Chasing Hope

by Nancy Stopper

  “Rachel Bennett’s family?” announced a voice. All five of them turned. Wearing a scrub shirt and a worn pair of jeans, a doctor carrying a folder approached them. “Deputy. Dr. Daniels. Good to see you again. I wish it were under better circumstances. I presume you brought her in?”

  “Yeah. You know Lucas and Joey. This is Lucas’s fiancée Sarah and Joey’s girlfriend Brittany.”

  “Butch, nice to see you again. Although I’d prefer to see you on the other side of the bar at J.J.’s instead of here.” Joey turned to Brittany and Sarah. “This is Carla’s boyfriend.”

  Lucas nodded and then addressed Butch. “How is Rachel, Doc?” Lucas’s even tone was a stark contrast to Joey’s emotional reaction.

  “Aside from some pretty ugly bruises and a goose egg on her head, she’s fine. Nothing a few days rest and some TLC won’t take care of. I’m more concerned about her emotional state. Right now she’s quite disconnected. But the full reality of what happened will slam into her at some point. She’ll need a lot of support. She may even try to go back to him.”

  “What? You gotta be kidding. I’ll never let that happen.” Joey raised his chin and snarled. “If I gotta tie her up and— ”

  Brittany grasped his hand and whispered in his ear.

  She was probably telling Joey to settle down, which saved Sawyer from shifting into “deputy” mode on his best friend. Rachel didn’t need a big brother’s protective anger right now.

  “If she wants, she can stay with me. I’ve got a spare room in my new apartment.” Brittany kept stroking Joey’s hand.

  “Us, too.” Sarah said in her soft voice. “She’s welcome to stay as long as she’d like.”

  Exactly what he’d expected—they’d offered their homes. He braced himself for the yelling that was sure to come. “She already told me she doesn’t want to stay with family.

  A collective gasp filled the air.

  Joey raised his finger. “She has to. We can take care of her.”

  Brittany ran her hand up Joey’s arm. “You have to understand, honey. She’s embarrassed right now. Probably ashamed she let it get this bad. That she let Shane take advantage of her this way. As much as you love her, she’s not ready for that right now. She will be, eventually, but for now, I can understand why she doesn’t want to stay with any of us.”

  Sawyer spared Brittany a smile. She understood… unfortunately.

  Joey stuck out his bottom lip in a pout so amusing Sawyer would laugh if this wasn’t such a serious situation. “Okay. Fine. But why not Mom and Dad? I called them already. They didn’t want to overwhelm her, so they’re waiting at home for me to call back. She can stay at home. Let’s go get her.”

  Thank God Joey hadn’t signed up for the army. His emotional mouth would have had him kicked out two days into basic training. Sawyer raked his hands through his hair. He hadn’t even told the brothers that he’d struck out at the shelter.

  And where could Rachel go? Her brothers wouldn’t want her stay in Philly, far away from their helping hands. Not that Rachel would listen to what they had to say right now anyway. As for Rachel refusing to stay with her parents, that was quite the puzzle. “There’s something else going on there. I don’t know what, but she didn’t even want me to call your mom and dad.”

  Lucas scrubbed his hand over his jaw, like he was measuring his words. He probably was. “They’ve been acting weird about her for a while. Remember how they were when we told them Shane was hitting Rachel? Something is definitely going on. I’ll see if I can find out. Right now, we need to support Rachel and show her we love her, no matter what. She needs to know we’re here for her. If we try to force her to stay somewhere she doesn’t want to be, we’ll be no better than Shane.”

  Dr. Daniels cleared his throat. “You can go back and see her now. We’re going to discharge her in half an hour. She doesn’t have any physical restrictions, but she’s going to crash at some point, and she’s going to need all of your support.”

  Joey barely allowed Dr. Daniels to finish before he hustled down the hall. Lucas placed a quick kiss on Sarah’s lips and hurried after his brother. Sawyer and the women shuffled to the chairs in the waiting area.

  Lucas and Joey had chosen well. Sarah with her quiet grace and Brittany’s larger-than-life personality. Both completely different, but absolutely perfect for the men in their lives. Lucas and Sarah were close to picking out a wedding date, and Joey would probably chase them to the altar. Meanwhile, Sawyer sat here alone.

  He folded his arms. If he didn’t make some major changes, he’d spend the rest of his life going home to his dog while all of his friends cuddled a warm woman. It was his own fault. He’d locked down his emotions and bottled them up for most of his life. He couldn’t let anyone in. Because if he let them in, if he let himself love them, then he was setting himself up to be hurt.

  And then there was Rachel. He’d had feelings for her a long time ago, but had stuffed those feelings down when he came back from Afghanistan broken. With a suitcase of baggage to work through. Besides, she needed a friend, not a lover. Not that he could be anything more to her while he had his own baggage to sort out. Shoot, his last girlfriend had walked away because he was ‘emotionally unavailable,’ as she put it.

  Quiet beeping and the hushed voices of the men and women were the only sounds in the waiting room. The clock on the opposite wall ticked each interminable second off. He should be back there. Protecting Rachel. Helping Lucas keep Joey from strong-arming her into something she didn’t want.

  Brittany straightened in the chair. “How is she?”

  “I think she’s okay. It was touch and go for a while but she did great. It’s like she knew what I wanted her to do to defuse the situation. She’s been fighting him off for a long time, and he’d beaten her down. But she was determined. I think a bit of the old Rachel was fighting back.”

  Sarah wrung her hands. “The whole family’s been worried about her for a long time. I met her and Shane at the festival last year. We didn’t like him from the start and saw something wrong between them even then. At least she’s finally free of him.”

  “Rachel may be free physically, but she has a long road ahead of her.” Brittany shook her head. “Trust me, I know. My mother thought about leaving my father many times but never did. Thank God Shane and Rachel don’t have kids. Hopefully, that will make it easier for her. But she’s been beat down emotionally, and she’ll need time to recover.”

  “She’s going to need her family. As much as she fights it, she’s going to need all of your support.” Sawyer glanced back down the hallway. Even mine.

  Sarah patted his knee. “I’m so glad she has you in her corner.”

  “She always has.” Sawyer leapt out of the chair and paced the floor. No, that wasn’t working. He sat. What was taking them so long?

  He had just closed his eyes, the exhaustion finally setting in, when Brittany jumped up. He snapped his eyes open and scrambled to his feet. Lucas pushed Rachel in a wheelchair through the swinging doors. Joey walked beside them, his hand on Rachel’s shoulder while she fiddled with the blanket that covered her lap.

  “I’m ready to go. Did you call ahead?” If Rachel wouldn’t even say the word shelter, how would she feel when Sawyer told her they didn’t have room?

  “I called… they didn’t have any beds.”

  Rachel deflated, the little bit of hope in her eyes washed away. How much more did she have to take?

  Joey patted her shoulder. “See, honey, now you can come stay with me.”

  Rachel’s head snapped up and with panic in her eyes, she shook her head, just barely.

  Sawyer’s heart broke for her. She was going to be forced into another situation not of her own choosing. “Our overflow shelter in Chestnut Hill had a break-in, so not only did they fill our beds, we don’t have a backup close by. I can take you to the shelter in Philly.” Sawyer hated to see the defeated look in her eyes as he told her the bad news.

  Her deep, sorrowf
ul eyes pleaded with him beneath furrowed brows. Suddenly, her face lit up. “I can stay with Sawyer.” ... ... ...

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  Turn the page for an excerpt from One Last Objection, book 4 in Nancy’s Oak Grove series. The Oak Grove series features the Bennetts, Rachel’s family!

  ONE LAST OBJECTION

  Book 4 in the Oak Grove Series

  By: Nancy Stopper

  PROLOGUE

  Knock. Knock. Knock. Michael adjusted the collar of his polo and then slumped against the doorframe when Maggie didn’t answer right away. He really shouldn’t be here. There was a pile of work building on his desk by the minute. His boss had thrown him the stink-eye when Michael’d said he was actually taking the Labor Day holiday off. He’d busted his ass to get where he was, right on the brink of making partner. Five different cases demanded his attention right now, but the bombshell his sister Rachel had dropped had thrown him for a loop. So instead of heading back to the office, he found himself here.

  He really didn’t have time to stay. But with all the crap running through his head, he’d make the time. Maggie was the only one who could make him forget everything, at least for a little while.

  He knocked for the third time. One more minute and he’d leave. With the upcoming partnership evaluation period, he just didn’t know when he’d be back in town again.

  He snatched his phone from his pocket to dash off a quick text to Maggie when the door opened behind him.

  He turned.

  Water dripped off of the deep red hair hanging over Maggie’s shoulders. She sopped up the moisture with the towel in her hand. When she raised her head, her smile grew even bigger.

  “Get your ass in here and make love to me.” She fisted his polo and yanked him out of the hall and into her condo.

  Michael had barely crossed the threshold before he fell hard into her, the silk of her robe soft against his arms. He cupped her ass, bare and smooth against his palms and the towel dropped to the floor. Holy shit. She wasn’t wearing any panties. Just like that, his cock was so hard he could pound nails. He pulled her tight against him, desperate to ease the ache in his crotch. He dug his fingers into her ass, and she held onto him like her life depended on it. When he speared his tongue into her mouth, she moaned, the sound digging deep into his gut.

  Thank God she was here. She could take the edge off after the day he’d had.

  She broke the kiss and stroked his chest. “Hello to you, too. I didn’t know you were in town.”

  He trailed kisses down her cheek, to that spot right at the base of her neck that had her squirming every time. “Just a quick trip. Had to see you.”

  She pushed him away and quirked her eyebrow.

  That little trick may work on her patients, but he was immune to her interrogation techniques. Sort of. She had a way of getting him to talk about things he’d rather keep to himself. The skill made her a great counselor. But he wasn’t her patient—he was her lover.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Who said anything is wrong?” He cupped her breast and kissed her again.

  She pushed him away. “I know you, Michael Bennett, and I can tell when something’s wrong.”

  “Don’t go analyzing me, Doc. I’m not your patient.” He licked her earlobe and then sucked it into his mouth.

  She moaned.

  That worked. He was not about to be psychoanalyzed. His life was perfectly fine, and he’d keep telling himself that as long as he had to.

  She wasn’t deterred today. “You may not be my patient, but you are my friend, and if you need to talk, I want to be here for you.”

  He sighed. Maggie deserved so much more than the hit and run relationship they had. Neither of them had the time or the interest in anything more, but they both enjoyed a few hours in bed whenever their schedules allowed. Even that had been a stretch recently with his schedule.

  Maggie ran her finger between his brows. “Right there. It’s all scrunched up. You’ll get wrinkles if you keep scowling like that.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying you don’t find me sexy anymore?”

  She slunk away, her hips swaying beneath the kimono that barely covered her ass. “Did I say that? I don’t think I said that.”

  He toed off his shoes and ripped his polo over his head as he hustled behind her. When they reached her bedroom doorway, he grabbed her wrist and spun her into his arms.

  She came willingly, her stiff-peaked nipples pressing against his chest and her core grinding into his cock. Damn. How long had it been? He counted the weeks in his head.

  “Stop thinking so hard.”

  He couldn’t help it. He’d never been able to turn his brain off. He couldn’t solve a problem if he didn’t analyze it from all directions and devise the best solution. A necessary skill for any successful lawyer.

  Maggie was the only way he’d found to calm his mind, to really live in the moment. With her, every rational thought flew right out of his head. But it wasn’t just the sex. She challenged him, helped him look at a situation in a different way, made him admit to himself things he never would have otherwise.

  But tonight, even the feel of her body against his wasn’t driving the anxiety out of his mind. It was no wonder, with the shocking revelation Rachel just dropped on him.

  He nudged Maggie into the bedroom, never breaking the kiss, until they bumped against her king-sized bed. She fell backward, pulling him with her, until he was sprawled on top of her. She ran her hands up his chest, brushing his nipple, and he sucked in a breath. Her lips and tongue followed.

  He moaned. Two could play at this game.

  He backed away and slid the silky fabric up, exposing her sex. He nudged her thighs apart. Her musky smell and the fresh scent of her mango body wash mingled together, surrounding him. Damn, that was sexy. He breathed deeply, letting the aroma calm him before he lowered his head and licked.

  Her fingers wrapped around his hair and held tight. “Oh, God.”

  He chuckled. She was always ready. He tasted her again, driving a finger deep inside and stroking. She arched off the bed and her core thrust against his mouth. He licked and rubbed, turning his finger and finding that place deep inside that drove her wild.

  Low, keening moans vibrated from deep in her throat. Her body shuddered and flexed as he swept his tongue over her again and then withdrew his fingers. With his eyes locked on hers, he brought his hand to his mouth and sucked her musky flavor off.

  “Michael, please,” she begged. The sound had his cock twitching again.

  The two of them were so good together. He had found her at just the right time in his life, and for her to live in Oak Grove, all the better. He snickered and lowered his head. Right as he plunged three fingers into her, he sucked her clit into his mouth. She screamed and yanked at his hair, her legs wrapping around his shoulders, holding him tight to her.

  He didn’t mind. She could possess him anytime. She writhed beneath him while her sex clenched his fingers, throbbing as she moaned over and over.

  He slowed his strokes and pulled back, circling her core one more time as the trembling slowed and she relaxed. Her legs fell to his sides and her body collapsed onto the bed as the final waves passed through her. Sated Maggie was almost sexier than aroused Maggie.

  She huffed out a breath, her ragged gasps slowing. Damn, he loved watching her come. He slid onto the bed beside her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and tucked her head into the crook of his neck.

  “I don’t know how, but that gets better every time.” A gentle smile crossed her lips. He sprinkled a kiss on e
ach corner of her mouth and then fully on her mouth. She sighed as he continued peppering kisses along her nose, across her eyes, to her ear. She lay in his arms like a wet noodle.

  Before long, a hand snaked along his back, tracing the muscles across his shoulder. Her other hand crossed her body and slid down his chest, across his belt, and stroked his cock through his shorts. He grew even bigger, throbbing as she pressed harder.

  “Damn, that feels good.”

  She ran her tongue along his lips and then spoke against his mouth. “What has you so stressed?”

  He sighed and flopped back. She was trying to shrink him again. He must really be putting off a vibe for her to be asking all these questions. “Just family stuff.”

  Her hand stilled and every muscle in her body stiffened.

  He eyed her suspiciously. “What?”

  She shook her head and climbed on top of him. “It’s nothing. Now where were we?”

  Interesting. Maggie was his sister’s shrink. Did she know something about what Rachel had just revealed? Before he could consider that further, Maggie started to slide down his body. Nope, none of that. He wasn’t done playing yet. He flipped them over so her delicious curves lay beneath him. He slid his hands up her hips, hiking up her robe until he’d exposed her full breasts, nipples hard and begging to be kissed. “I think I was right here.”

  Her skin tasted clean and fresh against his tongue. He sucked while he squeezed and kneaded her other breast. He let that nipple go with a pop and slithered to the other side. God, he could spend an hour just feasting on her breasts.

  She shoved him away and he fell onto his back. “Oh, no, we weren’t there at all. I think we were…”

  She grabbed his belt and in a minute, his shorts and boxer briefs were down at his ankles. His cock stretched up onto his belly. Maggie straddled his knees, the silk of her robe brushing against his thighs and her core so close to the satisfaction his cock begged for.