Love’s Promise E-Book

Lorhainne Eckhart

• Herausgeber: Lorhainne Eckhart, INC.
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Married in Montana
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 198

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Kim and Bruce are at long last on the cusp of saying "I do" after a couple of wedding postponements thanks to some unforeseen emergencies. But honestly, what could Kim have expected from a dedicated doctor like Bruce Siegel?

As their wedding day inches closer, it's not just pre-wedding jitters that are playing tricks on Kim. Much to their dismay, life's curveballs are being hurled their way, putting their happily ever after in jeopardy. Among the challenges they face is a patient who's taken a keen interest in Bruce, with desires that go beyond medical care. And as if that's not enough, personal attacks seemingly emerge out of thin air, casting a shadow over what should be their perfect day.

Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotions and suspense in this riveting romantic tale, where love's promise is put to the ultimate test. Will Kim and Bruce's love conquer all, or will the obstacles in their path tear them apart? Dive into the pages of this captivating story and find out.

Leseprobe

Love’s Promise

COPYRIGHT © Lorhainne Ekelund, 2016. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Contact Information: [email protected]

ISBN: 978-1-928085-37-9

LOVE’S PROMISE

MARRIED IN MONTANA

BOOK TWO

LORHAINNE ECKHART

WWW.LORHAINNEECKHART.COM

CONTENTS

Keep in touch with Lorhainne

Love’s Promise

Married in Montana

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

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

What’s coming next

Other works available

The Third Call

About the O’Connells

About the Author

Series Available

Links to Lorhainne Eckhart’s Booklist

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LOVE’S PROMISE

Kim and Bruce are at long last on the cusp of saying "I do" after a couple of wedding postponements thanks to some unforeseen emergencies. But honestly, what could Kim have expected from a dedicated doctor like Bruce Siegel?

As their wedding day inches closer, it's not just pre-wedding jitters that are playing tricks on Kim. Much to their dismay, life's curveballs are being hurled their way, putting their happily ever after in jeopardy. Among the challenges they face is a patient who's taken a keen interest in Bruce, with desires that go beyond medical care. And as if that's not enough, personal attacks seemingly emerge out of thin air, casting a shadow over what should be their perfect day.

Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotions and suspense in this riveting romantic tale, where love's promise is put to the ultimate test. Will Kim and Bruce's love conquer all, or will the obstacles in their path tear them apart? Dive into the pages of this captivating story and find out.

MARRIED IN MONTANA

Get swept away in the enchanting world of the Married in Montana series with this captivating 3-book box set from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Lorhainne Eckhart.

Book 1: His Promise

As teenagers, Kim and Bruce believed their love was unbreakable, but life had other plans. When Bruce left for medical school, their paths diverged, and Kim married another. Now, after years apart, fate brings them back to their hometown. Can they fight the lingering attraction and the promise Bruce once made, or will a summer night change everything?

Book 2: Love's Promise

Kim and Bruce's wedding day finally approaches after facing numerous obstacles. But just as they think they can breathe a sigh of relief, unforeseen emergencies threaten their happiness. Will they overcome these challenges and find their happily ever after, or will their dreams shatter before their eyes?

Book 3: A Promise of Forever

Sheriff Blake Gatlin seeks a fresh start in rural Montana, where he meets Brandyne, a strong single mom struggling to provide for her five children. Determined to help, Blake offers support, but Brandyne hesitates to accept, knowing Blake isn't ready for a ready-made family. When her past resurfaces, Brandyne faces a heart-wrenching decision between love and her children's welfare.

Indulge in the tender romances, compelling struggles, and heartfelt promises that define this contemporary western romance series. Discover the enduring power of love and family in this captivating box set collection by Lorhainne Eckhart.

CHAPTER1

Getting married is a dream come true for any woman—except Kim, since her first wedding had tied her to a man she’d settled for and didn’t love, and their divorce had created a giant lonely hole in her heart. She had waited twenty years for the love of her life and was now planning her second wedding, which should have been her first, anyway.

It had been postponed twice because of Bruce’s busy schedule, first an emergency and then a medical conference he couldn’t miss, both of which had Kim fighting the panic that some disaster would stop them from reaching the altar. Then again, maybe this was her own fear and insecurity. Kim often found herself acting like the insecure teenager she’d been when Bruce had first left for medical school. At the time, she’d believed he’d left her, but the truth was that she’d left him.

It haunted her still that she’d allowed her parents to plant the seed of doubt in her head, telling her that Bruce had left her when he’d done nothing but pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. He was now one of the best pediatric surgeons in the country. He had come home, back to Columbia Falls, three years, five months, and six days ago after leaving and promising Kim they would be together forever. She’d promised to wait for him, but she hadn’t. Instead, she had married someone else. Those were days that haunted her and brought a giant ache to her heart.

She stared at the lacy white wedding dress that had belonged to her grandmother. It was a tradition in their family. Her mother had worn it, and Kim had worn it when she married Craig, though she had divorced him only two years later. It was unsettling, looking at it now, even though, growing up, it was what she’d dreamed of wearing for her wedding. Now, after she’d married the wrong man, the dress seemed tainted, and it felt wrong on so many levels to even consider wearing the same dress she’d married another in.

She’d always planned to wear her grandmother’s gown when she married Bruce, but that dream had been crushed so long ago when she believed Bruce had forgotten her. Once again, her heart sank as she sat on her bed, reliving the moment she’d learned not long ago that her parents had made her choice for her by hiding his messages and putting another man in her path while she nursed a broken heart. It was unforgivable, and she was angry at her mother, her father, who had believed they were doing what was right at the time.

Now the dress her mother insisted she wear at her wedding in a few short weeks was staring back at her, and all she could see was Craig, the young man who’d loved her, who’d given her everything, a man she could never have loved back. Of course he hated her now, and he had every right, as the only thing he’d wanted was the thing she’d already given away: her heart.

She pushed the dress aside, sitting on the bed—neatly made, with a patchwork quilt of reds, blues, and greens, a quilt made by her grandmother and given to her for her first wedding. It would have to go. There were so many reminders of Craig here. This had been their place, but this was the bed she loved Bruce in, not Craig, the bed where she came alive from Bruce’s every touch, kiss, and caress as he loved her at night and woke her in the morning by slipping inside her, driving her again and again to the ecstasy only someone she loved could. The closeness when they were together…he took her breath away, and it was in those times that she was so vulnerable that every part of her mind, body, and soul was given to him, open to him.

“Fresh start is exactly what’s needed,” she said. She scooped up the dress, pulled the quilt from the bed, and folded both up before stuffing them into the small hall closet, which was jam packed now with linens, towels, and bedding. She heard a car, but she only turned her head slightly. She knew the sound of Bruce in his two-seater BMW. At the feeling that came over her, knowing he was coming home to this house that wasn’t hers, even though it was, she shut her eyes. For a second, she rested her hand on the shelf of the closet and then took in everything, all the towels, so old they too had to have been wedding presents. She needed to shake this craziness off, because after all these years, why was she feeling this way, unable to get past this sense of wrong at her own hands? She hadn’t earned this home but had taken it from a man who had given everything to her, one to whom she in turn had given nothing.

The screen door slapped closed. “Kim?” Bruce called out and then appeared beside her as she pulled herself together, swallowed the uneasiness in her stomach, and closed the closet door. “What are you doing?” he asked. His brown hair had hints of gold, the ends wavy and rather messy, as if he’d run his hands through them. He was a handsome man, tall, a man who could never be considered average—long legs, a great butt, and those eyes…

“Just cleaning up,” she said, “putting away things I should have a while ago.” She leaned against the closet door as he turned away and started into the small boxlike bedroom. It was tiny and square, just like this older home. The light cotton curtains fluttered over the tiny bedroom window, which was wide open, allowing a breeze in, but it wasn’t a window that cooled off a room quickly, and the single pane did little in the winter to keep the room warm. This place had been so old already when Craig bought it, but now it was ancient, with paper-thin walls, turn of the century plumbing, and wiring that wasn’t much better. But then, Craig was a man who could fix anything, and he had bought the house for them with intentions to renovate.

She glanced over to Bruce again, who seemed distracted. It was the expression on his face. He appeared to be thinking of something, a life he had saved or lost. Some days, she was afraid to push. He let out a sigh, one that told her it had been a long, challenging day. But then, his work was far from easy. It was demanding, and he had to be the best of the best. It was who he was.

She watched in silence as he unbuttoned his light blue dress shirt, pulled it off, and dumped it in the small plastic hamper in the corner. His sculpted back showed the three times a week he worked out in town at the gym, and his abs as he turned showed how determined a man he was. As a doctor, he really did practice what he preached.

“Doing laundry?” he said, and it startled her. Maybe it was the quietness that had him watching her, the way he was taking in the room, gesturing to the bed with the white sheets, minus the quilt she’d pulled off and packed away. Then he smiled at her in his teasing, cocky way, obviously noticing how she’d watched him undress.

She didn’t need to look over to know what he was talking about, but she didn’t know how to make him understand. “It didn’t seem right anymore to keep it on the bed.” She stepped closer to him, needing to touch him.

He frowned. Every emotion he had deepened or lightened the hazel of his eyes. It had taken her a long time after Bruce came back to understand the man she’d fallen in love with, whom she still loved. She had told herself he wasn’t the same, even though he was, but the thing that most attracted her to him were his eyes. They were the gateway to his soul—who he was, who he’d become, and the love he had for her. She had her hand on his broad chest, running over it, staring up and into his eyes, which were bright and deep and could reach inside her and touch her heart, as if he knew there was more she was keeping from him.

He was giving her all his attention now as he pulled off his rimless glasses and set them on the dresser beside the small white jewelry box Craig had given her their first Christmas together. She turned her head, shutting her eyes as if needing to hide her traitorous thoughts about bringing another man into this bedroom. She moved her foot back as his hand slipped over her chin, her cheek, her face. He slid his fingers through her hair so she had to look at him.

“Want to fill me in on what’s going on? You’re worried about something, I can tell. Is it the wedding? Your mom giving you problems still?”

Her mom was taking over—had taken over planning the wedding for her only daughter, and Kim had let her, knowing it was easier than having to deal with the strong, opinionated woman her mother was. “It’s just that nothing is mine,” she said, fighting the urge to step closer to Bruce, to slip into his arms and rest her head against his chest. Instead, she just stood there, her hands at her sides, willing Craig to be out of her life and the pain of what she’d done to him to go.

“You lost me.” Bruce stepped closer, sliding his other hand over her cheek, holding her. Of course her hands went to his wrists, holding on to him as if her life depended on it. “Kim, come on. We don’t keep things from each other.”

She could feel the strength in his arms, the muscles in his wrists flexing as he held her. He was so strong, every part of him: mind, body, and soul. He was a man who could get them through anything. “This is Craig’s house,” she said. “The quilt on the bed…”

He glanced to the bed again and frowned. “I thought your grandmother made that for you. I know how much it meant to you.” He was closer, right in her space, where he had every right to be. Now she felt silly for saying anything, wondering whether she should just run her hands over his chest, feel the curves and maybe distract him, but she also knew Bruce wasn’t a man who could be easily distracted. He was patient, most times, holding on to things and waiting her out. It was that damn strength and control that he had. She envied that at times, something she’d never managed to have. She wondered how he’d react to knowing. If this entire situation were the other way around, she’d have been jealous beyond words.

“She did, but...” She touched her tongue to her lip.

“But what, Kim?” He tilted his head, and his thumb skimmed her cheek before settling on her shoulder, gently rubbing.

“She made it for my first wedding, with Craig. It shouldn’t be on a bed I share with you.”

He dropped his hand and stepped away as if it was no big deal—not the reaction she’d expected.

“So it doesn’t bother you?” she asked him. Why was she pushing this? She wasn’t happy with how unsettled she was. She wanted her happily ever after, and after waiting twenty years, she was angry with herself for allowing anything to come between them.

He gave her an odd look she couldn’t make sense of as the emotion in his eyes dimmed. It was what he did when he pulled into himself. “It’s a blanket, Kim. I’m going to take a shower.” He unfastened his belt and slipped out of his dress pants, giving her his back and showing his great butt, firm and tight. He sighed as he walked away on those amazing long legs into the small bathroom and turned on the shower. Kim stood there, wondering if maybe Bruce was right. It was just a blanket.

“Stop thinking this to death, Kim,” she said to herself before walking into the small second bedroom, where Bruce had piled many of his things. She lifted the dark blue quilt that had been on her bed growing up and was now on the spare, and she walked back into their bedroom and shook it out before spreading it on the bed. “Better,” she said, then walked out of the bedroom to finish dinner.

CHAPTER2

The water had gone cold again before he’d gotten the shampoo out of his hair. He swore as the icy water pelted his skin, and he turned his head, rinsing off under the chilly spray and then turning off the shower. He jumped out and bumped the sink in this boxlike bathroom, where there was no room to move, let alone turn around.

“What’s wrong?” Kim was standing in the doorway, wiping her hands, holding a dishcloth. Of course she sounded worried, and her expression was tense.

“That had to be the shortest shower yet. Kim, time to get the hot water tank replaced.” He reached for a towel and took in her dismay.

She glanced down, went to say something, and then shook her head. “That’s going to cost...” she started.

He knew exactly where she was going, but he had humored her long enough with this need she had to pay for everything to do with this house. He was beginning to wonder whether this was about the sense of guilt she seemed to be carrying. “Enough, Kim. We’re getting married. Stop it with this shit,” he snapped as he reached for the towel on the rack.

He was done with her nickel and diming everything. He ran the towel over his dripping hair and took in the hurt that lingered in her expression. Of course, he now felt like a world-class jerk, wanting to take back what he’d said, but then, maybe it was best to get this out in the open. She had to stop with the money thing. He was tired of her first worry always being how much things cost when Bruce had more than enough to take care of everything.

She pulled back. “I’m sorry, Bruce, but I don’t have a lot of money. This is it, and it shouldn’t even be mine.” She appeared so sad for a minute and then walked out of the bathroom. What was going on with her? This was the second time she’d brought up this topic.

Bruce looped a towel around his waist and followed her into the bedroom. Looking around, he took in the scuffed dark wood floor, the white walls, the plaster ceiling. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her long brown hair had that messy bedroom look that was so sexy even though she’d brushed it and done everything she could to bring order to the wave of curls. Now it was pinned back on the sides, draping forward as she glanced down at the floor. She ran her tongue over her lip, and he took in all of her. She was now a woman, slim, curvy, and gorgeous, far from the girl he’d fallen in love with.

She was wearing the same thing she always did, worn jeans, socks, and a sleeveless red and blue blouse. She was a farm girl at heart. She leaned forward, her fists beside her clutching the bedding, the dark blue quilt from the spare bedroom.

“Kim, I’m paying for this,” he said. “I have money, I do well. Why is this even an issue? Maybe we should have talked before about this. We’re here because we can’t move a horse to town. You love this place, or I thought you did.” He couldn’t figure out what was going on. He’d just assumed she understood he was looking after her, because she was going to be his wife—and very soon, too. She wouldn’t look at him. “Kim, what’s going on? Why would you say this place shouldn’t be yours? I’d love a bigger place. I still have the condo. We could move there, but then what would we do with Chloe?” He was thinking out loud but had to stop, because she had this odd look on her face, her head turned to the side now. She wasn’t looking at him. What was she thinking? Maybe “worrying” was a better word.

“Kim?” he asked again, and he stepped closer, feeling the coolness of the room. When she turned her head back, it nearly brought him to his knees. She had big pools of tears in her eyes. “Hey, you’re starting to worry me. Something’s wrong.” He was right in front of her, and he squatted down, resting his hands on her thighs and putting his face right in front of her so she had to look at him.

“This house, this property…it was Craig’s,” she said. “He gave it to me just to be rid of me. He loved me, he married me, and I nearly broke him because I was so in love with you and nursing a broken heart. I tried to convince myself I could make myself love him, but I was so wrong. You can’t tell your heart who to love. I never earned this. I shouldn’t be entitled to this. Everything in here, he bought, not me, and he walked away with nothing.”

Bruce was looking around. It really was a small place, with two bedrooms, a tiny kitchen, and a living room. It was at least fifty or sixty years old, with more going wrong than worked, but the land was worth so much: flat, prime grazing land. It meant nothing to him. He was here for Kim because this was hers, or so he’d thought.

“Well, why don’t we build something new that’s ours?” He’d had the idea before but hadn’t brought it up. He hadn’t wanted to push. Now, maybe it was time.

Her eyes widened. She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it.

He went to the window, leaned down, and looked out through the single pane at the acres of land and then back at Kim, who was sitting there, appearing shell shocked, as if he’d said the worst things imaginable.

“I don’t want to build here,” she said. “I want to give this back to Craig. This is his. I have no right to any of it.” She stood up, and he watched as she wiped her hands on her jeans and paused in the doorway. “I don’t deserve this, and I don’t know what it is, but the idea of marrying you and keeping something that belonged to Craig seems wrong on so many levels. It’s making me so sick inside, and my stomach is twisted in knots.” Then she walked out of the bedroom, calling out over her shoulder. “Dinner is almost ready.”

Bruce just stared at the empty doorway, the small bed, and wondered whether it was just nerves that had Kim reflecting on a past Bruce would just as soon forget. Or was she right?

CHAPTER3

The phone was ringing, Bruce’s phone on the table in the kitchen. She went to reach for it when Bruce hurried in.