Save Me

by Jenny Elliott

Still holding on to David’s arm, Cara stared at Garren in reverent confusion. Light shone on him, though the sun had disappeared with the whales. Cara looked to David, then to Rachel and her mom. Their eyes were all riveted on Garren.

  Rachel’s voice again broke the silence. “So if you’re not a superhero, what are you?”

  Garren aimed a soft smile at Cara. “You still haven’t figured out who I am.”

  Cara was surprised to form a coherent statement. “I know you’re one of the good guys.”

  “I thought I gave you too many clues. Maybe you weren’t meant to know until now. I’m an angel, Cara. Your angel.”

  Cara gaped at him. She had wondered if he was attracted to her, or Rachel, or if he was gay and shy, or called to be a priest, or from a family of witches and warlocks. The last thing Cara expected to hear was that he was an angel.

  “That actually makes sense. Sort of,” Rachel said. “But why did you let this go on so long? And why didn’t my angel show up? I’m the one who was possessed.”

  “Cara was the one Amber targeted when she summoned a demon to get revenge,” Garren said. “And if Cara had joined you for lunch with Ethan that first day of school, she might also have ended up possessed. There might not have been anyone to help save you.”

  “Why didn’t you stop Amber—or the demon—from the beginning, then?” Rachel pressed.

  “I can only act as a guide,” Garren said. “Unless my help is specifically requested and granted, under extraordinary circumstances.”

  Rachel planted her hands on her hips and turned to Cara. “You’ve never been good at asking for help.”

  Cara grimaced at her.

  “So is this over now?” David asked, holding tight to Cara’s hand. “Is everyone safe?”

  Garren nodded. “Because of the deliverance ritual, all the spells have been permanently broken. The binding spell temporarily broke when Cara touched you, David, because her bond with you is strong enough to break any other bonds. That’s why the two of you were brought together earlier than intended, in hopes you would make the choices you did to prevent the full extent of the damage these spells could have caused.”

  David wrapped both his arms around Cara and she hugged his side, secure in the divine knowledge that they were meant to be together.

  “Wait a minute,” Cara’s mom said, stepping to Cara’s side. “I still haven’t processed quite what your role is here,” she said to Garren. “But you can’t seriously be saying that these two are soul mates. There’s still an imbalance of power between them.”

  David shook his head at Cara’s mom. “I would never hurt Cara.”

  Garren looked between Cara and David before he spoke to Cara’s mom. “Happily ever after isn’t a guarantee for anyone in this world. But Cara’s and David’s feelings for each other are genuine. Trust us.”

  Garren flashed his enchanting smile and Cara’s mom rubbed Cara’s shoulder and miraculously remained silent.

  When Garren took a step toward Cara, she knew his job was finished. At least, his work helping to thwart this particular evil was over. Somehow she believed he’d remain with her, in an unseen state. Now, though, she sensed he was getting ready to say good-bye.

  “Will I see you again?” she asked.

  “Let’s hope not. I only show up when there’s serious trouble.”

  She smiled, but tears filled her eyes. “I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ve always been with you and I’ll always remain with you.” He brushed her tears away as they spilled down her cheeks. “I love you, Cara Markwell, more than anyone on Earth.”

  Taking her hand, Garren pulled her away from David. He touched her finger and the edges of her wound wove together and turned pink. The skin returned to its pre-cut condition within seconds. He kissed the top of her head and her scalp tingled. She touched the spot and felt neither pain, nor any raised area to indicate there had ever been an injury there.

  “Take care, Cara,” he said, and the light surrounding him became so intensely bright that Cara had to squeeze her eyes shut. When she opened them, Garren was gone.

  Epilogue

  Christmas in Liberty was rarely a white one, but this year, as David drove Cara home from church, fluffy snowflakes fell like tiny tufts of cotton. After church service, Cara’s mom had invited David over for dinner, as well as Rachel and Ms. Clark, and—much to Rachel’s annoyance—Ethan.

  David helped Cara down from the cab of his truck just as her mom and Ms. Clark disappeared behind the front door. Rachel waited on the walkway for Cara, although Ethan was waving her over to his Malibu.

  Rachel rolled her eyes. “I don’t get how he thinks I’m just going to forget what he’s done to me.” She glanced over at Ethan, whose hair was combed stylishly so that it partially covered the right side of his face. Cara didn’t miss the hint of a smile that touched Rachel’s lips when she saw the acoustic guitar he held.

  “He’s been through a lot, too,” Cara said.

  Rachel sighed. “I know, I know. I guess I should hear him out.” She half stalked, half sashayed away.

  David grinned. Cara let out a light laugh.

  Inside, David took her coat, then shrugged off his own and hung both on the rack in the entryway. Cara reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the shiny blue package she’d wrapped for him. Knowing no gift could adequately express her feelings for him, she’d struggled with what to get. Finally, she’d settled on a wallet that held her picture and a small duplicate of the photo of the two of them at the Anchor. Maybe he’d show the pictures to his dad. If nothing else, he’d carry a reminder of her with him wherever he went.

  They walked to the family room and sat down on the couch. David eyed the package she held out for him and he kissed her on the tip of her nose in thanks before he took it and opened it. Right away, he shifted his things from his current wallet to the new one. Then he slipped the new wallet in his back pocket and reached into his front pocket to retrieve a similar-size box. It was wrapped in green-and-white–striped paper and was tied with a red ribbon.

  She accepted the present and tore off the paper. Inside a velvet-lined box, a silver whale tail pendant hung on a thin chain. She held the necklace in her hand and beamed at it.

  David took it and motioned for her to turn so he could hook it around her neck. He lifted her hair and draped it over her shoulder before he fastened the clasp.

  She faced him and reached out to cup the side of his face in her hand. A smile lit up his eyes as he moved closer. His lips met hers and warmth filled her. The tether drew them closer together as she sank into his soft, sweet kiss. She had faith that she was exactly where she belonged.

  He pulled back, kissed her forehead, and picked up their wrappings. “Let me throw these away and see if the other ladies need any help in the kitchen. I’ll be right back.”

  As soon as David left the room, a tiny bell tinkled on the Christmas tree. Cara walked over, knelt down, and picked up a perfect white rose. The flower was free of thorns, fully fragrant, and fresher than they naturally come.

  She stood and spoke to the suddenly sweeter-smelling air. “Merry Christmas, Garren.”

  David walked back into the room, came to her side, and appraised the rose. “What do you have there?”

  She held up the flower. He shared his lopsided grin with her and held out his hand. She set the rose in his palm and clasped her hand around his.

  “It’s a gift,” she said. “Just like you.”

  Acknowledgments

  More people have helped me on my road to publication than I could ever list here. Still, I hope every single person who contributed to my experience with this book, and to my success, will know how much I truly appreciate them.

  Specifically, I’d like to thank my family, particularly my husband, Tom, for his continued support, and my kids, Tabitha, Tommy, Nicholas, and Brogan, for their patience while I skimp on certain duties to write and revise.

  My heartfelt thanks to my early readers who
encouraged me: first and foremost, Christine Renzie, as well as my mom, Carol Wilder, and Raschelle Dickerson-Holland, Siri Herzog, Jessica Mark, Morgan Richter, Amaryllis Scott, and Katy Word.

  Huge thanks also to my fantastic critique partners from my mentor Barbara Rogan’s writing and revising courses, as well as from CritiqueCircle.com, especially Natalia Jefferson, Susan Bickford, Sue Schaefer, Sybil Ward, Tiffany Allee, Deniz Bevan, Julie Doherty, Sally White, Elaine Dominguez, Emily L’Huillier, Dawn Altieri, Mantissa Creed, Tanvi Berwah, Rebecca Gibson, Jen Hicks, and Jennifer DiGiovanni, as well as Theresa Hernandez. Special thanks also to fellow Swoon Reads authors: Sandy Hall, Katie Van Ark, Temple West, Karole Cozzo, and Kimberly Karalius, for being such a great group of supportive girls with which to share this experience. A shout-out is also in order for Gretchen Stelter of Cogitate Studios, for being the first editor to provide a thorough and helpful edit on an early draft.

  I’m ever grateful to Barbara Rogan, who took me on as a student when I most doubted my abilities, and set me on a path toward improving my craft. Other teachers who also deserve thanks are Holly Lisle, Randy Ingermanson, Margie Lawson, and Larry Brooks. Perhaps the most significant of my teachers would be Tony Robbins, whose motivational books and materials moved me to write half of a novel at the age of eighteen. If I’d continued to listen to him and hadn’t given up on writing fiction for so many years, I’m certain I would have achieved publication much sooner. Better late than never, anyway.

  Finally, thanks to the experts who provided online information and e-mail correspondence with expert advice: Andrea E. Lee, MD, for her expertise regarding medical matters, and Lisa Lamanna-Adams, a police officer employed by the City of San Antonio, for her help with police procedure specifics. Only after I finished this novel did I discover Carrie Newell, a professor of Marine Biology and gray whale researcher based out of Depoe Bay. I based Save Me’s fictional town of Liberty in part on Depoe Bay, and not only is the main character’s name (Cara) similar to Carrie’s, they share similar physical characteristics, as well. This was just another sign to me that this story was meant to be.

  Last, but certainly not least, major thanks to my amazing fit of an editor, Holly West, and to the fearless Swoon Reads leader, Jean Feiwel, as well as to the entire Swoon Reads staff for all of their help and support. I look forward to meeting and working more with all of you!

  Read on for some

  Swoonworthy Extras …

  A Coffee Date

  with author Jenny Elliott and her editor, Holly West

  “About the Author”

  Holly West (HW): What was the first romance novel you ever read?

  Jenny Elliott (JE): You know, I think it was Jane Eyre. I read it at a pretty young age. I was like twelve, so it wasn’t the easiest reading for me. My mom said that we should watch the movie, then read it again, so I’ll understand it. I prefer the version with George C. Scott; I love that one. I’ve read it many times now and I think I liked the spookiness at least as much as the romance. I started out wanting to write spooky stuff, but then the romance kind of crept up on me. I love Jane Eyre. It is probably still one of my favorite romances.

  HW: What’s your favorite way to spend a rainy day?

  JE: I lived in Seattle for almost ten years and I LOVE that kind of weather, crazy as I am. When it’s overcast, that’s my favorite time to go out in nature. Because, especially in a place as crowded as Seattle, if the sun comes out, which it doesn’t do often, everyone comes out in droves. And I prefer solitude. So, a lot of times on overcast days, I can find a lot of solitude in nature, and I love that. But sometimes if there’s sideways rain, I can’t stand that, and that’s just the perfect excuse to read and write, watch movies, listen to music, engage in social media, or be lazy. We all need those excuses, so I’ll take them whenever I can.

  HW: My mother used to call days like that, when it was nice and overcast but not actively raining, Eeyore days, and they were always my favorites. Do you have any hobbies you are willing to share?

  JE: Well, writing is a profession now—which is nice! Reading is, of course, big. And, like my main character in Save Me, I’m a huge Scrabble addict. I don’t play against the computer quite as much as I used to, but I’m still pretty good. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to play against a person if they don’t know the strategy, like the three-letter words and the tricks and all of that, because it can take them a long time to make a play, so I have to have my phone on the side or something. I’m also a huge moviegoer. Not necessarily at home, because my kids will almost always take over and I have to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang over and over. But I have been known to see a movie in a theater up to five times. For me, there’s something about the big screen and the darkness when combined with the action and the music … it really inspires me. I kind of treat it as an investment in storytelling training, because it’s not the cheapest hobby.

  HW: What kind of movies do you go to?

  JE: They’ve made so many movies out of books that I’ve read and it’s so interesting to see what they change and to figure out why they changed it, and how the different mediums would appeal and how I can maybe mix the two or switch it up. I’m always looking for a way to change things up a little bit. But I also have kids, so sometimes, I’ll go see a movie like the new Amazing Spider-Man movie. And I know a lot of people think it’s too action-packed, but there’s still such a wide appeal, and I think it’s important to figure out why people are really enjoying it, and to at least take pieces of that as a writer and as an artist, and try to work it into our own work. So, I kind of try to see a little bit of everything just so I can get proper training, so to say.

  “The Swoon Reads Experience”

  HW: Let’s talk a little bit about the Swoon Reads experience. How did you find Swoon Reads? How did you hear about us?

  JE: I am a part of a writers’ group, well, several groups, and in one of the groups, a friend had submitted to Swoon Reads, and her novel was being really well-received. She was getting a lot of feedback. I mean, when you’re in critique groups, you get a lot of feedback, but nothing like the level of feedback you get if people are reading your book on Swoon Reads. I really liked that idea at first, but an agent was reviewing my full manuscript, and that can take months. She got back to me right before Thanksgiving and I thought, I’ve been playing this game for a while now with such near misses and it’s almost like an agent has to want to marry your book before they take it on. And they’re scared. And I don’t know how the industry is right now. But it just seemed like they were a little more timid than usual, so I thought, I’m just going to go straight to the publisher and at the very least, I’m going to get this great feedback from readers and writers. Obviously, I’m glad I did that.

  HW: I’m so glad that you did as well. Before you found out you were chosen, what was your experience like on the site?

  JE: It was really good. I reached out and read a bunch of manuscripts because I learn a lot from reading and critiquing other people’s work. I tried to help others as much as I could and I really appreciated the reciprocation when they came back and did the same for me. There’re some really great writers on the site, so I was really grateful for the feedback and I hope I gave them something useful as well.

  HW: Once you were chosen and we contacted you, what was it like getting that e-mail?

  JE: Oh, my gosh. I was so in shock about the possibility of it that I thought that maybe I’d won that tote of books, and they are just letting me know that. Honestly, I thought it had to be something else. I kind of was in denial about it until I actually talked to Jean. I think I even said something to her and I heard her kind of trip up for a second. I was like, “Oh, I was hoping that’s why you were calling” and she kind of paused, probably thinking, Well, why else would we be calling you? I honestly was in denial until I heard the words come from her mouth.

  HW: That’s one of the best parts, talking to authors directly and saying, “Yes, we love your book and we
totally want to publish it.” After we had that conversation and you were able to come out of denial, how did you celebrate?

  JE: I did the basic dinner and drinks kind of thing and got congratulations from people. That was nice, but I swear we were all in shock, and we still might be in shock until the book is in hand. I really think the true celebration will happen when the book’s finally out, when it’s finalized, and when it’s done.

  “About the Book”

  HW: Where did you get the idea for Save Me?

  JE: I was working at a book fair at my kids’ school and everyone was insane over the Twilight Saga. They started telling me about the books, and it really reminded me of Anne Rice’s books when I was a kid. And I thought, I’m going to have to read this because I’ve never seen teenagers so excited about books. I read it and I loved it, and I loved the simple style. It’s easy reading, but very entertaining, and there’s so much story there.

  But when I read the books, I thought, You know, I really would like to read about a forbidden romance that could happen in real life. It was something about kissing a stone-cold vampire that could kill you at any second. She made it really swoonworthy, but I’d rather have the forbidden romance between people that could really happen with maybe more realistic thrills and a deeper meaning—at least a deeper meaning for me. That’s what set the wheels in motion for me, and over time, the romance started taking over.

  HW: This version of Save Me is pretty different from the manuscript that was originally posted on the site. What was the biggest change for you and which one was the hardest?

  JE: The biggest change was the mother-daughter relationship and making sure I showed their closeness and conflict at the same time. I found with my early critiquers that a lot of people have very different experiences of what a relationship with a mother is. A lot of times, they’re not really willing to believe something outside their own experience could be a possibility, and I wanted it to not be all just how my mom would be, though my mom’s pretty open-minded. She probably wasn’t as strict as Cara’s was. But with your help, I came up with what I hope is a really good balance there.