Sacred Surrender

www.lazydaypub.com

Sacred Surrender

Digital
ISBN-
9781612580258

Print
ISBN-
1-61258-025-4

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Copyright © 2011 Ava Riley

Cover art by Bret Poinier

This book is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, any events or locales is purely coincidental.  The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission from the publisher LazyDay, with the exception of quotes used in reviews and critical articles.

Dedication

To my husband, the man who made me believe in happy ever after, I owe you more than a dedication in this book!  There’s no place in the world I’d rather be than in your heart and arms. No matter what life throws at us, the one constant is the love we share!  You truly are my best friend.  Thank you for all your love, support, and encouragement!

To my kids, Marc and Kaleigh, though you’ll never read this (at least until I’m no longer walking this earth), I’m proud to be your Mommy. You make me see the good in the world.

To all the friends and family (even my Twitterlings), far and near who have had a part in my life, molding me into the person I am today, I say ~ Thank You~!

To Staci and Lazy Day Publishing ~ Thanks for taking a chance on this vanilla writer who just wanted her voice to be heard!  I appreciate all you’ve done for me!

Sacred Surrender

By

The alarm sounded, signaling the start of another day; a day he had no desire to face.  Reaching across his king sized sleigh bed, he squashed the sound of eighties music flowing from the small black box sitting on the bedside table.  The numbers eight three zero glaring at him as if to dare him to close his eyes once more.

Rowan found it harder with each passing day to pull himself from the bed he dreaded laying down in nightly.  His life became nothing more than a mundane routine since his sister Tessa and his best friend Cade started dating a year ago. The two things in life he always counted on since graduating from medical school, Friday night club hopping with Cade and Saturday morning breakfast with Tessa, came to an abrupt halt when the two started planning their wedding six months ago.  Saying he missed that time was an understatement, but he held no anger toward either of them.  It’s how life unfolded and he couldn’t be happier for them.  He and Cade became best friends at the age of ten and, honestly, he couldn’t have asked for a more loving husband for his little sister or a better brother in law.  Laying there in his oversized bed alone; however, made the joy he felt for them dissipate. 

Lying on his back, his eyes focused on nothing specific, Rowan rubbed his hand over his once clean shaven jaw.  The stubble became a quick reminder of his lack of caring any longer.  With movements that put even a sloth to shame, he reluctantly pushed aside the red and black comforter as he dragged himself out of bed.  The cold wood floor beneath his feet sent a shiver through his body and at once awareness of the day awaiting him, hit full force.  He slowly made his way down the hallway of his three bedroom home to the kitchen.  A nice steaming cup of straight black coffee should get his blood warmed up and his mind cleared. 

Although Long Beach weather in November during the afternoons was always pleasant, the mornings held a crisp chill, making it his favorite time of the year.  He slept with his bedroom windows open so that when he woke in the mornings, the first thing to hit his senses was the cool breeze from the ocean.  He loved living close to the beach for the simple serenity it offered.

Rowan works the graveyard shift in the emergency room at Long Beach Community Hospital and would normally be crawling into bed instead of out.  Yesterday, marked the start of his vacation, however, and he made plans with Cade.  He promised he’d help him plan the honeymoon him and Tessa would be going on in just a few more months.  It seemed like it wasn’t that long ago that he and Cade had been planning his own honeymoon.  A honeymoon that never happened, because of a fiancé that decided it would be clever to seduce his best friend the night before their wedding.  Erin had been his life, the one he thought for sure he would grow old with.  He’d given her everything he had to give to her.  Physically, emotionally, lock, stock and barrel, he hadn’t held anything back.  And now he stood alone in his kitchen.  Looking back, he mentally slapped himself for being so naïve when it came to her.  Certainly there had to have been signs of the true person that dwelled deep within her, but he’d been so caught up in being in love, he missed them. 

Rowan lost himself in the memories of the short courtship he experienced with Erin, as he sat on one of the bar stools lining the high counter, wrapping around his kitchen.  Without thought, he picked at the bowl of fruit he’d pulled from the refrigerator.  A whirlwind romance filled with promises of a happy ending, only to end with his heart being broken and her not giving two shits about him or those close to him.  They met in the emergency room when she’d started working for the hospital as a charge nurse, catching his attention right away.  She was absolutely beautiful.  She silently screamed perfection with her long blonde hair, perfect tanned skin, deep blue eyes, and a body to die for with curves in all the right places.  He was astonished that of all the men she could be with she’d actually chosen him.  Of course, looking back now, his astonishment diminished because she apparently was not a one man woman.  He found that out the hard way.  After only a few months of dating, he asked her to marry him.  He’d never been in love, never felt as if something was so right until he met Erin.  And because of her, he vowed never to trust his instincts with a woman again.  As far as he was concerned, she was evil to the core.  Underneath that beautiful face and body dwelled a blackened heart that cared for no one other than herself. 

He’d gone out with Cade and a few of his doctor buddies from the hospital to celebrate his wedding.  Of course, like any groom to be, he’d had entirely too much to drink.  Cade had to drag his ass back home to sleep it off before the ceremony the next day.  He knew Erin would never forgive him if he showed up on their wedding day still drunk from the night before.  What a shock it had been to find out, that the only woman he’d ever given his heart to, or ever would, was a manipulative, cheating bitch.  As he lay on the couch oblivious to everything around him, Erin had tried to get Cade into her bed, their bed.  That damn sleigh bed she’d talked him into buying the week before their wedding.  That damn bed he didn’t even want and just crawled out of.  Thankfully, his best friend not only had enough scruples to deny her, but to expose her untimely deed.  Rowan would’ve married someone who never truly loved him if Cade had not held fast to the friendship that bound them together.  Unfortunately, his appreciation of Cade’s honesty, in the beginning, was not quite as evident as it is now.  It had practically destroyed their friendship.  Rowan actually had the audacity to blame Cade for Erin’s advances.  Fortunately for him, Cade was understanding, waiting out the storm that was Rowan.  Even when Tessa had tried to convince him that Cade had done nothing but the noble thing, he closed her off as well.  Rowan never lashed out at Cade verbally or physically, but sometimes a cold shoulder is worse than a dislocated jaw.  Why Cade ever forgave him would be a mystery to until he took his last breath. He was thankful that their lifelong friendship held steadfast through possibly the worst time of his life.