by Bliss Carter
Boomer's Saving Grace
Mercy Springs Heroes Series Book 2
Bliss Carter
Copyright © 2020 Bliss Carter
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you want to share it with other people, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.
Cover design by Bliss Carter
Edited by Bliss Carter
Manufactured in the USA
For Boomer and Grace...
"You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.”
~Sam Keen~
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Epigraph
Introduction
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
About The Author
Books By This Author
Follow Bliss Carter
Introduction
Mercy Springs is a sweet, southern town in Georgia that is full of secrets, sass, laugh out loud moments and unique towns folk that you will love. In this second installment (Book 2) of the Mercy Springs Heroes Series, we meet Grace Puckett, single mother to Jaxson. She has had to be both mother and father to Jaxson in his nearly 7 years of life and it hasn’t been easy. Jaxson’s biological father abandoned her when he found out she was pregnant and has never had anything to do with them since. And that was just fine with Grace. She didn’t need a man to take care of her or her son. But it didn’t mean that she didn’t crave someone to want to take care of her and Jaxson.
Her best friends are four of the most beautiful red heads in Mercy Springs and working for them every day was icing on there friendship cupcake. Grace has seen plenty of trauma in her life. From being physically and emotionally abused as a child at the hands of her father and brothers, to being kidnapped by a serial rapist at her best friend Kresley’s wedding, Grace has had to learn how to deal with emotional baggage. She just hasn’t realized shoving it down until she can’t feel it isn’t really dealing with it. Having Walker “Boomer” Collins in her life for the past two years has been important to her, though she fights her feelings for the gentle giant every step of the way.
Boomer is a police officer with the Mercy Springs PD and is as protective as they come. Being Grace’s friend for the past two years has been difficult since he has wanted to be so much more. The fear of almost losing her at the hands of a serial rapist and murderer propelled Boomer into making it his mission of winning over Grace and Jaxson, but Grace’s unresolved emotional trauma and dangerous job will be a gigantic hurdle for them both to overcome. Can they stay together and make it work, despite life’s obstacles?
*Boomer’s Saving Grace is the second book in the Mercy Springs Heroes Series, with Big Sexy as book one. Each book is a stand-alone story, but readers are encouraged to read the entire series for deeper content into other book characters. No cliff hanger of the hero and heroine and a HEA is guaranteed.
Prologue
Jaxson! No! Where is Jaxson? Did he take him? How did he find him? Jaxson was supposed to be with Kresley and the girls. He couldn’t have gotten him away from them. They would guard Jaxson with their life. He had to be here somewhere. Calling out requires breath. But there’s none left. Screaming, there should be screaming. It’s too quiet. The feel of fingers clinching, cutting off oxygen, stealing the last breaths from her body. It’s all too much. The glint of a sharp knife catches her eye. Oh God! Please don’t cut Jaxson. It’s fine to hurt her, as long as it’s not Jaxson. Up ahead, the shadows are waiting on their next target. Walker. Gut wrenching sobs come from deep within. Please not Walker. He just arrived. Not yet. Don’t take him yet. But the shadows won’t listen. Walker is snatched back by the shadows, and he’s dragged away, desperately trying to claw his way back. Walker. Oh, Walker. Who will protect Jaxson now? Who?
Grace fights hard to push away the shadows that are clawing at her flesh, wanting her to join them. Their sharp teeth and nails biting, hurting. They drag her, kicking and screaming, towards the dark, bottomless hole that was dug just for her. Oh, please, no. Grace thought of how she hated the dark. Severely. She didn’t want to go back there. She was forced to spend hours, even days in the dark, locked away from anyone else, no one to see or talk to. Nothing but her own thoughts, her own fears taking over her mind. It was the worst punishment to receive. She sometimes wished to be beaten instead of being left alone in the dark.
The shadows have her at the edge of the hole. She can see down into it, but it doesn’t have a bottom. It goes on forever. An infinite abyss of darkness and pain. Grace looks up at sees Sloan Smith standing there, waiting on her. He has a gun in his hand, and a knife in the other. The evil in his eyes is suffocating. His twisted, demented grin overtakes his face as he walks toward her. Screaming out, but no sound comes forth, Grace tries to run. Walker is suddenly standing behind Sloan Smith. His dark eyes are filled with heavy intent and protectiveness. He’s ready to take him, to do whatever he needs to get Smith as far away from Grace as he can. He reaches to take Smith in his hands, and to Grace’s horror, Smith turns around and plunges the knife into Walker’s chest. The screams aren’t silent this time. They sound out like bullets hitting metal over and over. Repeated screams of torment and anguish. Jaxson! Don’t come near here. Stay safe where you are! Walker. Not Walker. Grace feels a push of slimy hands and she teeters over into the dark abyss below. And as she keeps falling with no end in sight, her grief over takes her.
Chapter One
Little hands shook her shoulder, her arm as hard as they physically could. Grace struggled to claw her way out of the dark hole she had just been falling into. She could hear Jaxson calling to her, drawing her up and out without even realizing it.
“Mama!”
“Huh?” Grace could hear Jaxson’s voice in her ear, urgently shaking her with his little hands. What’s he trying to do, shake my insides?
“Mama! You’re screaming again. You’re scaring me. Wake up!” Jaxson yelled out, shaking Grace with all his strength.
Grace became more alert, hearing the fear in her little man’s voice. She opened her eyes to see that she was in her bedroom, Jaxson was standing by her bed, dressed in his PJs. She reached out her hand to his face, and put her palm against his cheek. “Sweet pea, I’m okay. Mama’s okay. Was I dreaming again?” Grace struggled to sit up in the bed so she could see Jaxson better. She glanced over at her bedside clock and it saw it was only 5 AM. She groaned, feeling exhausted.
“Is it just dreaming if you’re screaming like the boogey man came through your window? Cause you were screaming mama, loud. It woke me up. I was scared until I realized it was you, screaming again.
You’re doing this every night, mama. Can you go ahead and maybe stop?”
“I’m okay now, honey. Go back to bed. It’s too early for you to be up anyway. Sara won’t be here until 8:30 and I’ll just tell her to let you sleep as late as you want. Sound good?” Grace asked her son, who is never an early riser if he can help it. Sleeping late is a luxury and she knew he would pounce on the opportunity.
“Yes mam! Sara’s really quiet when she’s here, so I know I won’t wake up. Maybe I can sleep until lunch time! Okay, I’m going back to sleep. I’m sorry you were dreaming bad stuff, mama. I love you.” Jaxson said to Grace, kissing her on the cheek and running from her room back to his bed. His dirty blonde hair sticking up in tufts and his naked feet sticking out of his pajama pants, Jaxson left her room with all of her heart. He was her little man. Such a cute boy, but he was getting to the age that he didn’t like to be kissed so much, especially in front of other people. Time please slow down.
Grace sighed. If only life were that easy. She rubbed her hands over her face and knew that sleep was over for her today, if you could consider what she had been doing for the past week sleeping. Trying to shake the remnants of her nightmare out of her head, Grace reached over to turn on her bedside lamp. It cast a warm glow over the room. The nightlight plugged into the wall helped, but it wasn’t the same as having on the lamp. Grace didn’t like the dark. Ever since she was a child, she had slept with some sort of light, night light, or lamp on. She felt stupid for having to resort to that to get some sleep, but it was her security blanket and it was hard to give up. She felt even more silly with sleeping with a light on when her 6-year-old son Jaxson slept in the dark with no issues at all. Grace ruefully considered the meaning behind that, but pushed it away from her overactive brain.
It had been one week since that sick, sadistic Sloan Smith tried to ambush Cade and Kresley’s wedding. Having been drugged and kidnapped by him, and tied up in a boat shed, had made Grace just a little antsy. Okay, so more than just a little antsy. She needed to count her blessings. She was safe, at home. Jaxson was safe with her. That’s all that mattered. So, what if she had almost been killed by the man. She was the lucky one. He’d raped and killed countless women, on top of trying to do the same thing to two of her best friends. Grace should feel remorse for what happened to him at her and Walker’s hands. But she didn’t. She didn’t. Did she? No, there was no guilt there for having to do what was necessary, even though she didn’t realize what she was doing when she stabbed him in the jugular. She just wanted to stop him from ambushing Cade and Walker and any other officers that had been roaming the lake side area, hunting for her. And stop him from choking her to death.
Grace unconsciously began rubbing at the almost healed fingerprints around her throat. She had gotten herself free and escaped the shed, and then snuck up behind Smith, trying to stun him with a hit from a boat oar, then trying to fight him off while he held a knife to her throat. Grace screamed bloody murder to get Walker’s attention and it had worked. Big deal. She was getting tired of hearing others say she was a bad ass, a hero of sorts. She was no hero. Not even a bad ass. Just a mama trying to get back to her son. Mama bears were no joke when it came to their cubs.
Grace swung her legs over the side of her king size bed. The bed was high enough that her feet didn’t touch the floor when sitting. She was short. Not petite, not dainty. Short and curvy. Cade had called her a blonde bombshell before. She had overheard Walker saying to Cade one time that she was like a modern-day Marilyn Monroe. Grace had just rolled her eyes at that and walked away. Those weren’t descriptions that Grace heard much from men or ones that she trusted when said. Not that she didn’t trust Cade or Walker. Because she did. But guys often said things they didn’t mean, just to gain control or give a woman false hope. Grace wasn’t blind to any of that. That’s why she wasn’t in a relationship now, nor had she been since Jaxson’s birth almost 7 years ago. That’s a long time without a steady relationship, but Grace wasn’t looking to fill a void. Well, to rephrase that, she hadn’t been looking to fill a void. But now it seemed her emotional and physical needs were starting to speak out. Loudly.
Grace has lived in Mercy Springs for almost four years now. And for the last 2 plus of those years, she has been bombarded on an almost daily basis with Walker “Boomer” Collins, a Mercy Springs sexy as hell Police Officer and main character of her non-nightmare dreams. She wasn’t a fool. She knew that Walker was interested in her. He liked to hang out around her and talk with her. But he never pushed for more and had always kept it platonic. It was a confusing riddle of was he or wasn’t he attracted to her. Grace didn’t like games with the opposite sex and avoided them at all costs. She had a really hard time keeping her mouth shut at times and was extremely sarcastic. So those things in itself could deter a man like Walker from wanting more. Bu the had kissed her at the local fair's kissing booth a few months back. He even acted like he was eagerly waiting for it in line. And the kiss was sweet with a hint of heat. He had asked her out to dinner, but Grace had asked for a raincheck. But not one word from him since then about it. But last weekend changed everything it seemed. Walker went from gentle giant to roaring lion. And Grace didn't know what to think about it all.
Now, don’t get her wrong. Grace found Walker…she refused to call him Boomer anymore…to be highly attractive. She didn’t know a female who didn’t almost swoon when he walked by. Walker was 6’3 and heavily muscled. His chest was massive and his arms and shoulders were broad. He had a barrel chest that was perfect for being cradled against. Her first experience was a week ago when he carried her inside from his truck, after bringing her and Jaxson home from the wedding. Walker’s hair was black, but not an ordinary black. It was so shiny all of the time, looking tinted with blue highlights when the light hit it just right. He wore it cut super short on the sides, halfway up his head and then the top was kept longer and brushed back. His eyes were hazel green. Tanned complexion and a jaw that could chew through barbed wire only made his attractiveness more appealing. His hands were huge, as were his feet and when he walked, Grace swore the ground shook around him. She felt small next to Walker. But not in a bad way. She felt small, precious, protected. And those were feelings that Grace wasn’t used to harboring.
She pulled her curly blonde hair back into a pony tail and pulled her phone from the charging station. Just like this past week, she always woke up to a text from Walker. It didn’t matter what time of day it was when she awoke. She always looked forward to reading what he had to say. They were usually short and sweet, but not any less impactful than a long paragraph. Although she hadn’t said anything to anyone, it was like he knew she wasn’t sleeping well at night.
Walker: when you read this, it will hopefully be after a long night’s sleep with no dreams. Or if you did dream, maybe those dreams were all good things. Text me when you wake up so I’ll know you’re all good.
Grace: Hey. I’m awake. I’m good. Okay, so that’s a lie, but I’m not sure even what to say. Hope you have a good day.
Grace was usually funnier on text and could keep up with the verbiage between her and her best friends on a daily basis, but she honestly didn’t now how to talk to Walker. She felt like some kind of bumbling teenage girl with a school crush. And that was not her usually. She needed to find her inner ball buster again. She lost it and needed it back. The ding of Grace’s phone surprised her.
Walker: FaceTime me
Grace: Seriously? It’s not even 6 AM.
Walker: yes, seriously. FaceTime me. Now.
Grace: Okay, but give me a sec. I look like trailer trash.
Walker: No, you don’t. You’re beautiful no matter what. And I wouldn’t care any way. Now, Gracie
Grace quickly checked her hair and pajama top, wiped any eye crusties from her eyes, and pinched her cheeks to put some color in them. She then hit the video chat button on Walker’s profile and waited.
Walker’s sleepy face came into view and it was as devastating t
o witness this early in the morning as it was when he walked in around lunch to have their chat at the office almost every day. Damn, he was hot. Like Henry Cavill, Superman hot. His eyes were a little puffy and he had a heavy amount of scruff on his face, but that only made him look more handsome and dangerous.
“Good morning Gracie,” Boomer stated to her, keeping his voice quiet and friendly. “So, tell me to my face why you're good, but admitting that you're fibbing about it. You’re so fantastic at covering up how you really feel that unless I can see your face, I never know if you’re telling me the whole truth or not. You’re a good faker. But I’m catching on by your facial expressions when you’re lying, beautiful. So, go on and try to convince me that you’re doing okay today. Let's see if you can manage.”
Boomer could see Grace pause for a moment to think and he visibly caressed her face with his eyes while he waited. Gosh, she was beautiful. Curly blonde hair that was usually down past her shoulders. She had it pulled up in a pony tail this morning. It made her look younger, more vulnerable. Her face looked like she had been tortured all night. Dark circles were underneath her eyes and hadn’t gotten better over the past week, but had actually grown darker. There were faint bruises around her throat from where that bastard Smith had tried choking her. They should fade out soon, he hoped. Her eyes were puffy, but Boomer could still see how blue her eyes were. Her cute, button nose was scrunched up as she thought about what to say to him, and her heart shaped mouth with full lips was slightly open. She just about stopped his heart every time he saw her. This past week she had just about broken his heart a time or two in how she carried herself, as if she were defeated and had no fight left in her. She was avoiding having to deal with what happened last week. Boomer would bet a grand that Grace was having some pretty intense nightmares at night.