If I Fall…
Will You Forgive Me?
By Jennifer Christy
White Wave Media
Salt Lake City, UT
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictiously.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles.
If I Fall…Will You Forgive Me?
Copyright © 2017 Jennifer Christy
All Rights Reserved
Published by White Wave Media
Salt Lake City, UT
ISBN-13: 978-1547077816
ISBN-10:1547077816
Published in the United States of America
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 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Dedication
For Davy, Daniel, & Darius
My True Angels
Previously
JD (short for Julia Dayle) is an ambitious twenty-one-year-old Project Manager from Los Angeles, was assigned to renovate a turn-of-the-century school house into a bed and breakfast in a small tourist town called Torrey, Utah.
JD met a demolition contractor by the name of Matthew who not only won the bid for contract work, but also won her heart. Daring and exciting, JD fell hard for this charismatic, dare-devil much to the obvious displeasure of Roy Parker, the county deputy, who seems to have an ax to grind with Matthew.
Matthew is hiding secrets which are somehow tied to the coffin-like box that was discovered hidden inside a wall at the project site. Mysterious things began to happen and JD, fearing vandals and vagrants were causing mischief at the site, hires a security guard.
The security guard, Nathan, tall and refined, arrived on the scene without delay. His aloof and mysterious behavior intrigued JD, but Matthew dominated her thoughts and feelings.
As Matthew’s work on the project came to an end, his behavior started to change and one night, he took advantage of JD, leaving her hurt and broken hearted. Matthew robbed her of her innocence and fled.
With JD’s stolen innocence, Matthew opens the mysterious box and frees the prisoner, a very powerful False god who is bent on dominating and controlling the world of mortals. Together, they vanish into the night and nothing more is heard of them.
For now.
Chapter 1
“You avoiding me?” JD asked as soon as she picked up the ringing phone in her office.
“Of course not,” Missy said. “I’ve just been very… elsewhere.”
“Very elsewhere?” JD snorted. “What does that even mean?”
“Yeah, elsewhere and not in my head, like in, I met the most wonderful guy…” Missy’s voice trailed and JD groaned.
“I don’t want to hear about it,” JD said abruptly before Missy could say anything more.
“Well that sounds like a woman in love. What happened? You get dumped or something?” Missy said flippantly.
“Ouch,” JD said.
“Oh, no,” Missy moaned. “Don’t tell me. He was a jerk, wasn’t he?”
JD hesitated before responding. She didn’t want to relive that experience again by sharing the uncomfortable details with Missy. It had been months now since she had even seen Matthew. She couldn’t even bring herself to say his name anymore.
“It just didn’t work out. No big deal, really. I’ve been so busy with work and all,” she deflected. “So, who’s the new guy?”
“I’ll introduce him when you come back for Thanksgiving in a couple weeks, okay? I’ve got to go. Your grandfather just walked in. He looks like he just ate nails and screws for breakfast.” Missy hung up before JD even had a chance to say goodbye, or be careful.
***
Thanksgiving Day, JD lay in bed staring at the ceiling when her alarm sounded. She slapped the snooze button. It was 5:00 am and she had been awake most of the night. She was supposed to have been on a plane to Los Angeles two days ago, but the roads were so bad from the recent snowstorms that the Highway Patrol closed Highway 24, preventing her from driving to Salt Lake City to catch her flight. It was depressing and she had been in a funk since then; stranded in Torrey for the holiday. All by herself.
She wanted to shake herself out of the funk, but the only thing she could think of to do was to drive into a project and distract herself until the miserable holiday was over. Perhaps she could create a spreadsheet to track exactly how many hours she spent working on spreadsheets. She sighed. What she really wanted was a nice, hot shower to get the chill out of her bones this morning.
Feeling the hot water on her skin was soothing and dispersed the cold that seemed to have seeped into her very soul. The steam filled the small room and the tension in her neck and shoulders melted away. She stood in the shower until the hot water turned tepid; much too soon for her liking. Wrapping a towel around her head, she dressed in a t-shirt, sweats, and her furry, black penguin slippers. JD padded into the kitchen and rummaged around for the largest mug she could find. She pulled out two packets of hot chocolate and mixed them with hot water from the tea kettle on the stove.
Next, she cranked the thermostat up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. She longed for the heat again, to feel it course through her blood. How she missed those hot days of summer in California. She climbed into bed, set the mug on the nightstand, pulled the quilt up around her, and pulled her laptop out with every intention of working on the week-end report to send to Rick. She got as far as opening the program before drowsiness pulled her under. She hadn’t even had a chance to sip her steaming cup of cocoa before she laid back against the headboard and let her eyes close. Perhaps all the strain and stress of the project had finally caught up with her, and since it was a holiday, and she technically had the next four days off, her body and mind demanded a break and she gave in.
It was a wonder that she heard the soft knock on the front door at all for how deeply asleep she had fallen. JD peeled her eyes open and glanced at the clock. It felt like only a few minutes had passed, but hours had slipped away. It was 1:30 pm. She sat up, her laptop hung precariously on the edge of the bed. She snatched it as she stumbled out of bed, glancing in the mirror as she passed. The towel on her head had come undone and her hair had dried sticking out in every direction. And it was stifling hot in her apartment. The knock came again as she hurried to the thermostat to turn it off.
“Just a sec,” she called, reaching for her brush to tame the snarled mess as she stumbled to the door. The knock came again.
“Coming,” she called out.
She opened the door just a crack and discovered Liu on her doorstep with a wide smile that creased her eyes at the corners.
“Come eat, JD. Come eat,” the old woman said, motioning with her hands to come outside.
“Oh,” JD said in surprise as she realized Liu was inviting her to have Thanksgiving dinner with her.
“Thanks, but I’m working,” JD offered lamely, opening the door wider as she felt
the cooling breeze sweep into her apartment. Liu felt the heat escape the apartment and she took a half a step back eyes wide in surprise. The petite Asian woman looked at the apartment behind JD as if expecting to see something, but then remembered her purpose for coming upstairs.
“You need to eat. Happy Thanksgiving!” She insisted and snatched JD’s wrist, tugging on it playfully. JD chuckled at the other woman’s insistence and caved easily because it felt good to have someone wanting to share their holiday with her, even if she was practically a stranger.
“Okay, okay, let me put my shoes on,” she said, and leaving the door open, went to her bedroom. The cool winterish breezes followed her into her bedroom. Going to her closet, she looked at her collection of shoes, high heels, running shoes and a pair of work boots. Instead, she grabbed a warm fuzzy red sweater returned to the front door still wearing her slippers. Comfort was the name of the game today, JD decided. The older woman didn’t seem to notice. She bobbed her head, obviously very pleased. JD followed Liu down the stairs. The sun was a small ball of yellow in the crisp, clear blue sky. She had to squint because of the brightness of the reflecting sunlight off the snow.
They went to Liu’s tiny apartment behind the General Store. JD saw that Liu had two other guests. Quick introductions revealed that they were Liu’s nieces−Mei Ling and Chiun. Both were college students from Dixie University in St. George visiting for the holidays. They politely greeted her as they moved closer together to make room for her at the small table in the tiny kitchen. They were watching an old Western on a wide-screen TV mounted to the wall.
Liu handed JD a plate full of noodles and stir-fried vegetables as well as, what JD assumed to be, a large roasted chicken on a platter in the center of the table which everyone pulled pieces from with chopsticks. JD avoided the chopsticks, much to everyone’s amusement. She smiled bashfully and pantomimed clumsy fingers. Chiun handed JD a fork, smiling. The chicken tasted strange, but delicious nonetheless. Mei Ling noticed the expression on JD’s face as the unexpected flavor both confused and delighted her.
“It’s duck,” the younger woman revealed shyly.
“Duck,” JD repeated with a smile. “It’s very good.” She nodded satisfactorily, reaching for more. They ate mostly in silence as they watched TV. It felt good to be with people, even people she hardly knew. She found a reason to be grateful that day as she realized that hadn’t really wanted to be alone on Thanksgiving. This was much more enjoyable than sitting on her bed staring at her laptop.
JD had two helpings of noodles and vegetables followed by chocolate ice-cream. She guessed Liu and her nieces were not particularly fond of pumpkin pie as that one desert was what made Thanksgiving for JD. It wasn’t right to not have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. She squelched her disappointment and resolved to buy herself some pumpkin pie tomorrow to satisfy the need for tradition. She could forgo turkey, but not pumpkin pie.
Mei Ling looked over at JD shyly and asked how the renovation of the schoolhouse was going. She had deduced that Liu must have told them about it.
“It’s going well. Should be completed before April,” JD said with a wave of her hand.
“And you are here by yourself?” Mei Ling asked.
“Yes,” JD replied.
“Do you miss your family?” Chiun asked.
JD swallowed, feeling tears gathering in the hidden places, if she wasn’t careful, they could erupt.
“Yes,” she confessed. It was horrible not being at home with Gramps.
“You are married then?” Mei Ling persisted. Liu looked interested as well. She had been a silent witness to the goings on around the Schoolhouse and her apartment for months. JD doubted Liu could have missed Matthew’s or Nathan’s visits. How was she going to explain that?
“No,” JD said simply.
“A boyfriend?”
“No,” she said, glancing at Liu. The older woman looked surprised, but did not comment.
“How about you? Married? Boyfriend?” JD returned the questioning.
Mei Ling flushed red. “No, no, no. I’ve no time for that nonsense. I’m too busy with school. Maybe after I’ve graduated and found a job.”
“What are you studying?” JD asked.
“Accounting.” She beamed. “It’s a good place to be. Everyone needs someone to manage their money. I figure I will work for five years and then get married, maybe.” She shrugged.
“Do you want children?” JD heard herself asking the young woman. Mei Ling looked at her as if she had just insulted her.
The younger woman shuddered. “No way. Too much work. Marriage is hard enough. My parents couldn’t even make it work out for them. It would be just too hard to have to deal with kids in a divorce. No, no kids for me,” she said and looked away toward the TV. The conversation was over. At least on that topic.
Not long afterward, JD thanked Liu for her hospitality and professed that she had eaten too much. She felt like she needed another nap. Liu nodded in understanding and walked JD to the door and opened it for her, but before she left, Liu stopped her with a soft touch on her elbow.
“My nieces are foolish. They don’t understand what love is and why a woman would want to bear children. Somehow, the world has confused them and makes them think they can be like men. Work like men. But, I wonder who will be the mothers if women want to be like men?”
It sounded like Liu was apologizing. She didn’t know how to respond. Liu patted her arm and stepped back inside her apartment and closed the door.JD stood there a moment, letting Liu’s words soak into her. Who will be the mothers? Who indeed? The mention of mothers struck a deep, long forgotten chord inside her. She suddenly longed for the mother she never had.
There was a hole inside her, that, for so long, she pretended wasn’t there. A hole caused by the woman who did not want the job of being her mother and instead shoved it onto the shoulders of the father she barely knew.
Gramps was a wonderful parent. He did his best, but he was no mother in his gruff manly way. JD wondered if she would be a mother and if she even had the ability to be a good one. She doubted she had any talent in that area since she had had no real female role model. She hadn’t been raised with little dolls and tea sets - she had dump trucks and cowboy hats.
Once in her apartment, she lay down on her bed and as she stared at the ceiling tiles, thought about where her life was headed. She was twenty one years old. Too young for marriage, she decided, but what about later? Maybe after she was established in her career, perhaps she could take the time to find Mr. Right. But how long would that take? Ten years? Twenty? JD sighed. After her experience with Matthew, she didn’t think she’d want to attempt that game again, at least not for a long time.
It was when she was deep in thought along those lines that a knock came at her door, interrupting her contemplation, much to her relief. She couldn’t sleep anyway, not with those thoughts nagging at her. She got up and went to the door, opening it to see the last person on the planet she ever expected to see standing there with his cowboy hat in hand and looking sheepish.
Chapter 2
“Nathan,” she said apprehensively when the surprise vanished like her breath on the cold evening air. He stood on her porch with a slightly embarrassed look on his face. He was holding a basket in his hands. She heard the unmistakable snort of a horse, and glancing out the door and down into the parking lot, she saw a large, black horse blowing billowing clouds of steam at her car. It bobbed its head at her and snorted again.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Nathan said as he offered the basket. JD took the basket carefully. Mouth-watering scents of turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes wafted out. She even detected the tang of cranberry sauce.
“I couldn’t stand to think you’d be all alone here on Thanksgiving, with not even a pumpkin pie to share with a friend,” he added. Pumpkin pie! JD smiled at him gratefully. She peeked under the red checked napkin laid over it. There was a gorgeous slice of pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream on to
p. Her Thanksgiving was saved.
“Thank you,” she said feeling like she was going to start crying.
“Hope you’re hungry. Meagan insisted on sending a lot,” he said, looking askance at her.
“Meagan?” JD asked, trying to remember a face that belonged to the name, but she didn’t even remember meeting anyone by that name since her arrival. Was Meagan Nathan’s wife? Girlfriend? Now she felt even more uncomfortable and awkward.
“Roy’s wife,” Nathan added quickly clarified seeing the consternation on JD’s face. “Do you mind if I come in?”
“Oh, sure. Come in,” JD said stepping aside to allow him entry. She glanced down at the horse. “Is that yours?”
“Yes,” Nathan said without a backward glance and sat down on the sofa.
“Shouldn’t you tie him up or something?” she asked, noting that the animal didn’t even have a bridle or saddle and wasn’t tethered to anything.
“He won’t leave,” Nathan said.
JD watched the horse for a moment more, then, shrugging, closed the door. She placed the basket on the coffee table and sat down opposite him. She removed the checked napkin. The pumpkin pie looked and smelled divine, but she couldn’t convince her stomach to make any more room. She stalled.
“Homemade?” JD asked, though she could tell it was. It wasn’t the store-bought frozen variety that Gramps served every year.
Nathan nodded. “Meagan loves to cook.”
“I wish I knew how to cook,” she said lamely and stared at the basket.
Several seconds passed as JD looked over the meal with much admiration.
“You’re not hungry,” Nathan observed.
JD opened her mouth to give an excuse, but then confessed. “I just had a huge dinner with Liu.”
Nathan chuckled. She felt a smile creep onto her face.
“Well, I guess we could do one of two things in a situation like this,” he said smiling. JD found that she liked the way he smiled. He didn’t have dimples, but his whole face lit up and made his eyes sparkle when he did.
If I Fall...: Will You Forgive Me? (Angelore Saga Book 2) Page 1