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    The Heart's Desire
    The Heart's Desire
    The Heart's Desire
    Ebook121 pages1 hour

    The Heart's Desire

    By S.R. Burks

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    About this ebook

    Dale Banner is a young widow living a quiet life in a cabin by the lake. But one night, a car crash leads a mysterious stranger to her door. Much of his memory lost, he is overwhelmed with the feeling he was running from something. As Dale helps him recover, she agrees to keep his presence a secret until his memory returns. But feelings stir between them... Can two people, who have lost so much, find at last what their hearts truly desire? Interethnic romance, BWWM.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNocturna Press
    Release dateAug 21, 2016
    ISBN9781944673000
    The Heart's Desire
    Author

    S.R. Burks

    Romance author in various genres including supernatural, medieval, suspense, horror, and fantasy.

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      Book preview

      The Heart's Desire - S.R. Burks

      The Heart’s Desire

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright 2016 S.R. Burks

      All Rights Reserved

      No part of this book may be reproduced without prior written permission from the author.

      This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

      ISBN-13 978-1-944673-01-7 (paperback)

      ISBN-13:978-1-944673-00-0 (e-book)

      Nocturna Press

      Independence, Missouri

      www.NocturnaPress.com

      Published and Designed by Nocturna Press

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2016949783

      Chapter 1

      He stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. The force shook the foundation. He fumbled for the keys in his pocket, his feet hitting the pavement hard. He made his way to the gold SUV, but he was so enraged that he could hardly steady the remote to unlock it. He finally got in and within seconds he’d backed out of the drive and sped away.

      Damned woman! I can’t take it anymore! he growled. As he peeled down the road that would lead him far from the estate, he broke every traffic law that had ever been written. The evening played over and over in his mind and soon he was racing down a country road to who-knows-where.

      After a while, he didn’t know where he was or even how long he’d been driving. Suddenly, without warning, a deer leaped in front of the vehicle. He swerved to miss it and slammed on the brakes, but he lost control. The car slid from side to side then veered toward a tree. Pain shot through his body and everything went black.

      Dale Banner lived in the woods, some distance from town. She was a quiet person and tried to keep a quiet life. Although she didn’t socialize often, people in town knew her to be a strong and warm-hearted person. She was also quite pretty with delicate brown skin and a sparkling smile that could charm most anyone. But she didn’t put much stock into the opinions of the townsfolk. She trusted her dogs more than anyone and preferred solitude rather than socializing.

      Apart from her two dogs, Duke and Banshee, Dale lived alone. She took nightly walks enjoying the starry sky and the way the moon shined down like a beacon. But one night she decided to forego her usual routine and stay in. She felt a minor cold coming on.

      During dinner, Duke and Banshee cocked their ears and began to bark. Dale stood from the table and walked to her front door. She watched and listened for whatever had riled them up, but observed nothing.

      Whatever it was, it’s gone now, she said, as the dogs peered through the screen door. But just as Dale turned away, she was shocked to hear some type of explosion in the distance. She quickly went out to the porch and looked in the direction of the sound.

      Duke and Banshee were barking like crazy. She was concerned, but knew the sheriff and one of his deputies made regular rounds about that time and it was probably safer to let them handle it. She closed the screen door and returned to her meal. But Duke and Banshee weren’t as sure as their master. They stayed at the door as if to protect her whether she warranted it or not.

      Nothing else strange was heard, so Dale went to bed early. She wanted to sleep off that cold. After a while, she was in sweet utopia when again she heard the sound of dogs barking. It drew her from her comfortable place, and plunged her into consciousness. Her eyes flew open. Her ears tuned in with what was going on around her. Duke and Banshee began to growl.

      She jumped out of bed and grabbed her shotgun. She had learned to trust those two long ago. She peeked through the window and surveyed the area.

      Whoever or whatever got you two in an uproar can certainly be taken care of, she said. She opened the front door and unlatched the screen. Go! she commanded. They immediately obeyed, taking off like hunters in pursuit.

      Dale ran behind the dogs, trying to keep up with their fast pace. She broke through the brush before her and the dogs had stopped in their tracks. They were sniffing at something she couldn’t clearly see. As she came upon what they had found, she saw it was a man.

      Dale wasn’t sure if he was alive or not. She poked him a few times with the barrel of her gun without any response. She bent down to check his neck for a pulse. He had one, but it was very faint. She looked around to see if there was some type of evidence as to how he got all the way out there and began to wonder if he was involved in the incident earlier. For now, however, he was in terrible shape. She knew she had to get him to the cabin.

      Duke and Banshee guarded the injured man while Dale retrieved a sling to pull him onto. When she tried to move him, she realized the size of him. He began to moan and groan. He was slowly exiting the darkness he had fallen into, but his energy had been spent by the struggle to seek out help.

      When Dale got him inside, she tried to call the sheriff’s station but there was no answer. It was a small town, and she suspected everyone was tending to that explosion, or whatever it was. She also knew she couldn’t leave him to go for help and she shouldn’t try to move him again. No matter what happened, she said to herself, I’m sure Craig and Matt are taking care of it.

      Morning came quickly, and Dale was up with the dawn. She prepared breakfast for two this time. She’d be sure the stranger was all right and then question him about what happened.

      In the spare bedroom, the sun’s rays beamed across the man’s face, causing him to stir from his sleep. He shifted his body slightly, then shouted in pain. Dale froze when she heard him. He was awake.

      She went to the room to check on him. He didn’t notice her at first, but then his eyes shot anxiously to the woman at his side.

      Lie still, said Dale. She pulled the covers back to check the bandage she’d wrapped around his ribs the night before. The stranger looked over the woman tending to him. She was attractive, he thought. She had a pretty face and deep hazel eyes. But his mind was riddled with questions.

      Who are you? he asked. And where am I?

      My name is Dale, she replied with a smile. And you’re in my cabin.

      He looked around the room. It certainly wasn’t familiar to him. Do I live here with you? he asked, searching her eyes for something familiar.

      Dale stopped abruptly and stared into his eyes. No, you don’t, she replied. Don’t you remember? I found you out cold in the woods and brought you here. I think you were in some type of accident. She could see that he was very confused.

      No, I don’t remember, he said, and began to rub his head.

      Dale went into the bathroom and emerged with a medicine bottle. She opened it, took his hand into hers, and put two pills in it. He immediately popped them into his mouth. She handed him the glass of water that was next to the bed.

      Thank you, he said. I don’t remember anything.

      Then Dale thought of something. She went over to his clothes and began to search them for a wallet. Maybe there was an ID or at least something to jog his memory. He watched, wondering what she was doing. She stopped when she found something and stared at it for a long time.

      What is it? he asked.

      It just says ‘Jackson’, she replied. I can’t make out the last name, but it seems to start with an M. She handed him the piece of paper, thinking maybe he would recognize it.

      Jackson, huh, maybe my name. It looks like some kind of cleaner’s slip. He tossed the paper aside.

      Dale was surprised that no one from the sheriff’s office had come through and mentioned yesterday’s incident. I’m going to call the Sheriff and let him know you’re here, said Dale. Maybe someone has reported you missing. She turned to leave the room and as she did a panic suddenly struck him.

      Wait, he pleaded. Do you really have to do that?

      Dale could sense something was eating away in him. She paused to study his face. Something was playing in his mind. Do you remember something? She came over to the bed.

      No, it’s just a strange feeling, he said. He laid back and covered his eyes with his arm.

      She sighed softly. She had the feeling he was running from something. But did he know it? Well, the sheriff usually makes rounds this way every day anyway. He’s probably on his way here this minute. And you haven’t eaten anything. I’ll get you some breakfast and we’ll take it from there, she said with a smile. You take it easy.

      While Dale prepared some breakfast, she asked herself all sorts of questions about where the stranger might have come from and

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