Healing Hearts

Now that she’s healed...can she heal him?

Armed with a clean bill of health, ER doctor April Sprader is ready to check off items on her bucket list. After meeting Zach Harrison, number four—start dating—shoots to the top. But the workaholic sports agent and caregiver has no spare time. Unless April can persuade Zach that this could be a second chance for them both...

SYNDI POWELL started writing stories when she was young and has made it a lifelong pursuit. She’s been reading Mills & Boon romance novels since she was in her teens and is thrilled to be on the Mills & Boon team. She loves to connect with readers on Twitter, @syndipowell, or on her Facebook author page, Facebook.com/syndipowellauthor.

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Healing Hearts

Syndi Powell

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08090-3

HEALING HEARTS

© 2018 Cynthia Powell

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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“You look beautiful.” Zach smiled.

“Why are you saying that to me?”

“Because it’s true?”

April looked into his eyes. “Why did you come here tonight?”

Nothing like being direct. Zach took a step closer to her. “The thing is, I’ve tried not to think about you, but it’s impossible. So I am officially giving up. I came here tonight because I wanted to be near you. To spend time with you and see if this is the worst idea I’ve ever had.”

“And what idea would that be?”

“Would you like to go out for dinner sometime?” There. He’d asked her. Maybe the invitation wasn’t as eloquent as he’d hoped it would be, but it was out there now. And it was up to her to accept it. Or reject it, but he wasn’t going to think about that.

“Why?”

Okay, well, that wasn’t the response he’d hoped for. “Why not? Isn’t there something on that second-chance list we could cross off together?”

Dear Reader,

I hope you’ve been enjoying Hope Center Stories as much as I have. Three different women on three different breast cancer journeys, but all of them strong survivors.

It’s funny because though all three women are so different from one other, they each represent part of my own cancer story. In the first book, Sherri expressed my own thoughts and fears at the time I was diagnosed. With April’s story, I was able to explore my own second-chance list of what I wanted to do after I was well again. Some of her items that she wants to check off are similar to those I had, but haven’t completed as of yet. I need more of my inner April to come out and play!

This story is also about those caretakers who give up pieces of their lives to help family members. I was privileged enough to be caretaker to my dad before he passed away in 2008. I remember at times feeling so overwhelmed by his care that I called my mom to tell her I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t watch as he faded away day after day. Yet looking back on it now, I wouldn’t trade that time with him for anything. I grew closer to my dad and cherish those small moments we shared. While Zach might not yet appreciate his own struggles with caring for his mom, I hope to show that caretakers are indeed special and blessed.

Thank you for passing along these stories to family and friends. We are always stronger together!