The Big 5-Oh!
Authors: Sandra D. Bricker
“Sandra D. Bricker is an author who makes me laugh out loud. But finding the humor in turning
The Big 5-Oh!
? Only Bricker could make me look forward to the romance and humor of getting older. This is a fun, romantic read that you will devour, no matter what your age.”
—KRISTIN BILLERBECK, author of
What a Girl Wants
“Sandra D. Bricker writes with grace, humor and an obvious love for her characters, qualities that can be seen and felt on every page of
The Big 5-Oh!
Her words ring as clear as bells on Christmas morning and sound just as sweet in your ear. A great read!”
—JOYCE MAGNIN, award-winning author of
The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow
“Sandra D. Bricker has written a loveable heroine, a swoon-worthy hero, and enough quirky characters to keep everyone on their toes. Make a wish, blow out the candles, and dig in—
The Big 5-Oh!
is a total treat. I’d love to see this on film!”
—TRISH PERRY, author of
Sunset Beach
and
The Guy I’m Not Dating
“I feel it only fair to warn anyone who isn’t already a rabid Sandra D. Bricker fan: you’re gonna be one after reading this sweetly romantic, slap-your-thigh-funny story of one woman's joyous triumph over heartache and loneliness!”
—LOREE LOUGH, author of 74 award-winning books, including the reader and reviewer favorite
Love Finds You in North Pole, Alaska
Copyright © 2010 by Sandra D. Bricker
ISBN-13: 978-1-4267-0235-8
Published by Abingdon Press, P.O. Box 801, Nashville, TN 37202
www.abingdonpress.com
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored
in any retrieval system, posted on any website, or transmitted in any
form or by any means—digital, electronic, scanning, photocopy,
recording, or otherwise—without written permission from the publisher,
except for brief quotations in printed reviews and articles.
The persons and events portrayed in this work of fiction
are the creations of the author, and any resemblance to
persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Published in association with the Hartline Literary Agency.
Cover design by Anderson Design Group, Nashville, TN
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bricker, Sandra D., 1958-
The big 5-OH! / Sandra D. Bricker.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4267-0235-8 (trade pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Middle-aged women—Fiction. I. Title. II. Title: Big five-OH.
PS3602.R53B54 2010
813’.6—dc22
2009046057
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 / 15 14 13 12 11 10
A big and special “thank you!” to Tamela Hancock
Murray for opening this lovely door.
An enthusiastic “high five” to my new editor,
Barbara Scott. I’m sure you have no idea what a
unique and special person you are.
And a group hug for my girls:
Marian, Jemelle, Debby, and Loree.
You make it such a great adventure!
For D: I like you deeply.
Not too much. Just enough.
Always the Baker, Never the Bride
Prudence leaned over the edge of the pond and gazed at her reflection.
“What's happened to me?” she exclaimed. “I looked like a perfectly normal young donkey when I left home this morning.”
“The journey has taken its toll,” Horatio HootOwl replied. “But just one dip in the Enchanted Pond, and you’ll surely be revived.”
Prudence lifted her head and closed her eyes.
“Braaaaaaaay,” she whimpered. “Oh, me, oh, my. Braaaaaay.”
“No, no,” Horatio said, rubbing his feathered wing over the fold of Prudence's smooth ear. “One dunk in the water, and then a nap in the sun, and you’ll be good as new. You’ll be a new Prudence.”
She chuckled at that. “Do you promise?”
“I promise,” said her friend. “You’ll be a brand new Pru.”
L
iv dug the shovel into three inches of snow and pushed as hard as she could, then tossed it to the side of the driveway. Three more reps followed before the muscle down the back of her arm throbbed in response. It used to take much longer for her old body to react to physical labor in this way.
Time marches on, she thought. Whether we like it or not.
“Hey, neighbor!”
Liv looked across the white meadow between them and waved at her friend Hallie, who stood at the edge of her garage next door.
Three kids filed past Hallie, all of them bundled up in coats and boots, hats, scarves, and gloves. At thirteen, Jason was the oldest. He had reached the bottom of the driveway by the time Scotty, the ten-year-old, hurried past his mother. Katie, age six, scampered behind her brothers, then she turned and waved at Hallie.