Let Love Be Blurb
What would bring you happiness in a world that was suddenly empty?
For Lucy Crane, the answer is simple: her daughter. When her husband is killed in a tragic accident, Lucy loses her desire to live, but only one thing keeps her going – her unborn daughter. Focusing on being a mother helps Lucy cope with her loss, but kids grow up and they leave home, eventually. Eighteen years after losing her first and only love, Lucy is faced with the opportunity to find the happiness for which she’s always longed. Her own fears become her worst enemies as she learns how to embrace love once again.
Evan Donovan is also facing his own struggles. Forced to retire from the FDNY because of lung damage caused by 9/11, Evan moves to upstate New York where he hopes to find a little peace and quiet. Old habits die hard, and Evan’s hero complex and survivor’s guilt constantly remind him of how difficult it is to be vulnerable. But for the first time in his life, he’s tired of being alone.
Drawing strength from one another, Lucy and Evan discover how beautiful it is to let love be a part of their lives.
Let Love Be Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Evan
October 2, 1995
“You better slow down, old man,” Brody puffs out as he powers down the treadmill. Straddling the machine, he places a foot on each side of the belt as it comes to a complete stop.
I swipe a towel over my face, but don’t stop my run. “Nah, I still got a few miles left in me. And I am not old.” My legs are burning, but I can’t stop now. There’s no way in hell I’m letting this probie lay into me for being old.
Brody chugs down his water as he sits on the bench next to the machines. “You’re older than me!”
“Watch it, kid. Keep talking like that to an old-timer like me and you’ll be scrubbing toilets for a month.”
Brody chokes on his water and holds up his hands, surrendering to my empty threats. “Okay, okay, you win.”
“Damn straight, I do.” I’d laugh, but now my lungs are burning too. He needs to get out of this workout room now so I can slow down without losing my pride.
Just as Brody turns to leave the room, I get a killer cramp in my side. He must see me cringe in the wall of mirrors lining the back of the room where the weights are set up, because he smirks and turns on his heels, heading back to my machine.
Still refusing to let him win, I straighten myself, even though it hurts like a bitch. Casually, Brody leans his elbow up against the front of the machine and takes a look at the speedometer, which is set to seven miles-an-hour.
“Seven, not bad. Let’s see if you can handle eight though.” He reaches over the control panel and changes the speed.
Prick.
“Oh, it’s on now!” My legs pump faster, muscles ripping through the pain, but after a minute or so, I acclimate to the speed and catch my groove. It’s not so bad, but if I don’t consciously focus on my breathing, I might just keel over and pass out.
“How are those lungs feeling?” he asks mockingly.
Risking any sense of control I have over my body, I ball up my towel and chuck it right at his head. “Fantastic, newbie.”
Okay, maybe they burn a little bit, but I’d rather collapse than admit it.
Brody has a smug look plastered to his face as he leans back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m so glad you find this amusing. Hey, didn’t Ramirez make you power wash the rigs last month for giving him shit?”
