him.

  Oohs and aahs reached her ears. Men filled the room, all with their hats in their hands. Friends. Fellow churchgoers. And plenty of those who came to listen to her and her sisters sing every night.

  Madysen nodded from the stage and began a beautiful melody on her cello. Havyn walked down the makeshift aisle. Dad was still in town, but she’d asked him to respect this special family time and not come to the wedding. Too many years and heartaches still separated them. And it wouldn’t be good for Whitney right now.

  Things hadn’t been great between her and Dad, but she and Madysen had prayed a lot about how to build a relationship with the man they barely knew. It would take Whit a lot more time. If ever.

  Forgiveness and healing were beautiful—things that Havyn begged God to give her. But they would take time.

  She looked ahead but couldn’t see John amid the crowd of standing men. Her heart thundered in her chest.

  There.

  Tall and straight. In a dark suit, he looked more handsome than ever.

  As soon as their eyes connected, she wanted to run the rest of the way. Even two weeks had seemed too long to wait for this day, but God had done a mighty work in them both during that time. Had done a mighty work in her whole family.

  And she would always be grateful.

  The last few steps brought her up next to her grandfather. He sat taller and straighter in the wheeled chair than he had before. It was good to see him gaining strength every day.

  She leaned down and kissed his cheek and then whispered in his ear, “I love you, Granddad. Thank you for being a matchmaker. It worked.”

  His lopsided smile was the best gift he could’ve given her.

  The pastor asked a question and Granddad answered, but Havyn had looked up again at John—and she couldn’t take her eyes from him.

  And as he came to her and took her hand, she never wanted him to let go.

  “You look beautiful.” His voice was husky and soft.

  Whitney went behind Havyn and fixed her dress and fluffed her veil, then stood next to her. They’d worked on the dress together for the past two weeks. And by the look on John’s face, it was worth it.

  “We are gathered together today . . .” Pastor began.

  It all passed in a blur as she and John exchanged their wedding vows. She wanted to savor the moments so she could remember them forever, but she got caught up in the man before her.

  John.

  She was marrying him. Right now. A dream come true.

  He smiled down at her.

  Then he pulled her close, their hearts beating against one another.

  Time stood still as he put his forehead on hers. “I love you, Mrs. Roselli. Always and forever.”

  And then he sought her lips with his own.

  The Roadhouse erupted in whoops, hollers, and cheers.

  But the only voice she wanted to hear was John’s. And the only place she wanted to be was here . . .

  In her husband’s arms.

  THE END

  A Note from the Authors

  Tracie and I are so grateful that you chose to join us for THE TREASURES OF NOME series. We love Alaska and love sharing our knowledge and research of this great state with you. We hope you join us for more of the Powell sisters and the rest of their stories as the series continues.

  For two years, I’ve been waiting for the right story to add in my own personal research of pertussis. And when I say research, I mean the most intense research I’ve ever done. With lasting effects.

  I found out I had contracted whooping cough—the hundred-day cough, otherwise known as pertussis—during our trip for our son’s wedding. When the simple cough that had been there for three weeks changed and I couldn’t breathe, the doctors discovered pertussis and I had to be treated so I wouldn’t spread it. Then I was quarantined for seven days. It took four months for that horrible cough to run its course.

  The CDC had several phone conversations with me. The poor people who were around me had to get used to the horrific spasms that would overtake me. And my dear, sweet, amazing husband didn’t get a whole lot of sleep.

  Even the folks at Bethany House had to endure this with me. And they were so gracious. Dave Long and Dave Horton were troupers as we did our best to get through meetings with my hacking.

  That terrible disease is only a memory now, but this spring we discovered it scarred my lungs, gave me asthma, and damaged my soft palate so that I have acute obstructive sleep apnea. I have a whole new respect for this horrible disease, modern medicine and inoculations, and how so many people suffered and died from it years ago.

  But through it all, God is good and He is faithful. I’ve learned a lot. And I was able to use it in this story.

  As we all travel through the days we have on this earth, it’s important to remember how precious life is. Every moment counts. I pray you hug someone today and tell them that you love them. Don’t wait to let people know that you care. And please, don’t hesitate to share the Good News with the lost and dying world around you. That should be our priority. Each and every day. Because someone right next to you today might not be here tomorrow.

  Thank you for reading!

  To God be the glory!

  Kimberley

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, we’d like to thank the Lord God for giving us the stories to tell.

  Second, to our amazing husbands. They are our supermen. Without their support and prayers, we wouldn’t be able to do this.

  Third, to all the team at Bethany House. What an honor and a privilege to work with you again. You are the best!

  Fourth, to our incredible editor Karen Ball. You made this book shine. Thank you for all your hard work. For helping us to dig deep and keeping us on our toes. You are a gift.

  And last, to our readers. We could not do this without you. We read every comment, post, email, and message you send our way. Thank you for blessing us.

  Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of more than one hundred novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her many bestselling series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana. Visit www.traciepeterson.com to learn more.

  Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning, bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction. A popular speaker and teacher, she has shared the theme of “Joy Through Trials” with hundreds of thousands of people across the country. Kim is a pastor’s wife and is passionate about music and Bible study. She lives and writes in the Bitterroot Valley in Montana. Visit www.kimberleywoodhouse.com for more information.

  Instagram: Bethany House Fiction

  Resources: bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook

  Newsletter: www.bethanyhouse.com/newsletter

  Facebook: Bethany House

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Half Title Page

  Books by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Contents

  Dear Reader

  Prologue

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  Epilogue

  A Note from the Authors

  A
cknowledgments

  About the Authors

  Back Ads

  Back Cover

  List of Pages

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  31

  33

  34

  35

  36

  37

  38

  39

  40

  41

  42

  43

  44

  45

  46

  47

  48

  49

  50

  51

  52

  53

  54

  55

  56

  57

  58

  59

  60

  61

  63

  64

  65

  66

  67

  68

  69

  70

  71

  72

  73

  75

  76

  77

  78

  79

  80

  81

  82

  83

  84

  85

  86

  87

  88

  89

  90

  91

  92

  93

  94

  95

  96

  97

  98

  99

  101

  102

  103

  104

  105

  106

  107

  108

  109

  110

  111

  112

  113

  114

  115

  116

  117

  118

  119

  120

  121

  122

  123

  124

  125

  127

  128

  129

  130

  131

  132

  133

  134

  135

  136

  137

  139

  140

  141

  142

  143

  144

  145

  146

  147

  148

  149

  150

  151

  153

  154

  155

  156

  157

  158

  159

  160

  161

  162

  163

  164

  165

  167

  168

  169

  170

  171

  172

  173

  174

  175

  177

  178

  179

  180

  181

  182

  183

  184

  185

  186

  187

  188

  189

  190

  191

  192

  193

  194

  195

  196

  197

  199

  200

  201

  202

  203

  204

  205

  206

  207

  208

  209

  210

  211

  212

  213

  214

  215

  217

  218

  219

  220

  221

  222

  223

  224

  225

  226

  227

  229

  230

  231

  232

  233

  234

  235

  236

  237

  238

  239

  240

  241

  242

  243

  244

  245

  246

  247

  249

  250

  251

  252

  253

  254

  255

  256

  257

  259

  260

  261

  262

  263

  264

  265

  266

  267

  268

  269

  270

  271

  272

  273

  274

  275

  276

  277

  278

  279

  280

  281

  282

  283

  284

  285

  286

  287

  288

  289

  290

  291

  292

  293

  295

  296

  297

  298

  299

  300

  301

  302

  303

  304

  305

  306

  307

  309

  310

  311

  312

  313

  314

  315

  316

  317

  319

  320

  321

  322

  323

  324

  325

  326

  327

  328

  329

  330

  331

  332

  333

  334

  335

  336

  337

  338

  339

  341

  342

  343

  344

  345

  346

  347

  348

  349

  350

  351

  353

  354

  355

  357

  358

  359

  361

  363

  364

  365