LMPD

Let’s start here. The twelve days of Christmas are actually after the holiday. And my dad, being the great guy he is, and the battalion chief of the fire department, signs up one of his rebellious firefighters for a retreat because of his bad behavior. The guy is a total grouch. But when he misses the bus for the adult redemption camp, Dad sticks the guy with me for twelve days. Alone.

Weston Belmont. The man is a shameless flirt. He oozes confidence and masculinity in a way that’s downright distracting. And in bed? He’s addictive. Everything with him is wild and impulsive and I’m desperate to regain some control. But no one has supported me like West does. And no one has ever made me feel as loved as he does either. So, while my brain says settling down with a small-town horse trainer is impossible… my heart says I’m right where I belong.

Pregnant. Homeless. Broke. Not what I’d expected for my senior year in college. Neither was Rush Ramsey. We met the day I went camping and got stranded on the side of a gravel road. I didn’t believe in white knights who freed damsels in distress. Life had taught me that if something bad could happen, it probably would. The only person who would save me was me. But Rush Ramsey rescued me that day. He was sweet and kind and charming. He made a dark, starry night a little less lonely.

Hey you guys, it’s Leslie. I’m excited to share my story with you. Now, I’m gonna be honest: Some of the details might be vague because a b*tch is fifty-five and she’s smoked a ton of weed. But while bits might be a touch hazy, I can promise you the underlying truth is REAL.

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

No promises. No expectations. No names. That’s what Emmett Stone agreed to with the woman who caught his eye two months ago. After years of drama following the end of his motorcycle club, a no-strings fling with a mystery woman is exactly what he needs. Except as they find themselves together more and more, it’s impossible for him to keep his feelings at bay. She’s clever and sassy. She’s gracious and kind. She loves riding on the back of his bike every Saturday afternoon and lazing in his bed every Sunday morning. She’s the perfect woman.

Clark Griswold was onto something...at least with his annual holiday meltdown. And since the last three weeks of my life have been riddled with humbug—another breakup, a broken toe, an office promotion I deserved and didn’t get—I’m not at all in the mood to celebrate nor have the happ, happ, happiest Christmas EVER.

Londyn McCormack didn’t have a typical childhood. She ran away at 16 and spent her youth searching for a place to call home. She’s built a good life for herself through hard work and a little luck, but after a devastating divorce, she’s running away again. Her life collides with Brooks Cohen, a small-town mechanic who gives her a reason to stop driving on that runaway road.

I’ll be your date, and you’ll be mine. Who says a funeral can’t be romantic? Okay, everyone. Including myself. That doesn’t stop the rumor mill from turning when I show up with a beautiful redhead on my arm. That redhead also just happens to be a stranger, relatively speaking. Charlotte Barrow and I have run into each other a few times—on the subway, at a bar, and now on our way to separate funerals. Instead of the prodigal son who let his parents down showing up alone, I traded favors and brought a date. The deal made sense at the time.

Based on scripture, recent studies, shared stories, and his experiences as a pastor and relational theologian, Leaving and Finding Jesus encourages folks to trade a transactional view of God for something better: friendship.