Davonshire House Presents
A Walk Through Endurance
Olivia Gaines
Siera London
Davonshire House Publishing
May 8, 2018
Davonshire House Publishing
PO Box 9716
Augusta, GA 30916
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s vivid imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, are entirely a coincidence.
© 2014 Olivia Gaines, Cheryl Aaron Corbin
Editor: Teresa Thompson Blackwell
Cover: Nu Class Publications
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means whatsoever. For information address, Davonshire House Publishing, PO Box 9716, Augusta, GA 30916.
ISBN-13: 978-1543213027
ISBN-10: 1543213022
Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 9 8
First Davonshire House Publishing May 2018
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
A Walk Through Endurance (The Men of Endurance, #1)
Also by Siera London
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A Walk Through Endurance
Table | of Contents
Intervals of Love | Olivia Gaines
Staying the Course | By Siera London
About Olivia Gaines
About Siera London
Also by Olivia Gaines
The Slice of Life Series
The Perfect Man
Friends with Benefits
A Letter to My Mother
The Basement of Mr. McGee
A New Mommy for Christmas
The Slivers of Love Series
The Cost to Play
Thursday in Savannah
Girl's Weekend
Beneath the Well of Dawn
Santa’s Big Helper
The Davonshire Series
Courting Guinevere
Loving Words
Vanity's Pleasure
The Blakemore Files
Being Mrs. Blakemore
Shopping with Mrs. Blakemore
Dancing with Mr. Blakemore
Cruising with the Blakemores
Dinner with the Blakemores
Loving the Czar
Being Mr. Blakemore
The Value of a Man Series
My Mail Order Wife
A Weekend with the Cromwell’s
Other Novellas
North to Alaska
The Brute & The Blogger
A Better Night in Vegas ( Betas Do It Better Anthology)
Other Novels
A Menu for Loving
Turning the Page
An Untitled Love
Also by Siera London
The Bachelors of Shell Cove Series
Chasing Ava
Convincing Lina
Catching Rebecca
Claiming Janna
A Second Chance Christmas
Losing Logan
The Fiery Fairy Tales Series
Chasing Flames
Concealing Fire
Commanding Heat
The Forbidden Series
Forbidden Distraction
Forbidden Attraction
THE KELVINIAN WARRIORS
Cindra: A Paranormal Cinderella Tale
DETECTIVE MAKENZIE Young Novel
The Last File
DEDICATION
For My Friend
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A special thank you to my Nu Class Graphics team, who worked really hard to bring my vision to life.
Thank you, Lady Hawke, for being the Wonder Woman that you are, our luncheons and chats, they really help. Loads of love to Hildie who always keeps me energized.
To Terri, who is never afraid to give me the hard truths. I value your wisdom.
And to my bibliophile nation. Thank you.
A Walk Through Endurance
Olivia Gaines
Table
of Contents
Chapter 1- Getting Acclimated
Chapter 2 – Winter & Intervals of Love
Chapter 3 – The Art of Persistence
Chapter 4 – Staying the Course
Chapter 5 – Going the Distance
Chapter 6 – A Walk Through Endurance
Intervals of Love
Staying the Course
About Olivia Gaines
About Siera London
“Whatever you can do,
Or think you can begin it.
Boldness has power and genius,
And magic in it.” – Goethe
Chapter 1- Getting Acclimated
The flight into Sacramento International airport from Minneapolis was a turbulent journey filled with overzealous athletes, and people wanting to test the strengths of their hearts. By Julie Kratzner’s standards, these people were certifiable nut jobs journeying to the verdant region for endurance races. In her hand, she held the annual schedule for the mountain town, which drew in hundreds of thousands of people, hungry to test their endurance skills on scenic trails, calm waters, and sportsmanship either on two feet, two wheels or on horseback. The schedule showed events from February through November, of endurance challenge races, covering every sport from 100-mile foot races, to 50k mountain bike runs, and a one-day, 100-mile race on horseback.
In her estimation, anyone who wanted to run a race for 100 miles on the back of a horse was nuts. So was she. For one whole year, Julie would be a resident of the sleepy little town called Endurance, her new home for the race season. As a journalist for Sports Complicated, it was her year to spend in the picturesque town, stepping over horseshit and listening to men whine about the soreness of their balls from sitting for long periods of time in the saddle, or on a mountain bike.
Nuts.
When it came down to it, all of it was about nuts. Either a man wanted to prove his were bigger than the next guy, or he would lose them in the crack of a mountain bike seat at the 25k mark, coming down a rocky trail. And there were loads of trails to hike, climb, scale or get your feet wet. Looking down at the map where it lay next her open pocket calendar, she clearly identified 11 trails; each more detailed than the last. Glancing at the schedule her boss had given her, she counted twenty separate events during the 10-month period, which included the eight signature events held by the town. It was her job to cover them all, but as a budding novelist, she also wrote romantic stories under a pen name that her boss knew nothing about.
Unbeknownst to Sports Complicated, Julie mapped out a plan to uncomplicate the year by writing a novel about a sports enthusiast who fell for a local girl, and relocated to the small town of Endurance. Small towns were hot beds for romances, on and off the books. She saw no reason why this one would not be the same. There was always a spark to be witnessed between two unlikely souls that would make great fodder for a sweet, small town romance about two mismatched bodies, finding the perfect syncopation. She only had to move in, get settled, and tell the locals she wrote for the magazine. The rest would be her little secret.
However, right now, her secret was going to be given away if the man in the next seat grabbed her hand one more time when the plane hit a pocket of turbulence. Truthfully, she didn’t mind so much since he was a good-looking, hairy knuckled sort of fellow without a wedding ring. It had been a while since a man touched anything more than her hand, and Mr. Hairy Knuckles smelled like a night of happiness, wrapped in a couple of oohs and aahs. The spark ignited by the touch of his hand sent gooseb
umps up her arm. A tingle wove its way down her spine, and that sweet spot she often ignored woke up and took notice. Maybe, if Mr. Sexy Silver Fox was heading in her direction, she might look up the spark igniter of her dead furnace.
Julie gave him a reassuring smile as she patted his hand with her free one. The blue eyes searched her face for hope that he would not die before the plane landed. Absently, she rubbed the fine hairs on the back of his hand, receiving a smile that made her heart jump in her chest. Possibilities. He was a possibility for a nice diversion on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Just because she would be stuck in the mountains didn’t necessarily mean she should be bored out of her gourd.
“Thank you,” he whispered hoarsely. “I hate flying.”
“It’s okay, we are all afraid of something,” she told him. Julie began to think she was afraid of the flight never coming to an end. However, she was enjoying holding the nice man’s hand. The tender moment came to an abrupt halt as the fasten seat belt signs lit up and the flight attendants made the final walk through the cabin.
The captain’s voice came over the intercom announcing their arrival into Sacramento, and she was grateful to soon be on the ground. Captain Combs landed the plane without a hitch, much to the pleasure of the hand holding hottie. One by one, they departed the plane, taking elevators and escalators to the bottom floor to collect luggage, or secure ground transportation.
Eager to reach the town of Endurance, Julie located her overstuffed luggage on the conveyor belt. Bending over the black rotating belt of colorful baggage, she reached for the patchwork suitcase. The weight of the luggage coupled with momentum threw her balance. The next sequence of events no one could have anticipated. The suitcase handle broke. Her purse slipped from her shoulder to tangle with the broken handle effectively trapping her on a sadistic conveyor belt. Her butt stuck up in the air as she rode the oversized case around the carousel, trying desperately to untangle herself. Each time she tried to free herself, the strap yanked her back down like an overzealous lover not wanting to let her off the ride of love. And just like that, she became the catalyst for wagging tongues, uproarious laughter, and pointing fingers.
“Urgh,” she wailed, trying to tug free.
EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, Abel Burney thought about the woman who’d allowed him to hold her hand during the turbulent plane ride. The noisy shuffle of feet down the aisle pulled him from his private musings. He needed to secure his package, get to his vehicle and head home to Endurance. His muscles ached from fatigue, his stomach rumbled with hunger, yet, he felt the urge to find the woman on the plane to offer a token of gratitude. He'd lost sight of the attractive young woman, who instead of criticizing him had sought to comfort him with a soothing caress of her hand. Wanting to thank her for the assistance, he looked high and low, but to no avail. Once on the jetway, passengers flooded out like bugs running from the lights coming on in the kitchen. Hopefully, when they reached the baggage claim, he’d be able to properly thank her or at least offer her his card. Maybe she’d get a chance to see him as something more than a panicked man on a bumpy flight.
Abel’s wish came true in the most unusual manner when he entered the baggage claim area to find her straddled across a piece of luggage, impinged by the strap of her purse, bouncing up and down on the bulky zippered case like a ride at the traveling carnival.
A wide-hipped security guard, who closely resembled the mean lunch lady in every elementary school cafeteria, watched his angel with a sour face. Standing with her hands on those hips, she glared as the object of Abel’s acute desire went around the carousel for the third time. Each rotation, more luggage dumped from the black hole being fed from the plane’s belly onto an already precarious situation. The additional bags jostled her on the belt, giving Abel a first class view of her assets and growing embarrassment on the luggage—go—round. Abel sprung into action. Reaching down he scooped her and the suitcase up in one fluid motion. Initially, she stiffened in shock, but then she curled her fingers and held on to him. Though she barely moved, Abel relaxed when she brushed the fine hairs covering his knuckles. Whether she realized it or not, she felt comfortable touching him. Silently, he righted both the suitcase and her feet onto the floor. Neither of them had been a strain. Her soft curves slid against his solid chest, heating him down the body pulsing in his veins. Awareness hit him again as her arm brushed against the exposed skin of his forearm. Like a spark sending signals to a long dead furnace to wake ups, his body ignited.
“There ya go, little lady,” he whispered, close to her ear. She looked up at him, their eyes met and locked. Was that interest he spotted in her warm brown gaze? “I was hoping to repay your kindness from the plane.”
Abel kept his smile in place, even when she stiffened and narrowed her eyes. Maybe he’d misread her signals?
THE MAN SHE’D HELPED on the plane, the one with the nice hands, had come to her rescue.
“I appreciate it,” Julie mumbled, trying to get away before the man from the plane offered to give her a ride, buy her coffee, or devise a workout plan, so that she would have more upper body strength. Who was she kidding? She was just assaulted by a suitcase in public.
He must have noticed the look of distaste on her face, because he opted not to hand her a business card, or ask her out for coffee, or to share a cab. Call it vanity or life experience, but Julie knew her looks garnered a more than fair share of whistles, catcalls, and unsolicited offers to spend time with lonely men. She appreciated that “no thank you” would not be her final words to him. With a tip of his hat and a parting smile, the handsome gentleman disappeared among the crowd, leaving her to wander her way to the double sliding glass door to the street.
Horns honked, tires screeched, and people yelled in different languages as they all climbed into vehicles ready to start a new adventure. The same thought came to mind as she located the rental car van and climbed aboard to be driven to the lot to pick up her $20 a week rental. A rented car, a rented house, and rented time was all she had as she loaded up the little compact, headed out toward I-80 driving towards Endurance, California.
Forty minutes later, turning down Saratoga Springs Road, the picturesque beauty of the small town, complete with a local college, a fishing pond, and so much cuteness she could hardly stand it, stole her breath away. There was even a golf course named after Abel Burney. She had no idea who that was, but in the next 10 months, she would find out all about the man, his golf course, and the good people who lived in the town of Endurance.
THE TOWN WASN’T VERY large but was nestled in a small valley surrounded by mountains, hills, and panoramic views. Her fingertips itched to get to a keyboard to tap out the descriptions of what she saw as she drove down Miller Road coming into the center of town. She grinned, intrigued that the local museum and library shared the same space. Even more delightful was the local hospital mere steps from the town of Endurance’s cultural and literary hub. It was squeezed in between the town hall and a bakery, which she was certain made delicious donuts, and sat next to the police station. Making a left, she turned down Dodger Lane, passing a cute coffee shop, and located the rental home she would occupy.
It was an adorable two-bedroom cottage, fully stocked with everything she would need for the upcoming stay. Locating the door key under the flower pot on the small front porch adorned with two rockers, she let herself into the warm home filled with small touches to make anyone who entered feel welcome. On the table sat a list of places to eat, buy groceries, have a beer, or even a cup of coffee. She was delighted to find the list also included a bookstore, three local churches, and a Farmer’s Market down by Tommy’s Park. Locating her notepad, she jotted down a note to find out about Abel Burney, and another to figure out what happened to Tommy, and why he had a park named after him.
Riffling through her oversized suitcase, she checked the fridge and pantry, not sure why, but out of habit. Both were empty. Going back to the list, she located a grocer, checked the local map, and found it to be w
ithin walking distance. Everything in the town was within walking distance. She didn’t want to appear as the local greenhorn, so taking the two reusable shopping bags with her that she located in the empty pantry, Julie locked the front door, added the door key to her set of car keys, and made her way to Ma Hildie’s Grocery Store and Wine Tasting Bar.
The grocery store was a quaint little place, which sold easy burning fire logs, cheese covered petrified worms, and canned possum. It also housed a deli with mouthwatering delights that held all the basic necessities required to stock up. To her pleasure, it also held a wine store with free tastings. Since she was walking, and totally detested grocery shopping, she opted for the wine tasting first. Three samples later and feeling a bit lightheaded, it was time to shop for food. Shopping didn’t take Julie long since her cooking ability ebbed on the use of the microwave or an Instapot. Loading up on frozen meals, fruits, a can of peaches and just about everything the deli had in sealed little plastic containers, the grocery bags had become too heavy for her to carry.
“I should have brought my car,” she said to the cashier.
“You staying close by?” the young girl asked.
“Yes, I am a block over in the little blue cottage on Dodger Lane,” Julie offered. “I’m staying here all year to cover the events in Endurance.”
“Well, aren’t you just the cool cat in town!” The young woman offered. “Since you’re so close, take the shopping cart. You can unload your groceries, and then bring it back.”
“That is the best suggestion I have heard all day,” Julie answered.
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