by J. R. Grant
Shattered Promises
By
J.R. Grant
Shattered Promises Copyright © 2014 J.R. Grant
Cover Designed by Robin Harper, Wicked by Design
Edited by Jenny Sims, Editing 4 Indies
This book is a work of fiction. Any characters, conversations, circumstances and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and a purely coincidence. Any and all references to real products, objects, locations, events, and people are meant to lend the reader a sense of authenticity but are used fictitiously. If certain places or characters are referenced it is for entertainment purposes only.
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by trademark owners. This eBook may not sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then I highly encourage you to return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
No part of this work can be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is not allowed to be offered for sale, discounted, or free on any sites other than Amazon and B&N. This book may only be distributed by J.R. Grant, the author of this story.
Table of Contents
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
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About The Author
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my Pookie girl! From the day you were conceived, I fought for you. I’ve cried, begged, and pleaded with God to give you a good life, one that you very much deserved. And when you and I were given a second chance at happiness, I couldn’t have been more thankful. Although life hasn’t always been easy, and the challenges we’ve faced over the years have been quite tough, with you and your brothers by my side, we can make it through just about anything. We are overcomers! Keep your head held high and reach for the stars. Never give up.
I love you times infinity.
Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy- it does not boast- it is not proud.
Love does not dishonor others- it is not self-seeking- it is not easily angered.
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Prologue
One thousand, four hundred, and sixty days have passed since my life forever changed. I’ve loved, I’ve lost, and I’ve been through more heartache and pain than I care to openly acknowledge. Nonetheless, somehow, with each day that passes by, I’ve managed to make it through, little by little. But not by choice. Because if I had a say in everything that had gone regretfully wrong in the past four years, I would have ended my life rather quickly. I would have continued with my lowest, stupidest stunt just to stop the pain from lingering. The pain that ripped my heart into shreds, the pain that shattered me.
The hurt in me was visible. My crushed soul was extremely evident. And each day that I woke up, the perpetual pain continued to suck me dry. I just wanted to be happy. I just wanted to feel free. For once in my life, I just wanted to be loved.
I thought my husband genuinely loved me, I thought I was his one and only, his pride and joy. Little did I know I was wrong, dead wrong, and now because of my stupidity and my blindness, every ounce of hope I had left within me had been demolished.
He wrecked me; Kade Foster ruined me. And from here on out, I’ll have to live with the sins of my husband’s destruction for the rest of my life.
There was a time in my life when I thought I had it all, never seeing this big clusterfuck of a mess heading in my direction. But now that the storm has passed and everything that could have gone wrong, did, I need to continue pushing myself forward in every way possible. I’ve got to. My boys depend on me, they need me. I’m all they have.
“It’s time.” Ryder peeks her head through the other side of the door.
Taking a deep breath, I turn and reach for my sweater off of the bench and make my way over to the double doors.
As I reach for the handle to walk inside, she grabs a hold of my arm, abruptly stopping me.
“I am sorry all of this has happened to you and the boys. If I could’ve taken away your pain from the very beginning, I would have done it in a heartbeat. Just know, I am so proud of how far you’ve come. When we leave here today, and you walk out those doors,” she says, and points to the front of the courthouse. “Today will be the first day of the rest of your life, and I want nothing more from you than to try and make the best of it. All I want is to see you smile, Lani, because out of everyone, you deserve the world.”
Staring at me gaily, she pushes a couple pieces of hair out from the front of my eyes before continuing. “Promise me you’ll reach for the stars and never give up hope. From here on out, I want to see you smile. You deserve to be happy.”
Nodding my head, I reply, “I promise,” and lift my finger to dab at the tears threatening to fall from the corner of my eye. Straightening my dress, I do the best I can to regain my composure.
I vowed to myself before I left the house this morning that I wouldn’t cry today. Or at least try not to. I know it sounds crazy given everything I have gone through these past couple of years, but I can’t let him get the best of me. Not today, and certainly not anymore. Kade has had more than his fair share of wrecking my life. Now it’s my turn to stand strong and live for me and the boys. They are my focus, they are who matters the most.
“Thank you for all you’ve done, Ry; for being here, holding my hand, and helping me get through every day the best way you could. I know without a shadow of a doubt I could not have made it this far without you,” I tell her with sincerity, even though I want nothing more than to run to my car, fly home, and hide under the covers for the remainder of the day. I have to do this. I need to do this. Whatever the outcome is at the end of this hearing, I will make it out on top. I have proved to myself through all of this turmoil that I am an overcomer.
Kissing my cheek, Ryder pulls back and says, “I love you sweetlips. I’ll never leave your side. You’re stuck with me forever.”
Pulling the door open, she grabs a hold of my hand, and togethe
r, my best friend and I walk inside the courtroom.
I can do this…
Chapter One
Lani
Four Years Ago…
A loud banging causes me to jump up from an apparent sleep. I force my eyes open and glance around the room startled.
Who is knocking on my door at this hour of the night?
Throwing my arm across the mattress, I reach for my cell phone on the nightstand and squint my eyes at the bright green light that reads three in the morning.
Something’s wrong. I can feel it.
Forcing myself out of the bed, I hurry to find my housecoat and rush down the hall toward the living room. Unlocking the front door, I pull it open and find a frantic Parker standing before me.
He looks awful.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, suddenly feeling all sorts of panicked. He’s wearing khaki shorts and a button-down plaid shirt that has blood spotted all over. It’s everywhere.
“It’s Kade,” he says in between profound breaths. “He and Owen…..they’ve been in an accident.”
An uneasy feeling rushes through my body as I stand here blankly staring at my best friend, holding onto the front of the door in shock.
An accident? Oh God…
“What do you mean they’ve been in an accident? You’re scaring me.”
Pushing past me, Parker runs his fingers through his messy brown hair as he paces the living room.
“It happened so fast. I….I thought Kade was dead. We…we’ve got to go. Please. We have to leave now,” he cries in a way I’ve never seen before. “Your parents are on their way over here to listen for the boys. We have to hurry.”
My heart rate instantly triplicates in speed, plummeting to the floor, making any wife’s worst nightmare become my reality.
“Kade,” I cry out in fear. God, please don’t take my husband away from me.
Racing back toward my bedroom, I slam the door closed and stop beside the bed. Tears gush uncontrollably down my cheeks, the loud sobs coming from my throat startle me.
Please God, I beg you. Keep Kade and Owen safe.
Yanking my sweatpants out of the dresser drawer, I rip my pajamas off and get changed fairly quickly before hurrying to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. Pulling the hoodie over my head, I rush into my boys’ room and give Justin and Zakrie a kiss.
“I love you boys. Momma will call you as soon as I can.” Pulling their blankets up over their little bodies, I try my best to keep the sobs under control, but it’s impossible. I’m scared to death.
“Be good for Grandma and Grandpa. I’ll see you both soon.”
Quietly shutting their door, I gather my purse and keys off of the shelf and meet Parker back in the living room. Together, we walk out onto the front porch just in time. My parents are pulling into the driveway and jump out of their car as soon as they’re parked, frantically hasting straight toward me.
“Oh, sweetheart, have you heard anything? I’ve prayed the whole way over here,” my mom asks worriedly, her face showing every possible sign of fear.
Reaching out, I give her a hug and do my best to try and remain calm. I don’t need her worrying right now. If anything, I need her to remain calm and keep me in check. I feel like my heart is being pulled out of my chest.
“Nothing more than what Parker has told me so far, but I’ll call you as soon as I get there. I promise.”
“Okay, sweetie. Be careful,” Mom says.
She turns and grabs a hold of Parker’s arm to stop him from walking away. “Drive safe, Parker. My baby’s in your hands. I want her back to me in one piece, you hear?”
My mom warning Parker about my safety is something he has grown used to over the years. My parents are very overprotective, and Parker is well aware of how much they shelter me. For as far back as I can remember, she has been the same way with him, and he’s not even her son.
Parker grips my hand and turns to face my mom. “She’s in good hands, Gloria,” he replies and starts to pull me over to his car.
Turning back one more time, I holler, “I love you guys. Give the boys a kiss for me when they get up. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”
“Will do, Lani. Just, please….please be careful,” my dad replies.
Pushing the front door open, my parents walk inside the house together and wave goodbye. Parker and I hop into his BMW Five-Series and head toward Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
Before I’m buckled in and have a chance to get more details about what happened tonight, my phone starts ringing, “What Does The Fox Say,” in my purse and causes me to jump. I hate that stupid ringtone my son, Justin, set on my phone the other day. It’s loud and annoying. Apparently I forgot to download a new one.
With shaky hands, I reach into my purse and pull out my phone. Accepting the call, I answer for once without bothering to check the caller ID first.
“Hello.”
“Lani, thank God you answered. I wasn’t sure if Parker had gotten to you yet,” my mother-in-law, Katherine, cries softly through the other end of the phone.
“We’re still at Peninsula Regional Medical Center. They flew Kade to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore about twenty minutes ago. Erik and I were just about to head to there when the nurse stopped to inform us they’re waiting to transport Owen now. So, you and Parker head up there, we’ll be right behind you. Erik and I will meet you out front-”
“How are they, Katherine? Is Kade okay?” I beg for an answer, not meaning to sound rude and cut her off. But I have to know something right this second. They don’t really expect me to drive three hours in tortured silence, not knowing if my husband’s going to make it, do they? I know Parker’s in shock, I can tell by the fear on his face. I’ll give him a few minutes to try and calm down, but with him not talking and Katherine beating around the bush, I’m about ready to scream.
“The only thing the doctors here could tell us was that Kade’s in critical condition and Owen’s stable but has a head injury. Trust me honey, we’ve been trying really hard to get more information. Erik’s yelled at the staff here for the past hour, but no one could tell us any more other than Kade’s unconscious,” she says. “We’ve done everything we could possibly think of, Lani. Just don’t give up, okay? Kade and Owen need us to stand strong now more than ever. They’ll be fine, I know it. Both of my boys are fighters.”
Closing my eyes, the tears continue falling down my rosy cheeks. They haven’t stopped since Parker came to the house to get me. When he first broke the news, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to cry, I felt like I was being punked or something. The guys have been known to scare the shit out of me with their jokes a time or two, except this time, I didn’t know what to think.
At first I was in shock, until I got to my room and looked toward Kade’s side of the bed. That’s when everything hit me. And now, without even looking in the mirror, I can tell I’m a hot mess. My face feels heated, my eyes are swollen, and at any minute, I feel like I’m going to break. Thankfully, my family and friends have seen me at my worst before tonight.
“Okay. We’ll see you when we get there,” I tell my mother-in-law and shut off my phone, throwing it back in my purse.
Shifting in my seat, I turn and face Parker.
“Katherine said head to Baltimore. They flew Kade over to Shock Trauma. She and Erik are waiting for Owen to be transported before they can leave. He has some sort of head injury.”
“He is okay though?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I reply, “From what I gather it sounds like he will be. I hope so, anyway.”
Parker nods his head and continues flying down Route 50 without saying another word.
What if my husband’s dead? How will the boys and I ever make it without their father? I can’t imagine losing Kade this way, or in any way period. Just the thought of it all is making me sick. I feel like I’m going to throw up.
<> * <>
Parker and I grew up
together and have been the best of friends since before we could walk.
I have been extremely blessed to have the most amazing guy in this world, in my corner. Growing up, all of the girls were jealous of mine and Parker’s friendship. Honestly, I couldn’t blame them one bit. He was definitely someone you would want to argue and fuss over.
With the deepest, darkest brown eyes I have ever seen and dark brown hair, Parker Johnson most definitely could have been a male model. The guy is smoking hot! He has maintained his toned body and exquisite appearance over the years, never failing to attract women.
Parker has always had a broad chest and big muscles. He loves lifting weights. When we were teenagers, his upper arm was the size of my head. He was huge. He looked like a miniature version of the Incredible Hulk. But since calling him that would’ve been too cheesy, I came up with a new idea and since that very day, Parker became my Hawk. He laughed at the nickname at first, but eventually it stuck with the two of us years down the road.
For as far back as I can recall, the two of us had always been a package deal. If Parker was dating a girl, she had to put up with me and not cause any confrontation, whatsoever. That was the rule. If she broke it, he would break things off with her in a heartbeat. And trust me, it’s happened more times than I care to count. The girls we grew up with loathed mine and Parker’s friendship. I found their jealously rather entertaining.
The same rule applied with Parker. The guys I associated with had to put up with our friendship and not get in the way. If they gave me any lip about my Hawk at all, I immediately kicked them to the curb. No one could change what the two of us shared or get in the middle of our friendship. No matter how hard they tried, the bond Parker and I have, has always been unbreakable. I could never imagine my life without him by my side.
When we were five, Parker started calling me ‘Princess’. He said the name fit me perfectly since I always wore a dress with my favorite plastic high heels, even if we went outside to play in the mud. And after all these years later, he’s never called me anything different.
