“Tell me again about this ornament.” Jon pointed to the red ball, and Sophie plucked it from the tree.
“It’s cool, isn’t it?” Sophie cupped it in her hands. “Like our family, it has been through a lot, but it’s never been broken. I hope I never break it!” She reached up to place it back on the tree.
Jon stopped her. “Where’s the note?”
“What note? You mean the one that my grandpa put inside it?”
“Yes. The one declaring his love.”
“I don’t know what happened to it. I’m sure Granny has it somewhere.”
“Could it still be in there?” Jon’s eyes glittered.
“Surely not. I mean, no. Don’t you remember when I took the topper off a few weeks ago and showed you the inside?”
He nodded.
Sophie held the ornament up to the light. “That’s weird, though. Look! There does seem to be something inside it.” She took off the topper, just as she had before, but this time there was a note inside. Her heart skipped a beat.
She turned the ball upside-down, and a tiny scroll fell into her palm. She handed the ornament to Jon and unfolded the scroll.
Dear Sophie,
I’ve loved you since the second grade. And I always will.
Jon
Sophie gasped.
Jon looked at her, eyes shining.
She pulled him into her arms and kissed him, knowing she was home.
Sophie’s Pumpkin Cheesecake with Molasses Cookie Crust
.................................
1-1/2 cups Ruby’s Chewy Molasses Cookies*, crushed (see page 160 for recipe)
3/4 cup ground pecans
3 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cups pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
4 eggs
Candied pecans and whipped cream, to serve
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Combine first four ingredients with a fork. Press onto bottom and two inches up the sides of the pan to form a crust. Beat cream cheese and brown sugar till light and fluffy, then stir in pumpkin, heavy cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth. Pour batter into crust and bake in a water bath for 90 minutes or until center is set. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight. Garnish the top of the cake with whole candied pecans. Serve with whipped cream.
*Can use crushed gingersnaps in place of molasses cookies.
About the Author
....................
Gwen Ford Faulkenberry lives and writes in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. She is married to Stone, and they have four children—Grace, Harper, Adelaide, and Stella. In addition to mothering and writing, Gwen teaches English at Arkansas Tech University—Ozark Campus. She is the author of Love Finds You in Branson, Missouri, Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado, and three devotional books—A Beautiful Life, A Beautiful Day, and Jesus, Be Near Me. Look her up on Facebook; she would love to hear from you.
Want a peek into local American life—past and present? The Love Finds You™ series published by Summerside Press features real towns and combines travel, romance, and faith in one irresistible package!
The novels in the series—uniquely titled after American towns with romantic or intriguing names—inspire romance and fun. Each fictional story draws on the compelling history or the unique character of a real place. Stories center on romances kindled in small towns, old loves lost and found again on the high plains, and new loves discovered at exciting vacation getaways. Summerside Press plans to publish at least one novel set in each of the fifty states. Be sure to catch them all!
NOW AVAILABLE
Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky
by Andrea Boeshaar
ISBN: 978-1-934770-37-5
Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas
by Sandra D. Bricker
ISBN: 978-1-934770-45-0
Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado
by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry
ISBN: 978-1-934770-46-7
Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska
by Irene Brand
ISBN: 978-1-934770-38-2
Love Finds You in Humble, Texas
by Anita Higman
ISBN: 978-1-934770-61-0
Love Finds You in Last Chance, California
by Miralee Ferrell
ISBN: 978-1-934770-39-9
Love Finds You in Maiden, North Carolina
by Tamela Hancock Murray
ISBN: 978-1-934770-65-8
Love Finds You in Paradise, Pennsylvania
by Loree Lough
ISBN: 978-1-934770-66-5
Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida
by Debby Mayne
ISBN: 978-1-934770-80-1
Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana
by Melanie Dobson
ISBN: 978-1-934770-74-0
Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio
by Lisa Harris
ISBN: 978-1-934770-81-8
Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas
by Janice Hanna
ISBN: 978-1-935416-16-6
Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon
by Melody Carlson
ISBN: 978-1-935416-18-0
Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio
by Annalisa Daughety
ISBN: 978-1-935416-17-3
Love Finds You in Bethlehem, New Hampshire
by Lauralee Bliss
ISBN: 978-1-935416-20-3
Love Finds You in North Pole, Alaska
by Loree Lough
ISBN: 978-1-935416-19-7
Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida
by Sandra D. Bricker
ISBN: 978-1-935416-25-8
Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana
by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss
ISBN: 978-1-935416-29-6
Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon
by Miralee Ferrell
ISBN: 978-1-935416-63-0
Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania
by Cerella D. Sechrist
ISBN: 978-1-935416-64-7
Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa
by Melanie Dobson
ISBN: 978-1-935416-66-1
Love Finds You in Pendleton, Oregon
ISBN: 978-1-935416-84-5
Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico
by Lena Nelson Dooley
ISBN: 978-1-935416-74-6
Love Finds You in Lahaina, Hawaii
by Bodie Thoene
ISBN: 978-1-935416-78-4
Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington
by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss
ISBN: 978-1-60936-000-9
Love Finds You in Calico, California
by Elizabeth Ludwig
ISBN: 978-1-60936-001-6
Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio
by Serena B. Miller
ISBN: 978-1-60936-002-3
Love Finds You in Deadwood, South Dakota
by Tracey Cross
ISBN: 978-1-60936-003-0
Love Finds You in Silver City, Idaho
by Janelle Mowery
ISBN: 978-1-60936-005-4
Love Finds You in Carmelby-the-Sea, California
by Sandra D. Bricker
ISBN: 978-1-60936-027-6
Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe
by Irene Brand and Anita Higman
ISBN: 978-1-60936-004-7
Love Finds You in Hope, Kansas
by Pamela Griffin
ISBN: 978-1-60936-007-8
Love Finds You in Sun Valley, Idaho
by Angela Ruth
&
nbsp; ISBN: 978-1-60936-008-5
Love Finds You in Camelot, Tennessee
by Janice Hanna
ISBN: 978-1-935416-65-4
Love Finds You in Tombstone, Arizona
by Miralee Ferrell
ISBN: 978-1-60936-104-4
Love Finds You in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
by Melody Carlson
ISBN: 978-1-60936-110-5
Love Finds You in Prince Edward Island, Canada
by Susan Page Davis
ISBN: 978-1-60936-109-9
Love Finds You in Groom, Texas
by Janice Hanna
ISBN: 978-1-60936-006-1
Love Finds You in Amana, Iowa
by Melanie Dobson
Love Finds You in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
by Annalisa Daughety
ISBN: 97-8-160936-212-6
Love Finds You in Branson, Missouri
by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry
ISBN: 978-1-60936-191-4
Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming
by Miralee Ferrell
ISBN: 978-1-60936-277-5
Love Finds You on Christmas Morning
by Debby Mayne and Trish Perry
ISBN: 978-1-60936-193-8
Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii
by Robin Jones Gunn
ISBN: 978-1-60936-028-3
Love Finds You in Nazareth, Pennsylvania
by Melanie Dobson
ISBN: 97-8-160936-194-5
Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland
by Roseanna M. White
ISBN: 978-1-60936-313-0
Love Finds You in Folly Beach, South Carolina
by Loree Lough
ISBN: 97-8-160936-214-0
Love Finds You in New Orleans, Louisiana
by Christa Allan
ISBN: 978-1-60936-591-2
Love Finds You in Wildrose, North Dakota
by Tracey Bateman
ISBN: 978-1-60936-592-9
Love Finds You in Daisy, Oklahoma
by Janice Hanna
ISBN: 978-1-60936-593-6
Love Finds You in Sunflower, Kansas
by Pamela Tracy
ISBN: 978-1-60936-594-3
Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan
by Pamela Tracy
ISBN: 978-1-60936-594-3
COMING SOON
Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska
by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss
ISBN: 978-1-60936-569-1
Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
by Pamela S. Meyers
ISBN: 978-1-60936-769-5