The Ranger's Forgiveness (Army Ranger Romance Book 5) Read online

  The Ranger’s Forgiveness

  A Clean Army Ranger Romance Book Five

  Bree Livingston

  Edited by

  Christina Schrunk

  The Ranger’s Forgiveness

  Copyright © 2019 by Bree Livingston

  Edited by Christina Schrunk

  https://www.facebook.com/christinaschrunk.editor

  Proofread by Krista R. Burdine

  https://www.facebook.com/iamgrammaresque

  Cover design by Victorine Lieske

  http://victorinelieske.com/

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

  Bree Livingston

  https://www.breelivingston.com

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  The Ranger’s Forgiveness / Bree Livingston. -- 1st ed.

  ISBN: 9781097161393

  Contents

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  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

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek! The Ranger’s Destiny Chapter 1

  Sneak Peek! The Cowboy’s Fake Marriage Chapter 1

  Also by Bree Livingston

  About the Author

  To the friends who show me grace and forgive me when I don’t deserve it.

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  Chapter 1

  It was the call Elijah Emerson had been waiting for. Well, one of two. The one he’d have preferred—the one where Ruth, his mom, called and sought forgiveness for hurting him and driving him away—was no longer an option. When Samuel, his dad, died, his mom had taken it upon herself to groom Elijah into taking his place as CEO of Emerson National Frozen Foods based in Albuquerque.

  His dad had started the company in Las Vegas, New Mexico, coming up with an inventive new technique that kept the food sealed better and made it taste fresh even after microwaving. The plan had been for Elijah to eventually take over. It was what his dad had wanted as well, only he hadn’t been pushy.

  At one point, Elijah thought he would take over, but as he got older, it wasn’t what he wanted. He’d seen what the stress had done to his dad, eventually killing him with a heart attack. The weight he carried on his shoulders to keep the company’s products new and inventive was overwhelming. The man was pulled and pushed in so many directions that Elijah didn’t want anything to do with it. And once his mom decided it was what he was going to do, getting away became a fight for survival, which was why he left at eighteen, right after he graduated high school.

  “Elijah?” Noah calling his name broke through the torrent of thoughts and emotions he was feeling.

  Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, sorry.”

  Noah leaned forward in his office chair, crossing his arms on the desk. “What’s going on? You said you needed to take some time off.”

  His commanding officer, Noah Wolf, was now the guy in charge of the Guardian Group. Until recently, Pamela Williams had been in charge. She’d started the group after her husband was murdered. He’d left her a ton of money, and she’d chosen to honor his memory by helping people who had run out of options. She’d told them when she recruited Elijah’s Army company that the private security firm was her way of giving back.

  “I just got a call from a funeral home in Albuquerque that my mom passed away from brain cancer. I think I’m still in shock.” That wasn’t the right word. He was ashamed to say it was more like relief. Now maybe he’d feel free enough to live without the constant worry that his mom would swoop in and somehow make him take over the company. Another part of him grieved over the fact that they would never reconcile. The chance was gone forever now.

  “Oh, man. When’s the funeral? We’ll all be there.”

  Shaking his head, Elijah said, “No, no one knows I come from a wealthy family except you, and I want to keep it that way.”

  Noah exhaled sharply. “Elijah, none of us care.”

  “You say that because you come from money like I do. Our families have the same number of zeros, and you personally are a billionaire. You know how that is. Once someone finds out, it’s over. Normal is gone, and it’s never the same.” Elijah’s desire to keep his family’s money a secret made most of the guys think he was reclusive or standoffish, but in reality, it was as far from the truth as it could be. He was desperate to protect how he was perceived…just normal.

  There had only been one person in the world who had never treated him differently, and she was such a distant memory, it was even silly to think about her. Of course, it didn’t stop the errant thoughts from time to time. The ones that played the old “what-if” songs where they were having a dish soap fight or he was a dad by now. Dreams that were stupid because she’d ditched him. Something he’d never forgive. Well, he’d forgiven her, but he wasn’t stupid enough to give her the chance to hurt him again. Which is why he’d stayed gone from his hometown so long.

  Noah sat back. “Come on. You know all of us well enough to know we wouldn’t care. They don’t care that I am.”

  It wasn’t the same, and Noah just couldn’t wrap his mind around being treated differently. “You wouldn’t care. I would. I don’t want anyone to know. Just give me some time off. I’ll go home, take care of the funeral and the estate, and I’ll be back. Knowing my mom, she spent most of her life trying to figure out how to write me out of the will. I’ll probably return with the same amount of money I left with, and it won’t even be an issue anymore.”

  “Don’t say that.”

  Elijah scoffed. “You don’t know my mom.”

  Noah studied him a moment. “All right. Take as much time as you need. With Kolby and Gunner resigning, I have to do a little recruiting. Hopefully, some of them work out.”

  “Oh, geez, greenies?”

  Chuckling, Noah nodded. “I have to take what I can get.”

  Elijah stood, running his hand through his hair. “I’ll be back soon. Just…tell the guys I had some personal business to take care of. It’s nothing big.”

  Noah came to his feet. “Your mom died, Elijah. That’s big. Despite what your relationship was with her, you need to grieve. Take care of business, and we’ll see you when you get back.”

  If only his boss understood, but there was no way he could. Noah’s family was incredible. From his mom to his siblings, they were down-to-earth, loving, and friendly. Elijah’s family was never like that. His dad had been personable. People loved him, and he was good to everyone he met. What he’d seen in Elijah’s mom was still a mystery.

  Oh, she was beautiful. Tall, lithe, grace
ful with a commanding presence. When Ruth Emerson entered a room, there wasn’t a person who didn’t stare. The way she carried herself, like a queen, demanded it. The people she met were stepping stones to a better life and nothing more. Most of the time, Elijah felt his dad had fallen into that category as well.

  Elijah shook Noah’s hand. “Thanks. I’ll see you in a few weeks, if not sooner.”

  “I hope you find out you’re wrong about your mom.”

  “Yeah, not likely, but it’ll be good to see some of the people from my hometown.”

  “If you need anything, call. I know you like your privacy, but you’re a brother. You have to know that by now. It’s not the same as when you first joined the Army or first met any of us. You’re your own man now. No one is going to judge you for your family or your money. I promise you: none of us care.”

  Too many times they’d had this conversation, times when it was just Elijah and Noah. The man was never going to get it. He’d grown up being accepted, wanted, and cared for. Unlike Elijah who dealt fake people and users when he was a kid.

  “I hear you; I do. But based on my experience, that’s just not true.” Elijah walked to the door and opened it.

  “Okay, I respect that.” Noah paused. “I hope while you’re home, you…well, I hope it’s good for you.”

  Elijah didn’t know how to take that, nor did he know what to expect when he went home. There would be familiar faces, people he hadn’t seen since he left for the Army, and he might have had trouble actually going home if he knew she’d be there. But she wouldn’t, which meant that was at least one ghost who wouldn’t materialize.

  * * *

  With the tip of her boot, Taylor Mabrey toed open the screen door of her childhood home in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

  Her older brother stood on the other side with his arms crossed over his chest. Even through the screen, she could see mischief glinting in his eyes. “You know, you could just put the luggage down.”

  “And you could just open the door.” She grunted as her toe slipped and the door slapped shut.

  Lucas laughed. “You could ask for help.”

  She glared at him. “You could stop talking.”

  “Our list of couldas is getting longer by the minute.” His smile widened as his laughter grew louder.

  Lifting an eyebrow, she smirked. “Then let’s start with shoulda. You should be opening the door for your sister.”

  He eyed her a second and then pushed the screen open, making way for her to come in. “Fine. I’ll be gentlemanly this time.”

  As she passed him, she bumped him in the chest with her shoulder. “Jerk.”

  “Princess.”

  “Pain in the butt.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “Noooo, you have that distinction.”

  She rolled her eyes and laughed, dumping her luggage at his feet and taking him into her arms. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you.”

  “Too bad it took threats to get you to come home.” Her brother lived a few blocks over in a one-bedroom apartment. It gave him his freedom while allowing him to keep an eye on their dad.

  With a huff, she leaned back. “The people threatening me don’t even know who I am. Even the police don’t seem worried about them.” It was true, but they did tell her to be cautious, which was part of the reason she came home. The other part was that it had been too long, and she missed her family.

  Lucas lifted an eyebrow as he dropped his arms from her shoulders and grabbed her luggage. “The Twitter post and blog comments said otherwise, and they threatened to hurt you. I don’t even understand why you keep doing it.”

  Adrenaline? Most of the conspiracies she wrote about were just hearsay and conjecture about Area 51 and aliens, but it was fun. She’d never meant for it to be such a big deal, but in the last few months, it had become huge. Her underground podcast had over a half-million listeners, and her Twitter and blog were gaining followers daily. “I’m the Underground Nut. No one is supposed to be taking me seriously. It’s just for fun…to make some income from the advertising while I work on my art career.”

  “Well, someone is taking you seriously, so chill while you’re here, okay?” He picked up her luggage and took a right at the hallway.

  “Fine,” she said as she grabbed her other piece of luggage and followed her brother to her childhood bedroom. “I’ll have to make some sort of comment. If I don’t, my followers will think something has happened to me.”

  “Really? You must have stumbled onto something that someone doesn’t like. Why else would you get threats?” Her brother dropped her suitcase on her twin-size bed and faced her as she walked in.

  It had been about a year since she’d been home, and she was still surprised by all the Hanson posters every time. Sheesh, she’d been a little obsessive. Then she caught sight of a picture she’d forgotten to hide. Lie. When it came to Elijah Emerson, she told herself a million little lies. It didn’t make the pain go away, but it masked it enough that she could function.

  That picture was one of the last they’d taken. The one of her and Elijah at the county fair. At the time, they’d been the Romeo and Juliet of their town. Only it was a real romance spanning a lot longer than three days.

  A romance that was over and done. That picture was just a moment in time, and the damage was done. She needed to let it go. Bury those memories and move on.

  “The police said it could be anything. Seriously, it could be that they like my voice. That they have fixated on me because I’m anonymous. It really could be anything.” She touched Lucas’s arm. “They have no idea who the Underground Nut is. I’m super careful. My IP address is masked. It’s just stupid little threats that will go nowhere because no one knows who I am. You’re the only one I’ve told.”

  “Well, for my sake, just lie low. Dad doesn’t need that stress.”

  Her dad, Joseph, had been looking slimmer than usual the last few times Taylor had video-chatted with him. The stress of their mother passing nine years ago had hit him hard, and despite trying to be positive, it had taken a toll on him mentally and physically. He’d never really truly recovered, which was why Lucas still lived in Las Vegas.

  When Taylor was a freshman in high school, her mom was diagnosed with lymphoma. That first diagnosis had taken nearly a year to beat. They’d thought she was in remission, but at her one-year post-cancer checkup, they found a new spot, and she had to go through the same thing again. It had nearly ruined their family in more ways than one.

  Not long after her second diagnosis, with the bills piling higher and higher, they went to treatment after treatment. And then, like an answer to prayer, her mom was invited to participate in an experimental treatment. It was amazing. Her mom was responding well. All the signs pointed to her being cancer free, but not long after Taylor’s graduation…they’d lost her.

  Taylor’s eyes widened at the thought of her father being stressed because of her. “You haven’t told him about the threats, have you?” Her dad must have been at the shop. He owned a small glass repair business that he’d barely been able to hang on to while their mom was sick.

  Lucas shook his head. “No, and he’ll be home soon.” The screen door slammed, and he sighed. “Or now.”

  Taylor spun on her heels and raced to the front door, flinging her arms wide at her dad. He picked her up and swung her around. “Hey, daddy.”

  He slowed to a stop and set her on her feet. “How is my sweet girl? It’s been forever since I’ve seen you.”

  “Dad, we video-chat every night.”

  Her dad lightly pinched her cheek. “And that’s not the same as flesh and blood. Or holding you in my arms and giving you a hug.”

  She wrapped her arms around her dad again. Her suspicions that he’d lost a little more weight were true. During their nightly calls, she’d noticed his cheeks were a little hollower than they should be. “Daddy, you aren’t hiding that you’re sick, are you?”

  His eyebrows furrowed. “No, stop fret
ting.”

  “You’re taking your vitamins, right?”

  He waved her off. “Oh, would you stop. I’m a grown man. I know what I need to do. Besides, I came home early today because I got some news. I didn’t know you’d be here this quick.”

  Taylor crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t believe for one second that he was taking care of himself. “What does it matter if I’m here or not?”

  “Because I didn’t think you’d want to know that Ruth Emerson has passed away or that Elijah is in town taking care of the arrangements.”

  It was all she could do to hide the mix of emotions flowing through her. Shock, heartache, relief, happiness, anger…everything. She swallowed hard. “Elijah?” It felt strange saying his name after avoiding it for so long.

  Her dad nodded. “Yeah, the funeral is in about an hour. I thought I’d come home, dress better, and go pay my respects. Not to her, the old stuck-up broad. But Elijah. That boy deserves my respect…”

  She held up her hand. “I don’t want to hear it. Nothing.” Of course, that wasn’t true. She wanted to hear everything about him, but she’d forbidden anyone from speaking about him in her presence. Just hearing his name cut her into a million pieces.

  Taking her by the arms, her dad held her out from him. “Taylor, I don’t know what happened all those years ago, but I think it’s time you let those demons go. He was a good, decent boy when he was young. He’s served in the Army, and from what I hear, he works for a private security firm out of North Carolina. Whatever he did, you can forgive him. It’s been long enough.”