Shannon here: Teresa H. Morgan shares how she met her husband and an excerpt from her latest General Fiction, No Greater Gift. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter Friday’s giveaway. Deadline: July 9th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Teresa:
My husband and I met in the hallway on his first day at work for the Department of Energy. An outspoken Christian, Greg had the most beautiful smile. He was new in town and obviously lonely. After many encounters in the hallway in the building next to mine, I took pity on him and finally agreed to dinner. But that was as far as I was willing to go. I’d married when I was young and foolish, and sadly, it didn’t last. Years later, the Lord had brought me to a place a place of joy. I wanted to concentrate on my relationship with the Lord and raising my sweet daughter.
Greg was a delight and I soon realized he was a faithful Christian with a tender heart. Unbeknownst to me, he’d been praying for a wife and had decided I was the one. On New Year’s Eve just before we were to meet another couple, he went down on one knee and offered me a beautiful necklace of Australian opals and popped the question. From somewhere came an almost suffocating terror. As much as I cared for him, I couldn’t say yes. For me, it was an awkward evening, but he didn’t appear the least bit perturbed. At some point he let slip the reason why. With perfect confidence he informed me, “God told me we’ll marry.” My immediate response was, “Well He hasn’t told me!”
The next evening while opening a can of cat food, my seven year-old daughter sliced the pad of her thumb open. In spite of the comfort I knew Greg would have offered, I didn’t call him. After waiting two hours in the hospital emergency room, Bonnie and I were finally called back. The first thing they did was cleanse the gash. With saline solution. I’ve never heard such an agonized shriek. As I comforted her, I caught a glimpse of the years of unnecessary aloneness ahead if I chose to reject the man God had sent to help me raise her.
After much prayer, I chose to trust, opened my heart, and told Greg I’d marry him. The love God gave us for one another has lasted thirty-three years.
Excerpt from No Greater Gift by Teresa H. Morgan:
When her father stood, she tuned out Marshall’s voice. Her father brushed Marshall out of the way and stepped in front of her. Deep hurt, anger, and disillusionment showed in every feature of his face. “I would never have believed you capable of such betrayal.”
Her voice rose further. “You know I never wanted the company, and I don’t know why Gramma gave me those shares!”
Phillip turned to the attorney. “Is this a recent change to her will?”
“It is, Mr. Ryan, but—”
“How recent?”
“Within the last month,” Mr. Wilson said. “But I assure you I made absolutely certain there was no pressure put upon her to make these changes. Not by anyone. She understood the ramifications of what she was doing. Grace had no idea—”
Her father’s fierce gaze bored through her. “If she didn’t do it because you asked her, then why?
Grace took a step backward, fear rising at the rage on his face. “I don’t know.”
“You were always her pet,” Marshall spoke up. “While the rest of us were building Ryan Engineers, she was entertaining you with her useless prattle of history and ancient civilizations.”
Grace opened her mouth to tell them she’d give them the shares, then popped it closed. Gramma had a reason for what she’d done. “Why would I want the company?”
Marshall gave a bark of bitter laughter. “Spite. You claim to love your family, yet you’re capable of this? This isn’t love, Grace.”
“Neither are your unfounded accusations.” Grace looked from angry face to angry face. Even from several feet away, Grace could see tears in her sister’s eyes.
“Shannon? Stephanie? You both know me better than to believe this.”
Stephanie, her best friend since grade school, sat still, fingertips covering her lips.
Shannon shook her head. “It’s wrong, Grace.”
“Of course it’s wrong.” Nothing had changed. They’d never listened to her and they never would. Whatever chance she’d had of rebuilding her relationship with her family was gone. She leveled her shoulders and focused on her father. “You of all people should know that no one told Gramma what to do.”
Grace allowed her gaze to sweep across her family. “Why do you always have to believe the worst?” She shook her head. “I don’t know why I expected anything different.”
Grace went to the bedroom to pack. Ten minutes later she fetched Katy, her cocker spaniel from the family room. She paused in the doorway of the living room and met her father’s gaze, etched with the pain of betrayal.
With steady steps, she moved across the expanse of the living room, down the front steps, and across the grass. Knowing they’d most likely gathered at the window to watch her leave, she fought to keep her head high and her step sure. Gramma, you knew what would happen if you left me those shares. Why?
About Teresa: Now empty nesters, Teresa H. Morgan and her husband live in Washington State. They have two adult children and one granddaughter. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and is a craft addict.
About the book – No Greater Gift: Grace Ryan works to untangle clues left by her late grandparents—clues involving a WWII conspiracy that could tear her family apart.
History professor Grace Ryan returns to her hometown expecting to help her grandmother turn her journals and memories of WWII into memoirs. She arrives to find her grandmother being loaded into an ambulance. When she begs Grace to find the truth about a decades-old crime, whispers the word treason, then slips away forever, Grace is left to separate fact from fiction. Then, an unwelcome inheritance strikes at her already fragile family bond. Though God’s voice seems silent, He sends someone to stand in the gap for her.
Erik Petersson, unjustly accused of infidelity, suffered through an unwanted divorce and the loss of his children’s love to his former wife’s bitterness. A physicist on sabbatical, he agrees to help Grace dig through her late grandfather’s scientific papers. As he struggles to win back his children’s love, he and Grace are catapulted into a quagmire of truth and lies that could destroy any chance at happiness.
Can’t wait to read it? Purchase your copy: No Greater Gift on Amazon
Question for Readers: Have you ever met someone at work who became important in your life?
Come back June 30th for Caryl McAdoo!
yes one of my best friends,Wanda
The principal I worked for at school became a dear friend to me. We still hug when we see each other.
I have a winner! Melanie Backus won the drawing. I appreciate Teresa for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.
Thank you so very much, Shannon, for inviting me to share with your readers.