My Salvation Read online

  My Salvation

  (Salvation Series, Book 1)

  By:

  Michelle Dare

  My Salvation

  Michelle Dare

  Published by Michelle Dare

  Copyright ©2014 Michelle Dare

  Smashwords Edition

  First Edition, ebook - published 2014

  Cover Design by Sommer Stein

  Photography by Sara Eirew

  Interior Design by Riane Holt

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  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  All Rights Reserved Worldwide. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

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

  The use of locations and products throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way been seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion, with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  Table of Contents

  ~ 1 ~

  ~ 2 ~

  ~ 3 ~

  ~ 4 ~

  ~ 5 ~

  ~ 6 ~

  ~ 7 ~

  ~ 8 ~

  ~ 9 ~

  ~ 10 ~

  ~ 11 ~

  ~ 12 ~

  ~ 13 ~

  ~ 14 ~

  ~ 15 ~

  ~ 16 ~

  ~ 17 ~

  ~ 18 ~

  ~ 19 ~

  ~ 20 ~

  ~ 21 ~

  ~ 22 ~

  ~ 23 ~

  ~ 24 ~

  ~ 25 ~

  ~ 26 ~

  ~ 27 ~

  ~ Epilogue ~

  ~ Acknowledgements ~

  ~ A Note from Michelle Dare… ~

  ~ About the Author ~

  ~ 1 ~

  “I quit,” Cali said to her boss, Mark. She reached her breaking point this past week. Well educated and worked a shit job. For what? She busted her ass at work and the man barely knew she was in the office. It wasn’t one big thing, but a lot of little things that came together.

  “I don’t understand, Caliana. I thought you were happy. You’re a good worker.”

  Caliana. That name was normally reserved for family and close friends. Hearing him say it grated on her nerves and he knew it. After asking repeatedly to stop saying it, he still insisted on using it. What a dick, she thought.

  “I was happy, but just now when you said I’m a good worker, that is the first compliment you’ve given me in six months. This isn’t working out.”

  “Will anything I say or do change your mind? We can make some adjustments to your schedule or workload. I’ll meet you in the middle.”

  “No, sorry. I’ve thought about quitting for some time now. Please take my badge and keys to the desk,” Cali said as she placed the items on Mark’s desk. “If human resources requires anything they have my number on file. The laptop, charger, and cell phone are on my desk.”

  “This really is unexpected. I wish you would reconsider. You are part of our team. We would hate to lose you.” She hated his tone, very formal, but clipped. Like even he didn’t believe the words coming out.

  Cali shook her head. “I’m sorry, but no. You have my cell number if you need any information regarding the projects I was working on. All but two are completed.”

  Cali had thought about giving two weeks notice, but no one considered her feelings or what she wanted, why should she consider anyone else’s? Money wasn’t an issue.

  Her aunt, Rhea, passed away leaving her belongings, including money, home and cabin by the lake to her. In reality, she didn’t have to work for years and would still be okay. But knew that she would work again. Having a degree would make finding work easier than if she didn’t have one.

  Purse in hand, with a few personal belongings packed in it, she strolled out of Mark’s office and walked toward the front entrance of the building. She waved to the receptionist before stepping outside into the bright, warm sun. Freedom, she thought. No one to answer to. The first step in what she hoped was the right direction.

  Grabbing the car keys, she unlocked the driver’s side door to her black four door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. She stepped up and slid into the warm, black seat. Driving home, she thought about what to do with this new found freedom.

  Lounging at home sounded okay, but Cali wanted more of a break. Then something came to her. She would pack a bag and go to the cabin.

  Cali pulled into the parking spot, grabbed her purse and found the key to unlock the front door. Her townhouse wasn’t much, but it was all she needed. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an updated kitchen, spacious living room and a small, but adequate yard.

  She grabbed the cell phone out of her purse, before setting it down on the small table in the entryway. She checked the calendar and noticed the cabin was free for the remainder of the season. It was always rented out for the spring and summer months. At the end of the season, she would drive and close it for the fall and winter.

  She walked to the bedroom and stepped inside the walk-in closet. Looking around, she tried to decide what to pack. Cali packed enough for three or four days, knowing she could do laundry at the cabin. Grabbing t-shirts, tanks, shorts and capris, she packed them into the suitcase. She opened the top drawer to her dresser and pulled out two bikinis, one a pale blue, the other a dark red.

  After packing the rest of the essentials, she stopped to glance in the full-length mirror on the back of the closet door. Cali had brown eyes and long, brown hair that had natural curl. It normally looked like waves by the end of the day from the weight. She was slender, but shapely. At five foot four inches, height didn’t help with the shapely part.

  She threw on a white V-neck tee, a pair of khaki shorts, and comfortable flip flops and was ready to go. Cali picked up the laptop bag and threw the Kindle inside, along with all of the chargers. Even though there was a laptop for work, she always kept a personal one at home. She had to maintain the billing, etc. for the cabin. After locking the front door, everything was loaded into her Jeep.

  Cali was single and preferred that. She went on dates, but didn’t engage in anything serious since Zach. He treated her like shit, but was unable to see that until she had left.

  She thought they were in love until she found out he was cheating. He was good looking and had a great job. Zach was always home at night and on the weekends, but cheating on her with his secretary
was actually a good thing.

  She was trying to figure out how to end things when she discovered he was being unfaithful. He even tried to beg for forgiveness when he was confronted. Zach had the nerve to even say he didn’t mean to cheat, it just happened. Yeah, your dick just slid right into her on accident, right, she thought.

  Shaking her head to come out of that waste of time thought, she put the key in the ignition and started driving toward Rhea's cabin on Dalia Lake. Even though it was no longer Rhea’s, she still thought of the cabin as hers. Aunt Rhea, was just Rhea to her. And not only was she Cali’s aunt, but her best friend.

  The drive took an hour. She missed Rhea. While driving, a memory came rushing back of a conversation she had with her about Zach. Cali remembered her saying that she would have come in a moments notice to help with whatever was needed. A shoulder to cry on, someone to listen, anything. Rhea would have been there.

  Lost in her memories, she didn’t realize the cabin was just around the corner. Pulling into the gravel driveway, she was thinking of Rhea and hadn’t noticed the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. Wiping them away, she turned off the ignition. Her aunt had been gone three years, and she missed her every day.

  Grabbing the bags, she made her way to the stairs of the cabin, stopping on the front porch. Taking a deep breath, Cali unlocked the door. For the past three years, she had only been going at the beginning and end of the rental season, and just for a few days.

  After finding out that Rhea had left her the cabin, she decided to keep it as a rental for the spring and summer months. There were regular renters that came back every year with their families and she didn’t want them to miss out on their vacations.

  Rhea never married and she didn’t have any children. She worked hard all of her life and invested her money wisely. She bought a rundown cabin by the lake and then had it fully renovated.

  Going through Rhea’s belongings was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. She kept everything with sentimental value, donating her clothes and furniture to those in need.

  Stepping inside, she was relieved to see everything had been cleaned by the maid service. No damage had been done.

  Cali walked past the living room and kitchen, and moved to the first bedroom on the left. That was her room. What was formally Rhea’s room was further down the hall.

  Both bedrooms had their own bathrooms. There was also third bedroom and a full bathroom in the hallway. The cabin was one level and had gorgeous open ceilings with wood beams. The couch in the living room converted to a sleeper so more people could stay if needed.

  Cali unpacked quickly and jumped into the Jeep to head to town for some groceries. Luckily, the store was open late and had prepared meals. After the day she’d had, no way she was cooking dinner. It was a re-heat special and a cheesy movie on television kind of night.

  Cali woke when the sun peeked through the curtains and landed on her face. She knew the weather was going to be perfect for getting a tan. Pale didn’t even begin to describe her complexion. She needed some sun and the Kindle was calling her name. After all, she reasoned, I do have a couple of weeks up here. Time to relax and get lost in a good book.

  She ate breakfast and applied suntan lotion before heading outside. Wearing the pale blue bikini, she made her way to the dock with a towel, water bottle, chair and Kindle in tow. It was in the upper eighties, and a dip in the lake was a must.

  Cali set the chair up, towel on top, pulled her sunglasses down and started reading. An hour passed when she got the feeling someone was watching. She dragged the sunglasses down and looked around. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw none other than Owen Matthews standing on the porch of the cabin next door.

  Holy fuck! Just when you think someone can’t get any hotter, they do, she thought. He looked like he just crawled out of a magazine. Blonde hair, short on the sides and a little longer on top. Cali remembered he had green eyes, she could see his tanned skin, and his solid, muscular build. He could bring her to her knees with one look. And those dimples, she sighed remembering them.

  Cali quickly turned her head back and tried to keep reading. Her thoughts drifted to the last time she saw Owen at Rhea’s funeral. She would never forget that day for as long as she lived. The rush of emotion came rolling back and the words on her Kindle blurred as tears welled. Blinking away the tears, she rolled to her stomach and shut her eyes.

  “You’re burning,” a deep voice said, rousing her from sleep.

  “Hmmm?”

  “You should go back inside or you’ll be hurting tomorrow.”

  Waking, Cali lifted her head and blinked, trying to focus. Staring into a set of green eyes, she knew it was Owen.

  “I must have fallen asleep. Thank you for waking me.”

  “I was about to leave and noticed you were still down here. I didn’t want you to burn.”

  Smiling, Cali said, “That was very kind of you.”

  Owen nodded, turned and walked away. Deciding he was probably right, Cali collected the things she brought down with her and made her way inside. She ate lunch, and spent the rest of the afternoon lounging on the couch, watching television and letting her mind drift to the man she tried to forget.

  ~ 2 ~

  Caliana Crawford. Her name alone created a flurry of emotions. Feelings Owen tried to bury for the past ten years, never telling anyone the way he felt. Although, he guessed Rhea knew since she would catch him glancing in Cali’s direction when she wasn’t looking.

  The last time he saw her was at Rhea’s funeral. It took everything not to pull her into his arms and whisper words of comfort. Seeing her cry made his chest ache. He should have been by her side, not waiting in the back hoping to be noticed. Prior to that, the last time he saw her was when Cali was 18 and he was 20, right before she left for college.

  It was a chance encounter he happened to be at the lake that day. Owen drove to the lake the day before and saw the black Jeep in the drive between their cabins. Seeing that made him decide to stay the night.

  Dalia Lake was nestled in the woods an hour from the coast. Once he saw she stayed, he decided to drive every night after work on the chance he could spend a small amount of time with her. It was a long drive in rush hour traffic, but worth it. He never forgot the last day spent with Cali that summer.

  “Cali, get your ass out here!”

  Walking out on the porch, she said, “What the hell is your problem?”

  “C’mon, let’s go.”

  She rolled her eyes and stepped onto the grass. “What’s up?”

  “Let’s go for a walk. It’s a nice night.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What are you up to?”

  “Nothing. Damn, can’t two friends go for a walk?”

  With a laugh she said, “No.” They were only ever friends, nothing more.

  Walking by the water, they talked about her graduation from high school and where she was going to college. He talked about work even though it made him uncomfortable. Owen didn’t go to college, couldn’t afford to, so he took the first job he could find and had been there since.

  “No boyfriend?” he asked.

  “No. I didn’t want to go into college in a relationship. I want to focus on studying and doing well. What about you? I would have thought you would have someone hanging on you.”

  He shrugged. “I work all of the time. Besides, who would want me?”

  Cali threw her head back and asked, “Are you kidding me, Owen? Have you looked in a mirror lately?” He didn’t know what to think of her words.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Uh huh, sure.”

  They talked about various different things while walking along the edge of the lake. When on their way back to the cabins he reached out and grabbed her hand. Cali froze.

  “What are you doing?”

  His eyes met hers. “Something I’ve wanted to do since you came here.”

  Owen pulled her close
and kissed her softly on the lips. She tasted of mint and smelled intoxicating. His hand went to the back of her neck and the kiss deepened.

  Cali’s tongue met his and she fisted his shirt. They stayed that way for a good minute. Finally Owen leaned back and broke the kiss. Cali, however, remained still. Her eyes closed for a few seconds before opening them.

  Tears glistened in her beautiful brown eyes. “Owen, I…”

  “Cali, don’t,” he interrupted. “I know you’re going to college and aren’t looking for a relationship, but I couldn’t let you leave without kissing you first.”

  “Why now? You know I have to leave tomorrow.”

  “I couldn’t get the nerve to do it before. Plus I thought you might get mad and now you wouldn’t have to face me tomorrow,” Owen said, dropping his head to stare at the ground.

  “You thought I would get mad if you kissed me? You don’t have a clue do you?”

  His head raised, trying to figure out the look on her face. “Owen, you are one of my best friends. You are handsome, funny, and I always have a great time with you. I’ve thought about kissing you too, but was nervous.”

  He was floored. “You did?”

  Placing her hands on either side of Owen’s face, she kissed him. The kiss was gentle and sweet, but she backed away all too soon. “I’m leaving, we can’t start something. I need to concentrate on school. I wish things were different. I’m sorry.”

  Owen still thought about the kiss that summer. Back then he never thought he would amount to anything, but that wasn’t the case. He worked his ass off and a part of him knew he did it for Cali.

  He worked hard, saved and invested the money he made. He bought the company he worked for, and the cabin from his mom. He felt like a boy, wanting the girl that was unattainable. The awkward boy who kissed the beautiful girl way out of his league.

  * * * * * * * *

  Cali woke with a start. She looked at the clock, wondering why she was awake at three in the morning. Then there was a noise. It sounded like someone was trying to get into the bedroom window.