by T. K. Chapin
“Oh, please. That barely hurt you.”
I didn’t respond. Falling the rest of the way to the floor, I cupped my eye and hoped he’d just leave. Letting out a heavy sigh, he got down, still in his towel, and put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, honey.”
Jerking my shoulder away from him, I replied, “Go away!”
He stood up and left.
John hurt me sober? Rising to my feet, I headed into the half-bathroom across the living room and looked into the mirror. My eye was blood red—he had popped a blood vessel. Tears welled in my eyes as my eyebrows furrowed in disgust.
Four days wasn’t soon enough to leave—I was leaving today.
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Because Of You (Click/Tap here to view on Amazon)
CHAPTER 1
HIS LIPS WERE LIKE HEAVEN on the back of my neck as I attempted to fold laundry one late afternoon in July 2011. The sun was hot that day, but so was the heat between us. We were upstairs in our bedroom, one of the two bedrooms in our split-level townhouse. We called Odessa, Texas home these days. We had moved here just over a year ago when his orders came in to become an Army recruiter. Dakota was sad to not redeploy with his unit. I, on the other hand, was elated. I was not only happy that he wasn’t deploying, but that we were finally leaving Fort Bliss. Our life over the last year had taken on the appearance of what I would call normal.
Tilting my head as I pulled my neck away from Dakota’s soft lips against my skin, I glanced over my shoulder at him. His ocean blue eyes pierced through every part of my soul, capturing the moment and captivating my heart. “I’ve got to put this laundry away before I start on dinner, Dakota.”
His hands found my waist a moment later and he pulled me in close. The towel in my hand that I was trying to fold fell away from my fingertips. His eyes locked onto mine, serenading me with his love. Even after years of marriage, he still had the ability to take me away to another world with a single look, a single touch to my skin.
In a deep, seductive voice, he said, “C’mon, Sammy. You haven’t started dinner … yet.” His eyes drifted to the closed bedroom door behind me and then over to the bed. His gaze came back to me, and a warmth crashed through me as he held my eyes and continued speaking. “I’m sure Kimmy will be napping for a while.”
His lips found my neck again, and I tilted my chin back, letting his lingering love convince me to reconsider his offer.
Music suddenly began playing. Dakota tossed his phone over to the bed and I couldn’t help but grin. It wasn’t just any old tune, but Dakota’s favorite song to sing. The one he knew I loved—Have I Told You Lately That I Love You? by Rod Stewart. The first time he sang it was back what feels like a lifetime ago when we were still dating. We were both attending Whitworth College in Spokane. It was before he dropped out to join the military. I was on my way to the mess hall for breakfast one morning before my Psych class. He and I had been dating for only a month at that point and I wasn’t sure how seriously he took our relationship. That was until he came waltzing through the courtyard one early morning with a wireless microphone in hand. His face was as red as a cherry, and fellow students stopped and gawked at his rather public display of affection. I knew right then that he loved me. Memories.
One of Dakota’s hands found one of mine. He lifted my hand up as he began to sing, then we swayed to the rhythm of the music permeating the air around us. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”
A grin broke out across my face as he shifted his feet, guiding me into a gentle twirl. My hips and feet followed with him, and I let out a laugh as I tossed my head back, letting myself soak up the moment like a sponge. Dakota was the best person I had ever met in my life. He and I were not only husband and wife but the best of friends.
We danced around the bedroom until the music was cut off by his phone suddenly ringing. He grabbed it, glanced at the screen, and then looked at me. “Work … sorry.”
As he left the room to answer it, I reached down and picked up the towel I had dropped and continued with laundry. As I folded, I strained an ear in the hopes of capturing a bit of the conversation that Dakota was having out in the hallway, but he was out of earshot. Taking my folded stack of towels, I went into the en-suite bathroom to put them away. As I shut the towel cupboard, I spotted Dakota in the doorway.
“Hey.” Dakota’s voice was gentle with a mix of concern sprinkled in, just enough to bring my eyebrows up into a questioning gaze toward him.
“What is it? Do you have to go work that silly Children’s Fair again this year? You didn’t even meet a single person last year who was interested enough to sign up and …” I saw him shaking his head as his chin dipped to his chest. Worry cut into my thoughts like a sharpened blade through an apple. Knowing the military, knowing his line of work, I dreaded the worst … expected it too. With worry edging my voice and my heart climbing up into my throat, I looked at him. “What is it, Dakota?”
He took a few steps into the bathroom, continuing until he came right up to me. My heart raced as he grabbed hold of both of my hands, smoothing his thumbs over the tops of them. I already felt the weight strapped to my neck of being tossed over the railing of the ship of good times. Before his lips even moved, I knew it. After a moment that felt like eternity passed, he peered up and into my eyes.
“I’m being deployed.”
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Other Books
Available Books
By T.K. Chapin
(Inspirational Christian Fiction & Romance)
Protected By Love Series
Love’s Return (Book 1)
Love’s Promise (Book 2)
Love’s Protection (Book 3)
Diamond Lake Series
One Thursday Morning (Book 1)
One Friday Afternoon (Book 2)
One Saturday Evening (Book 3)
One Sunday Drive (Book 4)
One Monday Prayer (Book 5)
One Tuesday Lunch (Book 6)
One Wednesday Dinner (Book 7)
Embers & Ashes Series
Amongst the Flames (Book 1)
Out of the Ashes (Book 2)
Up in Smoke (Book 3)
After the Fire (Book 4)
Love’s Enduring Promise Series
The Perfect Cast (Book 1)
Finding Love (Book 2)
Claire’s Hope (Book 3)
Dylan’s Faith (Book 4)
Stand Alones
Love Interrupted
Love Again
A Chance at Love
The Broken Road
If Only
Because Of You
The Lies We Believe
In His Love
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Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I want to thank God. God’s salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us all the ability to have a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe.
I also want to thank my wife. She’s my muse and my inspiration. A wonderful wife, an amazing mother and the best person I have ever met. She’s great and has always stood by me with every decision I have made along life’s way.
I’d like to thank my editors and early readers for helping me along the way. I also want to thank all of my friends and extended family for the support. It’s a true blessing to have every pers
on I know in my life.
About the Author
T.K. CHAPIN writes Christian Romance books designed to inspire and tug on your heart strings. He believes that telling stories of faith, love and family help build the faith of Christians and help non-believers see how God can work in the life of believers. He gives all credit for his writing and storytelling ability to God. The majority of the novels take place in and around Spokane, Washington, his hometown. Chapin makes his home in the Pacific Northwest and has the pleasure of raising his daughter with his beautiful wife Crystal. To find out more about T.K. Chapin or his books, visit his website at www.tkchapin.com.
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