by Alexa Verde
A Chapel Cove Romance
~ Book 5 ~
By
HOLD ME
A Chapel Cove Romance
When Life Begins at Forty…
Book 5
© 2019 by Olga Grun writing as Alexa Verde
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, posted on any website, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews and articles.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Editing by Deirdre Lockhart.
Cover Image ID 86862220 purchased from Depositphotos © resnick_joshua1
Logo Image Chapel ID 164957864 purchased from Depositphotos © verity.cz
Contents
Contents
Newsletter
Hold Me
Dedication
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
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Thank You for Reading!
Acknowledgments
About Alexa Verde
Titles by Alexa Verde
Newsletter
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Hold Me
Can she win the heart she shattered?
Divorcee Aileen McKenzie only wants to have a fresh start in her hometown with her son and their pets and to see her fledgling pastry store thrive.
When she nearly drowns in a flood and her house and store are damaged, her first love—and the man she’d left over two decades ago—Roman Vela comes to the rescue. Old feelings resurface. Old feelings and old hurts.
Roman Vela made a successful business in home repairs. But forgetting a girl who stole his heart at thirteen and destroyed it at nineteen wasn’t a success. Growing up in a destructive household, he became “a fixer”, doing his best to repair anything wrong. Can he learn to rely on God to fix things instead and heal his heart for a second chance?
Over the next days, Aileen and Roman grow close until she might have to leave town—and Roman—again. Will a once-shy, risk-averse girl choose a safe life with guaranteed income or risk it all for love?
Dedication
This book is dedicated to Paula Marie. Thank you for your friendship, support, and generous heart.
Chapter One
AILEEN MCKENZIE might not make it.
The water level was rising faster than she expected.
With horror, Aileen stared out her sedan window at Chapel Cove’s flooding streets in the gathering dusk. Rain pelted the glass. She was wrong to return to her hometown from Portland, to start a new life at forty after her divorce.
She was wrong to make sure to lock her store, Aileen’s Pastries, before rushing home to collect her son and their pets, then taking off in her little sedan. She’d had enough time to make it to her tiny cottage before the heavy rain started. But Mrs. MacPherson, her last customer at the store, had looked so confused and disoriented that Aileen didn’t have the heart to leave her.
She’d taken the old lady to her son, whose house was well elevated from the ground and had a second floor. What if Mrs. MacPherson had gotten lost on the way home?
And yes, Aileen was absolutely wrong to drive through the standing water in the pouring rain.
She’d hoped she’d make it through. She didn’t. The water level seemed low, but she’d forgotten that important rule—turn around, don’t drown.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
What was she thinking?
Worst of all, she’d known about the flood warning, worried about it for days, prepared supplies, and borrowed a truck from her cousin to go to the shelter. But the truck didn’t start.
“Mom, it’s going to be all right.” Her son, Jonah, sounded brave, but his voice trembled a little.
Her poor son!
All her fault.
She’d always done her best to play it safe. How did she end up in this predicament?
Their dog barked. Probably Dawg was frightened, too. At least, Speedy kept quiet. A nervous chuckle escaped her lips. Turtles never talked to start with.
Her stomach tightening, she glanced back to send Jonah a reassuring glance—reassurance she didn’t feel. “I’ll come up with something.”
But what?
As she turned away from her teenage son, her insides shook. He didn’t need to see the desperation on her face.
If there was a time to pray, this was it. But she hadn’t prayed since the beginning of her marriage. The marriage that was thankfully—finally!—over.
Would God even hear her now?
Her mind whirled. She needed a vehicle big enough to go through the floodwaters. A souped-up truck, maybe?
But since returning to her hometown, she’d kept mostly to herself. She’d lost touch with most of the people she’d once known and didn’t revive those connections, except for interactions via her pastry store.
Her heart squeezed painfully. Because all those people knew her as part of a couple, expected her and Roman to marry as soon as they got out of high school. Instead, she’d left town when her parents had moved before her graduation. She was going to return to Roman by summer when he’d saved up funds from his job, and then they’d marry. Oh, their naïve, naïve dreams!
Circumstances led to her marry someone else. Well, she’d made that choice out of love for her father and a different kind of love for Roman.
The image of her high school sweetheart and her first love—her only love so far—appeared in front of her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. She’d never explained to Roman why she’d made the decision she’d paid for dearly. Her marriage ended in divorce after two torturous decades.
But her father was still alive.
It didn’t matter at what price.
She pulled her shoulders back as she pushed Roman’s image from her mind. Right now, she needed to get her, Jonah, and their pets out of the predicament she’d gotten them in.
Guilt knifed her insides. Her mother used to say that, when other people were getting common sense, Aileen was busy making her chocolate cake.
She needed to call 911.
But it would be too risky for the rescuers to go out in such weather.
“Mom, we can muddle through the water to the nearest elevated ground. Right?”
“Right. Maybe. I think so.” Trying to mirror his hope, she peered around as the rain pounded windows. “See that house to our right?”
“Yes! I was thinking that one. It has a second floor and lights on.” Jonah’s voice perked up.
She’d taken along several sticks to feel how deep the water was and a backpack with food, water, and other essentials. But while Jonah was tall for fourteen—even taller than she was by now—would he make it through okay? And they
’d have to carry their pets, too.
Dawg barked as if giving her a friendly reminder.
“A truck!” her son screamed.
A souped-up black truck appeared down the road as the answer to a prayer she hadn’t even spoken. Air whooshed out of her lungs.
Then an alarm sounded in her head. Would the truck driver stop to help her? Yes, her hometown had a caring community, one of many things she’d missed in a big city, but who wanted to get soaking wet?
“He’s slowing down!”
Lightning-like zigzags of hope sizzled through her at her son’s words. Please, please, please let him—or her—help us.
This was as close as she could come to a prayer.
The truck stopped.
Yes!
Thank You!
A man in a dark hooded raincoat appeared from the truck and rushed toward her sedan, not bothering with an umbrella. Her stomach squeezed. What if he intended not to help them but to hurt them?
The raincoat hood was drawn so low that only when he knocked on the door did she recognize him.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Granted, Chapel Cove was a small town. But it wasn’t so small that of all the residents to come to her rescue it had to be the man she’d managed to avoid since her return. The man who could still make her heart beat faster.
“Mom?” Her son’s squeak in the backseat jolted her out of her stupor.
“Oh yes.” She rolled the window down a fraction.
Thankfully, the water didn’t reach anywhere near the windows. But most likely, it was already at the bottom of the door.
“He–hello.” Uncomfortable warmth from an explosion of embarrassment and guilt heated her.
What was she supposed to say? Sorry for breaking your heart years ago and never speaking to you again? Oh, never mind, just get us someplace dry?
“Hello, Roman.” She infused her voice with confidence she didn’t feel. “Please get inside.”
Roman didn’t turn around and leave once he saw it was she, Aileen. The grapevine said she’d “done a number on him”. She shivered thinking of the whispers behind her back. Roman was well liked in high school, even more so now, and people didn’t forget she’d broken his heart.
“I’ll give you a choice.” The rain hit the face she’d touched with her fingertips so many times and had ached so often to touch again. Then he opened the door and slipped inside fast. Even so, water lapped over the door sill. “I can try to pull your car, which will be dangerous, with the water still rising. Or you can run to my truck. You’ll get soaked, but…”
“We’ll take it,” she said quickly. Her gut clenched. Right now, how much it hurt to see him again wasn’t important. What mattered was her boy’s safety. “The second choice. Thank you. But I also have Jonah, plus Dawg and Speedy.”
When Roman lifted an eyebrow, she hurried to explain. “My son, our dog, and turtle.”
Ridiculous, under the circumstances, to notice how much the boy she’d once known had changed. How hard-earned wisdom shadowed his brown eyes. How strength broadened his shoulders. How the rain slicked his much-shorter black hair, and how the light stubble on his face highlighted contours more defined and handsome than ever.
Her pulse spiked.
Yes, he still could make her heart beat faster.
Great time to notice.
Not!
He turned back and shook hands with her son. “I’m Roman. Nice to meet you, Jonah.” Then he shook their dog’s paw. “Nice to meet you, Dawg.” Thankfully, he skipped Speedy, probably because the turtle was hiding under its cover in the glass tank.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Roman.” Her son was politeness itself. “Though I’d rather do it on a sunny day. You… well, you know my mom already?”
“Jonah, yes, but there’s no time for explanations. We need to get out of here.” She threw the words back.
“Your mother and I used to date in high school.” Roman shrugged.
She nearly gasped.
Date?
Just date? They were madly in love, couldn’t wait to get married.
She didn’t have time to dwell on it because Roman gestured toward his truck. “Your mom does have a point. Let’s go then, before the water rises further.”
“Hold on.” Curiosity lit her son’s eyes. “You dated. What went wrong then?”
“I left for Portland and married your father,” Aileen muttered.
“That sums it up.” Hurt coated Roman’s voice before it turned back to neutral. “How about I take the dog and the bag and you carry the turtle and your backpack?”
“What… what will I carry? What about your leg? ” She stumbled through the question. If he reinjured the broken leg that took so long to heal earlier in the year, she’d never forgive herself.
“My leg is fine. Trust me, Aileen.” He gritted out the words.
She did trust him. It was herself she couldn’t trust.
Jonah rolled his eyes. “Women,” he whispered in Roman’s direction, and then turned to her as he scooped up the turtle tank. “Just your purse and make sure you get to that truck fast. Do your best not to slip and fall. I love you, Mom, but I don’t think I can carry you, too.”
“That would be my job,” Roman said under his breath, his voice so low Aileen wasn’t sure she heard right.
Despite the dire present—and past—circumstances, Roman’s lips tugged up a tiny bit.
Her son was getting bossy, but she sent him a grateful glance. Her marriage might’ve been a dull pain for the most part, but it had given her the best thing in her life, her son. Even when things had gotten bad, it was difficult to be gloomy in his presence.
Throughout the years, Jonah had been a much bigger support to her than her husband ever was.
“Are you okay?” Roman’s eyes were difficult to read, but she glimpsed compassion—and hurt—in them.
Guilt sucker punched her. Even after what she’d done, he seemed concerned about her.
“I will be now that you’re here.” Words left her mouth before she could stop them.
They both had grown up in dysfunctional families in the poorest part of town, and Roman had coped by trying to fix everything in sight, be it a fence or her struggles with math. She’d coped by worrying about bad things that might happen and trying to prevent them the best she could.
Breathing became a little easier, like always in his presence.
She threw her shoulders back. She was an independent woman now, a business owner and a single mother. “Thank you for helping us, but you don’t need to fix things for me anymore. I can take care of myself, my son, and my pets.”
A muscle in his jaw moved. “Right after I get you back to safety.”
She deflated a little. “Right. I almost made it to that house over there before you showed up.”
Liar. She cringed.
An ungrateful liar. One who kept digging her own hole. “Since you’re here, let’s go before this car becomes a floating device.”
Her heart squeezed again. This was her only vehicle. If it got damaged beyond repair—like her heart at eighteen—what would she drive to work? Well, Jonah’s safety was what mattered right now. She’d need to make sure he didn’t slip and fall once he left the vehicle. Or that she didn’t slip and fall herself.
Falling on her face in the muddy water would feel almost as painful as giving up on her first love.
Chapter Two
“WHAT MOM means to say is we all appreciate you stopping.” Jonah’s voice was diplomatic.
“Yes, that’s correct. We do.” Aileen leaned toward Roman but jerked back. Being so close to him wasn’t a good idea.
“I’m glad to help. I’ll go first. Step where I step after me.” Roman opened the car door. This time, even more water flooded in. Her heart pounded faster and she took a deep breath. Roman opened the rear door, picked up the large backpack she’d hurriedly packed, and slung it over his shoulder.
Then, somehow, he managed to
scoop up the dog. The soaking wet dog, from getting him into the car in the first place. It was no small feat because Dawg was a mixture of a mastiff, a Rottweiler, and some other breed Aileen had no clue of except that it was very, very big.
Surprisingly, Dawg didn’t even bark a protest, as if understanding the man was just trying to help him.
Rain hit her face when she stepped out of her sedan. She turned to help Jonah, but he waved her away.
“I can manage, Mom.” No surprise, as he was already taller than her. But in her heart, he’d always be her little boy.
Her jeans were squishy wet right up to her knees by the time she reached his truck. But the tight band around her stomach let go a bit when she saw the water didn’t reach his truck’s bottom.
Yes!
Maybe God had sent her Roman now so she could make amends.
The thought appeared unexpectedly and disappeared just as quickly.
Roman clicked on his fob, and she tried to climb inside, but the vehicle was too high. Good thing she was wearing jeans instead of a dress as she often liked to. She swallowed hard. Climbing inside a souped-up truck in a dress would’ve been even more embarrassing.
As if noticing her dilemma, Roman circled his hands around her waist, lifted her, and placed her inside.
A warm wave flushed through her as she settled in the front passenger seat, but for a totally different reason. She remembered those strong hands—maybe not as strong at that time—holding her when they’d been dancing, when he’d first kissed her.
All the times she’d felt alone and wanted so desperately for him to hold her again, just to be close to him, feel his breath on her cheek, and believe the future held only bright things for them…
He had a different vehicle now, but it still had the same new-car air freshener she remembered from her teen years when he drove a beat-up rusty truck his uncle had given him. Roman wore the same spicy cologne, too, and it still made her head spin.
