DREAMING OF
TOMORROW
Susan Kohler
CCB Publishing British Columbia, Canada
Dreaming of Tomorrow
Copyright ©2011 by Susan Kohler
ISBN-13 978-1-926918-73-0
First Edition
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Kohler, Susan, 1950-
Dreaming of tomorrow [electronic resource] / written by Susan Kohler.
Electronic monograph in PDF format.
ISBN 978-1-926918-73-0
Also available in print format.
I. Title.
PS3611.O47D74 2011a 813'.6 C2011-905421-3
Original cover art design by Jinger Heaston: www.jingraphix.org
The characters and events in this book are fictitious unless otherwise noted by the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Extreme care has been taken to ensure that all information presented in this book is accurate and up to date at the time of publishing. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Additionally, neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express written permission of the publisher.
Publisher: CCB Publishing
British Columbia, Canada
Dedication
To Martha Roper and Josie’s Target,
the best horse and rider team I ever knew.
Contents
This is the third book I’ve written using Kate and Laura as the matchmakers, so some of the characters have appeared in one of my other novels.
This one is different, though. This is partly autobiographical, without the hunky hero. (darn!) The stories about Mae really happened to my mother, Iona Mae Kohler. My father lost his battle with cancer. Please don’t think this is a sad story though, it’s like life: happy, sad, and funny, sometimes all at once.
When I had this almost half finished, I had the idea to put more of my personal faith into this book. I checked the guidelines for Christian romance novels and I respected them, but I decided not to change what I had written to conform to those guidelines. I believe that not every Christian is perfect; they have human frailties, needs and desires. Even good Christians can feel passion.
To me, the trick is how you use those feelings and what’s in your heart. So if you think this book is too preachy, please try to understand; if you feel this book is too sexy, please forgive me.
The way I see it, if half of you think it’s too preachy and half of you think it’s too sexy, I’ve hit my goal.
Sue
Emily Ralston was a dreamer. She had always had a good life, but lately her life had become painful and complicated, so she filled her spare time dreaming of a simple life, when she could focus on herself instead of her family. She would finish school, lose weight, get a great job, and maybe--just maybe meet a wonderful man and get married.
Part of her hoped that simple life would never really come. In fact, she dreaded it. To get to that easier, simple life she would have to lose almost everything and everyone she loved. The future, aside from her dreams, terrified her.
The thing Emily had forgotten, was God doesn’t always follow your plans and dreams.
He has His own plans for your life, and they can be wonderful.
And He doesn’t always wait until you think the time is right.
Emily Ralston stood in the hot sun holding the strong, wooden gate wide open, nursing a raging headache and wondering how she’d gotten herself into this mess. She was hot, covered with dust and dirt, and very sweaty.