“You can follow me to my office. We need to have a chat.”
“Of course, sir.” Cassidy fought the anxiety clawing at her throat. Captain Fitzgerald was intimidating, but she had just returned. She couldn’t have done anything too bad. Maybe it was about the hats. She would explain that the guys were just razzing her a little and then take them to her car so they were out of sight.
Cassidy’s anxiety increased when Captain Fitzgerald shut the door to his office behind her. Closed door meetings rarely held a good outcome. “Have I done something, sir?” She hated the slight tremble in her voice, but she knew he controlled her future and she loved her job.
“Sit.” He pointed at one of the chairs opposite his desk and then walked to his own chair and sat down. “I know that you had time saved up for this trip, but I need someone I can rely on in this firehouse.”
“I understand, sir, and I have no intention of going anywhere else anytime soon.”
He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “That is good to hear, but to be sure, I am placing you back on probation. You’ll have cleaning duty for the next month, and I want that truck sparkling at the end of every shift. Is that clear?”
Cassidy had no idea if he had the power to do that since she technically had done nothing wrong, but she wasn’t going to argue with him. She loved this job and this house. No way did she want to go back to being a floater, so if he wanted her to wash the truck every day, she would do it. If he wanted to put her on kitchen duty, she would do that too even though her cooking left a lot to be desired. “Crystal clear, sir. I promise I am committed to this job and will do whatever it takes to prove it to you.”
“Perfect, now we should discuss the mail situation.” He steepled his fingers and regarded her with a cool stare.
She furrowed her brow, confused as to what he could mean. “I’m sorry, the what?”
His eyebrow inched up his forehead. “You don’t know?” Cassidy shook her head. “It appears you garnered a few fans while you were gallivanting on your show, and as they didn’t know where you lived, they dropped your mail here.”
Cassidy winced and bit the inside of her lip. No wonder he was angry. “I had no idea, sir. I’m so sorry.”
He waved a hand dismissing her. “It is what it is, but I want them gone from the firehouse at the end of your shift.”
“Of course sir. Um, where are they?”
He nodded to the corner of the room. Cassidy turned and spied a large brown bag that she hadn’t noticed when they entered. Roughly the size of a burlap sack, it bulged and protruded as wide as appeared possible. “All of that is for me?”
“Yep, letters, gifts, you name it. I suggest you find a better place for it.”
“Yes sir.” Cassidy pulled her shoulders back as she faced the mountainous bag. Since shift had just started, she might as well drag it to the bunk room and go through it while there was time. She didn’t need all of this cluttering her small house either.
The bag proved unwieldy but thankfully just enough extra sack remained at the top that she was able to drag it down the hallway and into the bunk room. Meant generally for sleeping when they worked long shifts, the bunk room held rows and rows of two beds separated by half walls. A small table that held a lamp sat between each two-bed section.
She and Ivy shared the section at the very back of the room, and sweat rolled down Cassidy’s spine as she dragged the bag to the bunk she normally slept in. With a sigh and an exhalation, she plopped down on the bunk and opened the bag. If Santa had been real, she would know exactly how he felt. She grabbed one of the envelopes and opened it.
“Dear Cassidy, I saw you on the show, and I think we’d make a great couple. I love horses and roller skating. You can call me at 555-1324. Signed, David. P.S. If a woman answers, it’s just my mom.”
Cassidy shook her head and laid the letter to the side. No need to keep that one. She wanted a man established enough that he lived on his own or maybe with a roommate. Rent wasn’t cheap in the city, but moms were a no go. With a sigh, she reached into the bag again. It was going to be a long afternoon.
**
Jordan issued his apology as he hurried into the office. “Sorry I’m late. We were helping with a drug bust.”
“Of course you were,” Graham said with a roll of his eyes.
“It’s no problem, Jordan, we were just getting started.” Mr. Keyes, their father’s attorney adjusted his tie before placing his hands on either side of a stack of papers. “I’m sure you know that I called you in today for a reading of your father’s will. Most of it is rather straightforward, but there is something I wasn’t sure you were aware of.” He picked up the top sheet of paper and scanned it before flipping it around to them. “Did you know your father owned a bar?”
“A bar?” Graham asked leaning forward.
“That’s not possible. Dad was an alcoholic. Why would he own a bar?” Jordan asked.
“It hasn’t been a bar in a long time. I drove by the other day, so I would have current information for you both. It appears to be boarded up currently.” He pulled a picture from the stack and slid it across the table to Graham who glanced at it before handing it to Jordan.
“So, we should just try and sell it, right?” Jordan asked. He had no use for a bar or the rundown building in the picture.
“No, we can’t sell it. Dad obviously kept the bar for a reason,” Graham said.
“He probably just forgot he owned it and therefore forgot to sell it. What would we do with an old building?”
Mr. Keyes said nothing but moved his head from one brother to the next as they argued.
“What would we do?” Graham turned in his chair to face Jordan. “We fix it up, give it new life, take it back to how it once was.”
Jordan shook his head. “I have no time to fix up a bar. And what about the money? Did Dad leave any money to fix this bar?”
“Your father left you the proceeds from the sale of the house and he had a few stocks and bonds, but it isn’t much.”
“See? It isn’t much. Probably not enough to fix up an old bar.”
Graham folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not selling. Dad could have sold the building years ago, and he didn’t. That tells me it meant something to him, so I’m going to restore it with or without you.”
Jordan turned fierce eyes on the lawyer. “Can he do that? Can he make me keep it?”
Mr. Keyes shrugged. “He could offer to buy you out, but there is no stipulation that he has to sell.”
Before he could say anything else, Jordan’s phone buzzed. He swiped the screen, shook his head, and stood. “I have to go, but this isn’t over. We are going to discuss this Graham.”
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The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet
A SWAT officer. A bored billionaire heiress. A bet that could change everything….
Read on for a taste of The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet….
The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet Preview
Brie Carter fell back spread eagle on her queen-sized canopy bed sending her blonde hair fanning out behind her. With a large sigh, she uttered, “I’m bored.”
“How can you be bored? You have like millions of dollars.” Her friend, Ariel, plopped down in a seated position on the bed beside her and flicked her raven hair off her shoulder. “You want to go shopping? I hear Tiffany’s is having a special right now.”
Brie rolled her eyes. Shopping? Where was the excitement in that? With her three platinum cards, she could go shopping whenever she wanted. “No, I’m bored with shopping too. I have everything. I want to do something exciting. Something we don’t normally do.”
Brie enjoyed being rich. She loved the unlim
ited credit cards at her disposal, the constant apparel of new clothes, and of course the penthouse apartment her father paid for, but lately, she longed for something more fulfilling.
Ariel’s hazel eyes widened. “I know. There’s a new bar down on Franklin Street. Why don’t we go play a little game?”
Brie sat up, intrigued at the secrecy and the twinkle in Ariel’s eyes. “What kind of game?”
“A betting game. You let me pick out any man in the place. Then you try to get him to propose to you.”
Brie wrinkled her nose. “But I don’t want to get married.” She loved her freedom and didn’t want to share her penthouse with anyone, especially some man.
“You don’t marry him, silly. You just get him to propose.”
Brie bit her lip as she thought. It had been awhile since her last relationship and having a man dote on her for a month might be interesting, but…. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem very nice.”
“How about I sweeten the pot? If you win, I’ll set you up on a date with my brother.”
Brie cocked her head. Was she serious? The only thing Brie couldn’t seem to buy in the world was the affection of Ariel’s very handsome, very wealthy, brother. He was a movie star, just the kind of person Brie could consider marrying in the future. She’d had a crush on him as long as she and Ariel had been friends, but he’d always seen her as just that, his little sister’s friend. “I thought you didn’t want me dating your brother.”
“I don’t.” Ariel shrugged. “But he’s between girlfriends right now, and I know you’ve wanted it for ages. If you win this bet, I’ll set you up. I can’t guarantee any more than one date though. The rest will be up to you.”
Brie wasn’t worried about that. Charm she possessed in abundance. She simply needed some alone time with him, and she was certain she’d be able to convince him they were meant to be together. “All right. You’ve got a deal.”
Ariel smiled. “Perfect. Let’s get you changed then and see who the lucky man will be.
A tiny tug pulled on Brie’s heart that this still wasn’t right, but she dismissed it. This was simply a means to an end, and he’d never have to know.
Jesse Calhoun relaxed as the rhythmic thudding of the speed bag reached his ears. Though he loved his job, it was stressful being the SWAT sniper. He hated having to take human lives and today had been especially rough. The team had been called out to a drug bust, and Jesse was forced to return fire at three hostiles. He didn’t care that they fired at his team and himself first. Taking a life was always hard, and every one of them haunted his dreams.
“You gonna bust that one too?” His co-worker Brendan appeared by his side. Brendan was the opposite of Jesse in nearly every way. Where Jesse’s hair was a dark copper, Brendan’s was nearly black. Jesse sported paler skin and a dusting of freckles across his nose, but Brendan’s skin was naturally dark and freckle free.
Jesse flashed a crooked grin, but kept his eyes on the small, swinging black bag. The speed bag was his way to release, but a few times he had started hitting while still too keyed up and he had ruptured the bag. Okay, five times, but who was counting really? Besides, it was a better way to calm his nerves than other things he could choose. Drinking, fights, gambling, women.
“Nah, I think this one will last a little longer.” His shoulders began to burn, and he gave the bag another few punches for good measure before dropping his arms and letting it swing to a stop. “See? It lives to be hit at least another day.” Every once in a while, Jesse missed training the way he used to. Before he joined the force, he had been an amateur boxer, on his way to being a pro, but a shoulder injury had delayed his training and forced him to consider something else. It had eventually healed, but by then he had lost his edge.
“Hey, why don’t you come drink with us?” Brendan clapped a hand on Jesse’s shoulder as they headed into the locker room.
“You know I don’t drink.” Jesse often felt like the outsider of the team. While half of the six-man team was married, the other half found solace in empty bottles and meaningless relationships. Jesse understood that - their job was such that they never knew if they would come home night after night - but he still couldn’t partake.
Brendan opened his locker and pulled out a clean shirt. He peeled off his current one and added deodorant before tugging on the new one. “You don’t have to drink. Look, I won’t drink either. Just come and hang out with us. You have no one waiting for you at home.”
That wasn’t entirely true. Jesse had Bugsy, his Boston Terrier, but he understood Brendan’s point. Most days, Jesse went home, fed Bugsy, made dinner, and fell asleep watching TV on the couch. It wasn’t much of a life. “All right, I’ll go, but I’m not drinking.”
Brendan’s lips pulled back to reveal his perfectly white teeth. He bragged about them, but Jesse knew they were veneers. “That’s the spirit. Hurry up and change. We don’t want to leave the rest of the team waiting.”
“Is everyone coming?” Jesse pulled out his shower necessities. Brendan might feel comfortable going out with just a new application of deodorant, but Jesse needed to wash more than just dirt and sweat off. He needed to wash the sound of the bullets and the sight of lifeless bodies from his mind.
“Yeah, Pat’s wife is pregnant again and demanding some crazy food concoctions. Pat agreed to pick them up if she let him have an hour. Cam and Jared’s wives are having a girls’ night, so the whole gang can be together. It will be nice to hang out when we aren’t worried about being shot at.”
“Fine. Give me ten minutes. Unlike you, I like to clean up before I go out.”
Brendan smirked. “I’ve never had any complaints. Besides, do you know how long it takes me to get my hair like this?”
Jesse shook his head as he walked into the shower, but he knew it was true. Brendan had rugged good looks and muscles to match. He rarely had a hard time finding a woman. Jesse on the other hand hadn’t dated anyone in the last few months. It wasn’t that he hadn’t been looking, but he was quieter than his teammates. And he wasn’t looking for right now. He was looking for forever. He just hadn’t found it yet.
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Discussion Questions
1. What was your favorite scene in the book? What made it your favorite?
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2. Did you have a favorite line in the book? What do you think made it so memorable?
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3. Who was your favorite character in the book and why?
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4. Ava turned away relationships searching for perfection. What perfect goal do you have that maybe needs to be thought out again?
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5. What do you think would be the hardest part about being on a reality dating show?
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6. What did you learn about God from reading this book?
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7. How can you use that knowledge in your life from now on?
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8. What can you take away from Ava’s and Justin’s relationship?
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9. What do you think would make the story even better?
The Story Doesn’t End!
You’ve met a few people and fallen in love….
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I bet you’re wondering how you can meet everyone else.
Star Lake Series:
Sealed with a Kiss: Meet the quirky cast of Star Lake and find out if Max and Layla will ever find love.
When Love Returns: Return to Star Lake to hear Presley’s story and find out if she gets the second chance with her first love.
Once Upon a Star: Continue the journey when aspiring actress Audrey returns home with a baby. Will Blake finally get the nerve to share his feelings with her?
Love Conquers All: Meet Lanie Perkins Hall who never imagined being divorced at thirty or falling for an old friend, but will his secrets keep them apart?
The Star Lake Collection: Get the latter three
stories in one place. Series will include book 1 when it releases around November 2020.
The Heartbeats Series:
Where It All Began: Sandra Baker finds forgiveness and healing even after making a horrible choice.
The Power of Prayer: Will Callie Green find true love or be defined by her mistake?
When Hearts Collide: When Amanda Adams goes to college, she finds a world she was not ready for. But will she also find true love?
A Past Forgiven: Jess Peterson has lived a life of abuse and lost her self worth, but when she finds herself pregnant, will she find new hope?
The Heartbeats Collection: Grab all four Heartbeats novels in one collection
Sweet Billionaires Series:
The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet: Can a spoiled rich girl change when a bet turns to love?
The Billionaire’s Secret: Can a playboy settle down when he finds out he has a daughter who needs him?
A Brush with a Billionaire: What happens when a stuck up actor lands in a small town and needs help from a female mechanic?
The Billionaire’s Christmas Miracle: A twist on a Cinderella story when a billionaire meets a woman who doesn’t belong at the ball.
The Billionaire’s Cowboy Groom: Will one night six years ago keep Carrie from finding true love?
The Cowboy Billionaire: Coming Soon!
The Billionaire’s Bliss: This collection contains The Billionaire’s Secret, The Billionaire’s Christmas Miracle, and The Billionaire’s Cowboy Groom
The Producer's Unlikely Bride Page 15
