Shattered Trust, page 1
part #1 of Christian Romance Series
Shattered Trust
Monroe Family
Christian Romance
Laura Scott
Copyright © 2023 by Laura Iding
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Prologue
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
Dear Reader
Prologue
“Head for the river! Run!”
Austin Monroe could barely hear Sam's voice over the roar of the wildfire bearing down on them. He didn't need his buddy’s urging to keep him moving—the heat of the fire scorching his back was motivation enough. The wind had shifted, bringing the fire they'd been fighting straight toward them, breaking through the line. If not for Sam coming back to warn him, he would have been burned to a crisp.
They still might die.
Even as the realization sink deep, he caught sight of the river less than fifty yards ahead. Reaching the river before the fire caught up to them was their only chance of survival.
A slim chance, if the severe drought hadn't made the river too low.
The heavy Kevlar suit he wore wasn't enough to keep the force of the heat off him. He ignored the sweat rolling into his eyes beneath the helmet as he stayed focused on the river. He slipped, nearly fell, but Sam was right behind him, dragging him upright and pushing him forward. With a herculean effort, he made his way down the bank to the water, jumping in with a feeling of relief. He doused his whole body as best he could in water that was barely knee high.
It took him a minute to realize Sam hadn't joined him in the river. He glanced back to see his partner using a drip torch to light a backfire on the grassy area surrounding the riverbank to protect them from a lethal burn over.
He pulled himself back out of the water to join Sam. They didn't have much time as the wildfire bore down on them, moving with astronomical speed as it gobbled up the dry brush with a voracious hunger.
“Get into the river!” Sam shouted as he lit as many fires as he could with the drip torch. Austin had lost his equipment when the fire had changed direction, so he couldn't do much to help.
“No.” He wasn't leaving his partner, the guy who'd come back for him. He would not allow Sam to face this alone. When the drip torch was empty, Sam tossed it into the smoldering grass fire. Austin grabbed his arm. “Let's go. We need to get in the water.”
This time Sam didn't argue, but finally followed him back down the bank to the river. When Austin hit the water, he felt Sam fall heavily unto him from behind, pinning him down. It seemed as if his buddy had used up all his resources to keep going. Austin reached up and pulled Sam down into the water beside him.
The backfire didn't work as well as they'd hoped. Orange flames flickered dangerously close. Following Sam's lead, Austin took a big gulp of air before submerging his head in the river leaving only the very top of his helmet above the water. He sensed Sam did the same, although the smoke was so thick it was hard to see.
Over and over again, he quickly lifted his head, gasped for what little oxygen was left in the air and then ducked his head beneath the water again.
Finally the roar of the fire subsided, indicating it had burned down, the raging beast having moved on to better prey—thick brush lining the ridge to the west of them.
“Sam?” He levered himself to his hands and knees, reaching for his friend. Sam's smoke blackened face peered up at him and his heart squeezed in his chest. Hadn’t Sam continued dunking his head beneath the water? “Are you all right?”
Sam gave a tiny nod, but his breathing was harsh, labored. Austin reached for his radio, wondering just how much smoke had gotten into his buddy’s lungs. “Mayday, mayday. Firefighter with smoke inhalation is down in the Rock River, two miles east of the river's bend. Need medic STAT.”
“Roger that. Medevac chopper on the way.”
“Sam?” Panic clawed up his back as Sam began to cough, his body convulsing so hard he could barely take a breath. “Hang on, they're coming for us. Just hang on.”
“Lindsey.” Sam reached up and weakly grasped Austin's jacket. “Take care of her. Take care of Lindsey and Josh.”
Sam's plea for his wife and child stabbed his heart. His gut clenched with fear. “Don't worry about Lindsey and Josh. You're going to make it out of here to care for them yourself.”
“Too late,” Sam whispered between coughing fits. “Take care of them—promise me. They'll need... Promise me...” His voice faded as another coughing fit seized him.
“I promise.” Austin held his partner close, scanning the smoke darkened sky. Where in the world was that chopper?
Sam stopped coughing, closed his eyes and slumped bonelessly in Austin's arms. No. No! He stared down at his buddy's face, as the medivac chopper cleared the trees and headed for them, knowing with a sick certainty that Sam was right.
It was too late.
Chapter One
Smoke. Accompanied by the wail of sirens.
Lindsey Winters was used to sirens—they blared past her house often in this part of the city—but it was the acrid smell of smoke that forced her to climb out of her sofa bed located in the center of the living room.
A quick glance around showed nothing amiss. The living room and kitchen were essentially one room, and she hadn't left a candle burning. There wasn’t any other obvious source of smoke. One thing about having a small house was that there weren't too many places to look for a fire.
She hastily pulled on a robe and headed down the hall to the single bedroom toward the back of the cottage, where her nine-year-old son slept. “Josh?”
“Mom?” He answered in a sleepy tone, having just woken up. “Do you smell smoke? I thought I was dreaming about Dad.”
“It's not a dream, Josh.” Her heart squeezed for her son, who obviously missed his father. Sam had died six months ago, and so much had happened since then, not least of all the recent move to this house. She could understand why he'd make the connection. When her firefighter husband had been alive, he'd often come home reeking of smoke. The kind that came from fighting fires, not from smoking cigarettes or cigars.
It was the same cent filling the air now. “Come here.” She gathered him in a one armed hug. “Let's see what's going on.”
In the living room, red and blue lights flashed brightly through the front window. Screaming fire trucks pulled up, blocking the end of their driveway. Pressing her nose against the glass, she peered out and saw firefighters and police gathering around the house next door. It was the Tolliver’s place. They're hadn't been time to get to know her neighbors, but she had briefly met single mom Anna Tolliver and her two girls, who were both a few years younger than Josh.
“Wow,” Josh whispered beside her. Now that he realized their house wasn't the one on fire, he relaxed a little. “I've never seen a fire this close.”
“Me neither,” she admitted. As a nurse working in the emergency department of a small Community Hospital, she'd been exposed to the occasional burn patient, but nothing very serious. The really bad burn cases were airlifted to Los Angeles.
She shivered, despite the warmth of the balmy California spring night.
A firefighter dressed in full gear jogged across her front lawn, straight toward her front door. She pulled back in surprise, and then went over to open the door before he had a chance to knock.
“Lindsey?” Her husband's best friend and fellow firefighter and paramedic, Austin Monroe gaped at her in shock. “What on earth are you doing here?”
Great. Just what she needed. Not. She stifled a sigh and angled her chin, fervently wishing that out of all the firefighters in Sun Valley, Austin Monroe hadn't been on duty tonight. “We live here.”
“What? Since when? “Then he gave an impatient shake of his head. “Never mind. Come on, we need you and Josh to evacuate the premises. The fire next door is too close and too far out of control to ensure your safety.
“Is there time for us to change our clothes?” She rubbed one bare foot over the other.
He frowned, glancing down at her bare toes, and then at her sons equally bare feet. “Two minutes. If you're not ready by then, I'm coming in after you.”
No need for threats—she believed him. Turning away from the door, she gave Josh a slight push. “Get dressed. Hurry.” As he disappeared down the hall, she grabbed the closest pair of jeans, sweater, socks and comfortable running shoes she could find before ducking into the bathroom to change.
In less than two minutes she met Josh and headed outside, resisting the urge to gather her meager yet precious belongings. Through the mass of people milling about she saw Anna Tolliver and her girls standing off to the side, surrounded by police. Thank heavens they were safe.
Austin nodded with approval when they stepped out onto the front porch. He directed them to a spot safely beyond the perimeter of the fire. “I need both of you to stand back here, out of the way.”
Again, she wasn't going to argue. Austin had been her husband's smoke jumping partner and he knew his way around fires, whether they were domestic like at the Tolliver 's house or a thick, raging wildfire. Smoke jumpers were men who fought wildfires by jumping from planes into smoke filled skies to help prevent the fire from spreading. Her husband and Austin had both trained as smoke jumpers. She hadn't understood the attraction, something she and Sam had fought about.
Now she was grateful for Austin's experience in fighting fires.
From their safety zone Lindsey could see orange flames dancing through the kitchen window of the Tolliver’s house. She swallowed hard when she realized how close the threat was to her home. Flames reached up, like gnarled fingers trying to grasp the edge of her roof. The postage-stamp sized lots on which their small bungalow homes were built only gave a couple of feet of clearance between them.
“Lindsey?” Austin lightly grasped her arm.
She tore her gaze from the horrifying image of the flames leaping toward her home. “What?”
“Don't leave without me, okay?” His intense gaze searched hers. “I'll take care of you and Josh. Just wait for me.”
Her throat was clogged with fear so she simply nodded. No matter how annoyed she had been with him earlier, it was nice to know she wasn't totally alone in the world. Austin may be a bit of an interfering control freak, but he was definitely a man of his word. Her gaze followed him as he turned and jogged back, taking his role in fighting the fire. She intended to watch him work, but quickly lost him amidst the sea of firefighters, unable to distinguish him from the others beneath their heavy gear.
“Mom?” Josh asked in a tiny, scared voice. “Is our house going to burn, too?”
She clutched him close, wishing she could sound positive when she had a sinking feeling their situation was about to go from bad to worse. After Sam had died, she'd discovered a mountain of debt. Likely the reason he’d taken the smoke jumping jobs. Not that it had changed the inevitable outcome. She'd been forced to sell the house, grasping the first meager offer that had come in, and had moved here into this tiny one bedroom home in a not so nice part of town.
This probably wasn't the time to admit she had absolutely no insurance. They'd only moved in two months ago, and her loan had been low enough that the bank hadn't forced the issue. It had been difficult enough to make sure there had been money for food and gas, much less for homeowners’ insurance.
Now she realized how foolish she'd been. “I hope not, Josh.” She watched the flames of her neighbor's house dance closer. The firefighters aimed a wide, forceful stream of water directly toward the source of the fire, completely drenching her house in the process.
She should be glad that no one was hurt, but what would happen if their house did catch fire? Where would they go? Where would they live?
She blinked away tears of useless self-pity. “I really hope not,” she whispered.
Reeling from the shock of finding Lindsey and Josh in the tiny, cramped house on Puckett Street, Austin concentrated on fighting the fire. Thankfully the occupants of the home had gotten out safely, but the fire, having somehow started in the electrical system inside the walls, had traveled along the electrical wires, engulfing the entire place before anyone had understood what had happened.
The house was a total loss. The goal now was to contain the fire, preventing it from spreading to the homes on either side.
Particularly to Lindsey’s house.
He didn't understand what had happened. Why had she moved out of the nice place she'd lived in with Sam? Because of the memories? Or for financial reasons? As much as he tried to be there for Lindsey, especially during those first few weeks after Sam’s death, she'd resisted his support. They'd had a huge fight when he tried to give her some advice on how to handle Josh. She'd shouted at him to get a life of his own and to leave her alone.
He'd backed off, giving her the space she’d asked for. He hadn't been to see her in four months. First, he'd headed off to a three week smoke jumping tour, having been dropped via parachute into the depths of the Oregon forest, and then when he'd gotten back he'd gone home to visit his parents. He’d been haunted by memories of Sam the whole time he had been in Oregon. And at his parent’s home, too.
He often saw his buddy’s smoke covered face in his dreams. His nightmares.
And he'd failed Sam again, because things were obviously worse for Lindsey than he'd realized. She'd kicked him out of her life once, but he shouldn't have left so easily. He'd assumed she'd at least been happily settled in her home. He never wanted to hurt her, but this time he wasn't leaving until he knew she and Josh were safe and secure.
Preferably not living in that death trap masquerading as a house.
When they finally had the fire under control, he helped stow the gear, his gaze searching for Lindsey and Josh. He figured the police had gotten the Red Cross involved to help locate the family that had just lost their home. There was no way he would allow Lindsey and Josh to return to their place either, not until he'd had the structure thoroughly checked out.
Might be a good idea to check the electrical wiring in the place, too. He had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't up to code, as the footprint of Lindsey’s house was exactly the same as the one that had gone up in flames. Just the thought of faulty wiring lining the walls of her home made his blood run cold.
“Lindsey?” He made his way over to where she and Josh both stood, looking shell shocked, their arms wrapped around each other for support. “I'll take you over to my place for what's left of the night.”
She frowned. “Why can't we go back to our house?”
“I'm sorry, there’s been water and smoke damage. He was glad he didn't have to lie—there had been a lot of water damage. “I’m afraid the house needs to be cleared by us before you can move back in.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip and shrugged. “Well, then, a hotel is fine. We don't need to impose on you.”
“You're not imposing.” Just once he wished she'd simply give in and let him help. Although she didn't realize how much his need to offer her assistance was wrapped in guilt over being the cause of Sam's death. “Actually, it may be better if you drove your car so you're not stranded without a set of wheels.”
She seemed to like that idea, but still hesitated, her gaze uncertain. “I don't know—a hotel might be better if this is going to take a while.”
“A few days at the most,” he said even though he didn't point out that if the house needed repairs, the time frame would be undoubtedly longer. “Please? At least for tonight?”
She grudgingly nodded. “Can we pack some of our things?”
“Yes.” He was grateful to give her at least that much. His crew was standing around, waiting for him, but he waved them off, figuring he'd get a ride back to the fire station later and followed her inside.
The place was even smaller than he'd realized. Frowning at the open, rumpled sofa sleeper taking up most of the living room, he watched as she gathered clothing together, throwing them into an old, well-worn suitcase.
He didn't like the circumstances she was living in, that's for sure. She didn't even have a bedroom of her own. Once again, he wondered what had happened? What had caused her to move from the nice three-bedroom house she lived in with Sam to this? What's more, why had she moved without even telling him?
Or had she deliberately moved just to avoid him?
No, that didn’t make sense. He’d honored her wishes, leaving her alone.
Lindsey closed the suitcase and bent over to pick it up.
“I'll take that.” He stepped forward to lift the heavy case from her grasp. He lugged the suitcase outside and put it in the trunk of Lindsey 's bright yellow car. Lindsey loved the color yellow, and seeing her small car would normally make him smile. But not tonight. Upon returning inside, he went back to find Lindsey and Josh in the single bedroom located at the rear of the house. Josh's suitcase was full, so Austin took it before Lindsey could.
