Gaining Hope
Authors: Lacey Thorn
A Total-E-Bound Publication
www.total-e-bound.com
Gaining Hope
ISBN #
978-1-907280-10-8
©Copyright Lacey Thorn 2009
Cover Art by Anne Cain September 2009
Edited by Claire Siemaszkiewicz
Total-E-Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2009 by Total-E-Bound Publishing 1 The Corner,
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers.
This story has been rated
Total-e-burning.
The Debtor’s Daughters
GAINING HOPE
Lacey Thorn
Dedication
To Michelle, Chris and Carol:
May this be just the first of many
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Levi’s:
Levi Strauss & Co
.
Prologue
Shawn O’Grady looked at his mother and shook his head in disbelief. She couldn’t possibly mean what he thought she did.
“Oh, quit looking at me as if I’ve gone daft Shawn Michael O’Grady! Did you really think that you were keeping any secrets from me?” Maureen O’Grady was still a force to be reckoned with though she was heading into her sixties. She had outlived both her husband and Shawn’s older brother Robbie. She was small in stature, barely five feet tall but no one would dare think that meant that she couldn’t hold her own with anyone. And today Shawn was feeling the full force of his mother’s attention.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” was all he could think of to say to her. Nothing else was computing in his brain right now.
“You know exactly what I mean.” Maureen fired back. “You’re just embarrassed because I called you on it.” Her expression softened as she stepped forward and hugged Shawn tight. His mother’s head barely reached his chest as he loomed over her at six feet three inches.
“It’s not that easy Mom.” He relented enough to tell her.
“It’s just that easy.” She replied. “You and Tommy have been together since you were boys. You’ve shared a lot in that time, some things that even a mother doesn’t want to know about.” This last was added almost under her breath but Shawn heard it and blushed to the roots of his black hair.
His mother glanced up and laughed before patting his cheek and stepping back. “You go after him and tell him that he was right. Patty wasn’t for you because she couldn’t accept that you and Tommy were a pair, a matched set if you will. Some day the right woman will come along and she’ll accept you both. Destiny has a true mate for you. You’ve only to be patient and let the fates bring you all together.”
“Mom, you know that Tommy and I don’t…” he broke off, unsure of exactly what his mother thought they did do. He didn’t want to plant any ideas in her head if they weren’t already there.
“I know that you and Tommy don’t share a physical love with one another if that is what has you all twisted up inside. But I do know that you love each other as brothers. I know that you two have shared your women since you were fifteen and snuck out to meet the widow visiting down the street.”
Shawn lowered his head and felt his mother’s tinkling laughter wash over him. “Not much you can get past me, Shawn Michael, and best you not forget it. Now go find Tommy and together you’ll find your destiny.”
Shawn kissed his mother and grabbed the duffel she had put together for him. It was time that he head back to his home anyway. Business would be booming and hopefully Tommy would be there, keeping the office running smoothly. How he had ever fancied himself in love with a selfish woman like Patty, he would never know. He could only pray that he hadn’t lost his best friend and blood brother through his stupidity.
Hope hid in the hallway listening to her father on the phone. She couldn’t believe he was already agreeing to wedding terms when her birthday was still three months away. But he was. There was frustration in his voice and she wandered at it. She’d love nothing more than to hear both sides of the conversation. But the only thing that she was sure of at the moment was that she needed to finalise her plans to get the hell out of this town and the life that waited for her here.
Her father slammed the phone down and let a four-letter word loose that almost had her laughing. He would be so angry if he knew she was standing there listening. Sometimes she hated him and sometimes she wandered if any of them even knew him at all. She had caught him with odd looks on his face, almost as if he felt sorrow or pain or some other tender emotion that seemed beyond him on a good day.
Faith had escaped three years earlier, the night before her wedding. Now it was up to Hope to take the place of the bride. It was something that she didn’t plan on doing. She still wasn’t sure exactly how her sister had managed to escape. She’d had word that Faith was married now and happy with a guy who once visited their town. They lived on the east coast somewhere. Hope had a postcard hidden in her room with the address. Once she made it out of this town, she’d find them and see her sister again.
Her one shot was the fair coming to town. She planned to slip away during the festivities and if luck was with her she should make it to the Gulf and from there to safety.
All she had to do was find a boat to sneak onto and somehow manage to hide out there until they were too far out to turn back. She’d just go with them and eventually make it to Faith. She’d search for a nice older couple. Hell, anything would be better than the guy who was eagerly awaiting their honeymoon. She’d swim the entire Gulf of Mexico first!
She slipped quietly down the hall, peeking into her three younger sisters’ rooms along the way. She hated to leave them behind. But sometimes life presented you with hard decisions and you just had to do what you could and hope for the best. She was leaving…and hoping for the best for those she left behind.
Chapter One
Hope waited in the shadows of the early night fall, watching the older woman move about the boat. It looked as if she was preparing it to set sail and that was just what Hope had been searching for. The woman was sixty if she was a day and was humming as she worked. She would definitely help Hope get away once they were far enough out. Hope had no doubts that she could talk her into what she needed. A man would be different. She’d been ogled enough by men to know that her full breasts and curvy body filled most men with lust.
Hope watched the woman leave the boat and head up the dock and knew that her moment was fast approaching. It was now or never. Once the woman was out of sight, she crept out from behind the storage building she was using for cover and sprinted down the dock to hop on board the boat. It rocked a little and Hope held her breath praying no one else was on board as she cautiously crept down the stairs below deck. She had to find a place that she could hide for an adequate amount of time. It wouldn’t do her any good if she was discovered before they even left.
She entered a large bedroom and marvelled at the beauty within. The furniture was gorgeous and decidedly masculine. It was also immaculate. Hope had only seen the woman on the boat and with the condition of the room she wondered if it was even being used. Doing a fast search of the room she finally found what she was looking for in the closet. There were several blankets haphazardly thrown on the floor and she was able to make a small nest with them. The clothes hanging up helped to hide her.
