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  Healer

  by

  Kate Stone

  Healer

  Copyright 2020, Kate Stone

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, transmitted, or distributed in any printed or electronic form by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Kate Stone, except in the case of brief quotations embodied within reviews and other non-commercial uses allowed by copyright law.

  For permission requests, email [email protected]

  www.AuthorKateStone.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For Mr. Stone, who makes all my dreams come true.

  Contents

  Chapter One – Eve

  Chapter Two – Jericho

  Chapter Three – Eve

  Chapter Four – Jericho

  Chapter Five – Eve

  Chapter Six – Jericho

  Chapter Seven – Eve

  Chapter Eight – Jericho

  Chapter Nine – Eve

  Chapter Ten – Jericho

  Other Books by Kate Stone

  About the Author

  Chapter One – Eve

  It was always something, wasn’t it? I watched as smoke poured through the cracks of the hood of my car, escaping into the atmosphere along with any hope I had to get home before my dad did. In a small town like Newshire, I knew people whispered behind my back, wondering why a twenty-two-year-old still lived at home with daddy. It wasn’t like I had to, but I chose to. My dad and I knew I was an adult and could come and go as I pleased, but I still did my best to be respectful. Sometimes when I was out with friends and had to race the clock to get home before my dad, I would get a rush of that teenage adrenaline again.

  As I cut off the engine and released the hood latch, I weighed my options. I had a couple friends I could call, but it was a Friday evening so getting ahold of any of them would be close to impossible. I could have called my dad, but it had been on going fight between the two of us about my lack of car maintenance. I was just glad I was on a back road where a deputy was less likely to spot me and radio my dad. Getting out of the car, I moved to the front and lifted the hood, immediately jumping back as I hacked up the horrid fumes from my lungs. Once I caught my breath and the smoke and fumes subsided, I stood over the engine compartment with my hands on my hips.

  I wasn’t a total ditz about cars. My dad taught me how to change the oil when I was sixteen—that didn’t mean I did it myself, though. I knew where the belts were and to peek down to see if they were still intact. Outside of that, I was at a loss. As I stared down at the jumble of mechanics, I had no idea what I was going to do, and it was only an hour or so until dark.

  Then, in the distance, over the hills was a sound the entire town of Newshire was all too familiar with. Turning my head, I watched as a lone motorcycle soared down the country road. As it neared, a smile stretched across my lips and I leaned against the side of the car. The motorcycle slowed and pulled over, stopping several yards back from the car. The motorcycle engine cut off and the lanky form lifted from the sporty Harley Davidson. When he went to remove his helmet, I looked up to the sky, as if to be uninterested. “What seems to be the problem, mami?”

  His voice was light but velvety and laced with the intoxicating accent growing up in the Hispanic community had given him. Maybe I had romanticized it over the years because he was one of the few men in town who didn’t sound like all they did was chew tobacco and race four-wheelers. I dropped my innocent gaze down to the still smoking car. “I guess she just needed a smoke break. Letting her take five before making her get back to work.”

  “Is that so?” His voice was a purr then, looming over me. His hands were on the hood, enclosing me in his presence. “Mind if I take a look for you?”

  Finally, I dared a peek up at him, my stomach twisting up in the same shape it always did when Jericho Jimenez came around. In my eyes, he was impossibly handsome—impeccable almond skin that stretched over angular bone structure, perfectly arched thick brows, and mocha eyes that were more complex the longer you studied them. I had spent hours, maybe days, over the years trying to figure them out. “I suppose that wouldn’t hurt,” I shrugged, slinking under his arm to get out of his way.

  Jericho reached in and began inspecting the damage. “How have you been, Eve?”

  “Can’t complain.”

  “I haven’t seen you in over a week.”

  “What’s the matter? Miss me?”

  There was a silence that spoke for him, knowing even though I couldn’t see his face he was smiling. “Always.” After a couple minutes of tinkering around, he turned to me, “Do you still have that box?”

  “What would I do with a box of car junk?” I snorted, going around to the trunk and opening it up.

  Jericho came around and plucked a piece of hose and a jug of coolant from the box. “You’ve been letting your car overheat too much.”

  “How am I supposed to know it’s going to overheat until it does?” I questioned, crossing my arms as I followed him back around the car.

  “Maybe check the coolant level once in a while.” I watched as he fixed the problem with nimble fingers and a skillful ease. He closed the hood and turned to me. “Should be good as new.”

  “Thank you for your service,” I said, grabbing the ends of my flowy skirt and did a little curtsy.

  When I moved toward the driver-side door, Jericho’s arm hooked my waist to stop me. “Let’s hang out.”

  “I can’t, I have to get home. I’m already late.”

  “Exactly,” he grinned, his hands loosely grabbing my hips. “You’re already late, so commit to being late.”

  He had the same playful look in his eye that always roped me in, even when I wanted nothing more than to run away. I couldn’t help myself. He was exciting, sexy, and addictive. The best I could do was play hard to get, even though we both knew we were suckers for one another. “Yeah? What would we do?”

  He looked down the road I just came from, “I don’t know… Drive into the city, have a few beers, maybe I’ll get loose enough to dance with you.”

  It was a bittersweet thought. It was rare that anything sounded better than spending the night with Jericho, we always had a blast together. However, no matter how much fun we had, it was always tinged with anxiety that someone from town would spot us. Word spreads fast in a small town, and there would be hell to pay if we got caught together. The sheriff’s daughter and a Watchdog. Admittedly, it added to the excitement of being together. “I just came from the city. What makes you think I want to drive all the way back out?”

  “I’ll make it worth your while, mami. Let me prove it to you.”

  Rolling my eyes as dramatically as I could I sighed and agreed, “Lead the way then, cowboy.”

  Pressing a kiss to my cheek, Jericho slid past me and hustled his way over to his bike. Getting in my car and starting her up, I watched with relief as the front didn’t smoke. At the sound of Jericho revving his engine, I pulled back onto the road and followed him into the city.

  Chapter Two – Jericho

  Could I have had better timing? Crossing paths with Eve Griswold was hands down the best thing about living in Newshire. That girl had my heart since elementary school and I wasn’t sure how, but one day I was going to make her mine. Even though we had been hanging out since we were kids, every day we spent time together filled me with the same excitement as the first day I saw her.
I had to keep myself in check, the jolt of energy wanting me to speed down the windy roads, but I didn’t want her to lose me.

  After a little while, we reached the city. I led the way to one of our favorite bars, Deep Dive. It was the kind of bar that felt as though it belonged in Newshire—rustic, filled with stringed lights, neon signs, industrial bar stools, and farmhouse tabletops. Not to mention the cheap beer and tequila. It was a little taste of home when we couldn’t be there. Parking the bike, I stood on the sidewalk and waited for her to join my side. Watching her step out of her little red hatchback, I had to keep myself composed. Eve was the epitome of the All-American girl I never thought I would have such a weak spot for. Platinum blonde hair that parted down the middle and hovered just above her shoulders, baby blue eyes, and freckles that peppered across her nose and shoulders. No matter what she wore it seemed like she could stop traffic, especially in that tiny tank top and skirt she wore that evening.

  Wrapping an arm around her shoulders confidently, we headed into the bar. The crowd was sparse for a Friday night. I scanned around for any familiar faces as we headed to our usual high-top table in the corner. Starting us off with a shot each, followed by beers of our choices, I took in the sight of her again.

  “Your dimples are showing,” Eve teased.

  My cheeks grew a little hot as I swigged my beer and looked away to recover before resting an elbow on the table and shooting her an exaggerated seductive look. “Come here often?” I cooed to her in Spanish.

  “Only from time to time,” she replied, a look of deep satisfaction coming over her face.

  It sent a little thrill through me every time she understood Spanish. Having taken the same mediocre Spanish classes with her in high school, I knew that it wasn’t from our educational system, but from hanging out with me. “What have you been so busy with that you’ve been flying underneath my radar?”

  “Little of this, little of that.”

  “A woman of mystery, how fascinating,” I replied, wiggling my brow at her for comedic effect.

  She let out a little laugh. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve just been working a lot. My dad has been asking me to help clear out some of the stuff from storage, too. Been a hectic week.”

  My nose twitched a bit. I would never understand why she chose to live with her father. They had always been close since her mother died when we were kids, but she was twenty-two and should be out on her own. I was being selfish, though, knowing it would be easier for us to see one another if she lived on her own. Raising my glass, I smiled and let the bitter thoughts drift away into the background, “Here’s to cutting lose.”

  “Salud,” Eve responded, clinking her glass to mine.

  “Keep it up and we’ll end up in the backseat of the hatchback,” I winked.

  She gave a devilish grin, “Dios mio.”

  For the next little while we nursed some beers, shared a plate of deliciously fattening fried food, laughed and talked. Eve was someone I could talk about anything with—politics, philosophy, television shows, sports, anything. She was viciously funny, willing to walk the fine line between insult and joke to gut punch you with laughter, which was only strengthened by her sharp mind. There was also something so tough yet delicate about her, which intoxicated me more than any tequila.

  I watched her snag the last boneless wing and suck the sauce from her pointer finger and thumb. “Should have moved faster there, cowboy.”

  “Oh, I think we both know I’m fine taking my time,” I smirked.

  Her eyes cut over to me and I wasn’t sure if she was about to tell me off or laugh. Then she looked away, wiping her hands and mouth on a napkin. “So, anything new with you?”

  “Same old, same old.” I shot her a tender smile, though it was a lie. Two of the Watchdogs had been arrested for drugs, sending the gang into a panic. I knew she knew, but I didn’t want to get into that as much as she didn’t want to talk about the inner workings of our relationship. Point taken, Eve. The song changed over the stereo and I perked up. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths was in its opening chords; a song that had been thematic for our ongoing fling. Offering her my hand, Eve’s face softened as she slid her small hand into mine.

  It didn’t matter that there wasn’t anyone else dancing in the bar. We had never been the kind to care about eyes on us when we were in the city. Pulling her close with a hand falling to her hip, we swayed next to our table. Her cheek rested against my shoulder and I breathed in the scent of her hair. Just like that, we were in our own world again. Eve and I had been having these secret little rendezvous on a regular basis since freshmen year of high school. We would sneak away into the city or an open field and be together in the ways the town wouldn’t allow us. Most of the time, there was beer, music, and endless conversation. I missed her pickup truck; in high school we would fill the back of it with blankets and pillows and stay back there for hours. She crashed it during a bad rainstorm, driving us back from a day of skipping school. We were both bruised up pretty bad and she demanded I leave the scene before she called her dad. I tried to stay but she was screaming and deep down I knew she was right. Had we been caught together we would have never have been allowed to see each other again. Hell, her dad may have found a way to spin the accident and lock me up for it just to keep me away from her. The two weeks it took for her to heal and be released from the watchful eye of her dad were the longest of my life. Never had the seriousness of our relationship felt so heavy than it had during that time. The night I finally got to see her had been one of the few times I had seen Eve cry, and the only time she had witnessed me bawl.

  Even though I wasn’t a mind-reader, I could sense Eve was thinking the same thing I was. As the song neared its end, Eve lifted her face and glanced up at me. Wasting no time at all, I pressed my lips to hers. We continued to sway, pressed tightly against one another, despite the drastic song change. Ten years of love bubbled up inside both of us the same way it always did when we saw each other.

  Had things been different, I would have married that girl by now.

  Soon enough, I was slapping money on the table to cover our bill and fumbling with her out the patio door of the bar and over to her car. She opened the passenger door and pushed me inside, adding accelerant to my desire. Even when we were teenagers just fooling around, Eve had never been shy about taking charge. Straddling my lap, her lips found mine like a magnet. My hands slid up the back of her thighs and cupped her bottom. “I’ve missed you,” I whispered in between kisses.

  “I’ve missed you too,” she whispered back, beginning to trail kisses along my neck.

  The air around us shifted from sexual tension to something more tender and loving. The only time that I felt myself, the persona club member and devoted son falling to the wayside, was when I was with Eve. With Eve I could express the tenderness I had within me, something that wasn’t safe to show in the club or around town. I could allow my anger to morph into something physical, kissing and squeezing her to let all of it out in a beautiful way.

  I could have stayed there forever, no matter how uncomfortable making out in a car was. I would take all the cramps and aches if it meant I could hold her forever. We wouldn’t go past innocent necking since we were in public, and I was fine with that. She lightly grinded against me, leaving me breathless. My desire was beginning to spike, but I let myself get lost in the sensations of Eve. Soft, sensual, supple Eve.

  A vibration sounded from the cupholder and I heard her groan. “Don’t,” I moaned into her lips.

  “You know I have to.”

  “I know you have a choice,” I persisted.

  She sighed and sat up, combing a hand through her hair as she reached for her phone. “Shit,” she muttered under her breath. “My dad’s been calling me for an hour.”

  “So? P

  ut it on silent.”

  She gave me a look that let me know I would lose the argument if I dared to start it. “I need to get
home, I’m sorry. He doesn’t call me like this unless something is wrong.”

  Yeah, right, I thought, haunted by countless evenings ruined by Sheriff Griswold blowing up her phone. I tried my best not to give her a hard time though, I had witnessed firsthand the anxiety that grew inside her over her dad once her mom passed away. My hands rubbed her shoulders as she lifted the phone to her ear, much to my bemusement.

  “Hello?... Hey, yeah no I’m just out with some friends,” that always cut deep, but I knew it did for her, too. “Everything okay?... Okay, well I’m on my way home. Don’t worry… Okay, love you…. Bye.” She hung up and tossed her phone back into the cupholder, running her hands over her face. “I should get going.”

  “He’s a fifty-year-old man, Eve. He’s fine on his own.”

  “Don’t start with me, please,” she pleaded, leaning down and planting a firm kiss on me.

  “When can I see you again?” I asked, bringing her hips into mine.

  A phantom grin flashed across her lips before disappearing again, “I don’t know… Maybe tomorrow? I don’t have anything going on.”

  “I’m busy during the day but then I’m free. Meet me at the café at say… six?” Clementine’s Café, her favorite restaurant. “Sandwiches, sweet tea, maybe some pastries… My treat as long as you spend the night with me. I’ll get us a hotel room in the city.”

  “Is it my birthday?” she joked, pressing another kiss to me.

  “We can act like it is,” I smirked.

  “You drive a hard bargain, but I suppose I’m forced to accept.”

  I squeezed her tight, kissing her repeatedly. It was moments like that I wish I could tell her I loved her, but we had made a pact not to do such things years ago. It made it harder to be apart. We did our best to live our separate lives, only coming together when the stars aligned, if you will. “Until then,” I whispered into her lips.