“And it’s going to be painful for me.” Landon groaned. “How much time do you need to plan?”

  Lifting a brow, Gina twisted her mouth. “You mean we. Our mothers will help, but this is about our love, and no one else can express it better than we can.”

  Landon nodded. A slight pout flashed on his face.

  “And any planning,” Gina emphasized, “any planning during tax season is out. Christmas is a perfect time for a wedding.”

  “Arggh.” He gritted his teeth in frustration. “Nine months tops, not twelve,” he said repeatedly. “Lord, help me to hold out this long.”

  Gina rubbed his jaw. She understood. “We’ve made it this far, and God can keep us from falling because I don’t want us to fall.”

  “Me either.”

  They were quiet as they held hands and looked at the ring.

  “Just think, this wouldn’t be possible without Denise’s setup,” Landon said. “And Granny Lonna, who, at the time, I thought was sending me on a wild goose chase.”

  Landon bit his bottom lip and grinned. “I can think of a good way to pay Denise back.”

  Gina perked up. “Really? How?”

  “I’ve got people who might interest her. My best friend, Terrell, whom you’ve spoken to a few times, is a good guy and a brother to me. I’ve got two cousins, who I hope will be ready for a wife at our wedding.”

  “Were you looking?” Gina asked.

  “No, but Christmas came early, and I got exactly what I wanted.” He sealed it with a kiss.

  About the Author

  Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author of forty-plus titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth passionate about researching her ancestors and casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a five-time recipient of the RSJ Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance: Still Guilty, Crowning Glory, The Confession, Christmas Dinner, and Queen’s Surrender (To A Higher Calling). Pat’s first inspirational women’s fiction, Lean On Me, with Sourcebooks, was the national library system's February/March Together We Read Digital Book Club pick. Here for You and Stand by Me are also part of the Family is Forever series. Her holiday indie release, Christmas Dinner, and traditionally published, Here for You, were featured in Woman’s World, a national magazine. Here for You was also listed in the “7 Great Reads That Help to Keep the Faith” by Sisters From AARP. She contributed an article, “I’m Listening,” in the Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now (2021). Pat is the recipient of the 2022 Leslie Esdaile “Trailblazer” Award given by Building Relationships Around Books Readers’ Choice for her work in the Christian fiction genre.

  As a Christian, Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues nationwide. Pat has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur, and administrative assistant who is constantly on probation. They have a son and a daughter. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and has worked in radio, television, and print media for over twenty years. She oversaw the media publicity for the annual RT Booklovers Conventions for fourteen years. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.

  Other Christian Titles

  The Jamieson Legacy

  Book 1: Guilty of Love

  Book 2: Not Guilty of Love

  Book 3: Still Guilty

  Book 4: The Acquittal

  Book 5: Guilty by Association

  Book 6: The Guilt Trip

  Book 7: Free from Guilt

  Book 8: Sandra Nicholson’s Backstory

  Book 9: The Confession

  Book 10: The Guilty Generation

  Book 11: Queen’s Surrender (To a Higher Calling)

  Book 12: Contempt: Grandma BB’s Shenanigans

  Book 13: Christmas Takeover (The Next Generation)

  Book 14: Accomplices in Love (The Next Generation)

  The Intercessors

  Book 1: Day Not Promised

  Book 2: Day She Prayed

  Book 3: Days Are Coming

  Book 4: Day of Salvation

  The Carmen Sisters

  Book 1: No Easy Catch

  Book 2: In Defense of Love

  Book 3: Driven to Be Loved

  Book 4: Redeeming Heart

  Love at the Crossroads

  Book 1: Stopping Traffic

  Book 2: A Baby for Christmas

  Book 3: The Keepsake

  Book 4: What God Has for Me

  Book 5: Every Woman Needs a Praying Man

  Restore My Soul

  Book 1: Crowning Glory

  Book 2: Jet: The Back Story

  Book 3: Love Led by the Spirit

  Family is Forever

  Book 1: Lean on Me

  Book 2: Here For You

  Book 3: Stand by Me

  Making Love Work Anthology

  Book 1: Love at Work

  Book 2: Words of Love

  Book 3: A Mother’s Love

  God’s Gifts

  Book 1: Couple by Christmas

  Book 2: Prayers Answered by Christmas

  Perfect Chance at Love series

  Book 1: Love by Delivery

  Book 2: Late Summer Love

  Single titles

  Talk to Me

  Her Dress

  House Calls for the Holidays (short story)

  Christmas Dinner

  Christmas Greetings

  Taye’s Gift

  Waiting for Christmas

  House Calls for the Holidays

  Anderson Brothers

  Book 1: Love for the Holidays (Three novellas):

  A Christian Christmas

  A Christian Easter

  A Christian Father’s Day

  Book 2: A Woman After David’s Heart (A Valentine’s Day Story)

  Book 3: A Noelle for Nathan

  In Crowning Glory, Cinderella had a prince; Karyn Wallace has a King. While Karyn served four years in prison for an unthinkable crime, she embraced salvation through the Crowns for Christ outreach ministry. After her release, Karyn stays strong and confident, despite society’s stigma on ex-offenders. Since Christ strengthens the underdog, Karyn refuses to sway away from the scripture, “He whom the Son has set free is free indeed.” Levi Tolliver, for the most part, is a practicing Christian. One contradiction is that he doesn't believe in turning the other cheek. He's steadfast that there is a price to pay for every sin committed, especially after the untimely death of his wife during a robbery. Then Karyn enters Levi's life. He is enthralled with her beauty and sweet spirit until he learns about her incarceration. If Levi can accept that Christ paid Karyn's debt in full, then a treasure awaits him. This is a powerful tale and reminds readers of the permanency of redemption.

  Jet: The Back Story to Love Led By the Spirit, to say Jesetta “Jet” Hutchens issues is an understatement. In Crowning Glory, Book 1 of the Restoring My Soul series, she releases a firestorm of anger with an unforgiving heart. But every hurting soul has a history. In Jet: The Back Story to Love Led by the Spirit, Jet doesn’t know how to cope with losing her younger sister, Diane. But God sets her on the road to a spiritual recovery. To ensure she doesn’t get lost, Jesus sends the handsome and single Minister Rossi Tolliver to guide her. Psalm 147:3 says Jesus can heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds. That sets the stage for Love Led by the Spirit.

  In Love Led By the Spirit, Minister Rossi Tolliver is ready to settle down. Besides the outward attraction, he desires a sweet, humble woman who loves church folks. It sounds simple enough on paper, but when he gets off his knees, praying for that special someone to come into his life, God opens his eyes to the woman who has been there all along. There is only a slight problem. Love is the farthest thing from Jesetta “Jet” Hutchens’ mind. But Rossi, the man, and the minister, is hard to resist. Is Jet ready to allow the Holy Spirit to lead her to love?

  In Stopping Traffic, Book 1, Candace Clark has a phobia about crossing the street, and for a good reason. As fate would have it, her daughter's principal assigns her to crossing guard duties as part of the school's Parent Participation program. With no choice in the matter, Candace begrudgingly accepts her stop sign and safety vest, then reports to her designated crosswalk. Once Candace is determined to overcome her fears, God opens the door for a blessing, and Royce Kavanaugh enters her life, a firefighter built to rescue any damsel in distress. When a spark of attraction ignites, Candace and Royce soon discover more than one way to stop traffic.

  In A Baby For Christmas, Book 2, yes, diamonds are a girl's best friend, but in Solae Wyatt-Palmer's case, she desires something more valuable. Captain Hershel Kavanaugh is a divorcee and the father of two adorable little boys. Solae has never been married and longs to be a mother. Although Hershel showers her with expensive gifts, his hesitation about proposing causes Solae to walk and never look back. As the holidays approach, Hershel must convince Solae she has everything he could ever want for Christmas.

  In The Keepsake, Book 3, Until death us do part...or until Desiree walks away. Desiree “Desi” Bishop is devastated when she finds evidence of her husband’s affair. God knew she didn’t get married only to one day have to stand before a judge and file for a divorce. But Desi wants out no matter how much her heart says to forgive Michael. That isn’t easier said than done. She sees God’s one acceptable reason for a divorce as the only opt-out clause in her marriage. Michael Bishop is a repenting man who loves his wife of three years. If only...he had paid attention to the red flags God sent to keep him from falling into the devil’s snares. But Michael didn’t and fell. Although God forgives him instantly when he repents, Desi’s forgiveness is moving as a snail’s pace. In the end, after all the tears have been shed and forgiveness granted and received, the couple learns that some marriages are worth keeping.

  In What God Has For Me, Book 4, pregnant or not, Halcyon Holland is leaving her boyfriend. When her ex makes no attempts to reconcile their relationship, Halcyon begins to second-guess whether or not she compromised her chance for a happily ever after. But Zachary Bishop has had his eye on Halcyon since he first saw her. What one man doesn’t cherish, Zach is ready to treasure. He’s on a mission to offer her a second chance at love that she can’t refuse: unconditional love for a ready-made family. Halcyon will soon learn that her past circumstances won’t hinder the Lord’s blessings for them.

  In Every Woman Needs A Praying Man, Book 5, first impressions can make or break a business deal, and they definitely could be a relationship buster, but an ill-timed panic attack draws two strangers together. Unlike firefighters who run into danger, instincts tell businessman Tyson Graham to be weary of a certain damsel in distress and run. Days later, the same woman struts through his door for a job interview. Monica Wyatt might possess the outward beauty and the brains on paper, but Tyson doesn’t trust her to work for his firm, or maybe he doesn’t trust his heart around her.

  In Guilty of Love, when do you know the most important decision of your life is the right one? Reaping the seeds from what she's sown; Cheney Reynolds moves into a historic neighborhood in Ferguson, Missouri, and becomes a reclusive. Her first neighbor, the incomparable Mrs. Beatrice Tilley Beacon aka Grandma BB, is an opinionated childless widow. Grandma BB is a self-proclaimed expert on topics Cheney isn’t seeking advice—everything from landscaping to hip-hop dancing to romance. Then there is Parke Kokumuo Jamison VI, a direct descendant of a royal African tribe. He learned his family ancestry, African history, and lineage preservation before he could count. Unwittingly, they are drawn to each other, but it takes Christ to weave their lives into a spiritual bliss while He exonerates their past indiscretions.

  In Not Guilty, one man, one woman, one God, and one big problem. Malcolm Jamieson wasn't the man who got away, but the man God instructed Hallison Dinkins to set free. Instead of their explosive love affair leading them to the wedding altar, God diverted Hallison to the prayer altar during her first visit back to church in years. Malcolm was convinced that his woman had loss her mind to break off their engagement. Didn't Hallison know that Malcolm, a tenth-generation descendant of a royal African tribe, couldn't be replaced? Once Malcolm concedes that their relationship can't be savaged, he issues Hallison his own edict, “If we're meant to be with each other, we'll find our way back. If not, that means there’s a love stronger than we had.” His words begin to haunt Hallison until she begins to regret their break up, and that's where their story begins. Someone has to retreat, and God never loses a battle.

  In Still Guilty, Cheney Reynolds Jamieson made a choice years ago that is now shaping her future and the future of the men she loves. A botched abortion prevented her from carrying a baby to term, and her husband, Parke K. Jamison VI, is expected to produce heirs. With a wife who cannot give him a child, Parke vows to find and get custody of his illegitimate son by any means necessary. Meanwhile, Cheney’s twin brother, Rainey, struggles with his anger over his ex-girlfriend’s actions that haunt him, and their father, Dr. Roland Reynolds, fights to keep an old secret in the past.

  In The Acquittal, two worlds apart, but their hearts dance to the same African drum beat. On a professional level, Dr. Rainey Reynolds is a competent, highly sought-after orthodontist. Inwardly, he needs to be set free from the chaos of revelations that make him question if happiness is obtainable. To get away from the drama, Rainey is willing to leave the country under the guise of a mission trip with Dentist Without Borders. Will changing his surroundings really change him? If one woman can heal his wounds, then he will believe that there is really peace after the storm.

  Ghanaian beauty Josephine Abena Yaa Amoah returns to Africa after completing her studies as an exchange student in St. Louis, Missouri. Although her heart bleeds for his peace, she knows she must step back and pray for Rainey’s surrender to Christ so God can acquit him of his self-inflicted mental torture. In the Motherland of Ghana, Africa, Rainey not only visits the places of his ancestors, will he embrace the liberty that Christ’s Blood does set every man free.

  In Guilty By Association, how important is a name? To the St. Louis Jamiesons, tenth-generation descendants of a royal African tribe—everything. To the Boston Jamiesons whose father never married their mother—there is no loyalty or legacy. Kidd Jamieson suffers from the “angry” male syndrome because his father was absent in the home, but insisted his two sons carry his last name. It takes an old woman who mingles genealogy truths and Bible verses together for Kidd to realize his worth as a strong black man. He learns it’s not his association with the name that identifies him, but the man he becomes that defines him.

  In The Guilt Trip, Aaron “Ace” Jamieson lives carefree. He’s good-looking, and respectable when he’s in the mood, but his weakness is women. If a woman tries to ambush him with a pregnancy, he takes off in the other direction. It’s a lesson learned from his absentee father that responsibility is optional. Talise Rogers has a bright future ahead of her. She’s pretty and has no problem catching a man’s eye, which is exactly what she does with Ace. Trapping Ace Jamieson is the furthest thing from Talise’s mind when she learns she is pregnant and Ace rejects her. “I want nothing from you Ace, not even your name.” And Talise meant it.

  In Free From Guilt, it’s salvation round-up time and Cameron Jamieson’s name is on God’s hit list. Although his brothers and cousins embraced God—thanks to the women in their lives—the two-degreed MIT graduate isn’t going to let any woman take him down that path without a fight. He’s satisfied with his career, social calendar, and good genes. But God uses a beautiful messenger, Gabrielle Dupree, to show him that he’s in a spiritual deficit. Cameron learns the hard way that man’s wisdom is like foolishness to God. For every philosophical argument he throws her way, Gabrielle exposes him to scriptures that makes him question his worldly knowledge.

  In Sandra Nicholson’s Backstory, Sandra has made good and bad choices throughout the years, but the best one was to give her life to Christ when her sons were small and to rear them up in the best Christian way she knew how. That was thirty-something years ago and Sandra has evolved from a young single mother of two rambunctious boys: Kidd and Ace Jamieson, to a godly woman seasoned with wisdom. Despite the challenges and trials of rearing two strong-willed personalities, Sandra maintained her sanity through the grace of God, which kept gray strands at bay. But there is something to be said about a woman's first love. Kidd and Ace Jamieson’s father, Samuel Jamieson broke their mother's heart. Can Sandra recover? Her sons don't believe any man is good enough for her, especially their absent father. Kidd doesn’t deny his mother should find love again since she never married Samuel. But will she fall for a carbon copy of his father? God's love gives second chances.

  In The Confession, Sandra Nicholson had made good and bad choices throughout the years, but the best one was to give her life to Christ when her sons were small and to rear them up in the best Christian way she knew how. That was thirty-something years ago and Sandra has evolved from a young single mother of two rambunctious boys, Kidd and Ace Jamieson to a godly woman seasoned with wisdom. Despite the challenges and trials of rearing two strong-willed personalities, Sandra maintained her sanity through the grace of God, which kept gray strands at bay.

  Now, Sandra Nicholson is on the threshold of happiness, but Kidd believes no man is good enough for his mother, especially if her love interest could be a man just like his absentee father.

  In The Guilty Generation, seventeen-year-old Kami Jamieson is so over being daddy’s little girl. Now that she has captured the attention of Tango, the bad boy from her school, Kami’s love for her family and God have taken a backseat to her teen crush. Although the Jamiesons have instilled godly principles in Kami since she was young, they will stop at nothing, including prayer and fasting, to protect her from falling prey to society's peer pressure. Can Kami survive her teen rebellion, or will she be guilty of dividing the next generation?