Now & Forever 3 - Blind love

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED:
Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to
only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer
or device.
You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior
written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book.
This
book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your
computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for
free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in
violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or
in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently
known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book
anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or
distribution of this
copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including
infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is
punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000."

If you find a Secret
Cravings Publishing e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know
at
[email protected]

A Secret Cravings Publishing Book

Mainstream Romance

NOW AND FOREVER 3:
BLIND LOVE

Copyright © 2012 Jean
C. Joachim

E-book ISBN:
978-1-61885-195-6

First E-book Publication: April 2012

Cover design by Beth Walker

Edited by Ariana
Gaynor

Proofread by Julie
Reilly

All cover art and
logo copyright © 2012 by Secret Cravings Publishing

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or
photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written
permission.

All characters and events in this
book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is
strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Secret Cravings Publishing

www.secretcravingspublishing.com

Dedication

To Larry Joachim, my husband and best friend of many
years.

With many thanks for your love and support: Lisa
George, Diana Finegold, Sally Gallagher, Dawne Prochilo, Kathleen Tighe Ball,
Marilyn Lee, Elizabeth Smythe, the Tuesday Tales group, It's Raining Men group,
my amazing editor, Ariana Gaynor and my fabulous publisher, Beth Walker.

In memory of Keith.

The Cravings e-book Club

The Cravings Paranormal
e-book Club

Have you heard about the newest idea in ebooks,
the ebook club? Secret Cravings Publishing has started two ebook clubs and we
invite you to become a member of either The Cravings e-book Club or the
Cravings Paranormal e-book Club. Join now and get two books absolutely free!

As a member, you will receive
Taming
The Cougar*
by
Sandy Sullivan and
Hunting Jaguar**
by D. McEntire FREE, just for joining!

You’ll also receive
4 BRAND-NEW EBOOKS
, specially selected by our Editorial Director,
every month for a total price of only $9.99 for all 4. This comes out to barely
$2.50 per book,
much less
than the retail price and you’ll be able to
enjoy your books
even before
they hit
Amazon or Barnes & Noble. We send your books
before
they are uploaded to the popular sales sites.
 
One of several privileges of club membership.

*
Taming the Cougar
, a western, erotic
romance:

Marla
isn't looking for love or anything else from a man.
 Can Marla put
aside her distrust of men for a younger man? Can Chris convince her he's not
like other guys?

**
Hunting Jaguar
,
paranormal erotic romance:

Rachel Hayes' father set out to
prove the existence of the Miloni temple and the Jaguar people. Tumi is a
descendant of the Miloni race and is sworn to protect their secret with his
life. Will he be forced to uphold his vow at the cost of his heart and Rachel's
life?

As a member of the Cravings Club, you’ll receive 4 books in
a variety of genres every month. We will try to match your books to your
preferences, however, if you’re a major paranormal fan, I suggest you join the
Cravings Paranormal Club. Everything is the same, 4 books every month for $9.99
except that 3 of your 4 books will be paranormal. The remaining book will be of
a different genre.

As a club member, you will also receive:

·
               
our monthly newsletter

·
               
sneak previews of new books

·
               
exclusive interviews with your favorite authors

·
               
special offers not available to the general
public

To join and tell us your favorite genres and heat
levels
 
plus which format works best for
you, go to the Secret Cravings Publishing website (
www.secretcravingspublishing.com
)
At the bottom of the page you’ll see a button for the club. You can sign up
there and share your preferences for genre, format and heat level with us. You
will be charged, automatically, through PayPal, only $9.99 every month.
 
Your b
ooks
will be shipped within 1 day after PayPal payment has cleared.
You may
cancel at any time by clicking on the “unsubscribe” button located on the
Cravings Club tab at the bottom of our website and keep the FREE BOOKS as our
gift.
  

We hope our Secret Cravings books will delight you
each and every month.

                                                                                                                       
Best
wishes,

                                                                                                                       
Beth
Walker

NOW AND FOREVER 3: BLIND LOVE

Jean C. Joachim

Copyright © 2012

Chapter One

When half a dozen people get off the train from New York City
in tiny Willow Falls, New York on a Wednesday afternoon, it’s a big crowd. The
group arriving this day was an unusual collection of men and women.

Callie Caldwell, a beautiful woman with chestnut hair and big
blue eyes, paced on the train platform. By her side was Jason, her energetic
seven-year-old, jumping and skipping, unable to contain his excitement at
meeting his only grandfather and uncle for the first time. Kitty, Jason’s
younger sister, a pretty child with her father’s black hair and her mother’s
soulful blue eyes, followed her big brother, imitating his every move. The
train wheezed then crawled into the station.

Waiting impatiently for the father-in-law and brother-in-law
she’d never met to step off the train, kept Callie in motion. With no family of
her own, she hoped they’d accept her and maybe even love her.

“Do you think Peter will like teaching here?” she asked her
husband.

“Like it or not, he’s here for a year. Signed a contract.”

“What about your dad?” Callie straightened the bow in Kitty’s
hair.

“He might miss teaching but he’ll love the kids.”

“We’ll keep him busy.” Callie’s gaze searched the passengers
as they stepped off the train. “Do you see them yet?”

“Relax, they’ll love you,” Mac whispered, bending his six
foot two inch frame down to her five foot three.

She smiled at him and gripped the hands of her two children
tighter. Her husband leaned over and brushed her lips with his. Then Callie
spied two men separating themselves from the crowd. Mac waved then joined them.
The man with stone-gray hair was tall and handsome. A drop-dead gorgeous, much
younger man stood by his side.

When they turned to face Callie, she noticed they all had the
same intense blue eyes. After an eight-year separation due to teaching jobs in
different parts of the world, the men were not embarrassed to hug each other.
When they approached, excitement propelled Jason into his grandfather’s arms.

“Grandpa, Grandpa!”

“You must be Jason,” the older man said, laughing and hugging
his grandson while trying to keep his balance. Peter came over and extended his
hand to Jason, who ignored it and threw his arms around him.

“Uncle Peter!”

Peter, blond like his late mother, laughed, his devastatingly
handsome face breaking into a charming grin. The three men, all well over six
feet, looked like human trees clustered around the small children and Mac’s
short wife.

“You must be Callie,” Sam said, giving her a big hug, “I’m so
happy to finally meet you.”

“Sam,” she muttered, closing her eyes briefly while accepting
his embrace. She liked him right away. Kitty, shy like her mom, hid behind
Callie’s skirt, peeking out at the men.

“And you, young lady, must be Kitty,” Sam said. He crouched
down to be eye-level with the pretty child.

She nodded, her face serious. Sam put out his big hand, but
Kitty shrank back. Callie picked up the little girl and inched closer to Sam.
When she got close enough, Kitty moved from the safety of her mother’s arms and
gave Sam a quick peck on the cheek. He laughed with delight as the child hid her
smiling face in Callie’s shoulder.

Peter came over, introduced himself and gave Callie a kiss on
the cheek. He ran his eyes up and down her lovely face and curvy body. He
raised his eyebrows and turned to Mac with a slight nod.

“How did you ever get such a beautiful woman to marry you?”

“Beats me. I ask myself every day,” Mac said, making Callie
blush. He put his arm around her shoulders, picked up a big suitcase and headed
toward the car.

On the drive to Peter and Sam’s rented house, Jason and Kitty could
hardly sit still. Excitement bubbled up inside Callie too as the car whisked
past familiar sights and she opened a place in her heart for her new family
members.

Mac pulled into the driveway of the small three bedroom house
he’d rented for Sam and Peter. The wood-frame building was on quiet James
Street, an avenue filled with neat row houses, close together on small,
well-tended properties.

The modest house was painted a warm, medium blue with white
shutters and trim. Flowering shrubs softened the angles of the front windows.
The lawn was tiny but perfectly mowed and the brick path was symmetrical.
Flower boxes graced the upstairs windows and hedges lined the small driveway to
the right.