[Hearts of Palomino 01.0] Love Is Eternal Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Other Books by the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  Author's Note

  Love is Eternal

  Emily Sharp

  Copyright © 2017 Emily Sharp

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  The Love is Book Series

  Love is Eternal (Also available in audiobook)

  Love is Family

  Other Books by Emily Sharp

  The Perfect Fit

  A Christmas for Carol

  Take Two

  Chapter One

  “Steady, honey! That’s it, now lower that end down. There you go, nice and easy, set her down,” my dad said, standing in the back of the pickup truck. I wiped the sweat off my forehead, looking up at him. It was only noon and on this late day in May it was already hot.

  “Dad! I'm just setting a couch down. Not delivering a baby!” I said in frustration.

  He laughed, the fine wrinkles on his face drawing deep. Pushing back his salt and pepper hair, he smiled. “All right, you got me there, sorry kiddo,” he said, stepping down from the truck and pulling me in for a hug. “Still love me?” he said.

  “I’ll think about it,” I said, then laughed as I poked him in the ribs. I was moving into a new apartment and attending my final year of school at The University of Palomino, located in southwestern Colorado. Aiming for a degree in business management, I had attended two years at community college and took some classes online, but now I was required to be in class for the final two semesters. Though summer classes were short with lots of work, I would get some credits in instead of being lazy all summer.

  “All right then, Julie, one more try,” he said, grabbing the couch from the bottom and lifting it up.

  “If I hear about your back again…” I mumbled as the couch slid out. When the end came to the edge of the tailgate, I grabbed it and Dad swung it around so I could get a grip.

  “OK, you got her?” Dad said.

  “Yes, the baby is safe! Now go!” I said, trying not to laugh.

  We began walking back toward my apartment, Dad smiling at me as he walked backwards. Then it happened, his back went out.

  “Aw, dammit!” he said, the couch dropping to the ground.

  “Hey, you guys need any help?” a guy around my age of twenty-two called out. He was tall, pretty lanky, and wore an over-sized cowboy hat.

  “We’d love it,” Dad said. “The back went out again. My name is Craig Summers, that’s my daughter, Julie’” He extended his right hand out, hunched over with his left hand on his back.

  He took Dad’s hand. “Nice to meet you, sir. My name is Travis Wilcox.” Smiling, he offered his hand to me. “Ma’am,” he said as I tried to suppress a giggle. He had a thick Texas accent and it was just adorable.

  “All right, let’s get this baby up!” he said, going for the couch.

  I lost it. I burst out laughing, and then I couldn't catch my breath, tears rolling down my face.

  “Baby…the couch is a girl, oh the things you hear.” I waved my hand at them as I tried to compose myself.

  Dad patted Travis on the back. “Never mind her, she’s a bit silly at times.”

  Finally regaining my composure, I knelt down, and on Dad’s count, lifted on three. We carried it between two parked cars and then under the archway to the first door, which led to my new apartment.

  “No, honey, tilt it to your other left, my right,” Dad said. I was stuck in the doorway, the couch jammed between us.

  I sighed. “I'm going with bean bags next time!”

  I moved my hands, and regripping the couch, walked into the apartment, and guided the couch against the back wall. Setting my end down first, Travis then set his down.

  “Now your place is complete!” Dad said.

  I smiled, looking around the two-bedroom apartment. I would use the second room as a study or an extra room for when Dad came to visit. The brown couch we brought in was old, but it was comfortable. The large oversized cushions and back support also made for a great place to lie out on a Sunday afternoon. The flat screen TV was high above a gas fireplace. To the side was a small kitchen and a card table with four folding chairs we had brought down as well.

  “I see you’re a married man.” Dad nodded toward the ring on Travis’s finger.

  “Yes, sir. One year today actually.”

  “That’s wonderful,” I said, giving him a smile. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “Thank you. Alice is in the Marines, stationed in Iraq. So she’s not here today.” There was a hint of sadness in his voice.

  “Well, son, congratulations all the same,” Dad said, shaking his hand again.

  “Thank you, sir. And Julie, I'm right across from you. If you need any help or have questions about the school, feel free to knock.”

  Then just like out of a movie, he tipped his hat to us and walked out of the apartment. Dad followed him and closed the door.

  “Well, partner, how about we go get some lunch before I head out?” he said in a mock country accent with a wink.

  “Let me rustle up some makeup and then we can ski-doodle out,” I said laughing.

  ***

  We ended up taking my car and picking up Mexican food. The good kind, hard shell tacos, chicken wrapped in soft flour tortillas. And now back at my place sitting on the couch, Dad and I quickly went about devouring them.

  “Man’s greatest invention.” Dad held up his third or fourth taco and then took a bite.

  “I don't know how you don't gain weight,” I said, picking up my second one.

  “It’s genetics, I'm telling you. You got it from me. Your mother she would…well, she would watch what she ate,” he said and then took another bite.

  I did inherit Dad’s metabolism and mom’s looks and height. She had been gone over ten years now, taken away by a drunk driver on her way home from a late evening at a friend’s house. It had hurt me so bad, and Dad still had a hard time moving on. I had encouraged him to start dating a few years ago, and over the last year, he started actually doing it.

  “So, are you going to see Cathy this week?”

  He sighed, wiping his face with a napkin. “You know, I am and looking forward to it. She is young, you know?” He flashed me a smile.

  Dad was forty-five, and Cathy, whom I hadn't met yet, was thirty-seven. But to Dad it was like he was dating a twenty-year-old.

  “Yeah, I know she’s young, Mr. Stud.” This caused to him laugh and almost choke on the taco he was cramming into his mouth. Waving his hand at me, he swallowed. “All right, I’ll shut up about that part. But you know, I really like her. She’s got a good head on her shoulders. Owns her own business, and hell, she likes me. It ca
n’t be that bad then, huh?”

  I smiled. “Dad, I'm glad you’ve found someone. You deserve it.”

  He smiled. “Thanks, sweetie. Do you think you might find a lucky lady out here?”

  The question caught me off-guard. I had started a serious relationship two years ago with a girl named Casandra. And why we stayed together for a year, I didn't know. We always fought and couldn't even compromise on the smallest things like ordering a pizza.

  “Maybe. I need to concentrate on this degree first. A relationship might get in the way.”

  “Don't forget, when you make your first million, I want a new truck.” He crunched up the wrapper and put it in the bag.

  An hour later, I walked him back to his truck.

  “Well, you’re all grown up now, and I guess I can’t really give you much advice…” Dad said as he gazed at me. The sun shone on his face, causing him to squint, but I could see happiness in his eyes, eyes that for years were clouded in sorrow.

  “It’s OK. I will always need your advice, so don't ever stop giving it.” I gave him a hug. I was going to miss him. Though he would only be about five hours away in Northern Colorado, it would be at least a few months before I saw him again, and that hurt. We had always been around each other, and I worried about him as much as he did me.

  “Now, that Travis seems like a nice guy. You run into any problems, anyone gives you trouble, you talk to him,” he said, his face serious. He was a chronic worrier, and the way he made it sound, gangs of the apocalypse were roaming the streets.

  “I will, Dad. Now, get going and make sure you shave this,” –I rubbed his jawline— “before you meet up with Cathy.”

  Dad laughed, kissing my forehead. “All right, sweetie, I’ll call you when I get home,” he said, then got into his truck.

  I waited as he pulled out of the parking space, and then he drove up beside me, the window down.

  “You know, if you…” he started to say.

  “Dad, get going. I love you.”

  “Love you too,” he said.

  I stood there watching as he drove off, then pulling out onto the street, his truck disappeared into the light traffic.

  Looking to my right, the mountains stood far away on the horizon, their peaks still white-capped from the snow earlier in the year.

  I smiled as I looked at them, and then turned around, heading into my new apartment and a new chapter in my life.

  Chapter Two

  School started that Monday, and no matter what I did, I had this nagging feeling I was going to be late for my first class.

  And sure enough I was five minutes late, and the professor, a man in his fifties, smiled as I walked in. He wore a cap, wire-rimmed glasses and had a scruffy beard coated with silver.

  “Sorry!” I said in a whisper.

  “It’s fine, please have a seat,” he said, extending his hand.

  I was glad the school was small. There were only about fifty sets of eyes looking at me as I found a seat near the back. I sat next to a young Asian girl, and I offered her a smile as I took out my notebook and pen.

  “Now, as you will see in my class over the next semester, I am a rebel. I am not worried if you want to play on your phones during class, or even if you care to walk out.” He looked at the door and then back at us. “What I do care about is the information you learn and how you can apply it.” He raised the textbook we were all required to buy. “Utter rubbish as our friends across the pond would say.” He tossed the textbook into a trash can.

  A few people, including myself, snickered.

  “We will use this book and learn from it,” he said, taking it back out and holding it up. “You will learn what the school says you should learn, and I will teach you what you need to know.” He placed the book back on his desk.

  As the class progressed, I scribbled down notes as he carried on. He seemed to be talking in riddles for the next twenty minutes. Then finally, he began lecturing from the first chapter. I kept writing, trying to keep up as he went on and on. I glanced up at the clock and realized we still had an hour to go. It was going to be a long semester, I could tell already.

  “I ran my own business until new laws were passed that were obviously aimed at people like myself, all of which were a part of a government conspiracy…” I let out a snicker, and a few people turned to me, smiles on their faces.

  By the time the class ended I was exhausted. Grabbing my purse and backpack, I hurried out of class as a couple of girls stood by the professor, swooning as he talked about the great rebellion of ‘69 at Woodstock. I grinned. He was maybe five at the time and I was sure he was nowhere near that place.

  Because of the online college, I had a light schedule in terms of classes and didn't have another class until Wednesday. My only work from this class was to read the rest of the chapter and be prepared for his oral examination, which he promised we would have to do next Monday.

  Stepping outside, I breathed in the fresh air swearing that I could taste the snow off the mountaintops. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and I had survived my first day of class. I had just made my way to the edge of the campus when a voice called out from behind me.

  “Hey, Julie!”

  I turned around and saw Travis and smiled. He wore his cowboy hat, a long-sleeved shirt, and cowboy boots. His shiny silver belt buckle was almost as big as his hat.

  “Hey, if you’re walking back to your apartment, I can keep you company.”

  “Sure, that would be great,” I said as we started to walk through the open area in front of one of the main buildings.

  “So, how you like the school so far?”

  “Not too bad. The professor I had today was a bit quirky, but besides that, it’s pretty cool.”

  “Yeah, it’s my second year here. I’m not much of a learner, but Alice wanted me to go and get my degree. And well, if you knew Alice, you can’t tell her no.” He had a big grin on his face.

  “Oh, is that right?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ve known that girl since we were both fourteen. Met her at a tractor auction. Her dad was selling…” He talked about his wife for the next five minutes non-stop, eyes alight and smile wide. That was the love I was looking for, something pure, something romantic.

  “Well, they had her at the base up in the Springs, then she got called out. But she should be back at Christmas. Then she’ll be back here with me by June at the latest for good. Once she’s here, she’ll attend school as well,” he said as we entered the parking lot to the apartments.

  “I'm so happy. She sounds really nice.”

  “For sure, she’s a keeper. I guess that’s why I married her.” We both burst out laughing. I really liked him. He was a sweet guy who was happy being who he was.

  “Hey, I'm going to go grab some lunch at Johnnie 80s later, care to join me?” he said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Oh, it’s a cool 80s-themed restaurant, and it’s priced really good.”

  I thought about it for a second. It would be fun to get out, explore the area a little. “Sure, that would be fun. What time?”

  He pulled out his phone. “I am going for a swim, so maybe an hour and a half, right around noon?”

  I had forgotten they had a pool here and decided to invite myself along. “Hey, I’ll join you in the pool. Give me ten minutes?”

  “Sure, see you there!” he said, going to his door.

  Heading inside, I went to my room and to the wooden dresser, trying to remember where I kept my bikini. I was getting frustrated when I finally found it in the fifth, and final, drawer.

  I quickly undressed and put it on, struggling a bit with the string around my back. I wore one-pieces usually but had finally worked up the courage to wear this starting last year.

  “Where are those sandals?” I groaned, digging through a half-empty suitcase. I found them and slid them on my feet, then looked around my new room. A simple bed was placed against the wall in the middle of the room. I had the five-d
rawer dresser, and next to the bed, a small nightstand with a pile of books and a lamp.

  Heading to the bathroom, I opened the cabinet door under the sink and found the half-full bottle of suntan lotion. When I stood back up, I looked at myself in the mirror. Dad was right, I had inherited his genetics. My stomach was still pretty firm no matter how many tacos I put away. But I had inherited mom’s boobs and her butt. It appeared that all the extra weight was moving to both of those areas, which I guessed I was OK with.

  Grabbing a towel off the rack, I headed back out and made my way to the pool area. It was surrounded by a four-foot chain link fence with a few tables with umbrellas and a number of lounge chairs set out. Travis was already out sitting up on one.

  “You found it,” he said as I walked through the gate.

  I closed the gate behind me and walked towards him. “Sure did. Hey, this pool isn't bad, and it looks clean,” I said, admiring the blue water.

  “It really is. They keep this place up nice. And the people that go to school here, well, as you can see, this place doesn't get crowded.”

  I sat across from him. “Hey, you have curly hair,” I said, pointing at his head where a mop of brown curly hair rested.

  “Yeah, it’s one of the reasons I wear that hat. It’s a mess to comb.”

  “Well, it suits you fine.”

  He smiled and then looked away as I began putting lotion on my arms and legs. “Lunch should be good. I'm really looking forward to it.” I slapped the lotion on my thighs.

  “OK,” Travis said looking straight ahead.

  I smiled as I finished putting the lotion on my stomach and the top of my chest. Travis seemed to be staring off into the distance. I followed his gaze but didn't see anything interesting.

  “Oh, hey, if you don't mind, can you get my back?” I said, looking at him.

  He smiled awkwardly at me.

  “Uh, you know I'm married, and…you know…I don't want you thinking…like, the lunch thing, it was just a friendly invite…”