Healing Her Heart (Crystal Lake Series Book 1) Read online

  “Did you see him outside?” Deputy Thomas asked.

  “No, but I probably wasn’t paying attention. I will admit I thought he was the one who drove into his wife, but I never expected that he’d come looking for me armed with a gun.”

  Gabe couldn’t bear the fear underlying her tone, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

  “Then what happened?”

  “I tried to talk him into putting the gun down, but he just kept coming closer and closer. I didn’t have a way to call for help, but then the door leading from the arena opened, and I saw Gabe standing there.”

  “And you went inside?” Deputy Thomas asked, a deep frown furrowing his brow. “You’re lucky he didn’t kill you.”

  “I couldn’t just stand there while he took a shot at her,” Gabe said. “Besides, I figured I could get him to talk. I needed to try and stall long enough for you and your guys to get there.”

  Deputy Thomas didn’t look happy, but he spared Gabe a lecture, asking a few more questions before he closed his notebook. “I appreciate your time. Thanks.”

  “That’s all you need?” Larissa brightened. “We can go home?”

  “Yes, you’re free to go home.”

  Deputy Thomas walked away, and Gabe glanced at Larissa. “How about I drive you home?” he suggested. “We’ll pick up your car later.”

  “I’d rather just drive my car home now, if you don’t mind.” Larissa tucked her hair behind her ear and avoided his direct gaze. “But thanks again, Gabe. For everything.”

  He didn’t want to let her go, but he couldn’t very well force her to allow him to stay, either. He frowned as she walked to the parking lot alone.

  Why was she was pushing him away?

  Maybe after everything that had happened, she needed some time alone. So he’d give her a few hours to sleep and to recharge.

  Then he was going to make his feelings known by asking her out on a proper date. And he could only hope and pray she wouldn’t say no.

  ____________

  Larissa dragged herself out of bed after five hours of sleep, determined to get back on a regular schedule since she had day shifts scheduled after her day off. Her ankle was a little sore, so running was out of the question.

  A boat ride would have been great, but she quickly veered away from thoughts of Gabe. She was still struggling with everything that had happened with Kurt. The way he’d accused and threatened her brought back terrible memories of life with George.

  She hadn’t told anyone about the abuse her mother had suffered. Larissa hadn’t mentioned the time George had broken her arm, either, since that one injury had been nothing compared to everything George had put her mother through.

  She’d prayed for the strength to forgive George, but seeing Kurt in the trauma bay made her realize she really hadn’t forgiven George. Or Kurt. Or Rolland, who hadn’t hurt her physically but who’d tried to control her just the same.

  And she needed to forgive all of them.

  Or she’d never be able to move on from her past.

  When her buzzer went off, she dragged herself over to the intercom. “Yes?”

  “Larissa? It’s Gabe. Can I come up?”

  She hesitated but then acquiesced. “Sure.”

  The apartment wasn’t too messy, and she smoothed her hair back, wishing she’d put on a touch of make-up. When Gabe knocked at her door, she took a deep breath and opened it.

  “Hi.” Did he look nervous or was she just imagining it? “I wasn’t sure if you’d be up yet.”

  “I like to try and get back on a day schedule if I can.” She closed the door and followed him into the living room. “Can I get you a soft drink?”

  “No, thanks.” Yep, he definitely looked nervous. “Larissa, would you go out to dinner with me tonight?”

  His abrupt question caught her by surprise. “What made you change your mind about dating colleagues?” she asked.

  Gabe nodded. “You’re right, you deserve an explanation.” He paused for a minute. “I dated Rebecca, one of the nurses I worked with in Madison. I quickly figured out that we didn’t have anything in common; in fact, she made it clear the best thing she liked about me was my title.”

  “Your title?” She frowned, not quite following.

  “Doctor.” He lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “You must know the type, the ones who only want to marry a doctor because they think we rake in the big bucks. Rebecca didn’t even like being a nurse; she complained about it all the time. I broke things off, and that’s when everything turned ugly.”

  “Oh, Gabe,” she murmured. Unfortunately, she did know there were nurses out there who were only interested in marrying a doctor.

  “She alleged I sexually harassed her, that I made unwanted advances toward her. There was a huge investigation, and I thought for sure I’d be vindicated, but a few of her friends lied for her, and pretty soon it was her word against mine. So I left and came here, to Hope County Hospital.”

  “I don’t blame you for keeping your distance,” she assured him. “That’s a terrible thing for her to do to you.”

  “Thanks, but I think I’ve had it easy compared to others.” Gabe held out his hand, and she couldn’t resist taking it and moving closer to him. “I understand now that the reason you related so well to Annie is because you went through something similar, didn’t you?”

  She shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d figured it out. “My mother was married to an abusive man,” she admitted in a low voice. “I saw the vicious cycle first-hand, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to stop it.”

  His hand tightened on hers, and when she met his gaze, his concern was obvious. “How did you escape?”

  “My mother only cared about the abuse when George started hitting me. The night he broke my arm, she took me to the hospital, and from there, we went to a women’s shelter.”

  Gabe groaned and pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to go through that again last night. Thankfully, God was watching over you. Over both of us.”

  Her eyes pricked with tears. He was being too nice; she didn’t deserve his kindness. Here she’d convinced Gabe to go to church, and she was the one who was at a crossroad in her faith. “I can’t seem to find a way to forgive him,” she whispered. “I thought I had, but last night after Kurt was shot, I immediately thought he deserved to die.”

  “A perfectly natural reaction,” Gabe pointed out. He leaned back, put his finger beneath her chin, and forced her to meet his gaze. “I thought the same thing.”

  “But Gabe, don’t you see? God expects us to forgive our enemies.”

  “Yes, He does.” Gabe’s gaze was intense. “But He also promises to help us learn how to forgive our enemies. He doesn’t necessarily make us figure it out on our own.”

  She wanted to believe him, but really, there was no way of knowing if she’d ever be able to forgive George for what he did to her mother, or forgive Kurt for what he did to Annie. And how could she find peace and love if she didn’t?

  “Larissa, I’m falling in love with you.”

  Gabe’s declaration stole her breath, and she instinctively shook her head. “I don’t know that I’m ready for that.”

  “I’ll give you all the time you need, as long as you give me a chance. Don’t shut me out, Larissa.”

  She pulled away and rose to her feet, threading her fingers through her hair. “I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises,” she said finally.

  “That’s all I can ask,” he said. “So will you have dinner with me tonight? I’ll pick you up at six.”

  A reluctant smile tugged at her mouth. “All right, dinner at six.”

  “Great. See you soon.” Gabe left, and within minutes, she was second-guessing her decision.

  Restless, she paced the apartment. Remembering the news vans that had been parked outside the hospital, she called her mother, who answered on the first ring. “Larissa? I heard about what h
appened at the hospital on the news. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, Mom. Perfectly fine.” She winced, realizing she should have called her mother sooner. “How are you doing? How are things with Ed?”

  “Ed’s fine, he’s always good to me, Larissa. You’re the one I’m worried about.”

  She stared out the front window for a long moment. “Mom, I have a question for you. Have you forgiven George for everything he’s done?”

  “Of course I have,” her mother responded. “In fact, I feel sorry for him.”

  She nearly choked at that. “Feel sorry for him? Why?”

  “Because he’ll never have true love the way you and I will. He’ll never know God’s love either. I pray for his soul every day.”

  Humbled, Larissa thought her mother was far smarter than she’d ever given her credit for. “You’re right, Mom,” she said. “George deserves our prayers.”

  And so did Kurt. Maybe if she kept thinking about it from her mother’s perspective, she could really find a way to forgive them both.

  ____________

  Larissa was dressed and ready to go well before six, so she didn’t mind when Gabe showed up ten minutes early.

  “Larissa, you look absolutely beautiful.”

  She reached up to give him a quick hug. “You don’t look half bad, yourself.”

  He looked surprised yet pleased at her warm embrace. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and then held the door open for her. “After you.”

  He drove to a very nice restaurant that was perched high on a hill overlooking the lake. As fancy as the place was, she decided she preferred the meal they’d shared on his deck.

  “I bet their steaks aren’t nearly as good as yours,” she said in a low tone.

  He grinned. “But their lobster is amazing.”

  “I still like dining on your deck better,” she insisted, leaning back to peruse the menu. The lobster was listed as market value so she skipped that one, looking for something more reasonable.

  “Have whatever you like,” he said as if reading her mind. “After last night, we deserve to splurge.”

  She didn’t want him to think she was anything like Rebecca, so she settled on a more reasonable shrimp dish.

  After the server took their order, Gabe reached across the table to take her hand. “You look happier tonight than you did this afternoon.”

  She couldn’t deny the truth. “I am happy.”

  “So you must have heard that Annie is still in the ICU but her vitals are stable.”

  “No, I hadn’t heard, but I’m glad to hear she’s hanging on.” She took a sip of water. “And how’s Kurt doing?”

  “He survived, too, and is listed as critical but stable in the ICU.”

  She was surprised by the lack of resentment she felt about that news. “Actually, I talked to my mother, and she made me look at men like Kurt and George differently.”

  “Oh yeah? How?”

  She repeated what her mother had told her. “I think I can see now why God asks us to forgive our enemies. Because He knows that we have His love and they don’t. And really, what more could we ask for?”

  “You’re a very special lady, Larissa,” Gabe said, his hand tightening around hers. “I’m lucky to have found you.”

  She couldn’t deny what was in her heart. “I think you’re pretty great yourself, Gabe.”

  A wide grin split his face, and he stood and came around the table, drawing her up to her feet. “Does this mean we’re officially dating, Ms. Brockman?” he asked in a teasing tone, sliding his arms around her waist.

  “I believe it does, Dr. Allen,” she agreed, reaching up to wind her arms around his neck.

  The playfulness vanished as he stared deeply into her eyes. “I love you, Larissa.”

  Her heart swelled to the point she feared it might burst with joy. “I love you, too.”

  When he kissed her, the entire restaurant burst into applause, and she found she didn’t mind one bit.

  Thank you, Lord!

  THE END

  Dear Reader,

  When I was a young girl my parents used to take us “up north” to stay in a cabin on Fish Lake. I always remember those trips fondly, learning how to swim and water ski on the lake. So when it came time to write a mini-series I wanted to create a setting that reminded me of the fun times I had as a young girl.

  I created this fictional town of Crystal Lake a few years ago and the town and its characters drew me back to tell more stories about it. This Novella is to introduce my new Crystal Lake series. If you enjoyed this story I hope you consider reading A Soldier’s Promise which is Julie Crain’s story. The first chapter is after this letter if you want to give it a try.

  I love to hear from my readers and you can find me on Facebook under LauraScottBooks, on Twitter @laurascottbooks or my website www.laurascottbooks.com.

  Yours in faith,

  Laura Scott

  Excerpt from

  A Soldier’s Promise

  Chapter One

  “Hey, Jules—we have two trauma patients on the way, ETA less than five minutes.”

  ER nurse Julie Crain stifled a groan. She’d just returned from taking her previous patient down to the morgue, and she was emotionally drained from dealing with his grieving family. She forced her exhaustion aside. “Okay, what’s the story?” she asked, glancing up at Merry Haines, the ER charge nurse at Hope County Hospital.

  “A two-vehicle crash, T-bone on the driver side. From what I hear, the drunk driver who ran a red light and caused the crash wasn’t hurt-but the guy in the SUV and his young daughter are being brought in.”

  Julie caught her breath as her heart thumped painfully in her chest. Oh, no. Not a young child. She couldn’t handle an injured child. She closed her eyes and prayed.

  Please God, keep the little girl safe. And her father, too.

  “I hope they lock up the drunk driver and throw away the key,” Merry muttered.

  She understood where Merry was coming from. Working in the ER, they’d both seen more than their fair share of alcohol- or drug-related injuries and deaths.

  Dr. Gabe Allen came into the room in time to catch the last part of their conversation. “The driver was Tommy Hinkle,” he said with a dark scowl. “So yeah, I think that scenario is highly likely.”

  Not a tourist then, but one of their own. Tommy Hinkle was the Crystal Lake troublemaker, picking up where his father had left off. At nineteen, he wasn’t even legal to drink at all, much less drink and drive.

  Tommy would end up in jail this time, for sure. Just like his father. The only good thing was that his mother, Annie Hinkle was still recovering in a Madison rehab center from a terrible car crash and wasn’t here to see her son behind bars.

  Before she could check over their supplies, the doors from the ambulance bay burst open, and a bevy of paramedics wheeled in two gurneys.

  Julie was relieved to be in position to take the first patient, which happened to be the father.

  “Thirty-year-old Derek Ryerson, suffered loss of consciousness at the scene,” the paramedic announced. “We placed two eighteen-gauge PIV’s and gave a liter of fluid so far. His vitals remained stable throughout transfer.”

  She quickly connected the heart monitor leads to his chest, reassured by the steady beat of his heart. She leaned over to perform a neurological assessment, noting an abrasion on the side of Derek Ryerson’s left temple that was easily seen, considering his military-short dark hair. Concerned about a possible head injury, she carefully lifted his eyelids and peered at his pupils. She flashed her penlight, grateful to note they were both equal and reactive.

  She continued her assessment, listening to his heart and his lungs. The right side of his lungs didn’t sound as clear as his left side, and there was an angry red band across his chest from where the seatbelt had held him in place, likely preventing additional and more serious injuries. When she brushed a hand over the right side of his ribcage, he let out a low gro
an.

  Bruised or broken ribs? Or something worse? She glanced up again at the heart monitor, but his vitals continued to be stable.

  Before she could call over to Dr. Allen, a large hand reached out to grab her wrist. She gasped, her gaze clashing with his as he stared at her intently. His hard, blue, uncompromising gaze caused a spurt of fear.

  “My daughter. Lexi,” he said hoarsely. His pain-glazed eyes bored into hers, and his grip on her wrist tightened painfully. “Where’s Lexi?”

  The flash of fear faded when she realized he was concerned about his daughter. She glanced over to where Merry and Gabe were examining the young girl. “Don’t worry. Lexi is right here in the gurney beside you. My name is Julie and I’m your nurse. Merry and Dr. Allen are taking good care of your daughter.”

  Lexi must have heard her father’s voice, because up until now, the silent child created a sudden commotion from the gurney next door as she struggled to get away from where Merry was trying to hold her down. “Daddy! Let me up! I wanna see my daddy!”

  “Lexi.” Derek dropped Julie’s wrist and struggled to push himself upright as if intending to go to his daughter. He didn’t get far before he let out a harsh sound and grabbed the right side of his chest, swaying dangerously. His face went pale, beads of sweat popping out on his forehead.

  “Take it easy. You’re going to hurt yourself more,” Julie told him, trying to keep calm, knowing she didn’t have the strength to hold him down if he chose to get up. Derek Ryerson was a big man, at least six feet tall and broad shouldered—his entire body was solid muscle. Whatever he did for a living, he kept in shape. “You have a couple of bruised or broken ribs, and we haven’t cleared your spine yet, either. We also need to make sure you don’t have a head injury.”

  For a moment, he stared into her eyes, as if trying to decide whether or not to believe her. Considering the strength with which he’d grabbed her wrist, she thought he couldn’t be too badly injured. She waited, simply looking back at him, secretly amazed at how brilliant his blue eyes were.