In the sin department, she stood side-by-side with Eric, neither one better than the other. Both cleansed, forgiven, and redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb.

You shouldn’t have to convince anyone of who you are – but I have a feeling you’ve spent most of your life doing just that. -Levi

Victory! Catherine wanted to pull the front of her top over her head and run around the office making V-signs. Of course she wouldn’t do that

He looked like every glossy frat boy in every nerd movie ever made, like every popular town boy who’d ever looked right through her in high school, like every rotten rich kid who’d ever belonged where she hadn’t.

My mama warned me about guys like you.

He turned to her as if he’d heard her and took off his sunglasses, and she went down the steps to meet him, wiping her sweaty palms on her dust-smeared khaki shorts. “Hi, I’m Sophie Dempsey,” she said, flashing the Dempsey gotta-love-me grin as she held out her hot, grimy hand, and after a moment he took it.

His hand was clean and cool and dry, and her heart pounded harder as she looked into his remote, gray eyes.

“Hello, Sophie Dempsey,” her worst nightmare said. “Welcome to Temptation.

All the pain and fear from the past had faded away, replaced with love and a glimmering hope for tomorrow. Now she knew there had been beauty within God’s plan all along.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Was it the thrill of the ride or something else making her heart pound?...She clamped her eyes shut as the roller coaster started to drop and squeezed the words through her tightened throat. “I love you.