Rescue of Love
(Bachelor Billionaire #4)
By Sharon Cummin
Copyright © 2015 Sharon Cummin
All Rights Reserved
Warning: This story contains explicit sexual content that is not intended for those under the age of 18. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious and the age of 18 and older. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
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
Epilogue
Chapter 1
John relaxed with his head back against the seat, as he sat in his patrol car. Words Julie had said to him played through his mind. She had asked him why he was an officer. He had enough money to live for the rest of his life. Why didn't he buy a house on an island and enjoy himself? She wanted to know if he believed in love. That was months before, but her questions picked that night to come back to him.
John loved being an officer most of the time, but there were days he wanted to throw his hands in the air and walk away from it all. When he pulled over a snotty teenager or when he had to deal with a pain-in-the-ass, he truly thought twice about his job. There were also days he knew he was right where he belonged. When he helped someone get out of a bad situation or pulled someone from a car that was about to explode, he knew he was making a difference.
The one time he was most glad he was an officer was when Julie needed help. He knew his brother was in deep when he began investigating a call that had freaked Julie out. John wasn't sure it was a good idea for Ethan to get mixed up with Gavin's little sister. John also knew that no other woman would ever turn Ethan around. That fucker was the biggest pain-in-the-ass, but John would never have given up on him. He loved his little brother, and they were all each other had. John spent his spare time watching to make sure his brother was okay. He knew the kid had an amazing career, but he worried about his life of drinking and screwing whatever walked by. Ethan had a shitty past and an awful outlook on family. John's wasn't that much better.
When Ethan was persistent on finding Julie's ex before he hurt her, John knew he had to help him. He did what he could to help find the piece of shit, but the guy was one step ahead of them. When he got the call to get to her house, he was truly afraid they would be too late. He walked in to find Ethan holding Julie and the guy beat to shit on the ground and knew his brother was a goner in love. He also knew his brother had saved her life. The guy would have killed her.
John was going to make sure the ass stayed in jail. Ethan kept her at his house with him. He needed to protect her. It didn't take long before they were finally admitting a love that had been brewing for years. When Ethan told him he was going to propose in Hawaii and marry her right then, John knew he wouldn't miss it for the world. Seeing the two of them in love gave him hope. Maybe there was someone out there for everyone. His brother was more against love than anyone John had ever met. To see him fall in love, get married, and babble on about wanting kids was something John had never imagined would ever happen.
His phone beeped, pulling him from his thoughts.
Ethan: Are you coming for dinner? It'll be ready soon. Julie said her new brother better be here.
John couldn't help but laugh when he read the text. Julie was such a sweetheart. He couldn't have asked for a better woman for his brother. She put his ass in his place but loved him with her whole being. They had just gotten back from their honeymoon, and she wanted to make dinner for the gang. Becky or Lisa always had dinners at their places. Julie wanted everyone to come to dinner at her place as well. None of the guys minded. Ethan had the best setup for sports and television. He was a technical guy, and his living room showed it. The guys were bummed when they found out Julie was moving in with him. His was the house all of the men went to when they wanted to hang without their ladies. It was like the man cave none of them were able to have. John had to agree that his brother knew how to be a bachelor.
When Julie moved in, she promised to never change the man cave living room. It would have the big televisions and recliners forever. She never wanted to do anything to change her husband and what he enjoyed. That was one of the few things that made him happy besides work. She even promised to go visit one of her friends or stay in a different part of the house when the men came over. He would sneak away from the guys to let her know how much he appreciated her from time to time. The guys never minded. They had better food for the games with Julie there.
John liked that Julie thought of him as her new brother. He was thrilled that he had a new addition to his family and knew that he would be there to help her forever.
John looked at the clock and started his car.
John: I'm on my way. Hopefully I can at least stay through dessert.
He headed down the road toward his brothers. John knew that he never wanted love in his life again. His family was what mattered to him. He gave up his chance at love so many years ago when he put his brother first. It stung when he was lonely or watching his friends with their families, but he knew he made the right choice. He knew Ethan's life was better because of him. There was no way he could have turned his back on his little brother. Not even for her.
Chapter 2
John was tired when he pulled into his brother's driveway. Maybe he would be able to get a little rest so he could finish out his shift. John was looking forward to going home, cracking open a cold one, and relaxing in the quiet of his own home.
When he walked up to the front door, he heard laughing coming from inside. His brother was going to be okay. There were still things that he would have to go through with his new wife because of her ex, but John knew that they had each other to lean on. The whole gang would be there for them both.
Everything John had given up his life for twenty-seven years ago was taken care of. Ethan didn't need him anymore. He wouldn't have to worry about what bar his brother was in, whether or not he was driving, or if some crazy woman was going to screw him over. He knew that his brother would be just fine with his new wife. Ethan would be safe. Why it hit John like a ton of bricks at that moment, he had no idea. Maybe he was more tired than he thought. He couldn't wait to get done with his shift. As soon as John heard the door begin to open, he put on a happy face. It was something he'd been doing for years.
Julie pulled him into the door and wrapped her arms around him.
“My new brother's here,” she announced. “Maybe I'll make him my favorite.”
Gavin walked up, handed John a soda, and pulled Julie into his arms.
“I don't think so. I've put up with too much of your shit for you to trade me in that fast,” he said.<
br />
John laughed and shook his head. The house was full of friends and love. He put his soda down on the table and picked up baby Jack. John couldn't believe how big the little guy was getting. He hugged Becky and rubbed her belly. She was already starting to show, and they were all excited that everything was going well. Lisa was on the couch next to Josh.
“Where's my brother?” he asked.
“He's out back finishing the steaks. Go out and talk to him. He was waiting for you to get here,” Julie said.
John handed the baby to her, grabbed his soda, and went out back. His brother was manning the grill and looked up when the door closed. John knew he had a huge smile on his face seeing his brother doing the manly thing.
“Shut it,” Ethan snapped. “She wanted to have dinner for everyone. Who was I to say no?”
John patted his brother on the back.
“I'm glad to see you two so happy. When I saw that fucker on the floor that day, I realized how lucky she was to have you. How's she doing?” John asked.
“She's doing really well,” Ethan said. “He's in jail. That's what helps her. As long as we keep him there, she'll be fine.”
“Anything new on him?” John asked.
“Not yet,” Ethan answered. “Since he's had multiple problems and came after her more than once, the lawyers are pretty sure he'll be gone for a long while. She's talking about going back to work. I want her to stay home and travel with me. We're discussing it.”
“You mean she hasn't given in yet?” John asked. “You have definitely met your match.”
Ethan smacked John on the arm and laughed.
“When are you going to meet your match big brother? I haven't seen you with anyone in a few months. We need to find your Mrs. Right.”
“Listen here,” John said. “You didn't believe in love. Just because Julie knocked you on your ass doesn't mean you need to turn into some cupid or something. Leave my love life alone. My Mrs. Right doesn't exist.”
John turned around and walked back into the house. He plopped down on the couch and closed his eyes.
“Dinner's ready,” Ethan said, as he smacked John on the leg. “You need to get some sleep. What's up with you?”
“Nothing,” John answered. “I haven't been sleeping lately. I have a feeling I will tonight. My ass is beat.”
They all sat around the table. It was nice to see Julie so happy to make dinner for everyone. She made John's plate first and then served everyone else. They all talked about whatever was going on in their lives. Josh and Lisa were still running restaurants, raising a baby, and fighting fires. Josh was fighting the fires anyway. Gavin was busy running his company and watching over his pregnant wife. The guy freaked out about everything with her pregnancy. John didn't blame it though. Becky was still working. She didn't want to quit until much later in her pregnancy. Heath was still building and fixing houses. He had been pretty quiet the last few times John had seen him. Hopefully, he was over Lisa. It was rough on him when she was in the fire and even worse when she fell in love with one of his best friends.
“Any new games I should know about?” John asked Julie.
She laughed and shook her head.
“The new one he's working on is amazing. I got to test out a few levels. It's top secret. You know I still have my favorites,” she said.
“It's not that easy to get work done now. She yells at the screen and scares the shit out of me. I try to help her, but he shoos me away. She doesn't want any cheats. It's hilarious to watch her though. I might need to give her a room of her own for that stuff. I think I've created a monster,” Ethan said.
“Shut up,” she snapped at Ethan. “I'm not that bad. You were the one that let me into your nerd room.”
“Don't remind me, woman. What did I tell you about that nerd talk?” Ethan joked.
As soon as dinner was over, Julie hurried to get dessert. She made cheesecake. Just as she handed John his plate, he heard the beep and shook his head.
“Damn,” he snapped. “I love cheesecake.”
He quickly shoved as much as he could into his mouth and got up.
“I'll keep some in the fridge for you. Come by tonight or tomorrow and get it,” Julie said.
He hurried to hug everyone and took off for the door.
“At least I made it through those great steaks little brother,” he said just as he was shutting the door behind him. “I think you've found your calling.”
Chapter 3
He got in his patrol car and on the road as quickly as he could. All he knew was that there was a multiple vehicle collision. He was hoping that it wasn't as bad as it sounded over the radio. That was one of the toughest parts of the job. Pulling his mind into focus, he kept his eyes on the road. It had been such a long day already.
He got to the scene as fast as possible. When he pulled up, it looked pretty bad. There were three cars, but only two of them looked totaled. There was already one officer on the scene. He was at one of the wrecked cars. John got out of his car and ran to the car closest to him. It looked like the car had been hit on the driver side door. When he ran up, he tried to pull the door open. There was a woman inside, and she wasn't moving. John knew he had to get inside the car to find out if she was okay. He worked and worked to get the door open with what he had in his car. When he was finally able to pry it open, he threw his tools to the side. There was sweat pouring down his forehead and his arms were already sore. He needed to get back into his gym.
John looked around the car to make sure she was alone. He was thankful that it was just her. When he touched her to see is she had a pulse, he heard a low grumble sound and relaxed a little.
“Can you hear me ma'am? Everything's going to be okay. We have help on the way,” he said softly.
She leaned on her arm and wanted to sit up. John helped her so she could be upright. Something was familiar about her, but he needed to keep his head where it should be. His mind had been wandering lately, more than usual. He thought he had seen someone he had known years ago a few times in the few months before that day, but he knew it was his imagination.
“Try to stay in one place. I don't want you to hurt yourself.”
John had a light in his hand and was shining it on the woman so he could help her. It was too dark out to see into her car without the light. She tilted her head back and opened her eyes slightly. John's breath caught. His eyes widened and he knew a look of fear crossed his face. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. What the hell was wrong with him, he wondered? He had to be seeing things. There was no way those eyes belonged to who he thought they did. No matter how hard he tried to catch his breath, he felt like his chest was caving in. Get your shit together, he thought to himself. Her eyes were closed again when he looked back at her. There was blood dripping down her forehead from a cut. She had scrapes on her cheek as well. When she tried to move again, he held his hand on hers.
“I need you to stay still. We need to make sure everything is okay before you move.”
She opened her eyes again. They were open much wider than before. She had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He took a deep breath. There was no mistaking them. He leaned over her to remove her seat belt, but it wouldn't come out. When he leaned over again, he cut the belt from her. She shifted her body forward and looked at him closely. He heard a gasp escape her lips.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
***
Sandy had no idea where she was. The voice speaking to her was so soothing. There was something about the sound that made her so comfortable. Oh, she missed that voice. She opened her eyes and saw the man that was rescuing her. Why was he telling her to stay still, she wondered? What was happening? It didn't matter. She knew it was just a dream. The voice was the same one in all of her dreams, but she had never seen him dressed as a police officer before. Even though the situation wasn't the best, she didn't want to wake up. She wanted to stay in that dream forever.
When she opened her eyes a little m
ore, she realized it wasn't a dream at all. There were sirens and flashing lights. Maybe it wasn't him. When he spoke again, she knew for sure. The way he breathed deep when she saw their eyes connect told her he knew who she was. She hadn't realized she said anything until it was too late.
***
“It's you,” she whispered.
“What?” he asked.
“Could it really be you?” she asked.
He didn't respond but pulled back out of the car. She reached up and grabbed his cheeks.
“John, is that you?” she asked. “I know it's you.”
He knew he had to keep his mind focused. When he thought he was mistaken, it was much easier for him. John knew that he looked different than he did when they had known each other. He couldn't believe she knew it was him. What the hell was she doing there, he wondered? They went to college two states away. The last he heard she still lived by the college. There was no way she was back. Keep your mind on your job, he thought.
“I need to get out of the car. Everything feels fine. My head hurts, but that's all,” she said.
“You need to say in the car,” he said.
“No, I need to get out,” she snapped.
“The car's in a small ditch. I wouldn't mind getting you away from it. I'll help you out. If anything hurts, you need to sit back down.”
She shook her head. He reached in and took her arm to help her out. Once she stood, she put her arm around his neck and let him help her up the small hill to the road. An ambulance was coming down the street and stopped in front of them. There was another right behind the first one.
“How do you feel? What hurts?” he asked.
“Just my head right now,” she answered.
When they got to the back of the ambulance, he gave them a quick update and let them take over. He ran to the other car that was damaged. Once the paramedics were able to get those people help, John sat down on the curb with his head in his hands. He wasn't prepared for the feelings bubbling up inside of him. It had been so many years since he had seen her last. Get with it, he told himself. You're forty-six. You haven't seen her since you were nineteen. You've both moved on. Let it go.
Rescue of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #4) Page 1
