Promise Me Read online

  Table of Contents

  PROMISE ME

  Acknowledgments

  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

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  PROMISE ME

  MARIE EASTON

  SOUL MATE PUBLISHING

  New York

  PROMISE ME

  Copyright©2018

  MARIE EASTON

  Cover Design by Melody A. Pond

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

  Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Published in the United States of America by

  Soul Mate Publishing

  P.O. Box 24

  Macedon, New York, 14502

  ISBN: 978-1-68291-807-4

  www.SoulMatePublishing.com

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  I would like to dedicate this book to my husband

  who is my best friend, my strength and my happiness.

  Thank you for sharing you life with me

  and for always encouraging me.

  And to my girls who make me smile

  and give profound purpose to my life always.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to my family and friends who support my dreams and ambitions. My life is complete and fulfilled because of you. To my loyal supporters who have read my work and share in my stories, I hope they bring you smiles, laughter and bit of escape from the daily grind. Enjoy!

  Thank You!

  Chapter 1

  Garrett

  Sometimes life just isn’t fair or easy. Isn’t that what I tell my most prominent clients when they are sitting in front of me crying about their cheating husbands and rotten kids? All while they retain my services to file for divorce or some other legal action that will result in a huge financial pay off and ultimately revenge.

  I looked at the clock while my last client of the day dabbed her eyes, waiting to hear what her next move will be.

  My mind wandered for a moment as I look forward to this interaction ending. I’ll be leaving for Minden in the morning to help my mother plan my father’s funeral. The time away will be good. Especially since I recently made the error of sleeping with one of my clients, Gloria. Technically, Gloria’s divorce was final, but we were barely out of the courthouse when I ended up in her bed.

  Gloria was amazingly beautiful. Long, jet-black hair, tall, thin, perfectly tanned and perfectly kept. It was pure lust, but that’s the way I like it. No strings, no attachments. Hooking up twice a week kept my stress levels down and fulfilled my sexual appetite. She was amazing in bed. Then I realized why she’s divorced.

  She’s incredibly needy and possessive. Following me around, showing up at my house uninvited, calling the office constantly insisting on talking to me because she missed me. No piece of ass was worth all of that. Yes, time away will be good.

  “Gabby, your pre-nuptial agreement doesn’t have a clause regarding infidelity. I don’t feel we have a leg to stand on in order to gain a bigger divorce settlement.”

  She immediately stopped crying and sat a little straighter, her fake eyelashes still in place and her skintight dress showing her large bosom. “Certainly there’s something I can do to make that bastard pay for making a fool out of me with his little tramp.”

  “Not in this case. This is an airtight contract that you signed. I would recommend we serve him the divorce papers and get your settlement in place as soon as possible.”

  She sniffled and dabbed her eyes again. “If that’s the best I can do then let’s at least serve him on the movie set.”

  “I can arrange that. I’ll have our assistant serve him next week while I’m away.”

  “Thank you. How long will you be gone?”

  “I’ll be back in two weeks, but I’m always available by phone. It’s a waiting game for him to sign and then receive a court date at this point.”

  “Very well.” Gabby stood and walked out satisfied that her soon to be ex-husband would undergo public humiliation for his crime of infidelity.

  I wrapped up my last few emails and ensured my secretary had a rundown of what was pending before I walked out the door.

  ~ ~ ~

  I hit the road early, enjoying the cool air with the sunroof open on my luxury sports car. I had eight long hours to think about my past and hometown as I opened it up on the interstate.

  I haven’t been back to Minden since I left high school. I made excuse after excuse to my family with reasons why I was too busy to visit. I didn’t miss it, the small town mentality with everyone in your business. That wasn’t for me.

  After graduating from UCLA law with honors, I was picked up by a powerhouse law firm that dealt only with the rich and famous. I deserved my place in the firm. It had been well earned with countless hours of work and big returns. Yet here I was, making a right hand turn down the only main street in my old stomping grounds.

  “You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I growled out loud as the check coolant warning flashed on the control panel of the Mercedes S-series coupe. “Could anything else go wrong? Like my dad dying and being here isn’t enough?”

  I rolled down the main drag until I found Hanks Automotive. I pulled in and killed the engine before doing any more damage to the luxury cruiser. Slamming the door out of frustration, I proceeded to the office of the small shop. I highly doubt anyone in here has the know-how to work on a Mercedes.

  “Can I help you?”

  The young lady staring at me dressed in workshop coveralls and a baseball hat snapped me out of my sour thoughts. Her long brown hair hung straight down from the ball cap and she wore no makeup, but her green eyes were stunning. I was taken aback for a moment when I heard her ask again “Can I help you?”

  “Yeah. My car overheated and
I need someone to take a look at it.”

  She looked past me slightly. “The Mercedes?”

  It’s certainly not the Ford truck! “That’s the one.”

  She raised an elegant brow, clearly seeing through my coolly polite response. “Let’s take a look.”

  She moved past me and out to the parking lot where the gurgling car sat. She reached for the door handle but was met with resistance. She looked back up. “Did you lock the door?

  I didn’t even respond, merely pressed the button to release the locks. I could hear a giggle as she nodded her head in amazement.

  “You really don’t need to lock the doors around here. It’s not the big city.”

  Did she really just offer up sarcastic advice? I watched as she popped the hood and took a look inside. There is no way she is the mechanic. She’s so tiny and petite. Why is she working on cars for a living?

  “Can you toss me the keys so I can see the warning on the dash?”

  I threw the keys and she caught them no sweat. She sat in the front seat and placed the key in the ignition. She got back out and walked the keys to me, placing them in my hand.

  “It’s too hot to pop the radiator cap, but once it cools I can flush the radiator and see if that works. If not, I can have a new radiator here in a couple of days. How long are you in town?”

  That’s a great question. How long will I be in town? I took two weeks off but I plan on leaving here as soon as possible. “I’m not sure yet. Can I get this taken care of faster in Reno?”

  “Do you want me to call a tow truck to take it there?” She looked annoyed as those piercing green eyes shot daggers.

  “Do you have someone experienced with Mercedes?”

  She lifted her chin a bit higher before answering me. “Is the issue the time it will take to get parts or my ability to drop in a new radiator?”

  “You’ll be doing the work?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you Hank by chance?”

  “Hank was my father’s name.”

  “Did he teach you how to work on cars?”

  “Him and my brothers.”

  That’s when I realized who I was talking to. I played baseball with Brock and Bobby Edwards in high school. This must be their little sister Bethany. She was only twelve or thirteen when we graduated. Boy did she grow up to have flawless beauty. Even with grease under her nails and no makeup she is striking to look at, not to mention her confidence and spunk. She wasn’t going to let me outtalk her, and I do that for a living.

  “They let you run this place by yourself?”

  “Would you like the car fixed or will we be transferring it to another location?”

  I smirked a little at having successfully pushed her buttons. “I think I’ll take a chance on you.”

  Now both elegant brows rose. “Well we will do ya mighty proud sir,” she said, oozing sarcasm.

  “Where did you say Hank was, by the way?” I asked, following her to the desk as she began to fill out an estimate.

  “He’s at the town cemetery. He died two years ago. Anything else you would like to know about my life? Would you like to see my tax returns and business license as well?”

  Shit. I didn’t know. Why do I always have to be a total dick. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  She handed me the clipboard she had been writing feverishly on. “How could you, city slicker? You haven’t been home in more than a decade. Please fill out the top of the form with your contact information.”

  She recognized me? How could she when I just barely put it together?

  Chapter 2

  Bethany

  I can’t believe it’s Garrett McMillan standing here being a total jerk about his precious Mercedes. The town high school superstar baseball pitcher turned hotshot lawyer. My brothers were on the baseball team with him. Brock was the same age as Garrett and Bobby was a year younger. They didn’t go on to be lawyers though. Brock owns a construction business in San Diego and Bobby is an engineer for Ford in Los Angeles. They all hit the door running after graduation and never came back.

  My mind wandered to how I tried to do the same, but life didn’t work out as well for me as it did for Brock and Bobby.

  I went to Stanford for a degree in speech pathology and therapy. While I was there, I met who I thought was the man of my dreams, Thad Williams. Thad was a surgical fellow and we began dating my junior year at University. He was a drinker and would let his frustrations out while tying one on from time to time. As time went on, he seemed to turn more of his frustrations on me. I made a thousand excuses to forgive his abusive behavior until graduation night.

  I was the happiest I’d ever been. My family was in town to join the festivities of the first Edwards daughter to graduate college. We all went to dinner, and then Thad and I headed out to celebrate. That celebration included a large amount of alcohol, which led to Thad’s usual anger at the world. This time the anger was all about me.

  I can’t even remember what trivial issue he was making a big deal about, but I left the bar mad and wanting to get away from him. He followed me out to the parking lot and the fight continued, but this time it ended with him hitting me. Not just hitting me once, but a barrage of fist blows to my head. I don’t know who stopped it or what happened next, but when I woke up I was in the hospital with my family at my side.

  The humiliation and shame that I felt for getting myself into such a mess was unbearable, made even worse by the disappointment that I saw in the eyes of my parents.

  As a result of Thad’s assault, I lost a portion of my hearing, requiring me to wear hearing aids and I became a patient in the profession I had just trained for. My brothers were fit to be tied when Thad got nothing more than probation for putting me in the hospital and disabling me. The family collectively decided it was best for me to return home to help dad at the shop. At least I’d be safe and cared for.

  I was in no position to argue about coming home. After all, my dad did need the help and I was struggling to adjust to my hearing loss. When my dad dropped to his death from a heart attack in the shop that he loved, I was again a disappointment to my family when I failed to save him.

  Apparently the men in this town don’t have great longevity, because Garrett’s dad just passed away and the funeral is this weekend. That must be the reason he found it in his heart to grace us with his presence.

  Fine by me. He is easy on the eyes. I remember drooling over him in junior high and went to every game just to get another glimpse. His dirty blonde hair and broad shoulders on a tall, lean frame brought lust even to a young girl. He basically looked the same now except his hair was shorter. Very professional gentlemen’s cut, with a few lines around his eyes, which in my opinion made him look distinguished and even sexier than I remembered.

  He wore aviator sunglasses and his jeans sat on his hips just perfectly, like they were made for him. His polo shirt fit tight around his arms, drawing my attention to the definition showing from the short sleeve down. If he only had a personality that wasn’t sour he would be every woman’s fantasy.

  He handed the clipboard back to me. I looked it over to ensure the contact information was all filled in and legible. “Would you like me to call with an estimate if the radiator needs to be replaced?”

  “No, just get it back up and running as soon as possible.”

  “Will do. I’ll give you a call when it’s ready to be picked up. Do you need a ride from here?”

  “I don’t imagine you have Uber.”

  He really is a snob. “I can give you a lift. I have running boards on my truck so you should be able to get into it without injuring yourself.”

  “I think I can manage, thank you.”

  Smiling, I grabbed the keys to my Ford F150 extended cab truck. I unzipped my coveralls
and dropped them to the floor and stepped out. I didn’t want to dirty my truck seats. It was spring, but the air was warm enough that my shorts and T-shirt were comfortable for the short drive to the McMillan’s property.

  “Just give me a minute to tell Davey I’m stepping out so he can watch for customers.” I turned and went to the garage to tell my trusted coworker and friend where I was going.

  “Hey Davey.”

  Davey peaked out from under the hood of a Honda Civic. He’s put on few pounds over the last couple of years and his beard was only half grown in. “Yeah Beth?”

  “I’m going to give Garrett McMillan a ride to his mom’s house. Can you hold down the fort until I get back?”

  “Garrett McMillan? Must be in town for the funeral.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “He’s not much of a talker, but I’m assuming the same. The black Mercedes out front is his.”

  Davey stepped around me and peaked out to the front. He let out a whistle. “Sweet ride. It’s worth more than most people’s houses. What’s wrong with it?”

  “Radiator. Overheated on his way into town.”

  “You got the tools to work on that?”

  “Yeah. I will have to dig through the barn at home, but I know my dad kept his specialty tools in there. Thankfully he had a fondness for Mercedes back in the day. If not, I guess I’ll have to make a trip to Reno to get what I need.”

  “You better get going. He’s pacing and looking at his watch.”

  “He’s uptight, that’s for sure. Be back soon.” I swung around and walked out through the garage to the outside where Garrett was waiting. “Do you need to get your things from your car?”

  “I did. Just waiting on you now.”

  “Would you like me to help you with your bags?” I asked as I was already walking to my truck.