Through The Fire (Guardians, Inc. Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  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

  Epilogue

  Through the Fire

  Belle Calhoune

  For my mother, Anne, whose belief in me always allowed me to reach for the stars.

  Dear Reader,

  Thanks for joining me for this reunion romance between Sierra and Caleb. You might remember them from the first Guardians, Inc book, Guarding Her Heart. Thanks to everyone who wrote to me asking for their love story to be told. Sierra and Caleb are a star-crossed pair who have been through the fire in order to get their happy ending. I love writing reunion romances because there is something so romantic to me about two people who have never stopped loving each other despite time, distance and circumstances. This couple endures all the bad things thrown in their direction. I hope you enjoy their love story. Sometimes we have to travel down rough roads in order to find our destiny!

  **The name of the Jackson’s ranch is now the Diamond Lil, whereas in “Guarding Her Heart” it was The Horseshoe Ranch.

  Blessings!

  Belle

  Copyright 2018 by Belle Calhoune

  All Rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher and author, except where permitted by law.

  Cover art by Elizabeth Mackey http://www.elizabethmackeygraphics.com/

  Books by Belle:

  Guardians, Inc Series:

  Book One: Guarding Her Heart

  Seven Brides, Seven Brothers Series:

  Book One: The Way Home

  Book Two: Still the One

  Book Three: Until You Loved Me

  Book Four: Love Me Tender

  Book Five: If only in my dreams

  Book Six: Baby It’s You

  Book Seven: When A Man Loves A Woman

  PREQUEL: WHEN YOU BELIEVE

  Secrets of Savannah Series

  Book One: Till the End of Time

  Book Two: A Moment in the Moonlight

  Book Three: The Last Kiss

  Book Four: For Love Alone (Morgan and Luke)

  Book Five: Falling in Love (Charlotte and Marc)

  Book Six: Heart of Mine (Hope and Grayson)

  About the author:

  Belle Calhoune grew up in a small town in Massachusetts as one of five children. Growing up across the street from a public library was a huge influence on her life and fueled her love of romance novels. Belle is the author of ten Harlequin Love Inspired novels. She has Indie published the popular and best-selling inspirational romance series, Seven Brides, Seven Brothers. Her indie series, the Secrets of Savannah and Seven Brides, Seven Brothers Pelican Bay are both spin-offs of her debut series. Belle loves writing romance and crafting happily-ever-afters. When she’s not wrangling her two high maintenance dogs (a toy poodle and a black Labrador Retriever) or spending time with her husband and two daughters, Belle enjoys travel, classic films and exploring new places.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  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

  Epilogue

  “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”

  Prologue

  It was time. Although the old woman had kept her damnable secret for eight long years, she knew she could no longer shield herself from the sin she had committed. Time had caught up with her, and she could no longer deny her body was wearing out on her. Lilliana Rose Jackson’s time on earth was nearing an end.

  She knew the time had come to tell the truth.

  With great difficulty the woman raised herself from her sick bed, her gnarled hands tightly gripping the massive, oak cane for support. She shuffled across the room at a slow pace, her left foot dragging behind her as she struggled to walk the short distance.

  When Lilliana Rose reached the other side of the bedroom she impatiently reached into her top dresser drawer and rummaged through the contents. After a few minutes of frantic searching, her face broke into a smile as she pulled out a large, velvet scrapbook, floral stationery and a pen. A feeling of triumph surged in her heart as she clutched the precious items to her chest. They were among her most treasured possessions on earth.

  She wasn’t so old and decrepit that she couldn’t handle her personal affairs herself, she mused. Too bad her family couldn’t see her now. They were all so insistent that she stay in bed and try to maintain her strength. Little did they realize that she hadn’t slept a wink in twenty-four hours. She was way too busy to sleep.

  What good would it do to save her strength? She was fading fast, and wasn’t going to waste her last minutes on earth flat on her back in a sickbed. After all, she reckoned, she had all of eternity to lie on her back in a pine box. And besides, she had to put the finishing touches on her legacy.

  The memories of a lifetime were right here in her scrapbook, captured in faded black and white photographs that would act as a bridge to the past for future generations. So many memories, both bitter and sweet. Her wedding day. Birthdays, first communions, graduations. Naturally, not all the memories were good ones. She couldn’t help but shudder as she relived the worst memory of all: her daddy’s cold-blooded murder by the night riders.

  Sierra! The thought of her granddaughter always brought her to tears, which was annoying for a woman who prided herself on her rigid control and iron will. From the moment Sierra had been born Lilliana Rose had known the girl was special. She had come into the world like a lioness in the middle of the worst tornado in Texas history. And like a true lioness she'd let out a mighty roar to signify her arrival into this world. Like her glorious name, Sierra was unique. Best of all, she reminded her of herself: beauty, guts, determination and a brain. She was everything that Lilliana Rose had been...and more.

  From the beginning she had wanted so much for her grandbaby. Too much. She had pinned too many hopes and dreams on Sierra’s future. And in one agonizing moment of weakness, she had ruthlessly crushed her spirit.

  No longer able to support herself with the cane, Lilliana Rose sank into the plush, yellow armchair that was the color of vibrant buttercups. Lilliana remembered selecting the piece of furniture because she had wanted her bedroom to look like a burst of springtime all year round. Always in full bloom. Lilliana Rose settled in the armchair and gazed out of her window at the profusion of flowers that graced her garden. Tulips. Roses. Snapdragons. How she would miss her magnificent flowers and the glorious perfumed scents that wafted through her bedroom window.

  Lilliana took out a sheet of stationery and smoothed the page. Her hand trembled with emotion as she began to write. She intended to put her entire heart and soul into this letter - there was so much riding on the outcome.

  When Lilliana Rose finished the letter she read it aloud to herself, her voice ringing out in the stillness of the room whenever her pent up emotions r
ose to the surface.

  My dearest Sierra,

  As I sit writing this letter I know my time draws near. As much as it pains me to think I may never lay eyes on you again, I reckon it’s the truth. It’s time for me to say good-bye.

  More importantly, it's time for me to fess up.

  Sierra, it was a lie. A terrible, wicked lie. You may never be able to forgive me child, but please know I never meant to hurt you. It has taken me this long to realize that I did an incredibly selfish thing. I separated you from the boy you loved. Because of my lie you ran away from Texas and from everything you loved. The truth is it nearly broke my heart. Perhaps it was punishment for my wicked lie.

  I reckon you're trying to figure out why I would tell you such a wicked lie. It all goes back to a time and place when I first fell in love. I was twenty years old and I fell recklessly and hopelessly in love with a man named Jock Matthews. The day Jock asked me to marry him was the happiest day of my life. I felt like the luckiest girl in Briarwood until the day Jock ran off and married someone else. Sierra, the hurt and disillusionment I felt has never truly left me. I carry it with me always. I wanted to spare you the same hurt, the same bitter disillusionment.

  My darling, you must finish it for me. You must find Jock Matthews and discover why he jilted me. It’s something I should have done in order to set myself free, but I waited too long...my pride was too strong...it ran too deep. Please do this for me, Sierra, so that I may finally rest in peace.

  So now you know the truth. You must realize now that there is no obstacle standing between you and your beloved Caleb. Your future is as unlimited as your heart.

  All my love,

  Grammy

  Hot, salty tears flowed down her face as she lovingly signed the letter and licked it closed. She hoped it would be enough to gain her granddaughter’s forgiveness, as well as her understanding. It was important that Sierra understand her motivations.

  She was now ready.

  With a deep sigh she closed her eyes and pressed the velvet scrapbook to her breast, the precious letter to her granddaughter lying on her lap waiting for delivery. Lilliana Rose turned toward the window and gazed at the huge expanse of land that stretched for hundreds of acres as far as the eye could see. It was cold, hard and unforgiving land upon which she had carved out a lasting legacy. She had loved this land fiercely for so long, and she wanted to leave this world having just glimpsed paradise.

  It was time. The good Lord was coming to carry her home.

  Chapter One

  Despite the warm April weather in Briarwood, Texas, Sierra Jackson had never felt colder in her life. She took a deep breath, then released it, anxiously shifting her weight from one foot to another as she stood on the wooden steps. She began to gnaw on her nails, then pushed her hands into her back pockets, wishing that she could cure herself of the bad habit that had left her nails bitten down to the nub over the past few days.

  Lilliana Rose and her lies! she thought angrily. If it hadn’t been for her grandmother’s deception, she wouldn’t be standing here on this doorstep like a prisoner awaiting execution.

  From the moment she had opened the letter two days ago, Sierra had known that this moment was fast approaching. Some might call it a moment of reckoning. She could no longer avoid the inevitable. It was something that she needed to do, regardless of any discomfort she might feel in coming face to face with her past. For a moment she considered turning tail and running back to her car, but she quickly dismissed the notion. She was through with running away from Caleb Matthews. She had done it once before and it had turned out to be the worst mistake of her life.

  She had to see him.

  Lord, please give me the courage to face this moment with grace.

  The very thought of Caleb made her limbs tremble and her heart beat at a pace three times faster than normal. Eight years had passed since she had last seen him, and she could only imagine how the years had changed him. If she closed her eyes she could still picture him as he’d looked the last time she'd laid eyes on him. He'd been standing next to his motorcycle, all six feet inches of him, leanly muscled and uncommonly graceful, his right fingers jammed into his back pocket as he blew her a kiss with his left hand. There would be no kisses blown in her direction today, she thought with a grimace. Not after what she had done!

  With trembling fingers she knocked on the door of the small, ranch-style house, counting the seconds in her head as she waited for it to open. Agonizing moments passed before she heard a voice, Caleb’s voice, telling her to come in. She took a deep breath and turned the knob, her palms moist and clammy as she slowly pushed open the door. There was no longer a wooden barrier standing between them; it took every ounce of will she possessed not to give in to the urge to run away from this moment, this long overdue encounter.

  The moment she locked eyes on Caleb, she knew deep down in her soul there would be no running away. Every fiber of her being was urging her to stay. Face the music. The words buzzed in her ears. It felt like all the air had suddenly left her lungs.

  Caleb. He was taller and bigger than she remembered him; he’d grown a few inches and filled out his lean physique into one of pure muscle and raw strength. Some things hadn’t changed though. He still had perfectly chiseled cheekbones and the light tiger’s eyes that had made her melt whenever she’d gazed into their depths. Goodness, he was still beautiful. At eighteen he had been the most handsome boy she had ever seen in her life, and at twenty-seven, he was simply gorgeous. All man, she thought as a giddy feeling coursed through her.

  “Sierra.” Caleb uttered her name through gritted teeth, his face reflecting a range of emotions from disbelief and shock to barely contained rage as he sized her up from across the room. From where she stood in the entrance-way she could see the muscles tensing on the side of his face and the fists he held tightly clenched at his sides. His demeanor left no doubt as to his state of mind. And who could blame him? Showing up on his doorstep was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

  Although Sierra had mentally prepared herself for this meeting, nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Caleb Matthews. She couldn’t stop herself from staring at him and his amazing physique, which was visible in his jeans and long-sleeved plaid shirt. Clearly, he wasn’t slacking on his workouts. His forehead glistened with droplets of water, as if he had just stepped out of the shower not too long before her arrival.

  Sierra met the dark, probing gaze of the only man in creation who made her feel like a giddy schoolgirl. Her heart squeezed relentlessly inside her chest as their eyes locked. Silently, she said a small prayer that Caleb wouldn’t pick up on her tangled emotions. After eight years of separation it amazed her that the sight of him could create such a rush of feeling within her, a feeling she hadn’t experienced since she was Caleb’s girl.

  “I-I thought I heard you say come in...I didn’t mean to barge in.” Sierra cringed as she listened to herself speak. She sounded like a nervous, babbling schoolgirl when she had intended to sound cool and composed. She wanted to be in control, or at least to give the appearance of being in control, despite her frazzled nerves.

  Caleb seemed to enjoy Sierra’s obvious discomfort. Without uttering a single word, he stared a hole right through her as she spoke to him. His light-brown eyes reminded her of a leopard on the prowl as his gaze raked over her, his eyes lingering on her figure, then slowly moving up to her face. His face was expressionless as he checked her over, his eyes lacking any real warmth, but at the same time radiating pure molten fire.

  She couldn’t help but feel scorched by his fierce gaze, melted by the turbulent emotions that he was barely holding in check. Not that she blamed him, she thought miserably. She deserved all of his scorn and every ounce of his disdain. It shamed her to remember how badly she’d treated him.

  “What are you doing here?” Caleb’s question was blunt and to the point. Obviously, he wasn’t going to make this easy for her. And why should he? He didn’t owe her a
single blessed thing.

  No pleasantries. No cordial hug or handshake. No reminiscing about times past. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. She had been crazy to think that he would treat her any better than she had treated him back in the day. She must’ve been crazy to come here! Perhaps she could attribute it to grief.

  “Caleb, I’m sorry I didn’t try to contact you before coming over, but...I was afraid you wouldn’t see me. I-I couldn’t take the risk that you’d tell me not to come. It’s important. I have a favor to ask you.” Sierra’s voice was barely audible and Caleb visibly had to strain to hear her. As soon as she uttered the words she wanted to take them back and turn tail and leave. He looked absolutely stunned by her gall.

  “A favor? From me?” Caleb scoffed at Sierra’s words, shaking his head in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

  She nodded. “I’m very serious. I need you to put me in touch with your grandfather. I’ve looked in the local telephone listings online and he's not listed. I’ve asked around town, but I’ve reached a dead end. No one seems to know where he lives or how I can contact him. And I need to find him. I have an important matter to discuss with him.”

  “What could you possibly have to discuss with my grandpa?” Caleb snapped. His eyes glistened dangerously. She knew he was close to the edge—a few minutes from telling her exactly where to go and how to get there.

  Sierra let out a long sigh and shook her head. “It’s a personal matter. All I can say is that it has to do with my grandmother’s death.”

  For a moment a look of compassion flitted across his face, but as soon as it came it disappeared, lost in the bitter curl of his lip. Clearly, the only thing he had to offer her at the moment was scorn.

  Gruffly, he responded, “What’s your grandmother’s passing got to do with me and mine?”

  Sierra let out another sigh of frustration. So much time had passed. Did things really have to be so acrimonious? “Do you have to be so difficult? You must realize it wasn’t easy for me to come here.”