Title: A Living Hope: Hope Series Book 2
Author: E.C. Jackson
Publisher: Independent
Publication Date: July 31, 2016
Pages: 287
Genre: Inspirational Romance
It was a match made in heaven. Or so everyone thought. Sadie Mae Cummings is all set to marry her childhood sweetheart, Kyle, when she is assigned to tutor Lincoln, the new college football running back. This sophomore phenomenon has all the girls on campus knocking on his door. But Sadie isn't interested in his advances.
Lincoln’s overblown ego doesn't take well to being shunned, and he resolves to make Sadie his own. He pursues her relentlessly, until finally Kyle finds himself shut out of Sadie's life, with their shared future crumbling around him.
After two years, Sadie’s relationship with Lincoln ends, and she is left having to put the pieces of her life back together. She desires nothing more than to recapture her relationship with Kyle. He has stayed true to the dreams they had planned together, living the vision even without Sadie by his side.
When she moves back to her hometown, she labors to rekindle their love. But things have changed, and Kyle has moved on. Sadie quickly discovers how hard it is to rebuild burned bridges.
Follow Sadie’s story as she fights for a chance to restore broken dreams. Will love endure?
This inspirational romance by E. C. Jackson is book two of the Hope series and is a standalone book.
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Chapter One
Restless, twenty-one-year-old Sadie Cummings wiped down the counter space in her small kitchen nook. It was eleven o’clock. Five minutes had passed since the last time she’d checked. Sighing, she fretted about her boyfriend’s visit that morning.
“Why does he agree to come over, then not show up?”
In no time, morning had slipped into early afternoon. The breakfast she’d hoped would receive raves from Lincoln congealed on the stovetop. So much for using her cooking skills to entice him. With several swift movements, she scraped the masterpiece into the garbage disposal, fighting to control the uneasiness she couldn’t dismiss.
She was an expert at fooling herself and others, but today her mind refused to be pacified. One could only pretend for so long before the bottom dropped out completely. Truth had a bad habit of intruding into fairy tales. Especially when the make-believe stories were about real-life events.
The ringing cell phone grabbed Sadie’s attention. That her mother was on the other end was a forgone conclusion. Except for an occasional chat with her younger sister and older brother, the cell phone never rang. These days only her mother contacted Sadie on a regular basis. She peeked at the caller ID.
A moment before the call transferred to voicemail, Sadie snatched up the cell phone, held it against her chest, then gave a cheery greeting. Minutes later, she sauntered through the studio apartment thinking up reasonable excuses to end the call early. Jeanette Cummings expected a good deal more than her middle child was able to give.
Still stumped about finding an excuse to satisfy her mother, Sadie walked around in circles.
“Mother, I’m not trying to hurry you off the phone. I recognize your concern for the Franklins. Our families have been friends for years. It’s just . . . look . . . it’s . . . mother, I don’t have time to talk now.”
Sadie picked up twine from the counter and wove it between her fingers. Pulling it too tight, she winced, then unwound it from around her fingers and wrapped it around her thumb.
“I made plans for the day.”
Lincoln could arrive any moment. Somehow, she had to quickly end this conversation without hurting the only person who regularly called. Friendships were difficult to maintain these days. And her brother and sister only gave duty calls, then ended the conversation in a snap.
Jeanette sighed loudly. “I would offer to call back at a better time, but there isn’t one, is there, Sadie?”
“Mom . . .”
Sadie slowly shook her head. Guilt surfaced each time she talked to her mother. Raised in an orphanage, her mother wasn’t a clingy parent. She believed loneliness caused people to accept unhealthy conditions that a person who felt treasured might avoid.
“Of course, you’re removed from the lives of the families in Shiatown,” said Jeanette.
Blowing breath through her lips, Sadie laid her head on the cabinet with more force than intended. Wincing in pain, she rubbed the sore spot. The lull in the conversation helped gather her thoughts as her fingers massaged the painful area on her forehead. She parted her lips, then she shut them in hopes that her mother would continue speaking.
After a long pause, Jeanette spoke with a harsher tone than any she’d ever used with her daughter. “Listen to me. The Franklin family supported us through your father’s illness and death. We are burying Pastor Franklin this afternoon. His wife deserves a phone call from you.”
She paused before continuing. “Don’t forget, Sarah treated you like a daughter. You and Pastor Franklin shared the same birthday. September twelfth is four days away. My friend is burying her husband four days before his fifty-eighth birthday. And . . . what about Kyle? He lost his father and inherited a ton of responsibility on top of it. Honey, be the friend that I know you are. Time is slipping away. The funeral starts in two hours.”
Sadie stretched her neck from side to side, hanging her head in despair. Lately, her mother had begun to accept her decisions without fussing. However, today she seemed determined for Sadie to send well wishes to a man she’d rather forget. Feeling faint, she squeezed her eyelids together, but all she could see was Kyle’s sad gaze begging, pleading with her to choose him over the man Sadie picked.
Instantly, anger rose as Sadie justified that choice. She couldn’t back down now. There was too much lost ground and no way to regain her footing. The future she’d hoped for was gone. Somehow the leftovers had to be salvaged into a win or, at least, a tolerable solution.
Eyes darting around the room, she braced against the wall. “Friend? Kyle and I didn’t break up as friends. He acted like a judgmental pig; his last remarks were cruel.”
Sadie fumed. With one look Kyle had made her feel like trash. Less than the muck beneath his shoes. Disposable at best, and at worse . . .
“Sadie—”
“Don’t excuse him, Mom. Kyle humiliated me in front of Lincoln.” She glanced at her shoes.
And the truth is, I didn’t deserve any better.
“Oh yes, Lincoln. The wonder man who is far from wonderful. I hate the way he treats you, honey. All women deserve respect.” Jeanette continued when Sadie failed to respond. “So Kyle, the man we expected to welcome into our family, means nothing to you? You can just ignore the difficulties he’s facing?”
Sadie rested her forehead in her palm. A magic wand could wave all her troubles away. Too bad real life didn’t offer fantasy solutions. No one moved forward without blood, sweat, and tears. But where would she begin? Her mistakes had obscured her direction. She felt like a rudderless ship adrift on an endless sea.
Closing her eyes, Sadie brushed teardrops from her cheeks. “Mother, you don’t understand.”
“More than you can imagine my dear.” She paused. “I admit life was difficult while your father was alive. For too many years, his illness handicapped the entire household. Nevertheless, we raised our children using godly values. Principles I’d hoped would follow you throughout your life.”
Her mother’s appeal fell on deaf ears. Reason came too late. Values? Sadie had surrendered those beliefs to the unpredictable man who could arrive any moment. Somehow Lincoln had worn down her defenses from the moment she met him. His mercurial personality had kept her off balance from the start. First, he’d downplayed her views, and then he stole her innocence, until finally her conscience hung in the balance.
Wavering, Sadie stared off into space, lowering her voice to a whisper. “No promises, but let me think about it, okay?”
“What more can I ask than for you to do the right thing? I love you, honey. We’ll talk later.”
Saying goodbye, Sadie made her way to the alcove she used as a bedroom. Her gaze went straight to the high school senior picture she’d once cherished. The one that showed a bright-eyed young adult bent on living out her dreams. The photographer had captured a smiling face that exuded hope for a happy future. The ecstatic senior had been on top of the world. About to embark on a new life, knowing the man she loved adored her in return.
Sadie sat on the floor, studying the photo. Her anticipation rose each time she recalled her life before college. Could it be possible? Might there be a second chance with her childhood sweetheart?
Remorse replaced her anger. Teardrops plopped over her neck and chest. In one regretful conversation two years ago, her relationship with Kyle had ended. Slowly, she shook her head at the self-created havoc. Her foolish decisions had destroyed the relationship with the man she’d never stopped loving.
Since then, multiple bad choices had taken her life in a different direction. But the obsession with Lincoln Miller increased in fervor. All Sadie knew was that she had to marry the man who’d single-handedly wrecked her life.
Her college graduation had offered a chance to walk away from the relationship that should’ve never begun. Instead of saying goodbye to Burgundy, Missouri, Sadie stayed on. She was determined to make a life for herself until Lincoln finished his senior year at the university. After that, who knew where a pro-football career might take them? Unable to find a job in her chosen profession, she was waiting tables at three restaurants to pay the bills.
But last June, Sadie had invited her mother and eighteen-year-old sister for a two-week visit. She’d had big plans for their arrival, revamping the space she rented from the Sloanes into a cozy home with a cottage feel. And after accepting the invitation, the duo drove three hundred fifty miles for a two-week visit.
Sadie had ticked off the hours until their arrival, happy for the first time in two years. But three days into the visit, they repacked their bags and left the following morning. And all because Lincoln’s boorish behavior had finally pushed them beyond endurance.
At first, the surprised Sadie had been happy when he showed up to meet her family. However, ten minutes after arriving he’d revealed the real purpose for coming. Lincoln wanted her completely separated from everyone who loved her. He behaved horribly, sowing discord while smilingly shaking hands. He casually insulted her mother and sister whenever the opportunity rose.
So, Sadie had suggested touring the state to enjoy her family alone. But those plans ended once Lincoln invited himself along on the trip. In three days flat, he’d ruined the relationships she’d hope to rebuild, plus tarnished his reputation in her mother’s and sister’s eyes.
Although they had left her apartment in a rush, her mother and sister’s spring vacation hadn’t been an entire bust. After bailing out on Sadie, they took the scenic view home, spending eight days touring Missouri before driving back to Shiatown, Oklahoma.
Sadie remembered her sister’s outburst as her mother climbed into the car to leave. Sadie had asked her why they were running out on her so quickly.
“No one’s running out on you, Sadie,” she said, frowning at her. “Trying to like your boyfriend is exhausting. You chose that piece of filth over Kyle; we didn’t.”
Sadie’s spirit died as she observed the tears in her sister’s eyes.
The younger woman grimaced in disgust. “How can you let him touch you?” Rolling her eyes, she stomped to the car, then spun around at the door. “Keep him,” she whispered, “but don’t inflict him on your family.” And then, as if they’d just ended a pleasant discussion, her sister entered the car, swiveled in the passenger’s seat, and waved goodbye.
Standing at the curb, Sadie had cried openly. Another lifeline had driven off, leaving her with Lincoln. Her family had brought the only happiness she’d experienced since breaking up with Kyle, and then they deserted her three days later. She was alone again, and it was her fault.
After her family drove off, Sadie saw less of Lincoln than ever before. His usual once-a-week stopover dwindled to the occasional Wednesday evening. Isolated from family and friends who had all stopped calling by now, Sadie depended on Lincoln’s company more than ever.
Today, reliving the past depleted her energy. Sadie was already anxious before the conversation with her mother had begun, Jeanette’s phone call had unsettled her even more. She walked to the bathroom and took a long look at herself in the vanity mirror, trying to bolster her flagging courage.
Moaning, Sadie tilted her head from side to side. Her sleepless nights had become quite noticeable in bright lighting. Troubled, dark-brown eyes, surrounded by blemish-free toffee skin, stared back at her. What did it matter anyway? Looking her best didn’t count anymore. At least not to the man who was late showing up. Nowadays when he paid a rare visit, his gaze flickered across the room instead of centering on her.
Ever since she’d broken up with Kyle, she’d tried convincing herself that she was loved and appreciated. A persistent question hammered her mind day and night: Why had Lincoln stopped even pretending to care? The last time she saw him, her wonder man had smiled into her eyes, and then disappeared for three weeks.
While scouring the city, Sadie had realized he’d covered his tracks because no one knew his whereabouts. In fact, most people she’d contacted denied having seen him around at all. Refusing to search for Lincoln anywhere on campus, exploring off-campus hangouts had turned up nothing. Even his running buddy claimed that he hadn’t seen Lincoln in weeks.
When things went wrong, the word lunatic surged through her mind as usual. Her hands trembled as she rested her face in her palms. An intense fear of hearing that word flung at herself always paralyzed Sadie. The fact that no one in her hometown had ever hurled that accusation at her father, at least not that Sadie heard, didn’t matter. Young ears often heard words no one spoke out loud. Sadie Cummings’s father is a crazy man, and maybe his daughter is crazy too.
Oh, Lincoln, please cooperate with me just this once.
She sank to her knees in front of the vanity cabinet. Could two years of servitude end with her prayers unanswered? Had she forfeited the man she loved only to lose the man she left him for as well?
Standing, her gaze darted around the room. She refused to give up. There must be a reasonable explanation for his three-week absence. At least one that she could live with.
Resting her chin on her chest, she considered her options. There was no easy way out of the mess she’d created. Following her heart meant facing Kyle, a man who might hate her. Anyway, her ex-fiancé had left Shiatown for California, moving himself light-years away from past burdens. Available females had flocked around Kyle since his thirteenth birthday. How much more would they swarm the man as he continued to live out his dreams?
God, I won’t be able to rise above a rejection from him.
Mind made up, she took a deep breath. Call Kyle? The disgust in his eyes the last time she saw him still haunted her dreams at night. And Miss Sarah, the woman she’d always considered a second mother, must loathe her too. Gasping for breath, Sadie wiped a warm towel across her face. How could she contact the woman she’d ignored since breaking up with her son? It would be much better to express her regrets through a floral arrangement sent to their home.
She stared unblinkingly into space. Unless her suspicions concerning Lincoln were confirmed, she would forgive and forget as usual. How could she give him up? Too much had been lost. Her whole way of life had changed since their first introduction. No other viable avenue existed since she’d burned her bridges behind her.
Staring at her reflection, Sadie frowned at the shadows beneath her eyes. There must be a way to keep Lincoln. She snapped the lid shut on her makeup kit and squeezed her eyelids together. Why delude herself? Somehow, the man she lived for was slipping farther away.
But how do I fix a relationship I simply want to end?
She jumped when the doorbell rang. Should she ignore the person or shoo them away before Lincoln arrived? Walking slowly to the door, she peeked through the blinds.
“Lincoln?” Why hadn’t he used the spare key he’d talked her into giving him?
Sadie took a deep breath. Mumbling to herself, “I won’t be a pushover,” she swung open the door and slammed into a brick wall of resistance from Lincoln.
About the Author
E.C. Jackson began her
writing career with the full-length play Pajama Party. Thirty-one years
later, she adapted the play into Pajama Party: The Story, a companion
book to the second book in the five-book standalone Hope series.
Jackson’s favorite
pastime is reading fiction. She enjoys taking the journey along with the
characters in the books. That also led to her unorthodox approach to
story writing. Her vision for each book she writes is to immerse readers
into the storyline so they become connected with each character.
“The Write Way: A Real
Slice of Life” is the slogan on her Facebook author page. She feels
that if every person reading her books feels connected to the
characters, her job is done.
Author Links
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
