Hope Falls_Off-Limits Love

by Elisabeth Grace

  Table of Contents

  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

  Text copyright ©2016 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Melanie Shawn. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Hope Falls remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Melanie Shawn, or their affiliates or licensors.

  For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds

  Off-Limits Love

  By Elisabeth Grace

  Off-Limits Love

  Georgia Reynold's plan was easy. Travel to Hope Falls. Nail the interview. Fly back across the country and pack her bags to begin her new life.

  You know what they say about best laid plans...

  Everett Bishop has spent the last three years roaming the country, desperate to forget that one tragic night. When he meets his cousin's friend, he's reminded that life and love will always find a way of catching up with you--whether you're ready or not.

  Georgia has no idea what the future holds, but she's hopeful it might include Everett. She's found the chink in his armor, but will he drop his shield and surrender?

  CHAPTER ONE

  Georgia Reynolds strolled into Sue Ann’s Café knowing exactly what to expect. How couldn’t she? Her college pal Deanna Bishop used to go on and on about the place over their pathetic co-ed meals. Deanna had spent some time in Hope Falls during the summer months while growing up, and apparently, Sue Ann served the best chili there was to be had. Not only in the small town of Hope Falls, but in all the West Coast.

  Georgia planned to put that theory to the test since she’d always loved Mrs. M.’s chili back in her hometown of Saltwater Springs, South Carolina.

  Everything was precisely how she’d pictured it based on Deanna’s description. The restaurant wasn’t huge—maybe a dozen tables with mismatched tablecloths dotted the space. Pictures lined the walls, and the shelving along one wall held mementos and other random items. It was cute and cozy, precisely as she’d figured it would be.

  Most of the customers in the restaurant turned to face her, checking her out. Though not in an inhospitable way. No, just the way people from a friendly, small town did when someone who wasn’t a townie entered the local hangout. It was nothing she wasn’t accustomed to considering she hailed from a small town herself.

  As she scanned each of the tables, looking for her old college friend, she smiled at everyone she made eye contact with. Something caught her eye in the far corner of the room. Namely Deanna’s hand flailing wildly back and forth.

  With a grin, she scurried over to the table. She was full of anticipation inside—about spending time with her friend and the food she planned to devour.

  It’d been a tiring day of travel. The flight had been long, as had the drive from the airport through the Sierra Nevada mountains to reach Hope Falls. She couldn’t wait to fill her grumbling stomach.

  Deanna jumped to her feet and let out a squeal of delight that left Georgia chuckling. “I can’t believe you’re here!” she said before wrapping her in a big embrace.

  “Me either, honestly.” She squeezed her friend and pulled away. “After hearing so much about this place, it’s almost surreal to be here.”

  Deanna had taken a job there as a firefighter when she finished college. She’d also met and fallen in love with MMA champion Lucky Dorsey, and they’d been engaged to be married for a while now.

  It’d been a number of years since Georgia had seen Deanna. Her olive-toned skin still set her green eyes off, and her light-brown hair was pulled back off her face. She looked good, if her smile and her contented glow meant anything. Love seemed to agree with her.

  “Here, sit,” Deanna said, motioning to the table beside them. “We have so much catching up to do.”

  “We do. But I need to eat.” Georgia took her winter coat off and hung her purse on the back of the chair. “I couldn’t stomach the stale sandwich the airline tried to pass off as lunch. I’m starving.”

  As if a sign from God himself, an older lady approached their table with notebook and pen in hand.

  “How you girls doing tonight?” she asked.

  “We’re good, Sue Ann. How are you?” Deanna replied.

  “My bunions are acting up again, but besides that, I’m fine and dandy. You going to introduce me to your friend?” The friendly lady smiled at Georgia.

  “Of course. Sue Ann, this is Georgia Reynolds. We went to college together. Georgia, this is Sue Ann. She owns the place.”

  “In case you didn’t guess from the name of the joint.” She stuck out her hand for Georgia to take.

  “Pleasure to meet you, though I have to confess that I kind of feel like I already know you and your café. Deanna talks about it all the time. I’m dying to try the chili.”

  Sue Ann chuckled. “Well, we can’t have you keeling over from starvation now, can we? Can I start you off with some drinks?”

  “I’ll have a water, please,” Deanna said.

  “A coffee for me.” Georgia needed something to keep her eyelids open for the next few hours. She didn’t want to be rude by falling asleep in her chili. And the time change from the East Coast was a killer.

  “Perfect. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Sue Ann rushed off to greet some new customers.

  “I have so much planned for us to do. We’re going to have so much fun!” The excitement in Deanna’s voice raised it to a pitch that only dogs could hear. She reached across the table to squeeze Georgia’s hand.

  “I can’t wait. I’ll need to take some time to prepare for my interview, but I can do that while you’re on shift. Besides that, I’m all yours.”

  Back home, Georgia worked as a human resources manager, and while she liked her job—and was good at it—she longed for a change of pace. A fresh start. New town, new people, new adventures. What a relief it would be to surround herself with people who hadn’t known her since birth and didn’t know every one of her successes and failures. Half the women in Saltwater Springs had changed her diaper at some point. That alone was…yuck.

  What she refused to admit to herself was that she also wanted to get away from Hollis. They’d been together a long time, and she’d figured that, one day, they’d be married. Turned out he didn’t share the same vision. He wasn’t a bad guy. He just didn’t feel that way about her in the end. Their breakup had been like swallowing broken glass—leaving her insides shredded beyond all repair and was only complicated further by the fact that Hollis was her childhood friend’s brother. Not having to pass all the landmarks in town that held special memories for them would be no hardship. After the breakup a year ago, she’d worked nonstop as a way to fill her days, so she had more than enough vacation days to cover her time away.

  Georgia had been scouring the want ads for months, looking for anything similar to her current position, when Deanna had called to let her know that something had opened up at Hope Falls City Hall. Georgia had sent her résumé, and when they called wanting to interview her for the job, she’d offered to come in person. The opportunity had allowed her to take a long-overdue vacation and visit her old friend.

  �
��I was thinking I could take you to Mountain Ridge to ski, and we could go skating on King’s Pond. I want to show you the best Hope Falls has to offer so you’ll want to stay here.”

  Georgia chuckled. “I don’t have the job yet.”

  Deanna guffawed. “Give me a break. You’ve got this in the bag.”

  “Stop. You’re going to jinx me,” she said and knocked on the wood of the chair for extra luck.

  She rolled her eyes. “Still superstitious, I see.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being extra careful. Now, when do I get to meet the man who’s swept you off your feet and left you glowing?”

  “Pfft. I don’t glow.”

  “Deanna, if you were any more lit up, you’d be a Christmas tree.”

  She giggled, and her cheeks grew red, but it only signified how happy she really was. “Lucky should be here soon. He was finishing up a workout with my cousins when I spoke with him last.”

  “How is Eli?” Georgia asked.

  Deanna’s cousin had visited her at college once, and Georgia had had the pleasure of meeting him. He was a fun, attractive guy who—apparently—had thought the same of her. At least, she assumed so since he’d hit on her. Several times. Georgia had made it clear to him that nothing was going to happen between them. Not only was she not a girl who casually fooled around with guys, but she wouldn’t do that to her friend. What were the chances that she and Eli were soulmates? Slim to none. No good could come from it as she’d proven to herself years later after her break-up with Hollis.

  Deanna shrugged. “Same old. Still a bachelor. Probably always will be.”

  Prior to falling for Lucky, she and Georgia had engaged in many conversations where Georgia had ribbed her about all the attractive firefighters she was around every day. Deanna had made it clear—she didn’t shit where she ate. And Georgia agreed with the philosophy.

  “And your cousin Everett. What’s he like?” Georgia asked.

  You didn’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to notice the slight tightening of the muscles in Deanna’s jaw, to know something was amiss. “He’s the oldest of the four boys. He can be a little intense, serious. He’s only been in town a few months and he’s much more…in his head than he used to be when we were younger.”

  Before Georgia could respond, Sue Ann placed their drinks in front of them. Her shirt lay slightly askew on her chest, her cheeks were flushed, and one side of her hair was perfectly coifed while the other looked like she’d been running her hands through it.

  “Are you okay, Sue Ann?” Deanna asked, a crease forming on her forehead.

  The woman waved her off. “I’m fine. A little tired, I suppose. Kelly is off with the flu, and it’s been so busy I’m running around like a crazy person. Guess I’m not as young as I used to be.” She gave a small laugh that sounded more weary than cheery.

  “Well, be sure not to overdo it,” Deanna advised.

  Sue Ann patted her hand. “Don’t you worry about me. I’ve got plenty of years in me still. Now, what can I get you ladies to eat?”

  Deanna opened her mouth, but a deep, male voice rang out behind her.

  “Why do you even bother asking anymore, Sue Ann? You know she always orders the same thing every time we’re here.”

  Deanna’s gaze darted over Georgia’s shoulder, and she didn’t need to spin around to know who it was. Based on the grin plastered on her friend’s face and the sparkle in her eyes, Georgia knew that it had to be Lucky. Yep, love definitely agreed with her.

  “Uh oh. Here comes trouble,” Sue Ann teased.

  “Only the best kind,” the male said.

  Georgia swung around in her seat confirming that Lucas “Lucky” Dorsey was approaching the table. She’d seen him enough times on television during his MMA fights to know that it was him, regardless of the fact that they’d never actually met. After shooting her a quick smile he returned his attention back to his fiancée. It was easy to see how Deanna had become so charmed by the man. Eli, who followed in behind him, smiled and gave Georgia a wave which she returned.

  When Lucky reached the table, he leaned down and gave Deanna a toe-curling kiss. Deanna’s hands were gripping the front of Lucky’s shirt. Then Lucky directed his attention to Georgia.

  “Hi. I’m Lucky.” He stuck his hand out across the table.

  Georgia did the same, and her small hand was eaten up by the fighter’s gigantic one. “Georgia. Nice to finally meet the guy who put that smile on her face.”

  “It’s all the hot sex,” Lucky deadpanned as he let Georgia’s hand go and took a seat next to Deanna.

  “Lucky! I swear.” Deanna’s face grew bright red.

  Georgia laughed at her friend’s expense. The chair to her left scraped across the floor as Eli pulled it out to sit beside her.

  “Enough, you two. Seriously. I don’t want to hear that shit about my own cousin.”

  Lucky’s laugh rang out through the diner while Georgia pressed her lips together in an attempt to rein in her amusement.

  Eli spun in his chair to face her. “How’s it going, Georgia? Good to see you again.”

  “Thanks. Same here. You’re looking good.”

  He flexed the muscles in his arms in a joking way. “What can I say? The bachelor life agrees with me.”

  “I’d love to stay and listen to more of this, but every minute I do, I’m getting further behind,” Sue Ann said. “I’ll give you all a minute to look at the menu. Be back in a flash.”

  “We’re waiting on Everett too,” Eli said, referring to his brother and Deanna’s cousin, as she began to walk away.

  “Do you want me to move you to a bigger table?”

  Georgia scanned the diner, but no other tables were available.

  “Nah. He can pull up a chair at the end here.” Eli shrugged. “No biggie.”

  Seeming satisfied and a little relieved, Sue Ann nodded and then skittered back to the kitchen.

  They all chatted for a few minutes before Sue Ann returned to take everyone’s orders. Everett had yet to arrive, so Eli placed an order for him.

  Five minutes passed and Georgia brushed her hand over the back of her neck when a tingling sensation radiated down her spine. It felt almost as if someone was watching her. Moments later, a large presence to her right bore down on her and she turned in that direction to check it out. Everyone else was too busy laughing at something Eli had said to notice at first.

  Georgia’s eyes locked with a set of chestnut ones framed by full, dark lashes. Goose bumps cascaded up her arms like a wave rolling onto shore. He was the most stunning male specimen she’d ever seen. His dark hair almost perfectly matched the shade of his eyes. His full lips and chiseled jaw completed his model looks, and she struggled to keep her mouth from dropping open. He looked like one of those guys who was clean-shaven at the beginning of the day, but by the time the lights went out at night, would be rocking a five-o’clock shadow. Oh, how she’d like to see him when the lights went out.

  “Everett, you made it. Wasn’t sure you were going to show,” Eli said.

  “Yeah, I figured that workout had done you in and you’d gone home to curl up with your blankie,” Lucky added.

  Both men at the table laughed, and Everett’s gaze finally left hers and darted to everyone else.

  “I think you’re confusing me for my brother here,” he said, his deep voice rumbling.

  The intensity of his stare had caused Georgia to lose her breath. She blinked a couple times, freeing herself from the trance she found herself in. Air whooshed back into her lungs, as she sucked in a ragged breath.

  Deanna rolled her eyes. “All right, boys. Why don’t you all whip ’em out on the table and I’ll find a ruler so we can measure which of you has the biggest dick.”

  Lucky let out a noise that sounded like a growl and slung an arm around her shoulder. “I don’t want to talk about you looking at anyone else’s dick, woman.”

  “Ew, gross,” she said. “They’re my cousins. Measuring these
two doofuses would be Georgia’s job. Right, girl?” She laughed.

  The thought of measuring Everett’s anything had Georgia choking on the sip of her drink she’d taken. She coughed into her sleeve, trying in vain to catch her breath. A large, warm hand started rubbing small circles on her back.

  “You okay?” Everett’s deep voice questioned beside her ear.

  With watering eyes, she twisted in her seat and saw Everett hunched down, concern flooding his eyes. Georgia nodded, and the coughing subsided enough that she was able to breathe. It wasn’t lost on her that he was still rubbing her back, and it really wasn’t lost on her how badly she didn’t want him to stop.

  “Suppose this is as good a time as any to introduce you two,” Deanna interjected. “Georgia, this is my cousin, Everett. Everett, this is Georgia.”

  He directed a warm smile at her. And there she was. Caught up in his tractor beam again.

  Everett rose with his hand extended. “Pleasure to meet you. My cousin has been so excited about your visit.” He smiled a little.

  Georgia couldn’t help but think how perfect his voice sounded—deep and throaty with a hint of raspiness to it.

  She accepted his handshake, and the moment they made skin-to-skin contact, a burst of energy traveled up her arm, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake. It was as if tiny firecrackers had been set off inside her.

  “Good to meet you as well,” she said in a soft voice.

  It wasn’t until that moment that Georgia wished she’d put some effort into her appearance. The top knot she’d opted to throw her blond hair into before catching her flight no longer felt cute and playful. Rather than wearing no makeup at all, it might have been better if she’d managed to put on that gray eyeshadow that always deepened the blue in her eyes. And perhaps it would’ve been a good idea not to wear leggings coupled with an oversized sweatshirt that hung almost to her knees and did absolutely nothing to highlight the body she worked so hard to keep in shape.

  Everett let her hand drop and turned to grab an unused chair from a nearby table. He spun it so the back of the chair was facing the table then straddled it to sit facing the group of them.