“Caleb.” She breathed his name and the rest of her voice caught in her throat.
He looked down at the ground. Shuffled his feet. “Can we talk? Or if you want to be left alone, that’s okay, too. I understand.”
“You’re here.” She was having a hard time being eloquent. The man standing a few feet away was the love she’d dreamed about her whole life. Overcome by the thought, she sprang to her feet and reached for him.
Caleb shook his head and stepped forward where his gentle hands found a home on her shoulders. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I’m so afraid I messed up what we had.”
Paige lifted one of his hands from her shoulder and leaned her cheek into his open palm. Savoring the feel of his calloused fingers against her soft skin, she closed her eyes. “The last time we talked I was so cruel to you. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said any of those things.”
“I said a lot of terrible things, too. We both have a lot of hurt to bring to the table, but I think it’s worth getting through it all to be together.” His thumb traced back and forth in the hair above her ear. “I’m not going to close Sarah’s Home.”
“Really?”
“A lot of the security needs to change before I’m comfortable with it staying open, but that is the only safe place for so many students in Brookside. It stays open, and you’re welcome there whenever the door is unlocked. I’m sorry I tried so hard to overprotect you.”
She nodded a bunch of times and swallowed hard. “You know, someone caring enough to want to protect me isn’t so bad after all.”
He framed her face. “I’m not good at this stuff—being in a relationship. Sarah and I were kids when we decided we’d get married. So I missed learning all the dating rules in high school. But if you’ll...” He stopped for a moment and leaned so they could have eye contact. “I know it sounds silly, but would you be my girlfriend?”
Paige gave a rapid-nod answer. “Yes.”
“Really?” He squeezed her shoulder. “I might make a couple more mistakes along the way. Actually, I can promise you I’ll make a lot of mistakes.”
“I love you.” The words were out before she’d considered saying them, but they were true.
“I love you, too.”
A small smile pulled at his lips, and when he opened his arms she didn’t waste a minute flying into them. Pressing her face into his neck, she breathed in his familiar pine-and-midnight smell. It felt like home.
His fingers found the soft skin at the nape of her neck. Tipping her head back, Caleb kissed her deeply, and Paige returned the kiss with equal fervor, drinking in the man she thought she’d lost.
When they parted, he pressed his forehead to hers for a minute with his eyes still closed. “This is all too good to be true.”
“Walk with me.” She unwound from his arms and reached to lace her fingers with his. “We have so much to talk about.”
“Only if you do one thing first.” Caleb winked. “Put your shoes on.”
Tugging her gym shoes back on, she laughed. Only Caleb would remember about her foot getting cut after sharing such a great kiss, but she no longer minded taking small precautions if they made Caleb feel better.
They moved up the beach as the tide rolled in higher. A flock of seagulls scuttled away as they walked nearer.
Paige took a deep breath. “I went to Brookside today.”
“Oh?” Caleb’s tone held none of the censure she’d feared.
“I met with Miles and we found the person who attacked me.”
His grip tightened.
She pumped his hand once. “It was Smalls.”
He stopped, causing her to jerk backward by a foot. “Smalls? But he likes you. That makes no sense.”
“It didn’t for me, either, until we talked to him. His brother’s gang tried to recruit him. They had a gun to his head and instructed him to do it or face punishment.” She faced Caleb. “He doesn’t want to end up in a gang. Smalls has dreams—he wants to go to college and get a degree to help him become a writer. Isn’t that great?”
Brow scrunched, Caleb scanned the horizon. “Miles will have to arrest him. That’ll ruin his chances of going to school.”
“Your friend Miles is great. He made arrangements for Smalls to serve as an informant so the police department can capture some of the major gang members in town in exchange for his charges being dropped. They fingerprinted him, but as long as he doesn’t have any more trouble in Brookside for the year, the charges will never be filed. Miles promised to keep an eye on Smalls and have him protected if any of the gangs start to suspect him.”
Using one finger, Caleb tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear. “You’re amazing. Most people would have wanted him punished.”
“I want him to have a future. That’s the kind of impact a place like Sarah’s Home can have on a community.”
“I agree.” He tugged her hand so they could keep walking toward the magenta sun as it began to dip into the onyx horizon. “But we need to raise money for security cameras and a fenced parking lot. Small things like that to make the place safer for everyone.”
“I have ideas for changes, too.” Paige swung their hands as they walked.
“I can’t wait to hear them.” He stopped then, and pulled Paige in front of him so her back was against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he rested his chin on her head. They stood there until the sun finally dipped below the edge of the lake. “We should head home.”
Paige laced her fingers with his and realized Caleb was wrong about one thing. All of this wasn’t too good to believe.
Hadn’t God directed them on this path all along? Even through the difficult circumstances in life they had both faced before meeting each other. God had taken two broken and hurt people and made them new.
More than that, He now offered them a new start—together.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from LONE STAR HERO by Jolene Navarro.
Dear Reader,
Know what always amazes me about God? No matter what I have done or how I have failed, He’ll offer me as many new starts as I ask for. Isn’t that comforting? Our God believes in second chances.
Both Paige and Caleb needed fresh starts, but their hesitation to begin again is understandable. As the story starts, Caleb is wrapped in guilt over the death of his late wife. He believes he doesn’t deserve a chance to love and live again. On the other hand, Paige is terrified of getting hurt. She has good reason to feel that way. She’s been let down by a lot of people she should have been able to count on.
Have you ever felt stuck by your circumstances, by past pain or something you’ve done? I have good news—God’s waiting to offer you a do-over. All that’s left is to ask Him for it.
Thank you for spending some time with Paige and Caleb. I hope you enjoyed their story and come back to visit Goose Harbor again. I love interacting with readers on Facebook, Twitter and at my website, www.jessicakellerbooks.com. Look me up and make sure to say hi!
Dream Big,
Jess
Questions for Discussion
Paige has a lot of reasons to distrust men. Did you find Paige’s transformation to be believable, or not? How come?
Because of multiple betrayals in her past, Paige pushes Caleb away from the first time she meets him. Do you think this was appropriate for her to do? What other boundaries could someone set up, and what other ways could someone in Paige’s situation guard her heart?
A lot of Paige’s healing came through her friendships with Maggie, Ida, Bree and Shelby. It’s important to have people in your life that can give advice, listen to you and challenge you. For those that don’t have a support system like this
, what are some ways we can go about forming one? How important is it to you to have someone to bounce ideas off and process with?
Can you identify with Paige’s lack of desire to read her Bible at the beginning of the story? Caleb suggested she picture the Bible as a new love letter waiting to be read every day. Does thinking of the Bible in this way change the way you think about it? Can you think of one time when you felt God was speaking to you through a Bible story?
People that Caleb loves have been hurt and killed. Do you find his need to protect people understandable or a little overboard? If you could sit down with Caleb, what verses and advice would you share with him?
Sarah’s Home is a nonprofit organization in the midst of a rough city, and the danger the volunteers face is very real. Is it worth the risk to have people staff an outreach like this? What are some ways they could have made Sarah’s Home safer from the beginning? Paige feels strongly about Sarah’s Home and believes the risk is worth the benefit. What is something you are passionate about that might be scary or risky? Have you pursued that passion, or decided not to?
For a long time, Paige didn’t feel like she was allowed to stand up for herself. In the two instances where she had to deal with Bryan, do you think she handled herself correctly? If so, what do you believe she did correctly? If not, what could she have done differently?
Sometimes we get stuck at a point in our life because of something that happens to us. For Caleb, he felt stuck by guilt, whereas Paige was trapped by things other people had done to her. When we find ourselves stuck like Caleb and Paige did, what are some positive ways that we can move forward in our lives? Can you think of some stories in the Bible where someone was stuck like this? How did God treat them? How did they get unstuck?
Paige is warned multiple times to stay away from Amy, but she seeks Amy out after hearing the students making fun of her. Amy doesn’t react warmly, and it doesn’t look like the two will ever share a close friendship. Can you think of a time when you reached out to someone and it wasn’t received well? Was it worth it? If given the chance, would you do it again?
When Paige sees Caleb hug Amy she immediately jumps to the conclusion that he must be cheating on her. Can you remember a time when you read a situation incorrectly? What happened as a result of that?
When Paige wakes up from the attack, she knows who hurt her but doesn’t tell Officer Miles right away. How do you feel about her not sharing about Smalls until later? Should Smalls have faced a stiffer punishment, or was it appropriate to offer him grace? What were some of Paige’s other options? If you were in a situation like this, what would you want to happen to Smalls?
Caleb asked Paige not to go to Sarah’s Home when he has to be at the basketball game. How does it make you feel that he asked that of her? Does he have that right? In what situation and relationship is someone allowed to ask things like that? Are they ever? Should Paige feel badly about going? Why or why not?
If you could write an epilogue, what would it say? What hurdles, if any, do you see in Caleb and Paige’s future? What advice would you give them as they work to strengthen their relationship?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.
You believe hearts can heal. Love Inspired stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.
Enjoy six new stories from Love Inspired every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Chapter One
The blue and red lights flashed. Polished cowboy boots stepped out of the looming SUV. Each step stirred pale dust into the dry air. She didn’t need to look at his face to know who had pulled her over. Ever since her return to Clear Water, Texas, she had done her best to avoid this state trooper.
Jake Torres made it too easy to doubt her resolve to be independent. After a disastrous marriage with one hometown boy, she couldn’t contemplate a relationship with another, even if he had been her best friend once upon a time.
Now her ex-friend was going to give her a ticket on Valentine’s Day. Great. Another memento to add to this wonderful day.
Turning away from the rearview mirror, she glanced at the box of pink penguin cupcakes. They had taken her twice as long to decorate as she’d planned.
“Mom! We’re going to be late!” Ashley, her seven-year-old daughter, cried from the backseat.
She closed her eyes for a moment to control the burning acid in her stomach.
More money gone. She didn’t even have enough to buy her daughter the lollipop Valentine cards she wanted. With a quick check in the mirror, she noticed Ashley going through the handmade cards. A weak smile eased some of the tension as she thought of the fun they’d had while cutting and gluing scrap pieces of construction paper. Even Seth, her preteen son, had made a couple of glittery masterpieces.
An unwanted memory surfaced. The sparkly red heart she had created as an eleven-year-old. She could see Jake’s fingers take the Valentine card made just for him. She’d held her breath watching him read the question she had so carefully printed. Looking up at her, he had smiled and laughed at her. “Vickie, you’re crazy.”
“Vickie?” A baritone voice of the grown version of her childhood crush brought her back to the present. He now stood in his state trooper uniform and looked at her as if he still doubted her sanity.
“Officer Torres.” She replied in her most professional voice.
He leaned in a bit and looked past her. “Hi, Ashley. You’re looking pretty today.”
“Thank you. We’re going to the horse club’s Valentine’s party.”
He smiled and nodded before looking back at her. Well, she assumed he looked at her. With the dark aviators, all she saw was her own reflection. Not pretty.
“License and insurance?”
She handed him the documents. He always looked so good in cowboy hats. She made sure not to gaze at him. Instead, she focused on the empty country road stretched out in front of her. The outline of the hills surrounding them hid any sign of civilization.
A silver truck sped by and honked. Vickie scooted farther down in her seat and looked to her right. The Black Angus heifers went on with their eating. Her father’s cattle couldn’t care less about her problems.
“How is Seth doing?” Jake pulled her attention back to him.
Her knuckles went white around her worn and cracked steering wheel. Just two months ago, her son snuck out, making plans to run away and ended up in the shallow river in the dark. Her heart still stopped whenever she thought how close she came to losing her son. The image of his still form loaded into the ambulance burned forever in her mind.
“Last week the doctor released him for all regular activities. He’s a hundred percent recovered, physically anyway.” She took a breath and looked up. “Thank you for being there, for searching for him and helping me hold it together.” It had been the worst night of her life, and Jake had stayed by her side until they found Seth. He drove her to the ambulance and helped her stay calm when it felt as if she was going to fall to pieces.
He paused and brought his face back to her. “I’m glad I was there. Vickie, you know if you ever need anything you can call me.”
Yeah, that was Jake, everyone’s hero. Giving her a speeding ticket, probably for her own good. “You wouldn’t consider just giving me a warning, would you?” She tried to smile, but visions of her measly savings dwindling even further made it difficult.
“The sun’s almost down. It’s hard to see deer, and in your small car that can be dangerous. Just the other day...” His voi
ce dropped off as he looked back to his new handheld scanner. “Um...Vickie?”
That didn’t sound good. “Yes?”
“Are you aware you have a warrant out for your arrest?”
“What?” Her voice squeaked as it caught in her throat. “Oh, no! I had a ticket somewhere in East Texas. I didn’t...oh, then Tommy and Seth...” She covered her face with her cold, clammy hands. You will not cry, Victoria Maria Lawson. You will not cry.
“Mommy?”
“Vickie, take a breath. It’s okay. You have a way to pay it, right? You can ask your father.” He took the dark shades off. “As soon as you pay it in full they’ll remove the warrant.”
“I’m not asking Daddy. I just forgot about it.” Did she have enough in her savings? Was she ever going to get to the point where she put more in than she withdrew? She looked in the rearview mirror. Ashley’s big eyes were even wider. “It’s okay, sweetheart.” She glanced up at Jake. “I have Ash...”
“Vickie. I don’t want to arrest you, but you have to pay it. Call your dad. He’ll help you.”
“I have the money. I’m not asking Daddy to save me. I completely forgot... How could I...?” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. How did she let this happen? With Seth’s near-death excursion and Tommy getting remarried she just...
“Mommy, are we still going to the horse club meeting?”
Oh, Ashley. “I don...”
“Vickie, take her to the party.” He lowered his chin and stared at her a moment before speaking again. “I’ll follow. Ashley can go into the exhibit hall and you can take care of the ticket over the phone.”
His thoughts were hidden behind the depth of his dark eyes. The intense gaze made her want to hide.
“Take it slow. Being late is not the worst thing that can happen.” He glanced down. “You need new tires. These are bald, and your inspection sticker needs to be renewed.” He took a step back.
Love Inspired August 2014 – Bundle 1 of 2 Page 62