The Fireman's Secret
Rekindling Her LifeAfter the fire that injured her and burned down Goose Harbor's only church fourteen years ago, Shelby Beck is planning to rebuild–the structure and her life. But her wounds have always caused her to keep men at a distance. When Joel Palermo returns to town as a fireman and is assigned to help Shelby raise funds for the new construction, she's surprised at how easy it is to get close to her brother's old friend. Could he be the man she'll finally trust enough to let in? Or will the bond they've built go up in flames, when Joel's own scars are revealed?Goose Harbor: Love is in big supply on the shores of Lake MichiganAfter the fire that injured her and burned down Goose Harbor's only church fourteen years ago, Shelby Beck is planning to rebuild–the structure and her life. But her wounds have always caused her to keep men at a distance. When Joel Palermo returns to town as a fireman and is assigned to help Shelby raise funds for the new construction, she's surprised at how easy it is to get close to her brother's old friend. Could he be the man she'll finally trust enough to let in? Or will the bond they've built go up in flames, when Joel's own scars are revealed?Goose Harbor: Love is in big supply on the shores of Lake Michigan
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Rekindling Her Life
After the fire that injured her and burned down Goose Harborâs only church fourteen years ago, Shelby Beck is planning to rebuildâthe structure and her life. But her wounds have always caused her to keep men at a distance. When Joel Palermo returns to town as a fireman and is assigned to help Shelby raise funds for the new construction, sheâs surprised at how easy it is to get close to her brotherâs old friend. Could he be the man sheâll finally trust enough to let in? Or will the bond theyâve built go up in flames, when Joelâs own scars are revealed?
Goose Harbor: Love is in big supply on the shores of Lake Michigan
âEverything thatâs happened to me isnât worth repeating.â
Joel balled his hands and put them in his pockets.
âHow come you wonât trust me?â Shelby whispered.
âShelbyâbelieve me when I say I already trust you more than any other person in my life.â
âI can only get as close to you as youâll let me.â
Precisely the problem. Did he want a close relationship like she did? Sure, he enjoyed spending time with her and she got him to smile like he hadnât in a long time. But were those things worth the pain that more than likely would accompany the moment she decided she was done with him?
Shelby looked as if she was going to start crying again. He had to say something.
He cleared his throat. Why was this so difficult? âIâ¦I donât want you to look at me differently.â
âI wonât.â
âYou will. Everyone does.â They heard about sad little Joel Palermo and they all got the same look. That cartoon-eyes-welling-up-with-tears face. Their expressions a clear mix of wondering if they should hug him or step away slowly.
âMaybe we should go back.â Shelby sighed.
He caught her arm. âStay. Please.â Joelâs eyes searched hers.
âGive me a reason to stay.â
JESSICA KELLER is a Starbucks drinker, avid reader and chocolate aficionado. Jessica holds degrees in communications and biblical studies. She is multipublished in both romance and young-adult fiction and loves to interact with readers through social media. Jessica lives in the Chicagoland suburbs with her amazing husband, beautiful daughter and two annoyingly outgoing cats who happen to be named after superheroes. Find all her contact information at jessicakellerbooks.com.
For we are Godâs handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
âEphesians 2:10
For my sweet Anna.
The person God made you to be will always be enough. Never forget that or allow anyone to make you feel differently. You are loved beyond comprehension, just as you are.
Contents
Moonlight flashed like a strobe light through the dense canopy of trees lining the road just a mile away from the shores of Lake Michigan. Shelby rolled down her window to let the cool breeze kiss her skin, but the air hung thick with a strong after-rain worm smell and the wind caused the important deed papers sitting on her passenger seat to stir. She promptly rolled the window back up.
Dampness clung to her toes. The running shoes she wore might be ruined now, but dogs needed to be walked and let outside for a little bit, even when it rained.
Her one working headlight bounced off a green sign. Welcome to Goose Harbor. As she read those words, the muscles in her shoulders relaxed instantly. Home.
Perhaps sheâd drive past the land sheâd inherited. Until now, sheâd avoided the street the old church had been onânot wanting to see the barren lot or be reminded of the day that had changed her life. The congregation had never rebuilt the church after it burned down, and somehow Shelby felt as if her life hadnât been able to move forward since then. Rebuilding the church wouldnât take away the scars she had received from being trapped in the burning structure all those years ago, but maybe seeing the church standing again would help her move on.
It had to.
A hill came into view and she gunned the carâs engine. Bad idea. The vehicle started to shake uncontrollably.
âPlease donât die on me,â she begged. She eased off the gas and watched the dials on the dashboard bounce. âPlease, please, please.â
She glanced back at the road and gasped.
A deer leaped onto the street no more than ten feet in front of her. In a split-second calculation, Shelby realized there was no time to move out of the way. She was going too fast. She jammed her foot on the brakes. The carâs tires squealed, and like a madman on a warpath, her Volkswagen struck the deer.
Shelbyâs head lashed forward, slamming against the steering wheel. The carâs one good headlight blinked out. The deer flew up onto the hood. White-knuckling the steering wheel, Shelby hung on as her car careered into the steep, wet ditch, tossing gravel and glass shards like candy from a parade float.
