Courage to Live by Morgan Q. O'Reilly Lyrical Press, Inc. www.lyricalpress.com Copyright ©2011 by Morgan Q. O'Reilly First published in 2012, 2012 NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others. This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons. 2 Courage to Live by Morgan Q. O'Reilly CONTENTS Highlight Dedication Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Epilogue About Morgan Q. O'Reilly About the Open Windows Series 3 Courage to Live by Morgan Q. O'Reilly * * * * 4 Courage to Live by Morgan Q. O'Reilly Back Cover Copy She's living in fear. He's a born protector. There's a missing man holding them apart. Candace Cutler intended to leave her abusive husband, until he vanished one snowy Alaska night. She lives in a limbo of dread, wanting only to care for her son. And now a cocky young pilot has moved in next door. Cayden Shaughnessy's instinct is to protect. He doesn't like the rumors about the guy who left a single mom and cute kid next door—and who's he kidding? He finds the mom pretty adorable, too, in a hot, can't-resist sort of way. But Candace doesn't have time for games. Too many loose ends leave her unsettled, and she can't help expecting violence to step once more from the shadows... WARNING: Contains two brief descriptions of violence; however, justice is served. Also contains hot loving, a Top Gun-worthy fly-by, sex and more sizzling Shaughnessys. 5 Courage to Live by Morgan Q. O'Reilly Highlight "Let me tell you, Mr. HotShot. This isn't San Diego. There's no Top Gun here." In his uniform, duffle over his shoulder, he stared back at me, laughter in his eyes. "Hey—" "I appreciate what you guys do," I cut him off. "But once you step off that base, you're in the real world. That I'm-too- sexy-for-my-jet thing doesn't work here. The other services all have a presence here, too. You're not remotely special or unique." Blue eyes twinkled at me across the lawn. Odds were he flew one of the F-22 Raptors stationed at the base to the north. Extreme confidence oozed from his pores. Even in the face of my rant, the wide grin didn't fade one bit. Although I'd just met him, the man and his arrogance were too much to deal with. "In fact," I added, "mind your own business and leave me to mine. Then everyone will be happy." "You realize Top Gun is Navy, not Air Force, right?" I hurried the through the open garage, grocery bags cutting into my shaking fingers. Before I hit the door button, his laugh carried to me. "Hey Jack," he called to his host. "She thinks I'm sexy." [Back to Table of Contents] 6 Courage to Live by Morgan Q. O'Reilly Courage to Live By Morgan Q. O'Reilly [Back to Table of Contents] 7 Courage to Live by Morgan Q. O'Reilly Courage to Live 9781616503505 Copyright © 2012, Morgan Q. O'Reilly Edited by Piper Denna Book design by Lyrical Press, Inc. Cover Art by Valerie Tibbs First Lyrical Press, Inc. electronic publication: February, 2012 Lyrical Press, Incorporated www.lyricalpress.com eBooks are not transferable. All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content. Published in the United States of America by Lyrical Press, Incorporated [Back to Table of Contents] 8 Courage to Live by Morgan Q. O'Reilly Dedication To my devoted husband, who resembles the hero, not the villain of this story. Acknowledgments There are Thanks which must be made for parts of this story. Retired police officer R.K., now living in Hawaii—much to my disgust—gave me his view on police procedure. If I got it wrong, it falls on my head, not his. Kenai, Alaska DJ Tom Randall gave me the coffee line Cay uses on Candace. I grabbed it with his permission. My editor, Piper, first for the inspiration to tell Cay's story, and then for the patience while I worked out a few issues, such as how to arrange the first chapter. To a few of my critique partners, Lizbeth Selvig, Maxine Mansfield, and Tam Linsey, you were right. All of you. Happy now? Love you! Last, but never least, Carlee, who reads every word, more than once, and next to my husband is my biggest cheerleader. Couldn't do it without you. [Back to Table of Contents] 9 Courage to Live by Morgan Q. O'Reilly Prologue "Have the courage to live. Anyone can die."—Robert Cody "Mom!" A gentle hand patted my right cheek. The one that didn't hurt. Although with the red haze enfolding me, I would have been hard pressed to pick a place that didn't hurt or wasn't covered in food that had been on our dinner plates. The hand barely touched me. The voice called to me, sweet and sobbing like it hadn't in years. The cry of a hurting little boy. "I'm here, Robbie." My throat felt raw and a whisper was all I could manage. As much as I wanted to let the dark take me, I couldn't. Rob was only eleven and while he might have been my height, he was far from being a man. Forcing myself to breathe through the pain coming from my left side, I managed to lift my right eyelid. The left one felt about ten times its normal size. "Get me some ice, sweetheart. And a towel to cushion it, okay?" "We have to get out of here!" he protested, but scrambled for the kitchen anyway. My heart rate spiked and a surge of adrenalin pushed me into a sitting position. My ribs complained and I bit back a howl of pain, one arm wrapped around my middle, the other braced to hold me up. "Why? Is he coming back?" I gasped. The food that had been dumped on me slid off in a sickening sludge. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I made note that 10