Ten Thousand Charms

“Ten Thousand Charms
is a moving story of love and redemption as its diamond-in-the-rough characters struggle with faith to leave behind a dark past for a brighter future.”

LINDA WINDSOR,

author of
Blue Moon,
#3 in her Moonstruck Romance series,

“Ten Thousand Charms
is a terrific debut for writer Allison Pittman, a tale of love and redemption that grabs you and won't let go. It will leave you like it left me, anxious to see this author's future work.”

JAMES SCOTT BELL, bestselling author of
Presumed Guilty

“Once I started my
Ten Thousand Charms
journey, 1 couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Pittman's literary eloquence provides a sidesaddle perspective into one woman's life journey, love struggle, and eternal conflict. ‘Gloria’ is so
real
you not only cringe along side her pain, you writhe with emotion as her internal struggle to find a love worth holding on to” is companioned with a desperate desire for the eternal love promised through Christ. Definitely a keeper! This will be a suggested read for all of my listening audiences.”

LINDA GOLDFARB, syndicated talk-radio host, speaker, and writer

“If you took Francine River's classic
Redeeming Love
and merged it with Janette Oke's quaint prairie style, you could almost envision the masterpiece Allison Pittman has created with her poignant tale of God's redemptive power. If you're in need of a fresh touch of God's grace,
Ten Thousand Charms
is the story for you.”

JANICE THOMPSON, author of
Hurricane

“Are you thirsty, weary, or heavy laden? Come—rest and let Allison Pittman take you to another place and time where you will find joy resting in the arms of Jesus.”

LAUREN L. BRIGGS, author of
The Art of Helping, What to Say and Do When Someone is Hurting,

Making the Blue Plate Special,
and
The Joy of Family Legacies

For my brother, Chris,
who knows better than anyone
the joy of resting in the arms of Christ.

Acknowledgments

praise God for His wisdom, mercy, and grace. He gave me answers before I could formulate questions; He guided my steps when I didn't know I was on a journey; He lit my path when 1 thought I had found my resting place. I thank God for the amazing family He has seen fit to give me. For my husband, Mike, and my sons, Ryan, Jack, and Charlie— thanks guys for all the camping trips! For my parents who have been such an example of strength in Christ. For my sisters who make me feel so special. And for Martha, who made my brother's life complete.

Finally, I must give thanks for all of those people who made this book possible. Thank you, Rod, for being such an amazing editor. Only you could make me feel at peace in blue socks and black shoes. Thank you, Monday night group—you read every page of this and gave such great advice about trees and talking heads. Most of all, my sweet sister in Christ, Brenda, for never letting me forget Who I know, and Who knows me.

C
OME
, Y
E
S
INNER
P
OOR AND
N
EEDY

Joseph Hart (1759)

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

Refrain:
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Saviour,
0 there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come and welcome,
God's free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that bringsyou nigh.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry tillyoure better,
You will never come at all.

Let not conscience makeyou linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is tofeelyour need of Him.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you're better,
You will never come at all.

Wyoming Territory

loria forced herself to take another step. Then another. And another. For most of the journey, she'd been lucky enough—and pretty enough—to ride along with supply wagons and men migrating to another promised land. But her luck ran out at the opening of this narrow, winding pass.

“Ain't no thin’ up there to go to,” her latest anonymous benefactor had said. “There's a little camp called Silver Peak, but it don't have no future. Probly gonna close down next year.”

“I have friends there,” Gloria said.

“I just bet you do.” His leer gave Gloria a momentary hope that he would take her up the pass, but he insisted that the journey was too dangerous for his rig.

“Ain't but about seven miles,” he said, dismissing her from his wagon seat. “Get started now and you might make it before dark.”

For once, a man's promise turned out to be true, because it was nearing dusk as Gloria rounded the last bend. In fact, there was just enough light for her to get a glimpse of something red.

“Jewell.”

The red-shingled roof was the trademark of any Jewell Gunn fancy house, and the closest reference Gloria had to a home. Now it served as a beacon, guiding Gloria's steps until the entire establishment—huge and gaudy compared to its rough-hewn neighbors—came into view.

As she approached, the closest thing Gloria had to a friend, Jewell herself, leaned out a second-story window. Dressed in a silk robe wrapped haphazardly at the waist, Jewell planted her elbows firmly on the sill.

Gloria shifted her bag to a fresh hand, straightened her shoulders, and forced a spring into her final steps as she set her eyes firmly on the door.

She needs to be the one to call to me.

Within minutes, Jewell's distinctive whiskey voice filled the yard.

“Well, Glory-be it's Glori-A!” It was the phrase Jewell coined whenever she paraded the young Gloria through a crowded parlor. “Lord, girl, if I hadn't seen your feet movin', I'da swore you was the mangled mess of a bobcat snack.”

“Is that right?” Gloria set her case down, planted her hands on her hips, and tried to keep the. quaver out of her voice. “And if I didn't know you were the richest woman in Wyoming Territory I'd swear you were some old whore seein’ the first light of day.”

There was a beat during which Gloria wondered if she had gone too far, but then Jewell leaned further out the window and said, as if shouting a secret, “All us rich women are whores, honey. I'm just not one who needs to hide it.”