Grayson McDonough has no use for teal ribbons, 5k runs, or ovarian cancer support groups now that his beautiful wife Jenna is gone. But their nine-year-old daughter Sadie seems to need the connection. When Annabelle Curtis, the beautiful cancer survivor organizing the memory quilt project for the Ovacome support group, begins to bring out the silly and fun side of his precious daughter again, Gray must set aside his own grief to support the healing of Sadie’s young heart. But is there hope for Gray’s heart too along the way? Will a heartbroken father find his way to life? Sandra D. Bricker was an entertainment publicist in Los Angeles for more than 15 years, where she attended school to learn screenwriting and eventually taught the craft for several semesters. She became a best-selling, award-winning author of Live-Out-Loud Fiction for the inspirational market, authored books such as the Jessie Stanton novels, and was best known for her Emma Rae Creation series. Over the years, as an ovarian cancer survivor, she spent time and effort toward raising awareness and funds for research, diagnostics, and a cure. Sandra lived in Toledo, Ohio before her passing in 2016. She is remembered online at SandraDBricker.com. Raw Edges Quilts of Love Series By Sandra D. Bricker Abingdon Press Copyright © 2013 Sandra D. Bricker All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4267-5275-9 CHAPTER 1 Gray glanced at the dashboard clock before he pulled thekey from the ignition and pressed the button to lower thegarage door. "Ten twenty-six," he said aloud, punctuating the time witha weary sigh. Sadie would likely be fast asleep by now, probably floatingover angry strains of resentment toward her careless fatherwho had missed their Friday pizza night together for the firsttime in years. He tried to justify it with the fact he had a goodreason, but he knew it was one Sadie's nine-year-old mindcouldn't understand. He closed the door behind him and walked softly throughthe kitchen into the family room where Essie Lambright satreading. "Oh, good evening, Grayson," she said in her barely-theretrace of Florida twang. Essie smoothed her silver hair and removed her readingglasses, placing a ribbon to mark where she left off before closingthe book on her lap. "Hi, Miss Essie. How were things tonight?" he asked. "Ididn't notice any torches or pitchforks when I came in. Am Isafe?" "I'm sorry to say you are not," she replied. "I think you'regoing to have to earn your forgiveness, and she's a pretty toughcustomer." "She certainly can be," Gray said with a chuckle. "Can I giveyou a lift home?" "No," she chided. "It's a beautiful Tampa night. I can walkthe two blocks and enjoy the breeze off the bay." Gray hadn't even noticed the weather on his drive home.He'd been lost in the maze of his thoughts and, looking backon it now, he couldn't remember a thing about the commute. "There's chili in the slow cooker," she told him on her waytoward the kitchen, "and fresh cornbread wrapped in foil onthe counter." "She didn't go with pizza?" he asked, surprised. "Apparently, it's not Friday pizza night if you're not here.So we decided to enter into the realm of the unknown withturkey chili." Gray grinned. "Well, thank you." "Oh," she said, placing a finger to the side of her face andstopping in her tracks. "She is considering the merits of goingvegan, by the way. But she's still on the fence." "Vegan," he repeated. "Where does she come up with thesethings?" "It seems Steffi Leary is going that direction, and they sharea table in the lunchroom." Gray shook his head and followed Essie through the kitchentoward the back door. "Thanks again." He flipped on the light and watched after her as the olderwoman followed the sidewalk around the curve of the house.When she disappeared from sight, he turned it off and boltedthe lock on the door. The spicy scent of the chili caused a rumble to erupt deepwithin his stomach, and Gray pulled a bowl from behind theglass cabinet door, scraping the silverware drawer open andplucking a large spoon from inside before gliding it shut again.Just about the time he sat down on one of the stools at theisland and took his first bite, the familiar rub of sock-against-ceramic-tiledrew his attention to the doorway. "What are you doing awake?" he asked, and Sadie groan-sighed ,as Jenna used to call it. "It's her anniversary, you know," she sort of spat out at him."And you missed it." Gray's heart pounded hard before flopping over and sinking.He'd convinced himself that she wouldn't remember. "I'm sorry." Sadie scuffed toward the refrigerator and removed a smallcarton of sour cream and a plastic container of grated cheddarcheese. She slid it across the marble counter toward him andclimbed up on the closest stool. "Miss Essie says her chili cries for these. I tried it, and Ithink she's right." The corner of his mouth twitched as he allowed her tosprinkle cheese into his bowl, followed by a dollop of sourcream. As he took a delightful b