Chasing Strength: A Small Town Steamy Romance (Harper Family series Book 4)

by Nancy Stopper

  In his extended hand he held a sparkling solitaire diamond in a beautiful platinum setting. She couldn’t believe this was her life and the man she loved had just proposed.

  “Alexis?” Serena nudged her from behind. She hadn’t even noticed her siblings had followed them down the street. “I think he’s waiting for an answer.”

  There was only one answer she even considered. “Oh… Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

  Her siblings and their significant others all burst out in applause as Chris slipped the ring on her third finger. She held out her hand and admired the one piece of jewelry she’d never expected to wear. Chris pulled her into his arms and lowered his head, and she knew that what her father had said was true—she was strong enough to reach out and grab the future she deserved with the man she loved.

  I hope you enjoyed Alexis and Chris’s story. Chasing Strength is Book 4 in the Harper Family series.

  Want to read the series that started it all? Read about Rachel Bennett and her siblings in the Oak Grove series. Keep reading for a sneak peak at ONE LAST RISK, book 1 in the Oak Grove series...

  Chapter One

  Lucas Bennett’s hands shook, adrenaline coursing through his veins. When the engine pulled up, thick, gray smoke billowed out of the burning barn. Horses’ panicked whinnies and mournful cries from the family filled the air. By the time his crew hustled to establish the perimeter and pour water on the fire, it would be too late. There wasn’t time. Flames darting out the barn’s doors and the melted holes in the metal shingles on the roof didn’t matter. He couldn’t let the beast take everything from this family.

  Flinging an oxygen tank onto his back, he charged into the burning barn. Thick smoke enveloped him, taunting him through the mask on his helmet. Straw blanketed the floor and stretched up to the loft. Fuel to feed the beast. His worst nightmare flashed before him.

  He shone his flashlight at the beams. Flames danced and licked at the main support for the barn. Damn. The thick layer of hay covering the barn floor was a big invitation for the beast, and if Lucas didn’t move quickly, fire would win. Again.

  Horses bucked and screeched on each side of him.

  He had to get to the animals.

  He lowered his head. The deadly heat pressed against him, waiting for the right moment to test his bunker gear. He ran his hand along the wooden slats framing the stalls. Each step toward the horses also brought him closer to the roaring flames licking at the wood. His racing pulse thumped in his neck. He breathed deeply, evenly, to conserve the precious oxygen in the tank. Before he reached the blaze, his hand connected with the latch of a stall. He flung it open.

  Come on. Out! You gotta work with me here.

  With teeth bared and eyes wild, the horse backed away from the open door and encroaching smoke and flames. Her screaming whinny echoed through the barn. As the heat from the stall seared her, she leapt forward.

  Of course, it couldn’t be that easy. Dammit.

  Fumbling until he felt a lead rope on a nearby hook, he headed into the stall. The horse inside continued to buck. She lifted her hooves high into the air, obviously rattled by Lucas’s presence and the fire surrounding her. He approached the horse, his hands held up and out, shushing. Finally, he got close enough, flung the rope around her neck, and dragged her toward the door of the stall. She braced her feet against the floor, fighting against his pull. If he spent any more time freeing this horse, neither of them would get out alive.

  Sharp, piercing pain speared his chest.

  He’d just pulled the horse into the aisle when a deafening sound echoed throughout the barn, the floor shaking from the depth of the roar. His head snapped up toward the noise. A flaming beam fell toward him. As the horse darted in one direction, Lucas leapt to the other. The beam glanced off his shoulder and knocked him to his knees. It lay on the floor beside him. The fire kept consuming the straw. Like a beautiful woman, the flames drew him in, calling to him, and he couldn’t turn away.

  The impact of another beam knocked him flat on his face.

  Dammit. Shit. How could I get so distracted?

  He shook his head and blinked. Fuzzy images swirled in front of him. Through the thick fog, red and orange flames nipped at the straw on the floor. He pushed at the obstruction on his back. Nothing. He tried to get to his feet. No dice. When he turned his head to the side, sharp knives of pain shot through his body. He wiggled left and then right. He was trapped. He couldn’t move.

  Lucas twisted and turned faster now. His struggling managed to get him onto his side. He rolled once more until he landed on his back. The fallen section of timber now lay across his chest, compressing his lungs. If he could just get free, he might get the upper hand over the blaze. He tried again but the gear and tank meant to save his life now hindered his escape. His heart raced, his breathing shallowed, and he flailed his arms and legs. He looked toward the stalls that housed the remaining horses. They reared and then slammed their hooves down, the floor vibrating each time.

  Damn. I know better.

  If only he’d listened to the crew and not rushed in. The beast was not going to win. He couldn’t let it.

  But fire didn’t play fair. Didn’t follow the rules. He kept thrashing, challenging the fire in a fight for his life.

  Is this how Shawn felt just before the end?

  Would he suffer the same fate?

  He closed his eyes, resting for what would likely be his final battle. He opened them again and spied movement through the grey fog of smoke that filled the barn. Had someone come in after him? He writhed again, swinging his arms against the wood pressing him against the floor.

  The pressure and weight eased off his chest. A hand pulled him to his feet.

  The barn spun. Lucas bent over, acrid bile burning his throat. Each breath sent stinging daggers through his side. Shit. Bruised his ribs. Again. He straightened, knees buckling. He pressed his hand to his side. It didn’t work. Sharp knives kept pricking at him.

  The other firefighter gestured. The man’s mouth moved, but the words were lost in the rumble of the fire.

  “What?” he shouted through his mask.

  The firefighter shoved him toward the back of the barn. Lucas grabbed his buddy, and together they stumbled through the gray, billowing smoke and darted around flames licking at the hay-covered floor. They rounded the corner into the last stall, backs pressed against the wooden slats as the final strokes of an ax fractured the thick wall.

  Daylight cut through the smoke. One firefighter shoved Lucas to the other side where several hands grabbed them, yanking him to safety.

  With his arms wrapped around two company-mates, he stumbled around the building to where the crew had established a perimeter—the one he shouldn’t have crossed before the fire was under control.

  As soon as they released him, he ripped his helmet and mask off. Sharp pain speared through his side, his muscles trembled, and his legs gave out, throwing him to the ground. He hung his head, the pinch in his stomach growing intensely until it bubbled over. He wretched.

  He stayed there for a few minutes longer, his stomach churning. Eventually, he looked up to find Stacey in her blue uniform, a stethoscope draped around her neck and the medical box in her hand. Her face was pale. As he straightened up and sat back on his heels, Stacey reached out, pressing against his arms, his shoulders, and eventually, his ribs.

  He winced.

  “Are you hurt anywhere else?” she asked.

  “No, just bruised ribs and smoke inhalation.”

  After studying him for a moment, Stacey smacked him across the shoulder.

  He leapt up, pain stabbing him in the side. He fell back onto his ass. “Hey! What the hell was that for?”

  “For being an idiot… and an asshole. What were you—”

  “What the hell was that?” the Captain yelled as he ran up to the pair of them on the sidewalk.

  “I couldn’t let it win, Captain.” Lucas coughed and grimaced as he spoke.

&
nbsp; “That’s not good enough, Bennett. Not anymore.”

  Planting his fists on his waist, the Captain stomped away a few steps and then turned back to Lucas. “You’ve been spiraling down this path of self-destruction for months now. We’ve had this conversation. Each time, you’ve promised me you had it under control. Today, you not only risked your own life, but the lives of Justin and Drew. I had to send them in after your sorry ass and move Jake off fire control to cut a hole for your escape. You’ve gone too far this time, Lucas.”

  Damn. His first name. This was really bad. Lucas fumbled for the words to make this better. He needed to fix this—fast. In the past, he’d been the only one at risk. Not today. Today, he might have taken others with him. It was unforgivable.

  He pulled himself to his feet and paced over to the engine. He ran his hand through his hair, then opened his mouth but closed it again. He turned back to the captain and leaned against the engine. “I know… and I’m sorry. I never meant to get anyone else involved. I don’t have an excuse, but it won’t happen again.”

  “You’re damn right it’s not going to happen again. I’m suspending you—”

  “Cap—”

  “No buts, Bennett. Not anymore. You can stay on the EMS crew as long as you don’t screw that up, too. You’re also gonna get yourself to the department shrink. If she doesn’t clear you to return at the end of your suspension, we’ll have to discuss your future here at the station.”

  His heart raced. This wasn’t happening. He couldn’t lose the one important thing he had in his life. “How long?”

  “Sixty days—”

  “Sixty days! Please, not that long, Cap. I’ll go see the shrink, I promise, but don’t take me off the crew. I need… I have to…”

  “You’re lucky I’m not terminating you, Bennett. I’m taking a risk leaving you on EMS duty. I’m trusting you to get your head screwed on straight. This is your last warning. I have no intention of walking up to your mother’s door to tell her you died because you were stupid. Do you understand me?”

  Lucas bowed his head. His family meant everything to him. He couldn’t do that to them. An image of his mother mourning his death filled his mind. A sigh of resignation escaped his lips.

  He hung his shoulders. “You’re right, Cap. I understand.”

  “You’re too valuable to this company, and I’d hate to lose you. More importantly, I do not intend to bury any of my men because they’re taking too many risks. Take this time to chill out. Maybe spend more time with your family, or find a girl to take out dancing down at J.J.’s. Whatever you need to do to get your head on straight. Then I’ll see you back, hopefully healthier and happier.”

  “Will do, Cap.”

  Lucas would chill, even talk to the shrink, but he had no plans to follow the captain’s last suggestion. Bringing a woman into his life wasn’t going to happen. He wasn’t selfish enough to have her mourn him if he lost the fight like Shawn had.

  Shawn.

  Everything he did, every risk he took, was for his best friend. Shawn’s wife and child still grieved his loss to the beast. Lucas wasn’t about to let that happen to anyone he loved again. Not on his watch..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... .... ..... .... ..... ... ......

  Want to keep reading Lucas and Sarah’s story? Click here to download ONE LAST RISK

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  Acknowledgments

  Alexis and Chris’s story came to me long before I was in a position to put words on paper. For lovers of country music, you probably recognize the context of Drunk Girl by Chris Janson. I had already met Alexis the first time I heard that song, but her story wasn’t clear to me yet. But after I heard that song, I knew that it was meant for Alexis. I simply had to find her hero.

  Chris and Alexis are both wounded souls, but together they find a way to heal. I love the inspirational message that sends to others who may be struggling with addiction, grief, or any number of emotional challenges. There is hope for everyone.

  My editor is invaluable to me and I don’t know what I’d do without her. Jody Wallace took my manuscript, pointed out when my characters were acting, well, out of character, and helped me craft this story that I absolutely love.

  Additional thanks to Lynn Mullan for pouring through Chasing Strength and fixing the nits and even pointing out things that got by both me and my eagle-eye editor.

  Amanda Kelsey with Razzle Dazzle Designs designed my beautiful cover. I think she nailed this one on the first try, which is really unusual for me. But she has a knack for finding couples that really reflect what I see in my head.

  Alexis’s story represents the end of the Harper Family-they’ve all found their happily ever after. But that doesn’t mean I don’t plan to come back to Cedar Hill again and again. This little town and this fantastic family has really made an impact on me and I hope to be back soon. In the meantime, check out some of my other titles.

  *** Help a KU author... If you borrowed this book, don’t reset your book to the first page. Did you know that if you do, the author does not get paid for your read? Thanks ***

  Nancy Stopper

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  Books by Nancy Stopper

  Oak Grove Series:

  Last Call

  One Last Risk

  One Last Dance

  One Last Chance

  One Last Objection

  One Last Gift

  Harper Family Series:

  Chasing Dreams

  Chasing Hope

  Chasing Trust

  Chasing Strength

  About the Author

  Living in beautiful northern Virginia, Nancy dreams of small-town living where the everyone knows everyone else and neighbors wave when you pass. Since she doesn’t live in one, she creates them for everyone else to enjoy through her books.

  She’s a mom to two college students and one middle schooler and has spent more hours at the baseball field and the dance studio than she cares to admit. With her husband, her primary goal is to finish raising her 3 kids into productive adults!

  Nancy writes small-town contemporary romance with sexy heroes and strong heroines. Her books tug at your emotional heartstrings and leave you with a warm feeling that lingers long after the last page. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Washington Romance Writers, and Virginia Romance Writers.

  Nancy Stopper

  www.nancystopper.com