Trusting The One (Meadowview Heat 2; The Meadowview Series 2) Read online

  Trusting the One

  Meadowview: Meadowview Heat 2

  Rochelle French

  Contents

  Title Page

  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

  Also by Rochelle French

  About the Author

  Excerpt, Claiming the One

  Copyright

  Trusting the One

  The Meadowview Series: Meadowview Heat Book 2

  Rochelle French

  * * *

  When Lia Sawyer realizes she’s ready to move beyond her abusive past and start dating again, there’s just one problem: she’s still afraid of being touched by a man. Because of that, rumor around town is that she’s frigid. Her solution? Ask her friend Jack Gibson for help. After all, he’s one of her best friends—a man she’s always trusted.

  * * *

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  Now that was some eye candy, Lia thought. Tucked away in a corner booth in the Goldpan Pub—the only place capable of serving decent ribs in northern California’s dot-on-the-map town of Meadowview—Lia Sawyer watched a group of insanely hot firefighters enter the pub, her friend and boss Jack Gibson among them. So far, Jack and his friends hadn’t seen Lia or her friends, Sadie and Chessie, tucked away in their corner booth. The girls, on the other hand, had a perfect view of all four men—fine, fit, and fabulous.

  Really fabulous.

  A family got up from one of the tables in the center of the pub, and one of the younger children tore away from his mother’s grip and raced blindly toward the exit. With fluidity of motion, Jack scooped the kid up in one arm before he could shoot out the door, then handed the giggling child back to his mom with a grin and a nod before joining his friends. Lia smiled. No one could say small town chivalry was dead.

  One of the firefighters laughed, low and throaty. At the booth Lia shared with her friends, Chessie was recounting a story about the last time they were in the bar, waving her hands wildly and laughing her throaty laugh, trying to catch Lia’s attention, but Lia was distracted.

  Really distracted.

  She glanced at the group once more, still caught off-guard by the show of pure testosterone. A tingle went up her spine and the fine hairs on her arms rose. Her stomach flipped upside down and heat suddenly flashed to her core.

  For a moment she sat, perplexed, contemplating her body’s unfamiliar reaction to the sight of the firemen. These weren’t sensations she was used to. What was up with her body’s reaction?

  And then when she started breathing again it dawned on her—a minor miracle had just occurred.

  Lia Sawyer was turned on.

  After years of feeling numb inside, she’d taken one look at all those male bodies and felt…tingly. Aroused. Almost able to actually feel the effect of Jack’s smile, Malcolm’s biceps, Gary’s eyes, and Peter’s broad chest…to be aware of the men and their bodies in more than just an objective manner.

  Oh, wow—was the idea of dating, even sex, no longer off the table? She swallowed and sucked in a jagged breath. Yes, a miracle had just occurred—the miracle being that her former husband Vance hadn’t completely destroyed her ability to be interested in men.

  Relief flooded her. This tingling sensation was something that for years she’d doubted she’d ever feel again in her lifetime, but it was there. Her body’s natural response to masculinity was back. Excitement replaced the relief—this was a good thing. A really good thing.

  But what had changed inside her? What had triggered her body to react this way? Had it simply been long enough since Vance’s accidental death, and now her body’s natural drive was finally healed from the abuse? Was it the line-up of gorgeous firemen as they paraded across the Goldpan? Or was it the low and deep laugh she’d heard that had sent reverberations through her body and to her core? If so, which one of the firefighters had laughed, had triggered her awakening?

  The men went to seat themselves at the table, and Lia’s gaze followed them as she continued to tune out Chessie and Sadie. She stared at each of the firefighters, contemplating the shape of their bodies, the slope of their backs, the curve of their biceps, and wondered what it would be like to be touched by one of them. But which one?

  Jack was out. She’d known him since she was eight. He’d been her boss until recently, and was her brother Ethan’s best friend. And he was Chessie’s older brother. More than that, he’d been her own friend for years. She couldn’t imagine being romantic or intimate with someone she’d known since forever. Then again, her own brother had married her best friend a few months ago and Sadie and Ethan had known each other since childhood. Stranger things could happen.

  Unlike Jack’s status as a volunteer, Gary and Malcolm were full-time firefighters down at the Meadowview station. Although she didn’t know much about either of them, Gary with his dark hair and brooding eyes came across like a movie star straight out of Hollywood. Malcolm, with his Nordic god-like physique and granite jawline, was already attracting attention of the single women of Meadowview from age eighteen to beyond—including Chessie, who’d emphatically stated she’d jump his bones the minute he dumped his current girlfriend.

  The other firefighter of the group, Peter Leary, had been around for several months, and Lia had hung out with him a few times at the Goldpan. Unlike Jack, who rarely dated—and when he did, usually dated a girl from out of town—Peter had a reputation in Meadowview for being a bit of a player. A “total sexpot” is what the checker at the grocery store had said. The men filed around a table, and Peter pulled a chair out. Before he sat, Lia took a peek at his rear to see what all the fuss was about.

  Nice, but Peter’s butt didn’t look quite as good as Jack’s did when he wore his faded 501 Levi’s.

  Sadie, her sister-in-law, jabbed an elbow into her ribs. Lia jerked her gaze away from the men and snapped her jaw shut. Hopefully Sadie hadn’t seen her practically drooling over the firefighters. “What’s up?” she asked, forcing innocence into her tone.

  Sadie tipped her head toward the other table. “I saw how you were staring at Peter.”

  Blast. She had been caught drooling.

  Wait—Sadie thought she’d been staring at Peter Leary? Well, she had, but not in the way Sadie assumed. She’d been checking out all four firefighters. Trying to figure out if it had been just one who’d triggered her reaction or simply the sight of all four.

  Was she really ready to move on? Could she start dating again?

  Since Sadie had mentioned Peter, she closed her eyes and imagined Peter holding her hand…touching her shoulder…sliding his hand from her waist to her breasts—

  The familiar darkness coated her vision. She fought to keep conscious. Breathe in, breathe out. Repeat. She’d been through these episodes often enough to recognize a panic attack when one hit, and now knew how to curb them. She’d learned the technique after going into therapy after Vance’s death, but could have used the knowledge when she was young. When her father was taking a belt to her backside.

  Slowly, the black faded to grey, the
n color returned and shapes formed, and the Goldpan and her friends came into full view.

  Sadie stared at her with concern. “You okay?”

  Lia nodded and swallowed, hard. The blackouts had happened in front of her friends before, but this wasn’t a moment for sympathy. Something majorly positive was happening to her, and she didn’t want the past to ruin her future. “I’m fine. Really,” she added emphatically, tossing in a bright smile and flicking her gaze between both her friends.

  “I don’t think I was wrong, Lia,” Sadie said. “You were checking out Peter, weren’t you?”

  Lia cast a quick glance to Chessie, who gazed at her with a mixture of care and curiosity. Now wasn’t the time to explain she’d been using Chessie’s brother’s cute butt as a point of comparison, but she should probably clarify what she’d been doing. “Yes, but—”

  Sadie leaned forward. “But nothing. I haven’t seen you so much as look at a man since high school. Since you fell for Vance. This is good, Lia. Really good.”

  Yeah, right? She’d moved forward in her healing process and could get turned on again. She could appreciate a man’s body at a visceral—not just an intellectual—level. Definitely good. But that wasn’t quite good enough. She still couldn’t imagine a man touching her.

  In fact, that downright sucked.

  With a quick grin, Sadie folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the booth. “Admit it. You think Peter’s cute.”

  Sure, but was he the real reason she’d gotten all turned on? Lia forced a shrug. “He’s attractive. They all are.” But this wasn’t a conversation she wanted right now. She wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with the whole attracted-to-a-man thing just yet. Time to deflect. She shot a glance at Chessie. “By the way, earlier your brother told me Malcolm just broke up with his girlfriend.”

  Chessie’s eyes brightened. “He’s single again? Huh. I may head over and ask him if he’s ready to jump back in the saddle.”

  “That sounds exactly like you,” Sadie said sardonically, “but isn’t there something to be said for subtlety? Maybe just say hello. Or ask him to the Fireman’s Ball. That’s coming up in what, two months? Should give you plenty of time to wear him out beforehand.”

  “Nah, subtlety’s never been my strong suit.” Chessie smiled broadly and swept her thick auburn hair over a shoulder. “Besides, with Lia suddenly opening herself up to ogling men, we should be focusing on her.” She turned her attention full-throttle on Lia. “Ask Peter to the Fireman’s Ball.”

  “No way.” The words shot out of Lia’s mouth.

  “Why not?” Chessie asked. “I know the idea of dating is still tough on you, but if you ask him, you’d be controlling the situation. Besides, you’ve asked a guy to a dance once before—my brother, in fact.”

  True, but she wasn’t the same innocent girl who’d once asked Jack Gibson to her first high school dance and then later that night asked him to teach her how to kiss.

  But she’d changed. Being married to an abuser did that to a woman. Though she’d never told anyone about Vance’s abuse while she’d been married—desperately afraid he’d hurt her even worse if anyone knew—it had all come out after Vance’s death.

  Starting with when she’d stormed away from his grave at the burial.

  Since that moment, her friends had stood by her side as she worked to heal. And she had healed—almost. She still, however, couldn’t stand to be touched by men. And that didn’t do much for the fact that she yearned for a normal life. One that included the ultimate in intimacy.

  But the way her body had reacted when those men walked through the door…wow. She was close.

  “Lia,” Sadie said, “you’ve slowly been breaking down the walls you’d built around yourself. I know this one—the one you built around you to keep men away—is big. And I understand why it was there. But do you ever wonder if keeping it up now is hurting rather than helping you?”

  True, she realized. Sadie herself had broken down a huge wall a few months earlier, when she’d confessed to Lia’s brother Ethan how much she loved him. She’d risked the friendship she had with Ethan for something worthy: love.

  Lia wasn’t ready for love yet, but what her body was telling her was that she was ready for dating. Maybe even ready for being touched. Heck, for sex, even. Maybe.

  A newfound energy zipped through her veins. She connected gazes with both of her friends. “I’m not ready to ask anyone out, but I can at least make up some excuse to go over to their table. Maybe pretend I need to ask Jack something for the work he’s doing on Meadowview Sanctuary.”

  After her husband Vance accidentally killed himself by wrapping his car around a tree two years earlier, finally freed from the painful life she’d been trapped in, she’d decided to take action and find a way to help other victims of domestic violence. It hadn’t taken her long to create the concept of Meadowview Sanctuary—a transitional home for women and children under threat. As the town’s preeminent architect and contractor, Jack Gibson had offered the use of his expertise and had renovated a beat-up, hundred-year-old building into a beautiful house where women and children could feel safe.

  “Good for you! And say hi to Peter. Make sure to say his name—guys love it when you say their name. And get a little into his personal space. Without touching him, of course,” Chessie added quickly.

  “I’m just a little freaked, that’s all,” Lia admitted.

  “So calm your nerves, get a grip, and then go say hi. My brother’s always happy to see you, and it’s not like Peter doesn’t know you.”

  Fine. She’d give herself a few moments to calm the butterflies in her stomach, then go over and make up something to say to Jack, then say hello to Peter. Baby steps. Placing a hand on her stomach and willing it not to throw up, she stood. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

  “Good girl.” Chessie smiled broadly at her.

  “Go for it. Be brave,” Sadie added.

  The firefighters still hadn’t noticed her and her friends in their booth, so she still had time to gather her strength.

  A large group of tourists that had been seated at a table in the middle of the pub stood, tossing bills onto the table, and gathering their heavy jackets and purses. In moments, they’d exited the pub, headed out into the crisp autumn air, still happily chatting. Once the door closed behind them, silence traveled over the pub. Lia peered around the corner of their booth to spy on Jack’s table. The three other firefighters at his table laughed loudly at something one of them said.

  “Yeah, and that Lia Sawyer?”

  Lia recognized the voice of Gary speaking her name. She froze. The men at the table were talking about her?

  “She comes off all frigid,” Gary continued. “She’d probably be boring as hell in bed.”

  Oh God. Gary actually said she was frigid. And that she’d be boring in bed. And he’d said that in front of the others. Even in front of Jack, her own friend.

  Embarrassment burned Lia like fire whipping through an autumn forest—then a horrible, sinking feeling brought bile to her throat as a memory flashed over her. “You suck in bed, Lia. You’re as sexy as a frigging drowned rat, and you look just about as good.” The memory caught her, clutched her in its claws, and tried to pull her down to the black pit. She dropped her gaze to stare at the rough wooden floor and felt her mind start to slip away.

  No. She gave her head a quick shake. She wouldn’t let herself go there. She wasn’t going to let her mind plunge into that dark hole, not after she’d worked so hard for the last two years to banish that cruel and nasty voice from her head. She sucked in a deep breath and focused on regulating her breathing.

  “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Jack’s voice burrowed through the thick miasma. “Lia is amazing. Any man would be damn lucky to have even a chance with her.”

  Her racing heart started to settle. Thank God for Jack, sticking up for her. She focused on her breath, willed the muscles in her diaphragm to relax. In,
out. In, out.

  “I agree,” another of the firefighters said.

  Wait—was that Peter who’d agreed with Jack? With her breath now steadied, she risked another peek at the firefighter’s table. Next to her, she could hear Chessie and Sadie fuming under their breath at Gary’s callous comment.

  “She’s cool,” Peter continued. “And she’s hot. That tiny body of hers? All that long black hair and matching eyes? Totally fine.”

  “It’s one thing to look hot and another to actually be hot,” Gary said.

  “Yeah, but I’d still tap that,” Peter responded.

  Jack frowned and half-rose from his seat, but Peter motioned him back down, then said, “I get it, dude, she’s your friend. No disrespect meant. Let me rephrase: I’d ask her to the Fireman’s Ball, treat her right, and then maybe tap that. If she’s into it, of course.”

  Jack said something in response to Peter’s statement, but Lia didn’t catch it. Slowly, she turned back to Chessie and Sadie.

  “Gary’s a douche,” Chessie snapped out, frowning.

  “Peter thinks you’re hot, though!” Sadie whispered loudly.

  “But Gary said—”

  Sadie waved her hands at Lia. “Forget what Gary said. He’s an idiot. I’ll go smack him upside the head.” Her sister-in-law reached across the table to hold Lia’s hand in hers—her long, perfectly manicured nails a sharp contrast to Lia’s short, bitten ones.

  Chessie shook her head. “Violence never solved anything, Sadie. But Lia, I’ll bake a loaf of pumpkin bread with a ton of Maalox in it and leave it on his doorstep.”

  “No,” Lia answered sharply. “There will be no smack-down, and certainly no laxative-laden baked goods.” She loved her friends, but they could be overprotective at times.

  “So what are you going to do about the fact that Peter Leary mentioned he might ask you to the Fireman’s Ball?” Sadie asked.

  “I have a difficult time believing he was serious. Peter goes for the gorgeous girls—the ones with big boobs and long legs and who can probably tie a cherry stem in a knot with their tongues. The ones who knew every sexual position in the book. Positions I know nothing about.”