The Damaged Heroes Collection [Box Set #1: The Damaged Heroes Collection] (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream)

by James, Sandy

  “No, you didn’t. Congratulations. Picked any names?”

  “Not yet. Seth is partial to a name that he can find a jazzy nickname for. He swears the kid was bred to be the greatest driver in the history of harness racing.”

  Ross smiled. “How is the house coming?”

  “It’s coming. You know how contractors are. They tell you two weeks and mean three months. I really wanted it done before winter set in, but...” She shrugged. “It’s almost Thanksgiving and we’re not really a whole lot closer to moving in.”

  “How many acres did you guys buy?”

  “We mortgaged twenty plus the cost of the house. But we have the option to buy more land when we can. The money from winning the sires stakes helped so much.”

  Ross nodded and smiled remembering how excited she’d been when she got Spun Gold. “I told you Sterling picked you a fantastic horse. What about the bonus?"

  “We put it aside for the baby. For his college fund. Seth won’t touch it otherwise.” She pulled the harness from the horse and walked over to hang it on the hook. “I’m proud of him for that.”

  “How close will you be to the Mitchell farm?”

  “Our south property line runs right up to theirs. We’re going to share their practice track as soon as the barn is done.” She pulled the bit from the horse’s mouth. “We just figured with the munchkin on the way, the house needed to get done first.”

  Ross swallowed his jealousy. “I can understand that. Where’s Chris?”

  “He splits his time between Brian and his own stable. He’s got three horses he trains now. He’s still dating Angie O’Riley.”

  “Do I know her?” Ross asked.

  “I doubt it, but she’s Taylor O’Riley’s daughter. That guy you love claiming horses off of. The one that hates our guts.”

  Ross laughed and nodded.

  “They’re so cute together. You should see Sam and Brian’s little girl. Chelsea is the sweetest thing ever. Sleeps well, eats well, the perfect kid.” Katie laughed. “Our son will probably have my temper, God help us.”

  The door to the office opened and Seth came out with a look a sheer bewilderment on his face.

  “Seth? What’s wrong?” Katie asked.

  He walked to her and handed her the letter. “I think you should read this. I’ll tell you, love him or hate him, you have to admit the Old Man had... guts.”

  Katie read aloud the message written in Sterling Remington’s own hand.

  Dearest Seth and Katie,

  I knew you’d choose the right thing, Seth. From the second I met her, I knew Katie was the right woman for you. The problem was that you weren’t the right man for her—at least not before you learned a little about life.

  Katie, when I told you I was giving you my son, I wasn’t kidding. You’re probably a little angry over what I’ve put you through, but there was just no other way to convince Seth that his life was being wasted.

  I thought about simply introducing you two, but both of you would have been too stubborn to see beyond your own worlds. I needed to find a way to get you together without either of you knowing what I really wanted from you.

  I’m sorry that the will seemed spiteful, but you have to be honest. If a parent tells his kid that he can’t have something, it makes it more attractive. I had to make you both believe the other was forbidden fruit. Forgive an old man his desire to see you together and happy, just like Brenda and I were.

  I know now that my son’s life has meaning and purpose—two things my money wasn’t able to give him.

  Now, about the money.

  All of my shares in Remington Computers will be divided among the loyal employees who helped make it the company it is today. Just consider it a form of profit sharing. Ross Kennedy has the list and will handle the division of those assets.

  The compound will be sold. I know the two of you have no use for it. Take the money and buy a farm. Have a place you two can call your own. And please raise my grandchildren to love horses as much as I do.

  The personal assets will be set aside for you and your children to use as you see fit. In other words, all of my personal wealth is now yours. Don’t ever let it be a burden.

  Love each other. Be good to each other. Nothing should ever be more important.

  Love, Pops

  Katie’s hands were shaking as she finished reading the letter. “Ross? Did you know about this?”

  He shook his head. “I hadn’t read it. I just found out about it a couple of days ago then I called you. Arthur played this hand really close to his vest. He didn’t even tell me. You weren’t supposed to know about it until the end of the racing season.”

  Seth remained speechless for a few moments. “Maybe we don’t want it,” he said, turning to look at his wife. “Katie? What do you think?”

  She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “It’s up to you, Seth. I’m happy with what we have, but it’s your father’s money. You have a right to it.”

  Ross couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You mean you don’t want the money?”

  Katie smiled. “He’s afraid it’ll change him.”

  Seth nodded. Ross wondered if the man even knew he was stroking his wife’s rounded belly. The endearing action gave Ross a flash of naked envy for all Seth Remington had found in life.

  Turning back to her husband, Katie kissed him and used her fingertips to brush a caress across his cheek. “Seth, you know how much I love you. You’re a good man. Nothing can change that. Whatever you decide, I’ll still be here.” She covered the hand Seth had on her stomach with her own. “We’ll still be here.”

  Ross hopped off of the trunk and went back to his briefcase. He pulled out the document that would give Seth back his inheritance. “If you want the money, you need to sign this last paper. I can help with the transfer of assets. But if you don’t want it, then we’ll need to figure something else out.”

  Seth drew a deep breath. He turned to Ross with an enormous smile. “Hell, yeah, I want it. I’m not a total idiot.” He turned back to his wife and chuckled. “God, Boss, think about how much fun we’ll have at the next yearling auction.”

  THE END

  WWW.SANDY-JAMES.COM

  Damaged Heroes 2

  Free Falling

  Workaholic Ross Kennedy never learned to enjoy life until he meets the woman of his dreams. If only Laurie Miller can convince him that's exactly who she is.

  A psychologist with empathic abilities, Laurie rescues Ross, who has been stranded in the middle of a Montana blizzard. The two strangers are completely snowed in and out of contact. In just a few days, their attraction to each other is overwhelming, but Laurie is troubled. Her empathic gift seems to have vanished. Fascinated by his pretty rescuer, Ross struggles to open up his heart enough to let this woman in.

  When the two return home to Chicago, they try to solve a mystery revolving around a Prohibition Era journal they discovered in Montana. Will they find the missing treasure the journal points to? And as a former boyfriend begins to stalk Laurie, how will Ross be able to protect her?

  Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense

  Length: 109,137 words

  FREE FALLING

  Damaged Heroes 2

  SANDY JAMES

  Copyright © 2009

  There is no instinct like that of the heart.—Lord Byron

  Chapter 1

  The term “burned out” didn’t come close to describing how Laurie Miller felt. She paced the waiting room in nervous circles, scolding herself over and over for not anticipating her patient would try to end his life not more than an hour after he left her office. When her friend, Dr. Deepika Sen, called from the Emergency Room to inform her of the attempted suicide, Laurie had been devastated.

  Being a psychologist, she was realistic enough to know she should expect to face the tragedy of a patient’s suicide. But Laurie’s gift had never failed her. At least not until now.

  When the man left her office and headed
into the January cold, Laurie couldn’t read any emotion from him. She’d been so surprised and frustrated with the loss of her empathic gift, she hadn’t been paying enough attention to her other five senses. She’d been selfishly concerned with her own problem rather than focusing on her patient, and she hated herself for that.

  Deepika appeared in the waiting room, dressed in teal scrubs and holding a chart. She made several notations before she finally shoved her pen in her front pocket and looked up. “He’s going to make it.”

  Laurie almost collapsed in relief.

  “I think it was a half-hearted attempt,” Deepika said in her pleasant British accent. “The cuts weren’t very deep. We stitched him up and admitted him to Psych for a hold. Are you all right?”

  “He’s really going to make it?” Laurie asked, not daring to hope. She’d let this patient down. What kind of therapist could she be now that her gift had vanished? How could she still help people?

  “He’s really going to make it.”

  Laurie took the doctor’s hand into her own and stared into Deepika’s dark brown eyes, hoping her gift would magically reappear. Just like with her patient, the ability eluded her. “Nothing! I’m getting nothing!” Laurie threw her hands up in despair. Her friend was a blank slate. Evidently, all people were now tabula rasa. Laurie plopped down on one of the waiting room chairs and propped her elbows on her knees as she buried her face in her hands. It’s gone. A wave of despair and guilt washed over her.

  Deepika crossed the room to take the seat next to her. She rubbed small circles between Laurie’s shoulder blades. “It’s all right. It’s not gone. I know it’s not. You’re just exhausted. You’ve worn yourself too thin. How long’s it been since you went on a holiday?”

  Laurie sighed but didn’t bother looking up. Deepika would never understand. Best friend or not, she’d never know just how helpless Laurie felt at that moment. Like a limb had been removed. Like her eyes had been blinded. Like she was just like everyone else now.

  “Take a break. You know what? You should go to the ranch for a while. Montana always makes you happy. Clear your head. That’s all that’s wrong.”

  Laurie shook her head. “That won’t help.”

  “Sure it will. You work seventy hours a week, you eat nothing but fast food, and you see people in pain all day long. Good God, you’re only human.” Deepika chuckled, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “That and that hot-tempered French blood your mother gave you is probably wearing you out, Laurence.” Deepika patted Laurie’s back. “Go to Montana. Recharge your batteries. You’ll be able to read people again in no time.”

  Looking up, Laurie gave a quick, resigned nod. Deepika was right. Too many patients. Constantly delving into the minds of people with psychological problems had taken its toll. Laurie felt ancient, so much older than her twenty-nine years should have made her feel. “You really think it’s still around? I haven’t lost it?”

  “Yes, I think it’s still around. It’s kind of like a clogged artery. You just need to clear away the blockage. I know you only read their emotions, not their thoughts, but that’s got to take a toll. I know there are days when I’m here I want to run and hide in a closet to get away from the pain and suffering. I can only imagine how bad it is to feel another person’s mental anguish.” Deepika stood up and tucked her chart under her arm. “Your patient will be fine. Why don’t you call Andrew and get him to cover your appointments and calls for a couple of weeks? Go on. Go to the ranch.”

  Laurie nodded and stood up. Deepika gave her a quick hug and another pat on the back before she turned to stride away. She disappeared through the big double doors leading to the treatment area.

  While Deepika was Laurie’s best friend, the woman’s exotic Indian beauty always made Laurie feel a bit envious. Her own hair and eyes seemed too pale in comparison. Deepika’s black hair reached the middle of her back while Laurie’s barely brushed her shoulders. And Deepika represented the embodiment of petite while Laurie stood five-ten in her stocking feet. She felt like a gangly, albino giant next to someone as delicate as her friend. A size fourteen in a size four world.

  Laurie should have recognized the signs in herself—they were easy enough to read in others. Psychologist, heal thyself. She was just burned out. Time to get some space between me and the rest of the world. She needed to shut people out for awhile so she could recover the ability to let them back in.

  Walking out of the hospital with newfound purpose, Laurie flipped open her cell phone and punched the speed dial. Surely her partner would understand. “Andrew? Yeah, it’s me. Look, I’m losing it. Do you think you could cover for me for a couple of weeks? I’ve got to get out of here.”

  * * * *

  Ross Kennedy looked down at his bleeding knuckles, and then he glanced at the hole he’d just punched through the wall.

  His secretary, Sheila Crabtree, stood in the doorway and stared at him with her big brown eyes for a moment. With a quick swallow, she asked, “Bad day?”

  Ross scowled and pulled his handkerchief from his coat’s breast pocket. He wrapped it around his sore knuckles. “You could say that.”

  Sheila dropped the thick file he’d asked for on the center of his desk. Although the petite, raven-haired secretary stood more than a foot shorter than his six-foot-four, she bravely pulled him toward the huge swivel chair. “Sit,” she said, smiling as he offered no resistance.

  Retrieving ice from his small refrigerator, she grabbed his handkerchief, bundled the ice inside, and pushed the icepack onto his swelling knuckles. Then she clucked her tongue at him. “You really need to get a grip on that temper.”

  With a grunt, Ross held the cloth to his hand and turned his chair away to look out of his twentieth story window. Some days being an attorney made him feel dirty. Downright stereotypical. His latest scumbag client had done everything he could to conceal assets from his soon to be ex-wife of almost thirty years, and it pained Ross to have to be a party to something that blatantly cruel. The straw that broke his back was finding out that most of the liquid assets had been switched into the name of the man’s twenty-something girlfriend.

  He’d grown weary of representing sleazy clients. He was tired of logging hour after billable hour for O’Connor, LaGrange, Rowland and Associates in hopes of adding the name Kennedy to the moniker.

  And he hated being all alone in the world.

  Sheila left the office the second Arthur LaGrange entered. The oldest remaining partner in the firm, the gray-haired man often acted like a father figure to his staff. Ross wasn’t much in the mood.

  And the verdict is...

  “Did you know that you logged a hundred hours last week?” Arthur asked in that admonishing voice that always made Ross wince. Fatherly advice wasn’t something he welcomed. Ever.

  “So?”

  Arthur pointed at the hole in the wall. “So.”

  Ross scowled and shifted the ice on his knuckles. “It’s nothing, Arthur.”

  “You’re on sabbatical. Starting now.”

  I sentence you to two weeks in solitary confinement.

  Ross whirled around in his chair. “The hell I am! I’ve got too many clients—”

  “You’re on sabbatical, or you’re fired.”

  No chance of appeal.

  Clenching his jaw, Ross tried again. “There are court dates—”

  “You’re not the only good attorney in this firm. Go home, Ross. You’re killing yourself. How can you do your job well when you’re this stressed?”

  Home? Yeah, that would help. Four empty walls and some left over Moo Goo Gai Pan growing penicillin in the refrigerator.

  Arthur leaned against the desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “Ross, I understand. I used to be a hungry young lawyer once upon a time. You’ll give yourself a heart attack at forty if you keep this up.” He looked toward the wall, shook his head, and frowned. “Maybe thirty-five at the rate you’re going. Trust me on this one. I had the same problem. I had to learn to ba
lance things in my life.”

  How was he supposed to tell Arthur that work was all he had left? Katie was gone. Married. And soon to be a mother. While she had still been a part of his life, Ross felt like he could breathe. He had believed that there was something to life other than courtrooms and legal briefs. But she wasn’t in love with him—she just considered him a good friend. Just a damn friend. No one could ever understand the loss of a love like he felt for Katie Murphy. Correction. Katie Murphy Remington.

  He wasn’t going to allow them to take his job away too.

  “Arthur, I’ll cut back. I’ll get down to sixty hours.”

  Arthur shook his head. “You’re taking a vacation, Ross. No argument. In fact, I’ve got a great idea.”

  Ross sighed as he splayed his uninjured hand through his hair and waited for the rest of his punishment.

  “There are some documents that need to be signed, and the John Hancock we need is in Montana. At least that’s what we’ve heard. These are new clients, so I don’t know much else. The man supposedly lives somewhere near Joliet, but I guess he decided to take a vacation. The papers can’t wait. I could overnight them, but this guy’s as slippery as an eel. Missed four appointments already. You need to get the hell out of here anyway. Just take them and get the signature.”

  “Montana? What am I supposed to do in Montana?”

  “Relax, Ross. You’re supposed to relax. The client’s name is Laurence Miller. We can’t seem to get him on the phone, but you can find him when you take the papers out to his ranch. Then you could do some skiing, or ice fishing, or... whatever the hell they do in Montana. God only knows. Just get away from here.” Arthur pushed away from the desk, stared down at Ross for a moment with an odd mixture of admiration and compassion in his eyes then quickly made his retreat. The argument was lost.