Courageous Love Read online

  Table of Contents

  Synopsis

  By the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Chapter Thirty-six

  About the Author

  Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

  Synopsis

  Alex Taylor is an ER nurse who prides herself on the care she gives to those in need. Through a chance encounter, Alex meets police sergeant Francesca Greco and finds the handsome officer too hard to resist. When Alex is diagnosed with a devastating disease, her role is changed from caregiver to patient and she prepares for the fight of her life.

  Frank Greco has developed intense feelings for Alex, but wonders if she has it in her to take care of another woman she loves who has become sick. However, she sees this as an opportunity to do things differently this time around.

  Will Alex and Frank be able to overcome Alex’s illness, and their own demons, to embrace love?

  Courageous Love

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Courageous Love

  © 2016 By KC Richardson. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-798-9

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: December 2016

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Cindy Cresap

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design By Jeanine Henning

  By the Author

  New Beginnings

  Courageous Love

  Acknowledgments

  I want to thank Radclyffe, Sandy Lowe, and the rest of the Bold Strokes Books staff for welcoming me into this incredible family. Being a Bold Strokes author has been truly a high point in my life. To my editor, Cindy Cresap, thank you for teaching me the art and skill of writing. Your patience with me is greatly appreciated.

  Thank you to my readers who have reached out to let me know you wanted to read Alex’s story. It means so much to me that you liked her and wanted to know more about her. I appreciate all your emails and Facebook posts, and especially your support.

  Thank you to my beta readers, Andrea, Penelope, Dawn, and Maya, for helping me write a pretty decent first draft.

  Thank you to Carrie, Kris, and Christopher for your expertise in police, paramedic, and ER matters. I hope I did your professions justice. You are the real-life heroes.

  Thank you to my best friend, Nicki, for Alex’s “counseling session” and for helping me brainstorm this story. I’m forever grateful for becoming friends with you way back in our college days. Your support, friendship, and love over the past couple of decades mean more to me than I could ever express. I love you, little bear.

  A very special thank you to my good friend Shannon, who was gracious enough to share her journey with me. Shannon, you are one of the bravest women I know and a true hero to me. I love you greatly.

  Thank you to my family and friends for your unwavering support. Having you all cheer me on and seeing your excitement for my new journey really keeps me writing.

  Most importantly, thank you to my wife, Inger, for your support and encouragement to finish this story. There were times where it was emotionally difficult to write, but you were there every step of the way and I was able to finish it because of you. There is no one else I’d rather take the difficult journeys with. I love you.

  Finally, this story was important for me to write because too often, pre-menopausal women think breast cancer won’t happen to them. I ask of you to listen to your body and fight for it. Do your self-exams, get your mammograms, and if you detect a lump or other possible sign, get tested. Early detection could be the difference between life and death.

  To my grandmother, my friend Shannon, and everyone who has bravely fought breast cancer.

  Chapter One

  Alex had finished a busy shift at the ER and was excited to start her long weekend. She jumped into her car and pushed the phone icon as she pulled out of the parking lot of County Hospital.

  “Hey, it’s me. I’m on my way over and was calling to see if you needed me to pick up anything.”

  “No, I think we have everything.”

  “How’s my boy? Is he ready to see his auntie?”

  “Yep. He’s already in his swim diaper and is just waiting for you to take him swimming.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll be there soon.” Alex hung up and checked a quick text message she had received before turning off her phone. She swerved before she could cross into the lane next to hers and decided to pay attention.

  The blue and red lights that flashed in her rearview mirror brought Alex’s breathing to a halt. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. Well, not really. She was driving only ten miles per hour over the speed limit. Surely, she wasn’t being pulled over for speeding. She flicked on her blinker, turned to look over her shoulder, and safely pulled to the shoulder of the road. The police car pulled in behind her, and the officer remained in his car. Damn! This day held such promise.

  She was off work from the ER for the next few days and ready to have a good time. She had been on her way to her best friend Jordan’s house for a pool party and barbecue. She had hoped to meet a single woman at the party that she could maybe spend the next couple of days having fun with. Getting pulled over was not how she imagined this day would go.

  The officer finally got out of his car and started to approach. Alex looked in her side mirror and watched him—wait a minute—her carefully draw near with her hand placed near the butt of her gun. Alex’s pulse sped up as she sized up the officer. She was a little taller than average with olive skin and short, dark hair. Alex couldn’t tell what her body looked like due to the vest under her uniform top and her duty belt, but she had a feeling it would be spectacular. The officer had a confidence to her gait, more like a swagger, as she arrived at the passenger side window. She had a stern look to her face and mirrored black Oakley sunglasses. Alex wondered if these sunglasses were standard issue for cops.
She saw enough officers in the emergency room wearing the popular style.

  The officer gestured for Alex to roll down the window. Alex looked at the officer’s name tag and gave her the most flirtatious smile she could. “Is there something I can help you with, Officer Greco?”

  “May I have your license, registration, and proof of insurance, ma’am?”

  Alex felt her eyebrows shoot up her forehead. Ma’am? “Officer, I’m sure—”

  “It’s Sergeant, ma’am.”

  “Okay, Sergeant,” Alex drew out, “I’m sure you have better things to do than waste your time on me. How about you let me get on my way and you can go back to protecting the streets?”

  “I can’t do that, ma’am. Now, let me see your license, registration, and proof of insurance.”

  Alex blew out a breath in frustration. “Fine.” She rummaged through her purse and removed her license and insurance card from her wallet, then leaned over and opened the glove box to get her registration. She reluctantly handed the items over to the sergeant.

  “I pulled you over for speeding and failure to use a hands-free device, Ms. Taylor,” Sergeant Greco said after scanning the license. “The speed limit is forty miles per hour, and I clocked you doing fifty. It’s also against the law to talk on your cell phone while operating a vehicle if you’re not using a hands-free device. Wait here, please.”

  Alex watched her retreat to her cruiser. If she hadn’t been so embarrassed or angry, Alex would have appreciated the toned ass that even the polyester uniform pants couldn’t hide. As time dragged on, Alex became more miffed. She could feel her blood begin to boil and took some deep breaths to calm herself down before Sergeant Greco returned. She checked the rearview mirror and saw the officer returning to Alex.

  “Here you go, ma’am.” Sergeant Greco handed the items back to Alex, along with a speeding ticket. “Be safe, stay off your phone while you drive, and slow it down a little.”

  “Sure thing, Sergeant,” Alex mumbled under her breath as the officer left. “Thanks a-fucking-lot.”

  Alex put her blinker on and waited for a break in traffic to pull back onto the road, resisting the urge to peel out and spray dirt and rocks on the officer’s car. She thought of the handsome sergeant on the drive to Jordan’s. Under different circumstances, Alex could have imagined spending time and getting to know her better. Alex never had a “type” that she preferred. She had been with butch and femme women, and everything in between. She tended to gravitate toward a woman who could spark her interest. A woman with self-confidence. Sergeant Greco displayed that in spades.

  There was definitely a commanding presence to the sergeant, not only in her demeanor, but her face as well. She had a strong, square jaw and Romanesque nose. Even though she never removed her sunglasses, Alex could imagine the intensity in her eyes. Oh, well. Alex hoped never to run into the commanding Sergeant Greco again.

  Alex pulled into the driveway behind Jordan’s car and took a few more deep breaths. She was about to spend the day with three of the most important people in her life, and she wasn’t going to let that damn officer ruin the rest of her day.

  She knocked on the front door and let herself in. She felt all of the stress fall away into thin air. Her godson Aiden’s blue-green eyes twinkled as he toddled his way to Alex and tried to say her name. He got the “A” part down, but that was it for now. The “lex” would come soon, she was sure. She scooped him up, nuzzled his neck, and inhaled the sweet scent of his baby shampoo and powder. The giggles that came from Aiden made Alex want to continue tickling him.

  Aiden leaned back from Alex, put his little hands on her cheeks, and moved back in for a sloppy kiss. This was new for him, and Alex felt the tears sting her eyes. “Jordan, go pack Aiden’s clothes. I’m running away with him and never bringing him back.”

  Jordan chuckled as she greeted Alex. “You can borrow him anytime you want, Al, but you have to promise to bring him back. You do not want Kirsten hunting you down.” Alex accepted Jordan’s kiss hello and turned her attention back to Aiden. Jordan had been Alex’s best friend since their first year in college. They’d seen and helped each other through really great times and really bad times. Alex was an only child, but Jordan was the sister she had always wished for.

  Jordan’s avoidance of relationships ended when she met her now-wife a little over three years ago. Alex loved Kirsten as much as she did Jordan, and when they asked her to be Aiden’s godmother, it solidified her place in their family. She longed to find a woman who would complete her life as Jordan and Kirsten completed each other’s. Who knew? Maybe she would meet her today.

  *

  Sergeant Francesca Greco was relieved her shift was finally over. It had been a relatively quiet day—well, as quiet as it could be for a patrol supervisor on a Saturday day shift. As she drove back to the station, she recalled her last stop. She had only twenty minutes before she headed back to the station to clean up and meet some friends. She put her car into gear and started to pull up to the stop sign just ahead when a car sped past her going westbound. Frank went in pursuit of the bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle. By pacing the car, she estimated the driver was going about ten miles per hour over the speed limit. She observed the driver holding what appeared to be a phone up to her ear and was weaving slightly. There were enough cars on the road that this could be a potentially unsafe pursuit. She flipped on her lights as she gained ground on the speeding vehicle. When the driver signaled to pull over, Frank offered up a silent thank you to the police gods.

  Frank radioed dispatch with the make, model, and license plate and waited for the information. The dispatcher came back. “Vehicle registered to Alexandra Taylor. No warrants.”

  “Copy that.” Frank exited her vehicle and approached the passenger’s side. She was normally a very even-keeled woman, but she couldn’t help the quickening of her pulse whenever she approached a vehicular stop. In her ten-plus years of experience, domestic calls and vehicular stops were always unknown and could be very dangerous. As she approached the car that reminded her of the brightly shining sun, she had a feeling this would be a routine stop, but was cautious nonetheless. She tapped on the window and the driver lowered it. Frank noticed the gorgeous woman sitting behind the wheel with the thick chestnut brown hair, high cheekbones, the nose that curved up oh-so-slightly, and the full, luscious lips. If only they had met under different circumstances. She asked for the woman’s ID, insurance, and registration. No, this stop definitely wouldn’t be routine.

  Frank had considered letting Alex off with just a warning when she was so apologetic, but then Alex had to go and ask Frank if she could just let her go. In her opinion, people who asked to get out of a ticket were only sorry they got caught and weren’t really looking to change their driving habits for the better. At least with a ticket, they might think about what they did and not look to do it again.

  “Wait here, please.” Frank took the items back to her patrol car and called the dispatcher again with the license information. After the dispatcher notified her that the driver did not have any warrants, Frank began writing the ticket. She studied Alex’s picture on her license a little longer than necessary. Although the picture was small, Frank could see the warmth emanating from her chocolate brown eyes. She sighed and thought another time, another place. Frank completed the information on the ticket and made her way back to Alex’s car.

  “Here you go, ma’am.” Frank handed Alex’s items and ticket to her. “Be safe, stay off your phone while you drive, and slow it down a little.” Frank got into her cruiser and waited for Alex to safely return to the road. She let out a deep breath, disappointed in the way they met. The chatter over the radio as she headed back to the station was white noise as she thought about Alex. She second-guessed her actions in giving her a ticket, and thought if she had let her go with a warning, maybe there would have been a slight chance to get to know her better if they met again. Frank knew she blew that chance when she saw in her eyes the, what? An
ger? Disappointment? Whatever it was told Frank it was a done deal.

  When she returned to the station, she dropped off her keys and headed to the locker room and the showers. Once she was dressed in tan cargo shorts and a black polo shirt, she spiked up her hair with a little gel and shook her head a few times to give it a bit of a wild look. Frank grabbed her backpack out of her locker, headed to her black Dodge Ram pickup, and drove to the party she had been invited to. She parked her truck on the tree-lined street and hiked half a block to the house. She noticed a bright yellow Beetle in the driveway and took a sharp intake of breath, then laughed at herself. Just a coincidence. There are a few hundred of those cars that same color driving the streets of Southern California. But like most cops said, she reminded herself, there were never coincidences.

  She knocked on the front door but when it opened, her breath hitched when she saw Alex Taylor. Alex narrowed her eyes before slamming the door in Frank’s face. Frank stood there stunned, sure she should turn around and leave, but she couldn’t make her feet move. The door opened again, and she saw her friend Jordan standing in the doorway, looking as bewildered as Frank felt.

  “What the hell was that all about?”

  Frank shook her head. “Um, I think I should go, Jordan. Thanks for the invite.” She turned to leave when she felt a hand grab her.

  “Not so fast there, Frank. Come in and have a beer so you can tell me why my best friend slammed the door in your face, then hurried past me while swearing under her breath.”

  Frank barked out a laugh. Best friend. Just great. This day just keeps getting better and better. She felt herself being pulled by Jordan and was too shocked to resist. Jordan led her to the kitchen and introduced Frank to Kirsten, Jordan’s wife.