by Ciana Stone
"You can't imagine how relieved I am to hear your voice," Senator Richard Walker said.
"I'm pretty relieved to be able to speak. Have you spoken with Russell? "
"I have. He explained what happened. I'm sorry Lula. Dr. Noelle Drake, the specialist Russell had flown in, said if you regained consciousness, she had every reason to think you'd be out of the woods and on the way to a full recovery."
"Yes, I think I am, but I need a favor."
"Name it."
"I want you to speak with someone. Lincoln Shaw. He's an ex-Army Ranger and now I suspect is something else, but I don't know what. At any rate, I need you to tell him who I am and why I'm here."
"Russell asked the same thing. Can you put him on the phone?"
"I can. Lincoln, this is Senator Richard Walker."
She saw his eyebrows raise in surprise. "It's an honor, Senator."
"Thank you. And thank you for your service, Ranger Shaw. This is classified so I'll trust you to treat it as such. Until she resigned to take an assignment in Cotton Creek, Lula was a decorated agent of the Secret Service. She and I have a friendship that dates back to when she first entered the Service. I asked her to be another set of eyes in Cotton Creek. Threats have been made against my family. While Russell can provide adequate security on Heritage property, my nephew Dillon works at the local high school. We have security for him during practice, games and after hours, but we needed someone inside the school."
Lincoln's look of surprise didn't go unnoticed. "Thank you, Senator," he said. "The information will not be shared."
"I appreciate that. Take care of our girl, Lincoln. She's rare and precious."
"Indeed she is sir. Thank you."
"Lula?"
"Yes, Senator?"
"Behave? For once?"
"Well where's the fun in that?" she teased.
"I'll talk to you soon."
The call ended, and Lula lay the phone aside. "So, Secret Service?" Lincoln asked.
She shrugged. "And what about you Ranger?"
"Maybe I do a little work now and then for some agencies."
"Uh huh. Is that all you have to say?"
"Oh no, I have a lot more to say, starting with, will you please give me another chance?"
"To what?"
"To make you fall in love with me?"
"Well, how can a girl resist such an invitation?"
"Is that a yes?"
"God yes. I'm here because of you, Lincoln. Literally. You saved me from dying in that hole, and you're the reason I didn't stay in that in-between place and become a lost soul. I'm here because I want another chance too, but one based on honestly. All cards on the table."
"In that case, in the spirit of complete honesty, I have to tell you something."
"I'm listening."
"I can't believe you chewed a snake in half."
She shuddered at the thought. "Yeah, I bet I'm not living that one down, huh?
Lincoln chuckled. "We'll see. Are you ready for me to call Naomie? I bet Russell Walker is having to sit on top of her to keep her in her room."
"She really is okay, right?"
"She is. He seems to be able to keep her under control. Sort of."
"Yeah, they're something, huh?"
"Kind of like us, I guess."
"Oh, how do you figure that?"
"It's a matter of knowing that goes beyond thinking. It's clear to the world around you, that bond or connection that surrounds the two of you in your own reality that isn't penetrable by anyone else when you're in that moment. You feel it and breathe it, and your heart beats for it, but your brain just doesn't want to give into it because it's so big it scares you, and you're afraid of losing yourself to it and no longer having control."
Lula didn't care about the tears that streamed down her face. "There's a whole lot more to you than you let on, isn' there, Thor."
"Back to Thor, again?"
"Honey, he's a god, a hero. How can you object?"
Lincoln smiled and leaned down close. "I'll never object to you thinking of me as a hero, Lula. Just as long as you think of me."
"How could I not?" she whispered just before he kissed her.
And just like that, her world was finally filled with light and possibility, and she knew, she was finally free.
Chapter Twenty-Four
It was a scene from a fairy tale. She'd heard that from almost every guest, and she agreed. Reese and Mathias' wedding was the stuff of magic. His backyard had been transformed. Every tree glittered and gleamed with thousands of tiny white lights and equally as many white silk butterflies and flowers. The podium upon which they'd stood to exchange their vows was a portal into fantasy with lights, silk flowers, butterflies and even a dash of gold provided by silk bees with lighted hindquarters.
Even the dancefloor reflected the theme. White and lit from beneath, it was rimmed with white wrought iron upon which lights twinkled in the darkness, illuminating the couples who danced on the floor.
Overhead, hundreds of Chinese lanterns that Naomie had rigged to be lit at the completion of the vows floated overhead in the night sky. Lula looked around and smiled. It. Was. Perfect.
"Penny for your thoughts."
She turned into Lincoln's arms. "I'm so happy for them. Aren't they beautiful?"
"You're beautiful. And amazing. This—this is incredible."
"I do love weddings."
"Really? Then maybe one day you can plan one for us."
She smiled up at him. "Maybe so. But for now, we're good, aren't we? Learning about one another and enjoying the romance of it all?"
"Yes, we are. As long as I'm with you, it's all good."
"Oh, you charmer." She turned and leaned back against him to look at all the people gathered to celebrate Reese and Mathias' wedding and the start of a new year.
Since her release from the hospital, she'd literally had a new lease on life. Her debt was repaid, the curse was gone, and she had become part of a community. It was a dream come true, and she felt like pinching herself daily to make sure it was real.
Lula saw so many familiar faces, people who she now called friend. Charli and Grady danced cheek-to-cheek, smiling and talking to people who swirled nearby.
Wiley and Molly swayed in time with the music, with their new son held firmly against Wiley's chest, while Kaylee played with some of the other children off to one side.
Etta and Jasper Jacks stood chatting with Mason and Savannah James, as well as Cody Riggs and her husband, Jax. Jasper and Mason held toddlers who squirmed to be down playing with the other children. Deacon and Mica sat at a table with Trina and Brody Judge, their little ones asleep in the mother's arms.
Nellie Mae, Netta, and Mercy sat with Billy and Stella Sweet, laughing and talking, being interrupted every few moments by someone who stopped by their table. It looked like almost everyone in Cotton Creek was there and Lula marveled at how special a place she'd found to call home.
"It's all so wonderful, isn't it, Thor? This place and these people. Just look around. A town filled with heroes of both genders."
She turned to look up at him. "And heartbreakers, too."
"Please don't break my heart, Tallulah Christmas."
"Never, Thor. I've got a strong suspicion that you're my one and only."
"A strong one, huh?"
"Very strong."
"I like the sound of that. Want to dance the first dance of the year with me?"
"You know it."
As he twirled her around on the dance floor, she laughed and leaned back, letting go and trusting him to hold her safe.
Because really, that's what love was. Knowing you had the freedom to let go and trust your heart is safe. Because the one who holds you is also the one who has entrusted you with his heart, too.
How wonderful was that?
Following is an excerpt from Game On, a novella in the Heartbreakers & Heroes series, releasing December 25th
Game On
A Heartbreakers & Heroes
A Holiday Novella
Chapter One
"Thank you. Yes, sir, I will."
She ended the call, put her phone on the table and looked at Lincoln who sat across from her. "It's done."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. I'm officially relieved from the assignment at Cotton Creek high school. That's done. At least for me. I made a recommendation to the Senator and he approved the candidate and she'll be here at the end of the week so I only have to be there a few more days."
"So, you know your replacement?"
"I do. We're friends. I worked with her for a little while and she's good."
"Obviously, Senator Walker thinks highly of your opinion."
"He knows I want the best person possible. He and I are still friends and I care about his family and their safety."
"So what now?"
"What do you mean?"
"What are you going to do? Nothing's keeping you in Cotton Creek anymore?"
"Like hell. You're here and so are all the people I've come to care about."
"I was hoping you'd feel that way."
"You know I do. I want to stay. No, make that, I'm going to stay. I've put in an application with the Cotton Creek Sheriff's Department. Charli thinks I have a good chance of being offered a position. They try and assign an officer to the high school and Senator Walker said he can probably pull some strings and make sure I get that assignment, so I'll at least be on hand for backup, if my replacement has a need."
"Are you sure you want to do that? You know I wouldn't fight it if you wanted to keep the assignment."
"I'm sure. I'm ready for a change. And I can't keep pretending to be Dillon's girlfriend. Too many people know I'm crazy about you and now that we're talking about living together—"
"Which reminds me, I talked with the owner of this place and made an offer on it."
"Get out! Really?"
"Really. I know you love it and I do, too so why shouldn't we live here? If I decide to keep the blacksmith shop, I can drive in when I need to."
"If? So, does that mean you're still undercover and need the Smithy as cover or that you need the money?"
"No, it's not what it means. Thanks to good advice from Wiley, I have enough to live quite comfortably for the rest of my life. And I've never had issues with being undercover."
"Nice evasion. Are you ever going to tell me about your assignment?"
"Probably not, but it's not a matter of trust. Some things just can't be shared, as you well know."
"Indeed I do."
"So, back to your replacement as Dillon's bodyguard. You think she and he will work well together?"
Lula smiled. "I think he's in for one hell of a surprise."
"Oh, why?"
"Lots of reasons. First, she's hot and I mean firecracker hot. Second, she's good at what she does. Third, the role she's going to be assigned is going to not just surprise him, but raise some eyebrows, baby. And finally, I'm willing to bet she knows as much as football is any high school coach."
"I hope you're not going to try and leave me hanging with that."
"Well, maybe I could tell you, or maybe you'd need to bribe me." She batted her eyes dramatically and preened.
Lincoln was out of his chair and around the table in two seconds. He hoisted her up in his arms and headed out of the room. Lula laughed and hung on until he reached the bedroom where he plunked her onto the bed.
"Bribe, huh?"
"Lots of bribes. I don't come cheap."
It was his turn to laugh, then join her on the bed. "Works for me."
Chapter Two
"Gentlemen, ladies," Dillon looked around at everyone. "While I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, I'm going to have to ask you to back down on this."
"Now just hold on until I finish." He held up his hands as Lula started to speak. "First, thank you all for making my safety a priority. It is appreciated. I went along with you when you installed Lula here, and we all know it caused her and I both some tense moments. I completely understand her reasoning for asking to be replaced and respect it.
"But. But, I sincerely don't believe that a threat against my Uncle should alarm our family to the point that I'd need a personal security detail."
He paused to look at his father. "And on that note, I've yet to be given an answer on just how many people that entails or who they are, and I do believe I should be afforded that respect."
"Son, all we're trying to do—"
"Dad, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I get it. You want to keep me—all of us safe and I appreciate that. But this plan—it's crazy and it's going to start a shit storm."
"Why?" Lula asked and when he looked at her, he knew she was about to challenge him. "Because she's a woman? You think a woman isn't qualified for the position?"
"No, I don't. Not this position. Lula, you know I respect you, but you also know that if I allowed a female trainer to be hired to work with my team, the people in this county will lose their minds. We're not in D.C. or California or New York. We're in Texas. God, country and football. You get what I'm saying?"
"I hear a bunch of sexist nonsense coming out of your mouth."
"It's far from sexist. Ask any man in this room and if he's honest, he'll agree with me. Hold on, Principal McCall is here with School Superintendant, David Moorefield. No more talk of bodyguards, please."
Dillon walked to the door and opened it. Principal McCall, Superintendant Moorefield, please come in. I believe you know my father, Russell Walker and my Uncle, Senator Richard Walker?"
"Senator. Mr. Walker," Principal McCall was the first to hurry forward with an outstretched hand. "It's an honor sir." He shook Russell's hand and then Richard's. "I voted for you sir."
"I appreciate that, Adam isn't it? "
"Yes sir."
"It's a pleasure, Adam."
Richard then turned to the next man. "And Superintendant Moorefield." Richard offered his hand. "Pleased to meet you."
"It's my honor, Senator."
"Please, everyone have a seat. Dillon, I believe the floor is yours."
"Thank you, sir." Dillon acknowledged his uncle with a nod. "As I was saying, for this school to hire a female as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, sets a precedent that may backfire on us. Football is, like it or not, a male sport and to put a woman in a training center with a team of teenage boys... gentlemen, believe me when I tell you, it could create some real problems. Surely, you agree with me, Principal McCall."
Dillon could tell before Adam McCall opened his mouth that he'd not get the support he'd wanted from the administration.
"Well, Coach, let me say that I completely understand your hesitation and even reservations about us taking such a progressive step, but let's consider. We could show ourselves to be the most forward thinking and progressive team in our division with such a move and—"
"And we're get that whopping big donation from Heritage, yeah?" Dillon hated being petty, but he was willing to bet that his family's deep pockets carried far more weight than anything else in this matter.
"Now, I didn't say that Coach. Naturally, the school appreciates all the generosity your family has shown but my position isn't colored by such things."
"While the School Board unanimously voted to accept the kind offer made by the Walker family," Superintendant Moorefield added. "It's important to note that not only will Cotton Creek High School benefit, but the entire school district. I would think it a small concession, Coach, to take a progressive step forward with the hiring of a female training coach."
"May I interrupt?"
Everyone looked at the woman who, until now, had been sitting quietly beside Lula. "Of course," Dillon agreed. "If you have something to say, we'd love to hear it."
"Thank you Coach Walker." She looked around the room. "I wonder if I and Ms. Duvall might have a word with the coach, his father and uncle?" She looked at the principal and superintendant. "Thank you so much, gentl
emen. I promise we'll be quick."
Dillon saw the indecision on the men's faces and the way they looked to his uncle and father. "We'll make this as brief as possible," Richard assured them.
Once they'd left the room, everyone's attention focused on Ivy Harper. Dillon had been doing his level best not to look at her. She was, in a word, stunning. Blonde hair so light it was nearly white, cut in a short pixie to frame a face that no man could see and forget. Her cat green eyes were rimmed with thick dark lashes.
And Lord almighty, her full lips seemed to have been formed for the sole purpose of making a man wonder what it would be like to kiss them. If her looks above the neck weren't enough to stop traffic, her body from the neck down, damn sure was.
"Ms. Harper, before you say anything, I'd like to go on record, and I apologize if I offend you. The truth is, you're not a woman who belongs in close quarters with a bunch of horny teenage boys and I'm sorry if that sounds crass. But it's the truth. I'm not going to insult your intelligence here. You know you're beautiful and you have to know that might be a problem."
"I appreciate your candor, Coach Walker, and I'm not going to argue the point with you. Teenage boys are walking pods of seething hormones. I don't deny that. But I don't think their hormone storms or my appearance precludes the possibility that we just might be able to work together, help your team, set an example for others schools," she paused for a moment then continued. "And keep you safe, which is, in the end, the objective of this assignment."
Dillon looked at Lula before answering. "I realize I don't know how to recognize someone who might be a threat, a glint of light from a window that's something more than just reflection, or how to kill a person. That was pointed out to me not long ago by a smart and capable woman.
"But," he looked around at everyone. "I do know that we've already concocted one elaborate ruse, and have been lucky enough to have people buy it. Until we left for the winter holiday, most everyone in the school, students and teachers, were under the assumption that Lula and I are an item."
Dillon looked at her. "I don't blame you one bit for asking to be relieved. You have a life and someone you want to spend it with and you deserve that."
