by Terra Kelly
Light My Heart
Crystal Shores Book One
Terra Kelly
Contents
Author Note
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 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
Recipes Made By The Characters
Love Pancakes
Kelsey’s Big Girl Cookies
A note from the author
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Cafe Terra Blog
About Terra Kelly
Books by Terra Kelly
Books by T.M. Kelly
Acknowledgments
Author Note
This book was originally called, Eddie and was free when you signed up for my newsletter. I have since changed the name and added to the story. The ending is even different.
I have a new freebie in my newsletter. If you’re curious, you can enjoy Abby and Hunter’s story here.
Synopsis
Her shining light will change both our lives.
My life had been on pause since she died.
I was still living in the past.
Then Sarah showed up.
Her gorgeous smile took me back to a time when I felt alive.
Slowly I discover our lives had intertwined for a reason.
But behind her laugh hides darkness.
She’s running from something or someone in her past.
I thought I was ready to help her…
Crystal Shores is a small-town romance series with recipes made by the characters in the back of the book.
Chapter One
Eddie
“No Mommy, no. Mommy, please don’t go.”
I sat up in bed at the sound of my daughter’s cry. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside my bed that read four-thirty in bright red neon colors. For the last two nights around this time my daughter would wake up crying for her mom.
Without hesitation I ran down the hallway to her room. “Baby, I’m here. You’re okay.” I sat down on the edge of the bed and was careful to not wake her up, but I had to console her somehow.
I pulled Kelsey into my arms and rocked her back and forth. My hope was she would fall back to sleep. Instead, she screamed again, “Mommy, mommy, wait.”
“Shhhhh, it’s okay my precious angel. Mommy’s safe now,” I whispered beside her ear. The words were true, my wife was safe and free from pain now.
“Daddy?” Kelsey sat up and wrapped her tiny arms around my waist.
“I’m here, Baby.” I rocked her back and forth.
“I want Mommy, Daddy.”
“I know you do. Remember what we talked about. She’s right here.” I placed my hand over her heart. “Always and forever.”
“She’ll never leave me?”
“Never ever, Baby Girl.” I leaned forward and kissed her softly on her forehead. “Want to lie down with Daddy?”
“With Snuffles?” she begged. Snuffles was her favorite stuffed elephant that went with her everywhere–even to the bathroom. The stuffed animal was already so loved I had to sew a new eye and a little patch on the arm.
“We have enough room for Snuffles, too.” I brushed her hair back away from her eyes. “What was this dream about? Same as last night?” I picked her up into my arms and she reached down to grab her stuffed elephant. I watched as she pulled Snuffles close to her body and rested her head on my chest.
“Can we talk about it tomorrow, Daddy?”
“Absolutely.” I pulled her little body closer to me. She was still shaking; the nightmare had rocked her to the core. The nightmares were not easy for her or me. I rubbed my hand up and down her back as I carried her back to my bedroom. “I love you so much.”
As I started to wake up, I felt something resting on my face. The moment I attempted to brush it away I could hear little faint giggles. Kelsey was awake.
“Daddy, you’re up, you’re up.” I opened my eyes to her excited sounds.
I reached forward and grabbed her little body to pull her in for a big bear hug. “Almost, let’s get Daddy some coffee first.” I sat up and went still. My mind was somehow playing tricks on me. My wife was laying on our bed with her pillow covering her face. I had to close my eyes and bring myself back to reality.
“Hungry?” I tightened my hold around Kelsey and looked at the pillow. The vision of my wife was now gone.
“Yes.” She clapped her hands together.
“I’m thinking it’s a pancake kinda day.”
“Pancakes with bananas.”
“Oh, bananas, huh? That can be arranged.” I was hesitant to bring up her nightmare but knew I had to ask. “Kelsey.” I brushed a few strands away from her face. “Do you remember your bad dream last night?”
She was smiling one second and then in a flash, there was fear etched on every inch of her face. “Daddy, Mommy was sad.”
“I’m so sorry. Do you remember why she was sad?”
She dropped her head and took a few seconds to answer. “She hurt. Lots.” There was a quiver in her voice the moment she spoke the words.
“Do you think she’s okay now?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged and reached down to pick up her favorite stuffed animal. Then she ran toward the bedroom door. “Pancakes.” She hopped up and down.
If I could force her to share what was going on in her sweet little mind, I would. Unfortunately, I had to wait until she was ready to talk.
“Pancakes.” I threw the covers back and ran toward her with my tickle hands engaged and ready to get those giggles filling the house. We needed happiness in our lives but somehow that wasn’t happening like I hoped lately.
The moment she burst out laughing and started to run down the hallway the phone rang. Kelsey knew the drill by now, she had done it a thousand times. She stopped in the middle of the hallway and hopped up and down. “Hurry Daddy, it could be important.”
“Okay. Why don’t you find us a cartoon to watch with our breakfast this morning?”
I worked as a volunteer firefighter. Most of the calls that came in from the firehouse were always at the worst time. Like now for instance when I wanted to make pancakes with my daughter.
“This is, Eddie.”
“Hey man, time to fly,” Jackson, another firefighter said on the other line. It wasn’t an emergency. Some calls just required an extra hand.
“Shit, okay. I need to drop Kelsey at Jan’s house. I’ll be right there.” Then without a pause I called my sister, Jan.
“Hey Sweetie, you’re up early. Did you get a call?”
“I did,” I paused for a beat. “She’s hoping for pancakes.” That last sentence was me begging my sister to make the pancakes.
“Starting the batter now.”
“You’re the best.”
“You know I will do anything for you both.”
Chapter Two
Sarah
“Can I pay six months in advance?” I pulled thirty crisp on
e hundred-dollar bills from my wallet.
“Of course,” the realtor said, “it will be three thousand dollars. Is that okay?”
I silently whimpered as I handed the woman the stack of the bills. “That sounds good.”
“Will there be anyone else staying with you?”
“No, just me.” I took another walk around the place.
The moment I arrived in Crystal Shores, I grabbed the local paper and searched for a place to rent. One of the last listings on the last page of the classifieds was for a fixer upper.
Before handing me the key, the woman had me sign a few documents. “Okay, she’s all yours.” She reached for the document the moment I finished signing my name. “It’s listed as a fixer-upper, so you may see a few issues.” She stopped at the door. “Just let us know if you need anything.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” This was the perfect setup because I had no plans to move to Michigan permanently. Six months here and then move on to the next place.
I stood on the porch and watched the woman drive away. I stayed on the patio for a few minutes and leaned all my weight against the railing. Something cracked and then my body fell backwards. I had no way to stop the fall and was now laying on overgrown shrubbery and several pointy pinecones. I closed my eyes and wanted to laugh. Fixer upper, huh? It felt more like a complete dump at the moment.
I still had two hundred dollars in my secret stash in my suitcase. Maybe some nails and a hammer were more important than gas for my car. My bike made the trip and was begging to hit the pavement instead of being stored again in a closet. A little exercise was just what my body needed.
I hopped on my bike and started the trek into town. I let myself enjoy every little thing as I slowly passed by each sight. My home was only about two miles from the beach. It was late summer and the weird Michigan weather was already kicking in which basically meant the beaches were empty. Trust me, no one wanted to swim in sixty-degree temperatures. Well, no one except the one family currently huddled together under a blanket.
The realtor for my place had told me there was a grocery store six miles away. It felt more like sixty miles once I reached the small market. I locked my bike up next to the brick building and started to head inside. I stopped by the front door to read a small sign hanging with one piece of tape, Help Wanted.
Suddenly, I was distracted by the smell of coffee. I glanced to my right and noticed a small hot pink and teal food truck. On the side of the truck in big bold letters were the words, For The Love Of Coffee. In smaller print were the words, award-winning macarons. An inner battle started in my mind about spending my little bit of cash on coffee and macarons. Of course, I ignored the annoying inner voice and made my way over to order a much-needed cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” the young woman said and rested her forearms onto the small counter. “What can I get you?”
I was not big on conversation. “Um, can I have a small latte and one macaron, please?” A part of me wanted a large coffee but I had to be good and not spend.
“You got it.” She stepped away from the window for a few minutes and then returned with my order. “Are you new in town? I don’t know if I’ve seen you around.”
“Yeah.” I passed over my cash and gathered up my stuff. “Thank you.”
I avoided conversation and made my way back over to the entrance for the market. There was a small table positioned in front of the big bay window right when you walked inside. I set my coffee and macaron on the table and made myself comfortable.
After I finished my treat and felt powered up, I walked to the customer service desk. There was an older man standing behind the counter with a pen behind his ear and his eyes locked onto the computer screen. After a few seconds he glanced up. “Can I help you?”
“Um, yeah, the sign on the door said you’re hiring. Are you still looking for someone?” I started to bite the corner of my nail. A habit I struggled to break.
The older man yelled, “Jimmy, there’s someone here to see you.” The guy straightened. “Give him a moment. He’ll be right with you.”
“Thanks.” I turned to the side and waited for the Jimmy guy.
The place was small. There were several racks full of food and other items, but they were packed tightly in the small place. I could see a produce section and a small deli area. The place had an eclectic feel and was really cute.
As I waited, I noticed a man and his daughter walk through the front door. The little girl had a hold of the guy’s hand and was hopping up and down. The sound was faint at first and then got louder. I realized the sound I heard was the little girl whistling. She had to be about four. How was she able to whistle so perfectly?
While I was transfixed on the little girl, a man stepped in front of me. “You the one looking for a job?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“We’re looking for a cashier to work afternoons and some weekends. Would that work?”
“Um, yes.”
“Will you have any conflicts we need to be aware of before we continue?”
“Conflicts?”
“Wedding. Funeral. You know, some event that makes my day living hell because I would be short a cashier.”
“Oh, no, no conflicts.”
“Perfect, then let’s have you fill out the application.”
I spent the next thirty minutes adding in every detail on the application and fibbing in a few places, too. No one needed to know I never finished high school. As I completed the form, Jimmy walked up beside me. He set his hand on my shoulder. The touch caused me to stand up a little too quickly and my chair tumbled backwards.
“Whoa,” he said and looked down at the application. “You okay there, Sarah?”
“Yeah, fine. Sorry,” I lied. I wasn’t okay, but he didn’t need to know that. “When will you be filling the position?” I was trying to ignore my knee-jerk reaction to his harmless touch.
“Now.”
“What?”
“We’re kinda in need of someone and you’re here. Can you start today?”
I found it odd they would just hire me on the spot, but then again, I wasn’t in a big city anymore. Small towns had a different vibe and trusted quicker.
“Um, sure.” If I said no, I would be hopping on my bike and heading back home to sit in silence and stare at the walls. This felt like more fun at the moment.
Chapter Three
Eddie
It was noon on a Friday and we had just finished a call from a woman who lived about a mile from the firehouse. It was one of the regulars who had something wrong almost every single week. As we headed back to the truck, AJ slapped his hand against my back. “Did you see her eyeing you?” The fire chief enjoyed teasing me which, honestly, was annoying.
“What? Come on.” I brushed off his words because it was ridiculous. We had a job to do, this wasn’t a dating service.
There was a diner within walking distance of the firehouse. We all took a break and headed over to get lunch. As I opened the door, the smell of burgers and French fries invaded my senses. My stomach immediately made a plea for food. I glanced around looking for a table; like always the place was packed. Crystal Shores Cafe was one of the oldest establishments in town. The food was simple, comfort food.
A twenty-something woman with short jet-black hair was holding a few menus against her chest chewing her gum. “Hey, guys. Just the four of you today?”
“Hi, Angie. Yup, just us.” AJ said and followed behind the woman.
She led us to a table and looked back in my direction. “Is Milo avoiding me?” she winked and set the menus in front of us.
“Not my business.” I tried to ignore eye contact with her and grabbed the menu. Thankfully a customer at another table flagged her down so she dropped the subject and ran over to help the couple.
I moved over so Jackson could slide into the booth. I noticed a young woman in the booth in front of me. She had her head down reading what looked like classified ads. I had live
d in the small town for four years now and had never seen her before.
Leaning forward and out of earshot of the woman. “Who’s that?” The guys at the same time turned to see who I was talking about. “Well, don’t look so obvious!” I leaned my back against the booth.
“No clue.” Jackson winked and rested his arm over the edge of the booth. “Hi,” he said in a low, husky voice. The woman looked at him, grabbed the paper she was reading, and slid out of the booth so fast. She had a clear shot of the door but a couple stepped in her way. The woman jumped to the right and made her way outside.
“Good one, Jackson,” I shook my head. “I thought you were a ladies man?”
Jackson was from Crystal Shores and was a full-time firefighter. His nickname was, “The Player.” He gained that name because he had a different woman in his bed almost every week.
I glanced out the window and watched the woman sit down on a bench. She had her hand against her heart and was rocking back and forth. “Hey, let me out.” I tapped AJ on the shoulder and slid out of the booth.
