by Alison Mello
Embracing Love
Once Broken Series, Book One
By Alison Mello
EMBRACING LOVE
Copyright © 2017 by Alison Mello.
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: March 2017
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-030-5
ISBN-10: 1-64034-030-0
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my good friend Kenderly. We met online through a blogger when I first started writing. She was one of the first people to review my debut book and loved it. She’s been reading ARCs and writing reviews for me ever since
She came to me shortly after I finished the fourth book in the Learning to Love collection, and told me that she was dying for me to write a Southern military romance. She felt I would kill it and make it an amazing story. Well, I grew up in the north but accepted the challenge and as I often say, ask and you shall receive.
Kenderly, here is your story, dear. Thank you for all of your love, support, and encouragement over the last year-and-a-half. You convinced me to step out of my comfort zone and write something a bit different from anything I’ve written before. Words cannot describe how much I appreciate all you have done. I hope you enjoy your story, and as with every story, I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
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Chapter 1
Remy
“Hey, Remy, you ready, man?” Victor shouts. I look up to see him leaning against the door frame of what used to be my room. He’s giving me a ride to the airport because I’m going home today.
I look over at him from my bunk then back to the floor. I’m excited about going home. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there, and my last mission was a tough one. “Remy, you ready?” he questions again.
Scooping up my duffel bag, I throw it on my shoulder. “Hell yes, get me out of here, man.”
“Where are you heading?”
“Home sweet home. Georgia. I get to spend the last few years of my contract at Fort Stewart. Only thirty minutes from home,” I say with pride as I throw my bag in the back of his truck and climb in.
“Damn, sir. How’d you score that duty?” I can see the jealousy in his face as he climbs into the truck.
“I requested it.” I shrug. That’s a bit of a lie, but he doesn’t need to know that my commander is sending me there because he fears I can’t handle another deployment. He’s put me in a low-risk job while I clear my head and figure out what comes next for me. “Do you have your next duty station yet?” I ask Victor.
He sighs. “Nope, I’m still waiting, but I have a feeling I’m going to end up in Germany or Korea. I haven’t been on an overseas tour in a while. My orders are due any day now.”
“No matter where you end up, you make sure you watch your back, you hear me?”
He nods. “You too, sir, it was good to serve with you. You’re a good guy, Captain.”
“Thanks,” I tell him, and he drives off towards the airport.
It’s a quiet ride; the only sound is coming from the radio. One thing I’ve learned about Victor is he’s not much of a talker. Actually, I’m not either, so the quiet is welcome as I stare out the window thinking about how happy I am to be going home to Mama’s home-cooked meals.
He pulls up to the drop-off area of the airport a short time later. “Thanks, man.” I hold my hand out. We quickly shake, and I jump out, grabbing my bag and rushing off to catch my plane.
Walking into the airport with nothing but my duffel bag, I walk straight to the check-in kiosk to punch in my info. It prints my direct flight boarding pass and I make my way to security.
I hand over my boarding pass and military ID to the woman at the head of the line. She looks at the ID and back up at me. She does this three times. The picture on my ID is a few years old and I’ve put on some weight and bulk. Yeah, that’s me. I smile. “Is there a problem, ma’am?”
“No, but you may want to get a new ID. This doesn’t look much like you.” She narrows her eyes and checks me out.
“Yes, ma’am, I will get a new one as soon as I check into my next duty station.”
“Have a great day and thank you for your service.” She hands me back my ID, now smiling, and I continue on through the line. Thankful I’m not traveling in uniform, I begin the process of taking off my sneakers and placing my items in a bin to go through the rest of security. The gentleman waves me forward to step through the scanner. I step in and he nods letting me know that I’m all set.
Thanks to the short line, I have an hour to kill before my flight. Scanning the area as I walk I see a couple of different restaurants where I can grab food but they’re all pretty busy with travelers. I finally find a little food stand that has sandwiches, fruit, and chips. Picking what I want, I pay for my purchases and take a seat at the gate to eat.
I’m not sure why but I’m antsy and find I’m having a hard time sitting still, so I’m pumped when they finally call my flight. I show my Active Duty ID to the lady, which allows me to board the plane ahead of others. I don’t usually do this, but for some reason, I need to get on this plane. I quickly throw my duffel in the bin and take my seat. Leaning against the window, I close my eyes and try to rest.
The vehicle comes to a stop and both the driver and I jump out. “Hey, Sergeant. Grab my rifle for me, will ya?” I shout over my shoulder as we rush into the meeting. They are waiting for us to start. “I’m looking for General Clayton.” The man at the door points to the general standing across the tent. My sergeant follows me, but stands at a distance allowing me to meet with the general.
“General Clayton, sir.” I salute the general.
“Captain Bennett, nice of you to join us. Do you have the information I need?”
“Yes, sir, I do.” I pull the top-secret file from the bag I’m carrying and hand it over to him. We walk over to the makeshift table to go over the material. Our guys are out in the middle of nowhere on a recovery mission.
“You’re aware that when our guys got to the cave it was empty,” the general says, a bit agitated.
“We are, sir. We’ve done some more digging and we believ
e they got wind we were coming and moved. We have reason to believe they’re headed here.” I point to a location on the map, and the general nods.
“How certain are you?” He looks up at me.
“Sir, with all due respect, as certain as we can be. We’re in the middle of the desert with little communication.”
“Fair…”
His words are cut off when we hear, “Take cover!” shouted from outside the tent.
“Sir,” the sergeant yells, throwing me my M4 rifle. I catch it and join everyone as we all get down behind sandbags to scope out the situation. The ground is shaking as mortars are shot in our direction.
“On the hill!” someone shouts and we all begin shooting. I don’t have a clear shot so I jump up as our guys are shooting to take a better position. Big mistake. I take a bullet to the shoulder, dropping to the ground instantly.
The general comes running to my side. “We need a medic,” he shouts as he kneels beside me. Suddenly, the gunfire stops, I scan the room watching as people run around to see how much damage has been done to the equipment and to ensure that everyone else is all right. The general pulls his uniform top off, wrapping it around my shoulder and tying it tight to try to stop the bleeding. I take a deep breath as pain shoots through my shoulder. “Sorry, Bennett, the medic will be here any second. You hang in there.”
I jump up in my seat, realizing I’m still on the plane and on my way home.
“Are you okay?” the lady next to me asks, full of concern.
I give her a tight smile. “I’m fine, thank you.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath as I try to relax. Looking to the screen on the back of the seat in front of me, I see the flight isn’t much longer and we should be starting our descent soon.
Some time later, I’m walking off the plane with my duffel bag on my shoulder. I head straight to the pick-up area where I spot my brothers, Dawson and Keaton. They’re both standing there with big smiles on their faces. One is holding a sign that says ‘Bennett’ and the other is holding one that says ‘Welcome home, Uncle Remy.’ The welcome home sign is colorful and scribbled on like my niece had a hand in it. It makes me smile.
When I approach Dawson, I bust his balls. “Nice sign, did you make that all by yourself?” I say with laughter.
He wraps me in a hug and says, “Your niece is very excited to see her uncle tonight.”
I slap him on the back and say, “That’s good, because her uncle is excited to see her.”
“What am I, chopped liver?” Keaton asks as Dawson and I hug it out.
As I pull away, Dawson says, “No, but I’m his favorite sibling.” Keaton punches Dawson in the arm.
I shake my head and wrap my baby brother in a hug. “Welcome home, bro,” Keaton says in barely a whisper.
“Thanks. I can’t believe how much you’ve changed since I was last home. You’re getting huge.” I smack my little brother on the back. Keaton works in the construction industry. He’s always lifting planks and other heavy objects. He works hard, and according to my mom he’s been busy building decks and porches for half our neighborhood.
“It’s all the crap I lift around the worksite,” he says, pulling away so we can make our way out of the airport.
“What have you two been up to?” I ask as I follow my brothers to the parking lot. Dawson takes my bag and places it in the back while Keaton jumps into the back seat of Dawson’s shiny black SUV.
Dawson climbs into the driver’s seat. “Well, Kayla’s pregnant so we have baby number two on the way. I wish she would stop working and stay home with the kids, but she won’t listen to reason.” He looks out the window to make sure it’s safe before he pulls out of his spot and heads home. Dawson is a doctor. He works with our father in a family-owned practice he’ll take over when Dad’s ready to retire.
“You know me, I won’t settle down yet. I’m far too young for that shit,” Keaton says from the back seat.
I shake my head. “You’re far from too young,” I say, a bit shocked. He’s going to be thirty. Dawson is the oldest at thirty-seven. He’s the tallest of all of us too, where Keaton and I are on the shorter side. Dawson is lean and Keaton and I are muscular and fit. I’m next in the lineup, turning thirty-five, and then Keaton is turning thirty. “You need to quit acting like a boy and be a man already.” Keaton just laughs at me. Shaking my head, I turn my attention back to Dawson. “When is Kayla due?” I ask, ignoring my brother’s laugh. I’m excited to hear I’m going to be an uncle again.
“End of the summer,” Dawson says, staying focused on the road.
“Wow, so she only has a few months left,” I say with a smile.
“Yeah, you made it home just in time for Mama’s annual planning party. She has that coming up, and they’ve been planning another huge Fourth of July party.” Dawson stares at the road.
When we pull up to the house a short time later, Mama is on the porch swing, waiting for her boys to get home. No sooner does Dawson’s SUV come to a stop, she’s off the porch and at my side.
“Hi, Mama.” I wrap my arms around her in a warm embrace.
“I’m so glad you’re home,” she says, her eyes welling with tears. “Come on now, you go get cleaned up and I’ll make you boys a snack.”
“Yes, ma’am,” all three of us answer. I grab my bag from the SUV and stroll off toward the house with a huge grin on my face.
The house hasn’t changed one bit in all the years we’ve lived there. It’s still the same pale yellow, and Mama’s swing still sits swinging in the breeze on the front porch. “It feels good to be home,” I whisper to myself as my baby sister comes barreling through the door wearing a pair of jean shorts, with her long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. I drop my bag just in time to catch her as she leaps off the ground and into my arms. My sister, Brooke, is light as a feather. She’s the shortest of us all and thin as can be. She never works out and has never had to because she managed to get a skinny gene. The girl can eat what she wants and she manages to stay lean.
“Hey, Sis.” I squeeze her tight. Brooke is the youngest of all four of us at twenty-seven, and although Mom doesn’t admit it, I think she was an oops baby.
“I’ve missed you, Rem.” I roll my eyes. She’s the only one allowed to call me that and she takes complete advantage of it. We’ve always been really close growing up, so she gets away with more than anyone else I know. Well, except for Mama of course.
“Well, I’m home now, and since I’m staying here until I get a place of my own, we’ll have plenty of time to catch up.” I put her down.
“I’m so excited, but you better hurry, Mama is almost done fixing us a snack, and you know how she hates to wait.” She takes my hand and we walk into the house together.
“Snack time!” Mama calls from the kitchen.
“I’ll be right there, Mama,” I call from the top of the stairs. I quickly drop my bag in my room before running off to the washroom to clean up.
When I get downstairs, my brothers and sister are sitting around the table with a plate of food that’s almost empty.
“Damn, was I that slow?” I ask, pissed there’re only scraps left.
“Here you go, sweetie.” Mama puts another plate of food in front of me. “I knew they wouldn’t wait for you.”
“Mama’s boy,” Keaton mumbles, but Mama hears him and slaps him on the back of the head.
“You hush, boy.”
“Sorry, Mama,” Keaton mumbles. We all laugh, because he’s a grown man and just got smacked by Mama.
“I have to run to the market to grab some things for dinner. You four clean up this mess when you’re finished.” Mama grabs her purse and walks out the door.
Dawson looks at his watch. “Sorry, guys, I have to run. I have an appointment at the office in thirty minutes.” He takes off, leaving us three with the mess. My father set up the family practice fifteen minutes from the house, so he has just enough time to get there and get settled.
“D
amn, it’s getting late.” Keaton jumps up from the table. “I need to check on one of my sites. I’ll see you at family dinner later tonight though.” He runs out the door behind Dawson.
“Let me guess, you have to get to the clinic.” I look at Brooke with my brows raised.
She bursts into laughter. “Nope, I’m all yours,” she says with her hand on her hip.
I smile at my little sister. “Let’s clean this up and then you can tell me what you’ve been up to.”
The two of us get up from the table to clear the dishes. She rinses and hands them off to me and I place them in the dishwasher. “What have you been up to?” I ask her as she hands me another plate.
“Working at the veterinarian clinic as the vet’s assistant. I broke up with Clayton. He was being a jerk, so I’ve been putting in extra hours there.”
“I warned you that boy was no good,” I tell my sister, drying my hands. It only takes us a few minutes to clean the mess.
She pouts at me. “I know and I should have listened. I thought he would change, but I was wrong.”
I shake my head and decide to change the subject. “What do you want to do, Sis?” I plop down on the couch in the family room, my favorite spot to sit.
“Relax. I have to work tomorrow to cover for the other assistant. That means a double shift.” She plops down next to me. “Want to watch Twister like old times?” She looks at me hopefully.
“Sis, we’ve seen that movie like a thousand times.” I roll my eyes, because she’s pouting at me. She’s the only person who can make me do things I really don’t want to. She made me watch this movie with her all the time when we were kids. It’s so old but she loves it, and to be honest, I have no idea why. It’s really not that good of a movie.
“Fine.” I jump up from the couch to put the movie in while Brooke claps excitedly. There’s no point in arguing. She always gets her way. I have such a soft spot for her.