Tracie Peterson - Where My Heart Belongs

TRACIE PETERSON

Where My Heart Belongs
Copyright 2007
Tracie Peterson

Cover design by Andrea Gjeldum

Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-0-7642-0361-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Peterson, Tracie.
Where my heart belongs / Tracie Peterson.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7642-0396-1 (alk. paper) ISBN 978-07642-0361-9 (pbk.)
I. Title.
PS3566.E7717W54 2007
813'.54dc22

2007023747

In memory of Landon Ruth Meece
1994-2007
What precious joy you brought
to those who knew you.

And to Karen, Ed, and Edison Meece
May Jesus heal your wounded
hearts and hold you close to Him.

Books by Tracie Peterson

www.traciepeterson.com

A Slender Thread What She Left for Me
Where My Heart Belongs

S ONG OF A LASKAN
Dawns Prelude

A LASKAN Q UEST
Summer of the Midnight Sun
Under the Northern Lights Whispers of Winter
Alaskan Quest (3 in 1)

B RIDES OF G ALLATIN C OUNTY
A Promise to Believe In A Love to Last Forever
A Dream to Call My Own

T HE B ROADMOOR L EGACY *
A Daughters Inheritance An Unexpected Love
A Surrendered Heart

B ELLS OF L OWELL *
Daughter of the Loom A Fragile Design These Tangled Threads
Bells of Lowell (3 in 1)

L IGHTS OF L OWELL *
A Tapestry of Hope A Love Woven True The Pattern of Her Heart

D ESERT R OSES
Shadows of the Canyon Across the Years Beneath a Harvest Sky

H EIRS OF M ONTANA
Land of My Heart The Coming Storm
To Dream Anew The Hope Within

L ADIES OF L IBERTY
A Lady of High Regard A Lady of Hidden Intent
A Lady of Secret Devotion

R IBBONS OF S TEEL **
Distant Dreams A Hope Beyond

W ESTWARD C HRONICLES
A Shelter of Hope Hidden in a Whisper A Veiled Reflection

Y UKON Q UEST
Treasures of the North Ashes and Ice Rivers of Gold

*with Judith Miller **with Judith Pella

TRACIE PETERSON is a popular speaker and bestselling author who has written over seventy books, both historical and contemporary fiction. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.

Visit Tracies Web site at: www.traciepeterson.com .

CONTENTS

KATHY HALBERT OPENED THE front door to stare face-to-face at a ghost from the past. In a tone that wavered somewhere between shock and horror, she whispered the name of her nightmare.

Sunshine.

A warm June breeze blew through the younger womans bleached hair, ruffling the top layers to reveal darker roots. Her face was careworn, yet beautiful. The twelve years since Kathy had seen her sisterher only siblinghad altered Sunshine into a woman who scarcely resembled the eighteen-year-old whod deserted her family.

Hi, sis. Guess youre surprised to see me, huh? She offered a smile, revealing perfect white teethmaybe too white.

Kathy stiffened. How dare she call me sis? How dare she show up here after twelve years without our knowing if she was dead or alive?

What do you want? Kathy couldnt even bring herself to pretend polite indifference.

Sunshine seemed genuinely perplexed by Kathys attitude. What do you mean by that? Ive come back... Ive come home.

Kathy shook her head. If youre here after all these years, there has to be a reason bigger than that. If you want money, forget it. Theres none here for you. Youve had your inheritancetwice, as I recall.

Sunshines confusion seemed to grow. Wheres Mom and Dad? She strained to look beyond the screen door and into the house where theyd both spent their childhood.

Kathy put her hands on her hips and squared her shoulders. I asked what you wanted. I think my question deserves an answer first.

Sunshine folded her arms defensively. Kathy noted she was dressed stylishly in cream-colored linen slacks and a tan and cream short-sleeved sweeter. Small gold hoops graced each ear and a gold cross hung from a delicate chain that draped Sunshines neck.

What hypocrisy! Since when does she care about God?

Kathy, I dont expect you to necessarily be happy that Ive come home, but I figured youd at least be civil.

This is me being civil. You cant demand your own way and turn your back on your family and not have some kind of repercussion for your actions.

There have been plenty of repercussions, I assure you, Sunshine whispered.

Kathy felt herself harden even more. Every sad and painful moment from the past twelve years could be pinned to one source, and that source was her younger sister. Kathy didnt want to be uncaring; the entire family had dreamed of the day when Sunshine might once again return to the Kansas family farm. Kathy had practiced long tirades of things she would say, but every established thought fled from her now.

I didnt expect to find you here, Sunshine finally said, shifting her purse from one shoulder to the other.

I want to know why youre here. Kathy forced her mind to remain focused. The memories were pouring in from all sides, much like a dam that had sprung multiple leaks. Feelings, thoughtseven smells and sightstrickled in and began to puddle in Kathys brain.

Well, its kind of a long story, Sunshine finally yielded. I suppose you could say the bottom line is that Ive turned my life around. I want to set things right with the people in my life, so I figured I should start at the beginning.

You cant set the past right, Kathy said, shaking her head. You have no idea what youre even asking.

Kathys memory took hold of her like a raging lion about to feast on its prey. Twelve years faded away and in its place came a vibrant picture of the moment that started the demise of the entire Halbert household.

Ive changed my name, eighteen-year-old Amy Halbert declared rather pompously. She was dressed in very short cutoffs and a halter toptwo pieces of clothing their mother had expressly forbid her daughters to wear.

Kathy looked up from the breakfast table in dumbfounded surprise. You did what? she finally asked. Only moments ago the focus had been on Kathys own wonderful declaration. Kyle Dexter had asked her to marry him, and she had announced it to her parents at breakfast.

Amy had a way of dripping sarcasm without ever speaking a word. That expression was on her face just now, and Kathy detested it. When Amy looked like this, there was no reasoning with her and no getting her to listen to anything you had to say.

Amy, why dont you sit down and tell us what youre talking about, their father said with a smile. Your mama has fixed some mighty fine waffles.

I dont eat waffles, Amy said with an emphasis on the apparently hated food.

Kathy didnt understand the harsh tone or the lie. Amy could have eaten them all under the table when it came to waffles.