Never Forget The Past (The Men 0f Fire Beach Book 4)
Page 14
“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.
Click here to continue reading The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet.
The Story Doesn’t End!
You’ve met a few people and fallen in love….
I bet you’re wondering how you can meet everyone else.
Star Lake Series:
When Love Returns: Can Presley and Brandon forget past hurts or will their stubborn natures keep them apart forever?
Once Upon a Star: Now that Blake has gained confidence and some muscle, will he finally be able to reveal his feelings to Audrey?
Love Conquers All: Now that Azarius has another chance with Laney, will he find the courage to share his life with her? Or will his emotional walls create a barrier that will leave him alone once more?
The Heartbeats Series:
Where It All Began: Will Sandra tell Henry her darkest secret? And will she ever be able to forgive herself and find healing? Find out in this emotional love story.
The Power of Prayer: Who will Callie choose and how will her choice affect the rest of her life? Find out in this touching novel.
When Hearts Collide: Amanda captivates his heart, but can Jared save her from making the biggest mistake of her life? A must read for mothers and daughters.
A Past Forgiven: Can Chad leave his bad-boy image behind and step up and be there for Jess and the baby?
Sweet Billionaires Series:
The Billionaire’s Secret: Can Max really change his philandering ways? Or will one mistake seal his fate forever?
A Brush with a Billionaire: Will Brent and Sam’s stubborn natures keep them apart or can a small town festival bring them together?
The Billionaire’s Christmas Miracle: Drew Devonshire is captivated by the woman he meets at a masquerade ball, but who is she?
The Billionaire’s Cowboy Groom: When Carrie returns to town requesting a divorce, can he convince her they belong together?
The Cowboy Billionaire: Coming Soon!
The Lawkeeper Series:
Lawfully Matched: Will Jesse find his fiancee's killer? And when Kate flies into his life, will he be able to put his painful past behind him in order to love again?
Lawfully Justified: Can Emma offer William a reason to stay? Can William find a way to heal from his broken past to start a future with Emma? Or will a haunting secret take away all the possibilities of this budding romance?
The Scarlet Wedding: William and Emma are planning their wedding, but an outbreak and a return from his past force them to change their plans. Is a happily ever after still in their future?
Lawfully Redeemed: Dani Higgins is a K9 cop looking to make a name for herself, but she finds herself at the mercy of a stranger after an accident. Calvin Phillips just wanted to help his brother, but somehow he ended up in the middle of a police investigation and caring for the woman trying to bring his brother in.
The Still Small Voice Series:
The Still Small Voice: Will Kat be able to give up control and do what God is asking of her?
A Spark in the Darkness coming soon!
Blushing Brides Series:
The Cowboy’s Reality Bride: Laney Swann has been running from her past for years, but it takes meeting a man on a reality dating show to make her see there’s no need to run.
The Reality Bride’s Baby: Laney wants nothing more than a baby, but when she starts feeling dizzy is it pregnancy or something more serious?
The Producer’s Unlikely Bride: Ava McDermott is waiting for the perfect love, but after agreeing to a fake relationship with Justin, she finds herself falling for real.
Ava’s Blessing in Disguise: Five years after marriage, Ava faces a mysterious illness that threatens to ruin her career. Will she find out what it is?
The Soldier’s Steadfast Bride: coming soon
The Men of Fire Beach
Fire Games: Cassidy returns home from Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy to find obsessive letters from a fan. The cop assigned to help her wants to get back to his case, but what she sees at a fire may just be the key he’s looking for.
Lost Memories and New Beginnings: She has no idea who she is. He’s the doctor caring for her. When her past collides with his present, can he keep her safe?
When Questions Abound A companion story to Lost Memories, this book tells the story from Detective Jordan Graves’s point of view.
Never Forget the Past
Secrets and Suspense coming soon!
Stand Alones:
Love Renewed: This books is part of the multi author second chance series. When fate reunites high school sweethearts separated by life’s choices, can they find a second chance at love at a snowy lodge amid a little mystery?
Her children’s early reader chapter book series:
The Wishing Stone #1: Dangerous Dinosaur
The Wishing Stone #2: Dragon Dilemma
The Wishing Stone #3: Mesmerizing Mermaids
The Wishing Stone #4: Pyramid Puzzle
The Wishing Stone Inspirations 1: Mary’s Miracle
To see a list of all her books
authorloranahoopes.com
loranahoopes@gmail.com
Discussion Questions
1. What was your favorite scene in the book? What made it your favorite?
2. Did you have a favorite line in the book? What do you think made it so memorable?
3. Who was your favorite character in the book and why?
4. Where you surprised by any of the events?
5. What do you think would be the hardest part about taking on a new identity?
6. What did you learn about God from reading this book?
7. How can you use that know
ledge in your life from now on?
8. What can you take away from Bubba’s and Makenna’s relationship?
9. What do you think would make the story even better?
About The Author
Lorana Hoopes is an inspirational author originally from Texas but now living in the PNW with her husband and three children. When not writing, she can be seen kickboxing at the gym, singing, or acting on stage. One day, she hopes to retire from teaching and write full time.