Forever's Promises (Forever In Luck Series Book 1)

  FOREVER’S PROMISES

  J. Darling

  FOREVER IN LUCK SERIES

  Book 1: Forever’s Promises

  Book 2: Forever’s Embrace

  Book 3: Forever’s Affection

  Book 4: (Late 2014)

  FOREVER’S PROMISES

  FOREVER’S PROMISES

  Copyright © J. Darling, 2014

  Fourth Edition

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination, or were used fictitiously and are to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. The republication or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic or mechanical or other means, not known of hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law.

  STORY DESCRIPTION: High school sweethearts torn apart by chance and circumstance, when Nate Sanders is accused of fathering a child with another and then disappears without a word. Forced to go on without him, Linnie Albrecht struggles to build a new life as a nurse in Chicago. Now, five years later, they're on a collision course with destiny when Nate, an Army Ranger newly discharged from the Armed Services, and Linnie, on the heels of a failed relationship, return to their hometown of Luck, Wisconsin, to begin anew. Can the promises of forever heal the brokenhearted or counter the effects of war? Find out when you read the epic love story in, Forever's Promises, book one in the Forever In Luck series.

  This book is dedicated to those who

  make sacrifices to help others in need.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  CHAPTER 1

  “Don’t go. You can work through things here,” Jules argued, while helping Linnie pack the last remnants of bags in her car. “I mean, I don’t understand why you have to go.”

  Linnie knew her friend hated to see her leave, but if she didn’t do it now, she might never return home. Stopping and staring at the first friend she’d made after moving to Chicago, she answered her, “Because I need a break, and I feel ready to go home, for a little while at least.”

  “Am I going to see you again? You’re not coming back, I just know it.” Jules said, shaking her head.

  “I will. I just need to figure out what I want to do next, and going home feels like the place to start. Besides, you can come visit me anytime,” Linnie said, smiling at her frowning friend.

  “See, I knew it,” Jules replied, as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re talking about me visiting you like you’re going to be gone for a long time, which means you have no plans of coming back anytime soon.” Letting out a frustrated sigh, she continued, “I’m going to miss you, and as far as visiting you, that would mean living life dangerously, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

  Linnie laughed at her friend’s exaggeration. “I’m going to miss you too, but I need to do this, and visiting me wouldn’t be dangerous, it’d be fun. I’ll be back, I promise. I have stuff at your house remember?” Linnie tugged on the bill of her friends baseball cap as she moved to give her a hug.

  “Okay, fine,” Jules replied in earnest, as she stepped into her friends embrace. “I’m going to hold you to that promise, but I want you to make me another before you go.”

  “What’s that?” Linnie asked, leaning back to look at her friend.

  “Promise me that once you admit you’re not coming back, you will not send your brothers here to retrieve your stuff.” Jules shivered at the prospect.

  “You know,” Linnie said, smiling widely as she walked around to the driver’s side of her car, “that’ll be an easy promise to make.” With her car in gear, she rolled down the passenger window, and leaned over to see the one person in the city she would truly miss. Looking up, she teased, “I mean really, Jules, why send all my brothers, when it would only take one.” With a wink and a laugh, at Jules mortified look, she held up her cell phone and shook it as a reminder to stay in touch, then took off for home.

  Pulling onto the freeway, Linnie sighed in relief as she began her trip back to Luck, Wisconsin. Once made, the decision to go home was a huge burden lifted from her shoulders. It hadn’t been easy, but it felt right. It was past time, and she needed to make amends.

  Five years ago, she’d left amid rumors that her high school sweetheart, Nate Sanders, had fathered a child with Naomi Jenkins, a girl from their small community. The two of them had just graduated from high school, and were planning their future together, when they’d had an argument and decided to “take a break.” Except no one believed them when they said they’d broken up, and Linnie couldn’t blame them, because she hadn’t thought it serious either. She’d felt certain they’d get back together, but then the scandal broke, and Nate up and disappeared, spreading doubt of his innocence in the mind of many, including hers.

  Her heart tried to convince her that he loved her, and would’ve never slept with another, but then her mind would cast doubts, leaving her feeling weak and insecure. She’d worried about him, day and night, the two of them having been so committed to one another, she couldn’t fathom he’d just walk away. She’d waited weeks to hear something, anything, but there’d been nothing. He hadn’t even tried to contact her brother, Jake, and they’d been best friends since childhood. It was so unlike him to do something like this, that she couldn’t help but think that something serious had to of happened to him. It was a confusing time in her life, and she remembered feeling so alone. As summer came to an end with no word from him, she began to accept that it was over, truly over.

  Just as she was planning to move on with her life, her mother was killed in an accident, and what had been left of her world simply disintegrated. She’d always loved her small town, and had never seen the negative until then. Hell, the thought of it now almost had her turning around and heading back to Chicago. It was just that at the time, all the gossip and whispering chaffed at her tender emotions, while the pitiful, sorrowful looks, laced with curiosity, made her cringe and want to disappear.

  Then there’d been the questions, constant questions, from all concerned, looking for details on how her family was holding up, that grated on her already chapped nerves. She couldn’t take it. Rubbed raw, she’d felt like screaming at the top of her lungs, but she couldn’t, because at the opposite end of the spectrum, she felt like she was drowning. The inability to breathe, the need to escape, to survive, was strong in her. Stunned and gasping for breath, numb from the venom of chance and circumstance, she ran from being swallowed whole by the serpent of life.

  She knew it was wrong, tried to convince herself people genuinely cared, but it hadn’t worked. She’d felt on display, with her pain, and their family’s sorrow, a form of entertainment for an otherwise bored little town. Her mother was gone. Nate was gone. And she was left. Angry, bitter, and in pain, she’d felt like she was dying. Unable to bear it, she left. And now, how ironic was it that she was returning home in the same state she’d lef
t in, alone and hurting.

  Three hours into her trip, she pulled over at a road side truck stop to stretch her legs and get something to drink. The closer she was to home, the more anxious she became, so she had to resist the urge to linger. Rattled by nerves, and back in her car, she decided to call home to let them know she was on her way. She hadn’t been back, not once, and her phone calls had been few and far between. Feeling a certain apprehension, she took a deep breath in hopes of soothing her frayed nerves. With clammy palms, and trembling fingers, she picked up her phone and dialed the number. On the third ring, she heard her father’s voice.

  “Albrecht’s Creamery and Dairy, how can I help you?”

  Oh God, did she ever miss him. “Daddy.”

  “Baby girl, that you?”

  Linnie’s weary heart warmed. She hadn’t realized how much she missed being the beloved daughter. Teasing, she said, “Now Daddy, just how many girls do you have going around calling you Daddy?”

  “Yep, that’s my girl, sassy as ever. What’s up, sunshine?”

  Linnie’s breath caught at his second endearment. Her battered heart, and bruised ego, clamored for more. “Um, Daddy, I—” Her words were cut off by a loud beeping noise. She knew that sound. It was one of the milk trucks backing in, and for reasons she could not explain, she found the sound comforting.

  “Hold up, baby girl,” her father said quickly, “I’m going to my office.” Then he put her on hold, giving Linnie time to ponder the starving ache in her broken heart.

  Moments later, and slightly out of breath, her father was back on the line. “Sweetheart, you there?”

  Endearment number three. Linnie’s head fell back against the headrest, and upon closing her eyes, a tear slid down her cheek. “Yes, I’m....” Her voice cracked. Damn it. She never cried. He’d heard it, she knew it. “I’m here.”

  Voice lowering with great concern, he said, “Linnie, sweetie, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

  Linnie paused to give herself time, then trying to smile in an effort to convince herself of the falsehood, she said in a wobbly voice, “Nothing’s wrong, everything’s right. I’m coming home.” She was a horrible liar.

  Silence.

  Then her father cleared his throat. “Is that so? When?” Now it was his voice all warbled and thin.

  “I’m at a truck stop in Madison now, so about five hours.”

  “Bringing a guest?” he inquired.

  Another pause as she glanced off in the blurry distance, “No...ahhh...Purdy and I have parted ways, he…umm…he…” She sucked in a quick breath, trying hard to hold back her tears. Voice reed thin, and on the light side, she finished, “I’m no longer getting married, Daddy.”

  Never one to tolerate his daughter being hurt, her father grunted in response, and spat, “Who the hell names their son Purdy anyways? Sounds like a sissy to me. Damn fool. Wasn’t good enough for my girl, and knew it! You deserve the best, Linnie. The best! Don’t ever settle for less.”

  Letting out a small laugh, and smiling through her tears, Linnie took comfort in being cossetted. Her father was ever protective of her. She responded, “It was a family name, and you never met him, so you can’t say that with any certainty, but I love you for it anyways. And Daddy, you’re right, he wasn’t good enough for me.”

  With a deep sigh, her father said, “You’ll be a sight for sore eyes, baby girl. Everything will be all right, you’ll see. Everything happens for a reason. Drive safely, and we’ll see you when you get here.”

  Feeling lighter having gotten this first out of the way, Linnie answered, “I will.” Then she ended the call.

  **********

  Nate Sanders, formerly Sergeant Sanders of Company C, Second Battalion, Seventy-fifth Ranger Regiment, was officially separated from the Army. With an honorable discharge, and DD-214 in hand, Nate stepped outside the airport terminal looking for Linnie’s older brother, Jake. It’d been almost six years since he’d walked away from his family and friends, without so much as a word to explain his disappearance.

  Looking around, he noticed several lanes of cars weaving in and out, as they approached their destinations. A large gust of swirling debris came toward him, causing his heart to beat in apprehension. Reflexively looking away, he saw a push of people spilling out of the terminal in a rush, going all different directions, while making their way to the curb and crosswalk. The near distant whine and scream of jet engines, bounced off the complex walls, overwhelming his senses, as the ground rumbled beneath him. Nate looked around, grasping to remain grounded in reality, his apprehension rooted in recent experiences.

  For him, this represented chaos, and danger, and he was on high alert. No army checkpoints to slow things down, no squad to cover his back. His attention caught and held on signage welcoming him to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, a testimony to his being stateside. He stood reading it, over and over.

  “Hey, stars and stripes, haul ass. I want to beat rush hour.”

  Pulled from his panic, Nate smiled in relief. He’d recognize that voice anywhere, and he’d really needed to hear it right then. As he walked up to the pickup, he couldn’t help but notice the Albrecht’s Creamery and Dairy logo on the door. Throwing his duffel in the back, he leapt into the cab, and Jake took off.

  Always one to get right to the point, Jake said, “Well, seeing you like that about sums it. Now I know where you’ve been. How far’d you go?”

  Looking straight ahead, he answered, “Iraq, Afghanistan.”

  Jake whistled through his teeth, then asked, “Rank, specialty?”

  “Sergeant, Army Ranger, war.”

  “Married, girlfriend, kids?” Jake tested.

  Nate slowly turned his head and gave Jake a chilly look. Then responded in a determined tone, “No, no, and no, and despite the rumors, I didn’t sleep with Naomi.”

  “Okay, okay, calm down. Just checking,” Jake said backing away from the subject. “So, Army food good?”

  “Not particularly,” Nate responded, feeling confused. “Why?”

  “Because you’re big, man. Shit, have you looked in the mirror? You were always a decent size, but you make the old you look scrawny. Hell, you could give Mr. America a run for his money.”

  “No thanks, not interested,” he answered flatly.

  Jake continued peppering him with questions, “You on leave or home for good?”

  “For good."

  “Great!” Jake exclaimed, then continued, “I’m thinking you haven’t talked with your folks though, since you called me, or maybe you have, and things didn’t go so well. Do they know where you’ve been, or that you’re coming home?”

  Nate shook his head. “Haven’t talked with anyone since I left. Didn’t want to do it over the phone.” He could feel his tension rising.

  “Hmmmmm,” Jake said, as he thumped his thumbs on the wheel, then continued the quiz. “You jump out of planes, and shit?”

  He couldn’t help but smile. Jake had always liked the rush of adrenalin. “Yeah, I went airborne.”

  “Sweet! So tell me, when they threw your ass off the plane, did you piss all over yourself?”

  Nate started laughing, and felt his tension ease. It was good to be back with Jake. Grinning, he looked over at his friend, and promptly flipped him the bird. Times two.

  Jake chuckled, taking it all in stride. Smiling back, he said, “Hey now, don’t go getting all mushy. I missed you too, GI Joe.” Then reaching over, he punched Nate in the arm. “I’m glad you’re back, and no matter what happened, or didn’t happen, it’ll all work out. You’ll just need to give it some time.”

  “Fill me in, Jake, tell me what I want to know.”

  “Well, let’s see. Your Mom and Dad are doing fine. Your Dad still has the plumbing and heating business. Your Mom’s stays busy helping out at the library and church. They look good, some gray hairs, some wrinkles, but good. Your Dad had a bit of heart trouble a couple years back, but it worked out, and he takes heart meds now. Your mom lost some
weight worrying so much. They’re still in the same house.”

  Feeling thankful, Nate ventured on, “And?”

  “Mmmm, Naomi had a baby boy, moved to Hayward,” he replied awkwardly.

  Nate died a thousand deaths. He didn’t want to hear about Naomi, and Jake knew it. He’d spent years thinking about Linnie, and it wasn’t like Jake to beat around the bush. It appeared he wasn’t going to make this easy, so Nate came right out and asked, “Is she happy? Tell me she’s happy.”

  Jake gave him the oddest look. Then turning back to the road, he let out a stuttering breath and answered tentatively, “Yeah…I think so.”

  “You think so? As in you don’t know for sure?” Had something happened to Linnie? Could he handle it if something had happened to her? Oh hell, this was a minefield he couldn’t traverse. Heart hammering, he said, “Jake, where’s Linnie?”

  “Chicago.”

  “Chicago?” he echoed in confusion. He couldn’t have heard right. Jake nodded. What the hell? Well, at least she was alive. He was able to take a small breath. “Jake, come on, you’re talking, but not saying much. I’m dying here. What’s going on with Linnie?”

  Jake blew out a long breath, then ran a hand over his head and down his neck. Looking as though he was going to say something, he stopped and focused on the road ahead. Nate watched as his jaw clenched. Oh hell, this couldn’t be good, but he gave his friend time to say what needed to be said.

  While looking away, Jake started, “She waited. We all knew she was waiting for you, but she never said it. Then about two months after you left,” he paused, “Mom was killed when she struck a deer coming home one night. Linnie changed during that time, we all did, but Linnie the most. You know how she is, the more stress she’s under, the more controlled she is.

  “Well, we never saw her cry. She was just sooo…quiet. Sad. She went through the motions of life, but rarely talked, except to maybe answer a question. She’d just sit in the house staring out the window, or she’d go for long walks. This went on for weeks. Then one day, we managed to get her out of the house for dinner. It was there that we ran into Naomi. You could see she was starting to show, it was obvious she was pregnant.